Ask For Wisdom? Or Something Else?

Challenging Assumptions in James 1:5

The originally readers of the letter from James wanted things. Those things were primarily riches and high position. James addresses those issues throughout his letter, such as the following:

James 2:2-5
Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Also, the readers were trying to obtain riches and position through, what they thought, was wisdom. And they were boasting of such wisdom. But James counters and writes that they didn’t have true wisdom and they should not boast as if they did:

James 3:13-18
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

James 4:13-16
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.

James then moves to point out that since they didn’t have the wisdom to get what they wanted, they should try another way – by asking:

James 4:2-3
You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

James is making the same point in James 1:5:

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Many have misinterpreted this verse by reading it, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God for wisdom.” But that is not what James is trying to say. He is saying, that if you don’t have wisdom to get what you want, then you should ask God for whatever it is you are wanting.

Finding No Rest in the Arid Places

An interesting parallel between Genesis 8:8-10 and Matthew 12:43-45

Noah sends the dove out of the ark:

Genesis 8:8-10
Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground (dry places); But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters [were] on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. And he stayed yet another seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;

Compare to:

Matthew 12:43-45
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth [it] empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last [state] of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

Is this a true parallel or antithetic and what does it mean? Not sure, but I thought it was interesting.

The Grand Assembly

In Ephesians the words “inheritance” and “church” are connected and have Old Testament ties.

Throughout Ephesians, Paul talks about inheritance and the church. Here are just two samples:

Ephesians 1:18
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Ephesians 1:22
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,

I believe Paul is using Old Testament terminology to communicate a New Testament idea. Joshua 13-21 tells how the promised land (Israel’s inheritance) was to be divided among the tribes. Joshua 18:1-2 shows how this process took place:

Joshua 18:1-2
The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The country was brought under their control, but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.

The Israelites called an assembly in order to divide up the inheritance. As I’ve written before, the word “church” actually means “assembly”. I believe Paul has this Old Testament setting in mind when he writes the Ephesians about their spiritual inheritance (side note: I also think the assembly setting is what John saw in Revelation 4). The Ephesians had been “called” to an “assembly” to receive their “inheritance” and Paul makes reference to this idea throughout his letter.

Tower of Babylon?

Same Hebrew word used for the tower and the city

I noticed that, according to Blue Letter Bible, the Hebrew word "Babel" is translated both "Babel" (in Genesis) and "Babylon" (everywhere else). It seems to me they should just translate it the same throughout the Bible and call the Tower of Babel the Tower of Babylon instead.

Christianeeze

Taking a look at some Biblical words

I like to know what the root meanings of some words are since we can become blinded by religion and tradition and sometimes loose the true meanings of words. It can also be hard for those who are not familiar with the Bible to understand what some words mean. I’ve already written about “grace”, “word”, and the phrase “fear and trembling” but I have a few more as well.

“Gospel” means “good news” or “good tidings”. The Greek is “euggelion”. In ancient times, when a battle was won, the messenger brought the “euggelion” back to the city. The messenger was an “aggelos” which is the same Greek word used for “angel”.

In Ephesians I came across “saint” and “church”. A “saint” in the Greek is “hagios” or “holy one”. “Holy” means “to set apart”. God set apart Israel from the rest of the nations on earth and He refers to it as His holy nation. Paul has the same idea in Ephesians and points out that Christians have been set apart from the world and are therefore saints, or holy ones.

“Church” in the Greek is “ekklesia” and means “an assembly”. The Israelites were called to assembly during certain times of the year. One of the root words for “ekklesia” is “kaleo” and it means “to call”. Paul talks about the church (or assembly) and the calling of believers throughout Ephesians.

Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called — one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

“Tribulation” in the Hebrew is “tsar” and it can mean: narrow, tight, straits, distress, adversary, foe, enemy, oppressor, hard pebble, flint. In the Greek it is “thlipsis” and it can mean: a pressing, pressing together (like a wine press), pressure. But we get the English word Tribulation from the Latin “Trbulum” which is the word for threshing sledge. A threshing sledge was used to separate the chaff from the wheat and you can see what one looks like here.

Marriage and Tribulation

And why does Jesus talk about angels and marriage?


In ancient times people thought a time of tribulation was often a judgment against them that came in the form of a war or a natural disaster. When they saw the signs of tribulation coming they would act accordingly and those who were not married did not plan on getting married until the tribulation was over.

