Author: Matt Capps

How do we Understand the Role of Prophets?

When most people think of prophecy they think in terms like- “foretelling or prediction of what is to come.” To see the prophets primarily as “predictors of the future” is to miss their primary function, which was to speak for God to their own contemporaries. In the prophetical books we hear from God via the prophets. The prophet is, simply put, God’s mouthpiece.

Why are the Prophetic Writings of the OT so Hard to Understand?

Some of the prophetic books are collections of spoken oracles, and are therefore not easily understood when read through in one setting. Often times there are no hints as to when one oracle ends and the next begin.

Other than “spoken oracle” we also find poetry in the OT prophetic writings. It is important to understand the literary genre of what you are reading.

Also, there is much historical distance between us and the contemporary audience of these prophets. The contemporary audience of the prophet has many advantages over those of us who read the speakers words second hand. This is the “difficulty of context”, it is difficult to see what they are referring to and why. This is where Bible Dictionaries and Commentaries can help.

What is the Function of Prophecy?

a.  The Prophets were covenant enforcers!

Israel’s law constituted a covenant between God and his people. These covenants brought “blessings” (benefits) on God’s people if they followed His word and “curses” (punishment) is they did not.

The blessings can be found in passages like;
a.    Leviticus 26:1-13
b.    Deuteronomy 4:32-40 and 28:1-14

These blessings were always announced with warning: If Israel did not obey God’s law the blessings would cease.

The curses that Israel could expect if they did not obey God’s law can be found in passages like;

a.    Leviticus 26:14-39
b.    Deuteronomy 4:15-28 and all throughout 28:15-32:42

God did not merely give his law, He enforced it. This is where the prophets come in. God announced and enforced (this can be positive or negative) through them.

b. The Prophets message was not their own, but God’s!

You will note as you read that the prophet will sometimes preface or conclude with “Thus says the Lord” or “Says the Lord.” Most of the time, the prophetic message is delivered directly as from the Lord, in first person, so that God speaks of himself as “I” or “Me.”

So the Prophets functioned like ambassadors, so what we read is God’s Word as God wished the prophet to present it.

c. There is a Pattern to the Prophetic Message!

The prophetic message can be seen against the backdrop of three issues:
a.    Idolatry: Example; God had warned his people that they were to drive the Canaanites out of the land lest they take on the religious practices of the people.  Israel did not drive them out and did take on many of their practices.
b.    Religious Formalism: Example; the people were going through the motions of worshipping God according to the letter of the Law but without heart devotion.
c.    Social Injustice: Example; the concerns of the weak and marginal in society were set aside and justice was perverted in the land; the case of the righteous was set aside and justice was perverted. Often this was done for material gain.

The message of the prophets is essentially three-fold.
1.    You have broken the Mosaic covenant and must repent.
2.    If you do not repent then judgment will come.
3.   God is faithful to his covenants and will bring about his purposes.

Its important to remember that the prophet functions as a mediator between God and the people, specifically to convey the word of God. Graeme Goldsworthy sums up the point of OT prophecy well in his book “Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture.”

He writes;

“the covenant of grace mediated by Moses structures the life of the people who are elect and redeemed in the Exodus event. All prophecy after Moses reinforces and reapplies this definitive Mosaic ministry. Prophecy and Torah (law/instruction) go together since the function of a prophet was to be a mouthpiece for God as he gave his instruction to his people.”

The Gospel and OT prophecy!

The proper interpretation of any Biblical passage requires that we relate it to the person and work of Jesus Christ. We need to see all passages as they relate to the redemptive purpose of God, which Goldsworthy describes with three focal points;

1. God is Lord;
2. his people are living before him as his willing and loving subjects;
3. and the created environment within which God relates to his people.

But the reality of sin informs us that God’s rule has been repudiated and the impending judgment threatens the “undoing of the whole fabric” of God’s created order.

We understand through the OT that God’s pattern of redemption has failed to “come about” in Israel’s history since the relationship between God and man had been lost in the garden.

But- in the gospel we understand that God’s redemptive plan in Christ is the only solution. Where Israel failed, Jesus comes as the true Israel to carry out God’s purposes perfectly and “believers from all periods of history are credited with his perfection and righteousness as a gift.”

