Biblical Studies

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Romans 13:1, ESV 

God works through the civil authorities to keep order and to confront lawlessness. Jesus both honored civil authority and viewed it separate from the authority of the Father (Mat 22:21). Everett F. Harrison made a great statement that “Paul realized that this subject had a definite bearing on the spread of the gospel (1Tim 2)” (Zondervan, 1976, p. 136). Paul desired that the people of God would seek balance with other people (Romans 12:18). It is good to correct someone, but with a spirit of gentleness. It is good to adhere to the law of the land, but not to entangle oneself with its controversies.

In this verse in Romans and in verse 5, the Greek word for submission is used rather than the word for obey (i.e. see Acts 5:29). Perhaps, Paul is aware that “the believer may find it impossible to comply with every demand of the government” (Zondervan, 1976, p. 136). Those who rule have been given their authority; contrary to what we may feel about them. The point isn’t strict adherence when it conflicts with our faith, but to follow it in all other cases.

Even the Devil has been given his authority (Luke 4:6 and Job 1:12). In like manner, it doesn’t make all that he does righteous, it means his authority is to be respected because of its source who is the Father. My bishop used to say that the point to to respect the office more than the person because you may not always respect the person.

The struggle of submission to authority began in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:1). God instituted governance as a platform for service toward him. Because of the command not to eat a certain tree and the caretaking of the garden, Adam and Eve were given authority to eat from the rest of the garden for their service toward God. We are ambassadors of a strange land (Phi 3:20), but we are also subject to the authorities of this strange land as a testimony of the order of God.

In each of the synoptic gospels, there are three instances in which the term beloved son is used. The term describes an intimate agape love (loved dearly or loved well); like that between siblings or a parent and child.

The first instance occurs after Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. God declares his divine approval of Jesus as the Holy Spirit rests upon him by saying that this Jesus is his beloved son. John bears witness to the descent of the Holy Spirit and the vocalized revelation of God that the Christ has come (Mt 3:17, Mk 1:11, & Lk 3:22).

The second instance occurs when Jesus is transfigured before the eyes of Peter, James, and John. God again declares his approval of Jesus and the appropriateness of his worship because of a beloved, intimate kinship. This continues to carry the underlying theme that is being revealed. There is significance within the embodiment of Jesus: God’s Christ (Mt 17:5, Mk 9:7, & Lk 9:35).

The third instance of the term beloved son occurs in a parable. It is that of the Wicked Tenants, which differs slightly in narrative from each gospel (Mt 21:33-40, Mk 12:1-9, Lk 20:13). The lord of the manor goes away to another country to be given rule of it. According to Luke, it was not something being claimed on his own merit. He charged keepers of his vineyard to tend to it as he went on his journey.

In each of the gospel accounts, the story is leads into the parable by first recording a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees; the target of his parable. As they questioned him about how he was able to perform miracles, he asked them about the purpose of John’s baptisms. They had no answer because they refused that he was the Christ.

But this is also the point he was making with his parable. God sent his beloved son to claim the harvest due from his vineyards. After rejecting all his servants, they finally rejected his son. At each point of these uses of the term, they built up to this finale.

First, God showed that a turning around has to occur in our lives. This turning is centered on our recognition of Jesus Christ. Second, God showed the reality of the unseen world and the authority of Jesus Christ and backing from the Father. Third, Jesus himself testified that the Father has sent him to reap whatever harvest has grown from the vineyard. In a nutshell, this is the gospel.

It is amazing how this theme can be found centered on God’s declaration of beloved son when looked at this way. God has done this so that only those who are seeking him will find him. He has called us, chosen us through restored relationship, and justified us through faith in Christ.

Throughout human history God’s kids have rejected his son for a variety of reasons. This comes to God’s pending question for mankind: Who will believe this report?

An excellent blog dedicated to Reformation thinking called Cal.vini.st is giving away two copies of BibleWorks 8 software! This is a relatively expensive tool to have in your studies quiver. It is premier software for your biblical exposition and research endeavors.

Two entries will be drawn on the 12th of July, 2009. Thanks go out to Cal.vini.st and Nathan W. Bingham for this excellent opportunity. 

How does one enter the Giveaway?

Here is the link to the original site for the sweepstakes and more information regarding the software. Even if you don’t win, consider adding this to your resources: 
http://cal.vini.st/2009/06/cal-vini-st-first-anniversary-giveaway.

1. You must be a subscriber to the blog via RSS or Email.
2. Visit the BibleWorks website to find the answer to this simply question: Name the three standard original language grammars that have newly been included in BibleWorks 8?
3. Complete this form with all your contact details and include the correct answer to the above question.
4. That’s it! On July 12th the first two randomly drawn entries which correctly answer the question regarding the original language grammars included in BibleWorks 8 will win a FREE copy.  You will be contacted via email for shipping details and must respond within 72 hours before your prize is forfeited.

Godspeed! May God richly bless you in your studies of his word and guide you into the fullness of the grace of Christ.

In the June 26^th’ devotional entry, I noticed some similarities between the disciples reaction to the tempest and the serpent’s methods of tempting Eve and Adam in Genesis. The more light we can shine on the enemy’s tactics, the better position we’ll be in to battle his crud! I said I would blog about my observation, so wait not longer! Tada! Spiritual renewal delivered. OK, big deal Paul. Let’s get on with it. 

