Archive for March, 2010

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, 9

Published March 30, 2010 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: , , ,

An amazing comment, John 3:16—21

John 3:16 is arguably the most well-known verse in the whole Bible.  It was likely the first verse you memorized as a child in Sunday School.  It is such a simple verse; it is hard to believe there is actually some controversy surrounding it!  Bible scholars, who always love a good debate, are divided as to whether these are Jesus’ words or John’s.  Did Jesus speak the famous John 3:16 or is John 3:16 part of John’s comments on what Jesus had said to Nicodemus?

The translators of the NIV have decided that Jesus spoke these words, and so in “red-letter” editions of the NIV, John 3:16—21 is printed in red.  That same body of scholars changed their collective mind with their revision of the NIV, which is known as the TNIV.  In the TNIV, John 3:16—21 is attributed John and footnoted thusly:

Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 21.

For my part, I have always thought that this paragraph represented John’s thoughts, not Jesus’ words.  But regardless who you think is responsible for John 3:16—21, the paragraph is definitely inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the words are profound and life changing.

1.  Limitless love, verse 16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

This, the golden text of the Bible, declares that God’s infinite love was manifested in an infinitely glorious manner!  God’s love is a major theme in John’s Gospel, yet this is the very first mention of it.  Hendriksen has succinctly observed that this single verse sheds much needed light on the very essence of God’s love:

  1. It’s character:  so loved.  In the Greek, the tense indicates a timeless quality to God’s love, for it reaches back into eternity and stretches forth into infinity, but it came to fruition in the Person and work of the Son of God.  Like God, His love had no beginning and will have no end.  The implications are startling!
  2. It’s Author:  God so loved.  This love originated in the heart and mind of God.  He loved us before we were even capable of loving Him back!   Once again, the implications are staggering.   For example, God’s love for me is not conditioned by my love for Him or my behavior.  I cannot make God love me more by being nicer.  Because of my faith in His Son, God loves me as He loves Jesus.
  3. It’s object:  the world.  Though mired in sin, all human beings (Jew or Gentile) still bear the image of their Creator to a certain degree.  As beautiful as the rest of God’s creation may be, “the world” refers only to human beings, as indicated by their need to “believe.”
  4. It’s gift:  God’s unique Son.  The way this phrase appears in the Greek emphasizes the incredible greatness of God’s gift:  “that his Son, the only-begotten, he gave.”  Though this act of giving is often described by the verb “sent” elsewhere in this Gospel, the idea here is that Jesus Christ’s coming into our world is God’s singular gift to man.  The tense of the verb “gave” speaks of the total act of giving.  God gave without holding anything back.   He gave His “one and only Son,” which is a way of describing the precious and unique nature of God’s unspeakably great gift.
  5. It’s purpose:  that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  Here the alternatives are set:  life or death!  God’s gift of Jesus Christ has made it possible for man to make the choice; to respond in faith.  Interestingly, the verbs “perish” and “have” are written in two different tenses.   “Perish” is in the aorist tense, meaning “once for all time” exiled from God’s presence.  “Have,” as in “to have eternal life,” is in the present tense, indicating that eternal life may be possessed right now and carried into eternity by the one possessing it.  The contrast is stark:  to receive eternal life, one has to believe in Christ.   But to perish, all one has to do nothing.

Salvation is God’s remarkable gift to man, but it is a gift received only upon believing God for it.  Belief (or faith) means accepting something, not doing something.  The direct result of belief is that the one believing in Christ receives eternal life; he is no longer under condemnation for his sins and is free to live in peace with God because he knows that he has nothing to fear from God ever again.

2.  No more condemnation, verses 17, 18

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

How these two verses must have rocked Nicodemus’ world!  As far as the Jews were concerned, when the Messiah comes, He would come with condemnation and judgment for all the nations that opposed and oppressed Israel from its birth, but not for Israel.  Though this misunderstanding of prophecy was taught by the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day, it was soundly condemned generations earlier by one of their very own prophets!

Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD!  Why do you long for the day of the LORD ? That day will be darkness, not light.  (Amos 5:18—20, verse 18 cited)

The plain teaching of verse 17 is crystal clear and stands against the Pharisaic exclusivism that characterized Judaism in NT times.  God’s Son, the Messiah, had arrived, and instead of bringing condemnation and judgment, He brought salvation.  Of course, judgment is inevitable; but it is man who brings it on himself if he stubbornly refuses to accept God’s Gift.

God’s purpose in sending Jesus Christ into the world was to show His love and to draw sinful man to Himself.  Russian philosopher Nicholas Berdyaev once wrote, “Man is free to choose torment without God rather than happiness in God; he has a right to hell, as it were.” If any human being is lost, it is solely because they have not committed themselves to God.

