Friday, June 24, 2011

Galatians 1:6-9 -- Thoughts and Encouragement

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of this passage:

6I am astonished [continually] that you are so quickly transferring from the One who called you in [the] grace of Christ into a different gospel, 7which is not another except some [are] agitating you and wishing to subvert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel out of Heaven should be preaching to you [something different] from what we preached to you, let him be anathema. 9As we said before and I am now saying again, if someone is preaching [to] you [something different] from what you received, let him be anathema.

As I said before, this isn’t necessarily the book I would choose to study, but I am excited to in fact study it just for that reason. I love when the Lord leads me to think about things I wouldn’t choose to think about, to show me things I would not have looked for.

Even in this opening passage, there a couple of things that “surprise” me and one that is a very pleasant thought.

The first thing that surprises me arises out of Paul’s statement, “I am astonished that you are so quickly transferring …” Robertson laments, “It is a continuous amazement today that so many are so silly and so gullible to modern as to ancient charlatans.” I agree. But it surprised me how much I agree. His words were like salt in a wound. “Astonished” is hardly strong enough. Sickened. Shocked. Disappointed. Incredulous. It has long been a grief to my soul to watch the human race and see this so true. A man can do an excellent job preaching and teaching straight from the Bible and gather no following at all, but the miserable charlatan televangelists garner followers by the millions year after year after year. And no matter how many of them go down in disgrace, the same people flock to listen to the chicaneries of the next one.

And it isn’t just in religion. Politics is no different. We have in Washington now beyond a doubt the worst, most grossly unqualified president in US history. Yet polls continue to say about 50% of the people approve of his performance. What?????? Every time he gets up to speak I personally hear very clearly that he is telling people what they want to hear. He’s pandering. There’s no substance whatsoever to anything he says. He just says “all the right things.” But I can also hear that he does it in that familiar smooth way that I already know will in fact appeal to the masses. Pied piper. It is a crying shame that there are so many people who could do an excellent job, but we would all say, “They’re probably not electable.” Why not? Because they aren’t “Hollywood” enough. What does Hollywood have to do with choosing the best person to serve as the President of the United States (or any other office for that matter)? Gullible masses. That’s what Hollywood has to do with it.

And what really drives me crazy is that too many times I’ve known these people. I would take them for reasonably sensible, intelligent people. And then to hear them fall headlong for the chicanery just utterly befuddles me.
Now here’s my rub: I don’t like the “way” all of that bothers me. I sense that somehow I’m simply “bothered” by it. Irritated. Not a godly thing, you understand. Some kind of personal thing. Which is not good. Like I said earlier, “like salt in a wound.” Paul goes on to write a whole book to these people. God commits one whole book of Scripture to Paul’s appeal. I haven’t studied very far yet, but already commentators note how loving and gentle he is considering the seriousness of the offense. I don’t think I’d be that way. I would just be fed up and go spend my time with someone else. Have said for years I wish I could charter a Mayflower and sail to the new world. Hmmmmmm. Obviously have something to learn here. As I study through the book, I hope to learn some things from Paul’s heart. Hope to learn how he clearly could keep on loving and not get fed up. Hmmmm. Always fun to study Scripture. Challenges my mind right down to the depths of my heart.

Now here’s a second thing that surprised me as I began to study: It surprises me to realize how much I don’t know how to balance a couple of things. Obviously, Paul is lit up about the Galatians defection from the Gospel. He sees the need to pounce on their embracing “another gospel, which is no gospel.” Obviously, within the church there is a time to confront error, to affirm truth, and obviously, this Judaizing of the Gospel is one of those times. On the other hand, in my experience, there has been way, way, way too much witch-hunting in the church groups I’ve been involved in. “Standing for the truth” has meant cutting off a young man from mission support because he’s decided maybe the rapture will come in the middle of the Tribulation. That’s “worth” pulling a couple off the mission field? Once I knew of two Baptist churches in the same (very) small town. I asked a member of one congregation about the other and they replied, “Oh, they’re kind of funny on the Holy Spirit.” That’s worth the complete disgrace of two Baptist churches in the same (very) small town? From my reading of history, I strongly suspect that witch-hunting was the destruction of the English church. In the 1500’s, 1600’s, 1700’s and even somewhat into the 1800’s, there was an enormous amount of profoundly sound teaching from many, many truly godly people in England. How then could that nation turn almost completely godless? The one thing that I read that does NOT impress me is how viciously the various Christian groups attacked each other. And that over such important issues as how to organize the leadership of the church – to which the Bible actually says very little. I strongly suspect their constant in-fighting completely destroyed their credibility with a watching world until today when English people want nothing to do at all with “church.” The Reformers themselves were shockingly vitriolic toward each other. Calvin hated Luther hated the Anabaptists hated … Every time any one of them learned anything from the Bible they pronounced an anathema on anyone who disagreed with them.

