After this the following episode took place. Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel adjacent to the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard so I can make a vegetable garden out of it, for it is adjacent to my palace. I will give you an even better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer, I will pay you silver for it.” But Naboth replied to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should sell you my ancestral inheritance.” So Ahab went into his palace, bitter and angry that Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not sell to you my ancestral inheritance.” He lay down on his bed, pouted, and would not eat. Then his wife Jezebel came in and said to him, “Why do you have a bitter attitude and refuse to eat?” He answered her, “While I was talking to Naboth the Jezreelite, I said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard for silver, or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not sell you my vineyard.’ “His wife Jezebel said to him, “You are the king of Israel! Get up, eat some food, and have a good time. I will get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.” She wrote out orders, signed Ahab’s name to them, and sealed them with his seal. She then sent the orders to the leaders and to the nobles who lived in Naboth’s city. This is what she wrote: “Observe a time of fasting and seat Naboth in front of the people. Also seat two villains opposite him and have them testify, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” The men of the city, the leaders and the nobles who lived there, followed the written orders Jezebel had sent them. They observed a time of fasting and put Naboth in front of the people. The two villains arrived and sat opposite him. Then the villains testified against Naboth right before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they dragged him outside the city and stoned him to death. Then they reported to Jezebel, “Naboth has been stoned to death.” When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up, take possession of the vineyard Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell you for silver, for Naboth is no longer alive; he’s dead.” When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. The Lord told Elijah the Tishbite: “Get up, go down and meet King Ahab of Israel who lives in Samaria. He is at the vineyard of Naboth; he has gone down there to take possession of it. Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Haven’t you committed murder and taken possession of the property of the deceased?” ‘ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “In the spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they will also lick up your blood—yes, yours!” ‘ “When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So, you have found me, my enemy!” Elijah replied, “I have found you, because you are committed to doing evil in the sight of the Lord. The Lord says, ‘Look, I am ready to bring disaster on you. I will destroy you and cut off every last male belonging to Ahab in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated. I will make your dynasty like those of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah because you angered me and made Israel sin.’ The Lord says this about Jezebel, ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the outer wall of Jezreel.’ As for Ahab’s family, dogs will eat the ones who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country.” (There had never been anyone like Ahab, who was firmly committed to doing evil in the sight of the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel. He was so wicked he worshiped the disgusting idols, just like the Amorites whom the Lord had driven out from before the Israelites.) When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He slept in sackcloth and walked around dejected. The Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Have you noticed how Ahab shows remorse before me? Because he shows remorse before me, I will not bring disaster on his dynasty during his lifetime, but during the reign of his son.”

1 Kings 21 (NET)

How can we guard against corruption in our families, churches, workplaces, governments, and nations? This is important to consider because Scripture says, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Cor 5:9). Sin starts small and then grows until it saturates all parts of a community. We each have a role in stopping the spread of corruption and injustice in the spheres God has placed us. Christ calls believers the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matt 5:13-14) because we stave off spiritual and moral decay and promote righteousness.

In 1 Kings 21, we see not only a corrupt government but also how far the people of God had fallen into corruption. Ahab, the king of Israel, desired Naboth’s plot of land to build himself a vegetable garden next to his castle. When rejected, his wife, Jezebel, hatches an evil plan to have Naboth killed, and apparently his sons as well (cf. 2 Kings 9:26, “the blood of Naboth and his sons”). The elders of the land go along with this plot and trump up false witnesses to accuse Naboth of cursing the king and God. For that reason, he was stoned to death, and then Ahab took his plot of land. From this narrative, we can learn principles about guarding against corruption in the various spheres God has placed us as salt and light.

Big Question: In 1 Kings 21, what principles can be discerned about guarding against corruption in the communities God has placed us?

To Guard Against Corruption, We Must Be Careful of Greed and Covetousness

After this the following episode took place. Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel adjacent to the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard so I can make a vegetable garden out of it, for it is adjacent to my palace. I will give you an even better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer, I will pay you silver for it.” But Naboth replied to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should sell you my ancestral inheritance.” So Ahab went into his palace, bitter and angry that Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not sell to you my ancestral inheritance.” He lay down on his bed, pouted, and would not eat.

1 Kings 21:1-4

As mentioned, this sad story all begins with Ahab coveting his neighbor’s vineyard. Ahab had at least two castles—one in Samaria and one in Jezreel, where Jezebel stayed. Naboth’s field was right next to the castle in Jezreel. Ahab approached Naboth with a good offer—to give him another vineyard or to pay him in silver. However, Naboth refused, saying, “The Lord forbid that I should sell you my ancestral inheritance” (v. 3). Apparently, he didn’t reject simply because it was not a good deal but out of honor for God. In the Mosaic law, God taught Israel that God actually owned the land of Canaan and that they were just tenants of land. God had distributed the land to the various tribes and their families, and because of that, they were not to sell the land permanently. Leviticus 25:23-24 (NLT) says:

The land must never be sold on a permanent basis, for the land belongs to me. You are only foreigners and tenant farmers working for me. “With every purchase of land you must grant the seller the right to buy it back.

Numbers 36:7 says, “In this way the inheritance of the Israelites will not be transferred from tribe to tribe. But every one of the Israelites must retain the ancestral heritage.” The land could only be sold in extreme circumstances when one was poor, but it had to be returned in the year of Jubilee (Lev 25:25-28). Naboth was not in dire circumstances where he needed the money, so he rightly felt that he could not sell the land in good conscience before God. It was God’s land, not his. Clearly, Naboth was one of the 7,000 faithful Jews who had not bowed his knee to Baal in the land (cf. 1 Kgs 19:18). This made Ahab angry, so like a spoiled child, he began to sulk and refused to eat. When Jezebel saw this, she challenged him to be like a king and then set a plan in motion to get the land (v. 7).

What must stand out is the fact that Naboth’s death happened because of Ahab’s greed and covetousness. Furthermore, Ahab’s family would one day be wiped out because of Ahab’s untamed desires. Though Ahab was over the entire land of Israel and owned two castles, it was not enough. Therefore, his greed led to the destruction of Naboth and his family and also Ahab’s family.

Often this is the beginning of corruption in our societies as well. It begins when children at a young age are not taught to tame their desires. They don’t have to have every toy, every piece of candy, get to watch every TV show, and stay up late at night. Untamed desires, including coveting, can lead to breaking every one of God’s commands. We blaspheme God because we didn’t get what we want. We lie to get something we don’t have. We steal to get it, and maybe even murder.

It was greed and covetousness that led the world into sin. God gave Adam and Eve everything in the entire world except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was coveting the fruit of that tree which led them to disobey God and therefore suffer the consequences of the fall, which affects all of humanity. Likewise, we must keep ourselves from covetousness and greed if we are going to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities from corruption.

In Luke 12:15, Christ warned of the dangers of greed; he said, “Watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed, because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Likewise, in 1 Timothy 6:9-10, Paul said:

Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.

The longing for wealth leads many into various temptations and traps—destroying people’s integrity, health, family, and even faith. Proverbs 27:20 says, “As Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so the eyes of a person are never satisfied.”

Contentment

Because our eyes are never satisfied, we must learn the discipline of contentment and teach our children the same to protect ourselves and them from the common consequences of covetousness and greed. In Philippians 4:11-13, Paul said:

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance. I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing. I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.

Paul had learned the secret of contentment, whether well fed or in lack, and it was through finding strength and satisfaction in Christ. Likewise, in 1 Timothy 6:6-8, Paul challenged Timothy with this discipline:

Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit. For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either. But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that.

Again, remember, if Ahab didn’t want the land, it would have preserved him from a curse, kept his family from destruction, and protected Naboth’s life. Likewise, if David had not longed uncontrollably for Bathsheba, it would have kept him from losing his firstborn son, having his daughter raped, his son killing his brother, and eventually the same son trying to usurp David’s throne and losing his life. Therefore, if we teach ourselves and our children contentment, it will keep us and them from many dangers. Godliness with contentment truly brings great profit (1 Tim 6:6).

Application Question: How can we learn contentment?

1. To learn contentment, we must learn the difference between a need and a want. God promises to provide our needs but not necessarily all our wants (cf. Matt 6:33). As we discern the difference, we must often decide to be content with our needs and choose to not pursue our wants. Since our “eyes … are never satisfied” this will keep us from always grasping after the next thing (Prov 27:20).
2. To learn contentment, we must practice generosity. By giving, we learn how it is truly more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20:35). It delivers us from a grasping, discontent, and idolatrous spirit. Also, we open the door for God to continually pour into us. Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
3. To learn contentment, we must continually practice thanksgiving. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul said, “In everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Being thankful often leads to contentment. It helps keep our eyes from continually wandering and wanting something else.
4. To learn contentment, we must develop a flourishing relationship with God. As we abide in Christ, through time in the Word, prayer, worship, fellowship, and serving, God satisfies us. As Paul said, he could do all things, including being content, through Christ who strengthened him (Phil 4:11-13). If we’re not satisfied in our relationship with God, we’ll never be content, and we’ll continually seek to satisfy our discontentment with things, people, or accomplishments. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.’”

Ahab’s greed and covetousness led to government corruption, and we must guard against the same to stop corruption and injustice from spreading in our communities.

Application Question: Why is it so difficult to be content, both with what we have and in our circumstances in general? In what ways are you vulnerable to discontentment, greed, or covetousness? How is God calling you to grow in contentment and get rid of covetousness?

To Guard Against Corruption, We Must Be Careful of Ungodly Relationships

So Ahab went into his palace, bitter and angry that Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not sell to you my ancestral inheritance.” He lay down on his bed, pouted, and would not eat. Then his wife Jezebel came in and said to him, “Why do you have a bitter attitude and refuse to eat?” He answered her, “While I was talking to Naboth the Jezreelite, I said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard for silver, or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not sell you my vineyard.’ “His wife Jezebel said to him, “You are the king of Israel! Get up, eat some food, and have a good time. I will get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.” She wrote out orders, signed Ahab’s name to them, and sealed them with his seal. She then sent the orders to the leaders and to the nobles who lived in Naboth’s city. This is what she wrote: “Observe a time of fasting and seat Naboth in front of the people. Also seat two villains opposite him and have them testify, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” … There had never been anyone like Ahab, who was firmly committed to doing evil in the sight of the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel.

1 Kings 21:4-10, 25

As mentioned, when Naboth denied Ahab, he went home and began to pout, even choosing to not eat. When his wife, Jezebel, noticed, she said, “Why do you have a bitter attitude and refuse to eat?” (v. 5). He then explained the situation. In response, Jezebel rebukes him, “You are the king of Israel! Get up, eat some food, and have a good time. I will get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you” (v. 7). She essentially says, “You’re the king! You can’t let a Jezreelite deny you!” Jezebel was a daughter of the King of Sidon (1 Kgs 16:31), and in that culture, kings had absolute power—ruling with an iron fist. That’s what she saw from her daddy. Jewish kings were not known for the same leadership style, since they saw themselves as ruling under Yahweh and executing his laws. Therefore, Jezebel took things into her hands. She wrote letters telling the elders to falsely accuse Naboth and have him put to death. She used Ahab’s seal (v. 8), which implies Ahab was complicit in her evil plan.

This is not the first time that Jezebel influenced Ahab to commit evil. She had done that throughout their marriage. First Kings 16:31 says this about Ahab, “As if following in the sinful footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat were not bad enough, he married Jezebel the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians. Then he worshiped and bowed to Baal.” It was after Ahab married Jezebel that he started to worship Baal. In fact, Jezebel was the power behind the throne. First Kings 21:25 describes Ahab as being “urged on by his wife” to do evil. She was the one who was hunting and killing prophets, causing them to hide in caves (1 Kgs 18:4). And she was the one who threatened to take Elijah’s life after he took the lives of the false prophets (1 Kgs 19:2). After Elijah took their lives, Ahab simply listened to Elijah. He went to eat because Elijah said the rain was coming, and when it came, he then listened to Elijah again and rode to Jezreel (1 Kgs 18:41-46). It was Jezebel who threatened Elijah’s life and aided in hardening Ahab’s heart.

Certainly, this commonly happens today, not only in marriage, but also in relationships in general. It is always easier to pull somebody down than to pull somebody up. For this reason, Scripture strongly urges us to stay away from relationships that would encourage us towards spiritual apathy and sin. In 1 Corinthians 15:33, Paul said, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’” In context, the Christians were being tempted to doubt the resurrection, which would nullify their faith. Paul said without the resurrection, our faith is in vain and challenged them to stay away from false teachers. In 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (ESV), Paul said this to the Corinthians:

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Being “unequally yoked” was a farming metaphor. Two bulls would be yoked to pull a cart; however, if the bulls weren’t yoked equally in temperament and strength, one bull might harm the other, or pull in the wrong direction, and consequently, they couldn’t be effective in their work. Likewise, Paul says that yoking relationships with the world—whether in marriage, close friendships, or work relationships—can be hazardous. It is always easier to pull somebody in a sinful direction than in a righteous one. Also, by being unequally yoked one hinders his relationship with God. Consider the corresponding promise in 2 Corinthians 6:17-18:

Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.

It’s only by being separate from the world that God promises to “welcome” us and be our “father,” which refers to intimacy. Therefore, by joining with Jezebel, Ahab lost intimacy with God and soon became a worshiper of Baal. This happens to many as they yoke with the world. It may not be by friendships or marriage but by the music they listen to, the books they read, or the TV shows they watch. Since these are so anti-god in their message, they hinder intimacy with God and lead people down the wrong path. People who do this should not be surprised when reading the Bible and listening to sermons become dry to them, and they get nothing from corporate worship. They have yoked with the world in some way, and it is hindering their relationship with God and influencing them negatively. Friendship with the world is enmity with God (Jam 4:4).

