MENU

Where the world comes to study the Bible

La Revue Internet Des Pasteurs, Fre Ed 39, Edition du Printemps 2021

A ministry of…

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

I. Renforcement de la Prédication par Exposition
“ Prêcher sur des récits Hébreux ” (Part. 2)

Dans cette édition du Net Pastors Journal, je continue (à partir du sujet 38, Hiver 2021) le sujet de la prédication des récits de l’Ancien Testament (Hébreu). Je vais essayer d’esquisser une approche de la prédication narrative en répondant aux questions : Comment prêchons-nous sur une histoire ? Est-ce que nous racontons simplement l’histoire à nouveau et fait une application à la fin ? Est-ce que nous divisons l’histoire en parties avec des principes pour chaque partie ? L’abordons-nous essentiellement comme une épître du N.T dérivant des principes et des applications générales ?

Dans la prédication des narrations, je dirais que…

1) Nous devons respecter et être sensibles au genre du texte à la fois dans notre exégèse et notre prédication tout en reconnaissant que prêcher un récit n’est pas simplement raconter l’histoire à nouveau avec une certaine application. Le but premier d’une histoire biblique est plutôt de communiquer une théologie. Les histoires bibliques ne sont pas simplement des descriptions ; ils sont également sur ordonnances.

2) Nous devons tirer des principes universels des récits bibliques, tout comme nous le faisons des épîtres du N.T. La différence est que, dans notre style de prédication, nous devons suivre, refléter et respecter la forme de l’histoire du texte. Nous faisons ceci (a) en changeant notre style de prédication pour refléter le genre du récit ; b) en suivant la séquence et la substance de la logique de l’histoire ; c) en modifiant la structure de notre sermon pour qu’elle correspondre au genre du récit.

Nous pouvons en apprendre beaucoup sur la prédication des récits de l’A.T. à partir du livre des Actes. Par exemple, dans Actes 7, Étienne a raconté à nouveau l’histoire de la rédemption de l’A.T. au sujet (1) de la délivrance et de la rédemption du peuple d’alliance par Dieu ; (2) Leur péché et leur rébellion ; suivi de (3) L’application de l’histoire aux auditeur actuels – à savoir qu’eux aussi étaient rebelles, ont résisté à l’Esprit Saint, ont tué le Juste, etc. En fait, l’application de l’histoire de rédemption à eux était si puissante et directe qu’ils ont assassiné Étienne (cf. Paul, Actes 13 :16-41).

Dieu a raconté l’histoire. Notre tâche est d’expliquer ses principes universels, théologiques, et les appliquer à nos auditeurs. Tout comme nous analysons un passage d’une épître pour son principe central et théologique ainsi que ses vérités et applications connexes, nous devrions donc analyser un récit pour sa vérité centrale et théologique et ses applications connexes. Que vous prêchiez des récits ou des épîtres, trouver la vérité centrale suis le même processus. Si raconter à nouveau l’histoire était tout ce qui était nécessaire, vous n’auriez pas eu besoin d’être un théologien pour prêcher. Vous pourriez simplement avoir un narrateur dramatique ou un acteur pour qu’il recrée l’histoire dans un langage et des termes contemporains. Je maintiens que tandis que nous devons raconter à nouveau l’histoire, nous devons aussi éclairer nos auditeurs quant à...

1) Sa signification d’alors et sa signification pour maintenant (combler le fossé historique).

2) Ce que sont ses vérités théologiques.

3) Ce que sont ses implications et applications pour notre vie chrétienne.

Cela nécessite à la fois de raconter l’histoire à nouveau (afin qu’elle soit vivante pour les auditeurs d’aujourd’hui) et d’exposer et appliquer sa vérité centrale et propositionnelle. Ce processus est donc didactique et propositionnel, tout comme il l’est lorsque nous prêchons des épîtres. Une différence entre prêcher des épîtres et des récits est qu’avec les épîtres vous analysez et prêchez des paragraphes, tandis qu’avec les récits vous prêchez des « scènes ». Les scènes reflètent le mouvement de l’histoire et chaque scène doit être interprétée à la lumière de toute l’histoire, parce que c’est toute l’histoire révèle sa vérité centrale et globale.

A. Une Procédure Pour L’étude D’un Récit

Comme pour tout autre texte de sermon, le but est de déterminer ce que le récit révèle sur Dieu (sa nature, sa volonté, ses voies, etc.). La première étape est...

1. L’Investigation.

a) Déterminer où l’histoire commence et où elle se termine. C’est une sous-histoire, déterminer où elle s’inscrit dans l’histoire plus grande. Recueillir des données à partir du contexte (c.-à-d. les récits et descriptions environnants). Découvrez l’intrigue. Quelles sont les séquences des événements qui se déroulent dans l’histoire ? Y a-t-il un renversement au cours de l’histoire ? Si oui, où et pourquoi ?

b) Identifier la structure textuelle en divisant l’histoire en scènes. Examiner les scènes et les images de chaque scène. Faites un graphique pour chaque paragraphe ou scène, en notant les observations exégétiques, les questions, etc. liées à chaque scène.

c) Noter comment l’histoire se déroule scène par scène. Souvent, le contexte est donné en premier, suivi des actions scène après scène. L’action expose généralement un dilemme (conflit, tension) qui conduit à un point culminant (comment ce dilemme va-t-il être résolu ?). Ensuite la résolution du dilemme et de la conclusion. Toutes les histoires impliquent un certain point de tension qui conduit à un point culminant. Par conséquent, à mesure que les événements se déroulent, assurez-vous d’identifier le point culminant et de répondre aux questions suivantes : Comment la tension est-elle résolue ? Quelle est la conclusion ? C’est l’aspect dynamique des histoires.

d) Examiner les personnages. Notez comment les personnages réagissent et agissent au fur et à mesure que l’histoire progresse. Identifier leurs forces et faiblesses et leur rôle dans le drame (par exemple la star de l’histoire, l’antagoniste, le protagoniste, un spectateur, etc.).

e) Analyser tous les discours ou les pensées. La vérité centrale s’exprime-t-elle par le discours ou les pensées ? Particulièrement, identifier les déclarations faites par le narrateur. Souvent, sans ces déclarations, l’histoire n’aurait pas de sens parce que les motifs, les actions cachées, et autres ne seraient pas connus. Rappelez-vous, le narrateur est omniscient - il connaît les pensées, les conversations intimes et privées, les événements cachés, même la pensée de Dieu. Ces déclarations sont vraiment l’entrée de Dieu dans l’histoire en tant que narrateur ultime - par exemple : « La chose que David avait faite a déplu à l’ÉTERNEL » (2 Sam. 11 :27b).

f) Identifier les différents structures et dispositifs littéraires utilisés. Par exemple, est-ce que c’est écrit à la troisième ou à la première personne ? L’accent est-il mis sur l’intrigue ou sur le développement des personnages ? Y a-t-il du chiasme, de la répétition, des contrastes, du parallélisme, etc. ? Si tel est le cas, comment ces dispositifs littéraires ajoutent-ils à l’histoire ?

2. Déterminer la Vérité Théologique Centrale

Après avoir analysé et résumé l’histoire comme je l’ai décrit ci-dessus, vous devriez être en mesure de déterminer a) le sujet de l’histoire globale ; et b) ce que dit l’auteur sur ce sujet. Le sujet de l’histoire est la vérité théologique centrale que l’histoire communique. Ce que l’auteur dit sur le sujet constitue les principaux points (ou, les sections scène par scène sections) de votre sermon.

La tâche suivante consiste à écrire la vérité théologique centrale (parfois appelée « grande idée » ou « idée exégétique »). Une façon d’aborder cette question est de commencer par un seul mot qui capture le sujet du passage et de formuler la question sur ce sujet que l’auteur semble répondre. Ensuite, écrivez la réponse globale à cette question.

Une fois que vous avez fait cela, résumez simplement l’histoire en une seule phrase descriptive qui énonce succinctement la réponse que vous avez eue ci-dessus. Cette affirmation devient la vérité centrale du sermon – c’est-à-dire le résumé de votre sermon énoncé dans une phrase.

B. Un Model Pour La Construction D’un Sermon Narratif

Voici la procédure que je suis généralement. J’essaie de combiner l’esquisse de mon sermon théologiquement concentré avec la redite de l’histoire, en faisant une application pendant et / ou à la fin de chaque scène. C’est vraiment le modèle identique que j’utilise pour prêcher des épîtres, sauf qu’au lieu d’expliquer la doctrine dans l’épître, j’explique la ligne théologique de l’histoire dans le récit.

1. L’Introduction du Sermon

Dans l’introduction, il faut inclure n’importe quel fond et tout autre matériel nécessaire pour situer l’histoire dans son contexte et expliquer les termes anciens ou les pratiques culturelles.

Comme je l’ai mentionné plus haut, il est important d’énoncer votre sermon en une phrase dans l’introduction pour que votre auditoire connaisse le point théologique premier du récit, un point que vous allez démontrer dans votre sermon. Essayez d’énoncer cette vérité de telle sorte qu’elle reflète l’exactitude historique et l’intention littéraire de l’histoire, tout en utilisant des termes qui créent une proposition théologique intemporelle.

Lorsque le sermon est correctement énoncé, vous aurez un concept théologique permanent qui est vrai pour le peuple de Dieu en tout moment et en tout lieu. Cela devient votre idée de prédication qui régit la façon dont vous présentez le reste du matériel. L’idée de prédication est la réponse à un besoin, un problème ou une difficulté spécifique dans la vie.

La tâche de prédication est de décrire pour votre auditoire (1) comment les gens sont liés dans le récit, comment ils interagissent, et luttent avec des besoins spirituels, des problèmes, des maladies, etc. ; (2) que leurs luttes étaient les mêmes que les nôtres ; et (3) que leur solution est notre solution.

2. Le Corps du Sermon

Racontez l’histoire scène par scène à nouveau. C’est là que vous montrez comment le point théologique est tiré de l’histoire.

a) Créez une esquisse de sermon théologiquement orienté qui reflète le déroulement de l’histoire.

Chaque récit a une structure clairement définie. Ce n’est parce que c’est un récit que ça n’a pas de structure. Il y a du mouvement dans chaque histoire, scène par scène. C’est sa structure. Une de vos premières tâches est de trouver la structure textuelle, tout comme vous le feriez dans n’importe quel autre genre de la Bible.

Pour ce faire, élaborez un plan qui suit les scènes de l’histoire (leur mouvement, flux de pensée). Les plans de récits sont comme des symphonies musicales - une pièce avec plusieurs mouvements. Les changements de scène sont votre clé pour passer à la section suivante dans votre plan de sermon. Chaque scène du récit que vous découvrez dans votre investigation doit avoir un point théologique (c’est-à-dire une déclaration d’une vérité ou d’un principe universel). Pour découvrir ces déclarations, posez-vous la question...

1) Qu’est-ce que cette scène nous dit sur Dieu (ses voies, ses desseins, ses jugements, etc.) ?

2) Que nous dit cette scène sur nous-mêmes (notre relation à Dieu, notre condition spirituelle, etc.) ?

Lorsque les réponses à ces questions, sont énoncées comme une phrase complète, elles formeront vos déclarations de principe théologique scène par scène. Assurez-vous seulement que chaque déclaration théologiquement ciblée et universellement vraie pour chaque scène se rapporte à et développe la vérité théologique globale de toute l’histoire - c’est-à-dire votre « sermon-en-une-phrase » qui est généralement énoncé dans votre introduction.

Ne créez pas un plan artificiel dans lequel les points reflètent la description scène par scène, mais ne reflètent pas le flux et le développement du point théologique de l’histoire. Créez plutôt un contour théologiquement orienté, qui se compose de déclarations de principe qui, non seulement suivent le flux de l’histoire, mais reflètent également le message de l’histoire. En indiquant vos titres scène par scène comme des principes théologiquement ciblés, vous développez les points du plan de votre sermon d’une manière qui est compatible et respectueux du point théologique global et de l’intention du récit.

Parfois, il est utile de mélanger des descriptions scène par scène avec des déclarations des vérités universelles théologiquement axées pour ces scènes. Non seulement, cette approche décompose l’histoire pour votre auditoire et la rend plus facile à saisir pour eux, mais intègre l’histoire avec les principes. Pour illustrer ce que je veux dire, voici un exemple que j’ai développé à partir de Genèse 21 :9-21 ...

La vérité universelle du passage : « Dans la providence divine, le problème précède souvent le triomphe. »

Gen. 21 :9-10. Le ressentiment de Sarah (description de la scène) : Le problème trouve souvent sa source dans nos mauvaises attitudes (vérité universelle).

Gen. 21 : 11-14a. La situation difficile d’Abraham (description de la scène) : Le problème trouve souvent sa source dans nos mauvaises décisions (vérité universelle).

Général 21 :14b-16. Le bannissement d’Agar (description de la scène) : Le problème trouve souvent sa source dans nos mauvaises circonstances (vérité universelle).

Général 21 :17-21. L’intervention de Dieu (description de scène) : Le problème trouve toujours sa solution dans la bonté de Dieu (vérité universelle).

Parfois (comme dans cet exemple) il m’arrive d’utiliser la description de la scène comme mon paragraphe (scène), l’intitulation et énonce de la vérité universelle (principe) comme ma mon intitulation d’application. En d’autres termes, j’ai deux titres dans chaque scène, l’un qui décrit l’action de la scène et l’autre qui décrit le principe dérivé de l’action dans la scène. Ce que cela fait est de donner à l’auditoire une direction claire à travers l’histoire par le biais de titres de scène descriptifs ainsi que des principes clairs qui s’appliquent à nous aujourd’hui par le biais de titres d’application. L’un coule alors de l’autre naturellement pendant que vous prêchez à travers chaque scène.

Ainsi, dans Genèse 21 :11-14a par exemple, le titre de mon action (scène) est : « La situation difficile d’Abraham » (c’est-à-dire ce qu’il faut faire avec Agar et Ismaël en réponse à la plainte de Sarah). Et mon principe universel théologiquement axé que j’énonce dans mon application est la suivante : « Les problèmes trouvent souvent leur source dans nos mauvaises décisions » (ou « les décisions à court terme produisent parfois des difficultés à long terme ») – c’est la leçon pour nous.

Vous pouvez vous prémunir contre les structures artificielles dans les plans de sermons narratifs...

1) En n’imposant pas des « points » au le sermon, faisant ainsi résonner le récit comme un manuel scientifique.

2) En vous assurant que vos principes viennent naturellement du récit.

3) En formulant vos principes comme des déclarations théologiques pour chaque scène, tout comme vous le feriez pour tout autre genre littéraire.

Assurez-vous que le plan de votre sermon est fidèle au récit en...

1) Suivant le développement du récit ;

2) Exposant le conflit, la complication / la tension, l’apogée, la résolution et la conclusion du récit ; et

3) Prouvant le point théologique du récit.

b) Faites vos demandes pendant ou à la fin de chaque scène.

De cette façon, chaque scène de l’histoire est directement liée à la vie de votre auditoire. Mais vous devez être prudent, lorsque vous prêchez sur un récit de l’A.T., pour ne pas faire automatiquement un transfert direct de la ligne de l’histoire à votre auditoire contemporain. Ce n’est pas parce qu’ils ont fait quelque chose à l’époque que nous devrions le faire maintenant. C’est très facile, lors de la prédication d’un récit A.T., de tomber dans le piège soit de moraliser l’histoire (de sorte que vous finissiez par dire à votre auditoire que parce que tel et tel ont fait tant, ils devraient de même), ou d’allégoriser l’histoire (de sorte que les réalités physiques prennent des significations spirituelles et des sens cachés). Pour vous prémunir contre cela, vous devez être sûr d’appliquer le point théologique du texte plutôt que la ligne de l’histoire directe elle-même.

3. Remarques Finales du Sermon

Assurez-vous que le remède au problème a été clairement énoncé. Résumez les implications de l’acceptation ou du rejet de ce remède - montrez comment l’acceptation apporte la bénédiction spirituelle, tandis que le rejet apporte plus des maladies, de déclin et de distance spirituels. Invitez le public à choisir la bénédiction (santé, vie) plutôt que le jugement (maladie, mort) – c’est-à-dire d’appeler à une réponse.

C. Quelques Commentaires Sur La Prédication De Recit De Cette Façon

1. Prêcher les récits de cette façon permet à vos auditeurs ...

a) de sentir l’histoire comme un drame.

b) de saisir l’idée théologique (que leur lecture superficielle n’exposerait pas).

c) de comprendre les implications pour leur vie.

d) de répondre à vos applications de l’histoire à leur vie contemporaine.

2. Prêcher un récit de cette manière assure que …

a) Vous avez été fidèle à la forme du récit.

b) Vous avez fait sortir l’idée théologique durable de l’histoire.

c) Vous avez montré aux gens comment l’histoire ancienne se rapporte à la vie contemporaine.

d) Vous avez forcé les gens à lutter avec la tension et la complication de l’histoire.

e) Vous les avez forcés à envisager la résolution (remède) pour leur propre vie.

II. Renforcement du Leadership Biblique

« La motivation pour le ministère, Part. 3 : l’amour de Christ » (2 Co. 5 :14-17)

In 2 Corinthians Paul develops the topic of ministry and biblical leadership, which, a few years ago, I began to explore in this journal as follows…

1. Confiance dans le ministère - Direction et provision de Dieu (2 Co. 2 :14-3 :6, Printemps 2013)

2. La nature du ministère authentique :

Part. 1, La nature du message – il ne s’agit pas de nous ; il s’agit de Lui (2 Cor. 4 :1-6, Été 2012).

Part. 2, La nature de la vie chrétienne– pouvoir dans la faiblesse (2 Co. 4 :7-16, Été 2013).

3. La motivation du ministère :

Part. 1, Notre transformation future (2 Co. 4 :16-5 :9, Automne 2013).

Part. 2, Notre responsabilité envers Dieu (2 Co. 5 :10-13, Hiver 2014).

Dans ce numéro, je voudrais poursuivre mon exploration de l’exposition de Paul sur « La motivation pour le ministère » - Part. 3, l’amour sacrificiel du Christ (2 Co. 5 :14-17).

L’amour sacrificiel du Christ, qui a été le plus pleinement révélé dans son expiation de substitution, nous oblige à le servir. Essentiellement, le point de Paul ici est que Christ est mort pour nous, par conséquent, nous le servons (pas nous-mêmes), en particulier en prêchant un message de réconciliation.

Ayant établi une motivation prospective pour le ministère (responsabilité envers Dieu) dans 2 Co. 5 :10-13, Paul établit maintenant une motivation rétrospective pour le ministère, l’amour du Christ (2 Co. 5 :14-17). En effet, insiste-t-il, « car l’amour du Christ nous presse » (5 :14a). La motivation primordiale dans la vie du ministre authentique est l’amour du Christ. Pour Paul, peu importe que certains pensaient qu’il était fou (2 Co. 5 :13). Tout ce qu’il a fait et enduré était motivé par l’amour du Christ. Et ce même amour « nous presse » en ce qu’il définit les paramètres de notre ministère. C’est l’effet pratique de l’amour du Christ pour nous et en nous - il nous amène à faire ce que nous faisons pour lui dans notre ministère.

Quel est donc la nature de l’amour du Christ qui nous presse ainsi ? « Car l’amour de Christ nous presse, parce que nous estimons que, si un seul est mort pour tous, tous donc sont morts ; et qu’il est mort pour tous, afin que ceux qui vivent ne vivent plus pour eux-mêmes, mais pour celui qui est mort et ressuscité pour eux ».

