Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are all the house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones our dry, our hope has perished; we are cut off’.” – Ezekiel 37:11 (NET)
The words of this text are lifted from the familiar and dramatic scene generally referred to as the “Valley of Dry Bones.” For our purposes, we now take these words so as to utilize them as a lens through which we view the disciples of Jesus following His crucifixion. Can we not imagine those fearful men? Whether it was now only eleven or more, what was certain was that there was a group of individuals that represented the close compatriots of the Man that had just been crucified, effectively, as a challenger to the authority of Rome. In similar situations, as the disciples of Jesus would have well known, the followers of such an individual would be rounded up so as to suffer the same fate as their leader, thereby serving to quell any additional uprising. So we can understand their fear. We can hear them saying, “Our bones are dry. We are dead men walking. Indeed, our hope, the one we thought was our Messiah and Savior has perished, and we are soon to follow in His footsteps, being cut off as well.”
These disciples, who had shown flashes of recognition of Who Jesus actually was, and who had basically come to believe, during the course of His ministry, that He was God’s messianic agent for the deliverance and liberation of Israel, could be said to have been the first ones to be in union with Christ (confessing Him as Messiah). Naturally, the fullness of that union would come about later. At the least, in a quasi-union with Christ, because their hopes concerning the promises of the covenant God towards Israel were bound up in Jesus, it could be said that they had been crucified with Christ. We can hear the Apostle Paul saying the same type of thing in his letter to the Galatians (2:20).
So in the midst of their despair, and their fear, and the perishing of their hope, we can hear it being said to them, “This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Look, I am about to raise you from your graves, My people’.” (37:12b) This pushes us, again, to the words of the Apostle Paul and his understanding of the implications of Christ’s Resurrection. In his letter to the Colossians, after reading “If you have died with Christ” (2:20a), we go on to read, “Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God…for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (Who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with Him” (3:1, 3-4). As was said, their hope had perished along with the One Who had been their hope.
That hope was the great hope of all of Israel, and without that hope of God’s miraculous intervention on behalf of His covenant people, Israel would not be able to endure the seemingly endless oppression. We can surmise that the band of disciples felt the same. Paul’s exhortation to the Colossians echoes these words from Ezekiel. As Ezekiel delivers the words of prophesy in regards to God raising His people from their graves, so Paul’s words, in urging believers to hold on to what is truly an un-perished hope by proclaiming “When Christ (Who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with Him,” would have found great welcome in the ears of Jesus’ disciples.
Ezekiel wrote, “Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, My people” (37:13). This, of course, is what Jesus’ disciples experienced. When His grave had been opened and He had been raised---with their hopes raised right along with Him---that is when the dimly-flickering light of belief finally burned forth in its world-illuminating brightness. After a bit of hesitancy, we find a confession of “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28b)
Ezekiel follows up on the words of the thirteenth verse, reporting God’s intentions by writing, “I will place My breath in you and you will live” (37:14a). One more time, we find this echoed in the experience of the disciples of our Lord, when, upon His appearance to them on the first day of the week following His Resurrection, “He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’.” (John 20:22b) Those disciples (and all of Christ’s disciples from that day to this) share in the eternal life of salvation that was sealed by the Resurrection through the life-sustaining power of the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit, God speaks to the disciples of Christ and says, “I will give you rest in your own land” (Ezekiel 37:14b), in the renewed creation which has been inaugurated by the establishment of the kingdom of heaven on earth; and it is by the active presence of this Spirit, sent forth for and with the power of Resurrection (and renewal and restoration and re-creation), that disciples are told “Then you will know that I am the Lord” (37:14c).
Monday, February 8, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Set Free (part 4)
So now we know why Paul goes on to write that “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7). Based on our examination to this point, we are justified in reading this as “Those who insist upon the tradition-bound works of the flesh that serve to isolate God’s people, while serving to stoke revolutionary sentiment against the Roman rulers of the day, cannot please God.” There was a widely held sentiment in that day that God’s people must act on behalf of their God. Unfortunately, thoughts about that action generally took the route of a need for violent overthrow and expulsion from their land of promise. This would ultimately result in the destruction of Jerusalem, which Paul, readily understanding Jesus’ words to this effect, foresaw. Furthermore, this belies an underlying lack of trust in the covenant faithfulness of their God, and His power to do that which He had promised. The adherence to the flesh was the basis for their inability to please God, as we are able to learn from the author of the letter to the Hebrews, when we read that “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (11:6a).
In addition, as we continue to contemplate the nature of these works of the flesh, let us not lose sight of the fact that God did not intend for His people Israel to be separate simply for the sake of being separate, but that through their being set apart for His purposes He could truly bless them by using them as a means to bless all peoples. He intended this for Israel, as well as for those that are considered as renewed Israel through their union with Christ that is based on believing in Him as Lord.
Paul goes on to write that “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit” (8:9a). This is not a blanket statement that he addresses to his readers as some sort of broad-based compliment, but he qualifies this by writing, “if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you” (8:9b). This begs the question as to how one knows, in this context, if the Spirit of God lives in him. This, of course, is connected with the ability to please God, which we can imagine was something readily desired amongst those to whom Paul is writing this letter. How does one know if he does indeed have the Spirit of God? It would seem that, in the context of the contrast between death (flesh) and life and peace (Spirit), that the evidence of the Spirit would be willingness to fully embrace the tenets of the Abrahamic covenant. The evidence of the presence of the Spirit is the ability to rejoice in the ending of the separation between God and man, and between man and man. The evidence of the Spirit would be vigilance against the reconstruction of any walls or boundaries that would be erected to separate those that believe in Christ from one another.
Much of this can be seen in the important issue of table-fellowship between Jew and Gentile, which is a crucial issue in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, and a source of much criticism that is leveled against Jesus in the accounts of the Gospels. When Paul confronts Peter in Galatians, because of his withdrawal from eating with the Gentiles, and rebukes him to his face, it is because Peter’s actions constitute the resurrecting of old, and now meaningless cultural boundaries of separation, that dragged believers in Jesus back into the old age rather than allowing them to fully live in the new age that began with Christ’s Resurrection. For Paul, this resurrection by Peter nullifies the purpose of Christ’s Resurrection, and he will not tolerate it for a second. Christ died and was raised to create a new humanity, a new creation; so holding to old ideals and standards that stood in flagrant opposition to what God intended---as evidenced by Jesus’ own actions throughout His ministry, as He demonstrated what it meant to be fully human in the way that God intended---was not going to be tolerated.
