The Doctrine of Scripture Series: Jesus In The 66 Books of the Bible - Joshua through 2 Chronicles

Introduction:

    In our last post here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2023/01/the-doctrine-of-scripture-series-jesus.html, we began to consider how we find Jesus in the sixty-six books of the Bible. We looked at the first five books, assigning them the overall purpose of showing us the pattern of Christ. In our explorations of Genesis through Deuteronomy, we noted the following:

1. In Genesis, we see Jesus as the Creator       

   and Sustainer.

2. In Exodus, He is the Redeemer.

3. In Leviticus, He is foreshadowed as our 

    High Priest.

4. In Numbers, we Find Him as our Guiding 

    Shepherd.

5. In Deuteronomy, we discover Jesus as the 

    life giver.

    It is truly exciting when exploring Christology (the study of Jesus Christ in the Bible, including His Person, natures, work and offices). It is the preincarnate Christ whom Adam and Eve would come to know as that voice and Christophany in the Garden. It was He who would appear to Abram in Ur of the Chaldees (see Acts 7:3). He was that mysterious man that wrestled Jacob in Genesis 32 ( compare Hosea 12:4). 

    The patterns revealed by the Books of the Law would persist. Genesis 22 would give us a picture of the Son and the Father enacting the Son going to the cross, as seen with Abraham's offering of Isaac. Joseph in Genesis 37-50 gives us the fullest pattern of Christ in the life of Joseph. We see in Exodus the pillar of cloud by day and the fire by night. The God who appeared on the mountain to Moses (perhaps a Theophany of the Father) is by nature the Redeeming God that guided the people of God day and night in a Christophany pattern. God's revelation of the Tabernacle in Exodus, which we didn't even mention, has dozens of foreshadowings of Christ's person and work. 

    Then in Leviticus we see not only the priestly ministries of Aaron and his sons, but the sacrifices presenting a pattern of Jesus as our substitutionary atonement. Numbers, which we noted was titled in the Hebrew "in the desert", gives us a pattern of Christ as that Shepherd. One pattern we note in Numbers is the number forty. It was forty years of time in which the Jews wandered in that dry land. The number "forty" would signify a time of testing or a period for growth and development. Moses himself had three such forty year periods in his life. Jesus of course would be tempted of the Devil in the wilderness for forty days. Then we saw Deuteronomy, and how in that book, Jesus is that life giver, both physically and spiritually.

    In today's post we want to now look at what are called the "historical books". These books stretch from the conquest of Canaan in 1400 b.c. to the time of Queen Esther in 380 b.c. History truly is "His-story", meaning that God's providence guides the wills of men, the course of nations, the physical creation, and flow of time in bringing forth His glorious purposes. It is for this reason I assigned the general theme of the historical books as anticipating the Lord Jesus Christ. Due to the size of this section of the Old Testament, today's post will look at how we see Jesus from Joshua to 2 Chronicles.

The Historical Books (Joshua-Esther) = Christ is Anticipated.

Joshua = Jesus, the Captain of Salvation.

    We find that the author of this sixth book of the Bible, Joshua, has the same meaning in his name as Jesus. Joshua and Jesus both mean "Jehovah" or "Yahweh is salvation". Joshua would lead God's people through a 13 year conquest of the Canaanite nations to lay claim on the promised land pledged by God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Book of Joshua historically speaks of the settling of God's people into their land. Exodus portrays the Christian's salvation, with Leviticus and Numbers giving ussome illustrations of what can be the fits and starts that come with the early days of Christian growth.

    When we come to Hebrews 3-4, we dicsover that Joshua's spiritual emphasis portrays the Christian taking responsibility and living out the Christian life and fighting the good fight of faith. The Christian life is not only about my position before God in saving faith, but also about me taking possession of the "land" of my Christian walk in continuing faith. 

    Certainly, Joshua shows how God would initially fulfill the land grant He pledged to Abraham, with its full realization yet to be accomplished in Christ's future earthly reign. Jesus Christ is that Captain of the Lord of hosts met by Joshua in Joshua 5. He leads God's people in their pilgrimage through this world to their heavenly home (see 1 Peter 2:9-12).

Judges = Jesus is our Deliverer.

    If the book of Joshua pictures the Christian life lived out before God in obedience and dependance, then Judges gives the mirror opposite of what occurs when the Christian backslides. We encounter a specially called people designated "judges", tasked by God to deliver the Jewish people from nations that subjugated them. Throughout Judges, we find the refrain: "the people did what was pleasing in their eyes". Despite the unfaithfulness of the nation of Israel, God kept His Word. The deliverance wrought by God through the imperfect judges points ahead to the Perfect Deliverer, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ruth = Jesus is our Kinsmen Redeemer

    Ruth would become the maternal ancestor of King David, who in turn would figure prominently in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ (see Matthew 1:1-17). Ruth's story centers around God's providential leading of her (a Moabitess) to become the wife of Boaz (a prominent Jewish man and ancestor of King David). The pivot point of the plot of Ruth would involve a certain law that required a near relative or "kinsman" to marry a woman whose husband had died to carry on the family bloodline. 

    The nearest relative of Ruth's first husband refused to perform his role, thus leaving Boaz as the next kinsmen. So much could be said, but suffice it to say, Ruth pictures the bride that none wanted, an outsider. Boaz portrays to us a kinsmen willing to redeem this unwanted bride. Boaz would take on Ruth's debts, the scorn she would undoubtedly had retained as a Moabitess, and the reputation of having been an outsider. Boaz redeemed Ruth for His own, much as Christ would redeem His church for His own - the Kinsmen Redeemer.

1 & 2 Samuel = Jesus our King

    As we move onward through the historical books, we come to meet two important kings: Saul in 1 Samuel and David in 2 Samuel. David is God's choice man, a man afater God's own heart. Saul and David are contrasts of one another, setting up a wonderful example of how the historical books anticipated Christ. Saul in many respects was like the first Adam, failing in his duties before God who had called him. 

    What was needed as a better King, a "second Adam-like figure". God told Samuel the prophet that in rejecting Saul, he had chosen David (see 1 Samuel 15-16). The covenant God would make later with David in 2 Samuel 7:13-16 would provide a key covenant promising the eternal kingship and throne for the Lord Jesus Christ (see also Psalm 110).

1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles = Jesus our Sovereign Lord.

