This past Sunday was the second hardest message I've ever had to preach. It was based on Mark 10:1-12 and you can listen to it here. As expected, the emails are already filling my inbox. I can almost hear the pain and turmoil embedded in each word I read as people wrestle with the truth of God's Word. Many of the questions/concerns are similar the ones I had during my months of study leading up to this message.
The foundational point of the message was that marriage is permanent. Mark 10:9 states, "What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." I was first exposed to this idea of the permanence of marriage almost nine years ago in J. Dwight Pentecost's class on the Life of Jesus at Dallas Theological Seminary. I can still remember how it challenged (and somewhat offended) my long-standing view on divorce & remarriage. Admittedly, I hadn't really studied the topic all that much, nor had I heard one sermon devoted to the topic.
A good summary statement of Pentecost's perspective comes from his epic work entitled, The Words & Works of Jesus Christ.
"The Pharisees viewed marriage as a social institution governed by the laws of men. But Christ viewed marriage as a divine institution governed by the laws of God. At the time of the institution of marriage, God had said that the two became one flesh. One is an indivisible union and the two became one. An indivisible union was established. Jesus, quoting Scripture, forbade man to separate what God has united." - pg. 356
My wife, Anna, still remembers me coming home from that particular class fixated on trying to prove my 91-year-old seminary professor wrong. The results of my (highly bias) study yielded a lot of material to support my position at the time; that remarriage was allowed on certain "biblical" grounds. Over the ensuing nine years I was quite happy living with that view as my foundation for pastoral care; until I began my study of Mark 10.
What I uncovered during my study really did turn my view upside-down. I continue to ask questions. I continue to wrestle. I continue to study. My prayer is that this very difficult message has encouraged the body of believers at my church to do the same.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Godly Grief or Wordly Sorrow?
When we sin it is fairly easy to determine if we are experiencing true godly grief or just worldly sorrow because we know our own thoughts.
The real challenge comes when a believer sins and is lovingly disciplined by their church family to direct them toward repentance and restoration. When the disciplined person expresses sorrow and claims to have repented how can the church best assess whether the person has genuinely repented or is merely experiencing worldly grief?
The passage I've spent a lot of time studying trying to answer this question is 2 Corinthians 7:5-13. The Apostle Paul is quite clear when he reveals worldly grief produces death (vs. 9) but godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret (vs. 10). In the case of the Corinthian church, their godly sorrow led to eagerness to clear themselves by doing what was right. Sadly, many people stop here because they are simply trying to "clear their name." The Corinthian believers did not stop there. They also expressed righteous indignation over their sin, fear of God, zeal, and willingness to expel from their midst the one who had caused them to stumble.
While it's impossible to offer a perfect set of principles for discerning between worldly sorrow and true repentance, here are a couple general guidelines I've pulled out of my study:
(1) What is the person's attitude toward the church's act of discipline? Does the person heartily agree that the church was right to exclude him or her because of the sin, or does the person harbor bitterness and resentment?
(2) Does the person appear to be more upset about how the sin has affected himself or herself (focusing on the pain, shame, or hardship it has brought him or her), or is the person genuinely grieved to have sinned against God, harmed others, wounded the church, and brought Christ's name into disrepute?
Obviously, with the difficulty and sensitively involved in this kind of situation it requires us as church leaders to be godly, patient, humble, prayerful, Bible-soaked men.
An extremely helpful guide, which I relied upon heavily for my study and paraphrased above, comes from the 9Marks: Healthy Church Study Guide series. It is entitled: Guarding One Another: Church Discipline - Click HERE for a FREE PDF download of the first chapter.
The real challenge comes when a believer sins and is lovingly disciplined by their church family to direct them toward repentance and restoration. When the disciplined person expresses sorrow and claims to have repented how can the church best assess whether the person has genuinely repented or is merely experiencing worldly grief?
The passage I've spent a lot of time studying trying to answer this question is 2 Corinthians 7:5-13. The Apostle Paul is quite clear when he reveals worldly grief produces death (vs. 9) but godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret (vs. 10). In the case of the Corinthian church, their godly sorrow led to eagerness to clear themselves by doing what was right. Sadly, many people stop here because they are simply trying to "clear their name." The Corinthian believers did not stop there. They also expressed righteous indignation over their sin, fear of God, zeal, and willingness to expel from their midst the one who had caused them to stumble.
While it's impossible to offer a perfect set of principles for discerning between worldly sorrow and true repentance, here are a couple general guidelines I've pulled out of my study:
(1) What is the person's attitude toward the church's act of discipline? Does the person heartily agree that the church was right to exclude him or her because of the sin, or does the person harbor bitterness and resentment?