Judgment and condemnation, however, are not part of the believer’s life.  Literally, verse 18 looks like this:  He who puts his faith into him [Jesus Christ] is not being judged.  In vivid contrast to the believer stands the unbeliever who refuses to believe.  The strength of the contrast brought out in verse 18 is strengthened by the verbs “is not condemned” and “have not believed,” which are written in the prefect tense in the original, which means that the present state of the unbeliever (condemned) is a fact; because of his unbelief, he has already been judged.

3.  The verdict is in, verses 19—21

The TNIV’s translation of verse 19 is more accurate than the KJV and captures the sense of the original Greek—

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  (KJV)

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  (TNIV)

With verse 19, the light/dark imagery comes into play as John attempts to explain what he has just written regarding the current condemned state of unbelievers.  Some people may not have accepted the truth of the standing of unbelievers; surely such a truth would have been difficult for Nicodemus to swallow!  The big difference between the believer and the unbeliever does not lie in the guilt or innocence of either, or whether some found pardon or not; it lies in their attitude toward the “light.”  The unbeliever ignores the light because it reveals his sin.  In fact, not only do unbelievers prefer the darkness, they actually “love” it!  The unbelievers John is referring to are those who could not be described as ignorant, never having heard the Gospel, rather those whose works are evil.

Both faith and unbelief have their inevitable consequences, which are enumerated in verses 20 and 21.

All those who do evil hate the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.  (verse 21)

There are two striking things about the unbeliever in this verse.  First, an unbeliever does not believe in and does not have faith in Jesus Christ and as a result hates Him.  It is not a question of having some love for Christ; one who has not confessed Christ as Savior has no love for Him; he hates Him.  There is no in-between.  And to “hate the light” is love evil and do evil.  Second, this person consciously avoids the light; they will have nothing to do with anything that comes close to Jesus Christ.

Ever wonder why there is so much antipathy toward the Church?  Every wonder why some people just won’t come to church?  The answer is simple:  the Church is the Body of Christ, and those who don’t love Him won’t love His Church.  This person not only avoids the Church, but avoids the Bible and other Christians.  Why does this person hate the light and anything associated with the light?  It is because the light exposes his sin.

The sequence is very clear:  unbelief –> darkness –> evil deeds.  Unbelief and evil living go hand in hand.  A person who says they are “good” even though they have no relationship with Christ is deluded.

On the other hand, however, and in contrast, in a person of faith—

But those who live by the truth come into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.  (verse 22)

Note the sequence of events for the believer:  faith–> life –> light –> good deeds.  To live a “good life,” one must live in the light. To be a “good person,” you have to be a holy person.  The two are inseparable.  Another contrast between those who believe and those who do not is this:  though the unbeliever may in fact do good things, they count for nothing because they are done in the darkness; the believer’s good deeds, because they are done in the light, are seen by God.

Here is the point.  Some people may be tempted to confuse acts of kindness and good citizenship with a relationship with Christ.  Without Christ, a person cannot be considered a “good person,” no matter how good they may appear to be.  Why?  Because they are not living by the truth.  A believer lives by the truth so that when they do “good deeds” they are doing them with a pure motive and in the light.  Even though a believer and an unbeliever, side by side, may do the same “good deed,” only the believer has done his in the light, in the sight of God, seeking God’s approval, according to God’s law.  Nothing an unbeliever can do can bring him from the darkness into the light; only a work of God in his heart can do that.  For that work of God to take place, this person  must believe in Christ and place his full faith and confidence in Him.

(c)  2010, WitzEnd

UNDERSTANDING GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSES, 4

Published March 26, 2010 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: ,

Fulfilling God’s Purpose, Ephesians 4:1—6:9

Essentially, the first three chapters of Ephesians deal with God’s plan of redemption as it relates to the world and the role of the Church in achieving that goal.  Chapter 4 marks a major transition in this letter.  Paul turns from the doctrinal to the practical, although there are moments of profound theology in chapters 4 through 6.

The overarching theme of these chapters is one of unity within the Church.  God’s answer to all the disharmony of the world is Christ, and the Church is to be a living example of what real unity looks like.  Markus Barth wrote:

The Church has its place and function between Christ and the world.  She is not the mediator of salvation; she is not the savior of the world; she is not even a redemptive community.  But she knows and makes known the Savior and salvation.

To fulfill its mission in the world, the Church must exemplify throughout her membership the wisdom, power, and grace of God.  When members of the Church live worthily among themselves, and in the world, they minister Christ to others.  Any person who considers themselves part of the Body of Christ must live faithfully with this end in view.

