What Is The Sin Unto Death? - A Study of 1 John 5:16-17

Introduction:

    I have taught one of our adult classes for the last several weeks in their study of the Apostle John's first letter. We have devoted time to chapter five for the whole month, noting how in that final chapter, John focuses on the doctrine of the new birth or regeneration (1 John 5:1-5), the testimony of the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:6-12), the main purpose for which John wrote his letter (1 John 5:13), and God's work in prayer (1 John 5:14-15). It is when we come to 1 John 5:16-17 that we encounter what I would classify as the most difficult passage in the entire book of 1 John. We read in 1 John 5:16-17,

"If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death."

What is meant by "a sin leading to death"? 

     There have been a number of different interpretations given over the years regarding this particular matter of "a sin unto death". John is instructing his readers to "ask" or pray on behalf of a fellow Christian brother or sister whom they see in a repetitive sin (or perhaps with whom they're trying to help see). Near the end of 1 John 5:16, John gives a parenthetical statement which I'll translate from the Greek text,

"There is a sin unto death. I am not saying in regards to such a situation that he should pray." 

     John then closes out his parenthetical statement in 1 John 5:17,

"All lawlessness is sin. And there is sin that does not lead to death."

      John mentions two broad categories of sin, that which leads to death and that which does not. So how have commentators handled the second category of "sin that leads unto death"?

    Out of the various interpretations offered, two main ones are typically offered. One is that the "brother" is a professing Christian who has forsook Christ and is an apostate, never having been born again in saving faith (see 1 John 2:17). This view equates the "sin unto death" with the unpardonable sin mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 12:32 and Luke 12:8-12 or with those who deny Christ who once professed Him (1 John 2:17; Hebrews 6:1-8; Hebrews 10:26-31). 

      The second main category of interpretations regarding 1 John 5:16-17 and the "sin unto death" involves a genuine Christian who gets involved in a serious repetitive sin or commits a sin that God decrees as deserving physical death (Joshua 7:21-25;  Leviticus 10:1-2; Acts 5:8-10; 1 Corinthians 11:28-30). 

    Author Andrew David Nascelli has traced out the major interpretive options and the questions to ask when studying 1 John 5:16-17 in his article "The Sin unto Death" depicted below and from the link here The Sin unto Death - The Gospel Coalition. Nascelli puts his interpretation in bold type. I'll list his chart and then interact with it, noting where I agree and disagree with Nascelli with the aim of expounding the text of 1 John 5:16-17 and arriving at an understanding of the sin unto death. 

Interpretational Challenges	“sin not leading to death”	“sin that leads to death”
1. Identify the sinners.	Who is the “brother” committing it? (1) a believer (2) an unbeliever	Who is the sinner committing it? (1) a believer (2) an unbeliever (3) an apostate (a specific kind of unbeliever) (4) an unbeliever—especially an apostate
2. Identify life and death.	What is the “life” God will give those who commit it? (1) continued physical life (2) eternal life (when an unbeliever becomes a believer) (3) eternal life—that is, the future resurrection life God promises to sinful believers who repent (cf. 2:25) (4) confirmation that one has and will experience eternal life	What is the “death” God will give those who commit it? (1) physical death (2) eternal death
3. Identify the sin.	What is it? (1) an unintentional sin—like an OT sin for which a person could offer a sacrifice (e.g., Lev 4:1–3; Num 15:22–29) (2) a forgivable sin—e.g., a “venial” sin (relatively minor) (3) any sin a believer may commit	What is it? (1) a deliberate sin—committed “with a high hand” (e.g., Num 15:30–31) (2) an unforgivable sin—e.g., a “mortal” sin (specific sins such as adultery or murder) (3) the unforgivable sin (i.e., blasphemy against the Spirit) (4) any sin an unbeliever may commit––especially apostasy
4. Explain the advice on how to pray.	How do you pray for the brother committing it? (1) that God would enable the believer to repent (2) that God would enable the believer to repent and that God would not discipline the believer with physical death (3) that the unbeliever would repent and trust Jesus the Messiah and thus have eternal life	Why doesn’t John say that one should pray for the sinner committing it? (1) That’s not John’s main point as he illustrates what it means to pray according to God’s will (5:14–15). Sin that leads to death is an aside. John doesn’t forbid believers to pray for such sinners, but believers cannot pray for them with the same level of confidence as for believers who commit a sin not leading to death. (2) It is hopeless to pray for an apostate. Compare how the Lord commanded Jeremiah not to pray for Israel (Jer 7:16–18; 11:14; 14:11) and how Jesus did not pray for the world (John 17:9). (3) Believers should not pray for the dead.

 

    His above chart aids greatly in working through all the sorts of questions to ask when studying the passage. As I worked through his grid and worked through all the New Testament passages that use the Greek word "zoe" translated "life" in 1 John 5:16-17, I concluded the following from working through the four main areas he outlined.

1. Identify the sinners in 1 John 5:16-17. 

    I agreed with Nascelli that the brother committing sins not leading to death are true Christians. I differed with Nascelli on who the brother is committing the sin leading to death. I mainly viewed the brother who commits the sin leading unto death a believer (I don't rule out the possibility of Nascelli's conclusion that this is an unbeliever, which I'll unpack as we go further into this post). 

2. Identify life and death in 1 John 5:16-17.

    As for identifying the "life" and "death" mentioned in 1 John 5:16-17, I surveyed the 298 texts in the New Testament that feature the Greek word "zoe", translated "life". The standard reference Greek Lexicon "A Greek Lexicon of the Greek New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd edition (BDAG)", page 430-431, lists two general broad categories for which the word "zoe" describes, life in the physical sense and transcendent life (whether God's life or spiritual life). 