(2) Does the person appear to be more upset about how the sin has affected himself or herself (focusing on the pain, shame, or hardship it has brought him or her), or is the person genuinely grieved to have sinned against God, harmed others, wounded the church, and brought Christ's name into disrepute?
Obviously, with the difficulty and sensitively involved in this kind of situation it requires us as church leaders to be godly, patient, humble, prayerful, Bible-soaked men.
An extremely helpful guide, which I relied upon heavily for my study and paraphrased above, comes from the 9Marks: Healthy Church Study Guide series. It is entitled: Guarding One Another: Church Discipline - Click HERE for a FREE PDF download of the first chapter.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Strive for Holiness
(The following blog is based on the sermon on Mark 9:42-50 I preached yesterday at Geist Community Church.)
At the end of Mark chapter nine Jesus clearly teaches about two dangers we face on a daily basis; two dangers that if unchecked in our lives will have dire consequences both now and for eternity.
The first danger is found in Mark 9:42: The danger of causing other believers to sin.
Jesus warned anyone who would deliberately hinder someone from abiding in Him. The damage to the work of God's Kingdom program is immeasurable because causing another believer to fall into sin effectively neutralizes their work for God. 1 Corinthians 8:12 explains that sinning against your brother in Christ and wounding their conscience when it is weak actually results in you sinning against Jesus!
The second danger is in Mark 9:43-50: The danger of our own sin.
Sin is a hideous, sly monster that seeks to devour us. As a believer in Christ there is now no condemnation before God because of our sin (Romans 8:1). However, sin is still incredibly dangerous because it can render us ineffective for the work God has prepared in advance for us to do. Avoiding sin and living a holy life is hard. It requires drastic measures, but it is the way that leads to life. As a surgeon does not hesitate to cut off a gangrenous limb to save a life, so sin must be radically severed to save the soul.
That's the truth. It's hard to be much more clear than Mark 9:42-50. The question is: how do we put it into action in our lives? How do we respond to this truth?
As Prof (aka Howard Hendricks) always used to say in my Bible Study Methods class at Dallas Theological Seminary: "to know and not to do, is not to know at all." Thus, we must DO to show that we truly believe the truth of Scripture.
One of the clearest passages in the Bible that shows us what we must do is found in Hebrews 12:1-4; 12-14. Specifically, the command given in 12:14 is "strive for holiness."
We must: Strive for Holiness
3 Reasons Why:
(1) it is a command of God - 1 Peter 1:15-16
(2) it is the only appropriate response to God's grace in our lives - 1 Corinthians 15:9-10
(3) without holiness "no one will see the Lord" - Hebrews 12:14, Matthew 5:8
3 Ways How:
(1) Strive for holiness by dwelling on the Gospel
At the end of Mark chapter nine Jesus clearly teaches about two dangers we face on a daily basis; two dangers that if unchecked in our lives will have dire consequences both now and for eternity.
The first danger is found in Mark 9:42: The danger of causing other believers to sin.
Jesus warned anyone who would deliberately hinder someone from abiding in Him. The damage to the work of God's Kingdom program is immeasurable because causing another believer to fall into sin effectively neutralizes their work for God. 1 Corinthians 8:12 explains that sinning against your brother in Christ and wounding their conscience when it is weak actually results in you sinning against Jesus!
The second danger is in Mark 9:43-50: The danger of our own sin.
Sin is a hideous, sly monster that seeks to devour us. As a believer in Christ there is now no condemnation before God because of our sin (Romans 8:1). However, sin is still incredibly dangerous because it can render us ineffective for the work God has prepared in advance for us to do. Avoiding sin and living a holy life is hard. It requires drastic measures, but it is the way that leads to life. As a surgeon does not hesitate to cut off a gangrenous limb to save a life, so sin must be radically severed to save the soul.
That's the truth. It's hard to be much more clear than Mark 9:42-50. The question is: how do we put it into action in our lives? How do we respond to this truth?
As Prof (aka Howard Hendricks) always used to say in my Bible Study Methods class at Dallas Theological Seminary: "to know and not to do, is not to know at all." Thus, we must DO to show that we truly believe the truth of Scripture.
One of the clearest passages in the Bible that shows us what we must do is found in Hebrews 12:1-4; 12-14. Specifically, the command given in 12:14 is "strive for holiness."
We must: Strive for Holiness
3 Reasons Why:
(1) it is a command of God - 1 Peter 1:15-16
(2) it is the only appropriate response to God's grace in our lives - 1 Corinthians 15:9-10
(3) without holiness "no one will see the Lord" - Hebrews 12:14, Matthew 5:8
3 Ways How:
(1) Strive for holiness by dwelling on the Gospel
- Titus 2:11-15
- When we dwell on the truth of the Gospel it should drive us to live holy lives out of gratitude for God's gracious act of saving us.
