Matt Capps Biblical Theology, Calvary Baptist Church, Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Philosophy, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention, Theology

An Introduction to Biblical Theology – The Course Notes

I recently finished teaching a class on Biblical Theology at Calvary Baptist Church where I serve as an associate pastor. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, Biblical Theology is a redemptive-historical approach to teaching the Bible.

Below you will find a PDF file of the first draft of notes, with page numbers and an index. I hope you find these notes beneficial in your studies as you seek to see how the gospel of Jesus Christ is central to the whole Bible.

An Introduction to Biblical Theology: Seeing Christ in the Old Testament

Matt Capps Calvary Baptist Church, Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Philosophy, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention, Theology

The gospel of Jesus Christ and the Gospel accounts.

Here is one of the most profound and concise arguments on the significance of the historical accuracy and supernatural nature of the events in the Gospel accounts, and how it relates to the gospel message.

“Other religions are primarily philosophies. That is, they are sets of teaching about how to live. Christianity is primarily an announcement of events in history, things that happened. Those events include the incarnation (God becoming a human being), the crucifixion (the God-man dying in our place), and the resurrection (the God-man breaking death so he can live with us and us with him).

Other religions have accounts of miracles, but they only authenticate or exemplify the founders’ teaching. But whether the miracles happened or not does not ultimately make any difference, because it is the following of the teaching that saves us. But in the Christian faith, we are saved by grace, not our performance. We are saved not by what we do but what he has done. Therefore, it is the miraculous events which actually save us. We’re saved NOT by the teaching, but by these historical events.

Thus, if you take away the historical events of Christ’s life and death and resurrection, you take away the heart of Christianity, and it becomes just another life-philosophy that saves you through your own self-effort.”

From Redeemer’s study on Mark.

Matt Capps Biblical Theology, Calvary Baptist Church, Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Philosophy, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention, Theology

Biblical Theology- Part 3: The Fall

Note: This series comes from the notes of a course I am teaching on Biblical Theology at Calvary Baptist Church. This material is organized similar to Graeme Goldsworthy’s book According to Plan.

For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.[1]

The effects of the fall were catastrophic, and have radically altered the course of history for humanity. The fall of man was no surprise to God. We must remember that God is absolutely sovereign, and His purpose in creation would be realized in spite of the incursion of evil, namely in Jesus Christ. The fall is the “story of sin’s entry into the world and of how God as a result either punished the [unrepentant] for their sins or, on the basis of the future death of Christ, forgave those who honored him by entrusting their future to his mercy.”[2]

The Temptation

The scene is set. Adam and Eve are living in the garden. “The garden is the garden of God” and thus “a place of reception of man into the fellowship of God in Gods own dwelling place.”[3]

Then there is a unit break in the narrative, and we shift to the account of the temptation and the fall.[4] “The conversation between the snake and the woman in the garden brilliantly portrays the process by which the human race became rebellious against the authority of the Creator.”[5] The process begins with the snake asking the woman, “Did God really say…?” The temptation begins with the woman opening up to the possibility of questioning God’s word. Remember, humanity depended on the word of God for correctly understanding creation order. Goldsworthy writes:

“God is the final and absolute authority and, since he has chosen to communicate by His word, his word is the absolute and final authority. The…question has great potential for evil because it casts doubts on the authority of God’s word.”

First, the question that the snake raised was “did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”[6] The truth is God had not said that at all, only the fruit of a certain tree was forbidden, not all of them. The evil one’s purpose in asking this was to lead Eve into doubting the credentials of the word. “The assumption was being formed that the word not only could be analyzed and evaluated, but probably needed to be.”[7] Yet in order to evaluate God’s word one must begin with the assumption that it is not the highest authority.

Second, the snake flat out contradicts God’s word by telling the woman that she will not die if she eats of the tree. This is a direct challenge to God’s authoritative word. The snake was basically telling the woman that God did not tell her the truth when he threatened death for deliberate disobedience.

