Archives For Theology

Do You Appreciate Peter Properly as the Blessed Disciple That He Was?

April 21, 2014

Overall, my perspective over the years has been that many believers consistently emphasize negative aspects of Peter’s life at the expense of a number of key good things that Scripture reveals about him. To help change this unwarranted emphasis, this post presents four points about Peter that show that he was a uniquely blessed disciple of Jesus Christ.

God the Father Uniquely Favored Peter

In Caesarea, Peter made his famous confession of Jesus as the Christ (Matt 16:13-20). Jesus responded by declaring that the Father had uniquely favored him to enable him to do so:

Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

In spite of all Peter’s failings, the Father chose to bless Peter in a special way with glorious revelation about His Son!

Jesus Uniquely Favored Peter

Not only did the Father specially favor Peter on that occasion, but Jesus did so as well. Jesus promised that He would build His church upon the rock of Peter’s confession of Him as the Christ (Matt. 16:18). In addition, He gave to Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 16:19)!

Certainly, Jesus knew Peter through and through, including how he would shortly thereafter be an offense to Jesus Himself (Matt. 16:22-23). In fact, even Jesus’ full knowledge of how Peter would yet fail Him grievously in the future (Matt. 26:34, 75; Luke 22:31) did not lead Him to withdraw the special calling that He had given to Peter.

The Holy Spirit Uniquely Highlights His Selection of Peter

While Peter was thinking about a miraculous vision that he had seen (Acts 10:17-19a), the Holy Spirit spoke directly to him:

Act 10:19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.

 20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I [Gk. egw, emphatic personal pronoun] have sent them.

Remarkably, the Spirit emphatically asserted (using an emphatic personal pronoun) that He had sent the men who came to summon Peter to come speak words to Cornelius and his household by which they all would be saved (Acts 11:14).

This is the only evangelistic account in Scripture that the Spirit directly declares that He purposed that a specific disciple would be the one who would preach the gospel on a specific occasion.

The Book of Acts Uniquely Emphasizes the Gospel Ministry of Peter

The book of Acts recounts how the Church was born (Acts 1-2) and how the disciples proceeded to evangelize the world thereafter (Acts 3-28). Of the lengthy accounts of apostolic gospel ministry that the Spirit provides us with in Acts, the records of Peter’s ministry in Jerusalem (Acts 2) and in Caesarea (Acts 10:1-48; 11:1-18; 15:7-9) are the two that are highlighted both by their being the two longest accounts and by their being the two most important accounts.

Furthermore, the inspired record of the Jerusalem Council proceedings uniquely emphasizes the gospel ministry of Peter in a way that sets his ministry in Caesarea apart from all other evangelistic accounts. To understand this unique emphasis, we must closely consider the following facets of what transpired in Jerusalem at that time.

First, Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders to resolve an all-important question—did the Gentiles have to be circumcised in order to be saved (Acts 15:1-2)? Although Paul and Barnabas did contribute heavily to the proceedings of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:4, 12), Scripture provides only a one-verse summary of their ministry to Gentiles (Acts 15:12) in reporting what they contributed to the actual proceedings of the Council.

By striking contrast, the Jerusalem Council report highlights Peter’s ministry in Caesarea by providing five verses concerning his ministry and its implications (Acts 15:7-11). Remarkably, Peter’s ministry on that occasion is the only specific evangelistic encounter mentioned in the entire record of the Jerusalem Council proceedings.

This comparison shows that the inspired record of the Jerusalem Council features an explicit emphasis on Petrine gospel ministry while only providing a summary statement about Pauline ministry to Gentiles!

Second, James authoritatively settled the issues at hand by again referring to God’s use of Peter in Caesarea and how what took place on that occasion was in fulfillment of the words of the prophets (Acts 15:13-21). In this way, we see that the Jerusalem Council account clearly presents a unique emphasis on Petrine gospel ministry.

Conclusion

The four points discussed above show that Peter was a disciple who was uniquely favored by the Father, Son, and the Spirit! Moreover, the inspired records in the book of Acts (of apostolic evangelism and of apostolic determinations concerning how Gentiles are saved) show that Peter was a uniquely important God-chosen minister of the gospel.

Based on the biblical data, we should take care not to emphasize negative aspects of the Scriptural record about the apostle Peter at the expense of much glorious revelation concerning how he was a uniquely blessed disciple of Christ. Let us appreciate Peter properly as the blessed disciple that he was!

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Evangelism, Exhortation, Gospel, Interpretation, Theology
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The Evangelistic Importance of a Striking Correlation between John 4:4-42 and 1 Corinthians 14:23-25

April 4, 2014

John 4:4-42 and 1 Corinthians 14:23-25 record evangelistic encounters in two widely differing settings: Jesus’ evangelizing a sinful woman in Samaria versus an unbelieving person who enters a local church and receives prophesying from a congregation of worshiping believers. Despite their differing settings, these passages reveal a striking correlation that illumines a key element of genuine salvation.

John 4:4-42

Jesus conversed about living water with a Samaritan woman who came to draw water from the well where He was sitting (John 4:5-14). The woman responded by saying to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw” (John 4:15).

Instead of immediately giving her that gift of God (John 4:10) when she seemed eager to receive it, Jesus supernaturally confronted her with her sinfulness by telling her how she was currently living in sin (John 4:16-18). Recognizing that He had exposed sinful details of her life that she would have thought that He would have had no way of knowing about her, the woman related that she perceived that He was a prophet (John 4:19).

Through His exposing her secret sinfulness and His further dealings with her (John 4:20-27), the woman became convinced that He was the Christ whom she knew would come and tell them “all things” (John 4:25). Leaving Him and going into the city, she testified to men repeatedly that she had encountered the Christ who told her all things that she had ever done (John 4:29, 39).

By correlating these three statements (John 4:25, 29, 39), we see clearly that her persistent testimony to that specific truth shows that His supernaturally convincing her of the sinfulness of secret aspects of her life was a crucial facet of her coming to genuine faith in Him. In particular, the final statement about her testifying to that truth shows that many others also came to believe because of her testimony to that truth (John 4:39).

