I recently received this question:
Jesus said only God is good. Doesn't that mean that he isn't God? (The question refers to Mark 10:18 and following.)
Here's the answer:
No - it means Jesus was asking his questioner who he thought he was. In other words, Jesus was saying something like, "Only God is good - so who do you think I am?"
Then, Jesus tells this guy that eternal life will be received by following him. Think about that. If you want to get to heaven, follow me, I'm on my way. Or in other words, if you want to get to heaven, you have to submit to my teaching.
He goes even further when he says that so many good things must be given up to have him when he says that everyone who has left things for his sake, and for the gospel's, gets eternal life.
So he's saying, if you count gaining me as worthy of losing everything, you'll get eternal life.
So Jesus is our reward, our treasure, the life-giver, and the one whose teaching is pure and good.
And this man was left with the question, "Who is he?"
This passage doesn't explicitly teach that Jesus is God. But it only works if he is.
And we're all left with the same question: who is Jesus? And is he worth following?
Monday, February 22, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Who's in charge around here??? 1 Timothy 3:1
(1a) The saying is trustworthy.
I’m not sure if Paul intended this to go with the previous statements or the statements that follow or both. All of the statements Paul is making pertain specifically to the way that Timothy is to lead God’s people.
Regardless, this phrase functions as an attention getter. This saying is trustworthy! It’s true! So believe it, trust it, act on it! Too often we read the Bible or hear it read and tune out. It’s as if our ears and our listening capacities are in rebellion, lest they hear and know God.
God in his grace has spoken. He has saved us by speaking. Have we ears to hear? Let’s pay attention!
(1b) If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task
Observation: there is an office in the Church called ‘overseer.’ Scripture uses this term interchangeably with ‘pastor’ or ‘elder.’ It’s the same office. These are the men that, as a group, lead the local church. See Titus 1, 1 Peter 5, and if you’re really curious go to Bible Gateway and search for those words.
There’s something intrinsic in this word about an overseer’s role. He is to oversee. He’s to observe. He’s to be perceptive. He must know God’s people.
It also implies that the local church has a collective goal or group of goals. The overseer is to superintend the church in attaining those goals. He is to lead.
It also implies that he is responsible for the spiritual care of individuals. He is to help correct the paths that people walk on.
We see these things in Paul’s early commands to Timothy – get people believing the Gospel and walking according to it. Christ saved sinners by dying and rising from the dead. He inaugurated a Kingdom with a new and otherworldly ethic – centered on love.
Another observation: men could aspire to this office. Though it is clear from this section and others that elders were appointed, it’s noted here that it is something that a man could have an inward drive towards.
Another observation: the job of an overseer is a ‘noble task,’ or literally, in Greek, a ‘good work.’ Now, that doesn’t mean that the man himself is noble or good. It means the service or role that God has created and instituted is good.
And that’s why there’s a large list of necessary qualifications for someone to be appointed as a pastor.
Here’s the thing: Jesus is the ultimate overseer. He is the one overseeing everything, caring for his people, guiding his people. And he has instituted an office under himself so that there is immediate, tangible care for his people. He is, as 1 Peter 5 says, the ‘Chief Shepherd’ and pastors are ‘under-shepeherds.’
They are to represent Jesus in word, in leadership, and in care physically for God’s people.
And this is one way in which God has chosen to care for his little flock – for those who are heirs of his Kingdom through Christ’s bloody death and victorious rising.
In sum,
1) We need to pay attention to and trust God’s word.
2) Churches are to be led by groups of men called ‘overseers.’
3) These men are to know the people, love the people, and guide the people by God’s word.
4) Ultimately, these men are to represent Jesus physically to the Church by caring for her in his physical absence, through his Spiritual presence.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for speaking! Thank you for granting faith in your word. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for the Chief Shepherd who laid down his life for us sheep. Thank you for giving us an office in which we are to be tangibly led.
Thanks for the elders in my church. I pray that you would teach them from your word. Give them hearts that love your people. Give them the knowledge from your word necessary to lead us well.
Thank you that one day we will be with you forever, and we will see your Son, our Head Pastor, and experience his love fully. We long for that day!
In his name we pray, amen.
I’m not sure if Paul intended this to go with the previous statements or the statements that follow or both. All of the statements Paul is making pertain specifically to the way that Timothy is to lead God’s people.
Regardless, this phrase functions as an attention getter. This saying is trustworthy! It’s true! So believe it, trust it, act on it! Too often we read the Bible or hear it read and tune out. It’s as if our ears and our listening capacities are in rebellion, lest they hear and know God.
God in his grace has spoken. He has saved us by speaking. Have we ears to hear? Let’s pay attention!
(1b) If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task
Observation: there is an office in the Church called ‘overseer.’ Scripture uses this term interchangeably with ‘pastor’ or ‘elder.’ It’s the same office. These are the men that, as a group, lead the local church. See Titus 1, 1 Peter 5, and if you’re really curious go to Bible Gateway and search for those words.
There’s something intrinsic in this word about an overseer’s role. He is to oversee. He’s to observe. He’s to be perceptive. He must know God’s people.
It also implies that the local church has a collective goal or group of goals. The overseer is to superintend the church in attaining those goals. He is to lead.
It also implies that he is responsible for the spiritual care of individuals. He is to help correct the paths that people walk on.
We see these things in Paul’s early commands to Timothy – get people believing the Gospel and walking according to it. Christ saved sinners by dying and rising from the dead. He inaugurated a Kingdom with a new and otherworldly ethic – centered on love.
Another observation: men could aspire to this office. Though it is clear from this section and others that elders were appointed, it’s noted here that it is something that a man could have an inward drive towards.
Another observation: the job of an overseer is a ‘noble task,’ or literally, in Greek, a ‘good work.’ Now, that doesn’t mean that the man himself is noble or good. It means the service or role that God has created and instituted is good.
And that’s why there’s a large list of necessary qualifications for someone to be appointed as a pastor.
Here’s the thing: Jesus is the ultimate overseer. He is the one overseeing everything, caring for his people, guiding his people. And he has instituted an office under himself so that there is immediate, tangible care for his people. He is, as 1 Peter 5 says, the ‘Chief Shepherd’ and pastors are ‘under-shepeherds.’
They are to represent Jesus in word, in leadership, and in care physically for God’s people.
And this is one way in which God has chosen to care for his little flock – for those who are heirs of his Kingdom through Christ’s bloody death and victorious rising.
In sum,
1) We need to pay attention to and trust God’s word.
2) Churches are to be led by groups of men called ‘overseers.’
3) These men are to know the people, love the people, and guide the people by God’s word.
4) Ultimately, these men are to represent Jesus physically to the Church by caring for her in his physical absence, through his Spiritual presence.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for speaking! Thank you for granting faith in your word. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for the Chief Shepherd who laid down his life for us sheep. Thank you for giving us an office in which we are to be tangibly led.
Thanks for the elders in my church. I pray that you would teach them from your word. Give them hearts that love your people. Give them the knowledge from your word necessary to lead us well.
Thank you that one day we will be with you forever, and we will see your Son, our Head Pastor, and experience his love fully. We long for that day!
In his name we pray, amen.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Godly womanhood. And one of the hardest-to-exegete verses in the Bible.
(15) Yet she will be saved through childbearing – if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
This is a puzzling verse. Let’s make sure we remember the context. Paul is giving Timothy instruction about how to lead in Christ’s Church. We could summarize his instructions as such: proclaim and guide people by the Gospel, with the response being prayer and love to the world and worship to God.
And here he gives brief instructions to men and women separately; how each is to behave in God’s Church.
Now, he’s just told Timothy why women shouldn’t teach men the Bible. Then, he gave the rationale – based on creation – how God created men and women. He notes how Eve, the first woman, became a lawbreaker.
And so this verse begins with the word ‘yet.’ In every other Scripture in which the first sin is written about, Adam is the one focused on. Here, God focuses on Eve’s sin, because it was her active disobedience and Adam’s failure to lead that is in view here.
And so God gives women hope in this following verse. Even though Eve sinned, yet, she may be saved.
We need to remember that this has a context – these are instructions for pastors. And so pastors are to work for the salvation of women.
Now, salvation here has a future emphasis. Sometimes in Scripture, the emphasis is on how God has secured the rescue of his people from his wrath (Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9); but most of the time, when the Bible uses the word ‘to save,’ it’s referring to a future event: when Jesus returns and ushers his people into his Kingdom.
That future event is caused by past events- namely, Jesus’ obedience in our place, death in our place, and resurrection. And Scripture is clear that people are counted righteous and guaranteed entrance into God’s Kingdom the moment they trust Christ for it.
But often, Scripture speaks of the future component of salvation. Here is such a case.
And God says that women will be saved through childbearing. That means that women may be saved in the future by means of having children.
Paul surely doesn’t mean that, does he? It’s clear from the rest of Scripture that God doesn’t require childbearing of women for their salvation. The Scriptures are full of godly women who were infertile; and salvation is clearly through faith alone; so what does he mean?
A hint is found in God’s instruction to Timothy in chapter 4, verse 16: “keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
To Timothy, Paul is emphasizing the faithful discharge of his office as a pastor. And he says that in some sense, future salvation is provided through his faithfully executing his role.
It is probable, then, that what Paul has in mind here is a woman’s desire for womanly roles. So, as opposed to desiring a role God has reserved for men, women will be saved if they grasp the roles God has prepared for them from the creation of the world (see Genesis 2).
And here is God’s charge to pastors – preach gender roles and gender distinctions, while preaching gender equality, loving and honoring all people who love Jesus as children of God.
Does this mean single women and women who can’t have kids and women who aren’t quite ready to get married or have kids cannot enter the Kingdom? No. And that’s why Paul qualifies what he’s saying with an ‘if’ clause.
They’ll be saved by means of childbearing if they continue in faith, and love and holiness with self-control.
In other words, their future salvation is dependent on their remaining in these things which are common to men as well. But God wants us to understand that faith, love, holiness, and self-control are to be expressed in uniquely feminine ways.
And so God charges pastors to preach salvation to women and a manner of life accompanying salvation that is uniquely feminine.
Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take care of the question: does this mean that our obedience is a partial basis for our salvation?
No. First, God’s end-time judgment day has already entered history in Christ – and all who have trusted Christ have already been declared righteous. Romans 5:1 – Therefore, having been justified through faith, we HAVE peace with God…
However, Scripture sometimes does put conditions on our future salvation. Consider Colossians 1:22-23. The condition in v. 23 is ‘if you indeed remain in the faith.’ That implies that someone who does not remain in the faith will not enter the Kingdom. And that’s true.
However, that condition is preceded by this statement: now he has reconciled you… if indeed you remain in the faith.
In other words – he has already reconciled you to God – past tense. And that’s true of you in the past if you remain in the faith in the future.
Or in other words, if you remain in the faith, Christ has reconciled you to God.
Or to put it more bluntly – all those who Christ has already reconciled to God will remain in the faith. They will persevere. Those who do not never were reconciled.
So what is going on in this text? Paul is exhorting Timothy to preach for the salvation of men and women alike. Once a man or woman comes to faith in Christ, their entrance into God’s Kingdom is secure. But that entrance into his Kingdom will be accompanied with some level of obedience to God’s Kingdom’s ethics.
In other words, one’s future salvation is secured the moment they come to faith in Christ. And the path that they will travel on the road towards that future salvation will be marked with certain levels of obedience that are fitting for that future salvation. They do not save – but they show what God has already done, and they show the certainty of what is to come.
In sum,
1) Pastors are to preach for the salvation of men and women without distinction.
2) Pastors are to preach to men and women specifics regarding their gender roles.
3) Women who are saved will to some degree, gladly take on their unique roles as women.
4) Women and men, though, are saved the same way – through faith. Love, holiness, and self-control will accompany that faith.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for creating men and women. Thank you for loving humanity so much that Jesus died for men and women – and you promise all who would turn to him entrance into your kingdom – and an inheritance in heaven. You’ve made us people who can enjoy you and worship you. Thank you!
Cause us who lead your church to preach your word regardless of what culture might dictate. Cause us to love people, to work for their salvation. Cause women who love you to love your word more than American culture – or any other culture.
We men are often weak and passive and irresponsible. Cause us to be courageous and run with what you’ve given us to do. And our culture lies to women about what is valuable and honorable – show them the greatness and glory of your plan.
Cause us to discharge the duties you’ve given us here, waiting for the time when our toil will be over and we will enjoy your presence forever. In Christ, amen.
This is a puzzling verse. Let’s make sure we remember the context. Paul is giving Timothy instruction about how to lead in Christ’s Church. We could summarize his instructions as such: proclaim and guide people by the Gospel, with the response being prayer and love to the world and worship to God.
And here he gives brief instructions to men and women separately; how each is to behave in God’s Church.
Now, he’s just told Timothy why women shouldn’t teach men the Bible. Then, he gave the rationale – based on creation – how God created men and women. He notes how Eve, the first woman, became a lawbreaker.
And so this verse begins with the word ‘yet.’ In every other Scripture in which the first sin is written about, Adam is the one focused on. Here, God focuses on Eve’s sin, because it was her active disobedience and Adam’s failure to lead that is in view here.
And so God gives women hope in this following verse. Even though Eve sinned, yet, she may be saved.
We need to remember that this has a context – these are instructions for pastors. And so pastors are to work for the salvation of women.
Now, salvation here has a future emphasis. Sometimes in Scripture, the emphasis is on how God has secured the rescue of his people from his wrath (Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9); but most of the time, when the Bible uses the word ‘to save,’ it’s referring to a future event: when Jesus returns and ushers his people into his Kingdom.
That future event is caused by past events- namely, Jesus’ obedience in our place, death in our place, and resurrection. And Scripture is clear that people are counted righteous and guaranteed entrance into God’s Kingdom the moment they trust Christ for it.
But often, Scripture speaks of the future component of salvation. Here is such a case.
And God says that women will be saved through childbearing. That means that women may be saved in the future by means of having children.
Paul surely doesn’t mean that, does he? It’s clear from the rest of Scripture that God doesn’t require childbearing of women for their salvation. The Scriptures are full of godly women who were infertile; and salvation is clearly through faith alone; so what does he mean?
A hint is found in God’s instruction to Timothy in chapter 4, verse 16: “keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
To Timothy, Paul is emphasizing the faithful discharge of his office as a pastor. And he says that in some sense, future salvation is provided through his faithfully executing his role.
It is probable, then, that what Paul has in mind here is a woman’s desire for womanly roles. So, as opposed to desiring a role God has reserved for men, women will be saved if they grasp the roles God has prepared for them from the creation of the world (see Genesis 2).
And here is God’s charge to pastors – preach gender roles and gender distinctions, while preaching gender equality, loving and honoring all people who love Jesus as children of God.
Does this mean single women and women who can’t have kids and women who aren’t quite ready to get married or have kids cannot enter the Kingdom? No. And that’s why Paul qualifies what he’s saying with an ‘if’ clause.
They’ll be saved by means of childbearing if they continue in faith, and love and holiness with self-control.
In other words, their future salvation is dependent on their remaining in these things which are common to men as well. But God wants us to understand that faith, love, holiness, and self-control are to be expressed in uniquely feminine ways.
And so God charges pastors to preach salvation to women and a manner of life accompanying salvation that is uniquely feminine.
Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take care of the question: does this mean that our obedience is a partial basis for our salvation?
No. First, God’s end-time judgment day has already entered history in Christ – and all who have trusted Christ have already been declared righteous. Romans 5:1 – Therefore, having been justified through faith, we HAVE peace with God…
However, Scripture sometimes does put conditions on our future salvation. Consider Colossians 1:22-23. The condition in v. 23 is ‘if you indeed remain in the faith.’ That implies that someone who does not remain in the faith will not enter the Kingdom. And that’s true.
However, that condition is preceded by this statement: now he has reconciled you… if indeed you remain in the faith.
In other words – he has already reconciled you to God – past tense. And that’s true of you in the past if you remain in the faith in the future.
Or in other words, if you remain in the faith, Christ has reconciled you to God.
Or to put it more bluntly – all those who Christ has already reconciled to God will remain in the faith. They will persevere. Those who do not never were reconciled.