With all that said, certainly there is a clear line between being unequally yoked with the world and being a “friend of … sinners,” which Christ was called (Matt 11:19). Christ could be friends with sinners because his relationship with them was an influencing relationship and not one where he was being influenced. It was genuine, but not as intimate as he would desire, because they had not repented of their sins to follow him. We must be salt and light to the world, and therefore be around unbelievers, but we must be careful of reducing our saltiness and dimming our light.

Ahab yoked with the world through marriage to Jezebel, and it led to him being the worst king in Israel’s history (v. 25-26). He was incited to further sin through his wife. In this narrative, apart from her, he would have simply pouted because he did not get the vineyard, but because of Jezebel, he was party both to Naboth’s death and his sons’ (2 Kgs 9:26).

If we are going to guard against corruption in our lives, we must be careful of ungodly relationships. Instead, we must seek to have our closest relationships with those who zealously love and follow God. In 2 Timothy 2:22, Paul said this to Timothy, “But keep away from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace, in company with others who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” It’s commonly been said that Christ’s relationships could be characterized by several widening circles. In his closest circle were the three strongest disciples—James, John, and Peter. Then, there was the twelve; then the seventy-two; then other believers; then the world. Our closest relationships must be with those who are zealous for the Lord as well, so they can inspire us to greater heights. Proverbs 13:20 says, “The one who associates with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Certainly, this must be true of those we marry, since they will affect us the most.

If we’re going to guard against corruption, we must be careful of ungodly relationships.

Application Question: Why are our relationships so important to our spiritual life? How have you experienced worldly relationships which influenced you negatively and also godly relationships which influenced you positively?

To Guard Against Corruption, We Must Have Righteous Leaders

His wife Jezebel said to him, “You are the king of Israel! Get up, eat some food, and have a good time. I will get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.” She wrote out orders, signed Ahab’s name to them, and sealed them with his seal. She then sent the orders to the leaders and to the nobles who lived in Naboth’s city. This is what she wrote: “Observe a time of fasting and seat Naboth in front of the people. Also seat two villains opposite him and have them testify, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” The men of the city, the leaders and the nobles who lived there, followed the written orders Jezebel had sent them. They observed a time of fasting and put Naboth in front of the people. The two villains arrived and sat opposite him. Then the villains testified against Naboth right before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they dragged him outside the city and stoned him to death. Then they reported to Jezebel, “Naboth has been stoned to death.”

1 Kings 21:7-14

Another aspect that must stand out about the corruption in this narrative is that it was all propagated by those in authority—the king, queen, and elders. This reminds us of the importance of godly character in our leaders. When God gives qualities of those who can serve as elders and deacons in the church in 1 Timothy 3, they are primarily character traits, like not being given to much wine, not being a brawler (somebody who gets into fights), being hospitable (somebody who loves strangers), running one’s household well, etc. When God looks to use somebody for the kingdom, his or her character is the primary quality. He takes a person with godly character, then trains and equips them for greater service.

Unfortunately, with the world, education, skills, experiences, beauty, contacts, and other qualifications are often the most important which commonly leads to having people with bad character in authority. When our leaders are corrupt, they only exasperate and increase ungodliness in a culture or nation.

Application Question: How should we respond to the importance of having godly leaders to restrain sin and corruption in society?

1. Because of the importance of having godly leadership to restrain sin and promote righteousness in society, believers must support their leaders through prayer and other practical ways.

They should pray that the leadership might be saved, protected from evil, and that they would be wise and righteous (cf. 1 Tim 2:1-4). They should also support them by encouraging them instead of criticizing them, obeying them, lovingly holding them accountable when needed, and serving them in other practical ways. Hebrews 13:7 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. Let them do this with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you.”

2. Because of the importance of having godly leadership to restrain sin and promote righteousness in society, believers should pray for God to raise up godly leaders and prayerfully consider serving in leadership.

God put Joseph, David, Daniel, Obadiah, and Nehemiah in leadership positions. Both Joseph, Daniel, and Obadiah (who supervised Ahab’s palace and saved the prophets; 1 Kgs 18:3), served in very pagan and ungodly environments and yet remained loyal to God. Proverbs 29:2 (NLT) says, “When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan.” Romans 13:1-7 says those in authority are God’s servants meant to reward the righteous and punish wrongdoers. Serving in leadership positions is a tremendous way to honor God and bless people. Those in leadership have an incredible capacity to influence communities negatively or righteously; therefore, we should continually pray for them, support them, and also consider serving in those positions.

Application Question: Why is leadership so important? What makes it so difficult to serve in leadership positions? How can we better support our leaders? Do you feel called to serve your community through leadership, and if so, how?

To Guard Against Corruption, We Must Courageously Confront Sin and Protect the Most Vulnerable

The men of the city, the leaders and the nobles who lived there, followed the written orders Jezebel had sent them. They observed a time of fasting and put Naboth in front of the people. The two villains arrived and sat opposite him. Then the villains testified against Naboth right before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they dragged him outside the city and stoned him to death. Then they reported to Jezebel, “Naboth has been stoned to death.” When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up, take possession of the vineyard Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell you for silver, for Naboth is no longer alive; he’s dead.” When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. The Lord told Elijah the Tishbite: “Get up, go down and meet King Ahab of Israel who lives in Samaria. He is at the vineyard of Naboth; he has gone down there to take possession of it. Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Haven’t you committed murder and taken possession of the property of the deceased?”‘ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “In the spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they will also lick up your blood—yes, yours!”‘

1 Kings 21:11-19

Certainly, as mentioned, one of the things that must stand out in this narrative is the willingness of the elders to go along with Jezebel’s evil plan. Maybe, they were afraid of losing their authority and wealth or being killed by Jezebel. Therefore, they simply agreed to her request. They even instituted the evil plan with a veil of religious piety. In obedience to Jezebel, they called for a fast. Most likely, Israel was suffering a famine or plague, and the fast was to seek God’s face and determine why it was happening. After seeking the Lord, two hand-selected villains sitting next to Naboth accused him of cursing God and the king. Therefore, Naboth was killed and apparently so were his children which allowed Ahab to confiscate the land.

Again, the spiritual and administrative leaders of Israel said nothing, they just obeyed Jezebel’s plan. However, when God informed Elijah, he met Ahab at the vineyard and rebuked him for his sin—telling him that God was going to judge him and his family (v. 17-24). This must stand out because the previous time we saw Elijah in Jezreel, in 1 Kings 19, he ran for his life because he heard Jezebel was going to kill him. But, now, maybe a few years later, he boldly returns to Jezreel to confront the king outside of his home at the vineyard.

Likewise, if we are going to guard against corruption, we must also be willing to confront sin, even at risk to ourselves. This is what Christ did when he visited the Jewish temple twice (John 2, Matt 21). When religious leaders were allowing the poor and those from far away to be charged exorbitant prices to offer sacrifices at the temple, Christ turned over tables, kicked out the money changers, and rebuked the leaders. At times, we may need to wisely do the same, especially to protect the vulnerable. When corruption abounds, the bullies pick on the weak in society—the widow, the orphan, the poor, the ethnic and religious minorities (including Christians), and the sick. Like Christ (and Elijah in this context), we must stand up for them.

In addition, we must remember that if we are aware of the evil being done in the classroom, at church, or in the business, and we do nothing, God will often hold us liable. In Samuel 3, God judges Eli, the priest, because he knew his sons were cheating people at the tabernacle, including being promiscuous with the women, but he did nothing about it. He did warn his sons, but that’s all he did, even when they continued in sin (1 Sam 2:22-26). Consider what God said to Eli through Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:13-14:

You should tell him that I am about to judge his house forever because of the sin that he knew about. For his sons were cursing God, and he did not rebuke them. Therefore I swore an oath to the house of Eli, ‘The sin of the house of Eli can never be forgiven by sacrifice or by grain offering.’

Likewise, Proverbs 24:10-12 says this:

If you faint in the day of trouble, your strength is small! Deliver those being taken away to death, and hold back those slipping to the slaughter. If you say, “But we did not know about this,” does not the one who evaluates hearts consider? Does not the one who guards your life know? Will he not repay each person according to his deeds?

When there is stealing, cheating, abuse of the vulnerable, and other sins happening that we know of and can do something about, but do nothing, God will hold us accountable.

In the church, according to Christ’s teaching in Matthew 18:15-17, that means approaching people one on one to challenge them in love. If they don’t repent, it means bringing a few others to help hold them accountable, and if they still don’t repent, bringing it before the church. If they still don’t repent, it means removing them from the church, all in love to help them repent. If this is not done, a little leaven leavens the whole lump (1 Cor 5:6). Sin begins to spread throughout the church. Outside the church, similar principles should be followed—approaching a person one on one to confirm and challenge the person, and if that doesn’t work, possibly going to leadership.

This is hard, especially if it might negatively affect our livelihood or our friends and family. That’s part of the reason Eli never removed his children from leadership, though he knew they were morally unfit. However, we must do this at times in obedience to God. Otherwise, corruption and sin will flourish, and God will hold us partially responsible for knowing and doing nothing, as Eli did.

Application Question: Who are the most vulnerable in our churches, schools, and/or workplaces, and how can we better protect and provide for them? Why is it so hard to challenge people who are in sin, especially those we know and love? How can we challenge people wisely?

To Guard Against Corruption, We Must Fear God’s Omniscient and Righteous Judgment

When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So, you have found me, my enemy!” Elijah replied, “I have found you, because you are committed to doing evil in the sight of the Lord. The Lord says, ‘Look, I am ready to bring disaster on you. I will destroy you and cut off every last male belonging to Ahab in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated. I will make your dynasty like those of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah because you angered me and made Israel sin.’ The Lord says this about Jezebel, ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the outer wall of Jezreel.’ As for Ahab’s family, dogs will eat the ones who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country.”

1 Kings 21:20-24

One of the great hindrances to sin and corruption is a recognition of God’s omniscience and his judgment. With Ahab’s and Jezebel’s sin, it seemed like a perfectly executed plan. Nobody would tell—not the elders or the paid liars; however, God knew. He immediately told Elijah, including giving Elijah prophetic words of judgment. Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on those who are evil and those who are good.” God knows everything and will one day judge all sin.

When Elijah met with Ahab, he told Ahab that God would destroy all the males in Ahab’s family, effectively ending his dynasty (v. 22). Dogs would devour Jezebel at the wall of Jezreel (v. 23). Those who died outside the city would be eaten by birds and those who died inside would be eaten by dogs (v. 23). All of this eventually happened. As we’ll see, God had mercy on Ahab, and therefore delayed these judgments until Ahab’s son reigned. Ahab was shot while in his chariot during a battle, and when they brought the chariot back to Samaria, the dogs licked his blood (1 Kgs 22:37-38). Later, Jehu shot Jehoram, Ahab’s son, and had him thrown in Naboth’s field (2 Kgs 9:24-26). Jehu also had Jezebel thrown out of a tower in her castle at Jezreel. When Jehu wanted to bury her, there wasn’t enough of her body left because the dogs got to her. They tore apart her body in Naboth’s field (2 Kgs 9:34-37). After that, Jehu executed seventy of Ahab’s sons who were living in Samaria (2 Kgs 10).

What we can see from this narrative is that God sees and knows all, and every account will be paid. They are paid in this life. People always reap what they have sown, even if that is just the regular consequences of sin, which affects us and others (Gal 6:7-8). The person who cheats has the memory of their cheating, the lack of satisfaction when they get their grade (because of their cheating); they will have a greater propensity to cheat later on in life, including on bigger issues (like in marriage or at work) which could have drastic consequences. People always reap what they sow, because God made the earth that way. In addition, because God keeps perfect records, one day, he will judge all at Christ’s coming. For believers, that will mean reward or loss of reward, but they will still enter heaven (1 Cor 3:10-15). For unbelievers, that means being separated from God’s blessings eternally in a place of judgment (Rev 20:11-15). Though others might not see our sins, we must remember God always sees.

For this reason, when society has lost a fear of God, corruption expands and saturates all aspects of society. Romans 1:28-29, says it this way:

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice…

A lack of acknowledging God as creator, savior, and judge always leads to various forms of depravity. If the beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord (Prov 9:10), to not fear God is to live without wisdom, where greater sins continue to abound.

Application Question: How should we respond to the importance of fearing God to stave off corruption?

The importance of fearing God to stave off corruption reminds us of our need to be salt and light to the world. As we live in the fear of the Lord by being obedient to God and loving others, it helps restrain and expel darkness around us. Therefore, when we compromise and become more like the world, the world loses the witness it so desperately needs and becomes more corrupt.

Being salt and light to the world includes our need to share the gospel with others. Though creation reflects that there is a powerful God, only Scripture teaches people how to be saved. Consequently, we must zealously share the gospel with others, even if it leads to being accused and mocked like Elijah was. As more people are saved and therefore rightly fear God, it staves off corruption and promotes righteousness.

Application Question: How do you see a lack of fearing God leading to greater sins in people, society, and your nation specifically (Rom 1:18-32)? Why is this happening? How can this be remedied?

