What are further evidences that Jesus is God? Previously, we considered the illogical conclusions that many have about Christ—that he was simply a good man, moral teacher, or prophet from God. It is impossible to come to those conclusions when one considers what Jesus taught—he declared people’s sins forgiven, claimed to be the only way to heaven, claimed to one day judge all of humanity, and to be the Son of God. As C.S. Lewis said, Jesus is either a liar, lunatic, the devil himself, or God as Jesus proclaimed.

We also looked at Jesus’ resurrection as evidence for his deity. From a historical standpoint, there is no historical event better supported than the resurrection, including the fact that Julius Caesar even lived.¹

What are some other evidences that help prove that Jesus is God? In this study, we will consider biblical prophecies and his miracles.

Prophecies about Jesus as Evidence of His Deity

As an illustration, let’s say that we are going to the airport to pick up a person that we have never met or seen before, as a favor for a friend, named Susan. Susan said this person will be flying from Manila, Philippines to Seoul, Korea on Korean Air, Flight 257. That flight will land at 3:00 pm at Incheon Airport. Susan proceeds to give more information: “This person will meet you at baggage claim two. He has tan skin, brown eyes, and black hair. He is pretty short and average looking. He will be wearing grey sweats to be comfortable on his trip. The front of his hoody will say, ‘Everything is more fun in the Philippines!’ He was originally born in Manila but is moving to Korea to attend college. His social security number is xxxxxxx. His phone number is xxxxxxxx. His email is xxxxxx.” We would think, “That’s pretty thorough! We should be able to easily find this person!” Then, Susan adds that this person will stand on the baggage claim and yell, “I am Susan’s friend! I am the one you are looking for! I’m from the Philippines. I’m here in Korea to go to college!” We would probably think, “Ok… this is a little much.” Then Susan proceeds to give more information…

I share that exaggeration to say, the Bible is very much like that when giving details about the coming messiah. There are over 300 prophecies about Christ given in the Old Testament. All were given at least 400 years before he was born—some thousands of years before his birth. Thirty-three of these prophecies were fulfilled on the day of his crucifixion.²

When Christ made himself known to the Jews in the Gospels, consider what he said:

You study the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me

John 5:39

If you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what Moses wrote, how will you believe my words?

John 5:46-47

In fact, even after Christ resurrected, he pointed his disciples back to the Old Testament to encourage their faith in him. Luke 24:25-27 says,

So he said to them, “You foolish people—how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things written about himself in all the scriptures.

While Jesus was on the earth, he kept telling people to look at the Scriptures because they testified about him. In fact, after Jesus ascended, these OT prophecies were commonly used by the apostles to prove to the unbelieving Jews that Jesus was the messiah. Acts 17:2-3 says this about Paul’s ministry in the synagogues:

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.”

What are these prophecies? Obviously, there are many, so we’ll only consider a few:

The First Messianic Prophecy

And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; her offspring will attack your head, and you will attack her offspring’s heel.”

Genesis 3:15

In Genesis 3:15, the first gospel message is presented in Scripture. After Adam and Eve sinned against God, God pronounced the resulting curses and then promised that a male offspring would come from the woman to defeat the serpent, the devil. This serpent would strike the male offspring’s heel—referring to a flesh wound—but the male would crush the serpent’s head—referring to a fatal blow. On the cross, this cosmic battle happened. Christ’s death on the cross pictured the male seed being bit. The pain was short-lived as Christ rose from the dead three days later. However, in Christ’s death and resurrection, he dealt a death blow to Satan—he defeated him. Colossians 2:15 says, “Disarming the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Likewise, 1 John 3:8 says, “…For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil.” The full outworking of this defeat won’t take place until the end times when Christ throws Satan into the lake of fire to be tormented forever (Rev 20:10). In addition, Christ will remove the curse from the creation and renew the heavens and the earth—making them a new heaven and earth (Rev 21). There will be no evil, sorrow, or death there. The first prophecy was given right after the first sin. A male seed would come to undo the evil and chaos Satan had brought by tempting Adam and Eve to sin.

Prophecy of the Virgin Birth

In Isaiah 7:14 (NIV), further revelation is given about the messiah. He would be born of a virgin. It says, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Though this prophecy has some type of dual fulfillment with Isaiah’s wife having a child as a sign to Israel (Is 8:11-4, 18), it is ultimately fulfilled in the Gospels with Christ’s birth. Luke 1:34-35 tells the story, as Mary responds to a prophecy about this from an angel:

Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God.

Matthew directly applies this event to Isaiah 7:14:

This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: “Look! The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.”

Matthew 1:22-23

Evidence for the Virgin Birth

Are there any evidences for the virgin birth? Obviously, we see evidences in how Christ’s followers (Matthew and Luke) perceived his birth, as they wrote about it in the Gospels. But, we also see something in the Gospels about how those who rejected Christ perceived his birth. In Mark 6:3, consider how the Jews from Christ’s hometown responded to him: “‘Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?’ And so they took offense at him.”

What should stand out is how they called him “the son of Mary.” This was probably an insult in that culture. Jews were called by the name of their father or grandfather, even when they were dead (cf. Lk 4:22, John 6:42).³ For example, they would be called the “son of Abraham” or the “son of David.” They were only called by the son of a woman when that child’s paternity was doubted—when they didn’t know who the father was. Though this does not confirm the virgin birth; it does confirm that it was well-known that Joseph was not the baby’s father and that nobody knew who Jesus’ father was. Christ’s birth was perceived to have happened by fornication—sex outside of marriage.

We may see further evidence for this in how the Pharisees responded to Jesus. In John 8:41, when Christ was speaking to the Pharisees, he told them they did the deeds of their father the devil and they responded back, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God." When they said, “We were not born of fornication,” this was probably a jab at the paternity of Christ (cf. John 8:19).⁴ They were essentially saying, “We are not unholy, but you probably are because nobody knows who your father is.”

When considering the virgin birth, we have the witness of Christ’s followers, through the Holy Spirit, but we also have the witness of how those who rejected him perceived his birth. Apparently, nobody knew who Christ’s father was.

