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Archive for the ‘Bible Studies’ Category

The Tools of The Almighty

24 Jan

I don’t normally post stuff from other blogs, but today I had to make an exception.  Mike Mercer at Internet Monk recently published something I wish I wrote, and something sorely needed in today’s church culture. You can find the original post here if you want to see the comments about it.  Otherwise, I post it here for you, and endorse it 100 percent.

A Letter for the Church Today (2)
A Study of 2 Corinthians 10-13

Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

• 2Cor 10:3-5, NRSV

• • •

I am not a “handy” person. It’s not that I’m incapable (or so I imagine), but rather that I’ve never taken the time to learn and practice the art of making or fixing things. As a result, I have also never invested a lot of money in tools beyond the basic items needed for general tasks. On several occasions, this has caused me headaches, because a project presented itself that required something beyond a basic tool. When possible, I procured what was needed, but at other times I made the foolish mistake of trying to make do with the wrong instruments. The outcome usually wasn’t pretty. Something that could have been made or fixed easily (and correctly) with the proper tool ended up being butchered by a “hack job.”

In 2Corinthians 10-13, Paul is warning the Corinthian church that some “hack” Christian leaders whom he calls “super-apostles” (11:5) are working on them. He is frightened for their spiritual well being, “afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by its cunning, [their] thoughts [would] be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (11:3).

Every generation is troubled by preachers and teachers who take advantage of the opportunities for corruption that church culture affords. In this part of his epistle, Paul reminds us that both leaders and congregations are responsible to settle for nothing less than true pastoral leadership.

…individual Christians and local churches alike must take responsibility for the styles of leadership they follow. If it is true that Christian leaders are responsible before God for the teaching they provide, the models they display, and the directions they take, it is no less true that Christians and Christian assemblies are responsible for choosing what and whom they will emulate. The problems at Corinth depicted in 2Corinthians 10-13 would never have arisen if the Corinthian church had handled the intruders in a mature and biblical fashion in the first place. That they failed to do so reflects their spiritual immaturity, their unsettling inability to perceive that the norms of their own society were deeply pagan and not to be nurtured in the church.

• D.A. Carson, A Model of Christian Maturity: An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 10-13

Carson notes that there were three inappropriate cultural models that shaped the approach of these “super-apostles”:

  • Judaizing Christianity, which sought to prove its spiritual superiority by emphasizing its Jewish covenant status,
  • Hellenistic Philosophy, which emphasized forms of polished rhetoric and skillful oratorical presentation, and the ability to attract big audiences and command high fees for imparted wisdom,
  • Visionary Enthusiasm, which stressed a leader’s esoteric spiritual visions and experiences.

Paul confronts these “super-apostles” who are troubling the Corinthians by “leading” them with the wrong tools. In 2Cor 10:1-6, he notes that these teachers have accused him of“acting according to human standards.” In other words, they have dismissed the Apostle and his approach as inferior and common, not up to their spiritual standards.

Paul responds by saying, “Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds.” In other words, yes, we’re common human beings alright, but it’s not human standards that define our ministry. We no longer conduct ourselves “according to the flesh” — the ways of the world system are not the ways by which we operate any longer.

Christian leaders are called to use different tools.

Is it necessary to list the ways in which the American church has become enthralled with the“tools of the flesh”? Much of contemporary church culture glories in its spectacular worship “shows,” polished preachers, professional corporate organization, along with emphases on spiritual enthusiasm, prosperity teaching, “vision” and unmediated spiritual experience, as well as triumphalistic attitudes and approaches in “culture war” confrontations. We tend to like big, loud, and impressive.

In contrast, note what Paul writes in this passage: “I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ…” (2Cor 10:1)

In contrast to the prevailing methods of the “super-apostles” of his day, and the “mega-church” culture of ours, note the concepts and words in this first sentence that describe the tools Paul uses as a true pastoral leader:

  • Personal Touch (“I myself, Paul…”): Paul believed in personal communication, not just public teaching and reliance upon rhetoric. One senses he would have felt uncomfortable on a big stage or seeing his face on a big screen. He could talk to crowds, of course, but the evidence suggests he did best in face-to-face situations when possible. His letters are remarkably personal, and when he was really concerned about his friends and could not visit them personally, he sent coworkers to represent him.
  • Respectful Appeal: The “super-apostles” had commanding presence and used their credentials to put themselves in positions of power over others. Paul, on the other hand, sought to influence by lovingly appealing to the hearts and minds of his fellow believers. He eschewed control and treated his brothers and sisters with dignity, recognizing their ability to respond to God’s Spirit and make decisions themselves.
  • The Meekness and Gentleness of Christ: One is immediately reminded of Matthew 11:28-30 — “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Like his Master, Paul humbled himself to serve rather than exalting himself to lord it over his friends. Don Carson writes: “Meekness and gentleness…taken together, suggest that the person characterized by such virtues will be generous in his estimates of others, slow to take offense, well able to bear reproach, consistently above self-interest.”