Mar 4:37-41  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” 

Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 

There are some underlying tactics consistent in both scriptures that try to get our minds away from God and pollute our thought with partial truths. This isn’t a formula used by the enemy every single time as you’ll see variance in the two passages. But is includes strategies that shows his deception. 

1. The tempter looks for a doorway in our understanding of God’s commands
   1. Tempts us by the forbidden through curiosity
   2. Causes exaggeration of the command
   3. Gives an impression God is withholding benefits or pleasure
2. The tempter watches our response for an area he can alter God’s word
   1. God’s command is distorted, not refuted
   2. The consequence for disobedience is cheapened
3. The tempter challenges God’s intentions and authority
   1. Our misunderstanding is used against us
   2. Our desire is focused on the forbidden
   3. Objections to the command are pondered
   4. The forbidden seems more important than the command

In the account of Eve and Adam: The command not to eat the fruit is given. There is a curiosity in Eve’s mind evident through her exaggeration of the original command. The enemy sees this and waters the doubt. The enemy elaborates on God’s command, but doesn’t oppose it directly. Doesn’t God care for us to have such a good knowledge? The fruit is eaten because the command has been belittled and distorted. Once Adam ate, they received knowledge of what hadn’t crossed their mind before: consistently seeing a choice between good and evil. Instead of seeing the beauty of God’s provision, they are expelled from the garden. 

In the account of the tempest: The command to cross the sea is given. The storm causes doubt and the command is questioned or ignored all together. Jesus’ motives are then questioned. Doesn’t he care that we’re perishing? Jesus rebukes the tempest. Instead of seeing the beauty of God’s provision, Jesus intercedes and exposes a serious problem keeping them from seeing the truth. They asked for a bail out instead of weathering the storm to learn something. Consequently, they retained that fear and disbelief after the storm as well. They had the nerve to ask who or what man this was. They didn’t get it at all. 

The only thing that can remove fear is perfect love (1Joh 4:18). If Eve and Adam rested in the fact that God loved them, and if they returned that love, they would not have had any need for the fruit. They would have been completely satisfied. “God is most satisfied in us when we are most satisfied in him” (John Piper). 

If the disciples rested in the fact that God was with them in the life of Jesus Christ, they would not have had any need for concern about the storm. He who told the ocean it can only come this far (Job 38:11), holds absolute control over the aggression of the waves. The disciples didn’t look at the fact that Jesus said we need to get to the other side. Come what may, we’ll get to the other side. 

We already know that we can’t live by strategy, rules, and regulations. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to expose these things that distract us from the purity of the fear of the Lord. One who keeps such honor and respect for the things of God will endure forever (Psa 19:9-10). The Spirit lives within us, if we will be sensitive for his lead. Though we don’t understand, though we don’t see it, he leads us into all truth. He is a powerful ally, sent to expose the works of darkness. Have faith in God. Trust in the Lord. He will give you the desires of your heart. He will align your desires with his will for your life. The storms are rubbish yards you are passing through on your way to the other side. Stay in the garden. See that God is God.

Greg Boyd’s blog for May 30, 2008 touched at one of my most fascinating areas of interest. This is the event of the flood and the Nephilim. You can read Boyd’s entry to get a background at: http://www.gregboyd.org/blog. (*It appears Boyd’s 2008 entry has since been archived).

In the seventh paragraph of his blog, Boyd said he thought the Nephilim to have been vanquished by the flood of Noah’s day. Someone brought his attention to Genesis 6:4 (“There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that). This made Boyd realize that either the Nephilim survived the flood or that the flood was local instead of global.

There is another scripture I’d like to interject at this point. Matthew 24:37 said that “as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Both 2Peter 2:4 and Jude 6 said that the rebelling angels yet live. Though they have been “chained” they are still being reserved for the final judgment. A flood, whether local or global, would have perished all land flesh, as stated in Genesis 7:22.  However, this would not have been a method for destroying spirit, if indeed the Nephilim were born of fallen angels who came in to the daughters of men: the watcher tradition.

This would have eradicated flesh, but the source for the Nephilim would have still been living beings: the fallen, rebellious “elohim” of the heavens. So then it would make some sense that there would be later altercations with Nephilim through the descendants of Noah (see Numbers 13:33). Also, for example, there is Goliath who young King David slew.

I am not one to think that such matters are worth dismissing. Though not a requirement for salvation, I do think that even these strange and fascinating subjects hold a purpose because they are included in the book God has given us to learn of him. If nothing else, it opens up our minds to the spirit realm. Basically, it is often beyond our comprehension or awareness. It introduces evidence that shakes our foundations. Pastor David Johnson calls this sacred space: the point at which we are no longer the center of our world. The tempting is for mankind to dismiss such spiritual topics. How are we to truly discover the amazing, unimaginable things God has prepared for those who love him? Jesus said that those things have the potential to be greater than those works he did while on earth. I do believe these seemingly small matters (in regards to bottom-line salvation matters) do affect our worldview. But through them, they can widen our acceptance of most subtle promptings of the Spirit because we let go of the desire to always understand everything before we act on it or believe it.

I will have more on this topic in the future. God bless!