P1 - The Christian's spiritual warfare

1 John 2:14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

All Christians are involved in spiritual warfare
Scripture makes it pretty clear that everybody who believes in God through Jesus Christ by the convicting work of the Holy Spirit is engaged in spiritual warfare.  2 Corinthians 10:3-5 states - "For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ." Then the Holy Ghost speaks in Ephesians 6:11-12  "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  Although the two passages just cited are the place to begin in the Biblical understanding of spiritual warfare, they are not the only locations.  Virtually every New Testament author, from Paul (2 Corinthians 12), Peter (1 Peter 5:8), James (James 4:6-8), Jude (20-25) to the Apostle John (1 John 2:14-17) teach on the subject of spiritual warfare.  With regards to John's teaching in 1 John 2:14-17, we can note four elements of the Christian's spiritual warfare. 

1. The Adversary is Satan.  1 John 2:14
1 John 2:14 tells us - "I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong,
and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one."  The name "Satan" means "adversary", and is central to the identity of the fallen angel who led 1/3 of the angelic host astray at the beginning of the creation (Revelation 12) and who tempted Adam and his wife to sin. (Genesis 3:1-7)  The Old Adam was engaged toe to toe by the Devil and lost, however there would be the New Adam, Jesus Christ, who would face Him toe to toe.  In Matthew 4:1 we read -  "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."  Jesus, the New Adam, faced Satan head on in the wilderness and won!  In fact, other scriptures tell us that Jesus came to destroy the Devil's power and work. (Hebrews 2:15; 1 John 3:8)  Now it is clear from scripture that we don't have to deal with Satan directly, but rather indirectly through his heirarchy of fallen angels (demons). (Ephesians 6:11-18; 1 Peter 5:8)  However what scripture is certain about is that Satan is real and considered the believer's chief adversary through the demonic realm, which in turn influences the world (which we'll look at in a moment) and which in turn puts pressure on our drives in our flesh.  (2 Timothy 2:24-26; 1 Peter 5:8)

2. The Arena of spiritual warfare is the world.  1 John 2:15
If the adversary of spiritual warfare is Satan, then the arena of spiritual warfare is the world.  The Greek term translated "world" is the word "kosmos", from whence we get our English words "cosmetics", "cosmology" and "cosmopolitan".  The term itself refers to "an organized system or order".  Thus "cosmetics" places one's face in an orderly way, "cosmology" is the study of how the universe is organized from its beginning to ending and a "cosmopolitan" person is a citizen who makes there way around the world in a strategic, orderly fashion.  The "world" is the arena in which the believer's spiritual warfare occurs.  Satan is in control of the world through his vast spiritual network as well as the various ideas and philiosophies. (Corinthians 4:4)  Though not all human thought is bad, yet our enemy often influences people through human thoughts.  The idea that correspond to the pattern of this world is what the Bible calls "worldy thinking". (Ephesians 2:1-2)  Thus spiritual warfare is waged by Satan, through the world on the battle field of the mind. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

Jesus had to deal with the temptation of the "world" as seen in Matthew 4:8-9 "the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”  Jesus won that battle in His direct warfare with satan in the wilderness so that you and I could win the battle of the world in our indirect warfare with satan.

More tomorrow.........

Living in God's Will

James 4:15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

When we speak about the will of God, we are referring to "what God desires" or "what God has planned".  Often you will hear people trying to find God's will or wanting to know what God's will is for their lives.  We know God is a personal God who chooses and decides to accomplish His purposes in accordance to His character and nature.  The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 makes this observation: "God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures."1

How other writers have understood God's will
In studying Christian writers and theologians who have written on the will of God, all of them without exception find in scripture certain distinctions within God's will.  Anytime we try to organize the Bible's teachings on a given subject, we refer to such an attempt as "systematic theology".  For example, the great theologian Charles Hodge speaks about God's decretive will and preceptive will.  By decretive will Hodge means that part of His will which concerns His purposes and future events, whereas God's preceptive will relates to the rule of duty for His creatures.2  Wayne Grudem in his work "Systematic Theology", defines God's will: "that attribute of God whereby He approves and determines to bring about every action necessary for existence and activity of Himself and all creation." 3  In Grudem's discussion he mentions such distinctions as God's necessary and free will and secret and revealed will.  We could cite others, but the point is made: it is helpful to proceed into the study of God's will in the Bible by noting legitimate distinctions within His will. 

