Christian Living

The New Testament has a great deal to say about living as Christians. We will look to the Old Testament for context and background, but focus on the New in these blogs.

“Almost Right” is Still Wrong

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illustration-to-book-of-job.jpg!Blog

Illustration to Book of Job by William Blake

From time to time, we run into well-meaning Christians who take issue with discernment ministries when they point out errors in what might otherwise be considered sound doctrine. They have little issue with calling out overt paganism as unbiblical, but when we exercise discernment regarding a beloved pastor’s sermon or a 200-year-old hymn, allusions to “straining at gnats” or “eat the meat and spit out the bones” start to arise as well as blanket accusations of being “divisive” and “mean-spirited”. While there is definitely something to be said about the manner of speech and the need to speak in humility and love, it is also important to point out the wrong, however slight it might seem now, so that what is almost right, can be made completely right rather than completely wrong. We are not aiming for a level of Truth that has not been revealed, for only God is capable of such Truth. What He has revealed of Himself in His Word is knowable, and must be pursued, lest we stumble and fall. In my opinion, no where do we see this truth more beautifully displayed than in the Book of Job.

If you’ve never read the Book of Job, I encourage you to do so. Some interesting background on the book, scholars believe that it was written before Moses for several reasons. The clearest indication found within Scripture is the fact that Job offered sacrifices for his family rather than a Priest or Levite. Therefore, Job lived sometime after Noah and before Moses.

For today, I want to dive right into the advice given to Job by his friend Eliphaz.

The Prosperity Gospel of Eliphaz

Job 4 (ESV)
Eliphaz Speaks: The Innocent Prosper
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 “If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?  Yet who can keep from speaking?
3 Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands.
4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees.
5 But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you, and you are dismayed.
6 Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?

What a way to start, eh? It’s like starting out with, “don’t get mad at me, but I just have to get this off my chest”. Now, in a single day Job got word that all of his kids died, and everything he owned was gone. Then, he was made so sick that he was nearly unrecognizable to his friends. They wisely sat in silence with him for seven days, because of his obvious suffering. Job finally speaks out of despair wishing that he had never been born. Before we judge Eliphaz too harshly, are we not taught to speak up, and not hold our tongues whenever we hear indications of potentially suicidal behavior? Job broke the silence, and was despondent… would you have held your tongue? Even if you know where this story is leading, I implore you not to fully disengage with what is happening here. It is important to note that this account predates any Scripture in written form (Moses recorded the Law). Unlike us, no one in the Book of Job has the written Law, the Prophets, or the New Testament from which to draw reference.

Job 4:7 “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off?
8 As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.
9 By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.
10 The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 The strong lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

Eliphaz begins with empirical (experiential) knowledge. His first comments betray his conviction that Job’s affliction must be a result of his sin. He starts by charging Job to Remember: who that was innocent ever perished  and I have seen that those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. Is this correct? Is this so-called “principle of sowing and reaping” being applied correctly here? By the breath of God they perish… who? those who sow iniquity and trouble. Make no mistake, Eliphaz is pointing to Job as the reason for his affliction, and he is claiming that it is God who is afflicting Job as punishment for his iniquity. Rather than ask Job a single question, or provide any verbal encouragement whatsoever, he has judged Job guilty, because in Eliphaz’s experience no one who is innocent faces judgement. In today’s public church, this is what the underside of the “prosperity gospel coin” looks like. If being a child of God guarantees prosperity, then the lack of prosperity and especially the afflictions of this world bear testimony that you are not a child of God.

What happens next is not uncommon today. We have the written Scriptures today, and yet we still hear folks rely on a direct revelation rather than the Word of God. Eliphaz now shares with Job knowledge he claims to have obtained from a spirit, a whispered word,  a voice from the silence.

Job 4:12 “Now a word was brought to me stealthily; my ear received the whisper of it.
13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,
14 dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake.
15 A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.
16 It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?
18 Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error;
19 how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust,
who are crushed like the moth.
20 Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces; they perish forever without anyone regarding it.
21 Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them, do they not die, and that without wisdom?’

Yikes. This unidentified spirit, who brought dread and trembling upon Eliphaz spoke to him. What did this spirit say? Was it of God? It pronounces judgment against all of mankind, and declares of God that He puts no trust in His servants, and charges his angels with error. Is this a statement of Praise to the Lord God, or an accusation? I think now is a good time to look back to the first chapter of Job, to see what God actually had to say about Job prior to his afflictions.

Job 1:6-12 (ESV)
Satan Allowed to Test Job
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

There is no higher praise a mortal man can receive from the Lord God. Satan asserts that it is God’s blessing that is to blame for Job’s fear of God. When you think about it, what an odd accusation, given all that we’ve read thus far. If God rewards the righteous, how then can God’s reward be the cause of their righteousness? Satan is accusing God of being either ignorant or misleading. He swears to God that Job’s fear of the Lord God is superficial, and merely a result of having been granted unusual favor in God’s sight. Take away his blessings and Job will surely curse God. Yet what we see at the close of the first chapter is, “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong” Job 1:22 (ESV). Satan lost the first bet, but wasn’t finished. Was Satan after Job? No. He was gunning for the Lord God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth.