Le contexte de ce paragraphe est le suivant : parce que nous comprenons la « crainte du Seigneur » dans le jugement à venir, « nous persuadons les autres » (5 :11) de croire à la vérité réconciliatrice de l’Évangile (5 :19-20). Et la motivation d’un tel message et d’un tel ministère est l’amour irrésistible et pressant de Christ (5 :14-15).

Le principe est le suivant : La mort d’une personne (qui ne méritait pas de mourir parce qu’Il était sans péché) pour les autres (qui méritaient de mourir parce qu’ils sont pécheurs) fait que tout le groupe (le « tous » pour qui il est mort) est mort aussi, parce que Celui qui est sans péché est mort à leur place, payant la peine pour leurs péchés.

L’application est la suivante : La nature et l’étendue de l’amour du Christ (comme démontré dans sa mort expiatoire) nous motive à faire ce que nous faisons dans le ministère chrétien. Il est facile de se laisser distraire par le débat théologique sur la nature et l’étendue de l’expiation dans ces versets et de manquer l’application dans l’argument de Paul. Certainement, ces versets nous en disent long sur la nature et l’étendue de l’expiation - j’en discuterai ci-dessous - mais Paul applique principalement l’amour sacrificiel du Christ, qui l’a motivé à mourir pour nous, à notre motivation pour Le servir.

Paul énonce alors deux conclusions universelles (2 Co. 5 :14-15) ...

La première conclusion universelle de la mort du Christ est que tous sont morts. « Nous estimons que, si un seul est mort pour tous, tous donc sont morts ; » (5 :14). Parce que Christ est mort pour toute l’humanité, alors toute l’humanité est morte en principe. Nous pouvons facilement comprendre que Christ est mort pour tous, puisque ce concept est soutenu ailleurs dans les Écritures. Mais que veut-il dire par « tous sont donc morts » (5 :14b) ? De toute évidence, d’une certaine façon la mort du Christ impliquait la mort de tout le monde. Comme le dit R.V.G. Tasker: « La mort du Christ était la mort de tous, en ce sens qu’Il est mort de la mort qu’ils auraient dû mourir; la peine de leurs péchés a été supportée par Lui (1 Co. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5 :20) ; Il mourut à leur place » (Tasker, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, TNTC, Eerdmans, 1958, p. 86). Il est mort pour tout le monde - qu’ils le reçoivent ou le rejettent est une autre affaire. La peine pour leurs péchés a été payée par sa mort. Il est mort de la mort qu’ils méritaient. Par conséquent, en principe, « tous sont morts ». C’est la conclusion que Paul fait ici - la mort d’un au nom d’un groupe en déduit que le groupe (par celui qui est mort) est également mort. Il s’agit d’une simple déclaration du statut de chaque être humain dans la mort sacrificielle du Christ sur la croix - Il est mort pour eux, donc ils sont tous morts. La peine a été payée pour tous.

En disant cela, Paul ne préconise pas le salut universel (puisque clairement tous n’ont pas la vie spirituelle), mais il préconise la fourniture et la disponibilité universelle du salut par la mort du Christ. Parce qu’il est mort de leur mort, ils sont morts, en principe, et par la foi en lui, ils peuvent se tourner vers Lui s’ils le choisissaient – c’est-à-dire la mort du Christ en leur nom a permis à toute l’humanité d’être sauvée, mais seulement ceux qui croient sont réellement sauvés. Christ est mort au nom et pour le bénéfice de toute l’humanité - c’est en effet la vérité centrale de l’Évangile (cf. Col. 1 :20 ; Rom. 8 :32).

Ainsi, la première conclusion universelle de la mort du Christ est que « tous sont morts ».

La deuxième conclusion universelle de la mort du Christ est que certains vivent, pas tous. « Il est mort pour tous, pour que ceux qui vivent ne vivent plus pour eux-mêmes, mais pour celui qui est mort pour eux et a été élevé » (5 :15). « Ceux qui vivent » sont clairement une catégorie différente de personnes du « tous » pour qui Christ est mort (5 :14b). Comme le dit Robert L. Dabney : « Si nous faisons tout pour ceux pour qui Christ est mort ne signifient que tous ceux qui vivent pour Lui – c’est-à-dire les élus – il semblerait implicite que de ceux qui sont élus pour qui Christ est mort, seule une partie vivra au Christ » (Dabney, Lectures, p. 525). Bonne observation!

L’effet de la mort du Christ en « ceux qui vivent » (c’est-à-dire les croyants, les élus) est leur transformation morale et leur renouveau. Ce n’est pas tout le monde qui a subi une telle transformation morale, ce sont seulement les chrétiens à cause de leur nouvelle vie en Christ. La mort du Christ devient efficace pour eux seulement (pas pour tous) en raison de leur foi en Christ, dont le résultat est une nouvelle motivation dans la vie, un nouveau mode de vie. Le but de la mort du Christ était que ceux qui croient (ceux qui sont morts à la chair à cause de sa mort réelle pour eux) aient une vie moralement renouvelée ; une vie avec but moral et la motivation nouveaux. Ainsi, « ceux qui vivent » sont les croyants seulement qui, comme conséquence de la mort du Christ pour eux et de leur croyance en Lui, « ne vivent plus pour eux-mêmes mais pour lui » (ce qui ne peut être dit des incroyants) « qui, pour leur bien, sont morts et ont été élevés ». En conséquence, ils sont des nouvelles créations dans le Christ (5 :17).

En somme, ce que Paul dit, c’est que sur la base de la mort de substitution de Christ pour nous (5 :14b), et de notre acceptation de sa mort comme paiement de nos péchés, les chrétiens ont une motivation de vie complètement différente de celle que nous avions auparavant - à savoir, ne pas vivre pour nous-mêmes, mais vivre pour celui qui est mort et ressuscité pour nous (5 :15). Ainsi, l’application de cette vérité par Paul est claire et simple - puisque Christ est mort pour tout le monde sans exception et puis qu’il a aimé tout le monde d’amour désintéressé, alors notre motivation dans le ministère chrétien est de prêcher l’Évangile de Christ à tous sans exception par un amour désintéressé. Toutefois, tout le monde n’acceptera pas son offre de salut, mais ceux qui le font (« ceux qui vivent », 5 :15a) reçoivent une nouvelle vie en Christ et vivent à partir de là pour Lui. Par conséquent, l’amour du Christ est la base contraignante de la manière dont nous devrions maintenant vivre nos vies pour Lui et, ainsi mener notre ministère. Tout comme Christ a donné sa vie pour nous, alors nous donnons maintenant nos vies pour Lui. Son amour pour nous doit être reflété dans notre amour pour les autres, en particulier en partageant le « ministère de la réconciliation » (5 :18-21), l’Évangile. Parce que nous vivons en Lui, nous sommes des « ambassadeurs pour Christ » (5 :20).

Ainsi, la nature et l’étendue de l’expiation est certainement la base de l’argument de Paul ici, mais nous ne devrions pas devenir si absorbés par ce débat que nous perdons de vue le point global et primaire de Paul. Nous ne servons pas dans le ministère pour des motifs égoïstes, mais uniquement pour Lui, pour être ses ambassadeurs sur terre.

En conséquence de la mort du Christ pour moi, je vis maintenant en et pour Lui et, ainsi conséquent, le comportement, le but et l’activité de ma vie changent. Cet enseignement est cohérent avec tout l’enseignement scripturaire sur la vie chrétienne - c’est une vie échangée (Gal. 2 :20), l’ancien moi est mis à mort et le nouveau moi vit pour Christ (Gal. 5 :24 ; Eph. 4 :17ff.). La nôtre est une vie radicalement différente de celle d’avant. Au lieu de vivre une vie égoïste (Ep. 2 :1-3 ; 4 :17-19), nous vivons une vie centrée sur Christ (Ep. 2 :4-10 ; 4 :20ss.). Ainsi, nous qui sommes morts et ressuscités avec Christ, nous ne sommes non seulement capables, mais, plus particulièrement appelés à prêcher le message de réconciliation (5 :18-21), qui est évident et puissant dans nos propres vies. Nous sommes appelés à vivre une vie renouvelée à travers notre ministère authentique, motivé par (1) la puissance du message en contraste avec la faiblesse du messager (4 :7) ; (2) l’examen de Dieu sur notre ministère (5 :10-13) ; et (3) l’amour du Christ (5 :14-17).

A partir de son argument (5 :14-15), Paul énonce deux conséquences (5 :16-17).

Conséquence #1 : « Dès de maintenant (à partir du moment où il a commencé à vivre pour le Christ et non pour soi-même), par conséquent, (la première conséquence) « nous ne considérons personne selon la chair » (5 :16a). Paul n’évalue plus ni ne valorise plus les gens en fonction des apparences extérieures, ni des normes et des relations subjectives, superficielles, humaines (p. ex. richesses, race, position, etc. ; cf. Gal. 3 :28). Au contraire, son estimation et sa relation avec les autres sont fondées sur les valeurs spirituelles d’un homme dont l’esprit est renouvelé, de sorte que ses frères et sœurs ne sont pas ceux de la famille naturelle, mais de la famille spirituelle (cf. Matt. 12 :46ss.). Il ne se rapporte plus aux gens à un niveau charnel, mais il voit les autres différemment maintenant, non pas selon la chair, mais comme de « nouvelles créatures en Christ » (5 :17).

« Si nous avons connu Christ selon la chair, maintenant nous ne le connaissons plus de cette manière. » (5 :16b). La connaissance du Christ par Paul avant sa conversion était « selon la chair » - basée sur un esprit charnel mal informé, mal conçu et simplement humain. Mais par la suite, sa relation avec Christ était totalement différente. Il ne l’estimait plus d’un point de vue extérieur et humain, mais pour qui Christ est vraiment, Celui qu’il connaît par l’Esprit qui habite en lui. Christ ne peut pas être véritablement connu « selon la chair » (c’est-à-dire avec l’esprit charnel, basé sur les valeurs humaines). C’est pourquoi les gens non régénérés arrivent à de fausses conclusions à son sujet. Il faut une expérience de conversion à travers l’Esprit pour le connaître, et donc pour l’appréhender comme Dieu et Rédempteur. Beaucoup de ceux qui connaissaient le Christ « selon la chair » ne le connaissaient pas à travers l’Esprit, qui seul éclaire notre compréhension de qui Il est. « Paul, comme Pierre et Thomas, a dû apprendre que ce n’est pas le fait d’avoir vu le Christ, ni avoir une certaine connaissance sur Lui qui compte, mais que ce qui compte c’est de l’aimer et de croire en Lui (1 Pet. 1 :8 ; Jn. 20 :29) » (Philip E. Hughes, La Deuxième Épître aux Corinthiens, 201).

Conséquence #2. « Pour ce faire » (une autre conséquence de 5 :14-15) non seulement il ne considère plus personne selon la chair (y compris le Christ lui-même), mais « si quelqu’un est en Christ », il le considère comme « une nouvelle créature » (5 :17a) car c’est ce qu’ils sont vraiment. Toute personne née d’en haut est « en Christ » et a donc une nouvelle identité, de nouvelles relations, une nouvelle famille, de nouvelles valeurs, de nouveaux objectifs. Il ou elle est considéré(e) comme « en Christ » pas « selon la chair » - quand nous les voyons, nous voyons Christ, pas l’extérieur, la chair pécheresse.

Être « en Christ » implique la sécurité (aujourd’hui et à l’avenir), l’identité, la relation, la nature divine, une « nouvelle créature » complète (cf. Ep. 2 :10 ; 4 :24). « L’ancien (la personne dans la chair, la vieille nature avec toute sa prédisposition au péché, etc.) est mort (a péri ; disparu dans l’histoire) ; voici (soudaineté, surprise et grande joie) le nouveau est venu » (5 :17b). Nous sommes de nouvelles créatures ayant la vie éternelle, tout cela à cause de qui nous sommes « en Christ ». Et ce qui a été fait en nous (qui sera finalisé lorsque nous serons glorifiés) est une anticipation et une garantie de la récréation de toutes choses.

III. Plan de Sermon

Titre : Lettres aux sept Églises – Fidélité au Christ (Rév. 3 :7-13)

Thème : Si vous êtes fidèle au Christ, Il transformera votre faiblesse en un pilier de force.

Point 1 : Christ nous encourage avec Sa puissance souveraine (3 :8-11)

1a) Il contrôle souverainement notre accès à lui (3 :8)

1b) Il endigue souverainement toute opposition à lui (3 :9)

1c) Il nous préserve souverainement de juger par lui (3 :10-11)

Point 2 : Christ nous encourage avec Sa promesse souveraine (3 :12-13)

2a) À ceux qui sont faibles, il promet une force divine (3:12a)

2b) À ceux qui sont fidèles, Il promet un nom divin (3 :12b)

Conclusion : « Il a une oreille qu’il entende ce que l’Esprit dit aux Églises » (3:13)

Related Topics: Pastors

Jurnalul Electronic Al Păstorilor, Rom Ed 39, Editia de primăvară 2021

A ministry of…

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

I. Consolidarea Predicării Expozitive
„Predicarea din narațiunile istorice ebraice” (Partea a 2-a)

În prezenta ediție a acestui jurnal, voi continua (din nr. 38, ediția de iarnă 2021) subiectul predicării din narațiunile istorice (ebraice) din Vechiul Testament. Voi încerca să schițez un mod de abordare a predicării din narațiunile istorice, răspunzând la următoarele întrebări: Cum predicăm dintr-o narațiune? Repovestim textul pur și simplu și facem o aplicație la final? Împărțim narațiunea în secțiuni și extragem principii din fiecare secțiune în parte? Sau abordăm textul narativ ca pe o epistolă nou-testamentară și extragem din el principii și aplicații?

Când predicăm dintr-o narațiune, aș sugera că…

1) Trebuie să respectăm și să fim atenți la genul literar al textului atât când facem exegeza, cât și în predicare însă, în același timp, trebuie să înțelegem că predicarea unei narațiuni nu este o simplă repovestire a textului, la care mai adăugăm niște aplicații. Mai degrabă, scopul principal al unei istorisiri biblice este să comunice teologie. Istorisirile biblice nu sunt simple descrieri; ele sunt și prescrieri.

2) Trebuie să deducem principii universal valabile din textele narative biblice, așa cum facem și din epistolele Noului Testament. Diferența este că, în predicarea noastră, trebuie să urmăm, să reflectăm și să respectăm forma de povestire a textului. Pentru asta, trebuie (a) să ne schimbăm stilul de predicare în așa fel încât să reflecte genul narativ; (b) să urmăm succesiunea evenimentelor și esența povestirii; și (c) să modificăm structura schiței de predică pentru a corespunde cu genul narativ.

Putem învăța multe lucruri despre predicarea din narațiunile Vechiului Testament din cartea Faptele Apostolilor. De exemplu, în Fapte 7, Ștefan repovestește istorisirea răscumpărătoare (1) a eliberării și răscumpărării poporului legământului de către Dumnezeu; (2) a păcătoșeniei și răzvrătirii poporului; urmată de (3) aplicarea povestirii la ascultători – adică Ștefan le spune că și ei erau răzvrătiți, că se împotriveau Duhului Sfânt, că L-au omorât pe Cel neprihănit etc. De fapt, aplicarea la ascultători a istorisirii răscumpărătoare a fost atât de puternică și de directă, încât aceștia l-au ucis pe Ștefan (cf. lui Pavel, Fapte 13:16-41).

Dumnezeu a spus povestea. Sarcina noastră este să explicăm principiile sale universale, teologice și eterne și să le aplicăm la ascultătorii noștri. Așa cum analizăm un pasaj dintr-o epistolă pentru a afla principiul său teologic central și adevărurile înrudite cu el, precum și aplicațiile sale actuale, în același fel trebuie să analizăm o narațiune pentru a afla adevărul său teologic central și aplicațiile ce decurg din el. Pentru aflarea adevărului central folosim același procedeu atât în cazul narațiunilor, cât și în cazul epistolelor. N-ar fi fost nevoie să fii teolog dacă trebuia doar să repovestești narațiunea. Era suficient un povestitor sau un actor pentru a pune în scenă povestirea în termeni și limbaj contemporan. Sunt de părere că, în timp ce repovestim narațiunea, trebuie să îi ajutăm pe ascultători să înțeleagă…

1) Ce a însemnat atunci și ce înseamnă acum (făcând legătura între narațiune și noi, cei de astăzi).

2) Care sunt adevărurile sale teologice.

3) Care sunt implicațiile și aplicațiile pentru noi, creștinii.

Pentru aceasta este necesară atât repovestirea narațiunii (pentru ca aceasta să prindă viață pentru ascultătorii de astăzi), cât și explicarea și aplicarea principiului său central. Acest proces este, așadar, didactic și teoretic, este același proces ca și cel folosit în predicarea epistolelor. O diferență care apare între predicarea din epistole și predicarea dintr-un text narativ este că, în cazul epistolelor, analizăm și predicăm paragrafe, pe când în cazul narațiunilor predicăm „scene.” Scenele reflectă mișcarea ce are loc în cadrul povestirii și fiecare scenă trebuie interpretată în lumina întregii povestiri, pentru că povestirea în ansamblul ei revelează adevărul central, preponderent.

A. O Metodă Pentru Studierea Unui Text Narativ

Ca și în cazul altor texte de predică, scopul este să aflăm ce ne descoperă textul narativ despre Dumnezeu (despre natura Sa, voința Sa, căile Sale etc.). Primul pas este…

1. Explorarea textului.

a) Stabilește unde începe și unde se termină povestirea. Dacă este o povestire mai mică ce face parte dintr-una mai mare, stabilește unde se încadrează în povestirea mai mare. Adună date din context (i.e. descrierile și narațiunile din contextul mai larg). Descoperă intriga. Care este succesiunea evenimentelor ce se desfășoară în povestire? Are loc o schimbare majoră în cursul povestirii? Dacă da, unde și de ce?

b) Identifică structura textului, împărțind povestirea în scene/episoade. Analizează scenele și imaginile din fiecare scenă. Fă o hartă pentru fiecare paragraf sau scenă, notând observațiile exegetice, întrebările etc. legate de fiecare scenă.

c) Observă cum se desfășoară povestirea scenă cu scenă. Adesea ne este prezentat contextul prima dată, iar apoi se desfășoară acțiunea scenă cu scenă. Acțiunea expune, de obicei, o dilemă (un conflict, o tensiune) care duce la un punct culminant (cum va fi rezolvată dilema aceasta?). Apoi vine deznodământul dilemei și concluzia. Toate povestirile au un punct culminant care duce la un deznodământ. Așadar, în cursul desfășurării evenimentelor, identifică punctul culminant și răspunde la întrebările: Cum se rezolvă conflictul? Care este concluzia? Acesta este aspectul dinamic al povestirilor.

d) Analizează personajele. Observă cum acționează și reacționează personajele de-a lungul povestirii. Identifică punctele lor tari și pe cele slabe, precum și rolul lor în povestire (ex. personajul principal, adversarul personajului principal, protagonistul povestirii, un spectator etc.).

e) Analizează cuvintele și gândurile. Adevărul central al povestirii este exprimat prin cuvinte sau prin gânduri? Identifică, în special, afirmațiile făcute de narator. Fără aceste afirmații, povestirea adesea nu ar avea sens, pentru că nu am cunoaște motivele, acțiunile ascunse și altele asemenea. Nu uita că naratorul este omniscient – el cunoaște gândurile, conversațiile intime și private, evenimentele ascunse, și cunoaște până și gândurile lui Dumnezeu. Aceste afirmații reprezintă pătrunderea lui Dumnezeu în povestire, pentru că El este adevăratul povestitor – ex. „Fapta lui David n-a plăcut Domnului” (2 Sam. 11:27b).

f) Identifică diferitele structuri literare și figuri de stil folosire în narațiune. De exemplu, povestirea este scrisă la persoana a treia sau la persoana întâi? Accentul cade pe acțiune sau pe dezvoltarea caracterului? Există chiasme, repetiții, contraste, paralelisme etc.? Dacă da, care este rolul acestor figuri de stil în povestire?