Setting forth a proposed way of understanding God's will
In today's blog I want to give you some handles by which you can grab hold of in gaining a better understanding of God's will.4  The distinctions that I will bring out are based partly off of writers I have read over the years, sermons I have heard and some thinking and praying in my own studies.  The aim here is to give you better understanding that will lead to more effective application.  Our study will be based out of James 4:12-17 and other passages as we aim to understand how to live effectively in the will of God.   Note the following distinctions:

1. God's Ultimate Will - James 4:12
God's Ultimate Will is His overall, all-encompassing will that will come to pass no matter what.  Job 42:2 tells us: "I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted."  Ultimately and Sovereignly God alone has the power (omnipotence), knowledge (omniscience) and presence (omnipresence) to bring to pass everything He has planned.5  Whenever Jesus instructs His disciples in Matthew 6:10 to pray "your kingdom come, your will be done", He is speaking of God's ultimate will.

2. God's Ultimate will contains three distinct elements
With God's ultimate will covering all the bases, we understand that within His ultimate will there are the decisions of free-moral creatures, the march of history, the existence of evil and the accomplishment of His glory.  Three aspects of God's will fit under the umbrella of His Ultimate or Sovereign Will:

a. God's unrevealed will.  James 4:13-14
James 4:13-14 states - "Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." (ESV)   What is God's unrevealed will? Simply - it is that part of His will that I cannot know.  The Bible clearly tells us that there are aspects of God's will that only He knows. (Deuteronomy 29:29)  You and I certainly cannot know what will happen tomorrow. (Proverbs 27:1; Matthew 6:34)  Does that mean we should not plan - no; however we should not at the same time worry and try to figure out what is on the next page of God's plan.  We may not know when Jesus is coming back, since only such information is known to the Father (Matthew 24:36), however that does not relieve us to live sensibly and godly lives until His appearing. (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:1-3).  We must accept the fact that there are things only God knows.  Furthermore, we must also recognize that God never contradicts Himself in any aspect of His will, thus whatever He has chosen not to make known will never conflict with what He has revealed.  This is why James instructs his readers to not presume on the future, since it is unknown to them.

b. God's Permissive Will.  James 4:15-16
James writes in 4:15 "Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” God's permissive will is simply that which He allows or permits to occur, either by history, events or the decisions of His creatures, within the bounds of His Ultimate will. Do not think of God's permissive will as Him letting a part of His creation do whatever it wants apart from His supervision.  Likewise, do not think of permission by God as meaning that such decisions or activities are condoned by Him.  Certainly the cross is the best example of His permissive will as revealed in Acts 2:23 - "this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men."  The cross took place within the bounds of God's ultimate will, however the means of its accomplishment was permitted to include injustice, the wicked plots of the Jews and Pilate and the torture of crucifixion itself.  God uses means to accomplish His ends.  He willed to permit to the fall to accomplish the grander purpose of His glory. (Genesis 3:1-7; Romans 8:22-23)  At times we may know why God permits certain things, and then at other times we may not know why He permits other things.  All we do know is that He has ordained to permit actions and decisions, both good and bad, to accomplish His purpose of glory and His work of redemption. (Romans 8:28; 2 Peter 3:9)

c. God's revealed will.  James 4:17
James writes in 4:17 "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."  How do we know what is right and wrong?  To know what God says is wrong and right means we know His will.  Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us that God has an unrevealed will which we cannot know and a revealed will that we can and must know.  What is God's revealed will? His Word.  Clearly if you cannot know God's will or desires on a given matter, then you are not responsible nor held liable for failing to accomplish it.  However if I know what I need to do, and yet fail to do, to me it is sin as James tells us.  The Bible reveals areas that are clearly God's will for me that require no guess work.  You and I as Christians are to study God's Word (2 Timothy 2:15); keep ourselves morally pure (1 Thessalonians 4:3); pray (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and be good, godly examples to unbelievers. (1 Peter 2:15)

Concluding thoughts and applications
So with those distinctions in mind, how can we bring this study to the point of application? 

