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2. Шта апостол Павле поучава о друштвеној дистанци

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Године 2020, током пандемије корона вируса, прецизније KОВИД-19, много се говори о друштвеној дистанци. Човек можда не запажа одмах да је апостол Павле добар пример особе на „друштвеној дистанци“, међутим истина је да је он добар део свог живота провео одвојен од других људи. Неке од тих одвојености су му биле наметнуте, а некима је сам био узрок. Хајде да размотримо ову чињеницу.

Било је људи који су желели да апостол Павла уклоне са лице Земље (као што је и он сам раније покушао да уништи хришћане – види Дела 22,1-5; 1. Тимотеју 1,12-15). Неколико пута су га истеривали из градова (види Дела 22,22-23), организовали су завере да га убију (види Дела 23,12-15), а у Листри су мислили да су у томе и успели (види Дела 14,19). Лажне оптужбе и смиривање народа од стране власти су на крају довеле до Павловог утамничења у Риму (види Дела 28,17 и даље). Против њега су предузете законске мере да би га лишили његових права и заштите коју је уживо као римски грађанин (види Дела 18,12-17). Овоме бисмо могли да додамо и друге невоље које је апостол Павле трпео (види 2. Kоринћанима 11,23-29). Треба запазити да је и сам сатана спречавао апостола Павла у посетама црквама (види 1. Солуњанима 2,17-18).

Поред управо поменутих препрека Павловом друштвеном животу ту је и оно што бисмо могли да назовемо његовим добровољним одвајањем. Са изузетком Kоринта и Ефеса апостол Павле није дуго боравио ни у једном другом месту. Разлог? Чезнуо је да Еванђеље пренесе и у друге регије, посебно у делове света у којима оно још увек није било проповедано (види Римљанима 15:18-21). Стално је ишао даље, чак и када су га позивали да остане.

Служба апостола Павлова је била међународна, а због интереса које је имао за цркве (неке од њих је и сам основао), стално је био у покрету, желећи да са својим даровима служи људима, лицем-у-лице (види Kолошанима 2,1-3; 1. Солуњанима 2,17; 3,10). Често одвајање апостола Павла од хришћана је делимично било и због његове жеље да не постане исувише доминантан у некој заједници, па да на тај начин спречи развој и манифестације духовних дарова других верника у цркви. Вероватно је баш због тога слао чланове тима као што су били Тимотеј и Тит, да служе уместо њега.

Са свим овим на уму хајде да се сложимо око тога да је апостол Павле искусио своју сопствену варијанту „друштвене дистанце“, и то током дугог временског периода свог живота – много дужег него што ћемо ви и ја искусити за време ове пандемије. Оно што је важно да у свему томе запазимо је следеће: Друштвена дистанца ни на који начин није спречила или умањила његову службу. Штавише, обогатила је.

„А хоћу да знате, браћо, да је ово, што се са мном догађа, учинило да еванђеље напредује, тако да је свој царској стражи и свима осталима постало јасно да ја носим окове за Христа, те већина браће у Господу добивши поуздање од мојих окова све више се усуђује да без страха говори реч Божију“ (Филипљанима 1,12-14).

Поред свих забрана и рестрикција Павловог друштвеног живота, у последњих 2000 година ниједан други човек није имао тако велик утицај на свете као он. Објашњење таквог успеха налази се у следећем: Павле је приоритет стављао на своје колеге апостоле.

„Стога гледајте, браћо, да нађете седам осведочених људи из своје средине, пуних Духа и мудрости, којима ћемо поверити ову дужност; ми ћемо се и даље посветити молитви и проповедничкој служби“ (Дела 6,3.4).

Поменути приоритети – молитва и служба Речи – се током времена нису мењали. Начини и механизми по којима се Еванђеље носило и носи људима се мењало и мењаће се (и треба да се мења). И када је апостол Павле био ограничен затворским зидовима, његови приоритети су били молитва и служба Речи. Он је ширио Еванђеље где год да се налазио, па и у затвору (види Дела 16,23-40; Филипљанима 4,21-23; Филимону 1,10-11). Новим верницима и недавно основаним црквама апостол Павле је стално писао (најмање три писма Kоринћанима – види 1. Kоринћанима 5,9), тумачио је исправне доктрине (Римљанима), указивао на лажне доктрине (Галатима) и на безбожан живот (1. Kоринћанима). Павлов молитвени живот чини да се многи од нас постиде. Он је знао шта се догађа у локалним црквама. Био је упознат са њиховим борбама, тешкоћама и искушењима. Познавао је свете и њихова мала заједништва, чак и оне у црквама које никада није посетио (види Римљанима 16). Тражио је да се моле за њега (види Римљанима 15,30-33; Ефесцима 6,19-20). Поврх свега, слао је сараднике да виде како је хришћанима (види 2. Kоринћанима 7,4-16; 8,6-24).

Павлова служба уопште није била ограничена због тога што је он био ограничен на социјалну удаљеност, или како се то данас популарно каже „друштвену дистанцу“. Напротив, била је значајно увећана будући да, као и црква пре готово 2000 година, ми данас у рукама имамо његова поучавања, охрабрења, упозорења и молитве. Kако је апостол Павле постигао све то што је постигао? Па својом посвећеношћу молитви и служби Речи, мада није имао ни издаваче, ни књижаре, ни новине, ни радио, ни ТВ, ни интернет, ни фејсбук и твитер... Да би његово писмо негде стигло, у најбољем случају је прошло неколико дана. Другим речима, у време апостола Павловла комуникација није била лака, а ипак...

Са свим друштвеним медијима који нам данас стоје на располагању, колико су само веће наше могућности али и одговорности. Хајдемо онда да попут апостола Павла ову нашу данашњу друштвену дистанцу искористимо на славу Божију и на благослов његовог народа. Павловим речима речено: немамо изговор.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Cultural Issues, Suffering, Trials, Persecution

3. Šta nas KOVID-19 uči o evangelizaciji

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Kada čitam knjigu Djela apostolska i pokušavam objasniti brzi rast Crkve, najbliža analogiju koju vidim jeste ovo širenje virusa KOVID-19 u današnjem svijetu.

Poznajem misionara koji je imao privilegiju da igra važnu ulogu u eksplozivnom širenju evanđelja u jednoj dalekoj zemlji. Zato što je bio svjedok nevjerovatnog uspjeha u evangelizaciji, nekoliko misijskih organizacija ga je pozvalo da dođe i otkrije im tajnu takvog uspjeha. On je odbio sebi pripisati bilo kakvu zaslugu znajući da se tu radi o moćnoj manifestaciji suverene Božje milosti. Zahvaljujući doživljenom, stekao je potpuno novi uvid i pogled na knjigu Djela apostolska. Veliki broj obraćenja o kojima je čitao u toj knjizi više nije vidio kao rezultat strateških planova i programa koje su smislili i vodili apostoli. Naprotiv, sva ta obraćenja je vidio kao rezultat moćnog Božjeg djela, pri čemu su apostoli samo pokušavali pratiti ono što je Bog činio. Slično tom mom poznaniku, kada čitam knjigu Djela apostolska i ja pokušavam sva ta dešavanja sagledati na sličan način.

Razmislite samo o onom prvom događaju. Na dan Pentekosta, hiljade ljudi je iznenada povjerovalo u Krista. Iako je Duh Sveti u Jeruzalemu „rodio“ crkvu koja je prosto cvjetala, apostoli nisu osnovali komitet koji bi trebao izraditi strategiju za osvajanje ostatka svijeta za Isusa Krista. Uostalom, zar to nije bila zapovijed koju im je Isus ostavio:

18Isus im pristupi i prozbori: »Dana mi je sva vlast na nebu i na zemlji! 19Pođite dakle i učinite mojim učenicima sve narode krsteći ih u ime Oca i Sina i Duha Svetoga 20i učeći ih čuvati sve što sam vam zapovjedio!« »I evo, ja sam s vama u sve dane – do svršetka svijeta.«” (Mt. 28:18-20)

Širenje crkve nije bilo pokrenuto misijskim odborom ili misijskom konferencijom, već progonom Crkve koji je otpočeo Stjepanovom smrću (vidi Djela apostolska 6:8-8:1, 11:19-21). Članovi Crkve su uglavnom bili rasuti posvuda, dok su apostoli ostali u Jeruzalemu (vidi Djela apostolska 8:1). Nisu apostoli pokrenuli evangelizacionu kampanju među poganima, već nepoznati bezimeni pojedinci koji nisu mogli evanđelje zadržati za sebe:

19Oni dakle što ih rasprši nevolja nastala u povodu Stjepana dopriješe do Fenicije, Cipra i Antiohije, nikomu ne propovijedajući Riječi doli samo Židovima. 20Neki su od njih bili Ciprani i Cirenci. Kad stigoše u Antiohiju, propovijedahu i Grcima navješćujući evanđelje: Gospodina, Isusa. 21Ruka Gospodnja bijaše s njima te velik broj ljudi povjerova i obrati se Gospodinu.” (Djela apostolska 11:19-21)

Uznemirujuća činjenica jeste da prvih jedanaest apostola, ne samo da nisu bili agilni u nošenju evanđelja poganima, nego oni u tom smjeru nisu načinili nijedan jedini korak. Petar nije bio voljan ići u Kornelijev dom (vidi Djela apostolska 10:9-16), ali kada je ipak otišao i kada su ljudi u tom domu povjerovali u Krista, njegove kolege-apostoli su ga zbog toga pozvali na „raport“.

1Dočuli apostoli i braća po Judeji da i pogani primiše riječ Božju 2pa kad Petar uziđe u Jeruzalem, uzeše mu obrezanici prigovarati: 3»Ušao si«, dobacivahu, »k ljudima neobrezanima i jeo s njima!«” (Djela apostolska 11:1-3)

Mada je Petrovo objašnjenje bilo više nego dovoljno da opravda njegov postupak, i mada su drugi apostoli prepoznali Božju odluku da spase neznabošce baš kao i Židove, njihov teorijski i njihov praktičan pristup toj temi nije bio dosljedan.

„Kad su to čuli, umiriše se te stadoše slaviti Boga govoreći: »Dakle i poganima Bog dade obraćenje na život!«” (Djela apostolska 11:18)

Evanđelje su poganima nosili Pavle i ljudi kao što su Barnaba, Sila, Timotej i Luka.

Dobro, možda pitate: „Kakve sve to ima veze sa virusom KOVID-19 i sa evangelizacijom?“ Pa razmislite o širenju virusa KOVID-19. Ljudi ne idu okolo voljno šireći ovaj virus na druge. Prosto se kreću, idu ovamo i onamo kao što su to i ranije činili, pa kada dođu u kontakt sa drugima, i ne znajući, prenose im virus. Ne postoje nikakve obuke i seminari o tome kako prenijeti virus. Nema ni potrebe za time. Virus ima svoj sopstveni način da to čini. Sve što mu je potrebno jeste da se ljudi druže i rade, prosto da žive svoje uobičajene živote.

Idealno – što vidimo u knjizi Djela apostolska – evanđelje se brzo širilo kroz ljude koji su živjeli, radili i bili u kontaktu sa drugima. Ti ljudi nisu smišljeno ili nasilno širili evanđelje, niti se njihova evangelizacija odvijala po nekom planu ili priručniku. (Nemojte me pogrešno razumijeti. Ja ne kažem da su metode i strategije u širenju evanđelja nešto što ne treba imati i razvijati, već samo da, naravno prema mom mišljenju, one nisu idealne.) Prosto vjerujem da kršćani trebaju govoriti o svojoj vjeri, ispunjavati se Svetim Duhom i živjeti u radosnom zajedništvu sa drugim kršćanima. Govorimo li o kršćanima I veka vidimo da su bili jednostavno preplavljeni, da je spasenje koje su našli u Kristu promijenilo njihove živote do te mjere da nisu mogli, a da o toj vjeri ne govore svima sa kojima su došli u kontakt. Za njih je evangelizacija bila ono što se događalo dok su slavili Boga i iskazivali radost koja ih je preplavila. Drugi su to posmatrali i „zarazili“ se.

44Svi koji prigrliše vjeru bijahu združeni i sve im bijaše zajedničko. 45Sva bi imanja i dobra prodali i porazdijelili svima kako bi tko trebao. 46Svaki bi dan jednodušno i postojano hrlili u Hram, u kućama bi lomili kruh te u radosti i prostodušnosti srca zajednički uzimali hranu 47hvaleći Boga i uživajući naklonost svega naroda. Gospodin je pak danomice zajednici pridruživao spašenike.” (Djela apostolska 2:44-47)

Vjera puna radosti kakvu su imali novi vjernici prirodno je vodila u jedinstvo i darežljivost prema onima koji su bili u potrebi.

32U mnoštva onih što prigrliše vjeru bijaše jedno srce i jedna duša. I nijedan od njih nije svojim zvao ništa od onoga što je imao, nego im sve bijaše zajedničko. 33Apostoli pak velikom silom davahu svjedočanstvo o uskrsnuću Gospodina Isusa i svi uživahu veliku naklonost. 34Doista, nitko među njima nije oskudijevao jer koji bi god posjedovali zemljišta ili kuće, prodavali bi ih i utržak donosili 35i stavljali pred noge apostolima. A dijelilo se svakomu koliko je trebao.” (Djela apostolska 4:32-35)

Danas se često može čuti ili pročitati kako je neki video „zarazan“. Ja vjerujem da je evanđelje iz knjige Djela apostolska bilo zarazno i molim se da ponovo postane zarazno; da izvrši globalni uticaj kroz Duhom ispunjene kršćane koji ne mogu biti ušutkani i čija vjera ne može biti ugašena. Neka Bog da da bude tako, na Njegovu slavu, a na spasenje mnogih. Hoćete li biti voljni širiti evanđelje i pomagati u izgrađivanju učenika Isusa Krista onako kako je Bog zapovjedio u Matejevom evanđelju 28:19-20?

Related Topics: Christian Life, Cultural Issues, Evangelism

3. Шта нас KОВИД-19 учи о евангелизацији

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Kада читам књигу Дела апостолска и покушавам да објасним брзи раст Цркве, најближу аналогију коју видим је ово ширење вируса KОВИД-19 у данашњем свету.

Познајем мисионара који је имао привилегију да игра важну улогу у ширењу Еванђеља у једној далекој земљи. Зато што је био сведок невероватног успеха у евангелизацији, неколико мисијских организација га је позвало да дође и открије им тајну таквог успеха. Он је одбио да себи припише било какву заслугу знајући да се ту ради о моћној манифестацији суверене Божје благодати. Захваљујући доживљеном, стекао је потпуно нови увид и поглед на књигу Дела апостолска. Велики број обраћења о којима је читао у тој књизи више није видео као резултат стратешких планова и програма које су смислили и водили апостоли. Напротив, сва та обраћења је видео као резултат моћног Божјег дела, при чему су апостоли само покушавали да прате оно што је Бог чинио. Слично том мом познанику, када читам књигу Дела апостолска и ја покушавам да сва та дешавања сагледам на сличан начин.

Размислите само о оном првом догађају. На дан Педесетнице хиљаде људи је изненада поверовало у Христа. Иако је Дух Свети у Јерусалиму „родио“ цркву која је просто цветала, апостоли нису основали одбор који би требало да изради стратегију за придобијање остатка света за Господа Исуса Христа. Уосталом зар то није била заповест коју им је Исус оставио:

„Тада приђе Исус и рече им: мени је дана сва власт на небу и на земљи. Зато идите и начините све народе мојим ученицима, крстећи их у име Оца и Сина и Светога Духа, учећи их да држе све што сам вам наложио; и ево ја сам с вама у све дане до свршетка света“ (Матеј 28,18-20).

Ширење цркве није било покренуто мисијским одбором или мисијском конференцијом, већ прогоном Цркве који је отпочео Стефановом смрћу (види Дела 6,8-8,1; 11,19-21). Чланови Цркве су углавном били расути посвуда, док су апостоли остали у Јерусалиму (види Дела 8,1). Нису апостоли покренули евангелизациону кампању међу многобошцима, већ непознати безимени појединци који нису могли да Еванђеље задрже за себе:

„Они пак који беху расејани због гоњења, покренутог против Стефана, прођоше све до Финикије, и Kипра, и Антиохије, не објављујући реч ником другом него само Јудејима. А неки од њих беху Kипрани и Kиринци, који, кад дођоше у Антиохију, говораху и Грцима, објављујући им као радосну вест Господа Исуса. И рука Господња беше с њима, и велики број поверова, те се обрати Господу“ (Дела 11,19-21).

Узнемирујућа је чињеница да првих једанаест апостола, не само да нису били агилни у ношењу Еванђеља многобошцима, него они у том смеру нису начинили ниједан једини корак. Апостол Петар није био вољан да иде у Kорнелијев дом (види Дела 10,9-16), али када је ипак отишао и када су људи у том дому поверовали у Христа, његове колеге – апостоли су га због тога позвали на „рапорт“.

„А апостоли и браћа у Јудеји чуше да су многобошци примили реч Божију. И када Петар дође горе у Јерусалим, препираху се с њим они из обрезања говорећи: ушао си к необрезаним људима и јео си с њима“ (Дела 11,1-3).

Мада је објашњење апостола Петра било више него довољно да оправда његов поступак, и мада су други апостоли препознали Божју одлуку да спасе многобошце баш као и Јевреје, њихов теоријски и њихов практичан приступ тој теми није био доследан.

„А кад ово чуше, умирише се и прославише Бога говорећи: Бог је дакле и многобошцима дао покајање за живот“ (Дела 11,18).

Еванђеље су многобошцима носили апостол Павле и људи попут Варнаве, Силе, Тимотеја и Луке.

Добро, можда се питате: „Kакве све то има везе са KОВИД-19 вирусом и евангелизацијом?“ Па размислите о ширењу KОВИД-19 вируса. Људи не иду около вољно ширећи овај вирус на друге. Просто се крећу, иду овамо и онамо као што су то и раније чинили, па када дођу у контакт са другима, и не знајући, преносе им вирус. Не постоје никакве обуке и семинари о томе како се пренои вирус. Нема ни потребе за тиме. Вирус има свој сопствени начин да то чини. Све што му је потребно јесте да се људи дружи и раде, просто да живе своје уобичајене животе.

