Book Review of Zondervan’s Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Ephesians (Clinton Arnold)

I am so grateful to Zondervan for publishing this series and I commend them on their choices for commentators. All of the commentators represent a broad stream of solid Evangelical scholarship and exegesis. I chose to review the Ephesians commentary by Dr. Clinton Arnold (NT professor at Talbot seminary). I am familiar with Dr. Talbot’s previous work, especially his monograph, “Ephesians: Power and Magic”. He has done some great work on the topic of Spiritual warfare as well.

I can’t review this entire commentary or else my review would be hundreds of pages, so I will redact my feedback to that which I specifically like about the “Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament “ series itself.  As a point of reference, I own about 50 commentaries on Ephesians and will compare and contrast the Zondervan series with some of the others I own.

What’s to Like?

1.        The wide double-column format. I love this feature which you don’t find in many other series’. I personally read commentaries by keeping my thumb in a page and constantly looking back and forward to maintain a “Forest” view perspective on the text. With the double-column format, one has access to a total of 4 columns when viewing the open book with 2 pages open. I personally love this.
2.        Literary Context Section. T. David Gordon suggests, in his book, “Why Johnny Can’t Preach”, that many pastors simply don’t know how to read and engage in basic literary analysis. The very first subsection within each passage section is dedicated to literary context. Surveying the commentary, I was pleased to find this section deal with such things as genre, type of speech, repeated words and themes, among other things. This is invaluable for the person who really wants to understand the oral culture and how the written text would be heard to the listeners. Our culture is becoming increasingly illiterate, not that we don’t know how to pronounce words per se, but that we don’t know how to perceive certain literary features within the text.
3.        Main Idea. Many commentaries don’t distinguish the forest from the trees and leaves the reader thinking every single word is a really big deal, thus focusing on the trees and not seeing the forest, or flatlines the text in such a way that one only sees the forest and fails to acknowledge the beauty of particular trees.
4.        Translation and Graphical Layout. This is my most favorite feature. Some commentaries may include some sort of chiastic structure outline of the text, but this series actually provides a true outline based on syntax, noting particular clauses within the pericope. This alone is worth half the price of the book (with the additional features making the commentary a good investment).
5.        Structure. The structure section provides something of a chiastic structure of the text, noting parallelism, etc. At this point, you might think the commentary overkill on all the subsections dealing with the passage, but this just confirms how important it is to see the text on its own terms before you even get to Arnold’s exegesis. All good exegesis requires this preliminary work and Zondervan chose to enhance this often neglected preliminary work that is usually absent in many commentaries.
6.        Exegetical Outline. Yes, there’s even more before you even get to the commentary on the text. The exegetical outline provides a good skeletal outline that could very well serve as a homiletical outline for the preacher/teacher.  Such an outline is pretty common in most commentaries, but I appreciate how this outline comes after the previous labors which point to the summation.
7.        Theology in Application. This section is somewhat similar to what you would find in the NIV Application Commentary Series, however the NIV series emphasizes more of a hermeneutic “So What?” answer that is helpful in bridging the text to contemporary concerns, whereas this series engages in Biblical Theological and Systematic Theological applications. Compiling all of the “Theology in Application” could very well  serve as a Biblical Theology work on Ephesus as a standalone book that could well retail for $15 alone.

 

Bottom Line:

I admit that the $36.99 retail price may seem steep; however this is less than the comparable Pillar series ($44) and Baker exegetical series ($44.99). Note that this volume is over 500 pages and double columned in the commentary portion of the text, whereas the Baker series is the same in pages but single columned in the commentary section, making this essentially larger in raw word count.

I highly recommend this volume for all pastors and would commend it to a general lay audience as well. I will be purchasing this series as I preach through NT books in the future.

Burden-Lifting Christian Ministry contrasts Judaizing Burden-Imposing Ministry

As I work through Galatians, I found this comment from John Stott very insightful about the contrast of the Judaizing Burden-Imposing ministry with the directives that the Christian community is a Burden-Lifting ministry:

Human friendship, in which we bear one another’s burdens, is part of the purpose of God for His people. So we should not keep our burdens to ourselves, but rather seek a Christian friend who will help to bear them with us.

