Bible

My Scripture reading this morning was in the Gospel of Matthew. These are a few of my thoughts from that reading.

The Gospel is often sold as the answer to our life’s problems. People are told that if they “accept Christ” their life will improve. Their marital problems will be solved. They will experience success and satisfaction in all their personal relationships. But is that what Scripture teaches? Consider Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:34-38:

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Not exactly “your best life now,” is it? “When Jesus calls a man,” wrote Bonhoeffer, “he bids him come and die.” If you follow Jesus, your life might not improve. You might be shunned by your family. Your marriage might fall apart. Your children might reject you. You could lose your friends and your job. It might cost you everything. But with that life lost is the promise of a life found:

He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. (Matthew 10:39)

Our best life is in eternity with Christ; but we can only find that life by turning our backs on our best life now.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Mark 16:24)

From my Scripture reading this morning:

1 Chronicles 10:1-14 Then the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines pursued after Saul and after his sons, and the Philistines smote Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua the sons of Saul. 3 And the battle was sore against Saul; and the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers. 4 Then said Saul to his armor-bearer, Draw out thy sword, and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and mock at me: but his armor-bearer would not, for he was sore afraid: therefore Saul took the sword and fell upon it. 5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon the sword, and died. 6 So Saul died and his three sons, and all his house, they died together. 7 And when all the men of Israel that were in the valley, saw how they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities, and fled away, and the Philistines came, and dwelt in them. 8 And on the morrow when the Philistines came to spoil them that were slain, they found Saul and his sons lying in mount Gilboa. 9 And when they had stripped him, they took his head and his armor, and sent them into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it unto their idols, and to the people. 10 And they laid up his armor in the house of their god, and set up his head in the house of Dagon.    11 When all they of Jabesh Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 Then they arose (all the valiant men) and took the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried the bones of them under an oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days. 13 So Saul died for his transgression, that he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and in that he sought and asked counsel of a familiar spirit, 14 And asked not of the Lord: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.

Saul turned from God to a medium, and it cost him his kingdom, his life, and the lives of his sons. That is one of the lessons of this chapter, and probably the one that stands out to most readers. But there is another lesson in this account that is more easily overlooked. It is found in two facts:

1. Saul took his own life. Of his own free choice, he fell on his sword, intentionally killing himself (v. 4).
2. God took Saul’s life. As judgment for his disobedience and idolatry, God killed Saul (v. 13-14).

Are these facts contradictory? Not at all. They only demonstrate that God exercises his sovereignty over the actions and wills of men.

From my Scripture reading yesterday:

Oh, that you would hold your tongue, that it might be imputed to you for wisdom! —Job 13:5

Scripture always speaks to me. Sometimes it gets personal.

What are the most beautiful words you’ve ever heard? You might be thinking of several possibilities: the first time you heard the words “I love you” from your spouse; news that a seriously ill or injured loved one would recover, or some impending disaster had been averted; or any number of things that would be cause for great joy.

I believe the most beautiful phrase ever spoken begins with, of all things, the word but. We don’t normally think of but as a prelude to good news. Maybe your boss has said, “You’re doing a good job, but . . .” What young man (except me, of course) hasn’t heard, “I like you, but . . .” from a young lady. What follows the but is seldom good. But is most often not a word we want to hear.

But . . .

Add one word to that but, and everything changes. That word (if you are a child of God) is God.

Hunted by enemies:

And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. (1 Samuel 23:14)

Weak and faltering:

My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. (Psalm 73:26)

Struggling with temptation:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

We are constantly in need of God’s intervention. We live in need of but God . . .

Nowhere is this phrase displayed in more glorious beauty than in Ephesians 2:

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature children of wrath, just as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest any man should boast.

We were dead in sin; we lived in a worldly manner, led by Satan himself; and we kept company among others of our kind, satisfying our lusts, bringing upon ourselves the wrath of God . . .

but God

. . . loved us anyway, inspite of our wretched sinfulness, raised us to life, and, purely by grace, gave us the gift of saving faith, and has given us citizenship in his kingdom with Christ. For what purpose? That he might demonstrate the glory of his grace toward us in Christ.