Идеално – што видимо у књизи Дела апостолска – Еванђеље се брзо ширило кроз људе који су живели, радили и били у контакту са другима. Ти људи нису смишљено или насилно ширили Еванђеље, нити се њихова евангелизација одвијала по неком плану или приручнику. (Немојте да ме погрешно разумете. Ја не кажем да су методе и стратегије у ширењу Еванђеља нешто што не треба имати и развијати, већ само да, наравно по мом мишљењу, оне нису идеалне.) Просто верујем да хришћани треба да говоре о својој вери, да се испуњавају Светим Духом и да живе у радосном заједништву са другим хришћанима. Говоримо ли о хришћанима I века видимо да су били једноставно преплављени, да је спасење које су нашли у Христу променило њихове животе до те мере да нису могли, а да о тој вери не говоре свима са којима су дошли у контакт. За њих је евангелизација била оно што се догађало док су славили Бога и исказивали радост која их је преплавила. Други су то посматрали и „заразили“ се.

„А сви који су поверовали беху заједно и имали су све заједничко; продавали су што су стекли и имали, па су то делили свима - како је коме било потребно. Свакодневно су били стално и једнодушно у храму, ломили су хлеб по кућама, примали су храну с радошћу и проста срца, хвалећи Бога и уживајући љубав свега народа. А Господ је сваки дан додавао оне који се спасавају“ (Дела 2,44-47).

Вера пуна радости какву су имали нови верници природно је водила у јединство и дарежљивост према онима који су били у потреби.

„А у народа који је поверовао било је једно срце и једна душа, и нико није говорио да је што од његовог имања његово лично, него им је све било заједничко. Апостоли су веома силно сведочили за ускрс Господа Исуса и велика благодат беше на свима њима. Нико међу њима није оскудевао, јер су сви поседници земље или кућа продавали што су имали, доносили су вредност проданога и стављали пред ноге апостола. Одатле се сваком делило - колико је коме било потребно“ (Дела 4,32-35).

Данас често може да се чује или да се прочита како је неки видео „заразан“. Ја верујем да је Еванђеље из књиге Дела апостолска било заразно и молим се да поново постане заразно; да изврши свеопшти утицај кроз Духом испуњене хришћане који не могу да буду ућуткани и чија вера не може да буде угашена. Нека Бог дâ да буде тако, на његову славу, а на спасење многих. Хоћете ли бити вољни да ширите Еванђеље и помажете у изграђивању ученика Господа Исуса Христа онако како је Бог заповедио у Матеју 28,19-20?

Related Topics: Christian Life, Cultural Issues, Evangelism

Q. How Does Divine Sovereignty And Human Responsibility Work With God Hardening Hearts?

Question

Isaiah 6:9-10 speaks of God hardening the hearts of men, so that they can’t believe. But if they are not of the elect, how could they believe? How can someone who is non-elect ever turn and believe and repent? So why would God need to harden anyone’s heart?

Answer

This is a good question, one that merits serious thought.

The short answer is this. The sovereignty of God and the resulting doctrine of election (on the one hand), and the biblical declaration of the responsibility of man (on the other) are not two opposing views, with only one being correct, and the other being false. Both are true. Thus, one does not have to choose one doctrinal truth and reject the other as false. God is sovereign, He does choose some and not others (Romans 9), but man is also responsible for his choices and decisions (Romans 10). So why are some people not saved? (1) Because God did not choose them (Romans 9). (2) Because they did not choose God (Romans 10).

In my opinion, a more careful look at the relevant biblical texts will support this view. So, let’s proceed to a more thorough look at the issue.

The first thing I would say is that this matter of God hardening a man’s heart is dealt with in the Book of Exodus, in relation to the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart:

God Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart:

The LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders I have put under your control. But I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. (Exodus 4:21, NET).

But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and although I will multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt (Exodus 7:3).

16 The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Extend your staff and strike the dust of the ground, and it will become gnats throughout all the land of Egypt.’” 17 They did so; Aaron extended his hand with his staff, he struck the dust of the ground, and it became gnats on people and on animals. All the dust of the ground became gnats throughout all the land of Egypt. 18 When the magicians attempted to bring forth gnats by their secret arts, they could not. So there were gnats on people and on animals. 19 The magicians said to Pharaoh, “It is the finger of God!” But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted. (Exod. 8:16-19, emphasis mine).

Pharaoh Hardened His Own Heart:

But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted (Exodus 8:15).

But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also and did not release the people (Exodus 8:32).

When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder ceased, he sinned again: both he and his servants hardened their hearts (Exodus 9:34).

The point here is that there are two sides to this election “coin”. On the one hand, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. But Moses also tells us that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. In this way, he becomes accountable for his sin. Otherwise, this argument would have some force:

You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who has ever resisted his will?” (Romans 9:19)1

We should also consider other texts which deal with the hardening of hearts. Once again, we will find that God hardens the hearts of some (e.g. Deuteronomy 2:30; Romans 9:18; 11:5-10). But men also harden their own hearts (1 Samuel 6:5-6; 2 Chronicles 36:11-13; Psalm 95:6-9). Men are urged and instructed not to harden their hearts (Deuteronomy 15:7; Psalm 95:8-10; Proverbs 28:14; Hebrews 3:7-19; 4:6-7) and are rebuked when they do harden their hearts (Mark 8:17-21). All of this indicates that men have responsibility in this matter of hardening their own hearts.

I believe the problem is that some folks can’t handle the fact that two, seemingly contradictory truths (e.g. God’s sovereignty, and man’s responsibility), can both be true at the same time. But think of what Peter says to us here:

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who predicted the grace that would come to you searched and investigated carefully. 11 They probed into what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified beforehand about the sufferings appointed for Christ and his subsequent glory. 12 They were shown that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things now announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven– things angels long to catch a glimpse of (1 Peter 1:10-12).

Peter is telling us that the Old Testament prophets scratched their own heads, seeking to grasp the meaning of what they had written. How could Messiah be a suffering servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) and also a triumphant King (Psalm 2; 110)? How could the Messiah be a man (David’s son – 2 Samuel 7:14; Luke 3:31), and yet be God (Matthew 1:23; 5:2)? And yet both, seemingly contradictory, declarations were true, as later revelation would prove.

Now look at Romans 9 and 10: The question at hand is this: “How can it be that so many Gentiles are coming to faith in Jesus, and so few Jews are being saved (Romans 9:1-5)? The answer of Romans 9 is this: Many Jews are not being saved because God did not choose them. The answer of Romans 10 is that many are not saved because they did not choose God. Both declarations are true, but men are tempted to conclude that if one declaration is true, then the other must either be denied or ignored. Men do go to hell because God did not choose them, and also because they did not choose God (see Romans 1:16ff.).

Let’s look at the reference to Isaiah’s words in the New Testament, as cited by Jesus in the Gospels. Let’s focus for the moment on our Lord’s use of Isaiah’s words in Mark chapter 4.

9 And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!” 10 When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 He said to them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables, 12 so that although they look they may look but not see, and although they hear they may hear but not understand, so they may not repent and be forgiven” (Mark 4:9-12).2

Jesus is asked by His followers why He had begun to teach with parables. Jesus explained that He was doing this so that some would not understand the gospel and would not believe. It is also clear that when His followers asked what He meant by a parable, Jesus explained it to them (Mark 4:33-34). Thus, only certain people were blinded, but not all.

The real key to understanding Jesus use of parables is found in chapter 3 of Mark’s gospel. The chapter begins with Jesus’ skeptics carefully watching to see if He would heal a man (with a withered hand) on the Sabbath. They did not seem to doubt His ability to heal, but rather wanted to catch Him in violation of the Sabbath, thereby justifying their rejection of Him and His teaching. Mark then reports some of the many healings that Jesus performed, along with His casting out demons. Next, Jesus appointed the 12 disciples and gave them authority to cast out demons. Then Jesus’ family came to take Jesus home, because they thought He had lost His senses.

If His family thought Jesus was “out of His mind,” our Lord’s adversaries were even more radical in their accusations. Since they could no longer deny that Jesus was performing many miracles, they now sought to convince people that Jesus was actually doing His miracles by the power of the devil. Jesus first showed the foolishness of such a claim, and then He followed this with a strong pronouncement of judgment on those who attributed His work to Satan:

28 I tell you the truth, people will be forgiven for all sins, even all the blasphemies they utter. 29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin” 30 (because they said, “He has an unclean spirit”). (Mark 3:28-30)

Those from whom Jesus concealed the truth (so that they would not believe) were those who had witnessed many miracles at Jesus’ hand, and who had heard His teaching. Because they rejected Jesus and the gospel, and finally attributed His power to Satan, Jesus pronounced judgment on them, and taught in such a way as to conceal the truth from them, so that they would never be saved. Was this a sovereign act of God, a form of election? Yes. Was it solely the result of God’s choice, with no relationship to the hearts and deeds of His enemies? No. Both God’s sovereign choice (election) and man’s responsibility are factors in Jesus’ change in His teaching method, to the use of parables.

But there are even more factors to keep in mind. One of these is that Satan himself plays a role in the hardening of men’s hearts, resulting in their unbelief:

3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing, 4 among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

Here is what I find to be ironic about how some people respond or react to these seemingly opposing views of the sovereignty of God, and the responsibility of man. Among those who strongly hold to one or the other extreme, there are those whose belief raises serious doubts about their salvation. The one who believes “My salvation is up to me, and God simply ratifies my decision.” This theology (Arminianism) agonizes over questions like these: “Did I do enough? Did I do it just the right way? Did I do something to lose my salvation? Did I commit the unpardonable sin?” On the other hand, some who hold to a Calvinistic position (election) could reason: “Salvation is totally the choice and the work of God. I have nothing to do with it in the sense of bringing it about. So, since it is really all God’s work, how can I know with certainty that I am one of the elect? How can I be certain that God did chose me?”

I believe the answer is to be found in the fact that in the ministry of our Lord, and in the ministry of the early church, and now in fulfilling the Great Commission, the gospel must be preached to all mankind, who are called upon to decide to trust in the saving work of Jesus by means of His sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection.

9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. 11 For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 14 How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news” (Romans 10:9-15).

By His design, God’s salvation requires that the gospel be proclaimed to lost sinners, and that they be called upon to believe in Jesus for salvation. Men have a choice to make, for which they are responsible, and the outcome is salvation or condemnation. Those who do come to faith take Jesus and His apostles at their word that people are saved because they have been chosen and called by God, and because they have trusted in Jesus Christ and His saving work at Calvary by faith.

28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry” (Matthew 11:28-30).

28 So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds God requires?” 29 Jesus replied, “This is the deed God requires– to believe in the one whom he sent” (John 6:28-29).

Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away (John 6:37).

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).

But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one” (John 10:26-30).

For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

All of these statements are true, and we are commanded to believe them. They are meant to clearly tell us the way of salvation, and to assure us in that salvation – not to create doubt.


1 One might call attention to the fact that in the context of this question, posed in Romans 9, Paul does not refute the argument, but only the insolence of man to put God on trial (verse 20). To this objection I would only say that Paul first addresses the arrogant attitude of man as he questions God, but later, in chapter 10, he shows this objection to be false, because man is accountable for his rejection of God and of the gospel.

2 See also John 12:37-41; Acts 28:24-28; Romans 11:5-12.

Related Topics: Soteriology (Salvation)

Q. Was God Cruel To The Egyptians At The Exodus?

Question: I Watched The Movie, “The Ten Commandments,” This Easter Season, And It Seemed To Me That God Was Cruel, Especially In The Killing Of The First-Born Of Egypt. How Could A Loving God Do This?

Answer

This is a reasonable question to ask, and certainly worthy of a thoughtful answer. Here are some things we learn from the Bible that put the killing of the first-born in perspective.

FIRST: While it is true that God did send the death angel to kill the first-born males of Egypt (Exodus 11:4-5), let us remember that Pharaoh (with the support of all Egyptians) ordered that every newborn Israelite male be killed (Exodus 1:8-22).

SECOND: God publicly warned Pharaoh and Egypt what would happen, but Pharaoh only hardened in his resolve not to let the Israelites go.

THIRD: The killing of Egypt’s firstborn could have been avoided, had Pharaoh simply released the Israelites as God required.

FOURTH: While God spared the Israelite firstborn, the Israelites were required to observe the first Passover, and to put sacrificial blood on their door posts. They had to obey God’s command by faith in order to be spared (Hebrews 11:28).

FIFTH: This is the outworking of God’s covenant with Abraham, many years before:

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household to the land that I will show you. 2 Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, but the one who treats you lightly I must curse, and all the families of the earth will bless one another by your name” (Genesis 12:1-3).

SIXTH: It was not the Israelites’ goodness which spared their firstborn, but God’s covenant promises, and the blood of an acceptable sacrifice (see Exodus 6:5-8).

SEVENTH: God is merciful and compassionate, not willing that any should perish. The severity of God’s dealings with Egypt was not pleasurable to God, but was the only just response to the cruelty and oppression of Egypt for many years.

6 The LORD passed by before him and proclaimed: “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, 7 keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation” (Exodus 34:6-7).

31 Throw away all your sins you have committed and fashion yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I take no delight in the death of anyone, declares the sovereign LORD. Repent and live! (Ezekiel 18:31-32).

11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds! Why should you die, O house of Israel?’ (Ezekiel 33:11)

EIGHTH: We learn from the Book of Jonah that God sends those to warn Gentile nations which oppress Israel of impending judgment, and to give them the opportunity to repent and escape God’s judgment.

NINTH: It is easy (especially from movies related to the exodus) to think of the death of the firstborn primarily in terms of babies and infants. However, we should not assume that the firstborn of Egypt were innocent “collateral damage” in this conflict. I believe we are wrong to think of the firstborn only as infants and toddlers. The firstborn son is the rightful heir of the father, to lead or to rule in his place. Thus, I would think that the middle-age firstborn of Egypt would be the current leaders (or at least would-be leaders) of the nation. If not already leaders, they would be the next generation of leaders. And, if leaders, they would be those largely responsible for the oppression of the Israelites.

Let us also bear in mind that God Himself (in contrast with Jonah) is well aware of the relative innocence of the very young:

9 God said to Jonah, “Are you really so very angry about the little plant?” And he said, “I am as angry as I could possibly be!” 10 The LORD said, “You were upset about this little plant, something for which you have not worked nor did you do anything to make it grow. It grew up overnight and died the next day. 11 Should I not be even more concerned about Nineveh, this enormous city? There are more than one hundred twenty thousand people in it who do not know right from wrong, as well as many animals!” (Jonah 4:9-11, emphasis mine)

TENTH: The oppression and cruel treatment of the Israelites, was carried out by the Egyptians, as a nation, and not just by Pharaoh and his leaders:

13 The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; 14 and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them (Exodus 1:13-14, NAU; see also 3:8-9; 6:5-7).

ELEVENTH: Pharaoh and the Egyptians had already experienced God’s power to fulfill His warnings in the nine previous plagues. To fail to take this final warning seriously was folly.

TWELVTH: Previously, there were those Egyptians who feared the word of the Lord and who acted wisely to avoid the judgment which Moses foretold:

18 I am going to cause very severe hail to rain down about this time tomorrow, such hail as has never occurred in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 So now, send instructions to gather your livestock and all your possessions in the fields to a safe place. Every person or animal caught in the field and not brought into the house– the hail will come down on them, and they will die!”‘“ 20 Those of Pharaoh’s servants who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock into the houses, 21 but those who did not take the word of the LORD seriously left their servants and their cattle in the field (Exodus 9:18-21, emphasis mine).

It would seem that this final judgment could also have been avoided by any Egyptian who believed God and acted accordingly.

THIRTEENTH: How could a “good” God not also be a just God? Do we really believe that a just and righteous God can turn a blind eye to the horrible oppression of the Israelites by the Egyptians?

FOURTEENTH: God was equally severe with the Israelites when they were guilty of sin. God did not simply bless Israel, regardless of their sins, and yet punish all other nations for their sins.

58 “If you refuse to obey all the words of this law, the things written in this scroll, and refuse to fear this glorious and awesome name, the LORD your God, 59 then the LORD will increase your punishments and those of your descendants– great and long-lasting afflictions and severe, enduring illnesses. 60 He will infect you with all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will persistently afflict you. 61 Moreover, the LORD will bring upon you every kind of sickness and plague not mentioned in this scroll of commandments, until you have perished” (Deuteronomy 28:58-61, emphasis mine).

With all these things in mind, I believe that we can safely say this, with the apostle Paul:

Notice therefore the kindness and harshness of God– harshness toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off (Romans 11:22).

Here is the good news: We are all as worthy of death as the firstborn of Egypt. Our sins make us worthy of death:

For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

The Lord Jesus is God’s “firstborn” if you would. He is also the Passover Lamb:

7 Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch of dough– you are, in fact, without yeast. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 So then, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of vice and evil, but with the bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:7-8, emphasis mine).

Many years ago, the innocent blood of the Lord Jesus was shed to pay the penalty for our sins, and to bestow on us the gift of eternal life. Let us apply His precious blood by believing in God’s word and trusting in Jesus as our Sacrificial Passover Lamb this season.

Related Topics: Character of God

Q. How do you deal with a sinning professed believer who is not a church member?

Answer

Dear *****,

This is a good question. I find it interesting to observe (over a good number of years) that while churches are all too often slow to deal with sin in the church, sinning church members are often much quicker to leave the church on their own (before discipline can occur).

Church discipline (in its most drastic form -- expulsion from the church) removes the sinner (who claims to be a saint -- 1 Corinthians 5:9-13) from the church, and thus from its benefits and protections. A person who claims to be a Christian, and yet does not fellowship in and with a church is sinning (Hebrews 10:25). In effect, the person who withdraws from the church (or refuses to be a part of a church) has already placed themselves under God’s discipline.

Having said this, I note from 1 Corinthians chapter 5 that Paul personally exercises church discipline from afar (1 Corinthians 5:3), serving as an example to the church.

I believe it is clear in Scripture that church discipline requires both individual and corporate (the entire church) action. For example, Matthew 18:15-20 instructs the individual who becomes aware of the sin of another to confront the sinner with their sin. If repentance does not result, 2 or 3 others should be included in the rebuke. And ultimately, if repentance is refused, the entire church must become involved. Once discipline is exercised by the church, every member of the church is required to follow through with the action of the church. Eating and having fellowship with such a person on a personal level should cease, in my opinion, but always with the hope of repentance and restoration. That does not mean there can be absolutely no contact with this person, but it would be greatly restricted (Matthew 18:17).

