Eternal Hope: 31–49

Eternal Hope

Part 31

Introduction

Assuming that the Pseudepigrapha is not God-inspired, I am struck by how the writers, having embraced an eternal hope for the just (and eternal damnation for the unjust), embellish with fantastic imagination what eternity for the two groups will be like. These writers do not differ all that much from believers today. The Bible says very little about the details of what heaven and hell will be like, and we can easily “fill in the blanks” with vivid imaginations, quickly making indistinguishable in our minds what is biblical and what is fiction. Most of what the average Christian knows about heaven comes, not from the Bible, but from his own imagination.

Reflections on 4 Maccabees

Written, according to Charles, before 70 AD, it is heavily influenced by Greek thought. As noted in an earlier issue dealing with Maccabees, these books are not sequential. They have in common their commenting on the tumultuous times in the years preceding the New Testament when the Maccabees family played an influential role in Jewish history. The author seeks to show that the proper objective of Stoicism[501] is meeting the expectations of God. As an orthodox Jew, he seeks to motivate the faithful to stand steadfast to the last as they meet persecution.

The author manifests a strong belief in an afterlife, with blessings for the godly and the opposite for sinners: “Therefore, tyrant, put us to the test; and if you take our lives because of our religion, do not suppose that you can injure us by torturing us. For we, through this severe suffering and endurance, shall have the prize of virtue and shall be with God, on whose account we suffer; but you, because of your bloodthirstiness toward us, will deservedly undergo from the divine justice eternal torment by fire.”[502]

Speaking of the mother of the Maccabees sons, he says: “Take courage, therefore, O holy-minded mother, maintaining firm an enduring hope in God. The moon in heaven, with the stars, does not stand so august as you, who, after lighting the way of your star-like seven sons to piety, stand in honor before God and are firmly set in heaven with them. For your children were true descendants of father Abraham.”[503]

Admonishing the faithful to a life of piety, he says: “Let us not fear him who thinks he is killing us, for great is the struggle of the soul and the danger of eternal torment lying before those who transgress the commandment of God.”[504] The author makes no mention of grace; people relate to God on the basis of their works-righteousness.

This concludes my analysis of the Pseudepigrapha. During the Intertestamental period, other men influenced both Judaism and Christianity. We will briefly look at Josephus, the Sayings of the Fathers, the Targums, Philo, and the Talmud.

Comments on Flavius Josephus

The works of Flavius Josephus deal with the history of the Jews at the time of the demise of Israel and the rise of Christianity. Commenting on the various Jewish sects, he says, “… the Pharisees are those who are esteemed most skillful in the exact explication of their laws, and introduce the first sect. These ascribe all to fate [or providence], and to God, and yet allow, that to act what is right, or the contrary, is principally in the power of men, although fate does co-operate in every action. They say that all souls are incorruptible, but that the souls of good men only are removed into other bodies, — but that the souls of bad men are subject to eternal punishment. But the Sadducees are those that compose the second order, and take away fate entirely, and suppose that God is not concerned in our doing or not doing what is evil; and they say, that to act what is good, or what is evil, is at men’s own choice, and that the one or the other belongs so to every one, that they may act as they please. They also take away the belief of the immortal duration of the soul, and the punishments and rewards in Hades…”[505]

Comments on The Sayings of the Fathers

A collection of maxims by Jewish teachers, its compilation took place from the third century BC to the third century AD. Probably compiled by the same Rabbi who collected the teaching of the Mishnah, it came into high regard in Judaism and was included in the liturgy of the synagogue. As already noted, Pharisaism passed through a significant change during these years: when Christianity incorporated Jewish eschatology into the theology of the church, Pharisaism dropped its emphasis on eschatology, majoring on the Law. Thus, I can find no teaching on an eternal hope in the Sayings. Interestingly, you find familiar phrases, as the one attributed to Rabbi Hillel: “…and judge not thine associate until thou comest to his place.”[506]

Reflections on The Intertestamental Targums

During the period between the close of the OT and the beginning of the NT (probably about 100 BC), Targums appeared in Hebrew literature. The word Targum means, “translate, interpret.” “In Hebrew the term can mean translation into any language, and in early rabbinic texts is also used to refer to the Greek Septuagint translation. In modern biblical and Jewish studies its usage is restricted to Jewish and Samaritan translations of the Tanak (Hebrew OT Bible) into Aramaic.”[507]

The scholars that wrote the Targums expanded upon the Old Testament text, adding an eternal dimension not found in faithful Old Testament translations. I will give a couple of illustrations: After Genesis 3:22-24: “For the wicked he prepared Gehenna, which is comparable to a sharp sword devouring with both edges. He prepared within it darts of fire and burning coals for the wicked to be avenged of them in the world to come because they did not observe the precepts of the Law in this world. For the Law is a tree of life for everyone who toils in it and keeps the commandments; he lives and endures like the tree of life in the world to come. The Law is good for all who labour in it in this world like the fruit of the tree of life.”[508]

In Genesis 4:6-8, where Cain’s rejected sacrifice results in his killing his brother Abel: “And the Lord said to Cain… if you make your work in this world to be good, you will be remitted and pardoned in the world to come… Cain answered and said to Abel: There is no judgement, and there is no judge and there is no other world. There is no giving of good reward to the just nor is vengeance exacted of the wicked.”[509] These, and other additions, are not found in the Hebrew Scriptures or in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scripture, the Septuagint.

Comments on Philo

Philo lived and wrote from 25 BC to 50 AD, his work deals more with philosophy than the genre found in the Pseudepigrapha. Living in Alexandria, Egypt, he sought to make Judaism compatible with Greek thought. He evidently believed in the restoration of the tribes of Israel lost after the Assyrian Captivity: “If filled with shame they change their ways with all their soul, and avow and confess with cleansed minds all the sins that they have committed against themselves… then, though they be at the very ends of the earth, slaves of the foes that took them captive, nevertheless as at a given signal, they shall all be set free in one day, because their sudden change to virtue will strike their masters with amazement; for they will let them go, because ashamed to govern those who are better than themselves. But when this unlooked-for freedom has been bestowed, those, who but a short time before were scattered in Hellas and in barbarous countries, or island, and continents, will arise with one impulse and hasten from all quarters to the place pointed out to them, led on their way by a divine superhuman appearance, which though unseen by all others, is visible only to the delivered.”[510]

Following the Greek teaching that the body imprisons the soul, Philo nevertheless believed in judgment for the unrighteous: “But he who is cast out by God must endure a never-ending banishment; for though the man who has not yet become the complete captive of wickedness man on repentance return to virtue as to his native country from which he had gone into exile, he, on the other hand, who is in the grip and power of a violent and incurable disease must bear his sufferings for evermore, and be flung into the place of the godless to endure unmixed and unremitting misery.”[511]

Philo makes no reference to people relating to God based on grace; they relate to Him solely on the basis of their ability to keep the Law.

Conclusion

We can see, as we come to the close of Intertestamental period, that the Jews had already embraced an eternal hope, paving the way for the ministry of our Lord Jesus. Whether this emphasis on the eschatology of the individual originated among the Essenes, we cannot say for sure, but in any event, it was widely propagated and believed. For example, when Jesus gave His Sermon on the Mount,[512] he talked about heaven and hell as though their existence could be assumed. People might ask Him how to get to heaven, but I know of no one who challenged Him on the existence of the after-life.

We will briefly look at the Essenes in the next issue.

March 2009

Eternal Hope

Part 32

During the period of the divided kingdom God’s prophets performed miracles, including raising the dead (1Kings 17:22; 2Kings 4:35). Obviously, Yahweh’s power reached beyond the grave. Still, God’s commitment was to the nation, not to the individual. Thus, God warned in passages such as Exodus 20:5: “…visiting the guilt of the parents upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generations of those who reject Me.”

However, Jeremiah 31:29-30 promises: “In those days, they shall no longer say, ‘Parents have eaten sour grapes and children’s teeth are blunted.’ But every one shall die for his own sins: whosoever eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be blunted.”

From the Babylonian Captivity (620 BC) forward, Israel ceased to exist as a state; foreign powers were constantly ruling or at least meddling in her life. For this reason, the emphasis naturally turned from the nation to the individual. Looking in retrospect, the pious Hebrew could see the footprints of God in the translation of Enoch and Elijah. If such righteous men could live with God after death, maybe there was eternal hope for other individuals as well.

Following the above quote from Jeremiah 31, God promises that with the New Covenant He will place His Law in the heart of each individual. From this point forward, thinking people could begin to grasp the concept of eternal accountability for temporal behavior.

In the Intertestamentary Period there emerged a group of Jewish separatists, known as the Essens, who founded a community near the Jordan River between Jericho and En-gedi known as Essenes. The genesis of the Essenes is obscure and enigmatic. Scripture makes no mention of them, although they probably came into existence about 150 BC during the Maccabaean period. Josephus,[513] Philo,[514] and Pliny[515] all refer to them in their writings. The name Essene is as obscure as its origin; although I found a plethora of possibilities, I found none that proved compelling. As far as is known, they numbered no more than 4000 and lived in Palestine – mostly in the vicinity of the Dead Sea.

History of Essenes

Alexander the Great conquered Israel in about 332 B.C. Upon his death his empire was divided between his generals. Israel fell under the control of the Ptolemies who established their center in Egypt. By-and-large, the Ptolemies allowed the Israelites to rule themselves. The Seleucids, from Syria, conquered Israel in 200 B.C. and began a serious endeavor to Hellenize the Jews. At the climax of this conquest Antiochus IV Epiphanes committed the “abomination of desolation” prophesied in Daniel 11:31.

Some of the Jews, especially the Sadducees and the ruling elite of the nation, welcomed the Greek influence. More conservative Jews, including the Pharisees, strongly resisted. These were the days when the Maccabaean family led the people in revolt. It was probably during these days that the Essenes separated themselves, forming the Qumran community near the Jordan River.

Beliefs of the Essenes

Only adults were admitted as members. The initiate spent his first year on probation, and was given a pickax as his first badge, used for modestly disposing of human waste. (Bathing after performing natural functions was required by officiating priests.) At the end of the year he was admitted to the lustrations, followed by two additional years of probation. At the end of the second year he was given as a badge, an apron, and after the third year a white garment. At this point he took an oath of silence and submission, and was allowed to participate in the common meals. Some scholars, like Jerome, believed they abstained from meat and wine.

The community shared all of the members’ assets, including clothing and whatever wages they earned, turning it over to a “manager” who distributed it as needed. From this, provision was made for the sick and aged.

Daily labor was also strictly regulated; each day began with prayer, after which the members began working, mostly in some aspect of agriculture. Late morning they reassembled for purifying ablutions, followed by the common meal. They returned to work in the afternoon and reassembled once again for their evening meal. Trading was considered covetousness, and all manner of weapons was banished from the community.

The Essenes had some beliefs that later were embraced by followers of the Kabbalah. “Kabbalah claims a divine authorship, though it probably originated in the 12th century A.D. Allegedly, the truth of Kabbalah was first given to the angels before God created the world. Mankind then received it on three separate occasions through three different men. Adam was the first to receive the teaching through the Archangel Raziel as Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. But, because people were more interested in the ways of the world than the things of God, the truth of Kabbalah was eventually lost. It is said that Kabbalah is derived from ancient Hebraic priesthood practices that has the goal of human transformation.”[516] One of the connections between these two strange groups is their common belief in reincarnation.

Stages through which Essene members pass

1 – Outward, bodily purity through baptisms.

2 – Abstinence from sexual intercourse.

3 – Inward spiritual purity.

4 – Banishment of anger and malice coupled with meekness and a lowly spirit.

5 – Holiness.

6 – Qualified to be the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and to prophecy.

7 – Perform miraculous cures and raise the dead.

8 – Finally attain to the position of Elijah, the forerunner of Messiah.

Since contact with those who did not practice these laws of purity, or even coming into the things belonging to these people, rendered them impure, they needed to withdraw from society and form separate communities living apart from the world. They gave themselves to tilling the ground, tending their flocks, rearing bees, and making clothes for the community.

Originally, the Essenes were similar to the Pharisees. Over time, however, differences developed. Like the Pharisees, they sought to rigorously follow the Law, along with a firm belief in Providence. They differed, however, in that the Essenes practiced celibacy, did not frequent the Temple and offer sacrifices, and denied the resurrection of the body. The “dogma” embraced by the community was carefully preserved, as evidenced by the Dead Sea Scrolls.

They had an elaborately defined angelology, and the novices had to swear to preserve the names of angels.[517] It may well be that these beliefs carried over into the Christian movement, addressed by Paul in his epistles.[518] They rejected slavery, oath taking, anointing oil, and luxury of any kind. Schurer believes that their belief in the transmigration of the soul came from Greek influence, primarily from Pythagoreans.[519]

Most Jews felt threatened by the Essenes and their combination of asceticism with spiritual power. Since they were the only Jewish sect to practice celibacy, Jesus may have had them in mind in Matthew 19:12: “For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.”

James 5:12 follows Jesus command in Matthew 5:34: “But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne…” Similarly, oath taking was prohibited among the Essenes. Although the connection is dubious, some think John the Baptist came from the Essene community. He led an ascetic life, practiced baptism, and Jesus called him Elijah: “…and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.”

Conclusion

This mysterious group lived and worked in the shadows of the larger Jewish community. Mystery lends itself to speculation, and much of what we think we know about them must be held tentatively. Obviously, the OT did not mention them, for they came into existence in the period between the OT and NT.

I find it strange that we don’t find them mentioned in the NT. In all probability, however, the transformation of Jewish thought from understanding God’s commitment as exclusively to the nation to including the individual was completed in this environment.