By not getting married they would make both the time during the tribulation and after easier. If one were to get married before, then one had the difficult task of providing for a family during hard times. They could lose their husband in battle or their wife could be raped and killed after the battle was lost. It became difficult for a woman to get married again after she had already been married and lost her virginity. So if she lost her husband somehow, life would then become incredibly difficult for her.

Paul is concerned about avoiding marriage during hard times so that things will be easier:

1 Corinthians 7:25-28
Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are. Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

I’m not sure what the crisis was that Paul was referring to but I don’t think he was referring to the tribulation that will occur when Jesus returns (although it may refer to that in a multi-dimensional way).

Jesus points out that the people in Noah’s time did not see the disaster coming or else they would have acted accordingly:

Luke 17:27
People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

Marriage carried with it an additional burden since, if they were fulfilling their marriage duties, children would probably come soon after. Having children during tribulation is also difficult. This is why Jesus says things like:

Matthew 24:19-20
How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.

Luke 23:29-30
For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then
" 'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!"
and to the hills, "Cover us!"

After the bad times were over, God would assure His people that it was over and encouraged them to act accordingly and that it was okay to get married. See what God says after Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were exiled.

Jeremiah 29:4-6
This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.

Also, after the flood, God says something similar to Noah:

Genesis 9:7
As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.

But notice that God also says this to Adam and Eve. This may imply that a judgment (against Lucifer) had happened just before God created them and would lend support to the Ruin-Reconstruction Theory, sometimes referred to as the Gap Theory.

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Jesus talks about marriage in what I think is one of the most misinterpreted verses in the Bible:

Matthew 22:30
At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

People have used this verse to say that there will be no marriage in heaven or that angels do not marry. That may or may not be true but I don’t think that is what Jesus means to communicate. The full account in Luke makes things a little more clear.

Luke 20:27-33
Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. The second and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. Finally, the woman died too. Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"

As Jesus often did, he answered the question by not answering the question. The Sadducees question had to do with what happens after marriage, after the resurrection.

Jesus’ answer is focused on before marriage, before the resurrection – during the Great Tribulation.

Luke 20:34-36
Jesus replied, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection.

When tribulation is coming people should act accordingly as they would with any other coming tribulation – by not getting married.

But why does Jesus reference the angels? Not because they do not marry but because “they can no longer die”. We become immortal after the resurrection, just like the angels.

Faith, Hope and Love

Why do they “remain”?


I've written a newer post the better explains what is written below.

1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

People love this verse because they like faith hope and love. They are great qualities no doubt but people often use this verse simply to expound faith, hope and love but it’s never integrated with the rest of what Paul says before it. Obviously Paul talks about love a few verses before but verse 13 is often treated as a short pithy verse that Paul just dropped at the end. But how does it fit within the context of the chapter? Why do they “remain”? What left if they remain? Were they ever in any danger of not remaining? Why does Paul talk about love until verse 8 then talk about other stuff until 13 and then come back to talking about love? And why does he bring up “faith” and “hope” all of a sudden?

The Greek word that’s translated into “remain” is “meno”. “Meno” can be translated “endure” and I think it is helpful to translate it that way in verse 13. Endurance is a theme continued from verse 7. Paul describes love as something that:

1 Corinthians 13:7
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth (Greek is hupomeno) all things.

Not only can you see the “endure” connection but also love is tied in with “faith” (believeth all things) and “hope” (hopeth all things).

Paul talks about endurance because he is contrasting the things that endure (love, faith, hope) with things that do not endure (prophecies, tongues, knowledge):

1 Corinthians 13:8
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Next time I will explore why Paul says some spiritual gifts will cease and when they should cease.

Was Jesus Poor?

Is there Biblical evidence for a poor Jesus?

I was thinking the other day about the gifts the wise men gave Jesus. They were expensive gifts! Some of that stuff cost an entire years salary! So I would assume that would have made Jesus financially secure for a little while at least. He was not wanting. Then I thought about Jesus being born in a manger - a picture of poverty it would seem but Jesus was born there not because they couldn't afford it but because there was no room at the inn. It is true that Jesus does say that the Son of Man has no place to lay his head but I'm not sure if that is a reference to poverty. Jesus' words were often cryptic and I think he had a deeper meaning. I came across a fairly good article on the issue of whether Jesus was poor that you can read here.

