The Gospel as Story Pt. 1

I am convinced that if my life were a movie, I would be the main character.  I assume you would feel the same about yourself in your life.  For example, when I wake up, I am there.  When I go to the bathroom, I am there.  When I am praying, I am there and when I am at work, I am there.  The main character of any movie encompasses most of the time on screen and frankly, in my life I am always present (except in math class… but that is another story for another day).

But a movie doesn’t consist of merely characters but of a story, and, like a movie, our lives play out as individual stories.  You can hear it in the way we talk about the future:  my goals, my desires, my future, my schedule, my retirement etc.  It is in these ways we express how we would like the story of our lives to play out and the steps we are willing to take to meet that desired end.

Our individual stories generally last 50-70 years and experience what I like to call “overlap” with other individual stories around us.  A spouse, parent, child, and friend may make up a supporting cast for our life, though they themselves are starring in and directing their own “film” at the same time.  Enemies, neighbors, bill collectors, the weatherman, and in-laws may at times make up the villains in our stories, though in their own stories we are the antagonists.

But countries (America, England, Afghanistan etc.) all have larger stories.  Citizens of these countries, whether knowingly or unknowingly, are living as a part of this story.  Take America for example.  Our founding fathers, the revolutionary war, the civil war, the industrial revolution, the great awakenings, the two world wars, the space race, the sex revolution, capitalism and the hymns and chants dedicated to the US have all played large parts in forming our little stories.  If you have lived in America, you have been indirectly affected by its story.  There are some who have been more so affected by Americas story- Patriots, the armed forces, politicians, or other government workers.  These have allowed their worldview, hopes, and desires to be changed in light of the story of America.

But, how hard would it be for someone from Uganda, whose individual story has been made up of different wars, symbols, hymns, and traditions, to try to fit into the story of America.  To be a foreigner is a difficult thing.  Confusion would be frequent and loneliness would never be too distant.  This citizen of Uganda, in order to become an American, would have to learn how to live from the perspective of other Americans which means embracing the story of America- and all the emotions that accompany it.  And the same is true for the American moving to Thailand, or the British man moving to Egypt.

But Christians are called to be citizens of another country; a heavenly country.  And, like any other country, this country has symbols, traditions, hymns, and a story.  A grand narrative filled with woes and weals, joy and pain, laughing and weeping.  It is a story of hope and waiting, and a story of death and resurrection.  It is this story that will ultimately shape the life of a Christian.  And just like in the example of America, there are some within Christianity that allow this story to affect their lives in a greater way. Much like the Patriot has given himself to studying the writings of Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt and has found himself in that story, there are Christians who studied the writings of the Hebrew bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul and have allowed themselves to enter into that story.

Sadly for many Christians, the only story they see is their own “small story.”  The story of Jesus and the apostles is a story where they are mere uninvolved spectators.  No one has shown them the drama of the ages on the stage of redemption history and their part in that story.  They do not look to the restoration of all things and they do not hope in the resurrection of the dead.  Their life does not transcend their own vision or goals, or their own agendas and longings.  But Christianity beckons us to integrate our individual stories into this grand narrative.

Like the untrained actor, many of us have stayed in the dressing room of life staring at ourown broken reflection in the mirror of introspection giving heed to vast unimportant rubbish, while remaining ignorant of the Cosmic Epic that is unfolding for those who have rehearsed their lines and stepped onto the stage.  It is these people that make a difference.  They have forged their desires and hopes in the image of God and they have trained their hands for such a time as this.  They are truly helpful.

Stay tuned…  In my next post I will talk about HOW to have the story of Christianity shape your worldview and how to take your place on this stage of redemption history.

Wanting All of Jesus: Embracing More than the Cross

One time I went to see a barber shop Quartet sing in a rural town in northern Minnesota.  The quartet was fabulous…  other than the baritone who sang 20 decibels louder than the others.  The songs were beautiful but they did not blend together the way they ought since one part (the baritone’s) was stressed more than the others.  The louder singer had been drowning out the others at times so that one could only hear his part.  The over-emphasized part caused the entire piece of music to lose it’s charisma and left listeners confused.  When I look back on the story of Jesus in the bible, I get the same feeling.  The wonderful event of the cross in 21 century Evangelicalism is emphasized over anything else Jesus did.  If the incarnation, the cross, the resurrection, and the ascension all made up a barber shop quartet, the cross in most churches today would ostensibly drown out the other harmonies while deafening those within an earshot.  But is the message of the New Testament that Jesus merely “lived to die,” as a famous Christian song purports?

Paul seems to disagree.  In 1 Corinthians 15:17, the apostle says, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”

If Jesus did not step out of the tomb, according to Paul, the cross has done nothing.  No wrath appeased.  No debt satisfied.  No transformation of life.  No new creation.  Nothing.  The cross was just another tragic event in ancient Palestine.  The resurrection stood as the central doctrine of early Christianity, and the atonement of the church father’s (Christus Victor) highlighted Jesus’ victory over Satan and death.

What about the ascension?  The book of Hebrews makes Jesus “passing through the heavens” the primary doctrine of the text:  ”Now the main point in what we are saying is this:  we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Heb 8:1).  Again, the book of Ephesians is all about the ascended Jesus.  Also, the most quoted and alluded verse in the New Testament is Psalm 110 (Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool).  All this to say, the ascension in early Christianity was massively important.

What about the life and ministry of Jesus?  Was the life and ministry of Jesus the “appetizer” of the gospels apparently occurring before the “main course” (the cross)?  Did the gospel writers waste over 60 chapters scribing a mere backstory for the crucifixion?  Ought Christians know more than “Christ and Him crucified?”  Does the Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus’ inaugurated mean nothing in the shadow of the cross?  Do the parables of Jesus fall to the wayside or upon stony ground and thus produce little since we now only trust in the “finished work of the cross?”