Grateful for God’s hand on history,

Walt

May 2009

Eternal Hope

Part 33

Scripture contains no mention of the Essenes, and after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. the Jews were dispersed throughout the Roman Empire. At this point, practicing communal asceticism proved impossible, and the Essenes ceased to exist – just as the Sadducees, who were composed of the priestly tribe ceased to exist when Rome destroyed the Temple.[520] Christianity, in the form of monasticism, borrowed the idea of an ascetic, celibate life from the Essenes.

In this issue we look more closely at how the Essenes viewed eternal hope.

Election and Grace

Once the Jews understood that they were entitled to an eternal hope as individuals, they then had to determine on what basis God makes this hope available and how an individual obtains it.

As mentioned earlier in this series, God chose Israel to be the object of His grace. Grace and election are the head and tail of the same coin. God’s commitment to Israel, independent of any intrinsic worth found in the nation, meant that God elected Israel; Israel did not gain favor in the eyes of God, which then warranted His commitment to her. Irrespective of how few faithful individuals lived in Israel at any given moment, God’s commitment was inviolable.[521] Thus, Israel becomes the clearest illustration of grace one can find.

Although God commits Himself to individuals such as Abraham, Moses, and David, at no time in the Old Testament does He grant an individual an eternal covenant of grace, assuring him of a perpetual relationship with God after death. Does this mean that God’s corporate election of the nation resulted in His eternal election of all individuals encompassing that nation? Nothing in the Old Testament suggests this, and the Apostle Paul clearly says the opposite: “For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his descendants; but ‘Through Isaac shall your descendants be named.’”[522]

The Qumran Essenes understood God’s election of Israel, and as the Exilic and Post-exilic Prophets began to emphasize the importance of the individual in God’s economy, they concluded that “only the initiates of their own ‘new Covenant’ were to be reckoned among God’s elect and, as such, united already on earth with the angels of heaven. ‘God has given them to His chosen ones and has caused them to inherit the lot of the Holy Ones. He has joined their assembly to the Sons of Heaven, to be a Council of the Community, a foundation of the Building of Holiness, an eternal Plantation throughout all ages to come’ (IQS XI, 7-9).”[523]

“Convictions of this kind, with their theories of individual election and predestination… can lead to self-righteousness and arrogant intolerance… But the spiritual masters of the Community were doubtless aware of the danger of the sin of pride… The Qumran Hymns… never cease to emphasize the sectary’s frailty, unworthiness and total dependence upon God. ‘Clay and dust that I am, what can I devise unless Thou wish it, and what contrive unless Thou desire it? What strength shall I have unless Thou keep me upright and how shall I understand unless by (the Spirit) which Thou has shaped for me? (IQH XVIII [formerly X], 5-7)’

“Not only is election itself owed to God’s grace, but perseverance in the way of holiness cannot be counted on unless he offers his continuous help and support. ‘When the wicked rose against Thy Covenant and the damned against Thy word, I said in my sinfulness, But calling to mind the might of Thy hand and the greatness of Thy compassion, I rose and stood… I lean on Thy grace and on the multitude of Thy mercies.’ (IQH XII [formerly IV], 34-7)

“Another theme constantly stressed in Essene teaching is that not only is God’s assistance necessary in order to remain faithful to his Law; the very knowledge of that Law is a gift from heaven. All their special understanding and wisdom comes from God. ‘From the source of His righteousness is my justification, and from His marvelous mysteries is the light in my heart. My eyes gazed on that which is eternal, on wisdom concealed from men, on knowledge and wise design (hidden) from the sons of men; on a fountain of righteousness and on a storehouse of power, on a spring of glory (hidden) from the assembly of flesh. God has given them to His chosen ones as an everlasting possession, and has caused them to inherit the lot of the Holy ones.’ (IQS XI, 5-8)”[524] As Markus Bockmuehl notes, “Salvation, on this view, could never be a matter of human merit. The covenanters do not know themselves elect by their works, but on the contrary, their works bear witness to their election.” [525]

As in the New Testament where the believer must maintain a tension between God’s Sovereignty (which is the basis of grace) and man’s responsibility, so too this same tension can be seen in the writings of the Qumran Community. As long as election, and with it an eternal hope, applied only to the nation, the question of human responsibility remained moot. Once the Jews began to understand that an individual can have an eternal hope, they faced this conundrum of Sovereign election and human responsibility.

We noted in looking at the Pseudepigrapha that once the Jews understood God’s commitment to the individual, there accompanied it a straightforward merit-based understanding of salvation. The Essenes, in understanding the role election/grace plays in an individual’s salvation, introduced this tension between grace and free will; both are true even though the human intellect cannot marry the two.

Essenes Influence Seen in the New Testament

Jesus began His public ministry about 38 years prior to the destruction of the Qumran Community and 40 years prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jews. John the Baptist, who may have been an Essene, warned the people of the presumption election can elicit in the human heart: “And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”[526] Most of the Jews of Jesus’ day believed that God’s gracious covenant with the nation included the election of every individual encompassing the nation. For this reason, the gospels emphasize the danger of being presumptive, and you must wait until the Pauline epistles before you are reintroduced to this tension between God’s Sovereignty and man’s responsibility.

Markus Bockmuehl, quoting Otto Betz, says “the Scrolls seem to employ no noun or verb that could be said to correspond closely to the (Pauline) notion of justification.”[527] Because an individual understands the relationship between election and grace, it does not follow that he understands justification – the legal basis by which a just and holy God can take the sinner to heaven, without violating His justice. As far as I can tell, the Apostle Paul was the first to draw this distinction between grace and justification.[528]

Conclusion

In 63 B.C. the Romans, under Pompey, occupied Israel. Offences committed by the Roman government caused the Jews to revolt in 66 A.D., leading to the destruction of Jerusalem four years later. The Qumran community was crushed in about 68 A.D. bringing to an end the Essene Sect. Scholars speculate that the imminent defeat by the Romans caused the Essenes to hastily place their manuscripts in clay jars and hide them in caves. In 1947 a Bedouin goat herder stumbled upon the caves, bringing to light for the first time these manuscripts known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

In the next issue, Lord willing, we look at the Jewish Talmud.

Grateful for the cross of Christ,

Walt

July 2009

Dear Co-laborer:

Eternal Hope

Part 34

Introduction

Before embarking on a study of the New Testament teaching regarding an eternal hope, I want to briefly look at the Jewish Talmud. Probably the works of rabbinical scholars like Hillel and Gamaliel (of New Testament fame) formed the foundation for what evolved, over the next eight or so centuries, into what we today know as the Talmud. Then I will quote from two rabbinical scholars: Saadia Ben Joseph and Maimonides. In all of this, you will be reading direct quotes of the salient points, as these authors say more clearly and succinctly than can I.

Talmud

“Hillel, the most respected of the teachers of the Law, the highly-honored ideal in times to come, had given to Judaism a special garb and form, or rather had given it the character of the Law, which had always been peculiar to it. He was the first to develop and confirm a special theory, a sort of Jewish theology or nomology (science of religious laws). He was the founder of Talmudic Judaism…The written Law (that of the Pentateuch) and the oral Law (the Sopheric) from his time ceased to be two widely sundered branches, but were brought into close relations with each other, although the new rendering certainly did violence to the words of Scripture. But as the text was explained, not on a philological (the study of language in texts) basis, but in order to elucidated the laws, it was not possible to keep simply to the written words; it was necessary to interpret them so as to render them suited to the new conditions of life. Under the term Oral Law was included everything which had been handed down from the Fathers, and it formed to a certain extent a hereditary law. The various restrictions which the Sopheric teachers had placed around the Law, the legal decisions which had been introduced by the Synedrion[529], the customs which had been observed from generation to generation, the extensions deduced from meager verses of the Pentateuch, all these elements were not written down, but were committed to memory. They were put into the form of short sentences, called ‘Halacha’… Jochanan ben Zakkai was the man who best knew these laws. He handed them down to his pupils, and printed out to them their connection with the written law; he showed them how to draw deductions therefrom, the laws handed down being the material, and their mode of treatment the form. These deductions were obtained by two methods, the one showing how the ordinances of the Law were to be obtained from the words of Scripture (Midrash), and the other served to apply the oral Law to new questions as they arose (Talmud).”[530]

Jewish Eschatology and the Talmud

“At a very early time the Synagogue disavowed the pseudepigraphic literature, which was the favorite reading matter of the sectaries and the Christians. Nevertheless the inner relation between them is of the closest kind. The only essential difference is that the Midrashic form prevails in the Haggadah[531]…Folklore, fairy tales, legends, and all forms of story telling akin to these are comprehended, in the terminology of the post-Biblical literature of the Jews, under the inclusive description Haggadah, a name that…cannot be translated. Whatever it is applied to is thereby characterized first as being derived from the Holy Scriptures, and then as being of the nature of a story. And, in point of fact, this dualism sums up the distinguishing features of Jewish Legend. More than eighteen centuries ago the Jewish historian Josephus observed that ‘though we be deprived of our wealth, of our cities, or of the other advances we have, our law continues immortal.’ The word he meant to use was not law, but Torah, only he could not find an equivalent for it in Greek… But what is spontaneously brought forth by the people is often preserved only in the form impressed upon it by the feeling and the thought of the poet, or by the speculations of the learned. Also Jewish legends have rarely been transmitted in their original shape. They have been perpetuated in the form of Midrash, that is Scriptural exegesis. The teachers of Haggradah, called Rabban d’Aggradta in the Talmud, were no forklorists, from whom a faithful reproduction of legendary material may be expected. Primarily they were homilists (people who gave lectures on this material), who used legends for didactic purposes, and their main object was to establish a close connection between the Scripture and the creations of the popular fancy, to give the latter a firm basis and secure a long term of life for them… The works of the Talmudic-Midrashic literature are of the first importance. Covering the period from the second to the fourteenth century, they contain the major part of the Jewish legendary material. Akin to this in content if not always in form is that derived from the Targumim, of which the oldest versions were produced not earlier than the fourth century, and most recent not later than the tenth. The Midrashic literature has been preserved only in fragmentary form. Many Haggadot not found in our existing collections are quoted by the authors of the Middle Ages… The works of the older Kabbalah[532] are likewise treasuries of quotations from lost Midrashim, and it was among then Kabbalists and later among the Hasidim[533], that new legends arose… Furthermore, Jewish legends can be culled not from the writings of the Synagogue alone; they appear also in those of the Church. Certain Jewish works repudiated by the Synagogue were accepted and mothered by the Church. This is the literature usually denominated apocryphal-pseudepigraphic. From the point of view of legends, the apocryphal books are of subordinate importance, while the pseudepigrapha are of fundamental value… Nearly all of them are embellished with Christian interpolations, and in some cases the inserted portions have choked the original form so completely that it is impossible to determine at first sight whether a Jewish or a Christian legend is under examination… If the Synagogue cast out the pseudepigrapha and the Church adopted them with a great show of favor, these respective attitudes were not determined arbitrarily or by chance. The pseudepigrapha originated in circles that harbored the germs from which Christianity developed later on. The Church could thus appropriate them as her own with just reason.”[534]

Jewish Thought during Christian era

Saadia Ben Joseph, a celebrated Babylonian Talmud scholar, was born 882 A.D. in Egypt. I will quote him at great length because of the influence he had among Rabbinic scholars: “Our Master… has made it known to us that, when the instances of obedience on the part of His servants predominate, they are accounted unto them as merits, whereas when those of disobedience are predominant, they are accounted as demerits. Furthermore, a record is kept by Him of all this in regard to all of his servants. This is borne out by the statement of Scripture: Great in counsel, and mighty in work; whose eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men (Jer. 32:19). Scripture says also: For His eyes are upon the ways of man, etc. (Job 34:21). Moreover, these activities of men leave their traces upon the latter’s souls, rendering them pure or sullied. Thus Scripture says, apropos of [the effect of] sin: Then he shall bear his iniquity (Lev. 5:1), And he shall bear his sin (Lev. 24:15), And they set their soul on the iniquity (Hos. 4:8), and Its iniquity shall rest on that soul (Num. 15:31). Now even though these facts be hidden from the views of men, and not evident to them, they are perfectly clear to God…”[535] Saadia evidently understands that the Old Testament is vague regarding eternal accountability; it may not be readily apparent to the average interpreter, but it is “perfectly clear to God.”

