The Distinguishing Mark of Christian Living (Ephesians 5:1-2)

We are studying Ephesians 5 in our faith family. I am reading Peter O'Brien's commentary on the passage in preparation. The first two verses of Ephesian 5 are as follows.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV)

O'Brien does some word studies and cultural analysis. He summarizes the verses as follows.

... 'for a fragrant aroma', which was used in the Old Testament of all the main types of sacrifice in the levitical ritual, indicates what is well pleasing to God. Paul is here capturing this Old Testament sense of a sacrifice that is truly acceptable to God. Christ willingly offered himself as a sacrifice to the Father, and this was fully pleasing to him.

The apostle's point is plain. Christ's handing himself over to death for his people was the supreme demonstration of his love for them. Because he is both the ground and model of their love, costly, sacrificial love is to be the distinguishing mark of their lives. To serve others in this way is not only to please God; it is also to imitate both God and Christ.(p. 355, The Letter to the Ephesians)

O'Brien then summarizes the section of this section of the epistle (4:25-5:2) with the following observations.

Paul has depicted in the strongest possible terms the contrast between the readers' previous way of life in the society of his day and their present existence in Christ. The standards presented in this passage are very different from the lifestyle of the surrounding world. This is not to say that some moralists would have disagreed with the apostle's assessment and given contrary advice. Some would have concurred with him at a number of points. Virtue and vice lists, and negative and positive injunctions of a kind similar to Paul's can be found in the Graeco-Roman and Hellenistic-Jewish literature of the day. But it is 'the framework of motivations supplied by his gospel' that makes his 'ethical teaching coherent and distinctly Christian'. Particularly significant is the motivation not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom they were sealed until the day of redemption (v. 30). God has stamped the readers with his own character and guaranteed to protect them until the final day. How ungrateful they would be if they now behaved in a manner which grieved the very Spirit by whom God had marked them as his own. Further, they are to forgive others just God in Christ forgave them (v. 32), and they are to be imitators of God by walking in love. The model and ground for such a life of love is Christ's love so signally demonstrated in the cross. Ultimately, then, to imitate God is to imitate Christ, and costly, sacrificial love is to characterize believers in their relationships with one another. (pp. 355-356, ibid)

At the end of Ephesians 4, Paul describes how Christians should live together in community. Some moralists in the secular world would recognize that moral behavior is the only way a society can thrive. However, without Christ's sacrificial death for us, it would be impossible to live in such a manner. Without the Holy Spirit living within us and enabling obedience, we cannot live as a loving, holy community together. We need to remember who we are in Christ and what Christ sacrificed for us in love. Furthermore, we need to rely on the Holy Spirit's sanctifying work in our lives. This living in Christ-like love with one another will distinguish the Church supernaturally from the rest of the world (John 13:35).

Grudem on Prayer (Romans 8:26)

There is a group of us at Pearson going through Grudem's Systematic Theology. It has been great so far. Wayne Grudem makes observations about different doctrines all the time that encourages us. He makes the following observation about Romans 8:26:

In Romans 8:26–27 Paul says: Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Interpreters differ on whether the “sighs too deep for words” are the sighs the Holy Spirit himself makes or our own sighs and groans in prayer, which the Holy Spirit makes into effective prayer before God. It seems more likely that the “sighs” or “groans” here are our groans. When Paul says, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness” (v. 26), the word translated “helps” (Gk. sunantilambanomai) is the same word used in Luke 10:40, where Martha wants Mary to come and help her. The word does not indicate that the Holy Spirit prays instead of us, but that the Holy Spirit takes part with us and makes our weak prayers effective. Thus, such sighing or groaning in prayer is best understood to be sighs or groans which we utter, expressing the desires of our heart and spirit, which the Holy Spirit makes into effective prayer.”(p. 381)

When we are too distressed or emotionally wrought to pray verbally for ourselves and all we can do is like Job, groan and sigh: the Holy Spirit helps us to make our prayers effective to God. He is indeed our Comforter and our Friend. The point is that we need to pray no matter how distraught we are. We have the Holy Spirit to comfort us and to help us articulate our prayers. We have the Son of God to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25). Finally, we have God the Father who loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us (John 3:16). God, the Three-In-One Godhead, is fully involved in our prayer life.

Charles Hodge on the Centrality of the Cross

Charles Hodge made a good point in his commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:2. Hodge pointed out that Paul preached Christ as crucified.

Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Paul’s only design in going to Corinth was to preach Christ; and Christ not as a teacher, or as an example, or as a perfect man, or as a new starting point in the development of the race--all this would be mere philosophy; but Christ as crucified, i.e. as dying for our sins. Christ as a propitiation was the burden of Paul’s preaching. It has been well remarked that Jesus Christ refers to the person of Christ, and him crucified, to his work; which constitute the sum of the gospel. (Charles Hodge).

C. S. Lewis on "Are Miracles Possible?"

Here are some more snippets from my "Bible and C. S. Lewis" study guide. The guide addresses the nature of miracles and whether they are possible or not. As a side note, Tim Keller's book, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering has some great arguments about this topic.

Hume's Argument against the "Probability of Miracles" Summarized.

David Hume was a Scottish philosopher in the eighteenth century. His works profoundly influenced two schools of philosophy: skepticism and empiricism. His arguments against the probability of miracles still hold sway today. C. S. Lewis addressed Hume’s arguments in his book, Miracles. Norman Geisler is a respected, Christian apologist.

Hume's real argument is much more difficult to answer. It is not an argument for the impossibility of miracles but for the incredibility of miracles. It can be stated this way

1. A miracle is by definition a rare occurrence.
2. Natural law is by definition a description of a regular occurrence.
3. The evidence for the regular is always greater than that for the rare.
4. A wise man always bases his belief on the greater evidence.
5. Therefore, a wise man should never believe in miracles.