Stars and Fallen Angels

Are the tail swept stars symbolic of Satan’s fallen angels?

I was reading a question posed on Theoblogian and it brought to mind some thoughts I had on Revelation 12. Here are the verses in question:

Revelation 12:3-4a
Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.

Many have thought that the stars that were swept away were the angels that fell with Satan. But I think that is not the case or at least there is a deeper understanding that’s missing. I believe the verses need to be viewed in light of the verses before it

Revelation 12:1-2
A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.

The stars that were swept away were the ones mentioned in the verses before it. Twelve stars are mentioned, therefore, four stars were swept away because four is one-third of twelve. Naturally we would then want to know what the twelve stars represent. Most commentaries say either Israel or the Church. This would imply that one-third of Israel or the Church will be swept away. I’m not convinced that the twelve stars do represent Israel or the Church but it is interesting that one-third of the Jewish population was destroyed during the Holocaust. Perhaps the stars are symbolic of both Israel and angels in a multi-dimensional interpretation since stars are used to represent both in Scripture:

Genesis 15:5
He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

Genesis 37:9
Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."

Job 38:7
while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

Revelation 1:20
The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

The Word of God

Going beyond the Bible

It is important to realize that, in the Bible, the phrase “Word of God” may not be referring to the Bible. We have become accustomed to thinking that the Word of God is synonymous with the Bible and yet the Bible itself points out that it is more than that.

In a historical context, the word “word” in used in conjunction with the king. The “word of the king” was a decree, promise or a law – an expression of the king’s authority. In the Old Testament, God is often viewed as a king and so any expression of His authority would be His word. The word of the Lord came to Abraham in Genesis:

Genesis 15:4-5
Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

God made a promise to Abraham. Even today, when we make a promise to someone, we refer to it as giving them “our word”.

John refers to Jesus as the word of God that became flesh. Jesus is the expression of God’s authority in human form. John points out that the Word of God can be expressed through something other than words on paper. Jesus points out that the Word is more than just something to be read and studied:

John 5:37-40
And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

John 7:14-17
Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?"
Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

The Bible is the Word of God in written form, Jesus is the Word of God in human form but we too can speak the Word of God with the Holy Spirit in us.

2 Samuel 23:2
"The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me;
his word was on my tongue.

This is what Paul means when he refers to the “sword of the Spirit”.

Ephesians 6:17
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

This verse is usually used to refer to the Bible as the Word of God but Paul was referring to our ability to speak with authority by the Holy Spirit. The things of God are often multi-dimensional and the Word of God proves to be as well.

Sowing And Reaping In Your Life

How to use an often overlooked principle

How do you get the things you want in life? Hard work? God’s will? Is your destiny determined by God or are you in total control of it? I think both are involved and this is especially evident in the sowing and reaping principle that is in the world and in the Bible. The parable of the hidden talents makes it especially evident:

Matthew 25:14-30
"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

God gives you all that you have but you are responsible for sowing it, for using it, and for being faithful with it. It is a balance of God and man. What are you reaping in life? If those things are not good or are not the things you want for your life then take a look at what you are sowing. Perhaps your sowing and reaping strategy needs to change.

There are two ways to receive in the sowing and reaping process. You can see both of them in the parable of the hidden talents. The faithful servant reaped back what he sowed from the talents but also he received more from the Master for being faithful. But keep in mind that none of the talents became the servant’s, they always remained the master’s who entrusted them to the servant.

What kind of sower and reaper are you? It might be helpful to compare yourself to the 3 types below:

Sow Too Little:
These people do not sow what they have and therefore never reap what could be theirs. That is what happened the servant with the one talent in the parable. People who sow too little may be fearful, lazy, self-conscious, worried about not doing it right, or introverted which holds them back from sowing what they have.

Reap Too Much:
These people do not sow enough because they are always focused on reaping and they sow what they do not have. If you are continually reaping and never sowing, you won’t be fruitful for very long. People who reap too much may be arrogant, extroverted, desperate or greedy.

Balanced:
These people continually sow and reap. Being faithful with what they’ve been given but never going beyond what they’ve been entrusted with.

If you don’t know what God has given you to sow, take a look at what you are passionate about or ask God to reveal to you what He has given you to sow. Regardless, try something new, anything new. Do something different in your life. If you want things to change but always do the same things then you will keep reaping the same things in your life. Experimentation is often the key to revelation!

