Monthly Archives: July 2024

SOME PUZZLES OF SCRIPTURE – 4

Bible Study, ,

It’s amazing how often Scripture read out of context takes one down the wrong road and ends up far from its intended destination. Take, for example, the teaching that Jesus was poor.

The idea is derived mainly from His comment to the man who requested to follow Him. His reply suggests that He was too poor to sustain another permanent follower.

Jesus was by no means poor. Firstly, He was a rabbi and would therefore have been well supported by his many followers.

Secondly, a group of wealthy women supported Him with their resources and adequately saw to His needs and the needs of His disciples.

‭Luke 8:1-3 NLT‬
[1] “Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, [2] along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; [3] Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.”

Thirdly, we must not take 2 Cor 8:9 necessarily to refer to material and financial wealth.

‭2 Corinthians 8:9 NLT‬
[9]” You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.”

It might, in the context of Paul’s teaching on giving, but Jesus’ wealth in heaven far outweighed anything He might have had on earth. His so-called poverty here was relative to His vast resources in the universe.

‭Psalms 50:9-12 NLT‬
[9]”But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. [10] For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. [11] I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. [12] If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.”

Here on earth, Jesus had enough to sustain His life. He could even multiply loaves and fishes to feed a multitude or send Peter to catch a fish to pay their temple tax!

Another suggestion was that Jesus was apparently homeless, moving around from place to place with no permanent address.

Said one interpreter,

“Those that followed him in this work required them to leave their families and not have a place to call home. This homeless state is not pleasant for humans. Even animals have a place to call home here on earth, but not the Son of God.”

And another,

“He does not own a home. He doesn’t even have one to use, as a slave would. Despite His humanity, He does not belong in this world and has no safe place to dwell. Jesus’ itinerant lifestyle acts like a metaphor for the world’s rejection.”

And a third,

“The implied statement Jesus makes here is something like “this is not going to make you rich and famous, nor is it going to be easy.” Would the scribe really follow Jesus everywhere once he saw how tough that journey could be? The lack of response or further information about this man suggests that he would not and did not.”

Contrary to the ‘prosperity gospel, the Bible does not teach that God wants us wealthy. Jesus spoke more about the dangers of money and wealth than any other subject.

For example,

‭Matthew 19:23-24 NLT‬
[23] Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. [24] I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

Such a variety of interpretations hint at the fact that teachers and scholars don’t really understand what Jesus meant so they invented an explanation.

The first principle to understand is that the ancient Hebrew language, in which much of Scripture was written and in which Jesus would have thought, is very different from our own. Hebrews expressed themselves and originally wrote in picture langauge. Their pictures conveyed concrete ideas which formed comic-strip-like concepts. They did not think or write in the abstract. The meaning of their pictures is found in the context since one picture could convey more than one idea, depending on what was added to the root word.

To understand what Jesus was saying, we need to look at His pictures and find out what He was conveying.

‭Matthew 8:19-20 NLT‬
[19] Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” [20] But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens (to live in – writer’s brackets ), and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”

(The word ‘kephale’ translated ‘head’ can mean ‘cornerstone’, the place where two walls meet. Jesus is the cornerstone of the church).

‭Jesus contrasted Himself with foxes and birds. What do foxes do in dens? What do birds do in nests? Foxes do not live in dens nor do birds live in nests. They reproduce in dens or nests.

Jesus was referring to His own situation. By contrast to foxes and birds, He did not yet have a ‘body’ on which to lay His head. (He was not yet the cornerstone of the church). He was not yet spiritually complete to reproduce Himself in others. The day would come when His body, the church, would be born, on the day of Pentecost. From that moment on, Jesus was the head of His body, and He could begin to reproduce Himself through His people.

‭Ephesians 1:22-23 NLT‬
[22] “God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. [23] And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.”

For that reason, He was not ready to take on more followers than His twelve disciples whom He had chosen to train for the task of reproduction after His death and resurrection.

On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell on the Twelve in the presence of thousands, Jesus’ prophecy was fulfilled. Three thousand believed Peter’s message and became the first of multiple millions who are still coming to faith in Jesus.

To be continued…

SOME PUZZLES OF SCRIPTURE – 3

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The Apostle Paul also had experiences that puzzle us if we fail to understand their purpose and context.