Job 2:1-7 (ESV)
Satan Attacks Job’s Health
1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 3 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” 4 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” 6 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.” 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

This is the testimony God presents concerning Job. So, what can we say about the spirit from whom Eliphaz drew his knowledge and counsel? We can safely say that it is not of God. Whether a fleshly fabrication from his own sinful heart, or from a spirit of error in service of Satan we need not declare. Only that it was not the Spirit of God speaking. There was no reason for on Job’s account for the loss of his property and children. None. The accusation of Eliphaz against Job is without merit. His appeal to “sowing and reaping” was faulty, though it might have been right had Job indeed plowed iniquity or sown trouble. But he was wrong. In Chapter 5, we see Eliphaz prescribe for Job what he thinks would fix the problem. We also see a fresh twist on his charge against Job.

Job 5 (ESV)
1 “Call now; is there anyone who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 Surely vexation kills the fool, and jealousy slays the simple.
3 I have seen the fool taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling.
4 His children are far from safety; they are crushed in the gate, and there is no one to deliver them.
5 The hungry eat his harvest, and he takes it even out of thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
6 For affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
7 but man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.
8 “As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause,

Woah, and Eliphaz unloads on Job. To which of the holy ones will you turn? Really, Eliphaz? But as for me, I would seek God... in other words, “I don’t know who you’ve tried to seek out or to whom you’ve plead your case, Job, but I would seek God.” So, Eliphaz, did you seek God when a dreadful spirit visited you and spoke accusingly of God and the angels and of His servants? Did you seek God before judging Job guilty of iniquity, of foolishness, and before implying that he might not seek God? As troubling as this portion of his advice was, this isn’t the twist I mentioned. What remains of his advice would be praiseworthy on its own. However, in this case, it is Eliphaz demonstrating piety while judging Job of iniquity.

Job 5:9 who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number:
10 he gives rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields;
11 he sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.
13 He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.
14 They meet with darkness in the daytime and grope at noonday as in the night.
15 But he saves the needy from the sword of their mouth and from the hand of the mighty.
16 So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth.
17 “Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty.
18 For he wounds, but he binds up; he shatters, but his hands heal.
19 He will deliver you from six troubles; in seven no evil shall touch you.
20 In famine he will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.
21 You shall be hidden from the lash of the tongue, and shall not fear destruction when it comes.
22 At destruction and famine you shall laugh, and shall not fear the beasts of the earth.
23 For you shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.
24 You shall know that your tent is at peace, and you shall inspect your fold and miss nothing.
25 You shall know also that your offspring shall be many, and your descendants as the grass of the earth.
26 You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, like a sheaf gathered up in its season.
27 Behold, this we have searched out; it is true. Hear, and know it for your good.”

On it’s own, this portion rings true. I hear echoes of various Psalms and Proverbs. Some of these things are indeed true. But notice the string of true statements Eliphaz has assembled. He engages in parallelism that honors the poor, the lowly, the needy while judging the crafty, wiley, and those wise in their own craftiness. Eliphaz has now judged Job’s former blessings from God as the evidence of his iniquity, his craftiness, and his wiles. He then commands Job to rejoice in his reproof, for now that Job has been made lowly, poor, and shattered, God can bind up his wounds and heal his hands. If all that had befallen Job were indeed punishment for sin, this portion would ring true. I hope you will take the time to read through the rest of this book. In addition to what Satan does to Job, he must endure also the counsel of his wife, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Eliphaz fully unleashes his accusations against Job in chapter 15 and again in chapter 22. Each time he speaks harshly against Job, urging him to submit to God and he will be healed. Almost right advice, but completely wrong, for Job was not being judged by God for iniquity. He rebukes Job for not confessing his sin (of which Eliphaz has no proof, except for his own prosperity-gospel view of God) and accuses him of iniquity due to the reality of Job’s affliction.

But what did God have to say at the end of this time of tribulation? Let’s skip ahead to end of the book and see.

Job 42:7-9 (ESV)
The Lord Rebukes Job’s Friends
7 After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.

The anger of the Lord God burned against Eliphaz and his two friends. They were wrong. They had not spoken right of God. Almost right, is still completely wrong by God’s standards. There were times when Job speaks more boldly than perhaps he ought, and the Lord answers very strongly. But in the end, we see that Job also learned a great deal about the Lord God. We see it in his confession at the beginning of Job 42.

Job 42:1-6 (ESV)
Job’s Confession and Repentance
1 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
2 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Job has seen the Lord God of whom he had only heard before (and was faithful to unlike anyone else) and in seeing the Lord God with his eyes, he despised himself, and repented in dust and ashes. This draws me to an account in the Book of John

John 9:1-7 (ESV)
1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him,“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered,“It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva.Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

Thankfully, we have Jesus Christ, who gave of Himself to bear the price of our sin so that we might be covered by His righteousness.  In closing, I urge you brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, to humbly bear each other’s burdens in love. Encourage one another and lift each other up in prayer and thanksgiving. Be slow to judge, and quick to forgive. Be gentle and loving if you witness or suspect sin, but do so humbly, knowing that by the same measure you judge others will you also be judged. That is not a prohibition, but a caution.  We dare not base our judgement on our experiences alone, nor on the whisperings of unidentified spirits, but only on the Word of the Lord.

