The Beginning Word (John 1:1-5)

The Beginning Word (John 1:1-5)

Divine Yet Distinct from the Father (John 1:1-2)

The Greek term translated into English “Word” was used by Greek philosophers to mean “reason.” There was a great deal of Greek influence in 1^stcentury Judaism whether they wanted to admit it or not. For one, the Scriptures had been translated from Hebrew into Greek and there were many Hellenistic Jews who imitated the manner, customs and language of Greeks. Even though the term logos (Word) is Greek, the Jewish people would have understood it.

The 1^stcentury Jew identified Wisdom/Word/Law with God, for all three come from God. To the 1^stcentury Jew, Wisdom/Word/Law are Divine; yet, distinct from God the Father; therefore, the Greek term logos (Word) was the best way for the disciple whom Jesus loved to describe Jesus as Divine, yet distinct from the Father, a being Who personifies Wisdom and Law from above.[1]

The author begins the text echoing the words of Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning,” but before saying He created, the author points to the Word of God as being with God at creation; therefore, uncreated, Divine, yet distinct from the Father. By using the term logos (the Word), the disciple whom Jesus loved calls Jesus the embodiment of the Wisdom and Law of God, Divine, yet distinct from the Father.

Then God said (John 1:3)

Jewish teachers taught that God created all things through Law. Is it a coincidence that Genesis chapter 1 declares 10 times in the creation account “Then God said,” and the ten commands are often referred to as the Decalogue? (Decalogue means 10 words.) Jewish teachers would have agreed with v.1:3 that all things were made through the Word (Wisdom/Law) and Greek Platonic philosophers would have agreed that God created the world through His logos (Word).[2]So by using the Greek logos (Word) in a Jewish understanding of creation, the disciple whom Jesus loved was setting up a position in which both Jews and Greeks would agree; that the “Word” Whom he will declare in v.1:14 became flesh is greater than any created thing.[3]

Life and Light (John 1:4)

The Old Testament made promises of long life for those who obeyed the Wisdom/Word/Law of God.[4]In Ex 20:12 and Dt 5:16 the command is given to “Honor your father and your mother” and the promise for obeying the commandment is long life. Then in Dt 8:1 and ll:8-9 Moses states that he is giving the Israelites the commandments that they may live. The Word of God has always been available to man for life. If Adam had listened to God, he would have lived long in the garden. Jewish teachers associated light with God’s Law.[5]“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps.119:105, NASB)

The Light Shines in the Darkness (John 1:5)

The darkness is in opposition to the light, but this could also mean a darkened heart or mind.[6]It has been said that unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. (Jn.3:3) Could it be that sin coming into the world has darkened the minds of men. Sin separates man from God. Genesis chapter 3 ends with man (male and female) being driven out of the garden away from the presence of God. This is spiritual death, and because of this, the entire world became dark in the sense that man can no longer see God. God warned Adam that in the day that he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he would surely die. Did Adam physically die on that day? No, but he and Eve began to physically die, for God told Adam that he would physically die after many years of struggling to live on his own by the sweat of his brow. (Gn.3:17-19) Adam and Eve spiritually died the day that they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for they were driven away from God. Their eyes were darkened for they could no longer see God. The disciple whom Jesus loves declares that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend. Think about this imagery; imagine a person who grew up in a dark cave, wouldn’t they be confused if someone suddenly lit a candle?

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[1]Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, 2^nded. (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2014), 249.

[2]Ibid.

[3]William McDonald, Believers Bible Commentary: A Complete Bible Commentary in One Volume5^thed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1990), 1467.

[4]Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, 2^nded. (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2014), 249.

[5]Ibid.

[6]William McDonald, Believers Bible Commentary: A Complete Bible Commentary in One Volume5^thed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1990), 1467.

The Apologetic of the Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

It is well documented that early Christians suffered for their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. All of the apostles except for John were martyred and it is said that John was arrested at Ephesus and cast into a vessel filled with boiling oil in Rome; after this, banished by the Emperor Domitian to the island of Patmos.[1]Throughout church history John the apostle has been attributed with authoring the fourth canonical gospel. Theophilus of Antioch (A.D. 170) is the first writer known to call John the author. Polycarp, a second-generation Christian sat under the teaching of John the apostle. Irenaeus, a third-generation Christian sat under the teaching of Polycarp[2]who was martyred in Rome A.D. 155.[3]For unknown reasons Irenaeus migrated to Lyons where he died in A.D. 202. Irenaeus was likely martyred for his faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as well.[4]Irenaeus widely quoted the fourth canonical gospel in his writings and attributed authorship to John the apostle; therefore, from Irenaeus on, the fourth canonical gospel has been attributed to John the apostle.[5]There is no reason for me to doubt John’s authorship and I believe that he is the author; however, the author of the fourth canonical was purposely anonymous, for that reason the author will be referred to throughout this writing the way that he referred to himself: “The disciple whom Jesus loved.”