In this, we can see the Spirit of Christ, as Paul forces us to reflect on the fact that the Spirit of Christ was shown forth through His own breaking down of ancient barriers and boundaries, bringing diverse peoples---including people despised and looked down on by the Jews---into and under God’s covenant, based solely upon their relationship to Him. Understanding this then allows us to return to the subject at hand here in Romans, so as to get a better grasp on what is meant when Paul writes, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to Him” (8:9b).
Following from that, we read that “if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is your life because of righteousness” (8:10). Here, Paul affirms that, even though we share in Christ’s eternal life here and now, are bodies will eventually deteriorate and we will die. This is because of the sin that was introduced into the world, and still exists primarily as a failure to trust God. However, because of righteousness, that is, because of God’s covenant faithfulness, we have a promise of life. That Spirit of Christ that we have because of God’s covenant faithfulness is the guarantee that there will come a time of resurrection for each of us that is in Christ.
That resurrection is not a dis-embodied existence restricted to an ethereal and heavenly realm (though heaven is one of our hopes as we await a final resurrection), but the resurrection that Paul has in mind is one in a world in which the kingdom of God has been set to work, and which merely awaits its final consummation, as God sets His creation to rights. It is for that reason that he goes on to inform his readers that “Moreover if the Spirit of the One Who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the One Who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through His Spirit Who lives in you” (8:11). Just as Jesus was raised from the dead so as to walk in this creation, so too will His brethren.
There is a great deal of freedom at work here. Because of the freedom from the condemnation that comes from being outside of God’s covenant, with an escape from such through belief in Jesus as Lord, those that are in Christ are set free to be used as agents and ambassadors of the creation-restoring kingdom of God, and are given the immense privilege of being used by God to extend His blessings of renewal, re-creation, restoration, and resurrection with Christ to all peoples. This occurs as His Resurrection power flows to us and through us to be conduits of His gift of eternal life through the Gospel.
In addition, as we continue to contemplate the nature of these works of the flesh, let us not lose sight of the fact that God did not intend for His people Israel to be separate simply for the sake of being separate, but that through their being set apart for His purposes He could truly bless them by using them as a means to bless all peoples. He intended this for Israel, as well as for those that are considered as renewed Israel through their union with Christ that is based on believing in Him as Lord.
Paul goes on to write that “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit” (8:9a). This is not a blanket statement that he addresses to his readers as some sort of broad-based compliment, but he qualifies this by writing, “if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you” (8:9b). This begs the question as to how one knows, in this context, if the Spirit of God lives in him. This, of course, is connected with the ability to please God, which we can imagine was something readily desired amongst those to whom Paul is writing this letter. How does one know if he does indeed have the Spirit of God? It would seem that, in the context of the contrast between death (flesh) and life and peace (Spirit), that the evidence of the Spirit would be willingness to fully embrace the tenets of the Abrahamic covenant. The evidence of the presence of the Spirit is the ability to rejoice in the ending of the separation between God and man, and between man and man. The evidence of the Spirit would be vigilance against the reconstruction of any walls or boundaries that would be erected to separate those that believe in Christ from one another.
Much of this can be seen in the important issue of table-fellowship between Jew and Gentile, which is a crucial issue in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, and a source of much criticism that is leveled against Jesus in the accounts of the Gospels. When Paul confronts Peter in Galatians, because of his withdrawal from eating with the Gentiles, and rebukes him to his face, it is because Peter’s actions constitute the resurrecting of old, and now meaningless cultural boundaries of separation, that dragged believers in Jesus back into the old age rather than allowing them to fully live in the new age that began with Christ’s Resurrection. For Paul, this resurrection by Peter nullifies the purpose of Christ’s Resurrection, and he will not tolerate it for a second. Christ died and was raised to create a new humanity, a new creation; so holding to old ideals and standards that stood in flagrant opposition to what God intended---as evidenced by Jesus’ own actions throughout His ministry, as He demonstrated what it meant to be fully human in the way that God intended---was not going to be tolerated.
In this, we can see the Spirit of Christ, as Paul forces us to reflect on the fact that the Spirit of Christ was shown forth through His own breaking down of ancient barriers and boundaries, bringing diverse peoples---including people despised and looked down on by the Jews---into and under God’s covenant, based solely upon their relationship to Him. Understanding this then allows us to return to the subject at hand here in Romans, so as to get a better grasp on what is meant when Paul writes, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to Him” (8:9b).
Following from that, we read that “if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is your life because of righteousness” (8:10). Here, Paul affirms that, even though we share in Christ’s eternal life here and now, are bodies will eventually deteriorate and we will die. This is because of the sin that was introduced into the world, and still exists primarily as a failure to trust God. However, because of righteousness, that is, because of God’s covenant faithfulness, we have a promise of life. That Spirit of Christ that we have because of God’s covenant faithfulness is the guarantee that there will come a time of resurrection for each of us that is in Christ.
That resurrection is not a dis-embodied existence restricted to an ethereal and heavenly realm (though heaven is one of our hopes as we await a final resurrection), but the resurrection that Paul has in mind is one in a world in which the kingdom of God has been set to work, and which merely awaits its final consummation, as God sets His creation to rights. It is for that reason that he goes on to inform his readers that “Moreover if the Spirit of the One Who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the One Who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through His Spirit Who lives in you” (8:11). Just as Jesus was raised from the dead so as to walk in this creation, so too will His brethren.
There is a great deal of freedom at work here. Because of the freedom from the condemnation that comes from being outside of God’s covenant, with an escape from such through belief in Jesus as Lord, those that are in Christ are set free to be used as agents and ambassadors of the creation-restoring kingdom of God, and are given the immense privilege of being used by God to extend His blessings of renewal, re-creation, restoration, and resurrection with Christ to all peoples. This occurs as His Resurrection power flows to us and through us to be conduits of His gift of eternal life through the Gospel.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Set Free (part 3)
Moving along to the fifth verse of Romans’ eighth chapter, we read, “For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh” (8:5a). We have to resist the temptation to turn these statements inward and begin thinking about them in personal terms, thereby turning “things of the flesh” into those things that we define as “sin” based upon nothing more than personal biases, prejudices, and preferences. Doing so does damage to Paul’s message and to the message of Christ as a whole. The “things of the flesh” do not take upon themselves a new constitution as we reach this verse, but must be understood in the context already presented.