‭2 Corinthians 12:1-2, 5, 7-10 NLT‬
[1] This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. [2] I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows….
[5] That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses…
[7]…So, to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. [8] Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. [9] Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. [10] That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Paul was trying to justify his positions as ‘spiritual father’ to the church at Corinth. There were others who came to teach them but not always the truth. Paul had opportunity to boast about out-of-body experiences but, rather than brag about these, he chose to boast about what God had done to keep him humble.

He speaks of an unusual gift which he called ‘a thorn in the flesh’. Where did this expression originate and what does it mean?

God used this expression to explain to His people the reason for them to exterminate the Canaanites when they entered the Promised Land. If the Israelites lived among the Canaanites, they would soon worship their gods and adopt their ways. Idolatry is like a thorn which pierces the flesh, causing pain and infection, and eventually death if not eradicated. Idolatry defiles everyone, tempting idolaters to do evil.

‭Judges 2:1-3 NLT‬
[1] “The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said to the Israelites, “I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you. [2] For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed my command. Why did you do this? [3] So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be THORNS in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you.”

‭Deuteronomy 29:18 NLT‬
[18] “I am making this covenant with you so that no one among you—no man, woman, clan, or tribe—will turn away from the Lord our God to worship these gods of other nations, and so that no root among you bears BITTER and POISONOUS FRUIT.”

The writer to the Hebrews warns against bitterness. The root of grudges and offenses that makes people bitter is self and particularly self-pity, which is idolatry.

‭Hebrews 12:15 NLT‬
[15]”Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”

Only God’s grace can deliver us from bitterness. We become our own god when we elevate ourselves above others, judging them but not ourselves.

When Paul was constantly faced with trouble and hardship, and especially persecution from his own people as well as from the Roman government, he thought Satan was after him. Satan probably was, but Paul had something else to learn.

His prayers for deliverance went unanswered but…God promised him enough grace to overcome every situation so that he would not become bitter against those who caused him trouble. He was never to elevate himself above other people. Rather, he was to submit himself to God’s sovereignty and celebrate the hardships that reminded him of his weakness and kept his feet on the ground.

No, Paul was not sick, nor did he have eye problems as some have tried to identify his ‘thorn’. He himself tells us what his thorn was.

‭2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT‬
[10″That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

What a valuable lesson to learn! Paul exulted in the suffering he experienced for his obedience to Jesus. It was the trials and hardships that kept him from having inflated ideas about himself that would have fuelled an attitude of self-sufficiency and cut him off from God’s grace.

‭James 4:6 NLT‬
[6] And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Once again, the Bible explains itself and leads us to understand the truth if what God wants us to know.

To be continued…

SOME PUZZLES OF SCRIPTURE

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What did Jesus write in the dust?

Another intriguing story appears in John 7 and 8.

During the Festival of Shelters, after an altercation with His brothers, Jesus went from Galilee to the festival in Jerusalem but secretly, at first.

‭John 7:14-15, 31-32, 45-48 NLT‬
[14] “Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach. [15] The people were surprised when they heard him. “How does he know so much when he hasn’t been trained?” they asked.

[31]Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. “After all,” they said, “would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?” [32] When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus… “

… but the Temple guards returned empty-handed.

[45]”When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” [46] “We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded. [47] “Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked. [48] “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? [49] This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!”

The members of the Sanhedrin revealed their contempt for Jesus and His teaching, rejecting His offer of the ‘living water’ He came to provide for His spiritually thirsty people.

The high priest, carrying out the water ritual at the end of the Festival, poured a jar of water onto the ground, water that would do no more than drain away into the soil. In response, Jesus stood up and loudly offered ‘living water’ to those who were thirsty. (John interpreted Jesus’ invitation to refer to the Holy Spirit who would be ‘poured out’ after His death).

The sequel to the story is recorded in John 8. Although this story has been omitted from some early manuscripts, it fits perfectly into the context of John 7.

The Pharisees hated Jesus so much that they set a trap for Him. Knowing His passion to show mercy, they wanted to catch Him out for not upholding the Law.