With those kinds of tools, one can build a church.

Try to use the inadequate tools of “the flesh,” and you’ll have a hack job on your hands.

 
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The White Stone

02 Jan

The following is an excerpt from a sermon by the great George McDonald.  For some reason, it speaks to me powerfully, and gives me great comfort and encouragement. May it do the same for you.

To him that overcometh, I will give a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.– Rev. ii. 17

…I say, in brief, the giving of the white stone with the new name is the communication of what God thinks about the man to the man. It is the divine judgment, the solemn holy doom of the righteous man, the “Come, thou blessed,” spoken to the individual.

A name of the ordinary kind in this world, has nothing essential in it. It is but a label by which one man and a scrap of his external history may be known from another man and a scrap of his history.

The true name is one which expresses the character, the nature, the being, the meaning of the person who bears it. It is the man’s own symbol,–his soul’s picture, in a word,–the sign which belongs to him and to no one else. Who can give a man this, his own name? God alone. For no one but God sees what the man is, or even, seeing what he is, could express in a name-word the sum and harmony of what he sees. To whom is this name given? To him that overcometh. When is it given? When he has overcome. Does God then not know what a man is going to become? As surely as he sees the oak which he put there lying in the heart of the acorn. Why then does he wait till the man has become by overcoming ere he settles what his name shall be? He does not wait; he knows his name from the first. But as–although repentance comes because God pardons–yet the man becomes aware of the pardon only in the repentance; so it is only when the man has become his name that God gives him the stone with the name upon it, for then first can he understand what his name signifies. It is the blossom, the perfection, the completion, that determines the name; and God foresees that from the first, because he made it so; but the tree of the soul, before its blossom comes, cannot understand what blossom it is to bear, and could not know what the word meant, which, in representing its own unarrived completeness, named itself. Such a name cannot be given until the man is the name.

God’s name for a man must then be the expression in a mystical word–a word of that language which all who have overcome understand–of his own idea of the man, that being whom he had in his thought when he began to make the child, and whom he kept in his thought through the long process of creation that went to realize the idea. To tell the name is to seal the success–to say, “In thee also I am well pleased.”

He is to God a peculiar being, made after his own fashion, and that of no one else; for when he is perfected he shall receive the new name which no one else can understand. Hence he can worship God as no man else can worship him,– can understand God as no man else can understand him. …As the fir-tree lifts up itself with a far different need from the need of the palm-tree, so does each man stand before God, and lift up a different humanity to the common Father. And for each God has a different response.

See, now, what a significance the symbolism of our text assumes. Each of us is a distinct flower or tree in the spiritual garden of God,– precious, each for his own sake, in the eyes of him who is even now making us,… Every moment that he is true to his true self, some new shine of the white stone breaks on his inward eye, some fresh channel is opened upward for the coming glory of the flower, the conscious offering of his whole being in beauty to the Maker. Each man, then, is in God’s sight worth. Life and action, thought and intent, are sacred. And what an end lies before us! To have a consciousness of our own ideal being flashed into us from the thought of God! Surely for this may well give way all our paltry self-consciousnesses, our self-admirations and self-worships! Surely to know what he thinks about us will pale out of our souls all our thoughts about ourselves! and we may well hold them loosely now, and be ready to let them go. Towards this result St Paul had already drawn near, when he who had begun the race with a bitter cry for deliverance from the body of his death, was able to say that he judged his own self no longer.

Gone then will be all anxiety as to what his neighbour may think about him. It is enough that God thinks about him. To be something to God–is not that praise enough? To be a thing that God cares for and would have complete for himself, because it is worth caring for–is not that life enough?

