WE'RE MOVING!

The DEAD THEOLOGANS SOCIETY

will now be hosted at wordpress

under the name
MAGNIFY CHRIST
please check us out there...

http://magnifyChrist.wordpress.com

Theology Quiz Results

Is anyone who knows me surprised by this? Some of the others who made it on the list are a little bizzare. The questions are not worded in the best possible way. But then again which test questions are? the only other gripe is the Calvin vs. the Calvinists comment on the results. Maybe they should read Muller's books?

______________________________________

Which theologian are you?

You scored as a John Calvin

Much of what is now called Calvinism had more to do with his followers than Calvin himself, and so you may or may not be committed to TULIP, though God's sovereignty is all important.

John Calvin		87%
Karl Barth		73%
Friedrich Schleiermacher		67%
Jonathan Edwards		67%
Martin Luther		53%
Anselm		47%
Charles Finney		40%
Augustine		20%
Jürgen Moltmann		20%
Paul Tillich		0%

Which theologian are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Classic Wisdom from John Owen

I say, then, that the first thing in mortification is the weakening of this habit, that it shall not impel and tumultuate as formerly; that it shall not entice and draw aside; that it shall not disquiet and perplex the killing of its life, vigour, promptness, and readiness to be stirring. This is called “crucifying the flesh with the lusts thereof,” Gal. v. 24; that is, taking away its blood and spirits that give it strength and power, — the wasting of the body of death “day by day,” 2 Cor. iv. 16.

As a man nailed to the cross; he first struggles, and strives, and cries out with great strength and might, but, as his blood and spirits waste, his strivings are faint and seldom, his cries low and hoarse, scarce to be heard; — when a man first sets on a lust or distemper, to deal with it, it struggles with great violence to break loose; it cries with earnestness and impatience to be satisfied and relieved; but when by mortification the blood and spirits of it are let out, it moves seldom and faintly, cries sparingly, and is scarce heard in the heart; it may have sometimes a dying pang, that makes an appearance of great vigour and strength, but it is quickly over, especially if it be kept from considerable success. This the apostle describes, as in the whole chapter, so especially, Rom. vi. 6.

“Sin,” saith he, “is crucified; it is fastened to the cross.” To what end? “That the body of death may be destroyed,” the power of sin weakened and abolished by little and little, that “henceforth we should not serve sin;” that is, that sin might not incline, impel us with such efficacy as to make us servants to it, as it hath done heretofore. And this is spoken not only with respect to carnal and sensual affections, or desires of worldly things, — not only in respect of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, — but also as to the flesh, that is, in the mind and will, in that opposition unto God which is in us by nature. Of what nature soever the troubling distemper be, by what ways soever it make itself out, either by impelling to evil or hindering from that which is good, the rule is the same; and unless this be done effectually, all after-contention will not compass the end aimed at. A man may beat down the bitter fruit from an evil tree until he is weary; whilst the root abides in strength and vigour, the beating down of the present fruit will not hinder it from bringing forth more. This is the folly of some men; they set themselves with all earnestness and diligence against the appearing eruption of lust, but, leaving the principle and root untouched, perhaps unsearched out, they make but little or no progress in this work of mortification.

John Owen, The Mortification of Sin

The Pastor in Prayer

“If you are a genuine minister of God you will stand as a priest before the Lord, spiritually wearing the ephod and the breast­plate whereon you bear the names of the children of Israel, pleading for them within the veil…. The preacher who neglects to pray much must be very careless about his ministry. He can­not have comprehended his calling. He cannot have computed the value of a soul, or estimated the meaning of eternity. He must be a mere official, tempted into a pulpit because the piece of bread which belongs to the priest’s office is very necessary to him, or a detestable hypocrite who loves the praise of men, and cares not for the praise of God.... He cannot be one of those who plough deep and reap abundant harvests. He is a mere loiterer, not a labourer. As a preacher he has a name to live and is dead. He limps in his life like the lame man in the Proverbs, whose legs were not equal, for his praying is shorter than his preaching.”

- C. H. Spurgeon

Why People Laugh at the Christian Community

The Irish Calvinist gives an excellent example of Why People Laugh at the Christian Community. This would be hilarious if not for the fact that much of the world thinks this is real Christianity, and many Christians are too quickly deceived by this kind of ridiculously false teaching.

Suffering (pt 4)

The Believer’s Fellowship with Christ

One of the distinctive elements of Paul’s Christology lies in his use of the phrase “in Christ,” and its variants, to describe believers.[1] While this basic concept is also found in 1 Peter and in John’s Gospel, it is Paul who deepens and develops its meaning the most.[2] For him, being “in Christ” is the antithesis of being “in Adam” (1 Cor 15:22). Those “in Christ” are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17), and part of the age to come, though living in this present age.

Being “in Christ” means that one has been united in the death and resurrection of Christ. In Romans, Paul says that those who believe “have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection” (6:4-5). Speaking eschatologically, with Christ’s death the old age has passed away and new age has begun.[3] This new age is characterized by an increasing conformity of believers to the image of Christ.[4] Paul also develops the theological truth of being “in Christ” with the concept of suffering.

In the Thessalonians epistles, Paul speaks of the believers in Thessalonica imitating him and Christ despite much suffering (1 Thess 1:6). In his next letter, Paul mentions the suffering again, but also goes on to give a theological reason for the suffering (2 Thess 1:4-5). Paul tells them that God is working out his righteous purposes through their suffering.[5] The ability of the Thessalonian believers to continue in their faith despite suffering demonstrates that God’s “judgment is right” and that they will be considered “worthy of the kingdom.”[6] Those “in Christ” will experience suffering as a means to shape and mold their faith and character after the pattern of Christ, resulting in their future glory.[7]

In 2 Corinthians, Paul speaks of sharing the sufferings of Christ (1:5), and extends that sharing to the Corinthians believers (1:7). Here, though, Paul’s point seems not to emphasize that the Corinthians will suffer so much as he tries to encourage them with an assurance of comfort. Just as Paul experienced the suffering of Christ, he also experienced the comfort of Christ (1:4). Since he has been comforted in his suffering, he can now comfort others in their suffering (1:6). Paul wants to assure the Corinthians that as they share the sufferings of Paul they too will share in his comfort.[8] By implication, those that are “in Christ” who experience suffering, are then equipped to comfort others who go through suffering.[9] Believers are enabled to do this because suffering drives them to trust in God (1:9).

