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Jesus Works Through His Word (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #3)

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INTRODUCTION

Acts is the record of what Jesus continued to do and teach, and this includes the seemingly mundane, ordinary work of prayer, Bible reading, gathering together with God’s people, and obeying Him. The Risen Jesus works through these ordinary means.

THE TEXT

“In those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) Men and brethren…” (Acts 1:15-26).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Sometime during the ten days between the Ascension and Pentecost, Peter stood up to speak in the midst of the eleven remaining apostles, the women, and about a hundred and twenty disciples (Acts 1:15). Peter cites what the Holy Spirit said in portions of Psalm 69 and 109 that address their situation with the loss of Judas (Acts 1:16-17, 20). Luke reviews what happened to Judas, recounting different details than Matthew. But the differences are easily accounted for: Judas hung himself in such a violent way that his bowels gushed out, and the money he had taken to betray Jesus was used to purchase that field, which became a burial ground for strangers (Acts 1:18-19, cf. Mt. 27:3-10). Peter says that another should be chosen to take his place, a man who was with them from the baptism of John until the ascension, a witness of the resurrection (Acts 1:21-22). Two men are selected that fit those criteria, Barsabas and Matthias, and after praying for the leading of Jesus, lots are cast and Matthias is chosen (Acts 1:23-26).

APOSTOLIC CREDENTIALS

It’s in the context of worship and community that the Lord leads the Church to recognize a need to replace Judas through what was written by David in the Psalms. This need was probably first raised simply by the way Jesus had spoken about the number twelve itself (e.g. Lk. 22:29-30, Mt. 19:28, Mk. 14:20, Jn. 6:70), implying that Jesus intended that number on purpose as the foundation of a new Kingdom of Israel (cf. Rom. 11, Rev. 21:12-14, Eph. 2:20).

The purpose of this office is clearly repeated: to bear witness of the entire ministry of Jesus from His baptism to His ascension, and a witness of the resurrection in particular (Acts 1:22). This means apostles had authority to oversee/write Scripture, and God authenticated that authority by giving them the power to perform extraordinary signs (Mt. 10:1, Lk. 9:1, Acts 5:12, cf. 2 Cor. 12:12).

But this raises the question of Paul, who acknowledged that he was “born out of due time” and the “least of the apostles” and not worthy to be called an apostle (1 Cor. 15:8-9). And yet, Paul insisted that he was in fact an apostle, “not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead” (Gal. 1:1) and not at all inferior to the original apostles (2 Cor. 11:5, 12:11). So an apostle is an eyewitness of the resurrection of Jesus and proven by miracles. Paul became an eyewitness of the resurrection when he saw Jesus alive on the road to Damascus (Acts 9, 22, 26), and Jesus proved that by giving Paul the apostolic power to perform miracles (2 Cor. 12:12). This is why we believe that the office of apostle was only operative in the first century. They were the foundation of the Church (Eph. 2:20). The apostles ordained elders in the churches as their successors, but there is no “apostolic line,” much less a successor to Peter, as the Roman Church claims.

READING SCRIPTURE FAITHFULLY

Peter’s argument raises questions about biblical interpretation: How did Peter know that Psalm 69 and 109 were about Judas? Could these psalms also be applied to a modern enemy? The first rule of biblical interpretation is that Jesus is Lord of it. It is His Spirit that inspired all of it (Acts 1:16). We must come to the Word in complete submission. Second, and closely related, this means that we should seek to let Scripture interpret Scripture. Wherever Scripture comments on other Scriptures, that is an authoritative interpretation. And we should seek to imitate that method. Third, we know that when Jesus rose from the dead, He taught His disciples from all the Old Testament scriptures the things concerning Himself (Lk. 24:26-27), and Jesus Himself quoted the Old Testament repeatedly throughout His ministry, claiming that it was being fulfilled in Him (cf. Mt. 5:18, Jn. 10:35). Fourth, Jesus quoted Psalms in particular, a number of times, applying them to Himself, including Psalm 69:4 in John 15:25: “They hated me without a cause.” The disciples would also remember Psalm 69:9 and apply it to the cleansing of the temple (Jn. 2:17). Given that Jesus had already applied Psalm 69 to Himself, it would be no great jump to apply a similar Psalm (like Ps. 109) to Judas and Jesus and the apostleship. So we can speak of an original, literal/historic meaning of texts, prophetic/Messianic meanings/fulfillments of a text, and often, there are fruitful applications to our day.

