Five vital terms for explaining the authority of scripture

Genesis 3:1 "Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 


The first question in the Bible has to do with God's Word
Everything up until Genesis 3 had been commanded and declared by God. Satan took God's commands and declarations and put question marks on the end.  Sin entered into the world as a result of man losing and refusing to fight the battle for God's Words.  As Christians, we need to know that the Bible we carry in our hands is the Word of God.  In today's post I want to introduce the reader to five terms that have been used by theologians to describe how the scriptures journeyed from God's mouth to man's hand.  Those five terms of which I speak are the following:

1. Revelation
2. Inspiration
3. Canonicity
4. Preservation
5. Illumination

Each of these terms could be given their own post, however for today I just want you the reader to be equipped with brief definitions so as to get in your mind the reliability and sufficiency of your Bible as God's very words.

1. Revelation - Making known that which was previously unknown  
In Bible doctrine we usually distinguish three types of revelation:

a. General Revelation - This is God revealing or making known His glory and power in creation and the conscience  (Psalm 19:7-11; Romans 1:18-31, 2:15)

b. Full Revelation - This is God's revelation of His Person and Majesty through the incarnation of God the Son, Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 1:1-3)

c. Special Revelation - This is God's Revelation of His purposes and will through the writing of the Old and New Testament scriptures, of which we are focusing upon in this particular blog today. (Deuteronomy 29:29; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21)

God revealed His words to His prophets, by whom spoke and then wrote down the revelation. In the New Testament the terms employed to refer to God's revelation refer to "unveiling that which was previously hidden".  (Exodus 24:4; Amos 3:7; Ephesians 1:10; 1 Peter 1:10-11)

2.  Inspiration - Human authors were given a unique measure of grace through their own writing styles to produce documents free from error and sufficient for faith and practice

Revelation (not the Book but the act of God making the unknown known) leads next to inspiration.  It is in the act of inspiration that God takes His revealed will and superintends over the writing styles of the biblical authors to produce the Bible books. In 2 Timothy 3:16 we read that "all scripture is inspired", meaning literally that: "God breathed out the scriptures."  Just as He breathed out His breath into the nostrils of Adam and Adam became a living soul, so did the writings of the Apostles and Prophets become living scripture as they wrote.  With the more than 40 authors, writing on three continents and in three languages, over 1500 years period of time, God used their writing styles and situations to produce a unified library of 66 documents free from error.  Once the last period of the Book of Revelation was completed, the Grace of inspiration would never operate again.  So with God's words written as errorless words, how would God's people know which books were God's books as opposed to forgeries?

3. Canonicity - The identification, reception and arranging of the individually inspired Bible books into the official collection of God's words
Virtually all the Bible books were immediately identified, received and collected by God's people for public reading, preaching and application.  The term "canon" literally means "measuring rod", hence the Bible is the final authority or "measuring rod" on all matters.  Not just any book could be considered part of God's Divine Library of the Bible.  Church history tells us that God's people used a variety of tests for recognizing God's words.1

God perfectly inspired the individual Bible books, not the manner of their order or arrangement.  God in His Providence led the people of God to take up the task of receiving and arranging the books of scripture.  Without a doubt the Holy Spirit guided the process, and it must be remembered that the Bible produced the church, not the other way around.  By recognizing the nature of canonicity, we can see why its not a big deal for certain Bibles to have differing order or arrangement of the Bible books.2  We could spend more time in detail, but we must move onto the next term....

4. Preservation- God's Providential preservation of the words of the Bible in the hand-copied texts of the Old and New Testament.