Why did God choose for the messiah to be born of a virgin?

1. The virgin birth was necessary for the uniting of the Divine and human natures. Christ had to be human to die for humanity, and he had to be God to pay for the sins of the entire world. Christ’s humanity came through his mother, and his deity came through the work of the Holy Spirit in her womb. Hebrews 2:14 says,

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil),

2. The virgin birth is also a reminder that salvation must come through God. Salvation could never come through human effort. It had to be a Divine miracle, as God intervened to save people condemned to hell. Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the appropriate time had come, God sent out his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights.”

Prophecy of Being Abraham’s Seed

What are some other prophecies about Christ? Not only was the messiah to be born of a virgin, he was going to be born in Abraham’s lineage. In Genesis 22:18 (NIV), God said this to Abraham, “and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me” (cf. Gal 3:16). Later, it was confirmed that the seed would not only come through Abraham, but his son, Isaac; Isaac’s son, Jacob; then Jacob’s son, Judah.

Prophecy of His Kingship

In a prophecy about the messiah coming through Judah, more details about this child are gained. Genesis 49:10 says, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; the nations will obey him.” All the nations will submit to this prophesied male seed.

This prophecy is further clarified in God’s words to David. David was Israel’s second king, and he came from the tribe of Judah. God said this to David in 1 Chronicles 17:11-14 (ESV):

When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.

Like many other prophecies, this one has a partial fulfillment and a secondary fulfillment. It is partially fulfilled in Solomon who builds God a temple. But Solomon could never fully fulfill this prophecy, as it promises a seed with an everlasting rule. Further prophecies clarify a future, eternal Davidic reign. Jeremiah 23:5 says:

I, the Lord, promise that a new time will certainly come when I will raise up for them a righteous branch, a descendant of David. He will rule over them with wisdom and understanding and will do what is just and right in the land.

Jeremiah prophesied many years after David and Solomon had died. There would be a future, eternal Davidic king.

God answered this prophecy in Jesus. Mary and Joseph were distant cousins who were both in David’s lineage. In Matthew 1, Joseph’s genealogy is presented. Since Jesus was adopted by Joseph, he was in the legal line of David, which was always established through the father.⁵ In Luke 3:23-37, Mary’s genealogy is presented, which established Jesus as in the bloodline of David. Since Jews did not normally include women in their genealogies, Luke actually places Joseph in the genealogy instead of Mary. Luke 3:23 says, “So Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years old. He was the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli.” Two evidences that the Luke 3 genealogy is not really Joseph’s line (1) is the fact that it differs from Matthew’s. (2) Also, in the phrase “Joseph, the son of Heli” (Lk 3:23), the “of” before Heli is the only one in the genealogy that is not genitive (possessive).⁶ Heli was not Joseph’s genetic father—he was Mary’s. Therefore, most scholars believe Luke gives Mary’s genealogy.

Why did both parents come through the line of David? God was making it clear. This child is the prophesied messiah! He is the promised seed of David. In fact, throughout the Gospels, people recognized Jesus as the prophesied Son of David and called him by that prophetic title (Lk 18:38, Mk 10:47). In Matthew 21:9, as Israel recognized him as the messiah when he entered Jerusalem, they shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Hosanna means, “Please, save us!”⁷ They were waiting for Christ, the messiah, to save them.

Future Messiah?

Is it possible that the Gospels messed up and that there could be a future messiah, like many orthodox Jews believe? As we consider genealogies, it is good to remember that these were kept at the Jewish temple, and in AD 70, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish temple, the genealogical records were destroyed.⁸ Therefore, to have an actual genealogical record of Davidic lineage (and not just word of mouth), the messiah had to have come before AD 70.

This leaves only one complete lineage left that can be used to prove that a future person is the messiah and that is Jesus’. He came through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David. He was the son of David, born of a virgin, as Scripture prophesied. This is true of Jesus and only Jesus. Jesus is the messiah!

Prophecy of the Time Frame of Christ

In Daniel 9:25, we see a startling prophecy giving the actual timeframe that the messiah would be on the earth. The background is Daniel praying about the future of Israel (Dan 9:1-3) when the angel, Gabriel, appears and shares with him about Israel’s future, including the coming of the messiah. Consider verse 25:

From the issuing of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, a prince arrives, there will be a period of seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will again be built, with plaza and moat, but in distressful times.

When the angel referred to “weeks,” it could also be translated “sevens,” as in the NIV. This could mean seven days or years.⁹ Years makes the most sense, because the context deals with Israel’s long-term future including the coming of the messiah and also because Daniel had already been thinking in terms of years (Israel’s seventy years of exile, Daniel 9:2). The angel Gabriel said to Daniel, it would be seven sevens (49) plus sixty-two sevens (434) until the messiah comes. Altogether that equals 483 years (49 +434= 483). From the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the messiah came would be 483 years. Gabriel adds that Jerusalem would be rebuilt in “distressful times.” The book of Nehemiah tells us that while Nehemiah led Israel in rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, there was much persecution. In one scene, the Israelites did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other (Neh 4:17).

Though Israel was sent back to their land by Cyrus, the issuing of the decree to rebuild Israel was given by King Artaxerxes to Nehemiah in 444 B.C (Neh 2).¹⁰ When one takes into account that the Jewish calendar was 360 days and not 365 as ours is today, 483 years later would be 33 AD—right around the time of Christ’s death.¹¹

Those who have actually counted the days say that the prophecy was fulfilled on Palm Sunday¹²—the day when Jesus rode into the streets of Jerusalem on a donkey, and the people shouted, “Hosanna! Hosanna!” as they recognized Jesus as the messiah. Consider what Jesus said about the city on that very day:

Now when Jesus approached and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “If you had only known on this day, even you, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and surround you and close in on you from every side. They will demolish you—you and your children within your walls—and they will not leave within you one stone on top of another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”

Luke 19:41-44

Daniel 9:25 prophesies the exact day Christ would be on the earth, so Israel would be ready to accept their messiah. However, they failed to give attention to the prophecy and instead crucified the Son of God—bringing judgment upon themselves.

What are some of the other prophecies which give evidence that Jesus is the messiah, the son of God?

