Introduction

James Herriot was a veterinarian in Scotland and the author of a number of books, including All Creatures Great and Small.¹ In this book he tells the story of how he was greatly humbled at the age of seventeen. James had been a student at the Veterinary College in Scotland for just three days. Today he had attended his first class in animal husbandry and he was euphoric. His professor was one of those exceedingly talented men who could bring the subject of horses to life. James felt he had come to know everything there was to know about these magnificent creatures. To fully embrace his persona as a veterinarian James went to a clothing store and bought a brand-new riding mac with a full array of snaps and buckles which, he said, slapped against his legs as he walked.

Stepping out onto the street in front of the college, what should his eyes behold but a massive horse, standing passively before a coal cart, which he pulled about the streets of Scotland. This horse was not a beautiful specimen. It was old and its back was swayed, but it was a horse. James stepped up to the animal, surveying it with what he believed to be the highly trained eye of a veterinarian. He identified the various parts of the creature’s anatomy, which he had just been taught the previous hour. The crowds passed by, oblivious to his extensive knowledge of horses. Having completed his visual assessment, James started to walk away, and then turned to make a parting gesture which he believed this creature would welcome as a token of his appreciation.

James reached up, intending to pat the great beast on the neck, but the horse acted with unexpected speed, clamping his teeth firmly into the material of James’ new mac and lifting him off the ground. James confessed that he dangled in mid-air like a lop-sided puppet. The passers-by, once uninterested and unimpressed by his attire, or his superior knowledge of horses, now pushed and shoved to get a better look at this bizarre spectacle. Some older ladies took pity on James and pled for someone to come to his aid. To James’ chagrin, the younger ladies giggled. James was mortified. Not only was he overcome with shame, but his breathing was now cut off by his new coat, and saliva from the horse’s mouth was running down his face.

Just then, a little man pushed his way through the crowd. He was a coal dealer, and the horse’s owner, who quickly sized up the situation and commanded his horse to drop James. When the horse hesitated, the coal dealer jabbed his thumb into the horse’s belly. Quickly the horse dropped James to the ground, gasping for air. As soon as he could get to his feet, James tried to disappear into the crowd, but he could not help but hear the advice of the horse’s owner, who shouted after him, “Dinna meddle wi’ things ye ken nuthin’ aboot!”

This is virtually the same lesson Job is about to learn from God’s words, recorded in the final chapters of the Book of Job. Earlier in the book, Job has been speaking as one who has great knowledge and authority, concerning a matter he knows nothing about. The humbling lesson which Job learns in our text is one which is vitally important to every Christian, so let us listen carefully to the words of our text, to learn what God’s Word has for us.

A Reminder Of Where We Are In The Book Of Job

In this third and final lesson we have come to chapters 38-42, the closing chapters of the Book of Job. Mark Dever² has outlined the major sections of the book in this way:

Chapters 1 & 2:

God has good things to say about Job.

Job has good things to say about God.

Chapters 3-37:              Job has bad things to say about God.

Chapters 38-41: God has bad things to say about Job

Chapter 42:

God has good things to say about Job.

Job has good things to say about God.

That pretty much sums it up.

The Structure Of Our Text

Observations

The purpose of this message is not to analyze every detail in these five chapters, but rather to gain a sense of the overall flow of the argument, and the primary message that is here for Job, his friends, the angelic watchers, and us. To accomplish this, we should note several important observations from our text.

First, we see that God speaks directly to Job here, for the first time in the book. It is amazing to realize that God has not spoken directly to Job for 37 chapters. Oh, there’s been a lot of talk – on the part of Job and his three friends – but not any direct revelation from God. Job himself realizes the significance of what is now taking place:

“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye has seen you” (Job 42:5, NET).³

Second, we cannot miss the fact that God does not answer Job’s questions here; instead, he has some questions for Job to answer. Put differently, Job asked God questions He would not answer, while God asked Job questions he could not answer.

Third, we should take note of what God does not say to Job. In the account we are given, God does not tell Job about the celestial gathering and the ensuing conversation between Himself and Satan, as we find it recorded in the first two chapters of Job. Neither is Job informed about God’s purposes for his suffering. Thanks to the observation of Rev. Robert Rayburn,⁴ we can add that God does not even tell Job that a book will be written about his faithfulness in affliction, which will serve to comfort many.

If one were to summarize Job’s questions in one word, it would be “WHY?” Job will not receive the answer to this question before the conclusion of the book. He will have to be content with the “WHO?” of his affliction, and not the WHY.

Having said this, I am indebted to my fellow-elder and friend, Gordon Graham, who reminded me that someone did write the Book of Job, and whoever this was received the information recorded in it. Surely Job is a likely candidate for being the author of this book. If so, we would conclude that God withheld the answers to Job’s questions until after he repented.⁵ Job must first trust God, even when he does not understand what God is doing. And having trusted Him, God may then answer Job’s questions (though He is not obliged to do so).

Fourth, we can take note of what God does say to Job in these chapters. In essence God asks, “Who are you, Job, to question the Creator of the Universe?” Job’s attitude and God’s response sounds similar to that of the objector and Paul, who responded to his objections in Romans chapter 9:

19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who has ever resisted his will?” 20 But who indeed are you– a mere human being– to talk back to God? Does what is molded say to the molder, “Why have you made me like this?” (Romans 9:19-20, emphasis mine).

Job has forgotten his place in God’s universe. Job foolishly stands in judgment of God and His management of this world. Job is seated in the prosecutor’s chair (maybe even the judge’s chair), and he has placed God in the defendant’s chair. If I could sum up God’s words to Job, they would be, “Job, why don’t you leave the running of the universe to Me?”

Fifth, we should take note of the fact that God speaks to Job out of a whirlwind.

1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind: 2 “Who is this who darkens counsel with words without knowledge? (Job 38:1-2, emphasis mine; see also 40:6)

Elijah was taken up into heaven by a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:1, 11). God’s judgment is spoken of as coming in a whirlwind (Jeremiah 23:19; 30:23; Ezekiel 13:13). This is the very opposite of the “still, small, voice” with which God spoke to Elijah in1 Kings 19:12. I believe that this was to remind Job of the greatness and power of God, much like God impressed the Israelites in the giving of the Law from Mt. Sinai:

18 All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smoking– and when the people saw it they trembled with fear and kept their distance. 19 They said to Moses, “You speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us, lest we die” (Exodus 20:18-19).

Sixth, God has not forgotten Satan and the angels, which were mentioned in chapter one:

4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you possess understanding! 5 Who set its measurements– if you know– or who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its bases set, or who laid its cornerstone– 7 when the morning stars sang in chorus, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4-7, emphasis mine)

Stop and think about it for a moment. When God speaks of His creation of the universe, it is obvious that Job was not there, guiding the hand of God as to just where a certain star should be hung. But the angels were there, not guiding God, but celebrating His majesty and wisdom. They were applauding God’s work of creation.

I can imagine the celestial response to these words. No doubt, the angels were looking on and listening to this conversation between God and Job. Can you imagine how their angelic “ears” would have perked up at God’s reference to them being present at creation? Lest they forget about the greatness and the goodness of God (something Satan sought to encourage), let them recall what they saw, heard, and celebrated at the creation of the universe.

Seventh, I have been persuaded by several friends (and the biblical text) that the reference to Leviathan in chapter 41 is not to be limited to an earthly creature, such as the crocodile. As one friend put it, this creature sounds more like a dragon:

18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light; its eyes are like the red glow of dawn. 19 Out of its mouth go flames, sparks of fire shoot forth! 20 Smoke streams from its nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning rushes. 21 Its breath sets coals ablaze and a flame shoots from its mouth . . . . 33 The likes of it is not on earth, a creature without fear. 34 It looks on every haughty being; it is king over all that are proud” (Job 41:18-21, 33-34, emphasis mine).

When Leviathan here is compared with its occurrence in other biblical texts, it certainly seems that this creature symbolizes Satan himself:⁶

1 At that time the LORD will punish with his destructive, great, and powerful sword Leviathan the fast-moving serpent, Leviathan the squirming serpent; he will kill the sea monster (Isaiah 27:1).

7 Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, so there was no longer any place left in heaven for him and his angels. 9 So that huge dragon– the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world– was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the ruling authority of his Christ, have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, the one who accuses them day and night before our God, has been thrown down. 11 But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. 12 Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them! But woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has come down to you! He is filled with terrible anger, for he knows that he only has a little time!” (Revelation 12:7-12, emphasis mine)

Leviathan is vastly more powerful than Job, and Job should rightly fear him. But in the end God will destroy this creature so that his destructive and hostile power will end. Even now (as we have seen in chapters 1 and 2), Satan is subject to the authority of God. If Job is to withstand the “wiles of the devil” it will ultimately be by God’s enablement.

Eighth, take note of the sarcasm and humor which lightens up the correction of Job a bit. Surely this is an example of sarcasm:

“In what direction does light reside, and darkness, where is its place, 20 that you may take them to their borders and perceive the pathways to their homes? 21 You know, for you were born before them; and the number of your days is great! (Job 38:19-21, emphasis mine)

Catch the humor that we find here in Job:

“Can you catch Leviathan with a hook
or put a noose around its jaw?
2 Can you tie it with a rope through the nose
or pierce its jaw with a spike?
3 Will it beg you for mercy
or implore you for pity?
4 Will it agree to work for you,
to be your slave for life?
5 Can you make it a pet like a bird,
or give it to your little girls to play with?
6 Will merchants try to buy it
to sell it in their shops?
7 Will its hide be hurt by spears
or its head by a harpoon?
8 If you lay a hand on it, you will certainly remember the battle that follows.
You won’t try that again! (Job 41:1-8, NLT; emphasis mine)

Nineth, the central theme of these chapters of God’s rebuke is the lesson Job should learn from God’s creation. The first half of the rebuke contrasts God’s creative wisdom and power with Job’s ignorance and lack of participation in creation:

2 “Who is this who darkens counsel with words without knowledge? 3 Get ready for a difficult task like a man; I will question you and you will inform me! 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you possess understanding! (Job 38:2-4, emphasis mine)

When one reads these verses about God’s creation of the universe, and the heavenly realms, it is impossible to miss a sense of awe at the wisdom and power of God. Conversely, this divine challenge makes man look very small, and Job’s protests very ignorant and ill-founded. As we noted a moment ago, the angels were there, but Job was not. He had no hand in creation. And even if he were there at the time, he would not have anything to contribute to the event. It was all of God.

I believe God’s use of His creation of the universe here should give us pause when dealing with the subject of the earth’s origins. To the degree that one puts God at arm’s length from the creation of the universe, he or she tends to undermine the force of the argument God is making in our text.⁷ We dare not lose sight of this in the midst of our scholarly debates over the origins of the earth.⁸

The second half of God’s interrogation of Job concentrates on the animal kingdom and what it has to teach Job, and us.

13 “The ostrich⁹ flaps her wings grandly, but they are no match for the feathers of the stork.¹⁰
14 She lays her eggs on top of the earth, letting them be warmed in the dust.
15 She doesn’t worry that a foot might crush them or a wild animal might destroy them.
16 She is harsh toward her young, as if they were not her own. She doesn’t care if they die.
17 For God has deprived her of wisdom. He has given her no understanding.
18 But whenever she jumps up to run, she passes the swiftest horse with its rider
(Job 39:13-18 NLT).

As I read it, this is an almost comical description of the ostrich. It cannot fly, and yet it makes a dramatic display of flapping its wings,¹¹ even though it will never clear the ground. In addition to this, the ostrich is presented in a less than flattering way. She lays her eggs on the ground, in plain sight. Placed here, unprotected, these eggs may get walked on, or devoured by some other creature. She has no affection for her offspring, and seems not to care whether they survive or not. If they do, it is no thanks to her.

So far, we have a rather demeaning description of this “big bird” (actually the world’s largest bird). But wait, there’s more:

18 But whenever she jumps up to run, she passes the swiftest horse with its rider (Job 39:18).

This unlikable, unlikely, creature is the fastest animal on two legs. (I confess, that I had to Google it to learn this.¹²) I learned that ostriches are superb runners that can sprint at speeds of up to 45 mph on average, with a top speed as much as 60 mph for short bursts. Its stride is about 12 feet, but a large ostrich, at full speed, may take steps as much as 25 feet apart! What compensation God has given this unusual creature!

Strangely, perhaps, I am reminded of Paul’s words to the Corinthians regarding spiritual gifts:

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” nor in turn can the head say to the foot, “I do not need you.” 22 On the contrary, those members that seem to be weaker are essential, 23 and those members we consider less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our unpresentable members are clothed with dignity, 24 but our presentable members do not need this. Instead, God has blended together the body, giving greater honor to the lesser member, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but the members may have mutual concern for one another (1 Corinthians 12:21-25, emphasis mine).

Is the ostrich an example of this same principle in the animal kingdom? By the way, we are told that the ostrich has a brain the size of a walnut.

During this pandemic and its “stay at home” requirements I would like to make a suggestion to parents. Years ago, while teaching school, I used the Moody Science Series in my teaching. This series focuses on the wonder of God’s creation, pointing out the wisdom of God, the Creator. One such video is “The City of the Bees.” You can find it on YouTube.¹³ What a great way to teach your children about God’s wisdom as seen in the creatures He has made. In some ways it is similar to what we find in the last chapters of Job.

There is yet another lesson to be learned from God’s creatures. Job did not design or create them, and yet they live well, without Job’s presence or control. Take, for example, the wild donkey:

5 “Who gives the wild donkey its freedom? Who untied its ropes?
6 I have placed it in the wilderness; its home is the wasteland.
7 It hates the noise of the city and has no driver to shout at it.
8 The mountains are its pastureland, where it searches for every blade of grass (Job 39:5-8).

Yet another example is the wild ox:

9 “Will the wild ox consent to being tamed? Will it spend the night in your stall?
10 Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow? Will it plow a field for you?
11 Given its strength, can you trust it? Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work?
12 Can you rely on it to bring home your grain and deliver it to your threshing floor? (Job 39:9-12 NLT)

At creation God instructed Adam (and thus mankind) to take control over the creatures He made:

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:28).

But this did not happen, at least completely, due to the fall of man. And Job is just one example of this. He does not rule over the wild donkey or the wild ox. Indeed, Job does not rule over creation at all – but God does, and it runs in amazing ways. So, who is Job to be questioning God’s actions with regard to His creatures (including man)? Job talks as though he expects God to “jump through his hoops.”

So, when nature (God’s creation) is pondered, God comes out looking like God: omniscient, omnipotent, wise, and in control (among other things). Man comes out looking greatly inferior:

3 When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made, and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, 4 Of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them? Of what importance is mankind, that you should pay attention to them (Psalm 8:3-4).

In the final analysis, Job get’s it. His silence is the proper response, rather than his endless questions.

Tenth, let us briefly consider the restoration of Job’s prosperity.

10 So the LORD restored what Job had lost after he prayed for his friends, and the LORD doubled all that had belonged to Job. 11 So they came to him, all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they dined with him in his house. They comforted him and consoled him for all the trouble the LORD had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. 12 So the LORD blessed the second part of Job’s life more than the first. He had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land could women be found who were as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance alongside their brothers. 16 After this Job lived 140 years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so Job died, old and full of days (Job 42:10-17).