Now I by no means want to diminish the cross.  The cross is a beautiful part of God’s salvation for the cosmos.  But it is only part.  In fact, standing alone the cross is more tragic than victorious and more gruesome than beautiful.  I bet John and Mary at the foot of the cross wouldn’t say that what they were witnessing was beautiful, rather, despicable. However, in light of the resurrection and ascension, they may have reconsidered the beauty of that event.  Nevertheless, embracing the person of Jesus must include embracing the incarnation, life and ministry, death, resurrection, ascension, and second coming.  Jesus will certainly be misrepresented if one event takes supremacy over the others.  And like the barber shop quartet, the Jesus events, in sync with one another, harmonizing in dissonance and resolution, will weave together the magnificent song of YHWH, the way the musical notes on the pages of Holy Writ intended.  The melody of Jesus is best sung in proportion to the whole of His life, including all of the major themes in His life, not simply one event cut out of the story.

Mozart and Bible Study

I was listening to Mozart the other day.  It continues to stun me at how brilliant he was.  I took a music theory class back in High School and all I really remember was that it sure was confusing.  Sharps, flats, quarter notes, half notes, arpeggios, and time signatures.  I still sometimes have nightmares from “the circle of fifths.”  Needless to say, Mozart was brilliant.  However, wouldn’t it be odd if someone were to approach Mozart, when he was alive, and say, “You know, you don’t really need to study all of that ‘technical music’ stuff.  It’s better to get ‘heart knowledge’ of music than ‘head knowledge.’”  What would Mozart say about that?  Would it really be “better” for Mozart not to know how all the notes blend together or how a 6/8 time signature plays, or how various dynamics work within a given piece?  Of course we cannot know that answer but I believe the person who would propose such an idea would not be tolerated very long.  If someone were to ask this (though it would have been quite improbable), Mozart may have told them that it is by understanding the theory that he can make the wonderful music that he does.

I feel the same way when it comes to bible study.  One of the primary issues an aspiring theologian, like myself, has to deal with is the befuddlement and confusion of friends and loved ones.  I frequently hear phrases like, “Didn’t David say, ‘I will not meditate on things too lofty for me?’”  Or “wasn’t Paul a fool for Christ?”  Or “the Pharisees were theologians and we all know how Jesus treated them.”  One quip I heard recently (which just might be my favorite) in response to bible study was, “I resolved to know NOTHING but Christ and Him crucified.”  And, as in the earlier analogy, the constant grasping after “heart knowledge” at the neglect of “head knowledge” (as if the bible ever says that “head knowledge” was a bad thing).  Does anyone else see the problem with this attitude?

First of all, the bible never attributes Jesus disapproval of the Pharisees for them being theologians but for their injustice.  Next, “Christ and Him crucified” means a lot more than you think.   And yes, Paul was a fool for Christ but he definitely wasn’t speaking about his ignorance of the Hebrew scriptures (as evidenced by every letter he wrote).  Lastly, the bible irrevocably speaks of loving God with all your “mind” equally and as much as all your “heart.”  There is no unhealthy rivalry between one’s “heart” and ones “mind.”  Loving God means doing both.  Not only doing one and neglecting the other.  But is there a greater chance of arrogance? Yes.  Is there a greater chance of not trusting God?  Yes.  But this is true of having more wealth, power, or influence in every other sphere too.

Like Mozart, the student of the bible must dig through much of the “technical” and sometimes dry rot details in order to create and express something beautiful.  One of the deepest pains I have in reference to bible study is when I hear the word of God used erroneously or in a cheapened fashion because someone was too apathetic or undisciplined to search it out.  And I hear it all the time.  It is like using a wedding dress to wash the tires of a pick up truck.  The story of God is so precious: Creation, Covenant, Exodus, Kings, Exile, Messiah, Spirit, Church, Restoration…  When someone trades this story for a “bowl of soup” (non-historical spiritual truths or mere practicals on how to be a better person) my heart is pained.  It would be as if Mozart tried to write a song “off the cuff” without any knowledge of music.  Not pretty.

I do not mean this to be discouraging.  But when someone has heard the stunning music of Mozart or has seen the beautiful grand story of the bible, going back to ignorance is not an option.  ”What about worship?” One may ask.  ”Don’t you want to worship or do you just want to think all the time?”  I bet Mozart with all his knowledge of music still wept over a magnificent symphony from time to time.  I’m sure a cell biologist may still be filled with joy when his first baby boy is born.  I’m certain that an astronomer may continue to have his breath taken away by a beautiful sunset.  And bible students, much like myself, will still dance before the God of Israel when the old stories are being recited.  Complexity and simplicity are just not at war with each other  like we thought they were.

Summer Reading List!

It is that time again!  The time to grab a large Arnold Palmer (ice tea + lemonade) and sit under that old oak tree in the shade… But most importantly to pick-up that dusty novel that you have been meaning to read but never seem to find the time to read.  I have had a tradition of making a summer reading list for about 5 years now.  The point is not to finish the list, but enjoying summer with literature.  Last year I only read 4/10 books I listed- but I thoroughly enjoyed the books I read.  However, before I give my list I would like to share a word from John Wesley on the importance of reading.

What has exceedingly hurt you in time past, nay, and I fear, to this day, is lack of reading.

I scarce ever knew a preacher who read so little.

And perhaps, by neglecting it, you have lost the taste for it.

Hence your talent in preaching does not increase.  It is just the same as it was seven years ago.  It is lively, but not deep; there is little variety; there is no compass of thought.