Through the first few chapters of Acts (1-8) and prior to the conversion of Saul/Paul, (Acts 9) Peter and John are running partners. (cf.Jn.20:3-5) Along with the Pauline epistles, Peter and John’s epistles play a great part in New Testament theology. It is in 1 Peter 3:13-22 that Peter talks about Christian’s being prepared to suffer for doing good, and in the midst of this suffering to sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts, always being ready to give a defense for our hope to everyone who asks and do so with gentleness and reverence. (1Pt.3:15) 

It is from this text that an entire branch of Christian philosophy has been developed; however, this branch has become more Greco/Roman than any other branch of Christian study. Peter and John are Jewish Christians; therefore, I find it interesting that the most Greco/Roman branch of Christian thinking came from a text written by a Jewish follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. The branch of Christian philosophy that I am referring to is called apologetics which comes from the Greek word apologia, a Greek term about giving a defense in court.[6]Christ warned his disciples, “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them.” (Mk.13:9, NASB)

It is my belief that the fourth canonical gospel written by the disciple whom Jesus loved is in fact an apologetic; however, not Greco/Roman as apologetics are done today but Jewish; therefore, not recognized as an apologetic writing. The apostle Paul wrote, “For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1Cor.1:22-24, NASB) I believe the fourth canonical gospel is a literarily Jewish apologetic because it is a book of signs about Jesus. (cf.Jn.20:30-31) 

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[1]John Foxe, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs(Alachua: Bridge Logos Foundation, 2001), 1-8.

[2]William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, 4^thed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1463.

[3]Justo L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity Volume I: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, 2^nded. (New York: harper Collins, 2010), 54.

[4]Ibid, 84.

[5]William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, 4^thed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1463.

[6]Francis Beckwith, “Introduction,” in To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview, ed. Frances J. Beckwith, et al. (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2004), 14.

A Look Around the Room

As the teacher spoke, I looked around the room at those in attendance. In this rectangular room were 47 persons, male and female. The subject was something of significance in church governance but had been given little attention in the text of Scripture. Do we look beyond the text to church history for the answer? The subject is one that has become important in a modern western cultural context and had been previously addressed in church history but is not clearly addressed when looking at Scripture alone because the subject was not as important in the biblical cultural context in which the New Testament writers wrote.

The subject of the class discussion is not the subject for which I am writing today. It is the significance of what I was seeing and hearing that is the subject. Not the theology that was being discussed, but the manner and persons whom discussed the theology. As I surveyed the room, I saw 47 persons, male and female. Of the 47, 5 had seminary graduate degrees, 4 male and 1 female, 1 of the males had a PhD but none of these were teaching the class. I saw in the man teaching, a firm grasp on how to do theology: text, history, truth and application. Not only did this man have a firm grasp on the method of theology, many others in the class did as well and I was amazed.

Why was I amazed? Because, this is not the norm in the majority world. In the majority world 75% of the worlds Christians reside outside of the United States in Latin America, Africa, the Middle east and Asia.[1]In the majority world 85% of the pastors have no theological training at all, nor do they have access to theological books much less advanced seminary degrees and if they did a most cannot read. In the United States of America there is one theologically trained person for every two hundred and thirty persons but in the majority world there is one theologically trained person for every four hundred and fifty thousand persons; a ratio of 1:230 vs 1:450,000, the disparity is mind boggling.[2]

So, when I survey the classroom, I was amazed and thought to myself: “This is absurd, I live in the richest country in the world (and I was not thinking economically, it is rich in that aspect as well but I was thinking with regard to theological training and teachers) and this classroom has got to be one of the richest classrooms in the country. 10% of the persons in this classroom have advanced formal theological education and many who do not, are well read on the subject of Christian theology and doctrine.” There is a theological famine in the majority world and we are fat; therefore, let us go and feed the world.