After his repentance, God doubled the wealth of Job from that which he was said to possess in chapter 1 – with the exception of Job’s children. In the beginning, Job was said to have “seven sons and three daughters” (1:2). Now we are told that Job has another “seven sons and three daughters” (42:13). Why not fourteen sons and six daughters, doubling their number as God did with the cattle Job owned? To me, the answer is that while Job permanently lost his cattle, he did not “lose” his children in the same way. Job believed in the resurrection of the dead (Job 19:25), and it is at the resurrection that he will once again be united with his children who had died. And thus, God did double the number of Job’s children, from ten to twenty.

I find the account most interesting when it comes to the daughters of Job. Clearly, they receive more attention than the sons of Job. Notice that the names of the daughters are given, but not the names of the sons. Furthermore, we are told that the beauty of these daughters surpassed that of any other woman in the land. And finally, we are told that Job gave them an inheritance, the same as their brothers. Why is so much said of the three daughters, but not any such details regarding the 7 sons?

Especially in Old Testament times, women were treated differently than men, at times, almost like second-class citizens. For example, if an Israelite woman gave birth to a female child, she was unclean for fourteen days, but if the child was a male, the mother was unclean for only seven days (Leviticus 12). Lot was willing to offer his virgin daughters to the wicked men of Sodom, to spare his apparent “male” guests from harm (Genesis 19:6-8). Why this partiality toward males? And what does this account of Job’s daughters have to say about that?

It seems to me that Job’s daughters’ status is elevated on account of Job, especially when viewed from an Old Testament frame of reference. Why would this be? I’m inclined to say that this is prophetic, looking forward to the coming of Christ. As a result of Christ’s saving work on the cross of Calvary, men and women, slave and free, Jew and Gentile have the same identity in Christ (Galatians 3:28). They certainly have the same inheritance. I did not say that they have the same earthly roles, but in terms of their identity in Christ, they are equal. I believe Job’s daughters foreshadow this.

The Elephant In The Room:
Where Was Job Right And His Friends Wrong?

7 After the LORD had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, FOR YOU HAVE NOT SPOKEN ACCURATELY ABOUT ME, AS MY SERVANT JOB HAS. 8 So take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did as the LORD commanded them, and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer. 10 When Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes. In fact, the LORD gave him twice as much as before! (Job 42:7-10, NLT; emphasis mine)

So, the question must be, “In what way, then, was Job right while his three friends were wrong in what they said about God?”

I am approaching this question on the basis these assumptions:

One: Job’s righteousness was not conditional; it was based upon his faith, and not upon his performance. Ultimately, Job was righteous because God declared him to be righteous, period! Job’s righteousness was not the result of his good works, and his suffering was not the consequence of his sin.

Two: If Job was righteous because God declared it so,¹⁴ then Job was righteous throughout his suffering and throughout the book. Job was not just righteous in chapters one and two, he was also righteous in chapters 3-37 (albeit there were some things for him to repent of). And he is still righteous when it all ends in chapter 42. Job is consistently righteous because his righteousness comes as a gracious gift from God, and not as a result of his works.

Three: Job believed in substitutionary atonement.¹⁵

4 Now his sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one in turn, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 When the days of their feasting were finished, Job would send for them and sanctify them; he would get up early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s customary practice (Job 1:4-5).

Think about what we have been told here. Job was concerned for his children’s spiritual well-being. He did not urge his children to “do better,” or to “work harder” in order to be spiritual. He offered a sacrifice, one per child (verse 5), on behalf of each of his children. The sacrifice of this guiltless animal was assumed to atone for any sins his child may have committed. My point here is that Job does not see righteousness (right standing before God) as a human achievement, but as the result of the sacrifice of another being, offered in place of the sinner.

Four: If Job’s suffering was not God’s punishment for his sin, then God must have another (good) purpose for his suffering. Since God is good to His saints, God’s purposes for Job’s suffering must be good.

Five: The test was to see whether Job would persevere in his trust in God, or whether he would “curse God.”

“But extend your hand and strike everything he has, and he will no doubt curse you to your face!” (Job 1:11, emphasis mine)

“But extend your hand and strike his bone and his flesh, and he will no doubt curse you to your face!” (Job 2:5, emphasis mine)

Then his wife said to him, “Are you still holding firmly to your integrity? Curse God, and die!” (Job 2:9, emphasis mine)

I believe the key to understanding the Book of Job is to grasp how Job’s declaration about God differs from that of his three friends. What is it, in particular, that Job has spoken about God that is right, and what is it that his friends got wrong? We are told that in both cases it has to do with what they have spoken about God:

7 After the LORD had spoken these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My anger is stirred up against you and your two friends, because you have not spoken about me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job will intercede for you, and I will respect him, so that I do not deal with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken about me what is right, as my servant Job has” (Job 42:7-8).

What words do we find Job speaking that are, as God indicates, speaking rightly about Him? I believe these words are most clearly spoken in the first two chapters of the book.

He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. May the name of the LORD be blessed!” (Job 1:21, emphasis mine)

9 Then his wife said to him, “Are you still holding firmly to your integrity? Curse God, and die!” 10 But he replied, “You’re talking like one of the godless women would do! Should we receive what is good from God, and not also receive what is evil?” In all this Job did not sin by what he said (Job 2:9-10, emphasis mine).

In chapter 1, we read that Job lost virtually all of his material wealth, and then he lost his family. In chapter 2, Job experienced great physical suffering. Job’s response to these horrific events reveals this about his view of God:

GOD IS SOVEREIGN, AND THUS ALL OF JOB’S CIRCUMSTANCES ULTIMATELY CAME FROM GOD’S HAND. We can see from our text (chapters 1 and 2) that Satan has played a role in initiating Job’s sufferings, but ultimately Job’s suffering has come from the hand of God. This is exactly what Job acknowledged:

He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. May the name of the LORD be blessed!” (Job 1:21, emphasis mine)

God is in control of what is given and what is taken away, of apparent blessings and of adversity.

GOD IS RIGHT WHEN HE GIVES, AND RIGHT WHEN HE TAKES AWAY. God is righteous when He bestows earthly blessings on men, and He is no less righteous when He withholds them. It is possible to acknowledge God’s sovereignty in our prosperity and in our poverty, but it is something else to say that God is right in so doing. Thus, Job can say, “May the name of the LORD be blessed!” (Job 1:21).

How could anyone praise God for doing what they believed to be evil? How could Job continue to be faithful to God if he did not consider God righteous?

THE SUFFERING JOB EXPERIENCED MAY HAVE APPEARED AT THE MOMENT TO BE CRUEL, BUT IN REALITY IT HAD COME TO HIM FROM THE HAND OF A KIND AND GRACIOUS GOD. JOB’S SUFFERING WAS ULTIMATELY FOR HIS GOOD, AND FOR GOD’S GLORY. The righteous may very well experience suffering from the hand of a loving God, even when they don’t understand God’s purposes for it. I believe this can be inferred from the first two chapters of Job, but it is also clearly evident in the final chapter of the book. I can think of others, like Joseph, or Daniel and his three friends, whose suffering was divinely designed to produce a blessing.

JOB IS RIGHT WHEN HE SPEAKS ABOUT GOD AND HIS DEALINGS WITH HIM FROM AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE. The author of the Book of Hebrews tells us that every Old Testament saint viewed their lives, and their relationship with God from an eternal perspective:

13 These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth. 14 For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return (Hebrews 11:13-15).

We see that this eternal perspective is evident from Job’s own words:

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that as the last he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God, 27 whom I will see for myself, and whom my own eyes will behold, and not another. My heart grows faint within me (Job 19:25-27).

JOB IS RIGHT WHEN HE DECLARES THAT GOD IS WORTHY OF HIS WORSHIP, REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES HE HAS BROUGHT HIS WAY. This affirmation directly opposes Satan’s assessment of why Job would worship God. Satan believes that men worship God only as long as He pours out material blessings on them. Job believes that God is worthy of his worship, even when He takes all his material “blessings” away.

Now let’s turn to Job’s friends, to see where they were wrong. What was it that they said, which revealed they were not speaking rightly about God?

JOB’S FRIENDS HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR JOB’S SUFFERING, OTHER THAN TO ACCUSE HIM OF SIN.

7 “Stop and think! Do the innocent die? When have the upright been destroyed? 8 My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same. 9 A breath from God destroys them. They vanish in a blast of his anger (Job 4:7-9, NLT).

AS ELIHU POINTS OUT, OTHER THAN TO FIND SIN IN JOB’S LIFE, HIS FRIENDS HAD NO EXPLANATION FOR JOB’S SUFFERING, AND NO BASIS FOR COMFORTING HIM.

With Job’s three friends he was also angry, because they could not find an answer, and so declared Job guilty (Job 32:3).

THEIR SOLUTION WAS FOR JOB WAS TO REPENT OF HIS SIN AND DO GOOD:

5 But if you will look to God, and make your supplication to the Almighty, 6 if you become pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself for you, and will restore your righteous abode (Job 8:5-6).

THE PROBLEM THESE MEN MUST FACE (AND RELUCTANTLY CONFESS) IS THAT NO ONE IS GOOD ENOUGH TO MERIT GOD’S BLESSING. Ironically, these are the very last words spoken by any of Job’s three “friends”:

3 “Dominion and awesome might belong to God; he establishes peace in his heights. 3 Can his armies be numbered? On whom does his light not rise? 4 How then can a human being be righteous before God? How can one born of a woman be pure? 5 If even the moon is not bright, and the stars are not pure as far as he is concerned, 6 how much less a mortal man, who is but a maggot– a son of man, who is only a worm!” (Job 25:3-6, emphasis mine)

JOB’S FRIENDS APPROACHED JOB’S SUFFERING FROM AN ENTIRELY EARTHLY PERSPECTIVE, RATHER THAN FROM AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE. I am reminded of Asaph’s lament over the prosperity of the wicked, and over his own afflictions in Psalm 73. It is only when Asaph looks at his circumstances from an eternal perspective that he views matters rightly (Psalm 73:15ff.).

Job’s friends were wrong in the ways suggested above, but in what ways did they speak wrongly about God?

JOB’S FRIENDS LOOKED AT BLESSINGS AND ADVERSITY THROUGH A LEGALISTIC LENS. In short, they believed that what a person sows in life determines what they reap in life. Thus, they expect God to bestow material blessings as a reward for good works. Conversely, they expect God to bestow suffering and adversity as the consequence for sin. They would probably go a step further to say that the magnitude of one’s blessings or suffering is directly proportionate to the magnitude of one’s goodness or to one’s transgressions.

This error of legalistic thinking has a long history in the Old Testament. In Psalm 73 Asaph was greatly troubled by the fact that the wicked were prospering, while the righteous (which included Asaph) suffered. He was greatly distressed that God did punish those who were wicked with suffering and adversity.

We find this error evident in the New Testament as well. Jesus’ disciples assumed that because a man had been born blind, he (or his parents) must have done something very wrong (John 9:1-3). In the Gospel of Luke, we are told that certain people assumed that because Pilate had mingled the blood of certain Galileans with their sacrifices, they must be greater sinners than others. Jesus made it clear that such was not the case (Luke 13:1-5). Thus, Luke’s Gospel calls our attention to Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31). The rich man lived a very comfortable life, but was assigned to eternal suffering when he died, while Lazarus, suffered greatly in life, but went to Abraham’s bosom (eternal blessings) after death. The Pharisees were astounded that Jesus would associate with sinners, and bless them through His ministry (Matthew 9:9-13; Luke 7:36-50).

In other words, in this life, we should not expect (or insist upon) a direct correlation between one’s works (good or bad) and one’s circumstances in life. Now, when it comes to eternal rewards or punishment, there is a direct correlation between one’s actions in life and their eternal outcome (see, for example, Matthew 25:14-30; note especially verses 21 and 23). This is why heaven and hell are necessary for true justice to be fulfilled. For many, the punishment that is well deserved in this life may only be carried out in eternity.

THE LEGALISM OF JOB’S FRIENDS FOUND NO PLACE FOR GRACE, WHICH IS A PROMINENT PART OF GOD’S CHARACTER.

In the Book of Exodus, Moses is given a vision of God’s glory. You probably remember the story. God has miraculously brought His people out of slavery in Egypt. They have come to Mt. Sinai, where God gives Moses a “hard copy” of the Law. While Moses is up on the mountain, receiving the Law, the people persuade Aaron to make them an idol in the form of a golden calf, which they worship as the “God who brought them out of Egypt.” God sends Moses down to the people where he demolishes the stone tablets, and where God threatens to wipe out the entire nation, and to create a new nation from Moses.

At Moses’ intercession, God grants Moses’ petition and forgives this sinful nation. Now, the question is whether or not God will go up with Moses and His people to the Promised Land. Eventually (again, at the intercession of Moses), God tells Moses that He will indeed go up with Moses, and the people.

But Moses needs assurance. He has no hope that this people will ever “do better.” He knows they are predisposed to sin. So, what assurance does Moses have, if he leads this people toward the Promised Land? The answer is the goodness and the glory of God. In short, his hope is in the character of God. His hope is based upon the grace of God, not the good works of the Israelites.

And so Moses makes these requests:

12 Moses said to the LORD, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people” (Exodus 33:12-13, ESV; emphasis mine).

18 And Moses said, “Show me your glory.” 19 And the LORD said, “I will make all my goodness pass before your face, and I will proclaim the LORD by name before you; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy” (Exodus 33:18-19, emphasis mine).

And here is God’s response to Moses’ request to know God’s ways, and to see His glory:

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

In this crucial moment in Israel’s history, their fate as a nation seems to hang in the balance. Humanly speaking, apart from the intercession of Moses, Israel was hopelessly condemned. But Moses never appealed to God on the basis of Israel’s conduct. Moses knew that Israel’s fate rested on the character of God. That aspect of God’s character which was most needed was grace. When he asks to know God’s ways, and to see His glory, Moses asks God to reveal His character, which alone is Israel’s hope – and his. And God calls this declaration of His character the revelation of “all His goodness” (Exodus 33:19).

“But wait,” one might object, “what about the declaration that God ‘by no means leaves the guilty unpunished’? Doesn’t grace undermine or nullify justice?” This tension will only be solved by the cross, for the cross of Jesus Christ is where grace is bestowed and justice is satisfied.

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God (which is attested by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed– 22 namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God publicly displayed him at his death as the mercy seat accessible through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because God in his forbearance had passed over the sins previously committed. 26 This was also to demonstrate his righteousness in the present time, so that he would be just and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus’ faithfulness (Romans 3:21-26).

God was gracious in providing the Lord Jesus, whose death on the cross of Calvary provided atonement for sin. Thus, salvation is a manifestation of God’s grace. But Paul says that at the cross, God was both Just and the Justifier. There was justice at the cross because our sin was punished there. The grace of God was manifested in Christ’s sacrifice, which paid the penalty for our sins. And so, the description of God’s character as both gracious and just, as declared by God in Exodus 34, is perfectly displayed at the cross of our Lord. Job’s friends insisted upon justice, but did not embrace grace.

Why is it that grace is so often resisted or rejected? I believe the answer is simple. Justice (which was really legalism, as Job’s friends defined it) meant that if a person was prosperous they could take credit for it. Suffering, likewise, could be explained by pointing to sin in a person’s life. Grace requires that God must be given the credit, and not us. Man’s pride and arrogance does not embrace God’s grace.

