Isaiah 44-63
Isaiah 44 reads like a series of incredible, individual conversions to the Lord. This is what Paul is referring to in Romans 11 when he speaks of a great ingrafting of Jews at the end of the age. Many Jews will call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and so be saved. The imagery of what is happening to the land is just that—imagery. That’s made clear by the statement that people will spring up among the grass. It’s the reversal of the utter destruction from the previous chapter. God works in history, even though all of history is before him at once. God chose to use king Cyrus to restore Jerusalem and rebuild the temple at the conclusion of the exile of that generation. Even then, the point is to draw glory back to God himself. When the nations see the restoration of Jerusalem, many will call on the one, true God (ch. 45). God stands over against the idols because he is true; he is real and hears the cries of his people (ch. 46). Babylon will fall and be humiliated (ch. 47). John picks up this language of the fall of Babylon throughout Revelation. As you’ve seen already, the book of Isaiah is instrumental in understanding the book of Revelation. Old Testament prophecy helps interpret New Testament prophecy and vice versa. God will do a new thing in Israel (48:6ff). They will be acts that Israel has not heard of before and will not expect. This is seemingly to safeguard them against rejecting what he will do for them. He again does all of this for his own glory. Salvation is not ultimately about us; it’s about God and his willingness to redeem his enemies. He is constantly calling his people back from rebellion (48:12ff). Isaiah 49:1-7 is the second “servant song” of Isaiah. This servant is the one who will bring Jacob, or Israel, back to God in faithfulness. God will make his servant “as a light for the nations, that [his] salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6). Paul quotes this verse in Acts 13:47 to describe the person and work of Christ. Jesus even tells his disciples that they will be sent to the end of the earth, showing that the ministry of Christ will extend as far. The next servant song is Isaiah 50:4-11. The servant is hated, disgraced, and spit upon. Even in the midst of all of that, God helps his servant. This encourages the servant to persevere and be faithful to the end. All of God’s enemies will be destroyed, but the servant will be saved. The final servant song is Isaiah 52:13-53:12, and it is the longest. It is also perhaps the most well-recognized. It is read most often at Easter services because of its direct application to the crucifixion. The servant will be disfigured because of what is done to him by wicked men, but he will save men from every nation through it. The servant won’t be anything physically remarkable, but he will be hated by all. But in his crucifixion, Christ had imputed to him our sins and sorrows. “He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crush for our iniquities; upon him ws the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). He did not return hateful speech for the hateful speech he received. A rich man, Josephus, gave his tomb for Christ’s burial. You see how many specific prophecies Christ fulfilled from this one single passage. And perhaps most astonishing of it all is that this was God’s will (Isaiah 53:10). God absorbed our debt to him. And today, Christ continues to intercede for the transgressors. God’s grace is immeasurable. He tells his people to celebrate and prepare for what he will do for them. Instead of being in exile, their children will possess the nations (54:3). Shame will be a thing of the past. God may have been angry at them for their sins for a time, but his love is everlasting by contrast. In the same way God promised Noah that he would never again destroy the world through flood waters, neither will he continue to be angry with them. Not only that, but God himself will teach the children. That is a direct reference to the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:34, “And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”). God will judge his people, but he will also vindicate them for his own glory. God’s compassion is undeserved and unfathomable. That is why he compiles us to seek him while he may be found (Isaiah 55:6). Israel will not be the only ones saved by God. Old covenant law demanded foreigners keep themselves from the temple. But in the new covenant, that will be changed. Any gentile who keeps the covenant will be made even better than a son or daughter (56:4-5). God’s house will be a house of prayer for all people (56:7), not just the Jews. One of the primary problems within the hearts of the Jewish people was their willingness to do the right things for the wrong reasons. They took part in the right ceremonies and rituals but with hardened hearts. God calls attention to their fasting, or withholding of food for a specified period of time to devote yourself to God, and how they have tried to be manipulative. Instead of seeking greater devotion to God, they seek their own pleasure (58:3). The only Old Testament command to fast was concerned with the Day of Atonement once a year (Leviticus 16:29 & 31). At times, various prophets or kings might declare a time of fasting as a special occasion. But fasting was intended to mourn over sin and seek the Lord while he may be found. But fasting had become a means of self-righteousness and pride. By the time of Jesus, he has to remind people that they shouldn’t make a show of fasting and to take care of themselves while they fast (Matthew 6:16-18). The kind of fasting that pleases God takes the focus of one ones self and onto God and neighbor. The people had turned a blind eye to the injustice around them but insisted they were good people by their fasting. God promises that his glory will shine through his people, which will be the draw for the nations to seek the Lord (60:2-3). I believe this to be speaking of the end of our own age. Isaiah is shown a time far in his future, when the Jews and the Gentiles both seek the Lord because he has sought them. The nations will enter the new city and bring their glory into it (60:11, Rev. 21:24). Isaiah 60:19-20 sounds suspiciously like Revelation 21:22-23. Isaiah 61 is the passage that Jesus preached in Luke 4. Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of this Old Testament prophecy. While this is not technically a servant song (which are usually about the servant himself, not written from his own perspective), the servant is the one speaking here. The servant has come to proclaim forgiveness as well as God’s wrath. But for those who mourn their sin and seek the Lord, they will be new clothes and are commanded to stop their mourning. Their forgiveness has arrived. It’s amazing to see that in 61:8, the Lord is speaking, but it has been the servant speaking all along. It is another passage confirming that Jesus Christ is God. The covenant he makes, the new covenant in his blood, is everlasting. It is not temporary as was the old covenant. Every nation will have Christians before the end of the age. The nations will be drawn by Israel’s righteousness (62:1-2). No more will God’s people be marred by their sin but will be redeemed and be God’s delight. God will rejoice over his people as a groom does over his bride. The Lord will avenge his enemies, all those who harden their hearts against him; but those who do not deal falsely, who seek after him, the Lord will surely save (ch. 65). Galatians 6 Paul’s argument in this section began in 5:16. He is still concerned with living in the Spirit, but now he has turned his specific focus toward helping our fellow believers. More mature (“spiritual”) Christians should help those who are struggling in the faith. This is one often overlooked component of gathered worship. How much have you been helped, whether or not you have thought about it like this, just by seeing other Christians with their own weaknesses, sins, and doubts all together worshiping the same God? The fruit of the Spirit (5:22-23) have real implications in real life. In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me’” (Romans 15:1-3). He is essentially saying the same thing here. We are never more like our Lord and Savior than when we support a brother or sister. The “law of Christ” likely refers to the two great commands that summarize the whole law of the old covenant: love God and love neighbor. The spirit of every other law is fulfilled by fulfilling these two. Paul also tells the Galatians to compensate their teachers fairly. This is especially true when good teachers are faced with such opposition, as they were in Galatia. Whatever teaching the Galatians follow, they should know that they will receive the appropriate recompense from God, hence, “whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (6:7). When we are confronted with the gospel message, we are then responsible for our answer. In his closing words, Paul takes the pen from his scribe and writes