As is evident from Paul’s writing, to participate “in Christ” is also to participate in his sufferings – Paul says that believers are called to it (1 Thess 3:3). This not only refers to the spiritual aspects of putting of the “old man” but also involves experiencing physical suffering. Paul does not say that all believers are called to suffer in the same way, as he was an apostle.[10] Rather, he simply recognizes that Christians will endure suffering as a natural result of being “in Christ.”[11] One who is “in Christ” is to follow the example of Christ and this means a denial of self to serve others. Since this attitude is so contrary to that of the world, ridicule and even persecution is to be expected.[12]

Conclusion

This paper has attempted to provide an overview of the theology of suffering Paul presents in relationship to his ministry. It has seen Paul’s teaching as being divided into four major grouping: the suffering and death of Christ, the essence of Paul’s ministry, Paul’s defense for his ministry, and the believer relationship with Christ.

In the first section, it was shown that Paul frequently speaks of the sufferings of Christ (e.g. Gal 6:17; Col 1:24; 2 Cor 1:5; 4:9), and that in his writings, the sufferings of Christ are both unique and sufficient for salvation (Gal 1:4; 1 Cor 1:18-31; 2 Cor 5:16-21). For Paul, the sufferings of Christ were typified in the cross. He saw the cross as vital for Christian reflection and life, for Paul tells us that on the cross God made Christ to suffer in order that He might become a propitiation for our sins (Rom 3:25), and thus reconcile men to God (2 Cor 5:19). There cannot be enough emphasis placed on the cross in the reading of Paul.[13] For him, this was the central act of God in all of human history.

In the second section it was shown that Paul frequently links his own sufferings to the suffering and cross of Christ. For Paul, his sufferings are directly related to those of Christ. Luke even picked up on this in Acts by relaying that Paul’s ministry will also be marked by suffering (9:15-16). Paul himself saw his sufferings as a means by which the gospel could be furthered as well as a corollary to the sufferings of Christ (Col 1:24-25). Paul saw himself as replicating the cross through his suffering. And while the cross and the sufferings of Christ served as the archetypal birthpang of the coming age, Paul’s suffering helped filled up what was lacking in the afflictions that are to be expected during this time of transition. He helped to complete all the sufferings, (birthpangs, Rom 8:22) that must occur until Jesus, the Messiah returns.

In the third section, it was demonstrated that Paul defended his apostolic ministry on the basis of his suffering. Despite the culture of the Corinthians, Paul boasted in his weakness, knowing that the frailty of his life was simply the means by which the power of God was revealed (2 Cor 4:7-15; 12:7-10). Paul too had a unique role of suffering to play in that he stood between God and the first-century believers, ministering to the Spirit of God.

The final section examined Paul’s teaching on the relationship suffering and being “in Christ.” While Paul suffered in a unique way as an apostle of Christ, all believers will nevertheless suffer, though not necessarily to the same extent (Rom 8:17; 2 Tim 3:12). There it was reveled that those who are “in Christ” are in fact called to suffer. Believers are to follow the example of Christ and lead a life of selfless love towards others. Following this servant lifestyle will invariably bring about ridicule and persecution.

In the end, it is clear that for Paul suffering and salvation are closely linked together. This must give us pause as Christians in the twenty-first century. For while we might expect our culture to shy away from suffering, it is surprising that the western church does so as well. Like the Corinthians so many years ago, we tend to boast in what we have accomplished – lots of wealth, big cars, and large numbers in our church, to name a few. Unfortunately, the theology of Paul in the area of suffering seems not to have made a great impact upon our thinking. And yet all over the world, in at least forty-four countries,[14] Christians are persecuted, made to suffer, and killed everyday. This does not include all of the “small” trials that Christians all over the world goes through. Too many times we as believers fall into the trap of the “health and wealth” gospel, shirking from suffering or hardship of any kind. Paul tells us that God actually uses the pain of this age to make us look more like the image of His risen Son (2 Thess 1:4-5), and to trust in Him more fully (2 Cor 1:9). That is why Paul can say with confidence that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purposes” (Rom 8:28).

NOTES

[1]Ben Witherington “Christology,” in the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, ed. Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1993), 114.

[2]Ibid.

[3]James D. G. Dunn, The Theology of Paul the Apostle (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), 403.

[4]Ibid.

[5]Leon Morris, The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians, rev. ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), 196.

[6]Morris, Thessalonians, 197.

[7]Ibid.

[8]Ralph P. Martin, 2 Corinthians, WBC 40 (Waco: Word, 1986), 11-12.

[9]Ibid.

[10]Hafemann, “Suffering,” 920.

[11]Belleville, “Imitate Me,” 140.

[12]Ibid.

[13]Dunn, Theology of Paul, 213.

[14]According to the Voice of the Martyrs website; available from http:// www.persecution.com/country/index.cfm.

Suffering (pt 3)

A Defense of Paul’s Ministry

Much to his disappointment, Paul is forced to defend his ministry as an apostle to the Corinthians. Because of the immaturity of the Corinthians and the influence of Paul’s opponents upon them, the theologically-driven missionary is forced to become an apologist for his own ministry.[1] The defense that he gives would have been radically counter-culture to the ears of the Corinthians. They had failed to understand the “Christian way” of evaluating one’s worth and instead adopted that of their culture. The standards used for evaluating one’s social status and the significance of religious belief in everyday life can be summarized in one word: boasting.

Timothy Savage has developed five key principles of this so-called evaluation process: 1) a valuing of self-sufficiency; 2) wealth as the key to status; 3) the boasting of one’s accomplishments to earn praise for oneself; 4) one’s ability to boast about victories of honor; and 5) boasting in the display of one’s wealth from where they lived.[2] These values formed a society that placed an emphasis on boasting in one’s accomplishments and social status. Ultimately, “self-appreciation became the goal and self-gratification the reward”[3] for everyone in this society.