Notice that on this "soft" form of the argument miracles are not rule out entirely; they are simply held to be always incredible by the very nature of the evidence. The wise man does not claim that miracles cannot occur; he simply never believes they happen, because he never has enough evidence for that belief. However, even in this "soft" interpretation of the argument, miracles are still eliminated, since by the very nature of the case no thoughtful person should ever hold that a miracle has indeed occurred. If this is so, Hume has seemingly avoided begging the question and yet has successfully eliminated the possibility of reasonable belief in miracles. Variations of these arguments are still held to be valid by some widely respected contemporary philosophers. (Norm Geisler)

C. S. Lewis on Miracles

But if we admit God, must we admit Miracle? Indeed, indeed, you have no security against it. That is the bargain. Theology says to you in effect, “Admit God and with Him the risk of a few miracles, and I in return will ratify your faith in uniformity as regards the overwhelming majority of events.” The philosophy which forbids you to make uniformity absolute is also the philosophy which offers you solid ground for believing it to be general, to be almost absolute. The Being who threatens Nature’s claim to omnipotence confirms her in her lawful occasions. Give us this hap’orth of tar and we will save the ship. The alternative is really much worse. Try to make Nature absolute and you find that her uniformity is not even probable. By claiming too much, you get nothing. You get the deadlock, as in Hume. Theology offers you a working arrangement, which leaves the scientist free to continue his experiments and the Christian to continue his prayers. We have also, I suggest, found what we were looking for--a criterion whereby to judge the intrinsic probability of an alleged miracle. We must judge it by our “innate sense of the fitness of things,” that same sense of fitness which led us to anticipate that the universe would be orderly. I do not mean, of course, that we are to use this sense in deciding whether miracles in general are possible: we know that they are on philosophical grounds. Nor do I mean that a sense of fitness will do instead of close inquiry into the historical evidence. As I have repeatedly pointed out, the historical evidence cannot be estimated until we have first estimated the intrinsic probability of the recorded event. It is in making that estimate as regards each story of the miraculous that our sense of fitness comes into play. (Miracles)

C. S. Lewis on the "The Grand Miracle"

One is very often asked at present whether we could not have a Christianity stripped, or, as people who asked it say, 'freed' from its miraculous elements, a Christianity with the miraculous elements suppressed. Now, it seems to me that precisely the one religion in the world, or, at least the only one I know, with which you could not do that is Christianity. In a religion like Buddhism, if you took away the miracles attributed to Gautama Buddha in some very late sources, there would be no loss; in fact, the religion would get on very much better without them because in that case the miracles largely contradict the teaching. Or even in the case of a religion like Mohammedanism, nothing essential would be altered if you took away the miracles. You could have a great prophet preaching his dogmas without bringing in any miracles; they are only in the nature of a digression, or illuminated capitals. But you cannot possibly do that with Christianity, because the Christian story is precisely the story of one grand miracle, the Christian assertion being that what is beyond all space and time, what is uncreated, eternal, came into nature, into human nature, descended into His own universe, and rose again, bringing nature up with Him. It is precisely one great miracle. If you take that away there nothing specifically Christian left. There may be many admirable human things which Christianity shares with all other systems in the world, but there would be nothing specifically Christian. Conversely, once you have accepted that, then you will see that all other well-established Christian miracles--because, of course, there are ill-established Christian miracles; there are Christian legends just as much as there are heathen legends, or modern journalistic legends--you will see that all the well-established Christian miracles are part of it, that they all either prepare for, or exhibit, or result from the Incarnation. Just as every natural event exhibits the total character of the natural universe at a particular point and space of time; so every miracle exhibits the character of the Incarnation. Now, if one asks whether that central grand miracle in Christianity is itself probable or improbable, of course, quite clearly you cannot be applying Hume's kind of probability. You cannot mean a probability based on statistics according to which the more often a thing has happened, the more likely it is to happen again (the more often you get indigestion from eating a certain food, the more probable it is, if you eat it again, that you again have indigestion). Certainly the Incarnation cannot be probable in that sense. It is of its very nature to have happened only once. But then it is of the very nature of the history of this world to have happened only once; and if the Incarnation happened at all, it is the central chapter of that history. It is improbable in the same way in which the whole of nature is improbable, because it is only there once, and will happen only once. (God in the Dock)

C. S. Lewis: The Centrality of the Resurrection

Quote from C. S. Lewis on the centrality of the resurrection to Christianity. I included some verses to back him up.

Miracles: A Preliminary Study.

As this qualification suggests, to preach Christianity meant primarily to preach the Resurrection. Thus people who had heard only fragments of St. Paul's teaching at Athens got the impression that he was talking about two new gods, Jesus and Anastasis (i.e. Resurrection) (Acts xvii. 18). The Resurrection is the central theme in every Christian sermon reported in the Acts. The Resurrection, and its consequences, were the "gospel" or good news which the Christians brought: what we call the "gospels," the narratives of Our Lord's life and death, were composed later for the benefit of those who already accepted the gospel. They were in no sense the basis of Christianity: they were written for those already converted. The miracle of the Resurrection, and the theology of that miracle, comes first: the biography comes later as comment on it. Nothing could be more unhistorical than to pick out selected saying of Christ from the gospels and to regard those as the datum and the rest of the New Testament as a construction upon it. The first fact in the history of Christendom is a number of people who say they have seen the Resurrection. If they had died without making anyone else believe this "gospel" no gospels would ever have been written.

The Bible on the "Centrality of the Resurrection."

Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. (I Corinthians 15:12-19)

But whatever things were gained to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Phillipians 3:7-11)

C. S. Lewis on Suffering

I wrote an evangelical discussion guide years ago on the works of C. S. Lewis. Here are a few C. S. Lewis quotes from my chapter on the problem of pain. I'll list some resource books at the end. Some I did not have when I wrote the study guide.