“He has appointed a period during which the soul and body remain united and at the conclusion of which He separates them again. In this latter state they remain until the number of the souls which His wisdom has deemed necessary to create has been fulfilled. When this has taken place, He will again unite these souls with their bodies and requite them for their conduct… Who knoweth the spirit of man whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast whether it goes downward to the earth? (Eccles. 3:21)… Who knoweth – might be construed as an expression of admiration and praise on noting how two types of soul are attached to two similar bodies. Consequently what he says is: ‘We find that these two bodies are perceptibly alike in their physical constitution and their accidents. Yet we have no doubt, on the other hand, that there exists a difference between the two spirits. Now who is capable of fathoming and understanding this?’ That is indeed the import of his statement preceding this one: For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them; as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath (Eccles. 3:19)… Now the sage could not possibly have meant to imply hereby that the soul of man had no preeminence above a beast… What he meant by this statement was, then, rather merely that the body of man is in no way superior to that of the beast, since it is composed, like that of the latter, of four elements, as he says subsequently: All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all return to dust (Eccles. 3:20). Nevertheless man has spiritual preeminence.” [536]

“The angel who is dispatched by the Creator for the purpose of separating the soul and the body appears to man in the form of a figure of yellowish fire filled with eyes composed of bluish fire and holding in his hand a drawn sword aimed at him. Upon seeing him thus, the person shudders and his spirit separates from his body… For Scripture remarks, apropos of the time of the plague: And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord standing between the earth and the heaven, having a sword drawn in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem (I Chron. 21:16)… the (soul) is stored up until the time of retribution, as is stated in Scripture: And He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? And shall not He render to every man according to his work? (Prov. 24:12). The place, however, where the pure souls are kept is up on height, while that of the turbid is down below… During the first period after its separation from the body, however, the soul exists for a while without a fixed abode until the body has decomposed; that is to say, until its parts have disintegrated. It consequently experiences during this period much misery, occasioned by its knowledge of the worms and the vermin and the like that pass trough the body, just as a person would be pained by the knowledge that a house in which he use to live is in ruins and that thorns and thistles grow in it. Now this painful experience comes to the soul in varying degrees according to its desert, just as does its rank in the world below.”[537]

Conclusion

We will take a break from the thoughts of Saadia Ben Joseph until the next issue. It appears that in at least rabbinical circles there existed a strong belief in the after-life. However, in reading this material, it becomes obvious where reason and imagination can take a person if he does not maintain a clear distinction between Scripture and all other sources of authority. Christ rebuked the religious leaders of His day for this same propensity.[538]

In the bonds of Christ,

September 2009

Eternal Hope

Part 35

Introduction

We ended Part 27 exploring the thought of Saadia Ben Joseph, a ninth century rabbinic scholar, on the subject of the resurrection and the reign of Messiah. We will continue looking at his thinking, and then move on to look at Maimonides.

Saadia Ben Joseph

“Let me say here, then, that I have inquired and investigated and verified the belief of the masses of the Jewish nation that the resurrection of the dead would take place at the time of the redemption… He apprised His prophet Ezekiel thereof in advance saying to him: Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say: Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut of (Ezek. 37:11). Then He order him to bring us the good tidings of our resurrection from our graves and of the resuscitation of all our dead, by saying to him immediately thereafter: Therefore prophesy, and say unto them: Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people (Ezek. 37:12). Lest, however, we think that this promise was made only for the world to come, He added at the end of the statement the words And I will bring you into the land of Israel in order to assure us that it was meant to take place in this world. The object to be attained thereby is that each one of us will, when God has brought him back to life, make mention of the fact that it is he that was alive and died and was then resurrected. That is the import of His statement: And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves (Ezek. 37:13). The mention of the resurrection in the land of Palestine is then repeated by Him a second time in order to confirm for us the thought that it is to take place in this world, as He says: And I will put My spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I will place you in your own land; and ye shall know that I the Lord have spoken, and performed it, saith the Lord (Ezek. 37:14)…Next let me state that I find that Daniel was informed by our Lord about what was to come to pass at the end of the time in forty-seven verses. Among these there is one verse that speaks of what was to transpire at the end of the rule of the Persians; that is to say, the [very] first. Thirteen of these verses again deal with the history of the kingdom of the Greeks, i.e., beginning with [the words]: And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will (Dan. 11:3), and extending up to But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will (Dan. 11:16). Twenty other verses dwell on the history of the empire of the Romans, i.e., beginning with [the words]: But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and extending up to And the king shall do according to his will (Dan. 11:36). Ten further verses constitute the history of the dominion of the Arabs, i.e., beginning with [the words]: And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself up to And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince (Dan. 12:1). The last three verses, finally, deal with the subject of the redemption. Now one of these last three verses declares: And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to reproaches (Dan. 12:2). Note that it says specifically: And many of them that sleep, not All of them that sleep in the dust of the earth, because All of them that sleep in the dust of the earth would have implied that all the sons of Adam were included, whereas this promise was valid for the children of Israel only. That is why it says many. Furthermore the statement: Some to everlasting life, and some… does not mean that some of those that are resurrected are destined for reward and some for punishment, since no one will be resurrected at the time of the redemption who is subject to punishment. It means rather, by division of the statement, that those that will awake will do so to everlasting life, whereas those that will not awake are destined for reproaches and everlasting abhorrence. For all the virtuous and penitent persons will be alive and there will remain only the godless and whoever died impenitent, and all that at the time of the redemption.”[539]

“Anyone that does not profess the belief in the resurrection of the dead in this world will not be resurrected together with the totality of the Jewish nation at the time of the redemption. That is the import of the dictum of our sages: Since he does not believe in the resurrection of the dead, therefore he shall have no portion in it, because in all His dealings the Holy one, Blessed Be He, metes out measure for measure. For it has been said: ‘Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said: Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. (II Kings 7:2)’ (Sanh. Qoa).”[540]

“If someone were to ask now and say, ‘Whom will those who are destined to be resurrected include?’ our answer would be that it will embrace the entire Jewish nation, the virtuous thereof as well as whoever died repentant. This may be inferred from the statement of Scripture: And I will cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people (Ezek. 37:12). Anyone, therefore, to whom the designation of My people could be applied would be included in this promise. Now I do actually find that the virtuous are called My people. Thus Scripture says: And to say unto Zion: ’Thou are My people’ (Isa. 51:16). Of the sinful, again, the impenitent are not called My people. This is borne out by the statement of Scripture: For ye are not My people (Hos. 1:9). The penitent among them, on the other hand, are called My people, as Scripture says: And I will say to them that were not My people: ‘Thou art my people’ (Hos 2:25).”[541]

“Should someone ask, again, whether the members of their families and their kinsmen would recognize the resurrected and whether they would recognize each other… the rank and file will have to be distinguishable so that the difference between the former and the latter may become evident. Besides, Scripture has definitely stated that every man will be attached to his tribe, as is explained in the chapter of the book of Ezekiel beginning with the words Now these are the names of the tribes (Ezek 48:1)… Should the question be asked now as to whether persons afflicted with a blemish will be resurrected with their blemish still attaching to them or whether they will be cured thereof, we would reply that they will be cured. This is borne out by the statement of our forebears to the effect that They will rise from their graves with their blemish attached to them and then be cured (Sanh. 91b)… Our reply, again, to the question that might be asked as to whether those to be resurrected will receive any reward for the services they will render to God at the time of the redemption is: ‘Yes,’ just as reason demand that those who are destined to live in the world of retribution receive reward for the services they will perform in the world to come.”[542]

“Our Master… has informed us… that He would deliver us from our present state, and gather our scattered fragments from the east and the west of the earth, and bring us to His holy place and cause us to dwell therein, so that we might be His choice and peculiar possession. Thus it is stated in Scripture: Thus said the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save My people from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, etc. (Zech. 8:7-8).”[543]

“Concerning the necessary assumption of the perpetuity of the reward in the hereafter of the righteous and of the punishment of the sinful… let it be assumed that the duration of the reward of the righteous was set at one thousand years. It could possibly be said [in that event] that certain people would have no desire for the reward on account of it diminutive measure. A similar pretext might be offered in the case of two thousand or three thousand years. In fact, for whatever is limited in extent, reason could find another measurement exceeding it. If, however, their reward were to be made unlimited and unending and their well-being would never cease, there would be no excuse left that anyone could give… just as it is necessary for God to use the strongest stimulant to arouse in men the desire to do good, so must He employ the strongest deterrent to keep them from doing evil. For if the deterrent used by Him were to consist of the threat of torments lasting a hundred or two hundred years, and men would not be distrained thereby from sinning, it might be said by someone that, if God had made it last a thousand years, they would have been frightened by it. Similarly, if the punishment were to be fixed for a period of two thousand years, one might say that if God had made it last a myriad, men would have been terrified thereby. That is why God made the torment of the hereafter limitless, employing the strongest possible deterrent, that leaves no loophole for anyone… the nature of a person’s reward will be dependent upon whether he presents one or ten or one hundred or one thousand good deed, except that it will be eternal in duration… Likewise will the extent of a person’s punishment vary according to whether he presents one or ten or a hundred or a thousand evil deeds, except that, whatever the intensity of the punishment may be, it will be everlasting… So far as the nonbelievers and the polytheists are concerned, their fate has been clearly described in the declaration of Scripture: And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have rebelled against Me; for their worm shall not die (Isa. 66:24). As far as the unregenerate perpetrators of grave sins, they are the group for whom extirpation or death at the hand of the court has been prescribed. The consequence of their being cut off from this world is to be cut off also from among the righteous in the world to come by reason of their failure to repent… Should someone ask, however, on what ground they are pardoned, seeing that no repentance of them has taken place, we would answer: ‘It is not our basic assumption that these individuals are charged solely with lesser transgressions? That in itself is proof that they have guarded against sins of grave character.’”[544]

By way of summary, ben Joseph clearly adheres to the doctrine of the resurrection and eternal accountability for temporal behavior. His belief in the resurrection rests heavily on Isaiah 26, Ezekiel 37 and Daniel 12 – all excellent references. Many other references, however, seems forced, smacking of “text management.” He seems to dispute the claim of Charles that Judaism abandoned her eschatology in reaction to the church. I have the impression that ben Joseph borrowed heavily from the Pseudepigrapha and the New Testament, without acknowledging it. His argument for eternal accountability from the Old Testament seems less convincing than his arguments for the resurrection. The “righteous” go to heaven and the “ungodly” suffer eternal damnation, but he does not distinguish between actual righteousness and imputed righteousness. I can find no reference to his discussing imputation or the basis by which God can allow the sinner access to heaven without violating His justice. He seems to argue for a works-righteousness.

Maimonides, one of the more famous Jewish scholars of the Middle Ages, wrote a controversial work, Maqala, in 1190-91 A.D. Commenting on the resurrection, he said, “And so it appears to me from these verses that the individuals, whose souls will return to their bodies, will eat, drink, marry and procreate, and then die after enjoying that very long span of life characteristic of the Messianic era.”[545] After the Messianic era, and after these people have died once again, their souls return to God. Regarding retribution, Maimonides says, “Sometimes, He punishes only in this world, and sometimes only in the world to come, sometimes in both… God is righteous in all His ways, He punishes the sinner according to his sin, and rewards the pious according to his righteousness.”[546]

Conclusion

Beginning with the next issue we will look at the New Testament teaching on the subject of eternal hope.

Eager for the day of the resurrection,

November 2009

Part Thirty-Six

Introduction

When we arrive in the New Testament we discover a new atmosphere. The various fragments of eschatology found in earlier writings come together in a comprehensive, harmonious whole characterized by the following:

1 – Messiah does not fulfill expectations set forth in Old Testament prophecy. Instead of establishing an earthly kingdom, He becomes a sacrifice for sin.

2 – Membership in His kingdom requires individual commitment rather than corporate membership; being a citizen of Israel is no longer adequate. “For the Messiah now assumes a position undreamt of in the past, and membership of the kingdom is constituted, firstly and predominatingly, through personal relationship to its divine Head… in the teaching of Christ and of Christianity the synthesis of the eschatologies of the race and of the individual has at last been fully and finally achieved.”[547]

3 – In the writings of the prophets from the Babylonian captivity forward there begins a shift from emphasizing the nation to the importance of the individual. In the New Testament the break is complete; Jesus speaks pessimistically of the nation while giving hope to the individual.

4 – As the writers of the Old Testament begin emphasizing the importance of the individual, they teach that a person must be of pure character to find acceptance with God. This emphasis on a works-righteousness is carried forward through the Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, and into the Synoptic Gospels. Although you find traces of salvation by grace in John’s gospel, you don’t find it emphasized until the epistles, and then almost exclusively in Paul’s letters.

5 – With the emergence of salvation by grace, works became the basis for determining the quality of heaven’s rewards rather than the ground for being saved.

6 – With the individual receiving rewards in heaven based on his works, the blessing accrued from national membership ceased to play a role in his life. Paul, in Romans 11, argues for the continuity of God’s commitment to the nation, but for all practical purposes, it played no role in how the individual believer lived his life. To rectify what it perceived to be unhealthy individualism, the church argued that as an institution it became heir of God’s commitment to the nation of Israel. Salvation could no longer be considered an individual matter; there was no salvation outside the church.

7 – The New Testament sees the Messianic kingdom, promised by the Old Testament prophets, lasting only 1000 years and ending in failure.[548] No longer is a reconstituted earth adequate; hence, not a Messianic kingdom, but heaven itself, becomes the hope of the believer.

Reflections on the Gospel of Matthew

Jesus gives us our first clue that we will be dealing with individuals, not just the nation, with the words: “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”[549] John the Baptist preaches, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”[550] Thus, when Jesus references the kingdom of heaven in His Sermon on the Mount, the audience would naturally think of a physical kingdom Messiah came to establish – fulfilling Old Testament promises. It would not be eschatological in the minds of the listeners, as it is in our thinking today – for them it was a present reality rather than a future hope. Furthermore, it probably emphasized God’s commitment to the nation vis-à-vis the individual. Thus, throughout the gospels, and especially the synoptics, you find running concurrently both an emphasis on the nation and the individual. Not until Jesus sensed the nation rejecting Him[551] did He begin to emphasize the individual at the expense of the nation.

Note what we glean from the “Sermon on the Mount.” In Matthew 5:8 people will see God; verse 12 people will go to heaven. As far as I can tell, this is the first reference in Scripture to people going to heaven. The way Jesus makes the comment leads me to think that this was common knowledge among the Jews. From where did the idea come, if not from the Pseudepigrapha? The Baptist talks about God burning the chaff “with unquenchable fire.” [552] In Matthew 5:22, 29 Jesus talks about “Gehenna fire.” In 1Samuel 28 Saul goes to the Witch of Endor and she calls Samuel back from the dead. Samuel rebuked Saul for disturbing him (v. 15), and tells Saul that on the morrow he and his sons will visit him (v. 19). Samuel has the appearance of an old man (v. 14), and there is no indication that the abode of Samuel was either bad or particularly good. Evidently, it was Sheol, although the text does use that word. Not until you get to the Intertestamentary times do you find Sheol as hell. As far as I can tell, Matthew 6:19-20 is the first instance in Scripture where the follower of God is told to invest in the eternal rather than the temporal. Matthew 7:13-14 deals with following the path to life vis-à-vis destruction; the eternal may be assumed, but it is not mentioned. At this point we still don’t know if the kingdom of heaven pertains to heaven or the Messianic kingdom on earth.

