Do You Share the Good News

Background Passage: Matthew 28:1-20

Lesson Passage: Matthew 28:1-10; 16-20

The bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is the lynchpin of the redemptive message; that is, this occurrence holds everything else together. The incarnation, the virgin conception, the miraculous works of Jesus, the demonic exorcisms, the matchless preaching, the impeccable adherence to the Mosaic Law, and the awful crucifixion; all of these things lead to the empty tomb. The resurrection validates and authenticates all of these events. They meet their fulfillment and meaning in the empty tomb. The whole gospel turns on this claim that Jesus rose from the dead. Disprove the resurrection, and Christianity crumbles to rubble. All four Gospels affirm it. The preaching of the apostles, in Acts, focused on it. The resurrection underpins the letters of Paul, and the General Epistles reflect the same emphasis. The glorious' resurrected Christ appears consistently in the Revelation. Early Christians risked and often sacrificed their lives because they would not deny the resurrection. Primitive Christianity spread across the Mediterranean like wide fire, in large measure, because of the message of the resurrection. For centuries, Christians of every stripe have affirmed their belief that Jesus rose from the dead. The resurrection is the central claim of the Christian message.

If the previous paragraph has any merit, a thoughtful person must ask about the sources of our information about the resurrection. How does a contemporary inquirer discover reliable information about the claims of Christianity? Well, one, of course, must begin with the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. All of these sources appear to have relied on eyewitness accounts of the resurrection; nevertheless, all of these records differ in some of the details of the story. New Testament scholars have made valiant efforts to "harmonize" the accounts, but, it seems, an honest assessment demands that all of the problems cannot be resolved. However, in this author's judgment, this divergence may actually lend a stamp of authenticity to the Gospel records. If, as some have suggested, the early church sought to manufacture a resurrection narrative, would they have allowed these nuances in the "story" to continue? It seems reasonable that collusion would have produced a seamless, predictable, robotic story. Instead, honest readers find, in the New Testament record, eyewitness accounts that emphasize different aspects of the story. The nuance and texture of the varying accounts, in my judgment, actually lend credibility to the truthfulness of the testimony of the witnesses. Gleason Archer concluded, "A careful examination of the these four records in comparison to one another demonstrates that they are in no way contradictory."

Don't miss this central point; all of the Gospels unequivocally agree that something remarkable happened on the Sunday morning after the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, and this noteworthy occurrence transformed the lives of those who observed it. Jesus' followers found the tomb empty. The Lord's enemies could not produce a body. The notion that Jesus merely swooned in the cross is impossible to believe. .. -->[if !supportEmptyParas]-->The men who killed Jesus were professional executioners, and they did their job with terrifying efficiency and competence. Moreover, since the first resurrection Sunday, the message of the cross and the resurrection has changed the lives of millions; indeed, innumerable multitudes of people will gather willingly and joyfully, this day, to affirm their convictions in the transforming power of the resurrection of Jesus.

Outline of the Background Passage:

1. The Angel's Appearance to the Women (20:1-8)

A. The time of the appearance (v.1):Matthew pinpointed dawn as the time of the arrival of the women at the tomb. Mark also described a time, early in the morning, but he said the women came to the tomb, after the sun had risen. John claims that Mary Magdalene came to the tomb while it was still dark. Perhaps these variances reflect the time it took for the women to walk from their residence (while it was still dark) to the tomb (when the sun had risen); or, perhaps Magdalene arrived at the tomb shortly before the other women.

B. The women at the tomb (v. 1b): Matthew identified Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" (probably a reference to Mary the mother of James in Mark 16:1). Mark also mentions Salome, mother of James and John, wife of Zebedee, perhaps the sister of the Virgin Mary, and perhaps the aunt of Jesus. Luke suggested that a woman named Joanna (and others) also accompanied these women to the tomb.

C. The earthquake and the angel (vv. 2-8): Matthew mentions a great earthquake in connection with the appearance of an angel. The other accounts simply observe that the stone was rolled away from the door of the tomb when the women arrived. Luke described the appearance of two angels, while Matthew and Mark identified only one. The presence of the angels struck the guards with great fear, but the women's fears were calmed by the assurance of the angel that Jesus had risen from the dead. The angel gave the women instructions to immediately report the resurrection to the disciples, and the Lord would meet them in Galilee. The Gospel of Mark singled out Peter as a special recipient of the good news (Mark 16:7).

2. The Women Met the Risen Lord (28:9-10)

A. Matthew provided a general overview of the next sequence of events. The women, as they made haste to tell the disciples, met the Lord near the tomb. John's Gospel reports that Mary Magdalene found Peter and John, and she gave them the news that Jesus and been raised from the dead (John 20:2-10). Despite the message of the angel, Magdalene apparently still had some confusion about the situation. Again, John gives valuable insight into a special encounter this faithful woman had with the Jesus (John 20:11-18).