“It was, charges the snake, a deliberate lie: “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). Thus God is being accused of being motivated by selfishness. This means the He is neither loving nor trustworthy.”[8]

Third, we must remember that God had placed man in the garden with everything good he needed for his well-being. So, the command God gives Adam and Eve shows His loving mercy. Remember, the garden represents how dwelling in the presence of God imparts life to man. Therefore, God warns them not to eat of the tree “so that man may avoid death and the loss of all this goodness.”[9] See, death in Genesis 2:17 is the opposite “of all the good things that God has given them to enjoy, it evidently represents a state of misery and deprivation that [humanity] will experience if they disobey”[10] God’s gracious command.

There is an essential difference in God’s warning and Satan’s temptation here that we do not want to overlook. Behind God’s warning lies good, behind Satan’s temptation lies evil. From this we must conclude that “it was God who had beneficent purposes for man, the serpent had malicious designs.”[11]

What does this have to do with Jesus Christ? Behind the efforts of the fall stood the devil, enticing Adam and Eve to turn from God. This is the same devil who in the gospel accounts “steps out from behind the curtain for a direct confrontation”[12] with Jesus Christ in the temptation in the wilderness. Therefore, in the temptation of Jesus, where Adam represented all of humanity, Christ stands as the new head of the human race that will be obedient in a way that all Adam had not been. Christ fully trusted in God for His wellbeing, while Adam broke fellowship with God with the idea that he could live independently of God.

The Fall

Goldsworthy’s make a notable observation on the cunning of the snake;

“He (the snake) presents lies in the context of truth. Eating the forbidden fruit did indeed mean that the humans came to know good and evil (Genesis 3:22). But the process by which they achieved that involved rebellion against truth and its source. Instead of knowing good and evil by rejecting evil and remaining good, they choose rather to reject good and become evil.” This paragraph points to a few helpful observations;

First, from that point on God’s word would no longer be accepted as self-evident truth, but would be continually tested. In other words, the first humans assert themselves as the evaluators of the validity of God’s word. In this sense they have elevated themselves above God; in their own minds, they have become as their own “God.”

So, after the authority of God’s word is questioned both Adam and Eve take the forbidden fruit and eat. They are, in a sense, saying that God’s word cannot be trusted. By questioning God’s motives in withholding ‘knowledge of good and evil’ they begin to question the reliability of His word. The result was the fall of mankind. Dissatisfied with their humanity our first parents reached for godhood, and paradise was lost. “They degraded themselves by trying to be what they could never be.”[13]

Second, the idiom “knowledge of good and evil” points to an ultimate level of mature independence[14] only possessed by God. So in aspiring for this ‘godlike’ maturity, or ‘moral experience’[15], they also obtained the independence and responsibility that comes along with it. In disobeying God, Adam and Eve considered themselves to be independent of God and took their future welfare into their own hands.

In casting off the protective covering of dependence on God, they found themselves shamefully naked and alone. Daniel Fuller explains the implications of this very well;

“Suddenly Adam and Eve felt the horror of being cut off from God’s loving care for them and found themselves left only to their greatly limited, distorted wisdom and power to provide for themselves an eternally happy future…This sense of total inadequacy then aroused an overwhelming sense of shame and so they tried to cover up their obvious limitations”[16] with their own coverings.

Note: I have been asked “why was the tree placed in the garden?” At the very least we can say that the tree functions as a revelation of God’s independence and man’s dependence on God. It brings to surface the corruptibility of man. God is the only perfect and complete being in the universe. While Adam and Eve were created pure, they were not created perfect. Vos argues, “it is if we should say of somebody that he is liable to the invasion of some disease, but we should not on that account declare him to have the disease.”[17]

God’s Judgment and Mercy

God’s Judgment: They had rejected the authority of God’s word. Since God is just and holy He must pronounce judgment on their faithlessness. It is interesting what happens as God confronts them in their sin;

  1. Adam blames Eve, and God was responsible for giving her as a companion.
  2. Eve blames the snake, and God was responsible for giving humans dominion over the animals as part of creation.