JOB’S FRIENDS’ VIEW OF JUSTICE DID NOT ALLOW FOR GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY. If you stop to think about it, bestowing grace requires sovereignty; legalism prohibits it. In the Book of Romans, the question is raised (my paraphrase), “If God promised salvation to the Jews, why is it that so many Gentiles are being saved, and yet so many Jews are not?” Paul’s initial answer (not to neglect what will be said in Romans 10) in Romans 9 is this:

6 It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, 7 nor are all the children Abraham’s true descendants; rather “through Isaac will your descendants be counted.” 8 This means it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants. 9 For this is what the promise declared: “About a year from now I will return and Sarah will have a son.” 10 Not only that, but when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our ancestor Isaac– 11 even before they were born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose in election would stand, not by works but by his calling)– 12 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger,” 13 just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” (Romans 9:6-13).

Paul explains the salvation of some and the rejection of others as being the sovereign choice (determination) of God. In chapter 10, Paul will further explain that man’s salvation or condemnation must also be explained in terms of man’s choice or rejection of salvation in Christ. But if salvation is not based upon man’s works, then how can salvation be bestowed? Besides works, what basis is there for bestowing grace? The only basis is God’s sovereign choice.

But Job’s friends believed that his prosperity or suffering was the direct consequence of his works. Thus, Job’s fate is the consequence of his works, not God’s grace. If this is true, God’s sovereignty is both denied and prohibited. In their way of thinking, God is a kind of vending machine, who deals out blessings or adversity in direct proportion to man’s deeds. Sovereignty is not needed, or permitted. It is all about works, man’s works. But where grace is bestowed, it cannot be granted in direct proportion to man’s works, since works are contrary to grace. Grace can only be distributed on the basis of God’s sovereign choices. In effect, then, Job’s friends may talk of the greatness of God, but they must deny His sovereignty. That is not speaking well of God.

JOB’S FRIENDS COULD NOT ACCEPT THE POSSIBILITY THAT A PERSON COULD SUFFER BECAUSE THEY WERE RIGHTEOUS. PUT DIFFERENTLY, THEY COULD NOT ACCEPT INNOCENT SUFFERING. Later on, Joseph and Daniel, would serve to refute this error of Job’s friends. Beyond that, the whole sacrificial system God would establish would operate on the basis that an innocent victim could somehow make atonement for the sin of the guilty. When the Lord Jesus came to the earth as the “Lamb of God,”¹⁶ He would make atonement for sin, once for all. Innocent suffering, denied by Job’s friends, was foundational for God’s saving work through the person and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Thus, to deny innocent suffering as a possibility, was to deny Christ’s work at Calvary. That, my friend, is not speaking well of God.

INNOCENT SUFFERING AS A PATTERN FOR CHRISTIAN CONDUCT

It would be easy, even tempting, to deal only with the subject of the innocent suffering of our Lord Jesus. But the Scriptures will not allow us to do this. Innocent suffering is not only the means (the only means) by which guilty sinners can be made righteous, it is also the pattern which Christians should follow if they are to live out the gospel to the glorify God:

2:18 Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are perverse. 19 For this finds God’s favor, if because of conscience toward God someone endures hardships in suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated and endure it? But if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor with God. 21 For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was maligned, he did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened no retaliation, but committed himself to God who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we may cease from sinning and live for righteousness. By his wounds you were healed. 25 For you were going astray like sheep but now you have turned back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

3:1 In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live, 2 when they see your pure and reverent conduct. 3 Let your beauty not be external– the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes– 4 but the inner person of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God’s sight. 5 For in the same way the holy women who hoped in God long ago adorned themselves by being subject to their husbands, 6 like Sarah who obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You become her children when you do what is good and have no fear in doing so. 7 Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as the weaker partners and show them honor as fellow heirs of the grace of life. In this way nothing will hinder your prayers (1 Peter 2:18-3:7, emphasis mine).

This particular text is one that is very strongly rejected by our culture. It is also frequently and skillfully ignored or set aside by Christians. But what is clear is this: Jesus suffered as one who was truly and totally righteous. Jesus suffered innocently.¹⁷ And this example of innocent suffering is to be followed by Christians, not just Christian slaves, but every Christian, by both wives and their husbands. In a day when the mere mention of the word “abuse” seems to be a mandate to do what God has forbidden, let us take the words of Peter seriously. This is the Peter who most strongly opposed the mention of our Lord Jesus suffering innocently (Matthew 16:21-28). Am I saying that we should not take genuine abuse seriously, and deal with it decisively? I am not! But what I am saying is that if Jesus suffered innocently so that we might be saved, and He calls us to “take up our cross and follow Him,” then we had better spend more time and energy seeking ways to obey the Scriptures, than we do seeking a way to set them aside.

This book (of Job) should help us gain a clearer view of what true spirituality looks like in earthly terms. It certainly denies the popular teaching of the “prosperity gospel.” According to God, Job was the most righteous man on the face of the earth. Did that mean that he would assuredly enjoy a life of ease and prosperity? Not necessarily. Did it mean that he would not have times when he was totally mystified as to what God was doing in his life? It did not. Did it mean that there would not be times when godly saints have unanswered questions, and press God for the answers? If so, then there were a number of unspiritual psalmists, who poured out their hearts to God when life was a mystery and when God did not seem to be answering.¹⁸ True spirituality is trusting God, especially in those times when His hand seems harsh, and when we have no idea what God is doing.

A final word to those who may be reading this who have not yet come to trust in Jesus Christ as God’s only means of forgiveness of our sins, and of gaining entrance into His heaven. Christian faith is not fair-weather faith, which only holds up when things are going our way. Christian faith is rooted in the character of God and the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. This saving faith is such that it will endure difficulties and suffering which is beyond human imagination – suffering like that of Job. If you want a faith that will survive the tests and trials of life, then only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will do.

At this moment we are in the midst of a global pandemic. While there are many speculations as to the reasons for this dilemma, the fact is that we know two things or certain: (1) God has purposed to use it for our good and His glory, and (2) We can trust Him to enable us to persevere in the midst of these current trials and adversities. Saving faith, rooted in the grace of God and the saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ, endures all things.

1 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. 3 Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance, character, and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 (For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.) 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved through him from God’s wrath. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life? 11 Not only this, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation (Romans 5:1-11).

Job’s struggles with God greatly increased the longer his suffering persisted. I believe that we are now at the point in the Pandemic where our faith should be most evident. May we acknowledge God’s hand in this, and trust that He is doing this for our good, and His glory.

¹ I have shared this story before, but it is worth repeating since it nicely introduces the story of Job’s humbling in our text.

²https://www.capitolhillbaptist.org/sermon/jobs-god/

³ Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible.

⁴ https://www.faithtacoma.org/job/2012-06-10-pm

⁵ The same thing could be said of Jonah, as it regards the authorship of the book bearing his name.

⁶ I am reminded of Isaiah 14:12-20 and Ezekiel 28:11-19 where the initial reference is to a king (the king of Babylon in Isaiah 14:4, and the king of Tyre in Ezekiel 28:12), but quickly the description of the person addressed changes to Satan himself. So, too, this “dragon” seems to personify Satan himself, who is surely at the root of Job’s suffering.

⁷ We should also remember that the first creation is but the “first act,” and that God will bring about a “new creation” (Isaiah 65:17) that is clearly His handiwork.

⁸ Compare Proverbs 8:22-31.

⁹ The ostrich may have been something Job had spent some time observing, based on Job 30:29.

¹⁰ Some translations differ here (from stork), but for our purposes, it is of little consequence.

¹¹ Actually, this appears to be a part of a mating ritual. We might not be impressed, but the female ostrich will be.

¹² See, for example, https://www.livescience.com/27433-ostriches.html; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK1ll8e017k

¹³ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwSkczlAuvY

¹⁴ I do not wish to be misunderstood here. Job’s righteous deeds, as described in chapters 1 and 2, are not the root, the source, of his righteousness, but these are the fruit of his righteousness. This is what we see in Ephesians 2:8-10.

¹⁵ The theological term, “substitutionary atonement” simply means that someone or something else can atone (pay the penalty) for the sins of a person. The animal sacrifice which Job offered for his child atoned (covered) the sins of that child. Substitutionary atonement means that a substitute may bear the penalty for one’s sins (see 2 Corinthians 5:21).

¹⁶ See John 1:29, 36.

¹⁷ See 1 Peter 1:18-19

¹⁸ See, for example, Psalm 4:2; 6:3; 13:1-2; 35:17; 74:10.

Introduction

When I was growing up, I had an English teacher named Clyde Riddell. Mr. Riddell had served in the army during World War II and had some very fascinating stories to tell about his part in that war. He also spoke some German. To be honest, I’m not sure how much, but he certainly had some expressions he used frequently. Incidentally, years later, while I was a student at Dallas Seminary, my summer job was teaching high school classes in a Washington State Penitentiary, which was located in my home town. Mr. Riddell was teaching there as well, so I was able to relate to him as a colleague, as well as a teacher.

One thing sticks out in my mind when I think of Clyde Riddell, something that contributed to his great skill as a teacher. Mr. Riddell could virtually change his personality in a split second. Usually, Mr. Riddell was a very jovial fellow, making jokes and taking a very lighthearted approach to teaching. But there were times when my classmates and I would get unruly, requiring Mr. Riddell to bring the class back under control. When such times occurred, Mr. Riddell’s face would suddenly darken into a frown, and that look was enough to stop bad behavior in its tracks. No one wanted to take on this “Mr. Riddell,” not even me. But when things were once again under control in the classroom, the old “Mr. Riddell” emerged, much to our relief.

I have always thought of the Apostle Paul in similar terms, except that Paul has several “faces” which are evident in his epistles. For example, there is “Paul, the theologian.” You can see Paul’s very logical reasoning in the Book of Romans, as he meticulously works his way through the doctrine of salvation. In 1 Corinthians, for example, we see “Paul, the troubleshooter.” As Paul writes to the Corinthians, he deals with questions they have asked him, and with the problems he has discerned through his communication with others. In 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, we see a very “fatherly Paul.” Here, Paul is a mentor, giving wise counsel to younger men in ministry. In Galatians, we find a very different Paul. Let’s call him “Paul, the warrior.” Here, Paul reminds me a great deal of Clyde Riddell in his “mad mode.” As we read Galatians, we see a very animated and even angry apostle, incensed by the fact that some are turning from the true gospel of salvation by grace alone and embracing another “gospel,” a gospel of works. This “other gospel” does not save, but condemns. Here is a Paul that we really don’t want to face.

How different is the Paul of Philippians! He is just the opposite of “Paul, the warrior” in Galatians. Let’s call him “Paul, the optimist.” Paul is never more upbeat, never more joyful and triumphant than he is in the Book of Philippians. This is not because of any great success or due to the lack of difficulties in his life. Indeed, many things are quite the opposite of pleasant. Paul is not writing from the penthouse of a fancy hotel; he is writing from a prison cell. Some disagree over where this prison is located, but it seems clear that Paul is waiting for his trial, and his future is uncertain. He may even face execution. Paul is therefore not free to go about preaching the gospel and establishing churches as he once did. Some are using his imprisonment as an opportunity to gain a following at his expense, as we shall see in chapter 1. There is also some kind of disagreement between two women, as we find in chapter 4. At the time of his writing, Paul has only one person whom he can trust to send to Philippi—Timothy—who will seek the Philippians’ best interests, rather than his own (2:20-21). In spite of these circumstances, Paul is jubilant, joyful, optimistic.

Many of us need a good dose of whatever it is that inspires such joy in the Apostle Paul. I don’t know why, but there are all too many saints in the church with long faces and sour spirits. There is a book, written by an unbelieving psychiatrist, entitled, Whatever Happened to Sin? The church desperately needs another book, which might be called, Whatever Happened to Joy? Actually, that book does exist. It is the Book of Philippians, the book we have chosen as our study for this series of messages. It is a book that, if taken to heart, can radically transform our outlook and sweeten up some sour saints, not to mention pointing others who have not yet met Him to Christ, the source of all true joy. Let us listen well to the words of Paul in Philippians, and seek to learn why “to live is Christ.”

The Uniqueness of Philippians

It is my conviction that every book of the Bible has a unique contribution to make to the Bible as a whole—something that no other book accomplishes or contributes. So as we commence our study of Philippians, I would ask this question: “What is the unique contribution of Philippians to the Bible as a whole?” Allow me to make some preliminary suggestions.

First, the Philippian church is the first church to be planted in Europe. We shall see in this lesson how God providentially and more directly guided Paul and those with him to Macedonia, and specifically Philippi. Here, a number were brought to faith by the preaching of the gospel. Here, the first church in Europe was planted.

Second, the church at Philippi is the only church I am aware of in the New Testament that is used as a model for other churches to follow. The Philippian church was used by Paul as an example of generosity, so as to stimulate the Corinthians to follow-through with their commitment to give to the needy saints in Judea (2 Corinthians 8:1-5; 9:1-5). Paul indicates in this letter that the Philippians were the only ones to stand behind him financially in his times of need (Philippians 4:10-19). Here is a church committed to support the proclamation of the gospel. Here is a church we would do well to imitate. While Paul is a man we should all seek to imitate individually, the Philippian church is a church we should seek to imitate corporately.

Third, Philippians is an epistle that gives us an entirely different standard for giving and fund-raising. The Apostle Paul seems to have written this epistle as a “thank you” letter in response to the gifts¹ that were sent to him in his time of need. As Dr. Haddon Robinson once remarked, this epistle does not come with a tear-out contribution card and a self-addressed, stamped envelope, with the hope of getting yet another gift from the Philippians. Elsewhere we see a fair amount of instruction concerning the giving of gifts, but in this great epistle Paul gives us a unique perspective on the receiving of gifts, one that is both rare and refreshing.

Fourth, the Book of Philippians helps us to define biblical fellowship. All too often the term “fellowship” is used almost synonymously with “friendship” or some similar term. Some think that standing around at church eating refreshments and making small talk is “fellowship.” This is not the case for Paul or for the other New Testament writers. True “koinonia” or fellowship will be defined in Philippians.

Fifth, Philippians is a book that helps us get a proper perspective on unjust suffering, persecution, and even death. I have chosen Paul’s words in chapter 1, verse 21, as the title for this series: “To live is Christ.” When this is our perspective, and we now have the right perspective toward life, we will also have a proper perspective toward adversity and even death. This is why the apostle can add, “…and to die is gain.” The Book of Philippians spells out just how this expression should define our perspective. And if it does, we shall never be grouchy Christians again.

The Birth of the Church at Philippi

Part I: Divinely Guided to Philippi (Acts 15:36–16:12)

15:36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord to see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to bring John called Mark along with them too, 38 but Paul insisted that they should not take along this one who had left them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work. 39 They had a sharp disagreement, so that they parted company. Barnabas took along Mark and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and set out, commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers and sisters. 41 He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

16:1 He also came to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but whose father was a Greek. 2 The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was Greek. 4 As they went through the towns, they passed on the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentile believers to obey. 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day.

6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia. 7 When they came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to, 8 so they passed through Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 A vision appeared to Paul during the night: a Macedonian man was standing there urging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 After Paul saw the vision, we attempted immediately to go over to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. 11 We put out to sea from Troas and sailed a straight course to Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. We stayed in this city for some days.

