Shalom Aleichem...
Reflections is a weekly Christian Teaching Ministry. Each week we will talk about the Bible and lessons we can put to use in our daily life. We will try to, on a weekly basis, provide to you stories, thoughts, and just easy ways to live your life on a straight path.
THIS WEEK'S TEACHING....December18, 2017
We began, last week, to look at some of the issues I have with some of the religious denominations that purport to be Christian but actually are from the true beliefs of Christianity. This week I want to continue this looking at this subject:
Dealing with false teachings.
I appeal to you, Christians, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. Such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
I recall talking to a wise leader of a large missions organization about doctrinal faithfulness. He said something to this effect, “It’s crucial. And so is unity. Some people emphasize one, and some the other. Our organization is made of two kinds of people: purity boys and unity boys.” The unity boys naturally emphasize the preciousness of personal relationships and tend to neglect an emphasis on truth. The purity boys naturally emphasize the preciousness of truth and tend to neglect the nurture of personal relationships.
In fact, you could probably categorize people and churches and denominations and institutions and movements in the evangelical church today (or even in society in general) along these lines: There are those who emphasize doctrinal purity, and there are those that emphasize relational unity.
Loving People and Loving Truth
I hope you are feeling uncomfortable with that description. A good impulse inside of you would be saying right now: “Do we have to choose? Can’t it be both? Can’t you love truth and love people?” In fact, it would be an even more biblical impulse if you found yourself thinking, “I don’t even think you can love people if you don’t love truth. How can you do what is ultimately good for people if you don’t have any strong convictions about what is ultimately good?”
And yet there is no escaping the reality that people and churches and denominations and schools and even whole periods in history lean one way or the other. I think the period of history we live in is not an easy time to be a lover of truth. The most common criticism, if you stand for an important truth and imply by that stand that others should believe it, is that you are arrogant, which is the opposite of being loving (1 Corinthians 13:4), and therefore you are undermining relationships.
For many thoughtful people today the only path to peaceful relationships in a pluralistic world is the path of no truth that deserves assent, (approval), from everyone. It seems on the face of it to make sense. If no one claims that what he believes deserves assent from anyone else, then we can live together in peace. Right? So peaceful pluralism and diminished truth claims go hand in hand.
But it doesn’t work like that. When there is no truth that deserves assent from everybody, the only arbiter in our competing desires is power. Where truth doesn’t define what’s right, might makes right. And where might makes right, weak people pay with their lives. When the universal claim of truth disappears, what you get is not peaceful pluralism or loving relationships; what you get is concentration camps and gulags.
Purity for the Sake of Unity
I want you to see from the Bible—and feel in your bones—the importance of being a purity boy for the sake of being a unity boy. I want you to see and feel how out of step this text is with today’s Western culture. It pictures a way of thinking and living that most of our fellow Americans would consider offensive, unloving, fundamentalistic, (is that a word??) and out of date. It’s mainly a purity text—a text calling for vigilance in matters of truth and doctrine. But it’s not only that. In a striking way, it is a unity text. The goal of the vigilance for right teaching is to avoid Christ-belittling, self-exalting dissension.
So my hope in teaching you from Romans verses 17 and 18 is that you will be freed from any blindness or bondage to this truth-diminishing period of time in which we live. And I pray that, because of this liberty, you would know what it is to love your adversaries and that you would have fresh power from the gospel to magnify Christ in showing that love.
Let’s look at Romans 16:17-18:
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
Verse 17 gives two commands that seem contradictory, but they are joined by a phrase that shows why they are not contradictory. And verse 18 gives two reasons why these two commands are so crucial. Let’s look first at the commands in verse 17.
Watch Out for Those Who Cause Divisions
The first command in verse 17 is to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles or stumbling blocks. “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles.” So it is clear from this command that Paul is concerned about unity. He wants to promote unity. Watch out for those who cause divisions. These are enemies of unity. Watch out for them. I don’t want them to have that effect on you.
Avoid ThemThe second command in verse 17 is to avoid these people. The last phrase in the verse: “Avoid them.” Stay away from them. Now the reason I said these two commands sound contradictory is that the first one is driven by a passion for unity: Watch out for those who cause divisions. And the second one is, in fact, a call for division. When you spot such a division-causing person, divide from him. Avoid him.