So what is going on in this text? Paul is exhorting Timothy to preach for the salvation of men and women alike. Once a man or woman comes to faith in Christ, their entrance into God’s Kingdom is secure. But that entrance into his Kingdom will be accompanied with some level of obedience to God’s Kingdom’s ethics.
In other words, one’s future salvation is secured the moment they come to faith in Christ. And the path that they will travel on the road towards that future salvation will be marked with certain levels of obedience that are fitting for that future salvation. They do not save – but they show what God has already done, and they show the certainty of what is to come.
In sum,
1) Pastors are to preach for the salvation of men and women without distinction.
2) Pastors are to preach to men and women specifics regarding their gender roles.
3) Women who are saved will to some degree, gladly take on their unique roles as women.
4) Women and men, though, are saved the same way – through faith. Love, holiness, and self-control will accompany that faith.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for creating men and women. Thank you for loving humanity so much that Jesus died for men and women – and you promise all who would turn to him entrance into your kingdom – and an inheritance in heaven. You’ve made us people who can enjoy you and worship you. Thank you!
Cause us who lead your church to preach your word regardless of what culture might dictate. Cause us to love people, to work for their salvation. Cause women who love you to love your word more than American culture – or any other culture.
We men are often weak and passive and irresponsible. Cause us to be courageous and run with what you’ve given us to do. And our culture lies to women about what is valuable and honorable – show them the greatness and glory of your plan.
Cause us to discharge the duties you’ve given us here, waiting for the time when our toil will be over and we will enjoy your presence forever. In Christ, amen.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Women aren't to teach the Bible to men or lead them spiritually - or - an idea I used to hate. 1 Timothy 2:12-14
(11) Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.
Remember, Paul is instructing Timothy how to lead God’s Church – the community of people God has set apart, through Jesus Christ, for his new creation.
He’s just talked about how men and women are to come to worship and lead lives of prayer, both being connected to God, and to adorn that relationship with godliness that is particular to manhood and womanhood.
Paul now begins to give specific directions to Timothy as he leads the local church.
First, we should note that women are to be learning in the public setting of the local church, in public worship. They are not to be excluded! They are to learn; they are to hear from God’s word.
And they are to respond in prayer and worship and witness to outsiders, as loved daughters of God.
Learning from God’s word is not for men, but for all God’s children – the whole Church without exception.
Paul describes the manner of their learning – quietly, or in silence, and with all submission.
Now, bear with me – Paul’s about to explain why here. But first we’re going to look at the what. And even before we do that, we need to remember that this is God’s word: we don’t get to argue with it. We submit to it.
Women are to learn quietly, or in silence. In the culture of the day, it wouldn’t be uncommon for there to be more than one speaker. It also wouldn’t be uncommon to have ordered interjection and questioning. Here, Paul forbids women from doing those things (see 1 Corinthians 14:34-35).
Paul further describes this state as being ‘with all submissiveness.’ In other words, there is to be a demeanor of full submission to the teaching in the local church. There isn’t a bent of being able to exercise authority along with the church’s leaders, but rather, full submission to them as they teach God’s word.
(12) (and) I don’t permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet…
The commands that church leaders, namely, evangelists and pastors, are to enforce here are furthered. Again, we’ll get to ‘why’ in a second.
One thing you don’t see in the English translations is the connecting word between verses 11 and 12. These thoughts are very much connected. Quiet is the opposite of teaching. Submission is the opposite of exercising authority.
And among God’s people, women are not to teach or exercise authority over adult men. Now, to be more specific, given the context, God is talking about teaching the Bible to adult men and making decisions in the leadership of adult men. And God forbids those things, and commands church leaders to forbid those things.
(13-14) …for Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not decived, but the woman was decived and became a transgressor…
And now God gives us the rationale for his commands. Not that he has to, by the way. God doesn’t owe us anything. But I think here he wants to protect us against extremes. He wants to make sure that we understand that the commands aren’t rooted in male superiority or value. And he wants to protect us from thinking these commands are culturally relative; clearly, given his rationale, they are not.
There is a distinction God made between men and women that is not based on the nature of men and women or value of men and women – but on the manner in which God desires to be glorified. And to reject the pattern God set up is to reject, in this circumstance, God’s design for his glory.
God’s rationale for teaching and authority among his people is based in the way he created the world. He gives two reasons: Adam was made first, and Eve and not Adam was deceived into breaking God’s law.
At first glance, that may not make sense to you. And that’s understandable. Why would the order that God created Adam and Eve matter? And wasn’t Adam also deceived?
The order God created Adam and Eve matters for this reason. If you look at the way Paul uses the word ‘first,’ he’s often referring to the order in which people received God’s word.
In the case of Adam and Eve, Adam was created first and entrusted with God’s commands and covenant: if you disobey, you will die; but if you obey, you will live (see Genesis 2). Now, later, both Adam and Eve were given charge over all the rest of creation together (Genesis 1); but Adam was given caretaking over humanity – to guard against sin and death.
So, Paul argues, this is the pattern that God has set up among his people: men are to be the ones entrusted with God’s words – for their application to God’s people – and the guarding of God’s people from disobedience. That is the way that God’s people have been structured from the beginning, and to do otherwise is to break God’s ways.
So – wasn’t Adam also deceived? If we look at Genesis 3, yes, he was. And everywhere else in the Bible the first sin that plunged us all into darkness and death is noted as Adam’s, not Eve’s. So what’s going on here?
Again, in Greek, the emphasis here isn’t on ‘being fooled’ – it’s the ‘receiving of deception.’ In other words, Eve was the object of deception. It doesn’t mean that women are more easily tricked. The emphasis is on Satan, not Eve. Satan went after Eve – instead of going after the one who was supposed to be leading the first community of God’s people.
In other words, Satan turned God’s created order – men leading based on God’s word alone and suffering to do so for the lives of God’s people (Adam should have guarded Eve against the devil) – with men and women submitting to God’s word taught and applied.
To put it more simply, the devil himself subverted God’s structure for how his community should work in the application of and teaching of his message.
And I’d suggest he desires still to do it today – via chauvinism (male leaders who are leading for themselves and not God and his people) and feminism (women can teach and lead men).
What’s brass tax, here? God’s word is the authority over men and women. There is no authority which is to be exercised in God’s church but that which is from God’s word. A group of men called pastors/elders/overseers are to teach and apply God’s word to his people, serving them, loving them, and when necessary, suffering for them. The rest of God’s church is to submit to God’s word taught by and the leading of God’s appointed men. Period.
Why? Because God’s word is authoritative. Not our desires, culture, or experience. If we have seen sin that leans to chauvinism, we are not to run to Satan’s lie: feminism. And if we have seen sin that leans to feminism, we are not to run to Satan’s other lie: chauvinism.
Rather, we are to collectively submit to the order that God has set up for his people, period.
Why? Because it honors God and his message about Jesus, a cross, a resurrection, and the salvation of everyone who believes in him.
Summary:
1) Church leaders are to enforce a certain structure of church leadership.
2) They are to do so out of love for their people and love for the world.
3) Church leaders must not permit women to teach the Bible to men.
4) Church leaders must not permit women to lead men spiritually.
5) Church leaders, being men, are to teach God’s word and lead via God’s word alone, suffering for God’s people as her leaders when the times call for it
6) This is all for God’s glory. Human ‘worth’ is not a relevant category here, except to note that this is for the good of God’s people.
7) This structure is also for the good of the world, as God’s glory is shown to the world, and as God draws people to relationship with Jesus.
8) Thus, this structure is to be the structure of God’s communities in every place.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for rescuing us even though we collectively sinned against you and rejected your word. I’m sorry for being a passive man – not speaking up with your word when it’s needed. I’m sorry for being a cowardly man – not leading as your word would have me. I’m sorry for being a selfish man – speaking up to get things that will please me.
And I’m so thankful that Jesus was the perfect man, and that his obedience rescues me.
And I’m thankful that his perfection also rescues your daughters, and they are equal heirs of your Kingdom.
Help me and other churchmen to love our wives and our churches and all women. Help us to live and die to show your glory to them.
Help women to see their worth not in what they do – but as your daughters. Not in service, but in being saved.
Help us all to submit to your word for your glory.
Because of Christ we pray, Amen.
Remember, Paul is instructing Timothy how to lead God’s Church – the community of people God has set apart, through Jesus Christ, for his new creation.
He’s just talked about how men and women are to come to worship and lead lives of prayer, both being connected to God, and to adorn that relationship with godliness that is particular to manhood and womanhood.
Paul now begins to give specific directions to Timothy as he leads the local church.
First, we should note that women are to be learning in the public setting of the local church, in public worship. They are not to be excluded! They are to learn; they are to hear from God’s word.
And they are to respond in prayer and worship and witness to outsiders, as loved daughters of God.
Learning from God’s word is not for men, but for all God’s children – the whole Church without exception.
Paul describes the manner of their learning – quietly, or in silence, and with all submission.
Now, bear with me – Paul’s about to explain why here. But first we’re going to look at the what. And even before we do that, we need to remember that this is God’s word: we don’t get to argue with it. We submit to it.
Women are to learn quietly, or in silence. In the culture of the day, it wouldn’t be uncommon for there to be more than one speaker. It also wouldn’t be uncommon to have ordered interjection and questioning. Here, Paul forbids women from doing those things (see 1 Corinthians 14:34-35).
Paul further describes this state as being ‘with all submissiveness.’ In other words, there is to be a demeanor of full submission to the teaching in the local church. There isn’t a bent of being able to exercise authority along with the church’s leaders, but rather, full submission to them as they teach God’s word.
(12) (and) I don’t permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet…
The commands that church leaders, namely, evangelists and pastors, are to enforce here are furthered. Again, we’ll get to ‘why’ in a second.
One thing you don’t see in the English translations is the connecting word between verses 11 and 12. These thoughts are very much connected. Quiet is the opposite of teaching. Submission is the opposite of exercising authority.
And among God’s people, women are not to teach or exercise authority over adult men. Now, to be more specific, given the context, God is talking about teaching the Bible to adult men and making decisions in the leadership of adult men. And God forbids those things, and commands church leaders to forbid those things.
(13-14) …for Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not decived, but the woman was decived and became a transgressor…
And now God gives us the rationale for his commands. Not that he has to, by the way. God doesn’t owe us anything. But I think here he wants to protect us against extremes. He wants to make sure that we understand that the commands aren’t rooted in male superiority or value. And he wants to protect us from thinking these commands are culturally relative; clearly, given his rationale, they are not.
There is a distinction God made between men and women that is not based on the nature of men and women or value of men and women – but on the manner in which God desires to be glorified. And to reject the pattern God set up is to reject, in this circumstance, God’s design for his glory.
God’s rationale for teaching and authority among his people is based in the way he created the world. He gives two reasons: Adam was made first, and Eve and not Adam was deceived into breaking God’s law.
At first glance, that may not make sense to you. And that’s understandable. Why would the order that God created Adam and Eve matter? And wasn’t Adam also deceived?
The order God created Adam and Eve matters for this reason. If you look at the way Paul uses the word ‘first,’ he’s often referring to the order in which people received God’s word.
In the case of Adam and Eve, Adam was created first and entrusted with God’s commands and covenant: if you disobey, you will die; but if you obey, you will live (see Genesis 2). Now, later, both Adam and Eve were given charge over all the rest of creation together (Genesis 1); but Adam was given caretaking over humanity – to guard against sin and death.
So, Paul argues, this is the pattern that God has set up among his people: men are to be the ones entrusted with God’s words – for their application to God’s people – and the guarding of God’s people from disobedience. That is the way that God’s people have been structured from the beginning, and to do otherwise is to break God’s ways.
So – wasn’t Adam also deceived? If we look at Genesis 3, yes, he was. And everywhere else in the Bible the first sin that plunged us all into darkness and death is noted as Adam’s, not Eve’s. So what’s going on here?
Again, in Greek, the emphasis here isn’t on ‘being fooled’ – it’s the ‘receiving of deception.’ In other words, Eve was the object of deception. It doesn’t mean that women are more easily tricked. The emphasis is on Satan, not Eve. Satan went after Eve – instead of going after the one who was supposed to be leading the first community of God’s people.
In other words, Satan turned God’s created order – men leading based on God’s word alone and suffering to do so for the lives of God’s people (Adam should have guarded Eve against the devil) – with men and women submitting to God’s word taught and applied.
To put it more simply, the devil himself subverted God’s structure for how his community should work in the application of and teaching of his message.
And I’d suggest he desires still to do it today – via chauvinism (male leaders who are leading for themselves and not God and his people) and feminism (women can teach and lead men).
What’s brass tax, here? God’s word is the authority over men and women. There is no authority which is to be exercised in God’s church but that which is from God’s word. A group of men called pastors/elders/overseers are to teach and apply God’s word to his people, serving them, loving them, and when necessary, suffering for them. The rest of God’s church is to submit to God’s word taught by and the leading of God’s appointed men. Period.
Why? Because God’s word is authoritative. Not our desires, culture, or experience. If we have seen sin that leans to chauvinism, we are not to run to Satan’s lie: feminism. And if we have seen sin that leans to feminism, we are not to run to Satan’s other lie: chauvinism.
Rather, we are to collectively submit to the order that God has set up for his people, period.
Why? Because it honors God and his message about Jesus, a cross, a resurrection, and the salvation of everyone who believes in him.
Summary:
1) Church leaders are to enforce a certain structure of church leadership.
2) They are to do so out of love for their people and love for the world.
3) Church leaders must not permit women to teach the Bible to men.
4) Church leaders must not permit women to lead men spiritually.
5) Church leaders, being men, are to teach God’s word and lead via God’s word alone, suffering for God’s people as her leaders when the times call for it
6) This is all for God’s glory. Human ‘worth’ is not a relevant category here, except to note that this is for the good of God’s people.
7) This structure is also for the good of the world, as God’s glory is shown to the world, and as God draws people to relationship with Jesus.
8) Thus, this structure is to be the structure of God’s communities in every place.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for rescuing us even though we collectively sinned against you and rejected your word. I’m sorry for being a passive man – not speaking up with your word when it’s needed. I’m sorry for being a cowardly man – not leading as your word would have me. I’m sorry for being a selfish man – speaking up to get things that will please me.
And I’m so thankful that Jesus was the perfect man, and that his obedience rescues me.
And I’m thankful that his perfection also rescues your daughters, and they are equal heirs of your Kingdom.
Help me and other churchmen to love our wives and our churches and all women. Help us to live and die to show your glory to them.
Help women to see their worth not in what they do – but as your daughters. Not in service, but in being saved.
Help us all to submit to your word for your glory.
Because of Christ we pray, Amen.
Monday, February 15, 2010
The part where God tells women how to dress.... 1 Timothy 2:9-10
(9-10) …likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness – with good works.
Paul continues to address Timothy about how he should lead God’s church. His major point is that God has unconditionally loved us in the death and resurrection of his Son for us, and so our response should be to love others and to live lives of prayer.
He’s just addressed men specifically, and now he turns to address women.
And here we learn something important – that God wants both sexes addressed, yet, differently.
We also see in Greek that vv. 9-10 are the same sentence as v. 8. What does this tell us? Paul expects women also to pray in every place – to be worshipers of God.
That’s part of the reason that Paul starts this verse with ‘likewise.’ It’s about prayer and worship, and about how a woman is to be characterized coming to worship. Paul gives men certain instructions about what lives of men who pray are to look like; and now he gives similar instructions to women.
And so pastors must be careful to address different groups of people differently, sensitive to each one’s needs and temptations.
Here, women are instructed to pray, to profess Christ, and to worship God.
And just as men were instructed about how to ‘adorn themselves,’ so here are the women instructed. He gives both positive instructions: wear these things; and negative instructions – don’t wear these things.
First, women are to wear respectable clothing. Their motives in getting dressed are to be modesty and self-control.
Respectable clothing indicates that women need to be conscious of society’s norms. They are to wear clothing based on what others think of them – but desiring that others see how they dress and respond with respect. And what should this respect look like? Verse 10 says these things are what are appropriate for godliness. A woman or man should be able to look at a woman’s clothes and say those are godly clothes – they are not distracting me from but pointing me towards the message about Jesus.
This command also excludes ‘church-lady’ attire. Women are to dress in a way that is conscious of culture, seeking to appear respectable in it – not seeking to look silly. But also, not seeking attention for themselves – but for God and his Gospel.