Quotes From The Problem of Pain

• The Christian doctrine of suffering explains, I believe, a very curious fact about the world we live in. The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world: but joy, pleasure, and merriment He has scattered broadcast. We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy. It is not hard to see why. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and pose an obstacle to our return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bathe or a football match, have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home.
• But pain insists upon being attended to, God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.
• No doubt Pain as God's megaphone is a terrible instrument; it may lead to final and unrepented rebellion. But it gives the only opportunity the bad man can have for amendment. It removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul.
• If the first and lowest operation of pain shatters the illusion that all is well, the second shatters the illusion that what we have, whether good or bad in itself, is our own and enough for us. Everyone has noticed how hard it is to turn our thoughts to God when everything is going well with us. We "have all we want" is a terrible saying when “all" does not include God. We find God an interruption. As St. Augustine says somewhere, "God wants to give us something, but cannot, because our hands are full--there's nowhere for Him to put it." Or as a friend of mine said, "We regard God as an airman regards his parachute; it's there for emergencies but he hopes he'll never have to use it. Now God who has made us, knows what we are and that our happiness lies in Him. Yet we will not seek it in Him as long as He leaves us any other resort where it can even plausibly be looked for. While what we call "our own life" remains agreeable we will not surrender it to Him. What then can God do in our interests but make "our own life" less agreeable to us, and take away the plausible sources of false happiness? It is just here, where God's providence seems at first to be most cruel, that the Divine humility, the stooping down of the highest , most deserves praise. We are perplexed to see misfortune falling upon decent, inoffensive, worthy people--on capable, hard-working mothers of families or diligent, thrifty little trades-people on those who have worked so hard, and so honestly, for their modest stock of happiness and now seem to be entering on the enjoyment of it with the fullest right.... Let me implore the reader to try to believe, if only for the moment, that God, who made these deserving people, may really be right when He thinks that their modest prosperity and the happiness of their children are not enough to make them blessed: that all this must fall from them in the end, and that if they have not learned to know Him they will be wretched. And therefore He troubles them, warning them in advance of an insufficiency that one day they will have to discover. The life to themselves and their families stands between them and the recognition of their need; He makes that life less sweet to them.

A Quote from A Grief Observed.

The terrible thing is that a perfectly good God is in this matter hardly less formidable than a Cosmic Sadist. The more we believe that God hurts only to heal, the less we can believe that there is any use in begging for tenderness. A cruel man might be bribed--might grow tired of his vile sport--might have a temporary fit of mercy, as alcoholics have fits of sobriety. But suppose that what you are up against is a surgeon whose intentions are wholly good. The kinder and more conscientious he is, the more inexorably he will go on cutting. If he yielded to your entreaties, if he stopped before the operation was complete, all the pain up to that point would have been useless. But is it credible that such extremities of torture should be necessary for us? Well, take your choice. The tortures occur. If they are unnecessary then there is no God or a bad one. If there is a good God, then these tortures are necessary. For not even a moderately good Being could possibly inflict or permit them if they weren't. Either way, we're in for it.

Books on Suffering

• The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis 
• A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis 
• Suffering and the Sovereignty of God -- A collection of essays edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor 
• Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller

GCLI -- Kenotic Theology

This is a note to myself about the GCLI materials. In the GCLI Book 2, p. 194, the author listed "Kenosis" as a key doctrine in understanding the Incarnation. The author, Herschel Martindale, even listed the doctrine before Hypostatic Union. Kenotic Theology is a relatively new doctrine (19th and 20th centuries) and is rejected by most prominent evangelicals. I ran my objections by Brooks Simpson and Dan Bovenmeyer and they agreed. I'm outlining my objections here so if anyone asks me what I think about the GCLI materials, I can give my concerns; however, no one really cares about this stuff anymore.
Martindale listed the 5 characteristics of Kenotic Theology as follows:

"The Kenosis" (self limitation or emptying), Dr. Dennis J. Mock, (Bible Doctrine Survey): Through the incarnation, Jesus as God became real man. But how could God take on humanity and still be God? Philippians. 2:5-11 is the key text. Verse 6: "Being in very nature; God" (Deity). Verse 7: "Being made in human likeness" ;(humanity). Verse 7: "Made Himself nothing" ("emptied Himself"). Verse 8: "He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Christ then

1. Voluntarily gave up the right to use some divine prerogatives, and divine position for a time;
2. Condescended to add unglorified humanity to His Deity.
3. Limited the use some of His divine attributes while a man;
4. Voluntarily depended on the Holy Spirit during His early ministry;
5. Sacrificially became God's Servant.

My biggest objection is that it is just plain bad exegesis on Philippians 2:5-11. Grudem comments on the passage in his Systematic Theology:

But does Philippians 2:7 teach that Christ emptied himself of some of his divine attributes, and does the rest of the New Testament confirm this? The evidence of Scripture points to a negative answer to both questions. We must first realize that no recognized teacher in the first 1,800 years of church history, including those who were native speakers of Greek, thought that “emptied himself” in Philippians 2:7 meant that the Son of God gave up some of his divine attributes. Second, we must recognize that the text does not say that Christ “emptied himself of some powers” or “emptied himself of divine attributes” or anything like that. Third, the text does describe what Jesus did in this “emptying”: he did not do it by giving up any of his attributes but rather by “taking the form of a servant,” that is, by coming to live as a man, and “being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8). Thus, the context itself interprets this “emptying” as equivalent to “humbling himself” and taking on a lowly status and position. Thus, the NIV, instead of translating the phrase, “He emptied himself,” translates it, “but made himself nothing” (Phil. 2:7 NIV). The emptying includes change of role and status, not essential attributes or nature.

A fourth reason for this interpretation is seen in Paul’s purpose in this context. His purpose has been to persuade the Philippians that they should “do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3), and he continues by telling them, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4). To persuade them to be humble and to put the interests of others first, he then holds up the example of Christ: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant . . .” (Phil. 2:5–7).

Now in holding up Christ as an example, he wants the Philippians to imitate Christ. But certainly he is not asking the Philippian Christians to “give up” or “lay aside” any of their essential attributes or abilities! He is not asking them to “give up” their intelligence or strength or skill and become a diminished version of what they were. Rather, he is asking them to put the interests of others first: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4). And because that is his goal, it fits the context to understand that he is using Christ as the supreme example of one who did just that: he put the interests of others first and was willing to give up some of the privilege and status that was his as God. (pp. 550-552).