Reading only can supply this, with meditation and daily prayer.

You wrong yourself greatly by omitting this.

You can never be a deep preacher without it, any more than a thorough Christian.

Oh begin!  Fix some part of every day for private exercise.  You may acquire the taste which you have not; what is tedious at first will afterward be pleasant.

Whether you like it or not, read and pray daily.

It is for your life; there is no other way; else you will be a trifler all your days, and a pretty, superficial preacher.

Do justice to your own soul; give it time and means to grow.

Do not starve yourself any longer.

Take up your cross and be a Christian altogether.

Then will all the children of God rejoice (not grieve) over you, and in particular yours.

This is from John Wesley’s letters.  You can read the entire letter here.  Reading is like prayer.  Everyone loves the fruit of prayer but no one really likes to pray.  However, if you put your hand to the plow and do the leg work, prayer becomes enjoyable and something you cannot live without.  Reading, in this same way, is loved by much but practiced by few.  And like prayer, if you do not schedule time to read you will not read.  Give yourself good time to read.  Not bathroom time.  Not “before bed” time.  Not “public transit” time.  Not “I’m bored and looking for something to do” time.  Good time is planned in both the setting and the reading.  Turn off the cell phone and shut down the laptop.  If you don’t quit you win!

Now without further ado.  My 2011 Summer Reading list!

Fiction

Till We Have Faces- C.S. Lewis

War and Peace- Tolstoy

Pride and Prejudice- Austen

The Princess and the Goblin- George Macdonald

Devotional

The Fire Within- Thomas Dubay

The Father’s Embrace- Jack Frost

Fathered by God- John Elderidge

The Four Loves- C.S. Lewis 

Other

After You Believe- N.T. Wright

Celebration of Discipline- Richard Foster

Theology of Hope- Jurgen Moltmann

Truth and Transformation: a manifesto for ailing nations- Vishal Mangalwadi

From Abraham to David to Exile to the Messiah: Salvation in Jesus’ Genealogy

Πᾶσαι οὖν αἱ γενεαὶ ἀπὸ Ἀβραὰμ ἕως Δαυὶδ γενεαὶ δεκατέσσαρες, καὶ ἀπὸ Δαυὶδ ἕως τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος γενεαὶ δεκατέσσαρες, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος ἕως τοῦ χριστοῦ γενεαὶ δεκατέσσαρες. (1:17)

“Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.” (NIV)

To understand this post it is important to understand Israel’s continued exile. Many in Israel believed themselves to still be in exile since subjugation, sickness, and marginalization was their lot.  The curses of Deuteronomy 28 were still in full swing and the prophetic promises for YHWH to return to Zion were all but fulfilled.  What then would Matthew have to say about the Messiah in the genealogy?

The genealogy of Jesus works as a retelling of Israel’s history.[1]  Each name within the genealogy evokes a smaller story which, when brought together, forms the drama of God’s people.  Jesus did not simply burst onto the scene from nowhere.  He was an active member in a people and family that have struggled, waited, feared, and hoped for YHWH’s promises for at least 42 generations previous.[2]  Matthew’s gospel has showed Jesus as the continuation of Israel’s story that has long since been gaining speed and moving forward.

Matthew, as seen in Fig. 2.1, has split up Israel’s history into 3 epochs with each epoch containing fourteen generations (1:17).  The first epoch extends from Abraham (1:2) to King David (1:1-6a).  This “age of election” established Israel as a nation, filling them with purpose and hope for the future.  It is significant at the conclusion of this era that Matthew refers to David as “βασιλέα” (King),[3] a title reoccurring in abundance in the next chapter (2:1, 2, 3, 9). The reference to David as king identifies him not only as an ancestor of Jesus, but also as the kingdom of Israel at its pinnacle.

The second epoch begins with David (1:6b) and ends with the complete desecration of the Davidic dynasty with the deportation to Babylon (1:11).  After David’s reign, the kings subsequently grew more corrupt, bringing to reality what Samuel prophesied beforehand (1 Sam 8:11-18).  Many of the kings in Israel’s history have not represented the Kingly vision entrusted to David and outlined in texts like that of Psalm 72. Nevertheless, the second epoch, or the “age of the kings,” is cut off by the exile.

David marked both the end of one era (age of election; 1:6a) and the beginning of another (Age of the kings; 1:6b).  The exile, in similar fashion, has done the same.  The exile put an end to the “age of the kings” (1:6b-11) and initiated the “age of exile” (1:12-16).  Matthew has depicted this third epoch as an era of exile, which, as we have seen, epitomized the non-fulfillment of Israel’s promises as a nation.  It bears repeating that Israel’s exile came from Israel’s unfaithfulness and sin.  This is age is the age of God’s wrath for Israel’s waywardness.  In the LXX, the term μετοικεσίας (exile, deportation) is indicative of God’s punishing instrument to an adulterous people (2 Kgs 24:16; 1 Chr 5:22; Ezek 12:11). Other than Zerubabbel, the names in the age of exile are virtually unknowable, signifying the silence of God concerning His promises.  It is this “age of exile” that Jesus is born into.[4] Just as David and the exile both ended their respective epochs and began another, Matthew has depicted Jesus at the end of “the age of exile” in the anticipation of a new age.[5]

Davies and Allison write:  “Jesus came ‘at the right time’.  Although the apocalypses of Judaism contain several different outlines of history, Dan 9:24-7; 1 En 93:3-10; 91:12-17; and 2 Bar 67:1-74:4 are at one in placing the epoch of the exile immediately before the epoch of redemption.  This is significant because Matt 1:2-17 divides history into periods and places the appearance of Jesus at the end of the exilic era” (Italics mine).[6] The identifying of Abraham and David to the Messiah (1:1) as the fulfillment of the ancient promises occurs specifically because it is the Messiah that will bring Israel out of exile,[7] save them from their sins (1:21), and establish God’s rule (4:17).