Yet they were both responsible for their actions. Thus, Genesis 3:14-24 is about God’s judgment of mankind for their disobedience. Not only mankind, but all of creation comes under a curse. There are several notable implications of the fall.

a. First, pain[18] is introduced as a reality in the fallen world. Not only so we now experience suffering from physical pain, but also there is discord in human relationships which brings about pain. Part of the judgment is expressed in the “disruption of relationships established by God.”[19] This is revealed in the turmoil of relationships between God and man, man and woman, and man and creation.

b. Second, rebellion becomes a pattern in the fallen world. “The disobedience of Adam consisted in his rejection of the divine boundaries placed upon his dominion of the earth. It was thus a rebellion against the good order of creation established by God in Genesis 1.”[20] God had given Adam and Eve dominion over the earth; now this dominion is challenged by the earth itself. “The curse on the ground is a curse on Adam. The king of the earth has now become the obedient servant of the soil. The freedom to eat from all the trees in the garden is replaced by the struggle to get the earth to yield necessary daily bread.”[21]

c. Third, there is no paradise in a fallen world. The human race is removed from the garden, where life is abundant. Living ‘in the garden’ is parallel with fellowship with God. “There is no way in which he (Adam) can regain that dominion for himself; he is barred from Eden by the cherubim.”[22] From this point on life is nothing more than existence in the face of death. God allows the human race to exist in order that His greater purpose might be fulfilled.

God’s Mercy: Also, while God’s justice is seen in their punishment, God’s love is seen in the merciful grace He extends to Adam and Eve in that moment.

a. First, “God declares[23] that Eve’s seed would[24] bring about a final and decisive triumph over the serpent and all the evil that he represents.”[25] So, the promise is that somehow out of the human race a fatal blow will come and crush the head of the serpent. Keep in mind, the power of evil is a collective power, a kingdom of evil of which Satan is the head. So in crushing the head the whole kingdom falls.[26] Therefore, God’s purpose for creation will be realized despite the fall and all the evil that is ushered in. What we see in the generations of Genesis is that “through the dark and bloody history of human sin and violence, God continues the line of the promise.”[27]

b. Second, it becomes obvious that “by the work of their hands” Adam and Eve cannot cover their nakedness in the garden suitably. This implies the truth that they “could not restore the unity they once had with God, nor could their works shield them from the judgment of God.”[28] Yet, after the fall God clothes Adam and Eve with more suitable garments than fig leaves, he provides them with coverings made of animal skin. In the same way, God later provides righteousness through Christ so that His people may be clothed in righteousness which will shield them from the wrath of God.

The ‘Seed of Satan’ and the ‘Seed of Woman.’

In executing the punishment that was to befall creation God declared;

I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring (offspring = seed);
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.[29]

Notice that God mentions two lines of offspring in this declaration, one line from the woman[30] and one line from the serpent. The bruising of the serpents head[31] points forward to the defeat of Satan[32] by a future descendant of the woman, namely Jesus Christ[33]. Jesus prevailed and thus fulfilled the call given to Adam. In the declaration of Genesis 3:15 and in these two lines we catch our first glimpse of God’s purpose for redemptive history, the gospel of Jesus Christ.[34]

In Genesis 4[35] we see how this plays out. Cain represents the seed of Satan, and Abel represents the seed of woman. The enmity between the two seeds is shown between the Brothers when they both offer a sacrifice to God and only Abel’s is looked upon with favor. Goldsworthy writes;

“Cain refuses God’s verdict in which his offering is rejected and his brother’s accepted.[36] He responds in anger directed at Abel and kills him. Human conflict is thus shown to be the consequence of broken fellowship with God. There is anger at God when it [favor] is shown to another.”