Charles Ryrie comments on Mock's use of the term, "Kenosis":

So if our understanding of kenosis comes from Philippians 2, we should get our definition of the concept there. And that passage does not discuss at all the question of how or how much Christ's glory was veiled. Nor does it say anything about the use or restriction of divine attributes. It does say that the emptying concerned becoming a man to be able to die. Thus the kenosis means leaving His preincarnate position and taking on a servant-humanity. (p. 301, Basic Theology)

F. F. Bruce has a comment on Philippians 2:7, which summarizes this blog rather nicely.

The implication is not that Christ, by becoming incarnate, exchanged the form of God for the form of a slave, but that he manifested the form of God in the form of slave ( p. 218, F.F. Bruce as quoted by Peter in O'Brien, The Epistle to Ephesians)

Jesus did have limited knowledge sometimes, but he had supernatural knowledge at other times. Jesus limited his power at times on earth, but he demonstrated his power over nature in his miracles. The point of the passage is not why Christ did not display more of his power on earth, but rather to exemplify Christ's humility. I do not understand how the two natures of Christ communicated between each other, but this doctrine of Kenosis confuses rather than clarifies the mystery.

The Foolish Things of the World...

The Fellowship of the Bean is studying 1st Corinthians. Paul in the first chapter was trying to unify the Corinthians. They were dividing themselves up according to teacher: some were for Paul, some were for Apollos, etc. Some were even claiming to be just following Christ. They claimed Paul was a poor speaker with lowly appearance. They wanted a more polish rhetorician. Paul began building up the Corinthians by tearing them down. He first pointed out that they did not choose to follow Christ. The message of the Cross was unbelievable to the world: a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. Paul stressed that God chose them and not for reasons they would like. God chose them because they were foolish and powerless. Here are the verses at the end of chapter 1.

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29 ESV)

Gordon Fee comments poetically on verse 29 of Chapter 1.

With this clause Paul expresses the ultimate purpose of the divine folly: "so that no one may boast before him." God, it turns out, deliberately chose the foolish things of the world, the cross and the Corinthians believers, so that he could remove forever, from every human creature, any possible grounds on their part of standing in the divine presence with something in their hands. The ground is level at the foot of the cross; not a single thing that any of us possesses will advantage him/her before the living God--not brilliance, "clout," achievement, money, or prestige. By choosing the lowly Corinthians God declared that he has forever ruled out every imaginable human system of gaining his favor. It is all--"trust him completely" (v. 31)--or nothing. (p. 84, Gordon D. Fee, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Haiti, Evangecube, and Bible Verses

In Haiti we used a tool for evangelism called the "Evangecube." It is a cube that can open up in different ways to reveal different pictures that explain the Gospel in very direct terms. Some of the verses in the instructions I have already memorized, but there were some verses I do not have memorize. This post is for future reference where I can direct myself or others on how to prepare for a Haiti trip or just share the gospel.

Here's a link on how to use the Evangecube: How to use an Evangecube

I have one caution about this post. This list is more of a meditation on what would be useful in sharing the gospel. It is not necessary to memorize all these verses to use the Evangecube. These verses are definitely not necessary to share the Gospel. I am encouraging people to think about how to share the gospel and what verses they would use. In my personal experience and my personal style in sharing the gospel in Haiti, I think it would be useful for me to have these verses somewhat memorize so I can have people read a Creole bible and read the verses back to me.

Picture 1 (Man in Separated from God).

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23 ESV)

Picture 2 (Christ on the Cross)

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24 ESV)

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,(1 Peter 3:18 ESV)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.(John 3:16 ESV)

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 ESV)

Picture 3 (Tomb) The instructions did not have a verse for Jesus being buried in a tomb, but here's one.

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. (Matthew 27:57-60 ESV)

Picture 4 (Risen Christ) Again no verses in the instructions, but here is the verse in the Gospel of Matthew:

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.(Matthew 28:5-6 ESV)

Picture 5 "Cross Bridge"

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.(John 14:6 ESV)

For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. (Hebrews 4:2 ESV)

Picture 6 (Heaven and Hell)

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:18 ESV)

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36 ESV)

This verse is not in the instructions, but I think it would be useful in sharing:

Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. (Acts 16:30-34 ESV)

Assurance of Salvation

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.(John 1:12-13 ESV)

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28 ESV)

Picture 7 (Steps for the Followers of Christ)
Love God and all people

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40 ESV)

Study the Bible (God's Word) Daily

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— (1 Peter 2:2 ESV)

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. (John 14:23 ESV)

Pray to God constantly

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV)

Meet regularly with other Christians

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.(Hebrews 10:25 ESV)

Tell others the good news about Jesus

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. (Mark 16:15 ESV)

Ephesians 3 -- Knowing the Love of Christ

Our house church is studying Ephesians. The following passage is from a prayer in chapter 3.

that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19 ESV)

Charles Hodge, the great Princeton theologian in the 19th century, writes in his commentary of Ephesians about this passage.

“It is the love of Christ, i. e. his love to us which passes knowledge. It is infinite; not only because it inheres in an infinite subject, but because the condescension and sufferings to which it led, and the blessings which it secures for its objects, are beyond our comprehension. This love of Christ, though it surpasses the power of our understanding to comprehend, is still a subject of experimental knowledge. We may know how excellent, how wonderful, how free, how disinterested, how long-suffering, how manifold and constant, it is, and that it is infinite. And this is the highest and most sanctifying of all knowledge. Those who thus know the love of Christ towards them, purify themselves even as he is pure.”