I could go on. But I hope you see my point. How does one balance the safeguarding of “truth” without becoming a carping witch-hunter? I can’t say I know the answer except that I think there ought to be an enormous amount of humility and prayer invested before we do anything less than openly love other professing Christians. “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

At this point, I don’t know if I have any answers. Once again, I don’t like the way it bothers me. I think there may be some things the Lord wants to teach me. And I hope, again, I can learn something from the heart of Paul to change my own. Hmmmmm.

Finally, I want to note something encouraging I see in this passage. Paul says he’s astonished how quickly they are transferring “from the One Who called you …” Note he doesn’t say “from the Gospel.” It’s “from the One Who called you …” I’m continually blessed by the fact that real Christianity is not just a “belief system” but rather an intensely personal relationship. I wonder how arresting it was to the Galatians to have it suggested they were transferring “from the One Who called you …”? It’s one thing to change one’s opinion on a matter. It’s an entirely different thing to cut off a relationship! One of the earliest delights of my own Christian experience was realizing that it wasn’t just a “belief system” but rather a matter of “knowing God.” Early on I ran across John 17:3, “For this is eternal life, that they might know You …” And I, of course, consumed JI Packer’s book, “Knowing God.” From the very beginning, He has been very personal with me. Without any doubt, I can say that what I treasure most about it all is this personal relationship with Him. The rest of life swirls about my head, profoundly important questions pummel me for answers, uncertainties and doubts and fears surround me, but I can honestly say I find a refuge in Him. He is, in the end, really truly all that matters. And the worst thing that could happen to me is not that I would get something wrong in my belief system, but rather that somehow I’d lose my connection with Him. I wonder sometimes how much I’ve offered to other people a belief system and how much I actually offered them a relationship(?). I wonder how many people supposedly embrace Christianity but only as a belief system, and never really ever get to enjoy the simple soul-pleasure of a relationship?

Great start to the book. Already has me thinking on some things and encouraged by others!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Galatians 1:1-5 – More Miscellaneous Thoughts

Here is my fairly literal translation of these verses:

1Paul, an apostle, not from men neither through a man, but through Jesus Christ and God [the] Father Who raised Him out of [the] dead ones, 2and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia: 3Grace to you and peace from God [the] Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4Who gave Himself on behalf of our sins, in order that He might rescue us out of the evil of the present age according to the desire of our God and Father, 5to Whom [be] the glory into the ages of the ages. Amen.

Just some more miscellaneous thoughts I want to jot down before going on:

Notice how in verse 2, Paul adds, “2and all the brothers with me, …”. I realize that he may make mention of “all the brothers with me” in an attempt to augment his case, that not only is he himself a divinely called apostle, but that his message is not in any way unique to him – it is shared by many others. However, that said, I have many times noted how much of a team player Paul was. He was not in any way, shape, or form a lone ranger. He deeply valued the talents and contributions of his friends and associates. Think about it: In verse 1 he asserts his own miraculous calling, then right away in verse 2 he’s thinking of all those with him. Point is just that I think we all need to seriously learn to value the people around us, those we work with and associate with, our spouses, families, etc. When we think somehow we really don’t need them (desperately) we’re missing it big time.  

In verse 4 we are reminded that Jesus gave Himself “on behalf of our sins” and then the text goes on to note why He did it. There is a textual variant in the “why” that is at least interesting to think about. Many translations follow one variant and will read something like “to rescue us from this present evil age.” However, there is another variant which changes the word order and based on that I translate it “ that He might rescue us out of the evil of the present age…”  It is a minor point, but notice that, in the first He recues us from the age, while in the second (mine) He rescues us from the evil. I personally think the evidence slightly favors the latter and I also think it is more Biblically precise. For whatever it’s worth, my good friend John Eadie agrees with me, so it must be right (!). Again, I know I’m splitting exegetical hairs and even my variant could be reasonably translated to read just like theirs.