By such burden-bearing we ‘fulfil the law of Christ’ (verse 2). Because of the interesting link in this sentence between ‘burdens’ and the ‘law’, it is possible that Paul is casting a side-glance at the Judaizers. Certainly some of the law’s requirements are referred to as a burden in the New Testament (e.g. Lk. 11:46; Acts 15:10, 28), and the Judaizers were seeking to burden the Galatians with the observance of the law for their acceptance with God. So Paul may be saying to them, in effect, that instead of imposing the law as a burden upon others, they should rather lift their burdens and so fulfil Christ’s law.

The Omniscient Biblical Narrator

I was recently looking over some of what Meir Sternberg wrote about the omniscient narrator in the Bible. Today I read the account of Ahab and Naboth in I Kings 21 and it brought Sternberg to mind again. The narrator of the account has access to Ahab’s conversation with Naboth, Jezebel’s conversation with Ahab, Jezebel’s letters to the elders and nobles of the city, and Elijah’s condemnation of Ahab. How can this be? We are never told of course.

The omniscient viewpoint is often used by the writers of the Bible and we often think nothing of it as we read. Perhaps later writers had access to sources around Ahab, or perhaps God simply revealed all of it to Elijah or a scribe of Elijah’s. Who knows? The Bible is very quiet about its method of composition and we can’t really peer behind the scenes with any confidence.

Israel Empowered by the Spirit to be the Isianic Witness to the Gentiles

For Luke the charismatic ‘Spirit of prophecy’ is very much the power and life of the church, and so probably of the individual too. It is the means by which the heavenly Lord exercises his cleansing and transforming rule over Israel as much as the means by which he uses her as the Isaianic servant to witness his salvation to the ends of the earth (Max Turner 1998:347).

The bestowing of the Spirit on Pentecost didn’t mark the end of God’s dealings with Israel and a transferring of God’s salvific dealings solely to the Gentiles, but was rather the initiation of Israel’s glory age. They were empowered to be the witnesses to the nations as prescribed in Isaiah. The height of Israel’s existence is their mission to the Gentiles and that is being fulfilled right now in these last days. There remains a distinction in ethnicity between Jew and gentile, no doubt, but both constitute a single people of God who are constituted by the same means of calling upon the name of their common Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all the nations are blessed.

Galatians 5:16-18 “The Ammunition of the Spirit in Civil War”

Galatians 5:16-18 “The Ammunition of the Spirit in Civil War”

Galatians 5:16–18 (ESV) — 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

McKnight (1995:272):

I know of no Christian parents or youth leaders, or for that matter any pastorsm who seriously believe what Paul teaches in verses 16-26 (of Galatians 5), that the sole foundation of Christian ethics is dependency on the Spirit and a life of freedom in the Spirit….I have met only one person who ever expressed this view of Paul in a definitive and, to him, practical way. That person was F.F. Bruce…”

I would add Gordon Fee to that list in my own experience as I also shared this same conviction in my study of the reality of Spirit-fullness in the New Covenant. McKnight continues:

To be sure, Paul knew that when a person was controlled by the Spirit, that person was holy. He also knew that a person who lived in the Spirit lived in a loving way. Thus, he knew that the Old Testament moral guidelines and the teachings of Jesus on holiness, righteousness, and compassion would be confirmed by anyone who lived in the Spirit (1995:273).

Needless to say that we can be accused, just like the early Galatians, of wanting to derive our ethic from the law or traditions of man. I am not opposed to the “3^rd use of the Law” in relation to our sanctification, but if such is taught in a way that doesn’t necessitate the presence of the Spirit, then we may very well be acting like the early Judaizers.

What has Paul said about the Spirit thus far?