Paul’s counter-culture defense of his ministry was the antithesis of what the Corinthian society valued. Paul defended his ministry by appealing to the relationship between suffering and the power of the Spirit in his apostleship.[4] Rather than focus on his ability and sufficiency as an apostle, Paul emphasized his weakness. He argues that his “suffering is the revelatory vehicle through which the knowledge of God manifest in the cross of Christ and in the power of the Spirit is being disclosed.”[5]

Perhaps the passage that epitomizes this theme the most comes in 2 Cor 2:14. This passage is also a controversial one. The controversy is focused on the meaning of the Greek word, thriambeuo. The meaning of this word has been debated, not on lexical grounds, but on theological grounds. For the usual meaning seems to be impossible theologically in the context of this passage.[6] The usual meaning of this word (as in Col 2:15) harkens back to the days of the Roman Empire and its triumphal processions.[7] The procession itself consisted of an elaborate parade held to celebrate Roman victories where by the strongest and most important of the defeated armies were “led in triumph” as conquered slaves.[8] Moreover, those that were led were publicly disgraced by being dragged before the chariots of the victors.[9] For one to be led in this triumphal procession was ultimately to be led to one’s death.[10] The Romans would sacrifice all, or a sampling of those “led in triumph,” selling the rest into slavery.[11] The construction of the sentence is such that Paul himself is the object of the triumph.[12] Herein lies the problem – Paul is praising God for what He is currently doing in and through his life and that which God is doing is described with this gruesome imagery of the triumphal procession.

Centuries ago, Calvin understandably struggled with Paul’s language and imagery and desperately sought to reconcile the two. His solution to the problem was to conclude that when Paul used the term, thriambeuo, he must have meant to convey something different than its usual meaning.[13] Specifically, Calvin understand the verb in a ‘factitive’ sense – that is, he saw Paul as meaning to convey the meaning “cause to triumph.”[14] Thus, Paul did not praise God for putting him to death, but rather allowing him to participate in God’s victory.

While Calvin’s influence has been felt through many commentaries and translations of the Scriptures, by the end of the nineteenth century, many scholars observed that such a meaning was “‘philologically impossible.’”[15] Thus, scholars were left with the seemingly troublesome language of the triumphal procession. Many could not reconcile Paul’s statement with his other teachings that seemed to endorse a “triumph in Christ” view of his ministry as an apostle.[16]
Recently, Scott Hafemann has produced a work, which seeks to integrate Paul’s language of the triumphal procession within the larger framework of his teaching about suffering and his apostolic ministry.[17] The following is a summary of his interpretation of 2 Cor 2:14-16a.

Hafemann asserts that Paul’s imagery of being “led in a triumphal procession” reflects the role of those in the Greco-Roman world who were led in triumph and publicly executed to reveal the glory of the conqueror.[18] Paul uses this imagery to say that God is leading him in triumphal procession, ultimately to his death. Hafemann understands this to show that “as the enemy of God’s people, God had conquered Paul at his conversion call on the road to Damascus and was now leading him, as a “slave of Christ” … to death in Christ, in order that Paul might display or reveal the majesty, power, and glory of God, his conqueror.”[19]

Hafemann explains that Paul uses such gruesome imagery in 2 Corinthians in conjunction with the other suffering and ‘death’ phrases within the Corinthian correspondence (e.g. 1 Cor 4:9; 2 Cor 1:9; 4:10; 6:9). Paul uses the imagery of death and dying as vivid expressions of his suffering as an apostle, since death is “suffering’s crowing achievement.”[20] This is most evident when, in speaking of the hardships he faced in Ephesus, Paul says that he dies “every day” (1 Cor 15:31).[21] All of this again shows that the sufferings of Paul served as a corollary to the sufferings of Christ; they served to replicate the sufferings of Christ (1 Cor 1:18-25). Paul’s life matched the gospel he was preaching (1 Cor 4:8-13). The sufferings he experienced were the embodiment of his message of the cross of Christ, and that was the very thing that God uses to make Himself known (cf. Gal 6:17; 1 Cor 2:2-5).

After Paul uses the imagery of the triumphal procession, he moves to another analogy; one that would be more familiar to his Jewish readers (vv. 14b-16a). He uses the imagery of an “aroma” and a “fragrance” to describe “the knowledge of God” and himself, respectively. Through his suffering, Paul is able to spread the knowledge of God everywhere (v. 14). Christ is pictured as the sacrifice and Paul shows himself to the fragrance that flows up from it. Therefore, to “encounter Paul in his suffering on behalf of his churches is to encounter a picture of the crucified Christ, who died for his people” (cf. Col 1:24).[22] It is obvious to Paul that those who are “being saved” as a result of his suffering find them to be an aroma of life, while those who reject him and the sufferings of Christ, find the aroma to be offensive (v. 15b-16a).

Thus, one sees that Paul could truly offer thanks to God for the sufferings he experienced as an apostle (v. 14a). For Paul saw the reality of his situation: the sufferings he experienced vividly portrayed to others the sufferings of Christ, and thus demonstrated the powerful truth of the gospel. God used the hardships Paul faced as a means to further his kingdom.

Paul later argues that the frailty of his life was simply the means by which the power of God was demonstrated to the Corinthians (4:7). Paul says the treasure they have is stored in earthen vessels (a metaphor for his weakness), so that God may be seen as powerful, not Paul. He goes to say “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in out mortal flesh” (4.9-11). Hafemann comments that in “his preaching and suffering, Paul stands between the glory of God and the life of his congregation as an instrument in God’s hand to bring about new life among his people.”[23]

Paul uses the role of suffering to play a central role in his defense of his apostleship to the Corinthians. Paul points to the hardships and sufferings he has endured as his commendation to them (2 Cor 3-10). Paul makes clear the idea that “weakness” and a Spirit-filled ministry cannot co-exist is not a correct understanding of the Christian life or his ministry.[24] It is through Paul’s weakness that the strength and power of God is revealed (2 Cor 12:7-10). Paul suffers so as to be an embodiment of the cross of Christ, while simultaneously being an agent by which the power and Spirit of God are being manifested.[25] This is the heart of Paul’s defense to the Corinthians. It was a defense that ran against the teaching of the culture and his opponents in Corinth. But it was also a defense that could not be rejected by the Corinthians, for to reject his defense, was to reject Paul as an apostle, and do reject Paul was to reject God Himself (2:14; 2:17b; 3:5f).[26]


NOTES

[1]Hafemann, 2 Corinthians, 19-34.