To Guard Against Corruption, We Must Understand God’s Great Merciful Character

(There had never been anyone like Ahab, who was firmly committed to doing evil in the sight of the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel. He was so wicked he worshiped the disgusting idols, just like the Amorites whom the Lord had driven out from before the Israelites.) When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He slept in sackcloth and walked around dejected. The Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Have you noticed how Ahab shows remorse before me? Because he shows remorse before me, I will not bring disaster on his dynasty during his lifetime, but during the reign of his son.”

1 Kings 21:25-29

Finally, at the end of the narrative, we see God’s great mercy towards Ahab. After Elijah rebuked Ahab, Ahab mourned before the Lord. He tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted (v. 27). Because of this, God told Elijah that these terrible things would not happen in Ahab’s lifetime, but in the reign of his son (v. 29). Judgment was postponed for around three years.¹ Certainly, this demonstrates how gracious and merciful God is, especially since Ahab was Israel’s worst king up to that point in their history (v. 25).

Interpretation Question: Was Ahab genuinely repentant?

There is no evidence that Ahab returned Naboth’s field, but since God honored his mourning, it must have been at least temporarily genuine, though not lasting. At the moment, he was truly repentant, but maybe after Jezebel found out and rebuked him, he snapped out of it. However, even that moment of genuine remorse moved God’s heart. God is tremendously gracious and merciful, and his graciousness is meant to draw us to repentance and righteousness. Romans 2:4 says, “Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?” Furthermore, God’s patience with Ahab and us is always given to allow us more time to repent. First Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

Application Question: How should understanding God’s great merciful character towards sinners affect people?

1. Understanding God’s great merciful character should draw people to repent of their sins and accept God’s forgiveness.

First John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.” If God had mercy on Ahab and gave him more time to repent towards salvation, even though he and his wife had killed the prophets and persecuted the righteous, how much more so will God demonstrate mercy towards us and our nations if we genuinely repent?

2. Understanding God’s great merciful character should help us not give up on the most hardened sinners.

Again, if God continually gave Ahab opportunities to be saved—sending Elijah to rebuke him and withholding judgment, all so there could be true repentance—then, we should not give up on those who are far away from God, including our families, communities, and countries. God mercifully saved Paul who was having Christians jailed and killed. Certainly, there are no sinners so far away from God that the Lord won’t graciously forgive them if they repent. For this reason, we should continue to pray, share the gospel, and not give up. God sent his Son to die on the cross for our sin, and he still pursues sinners today. Though God may appear indifferent towards sin, he is just being patient with sinners so that they might repent and have life. Praise God for his merciful grace.

3. Understanding God’s great merciful character should help us be quick to forgive others, even when their repentance is not sustained.

Ephesians 4:32 says, “Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.” Likewise, Matthew 18:21-22 says this in describing Peter’s conversation with Christ over forgiveness: “‘Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother who sins against me? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy-seven times!’” Certainly, this is hard, but God’s grace is available to continually help us forgive, as God forgives us.

Application Question: What makes forgiving others as God forgives us difficult? What does this look like practically?

Conclusion

How can we guard against corruption? We can discern principles from considering the great corruption in Israel, as Ahab and Jezebel framed and killed Naboth to take his land, and God’s response.

1. To Guard Against Corruption, We Must Be Careful of Greed and Covetousness
2. To Guard Against Corruption, We Must Be Careful of Ungodly Relationships
3. To Guard Against Corruption, We Must Have Righteous Leaders
4. To Guard Against Corruption, We Must Courageously Confront Sin and Protect the Vulnerable
5. To Guard Against Corruption, We Must Fear God’s Omniscient and Righteous Judgment
6. To Guard Against Corruption, We Must Understand God’s Great Merciful Character

Application Question: What stood out most in the reading and why? What questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Prayer Prompts

• Pray for God to deliver us from greed, covetousness, and discontent. Pray that God would empower us to be content through Christ whether in times of blessing or trial.
• Pray for God to help us cut any cords with the world which negatively influence us (friendships, entertainment, news sources, etc.) and that we would instead yoke ourselves to what is good and righteous.
• Pray for God to guide, protect, and give supernatural wisdom to our leaders so they can lead righteously in government, education, business, the medical field, the church, and the home.
• Pray for God to give his people boldness to confront sin, even at cost to themselves, and that they would fight for the vulnerable. Pray for grace and protection over the oppressed and neglected, including the unborn, orphans, the poor, the foreigner, and the elderly.
• Pray for God to give grace to the members of our society to fear God and therefore turn away from sin to righteousness. Pray for God to draw the lost to himself, so that they would genuinely repent and be saved.

Copyright © 2022 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.

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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.

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Just before the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in a windstorm, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal. Elijah told Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As certainly as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. Some members of the prophetic guild in Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that today the Lord is going to take your master from you?” He answered, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.” Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he replied, “As certainly as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho. Some members of the prophetic guild in Jericho approached Elisha and said, “Do you know that today the Lord is going to take your master from you?” He answered, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.” Elijah said to him, “Stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he replied, “As certainly as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they traveled on together. The fifty members of the prophetic guild went and stood opposite them at a distance, while Elijah and Elisha stood by the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, folded it up, and hit the water with it. The water divided, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “What can I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of the prophetic spirit that energizes you.” Elijah replied, “That’s a difficult request! If you see me taken from you, may it be so, but if you don’t, it will not happen.” As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a fiery chariot pulled by fiery horses appeared. They went between Elijah and Elisha, and Elijah went up to heaven in a windstorm. While Elisha was watching, he was crying out, “My father, my father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!” Then he could no longer see him. He grabbed his clothes and tore them in two. He picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen off him, and went back and stood on the shore of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen off Elijah, hit the water with it, and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he hit the water, it divided and Elisha crossed over. When the members of the prophetic guild in Jericho, who were standing at a distance, saw him do this, they said, “The spirit that energized Elijah rests upon Elisha.” They went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. They said to him, “Look, there are fifty capable men with your servants. Let them go and look for your master, for the wind sent from the Lord may have carried him away and dropped him on one of the hills or in one of the valleys.” But Elisha replied, “Don’t send them out.” But they were so insistent, he became embarrassed. So he said, “Send them out.” They sent the fifty men out and they looked for three days, but could not find Elijah. When they came back, Elisha was staying in Jericho. He said to them, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t go’?”

2 Kings 2:1-18 (NET)

What are marks of a faithful servant of God?

In 2 Kings 2, Elijah is taken to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah is one of two people in Scripture that never tasted death—the other is Enoch. Both walked with God and had an intimate relationship with him. Both lived in a time of great rebellion. With Enoch, the children of Adam had rebelled against God and soon God wiped them out in a flood. With Elijah, Ahab, the worst king in Israel’s history up to that point, and his family were ruling on the throne and had influenced Israel to worship Baal. Both of these men were prophets to their generation. Jude tells us that Enoch prophesied about Christ’s second coming before his first coming (Jude 1:14). No doubt, God took these men away in a spectacular fashion in part to be a witness to the wicked generation around them and also to affirm their righteousness. Those who called them evil and troublemakers had clear confirmation from God that they were righteous. It also confirmed the validity of their prophetic words, in the hope that people would repent. Enoch’s and Elijah’s translation straight to heaven without death also foreshadows how one day believers who are still alive at Christ’s coming will also be taken straight to heaven (1 Thess 4:13-18). This will ultimately confirm them before the world who rejected them and their words.

In this narrative, Elijah and Elisha travel to various schools of prophets—no doubt to encourage them before Elijah was taken to heaven. At each place, Elijah tries to encourage Elisha to stay behind (v. 3, 5)—maybe he did not want him to experience the trauma of him being taken, or in humility, he didn’t want to make a big display out of it, or he was simply trying to test Elisha’s commitment. Either way, Elisha committed to staying with him. Finally, before Elijah departed, he asked Elisha what he could do for him, and Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit (v. 9). Elijah recognized the difficulty of his request but said that if Elisha saw him leave, God would grant his request (v. 10). Soon after, Elijah was dramatically taken to heaven, and Elisha was empowered to be the chief prophet of Israel (v. 11-15).

As we consider Elijah dramatically being taken to heaven by God and Elisha being anointed as Elijah’s successor, we learn marks of a faithful servant. As mentioned, no doubt, Elijah’s translation was a public declaration by God that Elijah had been faithful in his generation, especially to those who demonized him and declared otherwise. He was a faithful warrior who God was pleased with, like Enoch before him. Certainly, as Elijah’s translation witnessed to God being pleased with him, we must also seek to be pleasing to God with our lives. One day all our works will be evaluated by God and we will receive rewards or loss of rewards. Some will be called, “good and faithful servants,” and others will be called “wicked and lazy servants” (Matt 25:14-30). Therefore, it is important for us to consider, “What are marks of a faithful servant?”

Big Question: What marks of a faithful servant can be discerned from 2 Kings 2, as God publicly affirms Elijah and his ministry by taking him to heaven without his dying?

A Mark of a Faithful Servant Is Trusting God’s Plan, Even When Encountering Delays, Disappointments, and Unanswered Prayers

Just before the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in a windstorm, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal.

2 Kings 2:1

From the beginning of this narrative, it is clear that Elijah, as well as Elisha and the prophets, knew that God was going to take Elijah home in a miraculous way. This must remind us how around ten years earlier in a fit of despair, Elijah prayed to die (1 Kgs 19:4).¹ In 1 Kings 19, Jezebel promised to put Elijah to death within a twenty-four-hour period, which caused him to run for his life, struggle with depression, and pray for death. However, it was not Elijah’s time yet, even though he was weary and wanted to give up.

We must remember this, especially during times of disappointment; often God’s best answer to our prayer requests or pursuits is to say no or close the door. Though from our limited perspective or desperation, a certain path may seem best; God in his wisdom and sovereignty often closes a door because he knows it’s not best and has something infinitely better for us. Elijah wanted to die, but God wanted to give him a tremendous gift years later by taking him to heaven apart from dying. Often, God does the same with us.

Because God often graciously closes doors, allows delays, disappointments, and seemingly unanswered prayers, we must trust that God’s plan is perfect even when we don’t understand. The job or career that didn’t work out, the relationship that ended, or the scholarship that was lost or never received, somehow is part of God’s sovereign and perfect plan for us. It may be to teach us a valuable lesson, lead us in a better direction, or simply to help us trust God more and conform us to his image. Either way, God’s plan is infinitely better than our plans, which is clearly seen in the life of Elijah. God’s plan was to use Elijah’s trials to sharpen him and prepare him for greater things, which included the discipling of other prophets who would continue the ministry after he was gone.

In considering how God did not answer Elijah’s initial prayer to die, F. B. Meyer wisely said this:

We shall have to bless Him [God] forever, more for the prayers He refused than for those He granted. When next your request is denied, reflect that it may be because God is preparing something for you as much better than your request as the translation of Elijah was better than his own petition for himself.²

Application Question: How can we trust God when encountering delays, unanswered prayers, and disappointments?

1. To trust God’s plans, we must remember God’s character and promises.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Also, in Jeremiah 29:11, God originally said this to Israel who was stuck in exile, but it certainly applies to us in our delays and disappointments: “For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.” God is sovereign and wise and working things for our good. We must remember this when disappointments, delays, and unanswered prayers accumulate.

To remember God’s character and promises, especially in times of disappointment, we need to live in God’s Word more by reading, studying, quoting, and praying it. As we do this, God will give us his peace as we trust in and wait on him. Isaiah 26:3 (ESV) says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” God’s plans are good even when they don’t seem to be.

2. To trust God’s plans, we must in faith give thanks to God and rejoice in the good he will accomplish through our disappointments.

First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “… in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” James 1:2-3 says, “My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” Romans 5:3-4 says, “Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope.”

It’s important to trust God with unanswered prayers, delays, and disappointments, because if not, we will be tempted to become bitter at God, others, and our circumstances, which will only lead to our spiritual harm and that of others. Remember Israel complained in the wilderness, and it led to God’s discipline. In 1 Corinthians 10:10-11, Paul said:

And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

As we consider the outcome of Elijah’s life, we must learn to trust God’s plan, especially when encountering various disappointments.

Application Question: In what ways have you experienced disappointments, delays, and seemingly unanswered prayers which God used for your good? How can we maintain and increase our faith in the midst of what seems like a disappointment?

A Mark of a Faithful Servant Is Humility

Just before the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in a windstorm, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal. Elijah told Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As certainly as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. Some members of the prophetic guild in Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that today the Lord is going to take your master from you?” He answered, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.” Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he replied, “As certainly as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho. Some members of the prophetic guild in Jericho approached Elisha and said, “Do you know that today the Lord is going to take your master from you?” He answered, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.” Elijah said to him, “Stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he replied, “As certainly as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they traveled on together.

2 Kings 2:1-6

Another thing that must stand out in this narrative is the fact that, though Elijah knew that God was going to take him to heaven, he never publicly shared it with anybody—even though he met with several schools of prophets and was with Elisha the whole day. With Elisha specifically, Elijah told him three times to stay behind when going to Bethel, then Jericho, and then the Jordan; however, Elijah never revealed that God was planning to take him to heaven (v. 2, 4, 6). There is a sense in which Elijah is like Christ in this regard. Often Christ would heal somebody (the deaf, the lepers, etc.) and then tell them to not tell anybody (cf. Matt 8:3-4, Mk 7:36). He wasn’t seeking the crowds in the sense of being famous; in fact, crowds would have hindered his ability to get around and do what God called him to do. Like Christ, Elijah apparently was a deeply humble man. And obviously, Elisha knew this about his master and, therefore, kept telling the prophets to be quiet about the fact that Elijah was going to be taken home (v. 3, 5). Elisha probably kept hushing the prophets because he knew Elijah was not a man who sought fan fair. Elijah was the type of man who was content to worship God alone at a brook or on a mountain without anybody seeing him.