CONCLUSIONS & APPLICATIONS

This text highlights the way the Spirit of Jesus drives history forward through how people respond to His Word. Judas became infamous for his greed, treachery, and then finally despair. Peter took up a leadership position through repentance, prayer, and Bible reading/teaching. Matthias receives the high honor of being the twelfth apostle, and then we never hear about him in Scripture again (although tradition says he was the apostle to Ethiopia).

While they were obediently waiting for the promise of the Father, the disciples weren’t doing nothing. They gathered together for prayer and Scripture reading (Acts 1:14-15). In some respects this is the position of the modern church: our culture is crumbling and appears ready for severe judgment. We are praying and working for Reformation, but in the meantime, while we wait for God’s decision, we gather together in prayer around the Word, looking to obey.

The ordinary way we grow up in our obedience to Christ is in community studying the Word. Even though we are saved by ones, there are no solo Christians. We are saved into a body, into a community. This is what church membership means (Heb. 13:7, 17). This worshiping community is the center of a thriving Christian life. Sometimes, God’s people must wait on decisions, but this doesn’t mean doing nothing in the meantime. Be obedient in the meantime: gather with God’s people around the Word and prayers and then obey Jesus.

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When False Teachers Strut (Authentic Ministry #22)

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INTRODUCTION

As we come to chapter 10 of this epistle, we need to be reminded again of who the players are. We have the majority of the Corinthian church, and they are on Paul’s side—even though a number of them had just recently been brought back to Paul’s side by means of his “severe letter.” In the opposite corner were the false teachers, who had instigated the rebellion in the first place. And then we likely have to budget for regular members of the church who were more entangled by the false teachers than others had been, and who were still not reconciled to Paul. The first nine chapters of this letter were directed to those on Paul’s side, and here at chapter 10, Paul moves to the necessity of church discipline. Something has to be done about those who are continuing to disrupt the unity of the congregation. It was now time to discipline those who refused to repent of their stubborn opposition.

THE TEXT

“Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Corinthians 10:1–6).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Paul begins with a deeply ironic statement. He knew that his enemies said that he was no great shakes in his public speaking, and he acknowledges that this was true, but only in part. He pleads by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, knowing that he, an unpolished speaker, could still write a very tough letter (v. 1). In verse 2, he says “don’t make me come back there.” He pleads with them to make any personal boldness from him unnecessary. Because if that happens, he is going to unload on those who maintained that Paul walked “according to the flesh” (v. 2). He acknowledges that he has a physical body, but he doesn’t fight that way, he does not war “after the flesh” (v. 3). In contrast, his weapons are not carnal and earthly, but rather mighty through God for the toppling of citadels (v. 4). He has the ability to throw down “imaginations,” to throw down “high pride that is anti-God,” and to take “every thought” the prisoner of Christ (v. 5). And verse 6 makes it plain that he is talking about doing all of this at the upcoming congregational meeting (v. 6). When the Corinthian church submits, he will discipline any remaining outliers.

EXEGESIS AND APPLICATION

When we are studying Scripture, we must understand the difference between exegesis (what the original readers understood by it) and application (what we intend to do with it). There should be a great deal of overlap between the two, but they do not map on to one another perfectly. Here is an example. When Paul tells Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach and frequently ailments (1 Tim. 5:23), exegesis tells us that Timothy had frequent digestive ailments and that Paul told him that wine should help. One application could be a modern Christian taking a little wine for stomach trouble, which would be a great deal of overlap, but another application could be to quote this verse in a debate with a teetotaler. This would be a legitimate application, even if Paul had never imagined the existence of teetotalers.