The question should be: “How can I dress myself so as to dress up the Gospel of Christ?”
Paul addresses the heart condition of the woman as well as the external clothing – ‘with modesty and self-control.’
Modesty means that a woman is not supposed to be seeking attention based on her clothing. And self-control means she must make a conscious choice to remember to do that.
We see this in the negative commands Paul gives when he says he doesn’t want women to be adorned with ‘braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire.’ Does he mean here that ‘braided hair’ is wrong? No – it’s set in contrast with ‘good works,’ not with another hairstyle.
He is specifically listing things that rich women in that day did, in a context in which he is saying how a woman should dress in order to draw attention to Christ. And here he says ‘don’t dress to impress people.’
If thoughts about what people will think of you invade your mind as you get dressed, as you prepare for the day, you’re to remember that it’s not about you – it’s about God and his word – those things are to look good via your clothes. Why? Because God’s love must be shown to the world – through men and women to men and women.
Paul closes this address with one final charge to women – that ‘good works’ be as sober and serious a daily choice as getting dressed. Women are to focus on doing good works to show off their King. It is just as important as their clothing – and should be on one’s mind just as much.
And these things give us reason to pray for our sisters, with our sisters – and you, women – I believe have some things to pray about on a daily basis as you seek to glorify Christ Jesus.
In sum,
1) Pastors are to address different groups of people differently.
2) Women are to dress to show off the gospel – not themselves.
3) Women are to consider what people will think about Jesus given clothing, not themselves.
4) Women have to make a conscious effort, choosing to be careful to not be tempted to dress to impress others, but to be in regular and constant prayer.
5) Women need to focus on good works as much as they do their motives in getting dressed.
6) Women are to be in prayer for themselves and for their world.
7) And this is to show the love of God to women and to men throughout this whole world.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for creating men and women uniquely, and for sending your Son to die for men and for women – making both men and women children in your Kingdom and heirs because of what Jesus did for us, in obeying you perfectly as your perfect Child.
Father, our culture, the world, the devil, and sin put a burden on women in how they are to dress, and even in finding their safety and feelings of love in how they dress. Help men love women well so that they know they are loved unconditionally by You. Help women love women well so that they know they’re loved unconditionally by You.
Help women to flee plaguing temptations from the world about dressing to impress the world. Help women be motivated to dress in such a way that makes your word look good – and to place just as large an emphasis on doing good works in the world and prayer as they do their clothing – as a daily habit and discipline.
Father, save women in this world through women in your Church. Glorify your name through your daughters!
In Christ I pray – amen.
Paul continues to address Timothy about how he should lead God’s church. His major point is that God has unconditionally loved us in the death and resurrection of his Son for us, and so our response should be to love others and to live lives of prayer.
He’s just addressed men specifically, and now he turns to address women.
And here we learn something important – that God wants both sexes addressed, yet, differently.
We also see in Greek that vv. 9-10 are the same sentence as v. 8. What does this tell us? Paul expects women also to pray in every place – to be worshipers of God.
That’s part of the reason that Paul starts this verse with ‘likewise.’ It’s about prayer and worship, and about how a woman is to be characterized coming to worship. Paul gives men certain instructions about what lives of men who pray are to look like; and now he gives similar instructions to women.
And so pastors must be careful to address different groups of people differently, sensitive to each one’s needs and temptations.
Here, women are instructed to pray, to profess Christ, and to worship God.
And just as men were instructed about how to ‘adorn themselves,’ so here are the women instructed. He gives both positive instructions: wear these things; and negative instructions – don’t wear these things.
First, women are to wear respectable clothing. Their motives in getting dressed are to be modesty and self-control.
Respectable clothing indicates that women need to be conscious of society’s norms. They are to wear clothing based on what others think of them – but desiring that others see how they dress and respond with respect. And what should this respect look like? Verse 10 says these things are what are appropriate for godliness. A woman or man should be able to look at a woman’s clothes and say those are godly clothes – they are not distracting me from but pointing me towards the message about Jesus.
This command also excludes ‘church-lady’ attire. Women are to dress in a way that is conscious of culture, seeking to appear respectable in it – not seeking to look silly. But also, not seeking attention for themselves – but for God and his Gospel.
The question should be: “How can I dress myself so as to dress up the Gospel of Christ?”
Paul addresses the heart condition of the woman as well as the external clothing – ‘with modesty and self-control.’
Modesty means that a woman is not supposed to be seeking attention based on her clothing. And self-control means she must make a conscious choice to remember to do that.
We see this in the negative commands Paul gives when he says he doesn’t want women to be adorned with ‘braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire.’ Does he mean here that ‘braided hair’ is wrong? No – it’s set in contrast with ‘good works,’ not with another hairstyle.
He is specifically listing things that rich women in that day did, in a context in which he is saying how a woman should dress in order to draw attention to Christ. And here he says ‘don’t dress to impress people.’
If thoughts about what people will think of you invade your mind as you get dressed, as you prepare for the day, you’re to remember that it’s not about you – it’s about God and his word – those things are to look good via your clothes. Why? Because God’s love must be shown to the world – through men and women to men and women.
Paul closes this address with one final charge to women – that ‘good works’ be as sober and serious a daily choice as getting dressed. Women are to focus on doing good works to show off their King. It is just as important as their clothing – and should be on one’s mind just as much.
And these things give us reason to pray for our sisters, with our sisters – and you, women – I believe have some things to pray about on a daily basis as you seek to glorify Christ Jesus.
In sum,
1) Pastors are to address different groups of people differently.
2) Women are to dress to show off the gospel – not themselves.
3) Women are to consider what people will think about Jesus given clothing, not themselves.
4) Women have to make a conscious effort, choosing to be careful to not be tempted to dress to impress others, but to be in regular and constant prayer.
5) Women need to focus on good works as much as they do their motives in getting dressed.
6) Women are to be in prayer for themselves and for their world.
7) And this is to show the love of God to women and to men throughout this whole world.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for creating men and women uniquely, and for sending your Son to die for men and for women – making both men and women children in your Kingdom and heirs because of what Jesus did for us, in obeying you perfectly as your perfect Child.
Father, our culture, the world, the devil, and sin put a burden on women in how they are to dress, and even in finding their safety and feelings of love in how they dress. Help men love women well so that they know they are loved unconditionally by You. Help women love women well so that they know they’re loved unconditionally by You.
Help women to flee plaguing temptations from the world about dressing to impress the world. Help women be motivated to dress in such a way that makes your word look good – and to place just as large an emphasis on doing good works in the world and prayer as they do their clothing – as a daily habit and discipline.
Father, save women in this world through women in your Church. Glorify your name through your daughters!
In Christ I pray – amen.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Hey! Man up, and PRAY. 1 Timothy 2:8
(8a) I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray…
Paul here continues his thought regarding prayer. Prayer is the loving response of the Church to the world which hates her, because the Church once hated the Savior who loved her and died for her.
Paul concludes that since God’s love is without condition, the men should be praying in every place without distinction. And indeed, they are men in every place now, since God has loved all nations without distinction.
It’s interesting that he settles on the men here. Perhaps men have a greater tendency not to pray and need the exhortation. Regardless, men need to see unconditional and loving prayer for the world as a necessity. And they need to do it.
And we should note that the verb used for ‘pray’ is a continuous verb. In other words, men should be continuously praying in every place.
And here we see the heart of God – who desires that men should pray in every place, speaking to him, worshiping him, showing their dependence on him, honoring him.
(8b) …lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling…
Here Paul describes what the men’s prayers are to look like. The expression ‘lifting holy hands’ denotes how prayer is to be done – with one’s hear turned toward the God who is in heaven, knowing that we are creatures on earth. We are to turn our attention and desires and trust to him.
And the hands that we are to lift must be holy, or in other words, dedicated to God’s service. Our lives are to be dedicated to God. But hands don’t turn our attention to motive – they turn our attention to actions.
In other words, we are to approach God in prayer, living a holy life. We are not to hypocritically turn to God in prayer, expecting things from him, if we are not living for him.
God further explains how prayers are to look: without anger or quarreling. He of course doesn’t mean that people were coming to him angry or arguing with him – but with each other. Men, particularly.
Anger is a massive theme in scripture, and we see that it doesn’t accomplish the righteousness that God desires. But we also see anger and prayer linked together as a hypocritical combination.
Consider James 4:1-4: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
Anger on earth shows us where our treasure lies – on earth. Why, if our motives are earthbound, would we approach God and ask for heavenward things? We wouldn’t! And so Paul instructs us – but particularly men – how to pray. Our deeds should be holy, our desires should be heavenward, and our relationships should be peaceful – otherwise our prayers will be hypocritical.
We could also say that relational strife is an indicator of where our hearts are – and where our relationships with God are.
And so we must commit to peace as we come to God, seeking his will to be done on earth through us. And then we must do it.
Summary:
1) Men everywhere should be living lives of continuous, public prayer.
2) This prayer is a response to the unconditional love of God, asking for the unconditional love of God to be extended to others.
3) Prayer is to be accompanied by holy deeds.
4) Prayer is to be accompanied by relational peace.
5) Our deeds and relationships are indicators of where our motives lie.
Prayer:
Holy God, you deserve prayer to be extended to you from every place on earth all the time. I’ve sinned against you. I’ve been self-dependent, forgetting that every blessing given to me is by your unconditional love. I’ve been self-absorbed, desiring things on earth to make me happy. Thank you for the cleansing from sin purchased by Jesus’ blood for even the chief of sinners. Thank you for forgiveness. Cause me to do the works you’ve prepared for me to do. Cause me to desire nothing like I desire your name to be honored in all of creation. Father, thank you for your love, given freely to us in the Son, applied to us in your Spirit.
Amen.
Paul here continues his thought regarding prayer. Prayer is the loving response of the Church to the world which hates her, because the Church once hated the Savior who loved her and died for her.
Paul concludes that since God’s love is without condition, the men should be praying in every place without distinction. And indeed, they are men in every place now, since God has loved all nations without distinction.
It’s interesting that he settles on the men here. Perhaps men have a greater tendency not to pray and need the exhortation. Regardless, men need to see unconditional and loving prayer for the world as a necessity. And they need to do it.
And we should note that the verb used for ‘pray’ is a continuous verb. In other words, men should be continuously praying in every place.
And here we see the heart of God – who desires that men should pray in every place, speaking to him, worshiping him, showing their dependence on him, honoring him.
(8b) …lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling…
Here Paul describes what the men’s prayers are to look like. The expression ‘lifting holy hands’ denotes how prayer is to be done – with one’s hear turned toward the God who is in heaven, knowing that we are creatures on earth. We are to turn our attention and desires and trust to him.
And the hands that we are to lift must be holy, or in other words, dedicated to God’s service. Our lives are to be dedicated to God. But hands don’t turn our attention to motive – they turn our attention to actions.
In other words, we are to approach God in prayer, living a holy life. We are not to hypocritically turn to God in prayer, expecting things from him, if we are not living for him.
God further explains how prayers are to look: without anger or quarreling. He of course doesn’t mean that people were coming to him angry or arguing with him – but with each other. Men, particularly.
Anger is a massive theme in scripture, and we see that it doesn’t accomplish the righteousness that God desires. But we also see anger and prayer linked together as a hypocritical combination.
Consider James 4:1-4: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
Anger on earth shows us where our treasure lies – on earth. Why, if our motives are earthbound, would we approach God and ask for heavenward things? We wouldn’t! And so Paul instructs us – but particularly men – how to pray. Our deeds should be holy, our desires should be heavenward, and our relationships should be peaceful – otherwise our prayers will be hypocritical.
We could also say that relational strife is an indicator of where our hearts are – and where our relationships with God are.
And so we must commit to peace as we come to God, seeking his will to be done on earth through us. And then we must do it.
Summary:
1) Men everywhere should be living lives of continuous, public prayer.
2) This prayer is a response to the unconditional love of God, asking for the unconditional love of God to be extended to others.
3) Prayer is to be accompanied by holy deeds.
4) Prayer is to be accompanied by relational peace.
5) Our deeds and relationships are indicators of where our motives lie.
Prayer:
Holy God, you deserve prayer to be extended to you from every place on earth all the time. I’ve sinned against you. I’ve been self-dependent, forgetting that every blessing given to me is by your unconditional love. I’ve been self-absorbed, desiring things on earth to make me happy. Thank you for the cleansing from sin purchased by Jesus’ blood for even the chief of sinners. Thank you for forgiveness. Cause me to do the works you’ve prepared for me to do. Cause me to desire nothing like I desire your name to be honored in all of creation. Father, thank you for your love, given freely to us in the Son, applied to us in your Spirit.
Amen.
Friday, February 12, 2010
1 Timothy 2:7 - This is REAL. So pay attention!
(7a) For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle…
Let’s get the context again. Paul’s giving Timothy the charge to govern the flock of God according to the Gospel. Part of that charge is that Timothy lead the Church to pray – even for people who were persecuting the Christians. And that’s because salvation is all by God’s grace accomplished in Jesus’ death. There’s no such thing as being ‘closer’ to salvation than somebody else – since it’s not earned in any sense at all.
And he’s just said that Jesus’ giving himself as a ransom – his bloody death – was the testimony that God rescues all believers in Christ without distinction based on past sins, or nationality, or family, or whatever.
And so he says that it was for that that he was appointed a preacher and an apostle. That’s why he says later in the verse that he’s a teacher of the Gentiles, which can be translated ‘nations’ – or all non-Jews.
So Paul proclaims this message. It’s interesting that he passively says that he ‘was appointed.’ The way he phrases it, though, he’s not drawing attention to himself – but the appointment – and thus, the Appointer.
Just as God moved decisively to save all types of people in the cross, so he moved decisively so that the nations would hear about it. He appointed Paul, former blasphemer, to carry the message to the nations.
And that’s why Paul calls himself here an ‘apostle.’ That literally means ‘one who’s sent,’ and it can carry the connotation of being sent by a church or an employer or a parent to go do something.
However, here, it is clear that the one doing the sending is God himself – Christ himself. See Chapter 1 verse 1.
God gave testimony of his salvation spreading to every corner of the earth in the cross, accomplished salvation perfectly in the cross, and caused this salvation to be taught throughout the world – beginning with a guy who used to hate God.
And we’re the happy recipients of all that God did – so that we, in the nations, could receive that good news.
(7b) (I am telling the truth, I am not lying)
Paul for some reason here felt like he had to draw special attention to the fact that he wasn’t lying. That probably means that there would be doubt as to whether or not he was telling the truth.
Perhaps some would doubt his authority and not want to submit to it.
Perhaps some would doubt whether God could be so good.
So far as I can tell, the closest parallel to this phraseology is in Romans 9:1 – in which Paul says something so utterly and gloriously crazy, that he feels the need to emphasize his truthfulness.
And what is more gloriously crazy to us than the Gospel? Christ died for sinners. That’s nuts, by any human standard- Paul, I think here, wants to emphasize the reality that that indeed is reality. His apostleship is real because Christ is real.
And sometimes, I think we doubt. And if we don’t doubt, we ignore. Because the Gospel truly is beyond our comprehension – beyond anything we ever would have invented.
In a sense, Paul’s apostleship and the message about Jesus are inseparable. Did he ever use his authority to his own advantage? No. He suffered for it. He only used it to further the proclamation of the message about the glory of Christ.
Here, he wants us to see that this message is real. That God is real. That salvation is real.
(7c) …a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
We’ve already looked at the fact that God made Paul a messenger of the good news about Jesus’ death to the Gentiles.
What does he mean ‘in faith and truth’?
Paul could mean that his teaching is ‘as I trust God and teach true things.’ Or, he could mean, ‘I teach faithfully and truthfully’. Or, he could mean he teaches the Gentiles about faith (our response to God) and truth (God’s revelation to us).
I suppose I’m really asking the question – is Paul here describing his manner of teaching, or the subjects of his teaching?
In other words, is he describing himself – or his teaching?
Ultimately, Paul is not the subject of these verses. God is. God has appointed him to teach good news. God desired to spread the news to the nations and so he appointed Paul to do it- and he appointed Paul to be faithful – and he appointed Paul to teach the truth – so that we, the nations, might receive the truth.