1. First of all, we cannot be out of God's ultimate will, however we can be out of His revealed will.  Were the soldiers and the Jewish people out of God's revealed will in how they treated Jesus - absolutely!  However it was God's ultimate will for them to crucify the Lord. So when we are concerned whether or not we are out of the will of God - we are talking about His revealed will. 

2. Secondly, though I may not have access to God's unrevealed will, that does not release me to be unfaithful.  Paul for  example attempted to go into the area of Asia Minor in his missionary work and was hindered. (Acts 16:7)  God did not reveal why He was not permitting Paul and his companions to go into that area, however that did not prevent Paul from being faithful in what he did know - namely to keep sharing the Gospel.  As later chapters would reveal, it was God's ultimate will to go into Asia minor, however He first would have to go into Macedonia, a fact that God did reveal to Paul in Acts 16:9. 

3. Thirdly and finally, keeping the distinctions of God's will in mind can curb discouragement and confusion
When I encounter an area of God's unrevealed will, I know I need to trust and wait. (Proverbs 3:5-6; Isaiah 40:31)  When I am dealing with God's permissive will, I may need to trust or obey, depending upon whether I have been made aware of why He is permitting something or not.  When you and I have clear direction from God's revealed will (the Bible), we need to obey. (John 14:15,21) 


End Notes:______________________
1. Baptist Faith & Message 2000: Article II "God".  In the third sentence down in the opening paragraph on the statement about God, the BFM 2000 connects God's will to Who He is as the all-powerful, all-knowing God.  Clearly if God were not all powerful, knowing and present, then he would not nor could not exercise His will over creation, redemption nor people. 

2. Hodge, Charles.  Systemative Theology - Volume 1. Page 403
Charles Hodge was a 19th century conservative, Bible believing theologian who taught theology at Princeton University when it was then a conservative school of theology.

3. Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Page 211.  Grudem's theology is probably about the most widely read and used theology text in many conservative seminaries and Bible Colleges today.

4. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

5. Clearly there are some things which God planned that will occur regardless of creaturely involvement. We know for example that His Kingdom and Christ's return to conquer all other kingdoms is His Ultimate will for all history. (Daniel 2:44; Revelation 11:15). We know that the cross was His ultimate will concerning redemption. (Acts 2:23-24) Then another example, final judgment, is God's ultimate will for dealing with sin and fairly dealing with all of those who reject Him. (Isaiah 33:22; Matthew 25; James 4:12; Revelation 20) One more example of God's ultimate will is the fact that He works all things together for every child of God whom He chose, called, convicted and who in turn believed in order to be saved. (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28-30) 

P4 Biblical Foundations for Marriage - Conversion

Matthew 19:7 "they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

    In the past three days we have considered thus far three of the four foundations of Biblical marriage: Companionship, Covenant and Communication.  As we finish up this series today, we will return back to the passage with which we began - Matthew 19.  

    Jesus was pointing his listeners back to God's original design for marriage.  In what we read in the above opening verse of today's blog, Jesus' comments on the first marriage gives us our fourth and final foundation: Conversion. In other words, if a marriage is to be a valid Christian marriage, the two people getting married need to had been born again unto salvation. 

Biblical Foundation #4 : Conversion

    So why this fourth foundation of conversion?  A quick study through the Bible will reveal that for a God-centered marriage (and not just any marriage) to start off on the right foot, both marriage partners need to be believers.  We gain this foundation from the following considerations:

1. The Pattern of marriage in original creation.  Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:22-25

    When Adam and Eve were joined by God, they were joined prior to the fall.  In fact, both of them were not only in right relationship with God, but both were perfect (hence their marriage was the only perfect marriage in the history of the world!)  However, by Genesis 3, both Adam and his wife rebelled against God, breaking the original covenant given to them.  At that point they were separated from God.  Now granted, their marriage covenant was not dissolved, however their companionship and communication were greatly affected. 