Prophecy of Christ’s Birthplace

Micah predicted over 700 years before Christ’s birth that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem.¹³ There were two Bethlehem’s in Israel, and Micah even predicts the one in Judah. Micah 5:2 says, “As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, seemingly insignificant among the clans of Judah—from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf, one whose origins are in the distant past.” Matthew 2:1-2, 5-6 gives the fulfillment:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time of King Herod, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” … “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they said, “for it is written this way by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are in no way least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Thirty-three Prophecies on the Day of Christ’s Death

As mentioned, thirty-three prophecies were fulfilled on the day of Christ’s death. Let’s consider a few:

• He would be betrayed by a friend (Ps 41:9).
• The price of the betrayal would be thirty pieces of silver (Zech 11:12).
• The money would be used to buy a potter’s field (Zech 11:13).
• He would be forsaken and deserted by his disciples (Zech 13:7).
• He would be accused by false witnesses (Psalm 35:11).
• He would be silent before his witnesses (Isaiah 53:7).
• He would be wounded and bruised (Isaiah 53:5).
• He would be hated without cause (Psalm 69:4).
• He would be struck and spit on (Isaiah 50:6).
• He would be mocked, ridiculed, and rejected (Isaiah 53:3).
• He would collapse in weakness (Psalm 109:24-25).
• He would be taunted with specific words (Psalm 22:6-8).
• People would shake their heads at him (Psalm 109:25).
• He would be executed among sinners (Isaiah 53:12).
• His hands and feet would be pierced (Psalm 22:16).
• He would pray for his persecutors (Isaiah 53:12).
• His friends and family would stand afar off (Psalm 38:11).
• His garments would be divided and won by casting lots (Psalm 22:18).
• He would be given gall and vinegar (Psalm 69:21).
• His bones would be left unbroken (Psalm 34:20).
• He would die for our sins (Isaiah 53: 4–6).
• His side would be pierced (Zech 12:10).
• He would be buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9).

Prophecy of Christ’s Resurrection

In Psalm 16:10 (NIV), David prophesied Christ’s resurrection when he said, “because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.” In considering David’s writing, Peter said it was fulfilled in Jesus: “David by foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did his body experience decay. This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it” (Acts 2:31-32). Isaiah seemingly prophesied it as well:

Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand

Isaiah 53:10 (NIV)

Now as we consider all these prophecies, certainly we must declare, “This is pretty convincing! If Jesus fulfilled all those prophecies, he must be the Son of God—he must be the seed that everybody was waiting for!”

What is the probability that a person would fulfill only eight of the Old Testament prophecies about Christ? Professor Peter W. Stoner states that the probability of just eight prophecies being fulfilled in one person is 1 x 10 ^17th. That is 100,000,000,000,000,000.

It has been illustrated like this: If you took 1 x 10¹⁷ silver dollars and placed them over Texas (the second largest US state), you would not only cover all of Texas but would have a coin pile two feet deep. If you blindfolded yourself, took one of the coins and threw it back into the pile, and walked from the beginning of Texas, stopping only once to find that coin, that is the chance that one person would fulfill only eight of these prophecies.¹⁴

The prophetic evidence concerning Christ is simply amazing! Again, the Old Testament gives over 300 prophecies that were fulfilled in Christ’s first coming and thirty-three which were fulfilled on the day of Christ’s death. Each of these prophecies was written at least 400 years before Christ’s birth—some of them thousands of years before his birth. God went to extraordinary lengths to make sure that the prophesied messiah was unmistakable to those who were genuinely looking. In addition, we must consider that all these fulfilled prophecies about Christ’s first coming should give us great confidence in the prophetic accuracy of the second coming.

Jesus’ Own Prophecies as Evidence of His Deity

What about Jesus’ own prophecies? We’ve covered OT prophecies about him to help prove his deity, but what about prophecies he gave? Were they accurate? We’ll consider a few:

The Resurrection

In John 2:19, Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” As mentioned, there is no other ancient event or person more supported by historical evidence. We have more evidence for Christ’s resurrection than that Julius Caesar even lived.

Destruction of the Temple

In Matthew 24:2, Jesus said this about the temple, “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!” In AD 70, the Romans destroyed the temple, almost forty years after Christ’s death.

Persecution of Believers

Jesus predicted that his disciples would receive great persecution after his death and especially towards the end times. In Matthew 24:9, Christ said, “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name.” That certainly happened to the apostles and the early church. The early church expanded from Jerusalem throughout the ancient world primarily because of persecution. Today, as Christ prophesied, persecution has grown. In fact, in the twentieth century, there were more martyrs for Christ than in the rest of the centuries combined. Some have estimated that around 90,000 Christians are martyred yearly—which would mean 246 per day.¹⁵

Antichrists

Finally, Christ also predicted that there would be many false Christs and false prophets in the last days. Consider the following verses:

Jesus answered them, “Watch out that no one misleads you. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many.

Matthew 24:4-5

Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe him. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Remember, I have told you ahead of time.

Matthew 24:23-25

In Korea alone, there have been around 120 self-proclaimed messiahs, with about seventy having large followings.¹⁶ In addition to the many false messiahs which Christ predicted, there are many false prophets in Christianity as well. Essentially, there are new Christian cults almost every day—teaching doctrines that conflict with the fundamentals of the Christian faith. All these things Christ predicted, which gives credence to his claim of deity.

Jesus’ Miracles as Evidence of His Deity

The final evidence we will consider which points to Jesus being God is his miracles. In fact, Jesus often challenged people to consider his miracles as evidence for his identity. Consider Christ’s response to John’s disciples in Matthew 11:2-5:

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds Christ had done, he sent his disciples to ask a question: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go tell John what you hear and see: The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them.

Why did Jesus point John to his miracles? In the Old Testament, these works were prophesied of the messiah. Isaiah 35:4-6 says:

Tell those who panic, “Be strong! Do not fear! Look, your God comes to avenge! With divine retribution he comes to deliver you.” Then blind eyes will open, deaf ears will hear. Then the lame will leap like a deer, the mute tongue will shout for joy; for water will flow in the desert, streams in the wilderness.