2. Stabilește care este adevărul teologic central

După analizarea și rezumarea povestirii așa cum am arătat mai sus, ar trebui să poți stabili (a) subiectul povestirii; și (b) ce spune autorul despre acel subiect. Subiectul povestirii este adevărul teologic central pe care povestirea îl transmite. Ceea ce autorul spune despre subiect constituie punctele principale (sau secțiunile povestirii) ale predicii.

Următorul pas este să scrii adevărul teologic central (numit uneori și „ideea principală” sau „ideea exegetică”). O modalitate în care poți să faci lucrul acesta este să începi cu un singur cuvânt care surprinde subiectul pasajului și să formulezi întrebarea la care autorul pare să răspundă cu privire la acel subiect. Apoi, scrie un răspuns cuprinzător la acea întrebare.

După ce ai făcut lucrul acesta, rezumă povestirea într-o singură frază descriptivă ce prezintă succint răspunsul la care ai ajuns mai sus. Această afirmație devine adevărul central al predicii – i.e. rezumatul predicii într-o singură frază.

B. Un Model Pentru Alcătuirea Unei Predici Narative

Eu procedez cam așa, de obicei. Încerc să împletesc schița mea teologică cu repovestirea textului, făcând aplicații în timpul și / sau la sfârșitul fiecărei scene. Același model îl folosesc și pentru predicarea din epistole, doar că aici, în loc să explic doctrina epistolei, explic ideea teologică din narațiune.

1. Introducerea predicii

În introducere, se includ informațiile legate de context și orice informații necesare plasării povestirii în context și, de asemenea, se explică practicile culturale și alte lucruri ce țin de cultura antică.

După cum am menționat mai sus, este important să rezumi predica într-o singură frază în introducere, pentru ca ascultătorii să știe care este ideea teologică principală a povestirii, o idee pe care urmează să o demonstrezi în cursul predicii. Încearcă să formulezi acest adevăr în așa fel încât să reflecte acuratețea istorică și scopul literar al povestirii, folosind termeni care creează o idee teologică atemporală.

Dacă o vei formula corect, vei obține un concept teologic atemporal, care se aplică oamenilor lui Dumnezeu din orice vreme și orice loc. Aceasta devine ideea homiletică ce va determina modul în care prezinți restul materialului. Ideea homiletică este răspunsul la o nevoie specifică, la o problemă sau la una din greutățile vieții.

Sarcina predicatorului este să arate ascultătorilor (1) modul în care oamenii din narațiune s-au raportat la anumite nevoi spirituale, probleme, boli etc., cum au reacționat și cum s-au luptat cu ele; (2) că luptele lor erau aceleași cu ale noastre; și (3) că soluția lor este și soluția noastră.

2. Cuprinsul predicii

Repovestește istorisirea scenă cu scenă. Aici arăți cum reiese ideea teologică din povestire.

a) Creează o schiță teologică ce reflectă șirul povestirii

Fiecare narațiune are o structură bine determinată. Faptul că este o narațiune nu înseamnă că nu are structură. Fiecare povestire are un curs al său și acesta reprezintă structura narațiunii. Una din primele tale sarcini este să găsești structura textului, la fel ca în cazul oricărui alt gen literar biblic.

Așadar, fă o schiță urmând scenele povestirii (mișcarea lor, fluxul de idei). Schițele narative sunt precum simfoniile muzicale – o singură piesă cu mai multe mișcări. Schimbarea scenei este cheia trecerii către secțiunea următoare a schiței de predică. Fiecare scenă pe care o descoperi în explorarea textului trebuie să aibă o idee teologică (i.e. enunțarea unui adevăr sau principiu universal valabil). Pentru a descoperi aceste enunțări, întreabă-te…

1) Ce ne spune scena aceasta despre Dumnezeu (despre căile, scopurile, judecățile Sale etc.)?

2) Ce ne spune scena aceasta despre (despre relația noastră cu Dumnezeu, despre starea noastră spirituală etc.)?

Răspunsurile la aceste întrebări, formulate în fraze, vor forma enunțurile din fiecare scenă cu privire la principiul teologic. Ai grijă ca ideea teologică generală dedusă din fiecare scenă să aibă legătură cu principiul teologic principal al întregii povestiri – adică „predica într-o singură frază” care apare, de obicei, în introducere – și să îl dezvolte.

Nu crea o schiță artificială în care punctele principale să reflecte descrierea scenelor, însă care să nu reflecte cursul și dezvoltarea ideii teologice a povestirii. Mai degrabă, fă o schiță teologică formată din afirmații despre principiul teologic general care urmează cursul povestirii și, în același timp, reflectă mesajul acesteia. Când formulezi titlurile scenelor povestirii ca principii teologice, îți formulezi de fapt punctele principale ale schiței de predică ținând cont de ideea teologică generală și de scopul narațiunii și în concordanță cu acestea.

Uneori este de ajutor să combini descrierile scenă cu scenă cu afirmații teologice general valabile pentru scenele respective. Această abordare nu doar împarte povestirea în mai multe părți pentru a fi mai ușor de înțeles pentru ascultători, ci o și unește cu principiile teologice. Pentru a ilustra ceea ce vreau să spun, voi da un exemplu pe baza textului din Geneza 21:9-21…

Adevărul universal ce reiese din pasaj: „În providența lui Dumnezeu, triumful este adesea precedat de necazuri.”

Gen. 21:9-10. Ranchiuna Sarei (descrierea scenei): Necazurile vin adesea din atitudinile noastre greșite (adevăr universal).

Gen. 21: 11-14a. Situația dificilă în care se află Avraam (descrierea scenei): Necazurile vin adesea din deciziile noastre greșite (adevăr universal).

Gen. 21:14b-16. Izgonirea lui Agar (descrierea scenei): Necazurile vin adesea din împrejurările rele în care ne aflăm (adevăr universal).

Gen. 21:17-21. Intervenția lui Dumnezeu (descrierea scenei): Necazurile își găsesc întotdeauna rezolvarea în bunătatea lui Dumnezeu (adevăr universal).

Uneori (ca în exemplul acesta), folosesc descrierea scenei ca titlu pentru paragraf (scenă) și formulez adevărul (principiul) universal ca titlu al aplicației. Cu alte cuvinte, am două titluri la fiecare scenă, unul care descrie acțiunea scenei și altul care descrie principiul derivat din acțiunea scenei. Lucrul acesta oferă ascultătorilor o direcție clară pe parcursul povestirii prin intermediul titlurilor scenelor, cât și principii clare ce ni se aplică nouă astăzi, prin titlurile aplicațiilor. În felul acesta, una decurge natural din cealaltă, pe măsură ce predici pasajul scenă cu scenă.

Astfel, în Geneza 21:11-14a de exemplu, titlul pe care l-am dat scenei respective este: „Situația dificilă în care se află Avraam” (i.e. ce să facă cu Agar și Ismael în urma plângerilor Sarei). Iar principiul teologic universal valabil pe care îl formulez în aplicație este: „Necazurile vin adesea din deciziile noastre greșite” (sau „deciziile pe termen scurt produc uneori necazuri pe termen lung”) – aceasta este lecția pe care o avem de învățat.

Te poți feri de structuri artificiale în schițele de predici din texte narative…

1) Dacă nu impui „puncte” predicii, făcând astfel o narațiune să sune ca un text dintr-un manual de științe.

2) Dacă ai grijă ca principiile expuse să reiasă în mod natural din narațiune.

3) Dacă formulezi principiile ca afirmații teologice desprinse din fiecare scenă, la fel cum ai proceda cu un text din orice alt gen literar.

Ai grijă ca schița predicii să respecte textul narativ…

1) Urmând firul narațiunii;

2) Expunând intriga, desfășurarea acțiunii, punctul culminant, deznodământul și încheierea narațiunii; și

3) Demonstrând ideea teologică a narațiunii.

b) Fă aplicațiile în timpul sau la sfârșitul fiecărei scene. În felul acesta, fiecare scenă a povestirii se leagă în mod direct de viața ascultătorilor. Însă trebuie să ai grijă atunci când predici din narațiunile vechi-testamentare, să nu muți firul povestirii în mod automat în viața ascultătorilor tăi. Faptul că ei au făcut ceva atunci nu înseamnă că și noi trebuie să facem la fel astăzi. Este foarte ușor, când predici din narațiunile V.T., să cazi în capcana de a moraliza povestirea (ajungând să spui ascultătorilor că ar trebui să facă un lucru, pentru că și cutare l-a făcut) sau de a alegoriza povestirea (astfel că realitățile fizice încep să aibă semnificații spirituale ascunse). Pentru a te feri de lucrul acesta, trebuie să ai grijă să faci aplicații la ideea teologică a textului, și nu la firul povestirii.

3. Observațiile de final ale predicii

Ai grijă ca remediul problemei să fie formulat în mod clar. Prezintă pe scurt implicațiile acceptării sau respingerii acestui remediu – arată cum acceptarea remediului aduce binecuvântare spirituală, pe când respingerea acestuia aduce și mai multă boală spirituală, declin și răceală spirituală. Cheamă ascultătorii să aleagă binecuvântarea (sănătatea, viața), și nu judecata (boala, moartea) – cu alte cuvinte, cere un răspuns!

C. Câteva Observații Despre Predicarea Narațiunilor În Felul Acesta

1. Predicarea narațiunilor în felul acesta le permite ascultătorilor…

a) Să simtă că povestirea prinde viață.

b) Să prindă ideea teologică (pe care nu ar observa-o în cursul citirii obișnuite).

c) Să înțeleagă implicațiile ce li se aplică lor.

d) Să răspundă la aplicațiile pe care le faci la viața lor contemporană.

2. Predicarea narațiunilor în felul acesta te asigură că…

a) Respecți genul narativ.

b) Ai scos la lumină ideea teologică a povestirii.

c) Ai arătat oamenilor cum se leagă povestirea aceea veche de viața lor contemporană.

d) I-ai făcut pe oameni să se lupte cu tensiunea creată de intriga povestirii.

e) I-ai determinat să se gândească la soluția (remediul) de care au ei nevoie.

II. Consolidarea conducerii biblice

„Motivația pentru slujire, Punctul 3: Dragostea lui Hristos” (2 Cor. 5:14-17)

În 2 Corinteni, Pavel dezbate subiectul slujirii și al conducerii biblice, pe care, în urmă cu câțiva ani, am început să îl explorez în acest jurnal, după cum urmează…

1. Încredere în slujire - Călăuzirea și purtarea de grijă a lui Dumnezeu (2 Cor. 2:14-3:6, Ediția de primăvară 2013)

2. Natura slujirii autentice:

Punctul 1, Natura mesajului – nu este despre noi; este despre El (2 Cor. 4:1-6, Ediția de vară 2012).

Punctul 2, Natura vieții creștine – putere în slăbiciune (2 Cor. 4:7-16, Ediția de vară 2013).

3. Motivația pentru slujire:

Punctul 1, Transformarea noastră viitoare (2 Cor. 4:16-5:9, Ediția de toamnă 2013).

Punctul 2, Responsabilitatea noastră înaintea lui Dumnezeu (2 Cor. 5:10-13, Ediția de iarnă 2014).

În ediția aceasta, aș vrea să continui explorarea expunerii lui Pavel despre „Motivația pentru slujire” - Punctul 3, Dragostea sacrificială a lui Hristos (2 Cor. 5:14-17).

Dragostea sacrificială a lui Hristos, care a fost revelată pe deplin prin ispășirea substitutivă, ne constrânge să-L slujim. În esență, ce vrea să spună Pavel aici este că Hristos a murit pentru noi, de aceea noi Îl slujim pe El (nu pe noi înșine), în mod specific prin predicarea unui mesaj de reconciliere.

După ce am văzut o motivație prospectivă pentru slujire (faptul că vom da socoteală înaintea lui Dumnezeu) în 2 Cor. 5:10-13, Pavel ne oferă acum și o motivație retrospectivă pentru slujire, și anume dragostea lui Hristos (2 Cor. 5:14-17). Într-adevăr, el insistă asupra faptului că „dragostea lui Hristos ne strânge” (5:14a). Motivația primordială din viața unui slujitor autentic este dragostea lui Hristos. Pentru Pavel nu conta faptul că unii îl considerau nebun (2 Cor. 5:13). În tot ceea ce făcea și îndura era mânat de dragostea lui Hristos. Și aceeași dragoste „ne strânge” prin faptul că ea stabilește parametrii slujirii noastre. Acesta este efectul practic al dragostei lui Hristos față de noi și în noi - ea ne determină să facem ceea ce facem pentru El în slujirea noastră.

Care este, așadar, natura dragostei lui Hristos care ne constrânge atât de mult? 14 Căci dragostea lui Hristos ne strânge; fiindcă socotim că, dacă Unul singur a murit pentru toți, toți deci au murit. 15Şi El a murit pentru toți, pentru ca cei ce trăiesc să nu mai trăiască pentru ei înșiși, ci pentru Cel ce a murit și a înviat pentru ei” (5:14-15).

Contextul acestui paragraf este următorul: Pentru că înțelegem „frica de Domnul” în ce privește judecata viitoare, „pe oameni căutăm să-i încredințăm” (5:11) că trebuie să creadă adevărul aducător de pace al evangheliei (5:19-20). Iar motivația pentru un astfel de mesaj și o astfel de lucrare este dragostea irezistibilă a lui Hristos care ne constrânge (5:14-15).

Principiul este acesta: Moartea unei singure persoane (care nu a meritat să moară, deoarece era fără păcat) pentru alții (care au meritat să moară, pentru că sunt păcătoși) face ca întregul grup (acei „toți” pentru care El a murit) să fie părtași în moartea Sa, pentru că Cel fără păcat a murit în locul lor, plătind pedeapsa pentru păcatele lor.

Aplicația este aceasta: Natura și măsura dragostei lui Hristos (demonstrată prin moartea Sa ispășitoare) ne motivează să facem ceea ce facem în slujirea creștină. Putem să ne lăsăm ușor distrași de dezbaterea teologică cu privire la natura și măsura ispășirii din aceste versete și să trecem cu vederea aplicația din discursul lui Pavel. Cu siguranță, versetele acestea ne spun multe despre natura și măsura ispășirii – voi vorbi despre asta mai jos – însă Pavel aplică, înainte de toate, dragostea sacrificială a lui Hristos, care l-a determinat pe El să moară pentru noi, la motivația noastră de a-L sluji pe El.

Pavel formulează apoi două concluzii general valabile (2 Cor. 5:14-15)…

Prima concluzie general valabilă cu privire la moartea lui Hristos este că toți au murit. „Fiindcă socotim că, dacă Unul singur a murit pentru toți, toți deci au murit.” (5:14). Deoarece Hristos a murit pentru întreaga omenire, în principiu întreaga omenire a murit. Este ușor de înțeles că Hristos a murit pentru toți, deoarece ideea aceasta este susținută și în alte părți din Scriptură. Însă ce înseamnă că „toți deci au murit” (5:14b)? În mod clar, moartea lui Hristos implică moartea tuturor. După cum spune R.V.G. Tasker, „Moartea lui Hristos a fost moartea tuturor oamenilor, în sensul că El a murit moartea de care ei ar fi trebuit să aibă parte; pedeapsa pentru păcatele lor a fost purtată de El (1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:20); El a murit în locul lor” (Tasker, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians [A doua epistolă către Corinteni], TNTC, Eerdmans, 1958, 86). El a murit pentru toți - iar dacă ei, în cele din urmă, Îl vor primi sau Îl vor respinge este cu totul altă problemă. Pedeapsa pentru păcatele lor a fost plătită prin moartea Sa. El a îndurat moartea pe care ei o meritau. Așadar, în principiu, „toți au murit.” Aceasta este concluzia pe care o trage Pavel aici – moartea unuia singur pentru mai mulți înseamnă că toți au murit (prin cel care a murit). Aceasta este o afirmație simplă cu privire la statutul fiecărei ființe umane în moartea sacrificială a lui Hristos pe cruce – El a murit pentru ei, prin urmare toți au murit. Pedeapsa a fost plătită pentru toți.

Spunând aceasta, Pavel nu susține mântuirea universală (este destul de limpede că nu toți au viață spirituală), ci susține faptul că mântuirea este asigurată și oferită tuturor prin moartea lui Hristos. Pentru că El a murit pentru ei, în principiu au murit și ei și, prin credința în El, ei se pot întoarce la El dacă doresc – cu alte cuvinte, moartea lui Hristos în locul lor a făcut posibil ca toți oamenii să fie salvați, însă doar cei care cred sunt, de fapt, salvați. Hristos a murit în locul întregii omeniri și pentru întreaga omenire – acesta este, într-adevăr, adevărul central al evangheliei. (cf. Col. 1:20; Rom. 8:32).

Așadar, prima concluzie universal valabilă cu privire la moartea lui Hristos este că „toți au murit.”

Cea de-a doua concluzie universal valabilă cu privire la moartea lui Hristos este că unii trăiesc, și nu toți. „Şi El a murit pentru toţi, pentru ca cei ce trăiesc să nu mai trăiască pentru ei înşişi, ci pentru Cel ce a murit şi a înviat pentru ei” (5:15). „Cei ce trăiesc” reprezintă în mod clar o altă categorie de oameni decât acei „toți” pentru care a murit Hristos (5:14b). Robert L. Dabney spune astfel: „Dacă acei toți pentru care a murit Hristos înseamnă doar toți cei care trăiesc prin El – adică cei aleși – atunci ar părea că textul spune aici că dintre cei aleși pentru care a murit Hristos, doar o parte vor trăi pentru Hristos” (Dabney, Lectures [Prelegeri], 525). Bună observație!

Efectul morții lui Hristos în „cei ce trăiesc” (i.e. credincioșii, cei aleși) este reînnoirea și transformarea lor morală. Nu toți oamenii au parte de această transformare morală, ci doar creștinii, datorită vieții noi pe care o au în Hristos. Moartea lui Hristos are efect doar pentru ei (nu pentru toți), datorită credinței lor în Hristos, iar ca rezultat ei au o motivație nouă în viață, un nou mod de viață. Scopul morții lui Hristos a fost ca cei care cred (cei care au murit față de firea pământească prin moartea Lui pentru ei) să aibă o viață nouă din punct de vedere moral; o viață cu un nou scop moral și o nouă motivație. Astfel, „cei care trăiesc” sunt doar cei credincioși, care, ca urmare a morții lui Hristos în locul lor și a credinței lor în El, acum pot „să nu mai trăiască pentru ei înşişi” (ceea ce nu putem spune despre necredincioși), „ci pentru Cel ce a murit şi a înviat pentru ei”. Ca urmare, ei sunt făpturi noi în Hristos (5:17).