    Although these four books may seem upon first glance to cover the same ground, they present the history of God's people in different respects. 1 & 2 Kings gives the sequel of what occured following the death of David. Solomon his son would become the final king of the United Kingdom. Eventually, Israel would divide into two kingdoms (Israel to the North, Judah to the South). By the time it was all said and done, each kingdom would experience 20 kings, mostly evil, and with only the Southern Kingdom of Judah having a handful of Godly Kings. By 722 b.c. the Northern Kingdom would be sacked by the Assyrians. Later, in 586 b.c., the forces of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon would destroy Jersualem in Judah and carry of the people to exile.

    It is in 1 & 2 Chronicles that we find the entire history of mankind rehearsed, with the narrative quickly getting us to King David and what would follow in the Southern Kingdom of Judah. I define these four books as having to do with the Sovereignty of Christ, since the winding paths of God's Providence guided the bloodline of the kings of Judah, as well as the destinies of the Jews who went into exile, to become the cradle that would bring about the humanity of our Lord through the virgin Mary. In the Hebrew Bible, 1 and 2 Chronicles are the final books. They help us to see how all of history flows in one ultimate direction towards what would be the incarnation and arrival of the Son of God into our world.

More next time....

The Doctrine of Scripture Series: Jesus In The 66 Books of the Bible - The First Five Books Of The Law

Introduction:

    Today we will begin to close out our series on the doctrine of Scripture. It is appropriate to conclude this series on the written Word of God by drawing attention to the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. Why so? Jesus Himself as the post-resurrected Christ, explains His relationship to the Scriptures in Luke 24:37-45 - 

"But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; 43 and He took it and ate it before them.44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures."

    Over the last several months, we have explored the major truths associated with the doctrine of Scripture. We have touched upon the Bible's sufficiency, clarity, authority, necessity, inerrancy, and infallibility. We considered the tests or marks of canonicity, as well as grasping what is meant by "canon", its boundaries, and why only the inspired books, upon recognition and use, came to be known as the "Old Testament canon" and "New Testament canon". In today's post, we will begin to observe how we see Jesus in every book of the Bible. To aid our journey, I'll provide headings for each major section of Bible. We shall begin by noting how Jesus is found in the Books of the Law, also known as "The Pentateuch". 

Old Testament

    Perhaps a more appopriate title for that collection of 39 books we call "Old Testament" would be that of "Old Covenant". A testament refers to a document that becomes active upon the death of the one who drafted it. In the Old Covenant (also known as the Hebrew Bible, due to it having been composed originally in Hebrew, with portions of Daniel and Ezra written in Aramaic), we find the living God, the Creator, calling forth a people to be His own. 

    A covenant is made by one who is alive, and typically involves at least one other party, with both parties pledging oaths to one another. As our Bibles were translated, the Latin translation of the Vulgate would use the word "testamentum" to translate the Hebrew and Greek terms used for "covenant". I only bring out this point to remind all of us that the God of the Bible is living and the source of life itself - whether physical or spiritual. 

    In God's case, He made what are called "unconditional covenants" with men like Noah, Abraham, and David, pledging that He would be responsible for bringing about the fulfillment of those covenants. He pledged Himself to not give up on Israel, even though He knew she would fail Him many times. 

    It was the famous fifth century Christian Bishop of North Africa, Augustine, who famously said: "The New Testament in the Old is concealed, and the Old Testament in the New is revealed". Central to the revelation of Old or New Covenant Scriptures is the Person of Jesus Christ. What follows below is a sketch of how one finds Jesus in the books of the Bible.  

1. The Books of the Law (Genesis-Deuteronomy) = Christ is the Pattern.

Genesis = Jesus is Creator and Sustainer
    

    Genesis begins our exploration of seeing Jesus in the books of the Bible. We find Him as the Creator and sustainer in Genesis 1-11, providing structure for the created order and the covenant of grace in salvation to our fallen parents and race. One dominate theme we find in Scripture is that of "covenant". We find the pre-incarnate Christ calling out to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. No doubt it was He whom Noah preached about (albeit as God's promise of deliverance, not yet knowing the fulness of the revelation of Christ we find in the New Testament, see 1 Peter 3:18-20). God through Christ would verbalize his Covenant to Noah to never again destroy the world with a flood. No doubt Jesus would compare the last days prior to His return in Matthew 24 to the days of Noah.

    Genesis 12-50 continues this theme of Christ as creator and preserver by how He called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees to go to the promised land, beginning in Genesis 12. Stephen preached in Acts 7:2 that "the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham". One thing we learn about throughout the Old Testament is that God would often appear in what are called "theophanies", that is, manifestations of the invisible God to His people. Old Testament theology tells us that in most instances, such "theophanies" were "Christophanies", meaning that the Pre-incarnate Christ made Himself visible in and through the media of created things, whether fire (Exodus 3), a rock (1 Corinthians 10:1-6), a pillar of cloud that led the people (Numbers 9), or the Shekinah glory that suffused the Temple (1 Kings 8). God, presumably in the Person of the pre-incarnate Christ, would speak to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through the remainder of Genesis.

Exodus = Jesus is the Redeemer.

    

    As we arrive at Exodus, we are 400 years removed from the days of Joseph, the last patriarch in Genesis. Exodus carries the theme of "redemption", since it records the greatest act of deliverance in the Old Testament - the crossing of the Red Sea by the Jewish people. Exodus 1-15 would detail the call of God to Moses and the Exodus of the people from Egypt. 

    It is in Exodus 12 that the rite of Passover is introduced, with the Passover Lamb playing the main part. The Jews had to take a first born lamb, kill it, and spread its blood upon the doorposts and gates of their homes. The sight of blood by the Death Angel, who would passover Egypt in the final plague, would exempt Jewish households from the death of the firstborn. Preachers of old would often use this to urge their listeners to believe on Christ and repent of their sins, stating how important it was to "have the blood of Christ applied over the doorposts of the heart". 

    The imagery of "the Lamb of God" is picked up in Isaiah 53 and is described of Jesus in John 3:29. Paul writes of Jesus as "The Passover" in 1 Corinthians 5:7, further reinforcing Him as the Redeemer. 

    Exodus 16-40 then describes the first year of the Jews journeys into the Desert following their Exodus. When we speak of "redemption"or "salvation"in the Bible, we talk of not only what Jesus came to "save us from" (God's wrath, our sin), but also what He came to "save us to" (life more abundantly, life as an adopted son or daughter of God, our heavenly destiny). Jesus is the Redeemer of Exodus. 

Leviticus = Jesus is our High Priest.

    

    The Book of Leviticus records the first 30 days of the lives of God's people following their Exodus. The institution of the Levitical priesthood was meant to provide representation of the people before the Holy God of Israel. The construction and consecration of the mobile worship center called the tabernacle offers many pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ (compare Hebrews 8-10). 