Of course, Christ did not only open the eyes of the blind, heal the lame and mute, he also calmed the storms, turned water into wine, multiplied fish and bread to feed multitudes, and raised the dead, among other things. Again, Christ constantly pointed to these as evidence. Consider the following verses:

Jesus replied, “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds I do in my Father’s name testify about me.

John 10:25

But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, so that you may come to know and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”

John 10:38

Historical Evidence for Miracles

Well then, one must ask, “Is there any historical evidence for these miracles?” Yes, there is. For example, in the Jewish Babylonian Talmud, which is a collection of Jewish Rabbinical writings, it says:

On the eve of Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, "He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy.¹⁷

Since the Jews rejected Jesus as the messiah, they called his works “sorcery.” In addition, Josephus, an ancient Jewish Historian who was not a follower of Christ, called Jesus, “a worker of amazing deeds.”¹⁸

Christ declared that miracles proved his Divine nature, and these miracles are well attested by historical evidence—evidence written by his followers (such as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and by those who rejected his claim to be the prophesied messiah.

Conclusion

How do we know Jesus is God?

1. Evidence for Jesus’ deity is his teachings. It is impossible to accept him as a good man, moral teacher, or prophet, which are the most common views of Jesus, while knowing the things he claimed, including being the Son of God. With the things he said and taught, if he is not God, then he would either be a liar, lunatic, or demon.
2. Evidence for Jesus’ deity is the resurrection. As mentioned, there is no ancient historical event more variously supported than the resurrection. If we reject the historical evidence for the resurrection, we must reject much of what we know about ancient history.
3. Evidence for Jesus’ deity is fulfilled prophecy. Christ fulfilled over 300 OT prophecies, including thirty-three on the day of his crucifixion. If fulfilling prophecies were not enough, we have the accuracy of his own prophecies, including his own death and resurrection, the destruction of the temple, the appearance of false messiah’s claiming to be him, among other things, which testify to his deity.
4. Evidence for Jesus’ deity is the miracles he performed. Christ continually pointed people to his working of miracles to confirm his identity. He healed the lame and the blind, resurrected people from the dead, and calmed the storms and the sea, among other things. There is strong historical evidence of these from both his followers (the authors of the Gospels) and those who rejected him (Jewish teachers and historians).

Do all these evidences prove that Jesus is God? If not, it certainly gives strong evidence for the belief. Jesus Christ is God, and one day all will call him, Lord, and bow to him (Phil 2:9-11). However, for some, their declaration of faith in Christ being Lord will be too late to save them (cf. John 3:16). Will you believe in Christ and follow him?

Reflection

1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
2. How does fulfilled Bible prophecies (those about Christ and those he gave) provide evidence for Christ’s deity and also the validity of Scripture?
3. Why is the virgin birth important?
4. Roughly, how many Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Christ’s first coming?
5. How many Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Christ on the day of his crucifixion?
6. What are some prophecies that Christ gave which have already been fulfilled?
7. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.

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A ministry of…

作者: Roger Pascoe, 博士，主席,
郵箱: [email protected]

（如果您有任何問題需要進一步詢問或溝通，歡迎中文寫信到此郵箱）

I. 加強講解式講道

“傳講希伯來敘事”（第二部分）

在這期的網路牧師雜誌中，我將繼續講解38期的主題——如何傳講舊約（希伯來）敘事。我會試圖通過回答以下這些問題的方式來勾勒出一種傳講敘事的方法：我們如何傳講一個故事？是否只是簡單地複述故事，然後在最後加上應用？或者將故事分成若干部分，每個部分有相應的原則？還是我們對待它本質上就像對待新約書信一樣，從中得出一般的原則和應用？

傳講舊約敘事，我認為…

1)在我們詮釋和講道時，我們必須尊重和敏感于文本的體裁，同時也要認識到傳講一個故事不僅僅是複述故事然後加上一些應用。聖經故事的主要目的為了傳達神學思想。聖經故事不僅僅是描述，也是處方。

2)我們必須從舊約的敘事中得出普遍的原則，就像從新約書信中一樣。不同的是，我們在講解舊約敘事時必須遵循、反映和尊重經文的故事形式。我們通過以下幾點來實現：（a）改變我們的講道風格來反應故事的體裁；（b）遵循故事情節的順序和內容；（c）修改我們講道大綱的結構，使之與敘事體裁相一致。

我們從使徒行傳中能夠學到許多關於如何傳講舊約的敘事。比如，在使徒行傳第7章，司提反複述了舊約神的救贖故事（1）神對他百姓的拯救和救贖；（2）神百姓的罪惡和悖逆；接著（3）把故事應用到現在的聽眾身上——也就是，他們也是悖逆的，抗拒聖靈的工作，殺害那義者等。事實上，救贖故事在他們身上的應用是那麼有力和直接，以至於他們殺了司提反（也參見，徒13:16-41）。

神已經將這個故事告訴我們。我們的任務是解釋它普遍的，神學的，永恆的原則，並應用於我們的聽眾。正如我們分析使徒書信中的一段話，是為了它中心的，神學的真理及其相關的應用，我們也應該如此分析一個故事，為了得出它中心的，神學的真理及它相關的應用。不管你是傳講故事還是書信，找到核心真理的過程是一樣的。如果只需要複述這個故事，你就不必成為神學家來傳道了。你可以簡單地讓一個戲劇的敘述者或演員用當代的語言和術語重新講述這個故事。我認為，我們在重述這個故事的同時，也必須啟發我們的觀眾：

1) 這在當時和現在都意味著什麼（彌合歷史的鴻溝）

2)他的神學真理是什麼

3)他對我們基督徒生活的啟發和應用是什麼。

這既需要重新講述故事(使今天的聽眾聽起來活潑生動)，也需要揭示和應用其核心的命題真理。因此這個過程是教誨和建議性的，就像我們傳講使徒書信一樣。所不同的是，對於使徒書信，你分析和傳講段落，而對於故事，你傳講“場景”。場景反映了故事的發展，必須根據整個故事來解釋每一個場景，因為整個故事揭示了核心的、最重要的真理。

