Interpretation | A People for His Name

Learning from the Great Commissioner

February 22, 2011

The concluding verses of the Gospel of Matthew reveal vital information concerning the Great Commissioner. Concerning Him, the final twenty verses of Matthew’s Gospel display a striking contrast that becomes clear through close attention to the flow of thought.

As is true of the other Gospels, the conclusion of Matthew includes testimony concerning the appearances of Jesus to His disciples. In these accounts, Matthew 28 features two instances of people worshiping Jesus. First, we read that Jesus met and greeted two women. The women responded by coming to Him and worshiping Him (28:9). These Jewish women did so because they believed that Jesus was God. Because Matthew and the Holy Spirit chose to inform us of this event, we must keep it in mind as we further examine the flow of thought.

After five verses (28:11-15) not directly concerning the appearances, we read of a second appearance. Jesus met His disciples in the place that He had appointed them (28:16). Seeing Jesus, the disciples worshipped Him, but some doubted (28:17). Once again, Matthew presents us with testimony about those who believed that Jesus was God.

Matthew’s placing two such accounts in rapid succession suggests strong emphasis on the deity of Jesus. Intriguingly, the next verse, however, contrasts strikingly with that emphasis. Moreover, it does so through recording the statement with which Jesus as the Great Commissioner chose to preface His commissioning of the disciples. Jesus came and said to them, “All power [Gk. authority] is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (28:18). He could easily have said, “I have all authority in heaven and earth,” but He did not. Had He done so, the strong emphasis on His deity would have been continued, instructing all His disciples throughout the ages that He wants their attention directed chiefly to the authority that He had then and continues to have today as God.

Because Jesus chose not to preface His commissioning in this manner, we must conclude that He wants to emphasize to us that His God-given authority is the primary source of His authority as the Great Commissioner. Whatever else we do with the rest of the information given about the Commission, both here and elsewhere, we miss out on a key part of our discipling others concerning world evangelism and discipleship if we do not give attention to and emphasize His intermediate authority.

Moreover, this feature of Matthew 28 should serve to instruct us to attend carefully to many other seminal statements concerning Jesus’ role as the Agent of God (John 5:22; 26-27; Acts 1:7-8; 2:36; 3:26; 5:31; 10:42; 13:23; 17:30-31; Rom. 15:8-9; Gal. 4:4; 1 Thess. 4:14; Titus 3:6; Heb. 5:5-6; 1 Pet. 1:21; Rev. 2:27; 3:12). When we do so, we discover that the ending of Matthew 28 is not an exceptional instance that only serves to confirm the “rule” that emphasizing the deity of Christ is what we should primarily focus on in our evangelism and discipleship. Thorough attention to the entire New Testament shows that the New Testament writers greatly emphasized the agency of Jesus. We need to learn from Matthew 28 and many other passages that the Great Commissioner Himself wants us to do likewise.

Although we are to emphasize the deity of Jesus in our evangelism and discipleship, we must not stop there. We must also emphasize His agency.

In Evangelism, Interpretation Evangelism, Interpretation, Missions

‘God is My Judge’

February 19, 2011

In the 357 verses of the book of Daniel, there are more than 300 occurrences of words pertaining to civil authority: king (150); king’s (20); kings (12); kings’ (1) [183]; kingly (1); kingdom (54); kingdoms (3) [57]; prince(17); princes (18) [35]; reign (6); rule (4); ruler (6); ruled (2); rulers (2); ruleth (3) [17]; lord (4); and, lords (6) [10]. Noting much of this content, especially verses like Daniel 4:35, people often come away from the book thinking and saying that it is about God’s sovereignty.

The meaning of the word, “Daniel,” however, is not, ‘God is my Sovereign’; it means, ‘God is my judge.’ In keeping with the meaning of the title of the book, Daniel 7, the key chapter of the book, sets forth the Ancient of Days as the Judge who renders judgment (7:10, 22, and 26). His judgment brings about the rise and fall of the successive major kingdoms of the world and will one day bring in the kingdom of God and of His Christ.