Pe scurt, Pavel spune că, pe baza morții substitutive a lui Hristos pentru noi (5:14b) și a acceptării din partea noastră a morții Sale ca plată pentru păcatele noastre, creștinii au o motivație cu totul nouă – și anume aceea că nu mai trăim pentru noi înșine, ci trăim pentru Cel care a murit și a înviat pentru noi (5:15). Astfel, Pavel face o aplicație simplă a acestui adevăr – pentru că Hristos a murit pentru toți, fără excepție, și pentru că El ne-a iubit pe toți cu o dragoste dezinteresată, motivația noastră în slujirea creștină este să predicăm evanghelia lui Hristos tuturor, fără excepție, din dragoste dezinteresată. Totuși, nu toți vor accepta oferta salvării Sale, însă cei care o vor accepta („cei ce trăiesc” 5:15a), vor primi o viață nouă în Hristos și vor trăi pentru El. Prin urmare, dragostea lui Hristos este ceea ce ne constrânge acum să trăim pentru El și determină modul în care Îl slujim pe El. La fel cum Hristos și-a dat viața pentru noi, tot așa ne dăm și noi viața Lui. Dragostea Lui pentru noi ar trebui să se reflecte în dragostea noastră pentru alții, și mai ales în faptul că luăm parte la „slujba împăcării” (5:18-21), adică la evanghelie. Pentru că trăim în El, suntem „trimiși împuterniciți ai lui Hristos” (5:20).

Așadar, natura și măsura ispășirii este, fără îndoială, baza argumentului lui Pavel din textul acesta, însă nu ar trebui să devenim atât de absorbiți de această dezbatere încât să pierdem din vedere ideea principală a lui Pavel. Noi nu slujim în lucrare din motive egoiste, ci doar pentru El, ca să fim ambasadorii Lui pe pământ.

Ca urmare a morții lui Hristos pentru mine, eu trăiesc acum în El și pentru El și, astfel, viața mea este schimbată la nivel de comportament, scop și activitate. Învățătura aceasta este consecventă cu toată învățătura Scripturii despre viața creștină – viața creștină este o viață schimbată (Gal. 2:20), firea pământească este răstignită și omul cel nou trăiește pentru Hristos (Gal. 5:24; Ef. 4:17 și urm.). Viața noastră este radical diferită de cea de dinainte. În loc să trăim o viață egoistă (Ef. 2:1-3; 4:17-19), trăim o viață ce Îl are pe Hristos în centru (Ef. 2:4-10; 4:20 și urm.). Astfel, noi, cei care am murit și am înviat împreună cu Hristos nu doar că putem, ci mai exact, suntem chemați să predicăm mesajul împăcării (5:18-21), care este vizibil și puternic în viața noastră. Suntem chemați să trăim o viață nouă prin slujirea noastră autentică, motivați de (1) puterea mesajului în contrast cu slăbiciunea mesagerului (4:7); (2) privirea lui Dumnezeu asupra slujirii noastre (5:10-13); și (3) dragostea lui Hristos (5:14-17).

Din argumentul său (5:14-15), Pavel deduce două consecințe (5:16-17).

Consecința #1: „Aşa că, de acum încolo (adică din momentul în care a început să trăiască pentru Hristos și nu pentru sine), (prima consecință) „nu mai cunoaștem pe nimeni în felul lumii” (5:16a). Pavel nu îi mai evaluează și prețuiește pe oameni pe baza înfățișării lor exterioare sau pe baza relațiilor și standardelor umane, subiective și superficiale (ex. bogății, rasă, poziție socială etc.; cf. Gal. 3:28). Mai degrabă, relația lui cu alți oameni și aprecierea lui față de ei se bazează pe valorile spirituale ale omului cu mintea înnoită, pentru care surorile și frații lui nu sunt cei din familia naturală, ci cei din familia spirituală (cf. Mat. 12:46 și urm.). El nu se mai raportează la oameni la un nivel firesc, ci îi vede altfel acum pe ceilalți, nu potrivit firii, ci îi vede ca fiind „o făptură nouă” (5:17) în Hristos.

„Și, chiar dacă am cunoscut pe Hristos în felul lumii, totuși acum nu-L mai cunoaștem în felul acesta” (5:16b). Înainte de convertirea sa, Pavel Îl cunoștea pe Hristos „în felul lumii” – cu mintea sa firească, dezinformată și greșită, și avea o părere omenească despre El. Însă ulterior, relația sa cu Hristos a fost cu totul alta. Acum, el nu Îl mai privește dintr-o perspectivă umană, exterioară, ci Îl prețuiește pentru cine este El cu adevărat, pentru că Îl cunoaște prin Duhul Sfânt care locuiește în el. Hristos nu poate fi cunoscut cu adevărat „în felul lumii” (i.e. cu mintea firească, pe baza valorilor umane). De aceea oamenii nenăscuți din nou ajung la concluzii false cu privire la El. Este nevoie de experiența convertirii prin Duhul Sfânt ca să Îl poți cunoaște și să Îl înțelegi astfel ca Dumnezeu și Răscumpărător. Mulți care L-au cunoscut pe Hristos „în felul lumii” nu L-au cunoscut prin Duhul, singurul care ne iluminează înțelegerea cu privire la Persoana Domnului Isus. „Pavel, ca Petru și Toma, a trebuit să învețe că ceea ce contează nu este să Îl fi văzut pe Hristos sau să știi despre El, ci să Îl iubești pe El și să crezi în El (1 Pet. 1:8; In. 20:29)” (Philip E. Hughes, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians [Cea de-a doua epistolă către Corinteni], 201).

Consecința #2. „Căci” (o altă consecință ce decurge din 5:14-15) nu doar că nu mai cunoaște pe nimeni în felul lumii (inclusiv pe Hristos), ci „dacă este cineva în Hristos”, el consideră că acea persoană „este o făptură nouă” (5:17a), pentru că așa este, într-adevăr. Toți cei ce au fost născuți de sus sunt „în Hristos” și au astfel o nouă identitate, relații noi, o familie nouă, valori noi, obiective noi. Ei sunt văzuți ca fiind „în Hristos” nu „în felul lumii” – când ne uităm la ei, Îl vedem pe Hristos, și nu firea păcătoasă.

A fi „în Hristos” implică siguranță (acum și în viitor), identitate, relație, natură divină, „o făptură nouă” (cf. Ef. 2:10; 4:24). „Cele vechi (omul vechi, firea păcătoasă predispusă la păcat etc.) s-au dus (au pierit; au dispărut în istorie); iată (deodată, prin surprindere, o mare bucurie) că toate lucrurile s-au făcut noi” (5:17b). Suntem făpturi noi și avem viață veșnică, datorită statutului pe care îl avem „în Hristos.” Și ceea ce a avut loc în noi (și care se va încheia atunci când vom fi glorificați) este un precursor și o garanție a noii creații.

III. Schițe de predici

Titlu: Scrisori către cele șapte biserici – Credincioșie față de Hristos (Apoc. 3:7-13)

Tema: Dacă Îi ești credincios lui Hristos, El va transforma slăbiciunea ta într-un stâlp de putere.

Punctul 1: Hristos ne încurajează prin puterea Lui suverană (3:8-11)

1a) El controlează în mod suveran accesul nostru la El (3:8)

1b) El constrânge în mod suveran pe oricine opune rezistență (3:9)

1c) El ne păzește în mod suveran de judecata Sa (3:10-11)

Punctul 2: Hristos ne încurajează prin promisiunea Lui suverană (3:12-13)

2a) Celor slabi le promite putere divină (3:12a)

2b) Celor credincioși le promite un nume divin (3:12b)

Concluzie: „Cine are urechi să asculte ce zice bisericilor Duhul.” (3:13)

Related Topics: Pastors

Журнал для пасторов Net, Rus Ed 39, весеннее издание 2021

Служение Института Библейского Проповедования…

Автор: Проф. Роджер Паскоэ, Президент,
Email: [email protected]

I. Усиливая Описательную Проповедь
“Проповедуя Еврейские Писания” (Часть. 2)

В этом выпуске журнала The NET я продолжаю (с выпуска № 38, зимы 2021 года) тему проповеди Ветхозаветных повествований (еврейских). Я попытаюсь описать подход к проповеди повествований, отвечая на вопросы: как мы проповедуем историю? Мы просто пересказываем историю и говорим о применении в конце? Разбиваем ли мы рассказ на части с принципами для каждой? Подходим ли мы к этому по существу как в новозаветном послании, выводя общие принципы и применение?

Проповедуя повествования, я бы сказал, что ...

1) Мы должны уважать жанр текста и быть чувствительными к нему как в нашем толковании (экзегезе), так и в проповеди, в то же время признавая, что проповедь повествования - это не просто пересказ истории с некоторым применением. Скорее, основная цель библейской истории - передать богословие. Библейские истории - это не просто описание; они также установка.

2) Мы должны вывести универсальные принципы из библейских повествований, как мы это делаем из новозаветных посланиях. Разница в том, что в нашем стиле проповеди мы должны следовать, размышлять и уважать форму рассказа в тексте. Мы делаем это: а) изменяя свой стиль проповеди, чтобы он отражал жанр повествования; б) следуя последовательности и содержанию сюжетной линии; и в) изменяя структуру плана нашей проповеди, чтобы она соответствовала повествовательному жанру.

Мы можем многое узнать о ветхозаветных повествованиях из книги Деяний. Например, в 7-й главе Деяний Стефан пересказал Ветхозаветную искупительную историю о 1) избавлении Богом и искуплении Своего народа через завет; 2) о их греховности и непокорности; и в последствии 3) применение истории к аудитории того времени, а именно, что они тоже были непокорными, противились Святому Духу, убивали Праведника и т. д. Фактически, это применение искупительной истории к ним было настолько явным и прямым. что они убили Стефана (ср. Также речь Павла в синагоге в Деяниях 13: 16-41).

Бог рассказал историю. Наша задача - объяснить ее универсальные, теологические, неизменные принципы и применить их к нашей аудитории. Подобно тому, как мы анализируем отрывок из Писания на предмет его центрального богословского принципа вместе с соответствующими истинами и применением, мы должны анализировать повествование на предмет его центральной, богословской истины и связанного с ней применения. Поиск центральной истины - это один и тот же процесс, проповедуете ли вы повествования или послания. Если бы все, что нужно было пересказать, вам не нужно было бы быть богословом, чтобы проповедовать. Вы могли бы просто попросить рассказчика или актера воссоздать историю на современном языке и в нужных понятиях. Я утверждаю, что, хотя мы должны пересказывать историю, мы также должны просвещать нашу аудиторию в отношении ...

1) Что это значило тогда, и что означает сейчас (преодоление исторического периода).

2) Каковы ее богословские истины.

3) Каковы ее значения и применение для нашей христианской жизни.

Это требует оба, как пересказа истории (чтобы она стала живой для сегодняшней аудитории), так и раскрытия и применения ее центральной предложенной истины. Следовательно, этот процесс носит дидактический и пропозициональный характер, точно так, как и когда мы проповедуем послания. Одно различие между проповедническими посланиями и повествованиями состоит в том, что с посланиями вы анализируете и проповедуете абзацы, тогда как с повествованиями вы проповедуете «сцены». Сцены отражают движение истории, и каждую сцену следует толковать в свете всей истории в целом, потому что вся история раскрывает свою центральную, всеобъемлющую истину.

A. Процедура Изучения Повествования

Как и в случае с любыми другими текстами проповедей, цель состоит в том, чтобы определить, что повествование раскрывает о Боге (Его природу, Его волю, Его пути и т. д.). Первый шаг…

1. Расследование.

а) Определите, где история начинается и заканчивается. Если это небольшая история, определите, какое место она занимает в более крупном повествовании. Соберите данные из контекста (т. е. из окружающих его повествований и описаний). Раскройте сюжет. Какая последовательность событий разворачивается в истории? Есть ли в истории разворот? Если да, то где и почему?

б) Определите текстовую структуру, разделив историю на сцены. Изучите сцены и образы в каждой сцене. Составьте таблицу для каждого абзаца или сцены, отмечая толковательные наблюдения, вопросы и т. д. относящиеся к каждой сцене.

в) Обратите внимание, как история разворачивается сцена за сценой. Часто сначала дается контекст, а затем сцена за сценой. Действие обычно обнажает дилемму (конфликт, напряжение), которая приводит к кульминации (как эта дилемма будет разрешена?). Затем следует разрешение дилеммы и заключение. Все истории связаны с определенной точкой напряжения, которая приводит к кульминации. Итак, по мере развития событий не забудьте определить кульминацию и ответить на вопросы: как разрешается напряжение? Каково заключение? Это динамический аспект историй.

г) Изучите персонажи. Обратите внимание, как персонажи реагируют и действуют по мере развития сюжета. Определите их сильные и слабые стороны и их роль в драме (например, звезда истории, антагонист, главный герой, прохожий и т. д.).

д) Анализируйте любую речь или мысли. Выражается ли центральная истина через речь или мысли? В частности, определите утверждения, сделанные рассказчиком. Часто без этих заявлений история не имела бы смысла, поскольку мотивы, скрытые действия и тому подобное были бы неизвестны. Помните, рассказчик всеведущ - он знает мысли, интимные и личные разговоры, скрытые события, даже разум Бога. Эти утверждения на самом деле являются входом Бога в историю как окончательного рассказчика - например, «И было это дело, которое сделал Давид, зло в очах Господа» (2 Царств 11: 27б).

е) Определите различные литературные структуры и используемые приемы. Например, написано от третьего или от первого лица? Акцент делается на сюжете или на развитии персонажа? Есть ли перекосы, повторения, контрасты, параллелизм и т. д.? Если да, то как эти литературные приемы обогащаю историю?

2. Определите центральную богословскую истину

После анализа и обобщения истории, как я описал выше, вы должны быть в состоянии определить а) тема всей истории; и б) что автор говорит по этой теме. Сюжетом рассказа является центральная богословская истина, которую он сообщает. То, что автор говорит о предмете, составляет основные моменты (или отрывки, сцена за сценой) вашей проповеди.

Следующая задача - выписать центральную богословскую истину (иногда называемую «большой идеей» или «экзегетической идеей»). Один из способов подойти к этому - начать с одного слова, охватывающего тему отрывка, и сформулировать вопрос об этой теме, на который, похоже, автор отвечает. Затем написать исчерпывающий ответ на этот вопрос.

Как только вы это сделаете, просто кратко изложите историю в одном описательном предложении, в котором кратко изложен ответ, который вы придумали выше. Это утверждение становится центральной истиной проповеди - то есть кратким изложением вашей проповеди, изложенным в одном предложении.

Б. Модель Конструирования Проповеди В Форме Повествования

Обычно я следую этому процессу. Я пытаюсь переплетать мой богословский план проповеди с пересказом истории, применяя его во время и / или в конце каждой сцены. Это действительно та же модель, которую я использую для проповеди посланий, за исключением того, что вместо объяснения доктрины в послании я объясняю богословскую сюжетную линию в повествовании.

1. Введение в проповедь

Во введении включите любые справочные и другие материалы, необходимые для создания истории в контексте и для объяснения древних терминов или культурных обычаев.

Как я уже отмечал выше, важно сформулировать вашу проповедь в одном предложении во введении, чтобы ваша аудитория знала основную теологическую мысль повествования, которую вы собираетесь продемонстрировать в своей проповеди. Постарайтесь изложить эту истину так, чтобы она отражала историческую точность и литературный замысел истории, используя понятия и слова, которые создают вневременное богословское суждение.

При правильном изложении вы получите непреходящую теологическую концепцию, которая верна для народа Божьего в любое время и в любом месте. Это становится вашей проповеднической идеей, которая определяет то, как вы преподносите остальной материал. Идея проповеди - это ответ на конкретную нужду, проблему или трудность в жизни.

Задача проповеди – описать для вашей аудитории: 1) как люди в повествовании связаны, взаимодействуют и борются с духовными нуждами, проблемами, болезнями и т. д .; 2) что их борьба была такой же, как и наша; и 3) что их решение является нашим решением.

2. Суть (тело) проповеди

Перескажите историю сцена за сценой. Здесь вы показываете, как из истории вытекает богословский смысл.

а) Составьте теологически ориентированный план проповеди, отражающий ход истории.

Каждое повествование имеет четко определенную структуру. Поскольку это повествование, это не означает, что нет структуры. В каждой истории, сцена за сценой, есть движение. Такова его структура. Одна из ваших первых задач - найти текстовую структуру, как и в любом другом жанре Библии.

Поэтому постройте план, который следует сценам истории (их движению, потоку мысли). Контуры повествования похожи на музыкальные симфонии - одно произведение с несколькими движениями. Смена сцены - ваш ключ к переходу к следующему разделу в плане проповеди. Каждая сцена повествования, которую вы раскрываете в ходе исследования, должна иметь богословский смысл (то есть утверждение универсальной истины или принципа). Чтобы раскрыть эти утверждения, спросите себя…

1) Что эта сцена говорит нам о Боге (Его путях, намерениях, судах и т. д.)?

2) Что эта сцена говорит нам о нас самих (наших отношениях с Богом, нашем духовном состоянии и т. д.)?

Ответы на эти вопросы, сформулированные в виде законченного предложения, сформируют ваши поэтапные утверждения богословского принципа. Просто убедитесь, что каждое теологически сфокусированное, универсально верное утверждение для каждой сцены относится и развивает общую богословскую истину всей истории - то есть вашей «проповеди в одном предложении», которая обычно излагается во введении.

Не создавайте искусственный план, в котором пункты отражают описание сцены за сценой, но не отражают ход и развитие богословского момента в истории. Лучше создайте богословски ориентированный план, состоящий из принципиальных утверждений, которые не только следуют за ходом истории, но и отражают ее послание. Излагая свои заголовки “сцена за сценой” в качестве богословских принципов, вы развиваете пункты плана своей проповеди таким образом, чтобы они соответствовали и уважали общий богословский смысл и цель повествования.

Иногда полезно сочетать описания сцены за сценой с богословски сфокусированными универсальными утверждениями истины для этих сцен. Такой подход не только разбивает историю для вашей аудитории, облегчая ее понимание, но также объединяет историю с принципами. Чтобы проиллюстрировать, что я имею в виду, вот пример, который я привел из Бытия 21: 9-21…

Универсальная истина в отрывке: “По Божьему промыслу трудности часто предшествуют триумфу.”

Быт.21: 9-10. Обида Сары (описание сцены): Трудности часто начинаются из-за нашего плохого отношения (универсальная истина).

Быт. 21: 11-14а. Затруднительное положение Авраама (описание сцены): Трудности часто начинаются из-за наших неверных решений (универсальная истина).

Быт. 21: 14б-16. Изгнание Агари (описание сцены): Трудности часто начинаются из-за наших плохих обстоятельств (универсальная истина).

Быт. 21: 17-21. Вмешательство Бога (описание сцены): Трудности всегда находят решение в Божьей благости (универсальная истина).

Иногда (как в этом примере) я могу использовать описание сцены в качестве заголовка абзаца (сцены) и установить универсальную истину (принцип) в качестве заголовка для применения. Другими словами, у меня есть два заголовка в каждой сцене: один описывает действие сцены, а другой описывает принцип, вытекающий из действия в этой сцене. Это дает аудитории четкое направление в истории с помощью описательных заголовков сцен, а также четких принципов, которые применяются к нам сегодня в виде заголовков для применения. Один естественным образом перетекает из другого, когда вы проповедуете каждую сцену.

Так, например, в Бытие 21: 11-14а заголовок моего действия (сцены) следующий: «Затруднительное положение Авраама» (т.е. что делать с Агарь и Измаилом в ответ на жалобу Сары). И мой богословски сфокусированный универсальный принцип, который я выявляю в своем применении, звучит так: «Трудности часто начинаются из-за наших плохих решений» (или «краткосрочные решения иногда приводят к долгосрочным затруднениям») - вот урок для нас.

Вы можете остерегаться искусственных структур в повествовательных планах проповеди ...

1) Не навязывая «пункты» проповеди, так, что она похожа на повествование из учебника по естествознанию.

2) Убедившись, что ваши принципы естественным образом вытекают из повествования.