B. The Lord's encounter with the women (9-10): Jesus greeted the women with a common salutation, and they immediately recognized him. They fell at his feet and worshipped him. He calmed them, and rehearsed the instructions of the angel for the disciples to meet in Galilee (v. 10).

3. The Bribery of the Guards (28:11-15)

A. Some of the guards went immediately to the chief priests to report the resurrection. Matthew seems to indicate that all of the guards did not participate in the ensuing deception, only "some" did.

B. The conspiracy of the Sanhedrin (vv. 12-14): The governing body of the Jews met with the guards and bribed them to concoct a lie about the resurrection. According to the ruling counsel, the guards were to report that Jesus' disciples had stolen the body during the night. This story, of course, would have boggled the mind of any listener. How could a band of terrified fishermen overpower a group of professional soldiers and steal the body of Jesus? Nevertheless, the Sanhedrin offered the guards money to tell the lie.

C. The compliance of the guards (v. 15): With the offer of the money and assurances from the Sanhedrin that they would not be punished, the guards accepted the bribe.

4. The Lord's Appointment with the Disciples (28:16-20)

A. The place of the meeting (v. 16): Apparently the disciples knew where to meet Jesus. Perhaps the Lord, before the crucifixion, had indicated a certain mountain where he would meet them. Maybe the women gave instructions when they reported the resurrection to the Eleven. The Scriptures do not tell us how these men understood where to go, but it seems obvious that they knew the precise location.

B. The worship of the Eleven (v. 17): The weakness of men resonates in this verse. Even in the face of the resurrected Lord, some of the disciples remained doubtful and perplexed. The Gospel of John indicated that one disciple, Thomas, particularly struggled with the Lord's resurrection (See John 20:19-25). Poor, sinful creatures we, even in our day, so often offer the best of our worship mingled with nagging fears and doubts. Patient is the Lord with his poor, weak people.

5. A Final Commission (20:18-20)

A. The authority of the commission (v. 18): Jesus claimed that all authority had been given to him. This power came to him, one would assume, from the Father. Of course, much of this authority Jesus exercised during his earthly ministry; however, this text seems to indicate that the crucifixion and resurrection had brought a greater fullness to the authority of the Son (William Hendriksen has a helpful discussion of this in his commentary on Matthew). On this authority, Christ gave this commission to his disciples.

B. The nature of the commission (vv. 18-19):

1. "Go": This word translated a participle in the original language. It might be translated "as you are going." However, the participle may take the form of an imperative and have the force of a command. Whatever the case, Jesus implied that his disciples would leave the comforts of home and carry the gospel message to the world.

2. "make disciples": The disciples were not to content themselves with mere mental assent to and nominal compliance with historical content of the gospel; rather, they must, the Master asserted, call followers to radical discipleship. These converts must give evidence of a radical reordering of life by following the Savior. Therefore, we must never confuse the contemporary concept of "follow-up" with the revolutionary demands of the gospel.

3. "of all the nations": The scope of the gospel, according to the authoritative proclamation of Jesus, extends to the nations of the earth. The "going" includes a world-wide vision of evangelism.

4. "Baptizing… teaching": These methods remain valid for today. Baptism identifies the believer with Christ and proclaims to the world that the new disciple has died his old life and now lives anew, unto Christ. Furthermore, it denotes the identification of the believer to other Christians within the context of the church. These new converts must receive teaching as well. Note that Jesus commanded his disciples to teach believers "all things that I have commanded you." Discipleship, therefore, involves training in the ways of the Lord.

5. "I am with you always…": Jesus completed this commission by giving his disciples a profound encouragement. They would not be left to their own devices to carry out this commission. The Lord promised that he would be present with them in the vital task of disciple-making. This promise draws attention to the Lord's promises in the great discourse in John Fourteen through Sixteen. The Lord pledged that he would not leave his followers as orphans; instead, he would send another Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

Questions for Discussion :

1. What role did the story of the resurrection play in the faith and preaching of the early church? Perhaps, in preparation for the class discussion, the teacher might read some of the sermons in the Book of Acts. Note the prominence of the resurrection theme in the preaching of the apostles.
2. At what points do the Gospel accounts of the resurrection agree? Do the accounts seem "contradictory" to you? Can honest readers reconcile the variances in the accounts? (See Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-49; and John 20:1-31)
3. Discuss the implications of Christ's demands for discipleship. How do they relate to your life and experience?
4. How can you and your Sunday School class help fulfill the Great Commission?

Famous Theologians Who Affirm a Future for Israel

by Michael J. Vlach, Ph.D.

The purpose of this document is to provide quotations from famous theologians who have affirmed some form of a future for the Jews or national Israel. We have also included statements from historians who have made comments about how theologians of a particular era or group viewed Israel's future. (Please note that we are not asserting that all these men believe the same thing about Israel.)

Thomas Aquinas
"It is possible to designate a terminus, because it seems that the blindness of the Jews will endure until all the pagans chosen for salvation have accepted the faith. And this is in accord with what Paul says below about the salvation of the Jews, namely, that after the conversion of the pagans, all Israel will be saved. 'All' here does not mean each individual; rather, 'all' Jews will be saved in a general sense."

