Post #1 The Doctrine of Original Sin - Four fall-like events in the Book of Genesis and an introduction to Adam's Fall

 

Introduction: Four Fall-like events in the Book of Genesis

    The Book of Genesis presents to us four fall-like events. 

1. The first is Satan’s Fall, wherein sin had its beginning. Old Testament passages such as Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-16 each begin with God's judgment pronounced on certain kings, with the judgment speech switching to the primordial fall of Lucifer to become Satan. I take this first fall-like event to have occurred between the "white-space" of Genesis 2:25 and Genesis 3:1.      

    The seventeenth century theologian Thomas Watson in his "Body of Divinity" summarizes this initial cosmic fall:

 The origin of sin, from whence it comes. It fetches its pedigree from hell; sin is of the devil. 1 John 3:3 ‘He that committeth sin is of the devil.’ Satan was the first actor of sin, and the first tempter to sin. Sin is the devil’s first-born. 

2. The second fall-like event, which will be the focus of today's post and the next several, is the fall-like event most familiar to students of the Bible - namely the fall of Adam and his wife in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. 

    Sin was sourced in Satan, and then became distributed through our first parents. As we shall see in later posts, Adam and Eve were like gateways through which sin was distributed to the human race and onto the whole physical creation (1 Corinthians 15:20-22; Romans 5:12-21; Romans 8:21-25). 

3. The third fall-like event occurred in the events that led to God judging the world with the world-wide flood (Genesis 6-9). 

4. The fourth fall-like event we find in the book of Genesis is that of the Tower of Babel incident, recorded in Genesis 11:1-9. 

    All four of these fall-like events, with Adam's fall being most prominent, function together to explain what theologians call "the noetic effects of the fall", that is, the decay, moral ruin, spiritual darkness, and posture of judgment by God upon the fallen race of Adam. 

Why Adam's Fall is important to understanding the significance of Christ's accomplished work of salvation as the second Adam

    It is against such an otherwise bleak backdrop that God's redemptive plan of salvation, no doubt planned between the Father and Son before time began (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2), and worked forth through God's covenants with Eve (Genesis 3:15,20-21), Noah (Genesis 8-9), Abraham (Genesis 12; 17; 22), David (2 Samuel 7:13-16), the New Covenant itself (Jeremiah 31:31-34), would be revealed and worked out in history. 

    When a Jeweler wants to accentuate the beauty of a gem, they'll place it on a dark cloth. God's decree to permit sin to intrude into His creation was part of His plan. The 1689 2nd London Baptist Confession, in its sixth article, first paragraph, summarizes:

"which God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel to permit, having purposed to order it to His own glory."

    God permits what He hates to achieve the great good He intended (see Genesis 50:20; Acts 2:23-24; Romans 8:28). God is not the author of evil. The Westminster Confession of Faith, in its third article "Of God's Eternal Decree", paragraph one, summarizes with Scripture proofs:

"God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass: (Eph. 1:11, Rom. 11:33, Heb. 6:17, Rom. 9:15,18) yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, (James 1:13,17, 1 John 1:5) nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established. (Acts 2:23, Matt. 17:12, Acts 4:27–28, John 19:11, Prov. 16:33)"

    As we understand how God had already foreknown of the intrusion of sin into our world, we come to realize that the Father, Son, and Spirit had planned the redemption needed to counteract the evils of sin and its effects on the human race and creation. The Son Himself came as the Father's appointed Redeemer, the Son of God incarnate, Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:21-23; John 1:14; Titus 2:11-13; 1 Peter 3:18). 

    Other New Testament passages bear-out that the incarnation of the Son of God to be a man. Jesus came as "the Second Adam" (Romans 5:12-14; 1 Corinthians 15:45-47). Christ's perfect life, substitutionary death on the cross, glorious resurrection, and ascension is contrasted with the failure of the first Adam. Christ came to undo what had been done by Adam, as well as to destroy the work of the Evil one who tempted our original parents (Hebrews 2:11-15; 1 John 3:8).  

The importance of studying the Fall of Adam 

      As we turn our attention to Adam's fall in Genesis 3, we cannot overemphasize the importance of that chapter in Genesis. One writer has noted, 

“Genesis 3 is unquestionably one of the most important chapters in God’s revealed Word. Without the historical record of the plight of man, and indeed all the trouble in the world caused by sin, would be an unfathomable riddle.”

    In the church I pastor, our children have been studying through Adam Murrell's "Young Baptist Catechism". In that work, questions pertaining to Adam's fall are asked.

Question 29: Did all mankind fall in Adam’s Sin? 

Answer: All mankind, descending from Adam, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 

Question 30: Into what state did the fall bring mankind? 

Answer: The fall brought mankind into a state of sin and misery.

        These questions, and the foregoing introduction, serve to get our thoughts in gear a closer look at the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. In this post and the next, we are going to understand Adam’s Fall through what is called the doctrine of original sin.