[2]Timothy Savage, Power Through Weakness: Paul’s Understanding of the Christian Ministry in 2 Corithians, SNTSMS 86 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996), 19-53.

[3]Hafemann, 2 Corinthians, 25.

[4]Ibid., 34.

[5]Ibid.

[6]Scott Hafemann, Suffering and Ministry in the Spirit, Paul’s Defense of His Ministry in II Corinthians 2:14-3:3 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990), 16.

[7]Karl Dahn and Hans-Georg Link, “thriambeuo,” in New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, ed. Colin Brown (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986), 1:649.

[8]Hafemann, 2 Corinthians, 107.

[9]John Calvin, The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians and the Epistles to Timothy, Titus and Philemon, trans. T. A. Snail (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964), 33.

[10]Hafemann, Suffering and Ministry, 22.

[11]Hafemann, 2 Corinthians, 108.

[12]Ibid., 17.

[13]Calvin, Second Epistle, 33.

[14]Hafemann, Suffering and Ministry, 17.

[15]Ibid.

[16]Ibid.

[17]Laid out in a technical manner in Suffering and Ministry in the Spirit, Paul’s Defense of His Ministry in II Corinthians 2:14-3:3, and in a more popular format in his NIVAC commentary on 2 Corinthians.

[18] Hafemann, 2 Corinthians, 109.

[19]Ibid.

[20]Hafemann, Suffering and Ministry, 46.

[21]Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987), 769.

[22] Hafemann, 2 Corinthians, 111.

[23]Ibid., 186.

[24]Hafemann, Suffering and Ministry, 227.

[25]Ibid.

[26]Ibid., 228.

Suffering (pt 2)

The Essence of Paul’s Ministry

Luke records for his readers an important aspect of the ministry of Paul. First, it clearly shows that Paul was God’s “chosen instrument” to spread the gospel to the Gentiles peoples of the world as well as kings and Jews (Acts 9:15). But the passage also says that God will show him how much he will have to suffer for God’s name (9:16). Thus, Luke informs his readers that while Paul will be God’s instrument for the furthering of the Gospel, his ministry will also be marked by suffering. The idea that Paul would suffer much in his ministry is bore out by several passages.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul makes clear that to boast in one’s own strength is foolish.[1] Yet, he chooses to boast in his weakness so that he might “unmask” his opponents’ behavior as being ridiculous.[2] Through Paul’s boasting in his weakness we are given a list of the ways in which he suffered (2 Cor 11:23-28). One reads that he was beaten by both Jew (“lashes”) and Gentile (“rod”) in vv. 24-25. One would have received such punishment from the synagogue for such things as false teaching, blasphemy, and serious violation of the law.[3] This was one of the most severe punishments allowed (cf. Deut 25:1-3). Paul also says he was stoned once and shipwrecked multiple times (v. 25). He says that anywhere and everywhere he has gone there has been danger (v. 26), and that many times he has gone without food and shelter (v. 27).

Upon hearing about all that Paul suffered, one cannot help but ask, ‘what did all this suffering accomplish? Why did Paul allow himself to go through these incidents, and why does he boast in them?’ Paul himself answers this question throughout his epistles. Paul tells his readers that one of the foremost reasons for his suffering is that through it the gospel might be spread.

In Philippians, Paul states this directly: “Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone, and that most of the brethren trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the Word of God without fear” (1:12-18). Apparently, some of Paul’s critics thought that he had somehow erred by allowing himself to be thrown into prison.[4] However, it is clear from the passage that Paul had not erred. On the contrary, he had made a calculated decision to appeal to the Emperor (cf. Acts 26), knowing it would give him more opportunity to share the gospel with those in the Roman government, even a full Praetorian guard, which could have numbered close to nine thousand.[5] In the end, Paul was not concerned with his own well-being. He was willing to suffer the hardships of Roman imprisonment if it could give him cause to further the gospel.

In Ephesians, Paul bases his distinctive ministry on the assertion that he is a “prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of [the] Gentiles”[6] (3:1). Paul wants to show the Gentiles that it was his willingness to share the gospel with them that had caused his imprisonment. It was his proclamation of a law-free gospel to Gentile peoples that resulted in his arrest in Jerusalem, Caesarea, and Rome (cf. Acts 21:71-36, Rom 15:14-32).[7] Again, Paul was willing to endure suffering so that the gospel might go forth and allow all men to know grace of God (cf. 1 Thess 2:1-12).

In anticipation of his readers being discouraged because of his suffering, Paul encourages them a few verses later (Eph 3:13).[8] Paul has laid out the great truths of God’s plan of salvation and the role of the Gentiles and himself within that plan (3:2-12). Now, he seeks to show them that the suffering he endures is for their sake. In fact, it is ultimately for “their glory.” While some have tried to interpret this to mean “for their honor,” this does not seem to fit Paul’s teaching about the organic relationship between suffering and glory (cf. 2 Cor 4:17; Rom 8:17, 18).[9] Paul means that the suffering he endures is a result of his spreading the gospel to the Gentiles, which in turn will result in their end-time glorification.[10]

Proclaiming the gospel was central to Paul’s ministry. Paul affirms that it is only through the preaching of the gospel that men may know Christ (Rom 10:14). In Colossians, Paul again links his suffering with his preaching. He says, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out preaching of the word of God” (Col 1:24-26; cf. Gal 4:12-14).

