New Testament Archives - Page 119 of 207

Philippians: Mind of Christ

Christ Church on February 25, 2019

Philippians 2:5-18

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point ofdeath, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and thatevery tongue should confess that Jesus Christ isLord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for Hisgood pleasure.

14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offeringon the sacrifice and service of your faith,I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

The Glory Behind Unity (John 17:22-23)

Being made perfect
Testimony to the world
Manifestation of God’s love

The Mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5-8)

Common purpose
Common Spirit
Common humility and suffering

The Road to Like-mindedness (Gal. 2:20, Phil. 2:12-13)

New identity in Christ
Working out our salvation in fear and trembling
God working out my salvation

The Outcome of Belief and Obedience (Phil. 2:9-11, 2:14-15)

Shine as lights
Christ’s glory
Out glory in Christ

Grace Agenda 2019

April 5-6th | Moscow, ID

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Colossians as Cornerstone #3

Christ Church on February 17, 2019

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Introduction

There was a church in Laodicea also, about ten miles from Colossae. Paul mentions that church in this passage, and a lost letter to them is referred to later in this book (Col. 4:16). This church at Laodicea had fallen on hard times by the time the Lord Jesus addresses them directly in the book of Revelation, where He has nothing good to say of them as a church. Nevertheless, there were some there who could still hear His voice (Rev. 3:20).

The Text

“For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words . . .” (Col. 2:1-23).

Summary of the Text

Paul has not met these believers, or those in Laodicea, and he wishes they knew the conflicts he had had on their behalf (v. 1). These conflicts were apparently instances of wrestling in prayer, that their hearts might be comforted, that they might be knit together in love, and into a full assurance (v. 2). As they are knit into this understanding of Christ, they find that in Him are all treasures of wisdom and understanding (v. 3). He wants this for them so that they would be immune to beguiling and enticing words (v. 4).

Paul was not there, but he was with them, rejoicing in the steadiness of their worship and faith (v. 5). They needed to walk like Christians; the 10,000^thstep should be just like the first one—by faith (v. 6). They are to be rooted in Christ, built up in Christ, the way they were taught, and overflowing with gratitude (v. 7). The alternative to this progress in sanctification is to be spoiled through philosophy and vain deceit, the way men do, and not according to Christ (v. 8).

Remember that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ (v. 9). This means that if we are in Him, that is sufficient (v. 10). In Christ we were all spiritually circumcised (v. 11), which corresponds to our baptism (v. 12). We used to be dead, but now we are alive (v. 13). The accusations of the law were against us, and so God removed them by nailing them to His cross (v. 14). This humiliated the principalities and powers, and Christ triumphed over them (v. 15).

This is why and how we are liberated from the fastidious, and regulations having to do with food or drink or calendar observance, new moons, Sabbaths (v. 16), which are all just shadow play (v. 17). Don’t let any man beguile you with this kind of stuff (v. 18), and remember that a certain kind of fleshly mind is attracted to this. Such a one does not hold on to the Head, which is how the body is knit together (v. 19). If you are dead in Christ, then why act as though you were alive to the world and its fussiness (v. 20)? Don’t don’t don’t(v. 21). These things are transient and temporal (v. 22). They have the look of wisdom, they display well, but they don’t do any good whatever (v. 23).

Beguiled

Paul is concerned that the Colossians might be susceptible to a particular kind of worldly wisdom. He warns them against vain deceit and philosophy (v. 8). He says that the deception is deeply embedded in the way this world operates—the traditions of men and the rudiments of this world (vv. 8, 20). When people veer off into vain nonsense, they are doing something that seems to fitsomehow. They think they are finding themselves, or getting down to the bones of the world, but they are actually drifting away from Christ. Paul uses two different words that are rendered as beguiled by the KJV. One is in v. 4 and the other in v. 18. The latter has the sense of controlling or manipulating. This chapter is crammed with cautions, and while their particular first century pitfalls are not with us today, the rudiments of the world most certainly are. Beware of new age spirituality. So beware of crystals, oils, depth psychology, feel-good affirmationism, spelunking in the cavernous world of personality and identity, and the all-round Ophrafication of America.

Beholding Your Order

Why do we worship the way we do? In verse 5, Paul refers to how orderly the church was in its worship. The word there is taxis, and originally it was a military term—much like how we might use the word regimentation. He was pleased about two things at Colossae that he had heard about. One was the steadfastness of their faith in Christ, and the other was the disciplined order of their worship services. For many reasons—most going back to the spontaneity of Rousseau—we tend to think that structured worship is somehow insincere. We tend to think that a prayer that you actually thought through and prayed overas you wrote it is hypocritical. But why on earth would we think that?