    The writer of Hebrews compares and then demonstrates how Jesus Christ's role as the believer's high preist excedes that of the Levitical priestly roles. We could comment more on the meanings of the sacrifices, the details of the tabernacle, and further comments on the priesthood, but we must move onward.

Numbers = Jesus is our Guiding Shepherd.

    

    In the Hebrew Bible, many of the books of the Old Testament are named by whatever the first word is in the text. Our Book called "Numbers" got its name from the Greek translation of the Old Testament known as the "Septuagint". When Jerome did his translation of the Latin Vulgate, he simply took the Septuagint's title and transposed it into the Latin Bible. 

    Although the book does speak of the numbering of the tribes of Israel, that is not its main point. The book we know as "Numbers" has as its Hebrew name what is translated "in the desert". I prefer this original name for the book because it describes life lived before the Lord in this dry and thirsty world. We find God people wandering in the wilderness for forty years. Despite their unfaithfulness, God as the Visible Yahweh, the pre-incarnate Christ, leads them as a pillar of cloud, as a rock, and as a pillar of fire. 

    In Numbers 21:6-9, we find the people in such a state of unbelief that God disciplines them with biting serpents. He then tells Moses to fabricate a bronze serpent that is to be raised upon a pole. Those that look upon the "brazen serpent" will be healed and saved from certain death. The Apostle John in John 3:14-15 used that episode to highlight how Jesus Christ came to be the Savior. Christ would be placed upon the cross. Those who look to Him by faith will be saved. No doubt we see Jesus Christ in Numbers (or as we learned today, "in the desert") as the Guiding Shepherd who gives life to His sheep (see John 10). He guides His church in this dry old world toward their Heavenly promised land. 

Deuteronomy = Jesus the Life Giver.

    

    Whenever we survey the three final sermons preached by Moses at the end of his forty year trek with the Jews, we find him making the appeal to "choose life" (Deuteronomy 30:15-19). Deuteronomy is called such because of the repetition of the Mosaic Law (The term "deuteronomy" means "second law"). 

    Moses rehearses the Ten Commandments and the law given to him in Exodus. However, we discover that the Law of God was never intended to impart salvation, since the generation prior to the generation in Deuteronomy had shown themselves lawbreakers (as we all are born into this world). What was needed then, and now, is a new heart, a "circumcised heart", a new birth (see Deuteronomy 10; John 3:1-6). The Law of God points beyond itself to the Christ of God. 

Closing thoughts:

    Next time we will look at how Jesus is revealed in the historical books of the Old Testament - Joshua through Esther. 

Principles For Living A More Solid Christian Life In The Upcoming New Year

Introduction:

How you and I can get ready for the upcoming year.

    Maybe for some of us, facing a New Year is a welcome relief. For others, fear enters our minds when we look at the future. We need the eternal perspective that has Christ as the center. What do I mean when I say: "having an eternal perspective in Jesus Christ"? Think with me for a moment about four horizons that (should) comprise the daily life of any Christ-follower.

    There is that first horizon of personal life-experience. Then, there are the lives of the people he or she knows, the local church, and the community in which they live – the second horizon. Thirdly, there is that horizon of the Scriptures that ought to govern the first two horizons and point to a fourth horizon, eternity. It is this last horizon that presses us to have an eternal perspective. To summarize. The first horizon is my life. The second horizon deals with other people’s lives. The third involves what regulates my life – the Bible. The fourth is that eternal horizon, which deals with the life to come. We get so caught up in the first two that we neglect the third and rarely think of the fourth.

    We know what happens when we’re driving along toward, say, a mountain off in the distance. The mountain gives us a horizon line, a perspective. Then a fog rolls in. Suddenly, we feel disoriented, not fully aware of our surroundings. It takes the sun's light and warmth to pierce the fog. Once the fog has rolled away, only then can we see everything in its proper perspective. This is what the light of the glory of Jesus Christ does for us in reference to giving the proper perspective for what lies ahead.

    As we enter a New Year, how can we practically take what we know of Jesus Christ and have a solid Christian life? It is the principles of solid Christian living that interest me in today's post.

Christian people need of reminders.

    We turn in this post to Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae. Colossae was an ancient city, second only to Ephesus in ancient influence. It located in the fertile Lycas Valley of what is now Modern Day Turkey. If you were to take a world map and find Ukraine, this region of Turkey would be due south of it, connecting Southern Europe to Asia and the Middle East. When I read about this city of Colossae, its description reminded me somewhat of our current American. This city, at the time of Paul's letter, was on decline. It was once opulent, influential in the region. It was formerly at the crossroads where the powerful visited.

    At the time of Paul’s letter, Colossae may very well had experienced earthquake damage. It was a city in ruins. It seemed the once great Colossae had come to decline and decay. Various philosophies promoting mysticism, materialism, or legalism preyed on the minds of the people. If we had more time, we could see how this sort of heresy was trying to seep into the little church in that city which Paul had planted. The Colossians were tempted to become preoccupied with this world, and their world had collapsed. They could only look ahead. As a new church, and new believers (perhaps less than a few years into their faith), the Colossians needed reminders of where to look.

    So, what about the author Paul? Paul’s situation was also dire. He was in prison. He was chained between two Roman guards (Acts 28). Though he was in chains, yet his proclamation of the Gospel was unchained. Paul was practicing the principles of solid Godly living that he would write in Colossians 3:1-17. So why this letter? Scholar Michael Harbin notes of Paul’s letter to the Colossians:


“Rather than focusing on the things of this world, like jobs, wealth, and so forth, the believers should be maintaining an eternal perspective.”

Theme of Colossians and the point of our post.

    We are living in a day where our culture has collapsed. We have witnessed political, moral, and spiritual earthquakes. Life is shifting sand. Paul wrote Colossians to focus attention on the supremacy of Jesus Christ. The theme of this letter is about: “Finding fulfillment in Christ’s fulness”. The key verse is Colossians 1:16-17


“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” 

    As for this post, I'm drawn to Colossians 3, most noteably Colossians 3:1-2, since it speaks appropriately to the point of my post today: 

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." A quick outline of the Colossian's four chapters yields the following summary.


Chapter 1 = Salvation’s beginnings in Christ.
Chapter 2 = Seek to walk in Christ.
Chapters 3-4 = Solid living for Christ (principles & practice).

    Below is a brief exposition on six principles I find in Colossians 3:1-17 that lay out a plan for solid Christian living in the upcoming New Year. As I go through them, I will provide minimal commentary, mainly directing us to the text of Colossians 3 and appropriate cross-references.