It is no wonder that some commentators regard Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus to be the hermeneutical key to the entire gospel.[8]  Apart from Matthew’s 3-part history of Israel, the coming of the Messiah appears both non-historical and uncalled for.  In light of Israel’s hope and plight, however, both the advent and actions of the Messiah throughout Matthew’s gospel make more sense.

First, the sin that Israel needs saving from in 1:21 (after taking into account the genealogy) is precisely the sin that banished them into exile in the first place, namely the national sins of idolatry and injustice.[9]  Next, the calling of the twelve disciples can be seen as the reconstruction of the twelve tribes of Israel (10:1-4).[10]     Lastly, the Olivet discourse says that at Jesus’ parousia the angels will “gather His elect from the four winds” (24:31),[11] seemingly referring back to Zechariah’s prophecy concerning exile:  “’Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,’ says the LORD.  ‘For I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,’ says the LORD” (Zech 2:6; Cf. Jer 49:36).

Rereading the genealogy in this light is admittedly relying upon unelaborated traditions (such as Abraham, David, Exile, Messiah etc.) and a rich cultural knowledge of Jewish expectation but this seems to be the way Matthew intended it.  Though a list of names seems dull to Westerners, for those who have eyes to see will catch a glimpse of the “big picture” of the entire gospel’s salvation history.  The genealogy has successfully put Jesus as the climax of the overarching meta-narrative in the drama of redemption.  It is from this framework, the framework of promise, kingship, exile, and redemption, that we will be guided through the rest of our passage within Matthew’s infancy narratives.

---

[1] Kennedy, The Recapitulation of Israel, pg. 50

[2] Hays, Reconfigured Torah, pg. 170

[3] Carter, Matthew and the Margins, pg. 61

[4] Kennedy, The Recapitulation of Israel, pg. 148

[5] Hays, Reconfigured Torah, pg. 170-71

[6] Davies and Allison, Matthew, pg. 187

[7] Eloff, Mervyn. “Ἀπό… ἕως and Salvation History in Matthew’s Gospel.” Built upon the Rock: Studies in the Gospel of Matthew. Ed. Daniel M. Gurtner and John Nolland. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. 2008.  Pg. 93

[8] Novakovic, Messiah the Healer, pg. 11

[9] Hays, Reconfigured Torah, pg. 171

[10] Evans, Craig A. “Aspects of Exile.” Jesus in Context: Temple, Purity, and Restoration. By Bruce Chilton. Leiden: Brill, 1997. Pg. 282

[11] Jesus also uses exilic language of “gathering” and “scattering” in 12:30 when speaking of the disciples mission.

Israel’s Continued Exile

The election of Abraham and his family (Israel) was always meant to undo the sin of Adam and Eve by “setting things right.” In a sense they were called to be a “new humanity.” By taking dominion and becoming a great nation, Abraham and his family would bring salvation to the cursed nations through “blessing” (Gen 12:3; Isa 42:6; 49:6). As foretold in Deuteronomy however, a disobedient Israel would be thrust out of her land, subjugated by her enemies, and rather than actively conquering the curse, they themselves would become the greatest curse upon the earth (Deut 28:15-29:28). The Deuteronomic curses, as prophesied generations beforehand, came into fruition when the Northern Kingdom of Israel turned from YHWH and was taken into exile in 722 BC by Assyria (2 Kgs 17). After the slower corrosion of the Davidic dynasty in the Southern Kingdom, Jerusalem too was finally destroyed and the inhabitants of Judah bore the reproach of being led into captivity in 586 BC.

Israel’s release from Babylon, some 70 years later, only proved to be the beginning of their geopolitical problems. After Babylon came the Persians in 538 BC, the Greeks in 332 BC, with Antiochus IV Epiphanes outlawing Judaism in 169 BC, and finally the Romans ruling the Jews with an iron fist from 66 BC onward. If exile was the punishment of Israel’s sins and the return of exile was YHWH forgiving Israel, then why were the people of God still “enslaved in their own land?”

One of the assumptions this thesis will be built on is that many, if not most, Jews in Israel during the first century were waiting for the Creator God to fulfill His promises (Deut 30:1-5), proclaimed by the prophets (Isa 55:10-13; Jer 31:1-40), which were always supposed to accompany Israel’s return from exile. “Exile” was never merely a relocation of the people of God to a different geographical region, and thus, “return from exile” cannot be understood as the Jew’s simply relocating back in 538 BC. Exile was typified in YHWH no longer dwelling with His people (Ezek 10:18), the infertility of the cursed land (Deut 28:16), and the injustice and death brought on by captivity (Jer 15:2). Consequently, the return from exile then must be seen as the creator God making His home again with Israel (Isa 40:9, 52:7-8; Ezek 43:1-5), bringing forth the fertile land of “new creation” (Isa 55:13; 65:17-25; 66:22), the reign of Righteousness (Isaiah 54:14), resurrection (Ezek 37:1-14) and finally, bringing all twelve tribes back to Israel (Ezek 37:18-27).