The Dividing Line of Doctrine
What is it then between these two commands that helps us see how they are not in fact contradictory? It’s Paul’s reference to doctrine. Verse 17: “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught.” The issue here is not the same as in Romans:14 where Paul is dealing with different convictions about non-essential things. There he said, in verse 5, “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” There was no talk in chapter 14 about avoiding people. The whole point was to help the strong and the weak Christians live together in mutual respect and understanding.
But now here in Romans 16:17, the approach is dramatically different. Here Paul says: Avoid them. Divide from them. Why? Because they are promoting doctrine contrary to what they had been taught. Now Paul’s response to this could have been: Well, nobody has all the truth, and everybody has a piece of it, and unity is more important than truth, and so don’t divide. And we would say: That impulse would not be all bad, would it? Unity is a good thing. Paul cares about it. His first command is: “Watch out for those who cause divisions.”
Truth-Based Division for the Sake of Truth-Based Unity
But that is not the way he responded to this situation. Instead, for the sake of unity—that is, truth-based unity—Paul calls for truth-based division. Avoid them. I don’t know how Paul could make any clearer how he relates doctrine and unity. For Paul, doctrine is the basis of unity. Without the common doctrine they had been taught, the unity would not have been Christian unity. So he is willing to call for truth-based disunity (“Avoid them.” “Divide from them.”) for the sake of truth-based unity.
In other words, when a person departs from the doctrine that the apostles had taught, Paul sees this as a greater threat to unity than the disunity caused by avoiding such people. If we say: How can that be? How can dividing from a false teacher who rises up in the church promote unity in the church? The answer is that the only unity that counts for unity in the church is rooted in a common apostolic teaching. Isolating false teachers—avoiding them—is Paul’s strategy for preserving unity that is based on true teaching.
Joy in the Truth Is Dominant
Now let’s pause here before looking at the reasons for these commands in verse 18. I want to make a clarifying comment about both of these commands and the doctrine that connects them.
First, with regard to the command to “watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught,” it is possible to go overboard on this. I hesitate even to say it, since I do not think this is the temptation of most churches or most Christians today. But it is possible, and there are churches and people that do go overboard.
What I mean is that they become so obsessed with spotting doctrinal error that they lose their ability to rejoice in doctrinal truth. They’re like dogs that are trained so completely to sniff out drugs at the airport, that even when they are off duty they greet everybody that way. It doesn’t make for a very welcoming atmosphere.
The book of Romans does not make this mistake. Periodically Paul warns against doctrinal or ethical error. But most of Romans is a glorious display of the work of Christ for us and in us. So let’s ask the Lord to help us get the balance right here. We must do this: “Watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught.” But this is not the main thing we do. Vigilance over error is necessary, but joy in the truth is dominant.
There Is a Defined Body of Doctrine
Second, with regard to the doctrine, don’t miss the obvious: There is such a thing—a body of doctrine that someone can go against. Verse 17: “Watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught.” There is a doctrinal standard. There is something you can depart from. Paul refers to it in several ways. In Romans 6:17, he calls it the standard of teaching: “[You] have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed.” In 2 Timothy 1:13-14, he calls it the pattern of sound words and the good deposit. “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”
In Acts 20:27, he calls it the whole counsel of God. “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”
So there is a body or standard or pattern of sound doctrine. The caution here, of course, is that we must not put every minor opinion about hundreds of Bible verses in this category so that there is no room for any disagreement at all (Philippians 3:15). The pattern of sound doctrine would be a faithful summary of biblical essentials determined by how crucial they are in expressing and preserving the history of redemption, the nature and condition of man, the nature and work of Christ, the nature and word of the Holy Spirit, and the nature and work of God the Father. One of the greatest challenges in the quest for unity is deciding what belongs in this body of doctrine when Paul says, if someone departs from it, avoid him. That’s part of what the elders were working on last year in the baptism question. And which we are still working on.