We were dead — but God!

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
—James 1:2–4

Life is hard. Working for a living is hard. Marriage is hard. Raising children is hard. Sometimes, just getting up in the morning is hard. Are you thankful? You should be. I don’t mean you should not grieve and mourn over serous calamities, or even cry out to God for deliverance. I mean, can you recognize God’s hand at work, stripping away your independence, self-sufficiency, and pride, strengthening your faith, and trusting him to work all things together for your good, thank him and be joyful?

These are hard questions for me. I think I have experienced my share (what is my share, exactly?) of trials, and I think I can honestly say that I have learned to be content and thankful for lessons learned and for the providence of God in those situations. I do pretty well, I think.

But wait; what did James write? “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you look back on various trials, and see how God has worked through them . . .” No, he wrote, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials . . .” When, not after. This is a hard pill to swallow, and I’m afraid I haven’t quite choked it down yet.

Here is where I’d like to have a nice, inspirational, devotional book-like conclusion, but I’m afraid I haven’t one. It’s only the grace of God that brings me around to see in hindsight what I’m too selfish or stupid to see at the moment. Needle-point that and hang it on the wall.

Having been challenged to write a series on “How to Be a Christian,” I’ve been considering what that would look like. I confess that it is a difficult subject for me to approach. It would be easy to go down the pietistic path of “do this, don’t do that,” but a more appropriate title for that would be “How to Present a Convincing Façade of Christianity.” Certainly, there are things that Christians must do and others that we must not do. But those things are only consequential to who we are.

There are a number of passages of Scripture that more or less summarize the Christian life. You may be thinking of these words of Christ: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27, cf. Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37–39; Mark 12:30–31). You might also think of Galatians 5 (the fruit of the Spirit is . . .), or Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Those are all fitting passages to think of in defining the Christian life. However, the first passage that comes to my mind, probably because of the old Maranatha tune, and also because I’ve had my children memorize it, is Micah 6:8:

He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?

First, we see that we have no excuse for ignorance about what is good and pleasing to God, because God has told us. And what is it that is good and pleasing to him?

1. Do justice. The meaning of this is quite simple: do the right thing. Give what is deserved; take only what is earned; pay what is owed; deal honestly and impartially.
2. Love kindness (or mercy). This requirement moderates the previous. We often encounter people who, like ourselves, deserve harsh treatment. But we are to love mercy. If we love mercy, we will forego the justice that is due us in order to show mercy to an offender; and we will do so, not grudgingly, but joyfully, knowing what great mercy we have received.
3. Walk humbly with your God. This is the big one. The previous two points are really included in this one. What are the implications of walking humbly with God? What does that mean? It means that in all our thoughts of ourselves, we will see ourselves in relation to, and in comparison to, God. That comparison will cause us to see ourselves realistically in relation to him, and to act accordingly. Our humility before God will be manifest in what we know and in what we do.
   
   We will know that
   
   
   1. Whereas God is holy, we are unholy.
   2. Whereas God is love, we are unloving.
   3. Whereas God is self-sacrificial, we are self-centered.
   4. Whereas God is entirely independent and self-sufficient, we are utterly helpless and dependent on him.
   5. Whereas God is all-knowing and all-wise, we are ignorant and foolish.
   
   And the list could go on. Knowing those things, we will
   
   
   1. Confess our sin and seek his mercy.
   2. Love him and be profoundly grateful to him.
   3. Desire to know and obey his Word.
   4. Trust his wisdom rather than our own.
   5. Be entirely dependent on him in every way.
   
   Again, the list could continue. In short, if we have a realistic view of ourselves in relation to God, we will think nothing of ourselves, and everything of God. So the whole of the Christian life is neatly summarized in that one phrase — “walk humbly with your God.”

Further thoughts on Being Christian.