 A Nation Enslaved

The book of Daniel portrays the extended exile point quite clearly. Daniel recognized that, according to Jeremiah, 70 years was appointed for the exile (Dan 9:3). He then repented for the sins of Israel, identifying what happened to them as the curses of Deuteronomy 28:15ff (Dan 9:3-19). Then, while he was praying, an angel appeared and told him that Israel’s restoration would not happen after 70 years, but 70×7 years, which is 490 years (Dan 9:24). This chapter’s shocking intention was to bring the Jewish readers into the realization that the exile was not over with the decree of Cyrus to return the Jews to Jerusalem; rather the decree was just the beginning (Dan 9:25). The Vision of Animals (1 En 85-90) and the Apocalypse of Weeks (1 En 91, 93), interpreting Daniel’s vision, unify the exilic and post exilic age under one era that will cease when the Messianic age commences. Even if one wishes to assert the end of the Babylonian exile with the decree of Cyrus, the exiles from Assyria never returned home, thus, Israel’s exile, according to Ezekiel 37:18-27, was in full swing.

The idea that the Jews, though geographically in the land, were theologically in exile was also vast in so-called “post-exilic” literature. Nehemiah, after the decree of Cyrus, expressed how Israel was in bondage after they returned from Babylon using exilic language (Neh 9:36-7). As did Ezra when he prayed, “Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today” (Ezra 9:7 NRSV). Ezra seemingly believed that the exile happened because of Israel’s sins and, most importantly, that the punishment for their sins was being carried out even after they returned home.

Deutero-canonical literature expressed the same dilemma. Baruch, written in the 3rd century BC, wrote:

And we will praise you in our exile, for we have put away from our hearts all the iniquity of our ancestors who sinned against you. See, we are today in our exile where you have scattered us, to be reproached and cursed and punished for all the iniquities of our ancestors, who forsook the Lord our God.
(1 Bar 3:6-8 NRSV; italics mine)

Multiple texts that belonged to the Qumran community, who lived outside of Jerusalem, conveyed the similar theories of Israel’s continued exile. Written in the 2nd Century BC, 4Q504 states:

You have raised us through the years of our generations, [disciplining us] with terrible disease, famine, thirst, even plague and the sword- [every reproa]ch of Your covenant. For You have chosen us as Your own, [as Your people from all] the earth. That is why You have poured out Your fury upon us, [Your ze]al, the full wrath of Your anger. That is why You have caused [the scourge] [of Your plagues] to cleave to us, that of which Moses and Your servants the prophets wrote: You [wou]ld send evil ag[ain]st us in the Last Days.
(4Q504 2:7-17; italics mine)

God’s covenantal faithfulness to a faithless Israel, as foretold in Deuteronomy 28:15ff and seen here in retrospect, would culminate in wrath and exile in order to bring the wayward nation back to YHWH.

There is conclusive evidence that the Jews saw their state after the return from Babylon as a continuation of the punishment of exile. The “age of wrath” was still weighing heavily upon those in the land in famine, sword, disease, and subjugation. Babylon, Persia, Greece, and finally Rome were present and active in the affairs of Israel precisely because of the nation’s sins. However, most in Israel didn’t believe this was YHWH’s last word concerning His people.

 A Future Return

Gretchen Wolff Prichard once wrote, “The heart of Scripture is a continuing pattern of exile and return.” As Adam and Eve were cast eastward of the garden, as Abraham left his father’s house to land he did not know, and as Jacob went down into Egypt, so the children of Israel had been found captive to people of unknown speech. But exile was never the end of the story. The hope of Israel was that the Creator God would return to Zion after gathering His children from the ends of the earth as foretold by Jeremiah:

See, I will bring them from the land of the north
and gather them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind and the lame,
expectant mothers and women in labor;
a great throng will return.
They will come with weeping;
they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead them beside streams of water
on a level path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,
and Ephraim is my firstborn son.
“Hear the word of the Lord, O nations;
proclaim it in distant coastlands:
‘He who scattered Israel will gather them
and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’
For the Lord will ransom Jacob
and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they
(Jer 31:8-11)

If anyone believes that these events were fulfilled in Zerubabbel’s return, it is possible that they have failed to consider the scope of biblical prophecy. The prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah depict a complete reversal of the banishment and subjection brought on by exile. Israel never waited for slightly better times or nicer pagan rulers to show them favor (which is what happened with Ezra and Nehemiah). Rather Israel looked for a dynamic turnaround in everyway imaginable.

Qumran, too, hoped in a Day of vindication when they would be released from their sins:

[The interpretation] is that it applies [to the L]ast Days and concerns the captives, just as [Isaiah said: “To proclaim the Jubilee to the captives” (Isaiah 61:1). … just] as […] and from the inheritance of Melchizedek, f[or … Melchize]dek, who will return them to what is rightfully theirs. He will proclaim to them the Jubilee, thereby releasing th[em from the debt of a]ll their sins.
(11Q13 2:4-6; italics mine)

Tobit, written two hundred years after Israel’s return from Babylon, announces a future return from exile. The Testament of Moses expresses the same expectations, as did other radical groups within 2nd Temple Judaism (War 2.258-63; Ant. 21.97-98; Sir 36:8; 1 En 85-90; Apoc. Abr. 31).

Philo of Alexandria, a contemporary of Jesus, envisages a beautiful day when Israel would finally be set at liberty:

For even though they dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth, in slavery to those who led them away captive, one signal, as it were, one day will bring liberty to all. This conversion in a body to virtue will strike awe into their masters, who will set them free, ashamed to rule over men better than themselves. When they have gained this unexpected liberty, those who but now were scattered in Greece and the outside world over islands and continents will arise and post from every side with one impulse to the one appointed place, guided in their pilgrimage by a vision divine and superhuman unseen by others but manifest to them as they pass from exile to their home.
(Praem. 28-29.164-65; italics mine)

Everything will suddenly be reversed, God will turn the curses against the enemies of these penitents, the enemies who rejoiced in the misfortunes of the nation and mocked and railed at them… Then those of them who have not come to utter destruction, in tears and groans lamenting their own lapse, will make their way back with course reversed to the prosperity of the ancestral past.
(Praem. 29.169-70)

Philo proclaimed an awaited dynamic shift in history, characterized by Israel’s return from exile, where God would turn the tables on the nations who have tyrannized His people for so long. Though Philo’s version of exilic return and the messianic age appeared much different than that of Josephus’, The Testament of the Patriarchs, or the Qumran community, it appears from these texts that it bore great significance to his eschatology.