That context is the covenant, the law, and the works of the flesh in which God’s covenant people (at the time of Christ and of Paul’s writing) were engaged for purposes of separation and the eventual elevation of national Israel over the nations as the establishment of the expected kingdom of God. Therefore, when we read about those who live according to the flesh, and understand that as living according to the works of the flesh (traditions that served as national boundary markers), then it is quite easy for us to understand that their outlook is shaped by the things of the flesh. Their entire interaction with the world was based upon the specific, nationalistic construct that had been created.
For Paul, this stands in sharp contrast with “those who live according to the Spirit,” who “have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit” (8:5b). Those who live according to the Spirit are those, both Jew and Gentile, that have moved beyond the nationalistic boundaries and desires through their recognition of, and belief in Jesus as Lord and Christ. This position of faith-grounded belief is the result and evidence of the activity of the Holy Spirit---the same Spirit that delivered the power that raised Christ from the dead. Paul points out that it is union with Christ that is all-important, and this union with Christ, based on a believing, faithful allegiance to Him because of Who He is as proved by the Resurrection, is the boundary marker of God’s covenant peoples. Owing to that, the all-important works of the flesh to which Israel has been holding no longer has a place of service in denoting the people of God. In and through Christ, there is a worldwide unity of peoples that form the kingdom of Israel’s God, where no division is necessary or even tolerated. This, of course, is the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham to bless all peoples through his (Abraham’s) seed (the Christ, Who can be understood as the faithful Israelite.
Because this breaking down of all divisions, which reminds God’s people of the removal of the wall of hostility that separated them from Him, in which all distinctions are erased is such a radical concept for the world of his day (and even our own day), the people that live inside this new construct are said to live according to the Spirit. Indeed, their outlook must be shaped by the things of the Spirit, with the main thing of the Spirit being the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth and His being shown forth as Messiah of Israel and therefore the ruler of the world through the now-inaugurated kingdom of God. Since one can only come to believe in such a thing through the powerful working of the Holy Spirit and its gift of faith that is transmitted through the preaching of the Gospel, the only conclusion to be reached is that such an outlook, and therefore the responses of life that are dictated by that outlook, are shaped by the Spirit of God.
In the sixth verse, Paul relates that “the outlook of the flesh is death, but the outlook of the Spirit is life and peace” (8:6). The nationalism that surrounded the traditions represented by the works of the flesh is the same nationalism that fomented and sustained the revolutionary fervor against the Roman oppressors that was so prevalent in Israel in the days of Jesus and Paul. Paul, with knowledge of the words of Jesus, and ears to hear the message that Jesus was communicating to His countrymen, makes the point to Jews here in Rome, who might be tempted to support or take up arms with their brethren in Judea against the Romans if and when the time would come, that a life outlook that is dictated by holding to those things of the flesh is death. Conversely, the outlook of the Spirit---with its understanding that the kingdom of God was established through what Jesus Christ the Lord had done, without the use of sword or shield, and in which He suffered all of the violence and death---caused a looking upon of all men that believed in Jesus as heirs of the blessings of that kingdom, infusing a Spirit-empowered love and missionary compassion to extend the kingdom of God to all peoples by the preaching of the Gospel, and the eternal life and peace to be had in union with Christ.
Finishing the thought that was begun in the sixth verse, Paul writes that “the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, not is it able to do so” (8:7). If we remember that the law was designed to allow God’s people to effectively bear His image and shine as lights in the world that would engender God’s blessing and draw all men to God so as to bring them under the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant, while reflecting on the fact that Israel failed to uphold the minimum requirements of the law (resulting in destruction, deportation, and ongoing exile), and later turning the law into a barrier of hostility that effectively kept those that were not a part of Israel from entering into covenant, then we are able to understand why Paul speaks of the outlook associated with the works of the flesh as being hostile to God and not submitting to the purpose of God’s laws. The law was being perverted in its use, and could not serve in its intended capacity.
That context is the covenant, the law, and the works of the flesh in which God’s covenant people (at the time of Christ and of Paul’s writing) were engaged for purposes of separation and the eventual elevation of national Israel over the nations as the establishment of the expected kingdom of God. Therefore, when we read about those who live according to the flesh, and understand that as living according to the works of the flesh (traditions that served as national boundary markers), then it is quite easy for us to understand that their outlook is shaped by the things of the flesh. Their entire interaction with the world was based upon the specific, nationalistic construct that had been created.
For Paul, this stands in sharp contrast with “those who live according to the Spirit,” who “have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit” (8:5b). Those who live according to the Spirit are those, both Jew and Gentile, that have moved beyond the nationalistic boundaries and desires through their recognition of, and belief in Jesus as Lord and Christ. This position of faith-grounded belief is the result and evidence of the activity of the Holy Spirit---the same Spirit that delivered the power that raised Christ from the dead. Paul points out that it is union with Christ that is all-important, and this union with Christ, based on a believing, faithful allegiance to Him because of Who He is as proved by the Resurrection, is the boundary marker of God’s covenant peoples. Owing to that, the all-important works of the flesh to which Israel has been holding no longer has a place of service in denoting the people of God. In and through Christ, there is a worldwide unity of peoples that form the kingdom of Israel’s God, where no division is necessary or even tolerated. This, of course, is the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham to bless all peoples through his (Abraham’s) seed (the Christ, Who can be understood as the faithful Israelite.
Because this breaking down of all divisions, which reminds God’s people of the removal of the wall of hostility that separated them from Him, in which all distinctions are erased is such a radical concept for the world of his day (and even our own day), the people that live inside this new construct are said to live according to the Spirit. Indeed, their outlook must be shaped by the things of the Spirit, with the main thing of the Spirit being the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth and His being shown forth as Messiah of Israel and therefore the ruler of the world through the now-inaugurated kingdom of God. Since one can only come to believe in such a thing through the powerful working of the Holy Spirit and its gift of faith that is transmitted through the preaching of the Gospel, the only conclusion to be reached is that such an outlook, and therefore the responses of life that are dictated by that outlook, are shaped by the Spirit of God.