It’s easy to mouth the words “praise the Lord” when the going is good. We do it all the time. Sometimes we mean it, and sometimes it’s just a meaningless exclamation; but most of the time, if we are Christians, we really are sincere in our gratitude. That, I think, is because most of the time, things are going pretty well. But how do we react when circumstances work against us? I think most of us can handle a little adversity. Even unbelievers accept a certain amount of hard times as just being “part of life” without losing faith in whatever is the object of their faith. But what if everything should go bad on us? Most of us will never know. Most of us will never suffer any truly devastating loss. Some do, though. The people of New Orleans knew it in the aftermath of Katrina.

How we react to pain and loss is a great measure of our faith. How we feel in our hearts when disaster strikes is an accurate indicator of where our faith resides, whether in our physical and material circumstances, or in a God who is faithful to keep us and to work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). How ought we to be able to respond to pain and loss? We find the answer to that question, of course, in scripture. Can we respond in the words of Habakkuk 3:17–18?

Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,

This passage doesn’t describe a little bad luck, or a minor setback. It describes the failure of every crop. This is not a dip in the stock market. This is a complete crash, the total loss of livelihood. It is the loss of everything upon which the writer would depend for living. It is possible starvation.

Yet I will exult in the Lord,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

Because he is my everything. If I lose everything else, but still have him, it is enough. This should be our attitude. But if we examine ourselves, we will no doubt find that we’re not quite there yet. What to do? Pray. Confess our sin to God — for it surely is sin — ask his forgiveness, and thank him for his longsuffering mercy and his sanctifying grace. And keep pressing on (Philippians 3:14), trusting in him to complete the work he has begun in us (Philippians 1:6).

	ow blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2	But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
3	He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
4	The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
5	Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6	For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.

The Psalm begins with a description of the general state of the righteous: blessed. Thomas Watson wrote, “This Psalm carries blessedness in the frontispiece; it begins where we all hope to end . . .”* Now, one might think that this blessedness is consequential to the traits of the righteous described in the verses that follow. Certainly, there are benefits that proceed from godly living; but I think it is better to see those traits as the blessings themselves. To see righteousness as the cause of blessedness is to forget that the only righteousness we possess is a righteousness that is not our own.

The Psalm then contrasts the righteous and the wicked. The wicked and righteous are separated, first ethically, and then judicially.

Ethical Separation

The Righteous

The righteous man does not keep company with the wicked. This is not to say that he has no association with them. It is to say that he does not look to them for wisdom (walk in the counsel), and that they are not his friends. He may be a friend, to them, in the same sense that Jesus was called a “friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34), but he does not look to them for friendship (James 4:4). “Walk,” “sit,” “stand” may be seen as a progression from casual friendship to finally settling in and becoming one of them.

The righteous man delights in God’s law. This is not to say that he is legalistically obsessed with rules and regulations. He simply loves God and wants to know him. He is driven by a desire to know God, and takes great pleasure in knowing and pleasing him. He loves God and his Word so much that it is always on his mind (meditates day and night).

The righteous man is planted. He did not spring up wild, or of his own accord. He was intentionally planted, and nourished by streams of water. He will not be moved, and he will receive all the nourishment he needs for healthy life and growth. Consequently, he will bear the fruit that is expected (in its season) of a healthy, thriving tree. We are also reminded that the “streams of water” supplied by our Lord are “living water.” Like the living water promised by Jesus (John 4:7–14; 7:37–38), its effect is permanently life-giving — “its leaf does not wither.”

The result is that “in whatever he does, he prospers.” This is not a reference to anything so superficial as physical or material health and prosperity. Success for the Christian is measured by one result only: that he bears good fruit and so displays the glory of God.

The Wicked

The wicked are not so. After nine lines describing the righteous and his fruit, the poet emphasizes the stark contrast between the righteous and the wicked by describing the wicked in only two. Theologians often define sins into two categories, sins of commission, and sins of omission. These are useful categories, but here we are reminded that all sins are sins of omission. All sin is simply not being righteous, or, as Question 14 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism states, “Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.” So after a more lengthy description of the righteous, it is enough to state simply, “The wicked are not so.”