We possess more certainty over the words of the Bibles in our possession today as being those originally penned by the Biblical authors than we do of any other ancient document.  Once that original manuscript left the hand of that prophet or apostle, how was its contents preserved as it was copied over and over again? Certainly as the scriptures were copied by hand, minor variations would had entered into the textual stream. However we can be assured that we have the words of God in our manuscripts. Insofar as a manuscript copy and translation represents those words, that copy or translation carries the authority of being God's Word. A whole field of study aims to answer this question.3

Perhaps in illustration I heard one time will aid in this point. Take any dollar bill or paper currency that you have in your possession and ask yourself whether that bill can be used to make a purchase? Of course the answer is yes. That bill is a copy of the original plates on a printing press to produce the bill. Perhaps when you got the paper currency, it was torn, tatered or worn. Despite its condition, that dollar bill is a valuable and carries the authority of a Federal Reserve Note just as much as those original plates. The plates are flawless, and the dollar bill bearing their image carries the authority of such and is for all practical intents and purposes flawless in as much as it represents its original. So it is the same with the copies and translations of the Old and New Testaments. We should have no worries concerning the Bibles we have today - they are the Word of God!  

If God had not guaranteed the preservation of His words down to our day, we would have no idea what He commmunicated. (Matthew 5:18)  More could be said but we must hasten to the final key term...

5. Illumination - How God the Holy Spirit helps Christians understand the meaning of the Revealed, Inspired, Canonical and Preserved Text

When a Christian is converted by grace through faith, the Holy Spirit enables them to understand the meaning of the words of the Bible.  Passages such as 1 Corinthians 2:10-13 and 1 John 2:20,27 give us this promise of the Spirit's ministry in the life of the Christian.  Without the Holy Spirit's work of illumination, I could not preach the Bible with clarity nor could those to whom I preach apply what is preached.  Furthermore, without the proverbial "light-bulb" of understanding given by the Holy Spirit, no Christian could have fruitful study of God's word.4 

Conclusion
As you consider the five terms: Revelation, Inspiration, Canonicity, Preservation & Illumination, you will discover the truth of the matter: the Bible that you and I carry to church and read every week is the Word of God.  I would like to end today's blog with this quote from the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 Article 1 on the Holy Scriptures,  of which I affirm, and hope you do as well: "The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy."    

End Notes:______________________

1. So what were the tests?  Some examples are as follows:
a. Was the author a prophet, apostle or associate of an apostle?
b. Does the book correspond with previous revelation?
c. Does the Book bring about conversion?
d. Does the book point to Jesus Christ, the fullness of God's revelation?
e. Is the book recognized by virtually all Christians as God's word?

Tests such as these were used, and once individually recognized, the church came to arrange the books for use and preaching purposes.

2. For example we know by Jesus' day that the Old Testament was arranged in a three-fold way (Law, Prophets, Writings). (Luke 24:44) However in our English Bibles our Old Testaments are arranged as: Law, Historical Books, Poetic Books and Prophetic Books (Major and Minor Prophets). These differing arrangements have nothing to do with the words of scripture (inspiration), rather they represent the ways God's people came to organize the 66 Bible books.  Thus we see for instance Catholic Bibles, Eastern Orthodox Bibles and Protestant Bibles (the last which would be to most readers perhaps the most familiar) having their Bible Books in differing order.  The Catholic and Eastern Orthodox have additional books, of which I will not address right now (these issues have been addressed in other past blogs).  Suffice it to say, all three orderings have in common the universally recognized 66 Books which appear by themselves in such English translation and versions such as KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, NLT. 

3. The scholarly field to which I'm referring is called textual criticism. 
 Without going into too much detail, the thousands upon thousands of copies of manuscripts, both Old and New Testament, can reconstruct the original text in over 99% of cases, with no variation in the copies affecting any doctrine or teaching.  

4. Often people will confuse the terms "revelation" and "illumination". It is important to keep those two terms distinct, since God is not giving no new revelations today. Any insights people have into the spiritual realm or in guidance for every day life is a result of the Spirit's illuminating work through the scriptures. Even when we hear God's voice and know what He wants us to do, its because at some point we heard a Biblical based sermon or read a Bible verse that spoke on that subject. 

