The Mourning of Repentance

The second beatitude is "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Although this beatitude is often heard at funerals and in times of tragedy it does not promise comfort to all who mourn and weep. As much as we might not want to talk about sin, the comfort of this beatitude comes to those who mourn the trouble caused by their own sin and the sins of their fellow human beings. Once again the backdrop is the Old Testament, and this time, the "remnant" of God's people that long for a better day. In ancient times Israel was judged for her sins and eventually driven from the land of promise. While many went about their lives and tried to make the best of it, there were those like Simeon who were waiting for "the consolation of Israel" (Luke 2:25). They realized that the troubles of the nation were because of their sins and rebellion against God. Because they wanted to experience his blessing again they confessed their sins to God and sought his forgiveness. Thus it is to people like these, and not the calloused crowd, that Jesus promises the comfort of knowing that they are forgiven by God and part of his family forever. But it is important to understand that even though this comfort can be experienced in this life it will never be complete until the new heavens and earth where we are completely free from the curse of sin.

In the giddy, superficial age in which we live, the second beatitude reminds us that we will never experience the joy of knowing God unless we first know tears of repentance. The greatest happiness comes to those who know the comfort of God that comes to us in Jesus Christ. He is the fulfillment of the words of the prophet Isaiah who spoke about the Lord's servant who would be anointed to preach good news to the poor and to bind up the brokenhearted, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:1-3). He knows how to comfort his people no matter what is going on in their lives. No wonder he pronounces a blessing on those who mourn and assures them that sooner or later they will be comforted. What a wonderful declaration and promise.

Next time: "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."

Poverty of Spirit

The first beatitude is "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Some have accused Matthew of spiritualizing Jesus' words believing that he originally pronounced a blessing on the materially poor. In the minds of these critics "poor in spirit" is Matthew's attempt to make Jesus' words more acceptable to his readers and religious community. But this is too simplistic an explanation that not only impugns the authority of the biblical writers but misreads the Old Testament background. In the Old Testament "poor" takes on spiritual significance especially as you move through the canon. In significant places it does not merely refer to the materially poor but to the poor whose poverty has driven them to God for help (cf. for example Psalm 37:14 where poor and needy is parallel with upright; 40:17; Proverbs 16:19; 29:23; Isaiah 57:15; 61:1; 66:2).

In the Bible poverty is never treated as a blessing in and of itself. But neither is wealth. In fact, wealth can blind people to their real need of God and to their destiny as sinful human beings regardless of their financial resources and clout. On the other hand, poverty though it is ultimately one of the problems of living in a fallen world, can make us feel our need of God and our total dependence on him and consequently drive us to him. It does not always do that of course, but where it does it is transformed by God's grace into a blessing.

The "poor in spirit" are those who recognize that they have nothing to commend themselves to God. They understand that they are spiritual paupers who need the love, mercy and grace of God. Jesus says that "theirs in the kingdom of heaven." This is another way of saying that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who joyfully accept the rule of Jesus, God's Messiah, whose life on earth will lead him to the cross where he will die to secure the blessings of salvation for those who surrender to him. A person must be poor in spirit to accept this. Many are too proud. They will come to God another way. But according to Jesus there is no other way. To enter the kingdom of heaven we must humble ourselves and accept God's verdict on our lives and his solution for our sin. When we do, we come under the reign of his grace, with the promise of greater blessings to come. We are blessed indeed.

Next time: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

The Beatitudes - More Than Happy

The "beatitudes" in Matthew 5:3-12 are important because they describe those who are members of the kingdom of heaven. When many people think of a kingdom they often think of a geographic place but the kingdom of heaven is best viewed as the reign or rule of God in Jesus Christ. It is a dynamic and not a static concept. Those who have come under the power of God revealed in Christ are described in eight different ways. These descriptions are to be taken together. You cannot pick and choose or aim at a certain percentage. The beatitudes give us a description of the followers of Christ or those who later became known as Christians.