If Elijah’s quietness about this great honor of being taken directly to heaven doesn’t quite stand out, think of how most people would react to experiencing a great honor. Would they not share it with all their friends, post it on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and everywhere else? F. B. Meyer said this about Elijah: “Anyone less great would have let the secret out, or have contrived to line the heights of the Jordan with expectant crowds of witnesses. Instead of this, he kept the secret well.”³ No doubt, it was Elijah’s great humility that led to his great exaltation. James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

For many of us, God cannot exalt us because it will prompt pride in us and then lead to our fall. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” And with those God does exalt, he often brings equal pains to keep them humble. With Paul, because of how much God exalted him through revelations and dreams, God allowed him to have a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble. In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul said this:

… even because of the extraordinary character of the revelations. Therefore, so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble me—so that I would not become arrogant.

Application Question: How can we grow in the practice of humility so we can experience more of God’s grace?

1. To grow in humility, we must practice the discipline of secrecy.

Certainly, Christ must be our example and teacher. In Matthew 11:29, he called himself “gentle and humble in heart.” In Matthew 6, Christ taught that as a discipline we must practice our righteousness in secret—not seeking to share it publicly. When giving, we should not blow a trumpet to let people know about it (v. 2-3). When praying, we should go into our closet instead of seeking to pray in public arenas (v. 5-6). When fasting, we should not make it obvious that we are fasting, like the hypocrites commonly did (v. 16-18). When we practice humility in our works of service or our accomplishments, the God who sees us in secret will reward us (v. 4).

2. To grow in humility, we must practice the discipline of intimacy with our Lord.

As we abide with Christ through studying the Word, prayer, worship, and service, we will become more like him. Again, in Matthew 11:29, Christ said, “Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Taking on the yoke was a picture of an older bull training a younger bull to properly carry a weight. As we abide in Christ, he teaches us how to be gentle and humble like him—humbly putting others before ourselves and seeking to exalt God’s name instead of our own. This all comes from abiding in Christ. In John 15:5, Christ said to abide in him, and we would produce much fruit. Apart from him we can do nothing. In fact, one of the fruits of the Spirit is humility (“gentleness” in NET) which comes from living in the Spirit (Gal 5:16, 23). If we don’t continually spend time with Christ through the Word, prayer, worship, and acts of service, we will grow in pride which only leads us away from God and others and further into sin.

A mark of a faithful servant is humility, even as a mark of unfaithfulness is pride as seen with Satan and the Pharisees. Pride makes us seek to glorify ourselves over God and others.

Application Question: What are the fruits and consequences of pride in a person’s life? What is humility and why is it so important for the Christian life? How is God calling you to pursue greater humility in your serving him and others?

A Mark of a Faithful Servant Is Praying Daring Prayers

When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “What can I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of the prophetic spirit that energizes you.” Elijah replied, “That’s a difficult request! If you see me taken from you, may it be so, but if you don’t, it will not happen.”

2 Kings 2:9-10

Before Elijah was taken in a whirlwind, he asked Elisha what he could do for him. Elisha had faithfully served him for probably ten years, and so Elijah wanted to bless him. Elisha in response asked for a “double portion” of Elijah’s spirit (v. 9). Elijah responds, “That’s a difficult request! If you see me taken from you, may it be so” (v. 10). The “double portion” probably referred to Elisha receiving the rights of the firstborn and, therefore, replacing Elijah as Israel’s chief prophet. It also included a special anointing to do the work.

Though this is Elisha’s request and not Elijah’s, it no doubt represented what Elisha had seen in Elijah’s ministry throughout the years. Throughout Elijah’s ministry, he always asked great and daring prayer requests, which Elisha was modeling. In fact, in James 5:16-18, James tells believers to pray for the healing of others in part because Elijah was a regular person like us, and yet he prayed for it to not rain and it didn’t rain. He prayed for rain and it did. Throughout Elijah’s ministry, he was willing to ask God for bold requests. He not only prayed for it to rain and not rain, he also prayed for the first resurrection in the Bible, which Elisha would later duplicate (cf. 1 Kgs 17:19-23, 2 Kgs 4:32-37). Elijah prayed for fire to come down from heaven three times, and each time God listened (1 Kgs 19:37-38, 2 Kgs 1:9-12). In this narrative, Elijah split the Jordan River so they could walk to the other side on dry land (v. 8). Elijah was willing to pray daring requests, and therefore, Elisha did as well. In fact, after Elijah was taken, Elisha boldly put his mantle on the Jordan River so it would split, even as Elijah did (v. 14).

Likewise, if we are going to be faithful servants, we must also be people of prayer, including praying daring requests. In Ezekiel 22:30, God said, “I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one.” Also, James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask.” How many miracles do we miss out on simply because we don’t ask or don’t persevere in asking? When Elijah prayed for rain, at first it didn’t rain. He prayed seven times and eventually it rained (1 Kgs 18:42-45). Likewise, if we are going to be faithful servants, we must be people who are willing to pray daring prayers. We are not praying daring prayers simply because we are bold, but because God wants us to. We have not because we ask not. God seeks to find men and women who will stand in the gap and pray. He wants people to pray for healing over others, revival in schools and nations. He wants people to pray like Elisha essentially did—”Lord, I’m weak. Will you empower me to serve? Will you give me special gifts to bless your people?” Does not God tell us to desire the better gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:31? We should ask for gifts of teaching, prophecy, encouragement, and healing—not for our glory but to better serve God and others. Solomon asked for wisdom, and God made him the wisest man on the earth, so he could better rule Israel (2 Chr 1).

But certainly, we should be challenged from this narrative to not only ask for gifts and graces for ourselves but also to ask for others. Elijah played a role in Elisha receiving the double portion from God. Likewise, Timothy somehow received a spiritual gift through Paul laying hands on him. Second Timothy 1:6 says, “Because of this I remind you to rekindle God’s gift that you possess through the laying on of my hands.” We should cry out for special grace over our church leaders, youth and children’s teachers, the people in our small group or classes, and the children in our church, that God would anoint them and use them. Certainly, we must be challenged to pray daring prayers for ourselves and those we serve, including our physical and spiritual children.

Are we willing to pray daring prayers? Throughout Scripture, faithful servants do.

Application Question: What daring requests have you asked the Lord for in the past and what was the outcome? What daring requests do you believe God is calling you to pray for yourself and others (including your family, church, and nation) in this season?

A Mark of a Faithful Servant Is Fighting and Suffering Hardships for Christ

As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a fiery chariot pulled by fiery horses appeared. They went between Elijah and Elisha, and Elijah went up to heaven in a windstorm. While Elisha was watching, he was crying out, “My father, my father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!” Then he could no longer see him. He grabbed his clothes and tore them in two.

2 Kings 2:11-12

After Elijah and Elisha were split by a fiery chariot with horses and Elijah was taken to heaven in a windstorm, Elisha, who was looking on, said, “My father, my father! The chariot and the horsemen of Israel!” (v. 12). It’s possible that Elisha was pointing out to Elijah that the chariot and horsemen of Israel were with him, as he was being taken to heaven; however, most likely, Elisha was calling Elijah the chariot and horsemen of Israel. F. B. Meyer said this about Elisha’s proclamation:

There was fitness in the exclamation with which Elisha bade him farewell. He cried, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof” (2 Kings 2:12). Doubtless, amid that sudden flash of glory he hardly knew what he said. Yet he closely hit the truth. That man, whom he had come to love as a father, had indeed been as an armed chariot of defense to Israel. By his faith and prayers and deeds, he had often warded off evil and danger with more certain success than could have been effected by an armed troop. Alas that such people are rare! But in our time we have known them; and when they have been suddenly swept from our side, we have felt as if the Church had been deprived of one main source of security and help.⁴

To further support that Elisha was calling Elijah the chariot and horsemen of Israel, when Elisha died, King Joash called Elisha the same thing. Second Kings 13:14 says, “Now Elisha had a terminal illness. King Joash of Israel went down to visit him. He wept before him and said, ‘My father, my father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!’” Both of these men defended and fought for Israel through their prayers, preaching, and suffering.

Either way, whether Elisha was referring to Elijah or the actual chariot and horsemen, it is clear that the chariot and horsemen were instruments of war, and God was giving Elijah a war hero’s welcome home. He had been a faithful soldier, and he was going home to his reward. This reminds us that Elijah’s life, though successful, was far from easy. It had much difficulty in it. He lived in a world where he was a pilgrim—an outcast. While most of Israel worshiped Baal, he remained faithful to the true God. He rebuked the king and the Israelites (1 Kgs 17, 18). He lived in quarantine for three and a half years—first by himself at a brook and then with a poor widow and her son, outside of Israel (1 Kgs 17). When threatened by Jezebel, he ran in fear and asked God to take his life (1 Kgs 19). He was surrounded by bands of soldiers multiple times with intentions of taking him captive and possibly ending his life (2 Kgs 1). Elijah’s life was no cakewalk, and neither will any faithful Christian’s life be. In 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul said this to Timothy before eventually being beheaded for the faith, “Now in fact all who want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” To faithfully follow Christ means to suffer like he did—possibly by being rejected by family and friends, being stepped over for promotion or let go from a job because of holding moral convictions, and for some, even paying the ultimate price with their lives.

We must remember that following Christ means enlisting in his army. We are in a spiritual war for the lives of people, and any progress into enemy territory will be met with equal force. To have a faithful life means to be in warfare and, at times, to suffer. With Job, he lost his health, wealth, and family, and all of it was spiritual warfare—as Satan attacked him. Certainly, we must always remember Christ’s words in Luke 14:26-27 to those considering following him:

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple

Luke 14:27

Also, we must remember Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:11-12:

Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

Being a faithful servant does not mean ease; in fact, it often means hardship and suffering. Are we willing to suffer for Christ—being a light to an antagonistic world and bearing up under the attacks of the enemy? Elijah was a war hero who went home—he was the chariot and horsemen of Israel.

Application Question: Why is being willing to persevere through suffering so important to being a faithful servant of God? What are some of the attacks happening around the world against Christians and biblical values? How can we better persevere through the various attacks and trials that come with faithfully serving God and others?

A Mark of a Faithful Servant Is a Focus on Equipping and Blessing Others

The fifty members of the prophetic guild went and stood opposite them at a distance, while Elijah and Elisha stood by the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, folded it up, and hit the water with it. The water divided, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “What can I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of the prophetic spirit that energizes you.” Elijah replied, “That’s a difficult request! If you see me taken from you, may it be so, but if you don’t, it will not happen.” As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a fiery chariot pulled by fiery horses appeared. They went between Elijah and Elisha, and Elijah went up to heaven in a windstorm. While Elisha was watching, he was crying out, “My father, my father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!” Then he could no longer see him. He grabbed his clothes and tore them in two. He picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen off him, and went back and stood on the shore of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen off Elijah, hit the water with it, and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he hit the water, it divided and Elisha crossed over. When the members of the prophetic guild in Jericho, who were standing at a distance, saw him do this, they said, “The spirit that energized Elijah rests upon Elisha.” They went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.

2 Kings 2:7-15

Historians tell us that there were schools of prophets at Gilgal, Bethel, and Jericho—the three places that Elijah visited before he was taken to heaven.⁵ These were possibly created by Samuel (cf. 1 Sam 10:5, 9-10, 19:20); however, at this time, Elijah was the chief prophet and professor. Therefore, as mentioned, he probably went to each of these schools to encourage and further equip them before he left. Israel was still worshiping Baal, and they needed people who knew God’s law and taught God’s Word. Not only did he visit each of these schools, but he also empowered Elisha to be his official representative when he left.

Certainly, Elijah realized long ago that his most impactful ministry would not be his miracles but duplicating himself throughout Israel. Ray Pritchard said this about Elijah:

He understood that his greatest gift to the nation would be to multiply himself by leaving behind a crop of young men who could carry on his work after he was gone. One man could only do so much, but one man who poured himself into dozens of younger men could start a movement that might one day ignite a revolution that could overthrow Baal worship once and for all. Here is the ultimate argument for Christian education. We pass along what we know to the up-and-coming generation precisely because we know we won’t be here forever. We do it so that our work will not end when we do, but in the providence of God, while we sink into the dust of the earth, God’s truth goes marching on.⁶

This was the same thing Christ did during his ministry. He focused on equipping the twelve to turn the world upside down after he left. Ministering to big crowds was important but most important was ministering to the few faithful who would eventually minister to others.

Before Paul died, like Elijah, he focused on equipping his apprentice, Timothy. Paul’s last letter before his death in Rome was the book of 2 Timothy, in which he constantly encouraged and challenged Timothy. In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul said, “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.” There are four generations of Christians in this passage—Paul, Timothy, faithful people, and those who will teach others. Likewise, we must focus on doing the same. We must invest in our peers, the younger generation, and our children. Paul told Titus to tell the older women to teach the younger women (Titus 2:3-5). We have all been called to make disciples of unbelievers—teaching them the gospel, baptizing them, and training them in Scripture (Matt 28:19-20). We have all been called to disciple and be discipled.

Certainly, as we consider Elijah mentoring the prophets and installing Elisha as the chief prophet, we must ask ourselves who our Elijahs and Elishas are? Who pours into us and who do we pour into? Our mission is too big for us to accomplish alone. We must be equipped by those farther along in the faith, and we must give great attention to investing in others—through one-on-one mentorship, small groups, formal and informal education. Who is pouring into you and who are you pouring into?