- We should be driven to live holy lives when we dwell on the fact that we were dead in our trespasses and sin, unable to love God, unable to do anything good to try and earn a good standing before God until God intervened through His mercy and made us alive in Christ Jesus.
- When we dwell on the power of Gospel we will WANT to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God as our spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1).
- John Owen said it this way: "be killing sin or it will be killing you."
- We must get radical! It is exactly what Jesus taught.
- Does your computer cause you to sin? Get rid of it! If your job requires you to use computers, get a new job!
- Does your television cause you to sin? Throw it out!
- Does hanging around with your "friends" tempt you to sin? Get new friends, for they are no friend.
- We must radically repent of sin if we are to strive for holiness.
- In Philippians 3:12-16 the apostle Paul likens perfection/holiness to a prize or a trophy. He acknowledges God has given us the trophy. It can never be taken away from us. It is our free gift. However, we must hold tightly to that trophy as if it depended on us, even though it does not.
- The Holy Spirit is power! (Acts 1:8)
- We are to live by the Spirit. (Romans 8)
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
A Perspective on Global Missions
Luke 10:25-37 provides amazing theological and practical implications for global missions.
Theologically, the expert in the law asks the most important question in the Bible. He asks Jesus in 10:25, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” That is the question that all of us face at some time in our lives. We as Christians know that there is nothing that we can do on our own to inherit eternal life. Eternal life is a gift of God that only comes about by through saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus replies to the Lawyer by asking him what is written in the Law. Thinking that he has Jesus trapped, the expert in the law answers Jesus with Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18. Jesus says, “You have answered correctly.” However, Jesus doesn’t stop there. He continues on to say, “do this and you will live.” Obviously, the expert in the law knows that he can’t and does not follow the law perfectly, so he attempts to justify himself by asking “And who is my neighbor?”
The answer that Jesus gives to this question is in the form of a classic parable. It is a drama that introduces shock and causes the people who here it to challenged in their basic core values. Everyone listening is challenged by the definition Jesus gives for a neighbor. The experts in the law teach that a neighbor is defined socially, geographically, etc. But, the concept that Jesus introduces is that a neighbor is not defined by these things, but by those who are in need that we show compassion towards.
In the parable the priest comes by the beaten man and passes around him on the other side of the road. The priest defined who his neighbor was primarily by their garments and their speech. Since the beaten man was robbed of his clothes and could not talk, the priest assumed he was not his neighbor and passed by. Likewise, the Levite passed by on the other side. Everyone listening to this story expects the natural progression to be a righteous Jew will pass by next on his way back from the synagogue. The shock of the parable is that the next person to come by is a Samaritan. Not only did the Samaritan stop and take care of the man, but it says he genuinely took pity on the beaten man. In other words, the Samaritan had compassion on the man.
Jesus then gets to the ultimate question of asking the expert, “which of these three do you think what a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” Basically, Jesus asked the same question the expert in the law asked, “who is my neighbor?” The major difference is that Jesus provided a context in which to base his definition of a neighbor. He introduced a concept that was totally foreign to everyone listening. According to Jesus, a neighbor was not defined as the experts in the law said, but by those who need help and those who show compassion on them.
The conclusion that we come to is that "our neighbor" is defined as someone in need. In Mark 9:37 Jesus reveals that we must receive even the "least" of society, exemplified by a needy child. We must identify our neighbor by having genuine compassion on them and trying to meet there needs just as the Samaritan took pity on the man and cared for his needs.
As a Christian, someone who has inherited eternal life through Christ, an essential characteristic of your life should be love toward your neighbor. Using this concept as of neighbor in view of missions; everyone who needs Jesus is our neighbor, whether they live next door or around the globe.
Theologically, the expert in the law asks the most important question in the Bible. He asks Jesus in 10:25, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” That is the question that all of us face at some time in our lives. We as Christians know that there is nothing that we can do on our own to inherit eternal life. Eternal life is a gift of God that only comes about by through saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus replies to the Lawyer by asking him what is written in the Law. Thinking that he has Jesus trapped, the expert in the law answers Jesus with Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18. Jesus says, “You have answered correctly.” However, Jesus doesn’t stop there. He continues on to say, “do this and you will live.” Obviously, the expert in the law knows that he can’t and does not follow the law perfectly, so he attempts to justify himself by asking “And who is my neighbor?”
The answer that Jesus gives to this question is in the form of a classic parable. It is a drama that introduces shock and causes the people who here it to challenged in their basic core values. Everyone listening is challenged by the definition Jesus gives for a neighbor. The experts in the law teach that a neighbor is defined socially, geographically, etc. But, the concept that Jesus introduces is that a neighbor is not defined by these things, but by those who are in need that we show compassion towards.