Appreciation of the work of God as judge in the book of Daniel and in Scripture in general is not infrequently obscured by the overuse of the terms, “sovereign” and “sovereignty,” because God’s work as judge does not seem to be readily in view in such statements about His sovereignty. It seems that at least some people often think of sovereignty mostly in terms of an administrator or an executive and thereby lose sight of God’s work as judge.

Psalm 75 supports regarding Daniel as emphasizing the work of God as judge by declaring that promotion comes from God the Judge (75:6-7; see also 1 Sam. 15:3, 17-18; 1 Kings 19:16-17 [raising up kings] and 1 Sam. 15:23, 26; 2 Chron. 24:24 [removing kings in connection with His judging]). As the Judge, God is the One who puts down one and sets up another (75:7). Nearly the entire book of Daniel manifests the judicial activity of God in connection with the rise and fall of kings and their kingdoms.

It is important for us to have a scriptural understanding of the work of God as judge. His judging is not just His condemning, destroying, punishing, etc. His judgment is multifaceted and includes His promoting people and rewarding those who are upright. For example, God as the Judge of all manifests Himself gloriously in the book of Daniel by repeatedly exalting Daniel and his friends in spite of others’ attempts to destroy them (2:46-49; 3:28-30; 6:23-24).

Let us praise our God, the Judge who both exalts and abases!

Adam to Noah: Profiting More From Genesis 5

February 17, 2011

Working with the information in Genesis 5, I created a table that shows how long each person from Adam to Noah lived. I used my “After Adam” (AA) dating scheme to generate the table. Examining this table provides interesting information that simply reading through the text does not:

Everyone in the list from Seth to Lamech at least theoretically had the opportunity to know Adam personally. This fact has intriguing implications especially for what Enoch likely knew and how that information probably affected him (see my post, “In the Year after Adam“). Think also how many people may have attended the “funeral” of Adam (930 AA) and what it must have been like!

Everyone listed from Adam to Lamech had the opportunity to know Enoch for at least one century during the period that he walked with God. Yet, Scripture does not say that any of these people walked with God.

Jude 14-15 does not tell us when Enoch prophesied of the Lord’s future coming in judgment. If Enoch performed that ministry prior to Adam’s death, everyone listed before Noah could have had opportunity to hear Enoch’s prophesying personally. If he began to preach that message immediately after Adam’s death, all the rest listed from Seth to Lamech could still have had more than half a century to hear his preaching because Enoch was translated 57 years after Adam’s death.

Seth was still alive when Enoch was translated (987 AA), and so were Enosh, Cainan, Mahalel, Jared, Methuselah, and Lamech. What effect must Enoch’s not being found (Heb. 11:5) have had on all those who learned of it?

In fact, Seth lived 55 years after Enoch’s translation, and the rest lived from 153 (Enosh) to 669 (Methuselah) years after Enoch’s translation. Every one of these, therefore, could have had the opportunity to perpetuate Enoch’s message for at least more than half a century.

Enosh, Cainan, Mahalel, Jared, Methuselah, and Noah’s father, Lamech, were alive when Noah was born in 1056 AA. These all were still alive until Noah was 84 (when Enosh died). Noah, therefore, had abundant time to get first hand information from and about his ancestors, especially about Enoch and his prophesying and not being found.

The flood occurred in the year 1656 AA, which means that all human beings other than Noah and those who were with him in the Ark died before man had existed for even two millennia. Noah died in 2006 AA.

I hope that this fascinating study somehow stimulates your studying the Scripture more thoroughly and profiting more from the parts of it that are often glossed over.

In Interpretation Interpretation

God's Mercy in His Judgment

February 16, 2011

God fiercely judged Saul for his disobedience. He rejected him from being king (1 Sam. 15:23), rent the kingdom of Israel from him, and gave it to David (15:28). “The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled” him (16:14).