God seldom does things the way we would expect. Amazing as it may seem, the church at Philippi began as the result of two heated arguments. The first debate—that of Paul and Barnabas with the Judaisers—was over the gospel itself. On this issue, Paul and Barnabas stood together against those who sought to require Gentile converts to Christ to become Jewish proselytes. They insisted that Gentiles must become Christians by also becoming Jews. They demanded that Gentile converts undergo circumcision, and by this symbolic act, to place themselves under the Old Testament law. Acts 15:1-35 describes the way the apostles and the elders of the church in Jerusalem handled this debate. They concluded that Gentile converts were not to be subjected to Judaism and laid down only minimal requirements of these converts.

The second was a debate between Paul and Barnabas over their next missionary journey (Acts 15:36-41). They had completed their first missionary journey some time before, and Paul felt strongly that they should now make a return visit to the churches that they had established. Barnabas agreed, but wanted to take John Mark along with them. The problem was that Mark had deserted them on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:13). Paul was not willing to risk yet another failure, and so he refused to take Mark along with them. Barnabas wanted to salvage this young man and his ministry and insisted on taking him along. They strongly disagreed, and the result was that Barnabas took Mark along with him and went to Cyprus, while Paul chose Silas and set out from Syria and Cilicia.

I have dealt with this matter in my exposition of the Book of Acts,² so I will not deal with it in detail here. I will say that I believe both Paul and Barnabas were right. Barnabas was acting consistently with his gift of encouragement (see Acts 4:36), while Paul was right in refusing to take Mark along on a mission in which he was likely to fail again. While these two men strongly disagreed, their friendship endured, and the result was that there were now two missionary teams, rather than one. Barnabas had done his work well with Paul, and it was time for the two to venture out on their own. So often today, men “split” ministries in a way that creates animosity and division. I do not believe this happened with Barnabas and Paul, and later history bears this out.

What is very interesting to me is the way God providentially used the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas to prepare the way for a new and unexpected thrust of missionary activity. From what we read in Acts 15:36-41, neither Paul nor Barnabas anticipated a new missionary thrust into Europe. At most, they expected merely to return to those churches they had established on their first journey. But God had much bigger things in mind. The second missionary journey of Paul would be even more dangerous than the first, and therefore taking John Mark along would be ill advised. On the other hand, because Barnabas took Mark with him to Cyprus, Paul did not need to concern himself with returning there, even though it was a part of his first missionary journey. This division of labor worked out well for everyone and paved the way for a new penetration of the gospel, beyond what anyone might ask or think.

Acts 16 begins with the arrival of Paul and Silas at Derbe and Lystra in southern Galatia. It is in Lystra that Paul first encounters Timothy. This young man had a Jewish mother and a Gentile father. Paul had him circumcised so that his ministry would be more broadly accepted. It is apparent that no one was demanding that he be circumcised, as was the case with Titus (Galatians 2:3-5), or Paul would never have circumcised him. Luke makes it very clear to the reader that Timothy was already a combat-proven disciple. If Paul would not take John Mark along because of the dangers they would face, he surely would not have taken an unproven Timothy along, either. But Acts 16:2 indicates that Timothy was already one who had proven his faithfulness in ministry.

As Paul, Silas and Timothy made their way to the churches that had been previously founded, they delivered the decree of the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, which greatly encouraged the saints. Had Paul and Barnabas not separated, they would likely have retraced the steps of their first missionary journey. But that would have taken them to Cyprus. Barnabas is already there with Mark, and so Paul must now decide where to go from Galatia. They could either turn south and head back to Antioch, or he could go north to Bithynia or Asia. The Holy Spirit would not allow Paul and those with him to preach either in Asia or Bithynia. They had traveled as far to the northwest as they could, to the seaport city of Troas. Where were they to go from here? It was at this point that God guided this small missionary band by means of a vision—the so-called Macedonian vision.

The vision was given to Paul in the middle of the night. A Macedonian man appealed to Paul to “come over to Macedonia and help them” (16:9). Paul immediately told the others about it. It is interesting to note the change in our text from “they” (Acts 16:6, 7) to “we” (Acts 16:10). From this, we conclude that Luke joined Paul and the others in Troas, and then remained on in Philippi when the others left (see Acts 16:40f., where we find “they” once again). The missionary party now turns northwest, taking the gospel into Europe. They sail from Troas some 60 miles or so to the island of Samothrace, and then they sail the rest of the way across the Aegean Sea to the port city of Neapolis. It is yet another ten-mile trek from Neapolis to Philippi, where the first church in Europe is soon to be founded.

Part II: Two Women and a Warden (Acts 16:13-40)

13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down and began to speak to the women who had assembled there. 14 A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, a God-fearing woman, listened to us. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying. 15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded us. 16 Now as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. She brought her owners a great profit by fortune-telling. 17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” 18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once. 19 But when her owners saw their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. 20 When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion. They are Jews 21 and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us to accept or practice, since we are Romans.” 22 The crowd joined the attack against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had beaten them severely, they threw them into prison and commanded the jailer to guard them securely. 24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the rest of the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds of all the prisoners came loose. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he assumed the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul called out loudly, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” 29 Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell down trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”³ 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him, along with all those who were in his house. 33 At that hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized right away. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set food before them; and he rejoiced greatly that he had come to believe in God, together with his entire household. 35 At daybreak the magistrates sent their police officers, saying, “Release those men.” 36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent orders to release you. So come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to the police officers, “They had us beaten in public without a proper trial—even though we are Roman citizens—and they threw us in prison. And now they want to send us away secretly? No way! They themselves must come and escort us out!” 38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, 39 and came and apologized to them. After they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly to leave the city. 40 When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house; and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then departed.

We know from Acts 16:18 that Paul and those with him went about preaching for “many days.” We also know that when Paul and Silas left Philippi there were a number of “brethren” (16:40). It is safe to assume, then, that the three people whom Luke has chosen to include in his account in chapter 16 are but a sampling of the converts who came to faith due to Paul’s preaching. And a rather unlikely bunch they are. If you or I were to hand pick those whom we would like to see saved and used as the nucleus of a new church, I doubt we would select those whom God chose.⁴

The first convert in Philippi seems to be Lydia. This city was certainly different from those Paul had visited earlier, as there appears to be only a few Jews living there. Some have explained this by the fact that this was not really a great trading city, where we would expect to find many Jewish businessmen. It would seem from the text that the people of Philippi had a great deal of racial prejudice toward the Jews. This would well explain why so few Jews were to be found there, so few, in fact, that the city did not even have a synagogue. This may be why Paul had to seek a Jewish audience on the riverside, where he supposed there might be a place of prayer (16:13). No men seem to have been present when Paul and the rest came upon a small group of women who had gathered for prayer.

Several of the women who gathered there may have come to faith, but Luke focuses his attention on one woman—Lydia. She was a businesswoman who dealt in purple fabrics. Luke simply tells us that the Lord “opened Lydia’s heart” to respond to the gospel which Paul proclaimed (16:14). I have always regarded this statement about Lydia’s salvation as being of great significance because it indicates that the Lord is the “first cause” of salvation. It is God who opens the hearts of men, so that men may believe (see John 6:37, 44, 65). Having said this, it had not occurred to me until now that this statement is of particular significance because it is said in reference to the one person whom we might suppose to be “the most likely to believe.” Think about this for a moment. If Luke had said this about the Philippian jailer, we would have expected it. Apart from the Lord opening his heart, we know that he would not believe the message Paul preached. But Lydia was a God-fearer. I would understand her to be an Old Testament saint. We might even think that for a person like her, conversion was virtually automatic. But it is of this woman that Luke writes, “the Lord opened her heart to believe…” This is most significant to me. If God must open the heart of the one person in our text who is “most likely to believe,” then surely He must open the hearts of all who believe. And so He does: “When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice and praise the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).

In Acts 16:15 we are informed that Lydia and her household were baptized.  Since she and others were at the river when Paul arrived it would be easy to understand her baptism as being much like that of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter 8. Luke informs us that she immediately insisted that Paul and his associates stay at her house. You and I may have some difficulty appreciating the significance of this, but I doubt that Luke did. This past year I spent several weeks in Indonesia, where I was preaching in a local church. I cannot tell you how much easier it was for me because a Christian brother put me up in his apartment. Paul was a “foreigner” in Philippi, and no doubt these folks tended to be suspicious of folks like him and his friends. Having a place to stay met a very practical need for “bed and breakfast,” and it also provided these Jewish preachers a measure of protection. By the salvation of Lydia, God had not only given them their first convert in Macedonia, He also provided them with a place to stay.

It was on one of their trips to the riverside place of prayer that a demonized young woman encountered Paul and his colleagues. In a manner similar to the way we see demons announcing the presence of our Lord in the Gospels (see Mark 1:24, 34; Luke 4:34), the fortuneteller served as the “town crier,” telling all within hearing distance who Paul and his team were. But like our Lord, Paul did not wish this kind of publicity. He endured this woman’s announcements for some time,⁵ but eventually he became so annoyed by her that he cast the demon out of her.

This young woman was a slave girl. She was the property of her owners. The demon that possessed her really did give her great powers, and consequently she provided a good income for her owners. Paul delivered this woman from her bondage, and she may have rejoiced, but this was not true of her owners. Their whole business had just collapsed before their very eyes. While Paul’s Jewish opponents were prompted by religious differences, these Gentiles were driven solely by economics. They had lost considerable wealth, and they were angry. They cared nothing for their slave, but only about their profits. Now, their business was gone, and they intended to make Paul pay for it, if not with his money, then with his body.

As you read through the account of the arrest, beating, and imprisonment of Paul and Silas, I want you to do so with an eye to what this tells us about the attitude of the people of Philippi towards the Jews. Paul and Silas were dragged before the civil authorities and charged with: (1) being Jewish, and (2) advocating practices which were illegal for Roman citizens (16:20-21). There is no “due process of law” here, no inquiry into the charges, no opportunity given to Paul or Silas to speak in their own defense. And, so far as we are told, no opportunity is given Paul to assert his rights as a Roman citizen. The crowds as well as the civil magistrates were willing to believe the worst.

Paul and Silas were summarily pronounced guilty and then beaten severely and cast into prison. I have been to a lot of prisons in my life (in prison ministry), and I have seen some pretty miserable places. I doubt that any of the worst prisons I have seen would compare to this Philippian prison. In prison jargon, we would say that Paul and Silas were thrown into “the hole.”⁶ It would be in the deepest part of the prison and behind as many gates and bars as possible. From what Luke has told us, we know that Paul and Silas were being kept in “maximum security.” Security was so high that even though Paul and Silas were deep within the prison, their feet were still placed in stocks (16:24). Their situation must have looked bleak. How could these Jewish foreigners possibly find any forum where they could protest their arrest and treatment? They certainly had no way to escape. At that moment, it must have looked as though they might spend the rest of their lives in that terrible place.

For the jailer and the long-term inmates of that prison, this night offered nothing new. It was a scene that had been played out countless times before. I am sure that they had become calloused to the cries of pain, and the curses which came from the lips of beaten and bloody felons. Everyone knew what to expect, but this night something different was in store for all. This was a night no one would ever forget.

As Paul and Silas were roughly thrown into the inner chamber of that prison and their feet were secured in stocks, no angry words came from their lips. The two new inmates began to sing. These were not songs of sorrow—“Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen…”—these were songs of joy and of praise to God (16:25). I can almost see one of the older prisoners turning to a cellmate and asking, “Which God are they singing about?” The response of these two “foreigners” was so unusual that everyone in that prison must have strained to hear the words of each song.

By the way, this incident gives us a fairly good test of “good Christian music.” This is a hotly debated topic in many churches. I would like to ask you to consider the impact of this night on those prisoners if certain types of contemporary Christian songs were to have been sung by Paul and Silas. Would the prisoners have learned much about God? Would they have heard about the forgiveness of sins? Would they have come to know about the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary? This would not be a bad test for any music, old or modern.

It was not just singing that these inmates heard on this occasion. There were also prayers. Were there prayers of praise? Without a doubt! Were there prayers for the salvation of those who had beaten them, and prayers for their fellow inmates? I would expect that there were. Were there prayers of petition, asking for their release? Perhaps. The other prisoners had never seen nor heard anything like this before in their lives. They listened intently, and perhaps they wondered what would come of all this. They would know before long.

Just as the songs of Paul and Silas provide us with the opportunity to ponder the value of our music, the prayers of Paul and Silas present us with an occasion to consider the content of our prayers. These inmates had “seen it all,” or so they thought, but when they witnessed the response of Paul and Silas, they listened. I wonder how the prisoners in that penitentiary would have responded if it were our prayers that were being offered up. What would they learn about God? What would they learn about the Christian’s response to suffering? What would they learn about the gospel?

I wonder if there was a growing sense of anticipation as midnight approached, and as the prayers and praises of Paul and Silas drifted throughout that prison. These inmates were about to witness an event that they would talk about for the rest of their lives. As we consider this earthquake and its aftermath, I want you to keep one thing in mind—the purpose of this earthquake was not to give Paul and Silas the chance to escape, and it was not God’s intent that any of the prisoners escape. This earthquake is about salvation coming to the house of the jailer and to others deep within that prison. The release of Paul and Silas would be a legal matter, brought about by the very magistrates who had illegally confined them.

For reasons of security, the prison would almost have to be constructed of stone. Paul and Silas are in the deepest part of that prison, so in order to release them it was necessary to “shake up” the entire prison. Having witnessed more than one earthquake, I can imagine what it would have been like to experience this event from deep within that ancient prison. What a terrifying experience this must have been. No doubt all the prisoners expected to be crushed under tons of falling stone. But as the walls moved about violently, the gates snapped loose, and every prison door popped open. Every chain that secured a prisoner to the wall or to the floor was broken loose (16:26). So far as we know, no one even suffered an injury.

It is almost certain that the jailer lived in the same building, probably upstairs. (I have a friend whose father was a sheriff for many years, and he tells me that his family lived in the jail building. I think something similar was the case in this Philippian prison.) He certainly seems to have realized that the prison doors had been opened. As he quickly surveyed the damage, he assumed the worst.

From what I know about prisons, one of two things was likely to have happened. First, the prisoners would have attempted to escape from their confinement. After all, if you were a prisoner on death row, living in horrid conditions, what would you do if all the prison doors popped open and your chains broke loose? In the middle of the night, in the cover of darkness, and in the midst of great confusion, it would have been relatively easy to make your escape. By the way, unless God divinely restricted this earthquake to one building, the entire city was severely shaken. I wonder if there was a message in this for those who had falsely accused Paul and Silas.

The second thing that happens in prisons is that the prisoners may choose to use even momentary freedom to carry out violent acts toward one another. In the prison riots that have occurred in this country, at least, prisoners have murdered and maimed fellow-prisoners, venting their pent-up hatred. Just this past week in Texas, a couple of death row inmates were able to overpower a woman guard and to hold her hostage for a few agonizing hours. The article in the newspaper said that the other death row inmates called out to the two men who held this woman hostage, urging them to injure the female guard in very cruel ways. The jailer was right to assume the worst. Under normal circumstances, there would have been a great escape. His job—and quite literally his neck—were on the line.