1 Corinthians 14:23-25

In the only New Testament passage that explicitly recounts worship taking place in a local church (1 Cor. 14:23-25), Paul provides strikingly similar revelation to what was crucial in Jesus’ evangelism of the Samaritan woman:

1Co 14:23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

 24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:

 25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

This passage shows that true worship of God by an unbelieving sinner who comes into a local church results from God’s making manifest “the secrets of his heart” (1 Cor. 14:25) and convincing him of his sinfulness (1 Cor. 14:24) through the collective ministry of all who minister to him in that service (see The Consummation of Public Worship for a fuller explanation of this passage).

Discussion

Both John 4:4-42 and 1 Corinthians 14:23-25 teach us about the importance of a sinner having his secret sins exposed supernaturally. To understand further the evangelistic importance of this striking correlation between these two passages, we need to correlate them with key Pauline teaching about his gospel ministry:

In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel (Rom. 2:16).

A careful handling of Romans 2:16 shows that Paul is teaching that a key truth that he testified as part of his gospel was that God “in the day” would judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ (see this post for a detailed explanation concerning this vital point).

We learn from this statement that Paul evangelized sinners by telling that them that God will one day judge their secret sins and that He will do so through Jesus Christ. Paul thus evangelized sinners with testimony that closely correlates with the Samaritan woman’s testimony to others that Jesus as the Christ had exposed her secret sinfulness and convinced her of that sinfulness by telling her all things that she had ever done.

Furthermore, because Paul tells us that part of his gospel testimony was to tell people about how God will one day judge their secrets through Jesus Christ, we are justified in inferring that this truth was one of the truths that was prophesied to the unbeliever who came into the local church service recorded in 1 Corinthians 14:23-25.

Conclusion 

John 4:4-42 and 1 Corinthians 14:23-25 correlate strongly with each other and with Romans 2:16 to reveal the vital evangelistic importance of testifying to sinners that God will one day judge their secrets through Jesus Christ. We who evangelize sinners in our day should testify to this key gospel truth and allow God to use it to expose to them their secrets and to convince them of their sinfulness.

Doing so, we will provide them with vital testimony that God will use to bring those who repent and believe to fall on their faces and worship Him!

 

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Evangelism, Gospel, Interpretation, Theology
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An Excellent Example of the How the NT Helps Us to Interpret the OT

March 23, 2014

Paying close attention to how the New Testament uses the Old Testament is vital for our knowing how to interpret the Old Testament. A specific dimension of how the New Testament uses Psalm 34:12-16 in 1 Peter 3:10-12 provides an excellent example that teaches us a valuable point about interpreting the Old Testament.

The Use of Psalm 34:12-16 in 1 Peter 3:10-12

Lining up Psalm 34:12-16 with the corresponding statements in 1 Peter 3:10-12 helps us to compare the two passages and identify important differences:

Psa 34:12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? 1Pe 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days,
13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto   their cry. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers:
16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

This comparison reveals two noteworthy points.

First, Peter’s beginning verse 10 of 1 Peter 3 with the word for shows us that he is using Old Testament teaching in Psalm 34:12-16 to support his teaching us as Christians about how we are to live in our day. By comparing the preceding teaching in both Psalm 34 and 1 Peter 3 (Psalm 34:11 with 1 Peter 3:8-9), we learn that Peter is teaching us some specific aspects of how we are to fear the Lord (for further explanation of this point, see this post).

It also provides a good example of teaching that was specifically addressed to believers in the Old Testament that still applies to our lives as New Testament believers. This observation should confirm to us a key dimension of the continuing value of the Old Testament for us (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:6; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; for more on this point, see Are You Profiting from the Old Testament the Way God Wants You To?).

Second, in Peter 3:12, Peter inserts the word for between statements (1 Pet. 3:11 and the rest of 1 Pet. 3:12) that correspond to statements that were merely juxtaposed in Psalm 34:14-15. I have previously explained the significance of this important difference this way:

From the citation of Psalm 34:12-16 in 1 Peter 3:10-12, we learn that we who would lead a blessed life of fearing God must keep our tongues from evil and our lips from speaking deceit (1 Pet. 3:10). We must turn away from evil, do good, seek peace, and pursue it (1 Pet. 3:11).

Peter then explains these directives by inserting for at the beginning of 1 Peter 3:12, which is not in Psalm 34:15. By doing so, however, he does not change the original meaning; he brings out the logical connection that was there all along but was unstated. We are thus called to inherit a blessing (1 Pet. 3:9) through heeding certain directives about fearing God (1 Pet. 3:10-11) because His eyes “are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer” (1 Pet. 3:12a-b), but His face “is against those who do evil” (1 Pet. 3:12c).

Peter’s use of Psalm 34:12-16 in 1 Peter 3:10-12 thus supports our carefully examining other seemingly unrelated statements that are juxtaposed in the Old Testament to see if there is a clear but unstated logical connection that we are supposed to understand from the flow of thought in the passage.

This second point is especially noteworthy because the failure to consider such a possibility likely means that we are often missing intended meaning in the Old Testament that God desires would profit us as New Testament believers.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Exposition, Interpretation, Theology
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The Use of “O” in Addressing Deity: Part I

March 17, 2014

Using BibleWorks 7, I compiled the following instances of the use of the interjection “O” in addressing Deity. This data provides us with valuable information about various ways in which Scripture presents appropriate ways to address God using the interjection “O.”

By studying these 55 differing expressions used to address Deity, we can learn to vary our prayers to God. I plan to provide an analysis of this data in a separate post.