Jesus, commenting on the faith of the centurion, said that Gentiles would “sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.” [553] Evidently, when Jesus preached the coming of the kingdom, He did introduce an eschatological dimension to it. Interesting, we don’t have a record of the content of that message.

Jesus says, “Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment, than for that city.”[554] This is the first instance, of which I am aware in Scripture, where God says that He will, in the future, judge a city that no longer exists. In Matthew 12:41-42 we find the eternal in Jesus preaching judgment. Thus far the eternal is more to be feared than anticipated. Judgment occupies most of what Jesus says on the subject. He also says, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell… Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”[555] Jesus includes this in His instructions to the twelve as He sends them out to minister. We “fear” in the direction of our hope. Jesus tells us to fear God, and to the degree we obey Him, we lose our fear of the world. If, in our fear of the world, we deny Christ, He will deny knowing us at the Day of Judgment.

Beginning in Matthew 13 Jesus teaches in parables for the first time. When asked why, He says He does not want the people to know “the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.”[556] Evidently, in preaching the kingdom of heaven, Jesus did not tell them all there was to know. As He gives other parables, we learn that a person enters because he is righteous, and the unrighteous are “thrown into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.”[557]

After revealing to the disciples that He is Christ, Matthew says, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”[558] From the response of the disciples in John 13-16, they did not allow His words to have their way.

Our Lord asks, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Jesus says that because we are eternal, our souls are of greater value than the sum of the world’s wealth. He then warns, “For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done.”[559] The Law of the Harvest: what a man sows in this life, he reaps in the life to come; the judgment of God is a judgment of man’s deeds. In Matthew 16:24-28 Jesus talks about how this life influences eternity. The Savior warns, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”[560] Jesus makes this reference to their need to “turn, change.” In Matthew 18:7-9 Jesus talks about it being better to enter life maimed than be thrown into eternal fire. In Matthew 19:16 a man comes to Jesus asking how he can obtain eternal life. Throughout these passages people talk about life after death as though there is a general understanding of what it entails.

In His parables, Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like…” But He never tells us what the kingdom of heaven is. In Matthew 20:18 Jesus again tells them that He will go to Jerusalem to die at the hands of the chief priests and scribes.

“Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.”[561] In this, the conclusion of Jesus’ parable of two sons, He teaches that sinners enter His kingdom before the religious leaders, because the sinners repent and believe. “Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.”[562] In this parable of the wedding feast (found only in Matthew), Jesus teaches that unless certain requirements are met, people will be expelled from His feast. The “outcast” was called, but God refused to choose him due to his inadequate preparation.

Jesus says, “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in… Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”[563] In this pronouncing of judgment upon the religious leaders, Jesus tells us that they not only go to hell, but they keep people from going to heaven.[564]

Conclusion

Again, we will break before finishing Matthew, picking up the remaining material in the next issue.

In fear of His judgment,

January 2010

Part Thirty-Seven

We find the use of the word “hope” three times in the Gospels: Matthew 12:21: “And in his name shall the Gentiles hope.” Luke 6:34: “And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? even sinners lend to sinners, to receive again as much.” John 5:45: “Think not that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, on whom ye have set your hope.” With the possible exception of Matthew 12:21, Jesus does not use this word in an eschatological sense. Jesus’ presence was a realized eschatology; fellowshipping with Him, they did not need to hope in His return. It was only after He ascended that they needed a hope of His return.

Continued Reflections on the Gospel of Matthew

In material found only in Matthew 24:43 – 25:46, Jesus continues teaching about the end of the age with a series of parables: The Faithful Servant and the Evil servant,[565] Ten Virgins,[566] Pounds,[567] and Sheep and Goats.[568] Note in the outline of events listed above (also found in Matthew 24:1-31), Jesus tells His followers that they can anticipate His return, but in the parable of the Ten Virgins He says they cannot anticipate the time of His return. Evidently, we can discern the times but not the exact time of His appearing.

From this point on, Jesus does not discuss anything pertaining to an eternal hope, with the exception of His saying, during the institution of the Lord’s Supper, “Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”[569] During His trial before the high priest, He said, “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”[570]

The last parable, dealing with the sheep and goats, ends with “and they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”[571] Earlier in this chapter, in the Parable of the Foolish Virgins, Jesus teaches the importance of being selfish (don’t share the oil), the desire to negotiate (foolish virgins wanted bridegroom to reconsider), and God’s unwillingness to reconsider His decision. No room for grace in this parable.

Jesus again tells the disciples that He will fulfill Scripture – “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”[572]

“And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”[573] This commentary by Matthew takes place as Jesus dies on the cross, before His resurrection.[574]

When on trial for His life, the masses cry, “His blood be on us and on our children.”[575] What kind of mind-set would be required for a person to make that kind of statement? How can a person ever judge with that kind of confidence? Certainly nothing in the Bible warrants it.

Reflections on the Gospel of Mark

Speaking to the crowd, Jesus said, “And he said to them, ‘Take heed what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.’”[576] In this, a passage paralleling Matthew 13, Jesus says that we reap in eternity what we sow in this life.

In a statement, paralleling Matthew 16 and Luke 9, Jesus says, “For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”[577] In words reminiscent of the Matthew 5 presentation of the “Sermon on the Mount,” He says, “And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire… And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell… And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”[578] Jesus emphasizes the importance of eternal life and the need to hope in heaven rather than hell. Matthew adds to the words of Jesus, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”[579]

“For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.”[580] This appears to be the third time Jesus references His death. Mark says, “But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.”[581] Matthew, commenting on this same episode says, “And they were exceeding sorry,”[582] while Luke reports, “But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.”[583] Evidently, God did not want them to make the connection between Jesus’ death and their need for propitiation. When Jesus heard the Scribe agree with Him that loving God is the most important command, He affirmed the Scribe with these words: “And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.”[584] Jesus does not tell him what else he needs to get to heaven.

Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.”[585] In Matthew’s account of this, He says “kingdom of heaven.” Note that Jesus refers to the “kingdom” as both a present reality and a future event. A person’s future entrance into the kingdom of God is dependent upon his correct attitude toward the present kingdom of God. You can see this dual understanding of the kingdom throughout the Synoptics.[586]

At the end of Jesus public ministry, He gives His followers eternal hope with these words: “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows… Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death… For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days… For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect… But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”[587] Jesus lists the events preceding the end of the age when He returns. In a parallel account Jesus says the days of Noah characterize the end times.[588]

“Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.”[589] Jesus accuses His disciples of “unbelief and hardness of heart” because they refused to believe the witness of those who saw the resurrected Christ. How do you determine the line between unacceptable unbelief and healthy skepticism? “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”[590] This is the last time the disciples saw Jesus prior to their death. So too, it is the last reference in the Synoptics to an eternal hope.

Conclusion

It seems to me that in the Synoptics Jesus emphasizes the role man plays in his relationship to God rather than role God takes in initiating a relationship with man. Grace tends to be muted, and when you find it, more often than not you will see it by implication rather than explication. I corresponded with Darrell Bock, a professor from Dallas Theological Seminary, and, in part, he said: “I disagree with the assessment that grace is in John, but not in the Synoptics. Jesus’ ministry and the theological supposition of his outreach to sinners is grace throughout. Luke’s theme of the basis for reaching out to sinners is grounded in faith and forgiveness (Luke 7:36-50). You argue it is implied; I think it is more fundamental– the examples in use fit the period of the Jewish audience, but they exemplify grace. Even more to the point is Jesus’ great commission in Matthew 28:18-20, where Jesus tells the disciples to make disciples by ‘teaching them to obey ALL that I have commanded you.’ Texts like the Sermon on the Mount– one of five blocks of teaching in Matthew must be in view here. So the teaching of obedience is a crucial part of the gospel portrait. It is grounded in the RESPONSE to Jesus’ offer of grace, but it is a key part of the total mission of the church to instruct with a view to encouraging the body to draw on the Spirit, who will lead them into the proper response.” So you can see, not all agree with me on this point. I leave it to you to decide as you read on through my notes.

Grateful for His grace,

March 2010

Dear Co-laborer:

Part Thirty-Eight

My objective in this study is to explore the Scriptural teaching on an eternal hope, and how/when it came into existence. We see traces of it in the Apocrypha, clearly in the Pseudepigrapha (but much of it was written during the NT era), and emphasized in the ministry of Jesus. Scholars speculate that God began to reveal it to the Essene community. We are now seeking to look at what the NT teaches on this before some concluding remarks.

Reflections on the Gospel of Luke

This proclamation follows Jesus’ miracle of providing fish: “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”[591] Although Peter calls himself a sinner, nowhere that I am aware of does Jesus call the disciples sinners or breakers of the law (with, of course, the exception of Judas the betrayer). Also, when the Savior says, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance,”[592] He never discusses the basis by which a just God can forgive the sinner without violating His justice. In the house of Simon the Pharisee, a sinful woman washes the feet of Jesus with her tears, wipes them with her hair, and anoints them with oil, and Jesus responds with these words, “Thy sins are forgiven.”[593] The woman does not ask Jesus for forgiveness. Note, this is the second time Jesus claims to forgive sin,[594] and He makes no reference to His propitious death as the basis for being able to do it.

“For I say unto you, among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”[595] In Jesus’ response to the people after He assured John’s disciples that He is the Christ, I am not sure if He refers to the present kingdom or to an eschatological hope.

When you study the life of Christ from a synoptic perspective, this appears to be the fourth reference to Jesus death: “When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.”[596] The word “received up” means, “to take or receive up” as in the resurrection or ascension. Only in Luke will you find this reference.[597]

Jesus sends the seventy out ministering, and when they return, Jesus gives this comment after hearing their report: “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”[598] Later, “a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”[599] Jesus answered him by giving the parable of the Good Samaritan. Evidently, the importance of preparing for life after death occupied the thinking of this lawyer.

“The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here… Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.”[600] Jesus’ solemn warning suggests that hell will not be the same for everyone, and is similar to the judgment pronounced in Luke 10:12-15; Jesus does not say that the generations of Solomon and Jonah go to heaven. Rather, the present generation has more light, and thus less excuse, than they.[601]

“And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear (phobia): Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”[602] Because God has the power to send people to hell, He alone should be feared. Jesus continues, telling the multitudes not to fear the temporal. Many, if not most, evangelical Christians that I have met, believe the opposite; they argue that believers should not fear God – respect Him, yes, but have a phobia of Him, definitely not.

“And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”[603] In most of this material Jesus teaches accountability, and although He doesn’t specifically say “eternal” accountability, the context seems to suggest it. Whatever else a person accrues from increased resources, he accrues increased accountability in the Day of Judgment.[604]

In a passage paralleling Matthew 7, Jesus says, “Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.”[605] In both passages Jesus teaches that many who have assurance of salvation will not gain entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

“And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.”[606] In this, the conclusion of the parable of the Prodigal Son, the father assures the elder son that he will not re-divide the inheritance with the prodigal, suggesting that forgiveness in God’s economy does not eliminate consequences. In another story Jesus says, “And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.”[607] This, the conclusion of the parable of the Unjust Steward, teaches that the believer should invest his temporal resources in such a way that they will accrue eternal benefit. The unrighteous steward, representing the unbeliever, is wiser than those professing faith in Christ, in that he invested in what he thought was the most important, while Christ’s followers invest in what they know is least important – unrighteous mammon. At another time Jesus says, “But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”[608] In this, the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus teaches that what you sow in this life you will reap in the life after death.

Speaking of the end times, Jesus says, “For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation… I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”[609] Jesus, teaching what to expect at the time of His return, says that people will behave as in the days of Noah and Lot; they will live disregarding the promise of His return.

“For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.”[610] In this, the fifth time Jesus tells the disciples of Him imminent death, God keeps the disciples from understanding what He says.[611]

“For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”[612] In this, the conclusion of Jesus’ parable on the mina (found only in Luke), He teaches that in eternity the rich get richer and the poor become poorer. Each servant receives one mina from his master and one returns 10 minas, receiving as a result 10 cities, and another returns 5 minas, resulting in his obtaining 5 cities. In this, Jesus teaches that He rewards in the kingdom of heaven on the basis of faithfulness to opportunity.

“And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.”[613] The Sadducees, due to Greek influence, denied the resurrection of the dead. Seeking to trap Jesus, they asked about marriage in heaven. From Jesus’ answer we learn that the union of a man and a woman in marriage does not exist in heaven. Note the reference to a person’s works being strategic in obtaining eternal life: “But they which shall be accounted worthy…”

While on the cross, “Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, to day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”[614] Jesus gave this promise to one of the thieves suffering with Him on the cross.[615]

“He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words.”[616] The angel spoke these words to the women who came to anoint Jesus’ body on Sunday morning. They “remembered His words,” but obviously His words, when first spoken, didn’t make sense. Otherwise, they would have expected to find an empty tomb rather than a body needing anointing for burial.

“Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”[617] Jesus spoke these words to those walking with Him on the road to Emmaus. Evidently, the Old Testament contains adequate material for people to understand the mission of Christ. With the possible exception of Isaiah 53 (which the Hebrew people thought applied to the nation), I have no idea where Jesus took the disciples in making this explanation.