When the jailer rushed into the prison, he apparently saw no one and assumed the worst—that every prisoner had already fled. We know that it was dark inside that prison, because the jailer had to call for a light (16:29). In addition to not seeing any of the prisoners, the jailer must not have heard any noise, either, or he would have known that the prisoners were still inside. I think what he found was too good to be true. Every prisoner remained in their cell, even though their cell door was open and their chains had fallen loose. And every prisoner seems to have been calm and quiet. To the jailer, all this seemed to verify his conclusion that there was no one left inside the prison.

It was Paul who first broke the silence. He either saw the silhouette of the jailer, who was about to kill himself, or he was divinely informed of his intentions. Either way, Paul called out to the jailer, urging him not to harm himself, and informing him that all the prisoners were present and accounted for. I have often wondered what prompted the jailer’s next words: “What must I do to be saved?” We do not know. Perhaps Paul had already witnessed to this man. Perhaps he had overheard Paul and Silas, praying and singing in their cell. Or perhaps the other inmates were gathered about Paul in the inner part of the prison, asking him what they must do to be saved. Perhaps the jailer overheard their cries for salvation and includes himself, so that the sense of his words might be, “I hear these men asking you what they must do to be saved, and I would like to know for myself as well, what I must do to be saved, too.”

Whatever prompted the jailer’s words, Paul had a ready answer: “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31). For a one-sentence definition of the gospel, this is probably as good as it gets. But let us not suppose that this is all that the jailer was told about salvation. He may have known something from what Paul and Silas said or sung earlier in the evening. In addition, we know that he received a more thorough definition of the gospel later that night in the jailer’s home: “Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him, along with all those who were in his house” (Acts 16:32). The jailer and his entire household heard the good news of the gospel and came to faith in Christ. One indication of this is that they were baptized. Another is that they immediately (much like Lydia) sought to show hospitality to Paul and Silas. The jailer not only fed these two men, he also attended to their wounds. What a time of rejoicing that must have been (16:34). What a difference a day made to this man and his family.

I am sure that the jailer wondered what he would do with his prisoners, now that he had come to faith. He had no great cause for concern, for the very next day police officers arrived, sent by the magistrates who had illegally sentenced Paul and Silas. They gave the jailer orders to release Paul and Silas. The jailer was ecstatic. He was no longer required to incarcerate those who had brought the gospel to him. He could hardly wait to tell Paul that he and Silas were free to go.

I suspect that Paul’s response to the jailer’s “good news” shocked him. He might have thought that Paul and Silas would leave quickly and quietly, eager to get out of town as fast as possible. But Paul would have none of this. He was not about to let these magistrates get away with their violation of the law. Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. Their rights as Roman citizens had been violated, and these magistrates were not going to be let off so easily that they would be tempted to do so again. They would have to come personally and release them.

Luke informs us that the magistrates were shocked to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. This indicates that they had never heard Paul claim to be a Roman citizen. It tells me that they were manipulated by the slave girl’s owners, who did not give them all the facts, and who had in fact brought false charges against Paul and Silas. The magistrates had been deceived, but they had also failed to carry out their job according to the law. They were willing to assume that because these men were Jews they were also criminals. They had not listened to Paul or Silas, but only to those making accusations against them. It was a lesson they would not soon forget. And because Paul could have made things very unpleasant for them, they would certainly think twice before they harmed any members of the church in Philippi. God not only established the church in Philippi, He did so in a way that insured its safety in the days to come.

The magistrates were afraid of what Paul or Silas might do to them, since they had broken the law in the way they violated the rights of these Roman citizens. If I were Paul, I would have some pleasure in watching these magistrates “eat humble pie” (as we would say). Paul’s concern was not just with his rights, but with what was right, and also for the future of this church. The magistrates begged Paul and Silas to leave their city, which Paul did, but only after he took the time to meet with the new believers. Having encouraged these new Christians, Paul and Silas moved on to Thessalonica, where they would once again be persecuted, but this time by the Jews.

Conclusion

What an amazing story this is! The church having started as it did, I have to smile when I read Paul’s letter to the Philippians. They knew, of course, that Paul was in prison, and that there was the chance that he might be condemned to death. I can imagine what it was like when this letter was read aloud in church. I can see Lydia sitting there in the front row, along with others of her household who came to faith through the preaching of Paul. It is possible that the young slave girl was there as well. But the one who comes to my mind is the jailer. Can’t you see him sitting there in church, beside a few of the inmates from his prison? When there is mention of Paul’s imprisonment, I can almost hear one of the inmates as he punches the jailer in the side, and with eyes rolling says, “Wow! In prison again, huh? I wonder how many of those fellows will be getting saved? Do you think God will shake them up with an earthquake, too?”

In a day when “homogeneous grouping”⁷ is the watchword for churches, the church at Philippi is a refreshing contrast. We see three very different people who are impacted by Paul’s ministry at Philippi: a Jewish businesswoman, a slave girl, and a jailer. I don’t know for certain that the slave girl was saved and became a member of that church, but Lydia and the jailer surely did. The unity that we see in the church at Philippi is not the result of uniformity, but is the result of becoming one in Christ. That is the kind of unity that manifests the love and power of Jesus Christ to a lost world.

The story of the birth of the church at Philippi is also a lesson to us regarding divine guidance. We should all see that it was God who divinely directed Paul and Silas and the other members of this team to Philippi. It was God who directed Paul to the riverside, where Lydia and others gathered. It was God who directed Paul to the Philippian jailer. God directed these men in a variety of ways. He directed through Paul’s disagreement with Barnabas. He directed through Paul’s desire to revisit the churches that had been planted earlier in his ministry. He directed also through the prohibition of the Holy Spirit (however that worked itself out on two occasions) and through the vision that Paul was given in Troas. He even directed through the evil actions of the slave girl’s owners and the injustice of the magistrates. God saw to it that there was a church planted in Philippi.

The account of the birth of the church at Philippi also instructs us regarding suffering. The legalistic Jews of Jesus’ day were wrong to conclude that the only reason for human suffering was sin (see John 9:1-3). Sometimes men and women suffer because they are righteous. Paul and Silas suffered because they delivered a young woman from demon possession. Innocent (and righteous) suffering may, indeed, result in the salvation of others. It was our Lord’s suffering and death on the cross of Calvary that provided for the forgiveness of sins. It may be through our suffering that others come to faith. Paul and Silas suffered, and because of this, the Philippian jailer and his household were saved.

I would like to suggest to you that the way Paul and Silas suffered played a significant role in the salvation of others, including the jailer and his family. Suppose that Paul and Silas had moaned and groaned and cursed because of their pain. I doubt that anyone would have fallen before them, asking what they must do to be saved. It was the sinless, righteous, suffering of Paul and Silas that God used to testify of His grace and saving power to all who looked on. I wonder how many would be drawn to Christ by the way we suffer?

Often, it is suffering which prompts the unsaved to come to Christ for salvation. The self-righteous scribes and Pharisees objected that it was the sinners with whom Jesus associated. They could not understand why He did not give them the attention they thought they deserved. Jesus told them that He came to heal the sick, not to heal the well. By and large, it was those who were suffering who came to Christ for mercy and grace. Their afflictions showed them that they could not heal themselves, but that they needed someone else—the Messiah—to heal them. Has your suffering shown you how helpless and needy you are? I pray that your suffering may cause you to “turn your eyes to Christ,” who alone is able to save, who has come to seek and to save those who are helpless and lost.

Luke’s account of the birth of the church at Philippi is one of the most extensive accounts of the planting of a church in all of the New Testament. It prepares us for what we are about to read and study in the Book of Philippians. As we prepare to commence this study of Philippians, my prayer is that God will use this great book to transform your perspective, so that you and I can say with the Apostle Paul, “for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

1 This would also seem to include the “gift” of Epaphroditus (2:25-30), who was sent to minister to Paul.

2 http://bible.org/series/acts-christ-work-through-his-church

3 There are those who might infer from these words that if the jailer himself believed, this would suffice not only for his salvation, but also for the salvation of his entire household. The text does not teach this. Paul makes it clear that the offer of salvation is not only for the jailer, but for his entire household. Luke then informs us that Paul explained the gospel more fully, not only to the jailer, but to his entire household (16:32). Acts 16:32-33 indicates to the reader that both the jailer and his entire household believed in God and were baptized. It was not the jailer’s faith that saved his household; each member of his household had to hear and heed the gospel message for themselves, and this they did.

4 I should say at this point that there are some who assume that the demon possessed fortune teller was saved, and this might be the case, but the text does not really tell us that she came to faith. We know for certain that Lydia and the jailer were saved.

5 Even a man as great as the Apostle Paul did not hastily take on the forces of evil. We should be no less cautious. It may have to be done, but it should not be done without due consideration.

6 This is the term the inmates use. The official designation is “administrative segregation.”

7 In short, it is the belief that “birds of a feather stay together.” Homogeneous grouping means that a church selects a certain slice of society and caters to it. Church members feel greater unity and comfort because everyone else is pretty much like them.

Introduction

I have always loved to see the spring come each year, with all that it brings, with one notable exception—spring cleaning. You married men know that dreaded day as well as I do. Your wife gets that certain restlessness and a peculiar look in her eye. She wants to throw out half of the treasures you have gathered over the year. Worse yet, she wants you to help her move things around, and around, and around.

Israel’s annual Day of Atonement was something like a spiritual spring cleaning, except for the fact that this sacred day came in the fall of the year, in September-October, six months after the celebration of Passover. According to the Israelite calendar, it came on the tenth day of the seventh month (cf. Lev. 23:26-32; Num. 29:7-11).

In one sense, Israel did not look forward to the coming of this day any more than I look forward to spring cleaning. Unlike the other Jewish holidays, the Day of Atonement was no festive event. It was a day of national mourning and repentance. This was a Sabbath day celebration, which meant that no work could be done (Lev. 23:26-32). Anyone who did not observe this Sabbath was to be cut off from his people (Lev. 23:29), which is a euphemism for being put to death. Beyond this, this was a day when the people were to “humble their souls” (cf. Lev. 16:31; 23:27; Num. 29:7), which, according to many, included fasting. This would thus be the only religious holiday which was characterized by mourning, fasting, and repentance.

Relationship of Chapter 16 to the Preceding Chapters

There is a very logical development of the argument of the Book of Leviticus evident in the first 16 chapters. Chronologically chapter 16 should follow directly after chapter 10, for the first verse of chapter 16 informs us that God gave the instructions of chapter 16 to Moses “after the death of the two sons of Aaron,” which, as we know, is recorded in chapter 10. The first section of Leviticus, chapters 1-7, outlines the sacrificial rituals the priests must follow; chapters 8-10 records the inauguration of the Aaronic priesthood, who will offer the sacrifices; chapters 11-15 distinguishes the clean from the unclean, and proper procedures for dealing with uncleanness. In short, we have:

Leviticus 1-7: Ritual (Offerings)
Leviticus 8-10: Religious Officials (Priests)
Leviticus 11-15: Reasons for Sacrifices (Uncleanness)
Leviticus 16: Repentance and Restoration (Day of Atonement)

Leviticus 16 builds upon the preceding chapters by outlining the sacrifices of the great Day of Atonement. This instruction is directed primarily toward Aaron and the priests (vv. 1-25), but not exclusively so, for the people have a role to play as well (cf. vv. 26-31). No other sacrifice in Leviticus more clearly anticipates the future, greater, atonement of Israel’s Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. And no other sacrifice provides a better backdrop against which to see the vast superiority of our Lord’s atonement over that of Aaron. Let us learn well from this chapter.

The Structure of Leviticus 16⁶⁸

The chapter is not strictly chronological in its organization. Verses 6-10 serve as a preliminary summary of the offering of the bull and the two goats, but this is then taken up in greater detail in verses 11-22.⁶⁹

Background of the Day of Atonement
(Exodus 30:1-10)

The first reference to the Day of Atonement comes in the Book of Exodus, chapter 30. The first nine verses detail the plans for the Altar of Incense. There is then a special word of warning, followed by a brief reference to the Day of Atonement: “You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a libation on it. And Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD” (Exod. 30:9-10).

It is noteworthy that in this passage, the warning about offering “strange incense” immediately precedes reference to the Day of Atonement, just as Leviticus 16 introduces the instructions concerning the offerings by referring to the death of Nadab and Abihu, who were smitten of God for offering “strange fire” (cf. Lev. 10:1).

An Overview of the Day of Atonement

Before we discuss the significance of some of the events of the Day of Atonement, let us pause to “walk through” the entire ceremony which is outlined in Leviticus chapter 16. This will enable us to get a feel for the ceremony as a whole, before we move to an examination of its parts.

From all appearances, the rituals outlined in our text do not begin the day’s activities for Aaron, but come after the exercise of some of his regular duties. The day would seem to begin as usual with the offering of the morning sacrifice, the burnt offering of a one year old lamb (cf. Exod. 29:38-42; Num. 28:3-6). After these duties were performed, the High Priest would commence the ceremonies of the Day of Atonement, as prescribed in our text:⁷⁰

(1) Aaron was to take off his normal priestly garments, wash, and then put on the special garments which were prescribed for the sacrifices which took him into the holy of holies (v. 4; cf. Exod. 28; 39).

(2) Aaron secured the necessary sacrificial animals: a bull for his own sin offering and two male goats for the people’s sin offering; two rams, one for Aaron’s and the other for the people’s burnt offering (vv. 3, 5).

(3) Aaron slaughtered the bull for his own sin offering (vv. 6, 11).

(4) Before entering into the Holy of Holies with the blood of the bull, Aaron had to create a “cloud” of incense in the Holy of Holies, covering the mercy seat, to “veil” the glory of God so that he could enter in (vv. 12-13). The best approximation to this in my experience is what a bee-keeper does, smoking the hive of the bees, before he begins to remove the honey. In the case of Aaron, he was to offer only the prescribed incense so as to create an obscuring veil of smoke, thus dimming the glory of God’s presence and sparing his life.

(5) Aaron then took some of the blood of the bull and sprinkled it on the mercy seat seven times (v. 14).

(6) Lots were then cast for the two goats, to determine which would be slaughtered and which would be driven away (vv. 7-8).

(7) The goat for slaughter, the goat of the people’s sin offering, was sacrificed, and its blood was taken into the Holy of Holies and applied to the mercy seat, as the bull’s blood had been (v. 15).

(8) Cleansing was then made for the holy place (v. 16), seemingly by the sprinkling of the blood of both the bull and the goat. The atonement of the holy place is done alone, without anyone present to help, or to watch (v. 17).

(9) Next, outside the tent, Aaron was to make atonement for the altar of burnt offering,⁷¹ using, it would seem, the blood of both the bull and the goat (vv. 18-19).

(10) Now the second goat, the one which was kept alive, had the sins of the nation symbolically laid on its head, and was driven from the camp to a desolate place, from which it must never return (vv. 20-22).

(11) Aaron then entered the tent of meeting, removed his linen garments, washed, and put on his normal priestly garments

(12) The burnt offerings of rams, one for Aaron and his family and the other for the people, was now offered (v. 24)

(13) The earlier sacrifices of the bull and the goat were completed. The fat of the sin offering was burned on the altar (v. 25), and the remains of the bull and the goat were taken outside the camp, where they were burned (v. 27).

(14) Those who had been rendered unclean by handling the animals on which the sins of Aaron or the people were laid were to wash themselves and then return to camp (vv. 26, 28).

The People’s Role in the Day of Atonement
(Leviticus 16:29-31)

The people were not to be passive in the Day of Atonement, although they (and those dwelling in their midst) were to observe a Sabbath rest. They were commanded to remember this ordinance as a permanent statute, by “humbling their souls” (v. 29).