What is necessary to have a greater illumination of God and His work

Genesis 35:10-12 God said to him,“Your name is Jacob; You shall no longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your name.” Thus He called him Israel. 11God also said to him,“I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you. 12“The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you. And I will give the land to your descendants after you.”

Introduction:
These last several days have focused upon a theme in scripture that is so central to the beginning and ongoing reality of the Christian life that without it, there can be no true Christianity. The twin concepts of "death to self" and "taking up one's cross" were studied in the Gospels and in yesterday's post we journeyed back to Jacob's wrestling match with God in Genesis 32. Today we pick up once more on Jacob's life, seeing his experience as the seed form of what would be the full-grown truth of the New Testament teaching on "self-denial". Unless the cross is included, all attempts to deny oneself will fail. The flesh (the expression of the self-life) cannot be reformed nor made religious. It must be put to death on the cross, everyday. Such radical truth begins at salvation and comes to be more pressing in sanctification. Below we will notice how these thoughts pertain to the Christian's increasing understanding and illumination into God and His work in their lives. 

Dying to self heightens your awareness of Christ's Ownership over your life
As we already noted, we saw in the life of Israel (formerly Jacob) that in dying to or denying his selfish, sinful drives, he was able to operate through tragedy after tragedy on the power of God.  When the self-life of the Christian is regarded as unimportant, and put back mentally and spiritually on the cross, the Lordship (the authority) of Christ goes from being a fact to an experience. 

Jesus does not become your Lord when you die to self.  When you are converted by grace through faith, Jesus Christ begins to exercise immediate authority as your Savior, Lord and Treasure. (compare Romans 10:8-10).  The truth of the fact is established by God's Word.  Yet in your daily experience as a believer, your awareness of Christ's control over your life can only come about when you die to self.  In other words, you come to appreciate, delight in and see Christ more clearly.

Jacob's life illustrates the positive benefit of dying to self - seeing God more clearly
In the passage quoted at the beginning of today's blog, The Lord is speaking to Jacob and re-affirming the promises he gave to his grand-father Abraham and father Isaac.  God also reminds Jacob as to why he changed his name to Israel, and that His calling and destiny could be now fully lived out as a result of him dying to self. 

This is why "dying to self" must be a daily reality in the life of the Christian.  Anytime the attitude of "when I want, how I want" rears its ugly head, unless I deal with that through regarding what God had said and rendering my former identity to be dead, in God I will never be able to move ahead.  The power to deal with tragedy comes as we die to self.  In the darkness of suffering, God's grace matches and exceeds with Him revealing Himself to us in a clearer way. 

What you truly gain in dying to self
Read the context of Genesis 32-35 and you will note two trends: Jacob's (newly named by God as Israel) trials increased and his understanding of God increased.  If God had not broken Jacob of his selfish pattern of running away from his problems in Genesis 32, then he would not had been ready for the clearer illumination of who the Lord is in Genesis 35.  Let us close today's blog with this thought from Philippians 3:8 - "than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ."

The only way you can live effectively for God

Genesis 32:24-28 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.”

Introduction:

We have labored the past couple of days to understand what Jesus meant when He spoke about "denying to self" or "dying to self" and "taking up one's cross". We ended yesterday's post with the following four life-applications as to the centrality of cross bearing and self denial to the Christian:

1. Central to saving faith

2. Central to sanctification

3. Central to supernatural ministry

4. Centers on the Son

Today's post delves back into the Old Testament to see how these truths were developed in seed form. Certainly Jesus' statements relied upon events contemporary to His day, however the thought behind the statements runs its course through God's revelation in the Old Testament. Our post today will center chiefly on the Patriarch Jacob.

What is necessary to live for God?
Jacob was the grandson of the well-known patriarch Abraham and father of twelve sons who would be the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. In Genesis 32 he is getting ready to face a fear that he has been running from for over twenty years - his brother. After receving word that his brother, Esau, was coming his direction with 400 men, Jacob responded and by the time we come to our text above, the Bible says: "Then Jacob was all alone". As we will see, Jacob would learn that in order to live for God, something about himself had to die.