it himself. It was a way of putting a personal touch on all the harsh words he has just dictated, showing that he has said all of it in love. He quickly summarizes his complaints against the false teachers: they only want you to be circumcised and and keep the law to make themselves proud. They can’t even do it themselves! There is only one reason to boast in the Christian life, and it has nothing to do with our ability to be obedient. The only reason to boast in the Christian life is that Jesus Christ died for me, and I will boast in his greatness. Ephesians 1-6 The letter to the Ephesians is one of Paul’s letters he wrote from prison. Two big themes makeup this letter: reconciliation and union. God has reconciled his people to himself, and Christ has united people from every tribe, tongue, nation, and people under himself. More than perhaps any other letter, Ephesians focuses on the cosmic scope of Christ’s person and work. Not only has Christ redeemed our souls, but he has redeemed every molecule of creation, from the center of the earth to the furthest reaches of the universe. This will be incredibly important for a city that was fascinated with mysticism and divination. The letter begins with a typical opening and welcome. Paul is simply overwhelmed at the cosmic scope of redemption. From 1:3-14, Paul writes one huge, worshipful sentence. It’s about 127 words in the Greek. Most Bibles break it up into shorter sentences, otherwise it breaks every conceivable English convention. But in Greek, it’s perfectly normal. In his opening sentence, he notes that we were chosen before the foundation of the world. There is nothing that we have done or that God foresaw that caused him to save us. But neither was his choice arbitrary. We do not know, and probably cannot understand, why God made the choice he did. But it is good and right, regardless of our finite understanding. Ultimately, beside whatever reasons he may have had, our election is to the praise of his glorious grace. What is the inheritance we have obtained? An inheritance is something yet future, even if we have currently obtained it. It is a promise of something to be received later. So our inheritance is our fellowship with God and eternal life. Our promise is confirmed in the fact that we were predestined according to his own purposes. Predestination is often a term that receives a lot of pushback because it seems to make it so man has no responsibility. But that is the furthest thing from Paul’s mind. Predestination is meant to be a massive comfort for God’s people. Our sins were not too great for God to overcome, and what he has purchased for himself, he will not lose. Christ is seated in heaven today. Paul says that means he is “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion” (1:21). There is no greater authority than that of Christ Jesus, through whom the world was created and through whom the cosmos was redeemed. One of the most-quoted verses in Paul’s letters is Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” It is hard to get any clearer picture of redemption. Grace is not your own good work. Faith is not your own good work. The only good work that contributes to your redemption is Christ’s. Christ’s life and death are often broken down into two categories: his active obedience and his passive obedience. In his active obedience, Christ lived a life according to the covenantal law of Moses. He kept both the letter and the spirit of the law. He was a perfect sacrifice on the basis of his perfect life. In his passive obedience, he permitted the will of evil men to take place. He died an innocent man. His obedience is what gave us access to the Father. Therefore, we are no longer a smattering of people groups but one united church who make up the household of God (2:19). And this was, in fact, a mystery only then revealed (3:4-6). That mystery was that the Gentiles are fellow heirs with the Jews without having to become Jewish! We believe the same gospel and receive the same promises. Paul’s ministry is to bring that mystery to light. This in-grafting of the Gentile vine into the branch of Israel shows the “manifold wisdom of God” (3:10). We will be turning the diamond of God’s wisdom until Christ returns, never exhausting its brilliance. We are only beginning to comprehend “the breadth and length and height and depth” (3:18) of the love of Christ. Because of God’s love for us, we should seek to live a certain way. We should seek “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling” we have all received (4:1). Christ has unified us in his Spirit, and we seek to maintain it by supporting each other. Paul quotes Psalm 68:18 in Ephesians 4:8. In the Psalms, it is God who ascended and received gifts. In Ephesians, it is Christ who ascended and gave gifts. Paul tells us that those gifts were “apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers” (4:11). Like all believers, those gifts are not for building up of the self but of the church. Those specific gifts are are specifically about working toward. Unity of the faith and knowledge of Christ. These offices built the foundation of the church, of which Christ was the cornerstone. There is no substitute for sound doctrine. Worship is rudderless without doctrine. Missions are rudderless without doctrine. Discipleship is rudderless without doctrine. Nature abhors a vacuum, and if the Bible is not the source of our doctrine, something will fill that void. The church must always be reforming to the standard of the Scriptures. Paul says twice in this letter that it is the Holy Spirit who “seals” us for the day of redemption, both in 1:13 and again in 4:30. In Romans 4:11, Paul says that Abraham “received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.” Many Christian denominations equate baptism to circumcision, even going as far as claiming that it is only an “administrative” change. That means that baptism means what circumcision meant, that of inclusion in the covenant, old or new. Here, though, Paul seems to equate circumcision (the sign and seal of the old covenant) not to baptism but to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (the sign and seal of the new covenant). This has implications for ecclesiology, or the doctrine of the church. Who should receive the sign and seal of the new covenant? If baptism has essentially replaced circumcision, then the same people who received circumcision should be baptized, namely, offspring of those already in the covenant. However, if the indwelling presence of the Spirit has replaced circumcision, the the indwelling presence of the Spirit is what makes you a member of the new covenant. Therefore, only those who have already received the sign and seal of the new covenant should be baptized. Baptism is ritual of obedience and purity, not of entry into the new covenant. It is unavoidable that Peter does make connections between circumcision and baptism, and we will deal with that when those texts come up. Paul then addresses how walking worthy of our calling plays out in real life. In general, we recluse ourselves from wicked people and wicked practices. Avoid darkness. In fact, we expose shameful acts, not ignore them or let them go on unchecked. We do not slander anyone, but we take on every false idea and, through well-formed arguments, prove them to be riddled with errors. He applies the same logic, that of walking worthy, to the household. Wives submit to husbands, and husbands loves their wives. Christ’s headship over the church proves his authority. A husband’s headship over his wife proves his authority. But the authority of a husband over his wife is modeled only in Christ’s authority over the church. It is an authority to love and protect, to be willing to give up ones very life. Likewise, children should recognize the authority of their parents and slaves the authority of their masters. The authority of the family is ordained by God and modeled in creation. Earthly authority typifies heavenly authority. Paul concludes this letter with great encouragement for the Ephesian believers. In living the Christian life, in dealing with the wickedness of the world and the deceit of our own hearts, God has supplied us with his own armor. God gives us shields for defense and weapons for offense against cosmic evil powers. The result of picking up this armor is the ability to stand firm (6:13). We will be immovable because of God’s great gifts in Christ Jesus!
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Isaiah 27-43