A.研究一個故事的程式

與其他經文的講道一樣，目的是確定故事揭示了關於神的什麼（他的本性、他的意願、他的道路等）。第一步是…

1.調查

a)確定故事的開始和結束。如果它是一個子故事，確定它與主要的故事的關係。從上下文中收集資料（比如周圍的敘述和描述），找到情節。故事中發生的事件的順序是什麼？在故事的發展過程中是否出現了逆轉？ 如果有，在哪裡以及為什麼？

b) 通過將故事劃分為不同的場景來確定故事結構。檢查每場的佈置和圖像。為每個段落或場景做一個圖表，標出對每場的詮釋性的觀察、問題等。

c)注意故事是如何逐場展開的。通常先給出背景，然後是一場一場的行動。行動通常會暴露出一個兩難境地（矛盾，張力），這通常會引向高潮（這個困境會如何解決？）。接著就是解決這個困境的方法和結論。所有的故事都涉及到一定程度的張力，最終導致高潮。所以，隨著事件的展開，一定要確定高潮並回答以下問題：張力是如何解決的？結論是什麼？這是故事的動態。

d)考察人物。注意角色在故事發展過程中的反應和行動。找出他們的力量和軟弱，以及他們在劇中扮演的角色（比如故事的主角，反派，主要人物，旁觀者等）。

e)分析人物的語言和思想。核心真理是通過言語還是思想表達出來的？特別是，找出敘述者的陳述。通常情況下，如果沒有這些陳述，故事就不會有意義，因為動機、隱藏的行動等都是不為人知的。記住，敘述者是無所不知的——他知道人的思想，親密的私人對話，隱藏的事件，甚至是神的思想。通過這樣的方式，神作為故事的最終講述者進入故事—比如，“但大衛所行的事，耶和華甚不喜悅”（撒下11:27下）。

f)找出不同的文學結構和使用的手法。比如，它是用第三人稱還是第一人稱寫的?重點是情節還是人物發展?是否存在交叉、重複、對比、平行等？如果是這樣，這些文學手法是如何添加到故事中的呢?

2.確定中心的神學真理

在根據我上面描述的分析和總結故事之後，你應該能夠決定(a)整個故事的主題;(b)作者對這個主題的看法。故事的主題就是故事所表達的中心的、神學的真理。作者關於主題所說的內容構成了你講道的要點(或者，按場景劃分)。

下一個任務就是寫出中心的神學真理(有時被稱為“大思想”或詮釋性的思想)。有一種方法是從一個能夠抓住段落主題的詞開始，並確定作者關於這個主題要回答的問題。然後，再寫出這個問題的全面答案。

一旦你這樣做了，簡單地用一個描述性的句子來總結你的故事，簡潔地陳述你上面所想到的答案。這句話就成為講道的中心真理，也就是，一句話概括講道。

B.構造敘事性講道的模型

這是我通常遵循的程式。我試圖將我的神學講道大綱與故事的複述穿插在一起，並在每個場景中或者末尾提出應用。這和我在傳講使徒書信中使用的模式是一樣的，只是我是在敘事中講解神學思想，而不是在書信中講解教義。

1.講道的引言

在引言中包括任何背景和其他需要的材料，以設置故事的上下文，並解釋古代術語或文化慣例。

正如我上面提到的，在引言中用一句話陳述你的講道非常重要，這樣你的聽眾就知道故事的主要神學真理，也就是你在講道中要證明的觀點。在陳述這個真理的時候，一方面要使命題具有悠久的神學意義，另一方面要試著以一種反映歷史準確性和故事文學目的的方式來陳述。

如果陳述地正確，你會形成一個永久的神學觀點，無論何時何地都適用于神的百姓，這就成為你講道的觀點，它決定你如何呈現餘下的部分。講道的觀點是對生活中某一特定需要、問題或困難的答案。

講道的任務是向你的聽眾描述（1）故事中的人是如何面對、處理、思索屬靈的需求、問題、疾病等；（2）他們的困難和我們是相同的；（3）他們的解決方式也是我們的解決方式。

2.講道的主體

一個場景一個場景地重述故事。你如何從故事中得出這個神學觀點也在此顯示出來。

a)列出一個以神學觀點為基礎的、能夠反映整個故事走向的講章大綱。

每一個故事都有一個清楚的結構。並非因為它是故事，就沒有清楚的結構。每一個故事都是一個場景一個場景逐步展開的。這就是它的結構。你前期任務之一就是找到它的結構，就像你對待聖經中的其他題材一樣。

接著，創作一個能反映場景變化的大綱（場景的變動、想法的變動）。故事的大綱就像音樂的交響曲一樣——幾個樂章一個作品。場景的改變是你進入講道大綱下一部分的關鍵。你所研究的故事的每一個場景都需要有一個神學觀點（也就是聲明一個普遍真理或者原則）。為了找到這些聲明，你需要問自己…

1)這個情節告訴我們關於神的什麼（他的方式，目的、審判等）

2)這個情節告訴我們關於自己的什麼（我們與神的關係、我們的屬靈狀況等）？

當你用一句完整的話來陳述對這些問題的答案，就構成了你對每個場景的神學原則的陳述。要保證對每個情節的普遍神學原則的陳述都與整個故事的神學真理相聯繫和發展——也就是，在引言部分你用“一句話對講章的陳述”。

不要做一個膚淺的大綱，只是描述每個場景而並不能反映故事的神學觀點的形成和發展。創建一個以神學為基礎的、由陳述原則構成的大綱，不僅遵循故事的動態，而且反映故事的資訊。每個場景的標題都以神學原則為中心， 這樣就形成了講章大綱的要點，既尊重故事整體的神學主張和目的，而且也與之相一致。

有時候將對情節的描述與神學原則的陳述結合起來會有幫助。這種方式不但將故事分解，更易於聽眾理解，而且也將故事與原則整合一起。為了說明我的意思，下面是我列出創世紀21:9-21的大綱作為例子。

這段經文的普遍原則：“在神的幫助下，麻煩會被勝利取代”