Self must die if we are to live effectively for God
Jacob was getting ready to experience a work of God that is daily necessary in the life of every Christian if they expect to move forward in their Christian walk - dying to self. Self is that principle at work in our soul that fuels our sin nature to want what it wants, when it wants and how it wants. Dying to self, or self denial, is fundamental to what it means in being a follower of the Lord. Jesus states it plainly in Luke 9:23-24 - "And He was saying to them all, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24'For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it." '

In order to over come his enemies, Jacob had to be overcome by God
This episode in Jacob's life is intriguing, for he wrestles with an individual that is identified simply as "a man". Now scripture bears out that this was no ordinary man that met Jacob in the desert. Hosea 12:3-4, written over a 1,000 years after our account here in Genesis 32, gives an inspired commentary on just who Jacob was wrestling: "Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed; He wept and sought His favor. He found Him at Bethel And there He spoke with us,
5Even the LORD, the God of hosts,
The LORD is His name."

It was none other than God Himself that wrestled with Jacob in the form of this "unamed man". Other scriptures clarifiy that this mysterious "man" who is really "God" as an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ. Undoubtedly the Bible's dual identification of this figure in the Old Testament was foreshadowing what would be the complete revelation of Jesus Christ as fully God and fully man in the New Testament. As they wrestle, the Lord asks Jacob for His name. Quite simply, he was asking for Jacob's surrender, since the giving over of one's name was tantamount to acknowledging the superiority of your opponent. Jacob did that, and as a result he received a new name - "Israel". Why? Quite literally, the Lord states that he had prevailed against men, and strove with God, and by grace accomplished both. Jacob would never be the same again.

When you die to self, expect your walk with God to be different
When this epic battle was finished, it was clear that Jacob, formerly headstrong and strongwilled was now a broken man. However that did not mean he was weaker. If anything, Jacob had entered into a whole new realm of relationship with God. The Bible tells us at the end of this fight, Jacob walked with a limp. Jacob (Israel) was now more useful to God because he had to die to who he was as Jacob in order for the power of God to manifest itself. The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9 - "And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

How do you die to self?
Let me give you three principles from this text in Genesis 32 that shows how Jacob died to his old identity:

1. Get in order with what God said. Genesis 32:24-29

2. Reckon your old identity to be dead. Genesis 32:30-32

3. Only then in God can you move ahead.

The benefits of dying to self
By dying to self, Jacob was positioned to receive further illumination from God on the nature of his calling. (Genesis 35). Additionally, by dying to self, the power of God could flow more freely through Jacob's life. Such power was going to be needed by Jacob to face tough tragedies such as the loss of his wife in Genesis 35:17 and his father in Genesis 35:29. May you and I understand and apply this essential truth for living for God.

The centrality of dying to self and cross bearing for the Christian

Matthew 10:38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."

Introduction and review
We ended yesterday's post on the meaning of the phrase "take up your cross", noting that the disciples of Jesus who were the Apostles in Acts ended up rejoicing in the face of persecution. They had taken up their cross in that situation, identifying with Jesus and loving Him above their own lives, comfort and self-preservation. 

We also discovered that when Jesus made these statements about "taking up the cross", there was a specific background event that would had stuck in the disciples mind. An attempted insurrection against Rome had taken place during or around the time of Jesus' childhood in Galilee. Thousands of Jews lost their lives and were crucified on crosses that lined the roadways of Galilee. In effect, that event would had been the "911" of their day. When Jesus told his disciples that they needed to "take up their cross" to follow Him, He was spelling out them that if need be, they would suffer the same end as all the followers of Judas the Galilean. How far are you and I willing to go and be in our discipleship journey with Jesus Christ? Today's post wants to look at all the instances Jesus makes this statement about "taking up the cross" to flesh out further insights. Unless Christians were willing to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow the Master, then they will fail to understand what it means to be a Christian who lives for and serves Jesus Christ.