3) Формулируя свои принципы в виде богословских утверждений для каждой сцены, как и в любом другом литературном жанре.

Убедитесь, что план вашей проповеди соответствует повествованию…

1) Следует потоку повествования;

2) Выявляет конфликт, осложнение / напряжение, кульминацию, разрешение и завершения повествования; и

3) Доказывает богословскую суть повествования.

б) Показывайте применение во время или в конце каждой сцены.

Таким образом, каждая сцена истории напрямую связана с жизнью вашей аудитории. Но нужно быть осторожным, проповедуя В.З. повествования, не делать автоматической прямой передачи истории для вашей современной аудитории. То, что они что-то делали тогда, не означает, что мы должны делать это сегодня. Это очень легко, когда вы проповедуете В.З. повествования, попасть в ловушку либо морализации истории (так, что в конечном итоге вы говорите своей аудитории, что, потому что это сделал тот или этот, то и они должны так поступать), либо аллегоризации истории (так, что физическая реальность принимает духовные, скрытые смыслы). Чтобы избежать этого, вы должны обязательно применять больше богословскую идею текста, а не прямую сюжетную линию.

3. Окончательные заметки по проповеди

Убедитесь, что лекарство от проблемы было четко указано. Обобщите последствия принятия или отказа от этого лекарства - покажите, как принятие приносит духовные благословения, в то время как отказ приносит дальнейшие духовные болезни, упадок и дистанцирование. Призвать аудиторию выбрать благословение (здоровье, жизнь) вместо осуждения (болезнь, смерть), то есть призвать их к ответной реакции.

В. Некоторые Комментарии О Проповеди Повествований Таковы

1. Такая проповедь повествований позволяет вашим людям…

а) Ощутить историю, как драматическую пьесу.

б) Уловить богословскую идею (которую невозможно раскрыть при беглом чтении).

в) Понять последствия для их жизни.

г) Откликнуться на ваше применение истории в их современной жизни.

2. Такая проповедь гарантирует, что…

а) Вы были верны повествовательной форме.

б) Вы выявили непреходящую богословскую идею истории.

в) Вы показали людям, как древняя история соотносится с современной жизнью.

г) Вы побудили людей побороться с напряжением и сложностями в истории.

д) Вы заставили их рассмотреть решение (найти лекарство) для их собственной жизни.

II. Усиливая Библейское Руководство

“Мотивация для служения, Ч. 3: Любовь Христа” (2 Кор. 5:14-17)

Во 2 Коринфянам Павел развивает тему служения и библейского лидерства, которое несколько лет назад я начал исследовать в этом журнале следующим образом ...

1. Уверенность в служении - Божье руководство и обеспечение (2 Кор. 2: 14–3: 6, Весеннее издание 2013 г.)

2. Природа подлинного служения:

Ч. 1. Природа послания - это не о нас; это - о Нем (2 Кор. 4: 1-6, Летнее издание 2012 г.).

Ч. 2. Природа христианской жизни - сила в немощи (2 Кор. 4: 7–16, Летнее издание 2013 г.).

3. Мотивация служения:

Ч. 1. Наше будущее преобразование (2 Кор. 4: 16–5: 9, Осеннее издание 2013 г.).

Ч. 2. Наша подотчетность Богу (2 Кор. 5: 10-13, Зимнее издание 2014 г.).

В этом выпуске я хотел бы продолжить свое исследование экспозиции Павла о «Мотивации для служения» - Ч. 3, Жертвенная любовь Христа (2 Кор. 5: 14-17).

Жертвенная любовь Христа, наиболее полно проявившаяся в Его заместительном искуплении, побуждает нас служить Ему. По сути, здесь Павел говорит о том, что Христос умер за нас, поэтому мы служим Ему (а не себе), в частности, проповедуя весть о примирении.

Установив предполагаемую мотивацию для служения (ответственность перед Богом) во 2 Кор. 5: 10-13, Павел устанавливает обращенную в прошлое (ретроспективную) мотивацию для служения, любовь Христа (2 Кор. 5: 14-17). На самом деле, он настаивает, «любовь Христа контролирует нас» (5: 14а). Главной мотивацией в жизни настоящего служителя является любовь Христа. Для Павла не имело значения, что некоторые считали его безумным Христа ради (2 Кор. 5:13). Все, что он делал и что бы ни перенес, было мотивировано любовью Христа. И та же самая любовь «контролирует нас» в том смысле, что она устанавливает параметры для нашего служения. Это практический эффект любви Христа к нам и в нас - она побуждает нас делать то, что мы делаем для Него в нашем служении.

Какова же тогда природа любви Христа, которая так контролирует нас? «14 Любовь Христа управляет нами, потому что мы пришли к такому выводу: Один умер за всех, поэтому все умерли. 15 И он умер за всех, чтобы живущие уже не для себя жили, но для того, кто ради них умер и воскрес »(5: 14-15).

Контекст этого абзаца таков: поскольку мы понимаем «страх Господень» в грядущем суде, “мы убеждаем других” (5:11) поверить в примиряющую истину Евангелия (5: 19-20). И мотивация для такого послания и служения - непреодолимая и контролирующая любовь Христа (5: 14-15).

Принцип таков: смерть одного человека (который не заслуживал смерти, потому что был безгрешен) от имени других (которые действительно заслуживали смерти, потому что они грешники) превращает всю группу («всех», за которых Он умер ) умерли также, потому что безгрешный умер вместо них, заплатив за их грехи.

Применение таково: природа и степень любви Христа (продемонстрированная в Его искупительной смерти) побуждают нас делать то, что мы делаем в христианском служении. Легко отвлечься на богословские дискуссии о природе и степени искупления в этих стихах и упустить применение в аргументе Павла. Конечно, эти стихи многое говорят нам о природе и степени искупления - я расскажу об этом ниже, - но, в первую очередь, Павел применяет жертвенную любовь Христа, которая побудила Его умереть за нас, к нашему побуждению служить Ему.

Павел затем утверждает два универсальных заключения (2 Cor. 5:14-15)…

Первый универсальный вывод о смерти Христа состоит в том, что все умерли. «Мы пришли к такому выводу: один умер за всех, следовательно, все умерли». (5:14). Поскольку Христос умер за все человечество, то в принципе все человечество умерло. Мы легко можем понять, что Христос умер за всех, поскольку эта концепция поддерживается в других местах Священного Писания. Но что Он имеет в виду, говоря, что «все умерли» (5: 14б)? Ясно, что смерть Христа в некотором роде повлекла за собой смерть каждого. Как отмечает Р. В. Г. Таскер «Смерть Христа была смертью всех в том смысле, что Он умер смертью, которой должны были умереть они; наказание за их грехи понес Он (1 Кор. 15: 3; 2 Кор. 5:20); Он умер вместо них» (Таскер, Второе послание к Коринфянам, ТНТС, Эердманс, 1958 г, с. 86). Он умер за всех - другой вопрос, примут ли Его в конце концов или отвергнут. Наказание за их грехи было уплачено Его смертью. Он умер смертью, которую они заслужили. Следовательно, в принципе «все умерли». Это вывод, который делает здесь Павел - смерть одного от имени группы подразумевает, что группа (через того, кто умер) также умерла. Это простое изложение статуса каждого человека в жертвенной смерти Христа на кресте - Он умер за них, поэтому все они умерли. Штраф был уплачен за всех.

Сказав это, Павел не защищает универсальное спасение (поскольку явно не все имеют духовную жизнь), но он защищает универсальное обеспечение и доступность спасения через смерть Христа. Поскольку Он умер их смертью, они, в основном, умерли, и через веру в Него они могут обратиться к Нему, если они того пожелают - то есть смерть Христа за них сделала возможным спасение всего человечества, но только тех, кто верит действительно сохранены. Христос умер за и на благо всего человечества - это действительно центральная истина Евангелия (ср. Кол. 1:20; Рим. 8:32).

Итак, первый универсальный вывод о смерти Христа состоит в том, что «все умерли».

Второй универсальный вывод смерти Христа состоит в том, что некоторые живы, но не все. «Он умер за всех, чтобы живущие уже не для себя жили, но для умершего за них и воскресшего» (5:15). «Живущие» явно представляют собой категорию людей, отличную от «всех», за которых умер Христос (5: 14б). Как говорит Роберт Л. Дабни: «Если мы сделаем все, за кого умер Христос, означают только всех, кто живет для Него - то есть избранных, - это, по-видимому, подразумевает, что из тех избранных, за которых умер Христос, только часть будет живи для Христа »(Дабни, Лекции, с. 525). Хорошее наблюдение!

Последствием смерти Христа для «тех, кто живет» (то есть верующие, избранные) является их нравственное преобразование и обновление. Не все люди претерпели такое нравственное преобразование, только христиане из-за их новой жизни во Христе. Смерть Христа становится действенной только для них (а не для всех) из-за их веры во Христа, в результате чего у них появляется новая мотивация в жизни, новый образ жизни. Цель смерти Христа состояла в том, чтобы те, кто веруют (те, кто умер для плоти из-за Его фактической смерти за них), должны были морально обновить жизнь; живет с новой моральной целью и мотивацией. Таким образом, «те, кто живут» - это только верующие, которые в результате смерти Христа за них и своей веры в Него теперь «живут уже не для себя, а для Него» (чего нельзя сказать о неверующих), «ради которых Он умер и воскрес». В результате этого, они - новые творения во Христе (5:17).

В общем, Павел говорит о том, что на основании заместительной смерти Христа за нас (5: 14б) и нашего принятия Его смерти в качестве платы за наши грехи, христиане имеют совершенно другую мотивацию в жизни, чем у нас раньше, а именно: не для того, чтобы жить для себя, но чтобы жить для Того, Кто умер за нас и воскрес для нас (5:15). Таким образом, Павел применяет эту истину просто и ясно: поскольку Христос умер за всех без исключения и поскольку Он любил всех бескорыстной любовью, то в христианском служении мы стремимся проповедовать Евангелие Христа всем без исключения из бескорыстной любви. Однако не все примут Его предложение спасения, но те, кто принимает («те, кто живет», 5: 15а), получают новую жизнь во Христе, и с тех пор живут для Него.

Следовательно, любовь Христа является неотъемлемым основанием того, как мы должны теперь жить для Него и, таким образом, вести наше служение. Как Христос отдал за нас Свою жизнь, так и мы теперь отдаем свою жизнь за Него. Его любовь к нам должна отражаться в нашей любви к другим, особенно в том, чтобы делиться «служением примирения» (5: 18-21), Евангелием. Поскольку мы живем в Нем, мы - «посланники Христа» (5:20).

Итак, природа и степень искупления, безусловно, являются основой аргументов Павла здесь, но мы не должны настолько увлекаться этими дебатами, чтобы упускать из виду общую и основную точку зрения Павла. Мы служим не из эгоистических мотивов, а исключительно ради Него, чтобы быть Его послами на земле.

В результате смерти Христа за меня, я теперь живу в Нем и для него, и, таким образом, моя жизнь изменилась в своем поведении, цели и деятельности. Это учение согласуется со всем библейским учением о христианской жизни - это измененная жизнь (Гал. 2:20), старое «я» умерщвлено, а новое «я» живет для Христа (Гал. 5:24; Еф. 4: 17 и далее). Наша жизнь кардинально отличается от прежней. Вместо того, чтобы жить эгоцентричной жизнью (Еф. 2: 1-3; 4: 17-19), мы живем сосредоточенной на Христе жизнью (Еф. 2: 4-10; 4: 20 и далее). Таким образом, мы, умершие и воскресшие со Христом, не только способны, но, в частности, призваны проповедовать весть примирения (5: 18-21), которая очевидна и действенна в нашей собственной жизни. Мы призваны жить обновленной жизнью через наше подлинное служение, движимое 1) силой вести в отличие от слабости посланника (4: 7); 2) вниманием Бога к нашему служению (5: 10-13); и 3) любовью Христа (5: 14-17).

Из речи Павла (5:14-15) он утверждает два последствия (5:16-17).

Последствие № 1: “Отныне (с того времени, как он начал жить для Христа и не для себя), потому, (первое последствие) “мы не знаем никого по плоти” (5:16a). Павел больше не оценивает и не ценит людей на основе их внешнего вида или субъективных, поверхностных, человеческих стандартов и отношений (например, богатство, раса, положение и т. д.; Ср. Гал. 3:28). Скорее, его оценка и отношения с другими людьми основаны на духовных ценностях человека с обновленным умом, так что его братья и сестры принадлежат не к естественной семье, а к духовной семье (ср. Мф. 12: 46 и далее. ). Он больше не относится к людям на уровне плоти, но теперь смотрит на других по-другому, не по плоти, а как «новые творения во Христе» (5:17).

«Даже если мы когда-то относились к Христу по плоти, мы больше не смотрим на Него таким образом» (5: 16б). Знание Павла о Христе до его обращения было «по плоти» - на основе дезинформированного, заблуждающегося плотского ума и чисто человеческих оценок.

Но впоследствии его отношения со Христом были совершенно другими. Он больше не ценил Его с внешней, человеческой точки зрения, но за то, кем является Христос на самом деле, что Он знает через пребывающего в нем Духа. Христа нельзя по-настоящему познать «по плоти» (то есть плотским разумом, основанным на человеческих ценностях). Вот почему невозрожденные люди приходят к ложным выводам о нем. Чтобы узнать Его и, таким образом, воспринять Его, как Бога и Искупителя, требуется опыт обращения к Нему через Духа Святого. Многие, кто знал Христа «по плоти», не знали Его через Духа Святого, Который единственный просвещает наше понимание того, кто Он. «Павел, подобно Петру и Фоме, должен был узнать, что важно не то, что он видел Христа и не знал о Нем, но любить Его и верить в Него (1 Пет. 1: 8; Иоан. 20:29)» ( Филип Э. Хьюз, Второе послание к Коринфянам, с. 201).

Последствие № 2. «Поэтому» (дальнейшее следствие из 5: 14-15) он не только больше ни к кому не относится по плоти (включая самого Христа), но «если кто во Христе», он считает их «новым творением» ( 5: 17а), потому что это то, чем они являются на самом деле. Любой, кто рожден свыше, находится «во Христе» и, таким образом, имеет новую личность, новые отношения, новую семью, новые ценности, новые цели. Он или она рассматривается как «во Христе», а не «по плоти» - когда мы видим их, мы видим Христа, а не внешнюю греховную плоть.

Быть «во Христе» подразумевает безопасность (сейчас и в будущем), идентичность, отношения, божественную природу, полностью «новое творение» (ср. Еф. 2:10; 4:24). «Старое (человек во плоти, старая природа со всей ее предрасположенностью к греху и т. д.) ушло (погибло; исчезло в истории); и вот (внезапность, удивление и великая радость) пришло новое” (5: 17б). Мы - новые творения с вечной жизнью, и все благодаря тому, кем мы являемся «во Христе». И то, что было сделано в нас (что будет завершено, когда мы прославимся), является предвестником и гарантией воссоздания всего сущего.

III. План проповеди

Название: Письма к семи церквям - Верность Христу (Откр. 3: 7-13)

Тема: Если вы верны Христу, Он превратит вашу немощь в столп силы.

Пункт 1: Христос ободряет нас Своей суверенной силой (3: 8-11)

1а) Он суверенно контролирует наш доступ к Нему (3: 8)

1б) Он суверенно сдерживает любое противодействие Ему (3: 9).

1в) Он суверенно удерживает нас от суда с Его стороны (3: 10-11)

Пункт 2: Христос ободряет Своим суверенным обетованием (3: 12-13)

2а) Тем, кто немощен, он обещает божественную силу (3: 12а).

2б) Тем, кто верен, Он обещает божественное имя (3: 12б).

Заключение: “«У кого есть уши слышать, да слышит то, что Дух говорит церквам»” (3:13)

Related Topics: Pastors

Q. Are Sinful Thoughts Equally Sinful with the Actual Deed?

Answer

Dear Friend,

I think the answer to your question comes from more than one text:

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28, NAU).

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death (James 1:13-15).

The legalistic Jews of Jesus’ day interpreted the Old Testament Law in such a way as to find themselves guiltless – holy, if you would. Thus, you could look at a woman with lust, and not be guilty of adultery (when the law was viewed as they interpreted it). But Jesus took sin much deeper, so that the Old Testament commandments condemn all of us

19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:19-20).

I think there is a difference between “committing a sin in our heart” (Matthew 5:28) and actually carrying out the sin by our actions. It seems to me that James recognizes this difference, so that he can speak of lust, but then go on to call it sin when that lust is “conceived” (James 1:15).

I think that James and Jesus agree on the fact that sin is the outcome of a sequence of events, not unlike the description of the foolish young man in Proverbs chapter 7. And while the legalistic Jews felt they were guiltless so long as they did not carry out the final act (adultery, murder) they were guilty. Jesus took them back to the roots of sin: lust (Matthew 5:27-30), and anger (Matthew 5:21-26).

Related Topics: Christian Life, Hamartiology (Sin)

Q. Does One Have To Be Baptized And Commit Themselves To A Discipleship Program In Order To Be Saved? Is Salvation Faith Plus Works?

Answer

Dear *****,

Thanks for your question.

The first thing I would say is that social media is probably not the best place for a Christian to go for help in the Christian life. There are far too many folks with their own agenda (and heresies). Without having any way to know them personally, or to get a sense of their own Christian walk (if they have one), it is far too risky. I’m thinking about texts like these:

Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith (Hebrews 13:7).

3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. 5 For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed-- God is witness-- 6 nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority. 7 But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. 8 Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. 9 For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; 11 just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, 12 so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. 13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe (1 Thessalonians 2:3-13; see also 2 Thessalonians 3:6-9).

16 Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church (1 Corinthians 4:16-17).

I believe that it is vitally important to be an active participant in a solid, Bible believing, Bible teaching church, with godly leaders. It is such persons to whom we should listen when it comes to Bible doctrine (such as salvation).

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you (Hebrews 13:17).

Having said that, it sounds pretty clear to me that the person that you have recently been talking with is seeking to add works to faith as a requirement for salvation. We are saved to good works, not by good works:

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10).

4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:4-7).

I would suggest that you read the book of Galatians several times. We are saved by trusting in what Jesus did for us when He took our place, paying the penalty for our sins. He saved us, not by what He has done plus our works, but by His work alone. When Paul and Barnabas came back from their first missionary journey, there were Judaizers who insisted that Gentiles must become Jewish converts and keep the law (symbolized by being circumcised):

Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1).

The Jerusalem Council clearly rejected this claim, with the reminder that even the Jews could not keep the law:

6 The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter. 7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 “And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 “Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are” (Acts 15:6-11; see also verses 19-29).

The Jerusalem Council concluded that men – Jew or Gentile – are saved by faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, and not by works. As I read the Book of Galatians, it seems to me that what these legalists are now saying is something like this:

“O.K., a person is saved by faith in Christ, but when it comes to sanctification and living the Christian life, one must follow the law.”

This, too, is strongly rejected by Paul, because we are sanctified the same way we are saved, by grace, not by our works. Notice how Paul handles this new effort to put Gentiles under the Law in order to be sanctified:

1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Gal. 3:1-3)

Paul is insistent that we are sanctified the same way we are saved:

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him (Colossians 2:6).

Just think about the way that God saved the Gentiles who came to hear Peter preach the gospel in the home of Cornelius:

34 Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. 36 “The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)-- 37 you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 “We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. 40 “God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days (Acts 10:34-48).

Peter didn’t even have the opportunity to give an invitation to come to faith. They believed, the Holy Spirit came upon them (just as He had at Pentecost in Acts 2), and then, finally, they were baptized. They did absolutely nothing to add to their salvation. It was all of God’s work.