One of the promises of the Old Covenant is the redemption of Israel, but that doesn’t mean there will not be judgment on their wickedness. Even in the midst of judgment, God will show mercy by sending one who will be called “a precious cornerstone” (28:16). It is by belief in this cornerstone, this sure foundation, that Israel will be saved (28:16). Isaiah remarks how the Jews had been seeking help from Egypt against Assyria, but there will be no need for hurry on that day. God will supply all that is necessary and at the right time. One of the great questions in theology is how the promises made to Israel will be fulfilled, if they have not been fulfilled yet. Some argue that by interpreting from a grammatical-historical method, you must agree that there will be a restored Israel in a millennial kingdom after Christ returns. That entails a restored temple, worship, and sacrificial system in Israel that will be interrupted by the antichrist about halfway through a period of seven years, or the great tribulation. Some, though not all, within that camp say that the restored nation of Israel in 1948 is just a foretaste of that future. I affirm a millennial, earthly kingdom of 1000 years, the appearance of the antichrist, and a period of intense tribulation. What I question is the reestablishment of Israel as a theocracy (it is a parliamentary-democracy right now, a far cry from the Old Covenant form of government). I’m not saying it’s entirely impossible, but I do think it’s an argument built on inference rather than a grammatical-historical interpretation like its proponents say it is. Both Peter and Paul interpret Isaiah 28 as being fulfilled in Christ. Paul says in Roman 10:11, “For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame’”, showing the Roman Christians that we must confess and believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. Peter quotes the same passage in 1 Peter 2:6, showing that as Jesus is the cornerstone, individual believers are living stones being built up into a spiritual house. We do not know better than the apostles. So how will Israel be saved? They will be saved in the same way as the Gentiles—by faith in Christ. Paul wrote in Romans 11 that ethnic Israelites are hardened in their heart, but it’s temporary. When all the elect Gentiles are saved, all of Israel will then be saved (vv.25-26). God will keep his promises; but we must understand fulfillment as Scripture makes clear. Isaiah 29 looks forward to when Jerusalem gets sacked. God will punish Jerusalem, which everyone believes took place in history. Why do we project her restoration as a nation far in the future? God again warns his people against seeking help from foreign powers (ch. 30), because he is their God and helper. For those who do rebel and seek help from Egypt, they will perish. The millennial kingdom fulfills the promises of restoration, not a period of great tribulation preceding the millennial kingdom. That much is clear in chapter 32, where a king reigns in righteousness. When Christ reigns on the earth before the new heavens and new earth, there will be shelter from the wind and water in dry places. Things will be better, but they will not all yet be new. The earth will be restored, but not yet renewed. Isaiah’s beautiful prayer of chapter 33 is for God’s enemies to be destroyed. Assyria serves a purpose, but they are another rebellious Gentile nation who hates the things of God. That awful truth expands out to the rest of the nations in chapter 34. And yet, there is always remnant of God’s people who remain faithful. Chapter 35 mentions the desert blooming, blind eyes being opened, ears of the deaf being unstopped, and the lame being strengthened, where are other likely references to restoration before renewal. Chapter 36 begins a historical section, where Assyria attacks Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel. When the people trust in God and know that he will defend them, they are safe. The king of Assyria sends a Rabshakeh, or a military official, to taught Hezekiah of Judah to force him into submission. In doing so, the Rabshakeh breaks the third commandment in 36:10. He takes the Lord’s name in vain and lies about receiving a word from the Lord. If the Jews will simply place their trust in the king of Assyria, says the Rabshakeh, they will be well-cared for. The people are silent, as Hezekiah commanded. Hezekiah seeks out Isaiah for a word from God about what to do. Because the king and the people sought the Lord, Isaiah tells the people, as the of God, that the king of Assyria will die in his own land. Israel will be safe. Hezekiah continues to seek God, even as the king of Assyria mocks God and the people. God sends word to Hezekiah through Isaiah that they will be guarded. In fact, God will quite literally protect the city; he sends an angel to slaughter 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. King Sennacherib of Assyria is killed in a coup. King Hezekiah is not well and knows he is about to die. Isaiah confirms that he is near death. In his grief, Hezekiah asks God to remember his good works. God shows Hezekiah some kindness and extends his life by fifteen years. The king of Babylon hears of Hezekiah’s recovery, and he uses it to get a sense of Judah’s wealth. It’s a foolish thing for Hezekiah to give the king of a foreign, pagan nation a glimpse of the wealth of Israel. Hezekiah is wasting the life he has left. God will punish this and other sins by having the Jews carried away to Babylon in exile. Part of Hezekiah’s sin is that he cares so little for the people. His only concern is that he won’t life long enough to see exile (39:8). This is the end of the historical section. Chapter 40 begins a new section of prophecy. In the final sections of Isaiah, we read what are called “the servant songs”, the first of which is Isaiah 42:1-4. These are prophecies of a man who will bring about Israel’s redemption, God’s chosen servant, his own Son Jesus Christ. The first servant song speaks of the gentleness of God’s servant. Throughout Isaiah 40-55, sometimes the phrase “the servant of the LORD” speaks directly about Israel, and other times it refers to a specific Israelite. This is another indiction that Jesus Christ stands in for the nation of Israel. The servant of the Lord is gentle, but he is about justice. He does not only bring justice to Israel but to the whole world, or the nations/Gentiles. The servant will form a new people of God, all of whom are united under this servant. 2 Corinthians 13 Paul is still bringing all the threads of his letter together. He was warned them to repent, and he has reminded them of his apostolic heritage. Be sure, there will be church discipline for the unrepentant. He has been inordinately patient until now. But because there are those who obstinately continue in sin, despite repeated calls for repentance, there comes a time when they must be cast out of the camp to ensure the purity of the local church. Galatians 1-5 It is likely that Paul wrote the letter to the church in Galatia around the year AD 48. The Jerusalem council took place sometime in AD 48-49, and should that have already occurred, it is strange Paul would have never referred to it in this letter. The problem in the Galatian church would have been directly addressed by the letter that the Jerusalem council produced. Paul had been to Galatia previously. Since the time he had left, the church had been visited by a handful of teachers teaching a false gospel. It seems to have been primarily about a version of the gospel, which required many Jewish components, such as circumcision. Unfortunately, many of the Christians in Galatia had fallen prey to the logic and reasoning of the false teachers. The natural result of this was division in the church. No other message is compatible with the gospel. Galatians is famous for not including a mention of thanksgiving at the beginning. He goes directly from “grace and peace to you” to “you idiots.” He is absolutely dumbfounded that anyone would fall for the lies of the false teachers. However, we see it even today. People love to have their ears tickled. There is no other gospel, and there is no version of the one, true gospel. Even if Paul began to change his message, it would not be true even if he’s an apostle. If an angel did the same thing, it wouldn’t be true. As he does in a few other letters, he recounts his conversion and first few years as a Christian and an apostle. The point of including this is that the gospel he preached to them is not a human construct. He did not form it himself. It is not the product of combining a bunch of different ideas together into “the gospel”. He received it directly from Jesus himself. Paul’s message of that same gospel should be the criterion for anyone else proclaiming the gospel. Paul’s not afraid to stand up for that gospel, either. Even Peter went through troubled times, behaving one way with Jews and another way with Gentiles. When Paul and Peter talked it though, Peter repented. The gospel is worth the fight—literally. The false teachers had introduced works into the equation by demanding that the Galatian Christians obey certain components of the Mosaic law. To combat this, Paul tells the Galatians to think back to what took place at their conversion. Did he expect them to maintain fidelity to Israelite law as a condition of faith in Christ? Of course not! This gets to the heart of the new covenant. The old covenant, the Mosaic covenant, was a temporary covenant, or formal relationship, between God and the nation of