In the case which you have presented, I believe that discipline should be exercised on a personal level, and that he or she should first be confronted regarding their sin, and then should be dealt with as Matthew 18:15-20 and 1 Corinthians 5 indicate, on an individual basis.

While a willful sinner may attempt to give the impression that a rebuke has no impact on them, it is, I think, worthwhile to warn them that in Paul’s words, church discipline is “turning the wayward sinner over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh” -- 1 Corinthians 5:5. This means that bad things may result. This might get their attention, and may very well come to mind if and when their life begins to fall apart.

I remember an occasion when I was involved in the discipline of an individual who was not part of our church. As the ambulance was hauling this fellow off after a heart attack, he yelled out, “And tell ____________ that this is not God’s discipline!”

I hope this helps,

Bob Deffinbaugh

Related Topics: Basics for Christians, Discipline

An Argument of First and Second Chronicles

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MESSAGE STATEMENT:1

Yahweh’s blessing or cursing of the nation of Israel/Judah for its proper or improper worship of him motivates the chosen remnant who has returned under the decree of Cyrus to properly worship him as they build a temple for Yahweh

I. The Genealogical Prologue--Ideal Israel’s Table of Organization:2 Unfolding the genealogical line of the nation of Israel the Chronicler identifies those who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian Captivity as part of the true (elect) nation of Israel whose king was Davidic and who were to worship through the priests and Levites 1.1:1--9:34

A. The Patriarchal Forefathers of Israel: The Chronicler traces the nation’s roots from the line of Adam through Shem, Ham and Japheth, to Abraham and notes that Esau’s line is Edom 1:1-54

1. The Antediluvian Name List--The Line of Adam: 1:1-4

2. The Descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth: 1:5-27

a. The Line of Japheth: 1:5-7

1) First Generation--Sons of Japheth: 1:5

2) Second Generation: 1:6-7

a) Sons of Gomer: 1:6

b) Sons of Javan: 1:7

b. The Line of Ham: 1:8-16

1) First Generation--Sons of Ham: 1:8

2) Second Generation: 1:9-16

a) Sons of Cush: 1:9-10

(1) Name List: 1:9a

(2) Third Generation: Sons of Raamah: 1:9b

(3) Cush Begins Nimrod: 9:10

b) Sons of Egypt: 1:11-12

c) Sons of Canaan: 1:13-16

c. The Line of Shem: 1:17-27

1) First Generation: Sons of Shem 1:17

2) Sons of Shelah: 1:18a

3) Third Generation--Eber: 1:18b

4) Fourth Generation: 1:19

a) Introduction: 19:a

b) Peleg: 1:19:ba

c) Joktan: 1:19bb

5) Fifth Generation--Sons of Joktan: 19:20-23

6) Postdiluvian Name List: 1:24-27

3. The Line of Abraham: 1:28-37

a. Introduction: 1:28

b. Genealogy of Ishmael: 1:29-31

1) Introduction: 1:29a

2) First Generation--Sons of Ishmael: 1:29b-31a

3) Conclusion: 1:31b

c. Genealogy of the Keturites (from Abraham’s Concubine Keturah): 1:32-33

1) Introduction: 1:32aa

2) First Generation--Sons of Keturah: 1:32ab

3) Second Generation: 1:32b-33a

a) Sons of Joksham 1:32b

b) Sons of Midian: 1:33a

4) Conclusion: 1:33b

d. Genealogy of Isaac: 1:34-37

1) Introduction: 1:34a

2) First Generation--Sons of Isaac: 1:1:34b

3) Second Generation--Sons of Esau: 1:35

4) Third Generation: 1:36-37

a) Sons of Eliphaz: 1:36

b) Sons of Reuel: 1:37

4. The Associated Lists of Edomite Names--(Esau is Edom): 1:38-54

a. Genealogy of Seir: 1:38-42

1) Introduction: 1:38aa

2) First Generation--Sons of Seir: 1:38ab-b

3) Second Generation: 1:39-42

a) Children of Lotan: 1:39

b) Sons of Shobal: 1:40a

c) Sons of Zibeon: 1:40b

d) Sons of Anah: 1:41a

e) Sons of Dishon: 1:41b

f) Sons of Ezer: 1:42a

g) Sons of Disha/on: 1:42b

4) King List--Edomite Reigns: 1:43-51a

a) Introduction: 1:43a

b) Bela: 1:43b

c) Jobab: 1:44

d) Husham: 1:45

e) Hadad: 1:46

f) Samlah: 1:47

g) Shaul: 1:48

h) Baal-hanan; 1:49

i) Hadad/r 1:50-51a

5) List of Edomite Chiefs: 1:50-54

a) Introduction: 1:51ab

b) Name List: 1:51bb-54a

c) Conclusion: 1:54b

B. The Genealogical Lists of Israel’s Royal Tribe--Judah: David is emphasized as the tribe of Judah is traced and the family of David is developed down through the exilic and postexilic periods 2:1--4:23

1. Judahite Records I--With a Focus on David: 2:1-55

a. Editorial Transition--The Sons of Israel: 2:1-2

b. The First Generation--The Sons of Judah: 2:3-4

c. The Second Generation--The Sons of Perez and Zerah: 2:5-8

d. The Line of Hezron: 2:9-41

1) Sons of Hezron: 2:9

2) Genealogy of Ram: 2:10-17

3) Calebite Birth Reports: 2:18-24

4) Genealogy of Jerahmeel: 2:25-33

e. Expansion--Lineage of Sheshan: 2:34-41

f. Expansion--Genealogy of ‘Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel: 2:41-50aa

g. Genealogy of Hur: 2:50ab-55

2. Genealogical Lists of the Davidic Family: 3:1-24

a. David’s Immediate Family: 3:1-9

1) David’s Line Born in Hebron: 3:1-4

2) David’s Line Born in Jerusalem: 3:5-9

b. The Kingly line to Zedekiah:3 3:10-16

c. David’s Line in the exilic and postexilic periods: 3:17-24

1) From Jeconiah to Hananiah: 3:17-20

2) From Hananiah to Anani: 3:21-24

C. Genealogies of the Twelve Tribes: The Chronicler unfolds selected genealogies of the twelve tribes of Israel providing their lineage and their territorial conquests as well as honoring the tribes of Levi and Benjamin with the amount of material offered 4:24--8:40

1. The Line of Judah: 4:1-23

a. Lineage of Hezron: 4:1-20

b. Lineage of Shelah, son of Judah: 4:21-23

2. The Genealogical Records of the Tribe of Simeon: 4:24-43

a. Lists of the Simeonites: 4:24-33

b. Appendix--Reports of Territorial Conquests: 4:34-43

3. The Genealogical Records of the Transjordan Tribes: 5:1-26

a. The Line of Reuben: 5:1-10

1) List of Reubenites: 5:1-8

2) Battle Report--Reubenite Conquest: 5:9-10

b. The Line of Gad: 5:11-17

1) Tribal Chiefs: 5:11-12

2) Muster Roll of the Families: 5:13-15

3) Report of Territorial Claims: 5:16

4) Dates of Mustering: 5:17

c. Transjordan War--The Hagrite Campaign: 5:18-22

1) The Battle: 5:18-20

a) Muster Roll of the Fighting Force: 5:18

b) The Fighting: 5:19-20

2) The Prizes of War: 5:21-22

a) Living Beings: 5:21-22a

b) Occupation of Captured Territory: 5:22b

d. The Line of the Half-Tribe of Manasseh: 5:23-24

1) Statement of Territory: 5:23

2) Muster Roll: 5:24

e. Statement of Common Destiny: 5:25-26

1) Transgression: 5:25

2) Punishment: 5:26

a) Assyrian Invasion: 5:26aa

b) Permanent Exile: 5:26ab-b

4. The Genealogical Records of the Levites and Aaronites:4 6:1-81

a. The Line of the Priests: 6:1-15

b. Non-priestly Levites: 6:16-30

c. The Levitical Musicians: 6:31-48

d. The Ministry of the Priests: 6:49-53

e. The Settlement of the Levites: 6:54-81

1) Kohathite Aaronites: 6:54-65

2) Donor Tribes and City Tallies: 6:66-76

3) Name Lists of the Levitical Cities: 6:77-81

5. The Genealogical Records of Issachar: 7:1-5

a. Family of Tola: 7:1-4

b. Enrollment of the Remaining Issacharites: 7:5

6. The Genealogical Records of Benjamin: 7:6-12

a. Muster Roll of the Benjaminites: 7:6-11

b. Genealogical Fragments: 7:12

7. The Genealogical Records of Naphtali: 7:13

a. Name List--Sons of Naphtali: 7:13a

b. Ethnological Attribution: 7:13b

8. The Genealogical Records of the Other Half-Tribe of Manasseh: 7:14-19

a. Birth Reports: 7:14-17

b. Sundry Notes: 7:18-19

9. The Genealogical Records of Ephraim: 7:20-29

a. Genealogy from Ephraim: 7:20-21aa

b. Report of Beriah’s Birth: 7:21ab-24

c. Genealogy from Rephah to Joshua--Eight Generations: 7:25-27

d. Possessions and Settlements: 7:28-29

10. The Genealogical Record of Asher: 7:30-40

a. Genealogy of Asher: 7:30-33

b. Muster Roll of the Tribal Militia: 7:34-40

11. More Genealogical Records of Benjamin:5 8:1-40

a. Genealogy of Benjamin: 8:1-5

b. Genealogical Fragments for the Jerusalem Fragments for the Jerusalem Garrison: 8:6-28

c. Birth Report for the Militia at Gibeon: 8:29-38

d. Appendix--Lineage of Ner: 8:30-40a

e. Concluding Rubric for Benjamin: 8:40b

D. Lists of Settlers of Postexilic Jerusalem: The Chronicler lists those who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity of Judah--those from Israel, the Priests, the Levites, and the Temple Servants 9:1-34

1. Introduction--Captivity of the Southern Kingdom: 9:1

a. Editorial Conclusion to 2:1--8:40: 9:1a

b. The Exile of Judah by Babylon for Unfaithfulness: 9:1b

2. Listing of Important People Inhabiting Jerusalem in the Postexilic Period: 9:2-34

a. The General Population: 9:2-9

1) Four Early Returnees--Israel, Priests, Levites, and Temple Servants: 9:2

2) Representatives of ‘Israel’ in Jerusalem: 9:3-9

b. The Priests: 9:10-13

1) The Main Families: 9:10-12

2) Kinsmen: 9:13

c. The Levites in General: 9:14-16

d. The Temple Servants: 9:17-34

1) Job Description for the Gatekeepers: 9:17-32

2) Statement about the Singers: 9:33

3) Concluding Summary and Final Rubric to the Recital: 9:34

II. Transitional Chapter--The Removal of Saul and the Rise of David:6 Through the repetition of an earlier genealogy which includes the line of Saul, the narrator transitions in the book from genealogies to the death of Saul in his unfaithfulness as God’s ordained pathway for David to become the king 9:35--10:1-14

A. Saul’s Kingship--The Genealogy of Saul: With the reprisal of 8:29-38 Saul’s genealogy is included in order to transition from the genealogical section to the narrative on Saul’s death which follows 9:35-44

1. Genealogy of the Gibeon Militia: 9:35-38

2. Genealogy of Ner: 9:39-43

3. The Family of Azel: 9:44

B. The Death of Saul and Passing of the Kingship to David: Saul’s unfaithful life and resultant death provides God’s ordained pathway for David to become the king of Israel 10:1-14

1. The Saulides die on Gilboa 10:1-7

a. Battle Report--Israel’s Defeat: 10:1-2

1) The Fleeing Army Slain: 10:1

2) Saul’s Sons Slain: 10:2

b. Death Report--Saul’s Death: 10:3-5

1) Saul Wounded by Archers: 10:3

2) A Double Suicide: 10:4-5

c. Summary--The End of Saul’s Dynasty: 10:6

d. Philistines in Abandoned Cities: 10:7

2. Philistine Exploit Report--Jabeshites Honor Saul: 10:8-12

a. Philistines Display Trophies: 10:8-10

b. Heroism of the Jabeshites: 10:11-12

1) Rescue of the Corpses: 10:11-12a

2) Burial and Fasting: 10:12b

3. Theological Appraisal (Accusation) of Saul: 10:13-14a

a. Charge of Saul’s Infidelity: 10:13-14aa

1) Saul’s Disobedience: 13a

2) Saul’s Apostasy: 13b-14aa

a) Consulting a Medium: 13b

b) Neglecting Yahweh: 14aa

b. Yahweh’s Death Penalty:7 10:14ab

4. Conclusion--Opportunity for David’s Succession: Yahweh turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse 10:14b

III. Narrative Historiography--The Davidic Dynasty:8 The chronicler traces the rise of the nation of “Israel” as its leaders, David and Solomon, honor Yahweh in worship, the division and fall to Babylon of the nation of Judah as David’s and Solomon’s descendants disregard their worship of Yahweh, but the restoration of the people of Israel under Cyrus to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of the Lord for the worship of Yahweh 1.11:1--2.36:23

A. The Reign of King David:9 After David was established as king of Israel he demonstrated his concern for the worship of the Lord through the instillation of the ark and a desire to build Him a temple, whereupon the Lord blessed David with a promise that his house would continue forever, with the ability to defeat his enemies resulting in David’s preparation for the future temple as he passed on the kingship to his son Solomon 1.11:1--29:30

1. The Establishment of David in Jerusalem: 11:1--12:40

a. David’s Confirmation as King: 11:1-9

1) David’s Anointing: 11:1-3

a) “All Israel” announces its Loyalty 11:1-2

b) Israel’s Elders Confirm David’s Kingship: 11:3

2) Report of Jerusalem’s Capture: 11:4-9

a) David and “All Israel” March to Jerusalem: 11:4

b) Battle Report--The City’s Capture: 11:5-6

c) Naming Etiology--David’s Stronghold 11:7-8

d) Theological Evaluation: 11:9

b. The Report of David’s Army: 11:10--12:40

1) David’s Chief Warriors: 11:10-47

a) Introduction: 11:10

b) Roster of David’s Warriors: 11:11-47

(1) Among the Three: 11:11-14

(2) Among the Thirty: 11:15-25

(3) Among the Armies: 11:26-47

2) Accessions to David’s Army: 12:1-23

3) Report of Muster at Hebron: 12:23-40

2. David’s Concern for Worship: 13:1--17:27

a. David’s Instillation of the Ark: 13:1--16:43

1) Report of Bringing the Ark to Obed-edom: 13:1-14

2) Report of David’s Growth in Power: 14:1-17

3) The Arrival of the Ark and Its Installation: 15:1--16:43

a) Report of Preparing the Clergy: The priests and Levites are numbered and prepared by David to bring the Ark into the city 15:1-24

b) Report of Ritual--Entrance Ceremony: The Ark is brought into the City 15:25--16:3

c) Report of Ordering the Regular Service: 16:4-43

(1) Levites are appointed to minister before the ark and to praise God 16:4-6

(2) A Song of thanksgiving is sung to praise Yahweh 16:7-36

(3) The appointed people ministered before the ark 16:37-43

b. Transition--David’s Concern for a Temple & The Report of the Dynastic Promise through Nathan: 17:1-27

1) David’s Desire to Build a House for the Lord: 17:1-2

2) God’s Desire for David’s Son to Build a House for Him as the Lord Builds David’s House Forever: 17:3-15

3) David’s Faithful & Thankful Response to the Word of God: 17:16-27

3. Yahweh’s Blessing of David through Conquest: 18:1--20:8

a. Report of Victories and Their Results: 18:1-17

1) The Philistines and Moabites: 18:1-2

2) The Arameans: 18:3-11

3) The Edomites: 18:12-13

4) David’s Administration: 18:14-17

b. Victories over Ammon: 19:1--20:3

c. Philistine Wars: 20:4-8

4. David’s Preparation of the Temple for Worship: After David identified the temple cite as the threshing floor of Ornan where God delivered the nation from His judgment he prepared for the future temple and the worship in it by charging Solomon and the leaders to continue the work, and by making Solomon king, and organizing the Levites, priests, singers, those in charge of the temple, as well as the officers of the people 21:1--27:34

a. Obtaining the Temple Site: When David in his pride (perhaps because of the military victories above) commanded Joab to number the men of Israel and the Lord was displeased bringing a judgment on Israel, David offered an offering on the threshing floor of Ornan which brought an end to the Lord’s judgment, therefore, David decided to build the temple on that threshing floor of Ornan 21:1--22:1

1) Sin and Judgment: David sins by numbering Israel and has to choose a discipline from God 21:1-17

2) Place Where Judgment Is Stopped: When David builds an altar on the threshing floor of Ornan, God hears his prayer and the judgment is stopped 21:18-27

3) Place of the Temple: David Names that spot (the threshing floor of Ornan) as the future place of the temple 21:28--22:1

b. David’s Preparations the Future Temple: After David gathers the materials for the building of the temple, he charges Solomon and the leaders of the nation to continue with the work 22:2-19

1) Materials: David brought together materials: 22:2-5

2) Charge to Solomon: David charges his son Solomon with the work 22:6-16

3) Charge to Leaders: David charges the leaders of the nation to help in the work 22:17-19

c. David’s Preparation for Future Temple Worship: David made preparations for future temple worship by making Solomon king and organizing the Levites, priests, singers, those in charge of the temple, and the officers of the people 23:1--27:34

1) Solomon King: When David was old he made Solomon king over Israel 23:1

2) Levites: David organized the Levites: 23:2-32

3) Priests: David organized the priests 24:1-31

4) Singers: David organized the singers 25:1-31

5) Those In Charge: David organized those in charge of the temple: 26:1-32

6) Officers: David organized the princes (officers) of Israel 27:1-34

a) The Army: 27:1-34

b) Tribal Leaders: 27:16-24

c) Administrators: 27:25-31

d) Counselors: 27:32-34

5. Conclusion--Preparations for the Succession of Solomon: David prepared the people for the change in leadership after his forty years of ruling Israel by reminding them of their covenant responsibilities to their God and to complete the temple whereupon Solomon was made King with great honor 28:1--29:30

a. Solomon’s Investiture: After David prepared the people for his departure as king by reminding them of the promises of God, urging them to keep the covenant, and charging Solomon and people to build the temple all of the people showed their willingness to obey through their giving for the completion of the temple and through their praise whereupon Solomon was made king and all of Israel (including David) honored him 28:1--29:25