Circumcision and Baptism

The Bible teaches that physical circumcision is a representation of spiritual circumcision (Deut. 10:16; Rom. 2:28-29). The physical represents the spiritual. The Scriptures also teach that physical baptism is a representation of spiritual baptism (Acts 10:47). The physical represents the spiritual. We are told here that spiritual circumcision (without hands) corresponds to spiritual baptism (vv. 11-12). So why on earth would we not be able to finish the fourth side of the square? Why doesn’t physical circumcision correspond to physical baptism? And if that is the case, then how would infants be excluded?

Spiritual Knitting

We saw earlier how God wants us to be knit together in love. This happens when we hold fast to the Head, that is Christ. Our growth in the faith is Christocentric, and our love for one another, in order to be fervent, must be Christocentric also. If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7).

So love God, and love your brother, in that order. A lover of Christ is a lover of Christians. But if any finite being assumes the place of God in your life, and you love them more than anything else, it will not be long before you run out of gas and they will receive less love than they would if you had kept them at #2. If you cling to Christ then you will be knit to one another. We see this in v. 2 and v. 19.

Christ is the one principle of unity here. We worship an infinite Christ, not an infinite series of little complicated christs.

Loving the Stranger

Christ Church on February 17, 2019

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Hebrews 13:1-6

Let brotherly love continue. ²Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. ³Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.⁴Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.⁵Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear, What can man do to me?”

Introduction

Hospitality is one of the basic Christian duties. It is a central duty because it embodies the gospel of Jesus. At the same time, because it ought to embody the gospel, it is worth thinking through carefully so that we are not thoughtlessly embodying a false or distorted gospel.

The Texts

Paul says that Christians are to pursue or even “persecute” with hospitality – literally the “love of strangers” (Rom. 12:13). Peter says that we are to love one another in the church, and be “hospitable” to one another without grumbling (1 Pet. 4:8). In Hebrews, it says not to neglect hospitality (Heb. 13:2). In the parable of the sheep and the goats, Jesus commends the sheep who took in the stranger, for doing it unto the least of these my brethren was doing it unto Him (Mt. 25:35). Elders and pastors are to set the example for Christians by being hospitable (1 Tim. 3:2, Tit. 1:8). These commands are rooted in the Old Testament law: “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Ex. 22:21). “And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Lev. 19:33-34). “He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Dt. 10:18-19).

Boaz & the Moabites

Perhaps one of the greatest biblical stories of hospitality is found in the story of Ruth, where Boaz married Ruth, the Moabitess, at great sacrifice to himself for the good and blessing and protection of a “stranger” in the land, a foreign widow. One of the lesser known genealogical facts of the Bible, that really should get more airtime, is the fact that Rahab the Harlot was the mother of Boaz (Mt. 1:5, Ruth 4:20-21). Boaz knew how to love a stranger sacrificially because his own mother had been the recipient of such sacrificial love. But there is actually quite a bit more to the story. Moab was one of the sons of the incestuous unions of the daughters of Lot (Gen. 19:35-38). The sexual sin continued in the family: Even though Balaam failed to curse Israel when he was hired by the king of Moab to do so, the women of Moab successfully seduced many of the men of Israel (Num. 25:1), bringing God’s curse in the form of a severe plague that was only averted by the well-aimed javelin of Phinehas (Num. 25:7-8). Likewise, it was during the days of the judges that Eglon king of Moab oppressed Israel and was assassinated by Ehud (Judg. 3). So, hold all of this together: it was within living memory that many Israelite men had gone to the Moabite red light district, and it was within living memory that Israel had been oppressed by the Moabites. And it was in those days, during the judging of the judges, that a destitute Moabitewoman shows up in Bethlehem. There would have been plenty of talking going on in town – and a certain bit of it was wise and godly talking.

Strangers & Strange Women

One of the famous warnings of Solomon in the book of Proverbs regards the “strange woman.” “To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words, which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God” (Prov. 2:16-17). “For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword” (Prov. 5:3-4). Solomon knew well from personal experience the dangers he warned of: “But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites, of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love… And his wives turned away his heart” (1 Kgs. 11:1-3, cf. Dt. 7:1-4). This same principle is repeated in the New Testament: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?… And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (2 Cor. 6:14-18). Likewise, “ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (Js. 4:4). So on the one hand, God urges His people to love strangers, to welcome them into the covenant of God, to feed and clothe them. But on the other hand, God repeatedly warns about being assimilated to their ways. Jesus was/is a friend of sinners and prostitutes, precisely because He refuses to be drawn into their sin and insists on them leaving their sin behind. This is Christian hospitality; this is the gospel embodied in love for strangers.

Conclusions

These principles have a number of applications in a number of different directions: entertainment, friendship, learning from pagans, and evangelism. In the early church one of the images the church fathers used to describe how Christians should interact with pagan culture was the “war bride” law (Dt. 21:10-13). God prohibited men acting on impulse in the middle war (as is common in pagan warfare) and required that if a man wanted to marry a captive woman, she was to shave her head, trim her nails, put off the clothing of her captivity and be allowed to mourn for a full month before he could marry her. The church fathers said this was a good analogy for sorting through pagan cultures. The “strange woman” needs to be naturalized or assimilated into Israel, and this cannot be done impulsively or thoughtlessly, and she must leave behind her pagan gods and cleave to the God of Israel, like Rahab did, like Ruth did.