 
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Posted in Bible Studies, Book of Revelation

 

666: The Mark of the Beast

04 Jun

Perhaps no part of the book of Revelation is as well-known as the allusion to the mark of the beast, identified with the number 666.  In fact, some people who do not even know this is a biblical allusion have some vague idea that 666 is evil, ominous, or of the devil.  But what exactly does it mean?

Lets start with the text.  The end of Revelation chapter 13 describes an unholy trinity of evil (dragon, first beast, second beast, or, as it is sometimes called, Satan, the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet).  We are told that the second beast (the false prophet) causes the majority of humanity to be marked with some sort of sign denoting allegiance to the first beast (the anti-christ).  Here is the passage in the ESV:

16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

Here is the same passage in the NIV

16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[e] That number is 666.

Let us first make a couple notes about the verses, then lay out some options, and then, finally, offer some conclusions.

Notes:

  • The English versions reflect the ambiguity of the Greek on whether the “mark” is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
  • We are told that we can “calculate” the number of the beast, but warned it will take wisdom and insight.  That is, it will require spiritual perception.
  • The early church did not have a standard interpretation of what the number of the beast represented.
  • The footnote [e] in verse 18 of the NIV denotes a note in the newer editions of the NIV which states, “Or is humanity’s number”.

 

Options:

A. Numeric understandings of 666 (Gematria)

Gematria is the practice of biblical numerology, based on the fact that the biblical languages of Greek and Hebrew assign numeric value to letters.  That is, the ancient languages did not have dedicated number symbols (such as 1, 2, etc…). Think Roman numerals here. 

In regards to this passage, then, gematria means finding a name whose numeric value equals 666. 

The most common ancient name produced by this method is that of the emperor Nero.  If you take the name, “Nero Caesar”, put it into Hebrew letters, you can come up with 666.  Since Nero was a great persecutor of the Christians, had the power of an empire, and fits some other characteristics of the first beast, this is a common interpretation.

Nonetheless, there are a few problems with this interpretation.  In the first place, to get 666 from Nero Caesar you have to use, not Greek letters or Latin letters, but Hebrew letters.  This is possible (especially if John wanted to really hide the meaning from the persecuting Roman authorities) but may have been too obscure for his mostly gentile audience in Asia Minor.  Second, the name Nero Caesar written in Hebrew in the usual way does not add up to 666.  You can only arrive at that number by using a variant way of spelling that name (dropping the yod).  While we do have evidence that his name was written that way in at least one document, it is definitely not the norm.  Further, most scholars feel Revelation was written around 95 AD, while Nero committed suicide in 68 AD.  There were rumors that his death was faked and he would return, but these rumors were certainly waning almost 30 years later.  Also, the early church did not seem to make this identification of Nero as the beast.  Finally, while Nero has some likeness to the beast of Revelation 13, one must strain the interpretation of that passage to make it fit him.

Other examples of Gematria are a little more subtle.  One scholar (Giet) finds that the initials of Roman Emperors from Julius Caesar to Vespasian add up to 666 (but he has to omit Otho and Vitellius to make it work).  Another scholar (Stauffer) suggests John was counting up an abbreviated form in Greek of the full Latin title of the emperor Domitian.

Others have tried to get the names of modern people (Hitler, Kissinger, etc…) to add up to 666. History obviously has not proved kind to these interpretations. 

Another interpretation begins by noting that the beast is described as the 8th king in Revelation 17:11.  It then notes that 666 is the triangular number of 36 (1 plus 2 plus 3 etc. up to 360) and 36 is the triangular number of 8.

B. Theological understandings of 666

These views do not try to add up anyone’s name, but seek to understand what 666 could mean theologically.

Many have noted that 7 is often used as the number of perfection or completeness in apocalyptic writings like Revelation.  Also, while this is less obvious, 3 seems to be a number of intensification.  For instance, the majestic beings of Revelation 4:8 worship God with the repeated phrase, “Holy, Holy, Holy”.  Thus, it could be argued that the “number of perfection” is 777.  In a similar way, if 7 is the number of perfection or fullness, 777 could be “the number” of the trinity.  Thus 666 would be Satan’s attempt to ape the trinity, but also describe his utter failure to do so. 

Related to the above, some have noted the possible way of translating “It is the number of a man” to mean something like, “It is the number of man” or “it is mankind’s number” (see NIV text note above).  Thus, 666 would be a way of describing mankind as always trying to elevate itself to God (in rebellion) , while consistently failing to do so.  (Some see here an allusion to Genesis 1, where the realm of man or creation is described in six days, while God’s days are seven). 