We should learn this distinction because Paul’s language here in this passage is high rhetoric indeed, and hence can easily be applied to the cosmic forces of unbelief—Darwinism, postmodernism, atheism, relativism, and the universities that house them. And because we do encounter imaginations there, and high unbelief, and disobedience to Christ, it is a legitimate application. But the exegesis requires us to apply this language to a looming showdown with false teachers at Corinth.

WHEN FALSE TEACHERS STRUT

In the Greek world, any rhetorician worth his salt would be anything but humble. But Paul was following Christ, who was gentle and lowly of heart (Matt. 11:29), and this meant that his humility was one of his qualifications. The “some” of v. 2 are most likely the false apostles of (2 Cor. 11:5,13-15), and their carriage was magnificent, and their ability to command large honoraria was significant. Their spirit was measured by the size of the speaking fee they could draw down. Some things really haven’t changed. They were trained in public speaking, and were both confident and charismatic. They were polished, and knew just when to slap the thigh. They were splashy, and knew how to put on a show. Paul answered them with gospel—straight no chaser (2 Cor. 4:2-6).

STRAIGHT NO CHASER

The humility and weakness that was characteristic of Paul’s ministry is the kind of humility and weakness that will conquer the world. Blessed are the meek, for what? For they will inherit the earth (Ps. 37:11; Matt. 5:5). The foundation of this great spiritual cathedral will be anchored to the cornerstone of our Lord having been nailed naked to a pole, and there suffering the indignity of a criminal’s death. There was no doubt still dried spittle on His face. That is how God glorified the name of Christ (John 12:28), and by so doing glorified His own name.

Satan had shown the Lord the kingdoms of this world, and all their glory (Matt. 4:8), and the Lord turned away from it. He was not turning away from glory—He was turning away from that kind of petty glory. He was rejecting a tinsel glory. He was refusing the thin glory of gold foil. He was turning down the superficial honor that comes so easily to superficial apostles.

It is so easy for us to slip back into the respectable mentality that made these false apostles so attractive. The cross was one of the most excruciating instruments of torture ever devised, and we make it into fine silver jewelry. The jewelry is fine, so long as we don’t forget what it means. A cross on the steeple is something we are going to have, but may we never turn it into a sophisticated brand. We have many hymns that sentimentally refer to Calvary. But that name comes from the Latin word for skull, calvarium—because in English the Lord died on Skull Hill. Golgotha is the Aramaic name for the same thing, so no refuge for us there. And the glory is that the cross of the Lord Jesus was the tent peg of God, driven into Sisera’s head.

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Powerful Testimony (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #2)

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INTRODUCTION

When Jesus ascended, He promised that when He got to Heaven, He would prove it by baptizing His people with the Holy Spirit, making them powerful witnesses of His resurrection and the Kingdom. He did, and then they did. And that’s how we’re here.

THE TEXT

“And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father…” (Acts 1:4-14).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

On the day of His ascension, Jesus instructed His apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit, which John had promised at the beginning of His ministry (Acts 1:4-5). The apostles asked if this would be when God restored the kingdom to Israel, and Jesus said that time was not for them to know (Acts 1:6-7). But what they could know was that they would receive power soon when the Holy Spirit was given to them, to be witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). After this, Jesus was taken up into Heaven, and two angels appeared promising that He would one day return in the same physical, visible manner (Acts 1:9-11). So the apostles returned to Jerusalem, and began waiting and praying together in an upper room (Acts 1:12-14).

THE PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

John had promised at the baptism of Jesus that One mightier than him was coming who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matt. 3, Mk. 1, Lk. 3). In some ways, the answer to the question, ‘Why did Jesus come?’ is: ‘To give us the Holy Spirit.’ And this implies that the only way to give people the Holy Spirit was to be crucified for their sins, rise from the dead, and ascend to the right hand of the Father. This is because the Holy Spirit is the full fellowship of God with us (1 Jn. 3:24, 4:13).