Part Three: A Theology of Widowhood - 1 Timothy 5:1-16 As A Testing Ground

Introduction:

    Not too long ago I wrote two posts that dealt with the subject of what I call "a theology of widowhood". Roughly forty places in the Bible touch upon this subject. Beyond the personal evidence for the importance of widows in my life or the life of any local church, I find in my current preaching through 1 Timothy 5:1-16 this notion of "a theology of widowhood". 

    Such individuals are invaluable, since their prayers were used by God in the effectiveness of the church. How often I've observed this firsthand over the years. It is often that a minister will get tired in ministry. The prayers of a dear saint who is a widow can make all the difference, far beyond the cleverness of a church program or combined efforts of church members. 

    I wanted to follow-up from those two posts here Growing Christian Resources: Part One: A Theology of Widowhood - How God Used Widows In the Bible To Impart Truths About Himself and His People and here Growing Christian Resources: Part Two: A Theology of Widowhood - How God Used Widows In the Bible To Impart Truths About Himself and His People. 

    Being that those two posts had their origin in 1 Timothy 5, I thought I'd take what we learned in our study and flesh out what Paul is teaching about the importance of the local church taking care of widows in 1 Timothy 5:1-16.

What we learned from our study of "a theology of widows".

    In the two posts I referenced above, we drew the following conclusions.

1. Principles of truth concerning God and God's people. 

    When I say "a theology of widowhood", I mean particular truths we can glean about God or the spiritual principles of Godly living from the Bible's teaching about widows. Think of widows in the Bible as a "window" through which we may observe major theological truths. 

2. Proof of Genuine Faith. 

    How we treat widows says a lot about the genuineness of the faith we profess (see James 1:26-27). 

3. Providence of God. 

    As one surveys redemptive history in the Bible, certain key turning points in God's Providence involved widows. See Proverbs 15:25; Psalm 146:9.

4. Provision of God.

    Another truth we learn when studying widows in the Bible pertains to God's provision. What happens when a woman becomes a widow? Sources of income, scarcity of resources, and a sense of vulnerability can become painful realities. The sinful, selfish heart of human depravity can prey upon unsuspecting widows. Exodus 22:22-24; Deuteronomy 14:28; 16:11-12; 24:19; 1 Kings 17:8-16; 2 Kings 4:1-7; Luke 4:25-26; 1 Timothy 5:16. 

5. Protection of God. 

    This fifth theological truth gleaned from a study of widowhood in the Bible is among the more prominent themes. Moses wrote these words in Deuteronomy 10:18 "He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing."

    As I comb the Scriptures, the theme of God's justice and protection is found associated with the plight of widows (see Exodus 22:22-24; Deuteronomy 24:17; 27:19; Job 22:5,9; 24:3; 24:21; 31:16,22; Psalm 68:5; Psalm 146:0; Isaiah 1:17;1:23; Jeremiah 49:11; 1 Timothy 5:5).

6. Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

    The sixth and final area we learned from our study of widowhood in the Bible was the insight we gained about Christ Himself. How did He regard widows? How did His interactions with them underscore the type of man He became in His incarnation? See Matthew 23:14; Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47.

    I find it interesting that of the four women mentioned in Jesus' genealogy in Luke 3, three of them were widows (Tamar, a one-time widow, Genesis 38:15 and Matthew 1:3; Ruth in Matthew 1:5; Bathsheba, whose husband was killed by decree of King David during a battle, 2 Samuel 11:22-26; Matthew 1:6). The inclusion of widows in the bloodline of our Lord's humanity underscores the importance God assigned to widows in His overall purposes of redemption. Jesus often used widows to illustrate truths He taught in the course of His earthly ministry (Luke 7:11-17; Luke 18:1-8; Luke 21:1-3). 

Applying "a theology of widowhood" to our understanding of 1 Timothy 5:1-16

    We can take those six points and use them as spotlights to highlight the teaching of Paul about caring for widows in the church in 1 Timothy 5:1-16. 

1 Timothy 5:1-16 as a testing ground for a theology of widowhood

    Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:7 "Prescribe these things as well, so that they may be above reproach." Who are the "they" in the passage? The "they" has to do with the five sorts of people mentioned by Paul in 1 Timothy 5:1-16, "older men", "older women", "younger men", "younger women" - all in 1 Timothy 5:1-2 - with the fifth category being the pastoral care of widows (1 Timothy 5:3-16.) 

    As we zero-in on care for widows in particular, we find three types of widows mentioned by the Apostle. 

1. You have "widows indeed" or true widows that are alone with no living family (1 Timothy 5:3,5, 16b). 

2. Then there were widows that were younger, under sixty years of age, being marriageable, and prone to temptation (1 Timothy 5:3-4, 6-8,11-15). 

3. The third sort of widow were those widows that had relatives, whether children or grandchildren, who could support them (1 Timothy 5:4,5:8,9,16a).     

    By categorizing the various needs and groups, Paul states why he wrote this section in 1 Timothy 5:16 "If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed." Paul indicates that proper care of all the groups concerned will ensure a greater level of Christ-likeness - i.e. "being above reproach".