Probably using one of their own as a volunteer, or perhaps trailing a known ‘sinful woman’ until they could catch her out, they grabbed her in the act of adultery and threw her down in front of Jesus.

The Pharisees had failed to learn not to challenge Jesus. He was too smart for them. They arrogantly demanded a response from Him. “She was caught in the act. The Law says to stone her. What do you say?”

Without a word, Jesus bent down and began to write in the sand. Impatiently, they pressed Him for a response. Eventually, He stood up with a challenge, “Anyone who is innocent can throw the first stone.” Then he bent down and continued writing.

There are many speculations about what He wrote. To me, the most plausible one, that got the exact response He wanted, was like this.

Jesus knew the Scriptures (He authored the Bible)! So did the Pharisees. So, He knew the hearts of these Pharisees and responded exactly according to Jeremiah’s words…

‭Jeremiah 2:13 NIV‬
[13] “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

…and God’s judgment on them.

‭Jeremiah 17:13 NIV‬
[13] “Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.”

What did Jesus write in the dust? He wrote the names of the Pharisees as an act of judgment against them. What did they understand that scared them off? They realised the frightening reality that JESUS KNEW THEIR HEARTS.

David expressed the same sentiment about his enemies and what he would do to them with the Lord’s help.

‭Psalms 18:39-42 NLT‬
[39] “You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet. [40] You placed my foot on their necks. I have destroyed all who hated me. [41] They called for help, but no one came to their rescue. They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer. [42] I ground them AS FINE AS DUST in the wind. I swept them into the gutter like dirt.”

The sequel is well known. Jesus could show the woman mercy despite the law because there were no witnesses against her. Instead of judging her, He forgave her and sent her on her way to live a new life.

There may be more in the details of the story that are yet to be discovered, but what we have learned indicates that Jesus was much more than a good man. He was God, clothed in human flesh, and revealing the all-knowing nature of God to those who were willing to examine the evidence. Despite His revelation to these Pharisees, they never did recognise the truth or believe in Him.

Another story reveals Jesus’ supernatural knowledge that startled and transformed a loose woman. When Jesus told the Samaritan woman of her sordid history without knowing her, she was not ashamed but elated. His intimate knowledge of her life, WITHOUT JUDGING HER, drew her like a magnet to everything He had told her, and she was changed.

Faith comes to the one who takes an honest look at the evidence and, on the strength of that, believes!

To be continued…

SOME PUZZLES OF SCRIPTURE – 1

Bible Study, ,

The Bible is often criticised for its contradictions or misused by misinterpretions, but only because its critics don’t understand the nature of the book.

Many of its puzzles come from our own misunderstandings and misinterpretations. If we allow the Word to explain itself, at least some of our questions will be answered.

God’s book was written within a specific time span, by people with a specific language and culture, for a specific purpose. To read it in any other way is to dishonour God and His book. We will understand it better if we take the trouble to look within the words used to translate the book for the intended meaning of its author.

We may not be familiar with ancient Hebrew and Greek, the two languages mostly used in the original, but we have many experts to help us. A little digging will provide amazing insights into this amazing book.

I am not a language expert. However, with some help, let me offer a few examples of light shed on God’s Word.

Scholars and Bible teachers use the Latin words, “ex nihilo”, to explain God’s creation. Translated, ex nihilo means “out of nothing”. I find at least two ways in the Bible in which God created…

‭Psalms 33:6 NIV‬
[6] “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.”

This and many other references to God’s method of creation affirm that His creative power was in His spoken Word.

This explains the “how” but of what did He fashion the universe?

He used two different materials, one for the first man, and one for the universe in all its intricate details.

‭Genesis 2:7 NLT‬
[7] “Then the Lord God formed the man from the DUST of the ground. He breathed the BREATH of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.”

This takes care of the first human. Every other human, including the first woman, came from the first man.

‭Genesis 2:21-22 NLT‬
[21] So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. [22] Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.

‭Genesis 4:1 NLT‬
[1] Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she GAVE BIRTH to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!”

The rest of the universe came from intriguing material, vaguely mentioned by the writer to the Hebrews.

‭Hebrews 11:3 NIV‬
[3] “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that WHAT IS SEEN Gwas not made out of what was visible.”