Track your sowing and reaping. Make a list at the end of each day of all the things you sowed and reaped that day. Everything that you did, list it as sowing. Everything that happened to you, list it as reaping. Give it some time and notice any patterns in your life. And if you start doing something new if your life, see if anything new starts happening to you as well. Invest for the long term. You may not reap what you sow right away or you may not reap anything significant. But keep sowing and keep reaping.

Good And Evil Switcharoo

Looking closer at some terms we take for granted.

Sometimes the things that we usually think of as strictly evil can be used in a good way and even attributed to God:

Hate

Romans 9:13
Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

Jealousy

Exodus 34:14
Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Anger

Ephesians 4:26a
Be angry, and yet do not sin.

Fear

Psalm 128:4
Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD.

And vise versa:

Love

1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

This is the same principle of the yeast in the bread. It’s not the bread that is unacceptable but the yeast in it. (Leviticus 2:11)

Being Faithful with Faith

Can one grow in faith?

As any Christian knows, faith is an important part of the Christian life. At least we know it should be. But what if you feel you don’t have any faith but you know you should? Or perhaps you feel you have little faith but want more. The common response is to try harder or to psyche yourself up. But mostly you just keep telling yourself you need to have faith and little progress is made. What things in life hold you back because you don’t feel you have enough faith? If the faith you had did what you wanted it to do then you wouldn’t be wanting more, but often, when someone says that they want more faith they are pointed to what Jesus said:

Luke 17:5-6
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"
He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.

“With the little faith you have, nothing is impossible!” they say. And yet, no mulberry trees are ever moved. That’s because I don’t think Jesus was trying to say that you could move mulberry trees with a little faith but if you plant the seed of faith and let it grow, it will become big enough to do anything:

Mark 4:30-32
Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade."

But even the faith you plant is a gift from God and if you try to have faith in your own strength, you will fail.

Romans 12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Romans 12:6
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.

Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

Just like in the parable of the hidden talents (Matthew 25:14-30), he who invested what he was given, was given more. Sow the little faith that you have and it will grow. Faith is meant to grow!

2 Corinthians 10:15
Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand,

2 Thessalonians 1:3
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

Establishing A Tree

A principle of sowing and reaping gained from Paul, Old Testament Law, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

I was thinking about what I wrote yesterday and also about principles of sowing and reaping. I’m trying to learn how to sow and reap good things in my life and I was intrigued by Paul when he refused to reap financially from the Corinthians but did accept from other churches. I asked God if there was some other principle of sowing and reaping I might learn from Paul. He brought to mind this verse:

Leviticus 19:23
When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten.

In order to establish a tree and make it healthy, they were not to eat the fruit of it for three years. Paul was employing the same principle in establishing the Corinthians as a church:

1 Corinthians 9:11-12
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

I also believe that God was using the same principle in the Garden of Eden:

Genesis 2:16-17
And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

I think Adam and Eve would have eventually been able to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil when they and the tree were mature enough. The phrase “knowledge of good and evil” refers to wisdom. It is the ability to judge wisely, to discern between good and evil:

Genesis 3:6
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.

The serpent in the tree is described as wise:

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made.

The word "crafty" is also translated "prudent" (Prov 16:21, 18:15) which is an aspect of wisdom. Jesus also says:

Matthew 10:16
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Wisdom is for the mature, which takes us back again to Paul and the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 2:6
We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

Let’s learn from these Biblical examples. When sowing and reaping, make sure the level of maturity is there before reaping whether it is in your own life or in others. Not everything may need a lot of time to mature. Wheat only takes a season before one can harvest it but fruit trees need time.

Fear and Trembling - Part II (I Corinthians)

The phrase “fear and trembling” is meant to point one to a servant’s attitude and not to an unhealthy fear.

Last time we looked at the phrase “fear and trembling” as used by Paul in Philippians and showed how it is meant to show an attitude of humility and servanthood. This time we will look at a similar phrase Paul used in I Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 2:3
I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.