How God uses widows to help a church evaluate how well it is shepherding His people. 

    As you outline 1 Timothy 5:1-16 and then plug-in the insights we gleaned from our study of widowhood in the Bible, one finds how the priority of ministry to widows for the local church teaches much about shepherding.

1. 1 Timothy 5:1-4 shows us what it means to have a personal knowledge of the people in the church. 

2. 1 Timothy 5:5-5-8 shows us the place of accountability in the church. 

3. Then, 1 Timothy 5:9-16 gives us a plan for meeting needs in the church. 

    When I look at that first point, personal knowledge of people in the church, we see from our prior studies how intimately acquainted God was with widows in the Old and New Testaments. Jesus' personal dealings with them, God's providential inclusion of them, and protections of them all served to underscore this point. 

    How we care for widows gives a quick snapshot of how warm we are as a local church. Do I give a second thought about those in the church body who have no one else? Do I pray for them? Do I call or text? Might I visit widows? All such questions underscore Paul's point. 

    The second point of the place of accountability in the church reminds us that we have a responsibility to care for one another. The categorization of widows served to make sure church resources were getting to the right people. At times, certain widows were tempted to take advantage of church resources, or perhaps others in the church saw an opportunity to take advantage of a widow who could otherwise not protect herself. 

    When I look at the situation in Acts 6 between the Jewish and Grecian widows, and how the Greek widows were complaining of the Jewish widows being treated better than they, the church had to remedy that situation lest it split the church in Jerusalem. Acts 6:1 "Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food." 

    This is where our study comes into play in reminding us how God protects widows and measures the proof of genuine faith by how well we take care of these precious people. 

    If we do not exercise true love, concern, and Christ-like care for each other, all the programs in the world and a full parking-lot on a Sunday morning will mean nothing. A well-preached sermon and the best sounding music will ring quite hollow if we do not hold one another accountable when it comes to looking out for each other. Widows are our litmus test for measuring the warmth and concern we have for each other in the church.

    Then note the final point Paul brings out in 1 Timothy 5:1-16, a plan for meeting needs. Paul lays out an action plan, a registry, of true widows versus those widows who have family or other means of caring for themselves (1 Timothy 5:9-16). As with any ministry, whether first-century or twenty-first century, how we handle God's resources will determine the level of ministry He gives to us. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 gives the following principle: 

"Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy."

    When we look at God's providence and protection from our study of widowhood in the Bible, God always had a plan and a provision for those ladies. Jesus' ministry to widows involved having a detailed plan for assessing the need, applying a solution, and pointing to the Father. 

    To refer back once more to Acts 6 and the crisis of the widows in the Jerusalem church, the Apostles called for the congregation to select seven men - no doubt forerunners of the office of Deacon. Those seven selected would handle the needs of the widows at that time. They identified the need, found a solution, and then pointed to the heavenly Father. Acts 6:7 gives us the result: "The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith."

Closing thoughts

    Today's post aimed to take our study of widowhood in the Bible and see how it worked in the context of 1 Timothy 5:1-16. 1 Timothy 5 is the most concentrated chapter in God's Word on the subject of widows. How we treat them and care for them can aid in evaluating where we are at in our spiritual sensitivity to the Lord and fellow Christians, whether individual Christians or on the local church level. 

The Jewish Feast Of Passover And How It Points To Jesus Christ The Lamb Of God

Introduction: 

    Not too long ago I wrote a post that introduced readers to the major Jewish Feasts in the Bible here Growing Christian Resources: Introducing the Jewish Feasts, their meaning, and significance. My goal in that post was to highlight how the Jewish Feasts detailed God's relationship with His Covenant people, Israel, as well as prepare for the prophetic events surrounding the first and second comings of Jesus Christ. In that last posting on the feasts, I noted four reasons why it benefits Christians to study the Feasts of Israel:

A. To know Jesus better. 

B. Insight into Prophecy

C. Divine intervention in our lives. 

D. God keeps His promises.

    The first four feasts, the Spring feasts, point us back to Jesus’ first coming and the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. For the O.T, they commemorated the Exodus, the beginnings of the Jewish nation, the giving of the Law (Pentecost), and new spiritual beginnings. 

    The latter three Fall feasts, for New Testament truths, detailed what will be the situation of the Jews at the end of the Tribulation period prior to Christ’s return to earth. In the Old Testament, they signal the latter parts of the religious calendar and the beginning of the civil calendar. In today's post, we shall look at the Feast of Passover. I shall present major headings with comments to guide us through our discussion.

1. The Passover pointed to a saving event.

    Four main lambs in O.T. First Lamb (likely) Genesis 4:4; Passover Lamb Exodus 12; Sacrificial Lamb Exodus 29:39; Prophetic Lamb Is 53:7; The Person of the Lamb (John 1:29). As for Passover Lamb, it undergirded the other Old Testament portrayals of lambs. God used lambs to communicate the truth of substitutionary atonement. Jesus would come to fulfill all of the major meanings conveyed by the Old Testament portrayals, including the Passover Lamb. Whenever we look at the Passover's initiation in Exodus 12, we note the following characteristics and meanings of the Passover lamb. 