And that is exactly what Peter said when some of his Jewish (law-oriented) colleagues challenged him for taking the gospel to Gentiles (Acts 11:1-3). Peter told of how God had convinced him to go to the Gentiles (Acts 11:4-14). And then he made a point of telling these folks how the Spirit came upon these new believers:

“And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. 16 “And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 “Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:15-18).

Peter’s words clearly declare the message of the gospel. It is all about Jesus, and the work HE DID on the cross, taking the sinner’s place, and suffering the punishment we deserve, and then rising from the dead. The moment those Gentile folks believed, the Holy Spirit came upon them, just like Pentecost, affirming that they were saved. Then, after the Holy Spirit confirmed their salvation, they were baptized, symbolizing their identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Works, and even “discipleship” is not mentioned here, just simple faith.

I might add that in the book of Acts the term “disciple (s)” is found 28 times, and in virtually in every case the word is simply used to refer to a Christian. Acts assumes that every Christian is a disciple, rather than to teach that you must commence some rigorous discipleship process in order to become a Christian. By the way, the word “disciple” disappears after the Book of Acts. I believe this is because the church is now the context for edification and growth, as a part of the body of our Lord (see Ephesians 4:4-16). Discipleship (by some other name) is important in the sense that every believer should continue to grow in Christ, but it is not a “work” we do in order to become a Christian.

Paul very strongly rejects the addition of any requirement other than faith to what is necessary for salvation. I believe the same is true for sanctification. We do not produce good works in order to be holy; we manifest good works because of what Jesus Christ has done, and through the Holy Spirit, Whom He has given to every believer. Romans 6 explains why sanctification is necessary. Romans 7 shows us why we cannot do this in our own strength. Romans 8 tells us how God has provided for salvation and sanctification at the cross:

22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you (Romans 7:22-8:11).

Thus, good works is the intended result of salvation, rather than its cause (Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 5:22-23). There is a world of difference between the “root” of salvation, and the “fruit.”

Let us take note that Paul uses the strongest of words to pronounce condemnation on those who would seek to convince others that good works (including baptism) are necessary additions to what God has done to achieve our salvation:

6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! 10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ (Galatians 1:6-10).

Let me mention two other lines of evidence to underscore the fact that salvation is not by works, but by faith.

The annual Day of Atonement, described in Leviticus chapter 16, is a prototype, and anticipation of the coming of Christ, and His sacrificial death as the perfect “Lamb of God” to make a permanent atonement for our sins. The Book of Hebrews has much to say about this (see chapters 8-10). But what I want to call to your attention is the fact that the Day of Atonement was a Sabbath

27 "But the bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be taken outside the camp, and they shall burn their hides, their flesh, and their refuse in the fire. 28 "Then the one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water, then afterward he shall come into the camp. 29 "This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you; 30 for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean [2 person plural] from all your sins before the LORD. It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute” (Leviticus 16:27-31).

Atonement for the sins of the nation was the work of one person, the High Priest. He alone entered the Holy of Holies with the blood of the sacrificial animal. And what is most important to note is that this Day of Atonement was a Sabbath, when no work could be done. The Israelites did nothing to contribute to the atonement which would be accomplished for them by the High Priest.

This is exactly what happened when the Lord Jesus, our Great High Priest, made atonement through His blood, once for all. He did it all, for all time, and we add nothing to His work by adding our works. Indeed, our works would only serve to diminish our appreciation for His work.

Let me give one last line of evidence, which lays this whole matter to rest. Any work which we do, prior to salvation, must, by its very nature be a work of the flesh, since the Spirit has not yet possessed us. Look again at the latter part of Romans 7 and the first verses of chapter 8:

18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you (Romans 7:18-8:11).

Without the Spirit of God dwelling in us, empowering us, sin dominates us, and we cannot please God. Any “work” which we do prior to salvation must be a work of the flesh, and not a work of the Spirit. Once we are saved through faith in the work of Christ, the Holy Spirit now indwells us, empowering us to do the things we could never do in the flesh. So our “good works” prior to salvation cannot contribute to salvation. It is Christ’s work alone that saves, and when His Spirit then indwells us, we are empowered to do the things that please God.

The evidence of these biblical texts is clear. No work of ours, prior to salvation, contributes to our salvation. Salvation is the work of God in us, through faith, which results in good works. Faith in Christ’s saving work is the “root” of our salvation; good works is the “fruit” of our salvation.

It is only this kind of salvation that gives the believer assurance of their salvation. If my salvation is contingent to some degree on my works, then I must always wonder if my works are good enough (and rightly so!). If my salvation is based solely on the work of Christ on my behalf, then I can be as confident in my salvation as I am in Christ, and His work. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.

I hope this helps,

Bob Deffinbaugh

Related Topics: Baptism, Discipleship, Soteriology (Salvation)

The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction To Scripture

Related Media

Though every year the Bible is the world’s most popular, purchased, and translated book, the majority of people reading the Bible have never deeply studied it, and even among those who have, many still have numerous, lingering questions, such as: “Who wrote it?” “Is it historically reliable?” “How were the books of the Bible selected?” “Is it possible that some books are missing or that others will be added?” “What is the over-arching storyline of the Bible and its primary message?” “How do we study the Bible?” “Why are there so many translations?” and “Which is the best translation?” The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction to Scripture answers these questions and more. In addition, strong apologetic evidence for the supernatural nature and absolute trustworthiness of Scripture is provided throughout—both to convince skeptics and increase the faith of believers. May God open your eyes, ears, and heart to the deep riches in his eternal Word!

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

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

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

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

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

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

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

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.

This book is also available for purchase here on Amazon.

Related Topics: Library and Resources

9. Living as Heaven-Bound Pilgrims on Earth (Genesis 46:31-47:31)

Related Media

…Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?” “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants’ flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.” Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed Pharaoh, Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?” And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.” Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their children. There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace… So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, o from one end of Egypt to the other… Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number. Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.” “I will do as you say,” he said. ”Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

Genesis 46:31-47:31 (NET)

How can we live as heaven-bound pilgrims on earth?             

In Genesis 46-47, Jacob relocated his family to Egypt so they could survive the world-wide famine. The region they moved to was Goshen, a fertile area located on the eastern delta of the Nile.1 In Goshen, Joseph, the governor of Egypt, prepped his family to meet Pharaoh (Genesis 46:31-34). Though Joseph was second-in-command over Egypt, he could not give Jacob’s family the land of Goshen without Pharaoh’s permission. Joseph told his family to mention that their occupation was shepherding. Since Egyptians despised shepherds, they would not want shepherds to live in or near their communities. Sending them to live in Goshen would solve this situation, and Pharaoh confirmed and approved Joseph’s request.

Joseph was not only a godly man and wise administrator, but he was also a savvy politician. He understood people and how to use the right words to get things done. He not only understood that Egyptians despised shepherds, but that they also looked down on other nations. Egyptians believed they originated from the gods and other peoples from lesser origins. These two realities (their occupation and ethnicity) would allow Joseph’s family to live separately in Goshen, prosper, and yet keep their identity as Hebrews. If they lived among the Egyptians, they would have assimilated into the culture—taking on many of the bad practices of the Egyptians, such as polytheism. If the Israelites couldn’t keep their identity in Canaan, where they began to practice the sins of the Canaanites, they wouldn’t be able to do it in Egypt, either.

Joseph put together a delegation of five brothers—probably, the most impressive of the eleven—and had them meet Pharaoh. After Pharaoh heard about their occupation, he agreed that they should live in Goshen. He also encouraged Joseph to allow his brothers to oversee the royal flocks if any of them had special ability (47:6).

After the brothers met Pharaoh, Joseph’s father was brought in to meet him. Immediately, Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh asked Jacob’s age. Jacob replied, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers” (47:9 NIV). Isaac lived to 180 and Abraham lived to 175. Ancient Egyptian literature says that the ideal age was 110.2 Possibly, Pharaoh had never met a man as old as Jacob. After their conversation, Jacob blessed Pharaoh again.

Later we find out that Israel prospered in Egypt—gaining property and bearing many children—while the Egyptians suffered (47:11-27). In return for food, the Egyptians first gave all their money to Pharaoh. Then, in an inevitable domino effect, they sold their animals, property, and finally themselves. In contrast, during the Israelites’ sojourn in Egypt, as pilgrims waiting their future land, God blessed them in the midst of the famine.

As we study this narrative, we learn something about our pilgrimage on earth. Like the Israelites in Egypt, we are temporary residents on earth—awaiting our heavenly homeland. In fact, when speaking to Pharaoh, Jacob summarized his life as a pilgrimage (Gen 47:9 NIV), one which seemed to refer to more than Jacob and his family’s earthly nomadic lifestyle. The writer of Hebrews used the same language to describe Abraham and the other patriarchs living in Canaan and yet looking forward to heaven while on earth. Hebrews 11:8-10, 16 says,

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going. By faith he lived as a foreigner in the promised land as though it were a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with firm foundations, whose architect and builder is God… But as it is, they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

The fact that Jacob was ultimately looking forward to heaven is clearly implied at his death. Genesis 49:29 and 33 says,

Then he [Jacob] instructed them, “I am about to go to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite…When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.”

When Jacob referred to going to his people, it meant something other than being buried. ‘Going to his people’ referred to Jacob’s heavenly hope. In heaven, Abraham, Isaac, Rachel, and Leah were all still “alive” and, at death, Jacob knew he would be reunited with them.

Though not having the revelation of Scripture, God made it known to the patriarchs that they were called to a heavenly country. They had a heavenly hope. In fact, Canaan has always symbolized heavenly hope for the Jews. When God gave Moses the description of the tabernacle, it was based on the heavenly tabernacle. Hebrews 8:5 says,

The place where they serve is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, just as Moses was warned by God as he was about to complete the tabernacle. For he says, “See that you make everything according to the design shown to you on the mountain.”

Also, Jerusalem was meant to help the Jews think about ‘heavenly Jerusalem,’ as Hebrews 12:22 calls it, which was their eventual eternal home.

Like the patriarchs, David understood this heavenly reality, as he also referred to himself as a pilgrim on earth:

For we are resident foreigners and nomads in your presence, like all our ancestors; our days are like a shadow on the earth, without security.

1 Chronicles 29:15

Hear my prayer, O Lord! Listen to my cry for help! Do not ignore my sobbing! For I am dependent on you, like one residing outside his native land; I am at your mercy, just as all my ancestors were.

Psalm 39:12

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David were all pilgrims, even while they lived in the promised land. This was because they were waiting for their eternal abode.

Scripture teaches the same reality about believers: Philippians 3:20 says, “But our citizenship is in heaven—and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” First Peter 2:11 says, “Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to keep away from fleshly desires that do battle against the soul.”

Therefore, as we look at Jacob and his family’s pilgrimage in Egypt, we learn principles about being pilgrims in this world. Our citizenship is in heaven and our sojourn on earth is temporary; therefore, these realities should significantly affect our daily lives and how we prepare for the future.

Big Question: What principles about being faithful, heaven-bound pilgrims on earth can we discern from Israel’s pilgrimage in Egypt?

To Live as Pilgrims, We Must Practice Holiness—Separation from the World

Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.” Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?” “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants’ flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.”

Genesis 46:31-47:6

As mentioned, God’s placement of Israel in Egypt, and specifically Goshen, was strategic. While in Canaan, infant Israel was beginning to conform to the ways of that nation. Jacob’s sons had murdered a village of men. Reuben, the firstborn, had slept with one of Jacob’s wives. Judah impregnated his daughter-in-law. Ten of Jacob’s sons had enslaved Joseph. Two of the sons married Canaanite women (Judah and Simeon; 38:2, 46:10). Such intermarriages would not have happened in Egypt due to the Egyptians’ extreme prejudice towards other nations and particularly towards shepherds. For these reasons, the Israelites were segregated from the Egyptians and allowed to dwell in Goshen. There they would grow into a great nation (Gen 46:3) and cultivate their religious distinctiveness. Egyptian society was built around a plethora of gods, one of whom was Pharaoh himself, but Israel would be built around the one God. Living in Goshen would allow them to be separate—set apart for God.

This is also true about our pilgrimage on earth as Christians. If we are going to live as pilgrims on earth, we must maintain our distinctiveness. We must be “in the world but not of the world” (John 17:15-16 paraphrase). We must never adopt the world’s sinful practices or ideals. We must develop and maintain the ideals and character which accords with our heavenly citizenship.

James 1:27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” Religion that God accepts is not only merciful but holy—it keeps itself unspotted from the world. That was God’s plan for Israel while they lived in Goshen, and that is God’s plan for us while we are in the world.

Interpretation Question: What does the process of a believer being conformed to this world look like?

According to Scripture, it’s very easy for Christians to lose their distinctiveness and begin to assimilate into the world culture. The process is gradual but has distinct stages: First, they befriend the world—becoming “comfortable” with its relationships, ideals, and practices. James says friendship with the world is enmity with God (Jam 4:4). Because of their friendship with the world, they become stained by the world (Jam 1:27), as they adopt various aspects of the world’s customs that are ungodly—language, clothing, sexual ethics, worldviews. As they immerse themselves more and more into the world, they begin to fall in love with it—enjoying its culture and wealth. First John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in them” (paraphrase). Loving the world and the things of the world continually draws believers away from God and the things of God. Also, it is harder to give things up that we love. Finally, Christians become conformed to the world, where they look just like the world and it’s hard to distinguish whether they are Christians or not. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (paraphrase). For example, Paul called the Corinthian Christians “worldly” and “infants in Christ” (1 Cor 3:1 NIV). It was hard to distinguish them from the world, as they had totally assimilated to the culture: They worshipped their pastors as if they were rock stars (1 Cor 1). They were suing one another (1 Cor 6). They practiced gross sexual immorality including incest and visiting temple prostitutes (1 Cor 5 and 6), and they even started to doubt the resurrection (1 Cor 15). They were very much like some liberal, worldly churches today.

As Christians conform to the world, they not only open the door to the devil but lose God’s blessing in the process. Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV) says,

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. He is like a tree planted by flowing streams; it yields its fruit at the proper time, and its leaves never fall off. He succeeds in everything he attempts.

God blesses those who separate from the world and continually draw near God and the things of God. He blesses them—in fact, prospering everything they do.

Like any good parent, God can’t bless his children as he would like to when they are living in sin. To bless them in that state would just harden them further into sin. Instead, he disciplines them so they can become holy. Hebrews 12:6 says, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts.” He disciplines believers so we can share in his holiness. Since God had a great plan for Israel—they would be the stewards of God’s Word, God’s temple, and the messiah would come through them—they had to be separate and holy. They had to be vessels fit for him to use.

Certainly, this is also true for believers today. We are God’s workmanship created in Christ for good works, which he prepared beforehand (Eph 2:10). Like Israel, God desires to bless us and draw the world to himself through us. Therefore, as pilgrims on this earth, we must be holy—set apart from the world and sin and separated to righteousness.

Are you practicing holiness—separating from the world, its practices and worldviews? Are you drawing near God through his Word, prayer, and growing in righteousness so God can use you greatly?

Application Question: How do we see many Christians (including churches and denominations) adopting the world—its ideals and practices? Why is this so common? How can Christians be in the world and not of it?

To Live as Pilgrims, We Must Practice Blessing Others

Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh. Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How long have you lived?” Jacob said to Pharaoh, “All the years of my travels are 130. All the years of my life have been few and painful; the years of my travels are not as long as those of my ancestors.” Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence.

Genesis 47:7-10

After Joseph’s brothers met with Pharaoh and asked to live in the land of Goshen, Jacob was introduced to Pharaoh. It appears that Jacob walked into the room with hands raised and immediately began to pray over Pharaoh. No doubt, he was thankful for how God used Pharaoh to save them from the famine, but he also wanted Pharaoh to know the blessing of the true God. As Jacob blessed him, he was operating in God’s promise to his family. Through Abraham and his descendants, all nations of the earth would be blessed.

What’s interesting about this is that Pharaoh was the most powerful man in the world at that time. He was considered the incarnation of Ra, the sun god.3 However, Pharaoh’s worldly preeminence didn’t stop Jacob from blessing him. After a short conversation, Jacob prayed again for Pharaoh. The man whom God chose to bless the world prayed for the most powerful man in the world. Jacob was not shocked or humbled by the greatness of Pharaoh, for Jacob knew whom he represented.

Steve Cole tells a story about Pastor Peter Cartwright’s comments when he found out the U.S. President, Andrew Jackson, was attending his service.

On one occasion a man named Peter Cartwright was about to preach when his deacons informed him that President Andrew Jackson had unexpectedly showed up. They asked him to be careful what he said. He stood up to preach and began, “I understand that Andrew Jackson is with us today, and I have been asked to be guarded in my remarks. Andrew Jackson will go to hell as quickly as any other man if he does not repent!” The congregation was shocked, wondering how the President would react. At the close of the meeting, President Jackson shook Cartwright’s hand and said, “Sir, if I had a regiment of men like you, I could whip the world.”4

Perhaps, Pastor Cartwright went a little overboard; however, the basis of his comments were correct. As a preacher, he spoke for God, and he knew that all people needed God’s blessing, including the U.S. President.

God has called all believers to be agents of his blessing on the earth. Christ called believers the salt and light of the world (Matt 5:13-14). As salt, we keep society from moral decay and ultimate judgment by living godly lives and challenging immoral practices. As light, we are maintainers of the truth. As society becomes darker, moral principles are lost, even such principles as the marriage between a man and a woman or the value of life (including infants, those with disabilities, or the elderly). God has called us to positively influence the world. The greatest way that we bless the world is obviously by sharing the gospel with them. Christ died for our sins and rose again. If we believe in him and follow him as Lord and Savior, God will save us from eternal damnation and give us eternal life. This is the blessing we should share with great and small. We are pilgrims with great blessings to offer the world.

Obviously, our Christian influence in the world will not be without cost. Since people prefer to continue in sin, they will become angry with us, perhaps even leading to our persecution. This is what happened to Christ—culminating in his crucifixion—and persecution will eventually happen to us in various ways. John 3:19-20 says:

the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.

Likewise, Peter wrote this to Christians who were being persecuted for their faith throughout the Roman empire: “and maintain good conduct among the non-Christians, so that though they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears” (1 Pet 2:12). Though these unbelievers persecuted Christians, many of them will ultimately glorify God on the day Christ appears, because at some point they became believers through the Christian witness. We don’t know if Pharaoh ever became a believer, but God blessed him through Joseph and Jacob for that purpose. When Nebuchadnezzar was ruling the world from Babylon, God used Daniel to help bring about his conversion (Dan 4). That is God’s plan for us as pilgrims on this earth as well. We are called to show people the love of God and consistently point them to the land we’re waiting for—a heavenly land.

Application Question: What are some ways that Christians can be a blessing to unbelievers? In what ways is God calling you to be salt and light to those around you that don’t know Christ? In what ways is persecution towards Christians growing around the world?

To Live as Pilgrims, We Must Recognize the Brevity of Life

Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How long have you lived?” Jacob said to Pharaoh, “All the years of my travels are 130. All the years of my life have been few and painful; the years of my travels are not as long as those of my ancestors.”

Genesis 47:8-9

As mentioned, after Pharaoh was initially blessed by Jacob, he asked for Jacob’s age. Pharaoh could tell Jacob was old. After Jacob replied that he was 130, he described his years as “few” and “painful” (v. 9). They were few in comparison to his fathers’ years, Isaac and Abraham, who lived to 180 and 175. However, Jacob probably also was considering his life in comparison to eternity. It’s clear that Jacob believed he would die soon. He mentioned it in Genesis 45, 46, and at the end of 47, as he prepared for his burial (47:28-31).