Finally, one other item is worth noting here.  It is the numerology of Jesus’ name.  The name Jesus in Greek is Ἰησοῦς (English transliteration: iesous, with the “I” making the “y” sound as in “year”). For those interested in how this became “Jesus” in English, please see this chart:

  

 

 

 

 

Anyway, the numeric value of the name Jesus in Greek is this:

iesous = I (10) + e (8) + s (200) + o (70) + u (400) + s (200) = 888.

Thus, one way to interpret the numerology is to view 777 as the number of complete perfection, with 666 falling tragically (and sinfully) short of this, while 888 would speak hyperbolically of something like the exceeding fullness of Jesus’ perfection. 

Conclusion:

You may have noted that not all of these options are mutually exclusive.  Careful readers of Biblical prophecy know that many, if not most, Bible prophecies are fulfilled on more than one level.  For example, Psalm 16 is considered a Messianic Psalm (a psalm pointing to the Messiah in the future) because Peter could apply the words to Jesus (see Acts 2:25-28). In other words, the words applied on one level to David, even as a fuller and deeper meaning of the words would only be fulfilled a thousand years later in the resurrection of Jesus.  In a similar way, Psalm 8 applies first to David, then to Jesus in his perfect humanity during the incarnation, and most fully to Jesus in His future role as visible head over all creation (see this three-fold fulfillment in Hebrews 2:5-9).  And in a further sense, Psalm 8 is fulfilled in the lives of mankind most fully because they apply to Jesus, the one who not only fulfills mankind’s role but shares it with those who have place their faith in Him.  In other words, many prophecies work on more than one level, and we should not quickly assume that the prophecy about the mark of the beast has only one way of being fulfilled.

My own understanding, then, is this.  First, I believe John used the figure of Nero as a way to give shape to the idea of the future anti-christ, and point out some features of his reign.  Nero, then, was a template, or a foreshadowing, of one who will come.  John did not expect Nero to come back, but used the popular motif of a Nero returning from death as a symbol of the false resurrection of the anti-christ (see Revelation 13: 3, 12).  Part of the reason Nero is appropriate is because of his persecution of God’s people, his desire to be worshipped as a god, and his violent end.  Furthermore, as emperor he also symbolized something likely to be true of the anti-christ: He embodies a world-wide and very powerful kingdom. 

I think it likely that some sort of theological interpretation of the symbolism is also likely in play.  That is, I think it likely that 666 not only looked back to Nero as a symbol, but looks theologically to the meaning and nature of the anti-christ and his kingdom.  In particular, the last paragraph of the theological discussion (before the conclusion) seems especially intriguing and helpful to me.  I don’t think one can be too dogmatic about this, however. 

Does the meaning of 666 look not only backwards (to Nero), but does it also look forward to the anti-christ?  That is, will the anti-christ have a name whose numerical value is 666?  I would say this is possible, but by no means necessary.  It is just as likely we are to understand 666 as giving us the symbol and meaning of the anti-christ, rather than a numeric clue to his identity.

 
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Posted in Bible Studies, Book of Revelation

 

The Agape Fallacy

13 Apr

 Well, I heard it again this last weekend.  The speaker brought out his PowerPoint slides to explain that Greek language had four different words that we translate as “love”, and that one of these is the love God has for us and that we should have for each other.  Hogwash.

 If you are not familiar with “the four loves”, here is a quick summary of what you will often hear: 

Storge is familial love 

Eros is sexual or romantic love

Phileo is friendship love

Agape is godly love (usually defined as unconditional, giving, and volitional as opposed to emotive).   

The point of most of these talks is to convince us to love God and others with agape love, not the other kinds (it is usually contrasted most with phileo).

Again, hogwash.  It is all a fallacy. 

Agape and phileo have overlapping meanings, and the exact shade of meaning for “love” in any New Testament passage depends on the context of that passage, not which Greek word is behind the translation.

 If you believe that phileo is an inferior type of love, you will have a little trouble with the following verses:

  • John 5:20, For the Father loves (phileo) the Son…
  • John 16:27, For the Father himself loves (phileo) you, because ye have loved (phileo) me
  • Titus 2:24, wives are…to love (phileo) their husbands…
  • Titus 3:4, the kindness and love (phileo) of God our Saviour
  • II. Tim. 4:10, For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved (agape) this present world
  • II Samuel 13 describes Amnon’s lust for his half-sister, which led him to rape.  Verse 15 says afterwards, “he hated her more than he had loved her”, and the Greek translation of the Old Testament used agape to describe that “love”.