1.  Living in unity, 4:1—6

(a)  A divine calling, verses 1—3

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.   Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Paul repeated the fact that he was “a prisoner for the Lord” as a way to demonstrate the seriousness of what he is about write, for if he could live a worthy life even in while in prison, they should be able to live right in relative freedom.

What Paul urges the Ephesians to do is nothing less than lead the sort of life that matches their Christian vocation.  The Greek word for “worthy” is axios, and literally means “bringing up the other beam of the scales.”  It indicates equivalence.  What Paul is telling his friends is that they should live in harmony with the responsibilities that come with their new relationship to God.  When a person becomes a believer, they have a whole new set duties and responsibilities to God, to other believers, and to the world in general.

Paul lists four specific graces that should mark every member of any Church:

  • Humility.  The Greek word is found 5 times in Paul’s writing, and is a distinctively Christian quality not found in the world outside of the Church.  It may be defined as a thankful dependence upon God, and is the opposite of pride and conceit.
  • Gentleness.  This virtue is linked to humility; the two go hand-in-hand, and may be viewed as “being kind” or “considerate” to others.  There is the thought of restraint in this word, and so it denotes a sort of “controlled strength” and not passive weakness.
  • Patience.  This is truly a divine characteristic that God’s children ought to share with their heavenly Father.  Moule has described this quality as “the untiring ‘spirit’ which knows how to outlast pain or provocation in a strength learned only at the Redeemers’s feet.” This kind of “longsuffering” is not a native quality; it is not a learned behavior; it must be deposited into the heart of a Christian by the Spirit of God.
  • Forbearance.  This is a practical outworking of a patient spirit in which we go on loving and respecting others regardless of their faults or weaknesses.

What needs to be pointed out at this juncture is this:  these marvelous virtues are not be considered as a pattern of behavior toward mankind in general; Paul is concerned with the life within the Christian community—the Church.

The simple fact is the absence of these graces would put the whole assembly in jeopardy.  This is why Paul wanted his Ephesian friends to “work very hard” to maintain the unity in Christ by ensuring they live properly.  The verb translated “make every effort,” spoudazontes, suggests overcoming a great difficulty with grit and determination.

What Paul wanted to see in the Ephesian church, and what should be manifested in all churches, is not a cold and mechanical forced unity based on rules and regulations, but a kind of unity that is organic and internal.  This kind of divine unity is possible as each member the Church submits to God and to each other.

As we allow this happen, members of a church will find themselves “bound together” in “peace.”  One may wonder how something so simple as “peace” can bind disparate human beings together.  In truth, only a person who has never experienced divine peace would ask that question, for when an individual or a group of individuals has found God’s peace, they never want to give it up and they will do anything to ensure that peace is maintained.

(b)  Divine oneness, verses 4—6

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism;  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

In this paragraph, Paul lists seven things that are the essence of unity.  These emphasize the fact that Christ cannot be divided; not His work in us nor His Body.  This section gives the reasons why those who claim to belong to Christ should work so hard to preserve their unity.

  • One body, one spirit, one hope.  These first three “unities” actually have direct reference to the Body of Christ, the Church.  The Church, both a local assembly as well as the Church universal, should be a visibly united community.   The formal connection between these three unities may be described like this:  There is one body (the Church), indwelled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, moving toward the same hope of eternal life in Christ.
  • One Lord, one faith, one baptism.  The second trio of unities is linked to the “one Lord,” to whom all believers owe their allegiance.  The “one faith” in the “one Lord” is the foundation of our unity.  One scholar has aptly observed, “Loyalty to the one Lord gives birth to the one faith and is demonstrated by the one act of baptism.”
  • One God and father of all.  The last in the ascending scale of unities is the Father.  Notice that God is not associated with any other of the unities; He stands alone for there is one God, not many.   He is the Source of good that happens in the Church.  He is over all—God is supreme and sovereign.  He is through all—His abiding presence penetrates the entire Church.  He is in all—through the Holy Spirit, God living in His people.

Of this incredible unity, Dale observed:  “We all worship before the same eternal throne and in Christ we are all children of the same Divine Father.”

2.  Live as children of light

(a)  Not like others, 4:17—24

The theme of this group of verses is renewal, suggested by verse 23—

…be made new in the attitude of your minds.

This “renewal” implies a complete change of life, a total detachment from the world in which we formerly lived.

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.  (verse 17)

This admonition is so important; Paul musters all the authority at his command:  he insists “in the Lord” that his friends stop living as the Gentiles do.  The word “futility” in the Greek means “purposelessness, uselessness and emptiness.”  In the context of this letter, mataiotes (“vanity,” KJV) assumes the ideas of delusion and moral failure.  Without the leading of the Holy Spirit, a person lives an aimless life, living in a dark room, as it were.