I’m not sure exactly what Paul is modifying by the prepositional phrase ‘in faith and truth.’ However, I do know this, that God appointed all of this so that we could hear and receive the truth – and so be saved. And that’s true. Here, Paul wants to emphasize that it’s real and true.
In sum,
1) God appointed Paul to spread the good news
2) This was always a part of God’s plan to save the nations
3) We need to pay careful attention to these truths, not doubting or being indifferent
4) All of this is true!
5) And all of this is grace – and such as it is, our response should be love to and prayers for those who hate us
Prayer:
Father, you’ve loved us so much in giving us the Bible – in giving us, specifically, Gentiles, Paul. And his example. You forgive sinners on the basis of the cross alone apart from works. And so you’ve forgiven me. Thank you!
I admit that often my heart and mind don’t line up with the facts you’ve given to us. I’m sorry. Cleanse me from such sin so that I might see and understand and worship your glory. And in worshiping you, cause me to see how great your love is, and so love others.
Because Jesus died in my place, I ask for these things – Amen.
Let’s get the context again. Paul’s giving Timothy the charge to govern the flock of God according to the Gospel. Part of that charge is that Timothy lead the Church to pray – even for people who were persecuting the Christians. And that’s because salvation is all by God’s grace accomplished in Jesus’ death. There’s no such thing as being ‘closer’ to salvation than somebody else – since it’s not earned in any sense at all.
And he’s just said that Jesus’ giving himself as a ransom – his bloody death – was the testimony that God rescues all believers in Christ without distinction based on past sins, or nationality, or family, or whatever.
And so he says that it was for that that he was appointed a preacher and an apostle. That’s why he says later in the verse that he’s a teacher of the Gentiles, which can be translated ‘nations’ – or all non-Jews.
So Paul proclaims this message. It’s interesting that he passively says that he ‘was appointed.’ The way he phrases it, though, he’s not drawing attention to himself – but the appointment – and thus, the Appointer.
Just as God moved decisively to save all types of people in the cross, so he moved decisively so that the nations would hear about it. He appointed Paul, former blasphemer, to carry the message to the nations.
And that’s why Paul calls himself here an ‘apostle.’ That literally means ‘one who’s sent,’ and it can carry the connotation of being sent by a church or an employer or a parent to go do something.
However, here, it is clear that the one doing the sending is God himself – Christ himself. See Chapter 1 verse 1.
God gave testimony of his salvation spreading to every corner of the earth in the cross, accomplished salvation perfectly in the cross, and caused this salvation to be taught throughout the world – beginning with a guy who used to hate God.
And we’re the happy recipients of all that God did – so that we, in the nations, could receive that good news.
(7b) (I am telling the truth, I am not lying)
Paul for some reason here felt like he had to draw special attention to the fact that he wasn’t lying. That probably means that there would be doubt as to whether or not he was telling the truth.
Perhaps some would doubt his authority and not want to submit to it.
Perhaps some would doubt whether God could be so good.
So far as I can tell, the closest parallel to this phraseology is in Romans 9:1 – in which Paul says something so utterly and gloriously crazy, that he feels the need to emphasize his truthfulness.
And what is more gloriously crazy to us than the Gospel? Christ died for sinners. That’s nuts, by any human standard- Paul, I think here, wants to emphasize the reality that that indeed is reality. His apostleship is real because Christ is real.
And sometimes, I think we doubt. And if we don’t doubt, we ignore. Because the Gospel truly is beyond our comprehension – beyond anything we ever would have invented.
In a sense, Paul’s apostleship and the message about Jesus are inseparable. Did he ever use his authority to his own advantage? No. He suffered for it. He only used it to further the proclamation of the message about the glory of Christ.
Here, he wants us to see that this message is real. That God is real. That salvation is real.
(7c) …a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
We’ve already looked at the fact that God made Paul a messenger of the good news about Jesus’ death to the Gentiles.
What does he mean ‘in faith and truth’?
Paul could mean that his teaching is ‘as I trust God and teach true things.’ Or, he could mean, ‘I teach faithfully and truthfully’. Or, he could mean he teaches the Gentiles about faith (our response to God) and truth (God’s revelation to us).
I suppose I’m really asking the question – is Paul here describing his manner of teaching, or the subjects of his teaching?
In other words, is he describing himself – or his teaching?
Ultimately, Paul is not the subject of these verses. God is. God has appointed him to teach good news. God desired to spread the news to the nations and so he appointed Paul to do it- and he appointed Paul to be faithful – and he appointed Paul to teach the truth – so that we, the nations, might receive the truth.
I’m not sure exactly what Paul is modifying by the prepositional phrase ‘in faith and truth.’ However, I do know this, that God appointed all of this so that we could hear and receive the truth – and so be saved. And that’s true. Here, Paul wants to emphasize that it’s real and true.
In sum,
1) God appointed Paul to spread the good news
2) This was always a part of God’s plan to save the nations
3) We need to pay careful attention to these truths, not doubting or being indifferent
4) All of this is true!
5) And all of this is grace – and such as it is, our response should be love to and prayers for those who hate us
Prayer:
Father, you’ve loved us so much in giving us the Bible – in giving us, specifically, Gentiles, Paul. And his example. You forgive sinners on the basis of the cross alone apart from works. And so you’ve forgiven me. Thank you!
I admit that often my heart and mind don’t line up with the facts you’ve given to us. I’m sorry. Cleanse me from such sin so that I might see and understand and worship your glory. And in worshiping you, cause me to see how great your love is, and so love others.
Because Jesus died in my place, I ask for these things – Amen.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
More reasons to pray for people who are hard to love. And also, did Jesus die for all people?
(5a) For there is one God…
Remember, this is in the context of Paul commanding pastors to lead churches in praying for their enemies – because it reflects the gospel – that Jesus Christ saves those who hate him.
And here he gives us further reason to pray. He’s already said that salvation comes to all types of people without distinguishing based on background. And now he says ‘for there is one God.’
Why? We sometimes take it for granted that there is one God, I think. We grew up in a very monotheistic culture. People may not be Christians, but they believe in one God. But back in the day, there were national gods. Gods for this, gods for that.
But there is one God, and he treats people the same way. Whenever Paul uses this expression, it’s similar to how he does it in Rom. 3:30: “God is one – who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.”
In other words, God treats all types of people the same. Justification, and thus, salvation, are offered to all types of people through faith. There aren’t different ‘requirements’ based on background.
So, God loves all types of people in similar fashion – salvation is by grace through faith alone – and we’re to love without distinction as well – and that should show up as we pray.
(5b) and there is one mediator between God and men…
Paul gives further argument for why God loves all types of people the same way. There’s only one mediator – Jesus. What’s that mean?
In Hebrews, especially chapters 8 and 9, we see Christ’s mediator role played out. He mediates between God and men based on his death for the sins of his people. His mediation is based on his blood and saves everyone for whom he mediates – because God’s wrath against them was satisfied in Jesus’ death.
In other words – people don’t get saved different ways – it’s all through the death of Jesus. It’s all through Jesus being the mediator for all types of people.
In other words – Jesus is our mediator. We’re sinners. We don’t deserve a mediator. But by God’s love, we have one. We should pray that Jesus mediates for all sorts of sinners.
(5c) …the man Christ Jesus
Paul identifies our mediator in 3 ways – as a human, as the Messiah, and the person Jesus. It’s significant that he was a human. Rom. 5:15 draws this out – through one man came condemnation; through another man, justification. Our mediator had to identify with us – and had to be human.
He’s the Messiah – the King. He reigns and he saves.
And it’s Jesus – the historical figure, who lived 2,000 years ago in Palestine.
Let us remember our mediator! He loves, he saves by his love and based on no goodness or worth in us. And so we pray for other sinners.
(6a) who gave himself as a ransom for all...
This man, this Messiah, this King, this Savior, this Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all. Again, though, we must see the word ‘all’ meaning ‘all types.’ All has meant this so far in the passage. And further, ‘all’ cannot mean ‘all without exception’ here because of the word ‘ransom.’
A ransom, or redemption price, is the thing exchanged for the freedom of another. In this case, it’s Jesus being exchanged for all types of people.
In that exchange, we get all the rewards that Jesus earned by being obedient to God. And he got all the punishment that we earned by being disobedient to God.
So Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all types of people, not all people without exception. Why? Three reasons.
First, the thrust of the passage is that we should love all types of people regardless of background and pray for them. It is silly to think we should pray for every individual on earth.
Second, the phrase ‘God is one’ is an indicator that Paul has types of people in mind – that God justifies all types by faith.
Third, Jesus does not mediate for all people. His mediation means that they will be saved. And here, his mediation is connected to his being a ransom.
Fourth, if an exchange has been made, then those for whom the exchange has been made are free. Are all free? No. But all types of people are.
Thus, because God doesn’t distinguish between types of people based on background – neither should we! We love because he loved us who hated him.
And more than that – we love and pray because Jesus DIED for all types of people. It is intrinsic to the gospel that we be patient, suffer wrong, and love others. Jesus did for us, and we should do so for others.
(6b) …the testimony given at the proper time
Jesus’ death here bears witness at a ‘proper time.’ This begs several questions.
What is Jesus’ death a witness to? And why was that the ‘proper time’?
First answer – Jesus death is for all types of people! It is no longer for Jews only – and so God bears witness to his saving of the whole world through faith in the work of Jesus the Messiah. (We see this in the next verse where Paul talks about his ministry – preaching to Gentiles!)
You want proof that God loves all without distinction based on what you may have done – based on your background – based on anything? Look to Jesus’ death. He has died in the places of all types of people – and they are all saved on one basis – not their works, but Jesus’ work alone.
And God did this at the ‘proper time’…
Second answer – I don’t really know. Perhaps we should just take note of the fact that in the all-wise God’s determination it was the right time.
I will say this – an alternate translation of the phrase would be that it was the testimony at its own time. The idea is that it happened as God determined it would. And when.
This reminds us that God acts in grace according to his own timetable. If the most important event in world history – Jesus’ death and resurrection – was something that happened when God wanted it to, how much more should we be patient on his timing for all things?
Regardless – at that time in world history God revealed his love for the world – Jesus died for people from every nation – and ransomed them. All are saved by grace mediated by the man Jesus Christ. So let us love. And let us pray.
In sum,
1) There is one God who treats people without distinction based on background.
2) There is one way of salvation for all people – the mediation of Jesus Christ.
3) The mediation of Jesus Christ works via his exchanging himself for people of every type.
4) Jesus’ death shows us that salvation is offered to all without distinction, since all are saved the same way.
5) And this has all happened according to God’s timetable.
Let’s pray –
God, this is the most important truth we could muster – that Jesus is our living mediator because he died, suffering the wrath we deserve. You’ve shown us that salvation is all grace – it’s not us, it’s you. It always was. And you rescue whoever will trust in your Son. And it doesn’t matter what’s in our pasts – your love isn’t based on us – but on your free will. Thank you!
Father, let these truths sink in so we can love people without judging them based on their background – let alone how they treat us.
Thank you, Father, for loving us. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for us. Thank you, Spirit, for converting us to faith and applying the benefits Jesus died for to us.
For Christ’s sake,
Amen.
Remember, this is in the context of Paul commanding pastors to lead churches in praying for their enemies – because it reflects the gospel – that Jesus Christ saves those who hate him.
And here he gives us further reason to pray. He’s already said that salvation comes to all types of people without distinguishing based on background. And now he says ‘for there is one God.’
Why? We sometimes take it for granted that there is one God, I think. We grew up in a very monotheistic culture. People may not be Christians, but they believe in one God. But back in the day, there were national gods. Gods for this, gods for that.
But there is one God, and he treats people the same way. Whenever Paul uses this expression, it’s similar to how he does it in Rom. 3:30: “God is one – who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.”
In other words, God treats all types of people the same. Justification, and thus, salvation, are offered to all types of people through faith. There aren’t different ‘requirements’ based on background.
So, God loves all types of people in similar fashion – salvation is by grace through faith alone – and we’re to love without distinction as well – and that should show up as we pray.
(5b) and there is one mediator between God and men…
Paul gives further argument for why God loves all types of people the same way. There’s only one mediator – Jesus. What’s that mean?
In Hebrews, especially chapters 8 and 9, we see Christ’s mediator role played out. He mediates between God and men based on his death for the sins of his people. His mediation is based on his blood and saves everyone for whom he mediates – because God’s wrath against them was satisfied in Jesus’ death.
In other words – people don’t get saved different ways – it’s all through the death of Jesus. It’s all through Jesus being the mediator for all types of people.
In other words – Jesus is our mediator. We’re sinners. We don’t deserve a mediator. But by God’s love, we have one. We should pray that Jesus mediates for all sorts of sinners.
(5c) …the man Christ Jesus
Paul identifies our mediator in 3 ways – as a human, as the Messiah, and the person Jesus. It’s significant that he was a human. Rom. 5:15 draws this out – through one man came condemnation; through another man, justification. Our mediator had to identify with us – and had to be human.
He’s the Messiah – the King. He reigns and he saves.
And it’s Jesus – the historical figure, who lived 2,000 years ago in Palestine.
Let us remember our mediator! He loves, he saves by his love and based on no goodness or worth in us. And so we pray for other sinners.
(6a) who gave himself as a ransom for all...
This man, this Messiah, this King, this Savior, this Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all. Again, though, we must see the word ‘all’ meaning ‘all types.’ All has meant this so far in the passage. And further, ‘all’ cannot mean ‘all without exception’ here because of the word ‘ransom.’
A ransom, or redemption price, is the thing exchanged for the freedom of another. In this case, it’s Jesus being exchanged for all types of people.
In that exchange, we get all the rewards that Jesus earned by being obedient to God. And he got all the punishment that we earned by being disobedient to God.
So Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all types of people, not all people without exception. Why? Three reasons.
First, the thrust of the passage is that we should love all types of people regardless of background and pray for them. It is silly to think we should pray for every individual on earth.
Second, the phrase ‘God is one’ is an indicator that Paul has types of people in mind – that God justifies all types by faith.
Third, Jesus does not mediate for all people. His mediation means that they will be saved. And here, his mediation is connected to his being a ransom.
Fourth, if an exchange has been made, then those for whom the exchange has been made are free. Are all free? No. But all types of people are.
Thus, because God doesn’t distinguish between types of people based on background – neither should we! We love because he loved us who hated him.
And more than that – we love and pray because Jesus DIED for all types of people. It is intrinsic to the gospel that we be patient, suffer wrong, and love others. Jesus did for us, and we should do so for others.
(6b) …the testimony given at the proper time
Jesus’ death here bears witness at a ‘proper time.’ This begs several questions.
What is Jesus’ death a witness to? And why was that the ‘proper time’?
First answer – Jesus death is for all types of people! It is no longer for Jews only – and so God bears witness to his saving of the whole world through faith in the work of Jesus the Messiah. (We see this in the next verse where Paul talks about his ministry – preaching to Gentiles!)
You want proof that God loves all without distinction based on what you may have done – based on your background – based on anything? Look to Jesus’ death. He has died in the places of all types of people – and they are all saved on one basis – not their works, but Jesus’ work alone.
And God did this at the ‘proper time’…
Second answer – I don’t really know. Perhaps we should just take note of the fact that in the all-wise God’s determination it was the right time.
I will say this – an alternate translation of the phrase would be that it was the testimony at its own time. The idea is that it happened as God determined it would. And when.
This reminds us that God acts in grace according to his own timetable. If the most important event in world history – Jesus’ death and resurrection – was something that happened when God wanted it to, how much more should we be patient on his timing for all things?
Regardless – at that time in world history God revealed his love for the world – Jesus died for people from every nation – and ransomed them. All are saved by grace mediated by the man Jesus Christ. So let us love. And let us pray.
In sum,
1) There is one God who treats people without distinction based on background.
2) There is one way of salvation for all people – the mediation of Jesus Christ.
3) The mediation of Jesus Christ works via his exchanging himself for people of every type.
4) Jesus’ death shows us that salvation is offered to all without distinction, since all are saved the same way.
5) And this has all happened according to God’s timetable.