 

More importantly the two Greek words seemed to be used interchangeably:

  • Rev. 3:9, and to know that I have loved (agape) thee.
  • Rev. 3:19, As many as I love (phileo), I rebuke and chasten…

 

  • John 11:5, Now Jesus loved (agape) Martha
  • John 20:2, the other disciple, whom Jesus loved (phileo)

 

  • John 3:35, The Father loves (agape) the Son
  • John 5:20, For the Father loves (phileo) the Son

 

Note, I am not arguing that phileo and agape are complete synonyms, that is, that they have the exact same meaning and nuance.  Rather, like the English words “soil” and “dirt”, their meanings overlap greatly, and can often be used synonymously.  The main point I am making is that it is illegitimate to base the meaning of “love” in a passage on the basis of which Greek word underlies the English word.  Their certainly are different kinds and types of love, but the context itself is the only key to meaning in this case.

 
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What is Heaven?

03 Feb

Few words carry such meaning and confusion as “Heaven”.  Little children address assign both their prayers and hopes to heaven, while the word’s sheer breadth of meaning confuse elderly academics. 

Part of the confusion stems from what C. S. Lewis called transposition.  That word derives from the activity of re-composing a piece written for one musical instrument, say, the piano, for another instrument, say, a guitar.  The piano, of course, can play many more notes than the guitar, so often several notes or chords written for the piano piece will be represented by only one note or chord on the guitar. 

In the same way, the word “heaven” is used to describe more than one thing.  In fact, it designates several related but separate ideas, and only by pulling the strands of the knot apart can we gain access to the meaning.

First, heaven can mean the air or the atmosphere.  Birds and clouds fill this heaven, and it is from this heaven that the rain quenches the thirst of the earth.

Second, heaven can mean what we refer to as space, or what is beyond our atmosphere. This heaven is populated not with birds, but stars and planets. 

Now, both these two senses sometimes blend together to refer to all things that are above the earth.  In this sense, sometimes all physical creation is designated by the terms, “the heavens and the earth”, as in Genesis 1:1.  But they can also be distinguished.  For example, Psalm 8 refers to the heavens in verse 3 as being filled with the “moon and stars, which you have set in place”.  That same Psalm could later speak of man’s role of dominion over the things of this planet, which include the beasts of the field, the fish of the sea, and the birds of the heavens (verses 6-8). 

Another sense of the word heaven is also used in that same psalm.  Verse five says that mankind has been made, “a little lower than the heavenly beings”.  Both the context and the New Testament usage (Hebrews 2:5-8) tell us that this means that mankind is made a little lower than angelic beings, that is, inhabitants of the spirit world.

The third sense heaven, then is as a spiritual realm, not a place in the universe.  Heaven in this sense is not somewhere one could travel physically; it is nowhere on the map on the universe, nor does it exist physically “outside” the universe.  This is apparently what Paul meant when he said he was given a vision of “the third heaven” ( II Corinthians 12:2). I will be speaking of this heaven the rest of the way.

This meaning of heaven is inherently difficult for those not in heaven to understand, just as a three-dimensional universe would be inherently obscure to a person who lived in only two dimensions (as Edwin Abbot illustrated in his wonderful classic novel, Flatland).  It speaks of what is both beyond this world, and what is not like this world.  Yet, as Ecclesiastes seems to hint in that enigmatic phrase, “you have set eternity in our hearts”, humans have been reluctant to give up the idea that something is “beyond”, even if it proves difficult to comprehend.

It may be helpful to distinguish four aspects of this third sense of heaven.  These distinctions are conceptual, not actual (or noetic, not ontological, if you like being technical).  That is, they distinguish between four different aspects of the third meaning of heaven, not four different additional heavens.

The first aspect of this heaven (that would be 3a for you obsessive types), is that of the spirit world.  Psalm Eight calls angels heavenly beings because heaven is their abode, as it were (though again, not physical abode).  It is their sphere of existence and activity.  Of course, angels also interact with humanity, for humans are spiritual beings as well as physical beings, and humans alone are, by nature, both physical and spiritual.  Angels are not.  They have, by nature, no physical body, though they can adopt at least the appearance of one in order to communicate with mankind. 