May the Lord bless and keep you firmly in His Grace and Mercy,
In Christ,
Jorge

DiM | Modernity and Tradition are Irrelevant

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Presentation1Today is “Discernment in Music” day here at Faithful Stewardship. As this is a new feature here at Faithful Stewardship, I wanted to make clear that this is an exercise in Biblical Discernment, not in favoritism or piety. Traditional Hymns do not “get a pass”; modern music isn’t preemptively condemned. To demonstrate this, we’ll be looking at a Hymn that seems a bit confused and a modern hymn that is absolutely phenomenal in my view.

I’d like to take a moment to remind everyone that there is plenty of room to agree/disagree on issues of taste or flavor. Personally, I find the sound of an organ to be most unpleasant, especially if it is front and center in the music. That’s a matter of taste. I’m not here to tell you what you should like or dislike. My purpose here is strictly to look at the lyrical content of these songs and to determine their Biblical soundness. Whether or not you still “like” a song that has been demonstrated to bear little-to-no Biblical value, remains between you and the Holy Spirit. There are secular songs that I enjoy hearing, but I know full well the lyrics are not in any way Biblically sound. One such song I have mentioned before is “I’m feelin’ good” by Michael Bublé. However, that I like to listen to that song is a far cry from me considering “Christian” and would in no way serve as an endorsement of that song being played in a Praise and Worship setting. Similarly, songs labeled “Christian” need to be tested for conveying a Biblical Message. A “Christian” song being elevated to “Praise/Worship” status most definitely be tested/scrutinized according to the Scriptures. We dare not engage in public confession of false doctrine/teaching or misguided praise and worship.

Hymn 1: Christ, or Else I Die

Link: http://hopehymns.bandcamp.com/track/christ-or-else-i-die
Words: William Hammond, 1745
Music: Drew Holcomb
Arr: Tim Johnson and Matt Patrick

Lyrics
Gracious Lord, incline Thine ear;
My request vouchsafe to hear;
Hear my never-ceasing cry;
Give me Christ, or else I die.

Wealth and honor I disdain,
Earthly comforts, Lord, are vain;
These can never satisfy:
Give me Christ, or else I die.

All unholy and unclean,
I am weighted by my sin;
On thy mercy I rely;
Give me Christ, or else I die

Thou dost freely save the lost;
In Thy grace alone I trust.
With my earnest plea comply;
Give me Christ, or else I die.

All unholy and unclean,
I am weighted by my sin;
On thy mercy I rely;
Give me Christ, or else I die

Thou hast promised to forgive
All who in thy Son believe;
Lord, I know Thou cannot lie;
Give me Christ, or else I die

All unholy and unclean,
I am weighted by my sin;
On thy mercy I rely;
Give me Christ, or else I die

The problem with this Hymn, is one of confusion. Beginning with the Title and the closing line of very stanza, “Give me Christ, or else I die“, we have an odd declaration that sort of rings of a “give me liberty or give me death” vibe (though that famous quote dates back to 1775, while this hymn was written in 1745). If the statement being made her is “Without Christ I will die”, we have a doctrinal problem with this statement. If we are speaking of physical death… all die, with or without Christ.

Hebrews 9:24-28 (ESV) 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

If we are speaking of spiritual death, then we are speaking of it in the wrong order. Without Christ, we are already dead.

Ephesians 2:1-7 (ESV) 2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

One might argue “artistic license” to keep it “singable”, but I give no license for changing truth for the sake of a melody. Now, the audience of this song is God the Father. So, the entire song is an appeal to God, “give me Christ, or else I die”. Well, then… so is this the song of a believer or an unbeliever? I matters not, really… since God has already given us Christ. We saw in the Hebrews verse already that Christ died once… was given to us once. He declared, “It is finished“. But let’s look also in John 3

John 3:16-21 (ESV) 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Christ was already given, all that remains is that we believe in Him. Now, if we took the first sentence (first to lines) of every stanza, we’d have a solid hymn (thought it wouldn’t have the same ring). However, with the inclusion of the closing phrase, what remains of the hymn is total confusion. It is an old hymn, but it wasn’t always an old hymn. At one time, it was cutting edge. When we exercise discernment in the lyrical content of modern songs, understand that the same method holds true and should be exercised regardless of when the song was written.

Now, the folks over at TGC (The Gospel Coalition) launched a project a while back to write Gospel-centered Praise and Worship. I do not simply accept that every song they write is sound, but I applaud the Gospel focus in the endeavor. After hearing the hymn above, I then heard the following hymn (modern hymn written in an older style), “Not in Me”.

Not In Me

Words and Music by Eric Schumacher and David L. Ward, “Not In Me” Songs for the Book of Luke by The Gospel Coalition. ©ThousandTongues.org
Source: http://www.wogmagazine.com/2013/06/not-in-me-by-the-gospel-coalition/

No list of sins I have not done, no list of virtues I pursue,
No list of those I am not like can earn myself a place with you.
O God! Be merciful to me. I am a sinner through and through.
My only hope of righteousness is not in me, but only you.

No humble dress, no fervent prayer, no lifted hands no tearful song,
No recitation of the truth can justify a single wrong.
My righteousness is Jesus’ life. My debt was paid by Jesus death.
My weary load was borne by Him And He alone can give me rest.

No separation from the world, no work I do, no gift I give
Can cleanse my conscience, cleanse my hands,
I cannot cause my soul to live.
But Jesus died and rose again. The pow’r of death is overthrown!