Recognizing the brevity of life is crucial for pilgrims. God has given us all a limited time on the earth, and how we live our lives will affect our lives in eternity. As believers, how we live is not about going to heaven or hell, as we are saved by faith in Christ’s work for us (Eph 2:8-9). However, the manner in which we live affects our lives in eternity and, specifically, our rewards in eternity. Second Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” First Corinthians 3:12-15 says,

If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

Believers will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to be evaluated for rewards; unbelievers will go before the Great White Throne of Judgment, where their works will reveal that they never accepted Christ and determine the quality of their eternal judgment (Rev 20). At the Judgment Seat of Christ, believers will receive rewards for faithfulness and lose rewards for unfaithfulness. Christ said those who practice his commands and teach others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven, and those who break his commands and teach others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:19).

How we use our time on earth matters! Life is like a vapor—it is here briefly and then gone (Jam 4:14). Psalm 90:10 and 12 (NIV) says:

Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away... Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

The Psalmist essentially says that if we don’t realize how short our time on earth is, we risk living unwisely. Christ intimated something similar in a parable about a master who left his servant at home in Luke 12:45-46. He said,

But if that slave should say to himself, ‘My master is delayed in returning,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat, drink, and get drunk then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two, and assign him a place with the unfaithful.

Since the servant thought his master was delaying his return (or wasn’t coming at all), he ceased to be a good steward. He lived in discord, waste, and drunkenness—he didn’t live a wise life because he wrongly evaluated his time. We probably would live wiser lives if we knew that Christ was returning soon or that we would die soon. Understanding the brevity of life is important to living as pilgrims. It helps us live wisely—in a way that honors God.

In Genesis 45:28, after Jacob’s sons told him that Joseph was still alive, he said, “I’m convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” Then in Genesis 46:30, when he met Joseph he said, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.” As mentioned previously, Jacob thought he was about to die soon; however, he lived for seventeen more years (Gen 47:28). This is important to consider because we don’t know the time of our deaths. For those who think they will live many more years, death may come quite quickly. For others, God might grant them many years of life. For others still, Christ may return in their lifetime, and they may never taste death. Whatever our futures hold, as servants of our heavenly King, he will hold us accountable for the instructions, talents, and time he gave us (cf. Matt 25:14-30).

Are we using our time wisely? Are we living as pilgrims, realizing that our time on earth may be short? God has prepared a heavenly city for us, and how we live here affects our eternal life there. In the Parable of the Talents, the person with one talent who didn’t use his gift or time well received God’s discipline instead of God’s commendation and reward (cf. Matt 25:24-30).

How are you using your time? Ephesians 5:15-16 (ESV) says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” To live faithfully as pilgrims, we must recognize the brevity of life in order to use our time well.

Application Question: Why is recognizing the brevity of life so important to being a faithful pilgrim? What are some helpful principles or disciplines that can help us use our time better for the Lord? How can we recognize the brevity of life and yet not become fatalistic?

To Live as Pilgrims, We Must Expect Difficulties in Life

Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How long have you lived?” Jacob said to Pharaoh, “All the years of my travels are 130. All the years of my life have been few and painful; the years of my travels are not as long as those of my ancestors.”

Genesis 47:8-9

Jacob not only mentioned the brevity of life but also the difficulty of it. Jacob had experienced a challenging life: He ran from his father’s home out of fear for his life, as his brother, Esau, wanted to kill him. He was deceived by his father-in-law, Laban, into marrying the wrong sister, leading him to marry both sisters. Because of that polygamist marriage, there was constant friction in his family between the wives and sons. Soon after Jacob left his uncle Laban’s house, Jacob’s sons murdered all the men in a village. His oldest son, Reuben, slept with Jacob’s wife in a power grab. His sons sold Joseph into slavery, whom he believed was dead for twenty-two years. He indeed had a difficult life. Much of the difficulty was not only a direct result of his own sins, but also stemmed from the sins of others and living in a world under God’s curse.

The difficulty of life is also important for us to recognize if we are going to live as faithful pilgrims on earth. For many, they are under the illusion that life becomes easier once we become Christians. Some might even believe the error of the prosperity gospel—that believers are promised health and wealth here on earth. However, that is not the true gospel message, and believing so can often cause great discouragement when people do not experience the “promised” prosperity. Job said: “people are born to trouble, as surely as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7).

We are always negatively affected by our sin, the sin of others, and the consequences of sin to the earth. These realities are true for everybody; however, Christians will often experience more difficulties because of their faith. In 1 Peter 4:12, Peter said this to Christians who were being persecuted for the faith, “Dear friends, do not be astonished that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as though something strange were happening to you.” Following Christ often will cause more difficulties in our lives, including our fight against sin in our flesh and the world, spiritual warfare, and persecution from those antagonistic towards Christ. Nonetheless, in the midst of those difficulties, there is certainly grace and, most importantly, God’s presence to carry us through them.

Christ indirectly described the importance of understanding the difficulties that come from following him in the Parable of the Sowers. In Matthew 13:20-21, he described the shallow ground which received the seed of God’s Word:

The seed sown on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. But he has no root in himself and does not endure; when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away.

When trouble or persecution happened, the person with shallow faith turned away from God. Maybe he was disappointed with God because he expected God to protect, heal, or prosper him. Or, he simply didn’t understand the costs that came with following Christ (sometimes loss of family, friends, or career). The parable implies that such a person fell away from God and apparently never returned.

The life of a Christian includes difficulties, some of which are common to all people, others experienced only by believers. As Christians, we are uniquely subjected to temptations from the flesh, Satan, and the world. We experience a mourning over sin that the world doesn’t (Matt 5:4) and a groaning for our heavenly home (Rom 8:23). This is the pilgrim’s life as we await our true home.

For Jacob, his years of pilgrimage were both few and difficult, and we should expect the same. But even more importantly than those difficulties, we should understand the greater glory that trials bring in our life. In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Paul said:

Therefore we do not despair, but even if our physical body is wearing away, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

Though we experience many difficulties in this pilgrim life, God uses all difficulties to help renew our spiritual life—creating perseverance in us, character, and hope in God (Rom 5:3-4). Difficulties are necessary, as they help remind us that earth and these bodies are not our permanent home—we were made for something else. Difficulties help us not hold the temporary things of life so tightly and help us cling more to eternity. Difficulties also prepare us for a greater glory in heaven as we persevere in faith. James 1:12 says, “Happy is the one who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love him.”

How are you responding to your difficulties? Do you realize that they are par the course for pilgrims in a world that is not ours? Our home is in heaven, and one day we will be with Jesus there. When Christ returns to the earth, he will renew the heaven and the earth, and they will be our eternal home (Rev 21).

Application Question: Why is it important for believers to recognize and expect difficulties (cf. Jam 1:2)? In what ways have you experienced how difficulties help us cling less to the temporary and cling more to the eternal? What specific difficulties is God currently using in your life to help change your character and help you cling more to him and your ultimate home?

To Live as Pilgrims, We Must Live by Faith, Both in Good and Bad Times

So Joseph settled his father and his brothers. He gave them territory in the land of Egypt, in the best region of the land, the land of Rameses, just as Pharaoh had commanded. Joseph also provided food for his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household, according to the number of their little children. But there was no food in all the land because the famine was very severe; the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan wasted away because of the famine. Joseph collected all the money that could be found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan as payment for the grain they were buying. Then Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s palace. When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was used up, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food! Why should we die before your very eyes because our money has run out?” Then Joseph said, “If your money is gone, bring your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.” So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for their horses, the livestock of their flocks and herds, and their donkeys. He got them through that year by giving them food in exchange for livestock. When that year was over, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We cannot hide from our lord that the money is used up and the livestock and the animals belong to our lord. Nothing remains before our lord except our bodies and our land. Why should we die before your very eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we, with our land, will become Pharaoh’s slaves. Give us seed that we may live and not die. Then the land will not become desolate.” So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. Each of the Egyptians sold his field, for the famine was severe. So the land became Pharaoh’s. Joseph made all the people slaves from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end of it. But he did not purchase the land of the priests because the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh and they ate from their allotment that Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. Joseph said to the people, “Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate the land. When you gather in the crop, give one-fifth of it to Pharaoh, and the rest will be yours for seed for the fields and for you to eat, including those in your households and your little children.” They replied, “You have saved our lives! You are showing us favor, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” So Joseph made it a statute, which is in effect to this day throughout the land of Egypt: One-fifth belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s. Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they owned land there. They were fruitful and increased rapidly in number.

Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; the years of Jacob’s life were 147 in all. The time for Israel to die approached, so he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” Joseph said, “I will do as you say.” Jacob said, “Swear to me that you will do so.” So Joseph gave him his word. Then Israel bowed down at the head of his bed.

Genesis 47:11-31

The narrator, Moses, contrasts the blessing and favor over the Israelites with the hardship that the Egyptians endured. Statements of God’s provision for Israel bracket the impoverishment of the Egyptians in Genesis 47:11-12, 27-29. Joseph gave his family property and food (47:11-12), and eventually the Israelites increased greatly in number and acquired even more property (47:27-29). However, the Egyptians were so impoverished in the final five years of famine, they first gave all their money to Pharaoh, then sold their animals, and finally themselves and their land (47:13-26). Some struggle with understanding Joseph’s enslavement of the Egyptians. However, it is important when studying the Bible to take off our cultural lenses and read it according to the lens of that particular ancient culture. In Genesis 47:19, because the people did not want to perish, they asked Pharaoh to take their lands and enslave them. That was how they would survive. This was not uncommon in the ancient world, where people often struggled with extreme poverty. For many, slavery was a preferred institution. Compare slavery to the day worker: the day worker got paid at end of a day’s work, and it was usually only enough to buy food for that day—it did not pay for housing, medical, clothing, or other expenses. For slaves, their costs for housing, food, clothing, and medical needs were all covered by their master. Often slaves and masters had good relationships. For instance, Abraham’s chief servant would have received Abraham’s inheritance if Abraham never had a child (Gen 15:2-3). Instead of looking at their slavery as a negative experience, the Egyptians praised Joseph for saving their lives and giving them a reasonable deal (Gen 47:25). They only had to pay twenty percent of their harvest to Pharaoh, which was cheap for a tenant farmer in those days. Forty percent was not uncommon in Mesopotamia and some ancient documents show people paying as much as sixty percent.5 Again, this compelled the people to praise Joseph for saving them.

In contrast, the Israelites had a very different experience: They received property while the Egyptians sold theirs. They were fruitful and increased greatly in number (47:27). God blessed them even during a famine. Certainly, this was common throughout the patriarchs’ narrative: While Abraham visited Egypt, even though he lied about his wife and almost lost her to Pharaoh, he left Egypt with great wealth (Gen 12). When he went to war with just a few hundred men against four armies, he conquered them (Gen 14). When his wife was barren, God gave her a miracle child named Isaac in their old age (Gen 21). When Isaac experienced a famine, instead of going to Egypt, he sowed seed and God gave him a 100-fold harvest (Gen 26). While Laban kept mistreating Jacob, God prospered Jacob and made him wealthier than Laban (Gen 30). When Joseph was sold into slavery and then put in prison, he prospered in both institutions (Gen 39-40) and then was promoted to governor of Egypt (Gen 41). In bad situations, God continually used evil and difficulties to bless his people. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph said this to his brothers, “What you meant for bad, God meant for good” (paraphrase). The same thing was happening to Israel while they dwelt in Egypt. During the famine, God prospered them while others suffered. Therefore, God’s favor over his people while in Egypt and throughout the patriarchs’ story reminds us to have faith in God, both in hard times and good times.

We see the need for faith clearly demonstrated with Jacob when he was about to die: He approached Joseph and asked that his body be buried back in his parents’ cave in Canaan (47:29-31). Jacob’s seventeen years in Egypt were probably his most peaceful and prosperous years. He had his entire family together; they were growing, living in peace, and prospering. It would have been easy for Jacob to settle down in Egypt, accept his lot there, and forget about Canaan. However, Jacob remembered God’s promise: Jacob’s family would possess Canaan. Therefore, being moved there after his death was a step of faith—one that his family would remember. Jacob and the Israelites were not polytheistic Egyptians! They were worshipers of the true God, who were temporarily residing in Egypt. Their home was past the border of Egypt, in Canaan. They were only pilgrims in Egypt.

Similarly, as pilgrims on this earth, we must live by faith both in bad times and good times. With trials come a temptation to doubt God’s goodness. In those times, we must remember God works all things to the good of those who love the Lord (Rom 8:28). Just as God provided for Israel in the famine and ultimately prospered them, God will do the same with us, in various ways. However, in times of prosperity, there is the temptation to forget God and live for this world. Many believers have done so. With Demas, a former apostolic associate, Paul said this about him, “For Demas deserted me, since he loved the present age, and he went to Thessalonica” (2 Tim 4:10). Unfortunately, many, instead of living by faith, fall in love with ‘Egypt,’ making their home there and becoming ‘Egyptianized.’ Instead of storing their riches and ultimate dreams in heaven, they store them on earth, which makes their hearts worldly (Matt 6:19-21).

If we are going to be faithful pilgrims on earth, we must live by faith. We must set our minds on things above instead of earthly things (Col 3:2). We must live by faith, as only those who live by faith on this earth will be rewarded by God. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

Are you living by faith in God’s promises or by sight—focusing all your hopes and dreams on this earth? We are saved by faith and we live by faith (Rom 1:17). This is the life of a pilgrim—a life of faith in God.

Application Question: Why is it so hard to keep our eyes on the promises of God including heaven, eternal reward, and ultimately seeing and knowing God eternally? How is God calling you to trust him more either in a time of hardship or prosperity?

Conclusion

How can we faithfully live as pilgrims on the earth—citizens of heaven?

  1. To Live as Pilgrims, We Must Practice Holiness—Separation from the World
  2. To Live as Pilgrims, We Must Practice Blessing Others
  3. To Live as Pilgrims, We Must Recognize the Brevity of Life
  4. To Live as Pilgrims, We Must Expect Difficulties in Life
  5. To Live as Pilgrims, We Must Live by Faith, Both in Good and Bad Times

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

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

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

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

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

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

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

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1997). Be authentic (p. 136). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.

2 Hughes, R. K. (2004). Genesis: beginning and blessing (pp. 532–533). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

3 Guzik, D. (2013). Genesis (Ge 47:7–10). Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik.

4 Accessed May 10, 2019 from https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-78-prosperity-counts-genesis-4631-4731

5 Hughes, R. K. (2004). Genesis: beginning and blessing (p. 535). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Related Topics: Christian Life

Lesson 1: The Bible’s Uniqueness

Related Media

The law of the LORD is perfect and preserves one’s life. The rules set down by the LORD are reliable and impart wisdom to the inexperienced. The LORD’s precepts are fair and make one joyful. The LORD’s commands are pure and give insight for life.

Psalm 19:7-8 (NET)

Hypothetically, what would you think if you heard God was publishing a book? What characteristics would you suspect to be true about it? You might think:

  • It would be the most purchased book ever.
  • It would be the most translated book ever.
  • It would be the best historically preserved book of all time.
  • It would be completely accurate and without error.
  • It would be the self-revelation of God—disclosing knowledge about him.
  • It would be the most impactful book ever—affecting not just a nation, but the entire globe.
  • You might even think it would be dangerous for people to not read it.

All these things are true about the Bible. There is no other book like it, including other religious texts. In this study, we will consider the uniqueness of the Bible, especially in comparison to other books.

The Bible Is Unique In Its Creation

The Bible has two authors: the first is God and the second is humans. In fact, God himself began writing the Bible. God wrote the Ten Commandments with his own hand. Exodus 31:18 says, “He gave Moses two tablets of testimony when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, tablets of stone written by the finger of God.”

Not only did he write the Ten Commandments, but the Bible teaches that every word of Scripture is “inspired by God,” even though human authors were used to record his words. Second Timothy 3:16 says: “Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” “Inspired by God” can also be translated “God-breathed.”

How is it possible that Scripture has two authors—both God and humans? Second Peter 1:20-21 gives us a hint. It says:

Above all, you do well if you recognize this: No prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet’s own imagination, for no prophecy was ever borne of human impulse; rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

What does it mean to be “carried along by the Holy Spirit”? In Acts 27:15, its writer, Luke, uses the same phrase to describe a ship being carried by a storm. He said: “When the ship was caught in it and could not head into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.” In the same way the sailors gave way to the power of the storm and were “driven” by it, so the authors of the Bible were “carried” by the Holy Spirit in the writing of Scripture. The Holy Spirit drove them along both in the writing of the content and in keeping them from error. The writers were present, they were thinking and writing, but they were being moved by the Spirit.

Consider some specific instances where we see the Bible being written by men. Deuteronomy 31:24–27 says,

When Moses finished writing on a scroll the words of this law in their entirety, he commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the Lord’s covenant, “Take this scroll of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. It will remain there as a witness against you, for I know about your rebellion and stubbornness. Indeed, even while I have been living among you to this very day, you have rebelled against the Lord; you will be even more rebellious after my death!”

Moses wrote God’s words down in a scroll; then it was placed beside the ark of the covenant. After Moses wrote the Book of the Law, Joshua continued the writing, sharing the events of Israel’s conquest of Canaan. Joshua 24:26 says, “Joshua wrote these words in the Law Scroll of God. He then took a large stone and set it up there under the oak tree near the Lord’s shrine.”

Similarly, the prophet Jeremiah received a call from God to write. Jeremiah 30:2 says, “The Lord God of Israel says, ‘Write everything that I am about to tell you in a scroll.” Throughout the Old Testament, God commissioned people to write Scripture so it would be preserved for future generations.

Likewise, the New Testament was written by people who were guided by the Holy Spirit. In John 14:26, Jesus said to his disciples, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.” Later, in John 16:12-13, Christ said:

I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come.

God sent the Holy Spirit to inspire the disciples and bring to their remembrance all of Christ’s words. The Holy Spirit would not only bring things to their remembrance, but also would give the disciples further revelation. In the following texts, Paul talks about his receiving further revelation:

When reading this, you will be able to understand my insight into this secret of Christ. Now this secret was not disclosed to people in former generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, namely, that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:5-6

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. For I did not receive it or learn it from any human source; instead I received it by a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:11-12

This is how the New Testament and the Old Testament were written: the Holy Spirit moved upon specific individuals to write the actual words of God, so God could reveal himself to people.

In what ways did the Holy Spirit inspire these men to write Scripture? The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of Scripture through different methods. Hebrews 1:1 says, “After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets.” These various ways include:

1. Some parts of Scripture were written by dictation: the author wrote down exactly what God said. This is especially true in the Old Testament, as indicated by the prophets’ phrase, “Thus says the Lord!” When this happened, the audience knew the prophet was speaking verbatim from God.

2. Some parts of Scripture were written by the Holy Spirit inspiring the author’s words, yet embodying the author’s personality, education, writing style, and experiences. Most Scripture is written in this manner.

3. Some parts of Scripture were written using a historical method, including personal testimony and documented stories of eyewitnesses. For example, consider the introductions to 1 John and Luke:

This is what we proclaim to you: what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched (concerning the word of life—

1 John 1:1

Now many have undertaken to compile an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, like the accounts passed on to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning. So it seemed good to me as well, because I have followed all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know for certain the things you were taught.

Luke 1:1-4

John shared what he had personally seen and experienced, while Luke investigated and shared eyewitness accounts.