Thomas Aquinas, "Super Epistolam Ad Romanos"; II.2, available from http://www.tacalumni.org/Aquinas/TOMA_075.txt; Internet. Translation by John Y. B. Hood.

John Calvin
"Paul quotes this passage, (Rom. xi. 26,) in order to shew that there is still some remaining hope among the Jews; although from their unconquerable obstinacy it might be inferred that they were altogether cast off and doomed to eternal death. But because God is continually mindful of his covenant, and "his gifts and calling are without repentance," (Rom. xi. 29,) Paul justly concludes that it is impossible that there shall not at length be some remnant that come to Christ, and obtain that salvation which he has procured. Thus the Jews must at length be collected along with the Gentiles that out of both "there may be one fold" under Christ. (John x. 16). . . . Hence we have said that Paul infers that he [Christ] could not be the redeemer of the world, without belonging to some Jews, whose fathers he had chosen, and to whom this promise was directly addressed."

John Calvin, "Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah," Calvin's Commentaries, vol. 8, 269.

" When the Gentiles shall come in, the Jews also shall return from their defection to the obedience of faith; and thus shall be completed the salvation, . . . which must be gathered from both; and yet in such a way that the Jews shall obtain the first place, being as it were the first born in God's family, as Jews are the first born, what the prophet declares must be fulfilled, especially in them; . . . it is to be ascribed to the preeminence of that nation, who God had preferred to all other nations....God distinctly claims for Himself a certain seed, so that His redemption may be effectual in His elect and peculiar nation....God was not unmindful of the covenant which He had made with their fathers, and by which he testified that according to his eternal purpose He loved that nation; and this he confirms by this remarkable declaration, - that the grace of divine calling cannot be made void."

"Epistle to the Romans," Calvin's Commentaries, vol. 19, 434-40.

English Puritans
Iain H. Murray states:
"From the first quarter of the seventeenth century, belief in a future conversion of the Jews became commonplace among the English Puritans."

Iain H. Murray, The Puritan Hope: Revival and the Interpretation of Prophecy (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1971), 42.

William Perkins
"The Lord saith, All the nations shall be blessed in Abraham: Hence I gather that the nation of the Jews shall be called, and converted to the participation of this blessing: when, and how, God knows: but that it shall be done before the end of the world we know."

Quote taken from Iain H. Murray, The Puritan Hope, 42.

Dutch Theologians of the 17th Century
J. Van Den Berg points out that many Dutch Reformed theologians of the seventeenth century believed in a future salvation of the Jews or restoration of the Jewish nation:

". . . for virtually all Dutch theologians of the seventeenth century, 'the whole of Israel' indicated the fullness of the people of Israel 'according to the flesh': in other words, the fullness of the Jewish people. This meant that there was a basis for an expectation of a future conversion of the Jews-an expectation which was shared by a large majority of Dutch theologians."

J. Van Den Berg, "Eschatological Expectations Concerning the Conversion of the Jews in the Netherlands During the Seventeenth Century," Puritan Eschatology: 1600 To 1660, ed. Peter Toon (Cambridge: James Clarke, 1970), 140.

Reformed Theology in the 17-19th Centuries
Willem VanGemeren writes:
"Instead of a fixed position on Israel, Reformed theology shows a remarkable 'fluidity' on the future of Israel in the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries."

Willem VanGemeren, "Israel as the Hermeneutical Crux in the Interpretation of Prophecy (II), Westminster Theological Journal, vol. 46, #2, Fall 1984, p. 255

VanGemeren writes:
". . . the seventeenth century witnessed a dynamic interest in the Jews on the part of Continental and British Reformed theologians who hoped for a large-scale conversion of the Jews and, in some cases, for a restoration of the Jews to Palestine before or after their conversion. . . ."

VanGemeren, 257

VanGemeren writes:
"Theologians as early as Voetius (1609-1676) fervently hoped for the conversion of the Jews. He believed that the Reformed community must deal responsibly with the Jews by giving itself to prayer, godliness, sound interpretation of the OT Scriptures, and sympathy towards the Jews."

VanGemeren, 255.

Specific theologians who held to a future restoration of Israel according to Van Den Berg include: Gisbertus Voetius (1589-1676), Johannes Hoornbeek (1617-1666), Andreas Essenius (1618-1677), Jacobus Koelman (1633-1695), and Johannes Coccejus (1603-1669), and Herman Witsius (1636-1708).

Van Den Berg, 141-48.

Jonathan Edwards
"Nothing is more certainly foretold than this national conversion of the Jews in Romans 11."

Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 1, Banner of Truth Trust, reprint, 1976, 607.