A. New beginning of new life. 

Exodus 12:1-2 "Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 'This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you."

B. Selection of the lamb. 

Exodus 12:3-4 "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. 4 Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb."

(1). Spotless Lamb. 

Exodus 12:5 "Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats." 

(2). Slaughtered Lamb.

Exodus 12:6 "You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight."

(3). Sprinkled blood of the Lamb. 

Exodus 12:7 "Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it." 

(4). Sufficient Lamb

Exodus 12:8 "They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails."

(5). Satisfying Lamb

Exodus 12:10 "And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire. 11 Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the Lord’s Passover." 

(6). Securing Lamb

Exodus 12:12 "For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the Lord. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."

2. The Passover pictures our salvation. 

    In having looked at the Passover Lamb featured in the initial pronouncement of the Passover Feast, we can turn to consideration of the details of the Feast we find in the Jewish observance. Various details of the Jewish Passover or "Seder" meal includes the following components.

A. Removal of Leaven – cf 1 Cor 5:6-8 = our sanctification.

B. Elijah’s Cup (between the testaments) = Second coming

    This tradition was developed at some point in the Jewish observance of the Passover meal. Dr. Walter Kaiser explains the rite's significance:

"To this day, Judaism continues to reserve for Elijah a distinguished place and loosely to relate it to their fading expectation of the coming of the Messiah. This can best be seen in the cup of Elijah and the seat reserved for him at every Passover meal. The hope and prayer of every Jew at the conclusion of the Passover—”next year in Jerusalem”—is one piece of a larger picture of the coming Messianic era. And at the heart of it remains the open door for the new Elijah."

C. Four cups (blessing, sanctification, redemption, kingdom)

    The periodical "Israel my Glory", 2013 article on Seder (“Order”), notes how the Jews utilized the following passage from Exodus, with exposition on the meaning of the four cups. 

Exodus 6:6-8 "Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7 Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am the Lord.’”

(1). The First Cup. This is the Cup of Sanctification. It is consumed early in the meal. Sanctification means “set apart.” Jewish people acknowledge, remember, and praise God that He selected, exalted, and set them apart by giving them His commandments. A prayer of praise is offered before the cup is drunk.

(2). The Second Cup. This is the Cup of Praise. After the story of the Exodus—the ultimate account of liberation from slavery—is read, the Cup of Praise is drunk with a prayer of praise to God for being the constant source of deliverance in every generation of Jewish history.

(3). The Third Cup. This is the Cup of Redemption. It is drunk after the meal and after the afikomen is found. (See “The Marvelous Afikomen.”) In the ancient world, redemption referred to slaves being purchased and liberated. Jewish people thank and praise God for freeing them from Egyptian bondage. Not only did God deliver them from the physical hardship of slavery but also from the constant exposure to Egypt’s false gods. No longer would the Israelites and their children be forcibly subjected to the worship practices of a pagan culture.

    The third cup also has particular significance for Christians. It is the same cup Jesus took “after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you’” (Lk. 22:20). The Cup of Redemption symbolizes what Jesus did for us: He shed His blood to redeem us from slavery to sin. That is why the apostle Paul, a highly trained Jewish scholar, wrote, “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:7).

(4). The Fourth Cup. Everyone partakes of this cup near the end of the dinner. It is called the Cup of Acceptance or the Cup of Anticipation and celebrates the relationship God desires with His Chosen People. This is the cup the Lord Jesus used to symbolize the ratification of the New Covenant and to institute communion. He did not drink it Himself, however, but said He will drink it when the Messianic Kingdom is established (Matt 26:26-29).

    Clearly the four cups in the Jewish Passover, observed when Jesus instituted the Passover to be transfigured into what we know today as the Lord's Table, only served to reinforce the connection between the Passover Lamb and Jesus Himself. We go on to note other features of the Passover meal.

D. Bitter herbs (horse radish usually, salt water), bitterness and tears in Egypt. 

E. Charoseth (apples, nuts, a claylike substance). 

F. Recounting of the Passover Narrative

G. Hiding of the Afikomen (which means “that which comes later”). Middle matzos bread (all three in a Matzah bag or linen covering. The tray is called an “echad” tray. Jews take it to mean “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). Once afikomen is found, the meal is done. 

    These features convey the extraordinary meaning of the Passover to Christians. As we round the corner of the homestretch of today's post, let me draw the reader to see how what I just mentioned about the Passover has explicit New Testament verses attached to its ultimate meaning.

3. Passover personified by the Savior. 

A. A new beginning = 2 Cor 5:17

B. Selection of a lamb. Rev 13:8; Is 42:7

C. Spotless lamb 1 Peter 1:18

D. Slaughtered lamb Revelation 5:6-8

E. Sprinkled blood of the Lamb. Eph 1:7

F. Sufficient Lamb John 1:29; 1 Peter 2:21-25

G. Satisfying Lamb 1 Peter 3:18

H. Securing Lamb. John 10:27-29

Closing thoughts:

    No doubt the Passover celebration pre-figured what Jesus would achieve as The Lamb of God. His commemoration of the Lord's Table in conjunction with the Passover bridges the continuation of its importance to Christians today. We learned the following today.