Six principles for Solid Christian Living For The New Year

1. Look up in prayer. Colossians 3:1-4

    It was Evangelist Leonard Ravenhill that once noted: “before you get with it, get with Him”.

    We begin our study in Colossians 3:1-4,

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory."

    At the near-end of the New Testament, Jude, Jesus'half-brother according to the flesh, writes in 1:20-21 of his letter:

"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life."

    Such words remind us that prayer ought to be the thermostat, not just a barometer in our planning. So we begin by "looking up in prayer". Notice the second principle for solid Christian living....

2. Look in your heart. Colossians 3:5-7

    When I say "look at your heart", I refer to how the priority of the mind in prayer, witnessed in our previous principle, is a prerequisite to searching our hearts. Paul writes in Colossians 3:5-7,

"Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them."

As Proverbs 4:23 reminds us: "Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life."  So in "looking up in prayer" and "looking at our hearts", we come to the third principle for solid Christian living....

3. Look at your speech. Colossians 3:8-11

    Jesus noted in Matthew 15:34 “….For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” As we turn back to Paul's argument thus far in Colossians 3:1-7, we see a progression in Paul’s argument: Prayer-->The mind-->The heart-->Our speech. Paul then writes in Colossians 3:8-11,

“But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all."

Jesus'other half-brother according to the flesh, James, remarks about the importance of "looking at our speech" in James 3:8-10,

"But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way."

4. Look around to others. Colossians 3:12-14

    So far, we've seen the need to "look up in prayer", "look at your heart", and the need to "look at one's speech" to cultivate a more solid life for Jesus Christ in the upcoming New Year. Paul's words in Colossians 3:1-11 have emphasized the need for self-examination. The point of examining ourselves before God is to be more useful for Him in encouraging others in God. It is here where we see Paul transition from evaluating oneself to evaluating how we are used of God in other's lives. We read in
Colossians 3:12-14,

"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity."

    Am I taking the time to consider other people around me? Do I pray for others? Encourage others? Are my conversations prayerfully conducted in such a way as to lead in a positive, spiritual direction that points to Jesus? Do I look for ways to serve others? Are there those whom I need to forgive? This is the tenure of what is meant by this fourth principle of "looking around to others".

5. Look into your Bible, everyday. Colossians 3:15-16

    A favorite preacher of mine, the leate Adrian Rogers, once noted: “These two things go together, let no man part, dust on the Bible, drought in the heart”. I have always found when I commit Scripture verses to memory, my thinking is most clear. God's words, the Bible, give power to the Christian to live the Christian life (Hebrews 4:12). The Holy Spirit is the Agent behind their composition and the Applier of their meaning to anyone willing to receive them by faith (see 1 Corinthians 2:11-13). Note what Paul writes in Colossians 3:15-16,

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

    One of my favorite Bible passages that urge memorizations and mediation on the Bible everyday is found in Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success."

6. Look to give thanks. Colossians 3:17.

    In today's post we have considered thus far five principles for solid, Christian living in the upcoming New Year:

1. Look up in prayer. Colossians 3:1-4
2. Look in your heart. Colossians 3:5-7
3. Look at your speech. Colossians 3:8-11
4. Look around to others. Colossians 3:12-14
5. Look into your Bible, everyday. Colossians 3:15-16

    As we draw today's post to a close, let me remind us of the need to look for ways to give thanks to God. If Christian people in particular (I having the foremost need) were more thankful to the Lord, we would have less complaining, backsliding, and general discontent. I find that when I have not practiced thankfulness to God, that is where I mutter and sputter in my daily Christian walk. Consider the following words written by Paul in Colossians 3:17,

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."

Whenever you look at the life of Jesus, you find out how thankful He was. Even on the eve of His crucifixion, He instituted a meal for his church that is called by the Greek word "Eucharist", meaning "to give thanks". Note for instance what we read in Luke 22:17-19,

"And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, ‘Take this and share it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.’ 19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”’

We all learned in school that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. When it comes to understanding "what God's will is for my life", the quickest route to discovering that, next to consulting the Bible, is that of giving thanks. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

    For anyone who reads this who is not a follower of Jesus Christ, the Bible makes it plain as to how you experience the life-changing power of Jesus Christ. It is this simple: confess of your sins by placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection that He accomplished on your behalf (Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Corinthians 15:1-6). That is the best way to begin any new year. As you follow the Lord Jesus Christ, take the principles we looked at today and apply them daily to your own life. As we take these six principles to heart, my hope would be that for followers of Jesus Christ, they would find a more consistent way of solid Christian living in the upcoming New Year.


1. Look up in prayer. Colossians 3:1-4
2. Look in your heart. Colossians 3:5-7
3. Look at your speech. Colossians 3:8-11
4. Look around to others. Colossians 3:12-14
5. Look into your Bible, everyday. Colossians 3:15-16
6. Look to give thanks. Colossians 3:17.

The Doctrine Of Scripture Series: Why 1 Enoch Fails The Tests For Divine Inspiration And Canonicity

Introduction:

In our last post http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2022/12/the-doctrine-of-scripture-series-marks.html, we mentioned five "tests" or criteria gleaned from Jewish and early Christian authors that pertained to how the books of the Old and New Testament canons were recognized as being inspired from God. For sake of review, I'll list those tests below.

*Miraculous Test. Was the writer confirmed by acts of God? 

*Salvation Test. Can the book bring someone to saving faith? 

*Prophetic or Apostolic Test (Apostolicity). Was the book written by a prophet or Apostle of God, or an associate?

*Recognition Test. (Catholicity). When I use the term "catholicity", I mean not the Roman Catholic church. Instead, "catholicity" refers to "what was believed upon by all Christians, everywhere and at all times" (the term "catholic" derives from a Greek term meaning "universal"). In this test, we ask: was it recognized by the people of God?

*Truth Test (Orthodoxy). Did the message tell the truth about God, the human condition, and the world?

    We know from our previous studies that there were certain other books written by the Jews in the 400 years between Malachi and Matthew that contained historical information and which reflected what they believed. When we study this sort of Jewish literature (sometimes referred to as "Second Temple Literature" or "Intertestamental books"), we can subdivide these writings into two broad groupings. 

    The first involve a group of fifteen writings called "Apocrypha" by Protestants, and "Deuterocanonical" by Roman Catholics. The term "Apocrypha" itself means "hidden". We have explored the Apocrypha at length, showing that they did not belong in the canon, and thus cannot be deemed inspired by God. Readers may review here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2022/10/the-doctrine-of-scripture-identifying.html. 