This paper has already established that Paul did indeed believe that the suffering and death of Christ were both unique and sufficient for salvation. And yet this passage would seem to suggest he believed otherwise. The statements that Paul makes in these verses are unparalleled in the rest of his writings, even the rest of the New Testament.[11] How is one to reconcile this teaching with Paul’s other teachings about the suffering and death of Christ? Since this verse appears to be the anomalous teaching, while the other teaching (Christ’s sufficient death) appears to be that which Paul normally taught, it would be wise to begin with a more detailed examination of the Colossian’s passage.

Paul has just spoken about him being made a minister in the proclamation of the gospel (v. 23). Then he says that he rejoices in the sufferings he has endured for the Colossian believers and explains that this is part of “filling up” what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions (v. 24). This has been interpreted in at least five ways in the past.[12] First, some have said that there was something lacking in the vicarious sufferings of Christ. This interpretation has largely fallen by the wayside in modern scholarship.[13] A second way of interpreting the passage has been to understand the genitive as objective, thus meaning “for the sake of Christ.” In the end, this interpretation, however, fails to account that Paul says that he is somehow filling up for that which is “lacking” in Christ’s sufferings.[14] A third understanding of the text again deals with the genitive, but this time in seeing it as one of quality. Those who adhere to this understanding would then see Paul’s suffering as being similar to those of Christ. This falls to the same criticism of the above in that it too cannot account for that which Paul says “is lacking” in Christ’s sufferings. A fourth way of approaching the passage interprets Paul to mean some sort of mystical union with Christ. All of Paul’s ministry would be bound up in a mystical union with Christ, thus those sufferings experienced by him would be part of that mystical union. Some would say that these words apply to Paul alone (e.g. Deissmann and Schmid) while others would say that they apply to all Christians (e.g. Schneider and Dibelius).[15] Lohmeyer criticizes this view, again attacking the troublesome phrase “what is lacking”: “in a ‘mystical suffering in accordance with Christ’ either the entire suffering of Christ is present and ‘what is lacking’ is never perceptible, or else personal suffering of faith remains separate from the exemplary sufferings of Christ.”[16]

The fifth and most likely correct understanding of this text bases its interpretation in light of Paul’s understanding of the “already/not yet” aspects of this age.[17] Instead of a one-time move from this age into the next, the world experiences a transition that is long and drawn out. One could even say that these ages ‘overlap’ one another. Paul’s thought in Col 1:24-25 is best understood in the context of his transforming the Rabbinic understanding of the Messianic woes in light of the coming of Jesus Christ.[18]

Wright explains that Rabbinic writers understood world history to be divided into two ages – this present, evil age and the Messianic age to come (Rom 8:18-25; Gal 1:4).[19] He goes on to say that when the “great moment arrives from history to move from one age to the next, God’s people will suffer (so it was believed) extraordinary tribulations, which were to be understood as the birthpangs of the new age (Rom 8:22)…. [Now that Christ had come, Paul believed] Jesus’ resurrection had inaugurated the new age, but the old would continue along side it until Jesus’ second coming.”[20] All of creation is groaning for its renewal and transformation, which result in these “birthpangs.” This entire ‘overlap’ age would be characterized by those Messianic woes, or birthpangs for the age to come.[21]

Understanding the context of Col 1:24-25 in this way enables one to see Paul as suffering in a corollary manner to Christ.[22] Paul replicates the cross through his suffering, while not adding to its achievement. In a sense, the cross and the sufferings of Christ serve as the birthpang of this age.[23] Paul is “filling up” what is “lacking” in the sense that he is filling up the afflictions that are to be expected during this age. He is helping to complete all the sufferings, (birthpangs) that must occur until Jesus, the Messiah returns.[24]


NOTES

[1]Scott Hafemann, 2 Corinthians, NIVAC (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000), 438.

[2]Ibid.

[3]Ibid.

[4]D. A. Carson, Basic for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996), 22.

[5]Ibid.

[6]Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians, PNTC (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), 226.

[7]Ibid.

[8]Ibid., 250.

[9]Ibid, 251.

[10]Ibid., 251-252.

[11]Peter T. O’Brien, Colossians and Philemon, WBC, vol. 44 (Waco: Word, 1982), 75.

[12]Ibid., 77-78.

[13]Ibid., 77.

[14]Linda L. Belleville, “‘Imitate Me Just as I Imitate Christ’: Discipleship in the Corinthians Correspondence,” in Patterns of Discipleship in the New Testament, ed. Richard N. Longenecker (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), 134.

[15]O’Brien, Colossians and Philemon, 78.

[16]Ibid., as translated by O’Brien, from E. Lohmeyer, “Probleme paulinischer Theologie. I. Briefliche Grussuberschriften,” ZNW 26 (1927), 158-73.

[17]Ibid.

[18]N. T. Wright, Colossians and Philemon, TNTC, vol. 12 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986), 87-88.

[19]Ibid.

[20]Ibid., 88.

[21]Ibid.

[22]Schreiner, “The Pauline Mission, Ministry, and Suffering,” 61.

[23]Wright, Colossians and Philemon, 89.

[24]Ibid.

Suffering (pt 1)

Introduction

With the recent news of the martyrdom of our brothers in Turkey, many of us would due well to think about the role of suffering in the Christian life. Those of us blessed to live out our faith in the western world have had to endure little or no suffering for the cause of Christ. But this is not true for the Church in the rest of the world. In an effort to better understand and appreciate the trials of our brothers and sisters, and perhaps prepare for our own in the future, we should think more deeply about suffering.

One of the central motifs in the epistles of Paul is suffering.[1] The concept of suffering appears in Paul’s epistles over sixty times.[2] Paul even speaks of suffering as being universal when in Romans he states that “the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now” (8:22). This emphasis on suffering should come as no surprise to readers of the New Testament, for Paul himself clearly suffered much during his time of Christian ministry (2 Cor 11:22-28). For Paul, these sufferings were not without purpose. In truth, they played an essential role in his ministry and teaching, and served as an example for other believers. Those sufferings were essential because of their relationship to the sufferings of Christ. In the discussion of suffering in Paul’s epistles, one must also have an understanding of how Paul viewed the sufferings of Christ himself.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the various ways in which Paul speaks of suffering in connection with his ministry as an apostle, and his life as a believer. In attempting to draw these connections, one can see at least four issues that arise from the relationship between suffering and his ministry in Paul’s epistles: the sufferings of Christ, a defense of Paul’s ministry, the essence of Paul’s ministry, and the believer’s fellowship with Christ. This paper will attempt to examine these themes by synthesizing Paul’s related teaching from various passages within his epistles.