2. The Pattern of marriage in redemption.   Genesis 3:20-21

    When God clothed Adam and Eve with the coats of skin, it was clear they had by grace through faith received the "Seed" promise of an ultimate redeemer given in Genesis 3:15.  Adam's naming of his wife "Eve" (mother of all living) was his confession of faith.  

    Eve's embracing of the covenant spoken to her by God in the first presentation of the Gospel indicated her reception by faith.  Only when the promise and plan of salvation is embraced by faith can the blood be applied.  Both were now reconciled to God and really to one another.  Communication and companionship was restored - as only can be the case when both the husband and wife are dwelling at the cross. 

3. The pattern of converted people go into marriage is reinforced throughout scripture

    As a minister of the Gospel, one of the qualifications I expect of any couple approaching me to be united in the bonds of holy matrimony is that they be both Christians.  2 Corinthians 6:14-15 spells out this point - "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?"  

    Now, what is the principle is also to be the practice, as revealed in 1 Corinthians 11:3 "But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God."

    So, how will it be that Christ is the head of the husband unless he is first in Christ by grace through faith?  Likewise, how can the wife be considered praying with her head uncovered in 1 Corinthians 11:5 unless she is a Christian?  In otherwords, Paul is outlining the order of Christian marriage: God-->Christ-->A Christian man-->A Christian woman.  

    Now we know that if two people get married who were both non-Christian individuals, and one of them gets saved, that does not invalidate the marriage (compare 1 Corinthians 7:12-14).  If you trusted in Christ after you got married, and your spouse has still remained unconverted, consider these words from 1 Peter 3:1 "Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives".  Pray for that spouse and be the Christ-like example to them. 

    With that counsel from God's word, let me say this to young people contemplating marriage: under no circumstances should a Christian marry a non-Christian. A non-Christian spouse won't have a heart for God, no matter how well-meaning they may be or how tolerant they may attempt to be in allowing the Christian spouse to practice their faith.  

    The principle is plain: Christian people should only marry other Christian people if they want to have a Christian, Godly marriage.  This foundation, along with the other three foundations, are what the scriptures reveal to be the essentials for a bibilically sound marriage.

Conclusion

    We have explored the Godly foundations for marriage ordained by God in Genesis 2:18-25. We first saw that in companionship the husband and wife reflect the inner reality of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

    Second, marriage is a covenant wherein husbands and wives demonstrate the covenant relationship God desires to have with His people.  

    Thirdly, communication, speaks to the intimacy between husbands and wives on the physical, emotional and spiritual levels.  This reflects who God is in His role as the supreme communicator. Satan’s plan for destroying marriages is to interrupt communication. If that takes place, breaking of the covenant and companionship will follow. 

    Then finally, in order to have a Christian marriage that is biblically sound, Christian people should marry only other Christian people.  Conversion to Christ must be in place for there to be Christ-centered marriages.  With these four Biblical foundations: Companionship, Covenant, Communication and Conversion, the hope is that all of us who are married, or any of you reading this who are seeking to be so, will attain long lasting, Christ-honoring marriages.   

P3 Biblical Foundations for Marriage - Communication

Genesis 2:23-24 "Then the man said,“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

Yesterday we looked at the second foundation for Biblical Marriage: Covenant.  In this blog series we have thus identified two fundamental foundations to Biblical marriage: Companionship and Covenant.  In today's blog we want to consider the third foundation of Biblical marriage: Communication.

Third Foundation of Godly Marriage: Communication – Gen 2:25

      When Genesis 2:25 states that Adam and Eve were “naked and not ashamed”, it is referring not only to their physical state, but also communication.  The idea of nakedness in the Hebrew language refers to “unhindered communication”, whereas shame refers to “confusion and breakdown in communication”.  As a perfect marriage, Adam and Eve enjoyed unhindered communication in body, soul and spirit.  Just as God Himself is all about communication, He desired to have reflected in Adam and Eve that same reality. 