Charles Hodge
"The second great event, which, according to the common faith or the Church, is to precede the second advent of Christ, is the national conversion of the Jews. . . . That there is to be such a national conversion may be argued. . . from the original call and destination of that people.
As the rejection of the Jews was not total, so neither is it final. First, God did not design to cast away his people entirely, but by their rejection, in the first place, to facilitate the progress of the gospel among the Gentiles. and ultimately to make the conversion of the Gentiles the means of converting the Jews. . . . Because if the rejection of the Jews has been a source of blessing, much more will their restoration be the means of good. . . .The restoration of the Jews to the privileges of God's people is included in the ancient predictions and promises made respecting them...
"The future restoration of the Jews is, in itself, a more probable event than the introduction of the Gentiles into the church of God."

Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, vol. 3, James Clark & Co. 1960, 805; A Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, Presb. Board of Pub., 1836, 270-285 passim. Now Published by Banner of Truth Trust.

Charles H. Spurgeon
"I think we do not attach sufficient importance to the restoration of the Jews. We do not think enough of it. But certainly, if there is anything promised in the Bible it is this."

From first volume of Sermons, 1855, as cited in Iain Murray, The Puritan Hope, 256.

"The day shall yet come when the Jews, who were the first apostles to the Gentiles, the first missionaries to us who were afar off, shall be gathered in again. . . . Matchless benefits to the world are bound up with the restoration of Israel; their gathering in shall be as life from the dead."

Cited in Murray, 256.

C. E. B. Cranfield
"It is only where the Church persists in refusing to learn this message, where it secretly-perhaps quite unconsciously-believes that its own existence is based on human achievement, and so fails to understand God's mercy to itself, that it is unable to believe in God's mercy for still unbelieving Israel, and so entertains the ugly and unscriptural notion that God has cast off His people Israel and simply replaced it by the Christian Church. These three chapters [Rom. 9-11] emphatically forbid us to speak of the Church as having once and for all taken the place of the Jewish people."

C.E.B. Cranfield, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, in The International Critical Commentary, vol. 2 (Edinburgh: T & T Clark Limited, 1979) 448.

George E. Ladd
"The New Testament clearly affirms the salvation of literal Israel."

George Ladd, "Historic Premillennialism," in The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views, ed. Robert G. Clouse (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1977), 28.

Karl Rahner
". . . the unfinished role of Israel in salvation history is also recognized (cf. Rom. 9-11)."

Karl Rahner, Foundations of Christian Faith: An Introduction to the Idea of Christianity. Trans. William V. Dych (New York: Seabury Press, 1978), 338.

Jürgen Moltmann
"There can be no question of God's having finally rejected the people of his choice-he would then have to reject his own election (11.29). . . . Israel's promises remain Israel's promises. They have not been transferred to the church. Nor does the church push Israel out of its place in the divine history. In the perspective of the gospel, Israel has by no means become 'like all the nations.'"

Jürgen Moltmann, The Way of Jesus Christ: Christology in Messianic Dimensions. Trans. Margaret Kohl (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1990), 35.

"At the same time this early Jewish-Christian hope for the revival of the nation of the twelve tribes binds Jesus into a unity with his people which Gentile Christians must not destroy."

Moltmann, 148.

Herman Ridderbos
"There is therefore no contradiction between the definition of the essence of the New Testament church as the people of God and holding to Israel as the object of God's irrevocable gift of grace and calling."

Herman Ridderbos, Paul: An Outline of His Theology, trans. John Richard De Witt. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975), 360.

John Murray
"If we keep in mind the theme of this chapter [ Rom. 11] and the sustained emphasis on the restoration of Israel, there is no other alternative than to conclude that the proposition, 'all Israel shall be saved' is to be interpreted in terms of the fullness, the receiving, the in-grafting of Israel as a people, the restoration of Israel to gospel favour and blessing and the correlative turning of Israel from unbelief to faith and repentance. . . . In a word, it is the salvation of the mass of Israel that the apostle [Paul] affirms."

John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 99.

Millard Erickson
"There is, however, a future for national Israel. They are still the special people of God."

Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, 2d ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999), 1053.

Wayne Grudem
"I affirm the conviction that Rom. 9-11 teaches a future large-scale conversion of the Jewish people."

Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 861.

Determining Context

Determining Context

“Neglect of context is a common cause of erroneous interpretation.”

–A Berkeley Mickelsen

I. What is Context? Here are some definitions:

A. “That which surrounds and gives meaning to something else.”

B. “The part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.” (www.dictionary.com)

C. “Context refers to that which goes before and that which follows after.” (Howard Hendricks, Living By The Book, 225).

D. “When we speak of the context, we are talking about the connection of thought that runs through a passage, those links that weave it into one piece (Walter C. Kaiser, Toward An Exegetical Theology, 71.)

II. Importance of Context

A. It is foundational for proper interpretation Paying proper heed to the issue of context may be the single most important principle for correctly interpreting the Bible or understanding any form of communication, including the Bible.

“The first responsibility of every interpreter is to note carefully what precedes and what follows any verse or passage which he is interpreting.” (Mickelsen, 102).