Although it is nearly impossible to piece together a singular coherent belief system concerning the return from exile from all the writings of that time, a few things are abundantly evident. First that the many Jews in the first century AD interpreted their condition under the Roman empire as God’s punishment for their covenantal unfaithfulness. Secondly, that the Creator God would act once again in history to fulfill the prophetic promises made to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3) and David (2 Sam 6), which were later reaffirmed by both Isaiah (Isa 40-55) and Jeremiah (Jer 31-33).

Perfectionism- Striving and Giving Up

There are two kinds of perfectionism that I am well aware of in myself.  The first, let’s call it Striving, see’s a finish line, or a standard, or an end goal and causes it’s victim to press with all of their might to reach and attain victory.  Driven by a fear of failure, those who fall prey to Striving use tactics such as manipulation, passive aggression, outbursts of anger, coercion, or deception in order to bring about the desired end.  Striving doesn’t give way to mercy and gentleness so easily, because that could be “bad for business” or the bottom line.  The ideal won’t get met if sins are overlooked too frequently.  Rigid and hard on themselves, they will most likely be just as hard on those with whom they are most intimate; especially if the other directly affects their coveted “destiny.”  For this reason many who “strive” have little intimacy and few friends.  These ones may appear to be mature in their doings but on the inside it is a story of madness and little giving or receiving of love.

The next kind of perfectionism is the exact opposite.  The ideal is seen but the beholder knows full well that it can never be accomplished.  And if the goal is an impossible task which will result in failure, then, why try?  Like those who “strive,” the ones who “give up” are afraid of failing.  Yet, unlike those who strive, those who give up turn to escapism to forget about the standard altogether (at least as long as they can).  These have believed the lie that they are failures and that the end of all their work they will have nothing to show for it.

These two types of perfectionism, derived from a terrible fear of being found out or failing, have enslaved people for as long as people have been around.  Success is the operative word to both groups.  How we define success will dramatically change the way we pursue “success.”  If success is only found in doing the impossible, then we will forever either be reaching for the impossible, relegating ourselves to the failure category, or we will save all the trying and claim the role as a failure.  Success can’t be found in an ideal goal anyway.  The question is “What is success to God?”

God speaks of the worth and value of his children; both of those who strive and those who give up.  To those who strive He tells them that their only job is to receive from His mercy and love.  And to those who give up He tells them about the value of their decisions and the glorious future He has for them.  This is not to say that one person is an either/or.  In my life I have dealt massively with both striving and giving up.  But God delivers me with His word every time.  When I am pressing as hard as I can but keep coming up short, He tells of His love for me just as I am.  When I give up and no longer wish to fight He tells me of the beautiful future that I have- where “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has the mind conceived.”

If you find yourself in either one of these camps, let Him speak to you.  Love is a gift that is either rejected or received- Is God’s love towards you mostly rejected or mostly received?  Open yourself to His love and let Him deliver you from giving up and from striving.

Perfectionist	Healthy Striver
Sets standards beyond reach and reason	Sets high standards, but just beyond reach
Is never satisfied by anything less than perfection	Enjoys process as well as outcome
Becomes dysfunctionally depressed when experiences failure and disappointment	Bounces back from failure and disappointment quickly and with energy
Is preoccupied with fear of failure and disapproval––this can deplete energy levels	Keeps normal anxiety and fear of failure and disapproval within bounds––uses them to create energy
Sees mistakes as evidence of unworthiness	Sees mistakes as opportunities for growth and learning
Becomes overly defensive when criticized	Reacts positively to helpful criticism

For more info click here

Salvation in Galatians

One of the most important arenas in systematic theology is soteriology (the study of salvation).  There is nothing that will directly shape our view of God more than our thoughts concerning His saving acts in and through the advent of His Son.[1] Galatians at large has been used throughout Church History, most notably the reformation, as a systematic theology of sorts for Paul.  Even as Luther responded from scripture to the council of Trent, who then responded from tradition; so I will do my best to articulate Paul’s soteriology in Galatians from Galatians.  I am going to argue that one must have the themes of promise, the apocalyptic age, union with Christ, and δικαιοσύνη (Righteousness) coming together to maintain a clear view of Paul’s soteriology in Galatians.

Promise

The rival missionaries that was causing unrest in Galatia used Genesis 17, concerning circumcision, and the Laws of Moses to sway the believers there.  They believed that in order to be full members of God’s family and those who will receive the promises of Abraham, namely liberation from the corruption of Genesis 3-11,[2] one must first be circumcised and observe Torah.  But Paul says that these promises made to Abraham will come to the Gentiles not by circumcision or adhering to the Law, but through the faithful One, namely Jesus Christ (3:14).

Apocalyptic Age

Found within Paul’s greeting, in Galatians 1:3-4, is this basic soteriological formula:  “Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to set us free (ἐξέληται) from the present evil age (αἰῶνος τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος πονηροῦ).”  It is these two themes, the two tier age system, that of slavery (3:22-23, 4:3) and freedom (4:4-5, 5:1), and the faithful Messiah (2:16, 3:22, 26) who redeems His people from the age slavery (4:4), that weaves together much of Paul’s polemic against the rival missionaries in Galatia.  It is through this apocalyptic two age scenario that we will more fully appreciate Paul’s soteriology.