Galatians 3:1–6 (ESV) — 1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

-          Received the Spirit by faith

-          Began in the Spirit, but seeking sanctification in the flesh

-          Spirit supplied by hearing with faith, not works of law

Galatians 3:13–14 (ESV) — 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

-          V. 13 speaks of the verb…Christ redeemed us

• Followed by two adverbial purpose clauses
  • So that…blessings of Abraham to Gentiles
  • So that we might receive the promised Spirit
    • The work of redemption must lead to salvation and the reception of the Spirit.

Galatians 4:6–7 (ESV) — 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

-          We are sons and heirs through the Spirit, enabled to cry out Abba! Father! The Spirit enables our faith, our assurance as children. This speaks of objective status realized through a subjective cry, which is absolutely brought about through the giving of the Spirit

Galatians 5:5 (ESV) — 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

-          The Spirit is the agency through which we have faith and hope for the coming righteousness.

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

-          Walk = present imperative, denotes ongoing life of the Christian, NIV has “Live” although the new NIV has “walk”.  Speaks of direction

-          “by” or “in”, “pnuema” is in the dative/locative/instrumental case with no article. “by” or “in” is supplied to understand the nature of the command.

• Dative = to, locative = in, instrumental = by, can be referring to the domain we live in, or the means whereby we walk. Both ideas are taught in Scripture. I think “by” makes the most sense, especially in light of Paul’s earlier reference in  3:3 about beginning by the Spirit, trying to perfect by flesh.

-          “you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” – strong double negative, aorist subjunctive expresses certainty, “you will never under any circumstances”. Implied and expected result of walking in the Spirit, it is thus a promise. If you are walking in full reliance on the Spirit, you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh (sarx). There is a “pneuma/sarx” battles in Scripture.

• Is this promise too strong? NO. It is impossible to gratify the desires of the flesh when you are walking in the Spirit, just like it is impossible to lie when you are telling the truth, to starve to death when you eat, to suffocate to death when you are breathing.
• The law can only inform and instruct, but it is the Spirit that actually empowers!!!
• This civil war inside of us is dealt with some more:

The Pauline Necessity of the Spirit in Sanctification and Christian Ethics

The following quote is from Scot McKnight’s commentary on Galatians in The NIV Application Commentary series:

McKnight (1995:272):

I know of no Christian parents or youth leaders, or for that matter any pastors who seriously believe what Paul teaches in verses 16-26 (of Galatians 5), that the sole foundation of Christian ethics is dependency on the Spirit and a life of freedom in the Spirit….I have met only one person who ever expressed this view of Paul in a definitive and, to him, practical way. That person was F.F. Bruce…

I would add Gordon Fee to that list in my own experience as I also shared this same conviction in my study of the reality of Spirit-fullness in the New Covenant. McKnight continues:

To be sure, Paul knew that when a person was controlled by the Spirit, that person was holy. He also knew that a person who lived in the Spirit lived in a loving way. Thus, he knew that the Old Testament moral guidelines and the teachings of Jesus on holiness, righteousness, and compassion would be confirmed by anyone who lived in the Spirit (1995:273).

Needless to say that we can be accused, just like the early Galatians, of wanting to derive our ethic from the law or traditions of men. I am not opposed to the “3^rd use of the Law” in relation to our sanctification, but if such is taught in a way that doesn’t necessitate the presence of the Spirit, then we may very well be acting like the early Judaizers.

It is sometimes said that the Holy Spirit is the neglected members of the Godhead. Study of Scripture, however, will make clear that the Spirit is the one who regenerates our hearts, accompanies the inward call, adopts us into our relational standing as children of God, seals the believer as an objective member of the New Covenant, empowers and guides our sanctification, as well as gifting the Church for ministry. I’m sure that there are pastors out there emphasizing this dynamic, however I resonate with McKnight when he claims F.F. Bruce as the first scholar which emphasized these points in Pauline Pneumatology. For me, it was the pages of Gordon Fee’s, “God’s Empowering Presence”, that had confirmed all that I had believed from my own study of Paul’s theology of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:1-6 “Stand Firm”