My God is merciful to me and merciful in Christ alone.
My righteousness is Jesus’ life. My debt was paid by Jesus death.
My weary load was borne by him, and He alone can give me rest,
And He alone can give me rest.

Great song. The first verse echos Ephesians 2:1-9. We were all dead in sin. Our salvation is by Grace through Faith, not by works so that no one can boast. Solid verse. The second verse addresses piety and good works as not being our assurance of Salvation. Our assurance is in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ, not in our own which echoes Romans 3:21-31 well. The next verse echoes the previous verses, but I’d like to include Romans 8:1-11. The final verse echoes the same truths throughout, but also notice the references to rest. There is much to be said of entering God’s rest, but a good place to see it condensed a bit would be Hebrews 4:1-10. For the sake of this song, let us look at the concluding verses:

Hebrews 4:9-10 (ESV) 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from His.

Conclusion

I absolutely loved the second song (Not In Me), lyrically. I’d love to hear it performed in every popular musical style imaginable (provided the music doesn’t drown out the lyric). Wonderful song. The first song, is confused. I think the writer sacrificed accuracy for poetry, and I’d rather not sing it. It isn’t so wrong that I’d levy a formal complaint with the pastors or elders, but if asked, “what do you think about this song” my reply would be simply, “I think it’s a confused song”.

Today, I wanted to refute the notion that I simply rejected all things new and grant preferential treatment for “sacred” hymns. There are good hymns that sound great, there are good hymns that sound awful (to my ears at least) and there are confused hymns and other hymns that are just biblically unsound. I will not actively seek those out, because I’m not trying to create lyrical punching bags here. The goal of these posts is to practice Biblical discernment in music. From here on out, my focus will be on what is currently “popular” within Christendom, because that is what we are consuming in large quantities. Let us make sure it is spiritually healthy food.

Jude 1:24-25 (ESV)
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

In Christ,
Jorge

CTT | Touch Not God’s Anointed

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CTTThe subject of “spiritual abuse” is one that is very serious and must be addressed whenever it rears its ugly head. A prime example of spiritual abuse is the list of allegations presented by 21 former pastors at Mars Hill against Mark Driscoll. There are plenty of people reporting and writing about the struggles of Mars Hill over the past several years. Yesterday, Mark yielded (a step in the right direction) and announced he would step down (temporarily) as Senior Pastor while the elders review the charges. Today’s post will not be about Mars Hill; rather, we will look at one of the most commonly misquoted scriptures, often to silence anyone who dare question, challenge, rebuke, or correct a leader in the church. This is a strong-arm tactic that can sometimes lead to Spiritual Abuse, and today we are going to look at this verse in its context.

Touch Not God’s Anointed

I’ve seen this partial quote used primarily by those claiming to have a special anointing of the Holy Spirit to either prophesy or to heal or even to cast vision for a body of believers. They sometimes place themselves in a Mosaic leadership role (or claim the role of an Apostle) where they hear from God in private, and then they tell the people what God has commanded and they all follow the prophetic leader. Should anyone disagree with the vision or the direction, the implication is that they aren’t disagreeing with the man, they are disagreeing with the Holy Spirit and so should probably either repent from their disagreement or find a different place “where the Holy Spirit leads them”. Should anyone dare to challenge what is being proclaimed or taught by the self-proclaimed “anointed one”, the partial quote of “touch not God’s anointed” might come out (tends to happen more in blogs or on twitter than in sermons, but I have heard it). So let’s look at where this comes from and see if the application fits.

The phrase, “Touch not my anointed ones” (ESV) can be found in 2 places, 1 Chronicles 16 and again in Psalms 105. This is a song of thanksgiving written by King David after the Ark of the Covenant is finally returned to Jerusalem and was placed in David’s Tent. This is after Uzzah was struck dead for wrongfully touching the Ark, despite his desire not to see it fall. I believe that what is recorded in 1 Chronicles is what took place at the time and in that moment, and then David wrote a more detailed song of thanksgiving detailing what God had done for His people in the 105th Psalm. Let’s look at the account in 1 Chronicles.

1 Chronicles 16:1-22 (ESV)
1 And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord 3 and distributed to all Israel, both men and women, to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. 4 Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. 5 Asaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals, 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. 7 Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers.

8 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
11 Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
12 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
13 O offspring of Israel his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember his covenant forever,
the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,
17 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
as your portion for an inheritance.”
19 When you were few in number,
    of little account, and sojourners in it,
20 wandering from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another people,
21 he allowed no one to oppress them;
    he rebuked kings on their account,
22 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
    do my prophets no harm!”

Interesting that this verse doesn’t get fully quoted whenever it is invoked today. Completing the sentence “do my prophets no harm” would make it extremely difficult to equate “harm” with questioning, discerning, rebuking, or refuting said prophet. This isn’t harm as in “the reputation of my ministry has been marred”, this refers to real harm.

David here, is giving thanks to the Lord God and leading all people in a song of thanksgiving. He opens up by praising the Name of God. In verse 12, he transitions to remembrance of all the wondrous works the Lord God has done for His people. The Covenant God made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac and to Jacob as a statue. An everlasting covenant. Then in verse 19, he goes back to when they were few in number, of little account. Notice to whom the Lord God spoke the command “touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!“, to the kings of the kingdoms in which God’s people wandered as sojourners. When did such a rebuke take place? We can find one such occasion in Genesis 20.