Application Question: Who are your Elijahs and who are your Elishas? How is God calling you to pursue mentorship and to mentor others? What are common hindrances to receiving and giving mentorship?

Conclusion

What are marks of a faithful servant? As taught in the Parable of the Talents, all of us will either hear, “Well done good and faithful servant” or “You wicked and lazy servant” (cf. Matt 25:14-30). Elijah was a man who was publicly affirmed by God before others as he was translated to heaven without death. Therefore, from his life and translation, we can discern marks of a faithful servant.

1. A Mark of a Faithful Servant Is Trusting God’s Plan, Even When Encountering Delays, Disappointments, and Unanswered Prayers
2. A Mark of a Faithful Servant Is Humility
3. A Mark of a Faithful Servant Is Praying Daring Prayers
4. A Mark of a Faithful Servant Is Fighting and Suffering Hardships for Christ
5. A Mark of a Faithful Servant Is a Focus on Equipping and Blessing Others

Application Question: What stood out most in the reading and why? What questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Prayer Prompts

• Pray for God to increase our faith so that we can trust him when encountering delays, disappointments, and unanswered prayers.
• Pray for God to deliver us from pride, selfish ambition, and independence (from him and his body) and that he would give us grace to be humble—consumed with God and others before ourselves.
• Pray for God to give us grace to pray daring prayers—to intercede for others, our churches, and our nations and that God would move mightily because of our prayers.
• Pray for God to give us courage and grace to stand, fight, and suffer for the kingdom, as we serve others.
• Pray for God to empower us to make disciples—that we would lead people to Christ and help others continue to follow Christ and complete his plans for their lives.

Copyright © 2022 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.

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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.

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A ministry of…

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

I. Consolidarea Predicării Expozitive:
Predicarea Din Evanghelii, Partea A 3-A: Pildele

Pildele nu apar exclusiv în evanghelii. Natan, de pildă, a folosit o pildă ca să-l înștiințeze pe David cu privire la păcatul său (2 Sam. 12:1-10). Isaia a folosit o pildă pentru a ridica acuzații împotriva casei lui Israel (Is. 5:1-7. Să reținem că pilda se află în Is. 5:1-6, iar aplicația în Is. 5:7). Totuși, în acest articol voi trata pilda ca sub-gen al „evangheliei”.

1. Definiția și structura pildelor. Pilda este o scurtă povestire în care anumite experiențe și personaje din viața de zi cu zi reprezintă anumite adevăruri morale sau spirituale. Isus a folosit adesea pilde pentru a explica ceva. De obicei, o pildă începe cu descrierea evenimentelor sau a personajelor implicate într-o anumită situație și se încheie cu o aplicație directă sau cu explicarea povestirii, astfel încât ascultătorii să înțeleagă relevanța pildei în viața lor. De asta vedem adesea reacții negative puternice la pildele lui Isus, pentru că ele atingeau conștiința ascultătorilor.

2. Formele literare ale pildelor. Simplu spus, pilda este o formă de limbaj figurat. Permiteți-mi să fac următoarele distincții…

(1) Pildele „adevărate”. Când spun pilde „adevărate”, mă refer la acele pilde care urmează structura și definiția de mai sus. Iată câteva exemple de pilde „adevărate”: (1) Bunul Samaritean (Lc. 10:25-37); (2) Oaia pierdută, banul pierdut și fiul rătăcitor (Lc. 15:1-32); (3) Pilda celor poftiți la cină (Lc. 14:15-24); (4) Pilda lucrătorilor viei (Mat. 20:1-16); (5) Pilda bogatului nemilostiv (Lc. 16:19-31); (6) Pilda celor zece fecioare (Mat. 25:1-13).

(2) Comparațiile. Unele pilde iau forma unor comparații extinse, în care subiectul și obiectul cu care acesta este asemănat sunt lucruri distincte și sunt explicate printr-o comparație, folosind expresiile „se aseamănă cu” sau „ca” – ex. „Împărăţia cerurilor se mai aseamănă cu…” (Mat. 13:44-46). Iată câteva exemple de pilde sub formă de comparații extinse: (1) Pilda aluatului (Mat. 13:33); (2) Pilda semănătorului (Mat. 13:1-23); (3) Pilda grăuntelui de muștar (Mat. 13:31-32).

(3) Metaforele. Unele pilde au caracteristicile unei metafore extinse, în care, spre deosebire de comparația extinsă, comparația între subiect și obiectul cu care este comparat este implicită și inseparabilă – ex. „Voi sunteţi sarea pământului… Voi sunteţi lumina lumii” (Mat. 5:13-14). Deși s-ar putea spune că astfel de afirmații sunt simple metafore (ceea ce este adevărat), totuși, în contextul în care sunt folosite, cred că este corect să considerăm că unele au anumite caracteristici de pilde în structura și scopul lor.

3. Scopul pildelor. În ciuda simplității aparente a formei și conținutului pildei, au existat multe dezbateri cu privire la semnificația lor. Și într-adevăr, unele pilde sunt greu de înțeles, cum ar fi pilda ispravnicului necredincios (Lc. 16:1-13). Citim o astfel de povestire și ne întrebăm: „Ce anume a vrut să spună Isus? Oare chiar laudă El nedreptatea acestui om? Sau este ceva dincolo de ceea ce se observă la prima vedere?” Chiar și ucenicii au întrebat uneori ce înseamnă unele din pildele lui Isus (Mc. 4:10; Lc. 8:9).

Din păcate, și explicațiile date de Isus cu privire la semnificația pildei sunt greu de înțeles: „Vouă”, le-a zis El, „v-a fost dat să cunoaşteţi taina Împărăţiei lui Dumnezeu; dar pentru cei ce sunt afară din numărul vostru, toate lucrurile sunt înfăţişate în pilde; pentru ca, „măcar că privesc, să privească şi să nu vadă, şi măcar că aud, să audă şi să nu înţeleagă, ca nu cumva să se întoarcă la Dumnezeu şi să li se ierte păcatele.” (Mc. 4:11-12; citând din Is. 6:9-10). Deși această afirmație nu înseamnă că acesta a fost scopul tuturor pildelor lui Isus, totuși explică de ce Isus a folosit unele pilde pentru a prezenta taina divină cu privire la natura împărăției lui Dumnezeu, o taină a cărei semnificație este descoperită celor ce au viață divină, însă care este ascunsă de cei ce refuză adevărul cu încăpățânare.

Poate că înțelegem mai bine explicația lui Isus atunci când ne gândim că lucrarea Lui a avut două efecte diametral opuse. După cum spune apostolul Pavel, pentru unii ascultători, mesajul lui Isus din pilde a fost „o mireasmă de la viaţă spre viaţă”, însă pentru alții, „o mireasmă de la moarte spre moarte” (2 Cor. 2:14-16). Sau după cum spune apostolul Petru, „pentru voi care aţi crezut”, Isus este prezentat în pilde astfel: „Piatra pe care au lepădat-o zidarii a ajuns să fie pusă în capul unghiului”, însă pentru necredincioși, El este „o Piatră de poticnire şi o Stâncă de cădere” (1 Pet. 2:7-8). Cu alte cuvinte, pildele lui Isus îi sileau pe oameni să se poziționeze de-o parte sau de alta. Fie erai cu El, fie împotriva Lui. În mod clar, acesta a fost efectul multor pilde – îi divizau pe oameni, arătând astfel adevărul din inima lor. După cum spune Moises Silva, „Pildele… atunci când sunt adresate celor care se împotrivesc Domnului, devin instrumente ale judecății. Astfel, «celui ce are i se va da; dar de la cel ce n-are se va lua şi ce are» (Mc. 4:25).” (Silva, An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics [O introducere în hermeneutica biblică], 111).

Pildele mai au, apoi, rolul de a face deosebire între cei care Îl ascultau pe Isus – pe de o parte, să ascundă adevărul de cei care respingeau cuvintele Lui și, pe de altă parte, să clarifice adevărul pentru cei care răspundeau pozitiv la cuvintele Lui. Pentru cei care răspundeau pozitiv la cuvintele Sale, pildele lui Isus Îl revelau pe Dumnezeu, adevărul Lui și planurile Sale pentru poporul Său. Pentru cei care Îl respingeau pe Isus și cuvintele Sale, pildele erau folosite de Isus ca instrumente de judecată și ca mijloc de a ascunde adevărul de ei (ex. Mat. 13:10-15; Mc. 4:11-12; Lc. 8:9-10). După cum spune Henry Virkler, „aceleași pilde care îi ajutau pe credincioși să înțeleagă mai bine, erau fără sens pentru cei care își împietreau inima în fața adevărului” (Virkler, Hermeneutics [Hermeneutică], 165). Această învățătură este similară cu cea din 1 Corinteni 2, care vorbește despre capacitatea persoanei regenerate de a înțelege adevărul spiritual, în comparație cu incapacitatea persoanei neregenerate. Diferența constă în faptul că prima are vedere spirituală, pe când cealaltă este oarbă din punct de vedere spiritual. Așadar, pildele au două ținte sau puncte focale – credincioșii și necredincioșii.

Pildele au două scopuri: (1) să dea învățătură ascultătorilor cu privire la adevăruri spirituale ca rugăciunea, dărnicia etc. (ex. Mat. 13:10-12; Mc. 4:11) și (2) să îi provoace cu privire la trăirea lor nepotrivită, păcătoasă sau ipocrită (ex. Lc. 7:36-50). În general, scopul pildelor este să descopere adevărul cu privire la caracterul și identitatea ascultătorilor – cine și ce sunt ei.

4. Natura pildelor. Poate că ceea ce explică de ce Isus a folosit atât de mult pildele în învățătura Sa este faptul că acestea sunt istorisiri interesante simple despre viața de zi cu zi, ușor de înțeles pentru oamenii de rând, cu care se puteau identifica și din care puteau extrage învățături.

Pildele, așadar, descoperă, clarifică, scot în evidență și aplică adevărul spiritual, adresându-se atât inimii, cât și conștiinței. Pildele, prin natura lor, lasă o impresie în mintea și conștiința oamenilor mult mai dramatică, eficientă și de durată decât simpla rostire a ideii – ex. văduva insistentă și judecătorul nedrept (Lc. 18:1-8) sau vameșul și fariseul (Lc. 18:9-14).

Pildele sunt, așadar, povestiri veridice despre situații, persoane și evenimente familiare, în care se compară o situație, o persoană sau un eveniment cu altul, pentru a ilustra, a lămuri și a învăța un adevăr spiritual important, însă necunoscut sau nerecunoscut. Prin natura lor, pildele sunt indirecte și cer un răspuns de la ascultători.

5. Cum să înțelegem și să interpretăm pildele. Pilda este mesajul. Scopul ei este să capteze atenția ascultătorilor, să-i uluiască cu privire la acțiunile lor sau să-i determine să reacționeze într-un fel sau altul față de Isus și lucrarea Lui. Această trăsătură a pildelor le face greu de interpretat, pentru că este ca și cu interpretarea glumelor – dacă trebuie să interpretezi o glumă, ea nu mai este amuzantă și își pierdea acea claritate intuitivă. Ca și în cazul impactului imediat al unei glume, cei care ascultă o pildă se vor identifica imediat cu punctele de referință care i-au făcut să înțeleagă ideea pildei.

Pildele nu au același impact în cazul nostru ca și în cazul ascultătorilor din vremea aceea, pentru că uneori nu prindem imediat ideea ca și ei, din cauza distanței în timp și a diferențelor de cultură și limbaj. Totuși, dacă interpretăm corect pildele, putem înțelege și noi ceea ce au înțeles ei atunci.

În general, interpretarea și aplicarea povestirii vin la finalul pildei, fiind distincte de povestirea în sine. De exemplu, în Luca 7:40-42, cele trei puncte de referință sunt: cămătarul și cei doi datornici. Identificarea are loc imediat: (1) Dumnezeu este precum cămătarul; (2) femeia păcătoasă și Simon sunt ca cei doi datornici. Pilda este un cuvânt de judecată, care cere un răspuns de la Simon. Forța pildei este atât de mare încât Simon nu putea rata mesajul ei. Trebuie să observăm că punctele de referință nu constituie pilda. Rolul lor este doar de a-i atrage pe ascultători în povestire și să ofere un punct de referință cu care aceștia să se identifice. Scopul povestirii se află în răspunsul cerut. În cazul nostru, un cuvânt de judecată împotriva lui Simon și a prietenilor lui și un cuvânt de acceptare și iertare către femeie.

Să nu uităm că toate pildele lui Isus sunt, într-o anumită măsură, un mijloc prin care Isus a ales să descrie și să proclame Împărăția. Prin urmare, trebuie să cunoaștem foarte bine semnificația Împărăției în lucrarea lui Isus.

6. Principii pentru studierea și interpretarea pildelor. Atunci când pildele au fost rostite pentru prima dată, rareori aveau nevoie de interpretare, pentru că ascultătorii le înțelegeau în mod intuitiv. Însă pentru că noi nu ne aflăm acolo și pentru că noi le avem doar în formă scrisă, nu avem acea înțelegere imediată a unor puncte de referință, pe care o aveau ascultătorii de atunci. Prin procesul exegetic, însă, putem descoperi mesajul lor cu un grad de acuratețe destul de mare. Și ce trebuie noi să facem este să aducem acel mesaj în contextul nostru (cum a făcut Matei – ex. 18:10-14; 20:1-16). O modalitate în care poți face lucrul acesta în predicarea ta este să inserezi în povestire puncte de referință contemporane potrivite din punct de vedere contextual și hermeneutic.