In our next issue we will look at the Gospel of John.

His … Yours,

November 2010

Part Thirty-Nine

Introduction

In the last three issues of the Dear Co-laborer letter I sought to address my concerns regarding the direction professing Christians have taken in regard to the expectations of Christ. Before continuing with the question of eternal hope in the Old Testament, allow me to give a brief summary of where we had been prior to this digression.

With the theme of eternal hope playing such a significant part in the lives of New Testament believers, I find it startling to discover that we have no record of God giving the individual an eternal hope in the Old Testament. We do see a gradual shift from the temporal to the eternal; the nation to the individual; and action to motive, particularly as we move to the exilic and post-exilic prophets. For example, God says through Daniel, “Many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, others to reproaches, to everlasting abhorrence.”[618] This promise of the resurrection was never given to any particular individual, however.

In the Synoptics, although Jesus ministered to the masses through acts of healing, most of His dialogue was either with the Scribes, Pharisees, or Sadducees – or with His disciples. In either case, His words are void of grace; they deal with God’s rejection and judgment. Only when we come to John’s gospel do we encounter a different tone. Most of the material in John’s gospel cannot be found in the other three gospels; particularly in John Jesus talks about election. Because election and grace are the head and tail of the same coin, you also see in John an emphasis on grace not found in the Synoptics. For example, Jesus says, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”[619] The believer finds his security in the fact that God chose him rather than vice versa.

Reflections on the Gospel of John

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”[620] These words of John the Baptist are the clearest explanation of Jesus mission that I can find in any of the gospels.[621]

“And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven… That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”[622] Jesus tells Nicodemus that to see (v. 3) and enter (v. 5) the kingdom of God,[623] he must be born again. The Savior eliminates all doubt as to what He means when He introduces us to the concept of eternal life.

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”[624] This appears to be the continuation of John the Baptist’s declaration concerning Jesus. By way of contrast, Jesus promises the woman at Jacob’s well, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”[625] Jesus contrasts the water He offers with that which one drinks from Jacob’s well.

“And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.”[626] When the disciples meet Jesus at Jacob’s well, He tells them it is a time for reaping. The one who preaches the gospel receives an “eternal wage;” what you sow and reap in this life, when properly done, accrues eternal benefit.

“For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son… Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live… Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”[627] Jesus rebukes the religious leaders in Jerusalem because they condemned Him for healing on the Sabbath. You receive a mixed message from Jesus’ words in this passage: On the one hand He says, “The Son quickeneth… He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life,” but later He says, “they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” The “good” must refer to “believe” and “evil” to unbelief.[628]

“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed… And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day…[629] Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life… I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever… Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day… he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.”[630] Jesus says this in His talk on the Bread of Life; we labor for the eternal, not the temporal, but we have everlasting life in the first place because we believe.[631] Believing means partaking of Christ, the Bread of Life.

“Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”[632] Peter understands that eternal life can only be found in the words of Christ.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.”[633] Earlier we saw that the resurrection is a present reality: “Whosoever liveth and believeth on me, shall never die.”[634] Those who have eternal life have been resurrected in the sense that it is a fait accompli.

At the close of Jesus’ message on the Good Shepherd, He makes this claim: “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father… My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”[635] Although Jesus doesn’t specifically mention eternal life in the earlier verses, He makes Himself clear later when the Jews challenged Him.

At the resurrection of Lazarus Jesus speaks to his sister: John 11:24-26: “Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”[636] Although Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, this was not to eternal life; Lazarus had to physically die once again.

When Jesus rebukes Judas for criticizing Mary, He makes reference to His death: “Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.”[637] I don’t find in John’s gospel Jesus seeking to prepare the disciples for His death, as found in the Synoptics.

Jesus speaks these words after His triumphal entry, before celebrating the Passover Feast with His disciples: “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal… For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting.”[638] Evidently, even in John’s gospel, where he emphasizes grace, believing is not enough; you must “hate” your life in this world in order to obtain eternal life.

“Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God.”[639] In this, John’s prologue to the Upper Room Discourse, we see the hope of eternal life in the certainty of Jesus regarding His fate.

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also… Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.”[640] In these words of comfort spoken by Jesus, the disciples gain an assurance of spending eternity with Him. “I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”[641] Throughout these closing words of Jesus’ discourse, He talks about the Holy Spirit replacing Him when He goes to the Father. In all of this material, an eternal hope is implied.

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”[642] In this, His high priestly prayer, Jesus defines eternal life: knowing God. “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee[643]… Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.”[644] Among the things for which Jesus prays is that His “own” join Him in an eternity with God.

“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”[645] When Jesus made this statement to Pilate, He implied that His kingdom is heaven; He did not come to rule over the institutions of man.

“Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”[646] These words Jesus spoke to Mary Magdalene, the first, according to John’s gospel, to see the resurrected Christ.

“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”[647] John tells us that the purpose of his gospel is that people “might have life through his name,” that is, an eternal hope.

Grateful for His life,

January, 2011

Part Forty

Introduction

Because individual salvation is muted in the Old Testament and emphasized in the epistles, Jesus acts as a bridge by highlighting the individual’s need for grace. You are led to believe that apart from Moses’ violation of God’s law not to strike the rock, and David’s murder and adultery, people had a relationship with God because they kept the Law. I know of no place in the Old Testament where God actually forgives an individual. (The one exception may be when Nathan tells David: “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.”[648] Even here, such a promise from God seems out of place and unjust; it certainly stands in contrast to how God deals with other individuals in the Old Testament.)

As noted earlier in this study, God begins to emphasize the individual during the time of Judah’s exile in Babylon: “But if a wicked man turns away from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness which he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?”[649] Although the word “forgive” is not used, God clearly suggests that the man’s sin is forgiven, but only because the man changed his ways and began to live according to God’s Law. God says nothing about substitution or propitiation. Note also that God threatens the sinner with death without specifying what kind of death. If temporal death, and the context seem to suggest this, then the Law of the Harvest does apply to the temporal.

In the Gospels Jesus affirms the importance of keeping the Law, and although He was rejected by the nation (cf. Matthew 12), He talks to people about how they can be saved (something the Old Testament writers did not do). But Jesus gives little hope to people who violate the Law, as evidenced by: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”[650] The word for “iniquity” means “law breaker.” Thus, Jesus stands as a bridge between the OT and the NT epistles.

Observations Regarding Kingdom of God/Kingdom of Heaven

Before leaving the Gospels, let’s take a moment to look at the Kingdom of God/Kingdom of Heaven. When God promised Abraham the land in Genesis 12 and 15, what did He have in mind? Historically, the Jews have viewed the land as part of their covenant with God; God give the land to His people in perpetuity. The absence of an eternal promise given to the individual may have resulted in their concluding that the temporal was eternal, i.e., the individual will not live eternally, but the nation will eternally live on the land. However they thought, it included Messiah one day establishing His Kingdom on earth.

In the Gospels the phrase “Kingdom of Heaven” appears only in Matthew. The phrase “Kingdom of God” appears in all four gospels, but only twice in John.[651] According to Jesus, it is the community in which the divine will is to be realized on earth as it already exists in heaven. An individual can enter it only by total submission to the authority of God. He may be motivated by self-interest, but he must surrender his lust for autonomy to the authority of Christ.

The Kingdom of God/Kingdom of Heaven has the following uses:

1 – The OT prophets saw the Kingdom of God as something future, even though they lived in the days of the Theocratic Kingdom: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of [his] government and peace [there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”[652]

God speaking through Amos says: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God.”[653]

2 – The Kingdom predicted in the OT was not in existence in the days of John the Baptist, for he preached that it was “nigh at hand.”

Matthew tells us: “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand… the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”[654]

The Jews believed that John’s prophecy was for them. The gospels record no controversy between the Jews, on the one hand, and Jesus and John, on the other, over their understanding of the Kingdom of God. It is interesting that the Jewish rulers thought that if they acknowledged Jesus as their King, the Romans would destroy their nation.[655] Evidently they looked for the kingdom, but believed that for it to arrive Rome had to be dealt with first – which is the argument of the prophecy of Daniel and “the feet of clay mixed with iron.”

3 – Christ preached that the Kingdom of God is both a present reality and a future hope: “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”[656] I have to receive it now if I am to receive it in the future.

4 – Christ preached that the Kingdom of God is “within you.”

Luke records: “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”[657]

5 – God’s sovereign rule is operational, whether people acknowledge it or not, as

King Darius attests upon Daniel’s escaping with his life from the lion’s den: “I make a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he [is] the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion [shall be even] unto the end.”[658]

So also, in a vision given Daniel regarding the last days: “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.”[659]

6 – Jesus said that the Kingdom of God would be taken from Israel and given to another ethne or ethnic people: “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”[660]

7 – Christ’ present kingdom is different from the millennial kingdom as the latter is yet to be realized. In His explanation of the Parable of the Wheat and Tares, Jesus said, “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity.”[661] It will not be a pure kingdom until the return of Christ and He establishes His millennial kingdom.

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”[662] (This is a future event, since it occurs after the return of Christ and the resurrection of the dead.)

It is for this kingdom that Jesus tells us to pray: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven.”[663] And it is this kingdom that we are to seek: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”[664]

If these teachings of Jesus apply to the church, and I think most would agree that they do, then it is a different kingdom from that described by the Old Testament prophets.

8 – Paul teaches that God’s use of the church does not abrogate His Old Testament promises to Israel. When he concludes his analogy of the “wild” and “natural branches” of the olive tree, he says: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:”[665]

Conclusion

In my study of the Kingdom of God/Heaven, although it was not exhaustive, I could not find any distinction between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven; the writers of the Synoptic Gospels seem to use the terms interchangeably.[666]

Eager for His Kingdom,

September 2011

Part Forty-One

Introduction

In the last three issues of the Dear Co-laborer letter I sought to address my concerns regarding what I called “Drifting Towards Dumbness.” Before continuing with the question of eternal hope in the Old Testament, allow me to give a brief summary of where we had been prior to this digression.

With the theme of eternal hope playing such a significant part in the lives of New Testament believers, I find it startling to discover that we have no record of God giving the individual an eternal hope in the Old Testament. We do see a gradual shift from the temporal to the eternal, the nation to the individual, and action to motive, particularly as we move to the exilic and post-exilic prophets. For example, God says through Daniel, “Many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, others to reproaches, to everlasting abhorrence.”[667] This promise of the resurrection was never given to any particular individual, however.

In the Synoptics, although Jesus ministered to the masses through acts of healing, most of His dialogue was either with the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, or with His disciples. His words are, for the most part, void of grace; they deal with God’s rejection and judgment. Only when we come to John’s gospel do we encounter a different tone. Most of the material in John’s gospel cannot be found in the other three gospels, and in John Jesus talks about election. Because election and grace are the head and tail of the same coin, you also see in John an emphasis on grace not found in the Synoptics. For example, Jesus says, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”[668] The believer finds his security in the fact that God chose him rather than vice versa.

We will now return to an examination of the remaining portions of the New Testament to note the authors’ references to an eternal hope. The Acts of the Apostles, written by Luke, doesn’t differ appreciably from what we find in the exilic and post-exilic prophets.

Reflections on Acts

Peter preaches the first sermons in Acts, and does not differ appreciably from the message of Ezekiel:[669] God demands righteousness, justice, and purity, and the people must repent to receive the forgiveness of God. Peter adds that God raised Jesus from the dead and those repenting must be baptized in His name – a message not all that different from John the Baptist’s. Peter’s message at Pentecost referenced the unjust crucifixion of Christ, but made no reference to Christ’s propitiation as the basis of God’s forgiveness and only mentioned forgiveness of sins in response to questions and not in the context of Christ’s death:

“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’” And Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.”[670]å

Note the following from this first recorded sermon after the Ascension of Christ:

1 – Peter seems to have a boldness and ability to articulate that he did not manifest in the gospels.

2 – He has a grasp of the OT Scriptures that appears to be new, quoting from Joel and the Psalms.

3 – He does not separate the two advents of Christ when referring to Joel, indicating that he anticipated the imminent return of Christ; he believes that all of Joel is either fulfilled or about to be fulfilled.

4 – The people are called upon to believe in Jesus and be baptized in His name for the forgiveness of sin, but as noted above, I see no link between the death of Christ and God forgiving sin. Peter makes no reference to the theology of the cross.

5 – “Many wonders and signs were done through the apostles,” indicating that they were an impetus to believing.

6 – They “had all things in common, and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all as any had need.” Did they do this because they anticipated the immediate return of Christ? Did this add to the problem of their dependence upon the generosity of the Gentile churches, as Augustine seems to suggest?

After healing the lame man in Acts 3, Peter preached to the crowd, “But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old.”[671] Once again, note that this message (minus the reference to Christ) does not differ from Ezekiel’s message.

After Peter was released from the Jewish leaders, the people prayed essentially the same thing as Peter had preached.[672] In Acts 5, when Peter was re-arrested, he testified to the council: “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”[673] Nothing in this material suggests that Jesus’ death, as a propitiation for sin was the necessary ground for God’s forgiveness.

Stephen’s long sermon to the Council in Acts 7 does not mention repentance or forgiveness; the present generation of leaders merely repeated the mistakes of their fathers who unjustly opposed God.

Peter told Simon, who practiced magic and wanted to buy the power of the Holy Spirit, “Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.”[674]

When Jesus revealed Himself to Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road, He said nothing about sin and forgiveness.