Let’s pray –
God, this is the most important truth we could muster – that Jesus is our living mediator because he died, suffering the wrath we deserve. You’ve shown us that salvation is all grace – it’s not us, it’s you. It always was. And you rescue whoever will trust in your Son. And it doesn’t matter what’s in our pasts – your love isn’t based on us – but on your free will. Thank you!
Father, let these truths sink in so we can love people without judging them based on their background – let alone how they treat us.
Thank you, Father, for loving us. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for us. Thank you, Spirit, for converting us to faith and applying the benefits Jesus died for to us.
For Christ’s sake,
Amen.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
1 Timothy 2:2b-4 - Why should I pray for people who hate me? And, does God really want to save all people?
(2b) that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
Paul is giving Timothy, a pastor, instructions on how to apply the Gospel (Christ saves sinners) to the life of the Chuch. He’s just said that we should pray for those who persecute us. Here he tells us why –
We pray for even people in authority so we can lead a life free of conflict with authorities. Hence, peaceful and quiet. We’re not making headlines because of conflict.
Interesting how often Christians make headlines in conflict here even though we’re not really persecuted.
Rather, we’re to pray for our authorities so we can lead godly and dignified lives. Or godly and serious lives. The end of our praying for our authorities is this: giving us the energy to focus on godliness. Being serious about Christ. Giving every aspect of our lives over to his lordship and control.
So if we have peaceful, quiet lives – that is to say, free of persecution – our goals should be universally for godliness without distraction. Our prayers should be directed that way.
(3-4) This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
What’s good? Our prayers for those who hate us. Here’s the situation Paul’s talking about: we get hurt by people in authority, we thankfully pray for God to bless them in every way possible with an eye towards greater holiness, God is pleased. God rejoices because we are acting like him – loving our enemies, just as he loved us.
That’s why Paul gives this description of God in verse 4 – who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
God loves people – not based on their sin or holiness – but because he is God, and he’s a God who loves those who hate him. And we are the direct beneficiaries of that fact.
Note the language here – God desires salvation and knowledge. That is, rescue from punishment and an enjoyment of God’s word about Christ and in the future, God’s physical presence in Christ.
One theological point is sticky here – does God want every individual on earth to be saved? And if so, does this verse teach that?
Second question first. Remember, ‘all’ in Greek does not mean ‘all’ in English. It clearly doesn’t mean all universally in verses 1 or 2 or 6. Does Christ mediate for all (verse 5)? No. He mediates for his people alone – but his people are his people based on his work for them, not their works and not their past.
Paul was a persecutor and a blasphemer. We were all sinners. Christ saves sinners. So we are to pray for even those who persecute us because God saves sinners regardless of their positions and their pasts. We are to pray for all without exclusion based on our conceptions of people – but not all without exception.
In the same manner, God loves all types of people – not excluding any on the basis of their positions or pasts.
To the first question – does God desire every individual on earth to be saved? The best way to answer that is a qualified ‘yes’ – in that he has commanded the Gospel to be proclaimed to every creature without exclusion. However, he clearly has not and will not cause the salvation of all people, but just of some. However, the ‘some’ is not known to us who live now – and so we are to proclaim Christ to everyone.
In short, the best way to understand this verse is to see this fact about God’s character: God loves people who hate him. So we’re to pray for people regardless of how they treat us – showing forth God’s love and mercy – acting like the children of God he has made us to be.
Summary:
1) We’re to pray for persecutors so we can spend our energy in greater godliness
2) We’re to pray for persecutors because it pleases God
3) We’re to pray for persecutors because God’s character is one of love towards sinners
Prayer:
Father, thank you that you have, in Christ, rescued us from the penalty we deserve! I admit that I haven’t prayed enough, in public or private, and haven’t prayed for those who hurt me like I should. God, cause me to love like you love. Cause me to act like your child and be merciful. Cause me to desire what you desire – the salvation of sinners – even when I’m hurting. Cause me to pray to please you, because you’re worth it.
Because Jesus died for me, I can ask you for these things – amen.
Paul is giving Timothy, a pastor, instructions on how to apply the Gospel (Christ saves sinners) to the life of the Chuch. He’s just said that we should pray for those who persecute us. Here he tells us why –
We pray for even people in authority so we can lead a life free of conflict with authorities. Hence, peaceful and quiet. We’re not making headlines because of conflict.
Interesting how often Christians make headlines in conflict here even though we’re not really persecuted.
Rather, we’re to pray for our authorities so we can lead godly and dignified lives. Or godly and serious lives. The end of our praying for our authorities is this: giving us the energy to focus on godliness. Being serious about Christ. Giving every aspect of our lives over to his lordship and control.
So if we have peaceful, quiet lives – that is to say, free of persecution – our goals should be universally for godliness without distraction. Our prayers should be directed that way.
(3-4) This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
What’s good? Our prayers for those who hate us. Here’s the situation Paul’s talking about: we get hurt by people in authority, we thankfully pray for God to bless them in every way possible with an eye towards greater holiness, God is pleased. God rejoices because we are acting like him – loving our enemies, just as he loved us.
That’s why Paul gives this description of God in verse 4 – who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
God loves people – not based on their sin or holiness – but because he is God, and he’s a God who loves those who hate him. And we are the direct beneficiaries of that fact.
Note the language here – God desires salvation and knowledge. That is, rescue from punishment and an enjoyment of God’s word about Christ and in the future, God’s physical presence in Christ.
One theological point is sticky here – does God want every individual on earth to be saved? And if so, does this verse teach that?
Second question first. Remember, ‘all’ in Greek does not mean ‘all’ in English. It clearly doesn’t mean all universally in verses 1 or 2 or 6. Does Christ mediate for all (verse 5)? No. He mediates for his people alone – but his people are his people based on his work for them, not their works and not their past.
Paul was a persecutor and a blasphemer. We were all sinners. Christ saves sinners. So we are to pray for even those who persecute us because God saves sinners regardless of their positions and their pasts. We are to pray for all without exclusion based on our conceptions of people – but not all without exception.
In the same manner, God loves all types of people – not excluding any on the basis of their positions or pasts.
To the first question – does God desire every individual on earth to be saved? The best way to answer that is a qualified ‘yes’ – in that he has commanded the Gospel to be proclaimed to every creature without exclusion. However, he clearly has not and will not cause the salvation of all people, but just of some. However, the ‘some’ is not known to us who live now – and so we are to proclaim Christ to everyone.
In short, the best way to understand this verse is to see this fact about God’s character: God loves people who hate him. So we’re to pray for people regardless of how they treat us – showing forth God’s love and mercy – acting like the children of God he has made us to be.
Summary:
1) We’re to pray for persecutors so we can spend our energy in greater godliness
2) We’re to pray for persecutors because it pleases God
3) We’re to pray for persecutors because God’s character is one of love towards sinners
Prayer:
Father, thank you that you have, in Christ, rescued us from the penalty we deserve! I admit that I haven’t prayed enough, in public or private, and haven’t prayed for those who hurt me like I should. God, cause me to love like you love. Cause me to act like your child and be merciful. Cause me to desire what you desire – the salvation of sinners – even when I’m hurting. Cause me to pray to please you, because you’re worth it.
Because Jesus died for me, I can ask you for these things – amen.
Monday, February 8, 2010
1 Timothy 2:1-2a - Pray for WHO?
(1-2a) First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions…
Paul begins here to give Timothy some specifics on how the Gospel should work itself out in the life of the local church. And here he commands that prayers be made! Now, this probably includes both public prayer in the church and private prayer wherever a Christian might go, since verse 8 says that men should pray everywhere.
But he exhorts us to pray. And he exhorts the pastors to exhort us to pray.
Notice all these words for prayer, by the way. We’re praying for the benefit of people. We’re praying for earthly things they need help with. We’re giving thanks for them. And ultimately, we’re praying – asking God to save them, since part of the reason God gives us for these prayers is in v. 4 – that God ‘desires all people to be saved…’
So we’re to pray for people. Who? Everybody. Really? Actually, no. The command to pray for everybody in existence is silly.
The word ‘all’ in Greek usually means ‘all of a particular group’ or ‘all types’ or ‘all without exclusion, yet not all without exception.’ In other words, it doesn’t mean ‘all universally’ most of the time.
So what does Paul mean here? We’re supposed to love people and therefore pray for them – but who?
Here’s the basic idea: we’re not to exclude people from our prayers, both public and private, based on their position. And in this day, those in positions of authority would have hated Christians.
What Paul is saying here is this: love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. That should sound familiar (Matthew 5:44).
How often do we respond to those who hurt us with complaint. With whining. We in America are not really persecuted; yet, we whine. And we whine instead of loving people through prayer.
Christ came into his creation to rescue rebels like us. And our public and corporate lives as the Church, and our private lives as disciples of Jesus, should reflect a love for people without exclusion. They, in rebellion, may hurt us. And we, in rebellion, used to live to blaspheme God.
But Christ saved us. So we should pray.
In sum,
1) Pastors need to exhort churches to pray.
2) We need to pray in public and private.
3) Those prayers should be for the earthly benefit and salvation of people, regardless of how they treat us – and even with thanksgiving.
4) And this is all a result of Christ’s love for us who hated him. If we remember the Gospel, we’ll pray for sinners like ourselves.
Prayer:
Father, thank you so much for rescuing me from the penalty of my own sins. Thank you for sending Christ to suffer in my place. I confess that I have loved poorly. I’ve loved those who love me poorly, and I’ve loved those who hurt me poorly. But you have loved me perfectly, even though I hurt you. Grant me as an individual and us together a desire for and a discipline in prayer for all types of people – not excluding anyone – but especially including those who hurt us. Thank you for them.
In Christ’s blood and righteousness we ask these things – amen.
Paul begins here to give Timothy some specifics on how the Gospel should work itself out in the life of the local church. And here he commands that prayers be made! Now, this probably includes both public prayer in the church and private prayer wherever a Christian might go, since verse 8 says that men should pray everywhere.
But he exhorts us to pray. And he exhorts the pastors to exhort us to pray.
Notice all these words for prayer, by the way. We’re praying for the benefit of people. We’re praying for earthly things they need help with. We’re giving thanks for them. And ultimately, we’re praying – asking God to save them, since part of the reason God gives us for these prayers is in v. 4 – that God ‘desires all people to be saved…’
So we’re to pray for people. Who? Everybody. Really? Actually, no. The command to pray for everybody in existence is silly.
The word ‘all’ in Greek usually means ‘all of a particular group’ or ‘all types’ or ‘all without exclusion, yet not all without exception.’ In other words, it doesn’t mean ‘all universally’ most of the time.
So what does Paul mean here? We’re supposed to love people and therefore pray for them – but who?
Here’s the basic idea: we’re not to exclude people from our prayers, both public and private, based on their position. And in this day, those in positions of authority would have hated Christians.
What Paul is saying here is this: love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. That should sound familiar (Matthew 5:44).
How often do we respond to those who hurt us with complaint. With whining. We in America are not really persecuted; yet, we whine. And we whine instead of loving people through prayer.
Christ came into his creation to rescue rebels like us. And our public and corporate lives as the Church, and our private lives as disciples of Jesus, should reflect a love for people without exclusion. They, in rebellion, may hurt us. And we, in rebellion, used to live to blaspheme God.
But Christ saved us. So we should pray.
In sum,
1) Pastors need to exhort churches to pray.
2) We need to pray in public and private.
3) Those prayers should be for the earthly benefit and salvation of people, regardless of how they treat us – and even with thanksgiving.
4) And this is all a result of Christ’s love for us who hated him. If we remember the Gospel, we’ll pray for sinners like ourselves.
Prayer:
Father, thank you so much for rescuing me from the penalty of my own sins. Thank you for sending Christ to suffer in my place. I confess that I have loved poorly. I’ve loved those who love me poorly, and I’ve loved those who hurt me poorly. But you have loved me perfectly, even though I hurt you. Grant me as an individual and us together a desire for and a discipline in prayer for all types of people – not excluding anyone – but especially including those who hurt us. Thank you for them.
In Christ’s blood and righteousness we ask these things – amen.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Response to Colin on Facebook, concerning the nature of the Gospel
If you watch my facebook wall, you've seen an eruption of dialogue that began with a tweet i wrote that said that Christians should know words like justification, imputation, righteousness, propitiation and the like.
What follows is my interaction with what Colin (a Roman Catholic), wrote.
Colin said: Once you're baptized you are free to be as ignorant of scripture as you want, according to the view you are espousing.
My response: That indeed is not the view that we espouse. God gives his people a new nature, the gift of faith, and justifies them by the work of Christ on their behalf. He also brings about the changes of their wills and lives by grace and causes their perseverance in the faith. So justification is secured by Christ and received at the instant one trusts Christ for it. Obedience follows.
Colin said: In fact, we don't even need to preach the gospel, because God saved everyone, the end.
My response: That’s absurd. God has not saved everyone. I’m not sure where you’re getting that.
Colin said: But it still doesn't prove my words wrong, that love is the foundation of the gospel.
My response: It depends on what you mean by that. If you mean that love was God’s motivation in saving his people, then you’re right. But the command to love is not good news. As noted above, however, it is an effect that the good news has in the life of a believer in Christ.
Colin said: i mean we are pondering whether it matters to know what these terms are right? I say it doesn't, you need only know the definition of love and put it into practice, and even improve at it.
My response: Then you are saying that it doesn’t matter that Christians understand Scripture. We believe that people grow in obedience by means of the proclamation of God’s word.
Further, when you say ‘you’ need to practice love – no one disagrees. However, Scripture teaches that loving others does not and cannot justify us, since we’ll never do it in a way that God’s law requires. Justification is by Christ’s work alone.
Colin said: this is what is meant by "So then, my beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, work out your salvation with fear and trembling." Indeed, "It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ (Jesus). Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus. "
This does not sound like a man who believes in instant salvation or fancy terms, but it does sound like a man who believes that the gospel message is to love:
My response: You have a funny way of leaving out the contexts of Phlippians 2 and 3. Christians are indeed to obey commands. But those commands are the outworking of salvation not working for it. You’ve left out in these passages the truths that God has already justified his people – and the promises that he is working to change his peoples’ lives. From those two facts, commands flow. Commands are not the good news. The good news is that Jesus has, in his life, death, and resurrection, accomplished all of salvation for everyone who believes in him. That means he has accomplished justification for all those who trust him for it (and not in any part their own works), and that he has accomplished the guarantee of a renewing and ultimately renewed nature in the new creation.
Colin cited Col. 3: "Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming (upon the disobedient). By these you too once conducted yourselves, when you lived in that way. But now you must put them all away: anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your mouths. Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful."
My response: Indeed and amen. But you have taken this section of Col. 3 away from its context – that those who do these things have already been raised up with Christ, have had their sins completely forgiven, and are members of heaven based on Christ’s work received through faith alone. Therefore, they are to act like it.
Colin said: lest we start another Protestant sect, I will tell you what it means:
My response: someone’s been getting teaching from pop-romanist apologists. Do I need to remind you of all the sects and disagreements that exist in the Roman church? And that all of us are united on the nature of God and how he saves sinners? Yes, there is disagreement on less important subjects. But we are united on the Gospel.
Colin said: it is the key to the gospel: learn to love, and you will know the gospel. fail to love, and you will receive God's wrath. What is sin? failure to love. Who forgives our sins? Our Lord. How does he forgive them? When we acknowledge our failings and look to God's mercy. How do we love? To forgive others their failings as he forgives us. I do not approve of the past tense "forgave", because in reality God "forgives" constantly and eternally. This is what is meant by "ki l'olam chasdo" in psalm 136: for his mercy is forever.
My response: It’s odd to say that in a context in which God uses the past tense ‘forgave.’ There is some truth in what you say here. But the Gospel is received through faith, and God transforms the lives of those who trust him.
Colin said: So how we do we live in Christ, become more like Him? Learn to love as he did. This is the gospel, and no other. For what is the best way to preach the gospel? To love others and forgive them their failings, that through us they may know the meaning of unconditional grace, and come to know Jesus:
My response: This is the gospel? Really? Can you show where Scripture says “the command to love other people is good news”? Anywhere? No, but I can tell you that Scripture does define the Gospel as Jesus’ death and resurrection which saves everyone who believes in him – justification, sanctification, glorification and all.
Colin said: "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us."
for what else could this passage possibly mean?