    As Jesus expounds upon this passage in Matthew 19:3-6, He notes first of all how God had created "male and female" as originally stated in Genesis 1:26-28.  The terms translated "male" and "female" are intended to communicate the diversity that exists within marriage.  Likewise Jesus then discusses in Matthew 19:6 this statement from Genesis 2:24 "So they are no longer two, but one flesh..."  God created marriage to be not only a diversity but at the same time a union between the husband and the wife. 

    As God had created Adam and and his wife in His "image" and "likeness", those two terms pointed to the capacity of Adam and his wife to communicate and receive communication from God and one another.  Adam, the recipient of God's revelation (Genesis 2:15-17) was to communicate it to his wife.  She in turn was to yield to Adam while at the same time co-ruling with him as God's delegated king and queen over creation.1

Satan's war on marriage - the breaking down of communication

    Sadly, in Genesis 3 Adam and his wife rebel against God in the garden.  Once Satan had destroyed communication between the husband and wife, their break of relationship with God naturally followed.  Since the covenant was broken with God, companionship was lost.  Satan knew that if he could disrupt communication, the other two foundations would fall like dominoes.  

    From Genesis 3 on the introduction of sin and death into the human race and the world would also affect marriage.  Since marriage pictures something true about God Himself, Satan's strategy in destroying marriages is not only to undermine humanity, but the picture of God Himself. 

More tomorrow.........

End Notes________________

1. The Hebrew word for "rule" in Genesis 1:26 speaks of exercising dominion or rule over creation.  Adam and his wife were delegated authority by God, an authority they forfeited in the fall.  The breakage of the Covenant of Works in Genesis 3:1-7 meant loss of the effectiveness to exercise authority. 

P2 Biblical Foundations for Marriage - Covenant

Genesis 2:23-24 

"Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

    Yesterday we began a short blog series exploring the Biblical foundations of marriage as conceived by God.  Jesus was debating the Pharisees who tried to trap him in an argument about divorce in Matthew 19.  Instead of playing their game, Jesus went back to God's original design for marriage.  We looked at the first foundation for Biblical Marriage: Companionship.  In today's blog we want to consider the second foundation of Biblical marriage: Covenant.
 

Second Foundation of Godly Marriage: Covenant – Gen 2:21-24

            

    In Genesis 2:21 we read: “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.” God was literally cutting into the side of Adam, and forming from his rib the woman, Adam’s wife.  In biblical terms the word for “covenant” literally means “to cut”.  A covenant is a binding agreement between God and people.  In the marriage relationship, we see a picture of God’s binding relationship, or covenant with His people, and their relationship to Him. 

      According to Hebrews 6:16-18, a covenant in scripture contains two elements: an oath and a promise.  Hebrew 6:16-18 reads - "For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us." 

    When God made covenants, He swore an oath indicating that the success of the covenant hinged on His identity as the unchanging God.  When God made promises, he was pledging to do certain things for His people. 

 

How the marriage covenant pictures the New Covenant relationship between Christ and His church

     In the marriage husbands and wives make both oaths and promises before God.  In making an oath to one another, each partner is placing their reputation and identity into the hands of the other.  By these acts, marriage is made in covenant before God between the husband and wife.  This idea of marriage as covenant is pictured beautifully in the New Testament as the relationship between Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:23-24).  

    As many writers of the past have pointed out, just as Adam had to be put to sleep to have God form his spouse from his side, Christ had to sleep the sleep of death and have a spear driven into his side (John 19:33-34).  According to 1 John 5:7-8, the water and blood that came out of Jesus side on the cross testifies to the love and formation of the church itself, of whom He died for and purchased on the cross (Acts 20:28).  It is not a contract to be negotiated, but a covenant that binds the husband and wife together, as they in turn bind themselves to Holy God. 

 

More tommorrow................

P1 Biblical Foundations for Marriage - Companionship

Genesis 2:24 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

Matthew 19:3-4 "And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” 4He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?"

Setting the context for the show down between the Pharisees and Jesus in Matthew 19 

    In a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees, the Pharisees ask Jesus this question in Matthew 19:3^:  “The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”’  This was a loaded question. The Pharisees were in continual debate among themselves as to whether people could divorce for any and every reason, or for only a handful of reasons (among which was adultery or marital unfaithfulness). 