Peter, when preaching to Cornelius’ household said, “To Him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”[675]

Paul preached in the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia, “Let it be known to you therefore, brethren, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him every one that believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.”[676]

At the Jerusalem Council Peter acknowledged that his message did not differ from Paul’s, “But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”[677]

In Philippi, after Paul and Silas were thrown in prison, they testified to the jailer that if he wished to be saved he must “believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”[678]

When in Athens, Paul preached at the Areopagus, “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead.”[679]

Paul, when returning from his third missionary journey, reminded the Ephesian elders that he, “testif(ied) both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance to God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”[680] After arriving in Jerusalem, Paul sought to testify to the Jews in the Temple, but he wasn’t able to make any reference to their need to repent or Jesus’ propitious death as the means whereby God can forgive.

Finally, in the last recorded sermon in Acts, Paul preached before King Agrippa, “…to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me…. That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.”[681]

From this analysis of Acts we discover that although the apostles introduced Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises, their message regarding the need to repent in order to receive God’s forgiveness, did not differ all that much from that of Ezekiel and other Old Testament exilic and post-exilic prophets. We are not introduced to the theology of the Cross until the New Testament epistles. As far as I can tell the apostles in Acts also do not emphasize an eternal hope,[682] which, as we have already discovered, is so ubiquitous in the teaching of the Lord Jesus. The only reference to “eternal” in Acts comes from Luke’s comment, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.”[683] “Heaven” is never used as the place the saints go after death. The word “hope,” connected to the idea of the believer’s eternal hope, appears twice in reference to the resurrection from the dead.[684]

Conclusion

We began this series by calling attention to the importance of hope; without hope people despair and lose their motivation for living. But like most things in life, hope carries with it the sober realization that the object of your hope determines how you live. If you hope in God, then you must meet His expectations in order to reap the benefits of your relationship with Him. If you hope in heaven you acknowledge the reality of hell. Hope is defined as future anticipation and people take their risks (faith) in the direction of their hope. An eternal hope means you live as the slave of Jesus Christ, acknowledging that: a) – you cannot be certain that God exists or that He “rewards them that diligently seek him,”[685]and b) – if He does exist, He will hold you accountable for the way you live.

Yours for a life of obedience,

November 2011

Part Forty-Two

Introduction

We are indebted to the Apostle Paul for many things, not the least of which is the theology of the Christian Church. Paul, more than any other biblical writer, lays emphasis on grace – that a person is justified before God without reference to his works. Of Paul’s epistles, most agree that Romans stands at the pinnacle of his writings.

Reflections on Romans

Paul addresses an eternal hope for the first time in the context of judgment: “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life.”[686] Note that he seems to say a person can obtain eternal life by good works, something the whole of his epistle refutes.

Paul references the resurrection with the words, “as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’ — in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.” [687] This resurrection does not lead to eternal life, but rather to the continuation of temporal life – as illustrated by what would have happened if Abraham had killed Isaac and God raised him from the dead. God raised Jesus from the dead: “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification,”[688] but Paul does not connect this with an eternal hope.

Romans ties Christ’s death with the sinner’s forgiveness, implying that we have, as a result, eternal hope: “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”[689] Paul connects the two later: “so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”[690] And again, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”[691]

In the great chapter on assurance of salvation, Paul says, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you.”[692] And again, “it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him… we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies… And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.”[693]

Returning to the certainty of judgment, Paul says, “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’ So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God.”[694] With these words, you don’t so much gain an eternal hope as the certainty of eternal accountability.

Reflections on 1 Corinthians

Paul begins this letter by contrasting the wisdom of God with the wisdom of the world. In so doing, he implies both an eternal hope and the propitious death of Christ for sinners: “So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ… But we preach Christ crucified…”[695]

Not only can the believer legitimately hope in a life after death, Paul warns that the quality of that life depends on how he lives his present life: “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”[696] Temporal behavior has eternal consequences, and heaven will not be of the same quality for all believers. Those reading Paul’s epistle ought to take care to make application, for “the Lord (will) come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” [697]

The believer participates in the Lord’s Supper as a testimony to the fact that he anticipates Christ’s return: “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.”[698]

For Paul, understanding the judgment of God plays an important role in preparing for eternity. Some sins, when willfully committed, deprive an individual of any assurance of heaven: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.”[699]

Because this life prepares a person for eternity, the stakes are so high that Paul encourages, but does not command, people to remain celibate so they can concentrate on accruing eternal profit.[700] Paul himself lived so focused: “For I would that all men were even as myself… Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”[701] Again, Paul admonishes his readers to emulate him in this regard: “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”[702]

When the believer leaves this life for an eternity with God, he carries with him the need to walk by faith, maintain hope, and practice love: “So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”[703] Loves is the greatest of the three, for it, unlike faith and hope, is an attribute of God.

When Paul addresses the issue of the resurrection, he articulates an eternal hope; the certainty of the resurrection guarantees eternal life. Note three consequences if there is no resurrection: First, “For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised.” Christ remains in His grave. Second, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” Without the resurrection of Christ, the believer loses all hope of heaven. Third, “Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”[704] Death ends everything, and this means that for those who die having lived a short or pain-filled life, life is a sick joke.

In this epistle Paul outlines the order of events when God terminates history as we know it: “Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”[705] “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he (Christ) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he (Christ) shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he (Christ) must reign, till he (Father) hath put all enemies under his (Christ’s) feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he (Father) hath put all things under his (Christ’s) feet. But when he (Father) saith all things are put under him, (Christ) it is manifest that he (Father) is excepted, which did put all things under him (Christ). And when all things shall be subdued unto him (Christ), then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him (Father) that put all things under him (Christ), that God may be all in all.”[706] Before Christ’s ascension, the Father reigned, as evidenced by Jesus seeking only the will of His Father. After the ascension the Father rules through Christ. When the end comes, Christ will deliver up this administrative kingdom, and God will again be all in all. When Christ ascended, all power in heaven and earth was given to Him, His not having possessed it before. He retains this power until His enemies are put under His feet. Then Christ delivers it to the Father. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord… Maranatha.”[707]

Conclusion

Throughout Scripture God tests His people, usually for the purpose of helping them define their hope. As Paul says in Romans 5:3-5: “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” You can see these various tests as illustrated by:

1 – At Kadesh Barnea, did Israel hope in the deliverance of God, or the strength of her own arm?

2 – When Israel was sent into Babylon for 70 years, God promised to return them to their land. Many returned, but many stayed in Babylon, probably for financial reasons. Was their hope in what God promised, or in what they were able to temporally accrue by their wits?

3 – God uses prosperity in the lives of the NT saints to test them regarding their hope by asking them to be generous.

4 – God uses adversity in the lives of the NT saints to test them regarding their hope by asking them to be grateful.

5 – God postpones His return to test the people regarding their hope of heaven. The believer pleads with God for His imminent return as an expression of his eternal hope.

6 – God gives many the opportunity to retire from their vocation, to test them regarding their understanding of their purpose.

In Christ,

January 2012

Part Forty-Three

Introduction

Although faith has always been the only condition for salvation, submission to God and obeying His commands is the paramount indication that you have met the condition. A heart for obedience is the only sure evidence of regeneration.

Reflections on 2 Corinthians

Paul says, “But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.”[708] What God will do at the resurrection, He in fact does (in an analogous manner) each day. So too, as God delivers from death day-by-day, He will also deliver from the grave at His coming. The phrase “day of our Lord Jesus”[709] connotes, as in other letters, Paul’s eternal hope. This eternal hope permeates his whole epistle, as evidenced by statements like: “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?”[710]

The resurrection forms the foundation for Paul’s future hope: “Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you…. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”[711] This launches Paul into an explanation of what happens to the believer after death. In essence, he says we can serve God in this life in our bodies but absent from the Lord, in the presence of the Lord absent our bodies, and third, with our resurrected bodies in the presence of the Lord. In whichever state, we seek to please Christ, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.”[712]

Paul ties the propitious death of Christ with imputation: “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation… For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”[713] God imputes Christ’s righteousness to the believer, and the believer’s sin to Christ. Paul uses this double imputation seen at the end of chapter five as motivation for the Corinthians being generous with their resources: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”[714]

Finally, as Paul brings his letter to a close, he returns to his theme of living life in anticipation of eternity and defends his apostleship by reminding them that his weakness merely emulates the weakness of Christ. Paul takes upon his ministry the weakness of Christ: “For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we are weak in him, but in dealing with you we shall live with him by the power of God.”[715]

Reflections on Galatians

This epistle makes a unique contribution to our understanding of God’s promise of an eternal hope to the individual, in that it is a polemic surrounding the question of how people in the Old Testament were saved. Paul begins by calling attention to the resurrection: “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.”[716] He ties this with the fact that Christ died for our sins: “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:”[717] The phrase, “that He might deliver us from this present evil world,” may reference our eternal hope. Paul resurfaces the idea of Christ dying for our sins: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.”[718] Here we note a clear reference to substitution; Christ paid the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross.

Twice Paul references our eternal hope, one negative: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness… of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God,”[719] and one positive: “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”[720]

Galatians 3:19-4:7 defends his gospel against the Judaizing heresy, explaining why God gave the Law, as well as His purpose for it during the 2000 or so years it was in force for Israel. He describes this situation as “being in custody,” (3:23), and “shut up to faith” (3:22,23). These expressions refer to the period when the Jews lived under the Mosaic Law, which condemned them, incited them to sin more, but contained no hope of rectifying their sin problem with God. Paul makes it clear that it was God’s plan all along for the nation to be in this situation until Jesus’ substitutionary death.

The absence of an offer to the individual of an eternal hope in the Old Testament was intentional. Evidently, God deliberately let His chosen people, the Jewish nation, live under the condemnation of the Mosaic Law with no hope of eternal life to highlight the greatness of the redemption offered in Jesus. This may seem callous, but God did this in order to emphasize the gloriousness of the salvation Jesus made available at the time of His death. A relationship with God requires believing whatever He reveals, as was the case with Abraham; God did save a number of Hebrews without their knowing they were saved, simply because they believed Him. Only in the New Testament do we find out their faith, as demonstrated by their response to God, was credited as righteousness.

Reflections on Ephesians

In his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul calls attention to Christ’s redemption of the sinner: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”[721] So also: “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.”[722]

Three times in Eph 1 Paul references our inheritance: “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance…ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession…that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.”[723] Although Paul does not mention an eternal hope, it seems to me that he implies one when talking about the believer’s inheritance, as indicated by: “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”[724] Note that Paul says that redemption is a future event: “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”[725] It seems to me that this implies a future, i.e., an eternal hope – as does: “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”[726] The whole tenor of the epistle directs the believer to live this life in preparation for heaven.

Reflections on Philippians

Note the use of the phrase “Day of Christ:” “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ…Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”[727] This phrase seems to point to an eternal hope.

An eternal hope is implied in: “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.”[728] Paul clearly states that he is motivated by an eternal hope with the words: “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”[729] And again, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”[730] Paul encourages them to accrue eternal gain through acts of generosity: “Not that I seek the gift; but I seek the fruit which increases to your credit.”[731]

Although an eternal hope seems to form the ethos for all Paul says in this epistle, he seems to be more interested in encouraging them to godly living than generating this hope. At no place, that I can find, does Paul tie our eternal hope with the propitious death of Christ in his epistle to the Philippians.

Reflections on Colossians

Paul begins his epistle with an encouraging word of eternal hope: “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.”[732] He next connects this hope with the propitious work of Christ: “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins… And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”[733]

It seems to me when Paul mentions that we were dead in sins Christ made us alive, this has to refer to an eternal hope, for if it is applicable only in the temporal, then how do our lives differ from the non-believer? In Ephesians Paul says, “…even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”[734] In Colossians he makes the same point: “And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.”[735]

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”[736] In this beautiful passage Paul argues that Christ assures the believer that not only will he join Christ in glory, he is currently positioned in an otherworldly union with Christ. Thus he is assured that, “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”[737]

In Christ,

March 2012

Part Forty-Five

Introduction

Paul says, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body… Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it”[738] Christ died for His church. Because Christ does not need to die for an institution (such as Israel) any more than He has to die for our organization or institution, the “church” refers to individuals, not an institution.

Reflections on 1 Thessalonians

Commending the Thessalonians, Paul says that they “wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.”[739] We note that Paul talks about the resurrection and the fact that Christ delivers us from wrath, but does not specifically say Jesus died to make this possible through His propitious death.

In numerous places in this epistle Paul implies that he anticipates the return of Christ during his lifetime: [740] “But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord.”[741] In this famous passage dealing with the “rapture,” Paul uses “asleep” as a euphemism for death, as indicated in v. 16 when he says “the dead in Christ.” We have an eternal hope because Christ will come for His own.

Reflections on 2 Thessalonians

Paul places a heavy emphasis on eschatology in this short epistle: “Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling…”[742]

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 Paul comments on what we should expect just prior to Christ’s return, outlining some of the activities of Antichrist: “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”[743] Antichrist places his throne in the Temple, seeking to exalt himself above God.

Evidently, some refused to work, believing the return of Christ to be imminent (cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13).

Reflections on 1 Timothy

Paul, after commenting on the fact that he is the “foremost sinner” because he persecuted the church, says: “But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost (sinner), Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”[744] Later Paul affirms the resurrection of the dead by saying of our Lord that He was “taken up in glory.”[745]

In chapter 4 he compares physical and spiritual exercise, saying: “For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”[746]

In his admonition to Timothy, Paul says: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses,”[747] implying that eternal life is not a gift, but something Timothy must earn. Paul goes on to say that Jesus “alone has immortality,”[748] which would seem to refute the idea of an eternal hope. But he goes on to say that the rich should be generous in order that they may lay “up a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life which is life indeed.”[749]

I can find no reference to Jesus being the propitiation for our sins, but overall the tone of the epistle seems to be that we should be motivated by an eternal hope.