O Father John 17:5
O Father, Lord of heaven and earth Matt. 11:25; Lk. 10:21
O God Num. 12:13; Jdg. 16:28; 1 Chr. 17:17; Neh. 6:9; Ps. 5:10; 10:12; 16:1; 17:6; 25:22; 36:7; 42:1; 43:1, 4; 44:1, 4; 45:6; 48:9, 10; 51:1, 10, 17; 54:1, 2; 55:1, 23; 56:1, 7, 12; 57:1, 5, 7, 11; 58:6; 60:1, 10; 61:1, 5; 63:1; 64:1; 65:1; 66:10; 67:3, 5; 68:7, 9, 10, 24, 28, 35; 69:1, 5, 13, 29; 70:1, 5; 71:17, 18, 19; 72:1; 74:1, 10, 22; 75:1; 77:13, 16; 79:1; 80:3; 82:8; 83:1; 84:9; 86:14; 94:1; 108:1, 5, 11; 139:17, 19, 23; 144:9; Isa. 64:4; Heb. 1:8; 10:7, 9
O God of hosts Ps. 80:7, 14
O God of Israel 1 Ki. 8:26; Ps. 69:6
O God of Israel, the Saviour Isa. 45:15
O God of Jacob Ps. 76:6; 84:8
O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD Gen. 32:9
O God of my praise Ps. 109:1
O God of my righteousness Ps. 4:1
O God of my salvation Ps. 27:9
O God of our salvation 1 Chr. 16:35; Ps. 65:5; 79:9; 85:4
O God our shield Ps. 84:9
O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh Num. 16:22
O GOD the Lord Ps. 109:21; 140:7; 141:8
O God, thou God of my salvation Ps. 51:14
O king Ps. 145:1
O King of nations Jer. 10:7
O Lord Exod. 15:17; 34:9; Jos. 7:8; Neh. 1:11; Ps. 35:22; 44:23; 51:15; 55:9; 57:9; 59:11; 62:12; 73:20; 86:3f, 8, 9, 15; 130:3; Isa. 38:16; Dan. 9:7, 8, 16, 19 [3]; Rev. 4:11; 6:10; 15:4; 16:5
O LORD Exod. 15:6, 11, 16, 17; Num. 10:36; Deut. 21:8; 26:10; Jdg. 5:31; 2 Sam. 15:31; 22:29, 50; 23:17; 24:10; 1 Ki. 18:37; 19:4; 2 Ki. 20:3; 1 Chr. 17:19, 20, 27; 29:11; Ps. 3:3, 7; 5:1, 3, 8; 6:1, 2, 3, 4; 7:6, 8; 9:1, 13, 19, 20;   10:1, 12; 13:1; 17:1, 13, 14; 18:15, 49; 21:1; 22:19; 25:1, 4, 6, 11; 26:1, 2; 27:7, 11; 30:1, 8, 10; 31:1, 9, 14, 17; 33:22; 35:1, 22; 36:5; 38:1, 15, 21;   39:12; 40:11, 13; 41:10; 54:6; 59:8; 69:13, 16; 70:5; 71:1; 74:18; 85:7; 86:1, 6, 11; 88:13; 89:5, 15, 51; 90:13; 92:5, 9; 93:3, 5; 94:5, 12, 18; 101:1; 102:1, 12; 104:24; 106:4; 108:3; 115:1; 116:4, 16; 118:25; 119:12, 31, 33, 41, 52, 55, 57, 64, 65, 75, 89, 107, 108, 137, 145, 149, 151, 156, 159, 169, 174; 120:2; 123:3; 125:4; 126:4; 132:8; 135:13; 137:7; 138:4, 8; 139:21; 140:1, 4, 8; 141:3; 142:5; 143:1, 9, 11; 144:5; 145:10; Isa. 12:1; 26:8; 33:2; 37:17; 38:3, 14; 63:16, 17; 64:9, 12; Jer. 5:3; 10:23, 24; 12:1, 3; 14:7, 9; 17:13, 14; 18:19; 31:7; Lam. 1:9, 11, 20; 2:20; 3:55, 61, 64; 5:1, 19, 21; Hos. 9:14; Joel 1:19; 2:17; Jon. 1:14; 4:2f; Hab. 1:2; 3:2
O Lord GOD Deut. 3:24; 9:26; Jos. 7:7; Jdg. 6:22; 16:28; 2 Sam. 7:18, 19 [2], 28, 29; 1 Ki. 8:53; Ps. 71:5; Jer. 32:25; Ezek. 37:3; Amos 7:2, 5
O LORD God 2 Sam. 7:22, 25; 1 Chr. 17:16, 17; 2 Chr. 1:9; 6:41 [2], 42; Ps. 94:1
O Lord God Almighty Rev. 11:17
O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel 1 Chr. 29:18
O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God Neh. 1:5
O LORD God of hosts Ps. 59:5; 69:6; 80:4, 19; 84:8; 89:8; Jer. 15:16
O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel Ps. 59:5
O LORD God of Israel Jdg. 21:3; 1 Sam. 20:12; 23:10, 11; 2 Ki. 9:15; 2 Chr. 6:14, 16, 17; Ezra 9:15
O LORD God of my master Abraham Gen. 24:12; 42
O LORD God of my salvation Ps. 88:1
O LORD God of our fathers 2 Chr. 20:6
O LORD God of truth Ps. 31:5
O LORD of hosts 1 Sam. 1:11; Ps. 84:1, 3, 12; Jer. 11:20; 20:12; Zec. 1:2
O LORD of hosts, God of Israel Is. 37:16; 2 Sam. 7:27
O LORD our God 1 Chr. 29:16; 2 Chr. 14:11; Ps. 99;8; 106:47; Isa. 26:13; 37:20; Jer. 14:22
O Lord our God Dan. 9:15
O LORD our Lord Ps. 8:1; 8:9
O Lord, the great and dreadful God Dan. 9:4
O LORD, the hope of Israel Jer. 17:13
O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be Rev. 16:5
O most High Ps. 92:1
O my Father Matt. 26:39, 42
O my God 1 Chr. 17:25; Ezr. 9:6; Neh. 13:14, 22, 29, 31; Ps. 3:7; 22:2; 25:2; 38:21; 40:8, 17; 42:6; 59:1; 71:4, 12, 22; 83:13; 102:24; Dan. 9:18, 19
O my Lord Exod. 4:10, 13; Judg. 13:8; Zec. 1:9
O our God 2 Chr. 20:12; Ezra 9:10; Neh. 4:4; Dan. 9:17
O Shepherd of Israel Ps. 80:1
O thou God of my fathers Dan. 2:23
O thou Holy One of Israel Ps. 71:22
O thou most High Ps. 9:2; 56:2
O thou my God Ps. 86:2
O thou preserver of men Job 7:20
O thou that dwellest in the heavens Ps. 123:1
O thou that hearest prayer Ps. 65:2
O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel Ps. 22:3
O thou that savest by thy right hand . . . Ps. 17:7

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Prayer, Theology
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Should We Preach Repentance, Faith, or Both?