“Good exegetical procedure dictates that the details be viewed in light of the total context. Unless the exegete knows where the thought of the text begins and how that pattern develops, all the intricate details may be of little or no worth. This ability—the ability to state what each section of a book is about and how the paragraphs in each section contribute to that argument—is one of the most critical steps. If the exegete falters here, much of what follows will be wasted time and effort” (Kaiser, 69).

B. Ignoring it leads to wrongs interpretations Whenever a faulty interpretation of the Bible occurs, it is usually because a passage was taken out of its context. “Every major cult is built on a violation of the principle of context.” (Hendricks, 226).

1. Ex. Ezekiel 37:16-17 Mormonism teaches that the joining of two sticks in this passage refers to the joining of the Bible with the Book of Mormon. But the context of the Book of Ezekiel clearly indicates that what will be joined some day are the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Verse 22 states, “And I will make them one nation in the land.” The true meaning is that Judah and Israel will once again be reunited into one nation when God brings His people into their land.

2. Ex. John 14:14 The Prosperity Gospel movement likes to quote John 14:14: “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” Those who teach this claims that we can ask for anything we desire such as money, cars, houses, etc. as long as we tack “in Jesus’ name” at the end of our prayers. They do not stress, though, that to pray in Jesus’ name means to pray according to what Jesus desires not what we selfishly crave. Plus, other texts reveal that answered prayer is based upon praying according to God’s will (see 1 John 5:14–15), praying with an obedient heart (see 1 John 3:22) and praying with right reasons and motives (see James 4:1–3).

III. Tips for Determining a Book’s Context (note: we will get into more detail concerning studying context in regard to literary and cultural matters in later sections. But here are some basic principles for determining the context of a book.)

A. Read the book of the Bible you are going to study multiple times. The only way to correctly understand the parts of a book is to have an understanding of its purpose and major themes.

B. When reading a book of the Bible try to find out the historical situations facing the author and his readers.

1. Does the book indicate who the author is?

2. Does this book identify who the intended audience is?

3. Does the author of a Bible book state his purpose for writing his book?

a. Ex. John 20:31 “These things have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”

b. Ex. 1 John The apostle John gives four purpose statements in 1 John. He wrote this letter so that his readers may have joy (1:4), may not sin (2:1), may not be deceived (2:26), and may know that they have eternal life (5:13).

c. Ex. Luke 1:1–4 and Acts 1:1 Luke’s purpose in writing was to present an orderly account of the life of Jesus and the beginning of the Christian church.

4. Who are the main characters in the book?

NOTE: A good commentary or Bible Survey book can help with understanding the historical situation of Bible books. Recommended sources for this include Encountering the Old Testament by Bill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Beyer and Encountering the New Testament by Walter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough.

IV. Tips for Determining the Context of a Word or Phrase

A. Keep in mind that words do not have inherent meanings. The meaning of a word is determined by its context. The same word can take on different meanings in different contexts.

1. Ex. World The term “world” (kosmos) can mean: (1) the world of people (John 3:16); (2) the physical planet (John 17:5); or (3) the organized system of evil in opposition to God.

2. Ex. Saved and Salvation Depending on their contexts, these words can refer to (1) Israel’s deliverance from her enemies (Luke 1:71); (2) deliverance from physical danger (Acts 27:20; Matt. 24:13?); deliverance from physical sickness (James 5:15); and deliverance from sin (John 3:17).

3. Ex. Spirit The word “spirit” (pneuma) is used in a variety of ways in the New Testament. It refers to wind (John 3:8), the life breath (Rev. 11:11), the immortal nature of a man (John 6:63), the perfected spirit of a saint in heaven (Hebrews 12:23), demons (Matt. 10:1; Luke 4:36) and the Holy Spirit of God (John 4:24; Matt. 28:19). In John 3:8 the word pneuma is used twice in the same context to refer to natural wind and the Holy Spirit.

B. Examine the paragraph or chapter context “The context of the paragraph or chapter is sometimes helpful in clarifying a word, phrase, or sentence that is not made clear in the sentence in which it is used.” (Zuck, 109).

1. Ex. Temple Jesus, in John 2:19, spoke of destroying “this temple.” What is this temple Jesus was speaking of? Verse 21 explains that the temple was Jesus’ own body.

2. Ex. Fire In Matthew 3:11 John the Baptist states, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Is this a fire of judgment or a fire of zealous commitment to God? Since verses 10 and 12 are speaking of judgment, the reference to “fire” in verse 11 is probably referring to the fires of judgment.

3. Ex. Seeing the Kingdom What did Jesus mean when He said to His disciples, “There are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28). The fulfillment of this promise came in the following chapter with the Transfiguration. Jesus gave Peter, James and John a preview of the kingdom that would be established at Jesus’ second coming.

C. Examine the book context

1. Ex. Sin 1 John 3:6 states, “No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.” Does this passage teach that no Christian will ever commit a sin? No. Verses 8–10 reveal that John is talking about “practicing sin.” Plus, other passages like 1:8, 1:10, and 2:1 clearly state that Christians do sin.