Reflections on 2 Timothy

The hope of immortality and eternal life with Christ permeates this short letter. You find the hope of eternal life in Paul’s opening statement: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus.”[750] He follows by saying: “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”[751]

Paul assumes the resurrection of the dead, saying: “Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel… It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him.”[752] He believes that the resurrection is future, for he rebukes “Hymenaeus and Philetus who have swerved from the truth by holding that the resurrection is past already. They are upsetting the faith of some.”[753]

Confident in his eternal hope, Paul closes by saying: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing… And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”[754]

In 2Timothy, as in so much of the New Testament literature, Paul makes no reference to the propitious death of Christ as the ground of our eternal hope, no statement such as, “Christ died for our sins” as in 1Corinthians 15:3.[755]

Reflections on Titus

Paul introduces his epistle with the words, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour.”[756] The RSV and NASB translate “before the world began” as “ages ago.” The Greek word “aeon” aivwni,ou, means “eternity, never ending.” This means that although God determined in His eternal council that eternal life will be given to His own, it wasn’t until “in due times manifested his word through preaching” that He revealed it. This leaves unanswered the question, when was the Word preached? My study of this subject seems to suggest, not until the beginning of the New Testament.

Statements like, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works,”[757] and “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life,”[758] support this. Note that Paul emphasizes an eternal hope, tells us that we obtain it through faith, and that God provides it through Jesus Christ. Paul does not spell out the propitious work of Christ in obtaining our eternal life, although he infers it with the words, “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity” (cf. above).

Reflections on Philemon

Apart from v. 15 where we see “for ever,” I can find no reference to an eternal hope, and even this verse speaks more to the temporal than the eternal. Paul does not preach the gospel, although people through the centuries have noticed the close parallel to what Paul asks of Philemon and what Jesus did for us. Paul makes no reference to the propitious death of Christ.

Conclusion

The ground or reason why God can bring the sinner to heaven has always been the propitious death of Christ. Our Savior’s death answers the question, “How can a just and holy God take the sinner to heaven without violating His justice and making heaven dirty?” The condition the individual must meet in order to access this gift of life, however, may differ from age to age.

The condition of Israel’s salvation was faith, but faith in God’s temporal deliverance. God constantly calls upon His people to believe in the One who delivered Israel from the bondage of Egypt. I know of no place in the Old Testament where God tells the individual that he must believe that God will be the propitiation for his sin. The individual must believe whatever God says, but God is not required to reveal to that individual that Christ died for his sins in order for him to be saved.

Grateful for His grace,

May, 2012

Part Forty-Five

Introduction

I ask myself, if I strip from the Bible the Pauline epistles, would I find enough evidence to conclude that people are justified by faith apart from the works of the law? Most Christians believe this to be true. But what, exactly, does it mean? The Bible says of Abraham, “And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness.”[759] When the people of Nineveh heard Jonah’s message of judgment, “the people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.”[760] Consequently, God refrained from destroying them. When the people asked Jesus, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” He said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”[761]

Believing one another is the least common denominator in any relationship. For example, a young man invites a girl to dinner and says, “I would really like to get to know you.” When she begins to share her heart, he responds, “I don’t believe you.” I think you will agree that she will close her heart and mind, not allowing him to know her any better. You cannot call a person a liar and have a relationship with him. It may be that someone will tell you something that you don’t believe, but you don’t verbalize your doubts, for you know that would create a tense, nasty scene.

So too, God establishes believing as the sine quo none of a person having a relationship with Him; He will not reveal Himself to one who does not believe Him. Your relationship with God differs from all other relationships in that He knows when/if, in your heart, you do not believe; you cannot hide it from Him. If a person says, “I believe Jesus died for my sins and I have received Him into my life, but I do not believe in the virgin birth of Christ,” that individual has no biblical right to claim that he has a relationship with God. You cannot pick and chose from what God reveals; you cannot believe what you wish to believe, discarding the rest – and still claim to know Him as your Savior.

The author of Hebrews warns his readers concerning the failure of Israel to enter the Promised Land, “And to whom did he swear that they should never enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.”[762] Notice how he connects obedience and believing. Jesus connects obedience with loving Him: “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”[763] The Apostle John ties obedience with knowing God: “He who says ‘I know him’ but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”[764] Believing, knowing, loving, and obeying God are all inextricably linked to one another; you cannot separate them.

As noted in our analysis of the Old Testament, the biblical authors never address the issue of an individual’s eternal hope, but they do call attention to the fact that the individual must obey God in order to have a temporal hope. Daniel, the first to specifically mention the resurrection, does not indicate who will be resurrected to life vis-à-vis “to reproaches and everlasting abhorrence.”[765] The various authors of the Pseudepigrapha, when addressing the individual’s eternal hope, always connect it to living righteously. The Synoptic Gospels do not discuss grace, and even in John’s Gospel, when Jesus emphasizes believing, He never seeks to isolate it from obedience. Only the Apostle Paul, of all the biblical writers, separates faith/believing from works of righteousness as the sole condition for salvation: “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”[766] “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.”[767] “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”[768]

Paul identifies faith/believing as the irreducible minimum for a relationship with God; it is the sole condition man must meet to be saved. But to divorce faith from obedience requires ignoring every other biblical writer, including our Lord Jesus Himself. Obedience may not be a condition for salvation, but it surely is the primary indicator in testing if a person is, in fact, saved.

Note the words of our Lord Jesus: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”[769] Paul says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”[770] These people have met the condition laid out by Paul; they call Jesus, Lord. Not only so, they prophesy, cast out demons, and do wonderful works – all in His name. They don’t try to do these things; they in fact do them. Still, Jesus says, “I never knew you.” How terrible for the all-knowing God of the universe to say, “I never knew you.” Jesus says He refuses to acknowledge people who break the commandments. There is no necessary relationship between God using a person and His approving of that person. God can use a man to save the souls of thousands, while sending him to hell.

It is my impression, and I may be wrong, that evangelical Christianity has, on the whole, divorced faith from practice. People feel they can break or ignore God’s commandments without putting their soul in jeopardy, simply because they have believed. A heart for obedience is the only sure test of regeneration. God offers eternal hope only to those who break themselves on the “Stone of stumbling and Rock of offence,”[771] and live in perpetual brokenness and dependence upon Him. To think otherwise is self-delusion.

Reflections on Hebrews

A cursory reading of this book reveals the centrality of Christ. We see a references to His propitious death in passages such as: “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”[772] Again he says: “that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”[773] And again: “to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”[774] The need for Christ’s substitutionary death can be seen in the fact that the sacrifice of Yom Kippur could only cover “the sins of the people committed in ignorance.”[775] By His sacrifice, Christ has “obtained eternal redemption for us.”[776] With the words, “And for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance,”[777] the author combines Christ’s propitious death with the gaining of an eternal inheritance. And again, “but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”[778] Hebrews drives home the point of Christ’s sacrificial death: “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”[779]

When the author mentions: “…not laying again the foundation of… resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment,”[780] I sense that an eternal hope forms the ethos of all he says; he assumes it and makes it the basis for the superiority of Christ vis-à-vis the Law which established the Old Testament system. Thus, it seems to me, that he assumes an eternal hope when he says, “…by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”[781] You are motivated to endure hardship “knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.”[782]

Hebrews calls attention to the transfiguration of Enoch.[783] Abraham “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”[784] The Patriarchs had in common that “they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”[785] Moses identified with the Hebrew people, suffering the animosity of Egypt because “he considered abuse suffered for the Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked to the reward.”[786] The J.B. Phillips translation says, “he looked steadily at the ultimate, not the immediate, reward.” The Old Testament saints willingly suffered at the hands of God’s opponents “that they might obtain a better resurrection.”[787]

Comments such as, “to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven,”[788] and “For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come,”[789] imply an eternal hope without explicitly stating it.

Conclusion

With the exception of King David, I know of no place in the Old Testament where an individual wanted a relationship with God and saw his sin as a barrier. For this reason, the sacrificial system instituted by God, both before and after Sinai, appeared adequate. When Hebrews argues that the follower of God needs something new and far superior to the Levitical Priesthood, it seems to me that he implies an eternal hope. For why would Christ have to die if temporal reconciliation with God was the only objective? As you know, only Hebrews refers to Jesus as our Priest, and therefore would it not be true that the superiority of His priesthood resides in our obtaining through Him an eternal relationship with God? If so, then the Priesthood of Christ after the order of Melchisedec implies an eternal hope.

His … Yours,

July, 2012

Part Forty-Six

Introduction

If you ask, did God’s people in the Old Testament have an eternal hope, a cursory reading of Hebrews clearly answers, yes. If you ask, can you find expression of this hope in the Old Testament accounts of the saints, you have to conclude, no. If we were with Moses on the Exodus, and I asked you whether the Patriarchs had an eternal hope, where would you lead me to assure us that they did?

Reflections on James

The five chapters of this book contain many references to an eternal hope, including “Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.”[790] “Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?”[791] “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”[792] Interestingly, as far as I can tell, James contains no reference to the propitious death of Christ and the need to trust in His death. James has very little doctrine, majoring on application of the Law. You would not conclude from a study of James that the New Testament believer is freed from the Mosaic Law.

Reflections on 1 Peter

In his first epistle, Peter begins by reminding them of their eternal hope: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”[793] The “last times” he defines as “the appearing of Jesus Christ,”[794] promising that his readers will “receive the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”[795] Evidently, God revealed to the Old Testament prophets “the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.”[796]

In light of this, Peter urges, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”[797] An eternal hope should influence how a believer lives his life. The reason, says Peter, resides in the fact that there are eternal consequences for temporal behavior: “And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.”[798] The word for “fear” is “phobia;” in light of judgement, the believer should have a phobia of God. Peter says that even the non-Christian must “give account to Him that is ready to judge the living and the dead.”[799]

“For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.”[800] Thus, we must live for Christ, “who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”[801] Those motivated by an eternal hope live “as strangers and pilgrims, abstain(ing) from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.”[802]

Peter clearly teaches that the propitious death of Christ provides the believer with legitimate ground for having an eternal hope: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”[803] And again, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.”[804]

The contrast between the lives of those motivated as Peter teaches, and the motives of those living by the values of the world, is so stark that those outside of Christ will want an explanation. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”[805]

Suffering is an important theme in this epistle: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a wrongdoer, or a mischief-maker; yet if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God. For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? And ‘If the righteous man is scarcely saved, where will the impious and sinner appear?’ Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will do right and entrust their souls to a faithful Creator.”[806] Suffering for righteousness adds to the believer’s eternal reward; sinning brings reproach at the Judgment of God. Remembering this aids the believer in his endeavor to respond biblically when enduring tribulation. “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”[807]

Probably as much as any book of the Bible, 1 Peter admonishes the believer to make his hope for eternal gain the basis for living a righteous life. Thus, he closes his epistle with the benediction: “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”[808]

Reflections on 2 Peter

The apostle writes anticipating that he will die prior to the return of Christ, a reality that none of the New Testament writers thought possible. Thus, he warns against apostasy, calling his readers to remember.[809] As a matter of fact, evil men mocking the return of the Lord, “Where is the promise of His coming,” [810] attests to Christ’s imminent return. Similar to Jude, Peter calls to our remembrance that God will judge the world – the only place in the New Testament where we are told that God will destroy the world with fire: “Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men… But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”[811]

So also, Peter connects the conflagration at the end of the age with our hope of heaven: “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”[812]

Peter also couples the need for remembering with maintaining our eternal hope: “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.”[813] Note also how he connects eternal hope with judgment: “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;… The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished… and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness…”[814]

I can find no specific reference to Christ being the substitutionary sacrifice for the believer’s sin.

Finally, Peter seems to suggest that when Christ returns depends, in part on the saints living godly lives: “ Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be kindled and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire!?”[815]

Conclusion

Christ functions as the means whereby the individual obtains an imputed righteousness, and thus his relationship to God is determined by his relationship to Christ. Since Christ is the Mediator of God’s righteousness and love to man, it logically follows that He is also the Mediator of God’s judgment; man is either justified or condemned, depending on his relationship to Christ. “All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”[816] That Jesus presides over God’s judgment of the world is obvious, as we have already seen from passages such as, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”[817] And “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son.”[818]

Yours for a life of obedience,

September 2012

Part Forty-Seven

Introduction

The following words of Jesus call attention to His judging people on the basis of their works: “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward… The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear… For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works… And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.”[819]

Either the individual experiences these consequences in this life or in the life to come. (The Bible teaches, as illustrated in the book of Job, that people do not necessarily reap what they sow in this life.) If in the life to come, they are either the requirement for entering heaven, or the basis for determining the quality of eternity. Since the New Testament clearly teaches that God grants salvation as a gift of His grace, we must conclude that when Jesus talks about being judged by our works, He has in mind the quality of our eternity in heaven.

Our eternal hope, therefore, includes not only the promise of heaven, but also the promise that our works in this life will influence the quality of our life after death.

Reflections on 1 John

This epistle begins similarly to the Gospel of John; we are introduced to the Word, “For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us… he that doeth the will of God abideth forever… And this is the promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life… Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”[820]

In this we see that John connects eternal life with the Son; those who abide in Christ live eternally with Christ: “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God… we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”[821]

So too, those that live lives of unrighteousness live eternally without Christ: “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”[822] If a person wishes to be confident at the Day of Judgment, he must love his brother: “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”[823]

The substitutionary death of Christ, although mute in his gospel, finds prominence in his first epistle: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin… And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”[824] Again, John says, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”[825]

John sees Jesus’ return as imminent. Many antichrists[826] may sow their heretical messages, but “…little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”[827]

Reflections on 2 John

This short epistle is devoted to the importance of walking in the truth. (He uses the word “truth” four times in the first three verses.) Thus, he says, “For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever,”[828] that is, the truth of which John speaks is that Truth which shall abide as we move from this life to the life to come. The degree to which the believer walks in the Truth, he gains an eternal reward: “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.”[829]

As far as I can tell, he makes no reference to the propitious death of Christ as payment for our sins.