Gal.  5:1-6  “Stand Firm”

Galatians 5:1–6 (ESV) — 1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Turning to the Law is Turning Away from Christ (1-2)

Turning to the Law makes you a Debtor (3)

Turning to the Law is Falling from Grace (4)

The Spirit brings Faith, Eager anticipation, Hope and finally Righteousness (5)

Works of Faith through Love is what really matters (6)

 

Turning to the Law is Turning Away from Christ (1-2)

1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

-          This is a transition verse that I attached to the previous section last week. In summary, trusting in the law is like being a carnal, natural born son of Hagar, thus not of promise according to the Spirit. Christ died to set you free from that marriage to the Mosaic covenant.

-          Paul argues in Romans 7 that the law has affect until it dies and then you are free. The Mosaic covenant was fulfilled in Jesus and dies in his death. His resurrection ushers in a New Covenant whereby we are joined to Christ by faith and made possessors of the Spirit.

-          Notice indicative/imperative. We live out what is objectively true. Some people struggle with freedom, believe it or not. Some imprisoned criminals find it hard to acclimate to life outside the walls, becoming bound and dependent upon the institution of prison.

2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.

-          “Look” (behold) is used by Paul on one other occasion and the force is to draw attention to himself in all that He is to these dear believers.

-          “if you accept circumcision” – Circumcision was once the sign that you were in and included in God’s covenant community, so much so that God was searching out Moses to kill him for failure to circumcise his son:

• Exodus 4:24–26 (ESV) — 24 At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
• Things have changed dramatically. You neglect circumcision, God’s judgment is upon you; now, if you insist on circumcision, God’s judgment is upon you.

-          “Christ will be of no advantage to you” – not of little advantage, but of none, you put your trust, even just a little bit in something else, then you have totally rejected Christ’s finished work on the cross.

• This is dangerous. We need to hear the Gospel, love the Gospel, and constantly examine ourselves as to whether we are trusting at all in anything else. The second we say something else is necessary is the moment we say that the Cross is not completely sufficient and that Jesus died in vain. Even if you say that cross is necessary, in addition to something else, you are still denying the cross.

-          Turning to the Law is Turning Away from Christ (1-2)

Pastor Rick Hogaboam’s address at Gospel-Powered Parenting Conference – “Precept-Driven, Proverb-Driven, Spirit-Filled Parenting in Truth, Goodness, and Beauty”

The following are my notes from my address at the Gospel-Powered Parenting Conference. You can also find the audio here (link).

Ephesians 5:15–6:4 (ESV) — 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

5:15-17 “Precept and Proverb Driven Life” (Truth and Goodness)

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

-          “carefully”, “how you walk” = we must be sober in how we live our life. The Christian life is often described as a walk. In the context of parenting, the way we walk affects where our kids go. They are following us, trusting us to lead them.

• We hike once in awhile and we are mindful of the kids staying on the path. we must be careful not to stray to the side or you might fall off, or walk into poison ivy. You must stay alert; not a good time to be looking backwards while you are walking.

-          Psalm 119:1–3 (ESV) — 1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! 2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, 3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!

-          Psalm 119:9–10 (ESV) — 9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!

-          Psalm 119:19–20 (ESV) — 19 I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! 20 My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.

-          Psalm 119:32 (ESV) — 32 I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!

-          Psalm 119:35 (ESV) — 35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.

-          Psalm 119:44–45 (ESV) — 44 I will keep your law continually, forever and ever, 45 and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts.

-          Psalm 119:54 (ESV) — 54 Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning.

-          Psalm 119:59 (ESV) — 59 When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies;

-          Psalm 119:67 (ESV) — 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.

-          Psalm 119:85 (ESV) — 85 The insolent have dug pitfalls for me; they do not live according to your law.

-          Psalm 119:95 (ESV) — 95 The wicked lie in wait to destroy me, but I consider your testimonies.

-          Psalm 119:101–102 (ESV) — 101 I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. 102 I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me.