In the parable the priest comes by the beaten man and passes around him on the other side of the road. The priest defined who his neighbor was primarily by their garments and their speech. Since the beaten man was robbed of his clothes and could not talk, the priest assumed he was not his neighbor and passed by. Likewise, the Levite passed by on the other side. Everyone listening to this story expects the natural progression to be a righteous Jew will pass by next on his way back from the synagogue. The shock of the parable is that the next person to come by is a Samaritan. Not only did the Samaritan stop and take care of the man, but it says he genuinely took pity on the beaten man. In other words, the Samaritan had compassion on the man.
Jesus then gets to the ultimate question of asking the expert, “which of these three do you think what a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” Basically, Jesus asked the same question the expert in the law asked, “who is my neighbor?” The major difference is that Jesus provided a context in which to base his definition of a neighbor. He introduced a concept that was totally foreign to everyone listening. According to Jesus, a neighbor was not defined as the experts in the law said, but by those who need help and those who show compassion on them.
The conclusion that we come to is that "our neighbor" is defined as someone in need. In Mark 9:37 Jesus reveals that we must receive even the "least" of society, exemplified by a needy child. We must identify our neighbor by having genuine compassion on them and trying to meet there needs just as the Samaritan took pity on the man and cared for his needs.
As a Christian, someone who has inherited eternal life through Christ, an essential characteristic of your life should be love toward your neighbor. Using this concept as of neighbor in view of missions; everyone who needs Jesus is our neighbor, whether they live next door or around the globe.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Discipleship in the Gospel of Luke
Since we are currently studying the Gospel of Mark at Geist Community Church I thought it might be interesting to look at another Gospel writer's take on discipleship.
The concept of discipleship in the Gospel of Luke is not only implicitly modeled by Jesus but explicitly taught by Him as well. Luke in particular views discipleship in much broader terms than Matthew or Mark.[1] As Goodnough explains, in Luke “Jesus’ disciples included a large number of followers.”[2] So, just so we are all on the same page for this post let me propose Goodnough's definition for discipleship as “a comprehensive process of coming to faith in Jesus Christ and growing in commitment to him throughout a lifetime.”[3]
Let's first look at Christ’s model of discipleship in Luke's Gospel and then evaluate three major passages where He explicitly taught on discipleship.
Christ’s Model of Discipleship
In order to study the concept of discipleship in Luke it is of the utmost importance to look at the life of Jesus Christ. The twelve apostles (including the "betrayer," Judas) were privileged to witness Jesus’ model first-hand for around three years. They observed first-hand Jesus’ incredible commitment to fulfill the will of the Father even as they saw Him being beaten and hung on the cross. We too are privileged to have a written record of Jesus modeling discipleship in the Gospels. To facilitate our understanding of discipleship in Luke it is important to look at four main ways in which Jesus’ life and ministry clearly illustrated the concept of discipleship.
First, Jesus’ modeling of discipleship clearly involved building relationships. These relationships were not limited merely to the twelve disciples. Throughout the book of Luke Jesus speaks to crowds of people numbering into the thousands. Luke 12:1 says that “a crowd of many thousands had gathered” just to hear the incredible teaching of Jesus. Goodnough points out that “While it is true that in the later part of Jesus’ ministry He did focus more and more attention on the twelve disciples, He never abandoned His ministry to the crowds.”[4] In Luke 19:37 Jesus was riding the colt down the Mount of Olives making His final trip to Jerusalem and what Luke describes as a “whole crowd of disciples” began praising Jesus.
Jesus obviously had varying degrees of intimacy among those whom he referred to as His disciples. In Luke 10:1 Jesus appointed 72 others and sent them out in groups of two. In Luke 6:12-16 Jesus called His disciples to him and chose twelve of them whom he designated apostles. There were more than twelve disciples, but it was the core of twelve that Jesus chose to concentrate on developing relationships with. Of those twelve, Jesus also seemed to have a much closer relationship with Peter, John, and James as those are the three disciples He chose to reveal His glory to on the mountain in Luke 9:28-36. Regardless of the varying degrees of intimacy, it is clear that Jesus developed relationships with those He was leading.
The second way in which Jesus modeled discipleship was by focusing on the personal development of others through teaching and real life scenarios. Of the twelve apostles that Jesus originally chose, none of them were skilled in theology or Old Testament studies. Jesus made it a priority to develop them personally by teaching them what it means to be a disciple. He focused on developing them through many different situations. As stated earlier, the twelve disciples witnessed Jesus’ miracles first-hand as He fed over five thousand people in Luke 9 and healed a blind beggar in Luke 18. Jesus also put them in situations where they were forced to exercise their faith, or lack there of, in passages like Luke 8:22 when Jesus calmed the storm.