The word translated “thinking,” nous, includes much more than what we do with our brains!  It refers to all aspects of a person’s being which enable him to recognize moral values and deep, spiritual truths.  In other words, believers need to stop living like unbelievers because they are called to a higher standard of living and they have been enabled to discern the “higher standard” and therefore empowered to live that new life.

They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.  (verse 18)

This verse is so simple, a deep truth is often missed in its simplicity.  While there is definitely a reference to the fall of man in this verse, there is another truth lurking beneath the surface.  While man’s alienation from God is certainly the result of his natural sinful state, his alienation is also an active alienation.  The thought is that man’s behavior separates him from God.  If man’s behavior separates him from God, then it follows that Christians should never engage in any behavior that would separate them from God.

Verse 19 bears out this truth.  Because unbelievers live apart from God naturally, they are unable to discern the right way to live and as a result, rush headlong into self-destructive behavior.  They are literally unable to help themselves, but believers are able to stop that self-destructive behavior, and so they should.  This whole line of thinking is greatly expanded upon in Romans 1:21—28.

In contrast to the unbeliever, stands the believer—

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  (verses 22—24)

The “former way of life” was supposed to have been discarded completely just as one removes dirty socks to put on a clean pair.  There is another deep truth in this paragraph and it is this:  the “old self” is in the process of decay and disintegration.  Notice “is being corrupted” is written in the present tense, meaning that its destruction is continuous and unstoppable.  Like alcohol to the alcoholic will eventually destroy his liver, so an addiction to sin will cause one to rot.

However, believers, because they have been re-created, are now exempt from that rot.  Instead of being addicted to sin (the old self), the believer is to make a conscious effort to abide by the obligations of his new life.  A Christian has undergone a drastic change and must reorient their whole way of thinking, which results in a whole new way of living.

(b)  Like Christ, 5:1, 2, 8—11

Most scholars ignore the chapter division between 4 and 5 and carry on reading through verse 2 of chapter 5.  There is a clear relationship between 4:32 and 5:1, 2—

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  (4:32)

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  (5:1—2)

Having been given a new life and having stopped the sinful behavior of unbelievers, Christians must now display kindness, compassion and forgiveness to others in the Body of Christ.  This makes perfect sense, for to “follow God’s example” means to literally “imitate” Him.  If God is love, then we as His children must be love, as well.  In these verses, Paul is discussing is “agape” love, the pure love of self-giving that never asks anything in return and wants only the best for others.

In Christ’s example of giving His life for us while we were yet sinners, we experience another deep truth:  Christ’s demonstration of agape love for us was viewed as a “fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”  In other words, as Christ loved us, and as He demonstrated that love in His work on the Cross, He was worshiping God.  The application here cannot be missed.  True worship is not limited to singing a hymn or raising your hands to God in praise.  Within the Body of Christ, as we manifest agape love in our dealings with fellow believers, we not only do them good, but we are worshiping our Heavenly Father at the same time.

Our love must be like Christ’s love.  If we are to imitate God, we must live and love as Christ did, even if that means we must suffer as Christ did.  Mackay makes a wonderful observation when he wrote that to “copy God” is to “be like a Person, to reflect His image” and not simply to be loyal to truth.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.  Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.  (verses 8—11)

Like John always did, Paul contrasts light (new life) with darkness (old life).  Clearly, if one is born again, then one has become a “child of the light” and he should no longer live as a “child of darkness.”   In parenthesis, Paul briefly describes how a child of the light should live:

  • He should live in “all goodness.” The Greek (agathosyne) refers to the achievement of moral excellence coupled with a generous spirit.  Who wouldn’t want to know a person like that?
  • He should live in righteousness.  This is doing what is right in the eyes of God, walking the straight and narrow path and never deviating from it.
  • He should live in the truth.   This means that the believer now has an obligation be a person of integrity and reliability.

How can you tell if you are living as a child of the light?  This list is the standard to measure your life by.  In reality, though, if we consciously try and “find out what pleases the Lord,” we will be living as children of the light because we will be living according to God’s perfect will.

There is a final deep truth that often goes overlooked, and it is this:  believers are to “expose the fruitless deeds of darkness.”   There are many ways we can take this admonition, but most scholars agree that “exposing the fruitless deeds of darkness”  means simply that the believer, by his life, is to be a light shining in the darkness, therefore exposing the “fruitless deeds” done under the cover of darkness.  A believer need never open his mouth to expose sin; all he has to do is live right, and his life will be a testimony to a life lived in the light.