Israel. When Jesus said that he did not come to abolish but to fulfill the law (Matt. 5:17), no one got up and asked, “Which ones?” He fulfilled them all, because the old covenant looked forward to him in its entirety. Each covenant found in the Scriptures must be taken on its own terms; they are not all the same. The conditions of the new covenant are laid out in the new covenant, not the old. This much is made clear in Galatians 3:10 when Paul quotes Deuteronomy 27:26. Paul’s whole argument hinges on the fact that the old covenant law was an indivisible unit. To pick and choose which ones were still binding on Christians was essentially playing darts blindfolded. The point is that everyone who lives under the law, either as a Jew or by choosing to uphold it has a Christian, has placed themselves under the entire law, not the specific laws you might think Christians should still obey. Even going back to Abraham, who received his promises centuries before the law was given, we see that inheritance comes through faith, not the law. The law is a captive; don’t put yourself back in bondage. In Christ, we are free from the law. Faith makes us Abraham’s offspring, not the Israelite law. Paul also illustrates this point by saying the law was a guardian or a tutor. When a child is still quite young, there’s virtually no difference between him and a slave. They have no real rights. They have no claim to the patriarch’s inheritance. While the son is that age, he is under the authority of a guardian or a tutor while he waits to come of age. Once he comes of age, the guardian no longer has any binding authority on him. This is like what happened with the law; once we came of age, the law was no longer a condition of the new covenant. Paul then uses the illustration of Sarah and Hagar. He’s already made mention of Abraham. Sarah was Abraham’s life, and Hagar was Sarah’s servant. Since Sarah doubted that she would be blessed with a son in her old age, she had Abraham sleep with Hagar. But the offspring of Abraham and Hagar was not the vehicle of the promise; that would have to come from Abraham and Sarah. Paul interprets these two women allegorically, meaning he uses a real situation that has an underlying meaning. Hagar represents the children born under the law; they are in bondage under the old covenant. Sarah represents the children born again in the new covenant; they are free in Christ. If the Galatians return to being children of Hagar, they are no longer free in Christ. “Christ will be of no advance to you.” So in fact, they will have never truly been in Christ. These Christians are seeking justification by obedience to the law, which is an oxymoron. There is in fact no justification to be found under the law. We are only justified by grace through faith. Circumcision, and all the rest of the Jewish identity markers of the law, are nothing on their own. Only faith in Christ, proving itself in love toward God and others, is what counts. What does this freedom look like, then? If we don’t live according to the obligations of the law, are we then free to live however we want? Of course not. Paul outlines the work/fruit of the flesh: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like that. But the work/fruit of the Spirit shows itself in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In living out the fruit of the Spirit in ever-increasing measure, we actually fulfill the point of the law without needing the law. Living in the Spirit fulfills the law in ways insistence on following the rituals and ceremonies of the law can’t imagine. Isaiah 1-26
The book of Isaiah covers roughly 50 years of time. There are many who argue that Isaiah has many authors, but that is debatable. What is clear is that there are three distinct time frames of the book. However, there has never been a single manuscript of Isaiah found that has been divided in any way. Every copy of Isaiah, unless the papyrus was already fragmented and in pieces, includes the same passages in the same order with no delineation mentioned. The reason that many scholars insist on multiple authors over many years is because the later sections of Isaiah contain prophecy about events long after the real Isaiah’s lifetime. So clearly, they say, someone else wrote the latter sections and placed his work with the real Isaiah’s. But the lack of a single, solitary copy of Isaiah divided into sections cannot be ignored. The burden of proof sits on the shoulders of those who are trying to divide the book. But if we accept that the Spirit of God is the primary author of the book, and if we accept that there is prophecy concerning the future in other sections of the Bible, then why would it be necessary to eliminate the possibility of prophecy in a book of prophecy? Isaiah directly addresses people in the future, by as much as 200 years. If 200 years is too far ahead for divine revelation, then how can we know that any prophecy concerning the end of the age can be trusted? All that to say, Isaiah put his various visions together before the exile of the northern kingdom, roughly between 739-681 BC. Assyria has been in power for some time, but their greatness is coming to an end. They are trying to expand their empire, and Israel is in their sights. Amos and Hosea are also prophesying during this time. By 722 BC, Israel has fallen to Assyria. The Assyrians would scatter the Israelites around their empire, while simultaneously moving other Assyrian-dominated peoples into Israel. It was a way of loosening identity markers and lessening a chance of revolt against Assyria. The Babylonians, Medes, and Persians joined forces against Assyria and dominated the weak and shrinking Assyrian empire around 609 BC. It would be the Babylonian empire that sacks Jerusalem and destroyed the temple by 586 BC. Babylonians did not diversify the land of Judah but instead moved the wealthy and healthy Jews to Babylon. Isaiah would have seen the Assyrian conquest of Samaria (the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel) but would not have lived to see the Babylonian conquest of Judah. A summary of and commentary on Isaiah 1-26 would be longer than the book itself. What I intend to do is point out major themes and passages that might have some debate surrounding their interpretation and meaning. Judah is denounced as a wicked kingdom for forsaking right worship of God and obedience to the law. God will, therefore, hide his face from them and refuse to hear their prayers. Even in the midst of that promise, he calls them to repentance (1:16-17, 27). There is plenty of mercy in the Old Testament. Chapter 2 mentions the day of the Lord in various ways: “that day” (2:11, 17), “the LORD of hosts has a day” (2:12), etc. The day of the Lord is how the prophets speak of the day of God’s judgment. On that day, men will run and hide. Sometimes, the day of the Lord speaks to the final day of judgment at the end of this age. Sometimes, it refers to a near-term judgment. Context is what decides the matter. There are always disagreements on how to interpret Old Testament prophecy and fulfillment. The apostles make clear at many points that there were specific messianic prophecies that Jesus Christ fulfilled. They also insist that Jesus is the fulfillment of the law in general. Jesus showed the disciples everything in the law and prophets that concerned himself (Luke 24:13-27). Does that go for prophecies that seem to be directly addressing the nation of Israel? How can one man fulfill prophecies made to a nation? The answer comes in that Christ receives both the blessings and the curses on Israel’s behalf. Isaiah identifies how Israel had broken the Mosaic covenant and then gives a vision of a restored Jerusalem. He does this multiple times (1:2-2:5, 2:6-4:6, for example). Isaiah is then commissioned as a prophet (6:8-13). He is sent to meet with King Ahaz to speak about upcoming invasions. Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel have formed an alliance and have threatened Judah. Ahaz looks for military help from Assyria instead of seeking spiritual help from God. Isaiah enters to tell Ahaz to seek the Lord. He is also permitted to request a sign to prove God’s help is coming. Even though Ahaz is told to request a sign of confirmation from God, he refuses. He does not intend to seek God’s help. God gives a sign anyways, in a sort of condemnation of Ahaz’s disobedience. The confirmation of God’s word will be that a virgin gives birth to a son (7:10-17). Some scholars argue that the word for “virgin” does not always mean “virgin”, so there’s no need to read that nuance into the word. But even if the Hebrew can refer to a young woman without any reference to her virginity, it is used often enough along other descriptions of a virgin to recognize that you assume the virginity of the woman if that word is used. What about fulfillment? Was this fulfilled immediately in Ahaz’s day? Matthew uses this passage and identifies Jesus as its fulfillment (Matthew 1:23). I believe the best interpretation understands that the virgin-born child of Isaiah 7 was a type or a foreshadow of what was to come. So Matthew can rightly say that Jesus fulfills the point of this passage—a typological reading of Scripture, meaning the child serves as a person who created a category that Jesus would fulfill. As God was with Israel in destroying Assyria, so God is with Israel in his Son. This understanding of prophecy, of a near fulfillment in Israel and an ultimate fulfillment in Christ, is an old hermeneutic, or means of interpretation. It also aligns nicely with the apostolic contention that Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Ultimately, we must read the Bible as the apostles taught us to. The theme of a “branch” is common in Isaiah. In chapter 4, the branch that is grown by the Lord will be beautiful and glorious (4:2, 10). In chapter 11, a branch will grow from the (genealogical) roots of Jesse, or the father of King David. A branch is a natural growth, but it is small at first. As a branch grows from a strong root, so there will come a branch from the sure promises of God. This branch, of course, is later known to be Christ. Isaiah 14 is a passage of great interest. It is often used to describe the fall of Satan (14:3-20 primarily), but I believe that’s a problem. First, Isaiah himself wrote that this passage was a “taunt against the king of Babylon” (14:4). That’s not a heading the translators added in; that’s the inspired text. He has been speaking about Babylon since chapter 13. Verses 4-8 say nothing about a being of the spirit-realm, simply an “oppressor”. God has struck down this king of Babylon, and the whole earth is grateful. Verse 9 says that Sheol, or the grave, is excited to greet this king, as it does all wicked leaders of the earth. Those wicked kings who have died before will greet the king of Babylon (v.10). Maggots and worms will eventually consume him (v.11). Whoever is being consumed is human, not angelic. Once we get to verse 12, we start to hear traditional words and phrases attributed to the fall of Satan. Unless you already assume the Day Star and the son of Dawn to be Satan, what evidence is there, from the text itself, to claim this is Satan? Rather, taken in its cultural context, Isaiah is mocking (or taunting, as he has already said in v.4) the king of Babylon with Babylonian imagery. They believed their kings were gods, descended from heaven. “Day Star, son of Dawn” translates the Hebrew “hêlēl bēn šaḥar”. hêlēl means “brightest star”, or Venus. “Son of Dawn” is another phrase for the same thing. This is substantiated by the fact that the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, used the Greek word heosphoros, which gives us the word phosphorus, which is bright and glows in the dark. When the Bible was translated into Latin by Jerome, the word he chose was lucifer, which means light carrier. The reason we have attributed the Latin word lucifer to be the proper name for Satan is because of this misinterpretation. The king of Babylon became proud. He believed he could be like a god. The word for god in v.13 is el, not Elohim, making it even clearer that what is in mind is not the covenant God of Israel but the false god of the Babylonians. He wants his throne to be near the thrones of the other gods of Babylon. “North” or “Zaphon” of v.13 is also a Babylonian location, not the throne room of God. The “heights” or “high places” of v.14 were locations where sacrifices took place. They were on mountains or hilltops, or near the clouds. You should remember that God repeatedly told the Israelites to remove the high places in Israel, which were often built because of influence from other nations. The king of Babylon wants to be like the Most High, or in the presence of the gods. Instead, he will be brought low, down even to the grave like the rest of mankind. His sins include destroying his own land and murdering his own people (14:20). Moving forward to chapter 21, we see the taunt has come true—Babylon will fall. Several taunts, or oracles like this, take place in Isaiah. We should not isolate one to make it about Satan when context makes a clear identification otherwise. Chapters 13-14 are about Babylon, chapter 15 is about Moab, chapter 17 is about Damascus, chapter 18 is about Cush, chapter 19 is about Egypt, chapter 22 is about Jerusalem, chapter 23 is about Tyre and Sidon, and chapter 24 is about the whole earth. Are these also veiled allusions to the fall of Satan? A couple of early church fathers argued that Jesus saying he saw Satan fall like lighting in Luke 10:18 is referring back to Isaiah 14. But in Luke 10, context shows that Jesus is referring specifically to the casting out of demons that he just sent his apostles out to do. 2 Corinthians 6-12 As Paul continues urging the Corinthians to participate in the ministry of reconciliation, he reminds them of the urgency of their mandate. He quotes Isaiah 49:8, insisting that God is still calling people to repentance. Paul has endured persecution for calling for repentance, but there is no other means by which men are saved. Just because the fallen world despises what repentance means, namely, that we are not inherently good but wicked, doesn’t mean that we change the message. Paul does not simply throw in the command against being unequally yoked at random. Paul has been substantiating his apostolic status throughout the letter because there are those within the church telling people to turn away from Paul. The apostles carried the untarnished message of reconciliation between God and man. So to reject that message, whether by attacking the message or its messengers, was tantamount to unbelief. The name “Belial” is not a common name for Satan, but there are plenty of examples of it outside of Scripture in other Jewish writings. It means something like “worthless”. Christians have no business linking arms with those worthless so-called believers who want to be called a Christian but actively reject nearly everything of apostolic Christianity. In theory, you would never combine worship services between God and Satan, so don’t do it in practice, either. About halfway through the letter, Paul shows his thanks for those who have not linked arms with worthless so-called believers and repented of the sins that prompted his first few letters. It may have caused them grief, but it also caused them forgiveness, for which Paul has no regret. That’s because there is a certain kind of grief that is good, namely that which leads to salvation. That they have listened to his warnings brings Paul great comfort. Because the church has proven their faith through repentance and godly grief, he urges them to contribute to a collection being made for the church in Jerusalem. It may have been that there were simply so many believers in need in Jerusalem that nearby Christians were being urged to chip in. We should gladly support our brothers or sisters who are in need, near for far. Paul’s admonition to give again comes from the gospel. When you consider that Christ was the agent of creation, and is therefore the sovereign of all creation, yet he made himself poor and took on the form of servant for us, we can hardly lay our own sovereign claim to anything we have that another justifiably needs. Therefore, our giving, whether small or large, should be done with a sense of joy. We are only mimicking our Lord and Savior. Paul begin to finally address those in rebellion against him in chapter 10. Through his previous visits and letters, he has shown extreme patience. But the time is coming when those who stand against him need to have some decisive action taken against them. They are teaching things contrary to the gospel Paul has been preaching. But Paul’s ministry is one of building up, not tearing down. Therefore, building up may at times requires punishing disobedience in the same way healing the body may at times mean a painful surgery or amputation. Even if Paul has a reputation of being mild in person but angry in his letters, they should get ready to see just how angry Paul can get at those who rebel against the gospel message and lead others down the same path. Boasting is usually a foolish endeavor. But in this instance, Paul knows that it is necessary to remind the Corinthians, and perhaps especially those in rebellion, of his apostolic pedigree. They are not dealing with a weak man bringing a weak message. “Super-apostle” is sarcasm, not something Paul really believes about these disobedient, contrarian teachers. They’re preaching a different gospel about a different Jesus; there is nothing “super” about them. He later calls the same people “false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ” (11:13). Paul had everything going for him, from his lineage to his education to his obedience. But he humbled himself to reach the Corinthians. Not only does his heritage make him a respectable man, but he has also been willing to suffer greatly for the gospel. He will go to any length to have the gospel preached, even if it means danger for him. While he may have all of the requisite credentials of a great man, God still saw fit to humble him. This would make his weaknesses shout God’s glory. When Paul says that he will go on boasting about visions, he does so in a way that doesn’t elevate himself but the God who gave the visions. Most likely, Paul is actually speaking of himself when he speaks of the visions a certain man saw as he was caught up to the third heaven. It is best to think of Paul referring to the three heavens as the sky, beyond the sky, and God’s dwelling place. Verses 5-6 seems to clarify that Paul is indeed speaking of himself. Instead of boasting about high-dollar spiritual experiences, he will instead boast about his weaknesses. It is in Paul’s weakness that God is glorified, and Paul would rather have God glorified than spend time boasting about how spiritual he is. We’re not sure what exactly Paul’s thorn in the side was, and most attempts at speculation are fruitless. Regardless, God in his providence did not remove the thorn. Paul begged God to do what only God could do and remove it, but God did something greater. He taught Paul about grace. The strength that Paul might have had without that thorn still pales in comparison to the strength of God at work in him. Ecclesiastes 1-12