The anger provoked in Cain distinguishes him from Abel as one who receives God’s kindness. “The slaying of Abel by Cain illustrates a rapid development of sin, issuing into murder in the second generation.”[37]

What cannot be overlooked is that it was in God’s gracious mercy that Abel was shown mercy. There was no essential difference between Cain and Abel; they were both equally depraved by sin.[38] But something happened in Abel’s heart that permitted him to respond to God in faith. It would seem that the only reason Abel offered a sacrifice that pleased God was that God had given him a new heart.[39]

Therefore, Abel was willing to give up the most valuable of his flock in faith[40]. The difference was simple;

Abel “was banking his confidence for an eternally happy and fulfilled future upon God, Cain [it seems] had placed his confidence in himself, in his energy and skill in getting the land to yield crops.”[41]

When Cain kills Abel in anger we see a further display of his evil heart.[42] Notice that God judges him with a similar judgment that his father Adam received.[43] Yet God shows Cain mercy also by protecting him from the vengeance of men to preserve the human race. This grace shown to both brothers is representative of the kindness of God that will be shown to humanity all throughout redemptive history.

The Seed of Satan: Note a few observations about Cain and his descendants[44];

a. First, Cain and his descendants build a city in attempt to live dependently from God, and to find refuge from those who would kill him. In Biblical literature cities often become concentrations of human wickedness.[45] “It is not that human society itself is wrong, but the use of it to escape the implications of God’s rule.”[46] Fuller observes that “a city gathered together many people with a wide diversity of valued skills, and as each benefited from the others abilities, they all enjoyed a much higher standard of living and felt less need to depend on God.”[47] Only in the heavenly Jerusalem will human society function properly when brought into prefect relationship with God, through Christ.

b. Second, Cain’s descendants are known for the domestication of animals, art, music, and for violence.[48] But, “in spite of their unlocking of the potential of God’s creation, they remain rebels.”[49] Here we see the evidence of God’s goodness[50] continuing in a world of wicked people. We should not make the mistake of stamping society itself and its demonstrations of creativity as inherently evil. “By the grace of God human society continues, but within it are seeds of self-destruction in the breakdown of human relationships. This grace is the gift of preservation of the race for a time, but it is not the grace that acts to redeem and to restore a people to friendship with God.

The Seed of Woman: While Abel was murdered by Cain, God continued the seed of woman through Adam and Eve’s next son Seth.[51] It was through Seth’s[52] line that people began to “call upon the name of the Lord.”[53] So, in Genesis 4:1 Eve[54] is not only rejoicing that she has bore another son, but that God is remaining faithful to His promise to bring about judgment upon the evil one.

Now, in Genesis 6 we see the climax of human wickedness. The “sons of God” begin to marry the daughters of men which brings about the judgment[55] of God.[56] The “Sons of God” in this verse is a reference to the Sethites[57] (those in Seth’s line). So men in the Godly line of Seth began to marry women from the ungodly line of Cain. Therefore, these marriages increased the Cainite-types in the earth at the expense of the godly Sethites. “How opposite this filling of the earth with violence was from God’s purpose in creating it. He had intended to fill the earth with His glory by having people made in His image”[58] reflect His order.

The wickedness increases and God was sorry, and grieved over the violence in the earth which He had created as pure and good.[59] In other words, God had enough with the wickedness in the world, and thus declares the judgment of the flood.

The Kingdom and the Fall

Because of God’s ultimate purposes He does not withdraw His love from creation. However, sin has had devastating effects between God and creation, man and creation, and creation in general. But God is still sovereign and human rebellion will not thwart his purposes.

We need to distinguish between the kingdom of God and the fallen universe. The fallen universe is the very opposite of the kingdom. Only through salvation will the kingdom be restored. In salvation Christ will bring all relationships back to their proper place. This is the supreme irony of the cross, that Satan’s apparent victory in the fall was his defeat.[60] The cross was in God’s plan for redemption history before creation[61] as the plan for restoration. Now, “it is the task of Biblical Theology to describe the way the Bible reveals this restoration taking place.”[62]

A Course On Biblical Theology

Continue reading “Biblical Theology- Part 3: The Fall” →

Matt Capps Christianity, Faith, Philosophy, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention

Thoughts on the role of Apologetics in Evangelism

Throughout church history ‘Apologetics’ has been practiced by Christians in order to provide a reason for their faith. There are many occasions where we can trace this activity to the apostles. In Acts Paul defends himself before the mob in Jerusalem (22:1ff), before the Jewish Council (23:1ff), before Felix (24:1ff), and before Festus and Agrippa (Acts 25:1ff). There are also several instances where Paul is recorded ‘reasoning’ with the Jewish leaders. While each of these scenarios provide plenty of material for discussion, I would like to focus on the proper place of apologetic reasoning in evangelism.