But … I think it is a very sad mis-emphasis in the Christian world to see the present world as evil. The world is not evil. This is the world God created. Yes it is spoiled and contorted with evil but it is a sad, sad mistake to be unable to mentally separate the beautiful wonder of God’s creation from the distortions of it. Jesus’ entire mission is to deliver us from the evil of the world. He Himself prayed, “I ask not that You take them out of the world, but that You would deliver them from the evil …” The Lord’s prayer is not that He would deliver us from the world but that He would deliver us from evil. I’ve probably said enough but I strongly believe one of the reasons Jesus Himself got along so well with people in this world is because He saw even the people themselves as God’s creation. He saw their sin and their evil as a contortion of the beauty which still resided in them. He could honestly value and respect prostitutes and tax-collectors by seeing them in the inherent dignity of their creation in the image of God. He could look straight at them and mentally separate that dignity from the contortions caused by their sins. They obviously sensed His respect for them – which they got nowhere else, and as a result they valued Him and many received Him. It is sadly very common for believers to have an attitude that basically this world is useless and evil and the only way they can be spiritual is to somehow escape it. Such a mistake. Even in II Peter 1:4, we’re told that God has “given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Notice that, through faith in His promises we escape “the corruption that is in the world…” I think it is an enormous step of Christian maturity to make this distinction.

Finally one last note: In verse 5 we are told all of this happened “according to the will of God the Father.” Here is another place where I think we need to note the distinction between the Greek words boulomai and thelo. The two words are both translated something like “will” and are considered by many to be essentially synonymous. I personally beg to differ and I do not think it is a matter of splitting hairs in this case. I think a lack of translative precision in the case of these two words is at the root of much theological confusion. Boulomai is specifically a word which speaks of deliberate purpose while thelo speaks of desire. Even in English, there is a huge difference between deliberate purpose and simple desire. Again, even in English, the two can seem to overlap: One sets about a deliberate purpose because he no doubt desires something and we can say that someone obviously desires something because he sets about a deliberate purpose. However that doesn’t change the fact that the two ideas are, in and of themselves, not the same. And I personally think it is often critically important to understand whether God simply desires something, that He in some way expresses the wish that something be true, as compared to those cases where He has clearly purposed that something will be true, that it will come about. One passage where this distinction is of profound theological importance is II Peter 3:9. (Anyone interested can look up my notes on that from back around 2010). At any rate … in this particular verse, the word used is thelo (or specifically the noun form thelaima), so it is specifically expressing God’s desire, not necessarily His purpose. And so how does it read? “According to the desire of God the Father …” Jesus “gave Himself … to rescue us out of the evil of the present world … according to the desire of God the Father.” He obviously also did it as a part of God’s eternal deliberate purpose, His eternal plan, but in this passage what’s in focus is God’s desire. I personally think that is significant. In this case, He’s showing us His heart. He didn’t offer grace as some kind of wise governmental policy. He wants us to know grace.

Maybe someone is reading this and thinking I’m quite obsessed with minutiae. However, I think not. I would suggest that many see God as someone far away, issuing royal decrees and being only somewhat available or even interested. I maintain that, while it is true that He is a great King, the Sovereign of the Universe, and we must acknowledge Him in that role, yet to know Him is to know His personal, generous, affectionate, embracing, totally benevolent heart. I think it is critically important that someone not only accept His plan of salvation, His offer of grace, but that they realize He’s offering it because He wants to. That’s Who He is. Go ahead. Climb in His lap. Bury your face in His big strong chest. Feel His arms around you. Even enjoy Him tickling you now and then. But know this: He loves you.

He’s a wonderful Savior. If only we could all see Him clearly. We’d all rush and jump in His lap together. It's certainly fitting to conclude with the words, "to Whom [be] the glory into the ages of the ages. Amen."