In the sixth verse, Paul relates that “the outlook of the flesh is death, but the outlook of the Spirit is life and peace” (8:6). The nationalism that surrounded the traditions represented by the works of the flesh is the same nationalism that fomented and sustained the revolutionary fervor against the Roman oppressors that was so prevalent in Israel in the days of Jesus and Paul. Paul, with knowledge of the words of Jesus, and ears to hear the message that Jesus was communicating to His countrymen, makes the point to Jews here in Rome, who might be tempted to support or take up arms with their brethren in Judea against the Romans if and when the time would come, that a life outlook that is dictated by holding to those things of the flesh is death. Conversely, the outlook of the Spirit---with its understanding that the kingdom of God was established through what Jesus Christ the Lord had done, without the use of sword or shield, and in which He suffered all of the violence and death---caused a looking upon of all men that believed in Jesus as heirs of the blessings of that kingdom, infusing a Spirit-empowered love and missionary compassion to extend the kingdom of God to all peoples by the preaching of the Gospel, and the eternal life and peace to be had in union with Christ.
Finishing the thought that was begun in the sixth verse, Paul writes that “the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, not is it able to do so” (8:7). If we remember that the law was designed to allow God’s people to effectively bear His image and shine as lights in the world that would engender God’s blessing and draw all men to God so as to bring them under the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant, while reflecting on the fact that Israel failed to uphold the minimum requirements of the law (resulting in destruction, deportation, and ongoing exile), and later turning the law into a barrier of hostility that effectively kept those that were not a part of Israel from entering into covenant, then we are able to understand why Paul speaks of the outlook associated with the works of the flesh as being hostile to God and not submitting to the purpose of God’s laws. The law was being perverted in its use, and could not serve in its intended capacity.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Set Free (part 2)
In Jesus’ day, and no less in Paul’s day, with the law having been turned into a boundary marker that separated Israel from the surrounding nations, Paul insists that God necessarily and effectively relieved the condemnation for sin which was death, “By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3b). Here, we note Paul’s use of “Son of God” terminology, bearing in mind the introduction of his letter, in which he sets forth the Gospel message, writing about the Son “Who was a descendant of David with reference to the flesh, Who was appointed Son-of-God-in-power according to the Holy Spirit by the Resurrection from the dead” (1:3b-4a). This descent from David, appointment to King-ship (Son of God being a royal, kingly term for Israel’s messiah), and Resurrection from the dead, therefore showed Him to be “Jesus Christ our Lord” (1:4b). Better said, He was shown forth to be Jesus, the anointed one of God (Christ/Messiah), Who is now the Lord of all the earth, with all authorities and powers subject to Him.
Returning to the eighth chapter, we find that “concerning sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (8:3b-4). We must carefully work through Paul’s thought process. To begin, we need to get a firm grasp on “sin” as it is presented here. Sin is that which causes us to be less than fully human. Sin is that which defeats us from bearing God’s image and not reflecting His glory into the world. As has been said, His glorification was God’s intention for those that He created to bear His image. The law was given to aid His covenant people in this endeavor, but when given this opportunity, Israel failed.
At that time, they were observing the requirements of the law, but because it was being used as a boundary (keeping non-Israelites outside of the covenant) rather than as an aid to blessing (bringing non-Israelites into the covenant), God was still not receiving the glory that He desired. Indeed, they were falling short, and doing it willfully and proudly. Jesus comes on the scene and condemns this sin of what was then termed as the “works of the flesh” (circumcision, food laws, Sabbath keeping), which were being ardently held to as a means of identifying those that were truly God’s people and who would be the beneficiaries of God’s expected action on behalf of His people. This continued to defeat God’s ultimate purposes for Israel, for His creation, and for the people of a renewed Israel (from every tribe and tongue) that He had chosen for Himself from before the foundations of the world.
The condemning of this sin of the flesh was brought about “so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us.” This “righteous requirement” pointed to the plan, rooted in God’s covenant faithfulness (first revealed to Abraham), to extend His blessings to all peoples, doing so through His covenant people. Through His faithfulness, and the faithfulness of His Messiah (Jesus of Nazareth), God was able to fulfill what it was that was required by His covenant, which was the creation of a covenant family that would encompass the peoples of the world. This covenant family would represent the living, breathing, serving kingdom of God, as in union with His Messiah through a faith-granted belief in Him they would be a people willingly submitted to Him as Lord. This submission crossed all boundaries of race, ethnicity, class, and social status, showing itself as the anti-thesis of that to which Israel had been holding to through that day.
Rounding out the thought of the fourth verse, we see that the righteous requirement is fulfilled in those “who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” This reinforces the point that has been being made, in that God’s covenant faithfulness is demonstrated, not in those who wanted to set up systems and hold to traditions of exclusivity, doing this in accordance with the flesh (works of the flesh); but rather, God’s covenant faithfulness is demonstrated by those that walk according to the Spirit. Those that are gifted to faith and belief by the Holy Spirit, believing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, are a new creation in union with Christ. The works of the flesh (circumcision, etc…) were now irrelevant.
It is this new creation, empowered by the same Spirit that raised up Christ from the dead, that are those through whom God now works to continue to extend His covenant and bestow His blessings, with this accomplished first and foremost through the preaching of the Gospel (which must include crucifixion and Resurrection). As we continue to think about the works of the flesh that made for a continual separation of Israel from other peoples, we must also acknowledge that part of the work of the Spirit is the tearing down of those walls, so that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female---for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:28-29).
Returning to the eighth chapter, we find that “concerning sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (8:3b-4). We must carefully work through Paul’s thought process. To begin, we need to get a firm grasp on “sin” as it is presented here. Sin is that which causes us to be less than fully human. Sin is that which defeats us from bearing God’s image and not reflecting His glory into the world. As has been said, His glorification was God’s intention for those that He created to bear His image. The law was given to aid His covenant people in this endeavor, but when given this opportunity, Israel failed.