1) Promises: David Reminds the people of the promises of God and charges them to keep the covenant 28:1-8

2) Temple: David charges Solomon to build the temple and the people to consecrate themselves to the building of the temple whereupon the people willingly give for the completion of the temple 28:9--29:9

a) Solomon: David charges Solomon with the responsibility of building the temple properly: 28:9-21

b) People: David calls for the people to consecrate themselves to the task of building the temple: 29:1-5

c) Giving: The people willingly give for the completion of the temple 29:6-9

3) Praise: David and the people praise God with their voices, with their sacrifices, and with their feast 29:10-22a

4) Solomon Made King: The people made Solomon as king over Israel the second time and Zadok as priest with all of Israel, including David, honoring him as king 29:22b-25

b. David’s Resumé: David had a full and wonderful reign over Israel for forty years 29:26-30

B. The Reign of King Solomon:10 As Solomon distinguished himself as one who honored Yahweh through personal worship as well as the building and dedication of the temple, God honored and blessed him with wisdom and a prosperous, expanding reign 2.1:1--9:31

1. Report--Solomon Confirmed in His Rule: 1:1-17

a. The Purpose of the Assembly--Worship: 1:1-6

b. The Gift of Wisdom: 1:7-13

c. Solomon’s Prominence and Prosperity: 1:14-17

2. Account--Solomon Builds the Temple: 1:18--7:22

a. Construction of the Temple: 2:1--5:1

1) Report of Preparations: 2:1-18

a) Materials: Solomon contracted with Huram of Tyre to supply materials 2:1-16

b) Laborers: Solomon prepared the laborers for the task 2:17-18

2) Report of the Temple Structure: Building: Solomon made the building itself including the pillars in front of the building 3:1-17

3) Report of the Temple Furniture: 4:1--5:1

a) Utensils: Solomon had all of the utensils for worship in the temple made out of precious materials 4:1-22

b) Move In: When the temple was finished Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated--the silver, the gold, and all the utensils and put them in the treasuries of the Temple 5:1

b. Dedication of the Temple: 5:2--7:22

1) The Ark: When the temple was finished, the ark was brought into the temple 5:2-10

2) Glory of Yahweh: The glory of the Lord filled the temple 5:11-14

3) Dedicatory Prayer: Solomon prayed a dedicatory prayer for the temple 6:1-42

4) Glory of Yahweh: The glory of the Lord filled the temple 7:1-3

5) Dedicatory Feast: Solomon and the people held a dedicatory feast for the temple 7:4-10

6) Blessing: Yahweh promised Solomon to bless the nation if they followed Him, but to punish them if they turned away from Him 7:11-22

3. Report--Solomon in His Glory: 8:1--9:31

a. Political Achievements: 8:1-11

b. Religious Achievements: 8:12-17

c. Economic Achievements: 8:17--9:28

d. A Historical Summation: Solomon had a long and wonderful reign over Israel for forty years 9:29-31

C. The Reign (Failure) of the Davidic Dynasty--The Kings of Judah:11 From the division of the nation into two nations the southern kingdom, Judah, failed to follow Yahweh, except for occasional, short-lived reforms, resulting in judgment from Yahweh 2.10:1--36:21

1. The Failure of the Davidic Kingdom: 2.10:1--13:22

a. The Reign of Rehoboam: 10:1--12:16

1) The Division of the Kingdom: 10:1--11:4

2) Rehoboam’s Rule and Family: 11:5-23

3) God’s Judgment and the Summation of Rehoboam’s Reign: 12:1-16

b. The Reign of Abijah: 13:1--14:1a

1) Introduction: 13:1-2a

2) Quasi-Holy-War Story--Abijah’s Victory over Jeroboam: 13:2b-20

3) Summary of Reign: 13:21--14:1a

c. The Reign of Asa: 14:1b-16:14

1) Asa’s Political and Military Success: 14:2-15

2) Asa’s Religious Successes: 15:1-19

3) Asa’s Troubles and a Summation: 16:1-14

d. The Reign of Jehoshaphat: 17:1--20:37

1) Report of Jehoshaphat’s Auspicious Beginning: 17:1-19

2) Prophetic Battle Story--Jehoshaphat Accompanies Ahab: 18:1--19:3

3) Jehoshaphat’s Judges--Report of Organizing the Land for Justice: 19:4-11

4) Quasi-Holy-War--Jehoshaphat’s Victory over Moab and Ammon in the Desert 20:1-30

5) Summation and Last Years: 20:31-37

e. The Reign of Jehoram: 21:1-20

1) Beginning of an Evil Rule: 21:1-10

2) Judgment on Jehoram’s Unrelieved Apostasy: 21:11-19

3) Summation of Rule: 21:20

f. The Reign of Ahaziah: 22:1-9

1) Affiliation with the Omrides: 22:1-6a

2) Death Report--Ahaziah Slain by Jehu: 22:6b-9

g. The Inter-Regnum of Athaliah--Her Downfall: 22:10--23:21

1) Asylum for Sole Surviving Davidide: 22:10-12

a) Athaliah Wipes out the Royal Seed: 22:10

b) Joash Sequestered Six Years: 22:11-12

2) Year Seven--Joash’s Throne Conspiracy for Investiture: 23:1-11

a) Jehoiada’s Preparations: 23:1-7

b) Jehoiada Presents Joash for Enthronement: 23:8-11

3) Athaliah’s Execution: 23:12-15

a) Her Wrath: 23:12-15

b) Jehoiada’s Instructions: 23:14

c) Her Execution: 23:15

4) A Covenant and Its Execution: 23:16-19

a) Modified Covenant Formula: 23:16

b) Extirpation of Baalism: 23:17

(1) Destruction of Shrine, Altar, Images: 23:17a

(2) Execution of Priest: 23:17b

c) Appointment of Temple Monitors: 23:18

d) Excluding the Unclean: 23:19

5) Joash Installed on His Throne: 23:20

a) Honor Guard Escorts Joash from Temple: 20:a

b) Triumphal March to Palace: 20:b

6) Retrospective Conclusion: 23:21

2. Reform, Degeneracy, and Captivity of the Davidic Kingdom: 2.24:1--36:21

a. The Reign of Joash: 24:1-27

1) Regnal Resumé: 24:1-3

2) Joash and Jehoiada Restore the Temple: 24:4-16

a) Abortive Effort to Gather Money: 24:4-16

b) Repository for Obligatory Contributions: 24:8-11a

c) Repairs and Expansion: 24:11b-14a

d) Continual Burnt Offerings During Jehoiada’s Lifetime: 14b

e) Jehoiada’s Death: 24:15-16

3) Joash’s Apostasy: 24:17-26

a) His Wrongdoing: 27:17-22

(1) Forsakes the Ancestral God: 24:17-18a

(2) A Period of Unrelenting Apostasy: 24:18b-19

(3) Murder of Zechariah: 24:20-22

b) The Penalty: 24:23-26

(1) Battle Report--Syrian Invasion: 24:23-24

(2) Throne Conspiracy and Death: 24:25-26

4) Regnal Resumé: 24:27

b. The Reign of Amaziah: 25:1-28

1) Regnal Resumé: 25:1-2

2) Dealing with His Father’s Assassins: 24:3-4

3) Battle Report--Campaign against Seir: 25:5-13

4) Apostasy and Its Reproof: 25:14-16

5) Battle Report--War with Joash of Israel: 25:17-24

6) Amaziah’s Tragic End: 25:25-28

c. The Reign of Uzziah: 26:1-23

1) Regnal Resumé: 26:1-4

2) Years of Piety and Prosperity: 26:5-15

a) Introductory Summary: 26:5

b) Offensive Campaigns: 26:6-8

c) Public Projects: 26:9-10

d) The Army and Its Armament: 26:11-15a

e) Far-Reaching Fame: 26:15b

3) A Deed of Foolish Pride: 26:16-21

a) Introduction: 26:16a

b) Trespass into Temple: 26:16b-19a

c) Expulsion as Leper: 26:19b-21

4) Regnal Resumé: 26:22-23

d. The Reign of Jotham: 27:1-9

1) Regnal Resumé: 27:1-2

2) Notable Deeds: 27:3-6

a) Building Projects: 27:3-4

b) Battle Report: 27:5-6

3) Regnal Resumé: 27:7-9

e. The Reign of Ahaz: 28:1-27

1) Regnal Resumé: 28:1-4

2) Battle Report--Defeat by Syria and Israel: 28:5-15

3) Battle Report--Further Defeats: 28:16-21

a) Expectation of Assyrian Help: 28:16-19

b) Affliction Rather Than Help: 28:20-21

(1) Tiglath-pilneser Hurts Rather than Helps: 28:20

(2) Tribute to Assyria Ineffectual: 28:21

4) Ahaz Multiplies Evil: 28:22-25

a) Introduction: 28:22

b) Religious Apostasies: 28:23-25

(1) Worship of Syrian Gods: 28:23

(2) Stopping Worship at Yahweh’s Temple: 28:24a

(3) Erecting New Shrines: 28:24b-25

5) Regnal Resumé: 28:26-27

f. The Reign of Hezekiah: 29:1--32:3

1) Report of Hezekiah’s Reforms: 29:1--31:21

a) The Restoration of the Temple: 29:1-36

b) The Great Passover: 30:1--31:1

c) Reorganization of Religious Personnel: 31:2--21

2) The Invasion of Sennacherib--Hezekiah’s Deliverance: 32:1-23

3) Summary and Conclusion of Hezekiah’s Reign: 32:24-33

g. The Reign of Manasseh: 33:1-20

1) Regnal Resumé: 33:1-2

2) Religious Abominations: 33:3-9

a) Fertility and Astral Shrines Restored: 33:3

b) Provocative Offenses: 33:4-6

c) Culmination--An Idol in Yahweh’s Temple: 33:7-8

d) Summary--Manasseh as Seducer: 33:9

3) Punishment, Repentance, Restoration, Repairs, Reform: 33:10-17

a) Punishment: 33:10-11

(1) Yahweh’s Revelation Ignored: 33:10

(2) Yahweh sends Assyrian Forces: 33:11a

(3) Manasseh Goes Bound to Babylon: 33:11b

b) Repentance: 33:12

c) Restoration: 33:13

d) Repairs and Reforms: 33:14-17

4) Regnal Resumé: 33:18-20

h. The Reign of Amon: 33:21-25

1) Regnal Resumé: 33:21-22a

2) Amon’s Wickedness: 33:22b-23

a) Sacrifice to Father’s Idols: 33:22b

b) Rejection of Father’s Humbleness: 33:23a

c) Increase of Guilt: 33:23b

3) Throne Conspiracy and Death Report: 33:24-25

a) Assassination by His Servants: 33:24

b) Common People Take Power: 33:25

i. The Reign of Josiah: 34:1--35:27

1) Josiah’s Reformation: 34:1-33

a) Report of Josiah’s Reform: 34:1-7

b) Report of Finding the Book of the Law: 34:8-33

2) The Josiah’s Great Passover: 35:1-19

3) Battle Report--Josiah’s Death: 35:20-25

4) Concluding Summary: 35:26-27

j. The Reign of Jehoahaz:12 36:1-4

1) Regnal Resumé: 36:1

2) Actions of Neco: 36:3-4

a) Punishment: 36:3

(1) Deposition: 36:3a

(2) Tribute: 36:3b

b) Substitution of Royal Brothers: 36:4

(1) Jehoiakim Installed: 36:4a

(2) Jehoahaz Exiled: 36:4b

k. The Reign of Jehoiakim: 36:5-8

1) Regnal Resumé: 36:5

2) Acts of Nebuchadnezzar: 36:6-7

a) Exiles Jehoiakim to Babylon: 36:6

b) Plunders Temple Vessels: 36:7

3) Regnal Resumé: 36:8

l. The Reign of Jehoiachin: 36:9-10

1) Regnal Resumé: 36:9

2) Acts of Nebuchadnezzar: 36:10

a) Chronological note: 36:10a

b) Exile with Temple Vessels: 36:10b

c) Zedekiah Installed: 36:10c

m. The Reign of Zedekiah 36:11-16

1) Regnal Resumé: 36:11-12a

2) Indictment Speech: 36:12b-16

a) Complaints Against Zedekiah’s Rule: 36:12b-13

b) Complaints against Clergy and Laity: 36:14-16

3) Final Punishment:13 36:17-21

a) Yahweh Brings the Chaldean King: 36:17

(1) Butchery in Yahweh’s Temple: 36:17a

(2) Cruelty to Every Sex and Age: 36:17b

(3) Yahweh Hands Everyone Over: 36:17c

b) Plunder of Jerusalem: 36:18

c) Destruction of Public Buildings: 36:19

d) Exile of the Populace: 36:20

e) Fulfillment of Jeremiah’s Prophecy: 36:21

(1) The Land Enjoys its Sabbaths: 36:21a

(2) Seventy Desolate Years Complete One Sabbath: 36:21b

D. The Return of the Davidic Dynasty:14 As a fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy, the Lord had Cyrus in his first year as king of Babylon issue a decree throughout his kingdoms for Yahweh’s people to return to Jerusalem in Judah and build their Lord a house of worship 2.36:22-23

1. Yahweh Acts to End the Exile: 36:22

a. Chronological Setting--First Year of Cyrus:15 36:22a

b. Purpose--to Complete Jeremiah’s’ Prophecy; 36:22b

c. Yahweh Inspires Cyrus’ Proclamation: 36:22c

2. Cyrus’ Proclamation of Return: 36:23

a. Messenger Formula: 36:23a

b. Royal Protocol: 36:23b

c. Edict of Return with Assistance: 36:23b


1 This outline is adapted through my own study from the analyses of Simon J. De Vries,1 and 2 Chronicles, The Forms of Old Testament Literature (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989); R. K. Harrison, Introduction to the Old Testament: With a Comprehensive Review of Old Testament Studies and a Special Supplement on the Apocrypha, (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969); Andrew E. Hill, and John H. Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991); Elliott E. Johnson, Synopsis and Selective Analysis of 1 and 2 Chronicles, unpublished class notes in 327 Seminar in Old Testament Historical Literature, (Dallas Theological Seminary, Spring 1989); John A Martin, Outline of 1 and 2 Chronicles, (unpublished class notes in 303 Old Testament History II, Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall 1983); Eugene H. Merrill, 1, 2 Chronicles: Bible Study Commentary, (Grand Rapids: Lamplighter Books, 1988); J. Barton Payne, 1, 2 Chronicles, in The Expositor's Bible Commentary 301-562. Vol. 4. (Grand Rapids: Regency Reference Library, Zondervan, 1988); H. G. M. Williamson, 1 and 2 Chronicles, New Century Bible Commentary. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ., Co., 1982).

2 This book seems to be made up of three main sections (1) 1 Chronicles 1--9, (2) 1 Chronicles 9:35--10:14, and (3) 1 Chronicles 11:1--2 Chronicles 36:21. The first and last units are distinguished from each other by both content and genre and the center section seems to be a chapter in transition.

Johnson writes that the first section contains a compilation of various genealogical lists and episodes (1 Chron. 1:1--9:44) which provide a comprehensive but condensed history of Israel from the antediluvian ancestors to the establishment of the monarchy. In its entirety this section parallels the far more detailed history contained in the Pentateuch and the Former Prophets. The genealogy begins with the forefathers of mankind and culminates in the early days of the monarchy: Samuel and his sons (6:29), Saul and his progeny (8:22--9:39), and David and his offspring (3:1-9). Occasionally, however, the records extend into Exilic and post-Exilic times (for example, 3:10-24; 5:23-26; 9:1-34 = Neh. 11).

This genealogical compilation focuses on the tribes of Judah (including Simeon) and Benjamin, which together formed the nucleus of the Persian province of Jehud in the post-Exilic age. Another indication of this orientation is the inclusion of Edomite genealogical records (1:34-54; cf. Gen. 36:1-43), Edom, to all intents and purpose, having been merged with Jehud at that time. Consisting of strings of genealogies interspersed with a few episodic tales, 1 Chronicles 1--9 portrayed history as a series of static pictures, and thus lacks the dynamism in which biblical historiography generally excels and which is apparent in the rest of Chronicles and in Ezra-Nehemiah (Elliott E. Johnson, Synopsis and Selective Analysis of 1 and 2 Chronicles [unpublished class notes in 327 Seminar in Old Testament Historical Literature, Dallas Theological Seminary, Spring 1989], 3).

These chapters identify the people of God and how they relate to God's purpose and their failure. They emphasize God's grace as they experience promise, they fail, and God restores them.

Concerning their emphasis Martin writes, The focus of these nine chapters is on chapter nine. In that chapter the names of the leading families in Jerusalem and its surrounding areas are given. These are people who have come back into the land after the exile and it [is] concerning these people and their descendants that the Chronicler is writing. Chapters one through eight show these people were they came from and how God has dealt with history and with people to bring them to the situation in which they now find themselves (John A. Martin, Outline of 1 and 2 Chronicles, [unpublished class notes in 303 Old Testament History II, Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall 1983], 3.

3 Note that Athaliah is not included in the line here.

4 Martin seems to be correct when he writes, It is obvious from the amount of room devoted to Levi that this line is extremely important to the Chronicler. This fits in to the other clues gleaned later in the work which have to do with the importance of the temple and of temple worship (John A. Martin, Outline of 1 and 2 Chronicles, [unpublished class notes in 303 Old Testament History II, Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall 1983], 4).

5 Martin writes, It seems obvious from the amount of material given concerning the tribe of Benjamin that this tribe was of importance to the Chronicler. Only Benjamin along with Judah remained true to the kingly line of David. The city of Jerusalem lies in Benjamite territory (John A. Martin, Outline of 1 and 2 Chronicles, [unpublished class notes in 303 Old Testament History II, Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall 1983], 4).