March 10, 2014

Many Christians today think that those believers in Scripture who preached evangelistically or who evangelized sinners in other ways did so with messages or testimonies that varied substantially from occasion to occasion. In fact, it is not uncommon to hear believers today say that sometimes the disciples preached that people should repent and other times they preached that people should believe.

This view of biblical evangelism stems from an approach to the evangelistic accounts in Scripture that I believe does not account for all the biblical data. To see why this is the case, consider the following analysis of the gospel ministries of John the Baptist, Jesus, and Paul.

The Gospel Ministry of John the Baptist

The Gospels consistently present John the Baptist as preaching repentance to sinners (Matt. 3:2, 8; Luke 3:3, 8). Noting this data, many have concluded that John only preached that people should repent and that he did not tell people to believe.

In the book of Acts, however, Luke makes clear (through a widely overlooked statement by the apostle Paul) that this is an incorrect assessment of the evangelistic ministry of John:

Act 19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

This Pauline summary statement about the gospel ministry of John the Baptist shows us that it was a ministry of preaching to sinners that they should both repent and believe. It also teaches us that we should not take brief statements about evangelistic ministry (such as Matt. 3:2 and Luke 3:3) and draw definitive conclusions about what content that ministry did not include.1

The Gospel Ministry of Jesus

A key statement in the Gospel of Mark shows that the gospel ministry of Jesus included the same dual emphasis that was in the evangelism of John the Baptist:

Mar 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Notice that this statement is not just about Jesus’ preaching in one location on one specific evangelistic occasion—it is an inspired summary statement of certain key elements of His gospel preaching throughout His gospel ministry in Galilee. Both John the Baptist and Jesus, therefore, preached to sinners that they should both repent and believe.

The Gospel Ministry of Paul

A summary statement of Pauline evangelistic ministry over an extended period (“from the first day that I came into Asia” [Acts 20:18]; cf. “by the space of three years” [Acts 20:31]) reveals that his gospel ministry included similar testimony to both repentance and faith:

Act 20:20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,

 21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

For three years, Paul told both Jews and Greeks everywhere he went in Asia that they had to repent toward God and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Like John the Baptist and Jesus, Paul’s gospel ministry thus had the same dual emphasis of preaching to sinners that they should both repent and believe.

Discussion

From the Gospels and Acts, we have seen that John the Baptist, Jesus, and Paul all evangelized sinners by telling them both to repent and to believe. Because we have seen that summary statements about the gospel ministries of all three of these leading evangelists in Scripture explicitly mention this dual emphasis, we should adjust our views of biblical evangelism to reflect properly this key biblical data.

Moreover, the lack of explicit testimony to both elements in many evangelistic accounts in Scripture does not show that the disciples often preached only one of these elements but not the other. Rather, we should allow the above-discussed comparison of Acts 19:4 with the other evangelistic accounts of John’s ministry to teach us that the lack of an explicit record of testimony to a key evangelistic element in a particular evangelistic account does not provide valid evidence that such testimony was lacking on that occasion.

Conclusion

Whenever our circumstances allow us to do so, we should preach both repentance and faith to the people that we evangelize. Doing so, our gospel ministries will best reflect all the biblical data about the evangelistic ministries of John the Baptist, Jesus, and Paul!

1 A close comparison of two statements in Acts 9:20-22 with Acts 26:20 fully confirms this interpretation. Luke writes that Paul’s evangelistic ministry began in Damascus and provides two brief summary statements about that ministry:

Act 9:20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

Act 9:22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

Neither of these reports about Pauline evangelism in Damascus mentions that he told people there to repent. In Acts 26, however, Luke records that Paul testified to King Agrippa about his entire evangelistic ministry by giving him this key summary statement:

Act 26:20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Based on Paul’s own testimony, we can be certain that he preached repentance in Damascus—even though Acts 9 does not record that he did.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Evangelism, Exposition, Gospel, Interpretation, Theology
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Maintain Your Body Wisely

March 7, 2014

This post attempts to provide a biblical understanding of what it means for a believer to maintain his body wisely. I commend it to you with the desire “that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 2).

What does it mean to maintain my body wisely?

To maintain my body wisely is “to keep [it] in a condition of good repair or efficiency” (definition of “maintain” – The American Heritage College dictionary, 1997, p. 817), “having understanding or discernment of what is true, right, or lasting” (definition of “wise” – Ibid., p. 1548). Keeping my body in an efficient condition is to keep it “acting or producing effectively with a minimum of waste, expense, or unnecessary effort” (definition of “efficient,” Ibid., p. 437).

“Effectively” means, “in an effective way” (Ibid., p. 437), and “effective” means, “having an intended or expected effect” (Ibid.). Thus, putting all these definitions together, to maintain my body wisely is to keep it acting with or producing the intended or expected effects that it should with a minimum of waste, expense, or unnecessary effort, having understanding or discernment of what is true, right, or lasting.

What source of information is most important for me to maintain my body wisely?

I must have the right sources of information concerning my body to maintain it wisely. Scripture contains all the essential information needed for me to maintain my body wisely.

Information obtained from a proper study of “the firmament” that shows His handiwork is valuable and must also be heeded. It is, however, clearly of secondary importance in comparison to the information provided by Scripture.

What does Scripture teach about maintaining my body wisely?