Leave Room for Enemy Love
Third, with regard to the second command at the end of verse 17 (avoid them), we need to be sure we leave room for obedience to the teaching in Romans 12 that says we should “Bless those who curse you” (v. 14), and, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (v. 18), and so on.
Avoiding someone does not mean: Stop caring about him, or stop praying for him, or even stop talking to them. When Peter acted contrary to the gospel in Galatians 2, Paul did not first avoid him. He first confronted him with a view to winning him back. That kind of contact is not forbidden. What Paul commands with the words avoid them, is not no contact at all, but rather avoid the kind of contact that communicates life can go on as usual between us. It cannot. If you, as a professing Christian, persist in departing from the doctrine the apostles taught, we cannot simply hang out together like we used to.
False Teachers Seem Nice
That brings us finally to verse 18 and the two reasons Paul gives for why doctrinal vigilance is so important. Verse 18: “For such persons [that is, the persons who depart from the doctrine] do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.”
Let’s take the second one first. Verse 18b: “By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.” The word for flattery is simply blessing. And smooth talk does not necessarily mean manifestly slippery. It just means pleasant and plausible. So the reason we must be so vigilant over biblical doctrine is that those who depart from it take simple people with them by pleasant, plausible speech that presents itself as a blessing. False teachers don’t get a following by being rough and harsh. They get a following by being nice.
Just take two examples from history: Arius (d. 336) and Socinus (d. 1604)—both of whom denied the deity of Christ. Parker Williamson describes Arius like this:
Here was a bright, energetic, attractive fellow, the kind of citizen whom any Rotary Club would welcome. Singing sea chanties in dockside pubs and teaching Bible stories to the Wednesday night faithful, this was an immensely popular man. His story reminds us that heresy does not bludgeon us into belief. We are seduced. (Parker T. Williamson, Standing Firm: Reclaiming the Chastain Faith in Times of Controversy[Lenoir, North Carolina: PLC Publications, 1996], p. 31.)And another writer describes Socinus like this:
He was a gentleman. His morals were above reproach and he distinguished himself by his unfailing courtesy. Unfailing courtesy was remarkable in an age when even the great Protestant leaders, Luther and Calvin would use vile street language when arguing with their opponents.This means that it will seldom be popular to resist false teachers in the church because they are almost always perceived as bringing a blessing and speaking with winsome words. They are gentlemen. And Paul says the innocent are carried away. Hence he says, “Watch out for them. And avoid them.”
False Teachers Serve Their Own Appetites
The other reason why doctrinal vigilance is so crucial, Paul says, is (verse 18a) because “such persons [the false teachers] do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites”—literally their own belly. In other words, the issue in false teaching is not a simple intellectual mistake. Behind the plausible speech and the smooth gentlemanly demeanor is idolatry, and the idol is the belly—the appetite for food or sex or human approval. Behind serious false teaching, we almost always find not merely intellectual mistakes, but worldly passions enslaving the mind.
Watch Out
So I close with a pointed call to vigilance: Watch out for smooth talkers who pastor large churches, write many books, lead wide ministries, and do not prize above their earthly good, the whole counsel of God.
DID YOU EVER WONDER???
Short but oh so true:)
Lions don't have to roar. There is power in silence, confidence, and persistence. Those who work don't talk, and those who talk don't work. Handle your business. Measure your efforts by results. Focus your time, energy, and activity on mastering and executing a plan.
Avoid the energy draining practice of telling people what you are going to do. Instead, spend your time and effort in doing the things that are necessary to accomplish your goals. Keep your focus. and stay determined in order to pursue your dream. Let your work, not your words, speak for itself. You deserve!
BOOKS OF THE BIBLE...A TEACHING
.
PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES
The Pharisees and Sadducees are two important Jewish groups (16:1–12). The Pharisees believe in a pure Jewish race and religion, and resent the Roman government. The Sadducees work with the Roman government, so that they have some share of political power. Both groups see Jesus as a threat, and join forces against him.
Jesus remarks that the Jewish leaders can forecast the weather from the signs in the sky, but they refuse to recognize the signs of the Messiah. He warns his disciples to avoid the ‘yeast’ effect of such people—and he’s not talking about making bread! He’s referring to a pervading attitude of unbelief in God.