1. Matthew 16:23-25  "But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me,Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

Here we see the second occurrance of this phrase in Matthew's Gospel. It is in the context of Peter's grand confession of Jesus at Caesarea Philippi. One would think that after such an extraordinary revelation and confession, there would be no trouble. Yet, Peter is influenced by Satan and compelled to tell Jesus to skip the cross. It is at this point Jesus tells Peter the above statements. The cross alone can sustain the Christian, even in the midst of extraordinary illuminations received in seasons of insight from the Lord. Illuminations from the Spirit through the Word of God are needed and central to the Christian walk. Yet, the cross, not insights, is what enables the Christian faith to withstand the assaults of the enemy and move forward.

2. Mark 8:34-35  "And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it."


Mark's version of the scene at Caesarea Philippi includes an additional detail of Jesus addressing not only Peter and the disciples but the crowds. What are the requirements for following Him? Plain and simple: denying oneself and taking up the cross. Self-denial is so pre-requisite to following Jesus that it must be at the heart of saving faith itself. Some will try to pass off these verses on discipleship and Lordship as something one does after saving faith. However, the concepts of "self-denial" and "taking up one's cross" distinguishes genuine saving faith from its counterfeit version.

3. Luke 9:22-24 "saying, 'The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.' 23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it." 

Not only does "self-denial" and "cross-brearing" characterize the beginning of saving faith, but it also marks the tone of the walk of faith in sanctification. How frequent ought the Christian aim at "taking up the cross" and "denying self"? According to Luke's text, daily.

4. Luke 14:26-28 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?"

Dying to self and cross-bearing also enter into the realm of counting how much it is going to cost to follow Jesus. The short answer is everything. Self is the chief enemy of the Christian in their spiritual growth. Yes, Satan and his minions wage war and thus we know that we are in a spiritual battle. However, the self-life and desire to put my needs, my drives, my relationships above Jesus Christ is the internal struggle with which every Christian must battle. Preachers can be towers of exposition and slay devils with their sermons. However, preachers can yield to the flesh and instantly become weakened and anemic. Churchs and Christians must yield to the "death of self" message and recognize it as the heart of the Gospel itself. 

5. John 19:16-18 "So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified. 17 They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. 18 There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between."

Why was Jesus so insistent on this twin emphasis of "denying of self" and "taking up of the cross"? Certainly such truths would had caused people to think of the tragic event that lain at the background of these statements. However when Jesus taught the "death to self" message, He was also looking ahead to His own pending crucifixion. The time would come when He would take up His own cross in a literal sense, forever altering the significance of crucifixion. Jesus never thought of Himself apart from the cross. 

Concluding thoughts
In closing today I want to list out life applications that correspond to each of the verses above to enable the reader to see the significance behind "self-denial" and "cross bearing". Why are these truths so germane to the Gospel and the Christian life?

1. Central in saving faith. Mark 8:34-35; Luke 9:22-24

2. Central in sanctification (what follows from faith) Matthew 16:23-25; Luke 9:22-24; 14:26-28

3. Central to supernatural ministry. Matthew 10:38-42; Acts 5:29,41-42

4. Centers on the Son. John 19:16-18; Hebrews 12:1-3

What it means to "take up one's cross" in Matthew 10:38

Matthew 10:38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."

Introduction:

Matthew 10 starts out rather positively with both the mention of the listing of Jesus' disciples and His sending forth of them on their first official mission. To their ears the initial instructions of Jesus seemed exciting and full of adventure. They were to avoid those places where no Jew would think of trodding, namely Samaria and the places of the Gentiles. Moreover the disciples main objective was to bring the message and power of the Kingdom to the "lost sheep of Israel". Matthew 10:1-15 sets the stage for the mission of the disciples to go to their own countrymen and deliver what would seem to be exciting news concerning the coming of Messiah and the Kingdom.