 

The Pharisees debates about divorce, and the setting of a trap

 So what could had prompted the Pharisees and Jewish Leaders to engage Jesus in this line of questioning about divorce and marriage?  Bible teacher John MacArthur comments on this text, noting that John the Baptist was beheaded for denouncing of Herod Antipas' unethical marriage to his brother-in-law's wife (Matthew 14).With Jesus ministering in Herod's political backyard, the Jewish leaders saw an opportunity to trap Jesus and perhaps get him in trouble or worse.1 

The Pharisees, when debating the issue of divorce, would appeal to Deuteronomy 24:1-4, where God through Moses permitted and regulated divorces in the nation of Israel.  In Deuteronomy 24:1 we read: “If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house,”.   The underlined phrase occupied the center of the debates about divorce among the Pharisees.2

 

The Pharisees were expecting Jesus to follow the well-known debate of the day and respond from Deuteronomy 24:1-4. If Jesus said that divorce was allowable in all circumstances, the restrictive group of Pharisees (The Shammites) could accuse Jesus of being too liberal with the Bible.  On the other hand, if Jesus placed restrictions on divorce, the more liberal group of Pharisees (The Hillelites), could say that Jesus is in some way deny Moses teaching on divorce.  The trap was set, what would Jesus do?

Jesus sees the trap, and appeals to scripture

Jesus in His wisdom avoids the debate altogether and uses scripture for His response.  Matthew 19:4-6 records:

^4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ ^5 and said,  ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and  the two shall become one flesh’ ? ^6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

 



Jesus appeals to God's original design of marriage: Considering the four foundations of biblical marriage

    Jesus disarmed the trap of the Pharisees by appealing to Genesis 1:26-28 and 2:18-25.3   As you study those two passages and the more than 80 passages in God's Word on the subject of marriage, you find four fundamental foundations of marriage ordained by God: Companionship, Communication and Covenant and Conversion.  Today's blog will deal with the first foundation: Companionship.

First foundation of Godly marriage:  Companionship – Genesis 2:18-20

      

    God said in Genesis 2:19 - "It is not good for man to be alone, I will make him a helper fit for him.”  Anytime we see God saying that something is not good in the first two chapters of Genesis, this indicates that God is not yet finished with that particular part of creation.  Genesis 2 is repeating and reminding us of various portions of the creation week in Genesis 1. God is indicating that man needs a companion who will be his helper in his role as a king and shepherd over creation (Genesis 1:27-30).  In other words Adam needed Eve to help complete him, and Eve needed Adam to protect her. 
      

    In scripture we three fundamental types of companionship that come together perfectly and uniquely in marriage.  First of all the husband and wife share emotional companionship.  On the one hand, woman is described as a weaker vessel in need of love and nurturing by the husband. 1 Peter 3:7a states - "Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel...".  However, on the other hand, the wife is equal in value to the husband.  1 Peter 3:7b tells us - "since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered." 

      As emotional companions with one another, the scripture second notes how the husband and wife are physical companions of one another.  As Adam's equal and yet cherished companion, bothEve and he were to reflect the truth of who God is in and of Himself, namely an ongoing companionship between Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  This idea of companionship still holds true today.  If anything, the only proper place for the intimacy and companionship among men and women is within the bonds of marriage.  Hebrews 13:4 asserts the purity and uniqueness of sexual intimacy within marriage - "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous."

      With the emotional and physical dimensions of marriages companionship unfolded, the scripture notices a third aspect of companionship in marriage - the spiritual.  People today often limit marriage to its physical or emotional dimensions.  Sexual intimacy is viewed merely as a physical act in our society.  It is cheapened and viewed one dimensionally.  

    Yet scripture reveals the fact that sexual intimacy between a husband and wife is as much of a spiritual act as a physical one.  The act of love is viewed only as an emotion.  However the love between a husband and a wife is as much spiritual as emotional.  Ephesians 5:25-26 "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word." 