JESUS IS THE MESSIAH
At Caesarea Philippi, Simon Peter acknowledges that Jesus is the Messiah (16:13–20). Other people may say that Jesus is merely a prophet—even one of the great prophets reappearing. But Peter believes Jesus is the One the prophets foretold: the Messiah, God’s anointed king.
Peter may have a high opinion of Jesus, but Jesus also has great praise for him. He tells Simon how fortunate he is, because only God could have revealed this wonderful secret to him.
Jesus will build his church on Peter’s faith. Peter, whose name means ‘Rock’, is the foundation stone of Jesus’ new community. This community will live for ever, because it will invade and break open the gates of death and hell. Peter will have a central role in ruling the church, by making the ways of heaven known on earth.
Jesus warns his disciples not to tell anyone that he is the Messiah. There is danger of a double misunderstanding about the kind of Messiah he is.
The first misunderstanding is that thousands of people expect the Christ to be a military leader, like Judas Maccabeus. If the crowds believe that Jesus is the Christ, they will rally to him as their champion. They will revolt against the Romans and plunge the country into a ruinous and bloody war. Jesus is not this kind of Christ, and the disciples must not give the impression that he is.
The second misunderstanding is by the disciples themselves. They hope that Jesus will be revealed as the Son of man, bringing God’s kingdom in clouds of glory. This is true, but it is not the whole truth. They have still to learn that the Christ must suffer. It will be the hardest lesson of their lives.
Insights for the disciples
Peter’s naming of Jesus as the Messiah is a turning point. From now on Jesus’ thoughts run towards Jerusalem and his coming death. He starts to spend more time with his disciples. He repeatedly warns them that he must suffer and die. Three of the disciples are granted a glimpse of Jesus’ true glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, while the rest have difficulty healing an epileptic child. And Jesus demonstrates a unique approach to paying tax.
Jesus predicts his death
(16:21–28)
There is a change of mood. Far from celebrating that he is the Messiah, Jesus starts to warn his disciples of the dreadful suffering that lies ahead. The elders, chief priests and lawyers of the Jewish high council, the Sanhedrin, will have him killed. But on the third day Jesus will be raised to life.
Peter takes Jesus aside and tries to dissuade him. It is unthinkable that the Messiah should suffer. Jesus must get this death wish out of his head immediately. But it is Peter who is wrong. His mind is on worldly glory, and so he becomes Satan’s mouthpiece. He has gone from rock to stumbling block in a matter of minutes.
Jesus gives his most solemn call to real discipleship. To follow him will mean taking the same path of self-denial and suffering—the way of the cross. But it is also the only way to life. Those who commit themselves totally to Jesus will one day see his glory as the Son of man, welcome his kingdom and receive his reward. Indeed, there are those who will glimpse his glory in this life—as we are about to discover.
TITLES OF CHRIST IN THE GOSPELS
The Gospels contain two classes of titles: those that go back to Jesus Himself and those that are applied to Him by others. There is considerable scholarly discussion about the exact nature of the first group, but the evidence of Scripture must be allowed to speak for itself. Jesus used certain titles for Himself and allowed His followers to refer to Him in certain ways. From these we gain insight into how He understood Himself and His mission.
Son of Man
This was Jesus’ favorite self-designation. It originated in the OT (Dan 7:13–14), was used during the intertestamental period, and was chosen by Jesus to define His messianic mission. It was serviceable because it had messianic overtones. It also was sufficiently fluid to allow Jesus to inject His own meaning into it. He needed to do this because the idea of messiahship current in His day was that of a military hero, whereas He came to be the Savior of the world.
Jesus used the title Son of man in four different ways. First, frequently it was a synonym for “I.” Jesus was simply referring to Himself (for example, see Matt 26:24). Second, the Son of man is one who exercises divine authority (for example, see Matt 9:6). Third, the Son of man fulfills His earthly mission by death and resurrection (for example, see Matt 12:40; 17:9, 12, 23). Fourth, the Son of man will return in great glory to establish His kingdom (for example, see Matt 16:27–28; 19:28). In this way Jesus defined who He, the messianic Son of man, is.