(c)  2010 WitzEnd

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, 8

Published March 23, 2010 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: , , ,

Jesus and Nicodemus, John 3:1—21

Chapter divisions are not part of the inspired text and they are sometimes inserted at awkward moments.  This is the case with chapter 3.  John wrote that Jesus “knew what was in man” in 2:25, and in the original language, without any artificial chapter break, he went on to write about a man, Nicodemus, a man whom Jesus knew well.  He may not have known the Pharisee personally, but He knew what was in Nicodemus’ heart.  Nicodemus, then, is given by John as a prime example of an individual in whom Jesus had perfect insight.  This whole exchange shows that Jesus had a thorough understanding of human nature; He could read people like no other man ever could.

Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.  But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people.  He did not need human testimony about them, for he knew what was in them.  John 2:23—25)

This group of verses is like a prelude that introduces three interviews Jesus had with three disparate kinds of people:  Nicodemus, a Pharisee; a Samaritan woman; and a royal official at Cana.

1.  Nicodemus, verses 1, 2

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.  He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

Nicodemus is introduced to us as a man of the upper class, very conservative in his religious beliefs and not at all hostile toward Jesus’ teachings.  He was a Pharisee, a very strict religious sect of Judaism in contrast to the other major religious sect, the Sadduccess, who were less strict in their views and very politically active.  He was also part of the “Jewish ruling council,” which meant that Nicodemus was keenly aware of the doctrinal trends of his day as well as the spiritual needs of his people.

The Pharisees were right on many points of doctrine—the understanding of God’s will, the moral accountability of man, and the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angles and demons, rewards and punishments in the future life, for example.  They also produced some of the most renown theologians of all time—Gamaliel, Paul, and Josephus.  Their one overriding error was that they externalized their faith; the Pharisees had reduced their magnificent faith to a litany of complicated rules and regulations.

His interest in Jesus had been piqued by our Lord’s miracles, and so he came personally to talk to Jesus about them.  The name “Nicodemus” means “victor over the people,” and although it is a Greek name, he was probably not a Greek.

Nicodemus came to Jesus “at night.”  Scholars love to read all kinds of meaning into the fact that this religious leader came to Jesus under the cover of darkness.   In all probability, Nicodemus came at night because he wanted the most privacy possible while he and Jesus talked.

2.  Jesus opening statement, verse 3

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again.”

Nicodemus had not asked a question, yet Jesus gives him an answer to a question that was buried deep in the Pharisee’s heart.   Verse three is yet another one of Jesus’ many mashals that must have sounded like a riddle to Nicodemus.  According to Jesus, no human being could “see,” let alone “live in” the kingdom of God without being “born again.”  The Greek word translated “again” can also be translated “born from above.”  The metaphor Jesus used was brilliant.  Birth is how we human beings enter our world, and at our human birth we receive all the “equipment” needed to live in this world.  But the Kingdom of God is not of this world; to be part God’s Kingdom requires different “equipment,” so one must be born all over again, this time into the Kingdom of God.

3.  Explaining the unexplainable,  verses 4—8

“How can anyone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.  You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’  The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

By his answer, Nicodemus revealed that the meaning of the mashal had completely escaped him.  Most of us read verse 4 and assume Nicodemus was telling Jesus that he was an old man.  However, what Jesus said would apply to a person of any age, so to illustrate the absurdity of what Jesus had just said, Nicodemus states the most extreme case he can think of:  how can an “old man” be born when he is old?

Jesus’ answer has sparked some debate.  Why did Jesus shift from the necessity being “born again” to “being born of water and of the Spirit?”  In John’s Gospel, “water” is almost always seen as a symbol of the Law—the old order—with its emphasis on rituals like baptisms, purifications and cleansings (see 1:33; 2:6, 7; 4:6, 7; 5:2, 3; 7:38, 39).  As we read Jesus’ response to the Pharisee, we need to remember that Jesus did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it.  In each of the examples given, the old order represented by water was not destroyed.  For example, Jesus did not destroy the six stone water pots, He filled them with wine, representative of the new order He Himself had inaugurated.  The pots had been more or less “born again.”  In speaking to a “teacher of the Law,” it was as if Jesus had said:  being “born again” will make you even better than you already are.

The problem with the “old order” is that it could only reproduce itself.  A Pharisee’s teaching, for example, could only reproduce other versions of himself.  A human being could only produce another human being.  Sin begets sin; therefore a sinner can only bring another sinner into the world.   What Nicodemus wanted—entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven—could not be achieved with human means, like rules and regulations.  It requires a change on the inside.  Becoming a citizen of the Kingdom of God can only occur by a direct act of God, not by the outward behavior of those desiring it.