I'm sure the disciples were ready to head out the door on their first official ministry assignment. However Jesus was not finished. Matthew 10:16-42 portrays Jesus giving his disciples warnings about what to do when encountered by both external enemies and their own fears. The disciples had their mission, ministry and message. Yet Jesus realized that once someone is actively engaged in the challenges and opposition that often assails ministry and the mission itself, reasons for doing the ministry and the message can be forgotten. To avoid this and to ensure continual power for keeping focused on the mission, doing the ministry and preaching the message, the command to "take up one's cross" must be practiced.

The background and meaning of "taking up one's cross"

I've heard people over the years use this phrase "take up one's cross" to refer to the general burdens and frustrations of life that everyone bears and endures. Whether the situation be a flat tire or an illness, "taking up one's cross" is popularly taken to mean the lot of life cast against us, and that by bearing the load we are in some fashion appeasing God and taking on His prescribed trial for our moral improvement. The problem with this popular understanding is that there is no cross, no gospel and no grace. 

In contrast, whenever we begin to peer closer at the meaning of the phrase: "taking up one's cross", the exact opposite meaning from the above suggested interpretation is found. 

The Reformation Study Bible notes: "This is to obey and identify with Jesus even unto death, not simply to bear some particular burden imposed by the Lord." 

Identification with Jesus Christ in His life, death and resurrection is at the heart of this idea.  John Calvin in his commentary on Matthew 10 notes the following about the meaning of "taking up the cross":

"From particular cases he proceeds to general views and informs us that we cannot be reckoned as his disciples unless we are prepared to endure many afflictions. If we are vexed and tormented by the thought that the Gospel should set us at variance with our father, our our wife, or our children, let us remember this condition, that Christ subjects all of his disciples to the cross. Yet let us also bear in mind this consolation, that, in bearing the cross, we are the companions of Christ, - which will speedily have the effect of relieving all its bitterness."

Astute readers may make the observation that when Jesus made statements like this to his disciples, He was speaking "pre-cross". There had to had been some event prior to these statements that Jesus used in driving home the cost of following Him and the powerbase for all ministry, proclaiming the message and performing the mission. Pastor and scholar Dr. John MacArthur gives the historical context of the phrase "take up your cross" in a sermon he preached in 1981 called "P3-The Hallmarks of Discipleship:

"When He said - Take up your cross.., they knew immediately what He was talking about. He was talking about dying, just plain old dying. How they'd know that? They were from Galilee with the exception of Judas Iscariot, all eleven others were from Galilee. And very recently there had been an insurrection in Galilee lead by Judas of Galilee, and Judas had gathered a band together and decided to throw the Romans out. And the Romans won.

And the Romans crushed Judas and his insurrection, and the Roman general Varus, V-a-r-u-s, wanted to teach the Jews a lesson so he crucified over two thousand Jews. And he put their crosses up and down all the roads of Galilee so everywhere the people went they saw them hanging on these crosses along the roadside. And every Jew that was crucified carried the crossbeam for his own execution on his back as he marched to the cross. And these Galileans had seen all of that. And Jesus is talking to them in historical context and He is saying - He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me is not worthy of Me. You need to be willing to die, He says...rather than deny Me." 

Note: the reader can view the entire manuscript of this sermon at: http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/2284/the-hallmarks-of-discipleship-part-3 

How the disciples "took up their cross" for the mission, ministry and message of Jesus Christ

In keeping the background rebellion of Judas the Galilean fresh in view, we fast forward over four years later to the scene in Acts 5 where one of the original Twelve, Peter the Apostle, is being charged by the Jewish Sanhedrin for preaching heresy. When asked to suppress their preaching, Peter and his companions reply in Acts 5:29 "But Peter and the apostles answered, 'We must obey God rather than men.'" 