Friday, June 10, 2011

Galatians 1:1-5 – Miscellaneous Thoughts

Here is my fairly literal translation of these verses:

1Paul, an apostle, not from men neither through a man, but through Jesus Christ and God [the] Father Who raised Him out of [the] dead ones, 2and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia: 3Grace to you and peace from God [the] Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4Who gave Himself on behalf of our sins, in order that He might rescue us out of the evil of the present age according to the desire of our God and Father, 5to Whom [be] the glory into the ages of the ages. Amen.

These opening verses are in no way arbitrary greetings. Verses 1&2 affirm Paul’s authority as an Apostle, while verses 4&5 assert the doctrine of grace. The two surround v3, his benediction of “grace to you and peace…” Note Lightfoot’s observation: “The two threads which run through this Epistle—the defense of the Apostle’s own authority, and the maintenance of the doctrine of grace—are knotted together in the opening salutation. By expanding his official title into a statement of his direct commission from God, he meets the personal attack of his enemies; and by dwelling on the work of redemption in connection with the name of Christ (v. 4.) he resists their doctrinal errors.”

As I have begun to study, it seems clear Lightfoot is right. The purpose of the book seems to be Paul’s response to the errors which had infected the Galatian church and specifically they are: #1 – the deprecation of his authority, and #2 – their deviation from the doctrine of grace.

This is an interesting place for me to start. I selected this book particularly because I have a John Eadie commentary on it through which I’ve never studied. When it comes to Bible study, him and I are kindred spirits. It’s too bad he’s been dead for 150 years. I would sure enjoy studying with him today. But to follow along his commentary through any book feels like I’m studying with him and I seriously enjoy it. However, wading into the book, my first reactions are less than enthusiastic. As Chrysostom noted, “…this Epistle breathes an indignant spirit.” Here’s my rub: The book itself is a fight. Paul needs to fight. This battle is one which must be engaged, no less than Jesus’ castigation of the Pharisees in Matt 23. The problem for me is that I am not a fighter. I don’t want to fight. With anyone. Over anything. I’ve never been a fighter. I have fought plenty of battles in my life. But I hated every one of them. I did it because I must. But I don’t like it. And so, as I look ahead to several months of studying a book about fighting … well, you understand my quandary.

However (and this is a HUGE however), this is the very reason I love to study the Bible. I can essentially pick any book at random and know that the Lord will make me think about things I didn’t necessarily intend (or even prefer) to think about. And there is even a sense of excitement when He leads me to something I “don’t like.” … I know that means He wants to teach me something. He wants to rock my world, to blow my mind, to “cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ.” So I wade in – on the one hand wishing I could study something more pleasant, but on the other hand, in anxious anticipation of what He’ll teach me. Come back and visit me in about a year. Hopefully, I will have learned something that makes me more like Christ, more ready to fight the battles which must be fought. Cool.

Another random thought: I found a new friend. My good friend Joe Fleener recommended some websites where I could find commentaries on the book. In the process I wandered across translations from John Chrysostom, who lived from 349 to 407 AD. The guy is another real exegete! He takes each verse phrase by phrase and actually considers the Greek, the meanings of the words, then draws applications. Cool. Another kindred spirit – even if his bones are quite cold by this point 1600 years later!

Another random thought from the first five verses: Notice God’s goodness: He specifically, deliberately, and miraculously called out an apostle for us Gentiles. He raised Jesus out of “the dead ones,” that we too might have life from the dead. He wishes “grace and peace” for us. Jesus “gave Himself for our sins.” He wants to “rescue us out of the evil of the present age.” This all was very specifically God’s “desire” for us. As I mourned before, it seems to me that so many people think hard thoughts of God. But if they would just read the Bible and let it say what it says, they would realize what it says is, “I love you,” over and over and over and over and over. Like John, we should all lay our heads on Jesus’ breast and long to never leave.

Another thing I’m looking forward to is following Martin Luther’s commentary on this book. I am a history nut so I relish his writings for their profound historical significance. But I also simply relish hearing the thoughts of the man who was the “morning star” of the Protestant Reformation, and especially when those thoughts are rising from one of the very books of the Bible which fueled his cause. Here is just one quote of his from the opening verses: “Grace remits sin, and peace quiets the conscience. Sin and conscience torment us, but Christ has overcome these fiends now and forever”.

Looks like fun.

I will probably post again on these five verses as I would like to record a few exegetical thoughts.