The Sufferings of Christ

The sufferings of Christ are often mentioned in Paul’s epistles (e.g. Gal 6:17; Col 1:24; 2 Cor 1:5; 4:9). Clearly in Paul’s writings, the sufferings of Christ are both unique and sufficient for salvation (Gal 1:4; 1 Cor 1:18-31; 2 Cor 5:16-21).[3] For Paul, the sufferings of Christ were typified in the cross. He saw the cross as vital for Christian reflection and life.[4]

Paul tells us that it was on the cross that God made Christ to suffer in order that He might become a propitiation for our sins (Rom 3:25), and thus reconcile the world to God (2 Cor 5:19). Paul uses the metaphor of propitiation for our sins to speak of Christ averting God’s wrath.[5] Paul explains this metaphor through a long argument in Rom 1:18-3:20. There he says, “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness” (1:18). When Paul says that Christ is the “propitiation,” he is telling his readers that sinners can be saved from the wrath of God because, through His suffering and death, Christ has turned away the wrath of God (cf. Rom 5:9; 1 Thess 1:10).[6] Thus, for Paul, it was through the suffering of Christ on the cross that salvation was accomplished (Acts 13:26-39; Rom 3:21-26; 2 Cor 5:21).

One of the key texts for Paul’s teaching on the cross is found in his letter to the Philippians. Paul quotes an early Christian hymn as he writes of “Christ Jesus who emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (2:7-8). Here Paul shows that Christ was faithful to the Father through his suffering, and accomplished God’s purpose of salvation, for which Christ was then “highly exalted” (2:9).

Paul very often links his own sufferings to the suffering and cross of Christ, and this passage from Philippians (2:6-11) lies at the center of that relationship.[7] Paul views his sufferings as being directly related to those of Christ. The section that follows explores the relationship between the sufferings that Paul describes of himself in his ministry and the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ.

NOTES

[1]Thomas Schreiner, “The Pauline Mission, Ministry, and Suffering” (classroom lecture, 22240 – Advanced Introduction to New Testament, Spring 2001, photocopy), 61.

[2]Scott J. Hafemann, “Suffering,” in the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, ed. Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1993), 919.

[3]Hafemann, “Suffering,” 920.

[4]J. B. Green, “Death of Christ,” in the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, ed. Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1993), 201.

[5]Leon Morris, New Testament Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986), 34.

[6]Ibid., 34-35.

[7]Green, “Death of Christ,” 208.

Reflections from the "Batcave of Evangelicalism"

Recently, the 'band of brothers' that make up the heart and soul of the Together for the Gospel Conference got together and reflect on last year's conference and talk a little about the next one in 2008. Their chat was recorded and and be viewed online.

The video is helpful in that we get access to some of the behind the scenes planning and rationale for the way the conference was put-on. Some of the issues they talk about include the T4G affirmation and denials statement, the impact of the speakers' messages on each other, the recent release of the messages in book-form, and how these men have come together for the gospel.

This last point is significant because it has raised the most contraversy. Two Southern Baptists, a Presbyterian, and a Sovereign Grace guy go into a bookstore . . . . No, really, all of these men involved in pastoral ministry and other ministry organizations, all with differing convictions on issues ranging from baptism to church polity to spiritual gifts, coming to together in a significant way really speaks to modern evangelicalism. In fact, I think it is in many ways a model for how we can link arms in ministry, for the sake of the gospel, without losing our theological distinctiveness.

Finally, I think these men demonstrate the importance and joy of godly ministerial friendships. It is so obvious that these are not just speakers at the same conference. They are close friends. That not only give the conference a different dynamic, but it also helps other ministers see a vital component in current pastoral ministry - teamwork and friendship.

I look back at my own time at the T4G conference as a great blessing and look forward to going in 2008. Check out the video and you will be encouraged.

Family Devotions

The Irish Calvinist has a great post on some of the basics of family worship. These days, family worship has fallen on hard times. This is a shame because the imperative is clear from the Bible -

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. [5] You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. [6] And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. [8] You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. [9] You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deut 6:4-9

Family isn't just a good idea, it's God's plan for the raising of children. Paul is clear that if a father is present, he is to take leadership in teaching his children to love, fear, and serve God -

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Eph 6:4

So, scoot over to the Irish Calvinist for some practical advice and check out some of these other resources as at Monergism.com as well.

Praying the Scriptures

In his book, A Call to Spiritual Reformation, D. A. Carson says,

“Christians learn to pray by listening to those around them. Nothing is intrinsically bad about this. If we lived in a time and place where Christians were characterized by knowledgeable, anointed praying, it would be a wonderful privilege to learn from them. Sadly, although there are a few signs of resurgence, prayer in the West has fallen on hard times, and there are few models to hold up to a new generation of believers. Then how shall we reform our praying? Surely the best answer is to turn again to the prayers of the Bible. If every part of our lives is to be renewed and reformed by the Word of God, how much more should that be so of our praying? If our generation does not cast up many prayer warriors whose habits in prayer accurately reflect the standards of Scripture, it is all the more urgent that we return to the primary source. Then we shall learn afresh what to pray for, what arguments to use, what themes on which to focus, what passion is seemly, how these prayers fit into a larger Christian vision, how to maintain the centrality of God himself in our praying.”

If Carson is right - and I think he is - how do we go about making the Bible a central part of our prayers? How do we pray the Scriptures? The following is a handout I gave to our church's prayer team a little awhile that is an attempt to answer that question.

Praying the Scriptures

“Continue steadfastly in prayer”

Colossians 4:2

Praying the Scriptures make our prayers effective because they enable us to pray according to God’s will. That means that whenever we pray, we are seeking first his Kingdom (Matt 6:33). There is never a question of whether or not what we are praying for is his will to be done (1 John 5:14). This is a short guide on how to pray the Scriptures.


