Interpretation | A People for His Name

"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

The Incredible Mercy of God!

May 31, 2011

Brought before the Jewish Council (Matt. 26:57-62), Jesus bore testimony to them that He was the Christ, the Son of God (27:63). For His affirming that truth, they condemned Him to die (27:65-66).

Some time later, Stephen was brought before the Jewish council (Acts 6:8-12), which no doubt at that time still had on it many of the same people who were on it when Jesus was brought before them. God then allowed many of the same people who had condemned Jesus to death to hear the same truth from Stephen (7:56) that they had heard from Jesus (Matt. 27:63) but rejected. They responded by putting Stephen to death (Acts 7:57-60).

Through Stephen, therefore, God allowed many of those who had been responsible for condemning His Son to death to hear again the truths that they needed to hear to be saved. Sadly, however, they rejected the truth yet again.

For these people who had in a horrific way more than once rejected God’s salvation, Stephen, as he was dying, prayed that their sins would not be laid to their charge (7:60). Through Stephen’s remarkably gracious prayer, God testified to them His desire for them to be spared the punishment that they so richly deserved for their sins.

The incredible mercy of God shines forth brilliantly in His dealings with these who put His Son to death and martyred Stephen. Truly, He is a God who delights in mercy!

In Interpretation

The Only Inspired Record of the Final Words of a Christian Martyr

May 26, 2011

The final verses of Acts 7 provide us with the only inspired record of the final words of a Christian martyr. The uniqueness of this revelation is interesting because Scripture informs us that other believers were also martyred (James [Acts 12:2]; Peter [John 21:18-19]), but God for some reason did not choose to give us any information about their final words.

Luke records the two prayers that Stephen prayed before he died:

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep (7:59-60).

Both prayers address someone as Lord. Both prayers parallel prayers by Jesus on the Cross (Luke 23:34, 46).

The first prayer was to Jesus as Lord and concerned Stephen himself. The second prayer concerned Stephen’s persecutors.

When I wrote my dissertation, I argued that Stephen prayed both prayers to Jesus. I was challenged by a committee member who held that Stephen prayed his second prayer not to Jesus, but to the Father.

Whom do you think that he prayed to (Jesus or the Father) and why do you think that way?

In Dissertation, Interpretation, Prayer

Gentecost as a Fulfillment of Psalm 2:8!

May 24, 2011

More than 15 years ago, I first became aware of the importance of the Gentecost account in Acts 10. Since then, I have spent much time over the years studying that passage, including many hours in my dissertation work.

Recently, God showed me some more truth about that passage that I had never seen before. It is amazing to me that after so many years of what has often been very intense study, I am still discovering additional significance of that account!

In Psalm 2, David records the Messiah’s declaration:

I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel (2:7-9).

At the Jerusalem Council, James urged the people to listen to him and said, “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name” (Acts 15:14). Although there had been Gentiles saved prior to Gentecost, this statement informs us that what took place then was the first instance of God’s in an official manner taking out from the Gentiles a people for His name.

Comparing Psalm 2:8 with Acts 15:14, we learn that it was at Gentecost that the Father first began officially to give His Christ the heathen for His inheritance! Gentecost thus was a fulfillment of the Father’s promise to the Son that the Son had declared many centuries earlier!

Truly, the riches of God’s Word are inexhaustible!

In Dissertation, Interpretation

Profiting from the Accounts about Stephen

May 22, 2011

Five considerations about the accounts in Scripture about Stephen show that we should profit from this material:

They are inspired Scripture intended for our profit (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Their vast overall length shows their importance – 73 verses in the NT (6:5-6; 6:8-15; 7:1-60; 8:1a; 8:2; 22:20)
The unique information they provide – the only inspired record of the final words and actions of a Christian martyr (7:56; 59-60)
The emphasis on the Spirit’s role in his life throughout the accounts (first mention of him highlights his being Spirit-filled [6:5; cf. 6:3]; irresistible ministry through the Spirit [6:10]; Spirit-filled testimony [7:55-56] and prayers [7:59-60] at his martyrdom) shows that he is an exemplary believer
Striking parallels between his experience with the Jewish council (and others) and Jesus’ experience with many of the same people (see my earlier post)

In Interpretation

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