Over the next while I will take them one by one and try to explain them. We need to be clear about authentic Christianity. There is much confusion today. Each of the beatitudes begins with "blessed" which has sometimes been paraphrased as "happy." But blessed means more than happy. "Happy" has to do with our subjective feelings. "Blessed" is more objective. A person who is blessed is approved by God. Ultimately this is the greatest source of happiness but it might not always feel that way in this life. Some are presently happy who are not blessed or approved by God, while the opposite is true for others. In the end nothing is more important than God's approval and the experience of his grace, especially in the day of judgment.

This gives the beatitudes an importance that goes beyond memorable prose. We need to ask ourselves where we stand in this regard. Are we blessed? Are these beatitudes true of us? Have we experienced the grace of the preacher who went up on a Palestinian mountainside many years ago and delivered the famous sermon (Matthew 5-7) that begins with these eight profound and unforgettable pronouncements of blessedness?

To be continued...

Humility: True Greatness

In our mentoring groups at TBS we have been going through C. J. Mahaney's book "Humility: True Greatness." In preparation for tomorrow's discussion I have just read chapter 4 on "greatness demonstrated" which points to Jesus and his great self-sacrifice on behalf of those ensnared by sin, including, but not restricted to, the sin of pride. Mahaney reminds us that Jesus did not just show the way by his example of selfless living but he died to make it possible for his people to serve God and others as we are commanded in the Bible.

Christianity that is faithful to the scriptures is cross-centered. There is no way around it. Take away the cross and Christianity becomes nothing more than religious dogma. Without the cross there is nothing to set it apart from the religions of the world which are full of noble thoughts and ambitions but utterly unable to produce real change in the lives of their adherents. True humility flows from the fact that we cannot help ourselves. We are dependent on God in the most basic areas of life and we owe him a debt of gratitude we can never repay.

True greatness is found in humility and true humility begins at the cross where Jesus died the just for the unjust to bring us to God. If we would serve well we must never cease to marvel at and meditate on the cross of Christ on which the Prince of Glory died for then, in the words of the old hymn, we will "count our richest gains as loss and pour contempt on all our pride."

Jesus: The Lord of all

In the final place, "living according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8) means that we believe that Jesus is the Lord of all and we act accordingly. Paul makes this explicitly clear in verse 10 when he describes Christ as the "head over every power and authority" and in verse 15 when he tells us that Christ "disarmed the powers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them by the cross." In our technically advanced age people sometimes snicker at the mention of "powers of darkness" but not the apostle. He believed in their existence and he writes about them elsewhere in Ephesians 6:12. They are not be denied or treated taken lightly. But neither are they to be feared because they are no match for our Lord. He is exalted to the right hand of God, which is to say, that he has the place of supreme authority - he is Lord.

As Lord of all he is able to make a thousand hearts his own in a moment. He is able to provide all that we need both in this life and in the one to come. We do not have to be afraid if he is on our side. We may be small but he is great. We are weak but he is strong. We are foolish but he is wise. Thinking, teaching and living according to Christ means that we evaluate everything in light of his word. The fact that he is the ultimate revelation of God, the Savior of his people and the Lord of all have many practical implications. He stands at the center of human history. His word is the standard of truth. A right relationship with him is crucial. He changes how we look at the world, ourselves, the past, the present and the future. If we do these things God will be glorified, captives set free, lives changed and churches established. "Kata Christon" (according to Christ) is an excellent motto for TBS and for Christians. But may it be more than a motto. May it be a way of thinking, teaching and living until we see Jesus face to face.

Jesus: The Savior of his people

In the second place living "according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8) means that we believe he is the Savior of his people and we act accordingly. His death, burial and resurrection have power and significance for his people. When we were spiritually dead and insensitive, God gave us new life in Christ. All our sins were forgiven having been nailed to his cross. There is no other salvation in all the world. Jesus is not one savior among many, he is the only savior of mankind. He is the only one who can make us right with God and liberate us from the guilt and power of sin. To know him is to love him and to walk in the freedom he has purchased for us at great cost to himself. His people love to tell others about him and about all that he has done for them. We love to do so because we know that he can do for others what he has done for us.