Reflections on 3 John

Like 2 John, the author emphasizes the importance of truth, referencing it four times in the first four verses, and a total of six times in the letter. I can find no reference to an eternal hope, or to the propitious death of Christ.

Reflections on Jude

A book of judgment, this short epistle written by Jesus’ brother quite remarkably quotes from Jewish apocalyptic literature as though it qualifies as a genuine product of Old Testament revelation. Quoting 1Enoch from the Pseudepigrapha he says: “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”[830] Note how closely this parallels Enoch: “And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones to execute judgement upon all, and to destroy all the ungodly: And to convict all flesh of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”[831]

Similarly, Jude quotes from the Assumption of Moses in verse 9: “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” The Assumption of Moses, supposedly part of the Testament of Moses, only exists in fragments, mostly takes from Clement of Alexandria. “Michael was commissioned to bury Moses. Satan opposed the burial on the ground (a) that he was the lord of matter and that accordingly the body should be rightfully handed over to him; (b) that Moses was a murderer, having slain the Egyptian. Michael having rebutted Satan’s accusations proceeded to charge Satan with having instigated the serpent to tempt Eve. To the first charge, Michael rejoins, ‘The Lord rebuke thee, for it was God’s spirit which created the world and all mankind.’ Finally, all opposition having been overcome, the assumption took place in the presence of Joshua and Caleb, and in a very peculiar way. A two-fold presentation of Moses appeared: one was Moses in company with angels, the other was the dead body of Moses, being buried in the recesses of the mountains.”[832] I have quoted from these two sources because I find it intriguing that Jude cites from non-canonical material.

When Jude makes reference to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, he makes an eternal application from a temporal event – i.e., he tells us that God destroyed these two cities “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”[833] He does the same thing when referencing Cain, Balaam, and Korah (v. 11).

Jude makes no reference that I can find, to the propitious death of Christ for sin. In closing, he urges his readers to “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”[834]

Conclusion

As we begin to wind down this study on eternal hope, we have but one more book to analyze – Revelation. As we will note in the next issue, Revelation is the only apocalyptic book in the New Testament.

In Christ,

November 2012

Part Forty-Eight

Introduction

Paul Johnson in his History of the Jews says that the Jews of the 18th century had to decide whether the Torah defined their life, or whether it was merely part of their lives. If the latter, then the Jews would eventually be assimilated and lose their identity. If the former, they would always be marginalized and live in a ghetto – either physically or intellectually. Zionism and the return of Israel to the Promised Land solved their dilemma.

Christianity faces the same dilemma, with the difference that the gospel is trans-cultural; the individual does not have to change cultures in coming to Christ. The Torah influences a person’s culture, while the gospel influences a person’s values. The hope of the former is temporal, the latter eternal. Thus, the believer finds himself living with an eternal hope, causing him to be out of step with the rest of society. The Jew can be isolated by the Torah while embracing the values of the world – the very thing that caused them to be hated; they played the world’s game better than the Gentiles. Judaism lived alienated from all other cultures and thus created their own Jewish state in Palestine. The committed believer lives alienated from all cultures, and finds commonality only with those rare individuals that join him in embracing an eternal hope – irrespective of the culture from which these committed ones originate.

Reflections on Revelation

The only apocalyptic book in the New Testament, the author assumes that “the time is at hand”[835] when Christ will return, bringing to a close human history as we have known it.

Writing to the Seven Churches, John reminds them that believers look “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.”[836] Notice how he ties the death of Christ with our inheritance as “kings and priests unto God.” To each of the Seven Churches Christ gives to the “overcomer” promises that relate to the eternal – some by implication and some specific:

To Ephesus He promises, “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”[837] To Smyrna Christ promises, “…be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life… He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”[838] To Pergamos He promises, “…To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”[839]

To Thyatira our Lord promises “…and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works… And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star.”[840]

Christ promises Sardis, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”[841] To Philadelphia the Lord promises, “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”[842]

And finally, to Laodicea He promises, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”[843] Note that every encounter Jesus has with the Seven Churches, every judgement pronounced upon them, implies the return of Christ – e.g.: “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”[844] “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”[845] “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.”[846]

Beginning with Revelation 4, John introduces his readers to the future, most of which transpires in heaven. Thus, Revelation 4-5 begins: “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.”[847] When an angel asks who is worthy to open the book sealed with seven seals, John discovers that “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”[848] Only Jesus can open the book, for He redeemed God’s people with His blood.

Revelation 6-19 covers the seven year period of the Tribulation, “for the great day of His wrath is come…”[849] In the midst of the horror, we catch glimpses of our eternal hope: “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?.. These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”[850] Again, “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”[851] And again, “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”[852] Finally, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”[853]

John devotes Revelation 20 to the Millennium, the rebellion of Satan, Gog, and Magog,[854] and to the Judgment of the Great White Throne: “…and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works… And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”[855]

Revelation 21-22 deals with the new heaven and earth. Note that the Jew – Gentile distinction remains.[856]

This last work of John does not dwell on the propitious death of Christ, although it forms the basis for all that takes place during the last days. Jesus’ death for our sins, however, does not annul eternal accountability, as seen in the above quotes. The angel instructs John, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”[857]

Conclusion

It seems to me that people face three maladies in life: purposelessness, pain and poverty – in that order. God often uses one or more of these to draw people to Himself. Thus, the secular mind sees the three as intrinsically evil, while the regenerate mind sees them as expressions of God’s grace.

Having said that, however, most find it difficult to keep this truth in focus. The plethora of references to an eternal hope in the New Testament, in general, and Revelation in particular, help in maintaining our bearing when the hurts of life come our way. God placed us in this life for one purpose only, to prepare us for an eternity with Him. Reviewing the myriad of references to our hope, while claiming the promises therein, will help us not to lose sight of why God has us living here on planet earth.

In the next issue we will summarize what we have learned on the subject of eternal hope, and bring this series to a close.

Eager for His early return,

January 2013

Part Forty-Nine

This last issue on the subject of eternal hope will be musings or reflections on my study, with no logical progression of thought. In it I will endeavor to articulate why this is such a fascinating subject.

Final Reflections on Eternal Hope From the Old Testament

I can find no trace of salvific grace in the Old Testament. In thinking about this it seems that it is related to a lack of final judgment with eternal consequences. If there are no eternal consequences for temporal behavior, what do I need to be saved from?

More often than not, the generation that sins does not experience God’s judgment; His retribution comes upon the following generations. In many ways, this truth is axiomatic of life: Our descendants reap the consequences of how we live. We see this truth exemplified throughout the OT. The NT teaches that each individual will reap the consequences of his own behavior in the eternal.

As noted in issue 15 of this series, God commands the Levirate marriage; the widow of the deceased must become the wife of the deceased’s brother “that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.”[858] This practice seems to support the thesis that God did not want His people to have an eternal hope in the Old Testament, for why would one whose hope is heaven care about the perpetuation his name on earth? In Matthew 6:1-18 Jesus said that the desire for temporal recognition incurs negative consequences in eternity – the seeming opposite of the objective desired in a Levirate marriage.

The Law of the Harvest, when applied to Israel, was always temporal. (There can be no eternal accountability for institutions.) Writers, especially the Psalmist, promised that the nation would reap what it sows – temporally. Little is said about the individual. The book of Job teaches that the Law of the Harvest cannot be applied to the individual in the temporal. Psalm 73 may teach the same thing. With or without an eternal hope, when you expect justice in this life you despair. Throughout Scripture God insists that His people be just, but gives no indication that they can expect justice shown towards them.

God’s commitment to the nation of Israel was inviolate. Little emphasis was given on the eternal aspect of people’s relationship with God in the Old Testament, at least not until the latter period of Israel’s history when the prophets begin to deal with it.

By and large, you have the importance of the individual in the NT, the importance of the nation in the OT. When you hear people talking about sacrificing the individual for the common good, you know they have embraced an OT worldview.

Where in the OT do we find God saying that all people sin? When the concept of an eternal hope began to dawn in the minds of Hebrews, they naturally thought that it was “justification by works.” It is not until we come to the Pauline epistles that we learn that “all have sinned,” and that Jesus’ death was the necessary payment enabling God to be “just and the justifier” of those granted an eternal hope.

It seems that during the inter-testamentary period, when the Jews began to understand that God promised the individual an eternal hope, they logically concluded that it had to be on the bases of keeping the Law. Jesus seems to affirm this in Luke 10:25 – 28 when He suggested that the lawyer, if he kept the Law, could go to heaven.

If God had recorded an eternal promise to His people in the OT, the question raised by Paul in Romans 3:25-26 would have needed to be answered. For God to pronounce judgment on the sinner and then let some sinners have eternal life would be saying that people cannot trust God’s Word.

When this came into focus, for the first time people could understand the worth of the individual, and then only because God imputed to them a worth that they did not have intrinsically. The worth of the individual may be implied in the OT, but I know of no place where God affirms it.

Grace is counter-intuitive and election violates our sense of justice. Man’s addiction to autonomy is so acute that his eternal hope manifests itself in either a works-righteousness or thinking that because he is the object of grace he can ignore God’s commandments.

Besides craving autonomy, man does not like living under obligation and thus he easily deceives himself into believing that he somehow deserves a relationship with God. I am not sure of the various manifestations of this; it seems to be a combination of God obligating Himself to the creature because of creation, and man deserving eternal life because he is basically good.

The Synoptic Gospels seem to carry into the NT the OT motif of relating to God on the bases of works. Note how John’s gospel contrasts with the Synoptics: Believe is the condition for salvation in John rather than good works as frequently found in the Synoptics. John emphasizes grace to a degree not found in the Synoptics. Note also that in John you find an emphasis on election not found in the other gospels. Cf. e.g., John 6:44, 10:28-29, and 15:16. Grace and election are the head and tail of the same coin. In the Synoptics people ask for eternal life; in John no one initiates asking for it; Jesus offers it, as illustrated by the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. In John our Lord Jesus takes the initiative in performing miracles more often than not (as seen by Jesus going to the Pool of Bethesda in John 5), while in the Synoptics, people come to Jesus for help. The Synoptic writers encourage perseverance in prayer in a way John does not. In all of this, as a generality, in the Synoptics it is up to you; in John it is up to God.

In the Synoptics, we find a mixture of Jesus telling people it is what they do that determines whether or not they go to heaven, and His chiding the religious leaders that publicans and sinners will go to heaven before they do. In Luke 18:9-14 it is clear the Pharisee is viewed negatively, & the tax collector is viewed positively. In verse 13 the tax collector begs God for mercy. The word for “mercy” is the word for “propitiation.” “Lord be propitious to me a sinner.” God justified him, but does not reveal how this can be possible.

As John 13:1 indicates, Jesus elected to tie His death to the Passover feast rather than to Yom Kippur, or some other occasion where the sacrifice served as expiation for sin. The Passover sacrifice had nothing to do with sin; it commemorated God’s deliverance of Israel at the beginning of her national existence. Different from other sacrifices commanded by God in the Torah, it alone called for each family to perform a sacrifice, thus capturing the individual nature of Jesus’ propitious death. In the Old Testament God did not offer an eternal hope to individual people. For this reason, there existed no need for a Savior who would make it possible for God to be “just and the justified of him who believes.”[859] God did not design Yom Kippur, a national sacrifice, as expiation for individual sin. In any given year there were crimes that either the nation knew nothing about, or that the nation could not solve. Yom Kippur served as a covering of those sins that God’s presence might remain with Israel. It did not expiate the guilt of the one committing the crime. Willful sin resulted in the individual either being exiled or exterminated.

If the Old Testament saints had an individual eternal hope, you would think they would have expressed a heart for evangelism. I am not aware of any effort in the OT to bring pagans into the family of God. This began to change during the time of the Gospels as indicated by Jesus’ critical comment, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”[860] By this time, however, people had begun to develop an eternal hope.

We note a greater emphasis on the stewardship of time in the New Testament vis-à-vis the Old Testament. (Compare John 9:4; 1Corinthians 7:29-31; Ephesians 5:16 with Proverbs 6:16, 13:4; Ecclesiastes 11:4, 9.) The Old Testament does not seem to place the importance on time that the New Testament does – possibly because of the temporal vis-à-vis eternal emphasis. In the Old Testament, people are not going anywhere; in the New Testament, they are preparing for eternity.

In the Old Testament God did not charge the nation Israel with any particular task; they were to faithfully follow God as defined in the Law, and keep themselves pure from the polluting influences of the surrounding nations. In the New Testament, God charges His individual followers to fulfill the Great Commission, going to these surrounding nations, as well as faithfully follow God as defined by the New Testament commands. Because the OT saint did what God wanted him to do, his life was as meaningful and purposeful as any NT saint. However, in the OT God did not tell the people their purpose for existence. Thus, Solomon says that life is vacuous. In the NT God connects the dots for the believer by telling him this life prepares him for eternity, and that he can best be prepared by investing in the lives of people.

As we pursue comfort, we run from stress and struggle. Dependence and repentance in the midst of struggles are the keys to a vital relationship to God; a godly hope is essential in staying the course, and pursuit of the Word is the key to our assurance of salvation.

How can a person say that he has an eternal hope if he does not daily pray for Christ’s return?

Eager for His return,

Walt