The book of Ecclesiastes is perhaps the perfect distillation of both doubt and hope. It doesn’t take a natural disaster or a global collapse of morality to cause doubt. In fact, most of the time, the mundane nature of life feeds doubt in our hearts and minds. The author of Ecclesiastes, probably Solomon, directly addresses the seeming futility of life with brutal honesty. But futility is the illusion, not hope. Once godly wisdom is sought and found, life is no longer futile. Existence only has meaning if there is a benevolent creator in the heavens who has not abandoned his creation. Meaninglessness isn’t the result of an intellectual decision but of dealing with drudgery and dissatisfaction day after day after day. We want things to get better, but we don’t know how, or we feel incapable of making any significant change. For the believer, for the Christian, we must realize that these thoughts and feelings do not negate or contradict our faith. In fact, it is faith in the finished work of Christ Jesus that we actually have an answer for drudgery and dissatisfaction. Solomon has sought meaning in all the same places that you and I do, along with every other person who has ever lived. We think that knowledge will change our perspective. It might be a palliative measure for a time, but there’s always another perspective to consider. We hope that more money fixes problems. Money may very well be an answer to poverty, but we can’t even begin to list the problems that money cannot solve. Some people look to power to feel better. But power and authority often require more from the individual than he or she is willing to give. We’re all prone to try to numb the pain and exhaustion of daily living by creature comforts. But creature comforts do nothing to fully and finally get rid of pain and exhaustion. Ultimately, Solomon finds that there is no earthly answer to earthly problems. Our culture values easy answers. We want quick fixes. If a plumber can’t get to our house in 30 minutes, he’s a bad plumber, right? Not at all; we’ve just been rewired to demand quick and easy. But complex thinking, being able to disassemble a problem and reassemble it into a solution, is how humans are meant to address what ails us. Easy answers, arrogance, and pride are more closely related than we might like to think. Difficult questions do not have easy answers. But in the end, Solomon realizes what Job learned the hard way as well. Complex problems are not a logical reason to reject the goodness of God. In fact, complex problems should drive us to him. Ecclesiastes is a book that clearly outlines the sovereignty of God over all of creation. If today did not go as we had hoped, if life is eroding around us, wisdom is turning to the Lord and praying that he might lead us into deeper faith and trust. That is the definition of a Christ-centered worldview. How does Ecclesiastes point us toward Christ? Where does Ecclesiastes fall in the history of redemption? Part of the beauty of the wisdom literature of the Old Testament is that it could nearly fall at any point, in terms of its content. But specifically, even if we entertain the skeptical notion that Solomon didn’t write the book, then we at least know it was written by a highly educated, theologically-robust teacher of the people around the time of Solomon. The author of the book had massive wealth, houses, gardens, and many concubines, which sounds a lot like Solomon. The author also claims to have written many proverbs. In 1 Kings 8, Solomon dedicates the temple, and it reads like Ecclesiastes. The book concludes by claiming that God is the good Shepherd who gives wisdom to his people. The nature of wisdom is that it is true regardless of time or culture. Godly wisdom is for all people, regardless of their spiritual status. But the unenlightened, the reprobate, deny godly wisdom and instead trust in their own wisdom. What is the result of turning to the wisdom of man to answer life’s problems? We begin to think that truth is subjective, because men can’t agree on what truth is. Only when we turn to the divine law-giver do we see truth as something objective, something true no matter the circumstance. This is the message of Ecclesiastes—situations change day by day, but the God of creation does not. Therefore, true wisdom is found in turning to him. Song of Solomon 1-8 If Solomon wrote this book, then it was because he learned so much about what not to do in a marriage. The book of 1 Kings relates how many wives and concubines Solomon had, so he is not exactly a model husband. It is probably best to take Song of Solomon 1:1 as a reference to the book being written in his honor, by by him. Notice that 1:5 even mentions Solomon as if he was a distant character who appears again later. Song of Solomon is perhaps the most difficult Old Testament book to interpret. Is it an allegory of God’s love for Israel? Or is it looking forward to Christ’s love for the church? Is Solomon the shepherd, or is he a his own character? Is it one single poem or a collection of like-minded poems? In all the mess of interpretive questions, you might miss the place of “covenant” in the book. Many of these questions receive a direction, if not a full answer, when we frame the book within the Mosaic covenant. Song of Solomon 8:6 uses the divine name (YHWH, or LORD), which is the name used by the covenant people of God. The books of the old covenant, especially Genesis through Deuteronomy, express the importance of keeping marriage pure in no uncertain terms. Is there any human institution that needs to be recovered with any more urgency than that of marriage? If taken as a whole, which I think is the most natural reading of the text since there seems to be a developed plot line, the story is presented in a picturesque bucolic setting. A shepherd and a shepherdess are passionately in love and in that wonderful state of courtship that leads to marriage. They fawn over each other the way you do when you’re in that situation. They anticipate the day they will be married and can enjoy each other the way a man and wife do. There should be no shame or awkwardness around the sexual intimacy of a bride and groom. Sexual intimacy is one of the few things, and perhaps the only that, that is only ever shared between a man and a woman. With that in mind, I think the best interpretation shows how the anticipation of intimacy between and a man and woman is mirrored in the anticipation of the marriage supper of the Lamb. As Paul tells us in Ephesians 5, the mystery of marriage is that it is a sign of Christ’s love for his people. If that’s true today, then it was true when the text was written, whether or not the fullness of that truth was recognized. As was the case with the prophets, they faithfully wrote the inspired text but did not understand the depth of their writings (1 Peter 1:10-12). 