Consequently, while the righteous “yields fruit,” “does not wither,” and “prospers,” the wicked “are like the chaff which the wind drives away.” Chaff is the husks of grain, bits of straw, and other debris that survive the initial harvesting process. But it is not grain, which contains the germ of life. It is dead and useless, and is blown away during the grain cleaning process, to go back into the ground and rot.

Judicial Separation

The Wicked

The wicked will not stand in the judgment.The wicked will be judged, their true character, which is not always discernible to us, is never hidden from God. It will will be brought to light, and a “guilty” verdict will be rendered.

Sinners will not stand in the congregation of the righteous. the wicked will be separated from the righteous.

Matthew 13, Parable of the Wheat and Tares
   24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

The way of the wicked will perish. They will be burned as the tares in the preceding parable.

The Righteous

The Lord knows the way of the righteous. This time, it is the righteous of whom little is said, only one line for three describing the fate of the wicked. But it is not really so little. “The Lord knows” is a phrase that is loaded with meaning. Being “known” by the Lord indicates a relationship of profound intimacy, love, and trust. It signifies sonship, having been adopted and made a joint heir with Jesus to eternal life. Being known by the Lord makes all the difference. There are no more fearful words than the sentence “I never knew you” from the mouth of Jesus.

* Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David (Hendrickson, 1988), 1:4.

Originally posted April 24, 2006.

This post requires a disclaimer: I am not an expert in Biblical languages. In fact, I barely know anything at all about them. I know nothing at all of Hebrew, and what I know of Greek could fit in a shot glass. I am basing my opinions on my references to Strong’s and BDB lexica, and I am aware that there are more nuances to translation than simple lexical definitions indicate. With that in mind, I welcome comments on this post from anyone who knows what I do not. I am not looking for opinions from those with a casual, “what’s the difference?” attitude. I am definitely not interested in the opinions of those who do not believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of Scripture. This post will be nothing but picayune quibbling to you.

Bible translations should, as closely as possible, translate the exact words of the text. I do understand that all translation requires some interpretation, so all translations (yes, including my KJV) have some degree of Dynamic Equivalency (DE), but I maintain that the job of the translator is to translate. Interpretation is the job of theologians (including untrained theologians like most of us). That means I accept translations that are classified as Essentially Literal or Formal Equivalent (FE), and reject paraphrases and DE translations. My basic reason for rejecting them, including the one that is mostly not too bad (NIV), is that they begin with the intent of presenting what the text means rather than what the text says. While FE translations intend to give us the literal translation but are at times forced, because of linguistic difficulties, to go with a dynamic equivalent, DE translations throw their hands up in defeat and go straight to interpreting, so the reader is presented with the translator’s interpretation, however accurate that may or may not be, rather than a translation.

None of that is the point of this post. If it was, I would probably carry on much longer and eventually write something far beyond my knowledge. Some may argue that I already have, but they would be wrong. Just wait, though; I still might.

The real subject of this post is the various translations of a particular verse, 1Kings 14:10.

Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone. -KJV

therefore behold! I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male in Israel, bond and free; I will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as one takes away refuse until it is all gone. -NKJV

therefore behold, I am bringing calamity on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male person, both bond and free in Israel, and I will make a clean sweep of the house of Jeroboam, as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone. -NASB

therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone. -ESV

The first phrase of interest is “and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall” (KJV). The KJV has translated it literally.

The NASB, well-known as the most literal of the FE translations, gives a DE translation, “and will cut off from Jeroboam every male person.” The others translate it similarly. This passage is, without a doubt, referring to all males. There is no other meaning implied, so in this case, the interpretation is accurate. However, it is an unnecessary departure from literal translation. Regardless of the language, everyone understands that only men urinate standing up. For those who are squeamish about such a descriptive phrase, all I can tell you is that God was not squeamish about it when he breathed it into the text of his Word (2Timothy 3:16).