6 Concerning this transitionary unit Johnson writes, The two parts of Chronicles are connected by a cluster of notations and brief records concerning King Saul. These commence in 1 Chronicles 9:35-44 with a repetition of Saul's genealogy,already recorded in 8:29-40. There follows a report of Saul's last days, a slightly paraphrased version of the parallel account in 1 Samuel dealing with his defeat at the hands of the Philistines, his death and the death of his sons ( Chron 10:1-7), and the burial of their corpses by the men of Jabesh-Gilead (10:8-12; cf. 1 Sam. 31:8-25), culminating in the divine announcement of the transfer of kingship from Saul to David (1 Chron. 10:14b).

Together these notations form a transition between the genealogical records of the premonarchical era and the extensive account of the history of Judah and the Davidic dynasty. This compositional bridge demonstrates the skillful use of literary techniques and conventions to weld a variety of sources into one coherent framework and thus present 'the chronicle of the whole sacred history' (Elliott E. Johnson, Synopsis and Selective Analysis of 1 and 2 Chronicles [unpublished class notes in 327 Seminar in Old Testament Historical Literature, Dallas Theological Seminary, Spring 1989], 3-4).

De Vries similarly writes, This is not idle; it is not the work of a lazy man. Rather, it is designed as an effective transition from the genealogical section, chs. 1--9, to the narrative section to come. The reprise brings to convergence the Ner genealogy, producing Saul, Israel's first putative claimant to the kingship, and, in repetition, marking him as a man doomed for rejection. The account of Saul's death that follows,10:1ff., is ChrH's very first borrowing from Samuel-Kings, but it is used only to make way for David. We might say, 'The king is dead; long live the king!' Only, for ChrH, Saul is no true king' (Simon J. De Vries, 1 and 2 Chronicles, 117).

7 De Vries discusses the theological/literary value of this section of the narrative which actually begins with Saul's death when he writes,it provides a grand inclusio with 2 Chronicles 36, for Saul's death and the dispersal of his people are a type and model of the death and exile of Judah and its last kings. The Saul story is null-point pointing to the terminal mull-point that comes at the end of the long and dismal history of Judah's kings (Simon J. De Vries, 1 and 2 Chronicles, 98).

8 In each of the following units there is an emphasis upon the blessing (or cursing) which came from God for engaging in proper worship of Him (or not doing so). De Vries labels this unit, the history of ideal Israel's completing its land's sabbaths (Simon J. De Vries, 1 and 2 Chronicles, 14). This is focused upon obedient worship and its consequences.

9 In view of David's whole hearted worship he experienced the expansion of his kingdom.

10 Solomon's establishment of temple worship brought about his experience of an expanding influence.

11 As David's line is faithful in its worship it is blessed and as it is unfaithful it is cursed. This culminates in the ultimate curse of temple destruction, graciously followed by YHWH's initiation of the restoration of the temple.

12 Beginning with 36:1 De Vries identifies this section as Report: Judah Fulfills Its Final Sabbath. His divisions are: I. Provoking Yahweh's Irrevocable Wrath (36:1-21), II. Expansion: Yahweh Lets His People Return (36:22-23) (Simon J. De Vries, 1 and 2 Chronicles, 419-21).

13 This is the ultimate cursing which comes for the unfaithfulness of David's descendants.

14 This is YHWH's initiative in restoring the temple for the faithful to worship Him. De Vries writes, An important difference between this history and that of DtrH is that ChrH does not allow the Babylonian exile to be the end of the story. Whether or not 2 Kgs 25:27-30 hints at a renewal through Jehoiachin and his posterity, the conclusion of DtrH gives the impression of unrelieved gloom; the entire nation is guilty, the entire nation perishes. ChrH has a different plan. He does intend to tell of the nation's downfall, but first he wants to assure that there are three things, that will survive the exile and go on forever: the Davidic kingship, the cultic establishment, and the temple itself (Simon J. De Vries, 1 and 2 Chronicles, 98-99).

15 The first year that Cyrus was ruler of the Babylonian kingdom was 538 B.C. even though he ruled in Persia since 559.

Related Topics: Introductions, Arguments, Outlines

Qualifications for the Evaluation of Elders and Deacons

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Introduction

Because leadership is always so determinative on the well being and spiritual growth of the body of Christ, one of the first things the Apostle Paul saw to was the appointment of elders in every church as under-shepherds of God’s people (Act 14:23; Tit. 1).

Two key New Testament passages (1 Tim. 3:1-13 and Tit. 1:5-9) provide us with the essential qualifications that such men must demonstrate in order to be qualified to serve the local church. Rather than a detailed exegesis of all the qualifications of these two passages, the purpose of this study is to provide a brief overview of the qualifications for study and reflection in coming to grips with the main concepts in preparation for evaluating possible candidates for the offices of elders and deacons.

In addition, there are a number of crucial principles that I have found very important for understanding and applying these biblical texts which set forth these qualifications. These are concepts that are pertinent to the passages in view because they have their roots in the New Testament as a whole and bear directly on what the Bible says about leadership.

Understanding and Applying
the Qualifications of Elders and Deacons

The Nature of the Qualifications

An important question that needs to be asked and answered pertains to the exact nature of these qualifications. What exactly are these qualifications?

(1) They are moral qualities or qualities of high moral character. But they are more.

(2) They are the marks of leadership, marks which demonstrate a man’s capacity to leads others in the Christian life.

(3) As those qualities that mark a man for leadership, they are primarily the marks of spiritual maturity, the marks of one who has grown in Christ and has experienced the life-changing power of the Lord through the ministry of the Spirit of God and the Word of God.

Primarily they are marks of maturity. This certainly fits the context which warns against choosing a “new convert” (1 Tim. 3:6).

But by way of further definition there are three more things about these qualifications as marks of maturity that are important in grasping the nature of these qualifications.

(1) They are goals and they provide us with a target, something we should all set our sights on. Since all believers should grow and mature in the Lord, these qualifications should be the goal of every believer, not just elders and deacons. These are goals we will all strive for if we mean business with Jesus Christ. In essence this should be our aim because as these marks are realized, we will also be accomplishing the other goals God has for our lives (cf. Phil. 3:12-15; cf. also 1 Tim. 1:5-6). In a context concerned with having the right goals in ministry, Paul warns Timothy about those men who wanted to be teachers, but who had strayed from the goal of 1 Timothy 1:5-6. In verse 6, the Greek word for “straying,” astocheo, means “to fail to aim carefully, and thus to miss the mark.” They were disqualified because they were aiming at the wrong goals.

(2) Next, these qualifications are marks of identification and confirmation. They make the person who possesses these qualities a marked person with the brand of Jesus Christ emblazoned across their lives. Today, the church has lost its distinctiveness because, far too often, you can’t tell believers from unbelievers—and I am not talking about manner of dress. Rather, I am referring to values, priorities, pursuits, and godly character.

(3) Finally, as marks of identification and confirmation, they also make the possessors of these qualities examples, patterns to follow. They demonstrate the reality of Christ in our lives which enables us to be influential in the right way.

In keeping with these thoughts, especially the concept that these qualities are targets we should all set our sights on, let’s look at 1 Timothy 3:1 and the phrase, “aspire to the office of overseer.”

What It Means to Aspire to
the Office of Overseer (1 Tim. 3:1)

Paul’s statement about aspiring to the office of overseer may sound strange to many. In plain and simple terms this involves a form of ambition, an aspiration, a drive, a target to shoot at. But what exactly does this mean?

“Aspire” is a very strong word. In the Greek text, it’s the middle voice of orego which means “to stretch yourself out, to personally reach out for,” and so it came to mean “to aspire.” In plain and simple terms, it refers to ambition, to that which drives or motivates a person. Ambition comes from a Latin word meaning “canvassing for promotion.”

In our day, ambition is usually connected with some form of self-seeking motivated by selfish desires. It generally refers to a person with some very self-centered, hidden agendas. Such ambition in leaders and in any Christian is a curse to be avoided because leaders with such agendas will always end up manipulating and using others for selfish ends.

Leaders must follow the warning the prophet Jeremiah gave to Baruch in Jeremiah 45:5, “Are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them.”

But there is a biblical and sanctified ambition and one that is essential to good leadership, one that is a mark of maturity, a mark that should be a part of each of our lives. So, what is biblical ambition?

(1) It is an ambition that has been cleansed of self-seeking, one that seeks only the glory of God and the well being of others.

(2) It is an ambition that seeks not position, praise, power, prestige, or popularity, but service to God and ministry to men.

(3) It is an ambition that has at its center the three important Es which define the purpose of the church: the Exaltation of God, the Edification of the body of Christ, and the Evangelization of the lost.

Why? How? Because if we are truly maturing in Christ, we should be learning to seek our security, significance, and satisfaction from the Lord rather than from people, position, power, and praise, etc. For a beautiful commentary on this study read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20.

With all this in mind, let’s note two things about 1 Tim. 3.

First, notice that Paul does not use the term elder in this passage, and that is significant. Acts 20 clearly shows that the words elder and overseer refer to the same office. Elders are the overseers, for Acts 20 elders are defined as overseers (cf. Acts 20:17 with vs. 28).

What’s the difference between the two terms?

(1) The term elder, stresses the dignity and position of this ministry in the church.

(2) On the other hand, overseer stresses the function and work of an elder.

In 1 Tim. 3:1, Paul carefully chose to use episkope, the “office or charge of oversight.” But why? Because this word stresses the ministry function and nature of this office as a charge from God and not the element of position.

God is not looking for men who are aspiring for position. Jesus made this clear to the disciples. The church needs men who want to serve the body for the glory of God and the blessing of others.

Second, note the next statement of verse one. “It is a fine work he desires to do.” Underline the word work. Work is the Greek ergon which means “work, deed, action, task, enterprise, undertaking.”

The emphasis is clearly not on aspiring to a position or a place of prestige, but on the function and work of overseeing, an aspiration which is to have its root in godly and pastoral love for the well-being of God’s people rather than personal and selfish agendas. It is this that Paul asserts as trustworthy or honorable.

It should be our prayer that we all would set our sights on spiritual maturity, but as we do, let’s be careful of our motives. The purpose of maturity is not to make us more comfortable and secure, or land us with a position in the church. Its purpose is to make us more like the Lord Jesus and effective as His representatives in a lost and dying world.

Oswald Sanders, in his classic book on leadership entitled Spiritual Leadership, has some fitting remarks: “The true spiritual leader is concerned infinitely more with the service he can render God and his fellowmen than with the benefits and pleasures he can extract from life. He aims to put more into life than he takes out of it.”1

The greatest need is not for leaders, but for saints and servants. Unless that is held in the foreground of our thinking, the whole idea of leadership and leadership training becomes dangerous.2

Since these qualities provide us with a target we should all aim for, let me bring up another principle.

The Principle of the Relative
Nature of the Marks of Maturity

If a man is honest about his life on the inside, when he reads these qualifications his response may be, “who can ever truly be qualified? Who can completely fulfill all these qualifications?” And these kinds of feelings will often cause a man to shrink back from what could be God’s will when he very well may be qualified.

The principle is simply this: No one is perfect. No one, other than the Lord Jesus, ever hits the direct center of the bull’s eye. In fact, I am convinced no one ever really gets close enough to hit the bull’s eye.

You see, one of the most fundamental principles of Scripture is that we all fall short of God’s glory and perfection. While godly maturity and Christlikeness should be the goal or target of every believer and while one of the goals of every ministry and its leadership should be to bring its people into higher and higher stages of godly maturity (cf. Col. 1:28), still, no matter how mature or how godly one becomes, none of us even comes close to perfection.

Do you remember David’s plea in Psalm 143:3? David, a man after God’s own heart and a leader of God’s people, when praying for God’s help said: “And do not enter into judgment with Thy servant, For in Thy sight no man living is righteous.”

Paul also brought out this truth in Philippians 3:10-16. The goal, indeed, the mark we are all to pursue as did Paul is spiritual maturity, being conformed to the character of the Lord Jesus, but no matter how much we have attained that goal, there will always be plenty of room and need for more growth and change. No person has ever attained full maturity except the Lord Jesus Himself!

So, what does this truth and fact mean—the fact that no man is perfect or fully measures up all the time?

(1) It means there will always be room for improvement and growth in the qualities mentioned in these passages. Being “above reproach” is not a demand for perfection before selection. If that were so, no man would ever be qualified.

(2) However, it teaches us that being above reproach in relation to these qualities means that a man’s life-style is such that, generally speaking, no one can legitimately accuse him of conduct which is unbefitting a mature believer.

(3) It means that these qualities should exist in a man’s life to such a degree that they stand out as prominent and consistent characteristics. They are clearly distinguishable, but there will be room for growth and times when he may fall short.

(4) It means that, because none of us is perfect, we should not expect our leaders to walk on water. They all have feet of clay.

(5) However, being above reproach does mean we should look for those men who are mature and examples of Christlikeness, and we should expect them to continue to grow.

The Principle of Emergent Leadership

An important question is this. How do we go about selecting the right men for the ministries of elders or deacons? This is an important question because it involves motivating the flock to understand and act on key biblical concepts which lead to the flock’s ability to do two things: (a) select the right men, and (b) respect and respond to the leadership and ministries of those men who are chosen to serve as spiritual leaders of a congregation.

Though Scripture gives clear guidelines concerning the spiritual qualifications of elders and deacons and concerning the functions of the elders, we find no clearly stated instruction for the process of selecting elders or deacons.

(1) Acts 6:1-7 is often used as an example and does provide us with some important insight, but those selected at that time were never given an official title like deacon. It was undoubtedly a temporary ministry but it still provides us with a biblical example of selecting people for important ministries through the guidance of the leadership, but also through involving the congregation in the selection process according to certain spiritual qualifications.

(2) Acts 14:23 is another passage dealing with the appointment of elders. Scholars are divided, however, down the middle on the precise meaning of “appoint” (ceirotonew, “to vote by stretching out the hand”). Some emphasize its literal meaning while others its derived meaning. Being divided on the meaning, they are also divided on the procedure used by Paul and Barnabas. But probably, they used a procedure similar to that of Acts 6 which involved the recognition of spiritually mature and growing men through input and involvement of the congregation in the process because it was the people who knew them and had seen them in action (cf. Acts 16:1-3 where Paul seems to have chosen Timothy based on the report of the people).

In this regard, there is an important principle that we need to keep in mind. Acts 20:28 clearly teaches that it is really God who makes or appoints and qualifies men for ministry by maturing them, by gifting them, and by giving them a burden for such a ministry. In Acts 20:28, the word “made” in “made you overseers” is the Greek tithemi, “to place, set.” But it often carries the idea of “appoint” and is so translated six times in the NASB (cf. John 15:16; 1 Cor. 12:28; 1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 2:11; Heb. 1:2; 1 Pet. 2:8).

Since God is the one who appoints men to the ministry of elders (and this would apply to deacons also), what exactly is the responsibility of the church? What is it that the church does in the selection process?

It is the responsibility of the church to recognize the emergence of those men whom the Holy Spirit has prepared and appointed by the qualities of their lives from the standpoint of (a) their character, (b) their giftedness, and (c) their burden and concern for the body of Christ.

Thus, while the local flock is asked to participate in the selection process, its job is not so much to elect or select such men as it is to confirm the Spirit’s work and thus His appointment and gift of certain men to serve either as elders or deacons. How? By recognizing God’s work in their lives through growth in Christ-like qualities. These qualifications then simply demonstrate God’s work and His appointment (cf. Acts 16:1-3).

What then is an emergent leadership?

It is a leadership that gradually emerges or develops like fruit growing on a tree. Selecting an emergent leadership is tremendously crucial. Listen to what Oswald Sanders says:

The Holy spirit does not take control of any man or body of men against their will. When He sees elected to positions of leadership men who lack spiritual fitness to cooperate with Him, He quietly withdraws and leaves them to implement their own policy according to their own standards, but without His aid. The inevitable issue is an unspiritual administration.3

So according to the New Testament, leadership is to be an emergent leadership, a leadership that emerges as a product of God’s work within the flock of God’s people. As an emergent leadership, men are not simply elected or appointed by men, but recognized by the qualities of these passages in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. This is why evaluation according to the criteria of these passages is so important. This is why finding men who meet the qualifications is so much more important than selecting a certain number to meet a quota even though that number of qualified men are not ready or prepared by the Spirit of God.

The Principle of Balance

As I have sought to demonstrate in the summary of the qualifications of elders and deacons that follows, you will note that these qualities may also be seen from the standpoint of all of a man’s fundamental relationships in life—to God, to His Word, to self, family, others (including the outside world), and things. Why do I call this to your attention? Because it is a way to stress that these requirements, as marks of maturity, encompass every area of a man’s life. A truly mature man is a well-rounded and balanced man who has allowed Jesus Christ to invade, take charge, and change every sphere of his life (cf. Col. 1:9f ; Josh. 3:13-14).

The point is simply this: Biblical Christianity knows nothing about compartmentalized living. There are to be no areas of the life where the Lord is not allowed to invade and take charge. In other words, there are to be no spiritual “junk closets” or areas we reserve for ourselves. We are to be His lock, stock, and barrel.

The Principle of Two Sides of the Coin

As churches consider these passages and consider men in their light, I believe it is tremendously important to recognize their primary focus so that can become our focus as well. What then is the focus?

(1) Christian character

(2) Spiritual maturity

(3) Well-rounded godliness.

The interesting point is that there is no direct, clearly-defined reference to spiritual gifts in these verses. Indirectly we undoubtedly find a reference to the gift of teaching in “able to teach” in 1 Timothy 3:2, and since one of the gifts given to the body of Christ is the gift of “leadership,” we probably have an indirect reference to the gift of leadership in the analogy between managing his family and the church in 1 Timothy 3:5. The word “manage” in verses 4-5 is proistemi, “to lead, go before.” It is used of the spiritual gift of “leading” in Romans 12:8, and of the responsibilities of elders in 1 Timothy 5:17 and in 1 Thessalonians 5:12.

There is a principle here. Clearly such gifts are necessary to some degree if an elder is going to be able to fulfill the functions and responsibilities of an elder. Without these he would be working in areas of his weaknesses rather than in areas of his strengths as gifted by the Lord. Giftedness is important to every believer’s ministry, and especially to the ministry of church leaders. In other words, what God has called you to do, He has gifted you to do, and what He has gifted you to do, He has called you to do (1 Pet. 4:10).