創 21:9-10. 撒拉的怨恨（情節的描述）：麻煩的根源往往在於我們不良的態度（普遍真理）

創 21: 11-14a. 亞伯拉罕的困境（情節的描述）：麻煩的根源往往在於我們壞的決定（普遍真理）

創 21:14b-16. 夏甲的放逐（情節的描述）：麻煩的根源往往在於我們糟糕的環境（普遍真理）

創 21:17-21. 神的介入（情節的描述）：麻煩總會在神的良善中找到出路（普遍真理）

有的時候（就像在這個例子中）我可能會用對場景的描述作為我的段落標題，並說明普遍的真理（原則）作為我應用的標題。換句話說，我對每個場景有兩個標題，一個是描述場景中的行為，而另一個是描述從行為中所得出的原則。這樣，描述場景的標題，使聽眾清晰瞭解故事的走向，而應用的標題給予聽眾清晰的可以適用於今天的原則。那麼當你講道的時候，就會由一個情節自然的轉入下一個情節。

因此，比如在創21:11-14中，我的場景標題是“亞伯拉罕的困境”（如何處理夏甲和以實瑪利來回應撒拉的抱怨）。我所陳述的神學的普遍原則是：“麻煩的根源往往在於我們壞的決定”（或者，短期的決定有時候會導致長期的困境）——這是對我們的教訓。

你可以通過以下方式來避免講章大綱的人為的結構…

1)不要在講道中強加要點，使一個故事聽起來像科學教科書

2)確保你的原則是由故事中自然得出的

3) 把每個場景的原則都寫成神學聲明，就像你對其他文學體裁一樣

通過以下幾點，確保你的講章大綱忠實於故事…

1)跟隨故事的情節走

2)揭示故事的矛盾、複雜/張力，高潮、解決和結論

3)證明故事的神學要點

b)在每個場景的中間或者最後放上應用。這樣，故事的每個場景都直接與聽眾的生活聯繫起來。但是在傳講舊約故事的時候，你要小心，不要自動地將故事直接應用於你當代的聽眾。他們在當時做了一些事情並不意味著我們現在也應該這樣做。在傳講舊約故事的時候，往往容易掉進這樣的陷阱，要麼使故事成為道德說教，以至於你告訴你的聽眾，因為誰誰做了什麼，所以他們也要做；或者將故事象徵化，給實際發生的事情加上靈意化的、隱藏的意義。為了避免這些，你必須確保運用經文的神學觀點，而不是直接運用故事情節本身。

3.講道的最後評論

一定要把這個問題的解決辦法清楚地表述出來。總結一下接受或拒絕這一解決方法可能帶來的影響——解釋接受如何帶來屬靈的祝福，而拒絕帶來進一步的屬靈疾病、倒退和距離等。懇請聽眾選擇祝福（健康、生命）而不是審判（疾病、死亡）——也就是，呼籲聽眾的回應。

C.對於以這種方式講道的一些評論

1.如此講道使你的聽眾…

a)把故事當成戲劇來感受。

b)掌握神學觀點（粗略閱讀的時候不會看到）

c) 理解這對他們生活的影響

d)將故事的應用運用到他們現代的生活中

2.如此講道確保…

a)你忠實於故事的形式。

b)你引出了故事的永恆的神學思想

c)你向人們展示了古代故事與當代生活的聯繫

d) 你迫使人們思考並感受故事的緊張和複雜

e) 你迫使他們為自己的生活考慮解決辦法。

II.加強聖經化的領導

“事奉的動力，第三部分：基督的愛”（哥後5:14-17）

在哥林多後書，保羅討論了事奉以及聖經化領導這個主題。幾年以前，我開始在這個雜誌中探討如下內容…

1.事奉中的信心—神的帶領和供給（哥後2:14-3:6，春，2013）

2.:真正事奉的本質

第一部分,資訊的本質—不是關於我們，而是關於基督（哥後4:1-6，夏，2012）

第二部分,基督徒生命的本質—軟弱中的能力（哥後4:7-16，夏，2013）

3. 事奉的動力

第一部分,我們將來的轉變（哥後4:16-5:9，秋2013）

第二部分,我們在神面前交帳（哥後5:10-13，冬2014）

在這期當中，我將繼續探討保羅對“事奉的動力”的闡釋—第三部分，基督舍己的愛（哥後5:14-17）.

基督舍己的愛，充分體現在他代替我們，為我們贖罪上，這份愛激勵我們去事奉他。實際上，保羅在這裡的要點是基督為我們死了，因此我們要事奉他（而不是我們自己），尤其是傳講和好的資訊。

保羅在哥後5:10-13中已經為事奉確立了一個將來性的動力（向神交帳），現在他又確立了一個回顧性的動力—基督的愛（哥後5:14-17）。確實，他說，“基督的愛激勵我們”（5:14a）。在真正事奉的生命中，最重要的動力就是基督的愛。保羅不在乎有些人認為他癲狂（哥後5:13）。不論他做什麼和忍耐什麼，都是出於對基督的愛。同樣的愛“激勵我們”，樹立了我們事奉的座標。這就是基督的愛對我們以及在我們裡面的影響—它使我們做我們在事奉中為他所做的事。

那麼，激勵我們的基督的愛的本質是什麼？“原來基督的愛激勵我們，因為我們想，‘一人既替眾人死，眾人就都死了。並且他替眾人死，是叫那些活著的人不再為自己活，乃為替他們死而復活的主活”（5:14-15）

這段經文的內容就是：因為我們理解在將來的審判中“主是可畏的”，所以我們“勸人”（5:11）去相信福音和好的真理（5:19-20）、並且對於這樣的資訊以及事工而言，動力就是基督那令人信服、激勵人的愛(5:14-15)。

原則是這樣的：一個人（他不應該死因為他是無罪的）為了其他的人（他們應該死因為他們是有罪的）的死，致使整體（他為之而死的所有人）也都死了，因為無罪的那個替他們死了，為他們的罪付上了代價。