At that time, they were observing the requirements of the law, but because it was being used as a boundary (keeping non-Israelites outside of the covenant) rather than as an aid to blessing (bringing non-Israelites into the covenant), God was still not receiving the glory that He desired. Indeed, they were falling short, and doing it willfully and proudly. Jesus comes on the scene and condemns this sin of what was then termed as the “works of the flesh” (circumcision, food laws, Sabbath keeping), which were being ardently held to as a means of identifying those that were truly God’s people and who would be the beneficiaries of God’s expected action on behalf of His people. This continued to defeat God’s ultimate purposes for Israel, for His creation, and for the people of a renewed Israel (from every tribe and tongue) that He had chosen for Himself from before the foundations of the world.
The condemning of this sin of the flesh was brought about “so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us.” This “righteous requirement” pointed to the plan, rooted in God’s covenant faithfulness (first revealed to Abraham), to extend His blessings to all peoples, doing so through His covenant people. Through His faithfulness, and the faithfulness of His Messiah (Jesus of Nazareth), God was able to fulfill what it was that was required by His covenant, which was the creation of a covenant family that would encompass the peoples of the world. This covenant family would represent the living, breathing, serving kingdom of God, as in union with His Messiah through a faith-granted belief in Him they would be a people willingly submitted to Him as Lord. This submission crossed all boundaries of race, ethnicity, class, and social status, showing itself as the anti-thesis of that to which Israel had been holding to through that day.
Rounding out the thought of the fourth verse, we see that the righteous requirement is fulfilled in those “who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” This reinforces the point that has been being made, in that God’s covenant faithfulness is demonstrated, not in those who wanted to set up systems and hold to traditions of exclusivity, doing this in accordance with the flesh (works of the flesh); but rather, God’s covenant faithfulness is demonstrated by those that walk according to the Spirit. Those that are gifted to faith and belief by the Holy Spirit, believing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, are a new creation in union with Christ. The works of the flesh (circumcision, etc…) were now irrelevant.
It is this new creation, empowered by the same Spirit that raised up Christ from the dead, that are those through whom God now works to continue to extend His covenant and bestow His blessings, with this accomplished first and foremost through the preaching of the Gospel (which must include crucifixion and Resurrection). As we continue to think about the works of the flesh that made for a continual separation of Israel from other peoples, we must also acknowledge that part of the work of the Spirit is the tearing down of those walls, so that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female---for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:28-29).
Set Free (part 1)
For the law of life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. – Romans 8:2 (NET)
Paul writes this as a follow up to the statement of the first verse of the chapter, where we read that “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (8:1). In these two verses, he twice uses the extraordinarily important phrase “in Christ Jesus.” It is in Christ Jesus, that is, in union with Christ Jesus, which can be summed up as believing in Jesus Christ as Lord through the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith, which has come through the preaching of the Gospel that is the power of God unto salvation. That salvation, indeed, is the setting free from the law of sin and death.
In union with Christ, and therefore being made to share in His Resurrection power by the faith-giving and belief affirming presence of the Holy Spirit, we are dragged out of our exile from God. We are converted, if you will, from being outside of His covenant family, to being inside His covenant family, and this, based on allegiance to Him that is demonstrated through the confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Outside of the covenant, we were unable to bear God’s image. Outside of the covenant family, we were subject to the wrath of God against sin, which is death. Inside the covenant family, because we are in union with Christ, as demonstrated by calling Him Lord, which is the mark of the renewed covenant people of God, we have overcome death because Christ overcame death.
In the next verse, Paul goes on to write “For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh” (8:3a). Of course, we know that it was God’s people, Israel, that were given the law. Why were they given the law? Ultimately, it was to bring God glory. They were given the law as a way to approach that which God intended for humanity, but which had been rejected and lost in the fall. Unfortunately, at the fall, not only was mankind ejected from off the path of God’s purpose for the beings that He created in His image, but the power necessary to adequately bear that image and properly steward the creation and shine the light of God’s glory into the world was lost as well. Israel was in a better position to fully trust their God than was the rest of humanity, because of what they had seen and experienced at God’s hand owing to the covenant promises that had been made to Abraham, but they failed to trust, they failed to perform at the level of minimum expectation (no idolatry, reverence the sanctuary, keep the Sabbaths), and thus they failed to bear God’s image in the world.
God had intended for His people to be a light to the nations, to illumine the world through the knowledge of the blessings that their God would pour out upon them simply for being people that were faithful to the their covenant responsibilities. Owing to their idolatry, however, and the curses and exile that God brought upon His people---as promised if they succumbed to idolatry---Israel became a people that profaned the name of God, as the nations looked upon their experience, and responded with mocking and ridicule. Israel was to lead people to the knowledge of the providential, creative, and covenant God, and be a source of blessing not just for themselves, but for all the peoples of the world. The law was to be a tool in their hands for this purpose.
God wanted to free a family of people beyond national Israel from the effects of sin and death, but this could not be accomplished, because the law that was meant to help accomplish this thing was unable to be kept by those to whom it was given. Again, owing to the fall, man had lost the ability to be the creature that God created him to be. Even when they sincerely believed that it was being kept with a rigorous and scrupulous minutiae, in the years following the return from the Babylonian exile, through the time of Christ, this purpose of God for the world through His people was still left unaccomplished, because the intention of the law was being weakened through flesh. It was not being used as a means of attracting the nations, in full display of the blessings of providence, but now, was being used to keep Israel separate from the nations.
Israel was looking to its own house, looking for its own messiah, its own restoration, its own deliverance from exile through a new exodus, and its own new kingdom through which they would be set above all nations. They were looking for and expecting their God to act on their behalf, and only on their behalf, to set the world right according to their view. Because of that, the provisions of the law were being used as boundary markers and walls of separation. Essentially, Israel was unwilling to carry out God’s purpose and plan for the law, which was to magnify Him before all people because of the blessings that He would bestow upon His people for their adherence to it. Instead, they took that which was intended to make them a light to the world and hit it under a basket.