1. Read the Passage

You cannot pray over something you do not understand! Begin by reading the passage. Try to come to come to a good understanding of what it is saying. To help, think through the following questions:

< What does the passage teach us about God? God the Father, Jesus, his Son, or the Holy Spirit? Does it teach something about his nature or character? An action he has performed in the lives of his people?

< What does the passage teach us about our relationship with God? Is there a promise to believe, wisdom to embrace, an example to follow, a sin to avoid?


2. Meditate on the Passage

The point of mediation is to unite what you know in your head with what you feel in your heart. There are two ways to do this. The simpler way is ask yourself,

< If I really believed that this passage is saying, how would my life be different? What kind of change is required in my life?

< Why is God showing me this now? What is going on in my life that makes this so vital?


A more involved way of meditating over the passage is the method employed by Martin Luther. After you have read the passage, ask yourself,

< What is there in this passage to thank God for?

< What sin does this passage reveal in my heart that I must confess?

< What is there in passage that reminds me of what I can be thankful for in Christ?

< What does this passage reveal that I need in my life and should ask God for?



3. Pray over the Passage

Now you are ready to pray. Begin to turn the teaching of the passage into your prayers. Consider how the passage teaches you to better love God with all your mind, heart, soul, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. Pray for those things.

John Piper is BAD

The doctrines of total depravity and original sin have never been so fun! Check out this awesome video - John Piper is Bad (Extended Cut).

If you don't know who John Piper is, or why this is so funny (and true!), please check out these websites:

• Desiring God (Piper's sermons and writings)
• Imputed and Original Sin

Jesus, Israel, and the Church: A Brief Overview

Recently, a famous Christian pastor made some comments at a conference about eschatology that caused quite a stir among some pastors and blogs. Since then, much coffee has been brewed and consumed over theological debate and discussion, and many keyboard strokes laid down regarding Israel's relationship to the Church. Here is my humble contribution to the discussion.

The Church as God's New Humanity (Eph 2:10-18)

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. [11] Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— [12] remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [15] by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, [16] and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. [17] And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

This title for the church (i.e. a “new humanity”) shows its continuity and discontinuity with the Old Testament. It seeks to explain how the Gentiles receive the blessings of God without submitting to either circumcision or the Mosaic law. The answer, of course, is tied to Jesus Christ as the ‘last Adam’ and the ‘true Israel.’

Jesus as the Last Adam

Jesus replaces Adam, ‘the first man’ of the ‘first creation’ as ‘the new man’ of the ‘new creation.’ Adam stands as our representative. Because of his sin, he corrupts the first creation. However, Jesus, as our second Adam, also stands as our representative and inaugurates a new creation (Rom 5:18-19; 6:5ff; 2 Cor 5:17). What is true of individual Christians as God’s ‘new man’ / ‘new creation’ is also true of Christians corporately. Paul speaks explicitly of God’s creation of ‘one new man’ in Christ that is distinct from both Jew and Gentile. This ‘one new man’ is God’s ‘new humanity’ in Christ (Eph 2:10-18). Paul claims that this ‘one new man out of two’ (Eph 2:15) is the ‘mystery’ made known by revelation (Eph 3:3-6). This ‘one new man out of the two’ that God created in Christ (Eph 2:15) is the ‘church’ (Eph 3:10).

Jesus is the True Israel

The New Testament understands Jesus Christ to be the ‘true Israel’ and therefore all who entrust themselves to him, whether ethnically Jewish or Gentile, are Abraham's ‘children of promise’ – they are ‘true Jews,’ and ‘Abraham's seed.’ Examples:

1) Jesus replaces Israel as God's Son (Hos 11:1; Matt 2:14-15).

2) Jesus replaces Israel as the ‘true vine’ (John 15:1 – see Ps 80:9-16; Isa 5:1-7; 27:2ff; Jer 2:21; 12:l0ff; Ezek 15:1-8; 17:1-21; 19:10-14; Hos 10:1-2).

3) Jesus succeeded as the true Servant of God where Israel failed. Jesus reenacts Israel’s history: the exodus from Egypt (Matt 2:19-20), the crossing of the Red Sea (Matt 3:13-17), the temptations in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11), and the arrival at Mt. Sinai to receive the law (Matt 5:1-2), and He receives the expected out-pouring of God’s Spirit (Matt 3:16; cf. Isa 44:2-3; Ezek 36:25-27), showing that Jesus is truly the Son with whom God is pleased (Matt 3:16). John also uses the great images for Israel in the Old Testament for Jesus and His disciples (the good shepherd and the flock in 10:11-16 and vine and the branches in 15:1-5).

4) Jesus replaces Israel as Abraham's seed (Gal 3:16). To be a part of the people of God, you must be a child of Abraham. Paul's argument in Galatians 3 runs like this: becoming Abraham's descendent is not realized in connection with the Mosaic law but in connection with Jesus (cf. Gal 3:7). Why? Because Jesus is the promised ‘seed’ (Gal 3:16) through whom God would bless the nations (3:8). Paul's conclusion: “if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise” (Gal 3:29). Through Christ the covenant is fulfilled and those who become a part of the people of God do so through Him, thus they too are part of the fulfilled covenant. The true people of God (Israel) is seen in the Church (both Jews and Gentiles – Gal 3:6-9, 6:16; Rom 2:28-29), though God has yet to finish His work with ethnic Israel as well (Romans 9-11).

Summary

Gentile Christians have not been added to an already existing entity, namely Israel. The entity (the Church) is new. And in this new entity, Gentiles are fully equal heirs with the Jews. The church is not simply an extension of Israel – it is a new body, a new entity, it is ‘one new man’ (Eph 2:15). However, because Jesus Christ is the authentic Israel, the true seed of Abraham, and because Christians are "in Christ," what was true of Israel as God’s people becomes true of the church as God's people. Thus, Paul can call the church ‘the Israel of God’ (Gal 6:16), i.e., the true spiritual Israel.

The LORD is Risen!