Jesus was full of the Spirit throughout His ministry (Lk. 3:22, 4:1, 4:14, 4:18), culminating in His Ascension (Heb. 9:14), and so He is able to baptize with the Spirit with full authority. In fact, Jesus had told the disciples that the promised Spirit of the Father is His Spirit (Jn. 14:16-18, 14:26, 15:26-27).

The promise of the Spirit goes back to the Old Testament: The Root of Jesse, the Lord’s Servant, would be full of the Spirit (Is. 11:1-2, 42:1, 61:1). And because He was full of the Spirit, He would pour that Spirit out on Israel and on their children forever (Is. 44:3, 59:21). Ezekiel promised that God would give Israel a new heart and a new spirit, and He would put His Spirit inside them so that they would obey God’s laws (Ez. 36:26-27, cf. 37:14).

BAPTISM AND THE SPIRIT

In the history of the Church, the temptation has been to either separate water baptism and Spirit baptism or else collapse them into the same thing. But Scripture holds them together while distinguishing between the outward actions of men, and the inward actions of Jesus and His Spirit. Paul says, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body… and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13). But Jesus says that those branches that bear fruit “abide” in Him (Jn. 15:4). And we abide in Him by abiding in His Word (Jn. 15:3, 7).

Calvin says: For when these titles are attributed to baptism, namely that it is the laver of regeneration (Tit. 3:5), a washing away of sins (Acts 22:16), the fellowship of death and burying with Christ (Rom. 6:4), and a grafting into the body of Christ (cf. Rom. 11), it is not declared what man, being the minister of the outward sign, does, but rather what Christ does, who only gives force and efficacy unto the signs.” So outward water baptism is a true sign of the promises of God which is meant to point us directly to Christ.

THE AUTHORIZED TESTIMONY

The particular mission of the Spirit initially in the apostles is to give them the power/authority to be witnesses of Jesus from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Many have pointed out that this also serves as a rough outline of Luke’s work: Jerusalem (Acts 1-7, Judea and Samaria (Acts 8-12), and the whole known world (Acts 13-28). At the same time, this also highlights an implied assignment: the apostles needed to make sure that their testimony reached Argentina, Japan, and Idaho. How would that happen? A quick study of the Old Testament scriptures answers the question easily: they would write it down (Ex. 24:4, 25:16, 31:18, 34:29). The law of God was to be written on doorposts and city gates, and kings were to write down their own copies of the book of the law (Dt. 6:9, 17:18, Josh. 1:8).

So the Spirit was given to the apostles initially to give them the power and authority to write the New Testament. This was not an afterthought; this was their job as witnesses (cf. 2 Pet. 3:15-16). In Paul’s final letter in the mid-60s A.D., he asks Timothy to bring the “parchments” which were probably copies of all of his letters, if not other apostolic scriptures as well (2 Tim. 4:13). He also notes that Luke is with him (who had access to Matthew and Mark and wrote Luke and Acts), and Paul asks for Timothy to bring Mark with him (2 Tim. 4:11). Tradition places Peter in Rome around the same time, and assuming they all met up, this accounts for most of the New Testament and perhaps John oversaw the final compilation (Rev. 22:18-19, cf.). The New Testament was not a haphazard afterthought; it was the direct result of Jesus giving His Spirit to His eyewitnesses. We are an “apostolic” church because we obey the testimony of the apostles.

CONCLUSION

Numbers describes the war camp of Israel with the tabernacle at the center with the fire-presence of God in their midst, directing the movements of Israel (Num. 9:15-23). While the Spirit of God was with Israel and occasionally came upon various individuals (e.g. Samson), the glory of the New Covenant is that Spirit of Jesus is inside individuals, leading, guiding, teaching.

And the center of this leading, guiding, and teaching is found in the words of Jesus found in the Spirit-empowered words of the Apostles. If His Word abides in you, then He abides in you, and now you are a powerful witness of the resurrection also.