2. Ex. Prophets Ephesians 2:20 mentions that the foundation of the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. But are the “prophets” here Old Testament prophets or New Testament prophets? Since the term “prophets” is used of New Testament prophets in Ephesians 3:5 and 4:11, Paul is probably referring to New Testament prophets in Ephesians 2:20.

D. Examine parallel passages “Parallel passages also serve as helpful contexts for ascertaining the meaning of certain words or sentences. Parallel passages may be verbal parallels, in which the same or similar words, phrases, or sentences occur, or idea parallels, in which the same or similar ideas are expressed but in different words” (Zuck, 110).

1. Ex. Matthew, Mark, and Luke

2. Ex. 1 and 2 Kings—1 and 2 Chronicles

3. Ex. Romans and Galatians

4. Ex. Ephesians and Colossians

5. Daniel and Revelation

6. 2 Peter and Jude

E. Examine the entire Bible’s context Since the Bible is written by a divine author and is unified there can be no passages that contradict other passages. So be careful in adopting an interpretation that is contrary to the meaning of other clear passages. Some, for example, have taken Hebrews 6:4-6 to mean that a true believer can lose his or her salvation. Other passages, though, clearly teach that a Christian cannot lose his or her salvation (see Rom. 8:31-39; Rom. 5:9-10; John 10:28-29; Phil. 1:6; and Heb. 7:25).

No One Born of God Makes a Practice of Sinning

March 9, 2008
By John Piper

1 John 3:1-10

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

The question we will tackle today is how do people who have experienced the miracle of the new birth deal with their own sinfulness as they try to live in the full assurance of their salvation? That is, how do we deal with the conflict between the reality of the new birth, on the one hand, and our ongoing sin, on the other hand? How do you balance the danger of losing assurance of salvation and the danger of being presumptuous that you are born again when you may not be? How can we enjoy the assurance of being born again, and yet not take lightly the sinfulness of our lives that is so out of step with being born again?

John’s first letter, more than any other book in the Bible, seems to be designed to help us in this practical, daily battle. Consider 1 John 5:13: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” This book is written, he says, to help believers have the full assurance that they have been born again—that is, that they have new, spiritual life in them that will never die. John wants you—God wants you—to experience something in this letter that makes you profoundly confident that you have passed from death to life.

First John 3:14 says, “We know that we have passed out of death into life.” Jesus says in John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” So John and Jesus are jealous for us believers to know that judgment is behind us, and death is behind us, because our judgment happened when Jesus was judged in our place, and our death happened when Jesus died in our place. And therefore, new life is in us and this life cannot perish and cannot be taken away. It’s eternal. That’s the assurance John and Jesus want for you. “I write these things to you . . . that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

The Folly of the False Teachers

But something is going on in the churches that John is writing to that concerns him deeply. Whatever it is, it threatens to destroy this assurance. There are false teachers who are saying things that may give the impression of good news and strong assurance, but will have the very opposite effect. In dealing with these false teachers, John shows us how to deal with our own sin in relation to fighting for assurance. What were these false teachers saying?

First, they were saying that the pre-existent Son of God, Jesus Christ, had not come in the flesh. They did not believe in the full union of the pre-existent Son of God with a fleshly human nature like ours. Here is what John says about them in 1 John 4:1-3: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.”

Disconnecting Christ and the Flesh

There is a lot we could go into about this early Christian heresy, but I only want to focus on one thing. These false teachers disconnected Christ and the flesh. See that in verse 2: “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” They did not like the idea of the pre-existent Christ being united with human flesh.

Now here is the reason that’s relevant for our question today. This view of the person of Christ not being united to physical, bodily, flesh evidently had a practical, moral effect on the way these false teachers viewed the Christian life. Just as they disconnected the person of Christ from ordinary physical life, so they disconnected being a Christian from ordinary physical life.

Disconnecting Christians and the Flesh

One of the clearest places to see his is here in our text: 1 John 3:7. John says, “Little children, let no one deceive you [so he has the false teachers in view]. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.” What’s he saying? He is saying beware of the false teachers because what they say is that you can be righteous and not practice righteousness. “Let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous.”

In other words, John opposes not only their view of Christ, that they disconnect his person from his ordinary bodily life of doing things, but he also opposes their view of the Christian life when they disconnected our person from our ordinary bodily life of doing things: “The flesh didn’t really matter for Jesus; what mattered was that somehow, in a spiritual way, he was the Christ and there was no real union of the pre-existent Christ and the physical man Jesus. And our flesh doesn’t really matter either; but somehow, in a spiritual way, we are born again, but there is no real union between that new creation and our physical life that does righteousness or does sin.” Which led directly to the error that John points out in 1 John 3:7, that you can be righteous in some spiritual way, and yet not do righteousness in your ordinary physical life.

Now John has three responses to this false teaching.