Scripture reveals the universal reality that of God, through God, and to God are all things, to whom be/is the glory forever. Thus, wise maintenance of my body is one of the all things that are to His eternal glory.

The following points present many key truths from Scripture about how I maintain my body wisely.

  1. To maintain my body wisely, I must respond properly to the universal reality of all things being to the eternal glory of God. Apart from such a response, I cannot maintain my body wisely.
  2. The glory of God consists of His unique identity, character, and works. The glory of God is the absolute perfection of His unique identity, character, and works. I maintain my body wisely only as I show forth the praises of His glory in my body.
  3. Scripture repeatedly emphasizes the mercy of God in connection with Him being glorified. To respond properly to the universal reality of all things, especially His mercies, being to the eternal glory of God, I must properly present my body to God. Only as I properly yield myself and all of the members of my body to God will I maintain my body wisely.
  4. Then, I must not allow myself to be conformed to the world in any respect. I must not in any way fashion myself “according to the former lusts in [my] ignorance.” I must “abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” To maintain my body wisely is that I “no longer should live the rest of [my] time in my [body] to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.”
  5. I must also be being transformed “day by day” by the renewing of my mind. Such renewing requires that I give the Word of God its proper place in me. Whatever God has said concerning my body must be delighted in and meditated upon for me to prosper in all things concerning my body, that is, to maintain my body wisely.
  6. Having properly presented my body to God, putting an end to all worldly conformity in my life, and continually being changed into the image of Christ, I must fully participate in the will of God for my life. Maintaining my body wisely is an essential facet of full participation in His will for my life.
  7. Full participation in the will of God for my life is to eat, drink, and do all else in my life to the glory of God. I must maintain my body wisely in order to be able to eat, drink, and do all else in my life to the glory of God.
  8. Maintaining my body wisely is an essential part of my having my identity, character, and works in proper correspondence to the glorious identity, character, and works of God. Having that proper correspondence is how I glorify God in my life in all that I do. To do so is to have the abundant life that Christ has come to give us.
  9. Maintaining my body wisely requires that I understand properly what my body is and what I therefore must do with it. My body is the greatest divine masterpiece in the material universe. I must glorify God by praising Him for my body and by maintaining it wisely.
  10. To maintain my body wisely, I must understand that God has made me an inhabitant of both the material realm and the immaterial realm. All the “laws of nature” that have been properly understood are in reality God’s laws of nature, and they are expressions of His will for my life. I must be in proper submission to God in the material realm by heeding properly His laws that govern the material universe.
  11. My body is a member of Christ. My body is the inner sanctuary of the Holy Ghost. My body is the blood-bought possession of God. Therefore, I must “glorify God in [my] body,” which is His, by maintaining it wisely.
  12. Maintaining my body wisely requires that I understand that because I belong to God, both by creation and by redemption, I am not my own. I am only a steward of my body. I must be a good steward of my body for the glory of God.
  13. Christ must have the preeminence in all things in my life. I maintain my body wisely only as He has the preeminence in all things concerning my body.
  14. Scripture reveals that God desires continual proclamation that He be magnified as the God who delights in the comprehensive prosperity of His servants. God delights in the prosperity of my body; therefore, I am to maintain it wisely in accord with that truth.
  15. Maintaining my body wisely requires that I present all the members of my body to God. Every part of my body and all of its capabilities must ever be “on the altar” as my “reasonable service” to Christ.
  16. My “reasonable service” to Christ requires that I maintain my body wisely so that I fulfill the role that the Lord has for me in my lifetime in His Great Commission. I must be taught to obey carefully all that Christ has commanded me, including what He has commanded me about all things concerning my body. Moreover, when I am ready to do so, I must teach others to do the same.
  17. Maintaining my body wisely requires that I understand and respond properly to the truth of the statement, “The kingdom of God is not meat and drink.” Rather than being “meat and drink,” the kingdom of God is that I serve Christ acceptably to God in fulfilling the Great Commission by eating, drinking, and doing all else in life “in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
  18. Full participation in the will of God for my life requires that I manifest proper love for God and others in all that I do, including in maintaining my body wisely. To maintain my body wisely, I must lay down my life for the brethren. I must not seek my own nor give anyone offense in anything that I do, including in maintaining my body wisely.
  19. Maintaining my body wisely requires that I pray properly concerning my body. I am to pray for my total sanctification and that God would preserve my spirit, soul, and body blameless until Christ returns. I am to pray that I would have physical health that matches the prosperity of my soul. I am to pray that God would keep me from all that would unnecessarily bring pain, etc., to my life.
  20. Maintaining my body wisely requires that I “remember now [my] Creator in the days of [my] youth.” I must put away in youth all things that unnecessarily are presently bringing or at some future point will bring harm, calamity, or ruin to my body. I must put away in youth unhealthy eating habits and slothful living. I will only do so as I put on “the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” I must flee “youthful lusts,” including gluttony and sloth!
  21. Maintaining my body wisely requires that I eat my food “in the sweat of [my] face.” To maintain my body wisely, I must properly labor in every realm of my life. In the will of God, I must be regularly physically active.
  22. Maintaining my body wisely requires that I not be intemperate in any of my bodily appetites. I must not be gluttonous, slothful, drunken, or immoral. I must be blamelessly temperate!
  23. Maintaining my body wisely requires that I “keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.” I must be “temperate in all things.” Doing so is immensely profitable for both this life and for the life to come.
  24. Maintaining my body wisely requires that I “bridle [my] whole body.” I can only do so if I sin not in what I say. If I do anything with “murmurings or disputings,” including anything I do concerning any facet of my body, I will “come short of the glory of God” of bridling my “whole body.” Only those who “do all things without murmurings and disputings” are able to glorify God in maintaining their bodies wisely by bridling their whole body.
  25. Maintaining my body wisely requires that I accept full responsibility for my failures to glorify God in my body. I must not cover my sins. I must not shift the blame to anyone or anything else. I must confess and forsake my failures to maintain my body wisely if I am to have mercy from God to be faithful in maintaining my body wisely.
  26. Maintaining my body wisely requires that I refrain from all unnecessary fellowship with vessels “to dishonour,” including those who grossly fail to maintain their bodies wisely. Unnecessarily companying with those who do not maintain their bodies wisely “corrupt[s] good manners.”
  27. Maintaining my body wisely requires that I be a good, faithful, and wise steward of all that the Lord has entrusted to me, including my body. To be such a steward, I must have the proper conception of the imminent return of the Lord who will judge me concerning my stewardship of all things, including my body. To be the godly steward that I should be of all that He has entrusted to me, including my wondrous body, I must “love His appearing”!
  28. Maintaining my body wisely consists of Christ being magnified always in my body, “whether it be by life, or by death.” The love of Christ will constrain me always to magnify Christ in my body, if I allow it to.
  29. I can maintain my body wisely through Christ who is strengthening me. I must maintain my body wisely by faith in Christ. I can maintain my body wisely only as I give the word of Christ its proper place in me.
  30. Maintaining my body wisely is only possible as the fruit of the Spirit, as I am filled with the Spirit, as I am led by the Spirit, as I walk in the Spirit.
  31. Maintaining my body wisely is essential to my doing the work of Christ for my life, including faithful obedience in solemnly testifying to everyone that God has appointed Christ to be the Judge of the living and the dead.
  32. Christ will one day judge me concerning all that I have done in the body. All that has not been done with love and to please Him will be burned up at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Whatever I do in maintaining my body wisely must be done with love or it will profit me nothing (no eternal reward).
  33. Not that I would be in good health, but that I would do the work of Christ is to be my highest priority in life. For the work of Christ, I must be willing to sacrifice all, including my health and even my life, if God should will that I do so. I maintain my body wisely only as I have good health in the will of God.
  34. Maintaining my body wisely is to “not lose heart” when my physical well-being deteriorates in the will of God. Rather, I must ”keep [my] heart with all diligence,” looking eagerly for the redemption of my body at the return of Christ. Christ will one day change my body “that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body”!
  35. Maintaining my body wisely is necessary for me to glorify God in my days on the earth, having finished the work that God has for me to do, even as Christ did.