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[1]BH Academic, Theological Famine in the Majority World, July 28, 2016, Accessed June 30, 2019, https://www.bhacademicblog.com/theological-famine-majority-world/.

[2]M. David Sills, Hearts, Heads, & Hands: A Manual for Teaching Others to Teach Others(Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2016), 6.

Master of Theological Studies

On March 13^th, 2016 I wrote a blog that I named, “Breadth & Depth” announcing that I was beginning classes at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary working towards the Master of Theological Studies degree. I cannot tell you what a pleasure it was to take the classes and what an honor it is to have this graduate degree conferred upon me by such a God honoring, Christ exalting, and church loving Seminary. 

When I began the classes I really did not know what I was getting myself into. I loved the Lord and wanted to know more about Him and His church. Along the way I learned what theological studies are and their purpose. Therefore, I would like to talk a little bit about theological studies and their purpose. Theological studies follow a fourfold pattern of text, history, truth and application.1

Text

Text refers to the study of the Bible. I took five classes that were specifically biblical studies. Two Old Testament survey classes, two New Testament survey classes and a hermeneutics class. In the survey classes I was required to read each book of the Bible but I also studied the historical-cultural situations each book was written in as well as their genre (type of writing). In the hermeneutics class I was given a method for interpreting the Scripture beginning with the historical-cultural and literary context.

History

History refers to church history. Church history begins with the book of Acts through to the present day. I took a total of three classes that were specifically church history. The first class covered the early church up to the dawn of the Protestant Reformation. The second class covered the Pre-Reformation period up to the present day. The third class was a study tour of New England with Drs. Owen Strachan and Jason Duesing. In this study tour I had the privilege of seeing the sites and documents that I read about in church history as these two church historians lectured on the people of church history.

Truth

Truth refers to systematic study of Christian theology. I took two classes which were divided into twelve parts: 1) Studying God. 2) Knowing God. 3) What God is Like. 4) What God Does. 5) Humanity. 6) Sin. 7) The Person of Christ. 8) The Work of Christ. 9) The Holy Spirit. 10) Salvation. 11) The Church. 12) The Last Things.

Application

The first three disciplines built on one another and are about knowing but the fourth discipline of application refers to being and doing. I took five classes that were geared towards living the Christian life. I will list them in the order in which I completed them: Ethics, Church Administration, Apologetics, Evangelism and Discipleship, and Missiology. Ethics refers to what ought to be, not necessarily what is. Ethics helps the Christian evaluate the rightness and wrongness regarding what is.2 Church Administration is about managing a local church with its people, its finances and ministries. “Apologetics is simply to defend the faith, and thereby destroy arguments and every proud obstacle against the knowledge of God (2 Cor 10:5). It is opening the door, clearing the rubble, and getting rid of the hurdles so that people can come to Christ.”3 Evangelism and discipleship are the defining mission of the church. The mission of the church is to make disciples of all the nations, initiate the new disciples into fellowship through the ordinance of baptism in the name of the Triune God and teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded the first disciples; doing so by the power of the Holy Spirit (Mt 28:18-20). Evangelism is how disciples are made, but evangelism is always preceded by discipleship because it is the mature disciple who learns to multiply and go make disciples.4 Finally, “Missiology refers to the study of how God is at work to bring redemption to fallen man. It entails the study of the history of mission endeavor, the theology of mission, and the social aspects of humanity. Mission is not man’s effort to reach their fellow man, it is rather God working through redeemed man to bring reconciliation in Christ.”5

Conclusion

Each one of the disciplines of text, history, truth and application built on the other. We begin with Scripture because like the apostle Paul said to Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tm 3:16-17) We study church history because we are not the only ones to have read Scripture, many have read the text before us and problems regarding interpretations have already been worked out in church history. We study Systematic Theology because the Scriptures are not written systematically but theology comes from Scripture as understood historically. Finally, once we know, we must be and do what we have learned and are learning guided by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, I will be using what I have learned in pursuit of the Master of Theological Studies degree all the days that the Lord gives me on this earth for personal study and to reach and teach others for Jesus Christ.

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[1]John Mark Terry, Missiology: An Introduction to the Foundations, History and Strategies of World Missions(Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2015), 7.

[2]John S. Feinberg and Paul D Feinberg, Ethics for A Brave New World, 2^nded. (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010), 15.