1 Corinthians 15-16 Having completed his commands on orderly worship, he now commends them to remembering the reason they gather at all: the resurrection of Christ. The resurrection is not a myth but a historical reality. It is not a story we tell ourselves, like a fable, to inspire us to action. It is as true as any recorded event in history, but it carries even greater consequences. Christ appeared in his resurrected body to hundreds of people. There is no legitimate reason to doubt the resurrection. There are those Christians today who deny a future resurrection, which makes it difficult to call them Christians at all. Apparently, that is not a new problem. Paul tells the Corinthians that if there is no general resurrection of all believers, then Christ has not even been raised; what consequence would his resurrection even have? We are all either in covenant with Adam or with Christ. Those in Adam are dead in their sin. Those in Christ are given new life. Everyone who has ever been born is in league with Adam until the Spirit applies the blood of the Son to you. And just as Christ was resurrected, when Christ returns, we will be physically raised to new life in resurrection. After the resurrection, Christ will be in possession of the kingdom and hand it over to God. All evil and wickedness will be destroyed. Before the new heavens and new earth, death will finally be done away with. In fact, baptism itself is absurd if there is no resurrection. I believe that’s part of the interpretation of “being baptized on behalf of the dead.” Not believing in the resurrection is as absurd as vicarious baptism. The sense is that if someone died as a believer but was never baptized, a living believed could be baptized a second time on the dead person’s behalf. There is no precedent for vicarious baptism for the dead until Mormonism in the 1800s. If we are justified by grace through faith, no one can be baptized on behalf of anyone else. Paul is not saying that the whole church at Corinth has been baptizing on behalf of the dead. In fact he seems to insinuate it’s a small minority. He just says “people” instead of “you”. Also, the fact that he moves on from it without a single word of affirmation or denial when it is never mentioned anywhere else in Scripture seems to support that it is not to be considered orthodox baptism. Our dead bodies will be resurrected and glorified into something recognizable but wholly incorruptible. This is our “spiritual body.” You are a living being; you will be a life-giving spirit. You were natural; you will be spiritual. You were of dust; you will be of heaven. We bore Adam’s image; so we will be Christ’s image. The resurrection will take place in a flash. Christ will return at a point in time; the dead will be raised, and the living will be changed. We will both receive resurrected, glorified bodies at that time. Because of the fact of the resurrection, we should be immovable. Nothing this world can do to us can interrupt God’s plan of resurrection. Stand fast, believer. Paul ends reminding the Corinthians that he will take up a collection once he arrives in Corinth, so be ready. He tells them that others are coming their way, as well, so be on the lookout. They will come to support you. Finally, he encourages the Corinthian church to stand firm. Let the world fall to pieces around you, but stand firm in the Lord. Resurrection is your future. 2 Corinthians 1-5 2 Corinthians comes about a year after 1 Corinthians. Many of Paul’s contemporaries had argued he suffered too much to be an apostle. If he was really sent by God, he would not have faced the persecution he did. Even a cursory reading of the Old Testament prophets proved that to be a ridiculous notion. Suffering often accompanies God’s messengers. Paul is partly writing this letter to confirm his apostolic status since it had been so publicly disputed. Remember that Paul mentioned stopping in Corinth for a charitable collection. Before he could arrive, he sent Timothy, who reported a host of problems in Corinth. When Paul arrived in Corinth to address the issues, he didn’t exactly receive a warm welcome. He returned to Ephesus and wrote a letter he gave to Timothy to bring back to Corinth. He warned them to repent or face judgment. To his great joy, many of the Corinthians did, leaving only a small group of dissenters. 2 Corinthians is the letter he wrote acknowledging that repentance. The first even chapters are focused on Paul’s ministry as an apostle. Affliction is not evidence against comfort and salvation in Christ. In fact, one brings the other. It is natural to question the place of affliction in the life of the believer, but we should trust that God uses all things for our good and for his glory. Paul recounts why he’s not come to visit them again, reminding them of his call to repentance. He didn’t want to heap hurt upon hurt. It’s Paul’s love for the church at Corinth that he is patient with them. But he does see the need to re-establish his apostolicity among them again. It is through the apostles that the first churches were planted and established. The apostles built up the first church. The apostles are the foundation of the church. Paul refers back to the narrative when Moses descended Mt. Sinai and his face was blinding from the glow (Exodus 34). Moses put a veil over his face, both to hide the glow so that he would be approachable and so that no one would notice the fading nature of the glow. It did not last forever. The glory of the new covenant, the ministry of the Spirit, is an even more glorious covenant. There was one kind of glory in the old covenant and a surpassing glory in the new covenant. And now, believers behold the glory of God through the Spirit in a way that is far greater than even the way Israel beheld the glory of God in Moses’s face and the old covenant. Not only that, but by keeping our eyes fixed on the glory of God, we are being transformed back into the perfect image of God, degree by degree. Because of the surpassing glory of the new covenant, Paul will strive on regardless of the earthly consequences. Under the new covenant, if there is a veil, it is over the eyes of those who reject the gospel, those who are perishing. In this age, the god of this world, the devil, is active. He has blinded them. The believer’s “treasure” is the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ. “Jars of clay” is an image of human weakness; we are easily smashed and broken. What a glorious truth, that in our weakness, we can still behold the glory of Jesus Christ. That proves it is a work of God (4:7). Being able to withstand affliction because of the strength of God has always been the blessing of the believer. Paul quotes David from Psalm 116:10, because David says that he believed in God, even in his days of affliction. Affliction is only the temporary situation of the believer. It is “light” and “momentary”. On the other hand, our eternal home is a building from God. On the last day, we will receive our resurrected bodies from heaven. Paul speaks of our bodies as our clothes. Upon our death, we will remove one set of wrinkly, dusty, sinful clothes, only to be given imperishable, unstained, sinless clothes. While we wait for that day, we remain in this body, in the old clothes. It would be better to be at home with the Lord, but his will for us is that we remain. But what is that to us? Both being in his presence and being on the earth pleases him. While everyone will appear before the judgment seat of Christ on the last day, for the believer, judgment is not a matter of eternity but of a demonstration of our faith. All will be laid bare, both my works and Christ’s. This is an argument for various levels of reward in heaven, but in the same way our heavenly bodies will be different from our earthly bodies, we should not speculate too much on exactly what these rewards will be. The believer should have full confidence that he will pass the judgment. Because of that glorious truth, we should seek to be reconciled to God. Beyond that, we should urge lost people to be also be reconciled to God. This is the “ministry of reconciliation”. Paul is not asking for accolades in telling the Corinthians they can boast about him, but he is emphasizing that what he and his fellow apostles had to endure was as nothing compared to their love for the Lord and his church. Therefore, we live for the Lord’s sake from now on. We no longer live as though this world is all that matters or “according to the flesh.” This is such a radical distinction that Paul can even say that we are an entirely new creation. There is no sense in relating to a new creation as if he or she was the same as the entirely different, old creation. Proverbs 10-31
