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

Mark 15:37,42-46 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. . . . And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus. And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.

Luke 23:46,50,52-56 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. . . . And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: . . . This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

John 19:30-31,33,38,41-42 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away . . . But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: … And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. . . . Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

Day 2, Saturday: Guards posted

Matthew 27:62-66 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

Day 3, Sunday: Resurrection

Matthew 28:1-2,5-6 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. . . . And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Mark 16:1,5-6 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. . . . And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

Luk 24:1-3 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

John 20:1,13-14 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. . . . they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

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 12:40, which refers to Jonah 1:17.

“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40)

“Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly 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. [MacArthur, John. 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 it's original audience. Whatever it meant to them is what it means to us.

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.”

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)

G1577 εκκλησια (ekklesia)
Thayer Definition:
1) a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly
1a) an assembly of the people convened at the public place of the council for the purpose of deliberating
1b) the assembly of the Israelites
1c) any gathering or throng of men assembled by chance, tumultuously
1d) in a Christian sense
1d1) an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting
1d2) a company of Christian, or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs, according to regulations prescribed for the body for order’s sake
1d3) those who anywhere, in a city, village, constitute such a company and are united into one body
1d4) the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth
1d5) the assembly of faithful Christians already dead and received into heaven
Part of Speech: noun feminine
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564
Citing in TDNT: 3:501, 394

Ekklesia appears 115 times in the New Testament. It is most often translated as church, sometimes as assembly, and once, in the NASB, as congregation (Acts 7:38).

Why bring up this rather mundane fact? A comment was posted here earlier today claiming,

In the reality, the word "church" occurs not at all in the Bible. The biblical name of the Church is the great whore, and Babylon the great.

We must leave all churches and denominations before Jesus comes. And those that not want to obey his word, God comes to count as accessory in the sins of the great harlot and they get their part of her plagues.

I have neither the interest nor the energy to refute this statement, and I really don’t need to. However, if anyone is interested, what follows is a complete listing of every occurrence of ekklesia in the New Testament. Like I said, I’m no expert, but not only is it in there a lot, it seems to be kind of important. You be the judge.

115 occurrences of ekklesia in 112 NT verses

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.

Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Acts 5:11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

Acts 8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Acts 8:3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Acts 9:31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

Acts 11:22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.

Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

Acts 12:1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

Acts 12:5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

Acts 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Acts 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

Acts 14:27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

Acts 15:3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

Acts 15:4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

Acts 15:22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:

Acts 15:41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

Acts 16:5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

Acts 18:22 And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.

Acts 19:32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.

Acts 19:39 But if ye inquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.

Acts 19:41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

Acts 20:17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Romans 16:1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

Romans 16:4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

Romans 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

Romans 16:16 Salute one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.

Romans 16:23 Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.

1 Corinthians 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified37 in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

1 Corinthians 4:17 For this cause have I sent unto you Timothy, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

1 Corinthians 6:4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

1 Corinthians 7:17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

1 Corinthians 10:32 Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

1 Corinthians 11:16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

1 Corinthians 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

1 Corinthians 11:22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

1 Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

1 Corinthians 14:4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

1 Corinthians 14:5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh, with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

1 Corinthians 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

1 Corinthians 14:19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

1 Corinthians 14:23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

1 Corinthians 14:28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

1 Corinthians 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.

1 Corinthians 14:35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

1 Corinthians 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.

1 Corinthians 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

2 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

2 Corinthians 8:1 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;

2 Corinthians 8:18 And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;

2 Corinthians 8:19 And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:

2 Corinthians 8:23 Whether any do inquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.

2 Corinthians 8:24 Wherefore show ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.

2 Corinthians 11:8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

2 Corinthians 11:28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

2 Corinthians 12:13 For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.

Galatians 1:2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:

Galatians 1:13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

Galatians 1:22 And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judea which were in Christ:

Ephesians 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Ephesians 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

Ephesians 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Ephesians 5:23 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.

Ephesians 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Ephesians 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Ephesians 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

Ephesians 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Philippians 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Philippians 4:15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.

Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Colossians 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

Colossians 4:15 Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.

Colossians 4:16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.