Brief Outline of ‘Concerning Christian Liberty’

Reason for Writing: Luther tries to defend two seemingly contradictory propositions, that we have freedom in Christ, and that we have the duty to serve our fellow man (faith and works).

1.) The Foundation: As an introduction of sorts, Luther presents himself as a viable candidate to write on such things by humbly appealing to his experience attained after being ‘vexed’ by various temptations.

2.) Proposition One: The Christian man is the most free Lord of all, and subject to none.

The Inward Man: Justification by faith

a. Works cannot bring about salvation: Good works can be performed by any impious person.

b. Faith alone without works justifies, sets free, and saves.

c. Works cannot glorify God, but can be done to the glory of God.

“Our faith, the effect of which is, not that we should be careless or lead a bad life, but that no one should need the law or works for justification and salvation.

3.) Proposition Two: The Christian man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to everyone.

The Outward Man: Sanctification produces good works

a.    Good works do not make the man good, but a good man does good works.

b.    A man’s works arise from his faith (good works) or unbelief (bad works).

c.    The Christian should exhibit faith working through love and joy.

Two Warnings:

a.    A Warning to the Clergy
b.    A Warning to every Christian: To walk the ‘middle path’.

Conclusion: Condemn the belief in works and establish justification by faith as the true way of salvation and proper application of works.

‘Concerning Christian Liberty’

Luther begins this treatise by laying down two propositions concerning Christian liberty and servitude, which are illustrated in this sentence; “a Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none; a Christian man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to everyone”. Therefore, Luther looks at the two parts of man, inward and outward as representative of faith and works.

Luther first deals with the subject of the ‘inward man’, and argues that no salvific profit comes from works, even an impious person can be adorned with good works. The only thing necessary and profitable for man is justification and Christian liberty. These two necessary things cannot be known without the word of God. The word of God is divided into two parts, precepts and promises. The precepts guide us in morality. The promises of God are full of goodness and saturated by virtues in that we can be sure that our faith will not be invalidated. Luther argues that when one begins to believe the promises of God, they learn all at once that they are utterly guilty of being unable to fulfill the precepts completely. So it is faith alone that justifies and saves individuals.

Christian liberty is this, our faith, that no one needs the law or works as a means to salvation. Works should not be done to glorify God, although they can be done to the glory of God. From this argument one should see that the Christian man is free from all things, in the sense that justification and salvation are gifts from God, and not obtained by works. In fact, Luther argues that works can even be harmful if performed as justifying one towards salvation.

Luther’s second section of this work examines the ‘outer man’, which should be associated with a Christian’s servant-hood. While the inner man is being conformed to God, and delighting itself in Christ, the outer man begins to serve with joy. Once a person realizes what God has done, then that person is compelled to do good works. To balance this encouragement out Luther adds that, “good works do not make a good man, but a good man does good works.” When a man performs works, it does not arise from his own goodness or badness, but from his faith or unbelief.

It would seem that some would argue that one could be judged according to his works as seen by men, but in the sight of God one is judged according to faith. Therefore, one must be on guard at all times against the vain confidence or presumption of being justified by outward works. Luther also warns the reader from distorting ones sense of freedom in order indulge the flesh, which He calls ‘an occasion of license’.

The Christian life is marked by faith working through love. When a man applies himself with joy and love to his works he is satisfied in the fullness of his own faith. No Christian lives in himself, but in Christ and too his neighbor. It is not from works that we are set free by our faith in Christ, but our belief in Christ will justify us before God. One of Luther’s main aims in this piece was to condemn belief in works, and establish a right view of salvation by faith alone, in Christ alone. Christian freedom was being free from the idea that good works were a means to salvation, yet in Christian freedom one would exercise good works in light of the grace God had shown in salvation.

Part 1: Tertullian’s Apology

Part 2: Athanasius ‘On the Incarnation’

Part 3: Saint Benedict ‘The Rule’

Part 4: Gregory’s ‘Pastoral Rule’

Part 5: Anselm’s ‘Proslogion’

Part 6: Bernard of Clairvaux ‘On Loving God’

Part 7: Erasmus ‘In Praise of Folly’

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” – Jesus

Jesus’ words in this sentence have haunted me for the past few days. The sentence is short but profound; one scholar rightly calls it the most “condensed parable.” What did Jesus mean- “I will make you fishers on men”?