Third, Jesus modeled discipleship by making prayer a priority in His ministry. The first mention of Jesus praying in Luke’s Gospel is found near the beginning of His ministry in Luke 5:16 where it says “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Again in Luke 6:12 is says “Jesus when out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.” Jesus not only modeled prayer, but he modeled it in a specific manner. Jesus’ prayer was done in private and often at the most difficult times for our human bodies to respond physically, early in the morning or late at night. Jesus likewise called upon His disciples to pray in Luke 22:40, in perhaps one of the most vivid images of Christ’s anguish as His death on the cross drew near.
Finally, Jesus modeled discipleship in the ultimate way possible by obeying the will of the Father and willingly dying on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for sin. He proved that He was completely committed to the will of the Father by giving of His own life. In Luke 14:11 and 18:14 Jesus said, “for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” The Apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:8 that Jesus “humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross.” Jesus exhibited the ultimate form of humility possible by giving of His own life and thus perfectly modeled true discipleship.
Christ’s Teaching on Discipleship
The entire Gospel of Luke is filled with Jesus’ teaching on discipleship. There are, however, three main passages in Luke where Christ explicitly taught on discipleship.
Luke 9:23-27
In this first passage, Christ clearly “made high demands on those who would be His true disciples.” [5] This paper will briefly highlight two main calls of Christ in the passage. The first call of Christ toward true discipleship is that self denial and taking up one’s own cross daily. Weirsbe reminds us, “In the Roman world, the cross was a symbol of shame, guilt, suffering, and rejection. There could be no more despicable way to die. Crucifixion was not mentioned in polite conversation, and the people would no more think of wearing crosses on their person than we would think of wearing gold or silver electric chairs.” [6] In the shadow of just explaining His coming death and resurrection He calls all those who follow Him to “be prepared every day to die for Him.”[7] Discipleship is not just a one time thing. It is a daily commitment to following Christ even unto death.
The second main call of Christ in this passage is the call not to be ashamed of the Son of Man. Pentecost points out that in 9:26 Jesus basically states that “those who have rejected Him will be excluded from His kingdom. Only those who have received him will be accepted into that kingdom.”[8] When writing on this passage Bock states “discipleship is not easy, but difficult, for it involves suffering. The cost of total discipleship is the giving up of self for God.”[9]
Luke 9:57-62
The second main passage that deals with Christ’s teaching on discipleship is found at the end of Luke 9. Having already established earlier in the chapter that discipleship requires self-denial Luke transitions to issue three reminders about the requirements of discipleship after the disciples witness Jesus’ rejection in Samaria in 9:51-56. The first reminder in 9:57-58 is a reminder that Christ’s disciples are separated from this world. Even as foxes have holes and birds have nests, those who follow Christ as His true disciples do not have a home in this world. Bock explains that “disciples must recognize that they will be distanced from the world by their discipleship, and that family matters may suffer inattention in comparison to their discipleship.”[10]
The second reminder is that of the preeminence of proclaiming the kingdom of God over all other aspects of life, 9:59-60. Commitment to discipleship requires abandonment of personal goals and desires for that of the Lord. Bock surmises that “disciples must place Jesus and the kingdom first.”[11] Again, Jesus was the perfect model to follow in this regard having subjected Himself to the will of the Father even unto death on the cross.
The third and final reminder of this section is that commitment to Christ must not only be first, but it must remain constant, 9:61-62. A true disciple cannot commit to Christ and begin the work of the ministry and then turn back and put other things in life ahead of Christ. Hobbs correctly points out that none of the men in this passage who wanted to follow Christ “possessed the qualities necessary for successful discipleship.”[12]
Luke 14:25-35
This specific passage of Luke provides one of the most explicit descriptions of discipleship in the teachings of Jesus. Bock explains that in this passage Luke is essentially asking, “If the Jewish leadership does not teach the way to follow God, then what is required to follow God?”[13] In the midst of immense popularity Jesus was teaching to large crowds of people when he suddenly turned and said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.” Imagine the stir that Jesus’ words must have created in that large crowd! Hobbs comments on this verse by saying, “Jesus said that if one would be His disciple he must be prepared to choose Him over every one of life’s closest relationships. What is more, he must choose Jesus over life itself if such a choice is necessary.”[14] It is important to note that this verse does not mean that a disciple of Christ must completely ignore their family responsibilities and obligations. Other passages in Scripture clearly teach that husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and children all have responsibilities.
In the next verse, 14:27, Jesus returns to the same call to carry one’s own cross as He used in 9:23. Thus, Jesus clearly teaches that “no one can be His disciple who is not prepared to die daily for Him.”[15] The core of discipleship means placing Christ above all other areas of our own life. Discipleship according to Jesus’ teaching in this passage of Luke requires that our priorities be arranged properly.