Paul writes this as a follow up to the statement of the first verse of the chapter, where we read that “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (8:1). In these two verses, he twice uses the extraordinarily important phrase “in Christ Jesus.” It is in Christ Jesus, that is, in union with Christ Jesus, which can be summed up as believing in Jesus Christ as Lord through the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith, which has come through the preaching of the Gospel that is the power of God unto salvation. That salvation, indeed, is the setting free from the law of sin and death.
In union with Christ, and therefore being made to share in His Resurrection power by the faith-giving and belief affirming presence of the Holy Spirit, we are dragged out of our exile from God. We are converted, if you will, from being outside of His covenant family, to being inside His covenant family, and this, based on allegiance to Him that is demonstrated through the confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Outside of the covenant, we were unable to bear God’s image. Outside of the covenant family, we were subject to the wrath of God against sin, which is death. Inside the covenant family, because we are in union with Christ, as demonstrated by calling Him Lord, which is the mark of the renewed covenant people of God, we have overcome death because Christ overcame death.
In the next verse, Paul goes on to write “For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh” (8:3a). Of course, we know that it was God’s people, Israel, that were given the law. Why were they given the law? Ultimately, it was to bring God glory. They were given the law as a way to approach that which God intended for humanity, but which had been rejected and lost in the fall. Unfortunately, at the fall, not only was mankind ejected from off the path of God’s purpose for the beings that He created in His image, but the power necessary to adequately bear that image and properly steward the creation and shine the light of God’s glory into the world was lost as well. Israel was in a better position to fully trust their God than was the rest of humanity, because of what they had seen and experienced at God’s hand owing to the covenant promises that had been made to Abraham, but they failed to trust, they failed to perform at the level of minimum expectation (no idolatry, reverence the sanctuary, keep the Sabbaths), and thus they failed to bear God’s image in the world.
God had intended for His people to be a light to the nations, to illumine the world through the knowledge of the blessings that their God would pour out upon them simply for being people that were faithful to the their covenant responsibilities. Owing to their idolatry, however, and the curses and exile that God brought upon His people---as promised if they succumbed to idolatry---Israel became a people that profaned the name of God, as the nations looked upon their experience, and responded with mocking and ridicule. Israel was to lead people to the knowledge of the providential, creative, and covenant God, and be a source of blessing not just for themselves, but for all the peoples of the world. The law was to be a tool in their hands for this purpose.
God wanted to free a family of people beyond national Israel from the effects of sin and death, but this could not be accomplished, because the law that was meant to help accomplish this thing was unable to be kept by those to whom it was given. Again, owing to the fall, man had lost the ability to be the creature that God created him to be. Even when they sincerely believed that it was being kept with a rigorous and scrupulous minutiae, in the years following the return from the Babylonian exile, through the time of Christ, this purpose of God for the world through His people was still left unaccomplished, because the intention of the law was being weakened through flesh. It was not being used as a means of attracting the nations, in full display of the blessings of providence, but now, was being used to keep Israel separate from the nations.
Israel was looking to its own house, looking for its own messiah, its own restoration, its own deliverance from exile through a new exodus, and its own new kingdom through which they would be set above all nations. They were looking for and expecting their God to act on their behalf, and only on their behalf, to set the world right according to their view. Because of that, the provisions of the law were being used as boundary markers and walls of separation. Essentially, Israel was unwilling to carry out God’s purpose and plan for the law, which was to magnify Him before all people because of the blessings that He would bestow upon His people for their adherence to it. Instead, they took that which was intended to make them a light to the world and hit it under a basket.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Regarded As Nothing
There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as nothing – Acts 19:27a (NET)
These are the words of a man named Demetrius. He lived in the city of Ephesus, and was “a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis” (19:24b). He was obviously quite the influential man in the city of Ephesus, as it was his instigating words that would nearly bring the city to the point of riot. This influence was gained from the fact that he “brought a great deal of business to the craftsmen” (19:24c). While also being a man of influence, he was also a man of awareness. Like any good businessman, he kept abreast of current events that could have an effect on his business. Recently, an event had occurred in Ephesus that was of considerable concern to Demetrius.
Backing up a bit in the nineteenth chapter of Acts, we learn that “God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, so that even when handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body were brought to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them” (19:11-12). As we would imagine, this would make quite the impression on those that witnessed such things. It also served as something of an inspiration, as “some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by evil spirits, saying, ‘I sternly warn you by Jesus Whom Paul preaches’.” (19:13) We go on to learn, in fact, that it was seven brothers that were doing this very thing. Fascinatingly, “the evil spirit replied to them, ‘I know about Jesus and I am acquainted with Paul, but who are you?’ Then the man who was possessed by the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them all into submission. He prevailed against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded” (19:16).
What happened following this rather interesting event? We read that “This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; fear came over them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised” (19:17). Though the exorcists had failed in their invoking the name of Jesus in order to cast out the evil spirit, the subsequent occurrences still had the result of brining praise to Jesus. This provoked a response on the part of the people which enables us to go on and read that “the Word of the Lord continued to grow in power and to prevail” (19:20b). What “Word of the Lord” was it that was growing in power and prevailing? That is a simple question to answer, as it was obviously the Gospel that Paul was preaching. We know that “Paul entered the synagogue and spoke out fearlessly for three months, addressing and convincing them about the kingdom of God” (19:8). Paul’s preaching of the kingdom could not possibly be disconnected with His preaching of Jesus as the crucified and resurrected Messiah of Israel, Who was the Son of God, Lord and King of the world. Paul would not be preaching a kingdom without its King, that being Jesus; and apart from His crucifixion and Resurrection, Jesus could not be spoken of as King.
There were those in the synagogue, as usual, that rejected Paul’s preaching of “the Way” (19:9), so eventually Paul left the synagogue and took up his teaching “every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the Word of the Lord” (19:9b-10). Again, this Word of the Lord, as we are able to construe from the record of Paul’s preaching and from his writing, would have been that Jesus is Lord. That was the message of the Gospel, and that alone represents a message that would grow in power and prevail. If we desire consistency with the text of the New Testament, we have to agree that there is no other message that could be described in such a way.