Experimental knowledge is tasting and seeing that the Lord is good. (Psalm 34:8). It is having and keeping Christ's commands because we love Jesus and God the Father. Christ promises to manifest Himself to us, when we obey His commands (John 14:21). God reveals Himself not only in the spiritual disciplines (reading the Word, prayer, meditation, fellowship, etc), but also when we step out obedience. In our obedience, the love and manifold wisdom of God is revealed. God revealed His love and wisdom when we were in Haiti in miraculous ways. This is why I think we need power to comprehend the love of Christ. Not only does the subject of Christ's love have infinite scope, which will take an eternity to comprehend, but it is comprehended through faith in obedience. We need strength to faithfully obey Christ's commands so we can experimentally know Him better.

God gracefully gives us the power to obey. As Paul finishes the prayer in Ephesians chapter 3.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

We obey Christ because of what he has already done for us. We obey Christ because we seek Him in His promises to us because He fulfilled His promises to us in the past. We seek Christ because we have an infinitely powerful, loving and wise God who wants to sustain us and empower us. We seek Christ because God will glorify Himself through Christ's body, the Church. Charles Hodge encourages us to join Paul in praise to God, when Hodge comments on this doxology in Ephesians 3.

“Κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν τὴν ἐνεργουμένην ἐν ἡμῖν, according to the power that worketh in us. The infinite power of God from which so much may be expected, is the same of which we are now the subjects. It is that power which wrought in Christ when it raised him from the dead, and set him at the right hand of God, ch. 1, 19-20; and which has wrought an analogous change in the believer in raising him from the death of sin, and making him to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; and which still sustains and carries on the work of salvation in the soul. The past is a foretaste and pledge of the future. Those who have been raised from the dead, who have been transformed by the renewing of their minds, translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son, and in whom God himself dwells by his Spirit, having already experienced a change which nothing but omnipotence could effect, may well join in the doxology to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think.” ― Charles Hodge, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians

Haiti and Scripture Memory

Here are some verses that I wished I had memorized in Haiti. If I had the passages memorized with the exact reference then helping people to find the passages in the Creole Bible would have been much, much easier. I either paraphrased these and finally found them later. Dave K. used the 1 Peter 5 passage with leaders with good effect. I hope you can find these verses useful. Pray that I'll be diligent in memorizing these. I'll be adding to this page.

Sexual Purity

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; (1 Thessalonians 4:3–5)

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. (1 Peter 4:1-6 ESV)

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.(Hebrews 13:4 ESV)

Humility

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:6-10 ESV)

Servant Leadership

But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45 ESV)

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:1-11 ESV)

Victory in Christ

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13 ESV)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 ESV)

Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:10-13 ESV)

Haiti III

I struggled with my decision to go to Haiti. I knew a lot of theology, but I had struggles in communicating those truths verbally. However, through advice of fellow believers, the result of circumstances, and God's prompting, I decided to go. People, when they found out I was going, encouraged me that a person with my theological leanings and maturity would be helpful in Haiti. I was excited to go, but I was like Paul at Corinth, I approached this ministry with fear and trembling. Once we got to Haiti and started ministering, I struggled with finding the correct verses to apply to situations. I had my bible with me, but the verses eluded me. However, God did use me. Dave encouraged us to use our life experiences. I ministered in the following ways.

I met with Pastor Layans. We discussed our pride in our sons and our desires for our families. I think we really connected.

I asked forgiveness from a 15-year old boy. I did not believe him when he told me his age and motives. I later found out differently and had to ask forgiveness. He wanted to become a pastor, a powerful man in God. I told him how Jesus was humble and a servant of all. I told him it was through humility we become great in the kingdom of God. When the team was ready to leave for the day, he insisted that he carry a box I was carrying to the tap-tap.

I washed an elderly woman's feet. After talking about pride, the next day, Doc Nate asked me to wash a woman's feet. How cool was that?

I pleaded as a father to a 31-year-old woman that she would not sleep around. From talking to this school teacher, I found out she was a professing christian, but she was sleeping around. I gave her some verses on sexual purity, but she rolled her eyes. At the end of the conversation, I pleaded with her as a father would to his own daughter, that it hurts God her heavenly father when she sleeps around. I think that reached her. It also opened the door to some spiritual conversations with the female translator I was working with at the time.

On Thursday, one of the team members was involved with sharing the gospel with a man involved with Voodoo. Earlier that week, this same team member expressed his lack of confidence in his knowledge of scripture. However, he did great all week. I was called in to do some follow-up with the new believer, whose name was Ellinois. I gave him some scripture verses about assurance of salvation and fighting temptation. I asked him to come back on Friday and I would try to give him a bible. That evening the team member shared more about Ellinois. I was happy for the team member, but I realized I worked mostly with Christians all week. I was excited that God was using me, but I wanted to help with bringing someone to the Lord. I prayed that God would use me in that way. Friday went by. It was mostly young women with women-type problems who wanted a Creole bible. I gave what advice I could. It was a busy, but unexciting day. At 3:00 p.m. I didn't witness any conversions. Ellinois didn't show up. Disappointed, I gave Steve the Creole bible, which I kept back for Ellinois, to give away to another believer. I started to help pack up. I decided to use the facilities. When I came back, one of the interpreters said someone was looking for me. It was Ellinois. He came back. I prayed with him. I said I didn't have a bible but I told him to use a Piper book in Creole. If nothing else, focus on the verses at the start of each chapter. I told him to get plugged in at a church. I was very glad he came back. Please pray for Ellinois.

As I thought about this on the way home. God brought 1st Corinthians to mind. He used the least confident believer of the group to share His gospel. God did not use my supposed theological acumen or maturity, but God used my sinful pride and my experiences as a father to help people through me.

Here's the passage in 1st Corinthians.

And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:3-5, ESV)

As a wise man wrote once, "It is not about me." It was not about what I thought my skills were, but how God could demonstrate His power through my weaknesses.