Toate instrumentele, procedurile și principiile exegetice tradiționale obișnuite trebuie folosite atunci când studiem pildele în contextul lor, cu scopul de a deduce intenția autorului, însă genul literar al pildei pare atât de fluid, având o varietate mare și conținând multiple niveluri de semnificații, încât permite o mare flexibilitate în predicare. Să nu uităm că membrilor noștri le plac pildele și de obicei le consideră la fel de fascinante cum erau, fără îndoială, și pentru primii ascultători. Aceasta subliniază puterea narațiunii.

Regula de aur (ca și în cazul oricărui studiu exegetic în vederea pregătirii unei predici) este să nu facem pilda să spună altceva decât trebuia să spună. Aceasta este o greșeală frecventă în interpretarea pildelor – adică să încerci să dai fiecărui detaliu o semnificație alternativă paralelă (i.e. să alegorizezi interpretarea). Problema alegorizării ca metodă de interpretare este faptul că e foarte subiectivă. Zece persoane diferite ar putea avea zece semnificații diferite pentru fiecare detaliu al pildei. O regulă generală pentru înțelegerea și predicarea pildelor este că, așa cum spunea un prieten de-al meu, pastor, nu trebuie să încercăm „să facem pilda să se conformeze” – adică să nu încercăm să facem fiecare detaliu să aibă o semnificație anume decât dacă aceasta este evidentă în pildă.

Mai mult, alegorizarea, adică încercarea de a conferi semnificație fiecărui mic detaliu, duce adesea la pierderea din vedere a mesajului general al pildei. Pentru a contracara alegorizarea ca metodă de interpretare, unii teologi susțin că fiecare pildă are un singur mesaj și că detaliile sunt doar o cosmetizare narativă. Însă aceasta este o simplificare exagerată. De exemplu, în pilda fiului risipitor, tatăl, fiul și fratele mai mare nu reprezintă fiecare o altă persoană? Pildele pot transmite un singur mesaj sau mai multe, la fel cum pot avea mai multe scopuri, forme și aplicații. Totuși, chiar dacă o pildă poate avea mai multe puncte de referință, fiecare pildă (ca orice alt pasaj din Scriptură) transmite o singură idee teologică sau un singur principiu teologic.

7. O abordare echilibrată a interpretării pildelor (adaptat după Craig Blomberg, citat în Duval și Hays, 260 și urm.).

(a) Caută ideea principală a fiecărui personaj principal. Toate celelalte detalii doar dezvoltă povestirea. De exemplu, în pilda fiului risipitor (Lc. 15:11-32), este limpede că fiul risipitor reprezintă păcătosul care se întoarce la Dumnezeu cu pocăință și credință. Tatăl reprezintă dorința lui Dumnezeu de a oferi îndurare și iertare. Fratele mai mare reprezintă oamenii religioși – fariseii și cărturarii, cei cărora Isus le spunea pilda (Lc. 15:2) și care credeau că erau singurii vrednici de harul lui Dumnezeu.

Apoi, în pilda samariteanului milostiv (Lc. 10:29-37), omul bătut de tâlhari îl reprezintă pe aproapele nostru care se află în nevoie (acesta este subiectul abordat de Isus, Lc. 10:29). Preotul și levitul îi reprezintă pe liderii religioși, de la care te-ai aștepta să-și iubească aproapele în mod necondiționat, însă care s-ar putea să nu facă asta cu adevărat. Samariteanul îi reprezintă pe cei care de la care nu te-ai aștepta să-și iubească „aproapele”, care vin dintr-un context religios și cultural diferit, însă care s-ar putea să își arate, de fapt, dragostea într-un mod practic și public.

(b) Stabilește ideea principală pe care au înțeles-o ascultătorii inițiali. Nu citi și nu interpreta o pildă, izolând-o de contextul ei! Verifică cu atenție contextul ei literar! Pildele lui Isus întotdeauna ilustrează ceea ce se întâmpla în împrejurarea imediat anterioară.

Atunci când încerci să stabilești ideea principală a unei pilde, există câteva întrebări ajutătoare, cum ar fi: (1) Care este răspunsul cerut și oferit? (2) Există o surpriză, o întorsătură sau ceva șocant în narațiune? (3) Cum sau ce ne învață pilda despre Împărăție – direct ori indirect? (4) Care este învățătura și accentul teologic și cristologic? (5) Ce tip de pildă este – o pildă adevărată, o comparație sau o metaforă? (6) Care sunt scenele și mișcările din pildă? (7) Cine sunt ascultătorii? (8) Cine sunt personajele principale și pe cine reprezintă ele? (9) Care este ideea teologică centrală?

8. Câteva sugestii în plus pentru interpretarea pildelor.

(1) Ascultă pilda din nou și din nou. Identifică punctele de referință care ar fi fost alese de ascultătorii lui Isus. Încearcă să stabilești cum s-ar fi identificat cu povestirea ascultătorii inițiali – ce ar fi auzit ei și cum ar fi interpretat și aplicat ce au auzit. Uneori semnificația pildei apare în pildă în mod explicit; alteori semnificația este sugerată în aplicație (cf. Mat. 5:13; 18:21, 35; 29:1-16; 22:14; 25:13; Lc. 12:15-21; 15:7, 10; 18:1, 9; 19:11).

(2) Cercetează contextul cu atenție. Ca în cazul oricărei metodologii de interpretare serioase, cercetează cu atenție contextul fiecărei pilde din perspectiva din care autorul a ales să-și prezinte materialul. De exemplu, pilda lucrătorilor viei (Mat. 20:1-16) vine imediat după istorisirea cu tânărul bogat (Mat. 19:16-22). După ce se arată că bogățiile pot fi un mare obstacol în ce privește intrarea în Împărăție, Petru spune: „Iată că noi am lăsat totul şi Te-am urmat” (Lc. 18:28). Isus îl asigură pe Petru că își vor primi răsplata cuvenită (Lc. 19:28-30), însă continuă apoi cu pilda despre „un gospodar care a ieşit dis-de-dimineaţă să-şi tocmească lucrători la vie” (Mat. 20:1), pildă în care Isus mustră atitudinea lui Petru de auto-neprihănire: „Vezi ce am făcut noi pentru tine, Isus, și la câte am renunțat pentru Tine…” Petru vorbea ca acei lucrători din vie, care credeau că li se cuvine o plată mai mare decât celor care nu au lucrat la fel de mult, în loc să se mulțumească să-L slujească pe Hristos din dragoste. Aceasta este perspectiva din care autorul a ales să prezinte pilda.

În primul rând, să privim la contextul istoric și cultural – adică la contextul specific al pildei. De exemplu, Isus spune pilda fiului risipitor anume pentru a-i mustra pe cărturari și farisei, care cârtiseră împotriva Lui: „Omul acesta primeşte pe păcătoşi şi mănâncă cu ei” (Lc. 15:1-2). Apoi, Isus spune pilda în care fariseii și cărturarii sunt prezentați ca fiind cei care „se plâng în loc să se bucure atunci când un păcătos este «găsit»… Ceea ce trebuie să evaluăm aici este rolul fiului mai mare, al cărui unic frate – nu unul dintr-o sută și nici măcar unul din zece – fusese pierdut. Acest frate mai mare îi reprezintă pe fariseii care cârteau și care păreau incapabili să se bucure împreună cu Dumnezeu și cu îngerii din cer” (Moises Silva, 112-113).

Pentru a înțelege contextul cultural, trebuie să studiem obiceiurile oamenilor din primul secol, ca să înțelegem impactul a ceea ce se spune sau se face. De exemplu, când fiul risipitor cerea ca tatăl să-i dea partea lui de moștenire, el cerea ceva ce, în mod normal, nu ar fi primit înainte de moartea tatălui său. Făcând lucrul acesta, el sugera că și-ar fi dorit ca tatăl său să moară. Dacă înțelegem aceasta, dragostea tatălui și harul arătat atunci când își primește fiul înapoi sunt chiar mai uimitoare.

II. Consolidarea Conducerii Biblice
„Slujba Împăcării, Partea A 4-A (Continuare): O Chemare La Împăcarea Poporului Lui Dumnezeu Cu Slujitorul Lui Dumnezeu” (2 Cor. 6:11-7:16)

Continuăm tot cu acest text biblic în prezenta ediție a jurnalului. Data trecută am studiat 2 Cor. 6:11-18 și am vorbit despre primele două secțiuni ale textului:

1. O chemare pastorală la dragoste (6:11-13).

2. O chemare pastorală la avertizare (6:14-18).

Continuăm acum cu cea de-a treia secțiune…

3. Aplicarea chemării pastorale (7:1-4). „Deci...” (se trage o concluzie din ceea ce s-a spus mai înainte), pe baza promisiunilor din Vechiul Testament (6:16-18), conform cărora Dumnezeu va fi Tatăl lor, readucându-și poporul într-o relație corectă cu El, dacă (observați că promisiunile sunt condiționate) se vor separa de rău (adică de practicile religioase păgâne; mai exact, de închinarea la idoli), Pavel poruncește: „Deci fiindcă avem astfel de făgăduinţe, preaiubiţilor, să ne curăţăm de orice întinăciune a cărnii şi a duhului şi să ne ducem sfinţirea până la capăt, în frica de Dumnezeu” (7:1).

Pentru Pavel, principiul de bază al sfințeniei pentru poporul lui Dumnezeu este: „Nu vă înjugaţi la un jug nepotrivit cu cei necredincioşi” (6:14), iar trăirea acestei sfințenii în poporul lui Dumnezeu înseamnă „să ne curăţăm de orice întinăciune a cărnii şi a duhului” (7:1). Principiul este că „cei nedrepţi nu vor moşteni Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu” (1 Cor. 6:9-10). Cei din poporul lui Dumnezeu au fost „spălați…sfințiți… socotiţi neprihăniţi, în Numele Domnului Isus Hristos şi prin Duhul Dumnezeului nostru” (1 Cor. 6:11) și sunt, așadar, curățiți, declarațional și pozițional, „de orice întinăciune a cărnii şi a duhului...”

Principiul trebuie să fie evident în trăirea lor ca să fie adevărat cu privire la ei. Cu alte cuvinte, sfințirea pozițională trebuie să fie demonstrată prin sfințirea practică. Am fost sfințiți de Dumnezeu – aceasta este sfințirea pozițională (ex. Fapte 26:18; Evr. 10:14; 13:12; 1 Pet. 1:2; Ef. 5:26; In. 17:17) – și noi trebuie să ne sfințim – aceasta este sfințirea practică și progresivă (1 Cor. 1:18; 1 Pet. 3:15; ), pentru ca unirea noastră cu Hristos să devină din ce în ce mai evidentă și mai reală în viața noastră. Fiind eliberați de robia păcatului (Rom. 6:11-18), putând astfel să nu mai păcătuim (1 In. 3:9), Dumnezeu lucrează în noi (1 Tes. 5:23; Tit 2:14), ca să devenim tot mai asemănători cu Hristos (2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 8:29; Evr. 13:20-21; 1 In. 2:6; 3:7). Duhul Sfânt, în special, este agentul divin activ în sfințirea noastră (1 Tes. 4:3; 2 Tes. 2:13; Gal. 5:16-18, 22-23).

Nu există conflict între cele două concepte gemene de sfințire pasivă și sfințire activă. Sfințirea nu este doar o lucrare a lui Dumnezeu în noi, prin care suntem sfințiți, puși deoparte, numiți sfinți (1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1) și Dumnezeu nu numai că ne-a dat sfințirea în Hristos (Rom. 1:30; 2 Tes. 2:13), ci și noi ne sfințim, străduindu-ne să evităm păcatul (1 Cor. 6:18; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 In. 3:6-9) și să facem ceea ce Dumnezeu spune că este adevărat cu privire la noi (1 Cor. 7:34; 1 Tes. 4:3-8; Rom. 6:19), dorind să fim tot mai mult ca și Hristos (Rom. 8:13; Evr. 12:1; Fil. 2:12; 3:13-14; 2 Pet. 1:5 și urm.).

„Întinăciunea” (pângărirea, murdărirea) care rezultă din a fi „înjugaţi la un jug nepotrivit cu cei necredincioşi” (mai exact, din închinarea la zei) este totală, pentru că întinează și „carnea și duhul.” De aceea, „curățirea” cerută apoi „cărnii” (curățire exterioară, fizică – cine suntem în exterior) și „duhului” (curățire interioară, spirituală – cine suntem în interior) este, de asemenea, totală.

„Să ne ducem sfinţirea până la capăt.” Îndemnul acesta sugerează, cu certitudine, că sfințirea noastră este progresivă, pentru că ne străduim aici și acum către sfințenie, înțelegând totodată că sfințenia deplină va fi experimentată doar la glorificarea noastră. Însă chiar dacă desăvârșirea procesului de sfințire va avea loc în eschaton (1 Tes. 3:13; Iuda 24; 2 Cor. 11:2), totuși continuăm să ne luptăm acum pentru a duce acest proces la capăt. Repet, folosirea expresiei „să ducem până la capăt” indică faptul că noi trebuie să facem lucrul acesta. În ce-i privește pe corinteni, ei trebuie să-și ducă sfințirea până la capăt, separându-se de orice întinăciune și asociere cu cei necredincioși – în special în ce privește închinarea la idoli, dar nu numai.