My response: First, the word translated ‘expiation’ should be translated ‘propitiation.’ Expiation is a terrible translation of that word. Furhter, I preached a wedding homily on this passage, actually. See here: http://derekjoseph.blogspot.com/2008/06/new-zealand-and-wedding-homily.html
In short, this passage (from 1 John 4), teaches that everyone who is born again, for whom Christ suffered God’s wrath as their substitute, should love – and indeed, will love. The logic is thus: God has perfectly saved you if you have trusted Christ. That salvation includes perfect forgiveness and a new nature. That new nature is a nature that loves and is growing in love. Therefore, love.
The command carries with it promised obedience because of what God has already done.
Colin said: in response to the "words fail your own test" question: the test proposed is that preaching the gospel is to tell of God's mercy only, and has nothing to do with our participation, and that learning these terms is vital, even though we don't have to actually do anything to receive God's grace. There's a paradox in such language. It's just illogical; it doesn't line up.
My response: participation is a sticky word. Do we exercise faith to receive what God has promised? Yes. But all of the merit which justifies sinners is Christ’s – and none of it is ours.
Learning these terms is vital because they are God’s words, beautiful words, and words that increase a knowledge of and love of and worship of God. Are they necessary for salvation? No. But they are in the Bible and Christians should know them and love them.
You level the accusation that we’re illogical. I hope I’ve already shown you that this is not the case. Repentance is a lifestyle – and it is a lifestyle which God brings about in all of his people. If it is not brought about in a person, that person is not one of God’s people.
Colin said: Therefore, the only logical end to this discussion is one that ends where our acceptance of the gospel invitation, and of God's constant and eternal mercy, is in our performance: to love. It matters not that we can never love perfectly, but only that we do it, and keep trying, and get better at it, and never give up, and never worry about our failings, for God forgives us our failings, just as he promised. He only asks for our faith and that we make our bodies "a living sacrifice." The only way to do that is to give of the self, aka to love.
My response: Love is the highest moral requirement. But doing it in no way saves a person. Salvation is accomplished by Christ’s work alone received by faith in him alone. Christ does transform those who receive him. And we do love more and more, as he gives grace. But that love does not save us. His love and his death because of his love do. And they do it without aid from us. And that is the Gospel – and to be honest, anything less than that falls under the same curse that the Galatian false teaching did.
What follows is my interaction with what Colin (a Roman Catholic), wrote.
Colin said: Once you're baptized you are free to be as ignorant of scripture as you want, according to the view you are espousing.
My response: That indeed is not the view that we espouse. God gives his people a new nature, the gift of faith, and justifies them by the work of Christ on their behalf. He also brings about the changes of their wills and lives by grace and causes their perseverance in the faith. So justification is secured by Christ and received at the instant one trusts Christ for it. Obedience follows.
Colin said: In fact, we don't even need to preach the gospel, because God saved everyone, the end.
My response: That’s absurd. God has not saved everyone. I’m not sure where you’re getting that.
Colin said: But it still doesn't prove my words wrong, that love is the foundation of the gospel.
My response: It depends on what you mean by that. If you mean that love was God’s motivation in saving his people, then you’re right. But the command to love is not good news. As noted above, however, it is an effect that the good news has in the life of a believer in Christ.
Colin said: i mean we are pondering whether it matters to know what these terms are right? I say it doesn't, you need only know the definition of love and put it into practice, and even improve at it.
My response: Then you are saying that it doesn’t matter that Christians understand Scripture. We believe that people grow in obedience by means of the proclamation of God’s word.
Further, when you say ‘you’ need to practice love – no one disagrees. However, Scripture teaches that loving others does not and cannot justify us, since we’ll never do it in a way that God’s law requires. Justification is by Christ’s work alone.
Colin said: this is what is meant by "So then, my beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, work out your salvation with fear and trembling." Indeed, "It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ (Jesus). Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus. "
This does not sound like a man who believes in instant salvation or fancy terms, but it does sound like a man who believes that the gospel message is to love:
My response: You have a funny way of leaving out the contexts of Phlippians 2 and 3. Christians are indeed to obey commands. But those commands are the outworking of salvation not working for it. You’ve left out in these passages the truths that God has already justified his people – and the promises that he is working to change his peoples’ lives. From those two facts, commands flow. Commands are not the good news. The good news is that Jesus has, in his life, death, and resurrection, accomplished all of salvation for everyone who believes in him. That means he has accomplished justification for all those who trust him for it (and not in any part their own works), and that he has accomplished the guarantee of a renewing and ultimately renewed nature in the new creation.
Colin cited Col. 3: "Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming (upon the disobedient). By these you too once conducted yourselves, when you lived in that way. But now you must put them all away: anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your mouths. Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful."
My response: Indeed and amen. But you have taken this section of Col. 3 away from its context – that those who do these things have already been raised up with Christ, have had their sins completely forgiven, and are members of heaven based on Christ’s work received through faith alone. Therefore, they are to act like it.
Colin said: lest we start another Protestant sect, I will tell you what it means:
My response: someone’s been getting teaching from pop-romanist apologists. Do I need to remind you of all the sects and disagreements that exist in the Roman church? And that all of us are united on the nature of God and how he saves sinners? Yes, there is disagreement on less important subjects. But we are united on the Gospel.
Colin said: it is the key to the gospel: learn to love, and you will know the gospel. fail to love, and you will receive God's wrath. What is sin? failure to love. Who forgives our sins? Our Lord. How does he forgive them? When we acknowledge our failings and look to God's mercy. How do we love? To forgive others their failings as he forgives us. I do not approve of the past tense "forgave", because in reality God "forgives" constantly and eternally. This is what is meant by "ki l'olam chasdo" in psalm 136: for his mercy is forever.
My response: It’s odd to say that in a context in which God uses the past tense ‘forgave.’ There is some truth in what you say here. But the Gospel is received through faith, and God transforms the lives of those who trust him.
Colin said: So how we do we live in Christ, become more like Him? Learn to love as he did. This is the gospel, and no other. For what is the best way to preach the gospel? To love others and forgive them their failings, that through us they may know the meaning of unconditional grace, and come to know Jesus:
My response: This is the gospel? Really? Can you show where Scripture says “the command to love other people is good news”? Anywhere? No, but I can tell you that Scripture does define the Gospel as Jesus’ death and resurrection which saves everyone who believes in him – justification, sanctification, glorification and all.
Colin said: "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us."
for what else could this passage possibly mean?
My response: First, the word translated ‘expiation’ should be translated ‘propitiation.’ Expiation is a terrible translation of that word. Furhter, I preached a wedding homily on this passage, actually. See here: http://derekjoseph.blogspot.com/2008/06/new-zealand-and-wedding-homily.html
In short, this passage (from 1 John 4), teaches that everyone who is born again, for whom Christ suffered God’s wrath as their substitute, should love – and indeed, will love. The logic is thus: God has perfectly saved you if you have trusted Christ. That salvation includes perfect forgiveness and a new nature. That new nature is a nature that loves and is growing in love. Therefore, love.
The command carries with it promised obedience because of what God has already done.
Colin said: in response to the "words fail your own test" question: the test proposed is that preaching the gospel is to tell of God's mercy only, and has nothing to do with our participation, and that learning these terms is vital, even though we don't have to actually do anything to receive God's grace. There's a paradox in such language. It's just illogical; it doesn't line up.
My response: participation is a sticky word. Do we exercise faith to receive what God has promised? Yes. But all of the merit which justifies sinners is Christ’s – and none of it is ours.
Learning these terms is vital because they are God’s words, beautiful words, and words that increase a knowledge of and love of and worship of God. Are they necessary for salvation? No. But they are in the Bible and Christians should know them and love them.
You level the accusation that we’re illogical. I hope I’ve already shown you that this is not the case. Repentance is a lifestyle – and it is a lifestyle which God brings about in all of his people. If it is not brought about in a person, that person is not one of God’s people.
Colin said: Therefore, the only logical end to this discussion is one that ends where our acceptance of the gospel invitation, and of God's constant and eternal mercy, is in our performance: to love. It matters not that we can never love perfectly, but only that we do it, and keep trying, and get better at it, and never give up, and never worry about our failings, for God forgives us our failings, just as he promised. He only asks for our faith and that we make our bodies "a living sacrifice." The only way to do that is to give of the self, aka to love.
My response: Love is the highest moral requirement. But doing it in no way saves a person. Salvation is accomplished by Christ’s work alone received by faith in him alone. Christ does transform those who receive him. And we do love more and more, as he gives grace. But that love does not save us. His love and his death because of his love do. And they do it without aid from us. And that is the Gospel – and to be honest, anything less than that falls under the same curse that the Galatian false teaching did.
1 Timothy 1:18c-20 - Ministry is hard, priorities in ministry, and blasphemers
(18c) …that by them you may wage the good warfare…
Paul has just sought to encourage Timothy to keep going after his responsibilities on the basis of prophecy that was made about him when they made him a pastor. When he struggles, doubts, or is afraid, God wants him to look back at what he’d said about Timothy and his ministry through his being appointed to it.
And now he says that he wants him to remember what God said so that he’ll ‘wage the good warfare.’ That means that as Timothy discharges his pastoral duties, it will be hard work. He has to wage war. It will be consuming.
And it’s war – it involves conflict, pain, and loss.
But it’s good. Ultimately, Timothy’s responsibilities deal with the salvation of souls – the entrance of real people into God’s coming kingdom. He is to proclaim and apply all of the Gospel to all of the lives of all of his church.
And it’s hard work, painful work… and so he is to look back on what God said and strive forward through conflict and loss for the sake of God’s glory.
(19a) …holding faith and a good conscience.
And this is what it looks like for Timothy to wage the good warfare. I’m unsure if by ‘holding faith’ God means that pastors be trusting God or if he means that pastors be holding to ‘the faith,’ that is, the right doctrines.
I think that it probably means both. One cannot hold the right doctrines rightly without personal trust in them and the God who taught them. On the other hand, one cannot have a real and true faith in God without knowing and believing what he’s said in Scripture.
All that said, Timothy was to hold to and trust in the correct doctrines that God has taught.
He’s also to hold a good conscience, meaning, he’s to protect himself against sin. His life is to be pure. He is to strive for holiness.
So what is Timothy’s life supposed to look like as he preaches the Gospel? Having a deep personal trust in what God has said and pursuing holiness of life.
(19b-20) By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Here Paul gives us the dire consequences of not bearing the responsibility of holding faith and a good conscience. Here he is probably talking about the good conscience part specifically. And he says that a failure to pursue holiness and godliness is like being shipwrecked – and so safety is gone and passage into God’s Kingdom appears to be gone as well.
Paul mentions two specific men here, who apparently were saying things that were bad. In 2 Timothy 2:17-18, we see that these two men were telling people that the resurrection of the dead had already occurred. This may be what Paul was talking about.
That said, is there any sharp division between what is believed and what is practiced in somebody’s life according to God’s word? No. And so Paul ‘handed them over to Satan’ for their own benefit – to regain a holy standard of life, pleasing to God. He gave them out of the Church and into Satan’s world so that they would see what they were missing in God’s promises and presence. (See 1 Corinthians 5). He did this so that they would learn and repent.
All that to say, Paul here is saying that the way of not holding faith and a good conscience is the path to destruction – and that Timothy was to trust God’s teachings and pursue holiness with everything he had. And that is what his life was to look like as he discharged his ministry in God’s Church.
To summarize,
1) We’re to serve God’s church with the Gospel though it cost us everything
2) We’re to serve out of the courage given to us by God’s word
3) We must pursue right doctrine and holy living as we minister in God’s Church
4) There is great danger for us, and ultimate destruction, if we don’t
Prayer:
Father, these are weighty words. It is a scary thing to think about straying from the faith that you have taught us in Scripture. But in that very same book, you’ve made promises about salvation. You’ve promised to radically change the lives of those who trust in you by trusting in your Son and his cross work. So change me. Give me memory of your promises about eternal life through Jesus’ blood and resurrection. Give me strength to be holy and believe what you’ve taught. And give me boldness and courage to continue to wage war against anything that would oppose the Gospel, despite what it cost me.
To do things for you that cause me pain, I need to remember your promises – that it’s worth it. Remind me, Father! And give me strength to obey your commands.
In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
Paul has just sought to encourage Timothy to keep going after his responsibilities on the basis of prophecy that was made about him when they made him a pastor. When he struggles, doubts, or is afraid, God wants him to look back at what he’d said about Timothy and his ministry through his being appointed to it.
And now he says that he wants him to remember what God said so that he’ll ‘wage the good warfare.’ That means that as Timothy discharges his pastoral duties, it will be hard work. He has to wage war. It will be consuming.
And it’s war – it involves conflict, pain, and loss.
But it’s good. Ultimately, Timothy’s responsibilities deal with the salvation of souls – the entrance of real people into God’s coming kingdom. He is to proclaim and apply all of the Gospel to all of the lives of all of his church.
And it’s hard work, painful work… and so he is to look back on what God said and strive forward through conflict and loss for the sake of God’s glory.
(19a) …holding faith and a good conscience.
And this is what it looks like for Timothy to wage the good warfare. I’m unsure if by ‘holding faith’ God means that pastors be trusting God or if he means that pastors be holding to ‘the faith,’ that is, the right doctrines.
I think that it probably means both. One cannot hold the right doctrines rightly without personal trust in them and the God who taught them. On the other hand, one cannot have a real and true faith in God without knowing and believing what he’s said in Scripture.
All that said, Timothy was to hold to and trust in the correct doctrines that God has taught.
He’s also to hold a good conscience, meaning, he’s to protect himself against sin. His life is to be pure. He is to strive for holiness.
So what is Timothy’s life supposed to look like as he preaches the Gospel? Having a deep personal trust in what God has said and pursuing holiness of life.
(19b-20) By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Here Paul gives us the dire consequences of not bearing the responsibility of holding faith and a good conscience. Here he is probably talking about the good conscience part specifically. And he says that a failure to pursue holiness and godliness is like being shipwrecked – and so safety is gone and passage into God’s Kingdom appears to be gone as well.
Paul mentions two specific men here, who apparently were saying things that were bad. In 2 Timothy 2:17-18, we see that these two men were telling people that the resurrection of the dead had already occurred. This may be what Paul was talking about.
That said, is there any sharp division between what is believed and what is practiced in somebody’s life according to God’s word? No. And so Paul ‘handed them over to Satan’ for their own benefit – to regain a holy standard of life, pleasing to God. He gave them out of the Church and into Satan’s world so that they would see what they were missing in God’s promises and presence. (See 1 Corinthians 5). He did this so that they would learn and repent.
All that to say, Paul here is saying that the way of not holding faith and a good conscience is the path to destruction – and that Timothy was to trust God’s teachings and pursue holiness with everything he had. And that is what his life was to look like as he discharged his ministry in God’s Church.
To summarize,
1) We’re to serve God’s church with the Gospel though it cost us everything
2) We’re to serve out of the courage given to us by God’s word
3) We must pursue right doctrine and holy living as we minister in God’s Church
4) There is great danger for us, and ultimate destruction, if we don’t
Prayer:
Father, these are weighty words. It is a scary thing to think about straying from the faith that you have taught us in Scripture. But in that very same book, you’ve made promises about salvation. You’ve promised to radically change the lives of those who trust in you by trusting in your Son and his cross work. So change me. Give me memory of your promises about eternal life through Jesus’ blood and resurrection. Give me strength to be holy and believe what you’ve taught. And give me boldness and courage to continue to wage war against anything that would oppose the Gospel, despite what it cost me.
To do things for you that cause me pain, I need to remember your promises – that it’s worth it. Remind me, Father! And give me strength to obey your commands.
In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Four Questions About the Holy Spirit
Questions You May Have About the Holy Spirit
1) Who is the Holy Spirit? How does he ‘fit’ in the Trinity?
This is a hard question, but a great one. The Trinity is a hard concept to grasp, which makes sense, because it’s about the nature of an infinite God. However, grasping it is vital for two reasons: first, it’s the teaching of Scripture, and God holds us responsible for knowing his word. Second, to love and worship God as we are commanded we must know who it is we are worshiping.