Son, Son of God, Only Son
The title “Son of God,” or “Son” for short, was also a messianic title derived from the Old Testament (2 Sam 7:11–16). It assumes a more exalted status, however, when used by or about Jesus. It means in fact that Jesus possesses the qualities of the divine nature. This was quite evident when the heavenly voice cried out to Jesus at His baptism that He was beloved and well pleasing (Matt 3:16–17), an affirmation reiterated at Jesus’ transfiguration (Mark 9:7).
Jesus’ own understanding of His unique relation to God as Son is reflected in Matthew 11:25–27 and Luke 10:21–22. Jesus expressed the same idea when confounding the Pharisees (Matt 22:41–46). In the Gospel of John, Jesus is referred to as God’s “one and only Son” (John 3:16), a term that means one of a kind or unique.
Lord
This was a title of honor used of Jesus, the equivalent of “Master” or “Sir.” However, we can see lurking in it something of greater significance (Matt 8:5–13; Mark 2:23–27). In Judaism “Lord” had become the word pronounced when the personal name Yahweh appeared in Scripture. “Lord” thus meant God. The church later, in light of Jesus’ death and resurrection, used it to mean nothing less than that Jesus was God.
Christ (Messiah)
Jesus was reluctant to acknowledge this title because of the popular misconceptions that abounded about the Messiah, centering on a king to rule on David’s throne. Under the proper circumstances, however, He was willing to confess that He was indeed God’s Anointed One (Matt 16:13–20; 26:62–64; John 4:25–26). This title was used so commonly later on in the church that it became virtually a name for Jesus; so “Jesus the Christ” became simply “Christ.” (See as an example the shifting use of names and titles in 2 Cor 1–2.)
The Word
In the Gospels this title is found only in John (1:1–14). The expression “word of God” is common in both the Old and New Testaments as defining how God expressed Himself and what the content of that communication was. When referring to Jesus, it makes that self-revelation of God personal. Jesus as the Word of God supremely reveals who God is. If we would know God, we are to look at Jesus, the very expression (Word) of God. “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9), said Jesus.
Savior
It is self-evident in the OT that just as there is only one God, so there is only one Savior (for example, see Isa 43:3, 11; 45:21). This is also true in the NT (1 Tim 2:3; 4:10; Titus 1:3; 2:10). It is all the more significant, then, that Jesus is announced as the Savior of Israel (Luke 2:11) and the world (John 4:42) in the Gospels. Jesus was understood to be divine redemption incarnate and was proclaimed as such by the early church (Acts 5:31; 13:23; 1 John 4:14).
Holy One of God
This is a term used specifically by supernatural evil beings of Jesus as the one who is pure and holy (Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34; John 6:69). As such He sealed their doom in that He is wholly righteous and they are wholly evil. It identified Jesus with the Holy God (compare Isa 6).
Son of David
Son of David is a messianic title frequently used to refer to Jesus in the Gospels (Matt 1:1; 9:27; 15:22; 20:30–31; 21:9, 15). The title expresses hope. The Son of David, who was greater than David (22:41–45), would bring deliverance for those hopelessly in bondage.
The Transfiguration
17 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon
14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection
22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 17:1–23). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. . (1992). Holman Bible Handbook (p. 558). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. . (1992). Holman Bible Handbook (p. 558). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. . (1992). Holman Bible Handbook (p. 558). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. . (1992). Holman Bible Handbook (p. 558). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. . (1992). Holman Bible Handbook (p. 558). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. . (1992). Holman Bible Handbook (p. 558). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. . (1992). Holman Bible Handbook (p. 558). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., pp. 425–426). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 425). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 425). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 425). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 425). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 425). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 425). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
HAVE A SAFE AND BLESSED WEEK:)
Ho'omaikaʻi ka Pua iā kākou
PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES
The Pharisees and Sadducees are two important Jewish groups (16:1–12). The Pharisees believe in a pure Jewish race and religion, and resent the Roman government. The Sadducees work with the Roman government, so that they have some share of political power. Both groups see Jesus as a threat, and join forces against him.