Apologetics (‘to give an answer’) finds its meaning from the ancient legal system of the Greeks where a person would attempt to defend themselves against a charge by making a strong apology (apologia), ‘a reasoned case for claiming innocence’. The apology was an attempt to ‘speak off’ the charge given. Furthermore, in classical and Hellenistic-Greek literature the word dialegesthai (translated ‘reason’) mostly means “converse, discussion, and that for Socrates, Plato and Aristotle it means the art of persuasion and demonstration…in the form of question and answer.”[1] This seems to follow the method of Paul in Acts. Longnecker writes;

These accounts “emphasize that Paul’s preaching consisted of both proclamation and persuasion. It was their custom to visit the local synagogue where Paul found a prepared audience to speak of the things of God…It is interesting to note that Paul ‘reasoned’ with them over a span of three days. More than that, Paul “reasoned with them from the scriptures.”[2]

Those around Paul were most likely in search of truth. For the “synagogue was not so much a preaching-house as a school, in which education was carried on by discussion.”[3] This is a good start.

It might help to make a distinction between two words. L. Russ Bush once wrote, “An apology refers to a specific defense whereas apologetics refers to the science of making an apology.”[4] A Christian apologist is simply one who actively seeks to give an answer for the Christian faith. In today’s church there are very few people who are able to make a reasonable defense for their faith. It might be that the church has a whole has failed to adequately train parishioners, or that parishioners have seen the role of providing an ‘apology’ to those labeled ‘apologists’.

Also many Christians are unable “to answer their modern critics”, but find comfort in that fact that they have been “touched in their hearts by the Holy Spirit”[5] and fall back on anti-intellectual faith as their hope. This ‘subjective’ anti-intellectualism stresses the experience of a personal faith rather than a reasoned defense of the content of Christian faith. Is this a Biblical stance?

The Apostle Peter urges the church in his first letter to “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” In this case it seems that Peter was talking to a group of believers who had been delivered from a pagan background. This being the case- much training would have been needed, and Peter was making this need apparent in his exhortation.

In order to ‘make a defense’ one must understand what it is he/she believes. Also, one must (at the very least) be aware of the basic assumptions of other worldviews. Rosas is correct in stating that there is a positive and negative aspect of the apologetic task, “theological interpretation must take place before any defense can be given. The basic affirmations to be defended must be set forth. Negatively, an apologist must seek to encounter false charges and misconceptions raised by the detractors of the Christian faith, as well as expose weaknesses of their worldviews.”[6] This being said we can turn to the question at hand.

What is the role of apologetics in evangelism? I would agree with Bush here, that while apologetic reasoning is an important aid to evangelism, it is not essential. It might help to clarify why. When we speak of ‘reason’ it is in reference to a mental process. By reasoning we mean, “the ability of the mind to question, challenge, and analyze ideas. We also mean the capacity of the mind to distinguish between viewpoints, and the seemingly inherent assumption of the mind that considers truth to be that which it in fact the case, and the further persuasion that truth is better than non-truth.”[7] In most cases[8] human beings communicate using rational processes.

Now, in the case of Christian evangelism we would argue that a reasonable defense of the faith would be a “set of knowable facts corresponding to biblical claims about nature an about history.”[9] While it is true that the rational mind is capable of being persuaded by truth claims, it is not always the case. Furthermore, we need to be careful is assuming that someone is saved when they make a mental assent to the Gospel facts. “People are not saved merely because they verbalize the truth. They must also believe in their heart (Romans 10:9-10); that is, they must truly find an internal conviction in their soul regarding these matters.”[10] “Not everyone comes to Christ at the end of a logical argument.”[11]

Therefore we need to understand the proper role in Apologetics in evangelism. “The persuader who manipulates is not an evangelist who is making Disciples of Christ”, some are making disciples of themselves.[12] In some cases, those who manipulate only accomplish getting others to confirm their own conclusions. When reasoning with someone you must acknowledge that you “do not perform the spiritual transaction,”[13] it is God who saves. Yet, even if the truth spoken does not succeed in the goal of persuasion, the evangelist should not be disappointed. We are expected to proclaim the gospel, the Apostle Paul argues that “no one can believe if he or she has not heard” (Romans 10:14).