Așa cum „frica de Domnul” a fost unul dintre factorii motivatori în slujirea lui Pavel (5:11; cf. 1 Cor. 2:3; 2 Cor. 7:11), tot așa trebuie să fie unul dintre factorii principali în motivarea poporului lui Dumnezeu în procesul sfințirii – „să ne curăţăm de orice întinăciune a cărnii şi a duhului.” Noi trăim sub privirea atotvăzătoare și atotcunoscătoare a lui Dumnezeu. Nu putem scăpa de cercetarea și judecata Lui.

Continuând șirul de idei din 6:11-12, Pavel își continuă chemarea pastorală adresată corintenilor. „Înţelegeţi-ne bine! N-am nedreptăţit pe nimeni, n-am vătămat pe nimeni, n-am înşelat pe nimeni” (7:2). El stăruiește pe lângă ei: „Înţelegeţi-ne bine”. El le adusese vestea bună a evangheliei pentru prima dată, așa că inimile lor ar trebui să fie deschise pentru el și, dimpotrivă, închise pentru apostolii falși (care câștigau influență asupra lor) și pentru necredincioșii ale căror practici păgâne le adoptau (David E. Garland, 2 Corinthians [2 Corinteni], 344). În definitiv, nu era nimic la el care să-i facă să se poarte cu el așa cum o făceau. Chiar dacă i-a mustrat aspru și le-a dat instrucțiuni drastice, el nu a nedreptățit pe nimeni, nu a vătămat și nu a înșelat pe nimeni. Așa că, de ce să se poarte astfel cu el? De ce să-l dea la o parte?

„Nu spun aceste lucruri ca să vă osândesc, căci am spus mai înainte că sunteţi în inimile noastre pe viaţă şi pe moarte” (7:3). Pavel vrea să se asigure că ei nu vor răstălmăci ceea ce el a spus în apărarea sa în 7:2. Cineva s-ar putea gândi, mai ales cineva aflat în starea spirituală a corintenilor, că Pavel nu se apăra acolo, ci îi acuza pe ei. De aceea, el își clarifică afirmația: „Nu spun aceste lucruri ca să vă osândesc” și își reconfirmă dragostea pentru ei: „sunteţi în inimile noastre pe viaţă şi pe moarte.” El vrea ca aceste lucruri să fie înțelese foarte clar.

Expresia „pe viaţă şi pe moarte” ar putea fi tradusă „ca să murim împreună pentru (“εις” în greacă) a trăi împreună.” Acesta este într-adevăr scopul său, prin care Pavel s-ar putea să se refere fie la devotamentul și experiența creștină prezentă a lui și a lor (i.e. a muri cu Hristos și a trăi în și pentru Hristos) sau poate se referă la viitorul lor comun, când vor muri împreună ca și credincioși în Hristos și vor fi înviați împreună pentru destinul lor comun de a trăi împreună în cer cu Hristos. El este atât de apropiat de ei, încât vrea să comunice cu ei.

„Am o mare încredere în voi. Am tot dreptul să mă laud cu voi. Sunt plin de mângâiere, îmi saltă inima de bucurie în toate necazurile noastre” (7:4). Versetul acesta poate fi interpretat ca fiind fie ultimul verset din excursus (2:14-7:4), fie primul verset din următoarea secțiune (7:4-16), care este o continuare de la 2:13 referitor la găsirea lui Tit și la ce va avea el de spus despre ei. Decât să încercăm să decidem unde se potrivește acest verset, este probabil mai bine să considerăm 7:4 un verset de legătură care încheie o secțiune și o începe pe următoarea, din moment ce se potrivește foarte bine cu ambele. Versetul încheie reafirmarea atitudinii pozitive a lui Pavel față de ei (7:3) și introduce reacția sa pozitivă față de raportul lui Tit (7:5-16), care, la rândul său, are legătură cu începutul epistolei (2:2-3 cf. 7:4, 13).

Îndrăzneala pe care o avusese în vorbirea sa față de ei (corectându-i cu privire la diferite aspecte) adusese o pocăință plină de evlavie și acțiunea corectivă necesară pe care el o dorea (7:9-10). Astfel, vorbirea lui directă atunci când i-a mustrat și i-a corectat și-a atins scopul dorit și îl face acum să se poată „lăuda” cu ei. Vorbirea lui plină de îndrăzneală, care ar fi putut afecta relația lor pentru totdeauna (pentru că nimănui nu îi place să fie corectat), a avut totuși un rezultat bun, pentru că ei au avut un răspuns bun, așa că el poate și chiar se bucură să se laude cu ei. Într-adevăr, „sunt plin de mângâiere… îmi saltă inima de bucurie” chiar și „în toate necazurile noastre” (și în ciuda lor). Necazurile la care se referă sunt, în mod evident, cele pe care le-a întâlnit în Macedonia, unde s-a dus să-l caute pe Tit (7:5).

III. Schițe De Predici

Titlu: Evanghelia după Isus (Mat. 7:13-14)

Subiect: Două drumuri spre veșnicie.

Tema: Trebuie să alegi calea îngustă și grea a adevărului, dacă vrei să intri în Împărăția lui Dumnezeu.

Punctul 1: Un drum începe ușor, dar se termină greu (7:13).

1a) Începe ușor pentru că intrarea este largă și drumul este lat.

1b) Se termină greu pentru că duce la distrugere veșnică.

Punctul 2: Celălalt drum începe greu, dar se termină ușor (7:14).

2a) Începe greu pentru că intrarea este îngustă și drumul este dificil.

2b) Se termină ușor pentru că duce la viață veșnică.

A ministry of…

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

I. 加強講解式講道：傳講新約福音，第三部分，比喻

比喻並非是福音獨有的。比如拿單，用了一個比喻警示大衛關於他的罪（撒下12:1-10）。以賽亞用了一個比喻控告以色列家（賽5:1-7.其中1-6節為比喻，7節為應用）。 然而，為了本文的目的，我將把比喻作為“福音”的一個下屬類型來處理。

1..比喻的定義和結構。比喻是一種短篇故事，裡面的日常經歷和人物代表了某些道德或屬靈的真理。耶穌經常用比喻來說明問題。通常，比喻以描述某一特定情況下的事件或人物開始，以直接應用或解釋故事結束，使聽者認識到故事與他們的生活有關。這就是為什麼你經常會看到對耶穌比喻的強烈負面反應，因為這些比喻觸到了聽眾的良心。

2.比喻的文學形式。簡單來說，比喻是修辭的一種形式。讓我做以下的區分…

(1) “真正的”比喻。我所說的“真正的”比喻是指那些符合我上面所給出的結構和定義的比喻。“真正的”比喻的例子：（1）好撒瑪利亞人（路1:25-37）；（2）失羊、失錢和浪子（路15:1-32）；（3）大宴席（路14:15-24）；（4）在葡萄園做工（太2:1-16）；（5）財主和拉撒路（路16:19-31）；（6）十個童女（太25:1-13）.

(2)明喻。一些比喻採用擴展的明喻的形式，其中主體與被比較的事物是有區別的，通過使用“像”或者“如同”這樣的比較使其明確——“天國就像…”（太13:44-46）.比喻中明喻的例子有：（1）面酵（太13:33）；（2）撒種（太13:1-23）；芥菜種（太13:31-32）。

(3) 隱喻。有些比喻採用擴展的隱喻。與明喻不同的是， 隱喻的主體與被比較物之間的比較是隱含的、分不開的。例如“你們是世上的鹽…你們是世上的光”（太5:13-14）。雖然可以說這些陳述只是隱喻（這也是真的），但從他們所處的上下文來說，我認為有些隱喻從結構和目的來說有比喻的特點。

3..比喻的目的。雖然比喻的形式和內容簡單明瞭，但是關於它們的意義有很多爭論。確實，有些比喻難以理解，比如不義管家的比喻（路16:1-13）。當我們看到這樣一個故事，會問：“耶穌到底說的是什麼意思？難道他真的要我們不誠實嗎？或者這個故事不僅僅是表面所看到的？”。就連門徒們也會疑問耶穌一些比喻的意義（可4:10；‘路8:9’）。

不幸的是，耶穌對比喻意義的解釋本身就是一個難以理解的陳述：“神國的奧秘只叫你們知道；若是對外人講，凡事就用比喻，叫他們看是看見，卻不曉得；聽是聽見，卻不明白。恐怕他們回轉過來，就得赦免”（可4:11-12；引用賽6:9-10）.雖然這句話並不一定意味著這是耶穌所有比喻的目的，但是它確實解釋了為什麼耶穌用一些比喻來講解天國的神聖奧秘，這些神聖的奧秘對於那些有神的生命的人是敞開的，向頑固抵擋真理的人是隱藏的。

或許耶穌的解釋最好從經文的背景來理解。他的事工有兩方面完全相反的效果。正如使徒保羅說的，對有些人來說，耶穌在比喻中傳遞的資訊是“活的香氣叫人活”，但是對另外一些人就是“死的香氣叫人死”（哥後2:14-16）.或者，像使徒彼得說的，對於“你們相信的人”，耶穌是“匠人所棄的石頭已變成了房角的頭塊石頭”，但是對其他人，他是“絆腳的石頭，跌人的磐石”（彼前2:7-8）。換句話說，耶穌的比喻迫使人選擇立場。你不是支持他就是反對他。這顯然是很多比喻的效果—它們將人區分開來，並顯明人的心跡。就像Moises Silva所說的，“比喻…對那些選擇反對主的人來說，成為審判的工具。因此，‘有的，還要給他；沒有的，連他所有的也要奪去’（可4:25）” (Silva, An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics, 111)。

因此，比喻是為了區分那些聽過耶穌的人—一方面，向拒絕他的人，隱藏了真理，另一方面，向那些對他的話積極回應的人，顯明了真理。對於那些積極回應他的話的人，耶穌的比較彰顯了神，他的真理和他對自己百姓的心意。對於那些拒接耶穌和他的話的人，比喻被耶穌用作審判以及向他們隱藏真理的工具(比如太 13:10-15; 可 4:11-12; 路 8:9-10)。就像Henry Virkler說的，“同樣的比喻使忠誠的信徒明白真理，但對那些硬著心反對真理的人卻毫無意義” (Virkler, Hermeneutics, 165)。哥前2章也教導了同樣的道理，重生的人明白屬靈的真理，而未重生的人不能明白真理。不同的是，一個有屬靈的看見，而另一個是屬靈瞎眼的。因此，比喻有兩個目的或者焦點—一個對相信的人，第二個是對不相信的人。

比喻的目的是兩方面的：（1）教導聽者關於屬靈的真理，比如禱告、奉獻等（如可13:10-12；可4:11），和（2）就不當、罪惡或虛偽的生活向他們提出質疑（如路7:36-50）。一般來說，比喻的目的是向聽的人顯明他們的內心和品性—他們是誰/怎樣的人。

4. 比喻的本質。比喻是普通人能夠輕易理解的、能從中找到認同並能從中學習的、與日常生活相關的簡單有趣的故事。可能正是因為比喻的這些特點，耶穌在他的教導中大量使用比喻。

因此，比喻揭示、澄清、強調屬靈的真理並將其應用于心靈、良心。比喻的性質使它們能夠在人們的腦海和良心上留下深刻的印象，遠比僅僅陳述觀點更有影響、更有效、更持久—比如不懈的寡婦和不義的官（路18:1-8），或者法利賽人和稅吏的禱告（路18:9-14）。

因此，比喻的本質是真實的簡短故事，將相似的情況、人和事件與另外一個情況、人或事件比較，從而解釋、闡明和教導一個不熟悉或者不被知道但卻很重要的屬靈真理。本質上說，比喻是間接的，需要聽者做出回應。

5.理解和解釋比喻。比喻就是資訊。講比喻是為了抓住或引起聽眾注意，讓他們簡單瞭解自己的行為或者讓他們對耶穌的事工做出某種回應。正是這個特點，使得解釋比喻很困難，因為就像解釋一個玩笑—如果你必須解釋它，它就不再有趣和直觀。就像笑話的直接感染力一樣，比喻的聽眾也會立即與他們所明白的點產生共鳴。

由於我們與比喻的時間、文化和語言相距甚遠，我們可能無法立即明白這一點，因此它們對我們的作用與對原聽者的作用不同。然而通過對比喻進行解釋，我們有可能明白當時聽眾所理解的。

.一般來說，對故事解釋和應用會出現在故事結尾，與故事本身區分開來。比如路7:40-42，三個主要人物是：債主和兩個欠債的。聽眾立即會明白：（1）神就像這個債主；（2）妓女和西門就像兩個欠債的。這個比喻是一個審判，呼籲西門悔改。這個比喻的力量在於西門不可能錯過要點。需要注意的是，涉及到的人物本身並不構成比喻。他們只是為了把聽者吸引到故事中，使聽者能從中找到認同。這個故事的重點在於有意識的回應。在這個例子中，是對西門和他朋友的審判，對這個女人的接納和饒恕。

請記住，在某種程度上，耶穌的所有比喻都是耶穌選擇用來宣講天國的方式。因此，我們必須非常熟悉耶穌事工中天國的意義。

6.研究和解釋比喻的準則。當這些比喻第一次被說出來的時候，很少需要解釋，因為它們的意思對聽眾來說是直觀的。但由於我們當時不在現場，而且它們只有書面形式，我們缺乏對原始聽眾所擁有的一些相關點的直接理解。然而，通過解經過程，我們可以高度準確地發現它們的點。我們需要做的是把那個點應用到我們的背景下（如馬太——18:10-14；20:1-16）。你可以通過在講道中插入（從上下文和釋經上來說）適合的與當代相關的點，從而做到這一點。