The age typified by slavery to elemental spirits (4:3), was also the age where the Jews were held captive by the law, a harsh παιδαγωγός (disciplinarian) (3:24-25).  But this παιδαγωγός, which both marked out Jews from Gentiles (2:11-12) and placed a curse over the those relying upon it (2:18, 3:10), was always meant to function temporarily until the advent of the Messiah (3:24).  The rival missionaries, who were seeking to bring the Gentiles into obedience to the Law in the name of Jesus,[3] neglected the dawning age that was ushered in by the dying and rising Messiah, thus keeping the church under the harsh παιδαγωγός. But an adult did not need a παιδαγωγός, only a child, and at the coming of the Messiah dawned a new age in history, which called the people of God out of their παιδαγωγός and into the Son.[4]

Union with Christ

The prepositional phrase ἐν Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ (in Christ Jesus) is of major significance for Paul, not least in Galatians.  For Paul, this phrase denotes a corporate unity with the Messiah, but not in a stagnant, abstract, and ahistorical way.[5] Rather this “mystical union” is the believer’s participation in the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection of the Son of God (2:19b-20).  But the rite of passage into union with the Messiah is through baptismal waters upon which the dividing markers of the present evil age were destroyed (3:27-

Paul saw Jesus’ death as a co-crucifixion and his rising as a co-resurrection of all those ἐν Χριστοῦ (2:19).  Since the Messiah is now living in the new creation of God, Paul can boldly assert himself as being an active participant of that new creation (2:20, 6:15), fellowshipping in the eschatological life of the Holy Spirit (3:2-5, 4:6-7, 5:5, 16, 6:8b).

Δικαιοσύνη

How then shall we see δικαιοσύνη (Justice, Righteousness) in light of God’s promise, the apocalyptic age, and the believer’s participation in the resurrected Christ?  Does Luther’s imputation of “alien righteousness”[6] upon the believer stake any claim in the epistle?

The first observation we can make is that in Galatians the words “life” and δικαιο are frequently coupled together (2:19-21; 3:11; 3:21).  The other places where δικαιο shows up, the context fits to imply similar themes (3:6-8 in light of 3:14, 3:24).  From this evidence, δικαιο seems to carry themes of the giving of life (2:19-20; 3:21), vindication (3:24), blessing (3:6-8), and the coming hope of new creation (5:5 in light of 6:15). [7]

A second observation can be found In Galatians 3:21b where Paul says:

A1-                        “If a Law had been given…”

B1-                                    “That could make one alive (ζῷοποιῆσαι )…”

B2-                                    “Then δικαιοσύνη (Justice, Righteousness)…”

A2-                        “Would come through the Law.”

In this instance, for this conditional sentence to be coherent, ζῷοποιῆσαι (to make one alive) and δικαιοσύνη must be seen as synonymous.[8] To try to make sense of this saying any other way would render Paul quite unintelligible.

Earlier in the letter Paul said that the Law and Christ were two avenues of δικαιοσύνη but then exclaims that they are both exclusive ways and thus cannot both be true.  God’s apocalyptic action in the death and resurrection of Jesus would be pointless if δικαιοσύνη could come through the law (2:21b).  Now, in 3:19 Paul says because the Law is unable to bring one to life, justification cannot take place.  The law that was thought to bring justice to the Gentiles has functioned only to keep Israel in line until the advent of Christ (3:23-25).

It seems then that Paul is using δικαιοσύνη in terms of the rectification of life and the reordering of the cosmos at large.  The law could not rectify life in Israel, or the Gentiles for that matter (2:15-16).  No, the promise made to Abraham to rid the cosmos of evil and send “blessing” to the Gentiles could only come through the faithfulness of the Son of God in His death and resurrection.

Conclusion

I have argued that the four themes of promise, the apocalyptic age, union with Christ, and δικαιοσύνη all function together to form Paul’s doctrine of salvation in Galatians.  We have seen how the promise made to Abraham to bring about an age of restoration could only happen through the believers union with the dying and rising Messiah.  And it is this “making one alive” that encompasses δικαιοσύνη, enabling the believer to participate in the new creation of God (2:20, 3:27-29, 6:15).  This, in short, is Paul’s view of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles from the epistle to the Galatians.

---

[1] Aulen, Gustaf. Christus Victor: a Historical Study of the Three Main Types of the Idea of Atonement. Eugene, Or.: Wipf & Stock, 2003.  Pg. 3

[2] Wright, N. T. Justification: God’s Plan & Paul’s Vision. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2009.  Pg. 112

[3] Hays, Richard. “The Letter to the Galatians.” The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary.  Vol. 11. Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 2000.  Pg. 185

[4] Longenecker, Richard N. Galatians. Dallas, TX: Word, 1990 pg. 148

[5] Hawthorne, Gerald F., Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid. Dictionary of Paul and His Letters. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1993.  Pg.

[6] McGrath, Alister E. Christian Theology: an Introduction. Oxford, UK: Blackwell, 1994. Pg. 385

[7] For further reading refer to: Campbell, Douglas Atchison. The Deliverance of God: an Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 2009. Pg. 833-895

[8] Campbell, The Deliverance of God, Pg. 867

 

With God on Our Side

Any thoughts about this Bob Dylan song that I ran across recently?  You can listen to it HERE.

With God on Our Side

Oh my name it is nothin’
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I’s taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side.

Oh the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh the country was young
With God on its side.

Oh the Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I’s made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side.

Oh the First World War, boys
It closed out its fate
The reason for fighting
I never got straight
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don’t count the dead
When God’s on your side.

When the Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now too
Have God on their side.

I’ve learned to hate Russians
All through my whole life
If another war starts
It’s them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side.