Observations Concerning the Day of Atonement

There are several features of the Day of Atonement which are worthy of our attention, which prepare us to consider the meaning of this text. Let us briefly consider each of these.

(1) God’s instructions to Aaron concerning the offerings of the Day of Atonement begins with a reminder of the death of his two sons, as recorded in chapter 10. This serves as a chronological clue, indicating that the commandments given here must have come shortly after the death of Aaron’s sons. There is also the logical connection. Aaron’s sons died while in the tabernacle, specifically while they were burning incense. In the course of Aaron’s duties on the Day of Atonement, he too will offer incense. This note thus serves to underscore the importance of Aaron’s very meticulous obedience to these instructions.

(2) The priestly garb which Aaron was to wear on this one occasion was very different from that which he normally wore in the course of his duties.

Beautiful colored materials, intricate embroidery, gold and jewelry made him look like a king. On the day of atonement he looked more like a slave. His outfit consisted of four simple garments in white linen, even plainer than the vestments of the ordinary priest (Exod. 39:27-29) … On this one day the high priest enters the ‘other world,’ into the very presence of God. He must therefore dress as befits the occasion. Among his fellow men his dignity as the great mediator between man and God is unsurpassed, and his splendid clothes draw attention to the glory of his office. But in the presence of God even the high priest is stripped of all honor: he becomes simply the servant of the King of kings, whose true status is portrayed in the simplicity of his dress. Ezekiel (9:2-3, 11; 10:2, 6-7) and Daniel (10:5; 12:6-7) describe angels as dressed in linen, while Rev. 19:8 portrays the saints in heaven as wearing similar clothes.⁷²

In the course of his daily sacrifices, Aaron, the High Priest, represented God, and thus his garments were of great beauty and splendor. But when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies in performing the atoning ritual of the Day of Atonement, he went before God in simplicity and humility. One cannot help but think of the 13th chapter of John’s Gospel, where our Lord took off His garments, and stripped down to the garb of a slave, so as to cleanse His disciples. On both these occasions (John 13 and the Day of Atonement) there is a symbolic representation of the kenosis, the setting aside of our Lord’s glory and splendor, so that the work of atonement could be accomplished (cf. Phil. 2:5-8).

(3) The ceremony of Aaron’s offering the bull for his sins and his family (especially among whom were the priests) is similar to that described in 4:3-12, but is also different. In both offerings, a bull is sacrificed, and in the same way. In chapter 4, the blood of the bull is sprinkled only on the horns of the altar of incense, but in chapter 16 the blood is also sprinkled on the mercy seat itself. The offering of the Day of Atonement is more extensive than the normal offering of the priest.

(4) The ceremony of offering the bull in chapter 16 is also similar to, yet different from, the offering of the bull which was a part of the ordination of Aaron and his sons. In this case, too, the offering on the Day of Atonement was similar to the former offering, but was greater in that there was an entrance into the Holy of Holies.

(5) The sin offering for the people is both unique and compound. With the exception of the two birds (Lev. 14:3-9, 49-53), there is no other sacrifice quite like this, which involves both a dying and a living animal. There has been a great deal of discussion as to the term “Azazel,”⁷³ associated with the goat which lives, but there is no totally satisfactory answer, and the discussion is hardly needed to understand the ritual.⁷⁴

As a rule I think that most of us are inclined to look at the slaughtered goat as paying for the sins of the people, while the living goat lives, as though it symbolizes the forgiveness of the people. This is not the case, however. The goat which was “the LORD’s” was sacrificed for the sins of the people, like the bull, and the blood was applied in the same ways. The fate of the goat which lived (Azazel) is, in my opinion, worse than that of the one which is slain. On this goat, the sins of the people are placed, and then it is handed over to an Israelite (Azazel?), whose task it is to drive the goat into the wilderness, so that it will never return.

Can you imagine the impact on the people if the goat somehow found his way back to the camp? This thought must have haunted the one in whose charge the living goat was placed. I am sure that he was most diligent to take the goat far away. Jewish tradition has it that the goat was led to a high cliff, and then pushed backward, over the precipice. The possibility of these goats returning to the camp is just one more indication that this Day of Atonement was not permanent,⁷⁵ and that there was a tentativeness about what was accomplished on this day. To have killed this second goat, as the Jews may later on have done, would have made the people feel much more secure about this sacrifice. To leave the goat living, roaming about the wilderness, must have caused some uneasiness and insecurity.

(6) The Day of Atonement is the cleansing of a place and of a people. I have always had a certain mental picture of the Day of Atonement, and I have just now discovered how partial and incomplete it was. I thought that the sole purpose of this annual sacrifice was to cleanse the people from their sins. I have always visualized individual Israelites waiting anxiously outside the tent, wondering if Aaron would return, if the sacrifice he offered would be accepted, and if penalty for my sins of the past year would be delayed yet longer. This is one of the things which the Day of Atonement accomplished for the people. God said, “For it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you shall be clean from all your sins before the LORD” (Lev. 16:30).

Even more emphatic in this chapter is the fact that the Day of Atonement was provided by God to cleanse His holy dwelling place, the Tabernacle, and the holy things associated with it.⁷⁶ That for which atonement is made is that with which God came in contact, that which had become defiled over the past year, due to the sins of the people and their priests: “And he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel, and because of their transgressions, in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities” (Lev. 16:16).

So the priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement: he shall thus put on the linen garments, the holy garments, and make atonement for the holy sanctuary; and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly (Lev. 16:32-33).

The issue at stake is whether or not God will continue to abide within the camp, in the midst of His people. The uncleanness of the people contaminated the dwelling place of God, and the Day of Atonement was provided to remove these sins. The most dreaded evil for Israel was the absence of God’s presence in the midst of the people. This is that for which Moses eloquently and passionately pleaded, after the apostasy of the nation, when they worshipped the golden calf (Exod. 33-34). God promised to dwell with His people, and the Tabernacle, along with the priestly system and the offerings was the provision for Him to do so. Their highest use was seen on the Day of Atonement.

Note that there were two kinds of impurity atoned for on the Day of Atonement: “And he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel, and because of their transgressions, in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities” (Lev. 16:16).

The first “impurity” was that with which contaminated every Israelite by virtue of being a child of Adam and living in a fallen and corrupted world. Thus, God spoke of the “impurities of the sons of Israel.” In addition He referred to “their transgressions, in regard to all their sins.” This was the impurity resulting from disobedience to the commandments of God—personal sin. The Day of Atonement cleansed from both kinds of impurity.

(7) The Day of Atonement foreshadowed and anticipated a greater, permanent cleansing of God’s people and of His dwelling place, which was to be accomplished by a better priest, who offered a better sacrifice. I believe, for example, that both Israel’s goats for her sin offering symbolize the death of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, in the years to come. The dying goat signifies the death which Christ died, as did the other sacrificial animals. The goat which is driven away from the camp, into the wilderness, never to return, symbolizes the even greater agony of our Lord, His separation from the Father, due to the fact that the sins of all men were borne by Him. This is the agony which caused Him to agonize in the Garden of Gethsemane. This is the one Old Testament sacrifice which reflects one of the most gruesome aspects of our Lord’s atoning work as our substitute.

The New Testament, particularly the Book of Hebrews, stresses the superiority of the death of our Lord, in contrast to the Old Testament sacrifices, of which those of the Day of Atonement are most prominent. Our text clearly indicates the superiority of the person of Christ to Aaron. Aaron was a sinner, if we had not already figured this out (cf. Exod. 32). Our Lord, Christ, was (and is ) sinless. He did not need to make an offering for Himself. As the Scriptures put it,

For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever (Heb. 7:26-28).

Further, Aaron died, but Christ lives forever (Heb. 7:15-25). Christ is vastly superior to Aaron, and to all the high priests of Israel.

The place of Christ’s ministry is also superior to the place of Aaron’s ministry. Aaron ministered in a small earthly sanctuary, entering into the Holy of Holies but once a year. The people could never enter into this privileged place. Christ “tabernacled” among us in His flesh, during His earthly ministry (cf. John 1:14; Heb. 3:14; 10:5, 11). And after He offered Himself once for all, He entered into the heavenly sanctuary (Heb. 8:1-2; 9:1-10).

The sacrifice of Christ was superior to those offered by Aaron. Aaron and all the other priests could but offer the blood of bulls and goats, but Christ offered His own precious blood:

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption (Heb. 9:11-12, cf. also vv. 13-14).

The superiority of Christ’s one offering to that of Aaron’s many offerings is also seen in the fact that the results of Christ’s sacrifice are greater. The best that one could hope for with the sacrifices of the Day of Atonement was that the impurity of sin would be put off for another year. Christ’s death put away sin altogether:

For all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed (Rom. 3:23-25).

Aaron’s offerings could only produce forbearance; Christ’s offering brought forgiveness.

The last aspect of the superiority of Christ’s atonement to Aaron’s (which we shall consider here) is that Christ’s sacrifice brought better access to God. Aaron himself could only “draw near” to God, that is to the Holy of Holies, but once a year. The people could not come this near ever. But when our Lord was crucified and His blood was shed for the sins of the world, the veil which formerly kept men apart from God was torn asunder, signifying that every believer has full and unlimited access to God. Thus, the writer to the Hebrews can say,

Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Heb. 10:19-22).

(8) Just as the Israelite awaited that which the Day of Atonement anticipated, so the Christian awaits that which the atonement of Christ has accomplished.

In the laws of clean and unclean, we saw how the fall of man in the Garden of Eden brought suffering and adversity to the Israelites. Israelite women, for example, were afflicted with 40 or 80 days of separation and ceremonial uncleanness for having a child (see Leviticus 12).

Romans chapter 8 deals with the spiritual life of the believer and describes the present difficulties and adversities of life. In the development of Paul’s argument in the book, the atonement of Christ has won forgiveness of sins and justification for the one who believes (Romans 1-5). It has also accomplished the sanctification of the believer (chapters 6-8). Nevertheless, the lot of the Christian is present difficulty (cf. 5:3-5; 7:14-25; 8:18-39).

Nevertheless, there are a number of schools of thought which do not take the teaching of Romans (especially chapter 8) seriously enough. These various schools of thought have one error in common: they suppose that since the death of Christ has accomplished many wonderful things, the full realization of His victory in every area of life can be claimed and experienced now.

For example, some say that the death of Christ made physical healing a possession for all to claim.⁷⁷ This simply is not true. It flies in the face of biblical revelation and of practical experience. Satan was defeated on the cross of Christ (John 12:31; 16:11), and yet he is still very much alive and at work, resisting the work and the people of God (2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 6:11-12; Rev. 12:9). It is not until the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ that Satan will finally be put out of circulation forever (cf. Rev. 20).

So, too, the believer is saved and sanctified through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago, but the suffering, sickness and struggles resulting from sin will not be eliminated until Christ’s return. Thus, Romans 7 describes the struggles of a Christian and chapter 8, which speaks of our victory in Christ, also speaks of our present frustration, along with all of creation (cf. Rom. 8:18-25).

The Holy Spirit does not miraculously deliver us from these “groanings,” but intercedes for us in order to bring us through them safely (Rom. 8:26-27). Knowing that God is both good and sovereign, Paul assures us that God is able to use even the present evils of this world to bring us to the perfection which only heaven will bring (Rom. 8:28-30), thus none of those destructive and damaging present evils can separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:31-39).

(9) The Day of Atonement was a time for dealing with unknown sins, for which no offering had been made in the past year.⁷⁸ The text does not specifically state this, but the inference of the text is that there were so many sins which might go unnoticed, that these, had they been neglected beyond the year, would have produced intolerable contamination. It was not those sins for which atonement had already been made that the Day of Atonement was given for, but for those which had not been recognized, and for which a sacrifice had not been offered.

Remember, too, that the sacrificial system was provided to atone for unintentional sins, not intentional sins. The offerings of chapters 4-6 were those which were made for sins unintentionally committed (cp. 4:13, 22, 27; 5:15, 18). Willful sins could not be atoned for by these sacrifices, no was there any sacrifice for them (Num. 15:27-31). The sacrificial system God established assumed that some sins which were not recognized as such at the time they were committed would come to the attention of the individual at a later time (Lev. 4:13-14, 27-28; 5:2-5). I believe that the Day of Atonement is based on the assumption that some sins never come to the attention of the sinner.

This matter of unknown sin was one that concerned godly Israelites. David prayed, “Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults” (Ps. 19:12). Knowing this led him to pray elsewhere, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way” (Ps. 139:23-24).

Moses, the author of the Pentateuch, was also the author of this psalm, in which he prayed, “Thou hast placed our iniquities before Thee, Our secret sins in the light of Thy presence” (Ps. 90:8).

Unknown sins are hidden sins, those transgressions which we, in our fallen state, are either unable or unwilling to acknowledge. Proverbs has much to say about the unseen evils in our lives:

There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death (Prov. 14:12).

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel (Prov. 12:15).

All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the Lord weighs the motives (Prov. 16:2).

These passages tell us that fallen man is not capable of seeing many of his own sins. Thus, a godly man must seek the knowledge of his sin from God and from the wise counsel of others.

New Testament Christians are not as concerned about unknown sins as they should be. Some seem to think that “ignorance is bliss.” It is not true. I am convinced that it is often our unconscious sins which are the most damaging to ourselves and to others. These sins are not so deeply hidden that they cannot be discovered. Indeed, these sins, while unknown to the sinner, are blatantly obvious to those who are close to him (or her). Marriage has been designed, in part I believe, so that we cannot say there was no way of being informed of our sins. Our mates know our sins all too well.

The wonder of this matter is that often our “secret” or “unknown” sins are often sanctified by us by the use of spiritual terminology and biblical texts. Let me briefly mention how this can work, and then leave the reader to ponder the implications. A man who is domineering and dictatorial may very well justify this sin in his life as a real strength. He may see this as “taking a stand for the truth or for what is right.” He might justify domineering over his wife as “assuming his biblical place of headship.” Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing.

The wife, on the other hand, may have learned early in life that the way to please her father was to totally bend to his every whim. She would do nothing to offend or to lose his approval. Then, when she marries, she continues the same kind of blind conformity. And she commends herself for her “submission.” The evil here is not in being “submissive,” but in the woman’s self-seeking desire for approval, at any cost. She sacrifices her convictions and her unique contribution in the name of submission. True submission is seeking the best interest of the other, rather than our own interest. Some seek self-interest by domineering, while others seek it by “door-matting.” In either case it is evil, by whatever label we name it.

The Day of Atonement was a time for each Israelite to reflect on his own sinfulness, and to respond appropriately with mourning and repentance. I urge you to follow the example of the saints of the Bible, especially the psalmists, and to make your unknown sins a matter of priority. These are very likely sins which greatly hinder our fellowship with God and men.

(10) The Day of Atonement was a time for the priest to confess before God the sins of the nation. I have wondered to myself how long Aaron’s confession for the people’s sins, briefly mentioned in verse 21, actually took. One could imagine him confessing for hours. No doubt the confessions of Moses (Exod. 32-34), Ezra (Ezra 9), and Daniel (Dan. 9), among others, provide us with an idea of what the high priest’s prayer might have included.