[3]Josh McDowell, “Foreword” in To Everyone and Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview, ed. Francis J, Beckwith, William Lane Craig and J. P. Moreland (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2004), 9.

[4]Dave Earley and David Wheeler, Evangelism Is…How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2010), viii.

[5]Class notes, Master of Theological Studies, Missiology, Kansas City, MO, January 2017.

Church History

Do you love the Scripture? How about the book of Acts? Acts is church history. The church was birthed on the Day of Pentecost and continues to this day. There is a rich and vibrant history that is the Church of Jesus Christ.  

The Day of Pentecost

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4) 

People often take things out of the Day of Pentecost that are not intended by the writer and others ignore what was intended. What we should take out of this is that the way God has related to man in the past has changed.

Jewish people associated the outpouring of the Spirit especially with the end of the age (1:6), and several signs God gave on the day of Pentecost indicate that in some sense, although the kingdom is not yet consummated (1:6-7), its powers had been initiated by the Messiah’s first coming (2:17).1

Beginning with the first sermon by the apostle Peter (Acts 2:14-36) followers of Jesus Christ have been testifying about Jesus Christ in the world. Acts is the beginning of church history and not the end. The church has a vibrant history which is the work of the Holy Spirit in the world for the past 2000 years. Read the Scripture but also read the history of the church. Church history is an incredible work of God, a vibrant story of regeneration, conversion and sanctification of the people whom God is calling out of the world.

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1 Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Grand Rapids: InterVarsity Press), Acts 2:1-4.

The Ruler of the Sea

The Ruler of the Sea
Psalms 89:9
You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.

This morning I awoke aboard a seafaring vessel. Psalm 89 was part of my morning reading plan. I read this passage while looking out over the sea and I was reminded by the fact that we control nothing. The Lord God is in control of everything; therefore, we must put all of our trust in the Lord alone, He alone can calm the waves. All that we have is a merciful-gracious gift from our heavenly Father. He created heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them. All human beings are created in His image but none of us except Jesus Christ are God.
Mark 4:39-41
And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
Many of our friends and neighbors are going through storms. Neither we nor they have control over the turbulence but the Lord does. He can calm the wind and the sea; therefore, with a single voice praise God and pray to God for all needs; however, know that He may not calm the storm because His purpose is greater than ours.
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
God is conforming us into His image. We may not understand because we are looking in a glass dimly but in the new heaven and the new earth yet to come we will have more understanding than we do now. Brothers and sisters be of good cheer, have faith and do not be afraid.

Christ is the End of the Law for Righteousness for Whoever Believes

Romans 10:1-21

A Wrong Understand about the Righteousness of God (Romans 10:1-4)

Concern for Your Religious Neighbor

Many of our friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors are religious but ignorant about God’s righteousness. Ignorance does not mean that they are lacking in intelligence but are lacking in knowledge and understanding. Paul is concerned for the Jewish people as we should be concerned for those closest to us. We must (like Paul) have a desire for their salvation and pray to God for their salvation.

The End of the Law

The law was never meant to save anyone. Paul clearly pointed out in (Romans 3:1,19-20) that the Jew being under the law had an advantage over the Gentile because its purpose is to keep one from boasting. The law brings the knowledge that we have sinned. Once a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ the laws purpose has come to its end. The Gentile was never under the law, it was the Jew who was under the law; therefore, the Jew had this advantage. Nor does the Gentile come under the law after conversion as some believe. In Christ, both Jew and Gentile are not without the law of God but under the law of Christ. (1 Cor. 9:21) The law of Christ is Christ. This is not to say that we should ignore the Old Testament. The Old Testament should be interpreted in light of Christ.

Righteousness Based on Faith for Whoever Believes (Romans 10:5-13)

Who Will Ascend to Heaven and Who Will Descend into the Abyss?

Paul is very powerful in his use of Old Testament Scripture but take note that he does so in light of Christ. He begins by sighting the wrong Jewish understanding of Leviticus 18:5 and uses Deuteronomy 30:11-14 to argue against this wrong way of understanding righteousness. Romans 10:6-10 is Paul’s exegesis of Deuteronomy 30:11-14 in light of Christ. In (Dt. 30:12) Moses speaking about law or word tells Israel, “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?”. Paul changes law or word to Christ (law and word are synonymous). John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” In (Dt. 30:13) Moses speaking about law/word tells Israel “Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?” Paul sighting the Septuagint says, “descend into the abyss” and again changes law or word to Christ. In (Dt. 30:14) Moses tells Israel, “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.” After making it known that the law or word is Christ he expounds on this saying, “that is the word of faith which we are preaching?” Jesus Christ is to be preached and trusted in and not the works of the law! 