    As always, when we do word studies, we need to keep in mind not only the dictionary or lexicon definition of the word, but more importantly how the word is used in the Bible. 

    In what I found, this word is used to describe five major categories. Unsurprisingly, 265 instances or 90% describe "zoe" is referring to "spiritual life" or "a quality of life in a saving relationship with God. I can see why Nascelli opted for "life" and "death" having to do respectively with "eternal life" or "spiritual life" and "spiritual death". 

      However, I pressed on to note four other main categories in which this word "zoe" is found. On six occasions "zoe" refers to the Divine life of God Himself, including 1 John (John 1:4; 5:26; Ephesians 4:18; Hebrews 7:16; 1 John 1:1,2). In four places "zoe" or "life" speaks of the resurrected life the Christian will live in a glorified, resurrected body, sometimes called "eschatological life" (John 5:29; 6:54; Romans 11:15; James 1:12). 

    There were only two spots that I found that "zoe" could be rendered either way, one of which is our main text in 1 John 5:16-17. As I pressed on, I looked at the final category of passages in which our word "zoe" or "life" appear, discovering some 21 passages (7%) referring it as physical life or life lived in this world. 

    I had noted that there were two passages in my study that made it difficult to determine whether "zoe" or "life" is referring to physical life or spiritual life, 1 John 5:16-17 and Matthew 18:8-9. What I observed was that Jesus used this term in what seems to be two ways to refer to the spiritual life one enters upon in salvation (Matthew 18:8) and perhaps physical life upon which one is born into and from which the same person dies and suffers punishment in the Lake of fire (Matthew 18:9). 

    As I looped back to 1 John 5:16-17, I noted that even though John had used the term "zoe" to refer to spiritual life in the remainder of 1 John 5, yet it was not outside the realm of possibility for him to utilize "zoe" to refer to physical life, based upon the pattern I saw in Matthew 18:8-9. Therefore, I differed with Nascelli and opted to interpret "life" as physical life and "death" as physical death in 1 John 5:16-17.

3. Identify the sins in 1 John 5:16-17. 

    When it came to identifying the sin referred to by John as "the sin unto death", I reviewed Leviticus 4:1-3 and Numbers 15:22-29, which list out the categories of unintentional sins which would equate with those sins not unto death. I agreed with Nascelli that these qualify as any sin a Christian may commit (i.e. "sin not leading to death").

    I then read Numbers 15:30-31 that speaks on the subject of sins committed with a high hand or what we could equate as "sins leading to death". I differed with Nascelli, who saw the "sin unto death" as committed only by a professing unbeliever who apostatizes. I would say I partially may agree with him on this point. 

     Nevertheless, I tend to lean more toward the "sin unto death" being committed by a genuine Christian, at which point God brings about the Christian's physical death in order to preserve the salvation of his or her soul (Acts 5:1-8; 1 Corinthians 11:28-30). I see this especially in the cases of the man of God who disobeyed God in 1 Kings 13:1-26 and possibly Achan in Joshua 7:19-24). 

    We're not told what the specific sin of "sin unto death" is, however, we can discern from the above cross-references that it is any sin which when committed, if left unchecked, could hypothetically lead to the eternal damnation of the genuine Christian, which of course is a manifest impossibility, since God has promised to preserve all his saints unto the end (John 10:28-29; Jude 1:24-25). Thus, physical death to a Christian who "crosses the line" with God appears to be in view. However, I don't rule out this passage being applicable to unbelievers as well.

    Certain reputable commentators have suggested that the difficulty in having certainty over whether the sin unto death is committed by a believer or unbelievers might be resolved by admitting that the Apostle John is issuing this as a warning to both. W.A. Criswell, famed pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas for over fifty years, made this remark in a sermon called "The Sin Unto Death" here The Sin Unto Death – W. A. Criswell Sermon Library

"Now, what I have done is, in reading the Scripture and studying it to the best of my ability, I believe I’ve come to the conclusion that it refers to both; the “death” refers to physical death – there is sin unto physical death – then there is sin unto eternal death.  I find that in the beginning – both of them.  The Lord God said to our first parents, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” [Genesis 2:17]."

    Pastor John MacArthur, who recently passed and also pastored his church for the same length of time preached from 1 John 5:16-17, drawing this wise observation,

"I don’t have any way to determine which. Both are true. Which one John has in mind, he doesn’t make clear. But I know this: There is a time when people fully and finally reject the gospel."

      Being that the Apostle John is addressing genuine Christians and those who only profess faith, it may very well be he is warning both believer and unbeliever alike to not cross the line with God when it comes to sin, with the emphasis placed on warning the Christian not to take sin too lightly.

4. Explain advice on how to pray for those who may have committed "the sin leading to death." 

    One final point to note, namely how ought we to pray for people who enter into "a sin unto death". Nascelli thinks we only have clarity to pray for those who have not committed a sin leading to death. I would agree with Nascelli on that observation, however I would add that since we cannot know for certain when a Christian (or an unbeliever for that matter) has "crossed the line with God", it is incumbent on us to pray for their repentance and to trust God to either show mercy or to execute His just dealings. 