Let us all maintain our bodies wisely that we may glorify God by serving our generation by the will of God!

For more information, please see Stress Management Truths from Scripture; Christian Health/Fitness Quotes I; Does God Care How Healthy Your Lifestyle Is?

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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Live a Redeemed Life of Fearing Our Impartial Father to Whom We Pray!

March 3, 2014

I wrote this article for the men’s ministry at my church. It highlights a vital matter in the life of every man of God.

Writing to dispersed believers in many places in Asia Minor (1 Pet. 1:1), Peter began by emphasizing vital realities for them to consider as born-again children of God the Father (1 Pet. 1:3, 14, 23; 2:2). Among these, he highly stressed the glorious consummation of their salvation that they would experience at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:5, 7, 9, 10, 13).

In view of these things, he challenged them with multiple commands (1 Pet. 1:13, 15, 17, 22). His third command charged them to live in a way (1 Pet. 1:17-21) that needs more attention in our day.

As obedient children of God (1 Pet. 1:14) who pray (1 Pet. 1:17) to our Holy Father (1 Pet. 1:15-16), it is vital that we keep in mind that we “address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work” (1 Pet. 1:17). Being children of God does not exempt us from His holy scrutiny and assessment of all our ways!

We who pray to our Father do so to the One who knows all our secrets (Rom. 2:16; 1 Cor. 4:5) and shows no favoritism in His dealings with any of us (1 Pet. 1:17a). His dealing with us in this way necessitates that we live our entire Christian lives fearing Him and His perfectly fair assessment of us as His children (1 Pet. 1:17b).

We must live in such fear of our impartial Father because of the glorious redemption that He has granted us (1 Pet. 1:18-19). He has not redeemed us from our formerly futile living with the things that man values most, such as silver and gold (1 Pet. 1:18). Instead, we have been redeemed with what God values infinitely more than any material thing that fallen man values—the precious blood of Christ, the unblemished and spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (1 Pet. 1:19; John 1:29)!

We must live a redeemed life of fearing our impartial Father to whom we pray because the priceless blood with which He redeemed us was the blood of the Christ whom on the one hand He foreknew in eternity past (1 Pet. 1:20a). We must also live such lives because on the other hand that Christ “has appeared in these last times” for our sake (1 Pet. 1:20b).

Through the eternally foreknown Christ who has appeared to redeem us, we are believers in God (1 Pet. 1:21a). Through that Christ, we are believers in our Father who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory so that our faith and hope are in God (1 Pet. 1:21b).

We have learned from 1 Peter 1:17-21 that God demands that we live a redeemed life of fearing our impartial Father to whom we pray. To learn some specific truths about what such a life looks like, we need to consider some related teaching (1 Pet. 3:7-12).

Based on the example that Christ has left for us (1 Pet. 2:21-25), husbands must live properly with their wives: (1) living with her in an understanding way that takes into consideration that she is weaker because she is a woman; and (2) showing her honor because she is “a fellow heir of the grace of life”(1 Pet. 3:7a-d). Living in this way with them is necessary for husbands so that their “prayers will not be hindered (1 Pet. 3:7e).

Comparing the teaching of 1 Peter 3:7 with 1 Peter 1:17-21, we learn that one specific aspect of living a redeemed life of fearing our impartial Father to whom we pray involves husbands relating with their wives in a way that shows that they fear God. God knows everything about how each husband is treating his wife, and every husband must fear displeasing the Father to whom he prays by mistreating his wife!

In 1 Peter 3:8-12, Peter then provides related teaching about Christian conduct that not just husbands but also all other believers must heed. A close examination of this passage shows that it ties directly with what we learned from 1 Peter 1:17-21.

Summing up what he has been saying, Peter challenges all believers about being “harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit” (1 Pet. 3:8). Being such believers includes “not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead” because we have been called “for the very purpose that [we] might inherit a blessing” (1 Pet. 3:9).