    A second group of "Second Temple Jewish literature", written between the close of the Old Testament and into the days of Jesus are what are termed "pseudepigrapha". Below I'll introduce these books and focus on one in particular, 1 Enoch. 

Introducing the Pseudepigraphical book of Enoch.

    In addition to the Apocrypha, there were nearly seventy or so books written between the Old and New Testaments that became known as “pseudepigrapha” (falsely ascribed writings). They are designated by this word because they are passed off as having been composed by a famous Biblical character. The Pseudepigrapha, much like their Apocrypha counterparts, mimicked the Old Testament canon. There are examples of Pseudepigrapha that read like Genesis and Exodus (the Book of Jubiliees). There are other Pseudepigrapha that are "apocalyptic" or prophetic, such as the Apocalypse of Baruch. There are pseudepigrapha that imitate the style of the Biblical Psalms (such as the Pseudepigrphical "Psalms 151"). 

    Popular level publishers will mistakenly call these books "the lost books of the Bible". However, as we have learned in our studies of the canonization of the Biblical books, no books were "lost". The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha were well known in their day, however they were never recognized as "inspired" or "canonical". One only need read the writings of the Jewish philosopher Philo or the Jewish historian Josephus to see this point. Philo quoted extensively from the book of Genesis, yet never once did he quote the Apocrypha or Pseudepigrapha. Josephus' writings will quote the canonical Old Testament books, yet we never see a citation of the Apocrypha or Pseudepigrapha. 

    To be fair, they make for interesting reading, and do tell us about what the Jews talked about prior to the days of Jesus. Mostly, the Pseudepigrapha will speculate on details not mentioned in the canonical Old Testament. 

    The most prominent example of this type of literature is the book of “1 Enoch” (sometimes called simply "The Book of Enoch). As we assess whether the Book of 1 Enoch was inspired or not, we need to realize that the relevance of this question lies in how the book of Jude utilized it. 

    As one considers Jude’s citation of Enoch in Jude 1:14-15, the prophecy itself is not recorded within the book of Genesis or anywhere else in the canonical Old Testament. In my studies of the Book of Enoch, I found that Jude was likely alluding the opening chapter of 1 Enoch in 1 Enoch 1:9. Jude's choice to use 1 Enoch in making his point ought not be taken as his endorsing it as inspired and thus canonical. Paul for instance quoted pagan poets in his sermon on Mars Hill in Acts 17, yet he clearly did not conceive of those writings as inspired.

    The man Enoch in the Bible must be compared and included in how we assess the proported book of Enoch. Though there is no formal prophecy by Enoch in the Old Testament, we do find the man himself in Genesis 5:21-24 – 

“Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah.  22 Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters.  23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.  24 Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”

    Enoch, along with another prophetic figure, Elijah, were the only men in redemptive history who never tasted death. Enoch had been taken directly to heaven by God. 

    This fascinating fact prompted the Jews over the centuries to speculate and develop traditions around Enoch, especially in the period of time between the Old and New Testaments. As mentioned already, during this 400 year period of time, the Jews produced roughly seventy volumes of devotional, theological and apocalyptic literature (these being distinguished from the "Apocrypha") in an attempt to express their faith and anticipate their increasing desire for the coming Messiah.

    One of the traits of this literature era was to attach the name of a well-known biblical figure (such as Enoch) and claim the text to had derived from that author’s words, writing or actions. As mentioned above, such literary works are deemed by scholars as “pseudepigrapha”. 1 

     Peter J. Gentry, in a journal article: "Reassessing Jude’s Use Of Enochic Traditions (With Notes On Their Later Reception History)" appearing in the Tyndale Bulletin, Volume 68, Issue 2, evaluates the Book of Enoch in its contents and overall question of its canonicity. Readers can peer at his outline in the endnotes.2  In my own reading of 1 Enoch, I used an online version of the book found at https://book-ofenoch.com/. As I read through 1 Enoch, I utilized Gentry's outline in navigating its contents, which proved mighty helpful. What follows from here is testing 1 Enoch for marks of Divine inspiration by way of the five tests mentioned above in the beginning of this post.

Testing 1 Enoch for marks of Divine inspiration

1. Miraculous Test. Was the writer confirmed by acts of God? 

    The Biblical Enoch in Genesis 5:21-26 was no doubt a prophet. He is explained as possessing prophectic abilities in Jude 1:14-15. The Bible nowhere claims that Enoch ever performed any miracles that attested his prophethood. One of the attributes of the Biblical authors was that some sort of miraculous activity confirmed their identity and message. Moreover, in my reading of 1 Enoch, I see no evidence of fulfilled prophecy (with the exception of 1 Enoch 1:9, cited by Jude 1:14-15, which as explained already, was used because it contained a grain of truth, without endorsement of the book). As will be seen in the "Prophetic Test", the Enoch of 1 Enoch, which we could term "a literary Enoch", is not the author he claims to be, the "Biblical Enoch". 1 Enoch fails this first test, lacking the miraculous.

*Salvation Test. Can the book bring someone to saving faith? 

    In order for a book of the Bible to perform this act, it would have to teach the constant message of the Bible that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, apart from works - known as "the doctrine of justification by faith" (see Genesis 15:6; Romans 3:24-26; 4:1-3 Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-5). In my reading of 1 Enoch 97 and 103, I found that 1 Enoch taught works salvation. Readers can read a citation of 1 Enoch 97:9-10 in the endnotes below to see my point.3 

    1 Enoch reflects what had become a growing trend in intertestamental Judaism's growing body of traditions - the possibility of attaining favor with God by the way of faith plus works. Jesus had to deal with hypocrites that thought they could attain salvation by way of lawkeeping. As one studies either the Apocryphal books or pseudepigrpha, it becomes apparent what religious traditions had developed prior to our Lord's coming. Jesus only ever quoted the canonical Old Testament books (thus never anything from the Apocrypha nor Pseudepigrapha, including the Book of Enoch). Hence, 1 Enoch fails the salvation test. 

*Prophetic or Apostolic Test (Apostolicity). Was the book written by a prophet or Apostle of God, or an associate?

    As we evaluate the Book of 1 Enoch through this third test, we can confidently confirm that 1 Enoch was not written by its namesake. According to the late Biblical Scholar R.H Charles in his edited work “The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English – Volume II”, page 164, 1 Enoch was composed by a variety of authors from the pre-Maccabean period (pre-168 b.c) with the final portion being completed in (105-64b.c). Thus, the authenticity of the book is in doubt, due to it not being written by the Biblical Enoch. 