Haiti and Ephesians Part II

My last post was on how God used the Church's multicultural missions to display His manifold (intricate and artistic) wisdom not only to mankind, but to the "rulers and authorities in the heavenly places." The Haiti trip provided two more examples of this truth to me. The first example was on Sunday. The Worldwide Village team took us to a Haitian church that was outside of Port Au Prince. The church was an open structure with a roof. I could see the Caribbean sea and I could feel the breeze coming up the hill. It was beautiful. The pastors had a greet-and-meet session. I shook hands with members of the Haitian church, members of other U.S. mission teams, and mission teams from other countries. I was even greeted with a holy kiss by an elderly Haitian woman.

After the meet-and-greet, the worship team lead in worship. 2 small boys who were running loose around the church, sat down with me and held my hand. They wanted me to give them something, but they didn't go away when I said no. They sat quietly with me and leaned against me. I was then surprised when I recognized the words of the songs. The worship team was alternating between singing a verse in Haitian and then a verse in English. Towards the end of the song, everybody was singing and praising God in their own tongue. On the bus back to Port Au Prince, our whole team marveled and agreed that this was what heaven will be like.

The second example occurred to me after the first day. Monday night I was frustrated with working with the translators. I tried to keep my questions short, but the patients were often answering my questions with long drawn out stories from their lives. Their stories didn't answer my question. If only we were speaking in English, I thought I could cut their answers shorter and keep the conversation on target. I felt like I wasn't making progress and presenting the gospel clearly.

On Monday night, I volunteered to give the team devotional on Tuesday night. As I was organizing my thoughts on Tuesday morning about how to present the lessons I was learning from Ephesians 3, it occurred to me: God was using all of us: the doctors, the nurses, the d-team (discipleship team) members and the Haitian translators together to present the gospel in a beautiful, dynamic, intricate, and multicultural manner to the Haitian people. I was participating in a masterpiece being created by the master Artist of all artists. Instead of being frustrated, I should be glorifying God through this. Tuesday went much better. And yes, this made me smile.

Haiti and Ephesians Chapter 3

We have been studying Ephesians 3:1-13 in our house church and I have been thinking about how the passage applies to the Haiti mission trip I'll be leaving on shortly. Here's the passage from the ESV bible.

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. (Ephesians 3:8-13, ESV)

R. C. Sproul commented on the word "manifold" in his blog.

The Greek word translated “manifold” here was often used in the first century to describe the intricately embroidered patterns found on cloaks worn by the wealthy. Divine wisdom is incredibly rich, even colorful, similar to the patterns found on these cloaks. Yet God’s glory is even richer, and evidencing it to other creatures displays His magnificence more fully.

Charles Hodge, the great Princeton Theologian, has insightful comments on the passage.

The expression, ἡ πολυποίκιλος σοφία, "manifold wisdom," refers to the various aspects under which the wisdom of God is displayed in redemption; in reconciling justice and mercy; in exalting the unworthy while it effectually humbles them; in the person of the Redeemer, in his work; in the operations of the Holy Spirit; in the varied dispensations of the old and new economy, and in the whole conduct of the work of mercy and in its glorious consummation. It is by the church redeemed by the blood of Christ and sanctified by his Spirit, that to all orders of intelligent beings is to be made, through all coming ages, the brightest display of the divine perfections. It is ταῖς ἀρχαῖς καὶ ταῖς ἐξουσίαις ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις that this exhibition of the manifold wisdom of God is to be made διὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας. This gives us our highest conception of the dignity of the church. The works of God manifest his glory by being what they are. It is because the universe is so vast, the heavens so glorious, the earth so beautiful and teeming, that they reveal the boundless affluence of their maker. If then it is through the church God designs specially to manifest to the highest order of intelligence, his infinite power, grace and wisdom, the church in her consummation must be the most glorious of his works. Hence preaching the Gospel, the appointed means to this consummate end, was regarded by Paul as so great a favour. To me, less than the least, was this grace given. (Charles Hodge's Commentary on Ephesians 3)

Wayne Grudem uses the Ephesians passage to explain how God is displaying his wisdom not only to our fellow man, but to the angels in the heavenly places in the universe at large.

When Paul preaches the gospel both to Jews and to Gentiles, and they become unified in the one body of Christ (Eph. 3:6), the incredible “mystery” that was “hidden for ages in God who created all things” (Eph. 3:9) is plain for all to see, namely, that in Christ such totally diverse people become united. When groups so different racially and culturally become members of the one body of Christ, then God’s purpose is fulfilled, “that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places” (Eph. 3:10).

Today this means that God’s wisdom is shown even to angels and demons (“principalities and powers”) when people from different racial and cultural backgrounds are united in Christ in the church. If the Christian church is faithful to God's wise plan, it will be always in the forefront in breaking down racial and social barriers in societies in the world, and will thus be a visible manifestation of God's amazingly wise plan to bring great unity out of great diversity and thereby to cause all creation to honor him. (p.193, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Grudem).

Think about this for a moment. God displays complexity, beauty and symmetry in his design of the universe even to the most basic subatomic particles. Physicists use the principle of symmetry to predict the properties of subatomic particles they expect to find in particle accelerators. Another example, God has made millions of galaxies. Each galaxy has millions of stars which have planets orbiting around them. All these planets have the same unique and breathtaking complexity that the earth has.

Here is my final example, the psalmist exclaims in Psalm 139 that "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." God designed man using complex and intricate structures in the brain, muscles, blood vessels, and cellular structures. There is an infinite number of examples of God's wisdom and complexity in the design of the universe. However, even with all this complexity and intricacy in the physical world, God has chosen how He uses the Church to unify mankind into the body of Christ as the method to display His manifold wisdom to the angels in the heavenly realms. To put it in another way, God has chosen how the Church does cross-cultural missions to exhibit His love and wisdom throughout the infinite universe. Please ponder, praise and pray about that idea while I'm in Haiti.

Grudem on the Sufficiency of Scripture.

A few of us at work are reading Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology: An Introduction. He has a chapter on the Sufficiency of Scripture that I enjoyed. Here are some quotes from the book. I'm book-ending his quotes with two key passages that teach this doctrine.