Jesus then gives two illustrations using a builder and a king as examples in 9:28-32. The purpose of these illustrations was to show in a more tangible way the incredible cost of discipleship. Hobbs explains, “The point of these parables is that one should count the cost before proposing to be His disciple. There is no need of attempting it unless one is willing to pay the price. Anything less is not true discipleship.”[16]
Jesus then makes a comparison, “in the same way,” to that of material possessions in 14:33 by requiring disciples to be willing to “give up everything he has.” Bock explains, “Jesus seeks to lead people in doing the Father’s will, offering to the disciple the treasures of heaven.”[17] Discipleship means being able to give up momentary treasures in this life and look with great expectation to the eternal treasures waiting in the Kingdom of God.
In the final two verses of this section Jesus turns to use the image of salt. Salt is useful because it performs a function. If salt didn’t provide saltiness that it would be absolutely useless. In the same way, discipleship requires a complete and total commitment to the work of the ministry so that one doesn’t become useless.
Overall, this passage provides a vivid reminder that discipleship does not come without a price. Bock summarizes this section by saying,
“discipleship is demanding. Jesus asks both
the disciple and the potential disciple to
consider the cost of following him. It is
better to assess the risk, complete the task,
and remain useful to God. Associating with
God is not an easy affair. Commitments
come with the territory. In fact, Jesus is to
come ahead of all one’s possessions, family
and soul. It is embarrassing and fatal
to enter into discipleship and not complete
the task.” [18]
Conclusion
The concept of discipleship in the Gospel of Luke is far more than a label or a simple one time act. It is an abiding condition of life for any follower of Christ. Citing the three passages discussed in this paper Zuck and Bock state,
“Above all, Jesus made it clear that discipleship
is a total commitment of one’s life and self to
God. In terms of God’s expectation and will,
there is no minimal discipleship; what He
desires is everything.”[19]
Discipleship is something radical. The cost is far more than some are willing to pay, as evidenced by Christ’s teaching. Bock reminds us, “Any disciple who would follow Jesus needs to understand that this choice will require complete commitment.”[20] For those who are willing to count the cost and be a disciple of Christ, we have Jesus’ incredible model of discipleship to follow as recorded in the Gospel of Luke.
[1]
Dana L. Goodnough. “Jesus’ Ministry as a Model for Discipleship Training.”
(D.Min. Dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 20020, 26.
[2]
Ibid.
[3]
Goodnough, 40.
[4]
Goodnough, 67.
[5]
J. Dwight Pentecost, The Words and Works
of Jesus Christ. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing, 1981), 254.
[6]
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition
Commentary. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989), 218.
[7]
Herschel H. Hobbs, An Exposition of the
Gospel of Luke. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1966), 160.
[8]
Pentecost, 255.
[9]
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, volume 1: 1:1-9:50.
(Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994), 851.
[10]
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, volume 2:
9:51-24:53. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996), 977.
[11]
Bock, 977.
[12]
Hobbs, 177.
[13]
Bock, 1280.
[14]
Hobbs, 230.
[15]
Ibid.
[16]
Ibid.
[17]
Bock, 1290.
[18]
Ibid, 1292.
[19]
Roy B. Zuck, Darrell L. Bock, A Biblical
Theology of the New Testament. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996), 115.
[20]
Bock, 974.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
The Jewish Synagogue
The Origin and Role of the Jewish Synagogue During the New Testament Period
Throughout our sermon series on Mark's Gospel at Geist Community Church (which we started a year ago this Sunday) we've read about the synagogue multiple times. Since it's rather a foreign concept to most people today I wanted to provide some further explanation to aid our study.
In A.D. 70 when the focal point of the Jewish sacrificial system, the Temple, was destroyed, “Judaism survived, because the institution on which its survival, and Jewish community life in general, depended was already well established,”[1] the synagogue. When the Temple was destroyed it had, for all practical purposes, outlived its usefulness to the nation of Israel.[2] The synagogue had been established for generations as the heart and soul of Judaism. Instead of the intense sacrificial system that the Temple thrived on, the synagogue focused on the reading and exposition of the Law and Prophets. The intense focus upon the Scriptures developed a new way of thinking in many Jews that began to be obsessed with following the Law. It was these popular teachers of the Law, the Pharisees, who became the new voice for the people in the community and who ultimately became Jesus’ staunchest opponents.
The development and function of the synagogue ultimately proved to be a vital and effective avenue for the spread of the Gospel message throughout the Jewish and Greek communities.
The Development and Function of the Synagogue
The rise of the synagogue is very obscure but often linked with the Babylonian captivity of Israel.[3] In response to the loss of the Temple before the exile, which was the center of the Jewish religious life, the synagogue may have arisen to fill the void. Although this may be the case, there is no direct evidence of the presence of a synagogue, nor is a synagogue mentioned by name in the Old Testament other than possibly Psalm 74:8. Regardless, when the Jewish community returned from the Babylonian exile there must have been local places of worship that undoubtedly began to assume the form of the synagogue found in the New Testament.[4] The simple fact that a developed synagogue form existed in the New Testament points to its beginnings throughout the preceding centuries.