By the way, in this sense, even demons (fallen angels) are said to exist in heaven.  Paul reminds us that our struggle is not against physical foes, but spiritual ones, who exist “in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). 

In this sense, then, the main emphasis is on what heaven is not: a physical place in the universe.  It exists in a totally different (and more fundamental way) than the universe.  Think of an aquarium constructed at the factory, then filled with water, plants and fish by the hobbyist.  What exists outside the aquarium is both prior to and more fundamental than what exists inside it (since forces and wills outside the aquarium affect what is inside it).

The second aspect of heaven (3b) is as the place where God “dwells”.  Now, of course, both the scriptures and all orthodox Christian theology insist that God does not have a body of any kind.  He is a spiritual being (John 4:24) and thus does not occupy space.  Space and time are features of this universe, and the concepts of time and space simply do not apply to the one who created this universe with its space and time.  We use phrases like that God existed before the universe or exists outside the universe, but these expressions are concessions to the poverty of our words to express what we have no experience of; they are not technically accurate.

What can it mean, then, when scripture pictures God as dwelling in heaven?  Why would Jesus teach us to pray, for example, “our father, which art in Heaven?” God is emphasizing, through metaphor, His transcendence over our existence, and his control over all that happens in this universe.  Transcendence means that He is not contained in this universe, nor limited by anything in this universe (neither the laws and forces of nature or the schemes and power of man).  To say that God is “in heaven” is to affirm not that he exists physically in a place one could point to on a map, but that this world can neither contain Him nor limit Him. 

For the believer, one other thing about heaven as God’s existence is also dear. That is the idea that we will in some way share that dwelling with Him.  This is the idea behind the promise of Jesus that “in my father’s house are many rooms…I am going to prepare a place for you….on that day you will realize that I am in my father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (John 14).  The mystery and ambiguity of what this actually looks like spring from the incredible, category-breaking nature of the promise: that somehow, physical and once-fallen beings like ourselves will dwell with the Spirit who is beyond all. 

The third aspect of heaven (3c) is the place of perfection and power which somehow exists “alongside” this world we experience.  Though heaven in this aspect is often seen as being “above” our world, this is metaphorical, not literal.  It is good to raise our eyes or voice to heaven, as long as we understand the reality beyond the symbol. 

In this sense, help comes from heaven to the supplicant believer.  Isaiah 57:15 says,

 For this is what the high and exalted One says—
   he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
   but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
   and to revive the heart of the contrite.

James 3:15-17 speaks of wisdom that comes “from heaven”, Psalm 14:2 says the Lord examines men by looking down from heaven, while psalm 105:40 testifies that he satisfied his people by sending the “bread of heaven” (manna).   All these verses, and dozens more, speak of heaven as not only the place God dwells, but the place from which he interacts with this world.

Finally, the fourth aspect of heaven(3d) describes the coming, perfect kingdom:  the perfect order and beauty of the eternal state, the place where true believers will, in a resurrected body, commune with God, worship God, and rule with God over a perfected physical creation.  Interestingly, this is not usually called “heaven” in the scriptures, but in many ways this is the goal and fulfillment of the first three aspects of heaven. The eternal dwelling of God in the spirit realm, with all its beauty, holiness, power, and perfection, is now open to a new humanity.  As the oak replaces the acorn, the new heaven and new earth (that is, the entirety of the physical creation) replace the old heaven and old earth.   This New Jerusalem both comes down from heaven (Rev. 21:2) and becomes heaven, the place where God and His people now dwell together.  The shout raised at the event will celebrate the marriage of heaven and earth, of God and His people: “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Rev. 21:3-4). 

One final question needs to be addressed: Is it correct to say that when a believer dies, they “go to heaven”? 

I think the answer to this is yes, but we should understand that in a full way, not a simplistic, childish way.  God is not dwelling on a cloud somewhere beyond the planets, waiting for us to come and pick up our harps and join him. And certainly the fullest and final expression of heaven (3d) awaits the judgment and resurrection, events that are still in the future from our perspective.  Yet, Paul could also speak of his impending death with the comforting thought that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (Phil. 1:19-26), and Jesus could promise the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise”. 