4. Some parts of Scripture were written using other unique methods, such as dreams, visions, theophanies. Wayne Grudem’s insights on this method are helpful:

In between these two extremes of dictation pure and simple on the one hand, and ordinary historical research on the other hand, we have many indications of various ways by which God communicated with the human authors of Scripture. In some cases Scripture gives us hints of these various processes: it speaks of dreams, of visions, of hearing the Lord’s voice or standing in the council of the Lord; it also speaks of men who were with Jesus and observed his life and listened to his teaching, men whose memory of these words and deeds was made completely accurate by the working of the Holy Spirit as he brought things to their remembrance (John 14:26). Yet in many other cases the manner used by God to bring about the result that the words of Scripture were his words is simply not disclosed to us. Apparently, many different methods were used, but it is not important that we discover precisely what these were in each case.

In cases where the ordinary human personality and writing style of the author were prominently involved, as seems the case with the major part of Scripture, all that we are able to say is that God’s providential oversight and direction of the life of each author was such that their personalities, their backgrounds and training, their abilities to evaluate events in the world around them, their access to historical data, their judgment with regard to the accuracy of information, and their individual circumstances when they wrote, were all exactly what God wanted them to be, so that when they actually came to the point of putting pen to paper, the words were fully their own words but also fully the words that God wanted them to write, words that God would also claim as his own.1

The Bible Is Unique In Its Authorship

One might think that the primary authors were ancient scholars and theologians; however, those are not the people God typically used. He often chose regular lay people, many lacking formal religious education. In Acts 4:13, Luke shared how the Pharisees were “amazed” at the courage of the apostles, as they could discern that “they [the apostles] were uneducated, ordinary men.” Scripture was written by farmers, fishermen, shepherds, tax collectors, and criminals. With that said, God also chose to use kings, government officials, and rabbis to author his Word. God used around forty authors from various backgrounds to write Scripture.

Why did God often use common, lay people to write Scripture? First Corinthians 1:27-29 may provide some insight into this. It says:

But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no one can boast in his presence.

It seems that God chose regular people to write the Bible to guard against the temptation of boasting in humanity (as we tend to do with authors, musicians, athletes, and political leaders), thus assuring that God would receive the glory.

The Bible Is Unique In The Time Frame It Took To Be Written

Many famous writers will write approximately one page a day to complete a new book every year. In contrast, the Bible took around 1500 years to complete. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew (with a few portions in Aramaic) between 1400 and 430 BC. The New Testament was written in common Greek between 45 and 90 AD.2 The Bible was written during seasons of war, peace, famine, and prosperity. No other book, including religious texts, took such a long time to complete.

The Bible Is Unique In Its Unified Story

Though the authors lived and wrote during different time periods, the books are not random nor fragmented. They teach a unified story, sometimes referred to as redemptive history. They show how the world fell into sin and came under a curse, and how God chose to save the world through a messiah. The messiah came from the Jews, was rejected, crucified, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. Then, the authors detail how the gospel (the message of God saving people through their faith in the resurrected messiah) spread throughout the world, and how one day Christ will return to judge and bring forth the eternal state.

The unified story of these forty authors in sixty-six books, written over a 1,500-year time frame, is remarkable. It would be virtually impossible to find forty authors during the same time period (much less various time periods), who wrote on one subject from different angles without contradicting one another. Yet, the Bible does this over a 1,500-year period. There is no book like it.

The Bible Is Unique In Its Preservation

How were the original manuscripts of the Bible continually and accurately copied so that we now have it in its original meaning, intent, and entirety today? Initially, it was written on various materials: on papyrus (a material woven from plants), on different types of animal skins, and occasionally on stone. The Old Testament, specifically, was copied over and over again by writers known as scribes.

Scribes followed stringent protocols. Before beginning to copy any text, they had to be freshly bathed and fully dressed. They had to write with meticulous accuracy at all times. Each manuscript had to be exactly the same; a piece of string had to be able to fit between every letter, and there had to be the space of a letter between each word.3 If they were writing God’s name, they could not use a newly dipped pen, lest they botch it. If a king entered the room or addressed them, they had to finish writing God’s name first. They maintained strict discipline in counting paragraphs, words, and letters to make sure that each page was the same and that they hadn’t made a mistake.4

Because of their painstaking diligence, thousands of Old Testament manuscripts, copied with tremendous accuracy, have been preserved over time. Likewise, Christian scribes meticulously copied the New Testament as well, striving to guard it from error. We have more ancient New Testament manuscripts than Old Testament manuscripts. The Bible is unique in its preservation.

The Bible Is Unique In Its Survival Of Criticism

Throughout the ages, great criticism has always been directed towards the Bible, declaring its inaccuracy historically, scientifically, and doctrinally. However, new evidences, including archaeological findings, continue to support the accuracy of Scripture.

For example, though many in the scientific community have declared the impossibility of the Genesis flood, historical findings show that almost all ancient people groups record world-wide flood stories which include corresponding elements such as a warning of the flood, a large boat, the inclusion of animals in the boat, a family, and sending out birds to see if the flood had subsided.5 Dr. Richard Andree, a German scholar, collected eighty-eight ancient flood stories.6 Dr. Duane Gish, in his book Dinosaurs by Design, says there are more than 270 flood stories.7 Forty-six are from Central and South America, fifty-nine from North America, thirty-one from Europe, seventeen from the Middle East, twenty-three from Asia, and thirty-seven from the South Sea Islands, New Zealand and Australia, among others.8 In addition, where many previously scoffed at the possibility of all languages originating from one language, as taught in the Tower of Babel story, many experts now believe all languages can be traced to a common origin.

Similarly, others criticize Scripture by contending that its many inconsistencies and contradictions are actually errors. However, many of these “contradictions” are simply the results of people reporting the same event or doctrine from different angles. Other purported contradictions can be explained by understanding the relevant historical background and by comparing Scripture with Scripture.

In comparing Scripture with Scripture, for example, Matthew 27:5 says Judas hung himself, and Acts 1:18 says he bought a field, fell to the ground, and his guts spilled out. Many declare, “Look, there is another error!” However, upon further scrutiny, these two portions of Scripture appear to be the same event told from two distinct perspectives. Most likely, Judas hung himself, the rope broke, and because gas had built up in his stomach, that, combined with the impact of the fall, caused his abdomen to burst and his intestines to spill out. There is no error in the differing accounts of Matthew and Acts, merely different perspectives of the same event.

Jonah 2:6 describes how Jonah, after being thrown off the boat, sank down to the “roots of the mountains.” In past generations, people mocked that story: “What mountains? There are no mountains in the ocean!” they declared. However, today, because of technological advances, we know that some of the biggest mountains are in the ocean—something previous generations were not aware of.

A final example, Revelation 11:7-10 describes how, in the end times, two prophets will be murdered, and people from all around the world will look at them, celebrate their death, and send gifts to one another. People used to declare, “How can people from all over the world look at two people in Jerusalem?” In the 1950s, nations started sending satellites to space, and today locations across the world can be seen live simply by clicking on a computer or other electronic devices. What seemed impossible 100 years ago, makes perfect sense now.

Specifically, considering the historical criticism Scripture has received, Scholar William F. Albright said this:

The excessive skepticism shown toward the Bible by important historical schools of the eighteenth and 19th centuries, certain phases which still appear periodically, has been progressively discredited. Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of innumerable details, and has brought increased recognition to the value of the Bible as a source of history.9

In addition, Nelson Glueck, the renowned Jewish archaeologist, wrote that, “It maybe stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference.”10

The Bible is unique in its survival of criticism. It continues to prove itself true scientifically, historically, doctrinally, and in many other ways, thwarting even the harshest attacks.

The Bible Is Unique In Its Survival Of Persecution

Not only has the Bible been historically criticized, it has also been persecuted. For example, in AD 303, the Roman Emperor Diocletian issued an edict to destroy Christians and their sacred book.11 The letter ordered that churches and Bibles be burned and that those who persisted in confessing Christianity would be deprived of their civil rights. Such persecution has been active throughout the Bible’s history. In modern times (as of 2019), news reports shared how China was burning Bibles and churches in many provinces to ensure loyalty to the government.12 Bibles could no longer be purchased online, and the government was rewriting parts of Scripture to better fit communist ideology.13 Likewise, in North Korea, a person can be executed for simply possessing a Bible.14 These countries are not alone in their attacks. Currently, the Bible is banned or restricted in around fifty-two countries world-wide. Most of these are communist or Islamic nations. However, even with the great antagonism which has existed against the Bible since its inception, the Bible is still the most published and translated book in the world.

Reflection

  1. In the reading, what aspect of the Bible’s uniqueness stood out most to you and why?
  2. What are some of the methods that the various authors used to write the Bible?
  3. Why do you think God used such a varied range of people to write the Bible?
  4. What types of criticisms have you heard against the Bible? How do you deal with such criticisms or even your own personal doubts?
  5. What other questions or applications do you have from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

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

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

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

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

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

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

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Grudem, W. A. (1994). Systematic theology: An introduction to biblical doctrine (81). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.

2 Plummer, Robert L. 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible (40 Questions & Answers Series) (Kindle Locations 1076-1077). Kregel Publications - A. Kindle Edition.

3 Accessed 8/2/19 from https://www.josh.org/faithful-transmit-old-testament/=

4 Accessed 8/2/19 from https://bible.org/seriespage/5-transmission

5 Accessed 8/29/19 from http://www.nwcreation.net/noahlegends.html

6 Accessed 8/29/19 from http://www.noahsarksearch.com/The_Explorers_Of_Ararat_1960-1968_George_Vandeman.pdf

7 Accessed 8/29/19 from https://answersingenesis.org/the-flood/flood-legends/flood-legends/

8 Schaefer, Richard. Creation: “Behold it was very good.” pg. 133.

9 William, Albright. The Archaeology of Palestine and the Bible. New York: Revell, 1935. (pg. 137-138).

Preface

And entrust what you heard me say in the presence of many others as witnesses to faithful people who will be competent to teach others as well.

2 Timothy 2:2 (NET)

Paul’s words to Timothy still apply to us today. The church needs teachers who clearly and fearlessly teach the Word of God. With this in mind, The Bible Teacher’s Guide (BTG) series was created. This series includes both expositional and topical studies, with resources to help teachers lead small groups, pastors prepare sermons, and individuals increase their knowledge of God’s Word.

The Bible’s Uniqueness: An Introduction to Scripture can be used for personal study or as a small group curriculum for around eighteen weeks. For small groups, the members will read a chapter and discuss the reflection questions (and anything else that stood out in the reading) within their gathering. The chapter can also be read before the gathering, with the meeting focusing only on discussion.

Lesson 2: The Bible Is Unique in Its Historical Reliability

Related Media

Assuming that we believe in God and that he has chosen to reveal himself through the Bible, how do we know the Bible is still accurate? We no longer have the original manuscripts; therefore, how do we know that the copies we have today are accurate? After all, we have all seen or participated in the telephone game; in a classroom, the students form a circle and one person starts the game by whispering a simple phrase into another’s ear, and that person does the same to the next person, and so on, eventually circling the entire group and arriving back to the first person. By then, the phrase is quite different from the original version. Each time someone whispered the phrase into the ear of the next person, some bit of the original phrase was altered or left out, so that by the end, it was no longer an accurate copy of the original phrase. Isn’t that what happened with all the copies of the Bible over 100’s and 1000’s of years, leading us to wonder if the Bible we have today is incomparable to the original?

This argument has often been used to discredit the accuracy of today’s Bible. Obviously, there are many weaknesses with this comparison. (1) In the telephone game, people are only allowed to share a story once, without correcting it. The whole point of the game is to get something crazy at the end. Yet, even conveying stories by word of mouth can be transferred with great accuracy if care is given in the transmission, as with oral tradition. (2) What makes this comparison more unfair is the fact that it compares transferring the spoken word to transferring the written word. Transferring written words is remarkably more accurate than transferring spoken words.

With that said, the historical reliability of the Bible is one of the more unique aspects about the Bible. An article in the North American Review said this, in comparing the reliability of Scripture to Shakespeare’s writings:

It seems strange that the text of Shakespeare, which has been in existence less than 2 hundred and eighty years, should be far more uncertain and corrupt than that of the New Testament, now over 18 centuries old, during nearly fifteen of which it existed only in manuscript… With perhaps a dozen or twenty exceptions, the text of every verse in the New Testament may be said to be so far settled by general consent of scholars, that any dispute as to its readings must relate rather to the interpretation of the words than to any doubts respecting the words themselves. But in every one of Shakespeare’s thirty-seven plays there are probably a hundred readings still in dispute, a large portion of which materially affects the meaning of the passages in which they occur.1

The historical reliability of Scripture is a mystery that attests to the sovereignty and power of God to preserve his words. To scholars it is, in fact, mind-boggling. The Bible is more historically reliable than any other ancient manuscript.

Manuscript Evidence

In considering the reliability of Scripture, we must consider that the oldest complete Hebrew Old Testaments date to around 1000 AD.2 This is very late, since the last Old Testament book, Malachi, was written around 433-424 BC.3 With such a great interval between the original and the copies, it would appear that critics could have a great argument against the Bible’s reliability. After all, how can we trust copies written 1400 years after the original? However, in 1947, an Arabian shepherd boy wandered into a cave in the Middle East and stumbled upon hundreds of manuscripts, which are the oldest Hebrew OT fragments ever discovered. These date back to around 250 BC to 68 AD and include not only portions of OT chapters but whole books.4 These manuscripts are called the Dead Sea Scrolls.

What makes this story even more amazing is the fact that those early copies are 95-99% the same as later copies of the OT. The 1-5% variation consist of spelling errors such as a “t” that wasn’t crossed or an “i” that wasn’t dotted, and small scribal additions. Their accuracy is virtually amazing and demonstrates how God has preserved the Bible. When considering the entire Bible and its historical reliability, as mentioned, no other ancient text can compare.

Historians use the bibliographical test to evaluate the manuscript reliability of an ancient copy of literature in comparison to the missing original.5 The test uses two standards:

  1. the time interval between the original and the earliest copy
  2. the number of copies available

For instance, of all ancient books (other than the Bible), the most historically reliable according to textual criticism is the Iliad. It was written around 750 BC yet the earliest copies (over 1,900 exist) date from 415 B.C. This makes a time gap of approximately 335 years. Consider some other ancient books:

  • Herodotus—Histories, written around 425 BC, earliest copies from 150-50 BC, 275-375-year time gap, with 106 existing copies
  • Caesar—Gallic Wars, written around 50 BC, earliest copies from 900 AD, 950-year time gap, with around 261 existing copies
  • Pliny—Natural History, written around 77 AD, earliest copies from 500 AD, 423-year time gap, with around 200 existing copies
  • Tacitus—Annals, written around 100 AD, earliest copies from 850 AD, 750-year time gap, with 36 existing copies6

In considering the New Testament alone, there are books with a time gap of 50–150 years. Within a time-frame of 225 years, there are over 5,600 Greek manuscripts. Within 400 years, there are over 19,000 manuscripts in Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Aramaic.7 There are over 24,000 manuscripts of the NT—all within 95-99% accuracy of each other. The OT has over 42,000 manuscripts.8 The Bible, as a whole, has more manuscript evidence than any ten pieces of ancient literature combined. Moreover, even if we did not have any ancient New Testament manuscripts, it was so often quoted by ancient writers that by simply combining those excerpts, the entire NT can be pieced together.9

The Bible is so accurate in comparison to ancient literature that if one doubts the historical reliability of Scripture, they must also doubt that of the classics and therefore almost all we know about ancient history.10 The quotes of these two authors are helpful in considering this reality: Bible scholar Daniel Wallace said, “If we have doubts about what the autographic NT said, those doubts would have to be multiplied a hundredfold for the average classical author.”11 Likewise, Glenny Edwards said, “No one questions the authenticity of the historical books of antiquity because we do not possess the original copies. Yet we have far fewer manuscripts of these works than we possess of the NT.”12

Verification Of Internal Testimony

Another test of historical reliability is the verification of internal testimony by outside sources.13 As with the manuscript evidence test, the Bible passes this one in stellar fashion as well. Not all historical details in Scripture can be verified, but its history is verifiable where it can be checked, including when Scripture discusses miracles. For example, ancient Babylonian records describe a world-wide flood in accordance with Genesis 6-8, and a confusion of language, which fits the Tower of Babel story (Gen 11).14 Archaeological findings from the site where Sodom and Gomorrah are believed to have been located, display evidence of a fiery and violent destruction in accordance with Genesis 19. “Samples from the site show that an extremely hot, explosive event leveled” the cities. Many archaeologists believe it was hit by a meteor.15 In the New Testament, cities, political officials, and events have been repeatedly affirmed by historical findings. Luke, the author of Luke and Acts, “has been described as a first-rate historian for his attention to detail and accurate reporting.”16 Sir William Ramsay said this:

Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy… this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians… Luke’s history is unsurpassed in respect of its trustworthiness.17

When considering the miracles of Christ, they have strong attestation outside the Bible as well, even by those who didn’t believe he was the Jewish messiah. In the Babylonian Talmud (AD 500), it says that Christ “practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy.”18 Josephus (AD 30-100), an ancient Jewish historian, said Christ did “startling deeds” and gained a following.19 Altogether, historical findings continue to increasingly prove the reliability of Scripture.

The Bible’s historical reliability simply confirms what Scripture teaches about itself—that it is true (Ps 119:160), perfect (Ps 19:7), imperishable and enduring (1 Pet 1:23). God has truly preserved his Word both from corruption and error. It is unique in comparison to all of literature.

Reflection

  1. In the reading, what aspect of the Bible’s historical reliability stood out most to you and why?
  2. How is the telephone game an incompatible comparison to the quality and integrity of Scripture’s transmission?
  3. What two standards are used in evaluating an ancient manuscript’s accuracy with its original? How does the Bible measure up in comparison to other ancient manuscripts?
  4. Why is it so important for outside sources to verify the internal testimony of an ancient document? In the reading, share which example of outside sources used to verify the testimony of Scripture stood out most to you and why.
  5. What other questions or applications do you have from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 McDowell, Josh, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, Here’s Life Publisher, San Bernardino, Ca, 1979.

2 Accessed 9/2/19 from https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/hebrew-bible/what-is-the-oldest-hebrew-bible/

3 MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Bible Handbook. Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

4 Accessed 9/2/19 from https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/hebrew-bible/what-is-the-oldest-hebrew-bible/

5 Accessed 2/11/2020 from https://www.equip.org/articles/the-bibliographical-test-updated/

6 Number of ancient copies and some other classic book details from McDowell’s Evidence that Demands a Verdict

7 McDowell, Josh. The Unshakeable Truth (p. 98). Harvest House Publishers.

8 McDowell, Josh. Evidence That Demands a Verdict (p. 53). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

9 McDowell, Josh. Evidence That Demands a Verdict (p. 63). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

10 Accessed 9/2/19 from https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-reliable.html

11 McDowell, Josh. Evidence That Demands a Verdict (p. 55). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

12 McDowell, Josh. Evidence That Demands a Verdict (p. 55). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

13 McDowell, Josh. Evidence That Demands a Verdict (p. 76). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

14 Accessed 9/2/19 from https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-reliable.html

15 Accessed 9/2/19 from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2018/12/04/new-science-suggests-biblical-city-of-sodom-was-smote-by-an-exploding-meteor/#666ea5465c67

16 Accessed 9/2/19 from https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-reliable.html

17 McDowell, Josh. Evidence That Demands a Verdict (p. 87). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

18 The Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 43a. Accessed 9/2/19, as originally cited on http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/talmud.html

19 Josephus, Antiquities, 18.3. As quoted from Powell, Mark. Jesus as a Figure in History, Westminster John Knox Press, London, 1998 (pg 33).

Related Topics: Basics for Christians, Bibliology (The Written Word)

Pages