Interpretation | A People for His Name

"The One Who is Judging All the Earth"

July 14, 2011

In the account of Abraham’s intercession for Sodom (Gen. 18:16-33) and the subsequent judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah (19:1-29), God’s work of judgment through agents is clear. Genesis 18:1-15 shows that the Lord appeared to Abraham with two other men. After two of the group departed (18:22), Abraham interceded with the Third (18:23-32), the Lord, “the One who is judging all the earth” (18:25, my translation).

The two who left were angels (19:1). Later in Sodom, they supernaturally turned away the attempt of the men of the city to molest Lot (19:9-11). They made clear their mission as emissaries of the Lord both explicitly (“the Lord has sent us to destroy it,” 19:13) and by stating that the Lord was the One who was about to destroy the city.

The subsequent account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, however, makes no mention of the activity of the angels in destroying those cities (19:24-29). It states that the Lord who appeared to Abraham destroyed them by raining “brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven” (19:24). This verse shows that the One who destroyed those cities was the preincarnate Christ, and that He did so as the agent of Another, the Lord who was in heaven.

Verse 24 also shows that the righteous Judge of all the earth with whom Abraham interceded (18:25) was the preincarnate Christ. Genesis 18-19, therefore, presents that His divine working as the Lord, the righteous Judge who spares and destroys (18:23-32), was yet as the minister of God’s judgment. This passage that presents the deity of the preincarnate Christ and presents Him as the Lord, the righteous judicial agent of Yahweh, testifies, therefore, to the importance of His judicial agency with reference to His being the Lord. Moreover, in view of the abundant use of κύριος in Genesis (in the LXX) to present God as the Judge,[1] its use in Genesis 18-19 in explicit connection with an emphatic use of the verb κρίνω to speak of work of the preincarnate Christ establishes an important judicial significance for its subsequent reference to Him as κύριος.[2]

Many later Old Testament references to this account further support viewing this passage as an important one.[3] In addition, the New Testament writers’ extensive use of Genesis 18 and 19 (three quotations, twenty-nine allusions and verbal parallels, UBS3) further validates the assessment of these chapters as important to the teaching of the New Testament. Of particular significance are the several New Testament references to the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah that show that this is an important account for understanding apostolic teaching concerning Christ as God’s judicial agent.[4]

Genesis 18-19 shows Christ’s rendering judgment for God. Because Genesis 3:15 prophesied of His future work of judgment, Scripture begins with testimony about Christ’s judging for God both in history and in the future.

[1] Genesis in the LXX repeatedly speaks of κύριος or κύριος ὁ θεός as the One who warned of judgment or rendered judgment (2:16-17; 3:1, 8-24; 4:4-16; 5:29; 6:3, 5, 8, 12, 22; 7:1, 4-5, 16; 8:21; 9:12; 11:5-6, 8-9; 12:3; 15:14; 18:17, 19-20, 22, 25-26, 33; 19:13, 14-16, 20, 24-27, 29; 20:18; 38:7).

[2]ὁ κρίνων πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν (“the one who is judging all the earth,” my translation); the present participle here stresses the ongoing nature of His judging. For data showing the nearly universal use of κύριος in the LXX to speak of God as the Judge, see my article, Interpreting the Word “Lord” in the NT.

[3] Deuteronomy 29:23; Isaiah 1:9; 13:19; Jeremiah 23:14-15; 49:18; 50:40; Lamentations 4:6; Ezekiel 16:49-50; Amos 4:11; Zephaniah 2:9.

[4] Matthew 10:15; 11:24; Luke 10:12; 17:29, 32; 2 Peter 2:6; Jude 1:7.

In Dissertation, Interpretation

People Who Made or Caused Others to Sin

July 7, 2011

Interestingly, unless I missed something in my research, every explicit statement in Scripture about those who made or caused others to sin concerns either a king of Israel or a king of Judah.

Four kings of Israel are said to have made or caused Israel to sin: Jereboam (1 Kings 14:16; 15:26, 30, 34; 16:19, 26; 22:52; 2 Kings 3:3; 10:29, 31; 13:2, 6, 11; 14:24; 15:9, 18, 24, 28; 17:21; 23:15); Baasha (1Kings 16:2, 13); Elah (1 Kings 16:13); and Ahab (1 Kings 21:22).

Manasseh is the only king of Judah whom Scripture explicitly says made Judah to sin (2 Kings 21:11, 16).

Besides the kings who made people to sin, Scripture records that outlandish women caused Solomon to sin (Neh. 13:26).