The paradox between these two themes (immediate communion with Christ after death versus the wait for the judgment, resurrection, marriage feast and New Jerusalem) has led many biblical scholars to posit something of an intermediate state between our present death and our future resurrection.  That is, when we die we exist in some state in communion with Christ, but are not resurrected bodily till the general resurrection in the last days.  Others have suggested that the intermediary state should be called soul-sleep, that is, that our body seems to be asleep while our soul is with Christ.  My own problem with this is understanding how we could exist in a disembodied state.  The idea goes beyond our human experience, and thus, our human reason.  This does not mean it should be rejected, but it does suggest we leave the description of the intermediate state open. 

But perhaps the tension between our immediate communion with Christ (at death) and our delayed resurrection should not bother us too much if we remember that time is a category of this world only, and that what we may experience immediately (while not in this world) may, from the perspective of this world, be far in the future. 

So, in this sense, I think it is permissible to speak of believers going to heaven when they die, as long as we understand that the emphasis of the scripture is not on our individual entrance to the pearly gates, but God’s plan to redeem and perfect creation (of which we, amazingly, can be a part). It is when we fully understand that the overwhelming purpose of God is to create a new resurrected humanity capable of dwelling with Him as rulers over a perfected new creation, so that He can expand the circle of Trinitarian love to (for He is love), that we truly long with creation itself (Romans 8: 18-25) for the day when the voice cries out: “Now [at last!] the dwelling of God is with men!”. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

note: the inclusion  map of heaven above is obviously not intended as an endorsement!  But it is a funny indictment on our tendency to formulate heaven in terms of our selfish and shallow desires. Click on it to read the details. Source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/21903285/map-of-heaven

 

 
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Bible Book Matrix

17 Dec

Last week I explained why I feel Revelation is the most difficult book of the Bible to understand.  That got me thinking of other books of the Bible that are difficult. 

I decided to create a graph showing the difficulty level of each book combined with its relative importance.  Yes, I know that “all scripture is profitable” but that doesn’t mean it is all equally profitable. 

The chart is my own opinion, and obviously reflects my bias.  I post it to see if other people feel the same way, or if they have significantly different opinions on some of these.  I encourage you to comment on which books you find most helpful in your own Christian walk, and which you find most frustrating to understand.

 
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Five Views of Revelation

17 Dec

One of the reasons Revelation is (I think) the most difficult book of the Bible is that not only are there disputes about particular verses, but the purpose and the interpretation of the book as a whole are also disputed.  No other book has had such a wide diversity about its basic meaning and interpretation.  Here is a brief chart listing the five main ways Revelation has been understood through the centuries. (click on the chart for a better resolution)

 
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Why is Revelation so Difficult?

09 Dec

In January I will be starting a new sermon series on the book of Revelation.  I consider this to be the most difficult book in the Bible to understand, by a long way.  This is because:

  • Its genre is completely different than any other New Testament book
  • One must decide on a school of interpretation (preterist, futurist, idealist, or a combination) in order to have any consistency, but all these schools have strengths and weaknesses
  • The Greek grammar is recognized to be the most difficult in the New Testament
  • The book is chock-full of symbolism and images.  Sometimes it is difficult to tell what is intended literally and what is symbolic.  And if something is intended to be a symbol, you must decide what it is a symbol of.
  • There is no consensus among New Testament scholars on many of these interpretive questions.

 

It is for these reasons I have been hesitant to do a sermon series on this book.  But alas, I have ordered the commentaries, begun reading and studying it more intensely, and will pray fervently.

 
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Posted in Bible Studies, Book of Revelation

 

What is Leviathan and Why Should I Care?

05 Nov

Going through the book of Job forces one to do battle with the Leviathan.  Okay, not literal battle, but it is a struggle to figure out what God means when He is describing this beast.  Since it seems to be something of the highlight of His speech, its rather important.

Over at fccplace I have place a new post which is a rather lengthy study of this beast.  The results were deeper than I planned on.  Click here if interested.

 
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Visual Outline of the Book of Job

30 Sep

I’m going to be preaching on the book of Job starting this week.  One obstacle to understanding is the structure of the book.  Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, they say.  With that in mind, here is a visual outline of the Book of Job. Click for larger image

 
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Two New Bible Studies

21 Jul

Over at fccplace.com I have placed two new studies on the holiness God.

The first is simply about the etymolgy of the word, “Holy” in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and English.

The second is longer.  It is about how the concept of holiness was used in the Old Testament, and addresses (among other things) the issues of holy times, holy places, and holy foods.

 
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