Generations before Jesus many, if not all, Jewish communities had the synagogue as the common center of worship and community life.[5] When Jewish communities began to spread out across the land, particularly throughout the post-exilic centuries, the increased distance from the Temple made it nearly impossible for the Jewish religious life to focus solely on the Temple. As a result, local religious activities began to take place within individual communities apart from the Temple. Groups of Jews would gather together to provide mutual encouragement to each other and worship God. These gatherings are undoubtedly the beginnings of the synagogue and had no intention of displacing the Temple.[6] As the post-exilic centuries progressed the synagogue developed into a permanent fixture of Jewish life in Palestine and even in Jerusalem itself.[7]
The function of the synagogue was firmly established before the New Testament era. Any ten Jewish men who came together to worship and share the law in order to learn and fulfill God’s will constituted a synagogue.[8] By the time of Jesus, its main purpose was to supply the community with a local center of worship, teaching, and community ties.
Every service of worship in the synagogue consisted of prayer, the reading of Scripture, including the Law and the Prophets, and often exhortation. Each of these functions was carried on by laymen in the synagogue. There was at least one presiding officer in the synagogue that was simply referred to as the ruler in Luke 13:14.[9] After prayer was offered by one of the laymen present, the reading of the Scripture would take place. The Law was read through consecutively according to a specific cycle. On the Sabbath, the consecutive lesson from the Pentateuch was followed by a corresponding lesson from the Prophets that related to the Pentateuch lesson.[10] Thus, the prophetic lessons were not read in consecutive order, but were chosen to complement the Pentateuch lesson.
Teaching in the synagogue also took on the form of a school for young boys.[11] It became a school where they could learn to read and know the Scriptures at the same time. The influence of the teaching of the Scriptures in the synagogue most likely led the transition from the Jewish focus on sacrifice to a focus on the Law. At the forefront of teaching boys from a young age to know and follow the law were the Pharisees. Thus, the fiercest challenges Jesus faced in the synagogues of Galilee was from the Pharisees and Scribes.
Even before the destruction of the Temple, the synagogue had established itself as the premier fixture in the Jewish faith. With Jewish synagogues scattered throughout the land, the Law could be read and taught taking the place of the sacrifice. This new fixture in the Jewish community had a worship service that afforded the opportunity for Jesus and the apostles to propagate the gospel message quickly.
The Involvement of Jesus in the Synagogue
Throughout every major Jewish community in Galilee, Perea, and Judea Jesus found a synagogue.[12] Essentially, he used the synagogues as a springboard to begin his ministry because through them he could quickly reach the people.[13] He often preached in the synagogues because he would be permitted to speak after the reading of the Scripture. After his baptism and temptation in the desert Jesus returned to Galilee where he “taught in their synagogues” (Luke 4:14-15 NIV).
Unfortunately, "very little of his synagogue preaching has been preserved.”[14] However, one instance that was recorded by Luke provides a significant look into the service of the synagogue. In Luke 4:16-20 Jesus returned to Nazareth and entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day, which “was his custom” (Luke 4:16 NIV). Jesus stood up and read from “the scroll of the prophet Isaiah” (Luke 4:17 NIV). After reading the passage “he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down” (Luke 4:20 NIV). Jesus then began to admonish the people from the Scripture he had just read which follows the typical synagogue pattern of reading and exhorting.
It was in the synagogues that Jesus encountered some of his greatest opposition because he was at the center of Pharisaic influence.[15] Thus, this opposition was not accidental but inevitable because he was in essence preaching out of their headquarters. Nevertheless, the synagogues were an incredible platform for Jesus to present the gospel message to gatherings of people.
The Apostles’ Involvement in the Synagogue
The apostles, even more than Jesus, used the synagogue as a springboard and staging ground for their ministry in each new city they entered. By visiting the synagogues first, the apostles were able to appeal to people who already had at least a partial knowledge of the promised coming Messiah. Luke records that Stephen, who was a member of a Greek-speaking synagogue in Jerusalem, made some of the first gospel presentations to representatives of other Greek-speaking synagogues in Acts 8:8-9. Several of the Jews from these synagogues argued with Stephen but could not stand up against him.
Paul was the only apostle on record to use the synagogues for two distinct purposes. Before his conversion, Paul grew up as a strict follower of the law and was most likely taught much of what he knew about the Law in the synagogue. He was traveling to Damascus because he was going to visit the synagogues and flush out the followers of the Way to take them back as prisoners to Jerusalem. Paul even states later in his life that “many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished” referring to his persecution of believers (Acts 26:11 NIV). Thus, Paul originally used the synagogues as a place to catch and punish early believers. However, it was along that road to Damascus that Jesus appeared to Saul and gave his life a new direction. Paul, continued on to Damascus and still visited the synagogues, but instead of capturing the believers he was preaching “that Jesus is the Son of God” as a believer (Acts 9:20 NIV).