Undoubtedly, many other people in human history have made or caused others to sin in a manner similar to the people mentioned above. Scripture, however, speaks explicitly only of these people as making or causing other people to sin. I wonder why we do not have many more statements that are explicit in Scripture about those who made or caused others to sin.

In Interpretation

Be Strong and Manly

July 1, 2011

Reading in Joshua 1 in the LXX today, I was reacquainted with a correlation in biblical Greek that I consider worth noting. Four times, Joshua is challenged with the same two imperatives (1:6a, 7a, 9b, 18d):

ἴσχυε καὶ ’ανδρίζου (“Be strong and quit thyself like a man”; 1:6a, 7a; “Be strong and courageous”; 1:9b, 18d; LXE)

In 1 Corinthians 16, Paul challenges believers with two imperatives (one is the same imperative used four times in Joshua 1, and the other expresses a similar idea to the other one in Joshua 1):

’ανδρίζεσθε, κραταιοῦσθε (“Quit you like men, be strong”; 16:13c, KJV)

Because Paul does not explain what he has in view with these commands, how should we understand what he intends? It would seem that the parallel nature of his statement with those in Joshua 1 indicates that we should understand 1 Corinthians 16:13c in terms of the explanation of the commands given in Joshua 1.

The Lord commanded Joshua to be strong and manly for the sake of his prospering in the vital calling of God for his life (1:6b, 7b). He also commanded him to be strong and manly because He would be with him wherever he would go (1:9d). Finally, the people of Israel whom Joshua would lead exhorted him as well to be strong and manly in view of their declaration that they would follow him as they had followed Moses (1:16-18c).

Based on the parallel between 1 Corinthians 16:13c and the statements in Joshua 1, we should understand that God commands His men to be strong and manly for the sake of our accomplishing His will for our lives, especially in our faithfully leading others (cf. Matt. 28:18-20a). Furthermore, we should be strong and manly because Jesus has promised to be with us always, even to the end of the age (cf. Matt. 28:20b).

Let us be strong and manly, as God desires us to be.

In Discipleship, Interpretation

"God is No Respecter of Persons"

June 27, 2011

To convince the apostle Peter that He was no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), God acted miraculously in a remarkable way. First, he sent an angel to inform Cornelius, a Gentile centurion, that He had heard his prayers and remembered his alms (10:3-6; 22; 30-32; 11:13-14). Because He had done so, the angel directed Cornelius to send people to summon Peter to come and present to him the words by which he and his entire house would be saved (11:14).

Meanwhile, God granted Peter a supernatural vision (10:9-16; 11:5-10) to show him that he was not to “call any man common or unclean” (10:28). What’s more, the striking events in the vision were repeated three times (10:16; 11:10), undoubtedly, to emphasize to Peter what God had done.

God then arranged that the men whom Cornelius sent to Peter would arrive at Peter’s place immediately after he had the vision (10:17; 11:11). After this, the Holy Spirit spoke directly to Peter to inform him that He had sent the three men who were seeking him (10:19) and that therefore he was to go with them without any doubting (10:20; 11:12).

Meeting Peter, these men told him how Cornelius had been directed by the angel to send for him (10:22). After going with them and arriving at Cornelius’ house, Peter received from Cornelius a second report of his encounter with the angel and his actions because of that encounter (10:30-32).

Peter thus had three supernatural indicators given to him that God wanted him to be at Cornelius’ home at that time to minister to him: (1) his vision; (2) the Spirit’s speaking to him; and (3) the report of the angel’s directing Cornelius to summon him. Because of the cumulative effect that the remarkable supernatural work of God to direct him in this manner had upon him, Peter opened his gospel message to Cornelius by saying, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him” (10:34-35).

The opening words of Peter’s message show that he was now fully convinced that God is impartial in His dealings with all people. As the readers of Acts, we are given an even stronger presentation of this truth than Peter was because we are given multiple accounts of not only the three supernatural events prior to Peter’s message but also of how the Spirit supernaturally concluded Peter’s message (10:44-46; 11:15; 15:8). Through our reading of how God thus gave these Gentiles the gift of the Holy Spirit, we learn that God unmistakably testified to the salvation of Cornelius and all those who were with him on that occasion (15:8).

Moreover, Luke informs us through Peter’s later testimony that God “put no difference between [the apostles, who were all Jewish] and [these Gentiles], purifying their hearts by faith” (15:9). We, therefore, have every reason to be convinced even more than Peter was that God is no respecter of persons!