Let’s start with this statement. The word Trinity is not found in the Bible. That doesn’t mean it’s not true! The word isn’t in the Bible because the word is a summarizing description of the truths about God that are in the Bible.
What are those truths? First, there is only one God. Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one!” Isaiah 44:6: “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no God.’”
Second truth: that one God is made up of three distinct persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What do we mean by persons? The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each have their own wills and actions. Though they always agree, since ‘they’ are one ‘he,’ they each have their own wills. And that also explains what we mean by ‘distinct.’ The Father is not the Son. The Son is not the Spirit. The Father is not the Spirit. Yet each one is God, they are distinct, and there is only one God.
Your head spinning yet? Perhaps the best way to see this is to see this is to see these truths particularly about the Holy Spirit.
We see that the Holy Spirit is God many times throughout Scripture. He is referred to as God’s Spirit and Christ’s Spirit – and the Spirit of a being must have the nature of that being. We also see him having attributes and doing things that only the Sovereign God can do – like giving life, controlling events, etc.
Perhaps one of the clearest examples of the Holy Spirit’s being God is in Acts 5. Two people lie to Peter, one of the people that God created to write Scripture. And Peter says that they have lied not to men, but God. And he also says they’ve lied to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is God.
Furthermore, this shows that the Holy Spirit is a person. You can’t lie to a force.
How does the Holy Spirit relate to God the Father and Jesus? In John 15:26, Jesus says this about the Holy Spirit: “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father…” So Jesus sends the Spirit to the Church (the community of everyone who is learning to obey Jesus), and the Spirit is from the Father as well.
In Romans 8:9 and 1 Peter 1:11, the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Christ. And in John 14:26, we see the Father sending the Spirit. And there are many places in Scripture where we see all three distinctly, including the one we just looked at.
Notice something else about these passages. The Spirit is ‘sent’ by Jesus and the Father. That means that there is an authority structure between the persons who are the one God. The Spirit is the one who is acting now on earth. He is God, and he is at work on the earth now.
Next, we’ll address this question: “What is the Role of the Holy Spirit?”
2) What is the role of the Holy Spirit?
To put that another way, “What is the Holy Spirit doing?”
There’s a simple answer to that question. Jesus said in John 15:26, “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” So, the Holy Spirit bears witness about Jesus.
Jesus said, about the Spirit, in John 16:14, “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” So the Holy Spirit gives witness about Jesus and glorifies Jesus. That in essence means the same thing. The Spirit is at work in the world to glorify Jesus.
That’s the simple answer. The longer answer is to this question: how is the Spirit glorifying Jesus?
First, he gave the apostles to the Church to write the New Testament – God’s words. That’s what the rest of John 16:14 means. Remember here that Jesus was specifically talking to the apostles. We also see this in 1 Corinthians 2:13, where Paul says that his job as an apostle is to impart God’s wisdom “…in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit…”
Second, the Holy Spirit gives Christians understanding of the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 2:13, Paul goes on to say that he is “interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” And then he goes on to say, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God… (but) the spiritual person judges all things.” So, the Spirit gives Christians an understanding of what he’s written in the Bible, though this understanding is something that grows over time.
Third, the Holy Spirit gives people new minds/hearts/souls/selves/desires/wills. What I mean by that, is the Holy Spirit takes people that are spiritually incapable of obeying God from the heart, and makes them people that are characterized by the love of God. The Bible calls this ‘regeneration’ or being ‘born again.’ The overall idea is that the old you who couldn’t obey God ceases to exist, and is replaced with a new you who does desire to obey God.
Jesus said, in John 3:3, “…unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God” and in John 3:5 “…unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” For the sake of clarification, being ‘born of water’ is a reference to an Old Testament prophecy about a time when God would cleanse his people from their sins – Jesus wasn’t here talking about doing something with literal water. He’s talking about how the Holy Spirit gives one a completely new self – a new life – hence, being born again.
Later in the same passage (John 3:20-21), Jesus distinguishes between those who are born again and those who are not. Referring to himself as the light, he said, “everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light… but whoever does what is true comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
In other words, those who are not born again cannot come to Jesus. They cannot do things that are pleasing to God, but are wicked in his sight. But when the Spirit does give someone a new life, that is, regenerates them, they come to Jesus, and thereafter their lives are characterized by obedience to God.
Fourth, the Holy Spirit guarantees a person’s entrance into the Kingdom of God (the new heaven’s and new earth) in the future when they are born again. Ephesians 1:13 says that when we heard the Gospel and trusted in Jesus, we “…were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” A seal in the ancient world was a mark of ownership. So we’re owned by God.
Then Paul goes on to say that the Spirit is the “guarantee of our inheritance.” In other words, because those who have trusted Christ have been given new life by the Spirit (and that’s why they have faith – the Spirit gave it to them), the Spirit guarantees their entrance into God’s Kingdom.
Fifth, the Holy Spirit produces obedience in the lives of those who have been born again. You can look back at John 3:21 for that. And I’d encourage you to read Romans 8:1-17 as well. There are only two kinds of lives – lives that are producing obedience to God by the Holy Spirit and have been given eternal life – and lives that are controlled by sin and are under God’s wrath. Or in other words, there are only two kinds of lives – Christian lives of growing obedience, and non-Christian lives of sin against God.
That does, by the way, mean, that one who once ‘prayed a prayer’ or gone up to the front of a service or something - but whose life has not changed (in God’s sight, not ours!) is not really a Christian.
Sixth, the Holy Spirit equips every believer to participate in the building up of the community that follows Jesus, the Church. In Ephesians 1:21-22, God is telling us about his whole community of people – the Church – and he says that, in Christ, “…the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
In other words, the Spirit dwells among God’s people in community and creates growth and maturity and service between community members and makes his presence known – which results in Jesus being made known.
Ultimately, this is through the preaching of the Scriptures, which the Holy Spirit wrote, of which the Holy Spirit gives his people understanding, and in which the Holy Spirit points us to the glory of Jesus, who is the visible image of the invisible God (See Colossians 1).
This may lead one to ask the question: how does the Spirit interact with believers individually in their daily lives?
3) What does it mean to be ‘filled’ with the Holy Spirit?
We’ve got to realize at the start of this discussion that the Holy Spirit doesn’t ‘fill’ something the way that physical things do. I can fill my mug with coffee. But the Holy Spirit is a spirit – not a substance. He is everywhere. We have to realize that being ‘filled’ with the Holy Spirit is a word picture with a point.
So what’s the point? Well, if I do fill my mug with coffee, do I say that I’m carrying a mug or that I’m carrying coffee? Coffee, right? The mug is a inconsequential. You don’t really notice the mug. You notice the coffee.
That’s the idea with filling. The Holy Spirit takes control of a person in such a way that they are showing off the character of the Holy Spirit. And what’s the Holy Spirit do? He bears witness to and glorifies Jesus.
A verse that’s often quoted about this subject is Ephesians 5:18, which says, “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit”. The command ‘be filled,’ in the original language, means to be continuously be being filled – that is – continuously characterized by the Holy Spirit’s work in giving us the power to glorify Jesus.
It’s worth noting here that this text actually gives some description of what being filled with the Spirit looks like in verse 19 and following. “…addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ…”
So can somebody be more or less filled with the Spirit? Well, let me ask you this: can someone be more or less thankful? More or less selfless? More or less talking about God’s truth with others? More or less singing to God from the heart?
So yes – one can be more or less filled with the Spirit. The Scriptures even sometimes talk about filling as an event – when the Spirit does something really obvious and massive in peoples’ lives. However, as we saw previously, someone who is a genuine Christian will always have some obedience that’s produced by the Holy Spirit in his life. And we should realize this: ‘be filled’ is a command that only the Spirit can cause us to obey!
This probably raises the question in your mind, “how can I continue being filled with the Spirit?”
4) How do I become filled with the Holy Spirit daily?
Well, first realize that it’s not a daily thing; it’s a moment-by-moment thing.
Second, notice ‘be filled’ is a command. That means that we have to respond with our wills. In other words, we simply have to choose to be filled.
“How,” you might ask. Well, you may be forgetting that the command isn’t to flip on a light switch – as if you’re filled one minute and not the next and you have to flip the switch back on. It’s to remain in a state characterized by the control and power of the Holy Spirit.
“Okay,” you might say, “but how do I maintain that state? How can I keep on being controlled by the Spirit?”
There are some clues in Ephesians 5. First, we have to choose to be filled with the Spirit. Then, we have to realize how the Spirit works! What does he use to grow his people? First – Scripture! God starts this section with this command that is the foundation for being filled with the Spirit: “Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children.” In other words, there are truths about God and how he relates to us that we need to remember to act like his children. And how do we remember them? Scripture. That’s why, according to the previous chapter, there are preachers.
And what characterizes Scripture? What’s it about? Jesus and how he has saved sinners. We’re to look at those truths from Scripture.
And that verse says we are children of God. We have to remember the things that Jesus’ death and resurrection have done for us.
So we’ve got to remember what Scripture says about God and life and reality and salvation in the person of Jesus Christ.
And then, as we remember that it is he who is our Savior – who governs all things according to his will, we are to rely on him to produce real change in ourselves. We can’t do it. Only the Holy Spirit, God himself, can produce what glorifies God. He’s God and we’re not. So we’re to rely on him to do so.
And then, we’re simply to obey. The Scriptures have a repeating refrain: this is how God has saved you through Jesus Christ; this is who you are now as a result – a born again person; so act like it.
And to do that, you make a choice. It’s nothing mystical. No ritual. No spiritual ‘experience’ to rely on or something like that.
We’re simply to recognize our need for the Spirit to glorify Jesus, choose him, remember what God has said in Scripture, rely on him, and obey what he’s written.
Or in other words, remember what the Bible says about how Jesus has given us new life through the Spirit, and act like who the new people he’s made us into.
One other thing to take note of here, by the way, is that all the descriptions of ‘filling’ in Ephesians 5:19 take place in community. And Ephesians 2 told us that the Spirit is present in the new community that he’s creating. So we’re to be in that community, hearing the Scriptures preached, speaking the Scriptures to each other, responding in worship to God, partaking of the Lord’s Supper and baptism, praying to God, thanking God, and serving each other.
So it’s about Scripture. It’s about community. It’s about the Church. And it’s about choosing to believe what Jesus said and obey him as a result of what he’s done.
1) Who is the Holy Spirit? How does he ‘fit’ in the Trinity?
This is a hard question, but a great one. The Trinity is a hard concept to grasp, which makes sense, because it’s about the nature of an infinite God. However, grasping it is vital for two reasons: first, it’s the teaching of Scripture, and God holds us responsible for knowing his word. Second, to love and worship God as we are commanded we must know who it is we are worshiping.
Let’s start with this statement. The word Trinity is not found in the Bible. That doesn’t mean it’s not true! The word isn’t in the Bible because the word is a summarizing description of the truths about God that are in the Bible.
What are those truths? First, there is only one God. Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one!” Isaiah 44:6: “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no God.’”
Second truth: that one God is made up of three distinct persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What do we mean by persons? The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each have their own wills and actions. Though they always agree, since ‘they’ are one ‘he,’ they each have their own wills. And that also explains what we mean by ‘distinct.’ The Father is not the Son. The Son is not the Spirit. The Father is not the Spirit. Yet each one is God, they are distinct, and there is only one God.
Your head spinning yet? Perhaps the best way to see this is to see this is to see these truths particularly about the Holy Spirit.
We see that the Holy Spirit is God many times throughout Scripture. He is referred to as God’s Spirit and Christ’s Spirit – and the Spirit of a being must have the nature of that being. We also see him having attributes and doing things that only the Sovereign God can do – like giving life, controlling events, etc.
Perhaps one of the clearest examples of the Holy Spirit’s being God is in Acts 5. Two people lie to Peter, one of the people that God created to write Scripture. And Peter says that they have lied not to men, but God. And he also says they’ve lied to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is God.
Furthermore, this shows that the Holy Spirit is a person. You can’t lie to a force.
How does the Holy Spirit relate to God the Father and Jesus? In John 15:26, Jesus says this about the Holy Spirit: “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father…” So Jesus sends the Spirit to the Church (the community of everyone who is learning to obey Jesus), and the Spirit is from the Father as well.
In Romans 8:9 and 1 Peter 1:11, the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Christ. And in John 14:26, we see the Father sending the Spirit. And there are many places in Scripture where we see all three distinctly, including the one we just looked at.
Notice something else about these passages. The Spirit is ‘sent’ by Jesus and the Father. That means that there is an authority structure between the persons who are the one God. The Spirit is the one who is acting now on earth. He is God, and he is at work on the earth now.
Next, we’ll address this question: “What is the Role of the Holy Spirit?”
2) What is the role of the Holy Spirit?
To put that another way, “What is the Holy Spirit doing?”
There’s a simple answer to that question. Jesus said in John 15:26, “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” So, the Holy Spirit bears witness about Jesus.
Jesus said, about the Spirit, in John 16:14, “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” So the Holy Spirit gives witness about Jesus and glorifies Jesus. That in essence means the same thing. The Spirit is at work in the world to glorify Jesus.
That’s the simple answer. The longer answer is to this question: how is the Spirit glorifying Jesus?
First, he gave the apostles to the Church to write the New Testament – God’s words. That’s what the rest of John 16:14 means. Remember here that Jesus was specifically talking to the apostles. We also see this in 1 Corinthians 2:13, where Paul says that his job as an apostle is to impart God’s wisdom “…in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit…”
Second, the Holy Spirit gives Christians understanding of the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 2:13, Paul goes on to say that he is “interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” And then he goes on to say, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God… (but) the spiritual person judges all things.” So, the Spirit gives Christians an understanding of what he’s written in the Bible, though this understanding is something that grows over time.
Third, the Holy Spirit gives people new minds/hearts/souls/selves/desires/wills. What I mean by that, is the Holy Spirit takes people that are spiritually incapable of obeying God from the heart, and makes them people that are characterized by the love of God. The Bible calls this ‘regeneration’ or being ‘born again.’ The overall idea is that the old you who couldn’t obey God ceases to exist, and is replaced with a new you who does desire to obey God.
Jesus said, in John 3:3, “…unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God” and in John 3:5 “…unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” For the sake of clarification, being ‘born of water’ is a reference to an Old Testament prophecy about a time when God would cleanse his people from their sins – Jesus wasn’t here talking about doing something with literal water. He’s talking about how the Holy Spirit gives one a completely new self – a new life – hence, being born again.
Later in the same passage (John 3:20-21), Jesus distinguishes between those who are born again and those who are not. Referring to himself as the light, he said, “everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light… but whoever does what is true comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
In other words, those who are not born again cannot come to Jesus. They cannot do things that are pleasing to God, but are wicked in his sight. But when the Spirit does give someone a new life, that is, regenerates them, they come to Jesus, and thereafter their lives are characterized by obedience to God.
Fourth, the Holy Spirit guarantees a person’s entrance into the Kingdom of God (the new heaven’s and new earth) in the future when they are born again. Ephesians 1:13 says that when we heard the Gospel and trusted in Jesus, we “…were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” A seal in the ancient world was a mark of ownership. So we’re owned by God.
Then Paul goes on to say that the Spirit is the “guarantee of our inheritance.” In other words, because those who have trusted Christ have been given new life by the Spirit (and that’s why they have faith – the Spirit gave it to them), the Spirit guarantees their entrance into God’s Kingdom.
Fifth, the Holy Spirit produces obedience in the lives of those who have been born again. You can look back at John 3:21 for that. And I’d encourage you to read Romans 8:1-17 as well. There are only two kinds of lives – lives that are producing obedience to God by the Holy Spirit and have been given eternal life – and lives that are controlled by sin and are under God’s wrath. Or in other words, there are only two kinds of lives – Christian lives of growing obedience, and non-Christian lives of sin against God.
That does, by the way, mean, that one who once ‘prayed a prayer’ or gone up to the front of a service or something - but whose life has not changed (in God’s sight, not ours!) is not really a Christian.
Sixth, the Holy Spirit equips every believer to participate in the building up of the community that follows Jesus, the Church. In Ephesians 1:21-22, God is telling us about his whole community of people – the Church – and he says that, in Christ, “…the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
In other words, the Spirit dwells among God’s people in community and creates growth and maturity and service between community members and makes his presence known – which results in Jesus being made known.