Jesus remarks that the Jewish leaders can forecast the weather from the signs in the sky, but they refuse to recognize the signs of the Messiah. He warns his disciples to avoid the ‘yeast’ effect of such people—and he’s not talking about making bread! He’s referring to a pervading attitude of unbelief in God.
JESUS IS THE MESSIAH
At Caesarea Philippi, Simon Peter acknowledges that Jesus is the Messiah (16:13–20). Other people may say that Jesus is merely a prophet—even one of the great prophets reappearing. But Peter believes Jesus is the One the prophets foretold: the Messiah, God’s anointed king.
Peter may have a high opinion of Jesus, but Jesus also has great praise for him. He tells Simon how fortunate he is, because only God could have revealed this wonderful secret to him.
Jesus will build his church on Peter’s faith. Peter, whose name means ‘Rock’, is the foundation stone of Jesus’ new community. This community will live for ever, because it will invade and break open the gates of death and hell. Peter will have a central role in ruling the church, by making the ways of heaven known on earth.
Jesus warns his disciples not to tell anyone that he is the Messiah. There is danger of a double misunderstanding about the kind of Messiah he is.
The first misunderstanding is that thousands of people expect the Christ to be a military leader, like Judas Maccabeus. If the crowds believe that Jesus is the Christ, they will rally to him as their champion. They will revolt against the Romans and plunge the country into a ruinous and bloody war. Jesus is not this kind of Christ, and the disciples must not give the impression that he is.
The second misunderstanding is by the disciples themselves. They hope that Jesus will be revealed as the Son of man, bringing God’s kingdom in clouds of glory. This is true, but it is not the whole truth. They have still to learn that the Christ must suffer. It will be the hardest lesson of their lives.
Insights for the disciples
Peter’s naming of Jesus as the Messiah is a turning point. From now on Jesus’ thoughts run towards Jerusalem and his coming death. He starts to spend more time with his disciples. He repeatedly warns them that he must suffer and die. Three of the disciples are granted a glimpse of Jesus’ true glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, while the rest have difficulty healing an epileptic child. And Jesus demonstrates a unique approach to paying tax.
Jesus predicts his death
(16:21–28)
There is a change of mood. Far from celebrating that he is the Messiah, Jesus starts to warn his disciples of the dreadful suffering that lies ahead. The elders, chief priests and lawyers of the Jewish high council, the Sanhedrin, will have him killed. But on the third day Jesus will be raised to life.
Peter takes Jesus aside and tries to dissuade him. It is unthinkable that the Messiah should suffer. Jesus must get this death wish out of his head immediately. But it is Peter who is wrong. His mind is on worldly glory, and so he becomes Satan’s mouthpiece. He has gone from rock to stumbling block in a matter of minutes.
Jesus gives his most solemn call to real discipleship. To follow him will mean taking the same path of self-denial and suffering—the way of the cross. But it is also the only way to life. Those who commit themselves totally to Jesus will one day see his glory as the Son of man, welcome his kingdom and receive his reward. Indeed, there are those who will glimpse his glory in this life—as we are about to discover.
TITLES OF CHRIST IN THE GOSPELS
The Gospels contain two classes of titles: those that go back to Jesus Himself and those that are applied to Him by others. There is considerable scholarly discussion about the exact nature of the first group, but the evidence of Scripture must be allowed to speak for itself. Jesus used certain titles for Himself and allowed His followers to refer to Him in certain ways. From these we gain insight into how He understood Himself and His mission.
Son of Man
This was Jesus’ favorite self-designation. It originated in the OT (Dan 7:13–14), was used during the intertestamental period, and was chosen by Jesus to define His messianic mission. It was serviceable because it had messianic overtones. It also was sufficiently fluid to allow Jesus to inject His own meaning into it. He needed to do this because the idea of messiahship current in His day was that of a military hero, whereas He came to be the Savior of the world.