1. The Passover pointed to a saving event, the Exodus, which in turn would pre-figure the ultimate saving event, the crucifixion of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.

2. The Passover pictures the Christian's salvation, as it did Jewish salvation in the Old Testament. 

3. The Passover is personified in the Savior Himself, since He is the "Lamb of God". 

Part Two: A Theology of Widowhood - How God Used Widows In the Bible To Impart Truths About Himself and His People

Introduction:

    In our last post we began considering what I call "a theology of widowhood". The purpose is to glean certain truths about God and His people from the Bible's teaching about widows. Interested readers may review the last post here Growing Christian Resources: Part One: A Theology of Widowhood - How God Used Widows In the Bible To Impart Truths About Himself and His People

    In that last post we learned about three such truths.

1. Proof of genuine faith.

2. God's Providential care.

3. God's Provision.

    As we continue on with our study, I want to note additional theological realities we learn about God and His people through our Biblical study of widows.

God's Protection and Justice.

    This fourth area or theological truth gleaned from a study of widowhood in the Bible is among the more prominent themes. Moses wrote these words in Deuteronomy 10:18 "He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing."

    As I comb the Scriptures, the theme of God's justice and protection is found associated with the plight of widows (see Exodus 22:22-24; Deuteronomy 24:17; 27:19). The Book of Job has the most to say about making sure widows are properly cared for. As Job was undergoing reproach from his supposed "friends", he offered this as a defense of his piety or "bond of devotion to God" in Job 29:13,

“The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy." (also see Job 31:16, 22). 

    The Old Testament echoes with further statements of God's justice exercised on behalf of widows (see Psalm 68:5; Psalm 146:0; Isaiah 1:17;1:23). As God manifests His justice and protection, he urges the widows themselves to trust Him as a mark of true faith (Jeremiah 49:11; 1 Timothy 5:5). The spiritual and moral unrighteousness of Israel in the Old Testament was marked by the lack of regard they had for widows (Ezekiel 22:7; Zechariah 7:10; Malachi 3:5).

    Why is God so concerned to show His protection and justice toward widows? To evoke in His people the same level of concern for them. Human self-interest often motivates acts of kindness or "philanthropy". In other words, when people typically do good deeds for others, there is often an ulterior motive, some sort of "kickback" they hope they will receive. Even churches can fall prey to this trap of the flesh, catering ministries to people whom they perceive will advance the church's programs and mission. 

    Yet as we learned in the last post, passages such as James 1:26-27 show us that when caring for widows, who in all likelihood have only enough resources to take care of themselves or may even require our protection, we get an insight into the heart of God. God's grace toward us flows from who He is as the God of grace. In loving His people, the reciprocation of love in return will always be far less. God doesn't love on the basis of what others can do for Him (for He is God, and He needs no one to complete Him). God shows mercy for the sake of that person. In relating to widows, we learn much of God's love. In such exchanges, the widow will often have more to give to us than we could have contribute to them.

    In addition to God's mercy and grace, we find His justice expressed on behalf of widows. God's justice is rooted in His character as the God who is right (i.e. righteous). It is the right thing to do to look out for the well-being of widows. Such a principle extends into other areas, whether orphans or people that require us to slow down, put aside our busy agenda, and get involved in what God is trying to show us through being used by Him to bless others. 

The Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

    We have learned in our study of "a theology of widowhood" that we can learn through the lives of widows such principles as:

1. Proof of genuine faith.
2. God's Providential care.
3. God's Provision.
4. God's protection and justice.

    I want to end this short study with this fifth and final truth. The Lord Jesus Christ had quite a bit to say about widows. Furthermore, His teachings and actions about them and toward them laid the foundation for the teaching about widowhood we find in the remainder of the New Testament. 

    In the first three Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), Jesus derides the Pharisees for their hypocrisy in not only acting carelessly toward widows, but in their exploitation (see Matthew 23:14; Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47). 

    I find it interesting that of the four women mentioned in Jesus' genealogy in Luke 3, three of them were widows (Tamar, a one-time widow, Genesis 38:15 and Matthew 1:3; Ruth in Matthew 1:5; Bathsheba, whose husband was killed by decree of King David during a battle, 2 Samuel 11:22-26; Matthew 1:6). The inclusion of widows in the bloodline of our Lord's humanity underscores the importance God assigned to widows in His overall purposes of redemption. 

    Our Lord Jesus Christ utilized the lives of widows in His teachings to His disciples. Who can forget the miracle of the raising of the son of the Widow from Nain in Luke 7:11-17. In that episode we see insight into Jesus' compassion for this lady in his remark to her in verse 13, "When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” Jesus then brought her boy back to life, proving He has power over life and death. 