-          Psalm 119:105 (ESV) — 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

-          Psalm 119:110 (ESV) — 110 The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts.

-          Psalm 119:117–118 (ESV) — 117 Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for your statutes continually! 118 You spurn all who go astray from your statutes, for their cunning is in vain.

-          Psalm 119:133 (ESV) — 133 Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.

-          Psalm 119:176 (ESV) — 176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.

• Last verse of Psalm is not triumphant, but confessional and a plea. We need grace and mercy on this journey of walking in the Lord, but walk we must. The stakes are high. Pastor Farley points out in his book how important modeling is. Do as I say not as I do doesn’t jive with kids for a reason. They will grow up jaded and bitter. They will honestly resent you when they grow older. They will have little to no respect for a hypocritical parent. They can care less how good you look on Sunday, when they see right through you at home. Your kids are watching you. You might be convinced that they aren’t watching you, but they are. Parents are still the most significant role models for kids.

 -          not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

-          We walk according to the Lord’s precepts not just because it is true, though that alone is enough motivation, but because is “good”.

-          We see the goodness of God in this text as Paul employs “wisdom” literature in brief. The contrast between wise and unwise, foolish and understanding, beckon us to God’s wisdom as being good. We need a Proverbs driven life, seeking obedience to God’s precepts, but also an abiding affirmation of the hearty goodness in God’s ways.

-          We are also told to make “the best use of the time, because the days are evil”. There’s an urgency to acquire wisdom, to walk in the will of the Lord and reject our foolishness and the evil time. We must seek wisdom in Christ or perish. This is summed up quite well in the first chapter of Proverbs:

Galatians 4:21-31 “Enslaved or Free?”

Galatians 4:21–31 (ESV) — 21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written, “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.” 28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

Many people regard this as the most difficult passage in the Epistle to the Galatians. For one thing, it presupposes a knowledge of the Old Testament which few people possess today; there are references in it to Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, Isaac, Mount Sinai and Jerusalem. For another, the argument of Paul is a somewhat technical one; it is the kind which would have been familiar in the Jewish rabbinical schools. It is allegorical, although not arbitrary.^[1]

People today are bound to earthly, fleshly religion today. Man-centered and man-made religion. Paul argues that our home is heavenly, the Jerusalem above. Even the earthly Jerusalem was merely a type of the heavenly one. In other words, we do not set our eyes on the earth, but we set our eyes upward, worshipping a God who constantly shows the bankruptcy of all efforts to establish a right relationship based on rules and regulations.

Paul has been arguing that we are born again by the Spirit. It is God who has saved us in Christ by His grace in giving us the Spirit. The law kills, while the Spirit gives life. The law on tablets speaks to people in conditionality, whereas the Spirit actually imparts life apart from works of the law. It is the application of the redemption Jesus bought for us.

Outline:

-          Historical: 21-23

• Abraham had Ishmael with Hagar
• Abraham had Isaac with Sarah
  • Jews understood this quite well, however Paul is going to turn the argument on their heads and claim that those who claim Abraham as father through Isaac are in fact children of Hagar if they insist on the law as the basis for their righteousness

-          Allegorical (Symbolic): 24-27

• Two women represent 2 Covenants
  • Hagar = Sinai = Present Jerusalem > children of slavery
  • Sarah = New Covenant = Heavenly Jerusalem > free children

-          Personal: 28-31

• “Brothers” (28, 31)
• Children of Promise
• Flesh persecutes Spirit (Ishmael v. Isaac)
• Cast out slave woman = the way of the Law
• We’re Free!!!
  • 5:1 Stand Firm, Do not go back
  • Galatians 5:1 (ESV) — 1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

“Prophetic Community”

Pastor Jim is preaching a series on “Salt & Light” at Cornerstone Worship Center (Nampa, ID) and  a week and a half ago took us into Acts 2/Joel 2 wherein we find the famous prophetic statement:

“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit,
and they shall prophesy.’”