The Word of Faith is for All People

Paul then goes back to Isaiah 28:16 which he had previously sighted in (Rom. 9:33), the stumbling block and rock of offense. Paul clearly makes known that the stumbling block and rock of offense is Christ and he says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” The point Paul is making here is WHOEVER! Paul emphasizing WHOEVER speaks of their being no difference between Jew and Gentile and binds the Isaiah passage with Joel 2:32, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” The very same passage that Peter sighted in his first sermon on the day of Pentecost when he was preaching to Jews (cf. Acts 2:21).

Responsibilities (Romans 10:14-21)

Someone must be sent to preach the gospel

The gospel is the greatest news in the history of the world, but it does no good if you do not have the opportunity to respond. In this text Paul provides a rhetorical chain of questions that would have appealed to the recipients of this letter and is a very sound logical argument even in the modern church. Imagine that there is a relative of yours that you do not know, nor have you ever heard about. This relative was a rich man but he lived as a popper. He died with 10 million dollars in the bank and left you his entire fortune. If you don’t know, are you going to be able to use the money? First, you have to hear the news. Second, the news must come by a messenger. Third, the messenger must be sent.

The hearer has the responsibility to repent and believe

Being sent to preach the gospel to the lost is no guarantee that they will believe. Paul sites Isaiah 52:7, then he comes back to the fact that someone must first hear about Jesus to have faith in Jesus less they give up preaching. “Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ,” this should be on the minds of every Christian regarding our neighbors.

Admonition against unbelief

Paul quotes Psalm 19:4, then he returns to the theme of the unbelieving Jews. In Romans 3:1 Paul asked what advantage the Jew had over the gentile. The answer that he gave (Romans 3:2) is that they have the Scriptures. These unbelieving Jews had all the advantages over the Gentiles by having the Scriptures. Paul quotes Moses and Isaiah. The Scripture was known as the law and the prophets; by siting Moses and Isaiah he is saying the totality of Scripture testifies against them. The gentiles who did not have the Scriptures believed when they heard about Jesus Christ. Romans 10:18-21 is an admonition against the unbelief of those who have access to the Scriptures and have heard the gospel. Keener said:

Psalm 19:4 refers in context to the testimony of creation. If Paul refers to the context and is not simply making an analogy, it may be relevant that Jewish teachers often grappled with the question of whether Gentiles who had not heard the truth could be held responsible for it. They concluded that Gentiles could at least infer the oneness of God from creation and thus should avoid idolatry [c.f. Rom. 1:19-20]. The Gentiles may not have heard all of Christ’s message (Rom. 10:17), but creation itself made them hear enough of it to be responsible for doing right. The Jewish Diaspora had more knowledge than the Gentiles had; having the law, they had every reason to believe, and word about Christ had already begun to penetrate most Jewish centers of the ancient world.[1]

Conclusion

Who is responsible?

God made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them (Ps 146.6). God created man (male and female) in His own image (Gn 1:27). A day and an our is coming in which God will judge the world in righteousness (Ps 96:13). The unrighteous will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. (Mt. 25:31-46) “When I come to understand that on the cross Jesus took the wrath of God I deserved (Rom. 5:9) and averted it for me (Rom. 3:25) so I could have his righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21), this unavoidably leads me to an understanding that he also has averted it for every human being on the planet (1 John 2:2), and that righteousness is available for all who repent and believe (Phil. 3:9).”[2]John Piper said: “No one who enjoys the forgiveness of Jesus can be content to hog it for himself. He is not the propitiation for our sins only. There are other sheep that are scattered throughout the whole world. Their sins, too, are covered. And the last commandment of Jesus was “Go make disciples out of them from every people.”[3]

Some questions to consider

Do all people have access to the Scriptures and the gospel? How will they repent and believe if they do not know the good news? How will they know the good news unless someone delivers the good news to them? How will they deliver the good news unless they are sent? All Christians must be involved in missions whether they are the ones going or they are the ones sending. How are you currently involved in missions?

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[1]Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, ed. 2^nd(Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2014), 445.

[2]Jason G. Duesing, Mere Hope: Life in an Age of Cynicism(Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2018), 54.

[3]Ibid, 53-54