He accepts in every nation the people who fear Him and work righteousness, and He desires that believers give such people the words by which they will be saved. Let us be diligent, therefore, to be impartial concerning whom we are willing to go to and witness to them “the word of the gospel” (15:7).

In Evangelism, Gospel, Interpretation

"Shall Be Saved . . . Save Yourselves"

June 19, 2011

At Pentecost, the apostles were “all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). In Jerusalem, there were “Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven,” (2:5) who heard them speaking to them in their “tongues, the wonderful works of God” (2:11).

In response to some who mocked the apostles by saying, “These men are full of new wine” (2:13), Peter authoritatively explained that they were “not drunken” (2:14-15). He explained that rather God had poured His Spirit on them, as the prophet Joel had prophesied (2:16-21).

Because his hearers were devout Jews, Peter’s lengthy citation to them of this important OT prophecy communicated much more truth to them than just what the words that are recorded directly express. To these men who already knew the teaching of the book of Joel and no doubt much else that is in the OT, this citation forcefully confronted them with the truth of God’s future judgment in the Day of the Lord.

Peter ended his citation by saying, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (2:21). The flow of thought shows that this statement concerns salvation from the judgment that the Lord would bring in His Day.

Keeping this teaching in mind is vital for interpreting aright Luke’s final remark about Peter’s ministry at Pentecost: “And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this untoward generation'” (2:40). In view of his earlier teaching, this lengthy exhortation for his hearers to save themselves must be understood as having in view their being saved from the judgment to come on “this untoward generation” in the Day of the Lord.

Moreover, earlier, Peter had climaxed his message by declaring that God has made Jesus Lord (Acts 2:36). The flow of thought throughout the record of Peter’s ministry at Pentecost, therefore, shows that in his final exhortation (2:40), he challenged his hearers to be saved from the judgment that Jesus in His Day will bring as the One who has been appointed as Lord.

In Evangelism, Interpretation

Jesus' Warning That Spammers Need to Heed

June 16, 2011

I have been blogging since February of this year and have learned much about writing, blogs, PHP, CSS—and the practices of spammers. Having to deal regularly with many spam messages, I think that spammers need to consider solemnly that Jesus taught, “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matt. 12:36). He

emphasizes the importance of what people say by speaking of every careless word they utter. When people speak lightly without paying serious attention to what they are saying, the careless word, the word uttered without any thought of the effect that it will have on other people, then that word shows something of what they are, deep down . . . This makes it more significant than the person uttering it may think, and it will be taken into account on Judgment Day. Jesus is saying that in the end we must all give account of ourselves and that words we take lightly will then be seen to have meaning, for they show our innermost being.—Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, 322; bold words are in italics in the original

Based on the content of the spam messages that I am receiving on my site, I believe that their authors are sadly storing up for themselves wrath from God in the Day of Judgment.

Every spam message that supposedly comments on a post but does not have anything to do with the post itself displays a failure to love one’s neighbor as oneself. Spammers fail to obey the Golden Rule of doing to others what they would want to have done to themselves.

May God grant spammers repentance of their multiplying idle words through their worthless messages that display their lack of love for their fellow man.

In Interpretation, Quotes

A Key Truth from First Kings 3

June 14, 2011

Early in the reign of Solomon, God appeared to him in a dream and gave him an incredible opportunity: “Ask what I shall give thee” (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon’s request teaches us a key truth about him as the king that many believers may have overlooked:

“Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” (3:9).

Given the opportunity to ask for whatever he wished, Solomon asked for wisdom so that he could judge God’s people. His request, therefore, shows that he viewed his work as the supreme judicial agent of God over His kingdom as uniquely important.

God was greatly pleased with Solomon’s request (3:10) and gave him far more than what he asked for (3:11-13). The record of God’s great pleasure over Solomon’s request and His richly rewarding him for making that request strongly suggests that Solomon asked for something that was of unique importance for him as the king of Israel.

By following this account immediately with a record of Solomon’s use of his excelling God-given wisdom to judge a dispute among God’s people (3:16-27), the inspired author confirms this interpretation. Moreover, by then stating the nationwide effect of his superlative display of divine wisdom to judge, the writer further confirms this interpretation:

“And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment” (3:28).

Through the inspired record that plainly stresses Solomon’s God-given wisdom to judge His people, we should learn that being the chief judge for God over His people, Israel, was of unique importance for Solomon as the king of Israel. What, then, should we understand about the work in the kingdom of God that was (and is and will yet in a special way be) of unique importance for Jesus Christ, the King of Israel (John 1:49), who was (and is and ever will be) greater than Solomon was (Luke 11:31)?