Beginning in chapter 10, you’ll notice that most of the chapters are a series of (sometimes) unrelated proverbs. They each have their own genius, and it is in their simplicity. The proverbs attributed to Solomon go from chapters 10 through 29. Chapter 30 is attributed to Agur, son of Jakeh. This is the only mention of Agur in Scripture, so his identity is a mystery. Some have argued that it’s a pen-name for Solomon. That’s possible, but there’s not a lot of evidence to bolster that claim. But you will notice that it reads more like chapters 1-9 than 10-29. It’s poetic, but there is a clear train of thought that is absent from much of the intervening proverbs. The identify of King Lemuel is another mystery. His name means “devoted to God”. It is noteworthy that he is also credited with the so-called “Proverbs 31 woman”, but his mother is the teacher, not Lemuel. She is calling her son to live a godly and upright life, forgoing loose women and drunkenness. A godly, virtuous man defends the poor and needy. That section flows naturally into the passage on describing a righteous and virtuous woman. A godly woman is not a weak, ineffectual debutante but a woman who takes responsibility. Any woman who raises a family, works inside or outside the home, and tries to do some good in this world knows that there aren’t enough hours in the day. But a virtuous woman knows that she is responsible for what she is able to do. She does not think she can be successful by charm or physical beauty, but only by fearing the Lord above all (31:30). 1 Corinthians 10-14 Paul is warning us against presumption. By showing how Israel serves as an example for us, Paul tells us that we must not expect a great salvation if we deny the grace of God. He does make an astounding statement that Christ was present in the Old Testament as the Rock who Moses struck for water. This may not be considered a Christophany, or an appearance of the second person of the Trinity before the incarnation. God continually, miraculously, supplied water for the Israelites in the wilderness. Paul may be speaking typologically, or showing how a person, event, or place set the stage for the incarnate Christ. In this case, God continued to provide life-giving water for the wandering Israelites. God continues to provide his life-giving Spirit to the Corinthians. Like the Israelites, the Corinthians were testing God’s patience and presuming upon his mercy. The main problem for the Corinthian church was sexual immorality. If they continue in their obstinacy, they can expect the same treatment the Israelites faced. There is a great level of continuity between between the people of God. In all seasons, we must flee idolatry. Paul reminds us that as we participate in the Lord’s supper, we should see that we cannot also participate in idolatry. He will have more to say on this later. Too often, we get comfortable trying to live in two kingdoms. The fact is that Christ has saved us and brought us into the kingdom of light, so we have no further fellowship with darkness. We must actively sort this out in our lives. Where do we continue to participate in idolatry, or the kingdom of darkness? What of this world continues to have a stronghold on us? But there is this middle-ground. Not everything that we enjoy in this world is idolatry. Paul uses the example of meat sacrificed to idols. Christians should have no objection to eating meat that has been sacrificed to idols, because they’ve sacrificed to something that isn’t real. However, the Christian must consider the message your enjoyment of certain things sends. If a friend offers you meat and makes it extremely clear that it was sacrificed as an offering to a pagan god, you should not eat it so your friend does not think what he believes and what you believe are essentially the same. What does this look like today, when people don’t sacrifice to idols in temples here in America? Ask yourself this question: what are the things your friends might ask you to do with them that would tarnish your witness to the holiness of God? Whatever you do should be to the glory of God. When Paul addresses the issue of head-coverings and the roles of men and women in the church, he roots everything in the order of creation. What Paul is addressing for the next few passages is abuse and disorder in the church’s worship. How the church orders her worship is of the utmost importance, because it will serve as the boundaries for the rest of the church’s life. Paul wants the Corinthians to imitate him, and he’s glad they’re doing so in terms of what he’s taught them in previous situations. Key to understanding this passage is that “head” in Greek culture was not the normal metaphor for authority but for source or origin. Also, the word that some translations translate as “husband” more often means “man” by as much as three-to-one, same with “wife” and “woman”. With those two things in mind, we can see that Paul is solely focused on church order based on creation order. The source of every (regenerate) man is Christ. The source of every woman is the man, via Eve being formed from Adam. The source of the incarnate Christ (the only begotten Son) is God the Father. We must say that Paul’s analogy is foreign to us. There was some kind of immorality or dishonor going on that he doesn’t specifically reference, only by analogy. Whatever it is that Paul does not mention, it had to do with dishonoring the delineation between the genders. For the man to honor his head, or his source, he should not cover his physical head when he prays and prophecies. It was common for Jewish men to wear a prayer shawl during times of gathered prayer, so it seems likely that Paul is advocating yet another distinguishing mark between old and new. It is not necessary to keep the Jewish traditions around prayer in the new covenant. Much like with circumcision, if you are going to do it and call yourself a Christian, just go ahead and emasculate yourself. Otherwise, recognize that it does not mean anything in the new covenant. For the woman to honor her head, or her source, she should in fact cover her physical head, because it resembles the natural beauty of a woman’s hair. A head covering for a woman is a symbol of the creation order, of having authority over her in her husband, which in turn is a living parable to the watching world. Chapter 11:10 is not the first time that Paul has mentioned angels in this book. Back in 6:3, Paul reminds the Corinthians that on the last day, they will take part in the judgment of the angels. Not only will believers judge the world, but we’ll even judge heavenly beings. And since we’ll take part in God’s divine judgment, we should therefore not have secular agencies judge us (6:1-2). Now in 11:10, Paul is saying that we currently have an impact on the angelic realm. The way they see us behave in worship sets an example for them in their worship. In keeping with order in worship, Paul insists that they revisit what they do in the Lord’s supper. Many are coming in to feast themselves, while others are going without. Tradition used to include a full meal at every Lord’s supper, not the more simple elements we use today. The wealthy in the church gorged themselves while the poor in the church barely got by. Paul says that this does not reflect the beauty and truth of what this ordinance means. When you gather together for the Lord’s supper, judge yourselves. If you use the ordinances to satisfy yourselves, you are not rightly practicing the ordinance; you are practicing them in “an worthy manner” (11:27). Recognize how your behavior in worship affects not only the angels, but most especially, those in the body of Christ with you. Spiritual gifts are also an important piece of worship, then and today. There were abuses in modesty, abuses in the ordinances, and there were abuses in the gifts. Paul’s main point is that the gifts are numerous, but they all come from the same Spirit. So then, don’t hold your gift as something that makes you better than your brothers and sisters. They receive their gifts from the same Spirit as you. Of course, there is the issue of speaking in tongues, which is a controversial topic today. Before the Pentecostal movement of the early 1900s, there was widespread acceptance that the sign-gifts, the gifts that marked an apostle, had gone away with the apostles (2 Cor. 12:12). It’s reasonable to assume that Paul writes about the signs that mark out an apostle to a church that might expect to see those gifts. Paul even says that not everyone is an apostle (1 Cor. 12:29), so not everyone can expect these gifts. Paul’s point could be summarized as “church unity”. Don’t distract yourselves by fighting over which gift is better or who has what gift. Every gift is intended for building up, not tearing down. The “better way” (12:31-13:13) Paul speaks of is love. Regardless of your part in the body, love is your actual duty, and your gift is only the vehicle for loving others. Paul goes on to argue that prophecy is the point of all the gifts, as opposed to tongues specifically. Prophecy is not always receiving something new; just as often, prophecy and preaching different names for the same thing. Paul insists that the word of God remain central in the church. Speaking in tongues, or different languages, is a distraction if no one understands it. The Corinthians must be able to interpret the words if they are to have any value at all. There is no value in speaking in tongues if it does not build up or edify the other believers who are present. If we are so eager to use our gifts, then we must use them to love others and build them up (14:12). “Let all things be done for building up” (14:26). He brings it back to church order. If anyone is going to have a part of the worship service to prophecy/preach, then let it only be two or three people. Don’t use worship of the one, true God as an excuse to show off or to get ruffled up into an ecstatic frenzy. Like with the Lord’s supper, remember why you’re there. And if anyone has a problem with Paul’s orders, don’t forget that he is one of those apostles who performed the signs of an apostle while he was there (14:37). His final word on matter is this: “But all things should be done decently and in order” (14:40). |