    As a final note on this test, scholars have shown that the production of pseudepigrapha in the intertestamental period was a sign that the Spirit of prophecy was not producing new inspired books. Books such as 1 Enoch relied on "namedropping" a famous Biblical character to produce its version of Enoch, whom I called earlier a "literary Enoch". This technique employed by pseudepigraphical writers bypassed making any explicit claims of Divine inspiration, and actually showed the lack of the Spirit's prophetic activity in that era.  As I read through 1 Enoch, I did not see the well known phrase "thus says the Lord". 

*Recognition Test. (Catholicity). In this test, we ask: was it recognized by the people of God?

       The only group that ever decided to recognize the Book of Enoch as Scripture was the Ethiopic Church. The otherwise universal rejection of 1 Enoch as part of the Old Testament canon demonstrates that early Jews and Christians believed it did not convey the words of God. 

*Truth Test (Orthodoxy). Did the message tell the truth about God, the human condition, and the world?

    In this final test, we can note that when reading through 1 Enoch, it develops a rather speculative and detailed doctrine of angels (i.e. angelology). In the first 36 chapters of Enoch, as section known as "the book of the Watchers", several places indicate that the fall came about because of certain fallen angels bringing sin into the world. Although Satan and a third of the angelic host did rebel against God shortly after the completion of our physical world (Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28; Revelation 12), yet it is not they who were credited with direct causation of the fall.  1 Enoch bypasses and conflicts with the Biblical teaching that Adam and Eve were the ones responsible for sin befalling the human race and the creation (Genesis 3 and Romans 5:11-21). This point shows that 1 Enoch cannot be inspired, due to its failure to express accurately such an important truth as the Fall. 

Conclusion:

    In today's post we subjected the book of 1 Enoch to the five tests of inspiration and canonicity we explored in previous posts. We conluded that 1 Enoch did not pass any of the tests, and hence ought not be considered as part of the canon. If one were to read the other pseudepigrpha, they would reach similar conclusions. This post only shows that there are really no so called "Lost Books of the Bible". All the books that were inspired by God belonged in the canon. 

    As God's people would recognize and use the inspired books, the process of canonization would simply affirm the books already belonging in the canon. 1 Enoch never would enjoy the universal reognition among early Jews or even the later Christian church. Nevertheless, 1 Enoch is valuable in showing us what the Jews believed in the days leading up to Jesus. 

Endnotes:

Endnote 1. Dr. Craig Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Acadia Divinity College, quotes literary scholar James Charlesworth’s definition of pseudepigraphical literature in his book: “Ancient Texts for New Testament Studies”, page 28: 

“The present description of the Pseudepigrapha is as follows: Those writings 

1). that….are Jewish or Christian.

2). that are often attributed to ideal figures of Israel’s past.

3). that customarily claim to contain God’s word or message.

4). that frequently build upon ideas and narratives present in the OT.

5). and that almost always were composed either or during the period 200 B.C. to A.D. 200 or, though late, aparently preserve. albeit an edited form, Jewish traditions that date from that period.”

Endnote 2. In his article, on page 263, Gentry gives a helpful outline of the Book of Enoch, noting its portions in the chronological order of their composition.

1. Book of Heavenly Luminaries (chaps 72–82)

2. The Book of the Watchers (chaps 1–36)

3. Enoch’s Two Dream Visions (chaps 83–90)

4. Two Pieces of Testamentary Narrative (81:2–82:3; 91)

5. The Epistle of Enoch (chaps 92–105)

6. An Account of Noah’s Birth (chaps 106–107)

7. Another Book by Enoch (chap. 108)

8. The Book of Parable (chaps 37–71)

9. The Book of the Giants (not in Ethiopic book of Enoch)

Endnote 3: 1 Enoch 97:9-10 "But in those days blessed shall they be, to whom the word of wisdom is delivered; who point out and pursue the path of the Most High; who walk in the way of righteousness, and who act not impiously with the impious. 10. They shall be saved."

    As already noted, the Jews were fond of producing literature that claimed a famous biblical figure as it’s author. With regards to "The Book of Enoch", one influential example of this type of literature is entitled “1 Enoch”.  

    The Jews living in the days of Jude’s Epistle would had been familiar with 1 Enoch. Much like our modern day Christian novels and books, “1 Enoch” or sometimes simply called “Enoch”, shaped the thinking of many Jews living in the regions around Israel.

    

   

A Theological And Biblical Meditation On The Meaning Of Christmas

Introduction:

    Merry Christmas to all who have decided to visit this site today. Today's post will theologically and Biblically draw together how Christ's incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection fit together. 

How Jesus' incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection theologically give us the true meaning of Christmas.

    To begin our theological meditations this Christmas day, as ws we celebrate, let us remember that one cannot make sense of the meaning of Christmas apart from three foundational Christian doctrines: incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection.

Incarnation explains the means of the Son of God's entry into our world.

    When we speak of Christ's incarnation, we refer to how the Son of God, being truly God by nature with the Father and the Holy Spirit as the blessed Trinity, came Himself into our world to assume a truly human nature in the virgin's womb (see Matthew 1:21;23; John 1:14; Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 2:11-14). Christ's incarnation is the means of coming into our world. But then, why become incarnated as a man?

Crucifixion explains the mission for why the Son of God became incarnated.

    The mission of the incarnation was for sake of crucifixion. It has been well said that the shadow of the cross ever fell upon the cradle at Bethlehem. The curse of sin brought about by the first Adam needed broken by the second Adam (see Deuteronomy 21:22-23; Romans 5:12-21; Galatians 3:10-13; 1 Corinthians 15:45-47). The curse of sin, pronounced by God in the Garden of Eden, could only be undone by one being truly God by nature (see Genesis 3:1-7; Romans 8:21-25; Colossians 1:16-21). Christ, being God, came to be man to go to the cross to bear the curse as both second Adam and ever truly God. But did His efforts work?

Resurrection was how the Son of God would manifest His glory as truly God and truly man.

    This is where we come to the third truth - Christ's resurrection. The means of entry into our world - incarnation; and the mission for which He came - crucifixion; would lead to the manifest glory of His resurrection from the dead. Bethlehem and Calvary were proved effective on the morning of the empty tomb. Christ's physical resurrection from the dead meant He would forever hold the keys of death and hell (Revelation 1:12-21).