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:12-22

Good Friday Meditation

On the Thursday of holy week, Jesus celebrated the first Lord’s Supper with his disciples, had an intense night of prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, and then was betrayed by Judas into the hands of the Jewish religious leaders. His friends, the disciples, were afraid and abandoned him. Jesus was taken before Caiaphas the high priest, who questioned Jesus and called others to testify against him. Though the witnesses contradicted each other, Jesus was charged with blasphemy and beaten.

The next morning, he was then taken to Pilate. Though the Jewish leaders believed Jesus should die for blasphemy, it was not within their authority to execute him. They needed the Roman government to pass judgment on him. By his own admission, Pilate could find nothing with which to condemn Jesus. He even asked the Jewish people to have him released, but they refused, choosing to have a murderer released instead.

We read the rest of the story in Matthew 27. [27] Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. [28] And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, [29] and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" [30] And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. [31] And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. [32] As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. [33] And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), [34] they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. [35] And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. [36] Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. [37] And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." [38] Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. [39] And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads [40] and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." [41] So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, [42] "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. [43] He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" [44] And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. [45] Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. [46] And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" [47] And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, "This man is calling Elijah." [48] And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. [49] But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." Then the apostle John tells us Jesus’ last words. “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30).

Jesus’ last words might seem odd, perhaps even confusing – what did he mean? What’s ‘finished’? How was it finished?

In order to understand Jesus’ words we have to go back to the very beginning of creation itself.
Genesis, the first book of the Bible, tells us that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (1:1). In the next six days, God creates light and darkness, stars and planets, plants and animals, and then he crowns creation by making humanity.

In Genesis we see that God says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth… And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’ [29] And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. [30] And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. [31] And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” … The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. [16] And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, [17] but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die… And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”

Everything was great – perfect – in God’s creation. But that doesn’t seem to be the case today.
The world isn’t very good – children are abused and murdered; men and women struggle with addictions of every kind; people die of disease and starvation everyday around the world; wars destroy everything from families to entire countries; ethnic cleansing and genocide threaten to wipe out whole people groups. Something is wrong. Genesis tells us what happened. God’s word tells us how we went from God’s very good creation to the human-made mess we live in today.

In Genesis 3, we read, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden”?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.”’ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths” (3:1-7).

Like a perverse joke, Adam and Eve got what they desired. But it was a hideous distortion of the promise given by the serpent. Yes, they are more like God, but not in a way they were expecting. Now they know about good and evil. But they know it differently than God does. Think about doctor who specializes in cancer. The doctor knows about cancer. He knows what it looks like, how is grows, how it kills. He even know how to treat it. But he doesn’t know it the same way as the patient who has cancer. The patient has an intimate knowledge of sickness and it treatments because he has the cancer. In a similar way, Humanity now knows sin, not as the doctor, but as the patient – we know it from the inside, because we are now sinners.

Immediately after they eat, Adam and Eve realize that something is different. For now, they fell shame for what they did. In trying to cover themselves with fig leaves, they are trying to hide their sinfulness. Unlike before, they now have plenty to be ashamed of and begin covering up.

So, instead of becoming like God, their rebellion brought pain and suffering into the world. The relationship between man and women was cursed, the relationship between humanity and God was cursed, the relationship between humanity and the rest of creation was cursed. Sin corrupted the totality of humanity and the world they lived in. In fact, in the very next chapter, we see Adam and Eve’s first son, Cain killing his brother Abel out of jealousy and anger.
The world was no longer very good, now it was corrupted by humanity’s sinfulness.

And yet, in the midst of that corruption, God makes a remarkable promise to humanity. Picture this – God’s intimate creation, those who were made in his image, refused to believe God at his word, wasn’t satisfied with the abundance of God’s provision for them, and rebelliously disobeyed his word. Imagine your teenager has just turned 18. You’ve given them a new BMW,
paid their way to an Ivy League university for four years, rented them an apartment, and told them that you are giving them their inheritance early as spending money. In response, they do not embrace you, they do not devote themselves to their studies with hard work. Instead, they spit in your face, yell at you for trying to tell them where they should go to college, then accuse you of not really loving them. Not exactly the response you were hoping for!

And yet, in the midst of their sin, God gives them hope. In Genesis 3:14-15 we read that, “The Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall crush your head, and you shall bruise his heel.’”

God says, the one will have an offspring that will be injured by the serpent, but will in turn, deliver a deathblow to the serpent. In the mean time, there will be enmity between the children of the woman and Satan, the serpent. That is, there will be an on-going spiritual conflict. All throughout the Bible, we see godly men and women struggling against sin and Satan. Because we are sinners, we all fail in that struggle. Our very nature is now sinful and so we sin and sin and sin. Even as God’s people, we fight and kick and scream and try to live for God, but we fail to live the kind of perfect life that is required by God’s immeasurable holiness.

Therefore, what all of humanity needs is a Savior. We need a way to be made right with God. We need that son of Eve to come and crush the head of the serpent, and end our struggle with sin. That is exactly what we received in the person of Jesus Christ. Hebrews tells us that Jesus, became like us – taking on flesh and blood – “[so] that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,” (Heb 2:14).

Jesus is God, and came to earth, taking on flesh like humanity. Jesus lived a perfect life before God, and then allowed himself to be crucified in our place. Paul explains that the cross was the great exchange. He says, “For our sake [God] made him – that is Jesus – God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21). On the cross, Jesus satisfied God’s wrath against our sin. The judgment that we deserve fell on Jesus, our substitute. The Bible says, he did this so that, “[God might forgive our sins], by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Col 2:13-15).

As a part of sinful humanity, we stand guilty before God, enslaved to sin. But on the cross, though Jesus was bruised, he crushed the head of the serpent, defeating him and winning salvation for his people. What Satan could not know was that death could not hold Jesus, and he was raised back to life just a few days later, proving he was the savior humanity needed.

So as we read Jesus’ final words – it is finished – we now know what they mean. He has fulfilled the promise of God, and finished our struggle with sin, defeating Satan through his death on the cross, providing salvation for us by being our substitute. Death is dead, love has one all to the glory of God.