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (ESV)

The sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture contained all the words of God he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains everything we need God to tell us for salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly. (p.127, Grudem)

If there is any “good work” that God wants a Christian to do, this passage indicates that God has made provision in his Word for training the Christian in it. Thus, there is no “good work” that God wants us to do other than those that are taught somewhere in Scripture: it can equip us for every good work. (p.127, Grudem)

Nowhere in church history outside of Scripture has God added anything that he requires us to believe or to do. Scripture is sufficient to equip us for “every good work,” and to walk in its ways is to be “blameless” in God’s sight. (p. 134, Grudem)

The sufficiency of Scripture reminds us that in our doctrinal and ethical teaching we should emphasize what Scripture emphasizes and be content with what God has told us in Scripture. There are some subjects about which God has told us little or nothing in the Bible. We must remember that “The secret things belong to the LORD our God” (Deut. 29:29) and that God has revealed to us in Scripture exactly what he deemed right for us. We must accept this and not think that Scripture is something less than it should be, or begin to wish that God had given us much more information about subjects on which there are very few scriptural references. (p. 134, Grudem)

Psalm 119:1
Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord! (ESV)

Genuine Christian Preaching: 1 Corinthians 2:5

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:5 about faith and preaching.

that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:5 ESV)

Calvin pointed out the Corinthians benefited by Paul's simple preaching of the gospel.

... His [Paul's] meaning, then, is, that the Corinthians derived this advantage from his having preached Christ among them without dependence on human wisdom, and relying solely on the Spirit’s influence, that their faith was founded not on men but on God. (Calvin’s Commentary on 1 Cor. 2:5)

Charles Hodge pointed out the benefits of a pure faith based on gospel preaching, rather than a so-called faith based on sophistic arguments.

The true foundation of faith, or rather, the foundation of true faith, is the power of God. This is explained by what he had before called “the demonstration of the Spirit.” That exercise of divine power, therefore, to which he [Paul] refers as the ground of faith, is the powerful operation of the Spirit, bearing witness with and by the truth in our hearts. A faith which is founded on the authority of the church, or upon arguments addressed to the understanding, or even on the moral power of the truth as it affects the natural conscience, such as Felix had, is unstable and inoperative. But a faith founded on the demonstration of the Spirit is abiding, infallible, and works by love and purifies the heart. (p. 32, Geneva Series of Commentaries: 1&2 Corinthians, Charles Hodge)

Finally, I copied two quotes by Gordon Fee from his commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:5.

In another context this might seem to suggest that faith rests on evidences; but that would scarcely make sense here. Throughout this passage the power of God has the cross as its paradigm. The true alternative to wisdom humanly conceived is not “signs” but the gospel, which the Spirit brings to bear on our lives in powerful ways. (p. 96, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The First Epistle to the Corinthians, Gordon Fee)

What he [Paul] is rejecting is not preaching, not even persuasive preaching; rather, it is the real danger in all preaching—self-reliance. The danger always lies in letting the form and content get in the way of what should be the single concern: the gospel proclaimed through human weakness but accompanied by the powerful work of the Spirit so that lives are changed through a divine-human encounter. That is hard to teach in a course in homiletics, but it still stands as the true need in genuinely Christian preaching. (p. 96, ibid)

What Preachers Should Preach

I am studying 1 Corinthians 2. One of the commentaries I am using is Calvin's Commentary on 1 Corinthians. He has a couple of nice practical observations about 1 Corinthians 2:2 which reads,

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Calvin translated the passage as follows:

No kind of knowledge was in my view of so much importance as to lead me to desire anything but Christ, crucified though he was.

Paul was mocking the Corinthians who were going after witty and powerful speakers, rather than the small, humble Paul, who spoke only of Jesus and the cross. Paul was saying Christ was not impressive either: He was killed like a criminal. Paul did not come with impressive, philosophical, powerful speeches, but rather Paul taught only Jesus. Powerful speeches are not what converted the Corinthians, but the power of God working through the preaching of the simple gospel by Paul. Calvin then pointed out the application for his readers. He encouraged preachers to preach only and learn only Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Here we have a beautiful passage, from which we learn what it is that faithful ministers ought to teach, what it is that we must, during our whole life, be learning, and in comparison with which everything else must be “counted as dung.” (Philippians 3:8.)

Our Wonderful Conversion -- Ephesians 1:19

Our faith family is studying Ephesians. Ephesians 1:15-19 is an amazing passage.

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:15-23, ESV)

Paul compares our conversion, "the immeasurable greatness of his power to us who believe" to the resurrection of Christ, "he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead." Here's a few classic quotes from the church fathers to help us meditate on the power and mercy of God that he showed toward us through Christ.

"To raise us from spiritual death is an exercise of the same power that raised Christ from natural death." Oecumenious.

"The conversion of souls is more wonderful than the resurrection of the dead." Chrysostom

Luther, in reference to the parallel passage in Colossians, uses the following language:

"Faith is no such easy matter as our opposers imagine, when they say, ‘Believe, Believe, how easy is it to believe.’ Neither is it a mere human work, which I can perform for myself, but it is a divine power in the heart, by which we are new born, and whereby we are able to overcome the mighty power of the Devil and of death; as Paul says to the Colossians, ‘In whom ye are raised up again through the faith which God works."’ (Charles Hodge commenting on Ephesians 1:19 who quotes Luther commenting on Colossians).

Here's the parallel passage in Colossians.

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,(Colossians 1:19-22)

Not a tame lion -- Ezekiel 14

I've been watching "Ken Burn's National Parks: America's Best Idea." They had a chapter on George Melendez Wright who was one of the National Parks first scientific naturalist. He stressed that the parks should provide a venue for the animals, especially predators, to be left alone. The parks in the 1920s and 1930s allowed tourists to feed the animals.