    Or how can we not recall the wondrous parable He told of not giving up in prayer when he spoke of a widow making her appeal for justice to an unjust judge in Luke 18. The parable begins with the following prologue in Luke 18:1 "Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart." 

    The widow pleads her case to the unscrupulous judge. Though he has no concern for her on a personal level, yet because of her persistence and his annoyance at her, the judge grants her the request. Jesus then closes the parable with these words in Luke 18:7-8,

"now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? 8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

    One more example of how widows highlight to us the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ is in the famous example he uses of a widow giving all she had in Luke 21:1-3,

"And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. 2 And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. 3 And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them."

    The One who came to give His life used the widow as an illustration of the sort of heart we are to have toward God. We not only get insight into Jesus Himself, but also the expectations He has of us through how He illustrated certain principles through widows. 

Some observations on how the early church cared for widows.

    We see how this emphasis of Jesus on widows came to have prominence in the early church. One of the first major pastoral crises in the church erupted between Jewish and Grecian widows in Acts. Consequently, the Apostles were moved to request the church to select seven men, no doubt the forerunners to the Deacon ministry, to aid the widows who were in distress. The Apostles knew that care for widows was a litmus test for the church regarding its ministry and spiritual health (see James 1:26-27). 

    A touching scene in Acts 9:39-41 involving the death of a certain Dorcus, and how she was dear to the widows of the early church, was a context for attestation of the Apostle Peter's apostolic credentials. God used him to bring her back to life. Again, God included widows in a major turning point in redemptive history, which in this case provided proof of the power of Jesus Christ, through the working of the Spirit, operating in the early apostolic church in Acts.

    I find it intriguing, yet making perfect sense, that nearly an entire chapter in 1 Timothy 5 would be devoted to detail instructions on the church's ministry to widows. I can think of hardly a clearer test of Christ-likeness than to see how well a local church takes care of its widows. 

    In a busy, twenty-first century church world, do people slow down enough to make sure every widow is heard, cared for, or perhaps learns from the widow what she has learned from God in terms of His protection, providential care, and strengthening through difficult times. These thoughts hopefully drive home to reader how ministry to widows can teach the Christian much about how to exercise the love and compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Closing thoughts:

    Over the last two posts, we've looked at what I call "a theology of widowhood". The goal was to glean truths we could learn about God and Christian living through the lives of widows (or widowers). In this study we noted five important truths or theological touchpoints.

1. Proof of genuine faith.
2. God's Providential care.
3. God's Provision.

4. God's protection and justice.

5. The Person of the Lord Jesus Christ 

Part One: A Theology of Widowhood - How God Used Widows In the Bible To Impart Truths About Himself and His People

Introduction:

    In today's post I want to explore what I am calling "a theology of widowhood". God has quite a bit to say about widowhood in the Bible. My reasoning for exploring this subject is motivated by several considerations. As a pastor I have had the privilege of knowing or ministering to widows over the course of ministry. Some of the most influential people in my life were widows (my late mother and grandmother, just to name a few). Among the many people God used outside of my family to influence my life, no other group has taught me the important matters of the Christian faith quite like widows. 

    Beyond the personal evidence for the importance of widows in my life or the life of any local church, I find in my current preaching through 1 Timothy two verses that alert us to this notion of "a theology of widowhood". The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 5:3 "Honor widows who are widows indeed." The adverbial "indeed" is a translation of an underlying clause that speaks literally of "one who continues to be a widow". These are widows with no means of income, no family, and who were to receive care from the Pastoral ministry of Pastor Timothy and the benevolence of the church at Ephesus. 

    The second verse in the same context of 1 Timothy 5, particular verse 5, reminds us of how God can use godly widows in the life of the church,

"Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day."

    Such individuals are invaluable, since their prayers were used by God in the effectiveness of the church. How often I've observed this firsthand over the years. It is often that a minister will get tired in ministry. The prayers of a dear saint who is a widow can make all the difference, far beyond the cleverness of a church program or combined efforts of church members. 

    In today's post and the next one, I want to explore the theological significance of widows (or widowers), what God has to say about them, and what we can learn about this too often overlooked group of people. 

Getting a closer look at a theology of widowhood

    When I say "a theology of widowhood", I mean particular truths we can glean about God or the spiritual principles of Godly living from the Bible's teaching about widows. Think of widows in the Bible as a "window" through which we may observe major theological truths. 

1. Proof of one's profession of faith.

    I want to begin by considering one of the final verses in the Bible that gives us a clear example of the theological importance of widows to the Christian faith. James, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus according to the flesh, writes these words in James 1:26-27 

"If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

    The term "religious" here speaks of "devotion" or an outward life that is committed to the Lord. Religion as a concept is not a negative, since it speaks of what ought to be a corresponding condition of the heart inwardly devoted to the Lord. The word "religion" itself, in its fundamental Latin derivation religio, speaks literally of being "tied to the Lord". 

    James is addressing claims people make about their level of devotion or "being tied" to the Lord. How does and individual or a church prove its level of spiritual devotion and health? Interestingly enough, James offers two proofs: how one treats widows and orphans and how one prioritizes personal integrity. In other words, there are moral, ethical, and theological litmus tests for a claim someone or a church may have about their level of Christianity.