But now we got weapons
Of the chemical dust
If fire them we’re forced to
Then fire them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God’s on your side.

In a many dark hour
I’ve been thinkin’ about this
That Jesus Christ
Was betrayed by a kiss
But I can’t think for you
You’ll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.

So now as I’m leavin’
I’m weary as Hell
The confusion I’m feelin’
Ain’t no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God’s on our side
He’ll stop the next war.

What the… “hell?” By Peter Kreeft

The hell with hell! says the modern mind. Of all Christianity’s teachings, hell is certainly the least popular. Non-Christians ignore it, weak Christians excuse it, and anti-Christians attack it.

Some, like Bertrand Russell in his famous essay “Why I Am Not a Christian”, argue that because Jesus clearly taught it, he was not a good moral teacher. (Russell’s essay, by the way, makes fine devotional reading for a Christian. My college roommate was about to lose his faith until he read it; he said to me, “If those are the arguments against Christianity, I’d better be a Christian.”)

Why do we believe there’s a hell? Not because we’re vindictive. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Why, then? Simply because we’ve been told, by Christ himself. There’s a popular fallacy that Jesus spoke only comforting words and that the fear of hell began with Saint Paul. The textual truth is the opposite: Jesus uttered many “hell fire and damnation” sermons, while nearly all the passages that offer any hope to the universalist (who believe all men will be saved in the end) are from Paul.

Fear of hell is not a base motive. As George MacDonald says, “As long as there are wild beasts about, it is better to be afraid than secure. “God’s graciousness accepts even the “low” motive of fear of hell for salvation if that’s the best we can muster. His arms are open to all prodigals. He is not high-minded, like some of his detractors. All’s fair in love and war. And life is both.

Hell follows from two other doctrines: heaven and free will. If there is a heaven, there can be a not-heaven. And if there is free will, we can act on it and abuse it. Those who deny hell must also deny either heaven (as does Western secularism) or free will (as does Eastern pantheism).

Hell and heaven make life serious. Heaven without hell removes the bite from life’s drama. C. S. Lewis once said that he never met a single person who had a lively faith in heaven without a similar belief in hell. The height of the mountain is measured by the depth of the valley, the greatness of salvation by the awfulness of the thing we’re saved from.

What is hell? The popular image of demons gleefully poking pitchforks into unrepentant posteriors misses the point of the biblical image of fire. Fire destroys.Gehenna, the word Jesus used for hell, was the valley outside Jerusalem that the Jews used for the perpetual burning of garbage because it had been desecrated by heathen tribes who used it for human sacrifice. In hell you make an eternal ash of yourself. Hell is not eternal life with torture but something far worse: eternal dying. What goes to hell, said C. S. Lewis, is “not a man, but remains”.

The images for hell in Scripture are horrible, but they’re only symbols. The thing symbolized is not less horrible than the symbols, but more. Spiritual fire is worse than material fire; spiritual death is worse than physical death. The pain of loss—the loss of God, who is the source of all joy—is infinitely more horrible than any torture could ever be. All who know God and his joy understand that. Saints do not need to be threatened with fire, only with loss. “All your life an unattainable ecstasy has hovered just beyond the grasp of your consciousness. The day is coming when you will wake to find, beyond all hope, that you have attained it—or else that it was within your grasp and you have lost it forever” (C. S. Lewis).

Jesus does not tell us much detail about hell. He tells us that it exists, that it’s horrible, that any man can go there. Judas seems to be one, for Jesus says of him, “It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” If no one goes to hell, it would seem to be inexcusable for Jesus to give us so many fearful warnings about it. But he does not give us population statistics. To his disciples’ question “Are many saved?” he does not answer with estimates but with a forceful appeal to the will: “Strive to enter in.”

We desperately need to hear this truth about hell again, simply out of honesty, because it is there. And also out of compassion. For when an abyss looms ahead, the leastcompassionate thing to tell the traveler is “peace, peace, when there is no peace”. Out of love for god and man, let us tell the truth about hell!Jesus says the way to hell is broad and many find it and that the way to heaven is narrow and few find it. And he means it: you don’t get to heaven simply by being born, by being nice, or by oozing into an eternal growth experience. But “few” here does not mean that less than half of mankind will be saved. For God speaks as our Father, not our statistician. Even one child lost is too many, and the rest saved are too few. The good shepherd who left his ninety-nine sheep safe at home to rescue his one lost sheep found even 99 percent salvation too “few”. The most important question about hell, as about heaven, is the practical one: What roads lead there? They are interior, of course. In fact, heaven and hell may be the very same objective place—namely God’s love, experienced oppositely by opposite souls, just as the same opera or rock concert can be heavenly for you and hellish for the reluctant guest at your side. The fires of hell maybe made of the very love of God, experienced as torture by those who hate him: the very light of God’s truth, hated and fled from in vain by those who love darkness. Imagine a man in hell—no, a ghost—endlessly chasing his own shadow, as the light of God shines endlessly behind him. If he would only turn and face the light, he would be saved. But he refuses to—forever. Just as we can attain heaven by implicit as well as explicit faith (“Saint Socrates, pray for us,” says Erasmus), so hell too can be reached without explicit rebellion. This is the terrible—and terribly needed—truth taught by C. S. Lewis in The Great Divorce and Charles Williams in Descent into Hell. We can drift, slide, even snooze comfortably into hell. All God’s messengers, the prophets, say so.

Sure, we’ll be mocked as vindictive, manipulative, or fundamentalist. Let it be so. Sometimes it seems that we’re more afraid of sharing our Lord’s holy unrespectability than of hell itself. It’s a small price to pay for the salvation of a single infinitely precious soul. And that is the business we’re supposed to be in.