Since we who are New Testament believers are priests (1 Pet. 2:5, 9), we need to make intercession for our nation as well (cf. 1 Tim. 2). How, then, should we pray? What should we confess? These are not easy matters, for we are a part of the evil fabric of our country. We find it difficult to stand back from our culture and see its sins. Many times our national sins are concealed by government or the press. It is good to confess those obvious sins, such as the legalization of abortion, but we need to become much more sensitive to the more subtle (unknown?) forms of sin as well.

Doing this will have great personal benefits. You see, the evils of our nation are those practices and pressures which constitute our “world” (as in, the “world,” the “flesh,” and the devil). To become sensitive to the evils of our age is to become sensitive to the evils which press upon us and tempt us.

As I conclude this message, I want to urge you to act upon the truths of which you have been convicted by the Holy Spirit. In particular, I would encourage you to read through the Book of Hebrews in the next day or two, seeking to see those ways in which Christ’s death surpassed the sacrifices and ministry of the Aaronic priesthood.

Furthermore, I want to urge you to take that first step of application which the writer to the Hebrews urges his readers: “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith …” (Heb. 10:22a). It may be that you need to draw near in personal faith and commitment. In other words, it may be that you need to be born again, to be saved. Have you had a day of atonement in your life, when you repented of your sins and trusted in the sacrifice of Christ? You need but one such day to be saved, but you must have one. Let Leviticus chapter 16 be the point in your life when you come to experience God’s atonement in Christ.

For those of you who are saved I must admit that I have no idea of what “drawing near” may mean for you. I am convinced, however, that every one of us has many ways in which we need to continue to draw near. I urge you to meditate upon the Book of Hebrews, and to pray the prayers of the psalmists concerning hidden sins. I encourage you to ask God to show you what drawing near means for you, today.

⁶⁸ This is the structure as outlined by Gordon J. Wenham, The Book of Leviticus (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1979), p. 228. As a result of my study of this chapter, I have come to break the chapter up somewhat differently: I. Introduction—Requirements: Verses 1-5; A. Caution required, vv. 1-2; B. Materials required—animals and clothing, vv. 3-5. II. Survey of the Sin Offerings: Verses 6-10; A. Aaron’s sin offering, v. 7; B. Israel’s sin offering, vv. 8-10. III. Detailed Description of the Day of Atonement Rituals: Verses 11-28; A. Aaron’s role, vv. 11-25; B. The role of others, vv. 26-31; 1. Those who have had contact with the sacrificial animals, vv. 26-28; 2. The people of Israel as a congregation, vv. 29-31. IV. Provisions for the Perpetuation of the Day of Atonement: Verses 32-34.

⁶⁹ The rituals outlined in verses 6-10 are reiterated in greater detail in verses 11-22, with the exception of the process of casting lots for the goats, which is only mentioned in verses 7 & 8. I believe that the omission of this process in verses 11-22 is significant. Some of those who insist that there is a mere duplication of material press the matter to demonstrate their hypothesis that there are multiple authors of the Pentateuch. The one author of this book, Moses, did not feel that it was necessary to repeat the casting of lots for the goat in verses 11-22 because he had already sufficiently covered the subject in verses 6-10.

⁷⁰ The exact order of events is not certain in some cases, but this is at least the general order of the ritual.

⁷¹ There is a difference of opinion at to whether the “altar” in verse 18 is the altar of incense inside the veil or the altar of burnt offering outside. Noordtzij argues forcefully for the latter: “(1) The term ‘altar’ in verse 20 must clearly refer to the altar of burnt offering, yet it would have no previous reference apart from verses 18 and 19. (2) Verses 20 and 33 speak of atonement for the ‘Holy Place,’ the ‘Tent of Meeting,’ and the ‘altar.’ Since the ‘altar of incense’ is a part of the ‘Tent of Meeting’ there is no need to specify it, while there would be a need to specify the altar of burnt offering, outside the tent.” A. Noordtzij, Leviticus, trans. by Raymond Togtman (Grand Rapids: Regency Reference Library, Zondervan Publishing House, 1982, pp. 167-168.

⁷² Wenham, p. 230. Bush adds, “There were eight different garments belonging to the altar of the high priest, four of which, called by the Jews ‘the white garments,’ and made wholly of linen, are here mentioned as to be worn on this day. The remaining four which are mentioned Ex. 28.4, were called ‘the golden garments,’ from there being a mixture of gold in them. Inasmuch as the day of atonement was a day of sorrow, humiliation, and repentance, the high priest was not to be clad in his rich pontifical robes, but in the simple sacerdotal vestments which were thought to be more appropriate to this occasion.” George Bush, Leviticus (Minneapolis, Klock and Klock Publishers [reprint], 1981), pp. 144-145.

⁷³ The difficulty of this term is reflected by the variety of ways it is translated: “The translation of this word [Azazel] has varied considerably, and includes such renderings as ‘that shall be sent out’ (Wycliffe), ‘for discharge’ (Knox), ‘Azazel’ (RSV), and ‘for the Precipice’ (NEB). The idea of ‘precipice’ seems to have been derived from Talmudic tradition, where … was translated by ‘steep mountain.’ The allusion appears to have been to the precipitous slope or rock in the wilderness from which in the post-exilic period the goat was hurled to death.” R. K. Harrison, Leviticus: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1980), p. 170.

⁷⁴ Bush goes into a lengthy discussion on the various explanations for the meaning of Azazel, associated with the scapegoat. He surveys and critiques these views and concludes with his own. In short, these are: (1) The name of the place the goat was led. (2) The name of the goat itself. (3) The one goat symbolized Christ’s death, the other His resurrection. (4) The scapegoat is offered to Satan or demons, as Christ allegedly was. Bush’s view, which I find hard to grasp, is that the second goat typifies Israel, who, due to their disobedience and rejection of Christ, had their sins heaped upon themselves. Cf. Bush, pp. 145-158.

⁷⁵ Harrison states, “In view of this injunction [Day of Atonement to be a permanent statute, v. 34] it is curious that no specific reference to the day of atonement occurs elsewhere in the Old Testament, despite the periodic occurrence of certain significant events in the seventh month (cf. I Ki. 8:2, 65-66; Ezr. 3:1-6; Ne. 8:17-18).” Harrison, p. 175.

⁷⁶ Wenham goes so far as to say that the main purpose of the day of atonement was not to cleanse the people, but to cleanse the holy place: “The main purpose of the day of atonement ceremonies is to cleanse the sanctuary from the pollutions introduced into it by the unclean worshippers (cf. 16:16, 19). … The aim of these rituals is to make possible God’s continued presence among his people.” Wenham, p. 228. Wenham also says that the purpose of the day of atonement was “… to prevent Aaron, in theory the holiest man in Israel, suffering sudden death when he enters the tabernacle (vv. 2, 13).” Wenham, p. 236.

⁷⁷ Many of the Bible scholars with whom I am familiar would choose to argue this matter on the grounds of what is meant by the expression, “by His scourging we are healed” (Isa. 53:5). I would differ. I would grant that whether the text proves it or not, the death of Christ remedies all of the consequences of the fall (cf. Rom. 5), which includes sickness. The issue is not whether or not there is physical healing in the atonement, but rather when we can expect the full manifestation of healing. In my understanding of Romans 8 and the rest of Scripture, we cannot expect (and certainly cannot demand) the full realization of any aspect of Christ’s work (salvation, sanctification, healing, etc.) until He comes again, destroys and renews the earth, finally and fully limits Satan, and transforms our physical bodies.

⁷⁸ Bush writes, “The idea of the institution seems to have been, that inasmuch as the incidental and occasional sin-offerings had, from their very nature, left much sin for which no expiation had been made, there should be a day in which all omissions of this sort should be supplied, by one general expiation, so that at the end of the year no sin or pollution might remain for which the blood of atonement had not been shed.” Bush, p. 164.

2019 春

A ministry of…

作者: Roger Pascoe 博士, 主席,
聖經講道學會
劍橋, 安省, 加拿大
郵箱:[email protected]

Part I:加強講解式講道

“加強例子”

A.為什麼使用例子？

1.因為聖經中充滿了例子

既然神選擇使用故事向我們傳達一大部分他的話語，那麼這一定也應該成為傳道人如何傳達神話語的指導。神毫無疑問地使用故事來告訴我們真理，因為故事是一個強有力的媒介，既易被理解又易引起回應。在講道中不使用例子，不但漏掉了一個已經被神用過而且認可的溝通真理的重要方式，而且沒有能夠以一個相關的、啟示性的方式來傳講真理。

2.因為例子使 “解釋”和“應用”緊密相連。

例子幫助我們能夠以相關的、清晰易懂的方式解釋和應用真理。因此當我們傳講真理在實際生活中的應用使，你應該能夠舉例說明！

有些傳道人認為，神話語的應用只需留給聖靈，聖靈可以使真理既清楚又與生活相聯繫。是的，只有聖靈能夠使神的話語足夠清晰而且有說服力，以至於改變一個人的生活；但是不論怎樣，我們不要忘了，聖靈使用講道作為媒介，把神的話語與生活聯繫起來而且適於應用；而且聖靈在聖經中已經教給了我們如何使用例子。

我們必須既要告訴我們的會眾做什麼，又要解釋怎樣做或者一個人的生活怎樣被神的話語影響。

3.因為例子幫助克服“那又怎樣”的障礙

例子幫助一個傳道人跨過聽眾的注意力，觸摸到他們的思想、心靈、意志和良心。例子通常會使一個聽眾明白他們為什麼需要這個講道；為什麼這個講道適用於他們。

在跨過聽眾“這和我有什麼相干”的問題時，例子通常會成為一個非常有幫助的工具，因為例子沒有威脅，沒有對抗；它們不會激起聽眾的反對；它們只是協力廠商的例子。

B.例子的一些目的和類型

1.使用例子的一些目的

a)使真理清晰

b)使真理簡單易懂

c)使真理圖像化

d)使真理具體化（比如使真理實際、可見、真實）

e)為了強調真理

f)使資訊更權威

g)以一種不同的方式傳講真理

2.例子的一些類型和來源

a)聖經中的敘事、陳述和箴言通常是最好的例子

但是要注意：使用聖經中的故事作為例子要小心。聖經中的故事是為了說明一個要點，而不是為了給後來的傳道人提供例子。雖然可以用聖經的故事來說明一個觀點，但是一般來說，最好是因為聖經的權威和教導來引用它，而不是闡明一個觀點

b) 教會歷史、人物傳記、見證。

c)世俗的歷史、文學、資訊。

d)寓言、比喻、反例、故事

e)奇聞、名言、統計結果。

f)個人經歷、當代人的見證。最好的例子通常是生活中的一個側面—一段經歷，或者是你的或者其他人的。這些經歷之所以是很好的例子，因為…

• 每個人都能從中找到認同
• 它們是“真的”
• 它們是當代的、相關的
• 它們不需要解釋就可以應用於生活

使用生活中的一個側面做例子，要求你觀察…

• 人們的傷、願望、需要、關係、職業以及困難
• 當代的新聞、能觸動人們心靈和良知的東西
• 人們談論什麼、想什麼、做什麼
• 人們怎樣談論、思想、行動和反應、
• 你如何反應、思想、談論和行動（因此你能夠在自己裡面找到和其他人認同的地方）。不需要總是特別地談到自己，通常發生在你身上的事以及你如何行動也同樣代表了其他人。

g) 文學手段比如修辭（類比、暗喻、比較和對比）、形象生動的描述、雙關語。

h)實物課程比如視覺輔助和幻燈片。

i)當代的新聞、口號、聲明、事件。當你看新聞雜誌、聽廣播或看電視的時候，你可以找到這一類的例子—世俗的廣播比任何人都知道人們想要什麼、哪裡受傷以及他們怎麼生活。

j)一般的生活觀察和經歷。

k)大自然中的例子—比如毛毛蟲破繭成蝶可能成為基督徒生命被改變的例子。

C.放置例子的地方

1.在整個講道過程中，它們應該放在那裡

決定在講道的哪個地方使用例子最有益處或者哪個地方最需要例子。並不是你講道中的每一個點都需要例子來說明。

在哪裡使用例子比使用多少例子有更大影響。

然而，這裡有幾個明顯需要你使用例子的地方。

a)介紹。一個好的例子會吸引注意力、提高興趣、介紹主題以及肯定需要。

b)要點。我並不認為每一個要點都需要舉例說明。這樣做實際上可能並不理想或者必要。但是在講道的某個地方，你需要舉例說明你在講的東西，即便沒有其他原因，只是為了在講道的中間給予休息—比如為了給聽眾一些精神上的放鬆。

c)如果你能夠找到一個合適的例子來結束講道，會更有影響力而且容易被記住。但是同樣地，有時這並不可能，有時不一定是理想的或者必要的。

這裡有幾個問題幫助你思想在哪裡使用例子以及使用例子的次數和類型 [這些問題來自於Ramesh Richard的準備講解式講道（Baker）,126]

a) 必須要用例子來澄清或解釋講道的一個要點或部分嗎？

b) 例子能夠回答聽眾“怎麼樣、為什麼、什麼時候”這種不言而喻的問題嗎？

c) 例子使這個要點更可靠、可信、更容易接受嗎？

d) 什麼樣的例子能夠幫助聽眾來理解和應用這個要點？

2.如何在講道中使用例子？

當你按著下面的步驟使用例子，會有更好的聯繫、更多的影響：

a)說明要點。

b)過渡到例子。一個過渡式的陳述對順利過渡到例子非常有幫助—例如“最近當…我發現這一事實”或者一些類似的陳述。

c)解釋要點

d)雖然這不是必要的，但可以通過應用或者勸導他們對例子做出反應，而過渡到聽眾，。

e)再次聲明這個重點，或者拓展這個要點，或者過渡到下個重點

D. 20個關於例子的做和不做

1.不要總是使用相同類型的例子

例如一般主要對男性或少數男性有吸引力的運動

2.不要用你自己的家人作為例子

一般而言，不要在講道中涉及家人。他們已經足有曝光率。雖然他們一般會同意你使用個人做例子，但是他們通常不會考慮後果或者可能的影響，所以不要涉及他們。

3.不要使用你會眾中的任何人，除非是為了表揚而且得到他們的同意。

4.永遠不要使用保密的事情，即使你所使用的語言沒有個人指向，也不可以。那個人會在你的故事中看到他或她自己，你會失去這個人對你的信任。

5.簡短地說明你例子的出處

如果說明例子的出處分散了聽眾對例子本身的注意力或者使聽眾覺得厭煩，你就失去了影響力。一般情況下，我在我的講稿中會詳細記錄下例子的出處，但是講道的時候我只提及作者的名字或者出處的名字。

如果你不知道出處（或者如果你不想說出來），就簡單地說“有人說”或者“我從某處讀到”。這樣你就說明了出自某處而不會試圖讓它看起來像你自己的。

公共領域的例子通常不需要確認其出處。

6.不要對相同的聽眾，重複使用相同的例子

如果你重複使用同一例子，你可能會使聽眾覺得厭煩。

7.不要讓你的例子蓋過它所要說明的重點

一定要使每個例子都服務於真理，而不是蓋過真理。真理的闡釋和應用是我們講道的焦點—也就是聖靈能夠用來改變生命的東西。我們是傳道人，這是首要的，而不是講故事的人。

你想要人們通過例子來記住真理。他們一定會記住例子，但是要確保他們也記住了例子要說明的真理。

8.不要因為是一個好例子，就歪曲這個例子使其適合你的講道

好例子強而有力，傳道人往往想使用它們，而這容易造成不正確和不恰當的使用。改動一個普遍的例子（比如那個小男孩的故事）來適應一個故事是一回事；但是不應該扭曲例子使其適合你的講道。