    With those thoughts in place, the aim now is to Biblically draw as many parallels as possible between the birth narratives of Matthew and Luke to the crucifixion and resurrection accounts of the Lord Jesus Christ. John 18, 19 and 20 will be our main text for the crucifixion and resurrection narratives, with connecting points being drawn from Matthew and Luke. Below I will list some main headings and associated verses to aid you, the reader, in connecting the Christmas event of the cradle at Bethlehem to the Mission of the Savior at the cross.

1. The Shepherds told about the Savior born, who would die for the people as the Good Sherpherd.

Luke 2:11 "for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

John 18:14 "Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people."

What links these two passages together is the fact we see Jesus, our Good Shepherd.

2. He was Born and Died "The King of the Jews" because He is the True King.

Matthew 2:2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

John 19:19 "And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS."

What links these two passages together is the fact we see Jesus our True King.

3. The Roman Empire was included in His birth and death, since Christ is the Ultimate Ruler.

Luke 2:1 "Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth."

John 19:23 "Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout."

What links these two passages together is the fact we see Jesus the Ultimate Ruler.

4. The Prediction of Mary's agony at His death spoken after his birth, hence He came as the obedient Son.

Luke 2:35 "and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

John 19:26-27 "When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home."

What links these two passages together is the fact we see Jesus the Obedient Son.

5. The presence of myrrh in the accounts of His birth and death meant He would satisfy God's wrath for our sakes.

Luke 2:11 "After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh."

John 19:39 "And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight."

What links these two passages together is the fact we see Jesus the Satisfaction of wrath.

6. Angels were present at His birth and resurrection, which heralded He being the victorious Savior.

Luke 2:13-14 "And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

John 20:12-14 "and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. "

What links these two passages together is the fact we see Jesus the Victorious Savior.

Closing Thoughts

    When one considers the linkage between the manger, the cross, and resurrection, the lines of connection are extraordinary. In the midst of this Christmas Day celebration, let us not ever separate the cradle and the cross. As we have journeyed theologically and Biblically in this post, we noted the following six truths about the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Jesus, our Good Shepherd
2. Jesus, our True King
3. Jesus, our Ultimate Ruler
4. Jesus, the Obedient Son
5. Jesus, the Satisfaction of Wrath
6. Jesus, the Victorious Savior

    May everyone have a Merry Christmas!

The Doctrine of Scripture Series: Marks Of Divine Inspiration For The Old And New Testament Canons

Introduction:

    As we have taken time to survey the doctrine of Scripture, we have done so in what I would call three stages. The first few posts handled introducing the subject as it pertains to the characteristics of Scripture itself and explaining the doctrine of inspiration. 

    Then, in “stage two” of this series, we investigated the Old Testament canon. We explored how it was the early Jews and Christians who came to recognize the 39 books of the Old Testament as Divinely inspired. Along the way, we explored the so-called “Apocryphal books”, evaluating whether or not they belong in the Old Testament canon, having concluded that they did not. 

    The third stage of this series has explored the New Testament canon. So far, we have noted the formation and collection of the New Testament books. Thus far have we traveled in our journey. For interested readers, I have preached a series of messages on Sunday nights dealing with the above topics, which readers can access at our church's website here https://www.youtube.com/@NewHopeBaptistChurchWatertown.

    In this post I want us to look at what Bible scholars refer to as "marks of Divine inspiration" or what others sometimes refer to as "tests for Divine inspiration". When one reads the early church fathers, such as Irenaeus of Lyons work "Against Heresies" (2nd century) or Eusebius' work "Ecclesiastical History" (early 4th century), certain criteria are inferred from how the early Christians recognized, received, and began to use the books of the New Testament. Similarly, when one reads through Jewish authors such as Philo of Alexandria, or Josephus, or the writings of the various Rabbinical schools (found in such volumes as "The Talmud"), similar sorts of criteria are noticed.  In my own study over the years, scholarship on canonicity done by such men as Norman Geisler, Gleason Archer, Michael Kruger, R.C. Sproul, Ben Witherington III, and David Alan Black have sharpened my thinking. What I share below are gleanings on such "marks of Divine inspiration" that I have discovered over the years, notwithstanding of course the gifted insights of Godly individuals such as those I just mentioned.

1. Why it is important to know which books are the Word of God.

    This issue of knowing which books are inspired or “canonical” has never lost its importance. Paul already had to deal with false teachers posing with their false documents claiming Divine authority. We read in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.”

    Luke, Paul’s aide in the ministry, wrote his Gospel to ensure the accuracy of the Gospel being preached throughout the Mediterranean world. He writes in Luke 1:1-4

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.”

    Paul especially would urge his readers to have what he wrote read in the churches, that is, preached and taught, as we see in 1 Thessalonians 5:27 "I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren." Having the right books is vital to establishing sound churches. One more example that demonstrates the importance of having the right books involves Peter’s words in 2 Peter 3:16-18

"as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."

    The New Testament evidence overwhelmingly shows us the importance of having the right books. I could also take the time to rehearse how the early church in the centuries after the Apostles worked through affirming and defending the New Testament canon. 

2. How we know that the books we have are the Word of God.

    Since Christianity proceeds on the basis of God’s Word, knowing which books are the Word of God is of utmost practical, as well as theological importance. Below are a series of “tests” that theologians have drawn from reading the early church father’s writings about the early church, their practices, and what they had to say about the Scriptures.

A. Old Testament marks of Divine inspiration.

    We must realize that it was the inspired books as God’s canon that formed God’s people, rather than God’s people formulating the inspired books that belonged to the canon. As each Old Testament book was composed, its recognition as inspired (and thus canonical) was immediate. Just as Isaac Newton came to recognize the law of gravity already present in creation, God’s people would recognize certain books already revealed by their Creator. So what principles were used? Let me mention two principles for how God’s people recognized the inspired books of the Old Testament Canon from insights gained in reading Normal Geisler’s “A General Introduction to the Bible” and Gleason Archer’s “A Survey of the Old Testament”.

*Miraculous Test. Was the writer confirmed by acts of God? See Exod. 4:1-9; Num. 16-17;
1 Kings 18; Mark 2; Acts 2:22; Heb. 2:4.

*Salvation Test. Can the book bring someone to saving faith? See Is. 55:11; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Pet. 1:23

    The Canon’s use would be used of God to call the people of God back to Himself. 2 Kings 22:9-11 “Shaphan the scribe came to the king and brought back word to the king and said, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.” 10 Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king. 11 When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes.“

B. New Testament marks of Divine inspiration.

    The “tests” we just looked at are similarly used in how God’s people came to recognize the New Testament books. When it comes to those, we can note three other such “tests”.