Historically we understand that all people in Jewish Palestine depended on fish products for many things. Fishermen were central to the economy, and thus made a pretty good living in the standards of their culture.

The context of this particular “condensed parable” if found in the book of Matthew. Jesus approaches Simon (Peter) and Andrew who are fishing and calls them to “follow” him. He does the same for James and John, the sons of Zebedee who were also fishing. This idea of “following” a teacher meant to literally walk behind him, learn from him- every day.

Jesus calls them to abandon their ordinary occupation and follow him full time. In other words, “leave behind your good jobs”- and for James and John, “leave behind the promise of owning the family business.” What makes this calling even more radical is that such abandonment would have surely brought dishonor upon them from their whole community.

The metaphor follows naturally- “I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus was talking to men who were fishermen by trade. Something they most likely learned from their own earthly fathers.  For these four men this call reaches beyond their human relationships and dependence on occupation.

This calling is something all together different. I agree with Leon Morris, who writes “Dietrich puts it well: It is no longer a question of taking fish from the lake, but drawing men up out of the abyss of sin and death.”

This was not only a call to learn, but an active participation in bringing other men into contact with the living God of the universe. Of those men who were called, who would not immediately abandon the vain occupations of this world to follow the eternal God on his redemptive mission?

There was nothing special about these four, but God called them to start the greatest movement that humanity would ever see. This is how God’s grace works.

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)

One of the basic beliefs of Christianity is that each human being will stand before God and give an account for his/her existence. That truth holds for each and every one of us, individually.

Recently I was reminded that some promote the idea “that salvation can come to each person by proxy”. This is usually spoken of in relation to family. The argument follows, “when the head of the household is converted each member of the family is also saved based on his faith.” I cannot agree.

I decided to go to the texts that are usually shown to prove this point. Namely, Acts 11:14, 16:31– and sometimes 16:15, 18:8; or 1 Corinthians 16:15.

On of the first principles of Bible interpretation (hermeneutics) we can refer to as “reading the text in their town.” We must begin with an affirmation, while Biblical texts are applicable to all people in all times, God spoke through the biblical writers while they lived in specific culture and context. This helps us understand what the Bible actually means. How can knowledge of “households” in this period help us understand these texts?

First, the basic unit of the ancient city was the household. It was through individual households that Christianity initially spread. It is important to remember that the Greek word for “household” (oikos) has broader perspective than our idea of family.

In the ancient world the family was not defined so much by kinship, but by the relationship of dependence and subordination. The head of the household was responsible not only for his immediate family, but also for his slaves, former slaves, hired laborers, and sometimes business associates and tenants. The head of the household, by normal expectations of the society, would exercise some authority over the group but mainly have legal responsibility for it. Therefore, it was expected that the “head” look out for the well being of those in his household.

Second, the household was a network. It was under this structure that the early church thrived. While it is commonly assumed that each Greco-Roman “household” shared in the same faith of its “head”, it is important to note that “not every” member of a household became a Christian when the head of the house did, as the case of Onesimus shows (read Philemon). Certainly, we understand that faith, not association, is necessary for salvation.

I think it is safe to say that once the “head of the household” heard and believed the gospel one of two things happened;

1. The missionaries were invited to come and share this message with those in his “household” (or network). It was through this process that the whole household would hear the Gospel, and those who believed were saved. (Acts 16:32-34)

2. The “head of the household” would share the Gospel message with those who were associated under his authority.

While those in a household were sometimes expected to follow the religion of its “head” the conversion was not automatic. But, it could be expected that all in the household would hear the gospel if the “head” was converted.

Either way, I do not think there are grounds to argue that all those under the care of “head” were granted salvation by proxy.

Remember, in the ancient world the “household” was a tight knit group. Privacy was rare, even among those out side the household. Much of life was lived in close proximity to those around you. Not much that happened in a neighborhood would escape the eyes of the neighbors. News traveled rapidly.

This, if anything, shows our modern individualistic conception of evangelism a bit off. The fact that “whole households” came to faith shows the power of the gospel message when it is proclaimed and witnessed to through the power of the Holy Spirit.

When the “head of a household” was converted this news was certainly shared with those under his care. It was through this structure that the Spirit used individuals (“heads of households”) to spread this message through close knit household networks, the most intimate form of evangelism!