Genesis 20 (ESV)
1 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her.7 Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

14 Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.”17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18 For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

Abraham was indeed a prophet of the Lord God. We see here a few things. First, Abraham sought to protect his own life by misleading Abimelech. We see in scripture that this was a sin committed by Abraham, nevertheless, God acted first to protect Abimelech from committing sin against Sarah and Abraham. We see clearly God telling Abimelech that it was by His Grace that the king had not touched Sarah. Had he done so, God would have judged all that belonged to Abimelech, despite Abraham’s deception. That is the power of a covenant, and marriage is a covenant. Nevertheless, God intervened and then He spoke to Abimelech directly in a dream, warning him of his impending disaster. Abimelech responded in repentance and confusion since he had acted in good-faith as far as he was aware. In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this is no small assertion. God does not rebuke him for this, in fact, He says “Yes, I know…” God then directs Abimelech to return Sarah to her husband, His prophet, and ask for Abraham to pray over the house of Abimelech so that no harm will befall him. In Abimelech’s confrontation with Abraham, notice that Abimelech charges Abraham with wrong doing, with sinning against Abimelech and doing to him things that ought not be done. Abraham had wronged Abimelech, and sinned against him. Abimelech, after hearing directly from God that he needed to correct a wrong and seek prayer, was justified in accusing Abraham (God’s prophet) of wrong doing. Abraham confessed his sin to Abimelech, shared his reasoning, and Abimelech forgave Abraham and granted him free travels and mercy while in his lands. He restored Sarah to him and paid a proof of her innocence (that he had NOT touched her) so that all may know that she was vindicated and that no adultery was committed.

God Made the Declaration

In both the Psalm and the account in 1 Chronicles, it is clear that David is praising and thanking God for His protection of His people from the Gentiles. That God told kings and nations “touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm”. Whether or not you believe that God still appoints Prophets today, the claim of being a prophet of God isn’t strengthened by the same person making a declaration that was made by God to protect His people (Israel) from the nations. If the misquote comes as a response to someone challenging the validity of a man’s claim to being a prophet, then quoting this scripture is at best an attempt at applying circular reasoning and at worst an attempt to silence Biblical discernment through fear of invoking the wrath of God. Especially since we in modern-day Christianity are not seeking to stone or put to death.

False Doctrine & Teaching is Harmful

Titus 1:7-14 (ESV) 7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.

To the one claiming a special anointing from God, preach the word of God and submit to the test of a prophet. Know that if what you say will come to pass does not, you spoke presumptuously and took the Name of the Lord in vain. Know also that if you preach a different gospel than the one preached by the Apostles, Galatians 1 says you are to be accursed. (twice, and the Apostle Paul included himself, and Angels in that charge). If you think you are speaking the very words of God, you would do well to test them in God’s Word first before speaking. God’s voice is not the only one we can hear, and we are commanded not to believe every spirit, but to test them to see they are of God.

2 Timothy 2:14-19 (ESV) 14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. 19 But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

If you are a cessationist, then you have even less excuse to whip out this misquoted verse/phrase. Either what you teach/preach is biblically sound (meaning, the Word of God serves as the testimony of what you preach) or it is not and you need to repent. Either way, it is God’s Word that determines truth, not your self-proclaimed “anointing” or your seminary background. Pointing to a “church father” who is not one of the Apostles is equally unhelpful. All Scripture is God-breathed and sufficient.

We serve a loving and gracious God, one who loves and protects His people. Put your trust in God and in His Word. It is not for you to scare your “opponents” into silence or capitulation. That is abuse. Take every thought captive to obey Christ, that is, to His Word.

Romans 8:31-39 (ESV)
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

May the Lord bless and keep you,
In Him,
Jorge

CTT | Be Like Noble Bereans

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CTTWe have had a heavy week here at Faithful Stewardship. A few posts blew completely past our intended word limit. I hope that in the future I can do some better planning to keep these posts from getting so long. Today I just want to leave you with an encouragement for this weekend. Some might take this as a challenge of sorts.

This weekend, whether you attend church worship service on Saturday or Sunday, whether you also participate in a Bible study or home/small group study, I’d like to encourage you to be like the Jews in Berea, who Paul described as more noble than the Jews in Thessalonica. Before I break down what I am indeed encouraging each of your to do this weekend, let us first begin by reading the short passage in Acts.

Acts 17:1-15 (ESV)
17 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

Think for just a moment about the first underlined portion. Paul’s method of evangelism was to seek out the synagogue of the Jews first and reason with the Jews from the Scriptures explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and die. Remember the Jews were expecting the Messiah, the Son of David, to be a conquering King to re-establish the Throne of David on Earth. Paul reasoned from the Scriptures pointing first to the true purpose that the Messiah would come to fulfill, and then Paul proclaimed that Jesus, who suffered and died according to the Scriptures, is indeed the Messiah, the Christ. You know what I find really cool? Paul reasoned from the Scriptures they had in the Jewish Synagogue… the Law and the Prophets, what we call the “Old Testament”. Paul preached the Gospel from the Law and the Prophets. Today we have been blessed with the New Testament writings to better understand the Law and the Prophets and how they point to and are fulfilled by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This should equip us all-the-more to preach the Gospel from nearly any portion of the Bible with faithfulness to the Word of God.