Jesus used the title Son of man in four different ways. First, frequently it was a synonym for “I.” Jesus was simply referring to Himself (for example, see Matt 26:24). Second, the Son of man is one who exercises divine authority (for example, see Matt 9:6). Third, the Son of man fulfills His earthly mission by death and resurrection (for example, see Matt 12:40; 17:9, 12, 23). Fourth, the Son of man will return in great glory to establish His kingdom (for example, see Matt 16:27–28; 19:28). In this way Jesus defined who He, the messianic Son of man, is.
Son, Son of God, Only Son
The title “Son of God,” or “Son” for short, was also a messianic title derived from the Old Testament (2 Sam 7:11–16). It assumes a more exalted status, however, when used by or about Jesus. It means in fact that Jesus possesses the qualities of the divine nature. This was quite evident when the heavenly voice cried out to Jesus at His baptism that He was beloved and well pleasing (Matt 3:16–17), an affirmation reiterated at Jesus’ transfiguration (Mark 9:7).
Jesus’ own understanding of His unique relation to God as Son is reflected in Matthew 11:25–27 and Luke 10:21–22. Jesus expressed the same idea when confounding the Pharisees (Matt 22:41–46). In the Gospel of John, Jesus is referred to as God’s “one and only Son” (John 3:16), a term that means one of a kind or unique.
Lord
This was a title of honor used of Jesus, the equivalent of “Master” or “Sir.” However, we can see lurking in it something of greater significance (Matt 8:5–13; Mark 2:23–27). In Judaism “Lord” had become the word pronounced when the personal name Yahweh appeared in Scripture. “Lord” thus meant God. The church later, in light of Jesus’ death and resurrection, used it to mean nothing less than that Jesus was God.
Christ (Messiah)
Jesus was reluctant to acknowledge this title because of the popular misconceptions that abounded about the Messiah, centering on a king to rule on David’s throne. Under the proper circumstances, however, He was willing to confess that He was indeed God’s Anointed One (Matt 16:13–20; 26:62–64; John 4:25–26). This title was used so commonly later on in the church that it became virtually a name for Jesus; so “Jesus the Christ” became simply “Christ.” (See as an example the shifting use of names and titles in 2 Cor 1–2.)
The Word
In the Gospels this title is found only in John (1:1–14). The expression “word of God” is common in both the Old and New Testaments as defining how God expressed Himself and what the content of that communication was. When referring to Jesus, it makes that self-revelation of God personal. Jesus as the Word of God supremely reveals who God is. If we would know God, we are to look at Jesus, the very expression (Word) of God. “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9), said Jesus.
Savior
It is self-evident in the OT that just as there is only one God, so there is only one Savior (for example, see Isa 43:3, 11; 45:21). This is also true in the NT (1 Tim 2:3; 4:10; Titus 1:3; 2:10). It is all the more significant, then, that Jesus is announced as the Savior of Israel (Luke 2:11) and the world (John 4:42) in the Gospels. Jesus was understood to be divine redemption incarnate and was proclaimed as such by the early church (Acts 5:31; 13:23; 1 John 4:14).
Holy One of God
This is a term used specifically by supernatural evil beings of Jesus as the one who is pure and holy (Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34; John 6:69). As such He sealed their doom in that He is wholly righteous and they are wholly evil. It identified Jesus with the Holy God (compare Isa 6).
Son of David
Son of David is a messianic title frequently used to refer to Jesus in the Gospels (Matt 1:1; 9:27; 15:22; 20:30–31; 21:9, 15). The title expresses hope. The Son of David, who was greater than David (22:41–45), would bring deliverance for those hopelessly in bondage.
The Transfiguration
17 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon
14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection
22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 17:1–23). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. . (1992). Holman Bible Handbook (p. 558). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. . (1992). Holman Bible Handbook (p. 558). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. . (1992). Holman Bible Handbook (p. 558). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. . (1992). Holman Bible Handbook (p. 558). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. . (1992). Holman Bible Handbook (p. 558). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. . (1992). Holman Bible Handbook (p. 558). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. . (1992). Holman Bible Handbook (p. 558). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., pp. 425–426). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 425). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 425). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 425). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 425). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 425). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 425). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
HAVE A SAFE AND BLESSED WEEK:)
Ho'omaikaʻi ka Pua iā kākou