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When it Rains Righteousness (Authentic Ministry #21)

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INTRODUCTION

If God is seeking to grow us up into a particular kind of person, then He is going to provide us with whatever is necessary to accomplish His intention in that. God has no goals for us “in theory,” but somehow unprovided for. The telos of our lives is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29; Phil. 3:21), to have grown up into a particular kind of person. The last day will not consist of us opening our spiritual ledger books in order that the number of commands kept and broken might be tallied up. Eventually we will all become what we have been becoming, and if that is a good thing, God will have provided you with what you need along the way.

THE TEXT

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:8–15).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

God is fully capable of keeping us supplied. If He wants us to drive somewhere, He will make sure we have the gas (v. 8). Hudson Taylor once put it well when he said that God’s work done in God’s way will never lack for God’s supply. This is provision enough for every good work (v. 8). Paul then gives us a chain of three quotations. The first is from Ps. 112:9—the man who is generous to the poor has a lasting righteousness. Then Paul quotes Isaiah 55:10, virtually verbatim from the Septuagint, with Paul supplying the conclusion from Hoses 10:12—that God will multiply their seed, and will also increase the fruits of their righteousness (v. 10). Great benefits will accrue from this. The first blessing is that there will be thanksgiving rendered to God (v. 11). Not only are the saints blessed, but God is thanked (v. 12). That’s good. The second great blessing is that God is glorified (v. 13)—submission to the gospel by Christians and liberal giving in all directions brings glory to God (v. 14). That’s good also. The third great blessing is the growth of mutual affection between believers (v. 14). Remember too that this gift is bridging a Gentile/Jew divide. Possessors of grace are drawn to others in whom that same kind of grace dwells. And Paul concludes by rendering thanks to the giving God, the God who has tendered to us the unspeakable gift (v. 15).

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GENEROSITY

Too often we think of righteousness in terms of integrity and uprightness and keeping the law. This, we assume, is in some sort of tension with mercy. But in the ways of God, in the pattern of gospel, we find something different. “Mercy and truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Psalm 85:10).

The man who gives to the poor—his righteousness endures forever (Ps. 112:9). And when God multiplies the seed of generosity, it is so that the harvest of righteousness might be abundant. “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground: For it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you” (Hosea 10:12). Sow righteousness, reap mercy. Sow mercy, reap righteousness. Plant the right crop in the right soil and God will ensure that it rains righteousness. Ultimately it is all the same crop, which means we are not wrong if we look for it to rain mercy as well.

SEED CORN COSTS MONEY

There is always room for generosity. There is always God’s provision to enable generosity. The scales may vary—one saint in a prison cell may share a crust of bread and great men of war may share honor and food with their brothers—as happened when David was made king.

“All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king. And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking: for their brethren had prepared for them. Moreover they that were nigh them, even unto Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly: for there was joy in Israel” (1 Chronicles 12:38–40).

You are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared and ordained beforehand for you to do (Eph. 2:10). Young men are to show a pattern of good works (Tit. 2:7), and all of us are to be zealous after good works (Tit. 2:14). Tabitha was a woman “full of good works” (Acts 9:36). Now here is the thing. Good works cost both time and money. So if God has assigned these good works to you, and God is Himself generous, do you think He will let you run dry in the middle of your tasks? Not a bit of it.

DESCRIBING THE INDESCRIBABLE

This word rendered here as unspeakable was apparently a word coined by the apostle Paul himself. This is the first appearance of the word anywhere in Greek. What is this indescribable gift?

God gave us the gift of Himself. A virtuous man might venture to lay his life down for a righteous or a good man. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Notice the logic of Paul’s argument. “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10).

Once God gave us the gift beyond all possible gifts—the death, burial and resurrection of His Son—what on earth could make us think that He would go that far so that He might suddenly pivot and become stingy? Is God a cosmic scrooge? Is the right hand of the Almighty clenched in a tightfisted way? The idea of anything like that could make a cat laugh.

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The Testament (CCD)

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THE TEXT

For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation (Heb. 9:16–28).

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