That this is hard to understand is underscored by the fact that Jesus mentions “the wind.”  It is impossible for a human being to track the wind, even though he can see what it does.  So it is with God and the new birth.   One may not completely understand it, but one can witness the change wrought in another’s life, it becomes obvious God has been at work.  The evidence of a changed life proves that the new birth has taken place.

4.  Expanding on the truth, verses 10—15

“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?  Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.  I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?  No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.  Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

Verse 9 indicates that Nicodemus still did not understand what Jesus was patiently explaining.  Three times Jesus spoke of being “born again” (verses 3, 5, and 7), giving illustrations and yet the spiritual truth was not discerned by the Pharisee.  What is especially disturbing about verse 9 is that Nicodemus represented the very best in Judaism; if he could not wrap his highly educated mind around the Gospel, how could any other Jew?  This speaks to the spiritual deadness, darkness, and ignorance that characterized the old order of Jesus’s day and the humanistic, secular order of today.  It was to this order, as well as to Nicodemus, that Jesus came to give live (10:10).

Jesus’ use of “we” is unusual.  Some think He was referring to the disciples, although I think at this very early stage of His ministry, it is not likely He would refer to them.  Jesus certainly spoke with authority, but it was an inherent authority, not an authority derived from His station or rank in life.  Jesus’ authority descended from Heaven; He was the earthly representative of the Godhead, therefore the “we” could refer to the Trinity.  Another line of thought is that Jesus is linking Himself to the long line of prophets who, throughout the centuries, had preached God’s Word to the people, who continually rejected it.  In other words, the message of Jesus—being born again—was not really a new message at all!  It had been declared and rejected in the history of Israel.  As a teacher, Nicodemus should have understood.

The “earthly things” Jesus referenced were probably His illustrations, like the wind.  If Nicodemus could not grasp the meaning of deep spiritual truths when Jesus taught them using elements of this world, there was no way he would understand them if Jesus attempted to explain them as they really were in concrete terms!  Jesus was and remains the only one who has ever experienced the wonder of heaven directly; He was the only truly qualified to speak of spiritual truths.  Revelation—the Word of God—is the only basis for faith, not education or discovery.

Verses 14 and 15 seem out of place, yet they are at the very heart of God’s redemptive plan which Jesus is attempting to explain to Nicodemus.  By taking this Pharisee back to the Pentateuch, Scriptures he knew very well, Jesus was saying in a roundabout way that what He was teaching was nothing new, but as old as Judaism itself.   The plan of redemption had been revealed in type throughout the Old Testament dispensation; particularly the type of the serpent raised as a standard by Moses for all the people to see.

The story Jesus is referring to is in Numbers 21 and that chapter actually is the key to the interpretation of entire book of Numbers.   Although we wish Jesus had explained this in greater detail, Nicodemus probably had an understanding we don’t have.  There are several applications, however, we can glean:

  • The ancient Israelites were guilty of extreme disobedience.  They grumbled and complained continuously and had a thoroughly thankless spirit.
  • They were under the condemnation of God and were being punished for their sin.
  • The snake raised before them was an emblem and reminder of that judgment.
  • They were unable to rescue themselves.
  • The poison of the snake was deadly and there was no antidote for it.
  • Moses urged the people to look at the snake in order to receive life.

Jesus hinted to Nicodemus that He, just like the serpent, would be “lifted up.”  Of course He was referring to His crucifixion; the word translated “lifted up” is elsewhere translated in that way.

Even though Jesus used the snake in the wilderness as a type of Himself, He, being the Antitype, though similar, is very different.

  • In Numbers, the people were faced with physical death, in John man is viewed as spiritually dead in sin.
  • In Numbers, the brazen serpent had no power to heal; in John Christ has this power.
  • In Numbers, physical healing is emphasized:  when the people looked to the brazen serpent, their health would be restored.  In John it is not physical healing but spiritual life that is emphasized—it is given to those who place their faith and trust in Christ.

The lifting up of Christ was never an option.   His crucifixion is not a remedy; it is the only possible remedy for man’s sinful condition.  And though Christ is lifted up in the sight of all, He does not save all.  Only those who believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The brazen serpent, another reference to the old way, once again shows the superiority of  Christ.  That serpent was not real; it had no power in itself; it was just piece of brass.  But through faith in Jesus Christ, the New Way, believers gain eternal life.

(c)  2010 WitzEnd

UNDERSTANDING GOD’S ETERENAL PURPOSES, 3

Published March 20, 2010 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: , , ,

The Mystery of the Church, Ephesians 3:1—12

This chapter is a continuation of a prayer that Paul began back in chapter 1.  Even though he had digressed and seemed to be writing in a “stream of consciousness” mode, he never ended the prayer.  The big idea in Paul’s head was a groundbreaking one for his time:  Jews and Gentiles could worship together the same God.  What an amazing concept in the first century.  Because this is such a glorious truth, Paul will talk about how it was made possible.