雖然在上下文背景下研究比喻，所有正常的傳統的工具、程式和原則都必須應用上，以便於能夠推斷理解作者的意圖，但是比喻的體裁本身非常流暢、多樣，並包含多個層次的意義，給講道留下了很大的靈活性。我們應該記住，我們今天的聽眾喜愛比喻故事，並像最初的聽眾一樣認為它們很迷人一樣。這凸顯了故事的力量。

黃金法則（就像所有準備講道的解經研究一樣）是不要讓比喻表達它們所沒有的意思。這是解釋比喻的常見錯誤—即，試圖使比喻的每一個細節都有一個相對的意義（也就是寓意化你的解釋）。寓意化作為一種​​解釋方法，其問題在於它太過主觀。十個不同的人可以為每個細節想出十個不同的含義。理解和傳講比喻的一般規則是，正如我的一位牧師朋友曾經說過的，我們不應該試圖“讓比喻四肢著地行走”——即不要試圖為每一個小細節賦予意義，除非比喻本身顯明。

此外，寓意化試圖為每一個小細節賦予意義，往往會錯過比喻的整體要點。一些學者為了反駁寓意化的解釋方法，聲稱每個比喻只有一個要點，細節只是敘事的裝飾。但這無疑過於簡單化了。比如浪子的比喻中，兒子、父親、哥哥不都代表不同的人嗎？比喻可以有一個也可以有多個點，就像它們可以有多種目的、形式和應用一樣。然而，雖然一個比喻可能涉及到多個點，但每個比喻（就像任何其他聖經段落一樣）只有一個神學要點或它所傳達的原則。

7. 一種平衡的解釋比喻的方法（改編自 Craig Blomberg，引自 Duval 和 Hays，260f）。

(a)為每個主角找到要點。所有其他的細節只是增強了故事情節。例如，在浪子的比喻中（路15:11-32），浪子清楚地代表了悔改和相信神的罪人。父親代表神願意施憐憫和寬恕。哥哥代表宗教人士——也就是耶穌這個比喻所指向的物件，法利賽人和文士（路15:2）， 認為只有他們才配得神的恩典。

再比如在好撒瑪利亞人的比喻中（路10:29-37）。被強盜毆打的人代表有需要的鄰舍（這是耶穌所講的主題，路10:29）。祭司和利未人代表宗教領袖，你希望他們無條件地愛他們的“鄰居”，但他們可能不會真正這樣做。撒瑪利亞人代表那些你不會期望他們來愛具有不同宗教和文化背景的“鄰居”，但實際上可能以實際和公開的方式這樣做的人。

(b)確定最初聽眾所理解的要點。不要將比喻從上下文發生的事中孤立出來去閱讀或解釋。仔細查看它們的文學背景。耶穌的比喻總是說明在前面的問題或情況中發生了什麼。

在試圖確定比喻的要點時，問自己一些問題會很有幫助，例如：（1）這個比喻要求或產生什麼樣的反應？ (2) 敘述中是否有驚喜、轉折、震撼？ (3) 這個比喻直接或間接地教導我們關於神國的什麼？或者如何教導？ (4) 基督論和神學的重點和教導是什麼？ (5) 它是什麼類型的比喻——真正的比喻、明喻還是隱喻？ (6) 比喻有哪些不同的場景和動作？ (7) 聽眾是誰？ (8) 誰是主要人物，他們代表誰？ (9) 神學的中心論點是什麼？

8.解釋比喻的一些進一步提示

(1)一遍又一遍地聽這個比喻。找到耶穌的聽眾可能會聯想到的點。試著確定最初的聽眾會如何理解這個故事——他們會聽到什麼以及他們會如何解釋和應用它。有時，含義在比喻被明確說明了；有時，出現在應用中(參考 太 5:13; 18:21, 35; 29:1-16; 22:14; 25:13; Lk. 12:15-21; 15:7, 10; 18:1, 9; 19:11)。

(2)仔細查看上下文。就像所有可靠的解經方法一樣，從作者選擇呈現素材的角度，仔細查看每個比喻的上下文。比如，葡萄園工人的比喻（太20:1-16），緊跟在富有的少年人的故事之後（太19:16-22）。在指出財富可能是進入天國的一大障礙之後，彼得說：“看哪，我們已經撇下所有的跟從你，將來我們要得什麼呢？”（太19:27）。 耶穌向彼得保證他們會得到應有的獎賞（太19:28-30），但是緊接在這個保證之後是這個“家主清早出去，雇人進他的葡萄園做工”的比喻（太20:1）.在這個比喻中，耶穌責備彼得的自義“看看我們為你做了多少，耶穌，我們為你放棄了多少…”。彼得說話就像葡萄園裡的工人，他們認為自己比那些工作時間不長的人配得更多的工錢，而不是出於對基督的愛，滿足於服事基督。這就是作者所選擇呈現這個比喻的角度。

首先，看歷史和文化的背景—它特殊的設定。比如，耶穌講了浪子的比喻，專門責備那些發怨言的文士和法利賽人，“這個人接待罪人，又同他們吃飯”（路15:1-2）。接著，耶穌講述了一個比喻，其中法利賽人和文士被描繪成“當一個罪人‘被找到’時，他們會抱怨而不是歡喜……欣賞的重點是大兒子的角色，他唯一的弟兄，不是一百個中的一個也不是十個中的一個，迷失了。這個大兒子代表抱怨的法利賽人，他們似乎無法分享天堂裡神和天使的喜悅” (Moises Silva, 112-113)。

瞭解文化背景要求我們研究一世紀的習俗，以便我們瞭解經文中所說和所做的影響。例如，當浪子要求他的父親將他的那部分遺產分給他時，他要求的是通常在父親去世之前不會發生的事情。這樣做，說明了他希望他的父親死去。明白這一點，使父親接納這個兒子回來的愛和恩典更加顯著。

II.加強聖經化領導
“和好的職分，第四部分（繼續）：呼籲神的百姓與神的執事和好”（哥後6:11-7:16）

我們在本期的牧師網路雜誌中再次繼續這段經文。上次，我們介紹了 哥後 6:11-18這段經文的前兩節：

1.一個牧者愛的呼籲（6:11-13）

2.一個牧者警告的呼籲（6:14-18）

現在我們繼續第三部分…

3.. 牧者呼籲的應用（7:1-4）.“因此…”（從剛才所說的得出結論，），基於舊約的應許（6:16-18），（注意這個應許是有條件的）如果他們將自己與惡（外邦人的宗教行為，尤其指偶像敬拜）分別出來，神要做他們的父，恢復他的百姓與他應有的關係，然後保羅勸告：“親愛的弟兄，我們既有這等應許，就當潔淨自己，除去身體、靈魂一切的污穢，敬畏神，得以成聖”（7:1）。

對保羅而言，神的百姓最重要的聖潔原則是，我們“和不信的不要同負一軛”（6:14），而在神百姓中實踐這樣的聖潔就是要“潔淨自己，除去身體、靈魂的一切污穢”（7:1）。原則是“不義的人不能承受神的國”（哥前6:9-10）。神的百姓 “奉主耶穌基督的名，並借著我們神的靈，已經洗淨、成聖、稱義了”（哥前6:11）。

這個原則必須在他們的行為中明顯表現出來，對他們才會是真實的。換句話說，地位上成聖必須在行為的成聖中表現出來。我們已經被神分別為聖—這是地位上的成聖（例如徒 26:18; 來 10:14; 13:12; 1 彼 1:2; 弗 5:26; 約 17:17）——我們也必須潔淨自己—這是逐漸的、行為上的成聖（哥前1:18；彼前3:15），以至於我們與基督的聯合在我們的生活中變得越來越明顯和真實。已經從罪中得自由（羅6:11-18）並且能夠不再犯罪（1約3:9），神在我們裡面做工（帖前5:23；多2:14）以至於我們越來越像基督（哥後3:18；羅8:29；來13:20-21；1約2:6；3:7）。特別是聖靈，在我們成聖的過程中活躍作用（帖前4:3；帖後2:13；加5:16-18，22-23）。

被動成聖和主動成聖這兩個概念在這裡沒有衝突。成聖是神在我們裡面的工作，我們被潔淨，被分別出來、被稱為聖徒和聖潔的（哥前1:2；哥後1;1），神在基督裡使我們成為聖潔（羅1:30；帖後2:13），並且我們也潔淨自己，努力不犯罪（哥前6;18;哥後7:1；1約3:6:19），尋求去實踐神對我們所說的真理（哥前7:34；帖前4:3-8；羅6:19），渴慕更像基督（羅8:13；來12:1；腓2:12；3:13-14；彼後1:5ff）。

因為與“不信的人同負一軛”而導致的 “不潔淨”（污穢、骯髒）是完全的，污穢我們的“身體、靈魂”。因此，“潔淨”也是完全的，既需要“身體”的潔淨（身體上的、外面的潔淨—從外面看我們是誰），也需要“靈魂”的潔淨（靈魂，內在的—從裡面看我們是誰）。

“成全聖潔”意味著我們的成聖是逐步的，我們在這個世上努力成聖，但同時也明白只有在我們得榮耀的時候，我們的聖潔才會完全。雖然，成聖過程的完全要在世界末了的時候(帖前. 3:13; 猶 24; 哥後 11:2)，但不管怎樣，我們現在仍然繼續向著完全努力。另外“成全聖潔”也意味著這是我們必須為自己做的事情。就像哥林多教會，他們必須完全他們的聖潔，把自己與不潔淨的分開、不與不信的人相交—特別是，但不完全限於，偶像崇拜。

正如“敬畏神”是保羅事工的動力之一（5:11；參考哥前2:3；哥後7:11），所以這也應該成為神百姓追求聖潔的動力—“潔淨自己，除去身體、靈魂的一切污穢”。我們生活在神無所不知的注視之下。我們無法逃脫他的審查和審判。

跟隨著他在6:11-12節的思想，保羅繼續一個牧者對哥林多人的呼籲。“你們要心地寬大收納我們。我們未曾虧負誰，未曾敗壞誰，未曾占誰的便宜”（7:2）。他呼籲他們“心地寬大”收納他。他首先將福音的好消息傳給他們，他們的心應該向他敞開，向假使徒（正在影響他們的人）關閉(David E. Garland, 哥後, 344)。畢竟，保羅沒有做過任何事情使他們有理由這樣對待他。儘管他嚴厲斥責和強烈指示，但他沒有冤枉任何人，沒有腐蝕任何人，也沒有欺騙任何人。那麼，他們為什麼要這樣對待他？他們為什麼要把他拒之門外？

“我說這話，不是要定你們的罪。我已經說過，你們常在我們心裡，情願與你們同生同死”（7:3）。保羅想要確保他們不要誤解他在7:2中的辯護。讀它的人，尤其是哥林多人的屬靈狀況，可能會認為保羅不是在為自己辯護，而是在指責他們。因此他澄清他的辯護，“我說這話，不是要定你們的罪。我已經說過，你們常在我們心裡，情願與你們同生同死”。他不想他們對這有任何的誤會。

“情願與你們同生同死”可以被譯為“因此我們同死是為了(“εις” 希臘語)能夠同生”。因此保羅這個陳述是有目的的，他在這裡要麼指他和他們作為基督徒的經歷和奉獻（也就是和基督同死，並與他並為他而活），要麼指他們作為基督徒死後的共同未來，一起復活與基督一同在天上。他們之間有這樣親密的關係，這是他想向他們表達的。

“我大大地放膽，向你們說話。我因你們多多誇口，滿得安慰。我們在一切患難中分外地快樂”（7:4）。這節經文可以作為2:14-7:4這部分的最後一句，或者作為下一部分7:4-16的第一句。7:4-16可以看做2:3關於找到提多並聽提多報告的繼續。與其試圖決定這節經文的位置，不如考慮把7:4作為一個樞紐節，結束上一節，開始下一節，因為它與這兩節都很好地相關。7:4保羅強調了他對他們的積極態度，同時介紹了他對提多報告的積極回應，反過來，這又回到了書信開頭(2:2-3 參考 7:4, 13)。

他以前對他們的大膽講話（在各種問題上糾正他們）帶來了他想要和需要的敬虔悔改和改正（7:9-10）。因此，他對他們直率的責備和糾正達到了它的預期結果，現在使得他為他們感到“自豪”。他的放膽講論有可能永久斷絕他們的關係（因為沒有人喜歡被糾正），而事實上，通過他們的積極回應，他得到了很好的結果，所以現在他能夠並且高興地因他們誇口。確實，他“滿得安慰…分外地快樂”，儘管“在一切患難中”。他所指的患難顯然是他在馬其頓尋找提多時所遇到的（7:5）.

III. 講道大綱

題目:基督的福音（太7:13-14）

主旨:通向永生的兩條路

主題:如果你想要進入天國，你必須選擇窄的、難走的真理之路。

要點1:一條路容易走但結局艱難(7:13).

1a)它開始容易，因為入口是寬的，路是大的

1b).他結局艱難因為他的目的地是永恆的毀滅。

要點 2:另一條路難走但結局容易(7:14).

2a)它開始難因為入口窄，路難走

2b)它結局容易因為它的目的地是永生