A caution and an encouragement: Remember that it is a fundamental Christian responsibility to provide for those of your own household first (1 Tim. 5:8). Many Christians in the name of mercy ministry/hospitality sacrifice marriages and children on the altar to this strange god. But the first rule of Christian hospitality is to create no new orphans or widows or strangers. In other words, the first strangers you are called to feed and clothe and love are the ones living in your own house. The encouragement is that as you do this well, and your family is spiritually thriving, you will be practiced in hospitality and ready to give to those in need.

The ground of all of this is the gospel: “That He might reconcile us to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity…Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Eph. 2:19).

Colossians as Cornerstone #2

Christ Church on February 10, 2019

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Introduction

Remember that Colossae was a Gentile city, and that the church had been planted there about ten years earlier by Epaphras. As a Gentile church, they were in a good position to hear about the mystery of Christ—hidden for long ages past, but now manifested in them.

The Text

“And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister . . .” (Col. 1:21-29).

Summary of the Text

Before the gospel had been brought to them, the Colossians were dead in their sins. Paul says that they used to be alienated and enemies in their minds by their wicked works, but now have been reconciled (v. 21). This reconciliation had been brought about through the death of Jesus so that they might be made holy in the sight of God (v. 22). This gospel is something they must continuein, Paul says. This is the gospel that was preached to them, and to everyone (v. 23).

As a minister, Paul now fills up the sufferings of Christ for the sake of the body, which is the church (v. 24). He was made a minister of this gospel for the sake of the Colossians, in order to fulfill the word of God (v. 25). He is talking about the mystery which God hid for ages, but which He has now made manifest to the saints (v. 26). This mystery is Christ within the Gentiles, the hope of glory (v. 27). This is the Christ that Paul preaches, warning and teaching both, and with the goal of presenting every man complete in Christ (v. 28). That is the end toward which Paul labors, struggling to get out what God is working in (v. 29).

Alienated in their Minds

A very consistent element in Paul’s anthropology is his awareness of what sin does in us, how it works in us. We tend to think that certain mental “mistakes” lead us down the wrong path, and that we then wind up in sin as a result. Note how Paul reverses this. They were enemies in their minds and they were alienated in their minds because of their wicked works (v. 21). Sin leads to intellectual futility, not the other way around. The heart drives the head.

Filling Out the Sufferings

Paul says that he completes the sufferings of Christ in his body, and we have to spend a moment here lest anyone think that the sufferings of Christ for redemption were in any way inadequate or in need of being completed. When Paul says this (v. 24), he immediately adds that he was made a minister. Paul was made a minister of the Word, which means that he fulfills the sufferings of Christ’s body that were related to the proclamation of it—not that which was related to the laying of the foundation for it. Christ died, once for all, and that cannot be supplemented. But the message of that death can and must be supplemented, and there are countless sufferings connected with those countless preachers. This is the suffering of Christ’s body, in a different sense. The Lord Jesus, who had completed His redemptive suffering, asked this same Paul on the Damascus road why he was persecuting Him(Acts 22:7).

What Is a Mystery?

We tend to think of a mystery as something that is hidden, period. But in Paul’s vocabulary, a mystery was something that was bound up for ages and generations, but which was eventually revealed and manifested to all. And of course, if we limit ourselves to the New Testament, it will eventually become strange to refer to this as a mystery at all. But if we are steeped in the Old Testament, if we remember that the Jews were our elder brothers in the faith, then the fresh and potent nature of this revealed mystery will remain with us. Paul works through this same glorious truth in the second chapter of Ephesians.

The Hope of Glory

What is the content of this mystery? The content of this mystery is summed up in the phrase the riches of the glory, and then it is amplified by the phrase Christ in you, the hope of glory. This content, the message that Christ would be revealed in the Gentiles as the hope of glory, is a message that Paul says was hidden. But where was it hidden? The answer is plain that it was hidden throughout all the Old Testament. Now that Christ has risen from the dead, and has given His Spirit to saints all over the world, it is fairly easy to find that mystery as we read the Scriptures. Sure, now that we see it we cannot stop seeing it. But we also must not stop seeing it.

Working Out What God Works In

Now Paul says something here which is really similar to the principle he sets out in Philippians. “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12–13).

And how does he express that same truth here? He says that he labors, in line with God’s working or energy, which works in him with power. A man or a woman who labors in the church, doing plenty of good stuff, is going to burn out unless it is an outworking of God’s prior in-working. Receive what God works in by faith. And by that same faith, work into the world what God worked into you.

Philippians: Gospel Unity

Christ Church on February 10, 2019

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The Text

²⁷Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. ²⁹For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, ³⁰having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.

2 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, ²fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. ³Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ⁴Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others (Philippians 1:27-2:4).