Some have said that Paul said this because he was unsuccessful in Athens right before he came to Corinth (Acts 17). They argue that Paul had tried to argue intellectually with the Athenians and he wasn’t very fruitful, so when he came to Corinth he was discouraged and switched tactics. I think it’s debatable that Paul was unsuccessful in Athens but even if he was a failure there I don’t think he would be so discouraged that he would be in fear and trembling. From what we know about Paul from his writings he appears to be a bull that brings his own china shop with him. This is the same guy who sang praises after he was beaten and then demanded an escort after his release from prison (Acts 16).

Furthermore, Paul affirms that he is using the same tactic that he used in Athens when he says:

1 Corinthians 9:19-22
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

In Athens, Paul became an intellectual to win intellectuals. If he was not successful then it was because of the soil (Matthew 13:1-23) and not his method of sowing the seed. Paul’s use of the words “fear” and “trembling” have nothing to do with being discouraged or afraid of how the Corinthians would respond but Paul was saying he became weak (a humble position), like them, to win them.

The Corinthians had encountered some people in the Church who had expounded wisdom. This put the authority of Paul into question since he did not speak with the “wisdom” of others. Paul responds by pointing that the wisdom of this world with not worth anything:

1 Corinthians 1:20-27
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

Paul also points out that he could have spoken with wisdom but they were not ready for it yet:

1 Corinthians 3:1-2
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it.

1 Corinthians 2:1-7
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.

And just like in Philippians, Paul points out that those who are mature (those with wisdom) should not use their authority in a selfish way but should give up what they are entitled to if it better serves others:

1 Corinthians 4:1
So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.

1 Corinthians 9:11-12
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

Fear and Trembling - Part I (Philippians)

The phrase “fear and trembling” is meant to point one to a servant’s attitude and not to an unhealthy fear.

Philippians 2:12
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

This verse is one that a lot of people aren’t sure what to do with or how to explain. And if they do explain it, it is in an over simplistic way that forces the verse into their own preconceived boxes. The phrase “fear and trembling” instills with it a feeling that you had better not screw up or else you’re going to be in big trouble. But if you look at the phrase within a broader context and historical usage, it will give you a fuller understanding of what Paul was trying to say.

“Fear and trembling” was used to show how a servant relates to a master or how a subject relates to a king. It was a position of humility that recognized that the servant was not above the master and the servant should respond with the appropriate obedience and attitude that was in order for that relationship. Paul points out to the Philippians throughout his letter that they should have a servant’s heart, even in the address of the letter:

Philippians 1:1
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus…

Also, in Ephesians, Paul directly ties the “fear and trembling” with the servant:

Ephesians 6:5
Servants, be obedient to them that are [your] masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

The servant attitude Paul promotes is in contrast with the attitudes that the Philippians were coming into contact with and even struggling with themselves. There were those that had an attitude of pride and did not serve others but only looked after themselves.

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.

-Philippians 1:15-17 (NIV)

Those that were preaching the gospel selfishly and looking only to their own interest were not serving anyone. Paul writes against that position and uses Jesus as an example:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

-Philippians 2:3-11 (NIV)

Even though Jesus was God, he still came with a servant’s heart and was humble and obedient.

As we listen to Paul’s call for humility and a servant’s heart let’s remember the proverb that God opposes the proud but gives favor to the humble.

Next time I will take a look at the phrase “fear and trembling” in I Corinthians.

Multi-Dimensional Scripture

Reconciling various views of prophetic scriptures.

When I was at Trinity International University I took a class that went over the various approaches to Biblical prophecy. The study of Biblical prophecy is called eschatology. Please get a quick overview here. I come from a Futurist, Pretrib, Premil background (which most of the students had), but this class caused me to think seriously about other views. It certainly can become a hotly debated topic, right up there with free will vs. predestination. Most of the students in my class balked at the other views other than the Futurist, Premil position. But the professor (Matthew Williams, now over at Talbot) did a great job at presenting the evidences for all views. And the evidences from the other views were compelling. So much so that the students began gravitating towards the evidences of some of the other views but doing so in a smorgasbord kind of way – chopping up Scripture and picking and choosing what they liked from each position but not committing to any position. The professor wisely put a stop to that as it was most certainly an end run around the critical thinking he was trying to get the students to do. He forced them to commit to a position by having them write an essay in support of just one of the positions.

But in doing so he was forcing the students into a logical fallacy known as the “false dilemma”. This fallacy typically involves asking a question and providing only two (or in this case three: Futurist, Preterist, or Historicist) possible answers when there are actually far more or at least one other one. I wish to present another option. All of the positions are true, not in a smorgasbord kind of way but in a mulit-dimensional way. God designed prophecy to be true on multiple levels.