9.學習如何更好地使用例子

這是一個學習的藝術。觀察聽眾的反應來看它是否有效。

10.有策略地放置你的例子使其有最大的影響

最有策略的放置是在開始或者結尾—在開始，是為了吸引注意力；在最後，是為了使要點清晰，讓聽眾記住。

11.保持例子簡短

例子長了容易分散你想要說明的東西。使用長例子必須一次(一旦你開始就停不了，沒有第二次機會)就使用對，並且要達到預期的效果，否則你就會失去聽眾，看起來很糟糕，而且浪費了寶貴的時間。

而另一方面，如果一個短例子沒有達到你想要的影響，你可以繼續進行而不會感到尷尬或者浪費時間。而且簡短的例子容易被記住，也容易脫稿而講。脫稿而講的例子最有影響力。

12.確保你的例子在細節和作者資訊上準確

如果你做不到準確，就不可靠。歷史資料必須準確。文學引用(如詩歌)必須準確。統計資料必須準確。

13.確保你的例子適合你的聽眾

要考慮文化問題比如修辭、社會實踐、歷史關聯、幽默等。當你面對與自己文化不同的聽眾講道時（例如在國外），這一點非常重要。

通用的例子必須與生活經歷、自然、歷史等等此類的事情有關聯。

14.不要使用太多的例子

如果你的講道充滿了例子，聽眾會厭煩並且會認為你沒有好好準備。最多對每個主要觀點舉例說明通常就足夠了。

15.不要使用不可靠的例子

檢驗每一個例子；“看它是否可信…是否有邏輯…是否現實？”如果不是，不要使用它（哪怕它是真實的），否則你毀了你的信譽。

16.使用幽默要小心

幽默只有在自然的情況下才應該使用—比如不要開玩笑！如果一個例子或者經歷很有趣而且適合你講道的主題，那麼可以使用它。這和開玩笑不同，開玩笑是虛構的場景。記住，有趣但聽眾卻不覺得有趣的事情，只會影響你資訊的效果，所以要小心。不要使用任何可能被認為不得體或不合適的幽默(比如任何可能被認為是種族歧視的言論)。

17.不要重複提到你自己

人們通常熱愛他們的牧師，這已經足夠了。他們想知道的不僅僅是發生在你生活中的事情（比如你小的時候，長大之後以及發生在以前教會的事情等等）。我建議你不要提及你以前的教會。如果你談到，你的聽眾會很自然地認為你以後也會在別人面前談論他們。這樣做既不專業、也不必要、不恰當。

18.不要過於生動

我們在這裡是要將注意力吸引到神和他的真理，而不是生動的例子。通常，太過繪聲繪色的語言或者例子讓聽眾厭煩。

19.不要使用陳舊的例子

不要使用每個傳道人都用的例子。要原創的。這需要努力和研究，但卻是值得的。

20.確保你的例子說明重點。

有的時候你聽一個傳道人舉例子，會想“這和主題有什麼關聯？”就像幽默一樣，一個例子也必須使人能直觀地明白它的意思，以及它是如何說明你試圖闡明的觀點並與之相聯繫的。

Part II.能帶來改變的領導

“一個基督徒領袖的側面”

一個基督徒領袖看起來該是什麼樣的？從個人、性格、能力、態度、生活方式以及屬靈等方面，他是怎樣一個人？顯然，提前3:1-7以及提多1:5-9給出了成為教會領袖屬靈方面應具備的最基本要求。但是在我看來，這僅僅是最基本的要求。這並不是一個包含所有的列表，如果一個人滿足了，就一定有資格成為教會領袖。我並不認為保羅希望我們把這當做一個清單來用，而不考慮其他的標準和要求。這個列表沒有提到品格方面，比如謙卑、勇氣或者智慧，而這些也是作為一個教會領袖需具備的重要方面；這裡也沒有提到領導才能(羅 12:8)，然而一個領袖必須有這方面的屬靈恩賜。

所以，你認為還有哪些方面的品格或者個性是一個教會領袖應該具備的？我認為，除了保羅在提前3章提到的標準，在聖經其他經文中也包含了一些作為教會領袖不可缺少的、必須具備的品格和個性。我認為可以將他們分為三類以便於理解：

A.那些看不到的特徵，使他們能夠一貫地做出好的決定。

B.那些個性特點，能夠影響他們所領導的那些人去跟隨和服從。

C.那些促使領袖取得成就的“成功”特性，比如自律、堅韌、忍耐。

A.品格特點

這些特點使領袖能夠一貫地做出好的決定。我的列表中，排在前面的五個是：智慧、正直、謙卑、勇氣和異象。

1.智慧

智慧排在最前面，就像一把大傘一樣，其他所有的都包含在它裡面。那麼“什麼是智慧？”這是我的公式：智慧=知識+經驗+成熟

a)知識。知識是我們對事實、真理、原則等的認識。知識與學習相關。特殊知識來自於我們對特定領域的專業知識和學習，無論是學術上的還是在工作中的

b)經驗。沒有經驗便不會有智慧。畢竟，智慧是在生活經歷中得到和學習的。在生活這所學校中所經歷的挫折，使你更有智慧。

雖然經驗意味著年齡，但有些人比其他人更快地獲得經驗，這是由於他們接觸到的生活經歷，並樂於從這些經歷中學習，無論是在家裡、學校、工作還是社會中

你可能會說，經驗是我們把知識運用到實踐中，就像學徒階段一樣。那麼說到底，難道整個的生活在一定程度上不就像做學徒一樣嗎？

c)成熟。使徒保羅說：“在完全（成熟）的人中，我們也講智慧”（哥前2:6）.那麼什麼是成熟？成熟是一種很難定義的東西，但是當你看到的時候你會知道。

成熟是行事為人像成年人而不是孩子—例如當你不能按自己的意志行事或者事情出現差錯時，不亂發脾氣。控制你的情緒。

身體上的成熟很容易辨認，自然發生而不需要我們做任何事。我們只是簡單地成長到一定階段就停止生長，看起來像成年人。

情感和心理上的成熟，不同的人發生在不同時間。有些上了年紀的人從未成熟。六七十歲的時候，他們可能在行為、反應、態度或者言語方面仍然不成熟，而有些更年輕的人可能在這些方面已相當成熟。

成熟與自製、選擇以及我們如何表達我們的情緒有關。這是對我們是誰以及和他人之間關係的意識。

成熟關係到為了長期的獲得而忍受短期的痛苦。不成熟的人不會如此看待，他們希望自己想要的立刻得到滿足。

成熟是使你的話如同契約一般，一致、可靠。

可悲的是，智慧是當今教會領袖相當缺乏的一個特質。而這卻是我們教會領導中迫切需要的。注意以下幾點：

• 所羅門沒有像上帝求財富，而求智慧（王上3:9）
• 耶穌“漸漸長大，強健起來，充滿智慧”（路2:40）…和“智慧和身量…都一齊增長”（2:52）
• 使徒行轉6章中的領袖“七個有好名聲、被聖靈充滿、智慧充足的人”（徒6:3）
• 使徒保羅禱告“…願你們在一切屬靈的智慧悟性上，滿心知道神的旨意”（西1:9）。
• 談到基督，保羅說，“所積蓄的一切智慧知識，都在他裡面藏著”（西2:3）
• 我們也被勸導“你們要愛惜光陰，用智慧與外人交往”（西4:5）

智慧人通常會諮詢別人，自我評估以及反思。智慧的人歡迎富有挑戰性的對話，這能激發他們的思考和觀點。智慧的人不喜歡唯唯諾諾的人在身邊，而是喜歡主動、獨立思考的人

2.正直

什麼是正直？正直有時被定義為遵守道德和倫理原則。正直表現在…

a)沒有偏見。這意味著做決定從不為了取悅於人，而是取悅於神（弗6:6-7;西3:22-23）。做對的事，不論代價如何。這意味著永遠不要陷入利益衝突。這意味著無論涉及到誰，都不要偏袒某個人。這可能意味著拒絕某人的善意，使你不虧欠人情。

b)透明。坦率。不要有隱藏的目的，不論結果如何。這並不代表你要把所有你知道的都說出來（智慧和保密可能會互相制約），但是這確實意味著不要虛假，做真實的自己。

c)正義。處事正直。

d)真誠。不要欺騙。不要有不可告人的動機。不要虛偽。不要裝模作樣。

e)誠實。真實，坦率。沒有欺騙和詭詐。

f)可信。為人處事使人們可以相信或者信任你。

g)道德純潔。這是正直的一部分。“你要謹慎自己”（提前4:16）.為什麼？因為除非你在自己的生活中正直且道德純潔，否則你無法把別人引向信仰，教導別人真理，帶領神的子民敬拜或者為別人代求。

一個基督徒領袖必須正直。你的整個生活必須是一個整體—沒有缺口，沒有不一致，而是一個統一的整體。

3.謙卑

什麼是謙卑？謙卑是…

a)謙和。謙和是“不要看你自己過於所當看的”（羅12:3）—例如不傲慢。謙和是“看別人比自己強”（腓2:3）。謙和是“他必興旺，我必衰微”（約3:30）的態度。謙和是“我原是使徒中最小的，不配稱為使徒”（哥前15:9；弗3:8；提前1:15）.

b)犯錯的可能性。這是指知道並承認你自己不知道每一件事情。你可能也能夠犯錯誤。你沒有所有問題的答案。

c)溫柔。不要為了達到自己的目的，而欺壓別人。

d)服務。不是成為期待別人奉承的名人，而是服事別人的人

e)自覺。願意瞭解自己的弱點和長處。

謙卑是驕傲的反義詞。在事工中容易變得驕傲，尤其當你的事工取得一些世俗意義上成功的時候（比如教會會眾增加或者一間新教會建成）。講道尤其容易產生驕傲。人們對你講道的肯定會沖昏你的頭腦。

當我們開始把這些和自己聯繫起來（我們該得的、我們做得好）的時候，我們就陷入了麻煩。記住“神抵擋驕傲的人，賜恩給謙卑的人”（雅4:6；彼前5:5）。“所以你們要自卑，服在神大能的手下，到了時候，他必叫你們升高”（彼前5:6）。到了時候，他必升高你，而不是你自己。

4.勇氣

什麼是勇氣？勇氣不是公然的放肆，不是魯莽，不是說話生硬，不留情面。勇氣是不論別人的看法如何，都做對的事情，不顧反對、後果、批評、失敗或挫折。勇氣是對正確行動方式的確信並付諸實行。勇氣是堅持真理。勇氣是，相信在神的幫助下，我們能夠做成。

注意：“神賜給我們不是膽怯的心…”（提後1:7）。馬丁.路德，在他到Worms去面對（針對他教導的）審問的路上，說：“你可以期待從我這裡得到一切，除了恐懼和懺悔。我不會逃跑，更不會退縮。”這就是勇氣。

做基督徒領導不容易，需要勇氣。

做艱難的決定，需要勇氣—不論後果如何，做對的事情。

倚靠神而做出清楚的、好的決定是一個屬靈領袖的標誌，比如…

• 所多瑪事件中的亞伯拉罕以及對羅得的拯救（創14:14f.）
• 摩西，當他決定放棄埃及的享樂和權力的時候（來11:23-28）
• 風暴中的保羅（徒27）

每一次當你面對一個十字路口的抉擇時，你要麼成為勇氣的榜樣，要麼成為懦弱的榜樣。

處理困難的情況，需要勇氣—去面對阻礙、攻擊、批評以及反對（從人來的，從撒旦來的等等）。當你這一周中遭受了嚴厲的批評時，講道需要勇氣（參照耶1:17-19）。批評是打倒你的最大敵人之一。它會放大你的不安全感，把你的目光從手邊的任務轉移到自己身上，耗盡你的能量和熱情，使你自我防衛，孤立你。

這就是為什麼我認為負面的、破壞性的批評（論斷），是撒旦的一個工具。我相信聖經裡面講到的責備、勸戒以及指出（提後4:2），但是破壞性的批評在神的教會中沒有立足之地。批評通常是負面的、破壞性的—關於人們喜歡什麼而不喜歡什麼，並非關於什麼榮耀神或者對神的子民有益。批評會歪曲你對你的事工和你所服事的人的看法。

在屬靈低落期，需要勇氣來堅持—當沮喪來臨時，當你認為自己是個失敗者的時候，當你努力工作但好像並沒有人聽或者回應時，要堅持。

記住：神三次告訴約書亞要剛強，大大壯膽。為什麼？因為他知道約書亞將要面對的試探和考驗可能會使他灰心喪氣，在試探中他可能會走捷徑。

5.異象

什麼是異象？異象不是一個胡思亂想的幻想世界；不是你自己的願望。異像是…

a)能夠看到什麼是可能的。

b) “看見那不能看見的主”，像摩西一樣（來11:27），以及先祖，雖然他們沒有得著所應許的，卻從遠處望見(來 11:13)。

c)設立現實可行的目標和方向

d)樂觀的態度：“我靠著那加給我力量的，凡事都能作”（腓4:13）—比如我能夠也願意去做的事情，我靠著基督加給我的力量來做。

B.個性特點

說到個性，我指的是那些個人特質，能夠影響到你所領導的那些人。這是能夠激勵別人去跟隨或者聽從你的能力。這有的時候也被稱為“人格的力量”。你要麼有，要麼沒有，但是卻學不到。它是一種魅力—不是偽裝或者表面的，而是真實的、內在的。

C.成功特質

成功特質是指那些能夠促使一個領導者取得成就的特點。這些特點包含，比如自製、堅毅、忍耐。哪怕失望，繼續堅持，因為你看到前面的目標。鼓勵你團隊的人堅持。這來自於要改變你生活的內在動力。這關係到你的動機。

結論

這五點品格決定了一個領袖是否能夠一貫地做出好的決定，強有力地影響他所領導的人以及驅使他完成目標。

Part III.講道大綱

如果想聽關於這些的英文講道，請點選連結: Link 1 - 約 20:19-21; Link 2 - 約 20:21-23; Link 3 - 約 20:24-31

題目: 我看到了耶穌

主題: 復活的震撼和現實

要點 #3:耶穌的復活使恐懼變成勇氣(19-23)

(要點1和2請看2019冬季版)

1. 耶穌的復活減輕了我們的恐懼(19-20)

a) 他說的話減輕了我們的恐懼 (19)

b) 他所做的減輕了我們的恐懼 (20)

2. 耶穌的復活激發了我們的勇氣(21-23)

a) 他激發了我們的勇氣去繼續從事他的工作 (21)

b)他激發了我們的勇氣去帶著權柄講論 (22-23)

要點#4: 耶穌的復活使不信成為信 (24-29)

1.不信不能被二手的見證說服(24-25a)

2.不信需要具體的證據(25b-28)

a) 耶穌說的話是具體的證據 (26)

b) 耶穌所做的是具體的證據 (27a)

3. 具體的證據需要結論 (27b-29)

a)信心的表達證實了信(28)

b) 從耶穌而來的極大的祝福尊貴了信心(29)

i) 看見而信是好的 (29a)

ii) 沒有看見就信的更好 (29b)

結論 (30-31)