    There were times in the Old Testament where God told prophets either not to pray for persons too far gone or that their prayers would be of no effect for such persons that went too far in their sinful rebellion (Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14; 14:11; 18:18-21; Hosea 4:17; 12:14). Nevertheless, those prophets had specific insight from God about the people who had crossed that line with the Lord. We today do not possess the insight of prophetic divine inspiration, thus in our prayers for those whom we fear seem far too gone - especially a fellow Christian. John MacArthur and Richard Mayhew give this wise counsel in their Systematic Theology,

"If a Christian is under church discipline, believers in the church should not pray for the consequences to be removed until the sinner repents, with the goal that this person will repent, the church delivers him or her over to Satan's realm."

Closing thoughts

    In today's post we studied the meaning of the term "sin unto death" in 1 John 5:16-17 with the view of attempting to discern its meaning. We noted that this sin is likely referring to physical death that can occur to a genuine Christian who commits a sin that would otherwise bring their soul into jeopardy. We also found that we should not rule out the possibility that John is also applying this warning to unbelievers who professed Christ at one point but then "walked away" or apostatized from their faith. Whether this sin in 1 John 5:16-17 is equated with the "unpardonable sin" Jesus mentions in Matthew 12:33 and Luke 12:8-12, although we did not explore that in detail, this author would likely distinguish the two sins, leaving the "unpardonable sin" to be something committed by unbelievers only who attribute the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. 

    We also noted that since we cannot know for certain who has committed "a sin unto death" (or who may very well be close to it), it is wise to pray for their repentance, to pray for their great discomfort that could lead to their repentance, and to trust God whether He mercifully leads them to repentance or physically brings about their death. Finally, 1 John 5:16-17 serves as a warning to us all to never take sin too lightly and to give thanks to God for how often He is merciful to us in Jesus Christ, and that we ought to confess our sins to Him who is just and faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). 

How Jonah the Prophet is a Type of Jesus' Death and Resurrection - Introducing Types And Typology

Introduction:

      In my preaching through Luke's Gospel, a curious comparison is mentioned by Jesus where He compares Jonah the Prophet to himself in Luke 11:29-30. How Jesus does this is by a special type of comparison we find in the Bible called a "type". Theologian Vern Poythress defines this term type as "a symbol that points to fulfillment". 

    To illustrate this idea, not too long ago I was watching some street workers here in town off-loading a couple of mysterious rectangles. These shapes had other shapes and backwards lettering cut into them. The workers placed those rectangles on the street. Then a worker took a spray gun and sprayed white paint onto the rectangle, lifting it from the ground to reveal an arrow, a word, or a line. I then understood that the rectangles were imprinted with symbols, were patterns to leave behind a far greater impression on the road. 

     The Bible has this use of types all over its pages, including our text here. As noted earlier from a definition given by theologian Vern Poythress in his book on typology, a "type" is a symbol that point to a fulfillment. To press home further clarity about what we mean by "types", Poythress' wonderful book is based off the earlier work of the late Edmund Clowney, who devised a diagram or "triangle" that helps summarize how types relate to whatever they are pointing to.

    In the above diagram of "Clowney's Triangle" (for which Poythress does a great job explaining in his book on the subject of typology or the study of types), you have "S" which is the symbol in question (whether a person, institution, or event). 

    That symbol (such as "Jonah" whom we will look at later) points to a truth particular to his day, labeled by Clowney as "T1". This "T1" or "Truth" is vital, since the study of types stipulates grounding whatever observations we make in truth and not our imaginations. As one traces how that pattern of truth unfolds through Biblical or redemptive history, one arrives at the fulfillment of "T1", labeled "Tn" by Clowney, which usually is Christ but also could be the Christian or the Church. With those connections made, the last line drawn is to show how the "type" or "symbol" ("S") connects to its fulfillment or "antitype" (hence Tn).  

A Biblical example of a type

    For instance, Romans 5:14b “Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.” To use my street-worker illustration from earlier, Adam is like that rectangle with a shape cut out in the middle. Adam was a real man in history, the first man created and the representative head of all humanity. He is a “type” or forward pointing word-picture to an even greater Adam-like figure, which is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the representative head of redeemed humanity - giving us the common truth shared between Himself and Adam. 

    Paul makes this connection very plain in 1 Corinthians 15:45 “So also it is written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living soul.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” 

How Jonah the Prophet is a type of Jesus' death and resurrection

    With our orientation on types and their study (typology) made, let’s pick up the text in Luke 11:29-30 “As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, ‘This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. 30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.” 

    How does Jesus bring forth “the sign of Jonah” as a revelation of His greatness? Let's note two observations.

A. The greatness of Christ’s cross.

     If you were to turn to the Book of Jonah in our Old Testament, you would find it to be a rather short book – just four chapters. However, contained within its pages is the account of a prophet, Jonah, who was sent by God to a non-Jewish people in a pagan city – Ninevah. Jonah did not want to go and instead chose to run away from God, get on a ship, and go to the opposite direction. God would then throw a mighty storm upon the Mediterranean Sea where Jonah was attempting to hide from God.  Consequently, Jonah 1 ends with Jonah thrown overboard and swallowed up by a great fish or sea monster. 

    It is in Jonah 2 we find our hapless prophet inside the belly of the great beast, crying out to God, expecting to die. Non-Christian people cannot run and hide from God. His sentence of Divine judgment has already passed on you and unless you believe and repent of your sins in Jesus Christ, that judgment will come to pass (John 3:36). 

    However, for some of you who are followers of Jesus, you cannot get very far either when you're not in right fellowship with God (Hebrews 12:5). Jonah highlights this for us. The biggest proof we have of Jonah being a believer in Yahweh is how God disciplined Him. He had to face death itself before he waved the flag of surrender. 