       There we see how the emotional companionship is tied to the spiritual companionship between Christ and His church.  Furthermore Ephesians 5:28 "In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself."  There we see the physical companionship is shown to be as much spiritual as physical.   In tying all of this together, we will finish today with 1 Corinthians 11:3 "But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God."

More next time.........
 

End Notes______________________

1. John MacArthur preached a six-part series on Jesus' teaching on marriage and divorce from Matthew 19.  In this particular message MacArthur noted: "They (The Pharisees) don't want an answer, they want to discredit jesus.  They want him to articulate His hard-line, God-never-intended-divorce view and so alienate Himself from the people.  They also know that he was in the territory of Herod Antipas who already beheaded John the Baptist for his views on divorce and they think maybe they can even have Jesus eliminated.  So, they're after him.  So, in verse 3 is the attack."
 

2. One group of Pharisees, the Hillelites, believed that the phrase “indecent about her” meant that men could divorce women for any and every reason, including the burning of supper or bad physical appearance!  The second group of Pharisees, the Shammites, taught that the phrase “indecent” was limited to cases of adultery or marital infidelity on part of the spouse. 

3. The Pharisees had become so knowledgeable about divorce, that they lost sight of God’s original design for marriage. As much as we could spend time dealing with scriptures and the knotty issues that swirl about the issue of divorce, it is preferable for this blog series to take Jesus' approach and focus on God's original design for marriage. 

 

 

Matt 24-25 Jesus & the End Times P3

Matthew 24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken."

For the past couple of days we have been exploring Jesus' final words on final things in Matthew 24-25 - what Bible scholars refer to as His Olivet discourse.  In part 1 we did an overview of Jesus' teaching about last things (eschatology) in Matthew 24-25, noting that He aimed to answer three questions raised in Matthew 24:3.  In Part 2 we briefly sampled other scriptures used by Jesus from the Old Testament and ways in which Jesus' Olivet Discourse possibly set the stage for the New Testament teaching on eschatology (study of last things).  In today's blog we will explore parallel passages from Mark 13 and Luke 17 to see what the other Gospel writers recorded about Jesus' final sermon.

How people have interpreted Jesus' Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 21
Dr. Timothy Paul Jones, a professor at Southern baptist Theological Seminary, has written a very helpful book entitled: "Rose Guide to End Times Prophecy".  In the book, Jones covers every conceivable subject in Bible Prophecy or Eschatology, including Jesus' Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24-25, Mark 13 and Luke 21.  He notes two prevailing interpretations of Matthew 24: futurism (viewing every predicted event as in the far future) and a combination of futurism and what is called "preterism" (meaning "past", a view which takes most prophecy to had occured in the first century shortly after Jesus' ascension).  I will mentioned a third position of this passage which views all or almost all of Matthew 24 as having taken place in the first century - i.e pure "preterist" and "moderate preterism" positions.

1. Matthew 24-25 has yet to take place (Futurist Interpretation). 
As the name implies, a futurist interpreter views all of Jesus' remarks in Matthew 24 to be taking place in the far future.1 

2. Matthew 24 is partially fulfilled in the 1st century and completely fulfilled when Jesus returns (futurism + preterist interpretation).
This second type of interpretation views Matthew 24:1-36 and part of Mark 13 and Luke 21 as being Jesus' prediction of events near to Him in the first century, with the remainder of Matthew 24 and 25 referring to events at the end of history when He returns.  As we mentioned before, those interpreters who take the events of prophecy to be referring primarily to the past events of the first century are called "preterists" (pre-ter-ist), a word meaning "past".  As we already saw, those who see prophetic events as dealing with events in the future are called "futurists".2 

3. All or most of Matthew 24 took place with the destruction of the Jewish Temple in  70 A.D (Radical Preterism and Moderate Preterism)
This third view of Matthew 24 tends to take a totally "preterist" or "past" tense viewpoint of Matthew 24, meaning that everything Jesus spoke in that chapter refers to what would be the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 A.D.3  If we were to visualize these various takes on Matthew 24, here is what we would have:

Futurism---------Partial futurism-----Moderate & Radical Preterism
                          Partial Preterism