Some of the Jews, and a great many of devout Greeks were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, and the jealousy of the Jews lead them to act dishonorably. Notice that they couldn’t find fault with them according to the Law of Moses; rather, they appealed to Caesar, the government to take action against Paul and Silas. The brothers sent them away by night to Berea. Here, we see Paul doing the same thing, seeking out the synagogue. Since Luke (the author of Acts) has already told us how Paul preached, we know that Paul was reasoning from the Law and the Prophets. These Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica, they eagerly received the word and examined the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul’s testimony* was true. As a result of this testing of the Scriptures many believed. Paul isn’t saying they were more Noble because they believed. Not all in Berea believed, and there were some who believed in Thessalonica. They were more noble because they eagerly searched the scriptures daily, to see if what Paul said was true. The Jews of Thessalonica pursued Paul and Silas in Berea, still unable to refute their testimony, and riled up the mob to persecute them. The brothers, again, sent Paul and Silas on their way.

Be Like Noble Bereans

This weekend, while sitting in a pew, sanctuary, or auditorium, have your Bible with you. I recommend having your Bible there in a form you are able to make notes in. Sure, you might have a cell phone app that allows you to read the Bible, but can you take notes in it? It’s good to take notes so that the next time you open up to this passage, you can see that you had been there once before and you can see what was on your heart at that time. The point here is that we need to be eager to receive the word spoken by the pastor/elder/teacher while faithfully examining the Scriptures to see if the word spoken is true.

  • What is being preached? Not every sermon these days is preached from a passage of Scripture. Too often, they are preached from popular books sold in local “Christian Bookstores”. If the sermon is being preached from a book, you’ll have to take every assertion, every assumption, every prescription, and every declaration to the Scriptures to see if they are sound. That is tedious work, and hopefully the pastor/elder/teacher is doing it from the pulpit with you… then again, if it can be preached from the Word, it should be. If the sermon is being preached from a passage of scripture, be sure to read the portion before the text and continue reading beyond the text. In most cases, there should be a natural break in theme, or thought, or subject. If not, then you’ll need to examine why the text being preached is only a portion of the natural subject. It could just be a part of a series of sermons, or it could be an indication that the portion of scripture is being preached out of its natural context.
  • Who is being preached? We see that Paul entered the Synagogues and reasoned from the Scriptures pointing to Christ. If anyone could have been justified to preach of himself it could be argued that Paul could have. He was a Jew of Jews, a Pharisee of Pharisees, who persecuted the church until Jesus Christ confronted him physically on the road to Damascus. He was a witness to the resurrected Christ. Yet, we see none of this mentioned here. In fact, when we do see Paul speak of himself, he does so sarcastically pointing out the error in listening to self-proclaimed apostles (or super apostles). Now, in some topical sermons, there is room for a pastor/elder/teacher to share some personal stories, but our personal anecdotes are not a replacement for Scripture, nor do they add weight to them (it is the Scripture that adds weight to our anecdotes). It is a means of expressing or relating only so far as it is in keeping with the Truth of God’s Word.
  • Context, context, context. Did the pastor/elder/teacher just throw out a churchy-saying or was he quoting Scripture? Not sure? Look it up. I keep my smartphone handy with the Bible Gateway App specifically for this purpose. I will not hesitate to search a phrase uttered in a sermon in an attempt to find a Scriptural basis. Especially when it comes out in King James English… I don’t read scripture in dated English language, I prefer ESV and NASB. Was what I heard an actual quote or a proof text? What that means is, did the speaker quote a verse or even a complete thought or was it just a portion of the verse or passage? You’d be surprised how the most commonly quoted proof texts are generally taken out of context to validate a point that cannot be plainly taught from a passage of scripture.
    We’ve looked a some of those here in CTT posts of the past:

  • What are the caveats? I can appreciate if on occasion the speaker caveats something he is preaching as something “he’s struggling with” or “just a thought I had and wanted to share” or even “I was really inspired by this so I wanted to share”. Those are fine and I rarely take issue with those caveats unless what is shared is actually in poor taste or scripturally unsound. I so struggle when a sermon starts with repeated appeals to direct-revelation rather than to Scripture. If the speaker starts a sermon with “the Lord showed me” then he should say it once and stand and be tested as a prophet of the Lord God. If he keeps using the caveat, it rings less of a prophetic call and more of a diversion or a deflection of responsibility for what it is he is preaching. The implication is, “hey, this isn’t me talking, it’s the very Word of God; therefore, if you reject what I’m saying you reject Him”. In today’s church, very few would make that statement, and most would appeal to how they were brought up in the church, or that they truly believe that the Holy Spirit is the one who prompted the pastor/elder/teacher to write the message. Here is the problem with such a bold assertion (the Holy Spirit showed me), if in your message you go on to mishandle the Word of God then either the spirit who showed you this message was NOT of God, or you weren’t really hearing from any spirit it was just a thought born of your flesh. In either case, you’ve taken the Name of God in vain. We are told to Preach the Word of God. So do it, knowing that all scripture is God-Breathed.
  • Be willing to ask or even question the pastor/elder/teacher. He is charged of God to shepherd His flock. You must do so in humility and love, don’t ever let anyone dissuade you from asking for clarification, questioning, or even challenging the pastor/elder/teacher on his use of Scripture or on his doctrine. Now, you need to be willing to be corrected, taught, trained, and even rebuked for any sin on your part, but that doesn’t absolve the pastor/elder/teacher of the responsibility to teach and to preach only that which accords with sound doctrine. I recommend going privately first. If you feel the pastor/elder/teacher is in sin, then you must not levy a charge except on the word of two or more witnesses. Hey, sometimes the speaker just makes a mistake. In such cases confession and forgiveness should be a simple fix, and the bond of brotherhood should actually be strengthened by such interaction.