1.  A positive perspective, verses 1, 14

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—(verse 1)

For this reason I kneel before the Father… (verse 14)

“For this reason” is repeated in verse 14 and begs the question:  For what reason?  For some reason Paul is compelled to “kneel before the Father.”  The immediate connection seems to be 2:22—

And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Paul is driven to his knees in prayer as he contemplates the staggering truth that Gentiles and Jews “are being built together to become” the place where the Holy Spirit dwells.  Everything in between verses 1 and 14 is yet another Pauline digression triggered when he recalled from where he wrote this letter (from a Roman prison) and why he was there (for preaching the Gospel).  Robertson wrote—

He hears as it were the clink of his chain and remembers where he is and why he is there.

Yet, as is clear from the words he uses and the tone of his writing, Paul does not regard himself as a victim either of Jewish hatred or Roman law.  Paul is “the prisoner of Christ Jesus,” and he is not ashamed of that fact; he is in prison because of his association with Jesus Christ and because he never stopped preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles.  Being in prison was viewed by Paul as a mark of his apostleship.

While verses 2 to 13 are a digression, it is a very valuable digression for in it Paul enlarges and elaborates on the central theme of this letter—God’s purpose was and continues to be the unification of all things in Christ (1:9, 10).

2.  The revelation of a mystery, verses 2—6

Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

This group of verses elaborates on all that was involved in his ministry as a preacher to the Gentiles.  It’s a personal paragraph written by Paul to help primarily his Gentile friends understand what it meant to him to be an apostle of Jesus Christ.  Paul refers to his ministry as “an administration of God’s grace.”  The Greek oikonomia, “administration” (TNIV) or “dispensation” (KJV), is a word that usually denotes a task to be done or stewardship of task.  Although here it seems to have a reference, not to a job to be done but how that job was to be done. Paul did what God had called him to do through God’s grace; along with the commission to take the Gospel of Christ to the Gentiles, Paul was given an abundance of grace to accomplish that commission.  Hodge comments—

Paul esteemed the office of a messenger of Christ as a manifestation of the undeserved kindness of God towards him, and he always speaks of it with gratitude and humility.

The great Apostle recognized that he operated, not in his own strength, but in God’s.

Furthermore, not only did Paul receive grace, but he was also given some kind of “mystery” by “revelation.”  Just as the other apostles possessed knowledge of God’s gracious purpose that was not founded on second-hand information and hearsay, so Paul’s message did not originate in his own mind or somebody else’s.    Paul had been instructed directly by God.

What had been given to Paul by divine revelation was called “a mystery.”  What did he mean by that?  In modern parlance, a “mystery” is a “who-done-it.”  In the NT, and particularly as Paul used the word, a “mystery” is something that had not been revealed previously revealed.  In this case, Paul is referring to the Body of Christ—the Church—which was not revealed in the OT and was hidden from the eyes of the prophets.  He wrote essentially the same thing to the Colossians—

I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. (Colossians 1:25, 26)

The “mystery” is not salvation, as some teach.  Salvation has never been a secret; it had been given to the Gentiles since the days of Abraham—

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”  (Genesis 12:3)

“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept.  I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”  (Isaiah 49:6)

And of course, much of Romans 1 is taken up with the notion that the truth of God is revealed in the world around us.  So, clearly the way to be saved has never been hidden from anybody.  The “mystery,” the thing that had been hidden even from the holy men of the OT, was that Gentiles could be knit together with Jews in one body (one group).

Verse 4 is often overlooked, lost in the deep theology of the “revealed mystery.”  The essence of verse 4 speaks volumes about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in all believers, Jews or Gentiles.  As this letter was read in the Ephesian church and other churches, those who heard it would be able to perceive Paul’s insight into the divine mystery.  Of this, he was confident.  This echoes our Lord’s words about the Holy Spirit—

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.  (John 16:13)

3.  The ministry of the mystery, verses 7—10

In this paragraph, Paul claimed no superiority in knowing and understanding the great “mystery” of the Church.  He was merely a “servant,” diakonos; Paul assumed the title of “minister,” meaning he was just another worker or helper in the great enterprise of preaching the Gospel.  God’s grace had transformed Paul; he had been changed by grace, and that same grace enabled him to preach to the Gentiles.