這是應用：基督的愛的本質和延伸（在他替代性的死亡中所體現的）激勵我們去做我們在基督徒事工中所做的。這些經文中關於贖罪的性質和範圍的神學爭論很容易讓人分心，而忽略了保羅所談到的應用。這些經文中確實告訴了我們許多關於基督贖罪的性質和範圍—我在下面會討論，但是保羅主要是在應用基督舍己的愛，這個愛使他為我們死，也是我們事奉他的動力。

保羅接著陳述了兩個普遍的結論（哥後5:14-15）…

基督的死的第一個普遍的結論是，眾人都死了。“因為我們想：一人既替眾人死，眾人就都死了。”（5:14）。既然基督為眾人死了，那麼原則上說眾人就都死了。我們很容易理解基督為眾人死了，因為別處的經文也支持這個觀點。但是， “眾人就都死了”（5:14）是什麼意思？很明顯，在某種程度上，基督的死亡涉及到每個人的死亡。就像R.V.G. Tasker說的，“基督的死是眾人的死，從這個意義上說，他死的是他們當得的死，他們罪的代價被他擔當了（哥前15:3；哥後5:20），他在他們的位置上死了” (Tasker, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, TNTC, Eerdmans, 1958, 86)。他為每個人死了—他們最終是接受他還是拒絕他是另外一回事。他為他們的罪付了代價。他死了他們該得的死亡。因為，原則上說“眾人就都死了。”這是保羅在這裡做的結論—一個人替一群人死了，因此這群人（因著那位死了的）也都死了。基督十字架上舍己的死裡面，每一個人狀況的簡單來說就是—他為他們死了，因此他們就都死了。眾人的罪價被償還了。

保羅這樣說，並不是提倡普遍救贖論（因為很顯然並不是所有人都有屬靈的生命），但是他在提倡，因著基督的死，救恩的可能臨到每個人。因為他為他們死了，原則上他們也都死了，如果他們願意，他們可以通過信心轉向他—也就是基督為他們而死使每個人都有得救的可能，但是只有那些相信的人才能得救。基督為了全人類而死——這是福音的中心真理（參照歌1:20；羅8:32）。

所以，基督的死的第一個普遍結論是“他們就都死了”。

基督的死的第二個普遍結論是，有的人活著，不是所有人。“一人既替眾人死，眾人就都死了。並且他替眾人死，是叫那些活著的人不再為自己活，乃為替他們死而復活的主活”（5:14-15）“那些活著的人”和“基督為之而死的“人”是兩個不同的概念（5:14b），就像Rober L, Dabney說的：“如果我們認為基督為之死的所有人僅僅指那些因他而活的人——也就是被揀選的人，這似乎意味著在那些基督為他們而死的、被揀選的人裡面，只有一部分為基督而活”（Dabney, Lectures, 525）。很好的觀察！

基督的死的功效在“那些活著的人”（也就是信徒，被揀選的）裡面是使他們得到改變和更新。沒有人會經歷這樣的道德改變，只有基督徒因為他們在基督裡的新生命。基督的死只對他們有效果（而不是所有人），因為他們在基督裡的信心，因此他們在生活中有了新的動力，新的生活方式。基督的死的意義是使那些相信的人（那些因為基督的死而向肉體死亡的人）有一個更新的生命，為了一個新的道德目標和動力而活。因此，“那些活著的人”只包括信徒，那些因著基督為了他們而死並相信他的人，現在“不再為自己活，乃為替他們死而復活的主活”（這並不適用於非信徒）。因此他們在基督裡是新造的人（5:17）。

總而言之，保羅的意思是，基於基督替我們而死（5:14b），以及我們接受他的死作為對我們罪的補償，基督徒的有了一個與以前完全不同的生活動力—也就是，不再為自己活，而為替我們死而復活的主活（5:15）。因此，保羅對這個真理的應用簡單明瞭—因為基督為每個人死了，無人例外，又以無私的愛愛眾人，因此我們服事基督的動力就是因著無私的愛，向每個人傳揚基督的福音，無人例外。然而，並不是每個人都會接受基督救贖的邀請，但是那些接受的人（那些活著的人5:15a）在基督裡被賜予一個新的生命，並且從此為主而活。因此，基督的愛是我們現在應該如何為他而活，以及進行事奉的有力基礎。就像基督為我們捨棄了生命，所以我們現在也將自己的生命奉獻給他。他對我們的愛應該體現在我們對他人的愛上，尤其是通過分享“和好的職分（5:18-21），福音，因為我們活在他裡面，我們是“基督的使者（5:20）”。

.所以，雖然贖罪的本質和範圍是保羅在這裡論證的基礎，但我們不應該過於專注這樣的辯論，以至於忽略了保羅的整體和主要觀點。我們事奉不是為自私的動機，而僅僅是為基督，作他在世上的使者。

因為基督為我而死，我現在活在他裡面也為他而活，因此我的生活在行為、目的和活動上都發生了變化。這個教導與整個聖經中關於基督徒生活的教導是一致的——它是一個交換了的生命（加2:20），舊人已經死了，新人為基督而活（加5:24；弗4:17）。我們的生命是一個與以前完全不同的生命。我們不再以自我為中心生活（弗2:1-3；4:17-19），而是以基督為中心生活（弗2:4-10；4:20）。因此，我們這些與基督同死並與他同活的人，不但能夠，而且更是被呼召傳和好的消息（5:18-21），這在我們自己的生命中是明顯而有力的。我們被呼召，要藉著真實的事奉，活出新的生命，因為（1）相較于使者（我們）的軟弱，福音大有能力（4:7）；（2）神監察我們的事工（5:10-13）；以及（3）基督的愛（5:14-17）激勵我們.

從保羅的論點（5:14-15），他得出了兩個結果（5:16-17）

結果 #1: “所以（第一個結果），從今以後（從我們開始為基督活而不為自己活的時刻起），不憑著外貌認人了”（5:16a），保羅不再根據外貌，或者主觀的、膚淺的人的標準或者關係（比如財富、種族、地位等；參照加3:28）來判斷評價人。他對他人的評價和關係是建立在一個更新的人的屬靈價值基礎上的，比如一個人的兄弟姐妹不是血緣關係的家庭，而是屬靈的家庭（參照太12:46）。他與人的交往中以不同的方式看待別人，不再根據人的外在，不是憑著外貌而是看做“基督裡…新造的人(5:17).”