Christ’s Incarnation Lasts Forever

First, he insists that the flesh of Jesus and the person of the pre-existent Christ are inseparable. First John 4:2: “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” Notice it does not say “came in the flesh,” as though that union with flesh and bones happened for a while and then stopped. He says “has come in the flesh.”

This incarnation lasts forever. The second person of the Trinity will forever be united with human nature. We will always know him as Jesus, one like us, and infinitely above us—the firstborn among many brothers (Romans 8:29). God did not, and does not, despise the physical creation that he made. He has come in the flesh. And the Son of God remains in the flesh forever. So John’s first response to the false teaching is to set straight their view of Christ. His physical being is not a mirage. It’s not secondary. It’s not unimportant. That he has a body marks and identifies him forever.

Christian Doing Confirms Being

John’s second response to the false teaching is to deny emphatically its teaching that spiritual being can be separated from physical doing. John, in fact, insists that spiritual being must be validated by physical doing, or else the spiritual being is simply not real. That’s what we saw in 1 John 3:7: “Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.” The deceivers were saying: You can be righteous and yet not practice righteousness. John says: The only people who are righteous are the ones who practice righteousness. Doing confirms being.

That is what John says over and over again in this letter. For example, in 1 John 2:29, he says, “If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.” In other words, the doing of righteousness is the evidence and confirmation of being born again.

Not Practicing Sin: Evidence of the New Birth

Or consider 1 John 3:9: “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.” The practice of sin is the evidence and confirmation that one is not born of God. Doing confirms being. Not practicing sin is the evidence and confirmation of being born again.

And the reason the new birth inevitably changes the life of sinning, John says, is that when we are born again, “God’s seed” abides in us, and we “cannot keep on sinning.” That’s how real the connection between the new birth and daily physical life is. The seed may be the Spirit of God or the Word of God or the nature of God—or all three. Whatever it is specifically, God himself is at work in the new birth so powerfully that they cannot keep on practicing sin. God’s seed cannot make peace with a pattern of sinful behavior.

These false teachers who think they can separate who they are spiritually from who they are physically do not understand either the incarnation or regeneration. In the incarnation, the pre-existent Christ is really united with a physical body. And in regeneration, the new creation in Christ has real, inevitable effects on our physical life of obedience.

Rejecting Any Notion of Sinlessness in the Born Again

John’s third response to the false teaching is to reject any notion of sinlessness in born-again people. Evidently, the way this false teaching was working was that, by disconnecting “being righteous” from “doing righteousness” (3:7), they were then able to say, “Well, even if your body does some things that are sinful, that’s not really you. The real you is the born again you; and that real you is so above daily physical life that it’s never defiled by sin.”

So this disconnection that the false teachers made between who you are and what you do had led them, evidently, to say that Christians never really sin. How could they? They’re born of God. They’re new creatures. They have the seed of God in them. So John levels his guns at this error three times. It’s important that you see them.

1) There Are No Sinless Christians.

First John 1:8: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” We! We born-again Christians. In other words, don’t let the deception of these false teachers work its way into your own self-deception. There are no sinless Christians.

2) The Born Again Have an Advocate.

First John 2:1: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” In other words, John does not assume that if you sin, you are not born again. He assumes that if you sin, you have an Advocate, Jesus Christ. And only those who are born again have this Advocate.

3) There Is Sin That Does Not Lead to Death.

First John 5:16-17: “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.”

Notice that last clause: “There is sin that does not lead to death.” This is why you can see your brother committing sin. He is your brother. He is born again. And he is sinning. How can this be? Because there is sin that does not lead to death. I don’t think he has particular kinds of sins in view, but rather degrees of rootedness and habitual persistence. There is a point of confirmed sinning which may take you over the line of no return and you will be like Esau who sought repentance and could not find it (Hebrews 12:16-17).

How Do the Born Again Deal with Their Sin?

Now we come to the question we raised at the beginning: How do people who have experienced the miracle of the new birth deal with their own sinfulness as they try to live in the full assurance of their salvation? My answer is: You deal with it by the way you use John’s teaching. John warns against hypocrisy (claiming to be born again when your life contradicts it), and John celebrates the Advocacy and Propitiation of Christ for sinners.

The question is: How do you use these two truths? How do you use the warning that you might deceive yourself? How do you use the promise, “If we do sin, we have an Advocate”? The evidence of your new birth lies in how these to truths function in your life.

Here’s the way they function if you are born again:

1) Fleeing Presumption, Flying to the Advocate

You are slipping into a lukewarm, careless, presumptuous frame of mind about your own sinfulness. You are starting to coast or be indifferent to whether you are holy or worldly. You are losing your vigilance against bad attitudes and behaviors—and starting to settle in with sinful patterns of behavior.

When the born-again person experiences this, the truth of 1 John 3:9 (“No one born of God makes a practice of sinning”) has the effect, by the Holy Spirit, of awakening him to the danger of his condition so that he flies to his Advocate and his Propitiation for mercy and forgiveness and righteousness. He confesses his sin and receives cleansing (1:9), and his love for Christ is renewed and the sweetness of his relationship is recovered and the hatred of sin is restored and the joy of the Lord again becomes his strength.