The second phrase of interest is, “and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone” (ESV). Here, the ESV is the most literal translation, but it is not without a flaw.

The KJV and NKJV correctly say “the remnant of the house of Jeroboam,” while the NASB and ESV say “the house of Jeroboam.” What difference does it make? I don’t know. No doubt there is someone who does, but I don’t. What I do know is that God said “the remnant of,” so that is what we must say.

The ESV correctly uses the words “burn,” while the others use “take away” or “sweep away.” Again, I don’t know why it matters if they are taken away, swept away, or burned, but God's choice of words was “burn.” Rather than ask why that matters, shouldn’t we ask, “Why use any other word, when God chose this one?”

The KJV, NASB, and ESV all use the word “dung,” while the NKJV shies away from the literal translation and uses “refuse,” winning points as the most polite, if not the most accurate. What I find most interesting about this is the fact that the modern translations hang onto an antiquated word. Even the NIV says “dung.” I’ve spent most of my life in agricultural communities, and had jobs where I was responsible for thousands of dung-producers. I’ve spread countless loads of dung on fields in Wisconsin and North Dakota. I’ve never heard a single farmer or rancher use the word “dung,” unless he was reading from the Bible. These days, we say “manure” – unless we just stepped in it.

What is my point? I’m getting there. I chose to examine this particular verse because it was in my reading this week, and I thought it was interesting. While the discrepencies noted here may be insignificant, there are other passages in which poor translation does violence to doctrine.

Point #1: A translation that sets out to be literal, even though it can’t completely succeed, is far better than one that doesn’t even try. The inaccuracies represented here are probably not important, but then I chose to look only at those Bible versions that claim to be literal. Check it out in The Message, if you have a strong stomach.

Point #2: Even the best translation is just a translation, and even FE translators make unnecessary compromises with the text. All of us need to be willing to dig deeper into our study than superficial reading if we are to obey the command of 2Timothy 2:15, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

The following two paragraphs from my reading in Ryle (text: John 4:43–54) this week struck me as profoundly comforting and encouraging:

   We learn, lastly, from this passage, that Christ’s word is as good as Christ’s presence. We read, that Jesus did not come down to Capernaum to see the sick young man, but only spoke the word, “Your son lives.” Almighty power went with that little sentence. That very hour the patient began to amend. Christ only spoke, and the cure was done. Christ only commanded, and the deadly disease stood fast.
   The fact before us is singularly full of comfort. It gives enormous value to every promise of mercy, grace, and peace, which ever fell from Christ’s lips. He that by faith has laid bold on some word of Christ, has placed his feet upon a rock. What Christ has said, He is able to do; and what He has undertaken, He will never fail to make good. The sinner who has really reposed his soul on the word of the Lord Jesus, is safe to all eternity. He could not be safer, if he saw the book of life, and his own name written in it. If Christ has said, “Him that cometh to me, I will in nowise cast out,” and our hearts can testify, “I have come,” we need not doubt that we are saved. In the things of this world, we say that seeing is believing. But in the things of the Gospel, believing is as good as seeing. Christ’s word is as good as man’s deed. He of whom Jesus says in the Gospel, “He liveth,” is alive forevermore, and shall never die.

—J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Baker Books, 2007) [Westminster (PB) | Amazon (HC)], 3:253–254.

Possessing the Word of Christ is as good as having him here with me, in the flesh! That is an astounding thought. I need not seek some mystical experience of his presence. I need only immerse myself in Scripture and allow the word of Christ to richly dwell within me, and all that he is is present in his Word. What a blessed reality!

I have been listening to Mark Dever’s Bible Overview sermons, and enjoying them very much. Yesterday, I listened to The Message of Matthew: Jesus, the Son of David. Towards the end of the sermon, Dever addresses the notion that Jesus was a humble man, a good teacher, a good example, and nothing more. While Jesus said much to refute that claim, calling himself the son of God, etc., I think the most eloquent proof is in what he did not say.