As the Jews plot how they will respond to the Apostles refusal to heed their demands, one wise Jewish teacher, Gamaliel, makes reference back to the rebellion of Judas the Galilean that lain in the background of Jesus' statement "take up your cross". Acts 5:37-44 records the scene, the response of Jews and the reaction of the Apostles following their persecution:

"After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God. 40 They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. 41 So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching andpreaching Jesus as the Christ."

The disciples of Jesus who were the Apostles in Acts ended up rejoicing in the face of persecution. They had taken up their cross in that situation, identifying with Jesus and loving Him above their own lives, comfort and self-preservation. 

More tomorrow....

Seven truths about spiritual gifts in the Bible

1 Corinthians 12:1-4 "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit."

Some thoughts on spiritual gifts

I thought it necessary to give a brief outline of the Bible's teaching on spiritual gifts.  May you find these headings useful, since they include the key Biblical texts on spiritual gifts that are without question profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16).

1. Spiritual gifts are taught throughout the Bible
The first thought to note is that spiritual gifts are not just a New Testament phenomenon. Exodus 31:1-3 is one of the earliest mentions: "Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship." 

When God called Noah, or Moses or Solomon to build the ark, tabernacle and temple, did these men do it by their own ingenuity? Hardly. They were supernaturally graced or gifted by God in the Person of the Holy Spirit to do so.  The Old Testament sets the pattern, from the offices of the priesthood and prophet, to the abilities given on occasion to perform miracles or speak forth prophecies. Such giftings from God paved the way for what would be the more fuller and abiding character of the gifts revealed in the New Testament.  

2. Spiritual gifts are graces or gracings from God
The word we render "gifts" could be more accurately translated "gracings" or "graces". When we use the term "gifts", we are speaking of the manner in which God distributes His graces to His people - namely in a free and Sovereign manner.  

3. Spiritual gifts are given at salvation
Whenever you read 1 Corinthians 12:1-4, the understanding is that all of the spiritual graces or gifts are given to the believer at conversion.  The issue of course comes in our discovery and awareness of those gifts.  1 Corinthians 12:12-13 reinforces this point - "For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."

4. The Holy Spirit is the Agent of the gifts
1 Corinthians 12:4 states - "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit."  In the main passages that speak on the subject of the spiritual gifts in the New Testament, we see all three Persons of the Trinity involved in the spiritual gifts.  For example, 1 Corinthians 12:4-5 outlines accordingly: 

a. The Agent of the gifts is the Spirit

b. The Administrator of the ministries in which the gifts will be used is the Son 

c. The Effects produced by the gifts are regulated by the Father.  

All Three Persons of course are One God, being the Agent, Administrator and Affector of the work of the graces or gifts.  The Spirit in particular is the Agent of the gifts, meaning that He is the One who Sovereignly distributes and directs where the gifts go and to whom they go.  Romans 12:3-7, when read in concert with 1 Corinthians 12:1-6, affirms the Divine authority and identity of the Spirit as the Agent of the gifts.  This is also why the gifts are called "spiritual gifts", being that their distribution is regulated directly by the Holy Spirit Himself. 

5. The gifts are designed to bless the body of Christ and to minister the Gospel to the lost
Key Biblical texts on spiritual gifts support this two-fold thought.  Romans 12:5-6a "5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly...".  1 Corinthians 14:1 communicates - "Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy." Why? Because gifts such as prophecy (which I would say is in reference to the supernatural gifting in preaching the Word in ways that relevantly and pointedly challenge the church) serve to edify the church body, a theme repeated by Paul throughout 1 Corinthians 14:3,4,5,12 and 17. 