But the important point is this: The Apostle does not tell us to look for men who have the gift of teaching or leading or exhortation. Further, he does not tell us to look for men with dynamic personalities, or who are regarded by people as great pulpiteers or men of oratory, or for men who are successful businessmen. God’s emphasis in this passage is not on giftedness, or on dynamic personalities because such things in themselves never qualify a man for leadership in the church. The emphasis is on godly character. The body of Christ needs men who are first and foremost men of God.

How far removed this is from our day and age and from, unfortunately, the thinking of the average believer or church goer. When most people think of a church leader, they think of such things as pulpit ability, a dynamic and glowing personality, or of someone who looks good in a blue suit and is a leader in the community. We tend to focus on the outside and we give little emphasis to spiritual character.

There needs to be balance. Ability, skill, and a man’s outward impression are not unimportant nor are they completely neglected in these verses, BUT THEY ARE NOT GIVEN OR HIGHLIGHTED AS THE PRIMARY CONSIDERATION. Instead, God is telling us in no uncertain terms that the key to a man’s success in leading the church is not his skills, methods, personality, nor even his gifts. Instead, the key is in his emotional, mental, and spiritual maturity.

The ministry of overseers in the local church is like a coin with two sides and both must be included. But you know what we do? We tend to ignore or depreciate one side or the other. Both sides are important and neither should be neglected, but the side of the coin God has turned up for us to see, the side needed the most by the emphasis of these qualification passages, is the side I am calling spiritual maturity for no matter how gifted a man is, if he is spiritually immature, he will be a poor leader and the church will be in trouble.

Hebrews 13:7 teaches us the same lesson. The readers are told to remember those who had taught them the word of God, but it was not their giftedness or skill in preaching that they were told to consider or imitate. Instead, it was their conduct and their faith.

The coin principle does not stop here. Giftedness is important, and for truly qualified elders a number of gifts undoubtedly come together to enable men to shepherd the flock of God—gifts such as teaching, exhortation, showing mercy, leading, and administration. In other words, there are (a) communication skills and abilities, and (b) shepherding, leading skills and abilities. We tend to over emphasize one to the exclusion of the other, or we find a board of elders functioning primarily on administrative matters rather than on other aspects of ministry.

On any board of elders, some will be more skilled and gifted in one area and others in another. One of the needs of the board and the flock is to allow men to work in their areas of giftedness so that the men on the board are able to complement or integrate their gifts together for the benefit of the church.

Conclusion

One of the designed results of these marks of maturity is that such men become examples of the Christian life and of the power of God that is available in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The responsibility of the church is to select those men who are models, examples for the flock to follow as we see in Hebrews 13:7 and 1 Peter 5:3.

I once saw a bumper sticker that said, “Don’t follow me, I’m lost too,” That’s the state of the world and, unfortunately, of many well meaning Christians and leaders. They are like the commercial pilot who told his passengers, “I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is we are lost, but the good news is that we are making good time.”

Motion in itself never means direction just as activity in itself never means effectiveness. We can be like the cowboy who rushed into the corral, bridled and saddled his horse and rode off in all directions. We need quality lives with quality motion aimed in the right direction with specific, biblical objectives.

Effective ministry to others is often equated with dynamic personalities, with talent, giftedness, with training, with enthusiasm, and with charisma. But these things alone are inadequate. Much, much more is needed.

Howard Hendricks, in his unique style, tells the story of a student who came to him with a problem.

“Hey prof., I have a problem.” Hendricks, “Yea, What’s your problem?” Student, “Why did the Lord choose Judas?” Hendricks, “Ah, that’s no problem. I have a bigger problem than that.” Student, “Yea, what’s that?” Hendricks, “Why did the Lord choose you?” And I think he also added, “ Why did the Lord choose me?”

His point was, look at the disciples. How would you like to launch a world wide campaign with the likes of Peter and his companions? Yet, with these common, average, uneducated men, the Lord launched a campaign that has reached the world and turned it upside down. Why? Because of their methodology? No! Because of their dynamic personalities or programs? No! Because these common men intimately knew the Lord and began to experience His life and character in theirs by the Spirit of God. He took common men and made them into great men who became spiritual leaders because they were experiencing Him. Our need? The selection of godly men!

If we must choose between giftedness and godliness, let us choose godliness. If we can choose both, that’s great and that’s the ideal, but let’s keep the emphasis where God puts it!

Qualifications for Elders

In General

As a summary statement for all that follows in the qualifications, Paul says an elder is to be a man who is above reproach (1 Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:7). His lifestyle is such that no one can legitimately accuse him of conduct which is unbefitting a mature believer. However, this does not mean he is perfect or without room for improvement. Why? Because none of us are perfect (Phil. 3:10-14; Ps. 143:2). Generally speaking, an elder is to be a model of Christian maturity and the qualities of these passages are marks of maturity which normally characterize the qualified man. Note that these qualities may also be seen from the standpoint of a man’s fundamental relationships—to God, His Word, self, family, others including the outside world, and things.

As to God and His Word

(1) Not a new convert (1Tim. 3:6). Not a neophyte, novice, one newly converted. Does he truly know the Lord and has he shown definite progress in spiritual maturity?

(2) Devout (Tit. 1:8). Does he demonstrate a definite commitment to know, love, and walk with God?

(3) Holding fast to the faithful word . . . able to exhort . . . and refute . . . (1 Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:9). Is he a student of the Bible? Is he stable in the faith, sound in doctrine and practice? Does he know the Word well enough to teach it to others? Is he able to use the Word of God to exhort people with sound doctrine and to refute those who are antagonistic to the faith or the truth of Scripture?

As to Himself

(1) If a man aspires to the office of overseer (1 Tim. 3:1). Based on biblical criteria and motives, does he have a strong desire to serve the Lord and the body of Christ as an overseer of the flock, or does he feel constrained by necessity (cf. 1 Pet. 5:2, “shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily according to the will of God”)?

(2) Temperate (1 Tim. 3:2). In the everyday situations of life does he tend to react according to biblical principles so that he remains under God’s control? Is he Spirit-controlled and disciplined rather than self-indulgent?

(3) Prudent (1 Tim. 3:2). Is he prudent or biblically minded to the extent that he walks wisely according to the wisdom of Scripture?

(4) Not quick tempered (Tit. 1:7). Does he have a short fuse? Is he emotionally stable and in control of his feelings?

As to His Family

(1) Husband of one wife (1 Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:6). Literally, a one-woman man. He is a man totally devoted and faithful to his own wife so that he is not distracted by other women? (See the Addendum on this controversial clause.)

(2) One who manages his own household well (1 Tim. 3:4-5; Tit. 1:6). Does his wife love, respect, and follow his leadership, and are his children believers, under control, respectful of authority, and responding positively to God?

As to Others

(1) Hospitable (1 Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:8). Literally, “a lover of strangers.” As he is able, does he share his home with others in order to minister to their needs?

(2)Able to teach (1 Tim. 3:2). Is he able to communicate the Word of God to others? Is he able to handle those who disagree with him in a patient and gentle manner? Have others recognized in him the ability to teach and communicate the Word at least in small group settings?

(3) Not self-willed (Tit. 1:7). A self-willed man is a self-centered man who demands his own way because he cares only for himself. As a servant, an elder must seek to please God and care for others. Is he able to set aside his own preferences in order to promote unity and care for the needs of others?

(4) Loving what is good (Tit. 1:8). Literally, “a lover of goodness.” He is a man who is devoted to that which is good or beneficial either in things, deeds, or people (Ps. 15). Does he take advantage of opportunities to do good to all men (both Christians and non-Christians) in order to build them up rather than tear them down?

(5) Not pugnacious or a striker, i.e., anger out of control (1 Tim. 3:3; Tit. 1:7). Does he show a tendency to be either physically or verbally abusive? Has he shown a disposition to use a position of leadership to bully or push people around?

(6) Uncontentious (1 Tim. 3:3). He is not a quarrelsome person who struggles against others for self-seeking reasons such as jealousy or selfish ambition. He may strongly disagree, but he will state his case without being contentious.

(7) Gentle (1 Tim. 3:3). This word in the original Greek text refers to strength under control, like a powerful, but gentle horse. Does he handle others in a gentle, patient, and gracious way? Is he yielding, showing a mellow gentleness, or is he heavy-handed, insisting on the letter of the law?

(8) Just (Tit. 1:8). In his relationships with others, is he able to make just decisions, those that are wise, fair, impartial, objective, and honest according to the principles of Scripture?

(9) Respectable, orderly, balanced (1 Tim. 3:2). Is he respected by others because his life adorns the Word of God? The basic idea of this word is orderly. It describes a man whose behavior is good and blended harmoniously in a balanced manner.

(10) Having a good reputation with those on the outside (1 Tim. 3:7). Does he have a good reputation among unbelievers because he has a life-style of unquestioned integrity.

As to Things

(1) Free from the love of money (1 Tim. 3:3; Tit. 1:7). Does he have his priorities straight? Is he seeking his significance, security, and primary satisfaction from material wealth? Is he involved in dishonest business practices? Is the amount of salary he receives the most important thing about his occupation? Is he seeking the office of elder for personal gain?

(2) Not addicted to wine (1 Tim. 3:3; Tit. 1:7). Is he free from any form of substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, etc.) or any kind of addiction which might take control of his life, cause belligerent and irresponsible behavior, and cause weaker Christians to stumble (Rom. 14:13-21)?

Qualifications for Deacons

In General

Tested . . . beyond reproach (1 Tim. 3:10). Before a man is asked to serve as a deacon, he is to be observed over a period of time to see if he is qualified for that ministry. If he is found to be beyond reproach (if there are no violations in the qualities needed to serve), he may then be chosen to serve as a deacon. This is a warning against hastily choosing men for ministry for whatever reason (the pressure of needs, to fill a quota, etc.). Time is needed so his qualifications can become clearly apparent.

This principle also applies to the selection of elders (see 1 Tim. 5:22). Because of context, some think 1 Timothy 5:22 deals with church discipline, but the only record we have of the laying on of hands in the New Testament and in early church history (before the third century) is associated with the selection and ordination of men for ministry (cf. Acts 6:6; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6). Because of this, it is better to take this passage as a warning against hasty selection and ordination of elders.

As to God and His Word

Holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience (1 Tim. 3:8). “The mystery of the faith” refers to the body of Christian doctrine to which we hold (believe and live by) through faith. “With a clear conscience” means he seeks to honestly live by the truths of Scripture. He keeps short accounts with God.

As to Self

(1) Men of dignity (1 Tim. 3:8). He is one who takes his life and work seriously as a part of his devotion to the Lord. He has a vision for his life’s purpose.

(2) Not double tongued (1 Tim. 3:8). He is not a hypocrite who says one thing to one person and something contradictory to another. He speaks the truth, is honest. He does not destroy his credibility by words that are contradictory.

As to Things

(1) Not addicted to much wine (1 Tim. 3:8). (See above under elder qualifications.)

(2) Not fond of sordid gain (1 Tim. 3:8). As with an elder, he must not use the office for personal gain, or be controlled by the desire for material wealth. Wrong motives kill a man’s ability to serve the Lord and love others. He cannot serve God and mammon or self-seeking goals.

As to Family

(1) A husband of one wife (Literally, a one-woman man) (1 Tim. 3:12). See Addendum. (See above under elder qualifications.)

(2) Good managers of their children and their own households (1 Tim. 3:12). (See above under elder qualifications.)

There is one word which truly summarizes these qualifications. It’s the word SERVANT. A deacon, as with an elder, is to be a servant of God and a servant of men (Mark 10:43-45).

Addendum:
Support that “the husband of one wife”
means “faithful to one wife”

Does this clause mean that an elder or deacon must be married, or married only once? Some have interpreted this to mean, “married only once.” But there are several reasons this is not the best way to understand this passage.

Ed Glascock has an excellent explanation of this clause. Writing of the view that the passage means “faithful to one wife,” he says:

This view holds that the translation “husband of one wife” is not the best understanding of the Greek phrase mias gunaikos andra, but that it should be translated “a man of one woman” or a “one-woman man.” This understanding emphasizes the character of the man rather than his marital status. Thus even a single man or a man who has been married only once must demonstrate that he is not a “playboy” or flirtatious, but that he is stable and mature in character toward his wife or other females. A man who demonstrates a character of loyalty and trustworthiness in such personal relationships is qualified in this area. He, being a one-woman type of man, can be placed in this high position and trusted to deal in maturity and with discretion in a situation involving female members. This view shifts the emphasis away from an event that took place in a man’s life before his conversion and properly concentrates on the character and quality of his life at the time of his consideration for this high office.4

This is not saying a man must be married to be an elder. Most men were and are, so this becomes a very important quality that must be considered. Being married, however, is not a qualification which would seem to go contrary to Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 7:6-9, 25-28 where he encourages the benefits of singleness for the sake of ministry. The whole passage is dealing with subjective qualities of Christian character, i.e., qualities in which no man is 100% perfect and in which there will always be room for growth and maturity. If the clause means married only once, then it would be the only absolute quality in this list of qualifications.

The qualities that follow have to do with temperance and self-control. The point is that a man needs self-control here as in all areas. There must be no sexual promiscuity or laxity with other women.

A further support for this position is the similar qualification placed on widows to be enrolled in the list of widows who could receive support in 1 Timothy 5:9. Concerning this Saucy makes an important point:

The Scriptures nowhere forbid or even suggest as morally questionable remarriage after the death of a spouse. Paul explicitly advises the younger widows to remarry (1 Tim. 5:14). If the qualification in 1 Timothy 3:2 prohibits elders from second marriages, then the requirement for a widow to be “a one-man woman” in order to be enrolled for aid (1 Tim. 5:9) also precludes a second marriage and thus excludes from aid in their later years the younger women who followed Paul’s counsel for remarriage.5


1 Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership, p. 20.

2 Ibid. p. 180.

3 Ibid, p. 98.

4 Ed Glascock, “The Husband of One Wife Requirement in 1 Timothy 3:2,” Bibliotheca Sacra, July-September 1983, p. 249.

5 Robert Saucy, “The Husband of One Wife,” Bibliotheca Sacra, July, 1974, p. 230.

Related Topics: Administrative and Organization, Issues in Church Leadership/Ministry, Leadership

Q. Anonymous Question

Hi Bible.org,

How should we understand 2 Samuel 12:7-12 and 2 Samuel 16:20-23

1) Do these verses show that God gave these 10 concubines of David to Absalom to rape? If so, how can we justify this? i.e. to punish David for what he did to Uriah and Bathsheba he caused these 10 concubines of David to be raped? What about the rights of these women (10 concubines)?

2) In 2 Samuel 16:23 we read ‘Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel’s advice.’ But Ahithophel is the one who said ‘Sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more resolute’ (2 Samuel 16:21) Did Ahithophel really speak for God? If so, how can we justify this advice?

3) Also, in Leviticus 18:8 we read ‘Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; that would dishonor your father.’ So even if the above the verses in 2 Samuel are not talking about rape of the 10 concubines but that it was consensual, how can the verses in 2 Samuel be reconciled with Leviticus 18:8?

Response

Dear “Anonymous,”

I’ve opted in this instance not to answer your questions. To be perfectly honest, your effort to preserve your anonymity is troubling, and prompts me not to answer your questions. Your questions are posed in a way that protects your identity. My response, on the other hand, has the potential of becoming very public. To ask honest questions is a good thing, but to hide your identity is neither necessary or commendable.

Your questions could be read so as to imply that a reasonable explanation cannot be given. If this were the case, such questions remind me of the questions Jesus was asked -- namely, that they were not sincere, but asked only to make Jesus look bad. Their questions assumed that there was no answer possible or that, if given, the answer would be incriminating or detrimental to Jesus in some way. (Notice how Jesus turned the tables on His questioners in Matthew 21:23-27.) We should note that our Lord’s answers were based on the fact that Jesus knew who His questioners were, and what the motives of His questioners were as well (see Mark 12:15).

There is another reason why I am not able to answer your questions as posed. The Book of Proverbs instructs us to respond to others on the basis of their character:

7 Whoever corrects a mocker is asking for insult; whoever reproves a wicked person receives abuse. 8 Do not reprove a mocker or he will hate you; reprove a wise person and he will love you. (Proverbs 9:7-8, NET).

1 A wise son accepts his father’s discipline, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke (Proverbs 13:1).

A rebuke makes a greater impression on a discerning person than a hundred blows on a fool (Proverbs 17:10).

7 Whoever corrects a mocker is asking for insult; whoever reproves a wicked person receives abuse. 8 Do not reprove a mocker or he will hate you; reprove a wise person and he will love you (Proverbs 9:7-8).

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you yourself also be like him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own estimation (Proverbs 26:4-5).

Please understand me. I have no way of discerning your character or motives, and therefore I am not able to properly respond. But I go out of my way to deal with honest questions, which are prompted by a sincere desire to better understand God’s Word.

And, by the way, there are answers to your questions, which I would be glad to offer, to a known questioner.

Blessings,

Bob Deffinbaugh

La Revue Internet Des Pasteurs, Fre Ed 37, Edition de l’automne 2020

A ministry of…

Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]

I. Renforcement De L’interprétation Biblique
“Comment Lire Et Comprendre La Bible ” (Pt. 4)

Introduction

C’est la partie 4 de notre étude continue sur le “Renforcement de l’Interprétation Biblique : Comment Lire et Comprendre la Bible.” Dans les trois premières parties de cette étude, (les problèmes 34, 35 et 36 de ce Journal) nous avons jeté un coup d’œil sur les sujets suivants :

Partie 1

1. Trois taches basiques dans l’interprétation Biblique

2. Deux questions importantes d’herméneutique

Partie 2

1. Interprétation littérale

2. Interprétation de certains genres et dispositifs littéraires

3. Un sens unique ; des applications multiples

4. l’impact de la culture sur notre compréhension – cultures anciennes et contemporaines

Partie 3

1. Deux extrêmes d’interprétation culturelle et transculturelle

2. Deux exemples d’interprétation culturelle et transculturelle

a) Le lavage des pieds

b) le voilement de la tête pour les femmes

3. Quatre directives pour comprendre et interpréter les questions culturelles

Maintenant, dans cette partie 4, nous allons esquisser Dix Règles Simples De l’Interprétation Biblique. Pour ce sujet, j’ai trouvé les page 63-99 du livre de R.C. Sproul intitulé Knowing Scripture (Connaître l’Ecriture) d’un grand apport.