In chapter 4 of Matthew, “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” In his final temptation,

   8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”

God, and only God, is to be worshiped.

In Matthew 14, after seeing Jesus walk on water, the disciples “worshiped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son!’” In chapter 28, when Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and John, saw Jesus following the resurrection, “they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.” Then, when he met the disciples in Galilee, “they worshiped Him.” And how did Jesus respond? To the women, he said, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren . . .” To the disciples, he said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. . . .”

On the other hand, when Cornelius met Peter, and “fell at his feet and worshiped him,” Peter immediately responded, “Stand up; I too am just a man” (Acts 10).

When a “good man” is worshiped, he rebuffs the worshipers. But Jesus accepted their worship without a word of objection, thereby declaring himself to be God. Would a good, wise, humble man do that? Certainly not. Jesus’ own words — “worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only” — and the words he did not say — “I too am just a man” — force one of only two possible conclusions: either he is God, the creator and Lord of all, or he was a very bad man.

Could Jesus get sick? The question came up in a panel discussion during the 2010 Ligonier West Coast Conference last week. The question was secondary to another on the humanity of Jesus. Sproul had made it clear that, while Jesus was fully man, he was not a fallen man, and while sin is the universal condition of fallen humanity, it is not a necessary condition for humanness. Therefore, Jesus’ sinlessness did not diminish his humanity.

The panelists, including Dr. Sproul (of whom it had been said, “he knows everything”), batted the question of Jesus’ immune system around a bit without giving a conclusive answer. I suppose, then, that it might seem impertinent for a punk like me to propose an answer, but that has never stopped me before, so at this point I will throw out my opinion. You may feel free to throw it out, too.

You have likely heard it said, based on Isaiah 53:2, that Jesus was a homely fellow. I disagree with that assessment. The most we can draw from that verse regarding the appearance of Jesus is that he was, to human eyes, no more than ordinary. He would not stand out in a crowd; you would not see him in a blue jeans ad or on a poster in a teenage girl’s bedroom.

On the other hand, it is highly unlikely that he was ugly. I base that opinion on what he came to be: the Lamb of God. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, the final Passover Lamb. What do we read of that lamb? It was to be “unblemished” (Exodus 12:5). In fact, that was always the requirement of Old Testament sacrifices (Leviticus 22:17–25). Malachi 1:6ff specifically denounced priests who brought defective sacrifices to the altar. Leviticus 21:16ff requires that the priests themselves — and Jesus is our High Priest (Hebrews, beginning to end) — be without blemish.

Getting back to the question of illness, then, we have a sacrifice that was without blemish, and a priest without defect. The Levitical sacrifices were only as perfect as the discernment of those who brought them. It is unlikely, to say the least, that any lamb judged perfect by human eyes was perfectly perfect. But Jesus was not chosen by human eyes. God the Father chose and prepared his perfect Lamb to be the perfect sacrifice, and his perception is more than skin deep. Therefore, Jesus would have been without defect throughout. His perfection would have included his entire physiology, including his organs and immune system. He, the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:5), would have been like the first Adam, pre-fall, untouched by sin in any way. Therefore, I do not believe Jesus could have gotten sick.

Is this hard to believe? It shouldn’t be. After all, Jesus was, and is, the creator and sovereign Lord of all creation. He ruled the weather (Matthew 8:23–27, cf. Mark 4:37ff, Luke 8:22–25). He ruled the plant kingdom (Matthew 21:18–19, cf. Mark 11:12–14, 19–21). He commanded animals and demons (Matthew 8:27ff, cf. Mark 5:2–13). He controlled the actions of men against him (Luke 4:28–30; John 10:17–18, 39). He killed diseases of all kinds in others. No creature could resist him, or touch him without his permission. Is it so difficult to believe that bacteria and viruses would have no power over him?

This in no way diminishes his humanity; it only separates him from fallen humanity. And that is exactly the kind of man God required to atone for our sins.