    In Jonah 2:5 we see Jonah’s greatest desperation, “Water encompassed me to the point of death. The great deep engulfed me, weeds were wrapped around my head.” For all intents and purposes, Jonah was as good as dead. He prays to God in Jonah 2:6 “I descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever.” The first half of Jonah follows a “descending and dying pattern” for the prophet.

      When we study a type, we look for similarities and differences and we look for a Biblical pattern between the type and its fulfillment (or anti-type). Jesus was willing to come into the world, totally different from Jonah, who was a reluctant prophet. Jonah, though a believer, was still sinful. Jesus, truly God in human flesh, could not sin and never sinned. With those differences, the connection between Jonah as a “type” and Jesus as the “anti-type” or fulfillment has to do with the general pattern of death and resurrection in their respective lives.  

    Jesus’ human existence from His incarnation to the cross was in a “descending, downward pattern”. Philippians 2:8 “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He was sent into the world, not only to the Jews, but to be the Savior of the nations (John 3:16). 

    Jonah is the only prophet in the Old Testament sent exclusively to a pagan nation outside of Israel. He would experience a “descending pattern leading to death” in Jonah 1:1-2:6). 

    Jesus would experience death and taste death for everyone of those whom He came to redeem (Hebrews 2:9 “tasted death for every man”). Jonah would come close to death, so much so, that he could taste death in the belly of the great beast. It is in such similarities that Jesus shows Himself greater than Jonah. Matthew’s account of this episode in Luke records in Matthew 12:40 “for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” We see the greatness of Christ’s crucifixion.

B. The greatness of Christ’s resurrection. 

     In the first half of the Book of Jonah we see a “descending and death pattern”, forecasting what Jesus said was to be true about Himself, namely He came to die on the cross. But then we turn to the second half of the Book of Jonah to see a pattern of resurrection. In Jonah 2:6b Jonah is still praying from the belly of the Great Fish, “But You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.” 

    Although Jonah was a hard-headed prophet, he still was a man of faith who believed in the doctrine of the resurrection. He figured that God was going to bring him out somehow on the other side of his predicament. The Hebrew text is very emphatic in its record of Jonah’s prayer, “you will cause me to rise up out of the grave, Oh Yahweh my God!” 

    The Book of Jonah is like two mirror images in its two halves. Jonah 1:1-2:6a records a “descent and death” pattern; and Jonah 2:6b-4:10 records an “ascent and life” pattern. Jonah is spat out at the end of chapter 2 and Jonah 3:1 has God telling Jonah after his harrowing experience, “Arise, go!” 

     Here again Jonah is functioning as that “type”, pointing ahead to Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. It's as if God laid down Jonah’s life as a pattern and spray-painted his prophetic book, which when finished, yielded the death and resurrection pattern of Jesus Christ. 

    Luke 11:30 tells us Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites. It is quite likely word had spread about of Jonah’s frightening adventure. His presence in Ninevah alone would have sparked much interest, since whatever God Jonah worshipped had caused him to be spat out and he survived to tell about it! 

    God used Jonah’s brush with death and escape with his life to prepare the hearts of the people of Ninevah. Luke 11:32 “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.” 

Jonah's death and resurrection pattern points us to Jesus' death and resurrection

    As we close this post, we find the richness of studying types in how someone like Jonah points us to the greatness of Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection. Jesus saw fit to utilize Jonah's life and adventure in the belly of the great fish to draw attention to what He came to achieve. Such "types" were used by Jesus to prepare His disciples for what would be His death and resurrection. When Jesus raised from the dead, those disciples and eyewitnesses testified of His post-resurrection, physical appearances. They testified as we read in Acts 5:30-31 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” May our introduction to types and typology in this post cause us to study God's Word and get to know Jesus better, who is "Greater than Jonah".  

Five Reasons To Study The Bible's Teaching On Angels, Demons, and Satan

Introduction

    I open up today's post with Hebrews 13:2 "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." Why should a Christian know what the Bible teaches about angels, demons, and Satan? A quote from one of the ablest theological minds, Charles Hodge, will set the tone for this post:

"So much is said in the Scriptures of good and evil angels, and such important functions are ascribed to them both in the providence of God over the world, and especially in the experience of his people and of his Church, that the doctrine of the Bible concerning them should not be overlooked."1

    Anytime we engage in the study of the angelic realm, three branches are generally recognized in the subject (some may list more or less): angelology (study of angels, their nature, function and ranks); demonology (study of demons, their nature, function and ranks) and Satanology (Satan's nature, function and efforts against mankind and God).  To get us off the runway and into the air on this subject, I want us to consider why studying the angelic realm is important.

1. Massiveness of the subject in the Bible

    A great tool to have when studying any topic of scripture is a Bible Concordance.  A concordance functions much like a telephone book (I date myself I suppose with that analogy). Perhaps, we could say, a concordance is a book version of a "Google search" for any word or subject in the Bible. Anyhow, the added bonus is that many Bible Concordances today will print out a portion of the passages and give you all the Bible books and number of times each word appears.2  The magnitude of times the angelic realm appears in the scripture is extraordinary and thus warrants its study.  Consider the following statistics (I found these just searching through the Strongest Strong's NIV exhaustive concordance):

a. Angels and their various ranks and descriptions are found roughly 400 times in the scriptures. Angels of all sorts are mentioned in 17 of the 39 Old Testament books and 19 out of 27 of the New Testament books.

b. Demons and their various ranks are found in 6 of the 39 Old Testament books and 12 of the 27 New Testament books.  In the concordance I consulted I discovered nearly 75 places in the scriptures on the subject of demons.

c. Satan, who is also called the Devil, Serpent, Dragon and other names appears in 6 of the 39 Old Testament books and in 19 of the 27 New Testament books, causing problems in at least 115 places throughout scripture. 

d. When you add up all of the places in the Bible where angels, demons and Satan appear, you come up with close to 600 places.  

e. Whether good angels, fallen angels or Satan himself, the nature of angelic beings is that of spirit - that is, they are rational, intelligent beings without a physical body (Psalm 104:3-4; Daniel 7:10; Hebrews 1:14). Occasionally, (good angels) can assume for a temporary period of time a physical form of sorts (Genesis 18:2; Mark 16:5; Hebrews 13:2). But notice a second reason why this subject is important...