Above all else, do your homework and study God’s word. It’s all well and good if you are a proud Lutheran, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, or Baptist… that’s great that you feel so connected to a denomination of man. But if all you have going into a discussion or confrontation is your church’s doctrine or how your favorite “church father” explained it better than their “church father” did… you’re wrong. Sola Scriptura, if it means anything, means Scripture Alone. The Bereans didn’t search their traditions daily, they sought the Scriptures daily. Let us do likewise, in the bonds of brotherly (and sisterly) love. From time to time, we should all examine the scriptures to see if our church doctrine is true.

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

May the Lord bless and keep you,
In Him,
Jorge

The Parable of the Good Samaritan | Law & Gospel

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??????????This week I had the good pleasure of hearing 2 sermons on this parable from pastors with whom I was unfamiliar. While one sermon was vastly superior to the other, I gained insight from each and thought this would be a good topic for us to discuss today. From time to time you will see me talk about the need to preach both Law and Gospel. In the today’s church we seem to find some emergent/seeker-driven churches attempting to skip Law and only focus on Gospel. The problem with that (aside from not teaching the full counsel of Scripture) is that without the Law we are not convicted of sin. Without a conviction of sin, we cannot fully appreciate or grasp the Gospel. Other churches tend to err in the other direction. They consider Gospel just what you need to “be born again” and then they teach all Law… this is also dangerous, for the Law convicts us of our sin… and we live in a sinful world and our flesh is sinful. We still sin, and we need the Gospel every day of our lives. For we walk by grace, and we need to be reminded of the power of God’s grace every day of our lives, lest we slip into condemnation for our lack of perfection. Our primary text for today comes from Luke 10, and we will see how a single parable effectively teaches both Law and Gospel. 

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37 (ESV)
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “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.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

For a little bit of context, Jesus had just pronounced Woes to the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida for their unbelief and unrepentant hearts. The seventy-two disciples who had been sent out returned praising God and giving a joyful report. Jesus was careful to refocus their excitement away from the fact that the demons were submitted to them and onto the fact that their names had been written Heaven. Jesus then praises God aloud and I think we should look at this portion before diving into the parable.

Luke 10:21-24 (ESV)
21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

And let it be known that we are recipients of that blessing, for by the Grace of God we now have the record of these events in God’s Holy Word, Amen. Look at the excitement in Jesus’ praise. Notice that he turns privately to His disciples to call them blessed. I mention this because I do believe that the events that take place in verse 25 take place soon afterward. Luke doesn’t specify a time-frame, but he does write “and behold” so I think this Lawyer’s test of Jesus came suddenly.

The Lawyer’s test

Now we are not talking about a Lawyer in the sense of a trial lawyer; rather, he was most likely an expert in the Law of Moses. Now, the lawyer was asking Jesus how he might inherit eternal life. Notice, however, that Luke clearly identifies this as a test (ESV) or that he tempted (KJV) Jesus with this question. He was looking for Jesus to give an unlawful answer. What kind of answer was he looking for? We don’t know, because Jesus turned the answer back onto the lawyer, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it”? Let’s look at the answer the Lawyer gives. “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.” Jesus commends him for his lawful answer to the question and then tells him that if he does that he will live. Jesus confirmed the Law of Moses, and the Lawyer stood convicted by it. Let’s examine 2 portions of the Law related to the mans answer.

Deuteronomy 6:1-5 (ESV) 1 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly,as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Leviticus 19:9-18 (ESV) 9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God. 11 “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another.12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. 13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. 14 You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. 15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. 17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Now immediately we are presented with the greatest and second commandments. In Matthew, Jesus was asked what the Greatest Commandment was and His answer to them was the same. Now the first commandment is one that is easier to claim (and harder to disprove) than the second. This lawyer might have been willing to claim ownership of the first law; however, in order to justify himself, clearly he needed a favorable definition of “neighbor”.

The Parable at Face Value | Law

This parable of the good Samaritan simultaneously teaches Law as well as the Gospel. Let us first see how the parable teaches the Law of God. This is how it would most likely initially have been interpreted by the Lawyer and those present at the time.

Luke 10:30-32 (ESV) 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

The hearers of this parable would likely place themselves in the position of either the victim, the Priest, or the Levite. This lawyer probably pictured himself as either the Priest of the Levite due to his level of study and expertise in the Law. At this point in the story, however, it is not clear that what either of these character did was wrong. That might be hard for us to understand but remember, the Law had specific rules regarding cleanliness and the dead. This takes place on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem (city of the Temple). When the scripture describes the man as being “half dead”, it is saying that he appeared to be dead. One would have to inspect him, check on him to determine if he were dead. This presents a Legal dilemma for the Priest and the Levite. Let’s turn for a moment to Levitical Law.