Due to the effectiveness of the preaching of the message of the Gospel, as it grew in power and prevailed, Demetrius’ business was most likely suffering. So he called a meeting of the craftsmen, “along with the workmen in similar trades, and said, ‘Men, you know that our prosperity comes from this business. And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded and turned away a large crowd, not only in Ephesus but in practically all of the province of Asia, by saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all” (19:25b-26). This is where we come upon his statement that “There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as nothing” (19:27a). He concludes his statement with “and she whom all the province of Asia and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness” (19:27b).
In that day, this temple, one of the wonders of the ancient world, had been in place for over five-hundred years. It drew thousands of worshipers from all over the world. The devotees of Artemis, as the goddess of Ephesus, could quickly fill a fifty-thousand seat theater, and when prodded, gladly shout “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (19:34b) for two solid hours. Nevertheless, the tireless preaching of the Gospel, of the foolish and confounding message of a crucified man that had been raised from the dead by God, was seen to be threatening the temple and its goddess, to the point that both would be “regarded as nothing,” and that the world would suffer the loss of her greatness.
That tells the power of the preaching of the message of Jesus. There is no message besides the message of Jesus Christ crucified and raised that has such power. It is this message that goes forth by the Holy Spirit and transforms hearts and minds. It is the message that Paul preached. It was the message that Jesus’ disciples took into the world. It is the message, supreme above anything else that we can ever preach or teach, that we should be carrying into this world on a daily basis. All other messages are secondary, and if not rooted in the message of the cross and an empty tomb, by which anything else that we desire to teach or preach will gain its power, all other messages are rather pointless.
These are the words of a man named Demetrius. He lived in the city of Ephesus, and was “a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis” (19:24b). He was obviously quite the influential man in the city of Ephesus, as it was his instigating words that would nearly bring the city to the point of riot. This influence was gained from the fact that he “brought a great deal of business to the craftsmen” (19:24c). While also being a man of influence, he was also a man of awareness. Like any good businessman, he kept abreast of current events that could have an effect on his business. Recently, an event had occurred in Ephesus that was of considerable concern to Demetrius.
Backing up a bit in the nineteenth chapter of Acts, we learn that “God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, so that even when handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body were brought to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them” (19:11-12). As we would imagine, this would make quite the impression on those that witnessed such things. It also served as something of an inspiration, as “some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by evil spirits, saying, ‘I sternly warn you by Jesus Whom Paul preaches’.” (19:13) We go on to learn, in fact, that it was seven brothers that were doing this very thing. Fascinatingly, “the evil spirit replied to them, ‘I know about Jesus and I am acquainted with Paul, but who are you?’ Then the man who was possessed by the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them all into submission. He prevailed against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded” (19:16).
What happened following this rather interesting event? We read that “This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; fear came over them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised” (19:17). Though the exorcists had failed in their invoking the name of Jesus in order to cast out the evil spirit, the subsequent occurrences still had the result of brining praise to Jesus. This provoked a response on the part of the people which enables us to go on and read that “the Word of the Lord continued to grow in power and to prevail” (19:20b). What “Word of the Lord” was it that was growing in power and prevailing? That is a simple question to answer, as it was obviously the Gospel that Paul was preaching. We know that “Paul entered the synagogue and spoke out fearlessly for three months, addressing and convincing them about the kingdom of God” (19:8). Paul’s preaching of the kingdom could not possibly be disconnected with His preaching of Jesus as the crucified and resurrected Messiah of Israel, Who was the Son of God, Lord and King of the world. Paul would not be preaching a kingdom without its King, that being Jesus; and apart from His crucifixion and Resurrection, Jesus could not be spoken of as King.
There were those in the synagogue, as usual, that rejected Paul’s preaching of “the Way” (19:9), so eventually Paul left the synagogue and took up his teaching “every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the Word of the Lord” (19:9b-10). Again, this Word of the Lord, as we are able to construe from the record of Paul’s preaching and from his writing, would have been that Jesus is Lord. That was the message of the Gospel, and that alone represents a message that would grow in power and prevail. If we desire consistency with the text of the New Testament, we have to agree that there is no other message that could be described in such a way.
Due to the effectiveness of the preaching of the message of the Gospel, as it grew in power and prevailed, Demetrius’ business was most likely suffering. So he called a meeting of the craftsmen, “along with the workmen in similar trades, and said, ‘Men, you know that our prosperity comes from this business. And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded and turned away a large crowd, not only in Ephesus but in practically all of the province of Asia, by saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all” (19:25b-26). This is where we come upon his statement that “There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as nothing” (19:27a). He concludes his statement with “and she whom all the province of Asia and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness” (19:27b).
In that day, this temple, one of the wonders of the ancient world, had been in place for over five-hundred years. It drew thousands of worshipers from all over the world. The devotees of Artemis, as the goddess of Ephesus, could quickly fill a fifty-thousand seat theater, and when prodded, gladly shout “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (19:34b) for two solid hours. Nevertheless, the tireless preaching of the Gospel, of the foolish and confounding message of a crucified man that had been raised from the dead by God, was seen to be threatening the temple and its goddess, to the point that both would be “regarded as nothing,” and that the world would suffer the loss of her greatness.
That tells the power of the preaching of the message of Jesus. There is no message besides the message of Jesus Christ crucified and raised that has such power. It is this message that goes forth by the Holy Spirit and transforms hearts and minds. It is the message that Paul preached. It was the message that Jesus’ disciples took into the world. It is the message, supreme above anything else that we can ever preach or teach, that we should be carrying into this world on a daily basis. All other messages are secondary, and if not rooted in the message of the cross and an empty tomb, by which anything else that we desire to teach or preach will gain its power, all other messages are rather pointless.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Paul's Customary Preaching
Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” – Acts 17:2-3 (NET)
As we examine the preaching of the Apostle Paul, it becomes fairly clear that his preaching of the crucifixion and Resurrection was the most important aspect of his message. In this verse we find the word “customarily” used. It probably has a four-fold application, in that it was Paul’s custom to go to the synagogue, as he did here in Thessalonica; that he addressed them from the Scriptures; that the purpose of his addressing them from the Scriptures was to explain and demonstrate that the Christ had to suffer and also rise from the dead; and that Jesus of Nazareth, the Man whose death had been ordered by Pilate, was the Christ.