2. Major scale of spiritual warfare

    Ephesians 6:10-11 issues this command - "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil."  Should not Christians of all people be more aware of the nature of the spiritual battle that they are involved? 

    As a practical example, let's say you were to take a trip to a foreign country that is experience increasing pockets of violent outbreaks.  Would you not read up on the current conditions of the government, intelligence information on where attacks have taken place, as well as updates on where the safest places would be? 

    If that is the case in the incidence of travel, how much the more in the daily Christian walk.  Knowing the proverbial "lay of the land" in the spiritual Christian walk will make for a more Biblically informed and wise people who are effective witnesses for Jesus Christ.

3. Maintain a proper balance on the angelic realm

    Having been involved with or having interacted with various Christians from many denominational and theological persuasions, there are two ditches people fall into when it comes to the angelic realm:

a. Ignorance.  Some denominations and some theological traditions don't talk about angels, demons or Satan.  The danger of this ditch is viewing life and reality in only physical terms. To be ignorant of the angelic realm means ignorance of the supernatural realm, a Christianity that operates with one arm tied behind its back if you will.

b. Obsession. Other groups go to the other extreme and see demons behind every bush. They blame everything bad on the Devil. When the ditch of obsession over the angelic realm occurs, Christianity can skirt close to paganism by giving angels too much prominence.  
Christian people need to know what the Bible teaches in order to moderate our priority of the angelic realm.  

4. Mandate of scripture: The study of the angels is indeed practical

    In the opening verse of today's blog I mentioned Hebrews 13:2 which commands Christians to exercise hospitality. Why? Because among other things, we may be entertaining angels unawares.  Reference to angels is listed among the very practical topics of Hebrews 13:1-4 such as loving the brethren (13:1); hospitality (13:2); visiting prisoners (13:3) and marriage (13:4). 3

    So, studying the angelic realm is important because of its massiveness in the scripture, major scale of spiritual warfare, maintain a proper balance, and the mandate from scripture for more awareness of the invisible realm. 

5. Majesty of God is reinforced in our hearts and minds by the study of angels

    Perhaps the most important reason to study angelology, demonology and Satanology is due to how each subject in one way or another points to God's glory.  Satan for sure is the chief adversary of God and His people, however knowing that He was defeated at the cross shows the glory of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 John 3:8). 4 

    Angels (the good ones) function in relationship to God like rays of light do for the sun. The rays of the sun lead the viewer back to their point of origin - the sun.  Likewise, the good angels continually point believers back to the glory and majesty of God.  In fact, the angels of heaven are termed "fellow servants" with the saints of God (Revelation 19:10)

Closing thoughts:

    We have taken the time to briefly sketch out what the Bible has to tell the reader about the angelic realm - good, bad and ugly. The aim was to express practically why anyone would study angels. 

Endnotes:

1. Charles Hodge. Systematic Theology - Volume 1. WM. B Eerdmans. 1965 edition. Page 637 
Dr. Charles Hodge was a professor of theology at Princeton Seminary in the late nineteenth century.  Before Princeton went liberal in the late 1920's, it had been known for years as a bastion of Bible believing orthodoxy.  At Princeton, three theologians were noteworthy for their contributions to conservative bible believing Christianity from the 1880's-1920's: Charles Hodge, B.B Warfield and J. Greshem Machen. Dr. Hodge wrote a three volume work on Systematic Theology that to this day is a standard reference work for any and every subject in the field. 

2. Any Bible concordance will aid you greatly and there are number available to purchase at either a Christian Bookstore, Lifeway.com, Amazon.com or CBD (Christian Book Distributors).  Some of the ones I have found helpful are: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (based of KJV) and NASB Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (based of NASB text).  Most of the major English versions have their own concordances as well, such as the ESV (English Standard Version); NLT (New Living Translation); NKJV (New King James Version) and NRSV (New Revised Standard Version). Most of these resources are produced by Zondervan.

3. In other passages, such as 2 Corinthians 13:4-5 and Ephesians 6:10-18, knowledge of the angelic realm can be useful in practical everyday Christian life. In 2 Peter 2:4, mention is made of the cosmic rebellion of the angels who followed after Lucifer in his bid to attempt a coup against God as recorded elsewhere in scripture (Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28; Revelation 12:4). Now why does Peter bring to the reader's minds the angelic realm along with other examples of rescuing Noah out of the flood and Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? 

      The inclusion of the angelic realm is to demonstrate the universality of the principle laid out in 2 Peter 2:9 "then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment." In ways not fully explained, God preserved the holy angels from further corruption by casting out Satan and the fallen angels. Likewise, God also preserved Noah, and Lot and thus preserves Christians today living in this godless world. (Philippians 2:15-16) Peter sees the practicality of including knowledge of the angelic realm in the exercising of ourselves in Godly living. 