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God created the universe “ex nihilo”, out of nothing. We believe that, by His spoken word, He commanded energy and atoms, which are invisible, to become everything in the universe that is now visible. What awesome power is His to do this!

‭Isaiah 40:26 NLT‬
[26]”Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.”

The Hebrew word, “bara”, translated “created”, can mean to “shape” or “make fat”. Used in another context, speaking to the priest Eli, God said…

1 Samuel 2:29 NLT‬
[29] “So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have BECOME FAT from the best offerings of my people Israel!”

…the word “bara” here is translated, “become fat”. “Create” makes no sense.

The sense, then, in Genesis 1, could be that God “fattened” the earth for human habitation. By His spoken word, He introduced order and function into a chaotic planet, bringing in light, dividing water and land, creating plants and animals, and completing His work by fashioning the first human pair.

Since the earth already existed, as in Genesis 1:2, it makes sense that God worked on an rudimentary planet to prepare it for human habitation. The Hebrew words used to describe the earth’s condition between Genesis 1:1 and 2 seem to hint at something sinister that might have happened after earth’s creation.

‭‭Genesis 1:2 NLT‬
[2] “The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.”

Could it be that the rebellious members of God’s Heavenly Council, cast down to the earth out of heaven, caused the chaos on earth that God had to repair?

‭‭Isaiah 14:12 NLT‬
[12] “How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world.”

God’s story, from beginning to end, is the story of redemption and restoration. He permitted the process of destruction to happen to reveal to the entire races of spirit and human beings that He is God in all His attributes, including His compassion, mercy, and grace only made visible through the cross.

To be continued…

HOW DO WE PROTECT INTIMACY?

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John 17:20-21 NLT‬
[20] “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. [21] I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”

Intimacy with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was restored when we believed in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. The Holy Spirit joined us to Christ and took up residence in our spirits as representative of the Trinity. He is, to us, God’s presence in us, permanently.

So, we have the same relationship with the Father as Jesus had, Father and sons. He knows us and we know Him. Surely, then we have the same access to the Father as Jesus had, through prayer.

The hallmark of Jesus’ prayer life, was His intimacy with the Father. He and the Father were one, united and in harmony with everything they were and did.

So, the Father desires the same intimacy with us as His sons and daughters. Not that we are God, by any means, but that we are His sons and daughters.

What is intimacy? A dictionary definite it as “close friendship”. There are many ways to express intimacy in a close relationship. We can define intimacy in a series of words…knowledge, acceptance, transparency, honesty, openness and togetherness, based on mutual trust and expressed through communication. Intimacy is modelled in a human marriage relationship where two people commit themselves to one another to share their lives in love and mutual trust for as long as they live.

Intimacy with God is a also a two-way connection except that His relationship with us is that of superior to inferior. He is God – we are to worship Him. He is our Father – we are to submit to and obey Him. He is our supreme authority – we are to live under under His command. He is God and we have an obligation to relate to Him as God.

With these requirements that provide the environment of our relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, our role is to make Him the centre of our lives in everything. We must develop the right attitudes in every detail and department of our lives, protecting our trust, honesty, and transparency and responding to Him with willing obedience and submission. God never moves away from us. He gave us the initiative to sustain our intimacy with Him. It is we who move away from Him.

‭James 4:8 NLT‬
[8] “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”

Divided loyalty ruins intimacy because the level of closeness we enjoy with God depends on how important it is for us to maintain an exclusive relationship with Him.

Two Old Testament recipes for an exclusive relationship with God help us to maintain our intimacy with Him.

David’s prayer…

‭Psalms 86:11 NLT‬
[11] “Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.”

And Solomon’s counsel to his son…

‭Proverbs 3:1-2, 5-8 NLT‬
[1] “My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. [2] If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying…
[5]”Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. [7] Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. [8] Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.”

What can be more precious than to guard our intimacy with God and enjoy the benefits of that closeness!

‭Psalms 25:14 NIV‬
[14] “The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.”

Our role, then, is to seek the Lord, to listen and obey Him, to confide in Him, and to entrust the course and cares of our lives to Him. If we choose and nurture intimacy with the Lord, He will reciprocate with fellowship so close and sweet that nothing else will ever satisfy.