He explains our calling to that purpose further by citing Psalm 34:12-16. Because the teaching of that passage is an inspired explanation to children of how they are to fear the Lord (Ps. 34:11), Peter’s use of it here to explain our calling shows that we have been called to be children who fear the Lord in certain specific ways (1 Pet. 3:10-11).

From the citation of Psalm 34:12-16 in 1 Peter 3:10-12, we learn that we who would lead a blessed life of fearing God must keep our tongues from evil and our lips from speaking deceit (1 Pet. 3:10). We must turn away from evil, do good, seek peace, and pursue it (1 Pet. 3:11).

Peter then explains these directives by inserting for at the beginning of 1 Peter 3:12, which is not in Psalm 34:15. By doing so, however, he does not change the original meaning; he brings out the logical connection that was there all along but was unstated. We are thus called to inherit a blessing (1 Pet. 3:9) through heeding certain directives about fearing God (1 Pet. 3:10-11) because His eyes “are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer” (1 Pet. 3:12a-b), but His face “is against those who do evil” (1 Pet. 3:12c).

Because Peter’s teaching here (1 Pet. 3:8-9) is about fearing God (1 Pet. 3:10-11) in view of His differing responses to the prayers of people according to His assessment of their lives (1 Pet. 3:12), we see that what he teaches us here parallels his earlier teaching about fearing our Father who impartially judges those who pray to Him (1 Pet. 1:17). The comparison of 1 Peter 3:8-12 with 1 Pet. 1:71-21, therefore, teaches us some specific aspects of fearing our impartial Father to whom we pray.

As men of the Word, let us live such (1 Pet. 3:7-12) redeemed lives of fearing our impartial Father to whom we pray (1 Pet. 1:17-21)!

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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Has a Flawed Emphasis on Grace Fostered Abuse among Believers?

February 28, 2014

The recent controversy about the dealings of BJU with GRACE concerning the ongoing investigation of abuse has resulted in many voicing their viewpoints about problems with how cases involving abuse are handled in our day. For me, the intense recent attention to this problem has stirred my mind in a different direction to an issue that I believe is just as important to address.

The Contemporary Overemphasis on Certain Aspects of the Grace of God

For many years now, Christians in many circles have been highly focused on emphasizing the grace of God in salvation and justification. These believers frequently decry what they deem as “legalism” among other believers whom they consider to have deficient perspectives about the grace of God.

This intense emphasis on grace in reality has been an overemphasis on only certain aspects of the grace of God, namely, how God’s grace spares repentant sinners from the eternal judgment that they deserve for their sinfulness and provides complete acceptance with God for believers apart from their good works as a believer. Far too often, this emphasis has been accompanied by a serious lack of emphasis on other facets of what God’s grace to repentant sinners means for their subsequent lives as believers.

What Paul’s Emphasis on Grace Included in His Teaching to Believers

Certainly, Paul emphasized the grace of God in salvation to the lost people that he evangelized (Acts 20:24). He similarly stressed the importance of grace for believers by highlighting it in his teaching to them, both in person (Acts 13:43; 20:32) and in his Epistles (e.g., Eph. 2:8).

Notwithstanding this vital Pauline emphasis on these aspects of God’s grace to both sinners and believers, Paul’s ministry to believers about God’s grace in their lives also included an emphasis in his teaching to them that is sorely lacking in many churches today. In his teaching that emphasized the grace of God to new believers in Thessalonica (cf. 1 Thess. 1:1; 5:28; 2 Thess. 1:2, 12; 2:16; 3:18), Paul also stressed their susceptibility to divine judgment even as believers should they engage in immorality:

1Th 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

 2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

 3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

 5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

 6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

 7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

 8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

Paul here reminded the Thessalonians that he (and Silvanus and Timothy) had previously forewarned them and testified to them about Jesus as the Lord who is the avenger of all who are defrauded among believers by the immorality of their brethren (1 Thess. 4:6).1 Not only did he remind them that they had emphasized this truth to them previously, but also he warned them anew with that same truth by including this teaching in this epistle that he wrote to them.

Based on Paul’s emphasis to new believers that the Lord would avenge all believers who are defrauded by the immorality of other believers, we know with certainty that Paul’s stress on the grace of God in the lives of believers did not mean that he focused his teaching to them about grace only on its so-called “positive” aspects. Rather, Paul solemnly testified to believers of the fearful accountability that they would have to the Lord if they engaged in fornication.2

Jesus’ Emphasis to His Churches about His Judgment of Immorality among Believers

As Paul did with the Thessalonians, so the glorified Jesus warned believers in His churches about His fierce judgment of immorality among believers:

Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

 16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Rev 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

These passages make clear that the glorified Jesus wants His role as the avenger of all immorality among believers to be emphasized greatly in His churches.

A Desperate Need in Churches Today 

For some time now, the preaching and teaching in many churches has had an overemphasis on the grace of God that saves sinners and grants them full acceptance with God as believers. This overemphasis has been at the expense of the necessary repeated solemn warning of believers about Jesus’ judgment of all immorality among believers.

Such a flawed emphasis on certain aspects of the grace of God has undoubtedly fostered abuse among believers because many of those who have abused others have not received the proper warnings that they should have received. Regardless of whatever else that is good that will come about through the ultimate resolution of the BJU-GRACE matter, churches everywhere need to be warned repeatedly by their leaders that living in the enjoyment of the grace of God does not exempt any believer of fierce divine judging of him should he remain unrepentant of abusing others through immorality.

 

1 Hiebert explains,

This duty of chastity is vital because “the Lord will punish men for all such sins.” . . . He satisfies justice by inflicting the due punishment upon the wrongdoer. . . . Christ will be the sure and just judge “for all such sins,” all the different forms of carnal impurity.

—D. Edmond Hiebert, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 187

2 Some may object to the idea that God judges believers. David testifies to the intensity of God’s chastening on him (Ps. 32:3-4) for his great sinfulness, which included adultery and murder. Moreover, David experienced profound consequences for his sins (2 Sam. 12:10-12; 14), including the death of his newborn child (2 Sam. 12:18).