4. For sure, the demonic realm can certainly discourage and afflict God's people, however knowing that nothing, not even they, can separate us from the love of God actually points the way to the majesty of God's love. (Romans 8:37-39) Satan's far lesser kingdom functions as a black cloth to highlight the far greater Kingdom of God.  In God's Sovereignty He permits Satan to carry out his diabolic schemes so that in the end, His glory is shown in even greater proportion (Philippians 2). 

An Overview Of Good And Bad Angels In The Bible

 

Introduction:

The Psalmist notes in Psalm 148:1-5, 

“Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! 2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! 3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! 4 Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created.” 

The late Baptist theologian Augustus Hopkins Strong notes about the importance of studying angels: 

“The doctrine of angels affords a barrier against the false conception of this world as including the whole spiritual universe.  Earth is only part of a larger organism.  As Christianity has united Jew and Gentile, so hereafter will it blend our own and other orders of creation."

Whenever anyone explores the various creatures in the Bible’s presentation of the supernatural realm, such a study is called: “angelology”. Broadly speaking, the "good guys" in angelology represent varying orders of spiritual creatures. 

    There are the highest-level beings called "the Divine Council (see 1 Kings 22:19-22; Daniel 4:17; also known as created "sons of God" Job 1:5-6, with some corrupting themselves, Genesis 6:1-4). 

    Then there is a middle tier of beings known as, "Cherubim", "Seraphim" and "the watchers", to the third tier of every other spiritual being known simply as: "angels". This assortment of "good" spiritual beings populate God's invisible kingdom. 

       On the bad side we have two other subheadings known as “Satanology”, or the examination of Satan (his being, rebellion and work), and “demonology” (that is, the various ranks of spiritual beings). Satan and all the various sort of malevolent spiritual beings populate the parasitic "kingdom of darkness". 

    This parasitic kingdom has varying orders of malevolent spiritual beings who defected from the angelic order. There are the fallen "sons of God" or former members of the Divine council, some of whom were confined to the darkest areas of Hades to await judgment (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6). Others of these were given jurisdiction over nations, as evidenced by the "Prince of Persia" whom Gabriel fought for twenty-one days before delivering Daniel's answer to prayer in Daniel 10. 

    There are what we could call "mid-tier" malevolent forces enumerated by Paul in Ephesians 6:10-12 ("powers, principalities", etc.). These mid-tier beings could very well be those being I mentioned above who wield their evil intentions over regions and nations. 

    Then there are the varied sorts of demonic forces that Jesus exorcised from people during His earthly ministry and who torment people today. We find demons mentioned in the Old Testament (Leviticus 17:17; Deuteronomy 32:17; 2 Chronicles 11:15; Psalm 106:37) and Satan (for example, Job 1:6-9,12; 2:1-7; Zechariah 3:1-2). 

    Below we have a chart that depicts the Biblical supernatural realm where I've depicted where the good and bad angels in their respective orders fit. Notice that in the diagram, angels occupy the third or lowest tier of the spiritual creatures in God’s invisible kingdom. 

     In what remains, I want to offer a brief account of the angels as they are portrayed in the Bible. I hope this summary edifies and equips readers with a better working understanding of the Biblical doctrine of angels (known, as noted above, by the term: "angeology").

1. Angels are created beings.

       We can note first, that like the other spiritual beings in the Biblical supernatural realm, angels are created beings.  Psalm 148:5 notes that the angels were created by the command of God, just like the visible universe, stars, planets, life and humanity. Hebrews 1:7, quoting Psalm 104:4, states: “And of the angels He says,

“Who makes His angels winds, And His ministers a flame of fire.” From what we can discern from Job 38:1-7, the entire supernatural realm was created by God on either days 2 or 3 in the creative week. 

2. There are Good and Bad Angels

     When God originally created the angelic realm, they were all good. The creation of the supernatural realm was followed by the cosmic rebellion of Lucifer, which in turn influenced other spiritual beings to become the fallen angels (Isaiah 14:12-20; Ezekiel 28:13-19; Revelation 12:4). As mentioned, some of those fallen angels are chained and some roam freely between here and the heavenly realms (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6; Ephesians 6:10-11). 

    Thankfully, there are 2/3 of the heavenly angels faithfully serving God and His people (1 Timothy 5:21; Hebrews 1:14). The good angels outnumber the bad ones. With that said, it is incumbent upon every Christian to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:1-11) and to exercise vigilance by prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17), daily time in the Scriptures (1 Timothy 2:5), weekly church attendance (Hebrews 10:23-25), and living a devout and holy life according to the will of God (Romans 12:1-2).

3. Angels are powerful beings

     Angels are dramatically powerful beings.  In 2 Kings 19:35 we read: “Then it happened that night that the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead.”  Revelation 9:13-21 records a future time when God will release four angels to kill 1/3 of humanity in the judgment of The Great Tribulation.

4. Good Angels aid God’s people

     Is it scriptural to say that angels are deployed by God to aid Christians in their walk of faith? Absolutely! Consider Psalm 91:11 "For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways." Old Testament saints had angels assist them (Genesis 18; Psalm 37:4; Daniel 10:11). We see angelic aid of Jesus and other believers in the New Testament (Matthew 4:11; Matthew 26:53; Luke 22:43; Acts 12:6-8; Acts 27:23-24). Without a doubt, Christians today can still experience angelic assistance when they least expect it (Hebrews 1:14; 13:2). 