Leviticus 21:1-3 (ESV)
21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, No one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people, 2 except for his closest relatives, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, 3 or his virgin sister (who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may make himself unclean).

So, a Priest would not touch a dead person unless it was clearly one of the aforementioned exceptions. The High Priest is afforded no exceptions at all. The Law acknowledges that we are incapable of keeping it, and even specifies purification rituals. Let’s look at those in Numbers.

Numbers 19:11-13 (ESV)
11 “Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days. 12 He shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean. But if he does not cleanse himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean. 13 Whoever touches a dead person, the body of anyone who has died, and does not cleanse himself, defiles the tabernacle of the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not thrown on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is still on him.

Yikes. This portion of the Law applies to Priests and Levites, so it includes both passers-by in the parable. Touching a dead body, even to see if he might still be alive, would make them unclean for seven days. They’d have to wash on the 3rd and 7th day to be made clean again and not to defile the Temple of the Lord. In order for the Priest or the Levite to assist the half-dead man, they’d have to be willing to give up their Legal cleanliness, for if the man is dead they would have been made unclean while still not being able to do anything for the dead man. Therefore, they passed by on the other side of the street (probably as a part of tradition) to fully demonstrate their acknowledgement that they must remain clean as they continue walking. “Someone else will take care of it”… someone not baring the responsibility of being a Levite or a Priest. After all, they have important business to attend to, they have a “calling” that does not include touching dead bodies. There are plenty of others who can render aid or bury the dead without jeopardizing their calling. This is Law. Let’s continue.

Luke 10:33-35 (ESV) 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’

Now, the Samaritans weren’t simply a “lower class citizen”, they were outsiders, foreigners, gentiles. They were mixed in blood (due to the Assyrian defeat and occupation of the northern kingdom of Israel) and in religion (they worshiped in the “high places” those that were built to other gods). Remember what the law says about this sort of thing, they are to be cut off. The Samaritans were not granted access to the Temple in Jerusalem. The Samaritans were well aware of where they stood in the eyes of the Jews. This animosity, this separation was lawful. For us to better understand this, let us look to John Chapter 4.

John 4:7-9 (ESV) 7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

John 4:19-20 (ESV) 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

John 4:22 (ESV) 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.

Remember, that the man who half-dead in the road is assumed to be a Jew. Jesus merely says “a man” but given the context He wouldn’t need to identify the man as a Jew, for that is the norm. Jesus identified the Levite and the Priest for a specific purpose. He also identifies the Samaritan for a purpose. He is an outsider and regarded as hostile. Jews have no dealing with Samaritans. Yet, this Samaritan had compassion on the half-dead Jew. Forsaking everything he had planned for that day, this man took the time to bandage (to bind up) his wounds, washing and cleansing him with oil and wine, and lifting the man and setting him on his own donkey and taking him to an inn and continued to care for him. Notice, that it isn’t until the next day that the Samaritan leaves his side, but he does so having paid for the inn and securing care and provision for the man while the Samaritan is away. He urges the inn keeper, the designated caregiver, to do what is necessary to care for the man with a promise that he will return and will repay any expense that wasn’t already covered. This Samaritan not only bandaged, washed, anointed, and carried the man out of the street, he brought him to a place of rest having paid the price for him to live and to continue healing.

Luke 10:36-37 (ESV) 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Here, we have the Legal answer to the question, “how do I inherit eternal life”? There are no loopholes, no caveats in the law. To love your neighbor as yourself and to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind is a high mark, who can pass this test? According to the Law? No one born of Adam. It isn’t enough to be justified in not taking action as in the case of the Levite and the Priest, for in doing so, you fail the commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself.

The Parable of the Samaritan | Gospel

Now, let’s take a slightly different look at this parable… one that likely didn’t resonate with the Apostles until long after these things took place, possibly not until God the Holy Spirit was reminding them of all that Jesus had taught. What if the first man in our story represents all of mankind, who had fallen to robbers and been left for dead? And we being dead in sin and trespasses, were too unclean to be rescued by the Law (Priests and Levites) for its requirements for cleanliness kept it on the far side of the road? What if the Samaritan in this story, is Jesus Christ? Who, having looked upon us in our mortal condition of sin… and loved us enough to bind up our wounds, wash away our iniquities, and pay the price that we could not pay, to enter in His rest. Not only did He pay for our healing, He promised to return again and will pay whatever expenses remained, and he didn’t leave us alone, but left us in the care of the Inn keeper? Let’s look at what the Scriptures say of Jesus Christ.

John 10:9-11 (ESV) 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Isaiah 53:1-6 (ESV)
53 Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
    and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men;
    a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

John 14:18-19 (ESV) 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

Hebrews 9:27-28 (ESV) 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Matthew 5:17 (ESV) 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Praise the Lord. The Law of the Lord is perfect, but we who are dead in sin cannot find salvation by works of the Law, because the Law convicts us of our sin and separation from God. I’m sure you felt it as we worked through the legal implications of the Parable. But how beautiful is the Gospel once we’ve been confronted by our sin?

Romans 3:20-26 (ESV)
20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Amen. The beauty and wonder of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is brought into clear focus when we examine the Law and the Prophets. How gracious is our God. How Wonderful is His Gospel.

Revelation 22:10-17 (ESV)
10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus, come. May the Lord bless you and keep you,
In Him,
Jorge