*Prophetic or Apostolic Test (Apostolicity). Was the book written by a prophet or Apostle of God, or an associate? In Exodus 24:4, we read of how Moses wrote down the words of God. Luke, and associate of Paul, writes in Luke 1:3-4 

“it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.”

*Recognition Test. (Catholicity). When I use the term "catholicity", I mean not the Roman Catholic church. Instead, "catholicity" refers to "what was believed upon by all Christians, everywhere and at all times" (the term "catholic" derives from a Greek term meaning "universal"). In this test, we ask: was it recognized by the people of God? The Old Testament’s books recognition is demonstrated by how quickly they went into use after their writing. This observation fits too with the New Testament books. When one reads 1 Timothy 5:18, Paul cites Deuteronomy and Luke's Gospel as sacred Scripture. The dating of 1 Timothy (62-66 A.D.) and Luke's Gospel (60-62 A.D.) indicates immediate reocognition, reception, and use by God's people. 

    For an Old Testament example, in Joshua 24:26, we read of Joshua’s book being included alongside the first five books of Moses or “The Law”. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:27 “I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren.” That phrase "read in all the churches" was Paul's way of saying "treat what I just wrote to you as auhthoritative Scripture". 

*Truth Test (Orthodoxy). Did the message tell the truth about God, the human condition, and the world? See Deut. 13:1-3; 18:21-22. For the New Testament, the preaching of the Apostles functioned as a standard while
the New Testament books were being written, recognized, and completed. 

    Daniel Wallace describes the three main doctrines comprising the orthodox Christian preaching (called “regula fide” or “rule of faith”): 

1. God as Creator with creation being good.

2. Jesus as truly human and truly God.

3. Creation needing redemption. 

    As the early church grew and confronted error and persecution, this “rule of faith” was a lens through which the early Christians understood the canonical books of the New Testament. Ultimately, the Old Testament Canon, Christ’s resurrection, and the completion of the New Testament canon provided the triple foundation for the
truth handed down to the saints. Jude 1:3 reminds us: 

“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the
faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.”

Closing thoughts for today:

    We have then five “tests” or marks of Divine inspiration: 

1. The miraculous test.

2. The salvation test.

3. The prophetic or apostolic test. 

4. The recognition test.

5. The truth test. 

    These types of standards are how we can tell that we have the inspired books that comprise the Old and New Testament canons. But now, what of other books which claim Divine inspiration? For that, we will reserve for our next post.

The Doctrine Of Scripture Series: Why Knowing Which Books Belong In The Biblical Canon Is So Important

Introduction:

    As we have taken time to survey the doctrine of Scripture, we have done so in what I would call three stages. The first three posts introduced the characteristics of Scripture itself and explaining the doctrine of inspiration. Then, in “stage two” of this series, we investigated the Old Testament canon, exploring how it was the early Jews and Christians came to recognize the 39 books of the Old Testament as Divinely inspired. Along the way, we explored the so-called “Apocryphal books”, evaluating whether or not they belong in the Old Testament canon, having concluded that they did not. The third stage of this series has explored the New Testament canon. So far, we have noted the formation and collection of the New Testament books. Thus far have we traveled in our journey.

    In this post, I want us to understand why the question of the canon is so important to Christians today. This post and the next one will evaluate how we can know for sure we have the right books in the Bible, as well as examining claims of Divine inspiration by other religions for their literature. 

Why it is important to know which books are the Word of God.

    This issue of knowing which books are inspired or “canonical” has never lost its importance. Paul already had to deal with false teachers posing with their false documents, claiming Divine authority. When we turn to his second letter to the church at Thessolonica, we find the first reason why the topic of canonization is important.

1. Defending Christianity - The Apologetic task of the canon. 

    We read in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 

“Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.”

    There were those in Paul's day who were going around, claiming that the eschatological Day of the Lord and the end of the age had passed by, leaving those behind who were never really redeemed. Imagine how much disturbance this sent through the church at Thessalonica. One of the reasons for the canon, and the New Testament canon in particular, was to provide an "apologetic", that is, a defense of the claims of Jesus' death, resurrection, ascension, and soon return. 

    So, we see the apologetic value of having a canon of inspired books wherewith we can defend the faith. But now what about proclaiming the Christian faith to those who already believe the Gospel? This brings us to Luke's introductory remarks in his Gospel, and the second reason for a canon of Scripture.

2. The Preaching Task - The Expository Function Of The Canon.

    Luke, Paul’s aide in the ministry, wrote his Gospel to ensure the accuracy of the Gospel being preached throughout the Mediterranean world. He writes in Luke 1:1-4

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.”

    Paul especially would urge his readers to have what he wrote read in the churches, that is, preached and taught, as we see in 1 Thessalonians 5:27 

"I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren. Having the right books is vital to establishing sound churches." 

    When Jesus ascended into Heaven, the early Christians had two foundations upon which they built their faith. They had the Old Testament canon. Then, they had the preaching of the Apostles that formed a body of doctrinal truth about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This body of truth would become codified in early creeds, some of which appear in the New Testament, and others of which appear in the second and third centuries of the early church (for example, the old Roman creed that would form the basis for the later "Apostle's Creed"). Such body of teaching came to be known as "the rule of faith" ("regula fide").

    However, as Jesus had indicated to His disciples, the Spirit was sent to make known to them all He had taught them. This meant that a third foundation for the Christian church would come along that functioned alongside those first two foundations - namely the canonical books of the New Testament canon ("regula canona").

    As the books of the New Testament were composed, the preaching of the early church became stronger, more stable, and more accurate. It was not the church that formed the New Testament. Instead, the New Testament would come to make the early church what it came to be. So, we have found that the canon of Scripture is vital for the apologetic task, the preaching task, and then one more. 

3. The Sanctification Task - The Discipleship Building Function Of The Canon.

    One more example that demonstrates the importance of having the right books involves Peter’s words in 2 Peter 3:16-18

"as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."

    Peter alludes to what was an already completed collection of the Apostle Paul's writings. He connects the Old Testament canon and Paul's writings, representing the New Testament canon, to the imperative of discipleship. Note again what we says in 2 Peter 3:18 "but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."

    You and I cannont grow apart from the canonical Scriptures. In Romans 15:4, we are reminded of the need for the Old Testament in growing the Christian faith. Then of course, Peter's words reinforce the need for the New Testament canon. Unless we build Christianity upon the canonical Scriptures, our Christianity will die on the vine. 

Closing thoughts:

    Today we found three reasons for knowing which books belong in the Biblical canon.

1. The Apologetic Task - Defending the Faith.

2. The Expository Task - Preaching the Faith.

3. The Sanctification Task - Growing in the Faith.