Somehow, Saul’s servants knew that “an evil spirit from God” troubled Saul (16:14). They informed him of that fact and counseled him to seek out a skilled musician whose playing would relieve him of the affliction caused by the evil spirit (16:16). Responding to Saul’s request that his servants provide such a musician for him, one of his servants commended David to him (16:17-18).

The servant’s commendation informed Saul of much more than the fact that David was a skilled musician. The servant ended his six-fold commendation by saying, “The Lord is with him” (16:18). Saul sent for David (16:19-22), and David ministered effectively to him when he was troubled by the spirit: “Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him” (16:19-23).

This account is often referenced by Christian musicians in their discussions of the value of good music. Although such use is valid, what the passage teaches about God’s mercy in His judgment is sometimes not fully appreciated. God rightly and fiercely judged Saul for his sinfulness. But, God extended mercy to Saul in His judgment through providing a means for him to be relieved of some of the ill effects of part of that judgment. Had God chosen to do so, He could have prevented Saul from ever learning of an effective remedy for the trouble the evil spirit was causing him.

Furthermore, God did not just allow him to learn of an effective remedy (16:16); He also put a servant among Saul’s servants who informed him of someone who could provide that remedy (16:18-22). Then, God allowed Saul’s request for that one to come to minister to him to be granted, and He allowed the ministry of that person to be effective in relieving him of his trouble (16:23).

As He did for Saul, God extends mercy in His judgment today to many who are suffering directly for their sinfulness. For example, He often allows people who have health problems directly attributable to their own evil behavior to yet learn of and obtain effective treatments that relieve some or all of their suffering.

God’s providing David as a means of relieving Saul of some of his trouble should inspire great appreciation for His mercy in His judgment. Let us praise God that He is the Judge who delights in mercy (Micah 7:18)!

In Interpretation, Music Interpretation

Evangelize Jesus and the Resurrection!

February 15, 2011

Concerning apostolic evangelism, few chapters in Scripture provide as much important information as Acts 17 does. With great skillfulness, Luke presents the Apostle Paul’s evangelistic ministry in multiple settings. The chapter records Paul’s evangelizing in three cities (Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens) on at least five separate occasions. We learn of his gospel ministry to Jews and Gentiles, men and women, rich and poor people, devout people and philosophers, and people in synagogues, in the marketplace, and at the Areopagus.

Thorough attention to all that Acts 17 records shows emphasis on Pauline proclamation of “Jesus and the Resurrection” at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the chapter (17: 3, 18, 32). Despite this consistent element of his preaching, some scholars and not a few preachers have asserted, in effect, that Paul more or less “failed” in his gospel ministry at the Areopagus. Lack of explicit record to his testifying concerning faith in the name of Jesus, the Cross, and Jesus as Savior lead many to regard this passage as a record of his departing from his normal evangelistic strategy.

Through three messages that I preached in October 2010, I have addressed such assessments to show that that they are unwarranted. Acts 17:18-34 is not in any sense a monument to Pauline failure in evangelism. Rather, the entire chapter plainly declares that Pauline evangelism at its essence was to evangelize Jesus and the Resurrection.

Acts 17 – Another King

Acts 17 – Make Known the True God

Various passages – Evangelize Jesus and the Resurrection

In Evangelism, Gospel, Interpretation Evangelism, Interpretation

None Like Him in the Earth

February 12, 2011

In two celestial encounters, God confronted Satan concerning His servant, Job. God stated that there was “none like him in the earth” (Job 1:8; 2:3). He explained Job’s uniqueness on both occasions by declaring that he was “a perfect and an upright man,” one who fears God and turns away from evil. These statements highlight the exceeding godliness of Job.