In teaching this passage, Pastor Jim referenced a phrase that he later shared was from the ministry of Jerry Cook. The phrase is “the prophetic community.” The words resonated with me; this concept that we have an identity together that is not as much about the specific things we do, but is about who we are in the eyes of God, seemed to shift around in my soul. The idea is that, whilst visions, dreams, prophecy etc. are all realities to be expected, the instances of manifestation are not the thrust of the passage.

Part of our mission as the church (which is God’s people together, and in a specific way a locally identifiable body of believers) is to proclaim and speak forth the good news of Jesus Christ, the hope of redemption in Him, and man’s need for a Savior. In a conversation with my good friend Jon Brown he stated that evangelism is the one purpose of the church that will not continue in eternity. Worshiping God, loving one another, glorifying Jesus and finding our truest satisfaction in our Maker, these things will remain. But it is appointed once to a man the opportunity to believe on Jesus. With death comes the end of decision.

Pastor Rick Hogaboam: Galatians 4:8-11 “The Tears of a Christian Hedonist”

Galatians 4:8-11 “How can you turn Back” or “The Tears of a Christian Hedonist”

By Pastor Rick Hogaboam, Sovereign Grace Fellowship, Nampa, ID

10.10.2010

Audio Link: Here

Galatians 4:8–11 (ESV) — 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.

Galatians 4:8–11 (ESV) — 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.

-          V. 8 applies mostly to Gentiles. They did not know God, nor were known by God in their past life. They were in bondage to “non-gods” or dumb idols. They were idolatrous.

9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

-          Knowing God…better yet to be known by God. What really matters is not what we do with God, but He does with us. Having come under His grace and divine favor, why would anyone trade that for the old life.

-          2 Peter 2:19–22 (ESV) — 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

-          It is better to have never known than to have come to knowledge and forfeit it all. That is a greater smack in God’s face. It is looking upon all that He is in His splendor and grace and saying, “That’s not good enough for me anymore. I’m bored and wish to go back to me ex”.

Pastor Rick Hogaboam: Galatians 4:12-20 “Anguishing for Spirit-filled, Christ-centered Formation”

Galatians 4:12-20 “Anguishing for Spirit-filled, Christ-centered Formation”

Preached by Pastor Rick Hogaboam, Sovereign Grace Fellowship, 10-17-2010

Audio Link: Here

Galatians 4:12–20 (ESV) — 12 Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of the blessing you felt? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, 19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

If in our study thus far we have thought of Paul merely as a scholar with massive intellectual powers, all head and no heart, this paragraph will correct our first impression. For here Paul appeals to the Galatians with deep feeling and immense tenderness. First, he calls them his ‘brethren’ in verse 12; then at the end of the paragraph, in verse 19, his ‘little children’—a designation of which the apostle John was very fond. He even goes on to liken himself to their mother, who is ‘in labour’ over them until Christ is formed in them. In Galatians 1–3 we have been listening to Paul the apostle, Paul the theologian, Paul the defender of the faith; but now we are hearing Paul the man, Paul the pastor, Paul the passionate lover of souls.^[1]

This passage contrasts the way Paul was accepted to the way he is now being rejected; as well as contrasting Paul’s intentions over against the false teachers’ intentions towards them.

v.12 – Brothers: familial term, Paul is appealing from his heart to theirs, they are on the brink of apostatizing, but he still considers them brothers, qualified they heed his word.

Entreat:  to ask, to seek.

Become as I am, for I also have become as you are: Some varying interpretations, but I think Paul is referring to the ministry he had to them, where he, a Jew, demonstrated the absolute freedom of the Gospel from the law. This is clear from his earlier mentioning of calling out Peter to his face for hypocrisy on this issue. Paul forsook the path of the law, when Jesus apprehended him on the road to Damascus. Paul is personally appealing to them to become as him because they have obviously strayed back into the law. It is ironic that Paul, a Jew, lived out the freedom of the Gospel as a Gentile to reach Gentiles, and that these same Gentiles are now straying into Judaic pride in works of the law. The Gentiles are becoming Jewish, whereas Paul the Jew has become a Gentile of sorts.