2. God's Providential care.

    As one surveys redemptive history in the Bible, certain key turning points in God's Providence involved widows. God's Providence has to do with His preservation, guiding, and moving forward of history, people, and nations according to His most-wise purpose. Often, I have found that the most questioned attribute of God is not His Sovereignty, nor His love, but His goodness. How do we know God really cares? 

    Of all the ways the Bible affirms and confirms the reality of God's good-will toward all He has made (what theologians call His "common grace" or "benevolence"), one of the clearest illustrations involves widows.

    Solomon wrote these words in Proverbs 15:25,

"The Lord will tear down the house of the proud, but He will establish the boundary of the widow" (also see Psalm 68:5; Psalm 146:9). 

    When we talk of common grace or God's good-will toward all He has made, such good will, though being a non-saving form of grace, is still His unmerited favor toward us who are undeserving of it. God has special, providential oversight towards widows, whether they be believer or unbeliever. Much as He causes it to rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45) or causes the general revelation of Himself to be seen in all nations (Acts 14:17), such general evidence of His common grace is presented in the specific instances of widowhood in the Bible. 

    So, we've learned thus far that God uses widows to teach us about the proof of one's faith and the providential care of God in common grace. Let's note another truth in our "theology of widows".

3. Provision of God 

    What happens when a woman becomes a widow? Sources of income, scarcity of resources, and a sense of vulnerability can become painful realities. The sinful, selfish heart of human depravity can prey upon unsuspecting widows. In Exodus 22:22-24 the Lord gives this warning,

"You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. 23 If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; 24 and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless."

    God commands His people to provide for widows, whether in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 14:28; 16:11-12; 24:19) or the New Testament (1 Timothy 5:16). Why these commands to watch out for and care for widows? God Himself is Jehovah-Jireh, "God our Provider". 

    Several instances of God's wondrous provision are found in how He provided for widows. In 1 Kings 17:8-16, we read about the widow at Zerephath whom God used to minister to the prophet Elijah. Jesus comments upon this Old Testament widow in Luke 4:25-26,

"But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; 26 and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow."

    Notice what Jesus said in his remarks: "Elijah was sent". God sent the prophet. The prophet went to this widow, who had nothing left for herself and her son. Yet, though being a Gentile (Zarephath was a Canaanite city), she had evidently experienced the saving grace of God. She gave the last of her flour for bread to feed Elijah. Consequently, 1 Kings 17:16 records how God provided,

"The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through Elijah."

    The prophet Elijah's protege, Elisha, the successor to his prophetic ministry in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, experienced a similar miraculous provision of God to a certain widow in 2 Kings 4:1-7. 

    Time and time again we see God's promise of provision for His people emblemized in the lives of widows. How often do you and I doubt God's supply? Look at how He provided for widows in the Bible. The entire Book of Ruth is an example of how He provided for Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi. They each lost their husbands at the beginning of the narrative in Ruth 1. Yet by the end of the Book, Naomi's sorrow is turned to joy and a gentile widow, Ruth, becomes married to Boaz, with them both being part of the lineage that would produce King David and ultimately the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

    In the next post we will see further truths illuminated to us through this exploration of "a theology of widowhood". 

    

Post #49 The Doctrine of God - The Persons of the Trinity in the General Epistles (James, 1 & 2 Peter)

Introduction:

    In our last post we explored how we see the Trinity in the letter to the Hebrews. When it comes to our New Testaments, there are noted four main divisions. 

1. The Gospels

2. Acts

3. The Epistles or letters

4. The Book of Revelation or Apocalypse.

    When we look at that third designation, "epistles", we subdivide it further:

A. Paul's letters (Romans - Philemon)

B. General Epistles (Hebrews - Jude)

    In more ancient listings of the New Testament literature, Hebrews was classified as a Pauline letter. The majority of the early church identified Hebrews as authored by Paul (although it was not a complete consensus). In more recent church history, Hebrews was classed among the general epistles. This latter classification is called "general" or sometimes "catholic epistles" ("Catholic" isn't referencing the Roman Catholic church, but instead is from the Greek word "katholikos", meaning "general"). Such a designation is due to the letters written to a more generalized collection of churches or on more generalized topics (hence the name "General Epistles"). 

    In any case, we will take time in this post to explore the books of James to 2 Peter to see what they have to teach about the Godhead and the Persons of the Trinity. In the next post we will continue our exploration of the Trinity in the general epistles of John (1,2,3 John) and the Epistle of Jude.

1. The Book of James overtly mentions the Father and the Son

    We notice right away the two foundations of the doctrine of the Trinity in James' letter. First, the Oneness of God in being (James 2:19,23; 4:4,7,8), and secondly the distinction of Persons within the Godhead or Divine essence (The Father, James 1:17-18; 3:9 and the person of the Son 1:1;4:10; 5:4,7,8,9,15). 