Critics of prophecies used to prove Jesus was the Messiah say that those prophecies were fulfilled much sooner (in Israel’s history) and are taken out of context if applied to Jesus. In many cases prophecies were speaking of Israel AND Jesus. Both are true. This is not a compromise to accommodate the critics but an elevation of Scripture and a fuller of understanding of the characteristics of prophecy. This is one of John’s main points that he stresses throughout his Gospel. The two most quoted Old Testament books in the Gospel of John are the Psalms and Isaiah. The Pharisees had taken much of the Psalms symbolically and much of Isaiah literally. John flips it around and uses Psalms literally and Isaiah symbolically to point to Jesus. Interpretation of prophecy is not meant to be discovered easily but is hidden within layers of meaning. This is similar to Jesus hiding meaning in parables.

Jesus points out the multi-dimensionality of prophecy in John’s writings when he uses the phrase, “a time is coming and has now come”.

John 4:23
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

John 5:25
I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

1 John 2:18
Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come.

Jesus was pointing out things on two levels: is coming and has now come. Some fulfillment had come, more fulfillment is coming.

The Book of Revelation is an obvious source of disagreement when both are true. Those who take it as symbolic and a reflection of the spiritual and those who take it literal and believe it will happen in the physical. But the same issue sparks disagreement in other parts of Scripture as well . The Song of Solomon for example. Does it refer to an actual historic event? Is it an analogy of God and the nation of Israel? Of Christ and the Church? The answer is all three. Paul uses another scripture to show an example of Christ and the Church:

Ephesians 5:31-32
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

This is not just a coincidence that the analogy fits so nicely but God had planned it that way and Paul had discovered the “mystery”. People who connect so well with symbolism have a hard time taking the Bible literally. Works of literature with heavy symbolism are usually works of fiction. But God is an Author who writes His stories with real people and real events and not just pen and paper.

Cool Clip

A Clip from a Rienhard Bonnke Crusade in Lagos, Nigeria

This clip is from a DVD called "Called to Populate Heaven" or "Raised from the Dead". I'm not sure which. Both are by Rienhard Bonnke.

Just about everyone I've shown this to has gotten goosebumps.

We Three Kings...

Some background on the 3 Kings (also known as wisemen or Magi) who gave gifts to Jesus.

I was watching PBS last night (not my usual source for Biblical revelation) and they had a pretty interesting show on the 3 kings. They pointed out that there may not have been three. The Bible does not say how many there were, only that they brought three gifts. Amazing how tradition can become so ingrained without even realizing it.

Also, Chuck Missler gives some good historical background on the Magi in this article. He also links Daniel to the Magi in his Commentary on Daniel.

John 3:16

Deeper understanding of “the world” in a familiar verse.

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

This verse is usually quoted to others to assure them that they are not beyond God’s love and “the world” does in fact include them. And that is true. However, there is some historical background that will shed new light on that verse and will highlight the particular issue Jesus was speaking to when he spoke it.

In Isaiah (which is the most quoted book in the Gospel of John) God pronounces judgments throughout the first 30 chapters against various nations and then is summed up in Chapter 34:2

The LORD is angry with all nations;
his wrath is upon all their armies.
He will totally destroy them,
he will give them over to slaughter.

Deliverance is promised only for Israel.

The situation is further expanded by the historical split of Israel. After King Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king and promptly lost part of the kingdom to a guy named Jeroboam:

1 Kings 12:20
“When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.”

So Israel was split into the southern kingdom and the northern kingdom (Judah was in the southern kingdom) and it remained split even until Jesus.

This presents a problem for the Northern Kingdom because according to Old Testament Law, if you are cut off from the Temple then you are cut off from God. The Temple was in Jerusalem and Jerusalem was in the Southern Kingdom. So the Jews had lumped the Northern Kingdom in with the rest of “the world”.

But Jesus comes along and says, "For God so loved the world (meaning all the nations of the world and the Northern Kingdom) that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John stresses this point throughout the Gospel:

John 1:46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. (Nazareth was in the Northern Kingdom).

The Samaritan Woman and Temple worship in John 4.(Samaria was in the Northern Kingdom)

John points out where most of the 12 disciples were from (the Northern Kingdom).