You did me no wrong: Paul is affirming the wonderful acceptance they had of him when he visited them and became as they were (Gentiles). This connects into verse 13 where he offers further commendation.

v.13 – You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first,

Lot’s of speculation on what exactly was going on here. Most tend to see the reference in v. 15, affirming their willingness to pluck out their eyes for him, as the point of reference here; however, Paul’s language here seems a bit strong to simply refer to a lack in eyesight as being the cause of his ministry to them at first. The word “ailment” can mean ‘weakness’ in a general way and sometimes is matched with ‘bodily’ (sarx) to refer to sin. Sin seems to be unlikely here as well. Acts doesn’t provide any details of a serious affliction that caused Paul to go of course, etc. If he was afflicted with Malaria, as some think, then he likely went to Northern Galatia to get into better weather, which would require an older date for book, which is fine even though I tentatively have supported early date.  

Biblia.com is Here!!!

From the people that make Logos bible software for Mac and PC, the cloud computing version has arrived at Biblia.com. Well, is arriving at least. The feature set is apparently being completed, but if you already own a Logos base package, then a lot of your material is now available on the web. And Logos is promising that in future, people will be able to buy content for any of their platforms and use it on any other platform. This is a great model, and one that is only serving to further establish Logos as the premier electronic bible study tool. I’ll be using the website for most Bible reference links on this site, so go ahead and familiarize yourself with this excellent study aide.

90 Days with the ESV

Sometimes I have thoughts and share them before I have a chance to really consider the full ramifications. Thoughts like this one:

“I wonder what it would be like to read the Bible in 90 days?”

I thought that thought, and then shared that thought not only with my wife, but with our home church group too, a couple of whom decided that I had not lost my mind but wanted to join us on this endeavor. And in a fit of one-up-manship, my wife decided that to read the Bible in 90 days is one thing, but to read it chronologically? Well, that would surely elevate us to the level of SuperChristian*, the heady heights of which we could only previously imagine.

I saw Zondervan has a whole kit from which to work if you like the New International Version, but I’m an English Standard Version man. I recommend it to anyone who asks, and having been immersed in it intensely this summer, I stand by my conviction that this is the best single translation you can use. I always like having multiple translations available, but if there was only one open to me, I would want the ESV.

Armed with a chronological outline and a copy of Logos 4, I assembled our reading plan to begin on the first day of June and we have been reading every day until the culmination last Sunday night when we read the entire Revelation of John aloud to each other.

Galatians 3:15-18 “Christ, the Fruit-Bearing Seed”

“Christ, the Fruit-Bearing Seed”

Galatians 3:15–18 (ESV) — 15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

15 To give a human example- Speaking in human terms, or by means of a human analogy.

, brothers – Paul is now using a more affectionate term. From when he started the section with “foolish Galtians”. He is appealing to them, trying to reason with them, wrapping his arms around them. The truth rebukes, but also must be spoken in love. This complexity is known to any of us who have parented. Times to be harsh and times to speak affectionately. Times to call them by their full name, times to call them “Sweetie”.

: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. – the word for “covenant” (diatheke), can be understood as covenant or will. In a bi-lateral understanding among men with each other, agreements are binding. If someone decides to change the terms or refuses to honor certain stipulations, they will be legally liable in a just society. If man-made covenants carry this significance, then how much more with God, who makes a covenant with man.

• “Berith” – Testament has referred to the outworking on a uni-lateral promise
• “diatheke” – God initiated, requiring stipulations which can’t be regarded as meritorious but only consistent with the nature of promise which far exceeds the demands of faith.
• “syntheke” – horizontally stipulated, fair, pay for wages.

-          I am a covenant theologian, essentially I read they whole Bible in light of this framework of a gracious God who reaches down to fallen creation in grace to establish relationship. God administrates this covenant through different phases, but each is built upon the idea of promise!!!