Year after year, bears—black and grizzly—were treated like pets and circus attractions in America’s national parks. They ate from the hands of camera-toting tourists, snared fish from artificially stocked streams, and were allowed to rummage through trash dumps while spectators gawked. “It takes time to teach the visitors to our national parks that they are the ones who are short-sighted in feeding candy to a bear,” Wright went on. “After all, the average citizen expects more intelligence from a bear than he, as an educated person, has any right to expect. He goes on the assumption that if he feeds a bear two sticks of candy and does not want to give it a third, he is the one to say, ‘No, no.’ And he believes that the bear is to be accused of an unforgivable breach of etiquette and lack of appreciation… if it takes all the candy out of his hand and takes the hand with it, perhaps.”(Mike Thomas writing about George Melendez Wright, Naturalist)

The problem is that bears are not tame, they are wild. They do not exist to please us and do our bidding. People make the same mistake about God. C. S. Lewis reflects this truth about Christ in his Narnian series of books. Lewis emphasizes that Aslan who is the embodiment of Christ in the series is wild and good, but not safe.

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe).

Here is another quote from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe about Aslan being wild.

“He'll be coming and going" he had said. "One day you'll see him and another you won't. He doesn't like being tied down--and of course he has other countries to attend to. It's quite all right. He'll often drop in. Only you mustn't press him. He's wild, you know. Not like a tame lion.”

In Ezekiel, the exiled, elders of Israel forgot who God is.

Then certain of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. And the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them? Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Any one of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols, that I may lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, who are all estranged from me through their idols. (Ezekiel 14:1-5, ESV)

The nation of Israel had been exiled. The elders of Israel practiced syncretism: they practiced whatever religion or religions that were convenient or accessible in the city where they resided. They sought out Ezekiel, the prophet of Yahweh, as another option. They treated God as a vending machine. They worshiped idols, performed evil, and ignored God, but expected God to give them guidance in times of trouble. God was saying through Ezekiel that God required repentance from those who sought Him. The prophecy continued and God threatened to judge them. He wanted the whole man. One should not approach the living, holy, and omnipotent God by treating him as a trained puppy. God demands worship from those who seek Him.

Meditations on Murmuring

As I get older I notice I tend to complain and murmur. I excuse my behavior as just a symptom of getting old. However, I also notice that the bible has some rather strong teachings against murmuring so I decided to do some digging. A linguistic key gives definitions for words as they are found within a biblical passage. Renecker and Rodgers in their linguistic key defines "to murmur" as the following:

to murmur, to complain, to give audible expression to unwarranted dissatisfaction (Lenski). It contains the idea of a judgment and a condemnation of God by man who instead of giving God thanks and showing obedience sets himself up as a judge over God (s. TDNT; CBB) (A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, Renecker and Rodgers)

This definition is in reference to "grumble" as used by the apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians.

We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. (1 Corinthians 10:9-10, ESV)

Commentators differ on who the "Destroyer" is, but most commentators agree that Paul is referring to Numbers 14. The people Israel just heard the bad report from 10 out the 12 spies who were sent out to assess the land of Canaan as to its defenses and bounty. 12 spies spent 40 days in the land. 10 out of the 12 said the land would be hard to conquer: the current inhabitants of Canaan were large and their cities were well fortified. The people responded to this bad news in the following way.

Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! (Numbers 14:1-2, ESV)

Notice murmuring is second guessing not only the leadership, but God who put those leaders in power. The people were also doubting God's ability to help them conquer the land, God's promises to their forefathers to give them the land, and God's sovereignty over the circumstances. God severely punished the people for murmuring. None of the adult Israelites were allowed to enter the land. Paul in the passage is illustrating for the Corinthians that doubting Paul's God-given authority and second-guessing God's commands and ordinances is wrong. Murmuring is blatant sin.

Paul also encouraged the church at Phillipi to not grumble.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, (Philippians 2:14-15, ESV)

The question that needs to be asked is how does "doing all things without grumbling" lead to being blameless and innocent? Paul is probably referring back to Leviticus as he did in 1 Corinthians. The Phillippians were not trusting his leadership or their elders' leadership. The next verse (Phillipians 2:16) encourages the Phillippians to "hold fast to word of life." Paul is pointing out that the purity of a group of Christians who hold fast to their common faith and core doctrines while loving each other would be a shining light in this dark world. Paul again addresses the content of our speech in his letter to the Ephesians.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29, ESV)

John Piper in one of his sermons on this passage poses some questions that we should ask ourselves about our speech.

The question for your mouth will not merely be the moral question: Am I avoiding dirty words? But the Christian question: Am I building the faith of others by what I say? Is my mouth a means of grace? Am I frightened and anxious and angry about my life, or am I filled and overflowing with hope that the Spirit of God will keep me safe for the day of redemption?

The apostle James also commands Christians to not grumble against one another.

Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. (James 5:9, ESV)

The following tables shows how James refers back to Leviticus 19, which lays out the Ten Commandments.

James		Leviticus 19
v. 5:12	“Do not swear”	v. 12	“You shall not swear”
v. 5:4	“Behold, the wages of the laborers…which you kept back from fraud.	v. 13	“The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night”
2:1,9	“My brothers, show no partiality”	v. 15	“You shall not be partial.”
4:11	“Do not speak evil against one another.”	v. 16	“You shall not go around as a slanderer.”
v. 5:9	“Do not grumble against one another.”	v. 18a	“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge.”
2:8	“You shall love your neighbor as yourself”	v. 18b	“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

 

Notice how grumbling is tied with holding a grudge. If we murmur against leadership, are we not holding a grudge? If we grumble against one another, are we not trying to harm one another? Murmuring against leadership secular or ecclesiastical is wrong. It ultimately shows that we are not trusting God and we are handling the mistrust in harmful ways. If you question leadership, do not complain to others, but seek out that leader in a godly manner. We honor God through trusting the leadership. We can disagree with leadership, but complaining and murmuring among ourselves is not the correct means to handle the disagreement.

Our speech reflects our life. If God is giving us hope through Christ, then our speech should edify and give hope to others and not be filled with complaining and murmuring, even when we are suffering. The apostle Paul reflects this attitude we should have in 2 Corinthians.

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, ESV)