Verse 8 presents a clever play on words that goes unnoticed in English—

Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ…

“Less than the least” is one word in the Greek and translates roughly as “leaster” or “more least.”  There seems to be a play on words, alluding to his name, Paulos, which literally means “little.”  Paul certainly did not have an inflated view of himself; he was a genuinely humble man who recognized whatever good he accomplished was due to Christ operating in him.

The “riches of Christ” are described by Christ as “unsearchable,” meaning literally “trackless” and “inexplorable.”  The truth of Jesus Christ and His work are described as “riches” not because of their scarcity, but because of their preciousness.  The Gospel is precious, and now the Gentiles are hearing this glorious truth that the Messiah of the Jews is their Savior also.  Thanks to the revelation of this great “mystery,” Gentiles are now able to enjoy the riches of Christ’s endless compassion, His boundless mercy, His patient forgiveness, His cleansing sanctification, and of course, His guidance.

A natural result of Paul’s evangelistic efforts among the Gentiles is that other people, ie., bystanders, would hear the Gospel and believe and become part of the Church.  This was part of God’s eternal plan; note carefully the wording of verse 9—

…and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

Even though the “mystery” was new to Paul, and newer to the Gentiles, it is as old as eternity for the idea of the Church was “hidden in God.”

3.  The function of the Church, verses 10—12

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

According to Paul, this divine “mystery,” the Church, does not exist for itself.  Indeed, the Church exists for one overriding purpose:  for God and for His glory.  The idea behind this paragraph is that when the angels above look down and witness the works and the wisdom of God manifested in the Church, their knowledge of God, whom they were created to worship, is increased and they rejoice and worship Him all the more.  Peter expressed a very similar thought in his letter—

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.  (1 Peter 1:12)

One commentator eloquently put it this way—

The Church becomes a mirror through which the bright ones of heaven see the glory of God.  And in order to show them this glory, God committed His Gospel to Paul.

The prophets (to a limited extent) and apostles had received the truth regarding God’s plans and have communicated it to the Church through the preaching of the Word.  The Church in turn takes this eternal truth to the world.  As the Church fulfills its purpose, which was determined by God in eternity past, which is making known the wisdom of God, then Paul’s ministry is validated.

As we ponder what Paul has written, we are tempted to think like Job’s friend, Zophar—

Can you fathom the mysteries of God?  Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?   They are higher than the heavens—what can you do?  They are deeper than the depths of the grave —what can you know?   Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.  (Job 11:7—9)

We, as sinful people, may indeed (and often in fact!) consider ourselves witless and no wiser than a donkey’s colt, when we try to understand and appreciate God’s wisdom in redeeming the world.  Even Paul felt this way—

“Frankly, I stand amazed at the unfathomable complexity of God’s wisdom and God’s knowledge.  How could man ever understand his reasons for action, or explain His methods of working?”  (Romans 11:33, JBP)

God’s plans are as perfect as He is holy, yet at the same time they are employed respecting sinful man’s capacities and the basic needs of his soul.  While we, as members of the Church, may not fully grasp every theological and doctrinal jot and tittle of God’s intricate plan for man, we are capable of witnessing Him working in and through the Church to the extent that our needs, both individually and corporately, are met.  As God works in us and through us, the result will be, and indeed, must be, the redemption of souls.

Final thoughts

It is almost frightening to think about God’s eternal purposes.  To write about them and teach them is downright terrifying!  The one great truth (among many) in Ephesians 3 I hope you come to appreciate is how God views the Church.  From our perspective, it’s a mess.  We have whole denominations obsessed with all manner of worldliness and sin.  We have godless ministers lining their pockets as they fleece the faithful.  But God, the One who created the Church and brought it into being, sees something entirely different.  He sees His Son’s Body!  And as we learned last time, the Church is seated with Christ in the heavenlies!  Given our exalted position, each of us as members of His Church need to take stock of how we are living.  Are we living in obvious obedience to the Word of God?  Are we as a Church manifesting the wisdom of God in our works?  Not many of us are theologians, but we have all experienced the miracle of redemption through faith in Christ.  And if we have, we owe to those who haven’t, an explanation of what has changed in our lives.

(c)  2010 WitzEnd

Understanding God’s Eternal Purposes, 3

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
Bookmark and Share

Another great day!

Click for Coeburn, Virginia Forecast

Blog Stats

  • 406,814 hits

Never miss a new post again.

Subscribe to Mike's Place on the Web by Email

Archives

Email Subscription

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 282 other subscribers
Follow revdocporter on Twitter

Who’d have guessed?

My Conservative Identity:

You are an Anti-government Gunslinger, also known as a libertarian conservative. You believe in smaller government, states’ rights, gun rights, and that, as Reagan once said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

Take the quiz at www.FightLiberals.com

Photobucket