    Why do I say mention is made of the Son? Although the term "Son" is not overtly expressed, it nevertheless is a pattern in the New Testament to find the Son mentioned with the Divine title "LORD" (Hebrew "Yahweh", Greek "Kurios") or ascribed the offices and functions of God (Judge, compare Matthew 25 and 28:18, with the other titles distinguishing the Divine Person from God the Father). Wherever the Father is mentioned by the title "God", it is not too far to find the Person of the Son mentioned directly or indirectly by a Divine title to distinguish the two Persons. 

    James 1:1 distinguishes the Father and the Son in this manner: "a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ". James is the earliest of the New Testament letters (and arguably the first New Testament book written, with Matthew, Galatians, and the Thessalonian letters written a few years thereafter in the late 40's to early 50's A.D.). 

    The early church distinguished the Father with the title "God" and Jesus with the title "LORD" (see 1 Corinthians 8:6, for example), with a second pattern of expressing the Son as having the same nature as the Father when a more forceful argument was made to prove the deity of the Son, hence being called "God" (as in John 1:1 "the Word was God"; John 1:18, "the only Begotten God"). 

2. The Epistles of 1 & 2 Peter further reveal the Persons of the Godhead 

    When we consider 1 & 2 Peter, we are dealing with letters written twenty-five years after James. If we take a date of 45-50 A.D. for James, it is reasonable to assign a date for Peter's letters no later than 70 A.D. and no earlier than 60 A.D. Most scholars date 1 Peter to 63-64 A.D. As for 2 Peter, though some question its authorship due to literary differences between 1 & 2 Peter, if we understand that 1 Peter was dictated by Peter to an amanuensis named Silvanus (an "amanuensis" is an ancient term for a recording secretary, describing Silvanus' role, see 1 Peter 5:12), with 2 Peter written directly by Peter himself, such arguments denying Petrine authorship can be ignored. We can date 2 Peter to 64-66 A.D. 

    As for how we see the Trinity in 1 Peter, we see mention made of all three Persons in 1 Peter 1:2 

"According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure."

    As all three Persons of the Godhead operate inseparably in the activity of sustaining Christian salvation, the doctrine of appropriations stipulates that each Person is assigned a particular role. The Father planned salvation. The Son purchased it by His blood as the incarnate Son of God. The Holy Spirit applies salvation by His setting apart, internalized call to whichever sinner He is dealing, with subsequent faith and repentance issuing forth from the sinner to newfound faith in Jesus Christ.

    1 Peter is rich in its treatment of the Trinity. We find in 1 Peter 1:5 that the Father is credited with preserving the Christian's faith as He or she perseveres in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:6-8). The Holy Spirit (designated "the Spirit of Christ") works through the prophetic Scriptures to reveal and bring salvation to the human soul (1 Peter 1:9-12). 

    Peter's Trinitarian emphasis moves on into the remainder of 1 Peter 1. The Father (1:13-17), the Son (1:18-21), and Holy Spirit (1:22-25) are featured again in his ongoing exposition of Biblical salvation. Peter then expounds further on the Father's involvement in subsequent chapters of 1 Peter (2:1-4, 9-10, 15; 3:12; 4:17-19; 5:6-11). Also too, He mentions the Son in those same chapters (2:4-8, 21-25; 3:18-22; 4:1-2,11; 5:4,14). We then see mention made of the Holy Spirit's work in the raising of Christ from the dead (1 Peter 3:18). Overwhelmingly the Trinity is the centerpiece of Peter's arguments in 1 Peter.

    As for 2 Peter, 2 Peter 1:1-4 features all three Persons of the Trinity (The Father and Son, 1:1-2; indirect mention of the Holy Spirit in 1:3-4). The Divine revelation by God of Himself is presented by Peter along Trinitarian lines in 2 Peter 1:16-21. It is then in 2 Peter 3:2 we see affirmation of the deity of the Son. 2 Peter 3:9 asserts the work of the Father, with 2 Peter 3:10 pointing us to the Son. 

    It is interesting how the term "Day of the Lord" in 2 Peter 3:10, no doubt pointing to the second coming of Jesus (compare Matthew 24:15-28; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2), has a parallel term "Day of God", gesturing towards the Person of the Father. This dual mentioning of the Father and the Son is Peter's way of reinforcing the New Testament's teaching of the distinction yet equality of the Father and the Son in the Godhead. Further analysis of the remainder of the New Testament confirms this point. 

    For instance, the Apostle John in Revelation 16:14 is the only other Biblical author to feature this particular title "Day of God". In the context of Revelation 16:14, we find the Son returning in the future to fight and defeat the confederations of Anti-Christ and the nations at the battle of Armageddon. Luke tells us that the Son will return when "He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels" (Luke 9:26). The union of Divine nature and glory between the Father and the Son serves to cement the reality of the doctrine of the Trinity (One God, revealed in distinct Persons).   

Closing thoughts:

    Today we explored how we see the doctrine of the Trinity discussed in James and in Peter two epistles. In our next post, we will continue our exploration by noting how we see the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in 1,2,3 John and Jude.