Paul writes these words about the spiritual gifts of various spiritual leaders in Ephesians 4:12 "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ."  Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:10 -  "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

Clearly the spiritual gifts are for the purpose of edifying the body, as well as bearing witness of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. In each of those main passages on the spiritual gifts, we see reference to using the gifts properly so as to bear witness to unbelievers. (1 Corinthians 14:20-24) Paul speaks of how the Lord gives among the official giftings the office of the evangelist in Ephesians 4:11. 1 Peter 4:6 prefaces Peter's discussion on spiritual gifts with these words - "For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God."  Indeed the spiritual gifts, in their diversity and supernatural power, can beautifully demonstrate the life of God pulsating through believers to those to whom we witness.

6. The spiritual gifts are given for the glory of God
The main point of the spiritual gifts (or gracings) are not to bring attention to the person exercising them, but to the One who gave them.  1 Peter 4:11 notes - "Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

7. Spiritual gifts are discovered through God-given abilities, opportunities and burdens
As we noted earlier, spiritual gifts or graces are given at the moment of one's conversion. However, the process of defining and discovery takes time.  That concludes today's post. I pray the above seven headings have aided you in better understanding what the Bible has to teach about spiritual gifts. 

The "co" in commission - God's intention to co-operate with believer's in the Great Commission

Acts 2:47 "praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."

Introduction:

These last several days have been devoted to thinking through God's mission to save sinners. We have looked at how the Bible describes God as the Sole, Great Missionary. The mission for which He has in saving sinners that He sets His affection upon and calls to respond, believe, repent and be saved is of His doing. God in the Person of the Father invented missions; the Son issues forth the mission and the Spirit empowers the mission.

The last several posts have intentionally labored to demonstrate that without God, there would be no mission. With that emphasis, we must now consider by what means God has ordained to execute the mission which He as Father invented, as Son issued and as Spirit empowers. It is at this point that the term "mission" must be prefixed with the little letters "co". In other words, the mission of God presented in the Bible is really the co-mission including His people telling those who are not yet His people how they can be His people. 

As I think about my involvement in the preaching of God's word, I really am just an incidental, small conduit. God really does not need me to achieve His purposes of grace in gathering those sinners whom He desires to save. Yet, God chooses to use the foolishness, fraility and at times ackward, often times weak and many times inefficient means of preaching to win sinners unto Himself. (1 Corinthians 1:17-21) God, like us, uses means as well as ends. The pre-fix "co" is small in comparison to the grander word "mission". The prefix "co" by itself means nothing. Yet in the hands of God, "co" is transformed into a powerful, effective tool. God chooses to use the church, composed of regenerate saints. This is not my plan, nor your plan, but His. 

God's intention all along in inventing, issuing and empowering His mission to save believing sinners and to redeem this fallen created order has been to have a co-operative work with His people. He intends and invites you and me believer to go forth, make disciples, baptize and teach His word. The evidence for this truth is legion in the New Testament. In the verses below it will be seen that the early church took their central identity as those who were in a "co-mission" with God to win others to Jesus. Notice....

1. Acts 4:4  "But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand."

2. Acts 4:32 "And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them."

3. Acts 5:28-29 "saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men."

4. Acts 6:7 "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."

5. Acts 8:4 "Therefore, those who had been scattered went aboutpreaching the word."

6. Acts 14:17  "and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

7. Acts 14:27  "When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles."

8. Acts 16:31 "They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

9. 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

10. Philippians 1:27 "Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of thegospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel"

11. Colossians 1:6 "which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it andunderstood the grace of God in truth."

12. 1 Thessalonians 1:8 "For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything."

13. 3 John 1:3 "For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth."

As you read through the first sixty years of church history recorded in Acts And the Epistles, you see the people of God working with God in carrying forth the Great Commission. Whether persecuted, whether taunted, whether with low resources or whether in plenty, the church of living God rose to the occassion and by the Spirit's empowerment, the Son's issuing and the Father's intention proclaimed the Gospel far and wide. Such a vision is the church's today. May we go forth and work with God as he so desires to work with us!