     Scripture reveals how angels can protect believers (2 Kings 6; Psalm 34:7; 91:11 Hebrews 1:14); help in grasping God’s truth (Psalm 68:7; Matthew 28:5-7; Acts 1:9-11; Luke 2:14) and point to Christ’s deity (Psalm 68:17; Daniel 7:10-13; Matthew 28). The Book of Revelation illustrates how angels aid believers. It contains roughly 25% of the 300 times we find mention of the good angels in the Bible. Often, the Book of Revelation describes angels announcing something or explaining to John the meaning of the various visions. 

Final thought of application:

    Today's post was intended to offer a brief treatment of the subject of angels. We noted the following:

1. Angels are created beings.
2. There are good and bad angels.
3. Angels are powerful beings.
4. Good angels aid God's people.

     The eighteenth-century preacher John Wesley once wrote the following about angels: 

"They may assist us in our search after truth, remove many doubts and difficulties, throw light on what was before dark and obscure, and confirm us in the truth that is after godliness. They may warn us of evil in disguise; and place what is good, in a clear, strong light. They may gently move our will to embrace what is good, and fly from that which is evil. They may, many times, quicken our dull affections, increase our holy hope or filial fear, and assist us more ardently to love Him who has first loved us."

The Glue That Holds Together The Christian Life - Union With Christ

Introduction:

    As we turn our attention to Paul's words in Galatians 2:20, he expresses His spiritual relationship to Jesus Christ in a most peculiar way, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." You'll notice how Paul expressed in the verse "Christ lives in me". 

    How can it be that Jesus, a carpenter from first century Galilee, specifically Nazareth, could somehow indwell Paul and every follower of Jesus Christ in the many generations which have passed over the last 2,000 years? One answer we can give is the fact that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly man, the Word made flesh, ascended and exalted. 

    A second answer, the focus of today's post, is found in how the Holy Spirit performs upon every Christian from salvation a marvelous work known as "union with Christ". We find here what I call "the glue that holds together the Christian life". This "glue", if you will, this "union with Christ" is described all over the New Testament as the reader will see below.

Defining and describing union with Christ

    We could define union with Christ as follows, the Holy Spirit's work of connecting me to Jesus Christ at saving faith organically to His finished work, mystically to His person in Heaven, spiritually as a participant in His deity, and corporately to other Christians. 

   John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue helpfully explain the Christian's union with Christ as follows,

"One of the most precious truths in all Scripture is the doctrine of the believer's union with the Lord Jesus Christ. The concept of being united to Christ speaks of the most vital spiritual intimacy that one can imagine between the Lord and His people."

   They later add,

It is not that Christians merely worship Jesus, obey Him, or pray to Him, though surely those privileges would be enough. Rather, they are so intimately identified with Him and He with Him that Scripture says they are united-He is in them and they are in them."1

    Jesus expressed this reality to His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion in John 14:20-21 "In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”

    No other religion, philosophy, or concept in any other movement has this notion of "union" defining the relationship of devotees to their founder. I as an American, along with others,  celebrated this year the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation. The "Founding Fathers" as they are called should be read and understood as important historical figures. However, I am not in union with men such as George Washington, since he is locked away in history as an important figure of history. 

    Jesus Christ on the other hand is not just someone whom I read about in the four Gospels. He is someone to whom I daily pray, walk with in conscious awareness by faith, and am empowered by through the Holy Spirit. He and the Father sent the Holy Spirit to live the daily Christian life through me, and I through Him. This is "union with Jesus Christ". 

    He is not hermetically sealed away in Heaven or locked up on the pages of my Bible. He is in me and I in Him by the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul describes this wondrous union with Christ as a practical reality in Colossians 1:25-27 

"Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Where in the Bible do we find union with Christ?

    Over the years I've heard varied estimates of how often this doctrine of union with Christ is found in the New Testament. The "smoking gun" of the doctrine is found in the little preposition phrases that sprinkle the New Testament, such as "in Jesus Christ", "in Christ Jesus", "in Christ", "with Christ", "with Jesus", "through Christ", "through Jesus Christ our Lord", "through Jesus Christ", "by Christ Jesus", and "from Jesus Christ". As I've studied the passages that speak on this vital doctrine, I've found over 125 passages. 

"in Jesus Christ", Romans 3:22; Galatians 3:22.

"in Christ Jesus" (50x)

Acts 24:24; Romans 3:24,6:11,23; 8:1,2,39; 15:17; 16:3; 1 Cor 1:2,3,4; 4:15; 15:31; 16:24; Galatians 2:4,16; 3:14,26,28; 5:6; Eph 1:11; 2:6,7,10,13; 3:6,11,21; Philippians 1:1,26;2:5; 3:3,14; 4:7; 4:19;4:21; Colossians 1:4; 1 Thess 2:14;5:18;1 Tim 1:14; 3:13; 2 Tim 1:1,9,13;2:1,10; 3:12,15; Philemon 1:23.

"in Christ" (40x)

Romans 9:1; 12:5; 15:17; 16:3,7,9,10; 1 Cor 3:1;4:10; 4:17; 15:18,19,22; 2 Cor 1:21; 2:14,17; 3:14; 5:17;12:2,19; Gal 1:22; 2:17; Eph 1:3,10,12,20; 4:32; Phil 2:1; 3:9; Col 1:2; 1:24; 1:28; 2:5; 1 Thess 4:16; Philemon 1:18; 1 Peter 3:16; 5:10; 5:14.

"with Christ" (12x)

Romans 6:8;8:17; Gal 2:20; Eph 2:5; Gal 3:27; Philippians 1:23; Colossians 2:20; 3:1,3; Revelation 20:4, "with Jesus", 2 Corinthians 4:14.