REGLE #1 : Interpréter l’Ecriture En Conformité Avec Le Sens Originellement Voulu par l’Auteur

Si vous étudier le texte de façon appropriée et adéquate, vous devriez être capable d’écrire ce dont l’auteur avait l’intention de dire à ses premiers lecteurs. Vous devez déterminer cela avant de penser à ce que ça signifie pour vos auditeurs aujourd’hui. Je recommande que vous écriviez le passage avec vos propres mots (le paraphraser). Cela vous permettra de savoir si vous connaissez le sens de du passage. Si vous n’en connaissez pas le sens, vous ne serez pas capable de l’écrire avec vos propres mots. Essayez de l’écrire en amplifiant le sens des mots et des expressions, expliquant l’imagerie avec vos propres mots.

REGLE #2 : Interpréter l’Ecriture A La Lumière d’Autres Ecritures

Du moment où nous croyons que l’Ecriture est divinement inspirée, nous croyons aussi qu’aucune partie de l’Ecriture ne peut être en conflit avec une autre partie de l’Ecriture, parce que Dieu ne peut pas se contredire Lui-même.

Ce principe (interpréter l’Ecriture à la lumière d’autres écritures) est très important pour deux raisons. Premièrement, à cause des attaques des incroyants contre l’Ecriture. L’une des attaques primaires contre l’Ecriture est l’assertion selon laquelle elle se contredit elle-même. Du moment où la Bible a été écrite par 40 auteurs sur une période de 16 siècles, si elle n’était pas un livre dont l’auteur est Dieu, les contradictions et les incohérences y seraient très possibles. En interprétant l’Ecriture à la lumière de l’Ecriture, vous pouvez montrer qu’elle est en cohérence avec elle-même.

Deuxièmement, interpréter l’Ecriture à la lumière de l’Ecriture est un principe important à cause de l’attitude avec laquelle les Chrétiens lisent l’Ecriture. Les chrétiens ne lisent pas et n’interprètent pas la Bible avec l’intention de trouver des incohérences dans le texte (comme le ferait un non-chrétien). Nous cherchons plutôt des incohérences dans notre interprétation du texte qui pourraient être révélées par ce principe « d’interpréter l’Ecriture par l’Ecriture ». En plus nous lisons et interprétons l’Ecriture avec une attitude de soumission à l’autorité inhérente, l’exactitude, l’intégrité et à la cohésion du texte, de telle sorte à ce que s’il y a contradiction ou incohérence dans notre interprétation, le problème nous incombe, mais pas au texte.

Pour cela, un principe basique d’une interprétation biblique saine est que pour comprendre correctement un passage de l’Ecriture, vous devez apporter d’autres textes qui sont soit comparatifs, soit contrastants. Si votre interprétation du texte que vous étudiez est en conflit avec l’enseignement d’autres passages comparatifs et contrastants, cela veut dire que votre interprétation est incorrecte. Ou, si un verset ou un passage a plusieurs options d’interprétation, et que celui que vous avez choisi n’est pas cohérent avec d’autres passages comparatifs et contrastants, vous devez alors rejeter cette option d’interprétation et choisir une option qui est cohérente avec les autres passages.

Suivre cette règle d’interprétation biblique aide de plusieurs manières :

(1) Elle élargit votre étude et exposition du texte en y apportant plus de lumière par d’autres textes.

(2) Elle agit comme une sauvegarde pour assurer que vous n’êtes pas en train d’interpréter le texte d’une manière incohérente par rapport à d’autres textes.

(3) Elle vous rassure que vous comprenez le déroulement progressif de la révélation de Dieu dans l’Ecriture. A mesure que le temps avançait, Dieu nous a révélé par l’Ecriture, et ce, de plus en plus, sa personne, sa volonté, ses desseins, etc.

(4) Elle vous aide à voir les différentes bases sur lesquelles Dieu a traité et entretenu des relations avec des gens d’autrefois. Ainsi, l’Ecriture n’est pas seulement un dévoilement progressif de la révélation de divine, mais aussi un dévoilement progressif de sa relation avec l’humanité.

REGLE #3 : Utiliser Les Versets Claires Majeures, et Nombreuses Pour Expliquer Les Moins Claires, Mineures et Peu nombreux.

Du moment où la révélation est progressive, il est compréhensible que la révélation première soit moins Claire que la révélation dernière, parce qu’elle est partielle et parfois obscure. Les Ecritures qui sont partielles ou mineures dans leur traitement du sujet n’ont pas d’autorité interprétative sur celle qui sont plus complètes et plus claires. Les révélations claires majeures clarifient celles qui sont moins claires et mineures.

Cela met l’accent encore sur le besoin de la règle #2 : Interpréter l’Ecriture à la lumière de l’Ecriture.

REGLE #4 : Soyez Prudents Lorsque Vous Faites Des Déductions, des Inférences « Logiques ».

Cette règle est intimement liée à la règle précédente. Ce qui peut ressembler à une déduction logique, peut ne pas être nécessairement vrai. Ce qui est logique pour nous peut n’est pas être logique pour Dieu ou pour ses pensées. Clairement, si un enseignement explicite contredit votre inférence ou ce que vous pensez être implicite, alors l’enseignement explicite l’emporte. Il est alors important, de chercher une instruction explicite qui soutient ce que vous pourriez croire implicite dans le texte.

C’est très facile d’adopter des interprétations et applications de l’Ecriture basées sur les déductions logiques, ou des instructions ou inférences implicites supposées, que vous tirez du texte, qui pourraient ne pas être du tout ce que l’auteur a voulu communiquer.

Tandis que nous devons être prudents à faire des déductions et des inférences, nous avons besoin d’identifier les principes généraux qui émanent des détails spécifiques dans le texte que nous étudions. Soyez très prudents de sorte à ce que les conclusions que vous tirez de votre texte soient sous-jacentes, universelles, des principes intemporels qui sont révélés dans le texte.

REGLE #5 : Ne Pas Faire En Sorte Que l’Ecriture Satisfasse à Une Norme Littéraire Déraisonnable

Par “norme littéraire déraisonnable” j’entends une norme que vous n’exigerez pas d’autre littérature. R.C. Sproul appelle cela « lire la Bible comme n’importe quel livre »(Knowing Scripture [Connaître l’Ecriture], 63). Un commentateur le dit ainsi : “En interprétant la Bible, nous ne demandons pas des faveurs que nous ne croyons pas être des règles adéquates pour lire toute littérature sérieuse ” (Mal Couch, ed. A Biblical Theology of the Church [Une Théologie Biblique de l’Eglise], 15).

Bien sûr, la Bible n’est pas juste comme n’importe quel autre livre parce que : (1) elle est unique (aucun autre livre ne lui est semblable) ; (2) elle est divine (aucun autre auteur ne lui est semblable) ; (3) elle est inspirée (aucune autre source, communication, révélation ou puissance ne lui est semblable).

Mais nous devons la lire comme tout autre livre dans le sens qu’elle est construite avec des mots comme tout autre livre – des mots qui avaient une signification ordinaire comprise alors ; des mots qui ont besoin d’être interprétés et compris en conformité avec les règles de grammaire de l’époque et qui sont élaborés pour être compris sur cette base. Aussi, nous ne lui attribuons pas des libertés littéraires que nous ne permettrions pour tout autre littérature.

Mais notez cet avertissement : Bien que nous puissions comprendre le sens des mots et de la grammaire correctement, cela ne veut pas dire que toute personne qui lit la Bible parviendra à des conclusions correctes concernant ce qu’elle dit et la manière dont elle doit être appliquée dans nos vies. Pour cela, nous avons besoin de l’illumination du Saint Esprit, qui est une possession exclusive des croyants seulement. Les incroyants peuvent comprendre les mots sur la page ; ils peuvent également s’engager dans la même analyse littéraire qu’ils pourraient appliquer à n’importe quel autre œuvre littéraire. Mais les incroyants ne parviennent pas à des conclusions correctes la concernant, parce qu’ils n’ont pas l’illumination du Saint Esprit (1 Cor. 2 :14 ; Eph. 4 :18) – leur capacité de compréhension de la Bible est limitée au niveau littéraire seulement. Bien qu’ils puissent en avoir la compréhension intellectuelle ils n’en ont pas la compréhension spirituelle. Ainsi, les incroyants ne se soumettent pas à l’autorité de l’Ecriture ; ils ne lui accordent pas une valeur adéquate ; ils n’acceptent pas les implications de l’Ecriture pour la foi et la pratique ; et ils n’accepteront pas l’application de l’Ecriture à leur vie. Si nous voulons accorder à la Bible une valeur adéquate, parvenir à des conclusions justes concernant ce qu’elle dit, et l’appliquer pertinemment à notre nos vies, nous avons besoin de l’illumination du Saint Esprit.

Ce que j’essaie de faire ressortir ici lorsque que je dis “ “ne pas faire en sorte que l’Ecriture satisfasse à une norme littéraire déraisonnable” c’est que bien qu’elle soit grammaticale dans sa construction (mots, expressions, propositions, etc.), son contexte (historique, culturelle, politique, etc.), et ses genres littéraires (poétique, narratif, etc.) elle doit être examinée de la même manière que vous examineriez et liriez tout autre littérature, mais avec l’aide du Saint Esprit. Cette méthode objective de l’interprétation biblique protège contre l’interprétation subjective, mystique, qui n’est pas enracinée dans l’érudition et qui peut la faire signifier tout ce que le lecteur veut ou pense.

REGLE #6 : Lire et Interpréter la Bible à Partir d’Une Perspective d’Application Personnelle.

Ne demander pas « Qu’est-ce que cela signifie pour moi ? » mais « Comment cela s’applique-t-il à moi ? » En nous posant cette question, non seulement nous mettons en évidence son application courante et pertinente, mais nous découvrons comment elle a été appliquée premièrement aux personnes pour lesquelles elle a été originellement écrite. En voyant comment l’auteur à organiser ses arguments et en voyant qu’elle a été appliquée à une situation réelle de vie de ses lecteurs originels, (c’est-à-dire pourquoi il a écrit, quel problème il traitait, etc.), nous découvrirons comment elle pourrait s’appliquer à nous-même dans la limite de son sens originel voulu.

Notez cette limite : Même si nous pouvons faire plusieurs applications à partir d’une vérité, ces applications sont toujours limitées par l’enseignement de l’auteur tel qu’il l’a voulu originellement. Vous n’êtes pas autorisés à appliquer l’Ecriture de n’importe quelle manière que vous voulez. Comme quelqu’un l’a dit : « Il y a plus d’hérésies enseignées dans le domaine de l’application que dans l’explication ».

Ainsi, nous devons lire et interpréter la Bible dans une perspective “d’application personnelle” en identifiant le sens voulu par l’auteur (et ce que ses lecteurs originels auraient pu comprendre) ; en identifiant la situation de la vie des lecteurs originels (et comment ce qui a été écrit s’est appliqué à eux); et en l’appliquant de manière appropriée à notre propre situation de vie et de culture (c’est-à-dire, d’une manière cohérente, et correspondante à la situation originelle).

REGLE #7 : Identifier le Dispositif et le Genre Littéraires et Les Interpréter Convenablement.

J’ai déjà définit ce que j’entends par interprétation littérale, particulièrement quand il s’agit de dispositif littéraire (tels que les figure de style) et les genres littéraires (tel que la poésie, le genre apocalyptique, l’allégorie, etc.). Chaque genre littéraire doit être interprétée convenablement. Par exemple, la poésie Hébraïque doit être interprétée en conformité avec ses règles et coutumes – ex : le parallélisme, etc. (ex : Ps. 2 :4 ; Prov. 1 :20 ; Gen. 4 :23 ; Isa. 55 :6-7). Nous devons distinguer entre proverbe et loi. Comme nos proverbes Anglais, les proverbes Hébreux ne sont pas faits pour être des truismes universels pour les gens de tous les temps, mais des principes généraux qui sont généralement vrais pour ceux qui vivent une vie pieuse.

REGLE #8 : Etudier La Construction Grammaticale et le Sens Des Mots Prudemment.

Vous ne pouvez pas interpréter l’Ecriture correctement si vous ne prêtez pas une attention méticuleuse à la grammaire – (1) les parties du discours (ex : nom, verbe) ; (2) la forme de chaque mot (ex : singulier ou pluriel ; temps présent ou future, etc.) ; (3) le sens et l’emploi des mots dans leur contexte et leur relation les uns avec les autres (c.-à-d. la syntaxe) pour former des expressions, des phrases et des paragraphes. Ne prêtez pas aux mots le sens que vous soulez ou pensez qu’ils signifient en vous basant sur l’emploi contemporain. Vous devez comprendre le mot de la manière dont il était utilisé dans les contextes littéraire, culturel, et historique. Souvenez-vous que parfois le sens des mots change avec le temps.

Faites attention aux mots-clés importants et répétés. Les mots et expressions répétés vous disent souvent quelque chose sur lequel l’auteur veut mettre l’accent, et/ou sur le thème du texte (ex : Phil. 1 :27 ; 2 :2,3,5 ; 3 :15,16 ; 4 :2,7). Les mots importants pourraient être : (1) des termes Théologiques (ex : la justification) ; ou (2) le verbe principal dans une phrase ; ou (3) des conjonctions et des prépositions. Les mots ne peuvent pas être interprétés hors de leur emploi. Par conséquent, rassurez-vous de toujours déterminer ce que signifie un mot en analysant sa forme et son emploi dans son contexte.

Lorsque vous avez un mot avec des sens multiples possibles, vous devez voir son contexte et à ses emplois varié dans la Bible pour déterminer son sens.

REGLE #9 : Lire et Interpréter la Bible de Manière Christologique.

Par cela, j’entends lire la Bible à partir d’une perspective Néotestamentaire. Chaque message devrait diriger vers Christ ou la vie Chrétienne en Christ. Chaque sermon devrait être mu par l’accent rédempteur des Ecritures (cf. « Fallen Condition Focus » [Accent de la Condition de Chute] de Bryan Chapell (FCF) dans Christ Centered Preaching [Prédication Centré sur Christ], 1994). Cet accent n’est pas seulement le salut des perdus, mais aussi la croissance des croyants pour qu’ils deviennent tout ce que Dieu veut qu’ils soient. Chapell déclare que « la compréhension adéquate d’un passage et l’accent d’un sermon exigent une Prédication claire, Centré sur Christ » (Bryan Chapell, 42).

Théologiquement, chaque sermon doit avoir comme but le même but que le passage, qui est « un aspect de la condition humaine qui exige l’instruction, l’admonition et/ou la consolation des Ecritures » (Chapell, 43). En ayant cela comme objectif, chaque sermon sera unifié avec son but.

REGLE #10 : Lire et Interpréter la Bible Théologiquement.

Cherchez des indications dans le texte de(s) vérité(s) essentielle(s) que l’auteur exprime. Posez-vous la question : Quelle doctrine (théologie) l’auteur originel du texte exprime-t-il ? (2) Quelle vérité primordiale émerge du texte ? N’imposez pas vos préjugés doctrinaux au texte. Ne lisez pas dans le texte ce qui n’y est pas. Posez-vous la question : (1) Que dit le texte sur Dieu ? (2) Que dit le texte sur la relation de l’homme avec Dieu ? (3) Que dit le texte sur comment vivre pour Dieu ? Si vous ne pouvez pas trouver la réponse à ces questions dans le texte, c’est que probablement vous ne connaissez pas ce qu’est l’accent théologique du texte.

La difficulté de cette tâche dépend souvent du genre littéraire. La vérité enseignée peut s’avérer difficile à découvrir dans le genre non didactique– ex : le Cantique de Salomon, ou le livre de Jonas. Est-ce que livre de Jonas traite de la manière dont Dieu agit avec un prophète rebelle ? Ou traite-t-il de la souveraineté de Dieu dans toutes circonstances, qu’elles soient des actes de la nature (tempêtes, plantes, et vers), des marins païens, des prophètes rebelles ou des méchants Gentilles, etc. ?

Dans ce sens, vous devez être très prudents dans l’interprétation des narrations dans le but d’être sûr que vous comprenez la théologie qui y est enseignée. Vous devez extraire le sujet théologique des détails de la narration.

II. Renforcement Du Leadership Biblique
« Servir Notre Maître Dans Un Monde Qui Le Hait : Une Etude Exégétique De Jean 15 :18-27 »

En tant que leaders chrétiens nous faisons souvent face au rejet, à la fois dans nos églises et dans le monde. Vivre en tant que chrétien est difficile et intimidant, n’est-ce pas? Le monde est opposé à l’évangile et à Christ Lui-même. Parfois, leur animosité fait que nous avons peur de tenir ferme pour Christ. Mais là est l’encouragement – Jésus a dit : « Vous aurez des tribulations dans le monde ; mais prenez courage, j’ai vaincu le monde » (Jn. 16 :33).

Ainsi donc, que faisons-nous en tant que serviteurs du peuple de Dieu, pour encourager nos assemblées à témoigner pour Christ quand la culture environnante est hostile ? C’est notre sujet dans cet article : “témoigner pour Christ dans un monde qui le hait ” (Jn. 15 :18-27). J’espère que l’étude de la Bible vous aidera et vous encouragera tandis qu’il devient difficile de confesser Christ publiquement dans ce monde.

Dans notre passage, Jésus venait d’exhorter les disciples à demeurer en Lui (15 :1-11) et de s’aimer les uns les autres (15 :12-17). Maintenant, Jésus continue de les prévenir de la haine du monde contre Lui-même et contre eux qui le suivent (15 :18-25) et les encourager à témoigner de lui au milieu d’une telle haine (15 :26-27).

Le principe que nous apprenons de ce passage est que : « malgré l’opposition venant du monde, nous pouvons fidèlement témoigner de Christ ». Nous distinguons trois principes théologiques dans ce texte…

I. Le Monde Hait Ceux Qui Suivent Christ (18-20).

Remarquez que 1. Le monde hait ceux qui suivent Christ parce qu’il a haï Christ lui-même le premier (15:18). « Si le monde vous hait, sachez qu’il m’a haï avant vous » (15 :18). Quand Jésus dit: « si » le monde vous hait, il n’est pas en train de déduire qu’il se peut que le monde vous hait ou ne vous hait pas. C’est une « si » de raison, non pas un « si » de doute. Il n’y a aucun doute que le monde hait ceux qui suivent Christ.