Salvation language smacks of political incorrectness in our day because it assumes spiritual lostness and peril. For many these are not valid assumptions. They are far too negative and pessimistic. But what many fail to realize is that the language of salvation, with the related ideas of deliverance, ransom, etc., assume a biblical worldview which includes an historical fall into a state of corruption and peril from which we must be rescued. We cannot deliver ourselves, we need a savior. Abstracted from its biblical context the notion of Jesus as a savior makes no sense or it is reinterpreted in ways not allowed by the Bible. Thinking, teaching and living according to Christ means that we must re-establish the biblical worldview as a way of getting people to understand the importance of Jesus the Christ. And then we must proclaim him as the only hope of those who have gone astray and the one who is willing to save all who come to God through him.

Next time: Jesus as the Lord of all.

The Grace of Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving Weekend here in Canada and there is much to be thankful for. Thankfulness is one of the things that the grace of God produces in our lives whereas ingratitude is a mark of shortsighted self-centeredness. In Romans 1:21 failure to give thanks to God is mentioned as one of the marks of "human beings who suppress the truth by their wickedness."

We need to take a good look around and appreciate all that God has done for us and stop complaining about things that we cannot change or that are not to our liking. This is difficult for us because chronic complaining is second nature whereas a thankful spirit must be carefully cultivated and guarded if it is to survive and thrive amid the ups and downs of life.

To this end it is helpful to read and mediate on the psalms of the Old Testament. If we get caught up in celebrating all that God has done us, it is impossible to remain mired in the muck of ingratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

I will praise the Lord all my life.

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.

When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;

on that very day their plans come to nothing.

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea,

and everything in them -- he remains faithful forever.

He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoner free, the Lord gives sight to the blind,

the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow,

but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.

Jesus: The Ultimate Revelation of God

Contrary to the "hollow and deceptive philosophy of this world" we are to live "according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8).

In the first place this means that we believe that Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God and we act accordingly. Jesus is not just one religious teacher among many, he is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). In Colossians 2:9 Paul writes that in Christ "all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" and in 2:3 that "in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Throughout the New Testament Jesus is spoken of as the Word of God, the agent of creation, the one who sustains the universe, the one who reveals the Father, and the one who will render final judgment. In light of these statements it is not surprising that Jesus is at the center of scripture and that without him we only stumble around in the dark when it comes to understanding the world and our place in it.

Thinking, teaching and living according to Christ means that we grow in our knowledge of him through the study of the scriptures. This is more important than anything else because we will never understand anything truly if we do not know him.

Next time: Jesus as the Savior of his people.

Contemporary examples of high-sounding nonsense

It is not difficult to find contemporary examples of the kind of "hollow and deceptive philosophy" that Paul is talking about in Colossians 2:8.

Consider, for example, the deeply entrenched notion that the universe and human beings are the result of a naturalistic, evolutionary process. This flies in the face of the clear biblical presentation of an all-powerful, personal Creator who in the beginning made everything out of nothing.

Or the idea that God may well exist but his will is unknowable which leaves us free to improvise and live according to our own rules. This attempt to escape responsibility is inconsistent with Romans 1:18-32 and many other passages of scripture.

Or the fallacious rumor that the biblical canon is the result of an authoritarian, religious power-play. This currently popular proposition displays an incredible ignorance of Christian and church history and fails to reckon with the self-attesting nature of the scriptures.

Or the longstanding portrayal of the Christian gospel as one among many legitimate expressions of faith. If this is the case then Jesus is robbed of his uniqueness and the Christian gospel is a grand unnecessary exaggeration at best and at worst, a lie.

Or closer to home, the attempt to solve the divine sovereignty--human freedom tension by denying God's prior knowledge of the free actions of human beings. Ultimately, this proposal solves nothing and it brings the scriptures into hopeless contradiction if we adopt its teaching and at the same time take the Bible seriously.

In my estimation all these represent hollow and deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. All of them should be identified as such and carefully defused before they do any more harm in the church and in the world.

Next time: Our need to think, teach and live according to Christ.

Identifying and Respecting High-Sounding Nonsense

Continuing from last time... the second thing we should notice is the need to identify and to respect what we are up against. The "hollow and deceptive philosophy" that Paul is concerned about is that which is according to, or depends upon (1) human tradition, and (2) the elemental spiritual forces of the world, rather than Christ. In other words, these "empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense" (NLT) are not according to Christ.