Paul preached the Gospel. It is this message that changes hearts and minds. It is in the preaching of this message, that Jesus is the crucified and resurrected Messiah of Israel and Lord of all, that the power of God goes forth for salvation. It is in the preaching of this message that faith is gifted and belief is created. That is why it is foundational. That is why we see it as the single most important theme in all of Paul’s writing, and why it forms the basis for our being able to understand the message of the entire Bible. Preaching Christ crucified and resurrected is the message that persuades people. We can see that as we go on to read that “Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women” (17:4). This, of course, is the work of the Holy Spirit, as it is the Holy Spirit that moves one to a confession of Jesus as Lord (which is part of what the declaration of Him as Messiah entailed), as well as to a place of believing something so absurdly foolish (especially for the Greeks) as a man rising from the dead after being subjected to a Roman crucifixion. Nevertheless, it is the preaching of this Gospel message, owing to the power therein, that persuades and inspires this cherished, all-important belief.
Naturally, not all were persuaded, as we read that “the Jews became jealous…and set the city in an uproar” (17:5). After the meeting in the synagogue had disbanded, because of their jealousy, they went looking for Paul and Silas, but were unable to find them. They dragged Paul and Silas’ host “before the city officials, screaming, ‘These people who have stirred up trouble throughout the world have come here too… They are all acting against Caesar’s decrees, saying there is another king names Jesus!’” (17:6b-7) This serves well to point out the nature of the message of Jesus as Messiah. This was not just a spiritual proclamation, in which Jesus reigns in heaven and in somebody’s heart. This message of Jesus as the Christ included the proclamation that Jesus was indeed King. The Jews said this, not because they believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but because they knew everything that the title of Messiah implied, including being the ruler of all the earth. Those that preached Jesus as King showed Him forth as the King of God’s kingdom that had been ushered into existence at the Resurrection, with that kingdom composed of all those that believed the message of Jesus. Furthermore, the message was not that there was “another king, but that Jesus was “the King,” and all kings were now subject to Him.
Because of the uproar, “The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea at once, during the night” (17:10a). Not surprisingly, we find that “When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue” (17:10b), as that was Paul’s custom. What did he do at the synagogue. Most likely, “he addressed them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ’.” (17:2b-3) We are told that “These Jews were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they eagerly received the message, examining the Scriptures every day to see if these things were so” (17:11). This takes us back to the foundational message, demonstrating the supreme importance of the preaching and understanding of the pure Gospel message of Jesus crucified and resurrected and shown forth to be the Son of God (kingly term) in power. The Bereans searched the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said about the Christ, and therefore about Jesus, was true. Nothing was more important than understanding Who Jesus was, along with the fact of, and what was implied by His being raised from the dead.
Together with this, we are sure to note the power of God that is once again on display through the singular preaching of this message, together with the searching of Scripture, as we learn that “many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men” (17:12).
As we examine the preaching of the Apostle Paul, it becomes fairly clear that his preaching of the crucifixion and Resurrection was the most important aspect of his message. In this verse we find the word “customarily” used. It probably has a four-fold application, in that it was Paul’s custom to go to the synagogue, as he did here in Thessalonica; that he addressed them from the Scriptures; that the purpose of his addressing them from the Scriptures was to explain and demonstrate that the Christ had to suffer and also rise from the dead; and that Jesus of Nazareth, the Man whose death had been ordered by Pilate, was the Christ.
Paul preached the Gospel. It is this message that changes hearts and minds. It is in the preaching of this message, that Jesus is the crucified and resurrected Messiah of Israel and Lord of all, that the power of God goes forth for salvation. It is in the preaching of this message that faith is gifted and belief is created. That is why it is foundational. That is why we see it as the single most important theme in all of Paul’s writing, and why it forms the basis for our being able to understand the message of the entire Bible. Preaching Christ crucified and resurrected is the message that persuades people. We can see that as we go on to read that “Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women” (17:4). This, of course, is the work of the Holy Spirit, as it is the Holy Spirit that moves one to a confession of Jesus as Lord (which is part of what the declaration of Him as Messiah entailed), as well as to a place of believing something so absurdly foolish (especially for the Greeks) as a man rising from the dead after being subjected to a Roman crucifixion. Nevertheless, it is the preaching of this Gospel message, owing to the power therein, that persuades and inspires this cherished, all-important belief.
Naturally, not all were persuaded, as we read that “the Jews became jealous…and set the city in an uproar” (17:5). After the meeting in the synagogue had disbanded, because of their jealousy, they went looking for Paul and Silas, but were unable to find them. They dragged Paul and Silas’ host “before the city officials, screaming, ‘These people who have stirred up trouble throughout the world have come here too… They are all acting against Caesar’s decrees, saying there is another king names Jesus!’” (17:6b-7) This serves well to point out the nature of the message of Jesus as Messiah. This was not just a spiritual proclamation, in which Jesus reigns in heaven and in somebody’s heart. This message of Jesus as the Christ included the proclamation that Jesus was indeed King. The Jews said this, not because they believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but because they knew everything that the title of Messiah implied, including being the ruler of all the earth. Those that preached Jesus as King showed Him forth as the King of God’s kingdom that had been ushered into existence at the Resurrection, with that kingdom composed of all those that believed the message of Jesus. Furthermore, the message was not that there was “another king, but that Jesus was “the King,” and all kings were now subject to Him.
Because of the uproar, “The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea at once, during the night” (17:10a). Not surprisingly, we find that “When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue” (17:10b), as that was Paul’s custom. What did he do at the synagogue. Most likely, “he addressed them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ’.” (17:2b-3) We are told that “These Jews were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they eagerly received the message, examining the Scriptures every day to see if these things were so” (17:11). This takes us back to the foundational message, demonstrating the supreme importance of the preaching and understanding of the pure Gospel message of Jesus crucified and resurrected and shown forth to be the Son of God (kingly term) in power. The Bereans searched the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said about the Christ, and therefore about Jesus, was true. Nothing was more important than understanding Who Jesus was, along with the fact of, and what was implied by His being raised from the dead.
Together with this, we are sure to note the power of God that is once again on display through the singular preaching of this message, together with the searching of Scripture, as we learn that “many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men” (17:12).
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