2) Fleeing Despair, Flying to the Advocate

You are sinking down in fear and discouragement and even despair that your righteousness, your love for people, and your fight against sin are just not good enough. Your conscience is condemning you, and your own deeds seem so imperfect to you that they could never prove that you are born again.

When the born-again person experiences this, the truth of 1 John 2:1 has the effect, by the Spirit, of rescuing him from despair: “My little children [he wants to be tender with their consciences], I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

John’s warning of hypocrisy calls you back from the precipice of presumption. John’s promise of an Advocate calls you back from the precipice of despair.

The Redemptive Power of God’s Word

New birth enables you to hear Scripture and use Scripture helpfully, redemptively. New birth doesn’t use the promise “We have an Advocate” to justify an attitude of cavalier indifference to sin.

New birth doesn’t’ use the warning “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning” to pour gasoline on the fires of despair. New birth has a spiritual discernment that senses how to use John’s teaching: The new birth is chastened and sobered by the warnings, and the new birth is thrilled and empowered by the promise of an Advocate and a Propitiation.

May the Lord confirm your new birth by both of these responses to the word of God. May he grant you to embrace both the warning and the comfort and put them to proper spiritual use in preserving the full assurance of your salvation

Are You Sure Your Saved?

Great clip!

The Christian Family Under Attack

The Christian Family

The family has come under heavy attack in today's society. On television, father's are often depicted as buffoons. Mothers are typically depicted as career minded and in control. Parents in general are characterized as dim wits who aren't "with it."
In too many families, in order to make ends meet, the mother must work and entrust the care of her children to strangers. Children are independent, arrogant, and disrespectful. Everywhere you look society is offering quick and easy fixes, sexual promiscuity, "safe sex," and promises of freedom without penalty.
Divorce destroys 50% of all marriages.
Gangs are growing.
Sexual molestations by parents of their own children is increasing as are acts of violence.
Amidst all the depressing facts there is a ray of hope: the Bible. God has given us the instruction book for families. He has defined the family, taught us the roles of each of the family members, and has promised to bless those who adhere to His will. Praise God! We need it!

1. What is the Family?
   1. The Family is God's covenant arrangement where two people, male and female, are joined to one flesh, "For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh" (Gen. 2:24). It is a covenant in that it is an agreement, a promise made between the couple getting married. This covenant is before God and is binding until death (or adultery) breaks the union.
   2. The family does not consist of a homosexual or lesbian relationship where the two people of the same sex seek to be married. This is against scripture: "And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ And God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth" (Gen. 1:27-28).
2. Where did the Family begin?
   1. The Family was instituted by God in the Garden of Eden Genesis chapter 1:26-31 and Gen. 2:18-25.
      1. Gen 1:26-31 is the declaration of Man's creation with the command to be fruitful and multiply. Concluding the section is God's declaration that it was very good.
      2. Gen. 2:18-25 is the account of Adam looking for a helper and God then making Eve from Adam's rib and instituting marriage.
3. What is the purpose of the Family?
   1. To multiply and fill the earth -- Gen. 1:28, ". . .Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it. . ."
   2. Marriage
   3. Procreation -- Gen. 1:28
      1. Continuing the covenant -- through procreation, the covenant between Adam and God is continued.
      2. Fulfilling God's command to multiply and fill the earth
      3. Fulfilling God's command to subdue the earth
   4. Sexual union - 1 Cor. 7:3-5
   5. Sexual Fidelity and Purity - Exodus 20:14
4. The Important role of the Family in Society
   1. Building Block of Society.
   2. Place of learning.
   3. Society reflects the family.
5. Scriptures concerning the family
   1. Concerning Husband and Wife
      1. The husband is the head: 1 Cor. 11:3 - But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.
      2. The husband is the leader: Gen. 18:19 -- For I have chosen him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice; in order that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.
      3. Wife is subject to husband: Col. 3:18 -- Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. cf., Eph. 5:22-24
      4. Husband is to love his wife: Eph. 5:25, Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;
      5. Sexual duty: 1 Cor. 7:3 Let the husband fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
      6. Sexual Purity: Exodus 20:14 - You shall not commit adultery.
   2. Concerning Children
      1. Honor: Exodus 20:12 - Honor your father and mother.
      2. Obedience: Eph. 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
      3. Child rearing: Eph. 6:4 - And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
   3. Polygamy
      1. Permitted in the O.T.: Gen. 4:19 - And Lamech took two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah.
      2. Condemned in the N.T.: 1 Tim. 3:2,12; Titus 1:6.
   4. Miscellaneous Scriptures
      1. Prov. 12:4, An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who shames him is as rottenness in his bones
      2. Prov. 14:1, The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.
      3. Prov. 19:13, A foolish son is destruction to his father, And the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping.

The Bible has much to say about the Family. God takes it very seriously. As Christians, we should too. . . especially the fathers.