Whenever Paul entered into a new city it was his regular practice to begin preaching in the local synagogue.[16] The synagogue order of service provided him with an opportunity to speak to a crowd of people with the permission or at the invitation of the synagogue officials.[17] Many of the synagogues that Paul visited throughout his missionary journeys were a mixture of Jews and Gentiles. These Gentiles were called God-fearers because they attended the synagogue and somewhat followed the Jewish tradition, but were not fully incorporated into the Jewish community. One such synagogue Paul visited was in Pisidian Antioch. When he stood up to speak he addressed the group as “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God” (Acts 13:16 NIV). It was out of some of these Jew/Gentile synagogues that the sharpest expression of the Christian faith and “its clearest challenge to ancestral Jewish customs” arose.[18] The main cause for the instant explosion of Christianity among Greek-speaking synagogues was the instant appeal the gospel made to the Gentile God-fearers.[19] Suddenly, there was an offer of salvation and acceptance by God without the strict requirements of the Mosaic Law or circumcision. The Gentile God-fearers that were present at Paul’s first synagogue message at Pisidian Antioch quickly spread the message and on the next Sabbath the synagogue was filled with Gentiles from “almost the whole city” (Acts 13:44 NIV). Many of those God-fearing Gentiles believed and “formed into the Christian church of Pisidian Antioch.”[20]
After leaving Pisidian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas visited the synagogue in Iconium and again “a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed” (Acts 14:1 NIV). Paul visited several synagogues throughout his missionary travels. Luke records that he visited the synagogues in Damascus, Salamis, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, and Ephesus. These records show that by the first century A.D. synagogues had already permeated Jewish communities throughout the Greek-speaking world.
As Paul continued to visit these Jew/Gentile synagogues as he traveled, the Gentiles who were considered to be on the fringe of the synagogue now formed “the nucleus of the church.”[21] Paul stayed at several synagogues for extended periods of time preaching the gospel message, sometimes exceeding a year or more at one location.
Conclusion
Even before the destruction of the Temple, the synagogue had established itself as the premier fixture in the Jewish faith. The format of the worship service in the synagogue afforded Jesus and the apostles the opportunity to quickly propagate the gospel message. Jesus frequently visited the synagogues, especially in the infant stages of his ministry, and encountered fierce opposition from the teachers of the Law who ruled the synagogue. Likewise, Paul spent as much time as he could speaking in the synagogues and using them as a mouthpiece for the gospel message. Throughout the God-fearing Gentile portion of the Jewish synagogues Paul witnessed explosive growth.
The synagogue served as one of the major, if not the major, conduit through which the Gospel message was preached. This pillar of the Jewish community became an instrument in the hands of the apostles to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. In some cases, the first Christian churches were even formed from large portions of former synagogue congregations.
[1]
F. F. Bruce, New Testament History. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday &
Company, 1969), 147.
[2]
Ibid.
[3]
William G. Blaikie, Bible History. (New York: Thomas Nelson and Sons,
1925), 372-73.
[4] Ibid.
[5]
Floyd V. Filson, A New Testament History. (Philadelphia: The Westminster
Press, 1964), 44.
[6]
Ibid, 44.
[7]
F. F. Bruce, New Testament History. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday &
Company, 1969), 143.
[8]
Floyd V. Filson, A New Testament History. (Philadelphia: The Westminster
Press, 1964), 44-45.
[9]
Mark 5:22 and Acts 13:15 may indicate that some synagogues had more than one
ruler, “the synagogue rulers.”
[10]
F. F. Bruce, New Testament History. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday &
Company, 1969), 144.
[11]
Floyd V. Filson, A New Testament History. (Philadelphia: The Westminster
Press, 1964), 45.
[12]
Ibid, 44.
[13]
Floyd V. Filson, A New Testament History. (Philadelphia: The Westminster
Press, 1964), 93.
[14]
John Bligh, Historical Information for New Testament Students. (Baltimore:
Helicon Press Inc, 1967), 49.
[15]
Floyd V. Filson, A New Testament History. (Philadelphia: The Westminster
Press, 1964), 116.
[16]
Acts 17:1-2 explains that it was Paul’s normal custom to go into the synagogue
and preach when he came to a new city.
[17]
Floyd V. Filson, A New Testament History. (Philadelphia: The Westminster
Press, 1964), 211.
[18] Ibid, 200.
[19]
F. F. Bruce, New Testament History. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday &
Company, 1969), 147.
[20]
Ibid, 275.
[21]
Ibid, 147.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)