In Interpretation

The Birth of the Church

June 13, 2011

While on vacation the past few days in TN, I had the privilege of teaching Sunday School at Calvary Baptist Church in Cookeville. I taught on the birth of the Church from Acts 2.

I. When was the Church born? On the day of Pentecost, which was on the day after the Sabbath.

Application: The Church must set continue to set apart the first day of every week as a special day to the Lord on which those who are in a local church assemble together.

II. How was the Church born? Through the repentance of and believing response by those who heard Peter’s preaching of the Word of God.

Application: When they do assemble together on the Lord’s Day, the Church must continue to magnify the preaching of the Word of God as the God-ordained means of building the Church.

III. What was the result of the Church’s being born? They devoted themselves to the doctrine of the apostles, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper, and prayers.

Application: The Church must continue to emphasize these four aspects in their assembling together. Believers must accept that meeting regularly for taking the Lord’s Supper and for corporate prayer is essential for the Church to be what it was born to be.

In Interpretation

The Pervasive New Testament Emphasis on the Agency of Jesus as God's Christ

June 7, 2011

The books of the NT in their canonical form are twenty-seven books that were inspired by God as whole documents, and not as separate discourses, chapters, or verses. Because God did not inspire any particular parts of any book independently of the rest of the book, a right assessment of the any NT book is impossible without appropriate consideration of what each book as a whole communicates. An examination of the books from that perspective reveals that teaching about God permeates the NT since every book explicitly speaks of Him.

Furthermore, every book clearly refers to God as the Father and Jesus as the Christ, except Third John, which has three occurrences of “God” (1:6, 11 [2x]; likely references to the Father) and one mention of the Name (1:7; likely a reference to Christ). Thus, twenty-six of the twenty-seven NT books explicitly present Christ as distinct from the Father. Because the term Christ in Scripture signifies an anointed one who was “chosen, accredited, and empowered” by God for one or more particular tasks, this nearly universal use of that term for Jesus shows that the NT pervasively communicates His agency.[1]

Moreover, each book does so at the beginning of the book:

God as the Father is mentioned in distinction from Jesus of Nazareth in the first chapter of each book by the use of one or more of the following titles for Jesus: “Son” (Heb.); “Jesus” (Luke, Acts); and, “Christ” (all the remaining books except Matthew and 3 John). Matthew speaks of Christ as distinct from the Father through references to the Father as Lord (1:20, 22, 24). Third John likely presents Christ as “the Name” in distinction from the Father as God.

Teaching that communicates the agency of Jesus as God’s Christ, therefore, is a pervasive emphasis of the NT.

[1] I formulated this explanation of what the term Christ signifies from combining the following sources: Thomas R. Schreiner teaches, “The term ‘Messiah’ . . . designates someone who is anointed by God for a particular task.” New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ, 197-98. Michael P. V. Barrett explains, “Three common features applied to all ‘messiahs.’ They were chosen, accredited, and empowered.” Beginning at Moses: A Guide to Finding Christ in the Old Testament, 35.

In Dissertation, Interpretation

"I Will Praise Thee"

June 4, 2011

In Psalm 139, God gives to us His mind concerning our bodies. Since He made our bodies, to view our bodies as He would want us to view them is vital. To that end, consider this: how would you compare God’s work of making our bodies to His other works?

Now compare your thoughts with the revelation of God in Psalm 139. When the Holy Spirit wanted to reveal to us the mind of God about our bodies, He did not think that one word was sufficient. He piled up three striking words one upon another in quick succession in the same verse to indicate the magnificence of His work in creating the human body: “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

A carefully examination of each of these three words highlights the importance of our having a proper viewpoint of our bodies:

(1) “Fearfully” – “The same Hebrew word . . . and the same idea of God’s infinite power, being such as to inspire reverential fear, occurs in Ps. lxv. 5; 2 Sam. vii. 23.” (A Commentary, Vol. II, 395) When we consider our bodies, are we moved to an awe of God? Does the fear of God come upon us when we think about our bodies? Does the fear of God control our decisions pertaining to our bodies?

(2) “Wonderfully” – Do we recognize the extraordinary nature of our bodies? Have we ever been gripped with astonishment and wonder at what God has done in making our bodies?

(3) “Marvellous” – God uses this same word in Psalm 119:18 about what is in His Word, and in Psalm 118:23, He uses this same word to speak of His work in raising Christ from the dead! How many of us view what God has done in making our bodies as being even remotely at the same level as what He has done in these other works of His?

Let us praise our God for His wondrous work of making our bodies the way He has!

In Interpretation

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