These statements, however, do more than just informing us of Job’s spiritual excellence. They teach us truth about our God that is easily overlooked. We all understand that God examines our spiritual state and knows everything about us. What’s interesting about these statements is that they reveal that God not only evaluates all mankind, but that He also makes comparative evaluations about the spiritual state of all mankind. God declared Job’s unique spiritual status: there was “none like him in the earth.”

Scripture does not seem to provide any revelation that bars us from thinking that God does not continue to evaluate all people in the same manner today. We ourselves lack the ability to evaluate rightly who is the godliest person in our day. Perhaps, however, keeping in mind that God apparently does comparatively evaluate us and knows who the godliest living person is would somehow motivate us to excel in our own lives?

In Interpretation Interpretation

The OT Chapter Most Used by the NT Writers

February 11, 2011

Most Bible students understand that the New Testament writers extensively use the Old Testament in their writings. In my dissertation research, I examined the Index of Quotations and the Index of Allusions and Verbal Parallels provided in UBS3. I then examined the corresponding index in NA27. Because the UBS text treats the quotations separately from the allusions and verbal parallels, I compiled the data from the indices for all the Old Testament passages that are used frequently by the New Testament writers. From that study, I discovered a key aspect of this topic, which I treated as follows in a footnote in my dissertation:

“Daniel 7 is the single chapter in the Old Testament that is the most used by the New Testament writers (5 quotations and 39 allusions and verbal parallels for a total of 44 times that the chapter is used in the New Testament.) UBS3, 897-911 The second most referenced chapter, Isaiah 53, is quoted six times and cited by allusion or parallel 32 times for a total of 38 citations. Ibid. While differing with UBS3 on the total number of citations for each chapter, NA27 also presents Daniel 7 and Isaiah 53 as the two most cited chapters in the New Testament: Daniel 7 (56x) and Isaiah 53 (41x). “Loci Citati Vel Allegati,” in NA27, 792, 797.”

Prior to doing my research, had I been asked what Old Testament chapter is the most used by the New Testament writers, I would never have guessed that it would have been Daniel 7. Despite many years of Bible study and extensive undergraduate and graduate coursework in religion, I was unaware of the exceeding importance of this chapter for understanding the New Testament. To my great delight, my study showed that this supremely important chapter highlights truths of vital importance to my dissertation topic!

Reading the New Testament with the cardinal importance of Daniel 7 in mind sheds important light on many key aspects of the New Testament, including Jesus’ use of “Son of Man” more often than any other self-designation. Bringing extensive data from the Septuagint into the picture adds further to this rich and rewarding study!

In Interpretation

In the Year after Adam

February 10, 2011

Analyzing Genesis 5 using a dating scheme that I have designated as “after Adam” (AA) reveals some fascinating and useful information. Adam lived until 930 AA (5:5). Working with the genealogical information supplied (5:1-18), we learn that Enoch was born in 622 AA. These calculations show that Adam and Enoch were contemporaries for 308 years!

Although it cannot be proved, it is unreasonable to think that Enoch would not have known Adam personally. Over a span of more than three centuries, he surely would have consulted at length at least once with his great, great, great, great grandfather. Because Adam was the first man ever and the only eyewitness to key events (2:7-25), any of his descendants who were wise would have sought him out and learned much from him about the history of the world from the creation of man until their day.

We, therefore, have good grounds to believe that Enoch received eyewitness testimony about the events of the Fall (Genesis 3). In fact, Enoch undoubtedly had far more information about that event than we do. Moreover, Adam was alive for 243 of the 300 years that Enoch walked with God (5:21-22). For more than two centuries, then, Enoch learned from his walk with God and had opportunity to learn also from Adam.

It is worthwhile to ponder how Enoch’s interaction with Adam likely helped shape Enoch into an exemplary man who walked with God. Considering the relevance of that interaction for our understanding rightly the only information that we are given about the nature of Enoch’s prophetic ministry (Jude 14-15) is also worth pondering deeply.

In Discipleship, Interpretation

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