Doctrines found in John 8:

The Trinity

17  “Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.”

The Divinity of Jesus

19 So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.”

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.”

58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”

The Sovereignty of God

20 . . . and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.

The Exclusivity of Christ

24  “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

There are, of course, more doctrines than these in this chapter, and more verses in this chapter concerning these doctrines.

Originally posted April 13, 2006.

On which day was Jesus crucified? It seems like an odd question, doesn’t it? The gospels give a clear record of a Friday crucifixion, so why even ask? Well, that is what I said too, but there are some who claim that Jesus must have been crucified on Wednesday or Thursday, and they are not entirely without justification. A Friday night burial and Sunday morning resurrection allows only one full day and two nights in the tomb, when Jesus clearly said that he would be in the grave for “three days and three nights”. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, under divine inspiration, clearly chronicled a Friday evening burial and Sunday morning resurrection. So, who is wrong? Consider the Gospel accounts:

Day 1, Friday: Death and burial

37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. . . . 42 When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. 45 And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

—Mark 15

46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last. . . . 50 And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man . . . 52 this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. 54 It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. 55 Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

—Luke 23

30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. 31 Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. . . . 33 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. . . . 38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. . . . 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

—John 19

Day 2, Saturday: Guards posted

62 Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, 63 and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ 64 Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” 66 And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.

—Matthew 27

Day 3, Sunday: Resurrection

1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. . . . 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.”

—Matthew 28

1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. . . . 5 Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him.”

—Mark 16

1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

—Luke 24

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. . . . 13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.

—John 20

These are obviously three consecutive days. Jesus was crucified and buried on the first day (the day of preparation for the Sabbath), guards were placed at the tomb on the second (the Sabbath), and Jesus rose from the tomb on the third (the day following the Sabbath, the first day of the week). Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

If it is so obvious, why even bring it up? Because eventually, you may be faced with this question, and it is good to be able to answer with more than, “I don’t know, I never thought of that, that’s a good question,” like I did when I was first asked. This is not just a crackpot theory that you will hear from the eccentric oddball who talks too much in your adult Sunday school class. I heard it first from Charles Swindoll. It is also a choice argument for those who like to point out that “the Bible is full of contradictions.”

Those who question the Gospel accounts will do so based on Matthew, who refers to Jonah.

for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

—Matthew 24:12

And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.

—Jonah 1:17

The gospels all agree that Jesus was crucified and buried on Friday, and rose early Sunday morning. It is easily understood that “three days in the belly of the fish/heart of the earth” does not have to mean a full seventy-two hours. He was buried on Friday, and rose on Sunday; three days. But it is only two nights. What about that third night?

According to C.F. Keil,

The three days and three nights are not to be regarded as fully three times twenty hours, but are to be interpreted according to Hebrew usage, as signifying that Jonah was vomited up again on the third day after he had been swallowed.

—C. F. Keil, Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament, volume 10 Minor Prophets (Hendrickson, 1996), 269.

John MacArthur writes,

The matter of three days and three nights is often used either to prove Jesus was mistaken about the time he would actually spend in the tomb or that he could not have been crucified on Friday afternoon and raised early on Sunday, the first day of the week. But as in modern usage, the phrase “day and night” can mean not only a full 24-hour day but any representative part of a day. . . . the Jewish Talmud held that “any part of a day is as the whole.” Jesus was simply using a common, well-understood generalization.

—John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Matthew 8-15 (Moody, 1987), 329.

Those who insist on interpreting Matthew 12:40 according to modern idiom must explain away the details contained in the gospel accounts. They also create for themselves a no-win situation. Jesus was buried in the evening, and rose in the morning. Therefore, if he was in the grave for three nights, then he was in the grave for only two days, if you only count full days, and he was in the grave for five days if you count partial days. It cannot be exactly three full days and three full nights. No matter how you figure it, it does not add up.

This is a good example of why correct biblical interpretation requires that we understand what the text meant to its original audience. Whatever it meant to them is what it means to us.