Human traditions are not necessarily wrong in itself, anymore than all philosophical ideas are wrong. Paul is not dismissing human tradition and philosophy per se. There is no support here for the anti-intellectualism which rears its head from time to time in Christian churches. We are to love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength. The pursuit of wisdom and understanding is part of our divine image bearing. It is a good and noble pursuit provided our minds are submissive to divine revelation.

What Paul is concerned about are human traditions and philosophical ideas that run contrary to the truth of God as revealed in Jesus. Ideas, whose ultimate origin is human and not divine, must not be put on a par with the truth of the gospel. Nor should they be allowed to challenge or contradict the scriptures properly interpreted.

But the traditional nature of these competing ideas means that they can appear more dignified, authoritative and substantial than they really are. Some of these ideas may have deep cultural roots, or they may be considered true by many people, including many popular, powerful, or influential people and therefore prove to be very difficult to dismiss or dislodge.

The elemental spiritual forces of the world translates the Greek word "stoicheia" which probably refers to demonic spirits (as all recent English translations indicate). The exact meaning is debated and some prefer the translation "the elemental principles of the world" but I think a good case can be made for something more sinister. The Greek word "stoicheia" was used in the ancient world for spirits and there is evidence of this in a variety of different documents.

If this is the correct translation/interpretation it is consistent with the immediate context where Paul mentions Christ's triumph over "powers and authorities" (2:10, 15), and it is consistent with a passage like Ephesians 6:10-17 where Paul deals explicitly with spiritual warfare (also cf. 1 Peter 5:8).

If this interpretation is correct is means that hollow and deceptive philosophy can be used by spiritual powers of darkness to enslave men and women. This is not a popular notion in our scientific age but it would explain why some ideas continue to survive down through the years and stubbornly resist the light of truth.

So we are called to identify hollow and deceptive philosophy by its human origin, and to respect it because there is more going on than meets the eye. Simply put: we are involved in spiritual warfare.

Next time I will give some contemporary examples of "hollow and deceptive philosophy" that need to be exposed as ensnaring high-sounding nonsense.

Danger lurks in the realm of ideas

As I mentioned in my last post I want to share some of my ideas with regard to Colossians 2:8 and the phrase "kata christon" which means "according to Christ." This phrase is the motto of TBS and expresses our commitment to think, teach and live in accordance with Jesus Christ and his gospel as revealed in the Bible.

When we interpret the phrase as part of verse 8, and the letter to the Colossians as a whole, there are at least three things we should notice. First, we must be on our guard because danger lurks in the realm of ideas.

Colossians 2:8 is a warning. It is the first of a series of warnings (cf. 2:16, 20) telling Christians to be careful when it comes to certain ideas. Paul and Timothy who wrote this letter to God's people in Colossae knew something that many in our day do not appreciate, and that is that ideas have consequences.

The saying "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me," is not true. Nor is it true that "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." Words can hurt deeply. Words express ideas, and ideas when acted upon can bless or curse, liberate or enslave, save or damn. Ideas have consequences.

Consider, the idea of naturalism, with its doctrine of the survival of the fittest and its link to the eugenics movement in America, Britain and Nazi Germany. Or the ideas inherent in the hedonistic slogan, "you only go around once in life, so go for all the gusto you can." Or the many ideas contained in the biblical teaching that "from one man God made all nations (Acts 17:26). Ideas have consequences.

The power of ideas is something we must be particularly aware of in seminary. Seminaries are places of learning. There are books to read, ideas to wrestle with, concepts to grasp, facts to memorize, papers, reports and exams to write. These are all part of the learning process. But danger lurks in the realm of ideas because we can become adept at manipulating terminology, at rehearsing the pros and cons of arguments and yet it can be merely abstract and theoretical. Or we can let down our guard and become careless and sloppy. Or we can try to sound sophisticated and see how far we can push the truth to conform to the latest fads.

We must realize that ideas are not benign entities. Ideas shape lives and futures. This is one reason Paul told younger, inexperienced Timothy to be "diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers" (1 Timothy 4:15-16). And it is why he tells the Colossian believers not to let anyone take them captive by "philosophy and empty deceit" or "hollow and deceptive philosophy" or "empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense" (2:8).

To be continued...