Les disciples eux-mêmes avaient déjà expérimenté cela. Ils savaient ce qui était arrivé à l’aveugle-né et ses parents dans le ch. 9. Ils savaient que les parents de l’aveugle-né « dirent cela parce qu’ils craignaient les Juifs ; car les Juifs étaient déjà convenus que, si quelqu’un reconnaissait Jésus pour le Christ, il serait exclu de la synagogue » (9:22). C’était de la pure intimidation des Juifs contre ces personnes parce qu’ils avaient expérimenté la puissance de guérison de Jésus. On avait contraint les Juifs de taire leur témoignage de ce que Jésus avait fait pour leur fils. Dans les jours qui devaient venir, les disciples allaient même connaître un dégrée de haine plus grande de la part du monde. Il y a une haine innée qui jaillit de ceux qui sont amèrement opposés à Christ. La vérité est que le monde hait les chrétiens parce qu’il hait Christ. Le monde est rempli d’hommes et femmes méchant(e)s dont la haine contre Christ, inspirée par satan est manifestée dans leur haine contre ceux qui suivent Christ.

Jésus console ses disciples en disant : « Si le monde vous hait, sachez qu’il m’a haï avant vous » (15 :18).”La consolation en cela c’est que les chrétiens qui expérimentent la haine souffrent avec leur Sauveur. Jésus a souffert la haine du monde en premier, et les chrétiens souffrent pour Christ maintenant. L’apôtre Paul appelle cela un privilège, un don : « car il vous a été fait grâce, par rapport à Christ, non seulement de croire en lui, mais encore de souffrir pour lui » (Phil. 1 :29). Jésus ne nous appelle pas à vivre quelque chose que lui-même n’a pas vécu en premier. A cause de la souffrance et de l’opposition, plusieurs des disciples de Jésus ont arrêté de le suivre (Jn. 6 :66). Ils ne pouvaient pas supporter l’intolérance, le rejet, l’humiliation, les sévices corporel. C’est là le défi auquel plusieurs chrétiens sont confrontés aujourd’hui.

Ainsi, 1. Le monde hait ceux qui suivent Christ parce qu’il hait Christ lui-même; 2. Le monde hait ceux qui suivent Christ parce qu’ils ont été choisis par Christ (15:19-20). « Si vous étiez du monde, le monde aimerait ce qui est à lui, mais parce que vous n’êtes pas du monde, et que je vous ai choisi du milieu du monde, à cause de cela, le monde vous hait » (15 :19). Etre “du monde” signifie s’identifier au monde, tenir les croyances et les valeurs morales du monde, adopter les habitudes et le caractère du monde. Si vous faisiez cela, dit Jésus, “le monde” vous “aimerait” comme les siens. Si vous étiez motivés et caractérisés par les valeurs du monde, le monde vous aurait accepté comme les siens propres. Mais la vérité est que le monde ne vous accepte pas. En réalité, le monde vous hait « parce que vous n’êtes pas du monde ». La raison pour laquelle vous n’êtes pas du monde c’est que Jésus « vous a choisi du milieu du monde ».

Avez-vous compris cela ? Jésus est en train de dire qu’il y a une seule raison pour laquelle vous n’êtes ni acceptés, ni soumis au monde et c’est parce que ; « Je vous ai choisi du milieu du monde ». Cela, c’est sa souveraine grâce et miséricorde envers eux qui le suivent. La raison pour laquelle les disciples étaient séparés du « monde » n’était qu’il y’avait quelque chose de bon ou de méritoire en eux aux yeux de Dieu, mais parce qu’ils étaient choisis par Jésus. Et tout comme Jésus les avaient souverainement appelés, de même, il appelle souverainement tous les croyants aujourd’hui à lui-même, à le suivre et à être ses porte-paroles. C’est cela qui nous rend différent du monde. Nous avons été appelés hors du monde par Dieu et séparés pour Lui ; pour Son usage et Son dessein exclusif.

En répétant ce qu’il leur avait déjà dit dans 13 :16, Jésus dit : « Souvenez-vous de la parole que je vous ai dite : le serviteur n’est pas plus grand que son maître. S’ils m’ont persécuté, ils vous persécuteront aussi ; s’ils ont gardé ma parole, ils garderont aussi la vôtre ». (15:20b). En d’autres termes, la manière dont le monde réagit vis-à-vis de Jésus sera la même à l’égard de nous qui le suivons. Inversement, s’ils avaient obéi à sa parole, ils auraient également obéi à la parole de ceux qui le suivent. Bref, le monde réagira à votre égard de la même manière qu’il a réagi à l’égard de Jésus.

Le monde hait ceux qui suivent Christ - 1. Parce qu’il a haï Christ lui-même ; 2. Parce que les chrétiens ont été choisi du milieu du monde par Christ, et, 3. Le monde hait ceux qui suivent Christ parce que le monde ne connaît pas Dieu. (15:21). « Mais ils vous feront toutes ces choses à cause de mon nom, parce qu’ils ne connaissent pas celui qui m’a envoyé. » (15 :21). Le monde persécutera et haïra ceux qui prennent le nom de Jésus « parce qu’ils ne connaissent pas Celui qui M’a envoyé ». C’est en Jésus-Christ seulement que l’on peut connaître Dieu. Si vous haïssez Jésus, c’est parce que vous ne connaissez pas Dieu – « Celui qui L’a envoyé. » Celui qui connaît vraiment Dieu, sait que Jésus est son seul et unique Fils éternel, qu’il a envoyé dans le monde. S’ils avaient su que Jésus était l’Envoyé de Dieu, ils ne l’auraient pas traité comme ils l’ont fait. Car la Bible dit que « le Père a envoyé le Fils comme Sauveur du monde. » (1 Jn. 4 :14).

Par conséquent, le premier principe théologique dans ce passage est que le monde hait ceux qui suivent Christ. Mais remarquez le second principe…

II. Il N’y A Pas D’excuse Pour La Haine Du Monde A L’egard De Christ (15 :22-25).

1. Il n’y a pas d’excuse pour la haine de Christ, à cause des paroles qu’Il a dites (15 :22-23). « Si je n’étais pas venu et que je ne leur avais pas parlé, ils n’auraient pas de péché ; mais maintenant, ils n’ont aucune excuse de leur péché » (15 :22). La vérité, c’est qu’ils auraient dû connaître qui était Jésus. Il est venu les amener à connaître Dieu et c’est ce qu’il a fait en paroles et en actes. Si Jésus ne leur avait pas révélé qui il était dans ses enseignements, alors ils n’auraient pas commis le péché de le rejeter comme leur Messie, parce qu’ils auraient été dans l’ignorance – « il n’auraient pas de péché. » Mais, puisque Jésus leur a révélé son identité, “maintenant, ils n’ont aucune excuse de leur péché”. Rejeter Jésus est inexcusable ; ils sont coupables. Pourquoi ? Parce que Jésus leur a clairement déclaré la vérité au sujet de son identité et de celle de Dieu. Cependant, ils l’ont quand même rejeter. Et il n’y a pas d’excuse à cela. Aucune personne qui soit née dans ce monde n’aurait d’excuse de rejeter Christ devant le Trône Blanc du jugement de Dieu – rien à dire, pas d’excuse, pas de justification de soi. Pour quoi? Parce qu’ils ont entendu la vérité et l’ont rejeté.

« Celui qui Me hait, hait aussi Mon Père » (15 :23). Vous ne pouvez connaître Dieu qu’en connaissant et en croyant et en obéissant à Dieu. Si vous haïssez Jésus, vous haïssez le Père aussi. Les Juifs du temps de Jésus disaient que Dieu était leur Père mais, ils ont rejeté Jésus en tant que Fils de Dieu, le Messie. Cela est impossible parce que Jésus est un avec le Père. Vous pouvez revendiquer connaître Dieu, mais si vous rejetez Jésus, vous rejetez Dieu le Père aussi. Ainsi, des gens et des groupes religieux qui disent adorer Dieu mais renient la divinité de Christ, son expiation substitutive pour le péché, sa résurrection d’entre les morts, etc. ne connaissent pas Dieu et ne peuvent pas le connaître.

Ainsi, 1. Il n’y a pas d’excuse pour la haine de Christ, à cause des paroles qu’Il a dites. And, 2. Il n’y a pas d’excuse pour la haine de Christ, à cause des œuvres qu’Il a faits (15:24-25). « Si je n’avais pas fait parmi eux des œuvres que personne d’autre n’a faites, ils n’auraient pas de péché » (15 :24a). Non seulement les paroles de Jésus (15 :22) sont des preuves irréfutables de qui il est, mais ses œuvres le sont aussi. Il est le seul à avoir dit ce qu’il a dit et fait ce qu’il a fait. S’il n’avait pas fait des signes miraculeux qu’il a faits, alors, il dit : “ils n’auraient pas de péché”. Mais Jésus a fait « des œuvres que personne d’autre n’a fait. » et pour cette raison, chacun est responsable de sa réaction à son égard. « Mais maintenant, ils les ont vues, et ils m’ont haï et Moi et Mon Père » (15 :24b). Les gens du temps de Jésus ont montré leur réaction en le rejetant de son vivant et à sa mort. Un tel rejet était inexcusable en ce qui concerne l’identité de Jésus. En le rejetant ils ont rejeté Celui qui l’a envoyé.

Maintenant, ce n’est pas différent aujourd’hui. Nous avons la preuve des paroles et des œuvres de Jésus là, devant nous dans les Ecritures. Ainsi, tout un chacun est responsable de la manière dont il réagit par rapport aux preuves. Ce que nous voyons dans ce passage est que les preuves ne sont pas souvent suffisant pour convaincre certaines personnes de leur péché et de leur besoin d’un Sauveur. Telle est la dureté du cœur humain.

« Mais cela est arrivé afin que s’accomplît la parole qui est écrite dans leur loi : il m’ont haï sans cause » (15 :25). C’est malheureusement la triste vérité – « il m’ont haï sans cause ». Habituellement, les gens nous haïssent sans raison. Mais dans le cas de Jésus, ils l’on haï sans aucune raison. Cela va simplement montrer la dureté et la méchanceté incroyables du cœur humain ! Jésus est venu, faisant du bien aux gens gratuitement. Il a fait du bien à des gens qui ne le connaissaient même pas, guérissant ceux qui étaient malades, nourrissant ceux qui étaient affamés, et ressuscitant certains d’entre les morts. Il est venant déclarant des paroles de grâce et de miséricorde. Il est venu nous faire connaître Dieu.

En le haïssant sans cause, les détracteurs de Jésus accomplissaient deux choses par ignorance : (a) ils étaient responsables de sa mort ; et en même temps (b) ils ont accompli les desseins rédempteurs éternels de Dieu. Dieu a utilisé les actes méchants de l’homme, pour accomplir sa volonté parfaite, de telle sorte que les êtres humains sont responsables de la mort de Jésus, tandis qu’en même temps, par sa mort, Dieu offre la vie éternelle à la race humaine. Cela, c’est l’amour et la grâce merveilleux de Dieu !

Qu’avons-nous appris jusqu’ici ? Premièrement, le monde hait ceux qui suivent Christ (15 :18-20). Deuxièmement, il n’y a pas d’excuse à la haine contre Christ (15 :22-25). Ainsi donc, en tant que des leaders de Christ dans Son église, comment Le servons-nous et témoignons-nous de Lui dans un tel monde rempli de haine ? Bien, voici l’encouragement.

III. Malgre La Haine Du Monde, Nous Pouvons Temoigner De Christ (15 :26-27).

1. Nous pouvons témoigner de Christ par la puissance du Saint Esprit (15 :26). Dans 15 :18-25, Jésus a averti les disciples de la venue de la persécution et expliqué la raison pour laquelle ils seraient persécutes. Maintenant, dans15 :26-27, Jésus exhorte et réconforte les disciples en leur disant d’où viendrait notre source de force pour témoigner de Lui au milieu de l’opposition et de la persécution. Tout comme il leur avait dit au début du chapitre 14, Jésus nous rappelle encore que notre réconfort et notre puissance face à l’opposition, c’est le Saint Esprit. « Quand sera venu le consolateur, que je vous enverrai de la part du Père, l’Esprit de vérité, qui vient du Père, il rendra témoignage de moi » (15 :26). Jésus a promis que lorsqu’il retournerait au ciel, il enverrait « le Consolateur (l’Aide)…de la part du Père. » C’est ce qui, bien sûre, est arrivé à la Pentecôte.

La nature du Saint Esprit est “l’Esprit de vérité” (15 :26b). Tout comme la parole de Dieu est vérité et que Jésus est la vérité, le Saint Esprit est aussi la vérité parce que la Trinité est une. Ainsi, la nature du Saint Esprit est la vérité même et l’œuvre du Saint Esprit c’est de « rendre témoignage de Moi ». C’est là, l’un des rôles primaires du Saint Esprit dans le monde aujourd’hui. « Quand il sera venu, il convaincra le monde en ce qui concerne le péché, la justice et le jugement ». Dans le monde, le Saint Esprit témoigne de la plénitude du péché de la race humaine, de la plénitude de la grâce de Dieu, et de la plénitude de la merveille de la rédemption de Christ. Le Saint Esprit est “l’Esprit de vérité” qui atteste la vérité de Dieu.

Ainsi, 1. Nous pouvons témoigner de Christ par la puissance du Saint Esprit, et 2. Nous pouvons témoigner de Christ à cause de notre relation avec Lui (15 :27). « Et vous aussi, vous rendrez témoignage parce que vous êtes avec moi depuis le commencement » (15 :27). Très tôt, les disciples allaient expérimenter le manque total de témoignage pour Christ lorsqu’ils l’ont tous abandonné et fui. Mais après la venue du Saint Esprit, ils allaient être hardis et remplis de puissance pour être sans crainte. Des hommes qui avaient abandonné Christ par peur allaient bientôt être des hommes courageux, qui rendaient de Christ sans crainte, même jusqu’à la mort à cause de leur relation avec Lui depuis le commencement.

Comme les disciples, parce que nous avons une relation intime avec Christ, nous sommes rendus puissants par le Saint Esprit pour témoigner de la grâce de Dieu sans peur. Nous pouvons rendre témoignage face à la condition morale pitoyable de la race humaine. Nous pouvons rendre témoignage à la grâce salvatrice de Dieu en Christ. Et tout cela au milieu de l’opposition du monde. En tant que dirigeants d’églises, notre responsabilité aujourd’hui, c’est de donner l’exemple de comment témoigner de Christ même dans l’opposition. En tant que des personnes qui suivent Christ, le Saint Esprit demeure en nous et nous sommes placés dans le monde pour rendre témoignage de qui est Jésus, pourquoi il est venu, ce qu’il a fait, où il est maintenant, et son prochain retour. Nous rendons témoignage de lui chaque fois que nous prions pour notre nourriture. Nous rendons témoignage de lui chaque fois que nous disons une parole de la part de Christ aux autres. Nous rendons témoignage de lui quand nous prenons position contre ceux qui rabaissent Christ. Nous rendons témoignage de lui par notre style de vie, nos paroles, nos actions, nos priorités, nos associations, nos habitudes. Tout ce que nous disons ou faisons doit être avec pour but de glorifier Dieu par notre Seigneur Jésus Christ.

Observation Finales

Ce que nous avons appris dans ce passage est que : 1. Le monde hait ceux qui suivent Christ parce qu’il a haï Christ lui-même (15 :18-20) ; 2. Il n’y a pas de haine contre Christ à cause of (a) des paroles qu’il a dites, et (b) des œuvres qu’il a faites (15 :22-25) ; cependant, 3. Malgré la haine du monde, nous pouvons fidèlement témoigner de Christ, (a) à cause de la puissance dont le Saint Esprit nous équipe (15 :26), et (b) à cause de notre relation avec Lui (15 :27). C’est ça notre consolation et notre encouragement.

Que cette parole soit un encouragement et un défi à chacun de nous aujourd’hui, spécialement ceux d’entre nous qui dirigeons et paissons le peuple de Dieu. Jésus a averti que rendre témoignage de lui ne sera pas facile. Et il nous a encouragé et équipé pour le faire malgré la haine du monde. Puissions-nous tenir ferme pour Lui dans un monde qui le hait.

III. Plan Du Message

Titre : Lettres Aux Sept Eglises : Sardes – Le Christianisme Nominal (Rev. 3 :1-6)

Thème : Une église peut entretenir une façade de Chrétienté, même quand elle est sur le point de mourir

Point I : Il y a une différence entre la renommée et la réalité : « Je connais tes œuvres. Je sais que tu passes pour être vivant, mais tu es mort ». (3 :1)

1. Par la renommée (« nom ») cette église était « vivante ».

Point II : Il y a une connivence entre se réveiller et travailler (3 :2)

1. Cette église devait « se réveiller » – et « de veiller »

2. Cette église devait « travailler » – « pour affermir ce qui reste »

Point III : Il y a la nécessité de se souvenir et de se repentir (3 :3-6)

1. Il est nécessaire de se souvenir du passé – « se rappeler de ce que vous avez reçu et entendu » (3 :3a)

2. C’est nécessaire de reconnaître le présent – « garde et repends-toi » (3 :3b)

3. Il est nécessaire de se refocaliser sur l’avenir

a) Beaucoup de dormeurs seront surpris par le jugement de Christ – « Si tu ne veilles pas, je viendrais comme un voleur, et tu ne sauras pas à quelle heure je viendrai sur toi » (3c)

b) Quelques saints seront satisfaits de l’approbation de Christ – « cependant, tu as à Sardes quelques hommes qui n’ont pas souillé leur vêtements » (3 :4a)

A ces saints fidèles, Christ promet…

- « Ils marcheront avec moi en vêtements blancs, parce qu’ils en sont dignes. Celui qui vaincra sera revêtu de vêtements blancs » (3 :4b-5a)

- Je n’effacerai pas son nom du Livre de Vie (3 :5b-c)

Conclusion : « Que celui qui a des oreilles entende ce qui dit l’Esprit aux Eglises » (3 :6).

Related Topics: Pastors

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