1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 2:14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:

2 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Thessalonians 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

1 Timothy 3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

1 Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

1 Timothy 5:16 If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

Philemon 1:2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in thy house:

Hebrews 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

Hebrews 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

3 John 1:6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:

3 John 1:9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

3 John 1:10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

Revelation 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

Revelation 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Revelation 2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Revelation 2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

Revelation 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Revelation 2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; 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.

Revelation 2:18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

Revelation 2:23 And I will kill her children with death; 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.

Revelation 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

Revelation 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

Revelation 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Revelation 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

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, Treasury of David (Hendrickson), 1:4.

Some time ago, I began writing a series of posts on “Being Christian.” I want to return now to that theme, considering Galatians 5:22–25. This passage will, if the Lord is willing and I follow through, serve as a segue into a few future posts on related passages.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
   25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Tangent: The filling of the Spirit, which is an on-going process throughout every Christian’s life, should not be confused with baptism of the Spirit, which is a one-time event that happens to every believer at the moment of regeneration. (See John MacArthur, The Baptism of the Holy Spirit.)

The Geneva Bible notes state succinctly:

Therefore, they are not the fruits of free will, but so far forth as our will is made free by grace.1

Matthew Henry wrote:

And here we may observe that as sin is called the work of the flesh, because the flesh, or corrupt nature, is the principle that moves and excites men to it, so grace is said to be the fruit of the Spirit, because it wholly proceeds from the Spirit, as the fruit does from the root . . .2

And John Gill:

Not of nature or man's free will, as corrupted by sin, for no good fruit springs from thence; but either of the internal principle of grace, called the Spirit, ver. 17. or rather of the Holy Spirit . . ; the graces of which are called fruit, and not works, as the actions of the flesh are; because they are owing to divine influence efficacy, and bounty, as the fruits of the earth are, to which the allusion is; and not to a man’s self, to the power and principles of nature; and because they arise from a seed, either the incorruptible seed of internal grace, which seminally contains all graces in it, or the blessed Spirit, who is the seed that remains in believers; and because they are in the exercise of them acceptable unto God through Christ, and are grateful and delightful to Christ himself, being his pleasant fruits; which as they come from him, as the author of them, they are exercised on him as the object of them, under the influence of the Spirit . . .3

Finally, John MacArthur:

   Contrasted with the deeds of the flesh is the fruit of the Spirit. Deeds of the flesh are done by a person’s own efforts, whether he is saved or unsaved. The fruit of the Spirit, on the other hand, is produced by God’s own Spirit and only in the lives of those who belong to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.4

The fruit of the Spirit is a list, then, of indications that one belongs to Christ and has therefore “crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” It is a standard of measure to which we can refer when examining ourselves in the spirit of 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?”

The question this passage asks us is, Are we filled with the Spirit? The filling of the Spirit is something we need continuously. D. L. Moody, when asked why this is, reportedly replied, “Because I leak.” Whether that exchange actually occurred, or is apocryphal, it certainly is true. What are we to do? We can’t fill ourselves with the Holy Spirit. Contrary to the beliefs of many, there is no one we can go to for an “anointing,” no one who can zap us with the Spirit.

Consider these two parallel passages:

Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
   18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Can you see the parallel?

We can see that the results of being filled with the Spirit are precisely the same as those of letting “the word of Christ richly dwell within” us. The Holy Spirit fills us as we devote ourselves to “the word of Christ.” On this parallel, John MacArthur writes,

The result of being filled with the Holy Spirit is the same as the result of letting the Word dwell in one’s life richly. Therefore, the two are the same spiritual reality viewed from two sides. To be filled with the Spirit is to be controlled by His Word. To have the Word dwelling richly is to be controlled by His Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit is the author and power of the word, the expressions are interchangeable.5

This truth is seen also in Christ’s High Priestly Prayer (John 17), when he prayed that the Father would “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” (verse 17).

So, coming back to Galatians 5, we can conclude that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are the fruit of letting the Word of Christ, which is the Holy Spirit’s voice, richly dwell within us.

1 1599 Geneva Bible, (Tolle Lege Press, 2006)

2 Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Vol. 6 (Hendrickson, 2006), 545.

3 Exposition of the Old & New Testaments: Vol. 9 (Baptist Standard Bearer, 2006), 49.

4 The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Galatians (Moody, 1987), 163.

5 The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Colossians & Philemon (Moody, 1992), 159.

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), 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.