"through Christ", 2 Corinthians 1:5; 3:4; 5:18; "through Jesus Christ our Lord", Romans 5:21; 7:25; Jude 1:25; "through Jesus Christ", John 1:17; Acts 10:36; Romans 1:8; 5:21; 7:23; 16:27; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:5; Titus 3:6; Hebrews 13:21; 1 Peter 2:5; 4:11.

"by Christ Jesus", Philippians 3:12; "from Jesus Christ", 2 John 1:3; Revelation 1:5.

The importance and application of union with Christ 

   Readers can see that the Scriptural data on this doctrine is massive to say the least. Arguably this precious truth is the most important of all the glorious doctrines of Christian salvation. John Calvin in Book 2, chapter 1 of his "Institutes of the Christian Religion" began his section on Christian salvation with this statement,

"And the first thing to be attended to is, that so long as we are without Christ and separated from him, nothing which he suffered and did for the salvation of the human race is of the least benefit to us. To communicate to us the blessings which he received from the Father, he must become ours and dwell in us." 2

    As I said at the beginning of this post, union with Christ is the glue that holds together the Christian life. In the definition I offered, the Holy Spirit's work of connecting me to Jesus Christ at saving faith organically to His finished work, mystically to His person in Heaven, spiritually as a participant in His deity, and corporately to other Christians, this union covers every aspect of the Christian life. Tis union begins from the moment of regeneration in saving faith, through their growth in sanctification, through their relationships with other Christians in the local church, through death and the life hereafter, through what will be resurrection and the world to come. 

    Union with Christ is expressed visually when the church observes the Lord's Supper or when someone makes their public profession of faith in baptism. Union with Christ comforts me in difficult times, reminds me of my identity, grounds my Christian walk, and brings to me the Person and work of Christ who is my Mediator in Heaven. It is the glue that holds the Christian life together. 

Endnotes.

1. John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue. A Systematic Summary of Biblical Truth - Biblical Doctrine. Crossway. 2017. Page 602.

2. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, online edition here John Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion - Christian Classics Ethereal Library  As for my statement of this doctrine being arguably the most important to the overall understanding of the Christian life, I have Sinclair Ferguson and Derek Thomas of Ligonier Ministries to thank in the marvelous discussion they have about this doctrine of union with Christ. They note how John Calvin and John Murray made "union with Christ" the centerpiece of their respective treatments of the doctrine of salvation. Their discussion can be found here Ferguson and Thomas: The Significance of Union with Christ (Seminar)

What it means to abide in Jesus Christ's pattern - Serve and Rejoice in Jesus Christ

 

Introduction:

    The last few posts have looked at what it means to abide in Christ. The posts are based off of a recent sermon I preached on the subject. Featured in the posts are Mary and Martha, two sisters whom Jesus met in the course of His earthly ministry some few months before His crucifixion. The last few posts dealt with how Mary highlights for us what it means to abide in the presence of Christ. We learned that to abide in Christ means:

"To abide in Christ is when my faith is settled in spiritual union with Him, identification with Him, and bearing fruit for Him." 

    Mary had her faith "settled in Jesus" but how she abided in His words, His cross, and His majesty.  We are now going to switch our attention to her sister Martha to learn what it means to abide in the pattern of Christ. In the last post we witnessed Martha learning to seek and know Jesus Christ as she mourned over her brother's death. She found Jesus to be who He said He was, the resurrection and the life. Today's post will conclude our character studies of these two sisters as we focus on how Martha abided in the pattern of Jesus Christ by serving and rejoicing.

Serve and rejoice. John 12:1-3 

   Martha would continue on in the pattern of following and serving her Lord. Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead in John 11. In the wake of that we read John 12:1-3 “Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 3 Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

    No doubt this meal and gathering was a mixture of jubilation with an undertone of plotting against Jesus. Judas’ coldness toward Mary’s anointing of Jesus and the plotting against Lazarus by some in the background remind us that we’re but days away from Jesus’ crucifixion. Such coldness and plotting contrasts with an otherwise joyous occasion – Lazarus was alive and well and Jesus was present in the home. 

    All John 12:2 tells us is “Martha was serving”. In the first scene we looked at a few posts back, Jesus corrected Martha not for her serving but for her distraction in her serving. Here in John 12 we see Martha serving but with a difference. She was abiding in the pattern of her Lord - that of service.  

    Lazarus was sitting beside Jesus at the table. As was typical oriental fashion in those days. The guests would have been reclining on one another, propping themselves up by one arm while reaching for food with the other. Mary was anointing Jesus. Martha served. The scene is one of celebration along with the pending crucifixion of Jesus looming in the not-so-distant future. The Lord's pattern of service was closely connected to His cross.

    Our Lord’s pattern was “to serve and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Other than Judas, do you notice how the whole scene is joyous. Martha was not there to have her praises sung in service, but she served so that her Savior’s praises would be sung. 

Closing thoughts on post series:

    We have done a series of character studies on the lives of Mary and Martha. They taught us what it means to abide in Jesus Christ. From Mary we learned what it meant to abide in the presence of Jesus Christ,

1. Abide in His words.

2. Abide in His cross.

3. Abide in His majesty.

   We then saw Martha's abiding in Christ pattern as we noted the following,

1. Stop, look, and listen. Luke 10:38-42

2. Seek and know. John 11:20-28

3. Serve and rejoice. John 12:1-3 

    My hope is this series of posts has caused the reader to more closely consider the importance of abiding in Jesus Christ, having their faith settled in their spiritual unity with Him, their identity with Him, and bearing fruit for Him.