“雖然憑著外貌認過基督，如今卻不再這樣認他了（5:16）”。保羅在信主之前對於基督的認識是“憑著外貌”­­——基於一個錯誤的、扭曲的、肉體的想法，和單純的人的判斷。但是在他和基督關係完全改變之後，他不再只是憑著外在的人的觀點來看基督，而是籍著住在他裡面的聖靈，他知道基督到底是誰。“憑著外貌”（也就是屬肉體的思想，根據人的判斷）無法真正地認識基督。這就是為什麼沒有重生的人對基督有錯誤的結論。只有通過聖靈而重生的人，才會認識到他是神和救贖主。許多“憑著外貌”認識基督的人並不是通過聖靈來認識他，而只有聖靈才能夠啟示我們基督是誰。“像彼得和多馬一樣，保羅必須明白，重要的不是見過基督，也不是認識他，而是愛他，相信他（彼前1:8；約20:29）”(Philip E. Hughes, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, 201)。

結果 #2.所以（5:14-15的進一步結果）”不但不再憑著外貌認人（包括基督），而是“若有人在基督裡”，他把他們看做“新造的人”（5:17a）因為這才是他們真正的樣子。凡從上頭生的，都是在“基督裡”，並且有一個新的身份，新的關係，新的家庭，新的價值，新的目標。他或者她被看做“在基督裡”，不是“憑著外貌”——當我們看他們的時候，我們看到基督，而不是外在的、有罪的肉體。

.在“基督裡”意味著安穩（現在和將來）、身份、關係、神的性情、一個完全的“新造的人”（參照弗2:10；4:24）. “舊事（屬肉體的舊人，舊人的邪情私欲）已過（死亡，消失在歷史中）；都（突然的、驚喜和極大的喜樂）變成新的”（5:17）。我們是有永生生命的新造的人，完全因為我們“在基督裡”的身份。神在我們裡面所做的一切（當我們被榮耀的時候會完全成就）是萬物都將被更新的前兆和保證。

III.講道大綱

題目:給七個教會的信——忠實於基督（啟3:7-13）

主題:.如果你忠實於基督，他會將你的軟弱變成力量的支柱。

要點 1:基督用他權柄的大能鼓勵我們(3:8-11)

1a)他全權掌管我們與他接近的通道(3:8)

1b)他全權約束他的敵對者(3:9)

1c)他全權保守我們脫離他的審判(3:10-11)

要點 2:)基督用他全能的應許鼓勵我們(3:12-13)

2a)對那些軟弱的人，他應許神的力量(3:12a)

2b)對那些忠實的人，他應許神的名(3:12b)

結論: “聖靈向眾教會說的話，凡有耳的，就應當聽” (3:13)

What are angels? Who are they and what can we learn from them? In Scripture, angels are mentioned over 250 times¹ in thirty-four books of the Bible (seventeen in the Old Testament and seventeen in the New Testament).² Angels were present, rejoicing at God’s forming of the earth (Job 38:4-7). They visited Abraham’s house and brought judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18, 19:13). They were involved with the transmission of the Ten Commandments to Moses (Gal 3:19). An angel gave prophecies to Daniel about Israel’s future (Dan 9, 10). Likewise, an angel prophesied the messiah’s birth to both Mary and Joseph (Matt 1, Lk 1). An angel strengthened Christ after he experienced temptation in the wilderness (Lk 22:43). An angel set Peter free from prison (Acts 12:7-10), and one comforted Paul before his shipwreck in the ocean (Acts 27:23-24). Angels will be involved with administering judgment throughout the Great Tribulation (Rev 8) and will come with Christ to judge the earth (Matt 16:27). Throughout Scripture, angels are everywhere.

The study of angels is not just speculative; we can learn a great deal from them, as they are fellow servants and worshipers of God (Rev 22:9). Here are several reasons to study angels.

1. The existence of angels and their ministry give us an example to follow.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Christ taught us to pray, “may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10). In that sense, angels are an example to us. They are examples to follow in the way they worship and serve God in heaven. May their example be followed here on earth!

2. The existence of angels and their ministry should give great comfort to believers.

In 2 Kings 6:17, when Elisha and his servant were surrounded by a pagan army, God opened the eyes of the servant to see an army of angels protecting them. Likewise, angels protect us. In Psalm 91:10-12, the Psalmist said: “No harm will overtake you; no illness will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you in all you do. They will lift you up in their hands, so you will not slip and fall on a stone.” Likewise, in Matthew 18:10, Christ said, “See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” God is always protecting his saints through the agency of angels, which should give believers great comfort.

3. The existence of angels should sober us in our fight against sin.

The angels were made perfect and holy and were never tempted by an outside force as the first humans were, and yet some fell into sin. As we’ll see, one-third of the angels rebelled against God (Rev 12:4). If perfect angels can sin against God without a sin nature and outside forces tempting them, how much more vulnerable are we who have a sin nature, the world, and demons to tempt us (Jam 1:14, John 2:16, Eph 6:12-13)? First Corinthians 10:12 says, “So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall.” Angels encourage us to be sober in our fight against sin.

4. The existence of angels and their ministry should humble us and make us thankful that God chose to offer us salvation, even though he did not have to.

When one-third of the angels fell, forgiveness was never offered to them. In God’s fore-planning, he chose for Christ to die for humans, but not angels. This reality should humble us and make us grateful for the amazing grace God has shown to humans. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.”

5. The existence of angels and their ministry reminds us that there is a real unseen world that greatly affects the seen world.

There is an unseen battle happening in the heavenlies between angels and demons, which affects the world (Dan 10:12-13, 20-21). In fact, believers, as fellow servants of God, engage in this battle with Satan and demons. In Ephesians 6:12-13, Paul said, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.”

In Angelology, we will consider many questions about angels, including who they are, their creation, types of angels, specific angels, their ministry, their future, and much more.

Reflection

1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
2. What are some examples of angels appearing in Scripture?
3. What are some reasons to study angels?
4. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

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