The Message of 2 & 3 John

These two books are particularly suited to the topic of missions support. In the first century, missionaries were itinerant preachers, who traveled from town to town telling people about Jesus. One of the ways they were supported was by Christians opening their homes to them. They would be provided with food and lodging, and then sent on their way with supplies for their journey. It appears that 2 John was written to warn against providing this kind of hospitality to false teachers. Notice verse 10: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [the true teaching about Jesus], do not take him into your house or welcome him.” On the other hand, 3 John commends support for true teachers of the gospel. Verse 8 says, “We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.” So, both of these letters have something to teach us about how to support missionaries. Our methods may have changed, but the principles remain the same.

Translating sarx in Romans

Douglas Moo's essay, "Flesh" in Romans: A Challenge for the Translator (pdf), in The Challenge of Bible Translation.

Five Questions to Ask When Reading the Bible

From Andrew Sherwood's Live Blogging God Exposed, Part 3 (Danny Akin):

5 helpful questions asks as Akin is working through a text:

1) What does this text teach me about God?
2) What does this text teach us about fallen man?

3) What do I want my people to know?

4) What do I want my people to do?

5) How does this text point to Jesus?

With a little reworking you can make these into questions you ask yourself when you read the Bible.

(HT: Darryl Dash)

Death of a Fig Tree

Jesus' cursing of the fig tree in Mark 11:12-14 (see also Matthew 21:18-19) seems strange, especially since Mark tells us "it was not the season for figs." Why would Jesus curse the tree for not having fruit if it wasn't expected to have fruit? This is D. A. Carson's explanation:

Why should Jesus curse a tree for not bearing fruit when it was not the season for fruit? But this theory misses the point. That it was not the season for figs explains why Jesus went to this particular tree, which stood out because it was in leaf. Its leaves advertised that it was bearing, but the advertisement was false. Jesus, unable to satisfy his hunger, saw the opportunity of teaching a memorable object lesson and cursed the tree, not because it was not bearing fruit, whether in season or out, but because it made a show of life that promised fruit yet was bearing none (“Matthew” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 8, p. 445).

The Structure of the Book of Job

A long time ago I took Dr. Robert McCabe's course on Job - almost 20 years ago now - and greatly benefited from a better understanding of the message of the book. Recently on his blog he has posted a series on Job. In this post, Prizing God above His Gifts: Job’s Message for Today (Part 4), he provides an outline of the book.

Ortlund on How to Read the Bible

Ray Ortlund says there are two ways to read the Bible:

We can read it as law and threat, or we can read it as promise and assurance.

If we read the Bible as law, every page will feel like God glaring at us: “If you ever . . . .” And since we are all law-breakers at heart, the Bible will crush us. Even the promises will come across as law: “God will bless sinners—well, the ones who deserve it.”

If we read the Bible as promise, every page will be hope from God. It will breathe new life into us. Even the commands will be sweetened with grace: “God will bless sinners—yes, sinners who break these laws."

Parable of the Two Sons

Kenneth Bailey has an excellent book about the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). One of the themes in the parable concerns sin:

The parable exhibits two types of sin. One is the sin of the law-breaker and the other the sin of the law-keeper. Each centers on a broken relationship. One breaks that relationship while failing to fulfill the expectations of the family and society. The second breaks his relationship while fulfilling those same expectations (The Cross and the Prodigal, pp. 87-88).

Regarding the latter (older son's sin):

He rebels against his father. In his speech he insults his father ... by omitting any title. The phrase "O father" is an essential sign of respect. The older son chooses to be rude. The younger son was a rebel and knew it. His brother is a rebel and does not know it. He answers, "I have never disobeyed you" (p. 84).

And:

He has broken a relationship, not a law. The law he fulfills to the letter as he proudly affirms. Like his brother, he now breaks his father's heart (p. 85).

The Importance of the Heart

Ever notice the importance that the Bible places on the heart? Here are some reasons gleaned from the book of Proverbs on why we should focus on the heart:

First, we focus on the heart because life springs from the heart. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Prov. 4:23).

Second, we focus on the heart because wisdom resides in the heart. “Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning” (Prov. 14:33).

Third, we focus on the heart because plans begin in the heart. Proverbs 20:5 says, “The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.”

Fourth, we focus on the heart because God measures the heart. “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart” (Prov. 21:2).

Resources for Understanding Proverbs

C. J. Mahaney provides some Tools for Preaching Proverbs ... which will be helpful even if you're not preaching Proverbs but just wanting to understand its message. I like this chart:

Trust in the Lord

Many Christians have memorized Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." It’s good that these verses are so well known, but unfortunate that they are often misunderstood and misapplied.

One of the keys to interpreting these verses is the phrase “all your heart.” In the Bible, the heart encompasses our entire being. It includes all of our faculties, including the mind. For example, the heart is where we learn and follow godly parental teaching (Proverbs 3:1). The heart is also where God’s promises are absorbed and integrated into our lives (Proverbs 3:3). The heart has the capacity to remember and retain truth. It’s not merely the seat of our emotions but also of our intellect and will.

So when we come to the second half of verse 5 and read that we are not to lean on our own understanding, it obviously doesn’t mean we should shut off our minds. It can’t be a statement against the intellect, because we are to trust the Lord with all our heart, which includes the mind. What then is our “own understanding”? It’s the judgments and perceptions and insights of the world. We are not to lean on – we are not to trust, rely upon, put our confidence in – the philosophies of the world. We’re not to make choices based on a secular worldview, or society’s values, or anything else that might shape our heart apart from God’s revelation of reality. I think verse 7 makes the meaning clear: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” To lean on our own understanding is to be wise in our own eyes and not fear God.

Thus, to trust in the Lord is to rely upon the revealed truth of God. It’s to place our full confidence in God who has revealed himself in the Bible. We are to lean upon the ways of God, and wholeheartedly follow the will of God as revealed in the word of God. Or as verse 6 says, we are to acknowledge God – know God – in all our ways.

When we trust God and follow him in every realm of life, he will make our paths straight. This is a better translation than “he shall direct your paths.” It doesn't mean God will make the course of our life smooth. The word “straight” has the idea of uprightness. So this is not a promise that all our problems will be smoothed out; rather that we will walk in the way of righteousness, knowing right from wrong, reality from deception, truth from falsehood.