Paul also makes clear that God does chasten believers with judgment in this life if they refuse to repent of their sinful deeds as a believer:

1 Corinthians 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

This clear Pauline teaching about the Lord’s chastening judgment on believers should serve as a profound warning to all believers against abusing other believers in any way, including sexually.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Discipleship, Exposition, Theology
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Is Amos 5:21-24 Important for Our Understanding of Music (Part I)?

February 6, 2014

From reading Amos 5:21-24, see if you can discover for yourself what key fact about music this passage reveals that needs much careful attention in our day:

 Amo 5:21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

 22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.

 23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.

 24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

To help you discover that fact, here are some key questions to keep in mind:

1. Who is speaking in the passage?

2. What is the speaker revealing specifically about his activities concerning music?

3. Is the speaker communicating anything positive or negative about music?

4. What is the relevance of this revelation to our understanding of music?

If you discovered what this key fact is and what its contemporary relevance is, do you think that Amos 5:21-24 is a key passage for our understanding of music?

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Exposition, Interpretation, Music, Theology
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What A Sound Theology of Sound Teaches Us about Music That We Should Reject

February 2, 2014

Because biblical revelation about sound abounds, a sound theology of sound must account for all that Scripture reveals about sound. Attention to several passages about one specific aspect of certain sounds points us to another reason to reject the use of certain music.

Thunder as God’s Voice

At least seven passages directly identify thunder as the voice of God speaking, either through paralleling the two or by more directly linking them:

2Sa 22:14 The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.

Psa 18:13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

Psa 29:3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.

Job 37:4 After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard. 5 God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.

Job 40:9 Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

Psa 77:18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.

Psa 104:7 At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.

These passages should teach us to consider the very real possibility that when we hear thunder, we may actually be hearing God speaking but not understanding what He is saying. A key passage in the NT supports the validity of our need to be mindful of this possibility.

Human Misidentification of Sound as Merely Thunder

On an occasion when He was in the midst of a crowd, Jesus prayed, “Father, glorify Thy name” (John 12:28a). In response, “then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have glorified it, and will glorify it again” (John 12:28b).

The crowd that was standing by Him heard it and “said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to Him” (John 12:29). Jesus responded to them, “This voice came not because of Me, but for your sakes” (John 12:30).

Several commentators explain what took place at this time:

The Father then spoke from heaven in a thunderous voice, confirming His working in Jesus both in the past in the future. The voice was audible but not all understood it . . . The voice from heaven confirmed faith in the spiritually perceptive but to the unspiritual it was only a noise (1 Cor. 2:14).—Edwin A. Blum, BKC: NT, 318; bold is in the original

He alone could distinguish exactly what the voice said . . . If Jesus hears the voice distinctly, the crowd that was there does not. Some, presumably those less open to observable supernatural intervention, said it had thundered; others recognized that the sound was speech, a voice, and not just noise, but there is no evidence that they could make out what was being said.—D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, 441

The form in which the answer to Jesus’ prayer Father, glorify thy name (28) is conveyed (apparently a loud noise, interpreted by the materialists as a clap of thunder and nothing more, and by the more spiritually-minded as an angelic utterance) brings home to those standing near Jesus (for this, He states, was its primary purpose) the truth that Jesus really is engaged upon His Father’s business.—R. V. G. Tasker, TNTC: John, 149-150.

They heard the sound from heaven without distinguishing the words. . . . The astounding sound coming from heaven was called “thunder” by those who sought a natural explanation. Perhaps the sound resembled thunder to their ears. Others, nearer the truth, connect the sound with Jesus and imagine that an angel from heaven has spoken to him. The thunder hypothesis would be offered by the skeptics of today, who deem any but a natural explanation of supernatural phenomena “superstition.” —R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of John, 871-872

These commentators all note that the passage shows that when many people in the crowd thought that they had heard thunder, they actually had heard the sound of divine communication from the Father to the Son. What many of these people, therefore, thought was just a loud noise in the heavens was actually specific communication.

Additional Relevant Passages

Three other passages also relate times when people heard loud sounds and did not understand that they were actually hearing the speech of supernatural beings, either an angel (Dan. 10:4-9) or of the glorified Jesus (Acts 9:7 and 22:9):

Daniel 10:4-9

While Daniel and others were at the bank of a great river, only Daniel saw “a great vision”:

Dan 10:4 And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;

5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:

6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.

9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.

Daniel notes that the words that he heard were “like the voice of a multitude,” but he gives no indication that he understood what that voice was saying. Later, Daniel was given understanding (Dan. 10:10-21).

Acts 9:7 and 22:9

Two of the accounts of Paul’s conversion record that Jesus spoke from heaven to Saul after He had “arrested” him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-7; 22:6-9). Those who were with Saul heard a voice but did not understand it:

Act 9:7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

Act 22:9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not[1] the voice of him that spake to me.

Like John 12:28-29, this passage shows that humans did not understand that the sound that they heard was actual specific communication by God.

Discussion 

Based on all the passages treated above, our theology of sound must include the reality that we likely often misinterpret actual speech by supernatural beings as merely thunder or some other indistinct loud sounds. Our inability to understand such supernatural speech (cf. 1 Cor. 13:1), therefore, should warn us not to think that we know with certainty that the extremely loud sounds of the music in a rock concert or of the music in many contemporary worship services are not communicating ungodly messages to supernatural beings who understand various communicative properties of sound that we do not.

Conclusion 

Christians who favor contemporary worship must allow Scripture to adjust their theology of sound so that it takes into account properly the divine revelation that shows our human inability to understand fully what certain loud sounds communicate in the supernatural realm and how they do so. Because of its demonic origins, rock music, which is played very loudly to obtain its full effect, must be rejected so that there is no possibility that we will unwittingly communicate ungodly messages to supernatural beings through music whose sounds have aspects that we do not understand.

 

[1] A careful examination of the Greek text shows that Acts 22:9 conveys not that the others did not hear the voice at all but that they did not understand what was being said.

 

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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