So what are we to make of these prevailing options of interpretation? They all fit within the mane of conservative/Bible believing Christianity.  Obviously some (futurism) are more popular and well known than others (moderate and pure preterism).  The Bible student must never interpret scripture by polls, but rather by comparing scripture with other scripture.  When we consider the parallel accounts of Mark 13 and Luke 21, we find much aid in understanding Matthew 24-25. In my own study (below), I would contend that how one interprets the Olivet Discourse will regulate how one approaches the rest of Bible prophecy.4 

How we can interpret Matthew 24-25 in light of Mark 13 and Luke 21
Mark 13:1-37 is Jesus' Olivet discourse in Mark's Gospel.  In this version, we find Jesus not answering three questions but two questions raised by the disciples in Mark 13:4...

1. "Tell us, when will these things be?
2. "and what will be the sign when these things are fulfilled?"

In Luke 21:7-38 we witness the same sermon as recorded by Luke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  In Luke 21:7 we see the disciples raising the same two questions as we see in Mark's version....

1. "Teacher, when therefore will these things happen?"
2. "And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?"

In Mark and Luke's accounts, we see two questions recorded, whereas in Matthew's account, we witness three questions, with the first two virtually identical to Mark and Luke's, but with the third asking about the end of the age.  In studying Mark 13 and Luke 21, we can discern a two-fold or two-point outline of Jesus' sermon as recorded by those Gospel writers:

1. Prediction of the Destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. (Mark 13:1-23; Luke 21:7-23)

2. Prediction of future events surrounding Christ's return. (Mark 13:24-37; Luke 21:24-36)

So with these observations from Mark and Luke, what can we conclude about our understanding of Matthew's fuller rendering of Jesus entire sermon in Matthew 24-25?  It would seem to this blogger that Jesus is predicting both the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D and the events of His future second coming in Matthew 24 (i.e option #2).  Being that Jesus' full sermon is recorded by Matthew for his purposes in Matthew 24-25, the third question about "the end of the age" can be included as referring not merely to the end of the Old Testament nation of Israel, but rather the end of history.  As we close today, the following outline of Matthew 24-25 could be rendered as follows:

1. Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D as a warning to his hearers and disciples.   I believe he answers the first question as posed by the disciples in Matthew 24:3.  (24:1-14)

2. Jesus then transitions, using the impending destruction of the temple as a pattern for what will be the future tribulation and events leading up to His second coming. This corresponds with the second question posed by the disciples in Matthew 24:3 (24:15-25:30)

3. Jesus answer the third question of Matthew 24:3, focusing entirely on the fact that His second coming will bring an end to this current age, as well as emphasizing the fact He will be the Judge. (25:31-41)

End Notes____________________

1. As Dr. Jones notes on page 200 of his book: "Instead of addressing the destruction of the temple, Jesus taught his disciples about a future tribulation, near the end time as we know it. His focus was on: 1. The calamaties at the beginning of the tribulation; 2. The Anti-Christ's sacrilege in the rebuilt Jewish Temple; 3. The return of the 'Son of Man' to earth."

2. According to Dr. Jones' book, those who avoid totally putting all of Matthew 24 in the future tend to be a combination of both futurists and preterist. As Jones notes on page 201: "This first century judgment pointed forward to the judgment that will come when Jesus returns to earth."  

3. I have a book in my library written by Evangelist John L. Bray entitled "Matthew 24 fulfilled" - which by the name alone summarizes a purely preterist view of Jesus' words - i.e every single word of Matthew 24 was fulfilled in the first century. The more well know Bible teacher R.C Sproul wrote a book entitled "The Last Days According to Jesus" wherein he proposes a more softened form of preterism. 

4. As a Southern Baptist I have read all three of these various interpretations as existing under the umbrella of Baptist life.  John Gill, the great 17th century Baptist minister would had been a pure preterist.  The First Pastor at 1st Baptist Dallas, whose name escapes me at this moment, would had been perhaps a moderate preterist.  His successor, W.A Criswell, was no question a futurist when it came to interpreting Matthew 24 and other prophetic passages.