Ultimately, this is through the preaching of the Scriptures, which the Holy Spirit wrote, of which the Holy Spirit gives his people understanding, and in which the Holy Spirit points us to the glory of Jesus, who is the visible image of the invisible God (See Colossians 1).
This may lead one to ask the question: how does the Spirit interact with believers individually in their daily lives?
3) What does it mean to be ‘filled’ with the Holy Spirit?
We’ve got to realize at the start of this discussion that the Holy Spirit doesn’t ‘fill’ something the way that physical things do. I can fill my mug with coffee. But the Holy Spirit is a spirit – not a substance. He is everywhere. We have to realize that being ‘filled’ with the Holy Spirit is a word picture with a point.
So what’s the point? Well, if I do fill my mug with coffee, do I say that I’m carrying a mug or that I’m carrying coffee? Coffee, right? The mug is a inconsequential. You don’t really notice the mug. You notice the coffee.
That’s the idea with filling. The Holy Spirit takes control of a person in such a way that they are showing off the character of the Holy Spirit. And what’s the Holy Spirit do? He bears witness to and glorifies Jesus.
A verse that’s often quoted about this subject is Ephesians 5:18, which says, “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit”. The command ‘be filled,’ in the original language, means to be continuously be being filled – that is – continuously characterized by the Holy Spirit’s work in giving us the power to glorify Jesus.
It’s worth noting here that this text actually gives some description of what being filled with the Spirit looks like in verse 19 and following. “…addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ…”
So can somebody be more or less filled with the Spirit? Well, let me ask you this: can someone be more or less thankful? More or less selfless? More or less talking about God’s truth with others? More or less singing to God from the heart?
So yes – one can be more or less filled with the Spirit. The Scriptures even sometimes talk about filling as an event – when the Spirit does something really obvious and massive in peoples’ lives. However, as we saw previously, someone who is a genuine Christian will always have some obedience that’s produced by the Holy Spirit in his life. And we should realize this: ‘be filled’ is a command that only the Spirit can cause us to obey!
This probably raises the question in your mind, “how can I continue being filled with the Spirit?”
4) How do I become filled with the Holy Spirit daily?
Well, first realize that it’s not a daily thing; it’s a moment-by-moment thing.
Second, notice ‘be filled’ is a command. That means that we have to respond with our wills. In other words, we simply have to choose to be filled.
“How,” you might ask. Well, you may be forgetting that the command isn’t to flip on a light switch – as if you’re filled one minute and not the next and you have to flip the switch back on. It’s to remain in a state characterized by the control and power of the Holy Spirit.
“Okay,” you might say, “but how do I maintain that state? How can I keep on being controlled by the Spirit?”
There are some clues in Ephesians 5. First, we have to choose to be filled with the Spirit. Then, we have to realize how the Spirit works! What does he use to grow his people? First – Scripture! God starts this section with this command that is the foundation for being filled with the Spirit: “Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children.” In other words, there are truths about God and how he relates to us that we need to remember to act like his children. And how do we remember them? Scripture. That’s why, according to the previous chapter, there are preachers.
And what characterizes Scripture? What’s it about? Jesus and how he has saved sinners. We’re to look at those truths from Scripture.
And that verse says we are children of God. We have to remember the things that Jesus’ death and resurrection have done for us.
So we’ve got to remember what Scripture says about God and life and reality and salvation in the person of Jesus Christ.
And then, as we remember that it is he who is our Savior – who governs all things according to his will, we are to rely on him to produce real change in ourselves. We can’t do it. Only the Holy Spirit, God himself, can produce what glorifies God. He’s God and we’re not. So we’re to rely on him to do so.
And then, we’re simply to obey. The Scriptures have a repeating refrain: this is how God has saved you through Jesus Christ; this is who you are now as a result – a born again person; so act like it.
And to do that, you make a choice. It’s nothing mystical. No ritual. No spiritual ‘experience’ to rely on or something like that.
We’re simply to recognize our need for the Spirit to glorify Jesus, choose him, remember what God has said in Scripture, rely on him, and obey what he’s written.
Or in other words, remember what the Bible says about how Jesus has given us new life through the Spirit, and act like who the new people he’s made us into.
One other thing to take note of here, by the way, is that all the descriptions of ‘filling’ in Ephesians 5:19 take place in community. And Ephesians 2 told us that the Spirit is present in the new community that he’s creating. So we’re to be in that community, hearing the Scriptures preached, speaking the Scriptures to each other, responding in worship to God, partaking of the Lord’s Supper and baptism, praying to God, thanking God, and serving each other.
So it’s about Scripture. It’s about community. It’s about the Church. And it’s about choosing to believe what Jesus said and obey him as a result of what he’s done.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
1 Timothy 1:18b
(18b) “…in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you…”
God’s given Timothy, and pastors, and to some degree Christians a job: apply all of the Gospel to all of the lives of all of God’s people. And then he says that this command is in agreement with prophecies that were at some point made about Timothy.
Of course this raises a bunch of questions. What prophecies about Timothy? What does that mean to us? I got no prophecy! Or did I?
We need to answer the first question first to see how to apply this phrase to our own lives – what prophecies about Timothy?
From this verse we learn that the prophecies made about Timothy are about his charge to safeguard the Gospel in the Church.
1 Timothy 4:14 says, “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.”
So, at some point a council of elders in a church laid hands on Timothy. There was prophecy at this point – and that prophecy resulted in Timothy being given a ‘gift.’
The gift is hinted at in the context. 4:12, 13: “set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity…devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” And verse 15: “Practice these things…”
So it seems as if the gift is significantly tied to Timothy’s charge. He’s to preach the word. He’s to apply the Gospel in the life of the Church. He’s to be a pastor!
Further, in 2 Timothy 1:6, God said through Paul to Timothy, “…fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands…”
It doesn’t seem as if Paul would be talking about something different here – he’s assuming Timothy knows what he’s talking about. And in the context here, it’s again about Timothy’s ministry role.
And here we see Paul not mentioning the elders – which is still an office that we have – but talking about his own role in giving Timothy the gift. And Paul’s an apostle. And all the apostles are dead. So we may have something that was unique happening to Timothy.
So what happened here? 1) Timothy was chosen to be an evangelist and pastor. 2) Paul, the apostle, and the elders, instilled him and appointed him as such. 3) When that happened, prophecies were made about Timothy regarding his courageously proclaiming and applying the Gospel to God’s people. 4) Those prophecies resulted in Timothy being equipped by God to carry out God’s mission.
We’re going to see some things similar to our present situation and some things that are different.
Similarities: we still have evangelists and pastors. They still need to be appointed. God still gives people gifts for the sake of ministry – ministry happens because of the Spirit’s work in his people.
Differences: the apostles are dead. We can’t expect prophecies to be made about us – there’s no promise about that in Scripture. And so we shouldn’t expect gifts to be given through prophecy.
Okay, so how can we apply this to our lives?
1) The roles of evangelist and pastor are roles that need to be granted through the local Church.
2) That, by the way, means that parachurch agencies should not be ‘sending’ people into the roles which exercise authority in believers’ lives. That’s the Church’s job, under the authority of elders. Admittedly, I didn’t do this completely right the first time around. Praise God for the non-imputation of sin. And if you don’t know what that means, you should ask.
3) These roles given by the local Church are to be looked at by those in them for assurance in carrying out the task. In other words, when we’re weak, when we are shy, we need to look back at what the Church, by the authority of Scripture, has called us to do. And then we need to do it.
4) That implies that all these roles are ultimately given by Scripture – not with specificity to individuals – but in terms of task. We now don’t operate according to prophecy, but according to Scriptural command.
5) And that’s a very good thing. We have God’s very word which describes what we’re to do for his glory. Thank God!
6) We need to encourage each other in whatever roles God has granted to us with Scripture.
7) We need to boldly step into the responsibilities that God has given us in Scripture.
How do we sum all this up? We’re to look to Scripture for courage in whatever role God has put us in, and to the authority of the Church in applying Scripture, so that we will boldly apply the Gospel to God’s people so that love will spring from us because of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your word. Thank you that you have both given us responsibilities and the power, through the Spirit, to carry them out. We get scared, and we’re sorry for that. Cause us to rest on the promises in your word and to be bold for the sake of the Gospel always. Cause us to be dependent on you – we can’t be responsible by our own strength. Use us for your glory. Give us wisdom in appointing people to the position of pastor – and give our pastors wisdom in exercising authority in your Church.
Make Jesus known among us and through us and from us and to us, for the sake of his great glory. Amen.
God’s given Timothy, and pastors, and to some degree Christians a job: apply all of the Gospel to all of the lives of all of God’s people. And then he says that this command is in agreement with prophecies that were at some point made about Timothy.
Of course this raises a bunch of questions. What prophecies about Timothy? What does that mean to us? I got no prophecy! Or did I?
We need to answer the first question first to see how to apply this phrase to our own lives – what prophecies about Timothy?
From this verse we learn that the prophecies made about Timothy are about his charge to safeguard the Gospel in the Church.
1 Timothy 4:14 says, “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.”
So, at some point a council of elders in a church laid hands on Timothy. There was prophecy at this point – and that prophecy resulted in Timothy being given a ‘gift.’
The gift is hinted at in the context. 4:12, 13: “set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity…devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” And verse 15: “Practice these things…”
So it seems as if the gift is significantly tied to Timothy’s charge. He’s to preach the word. He’s to apply the Gospel in the life of the Church. He’s to be a pastor!
Further, in 2 Timothy 1:6, God said through Paul to Timothy, “…fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands…”
It doesn’t seem as if Paul would be talking about something different here – he’s assuming Timothy knows what he’s talking about. And in the context here, it’s again about Timothy’s ministry role.
And here we see Paul not mentioning the elders – which is still an office that we have – but talking about his own role in giving Timothy the gift. And Paul’s an apostle. And all the apostles are dead. So we may have something that was unique happening to Timothy.
So what happened here? 1) Timothy was chosen to be an evangelist and pastor. 2) Paul, the apostle, and the elders, instilled him and appointed him as such. 3) When that happened, prophecies were made about Timothy regarding his courageously proclaiming and applying the Gospel to God’s people. 4) Those prophecies resulted in Timothy being equipped by God to carry out God’s mission.
We’re going to see some things similar to our present situation and some things that are different.
Similarities: we still have evangelists and pastors. They still need to be appointed. God still gives people gifts for the sake of ministry – ministry happens because of the Spirit’s work in his people.
Differences: the apostles are dead. We can’t expect prophecies to be made about us – there’s no promise about that in Scripture. And so we shouldn’t expect gifts to be given through prophecy.
Okay, so how can we apply this to our lives?
1) The roles of evangelist and pastor are roles that need to be granted through the local Church.
2) That, by the way, means that parachurch agencies should not be ‘sending’ people into the roles which exercise authority in believers’ lives. That’s the Church’s job, under the authority of elders. Admittedly, I didn’t do this completely right the first time around. Praise God for the non-imputation of sin. And if you don’t know what that means, you should ask.
3) These roles given by the local Church are to be looked at by those in them for assurance in carrying out the task. In other words, when we’re weak, when we are shy, we need to look back at what the Church, by the authority of Scripture, has called us to do. And then we need to do it.
4) That implies that all these roles are ultimately given by Scripture – not with specificity to individuals – but in terms of task. We now don’t operate according to prophecy, but according to Scriptural command.
5) And that’s a very good thing. We have God’s very word which describes what we’re to do for his glory. Thank God!
6) We need to encourage each other in whatever roles God has granted to us with Scripture.
7) We need to boldly step into the responsibilities that God has given us in Scripture.
How do we sum all this up? We’re to look to Scripture for courage in whatever role God has put us in, and to the authority of the Church in applying Scripture, so that we will boldly apply the Gospel to God’s people so that love will spring from us because of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your word. Thank you that you have both given us responsibilities and the power, through the Spirit, to carry them out. We get scared, and we’re sorry for that. Cause us to rest on the promises in your word and to be bold for the sake of the Gospel always. Cause us to be dependent on you – we can’t be responsible by our own strength. Use us for your glory. Give us wisdom in appointing people to the position of pastor – and give our pastors wisdom in exercising authority in your Church.
Make Jesus known among us and through us and from us and to us, for the sake of his great glory. Amen.
Monday, February 1, 2010
1 Timothy 1:18a
(18) This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child…
Paul is here starting a new section of the letter. He’s commanded Timothy to protect sound doctrine for the sake of love, he’s told him how he became a minister of Christ, and he’s celebrated God’s grace in making him one.
So what charge, or command, is he handing over to Timothy? The word ‘charge’ occurs twice previously, in verses 3 (as a verb) and 5 (as a noun). In each case, it’s referring to the correcting of false teaching.
The verb also occurs multiple times throughout the book – either referring to specific applications of the Gospel to Church life – or to Timothy as a Christian, as one who must ‘keep the commandment.’
But what does he mean here? There’s a common thread through the charges in the book that are linked to verses 3 and 5. Paul is protecting doctrine. He is protecting the Gospel and ensuring its acceptance in the Church – and this Gospel produces changed, holy lives.
There are specific applications of that charge – appointing elders, taking care of widows, making sure rich people know that they shouldn’t store up treasure on earth – but the charge itself might be summed up as this: protect the Gospel. Proclaim the Gospel. Apply the Gospel to your people.
You, pastor, have this command entrusted to you. You’ve been given responsibility – safeguard the gospel-centeredness in all of life among all God’s people.
Perhaps that’s why Paul has just celebrated the Gospel’s effect in his own life: the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus… Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…
And it’s of special note that Paul reiterates his relationship to Timothy, my child. Timothy is to imitate his spiritual dad, being lovingly encouraged by him.
In sum, then, for pastors (who are to be examples to God’s flock),
1) be aware that you have commands that have community significance
2) that the Gospel is of utmost importance – both in what we believe and how we behave
3) be aware that you have a responsibility – and own it.
Prayer:
God, thank you for salvation. Thank you for having mercy on sinners! And thank you for giving us responsibilities in your community. Help us to see the end-game in these charges and to desire it with you, for your glory. Help us to take charge of the responsibilities you’ve given us – to safeguard the gospel and its application in all of life to all your people. Give us courage, willingness, skill, love, and zeal to do so for your glory’s sake. In Christ I pray, amen.
Paul is here starting a new section of the letter. He’s commanded Timothy to protect sound doctrine for the sake of love, he’s told him how he became a minister of Christ, and he’s celebrated God’s grace in making him one.
So what charge, or command, is he handing over to Timothy? The word ‘charge’ occurs twice previously, in verses 3 (as a verb) and 5 (as a noun). In each case, it’s referring to the correcting of false teaching.
The verb also occurs multiple times throughout the book – either referring to specific applications of the Gospel to Church life – or to Timothy as a Christian, as one who must ‘keep the commandment.’
But what does he mean here? There’s a common thread through the charges in the book that are linked to verses 3 and 5. Paul is protecting doctrine. He is protecting the Gospel and ensuring its acceptance in the Church – and this Gospel produces changed, holy lives.
There are specific applications of that charge – appointing elders, taking care of widows, making sure rich people know that they shouldn’t store up treasure on earth – but the charge itself might be summed up as this: protect the Gospel. Proclaim the Gospel. Apply the Gospel to your people.
You, pastor, have this command entrusted to you. You’ve been given responsibility – safeguard the gospel-centeredness in all of life among all God’s people.
Perhaps that’s why Paul has just celebrated the Gospel’s effect in his own life: the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus… Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…
And it’s of special note that Paul reiterates his relationship to Timothy, my child. Timothy is to imitate his spiritual dad, being lovingly encouraged by him.
In sum, then, for pastors (who are to be examples to God’s flock),
1) be aware that you have commands that have community significance
2) that the Gospel is of utmost importance – both in what we believe and how we behave
3) be aware that you have a responsibility – and own it.
Prayer:
God, thank you for salvation. Thank you for having mercy on sinners! And thank you for giving us responsibilities in your community. Help us to see the end-game in these charges and to desire it with you, for your glory. Help us to take charge of the responsibilities you’ve given us – to safeguard the gospel and its application in all of life to all your people. Give us courage, willingness, skill, love, and zeal to do so for your glory’s sake. In Christ I pray, amen.
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