Are their cases where someone has believed and not heard a full apology? Are there cases where someone has heard a full apology of the Gospel message and not received it as that which ‘converts’ the soul? Obviously the answer is yes. “Apologetic arguments cannot generate faith, but the Christian can answer the false charges of the unbeliever so that obstacles to hearing the gospel are removed.”[14] Derek Radney rightly pointed out in a conversation a while back that “human reason is not neutral.” What he means is that our minds, ‘the ability to reason’, have been affected by sin. Not to the extent that it is totally destroyed, which is obvious when we observe the progress made by humanity in the Sciences. But on a spiritual level we are blinded to the truth. This helps us understand the role of apologetics in evangelism. Apologetic reasoning is a battle to tear down the barriers of the natural mind, but it alone cannot generate faith. It is also our defense, as Christians, against allowing ourselves to be influenced by false doctrine. It is thus an important part of spiritual growth and evangelistic persuasion.

Only the regenerate mind and a tender heart can proper conviction of sin, and recognition of the consequences of sin be brought to light. This comes from God’s spirit, and is the true essential for evangelistic persuasion. Therefore, have confidence in God as the sovereign evangelist. Be encouraged while at the same time labor to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

  1. Dieter Werner Kemmler, Faith and Human Reason, 20.
  2. Richard Longenecker, Acts, 468.
  3. Kemmler, 21-22.
  4. Joseph Rosas, Evangelism and Apologetics, 114.
  5. L. Russ Bush, Christian Apologetics and Intentional Evangelism, 255.
  6. Rosas, 114.
  7. Bush, 256.
  8. I am not implying, for example, that those who are mentally handicapped or unable to communicate for one reason or another are any less human than others. Bush rightly notes that it is the “genetic structure of cells rather than mental performance that is properly used to define” the human species. (256)
  9. Bush, 257.
  10. Bush, 258.
  11. Bush, 259.
  12. Bush, 258.
  13. Bush, 258.
  14. Rosas, 115.
Matt Capps Christianity, Culture, Faith, Philosophy, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention

“The New Year, The New Man, and Men Made New” (Luke 3:21-4:13)

“Christ, the true and greater Adam.”

Introduction

Now that Christmas has passed we look ahead to the New Year. The New Year, as a celebration has always been so odd to me. I have yet to see why we, as a people, make such a big deal over it. I was reading Charles Spurgeon recently and he expressed well what I mean;

“There is no real difference between New Years and any other day, yet in our mind and thought it is a marked period, which we regard as one of the milestones set up on the highway of our life.”[2]

New Year’s is celebrated internationally, by people all around the world. It’s a celebration not connected to any specific faith, sub-cultural tradition, or specific people group. Although ‘New years’ may be celebrated on different days in different cultures. It is a shared human experience. One of the reasons a New Year is such significant event, a milestone for us, is because we as humans (corporately) share in this moment together.

It’s almost as if we celebrate the coming of a new year in the same way we would our own birthday. In that sense, the New Year represents another ‘birthday’ in the life of humanity. – It’s a marker in our history as a people.

The coming of each New Year comes not only with a sense of anticipation, but also of reflection on the events that will be added to our history as a people. As you read the paper, listen to the radio, watch tv, and browse the internet over the next few days you will undoubtedly see and hear “year end reviews”, “the top stories of this past year”, and other reflections on the past years events. These reports always have a mixture of the good and the bad. As we reflect on the past year, and what has happened in the human family there are stories that give us a sense of honor, and there are the stories that give us a sense of shame.

  1. We are reminded of evil actions that cause us to mourn when human life has been abused or taken maliciously.
  2. We have stories that give us a sense of honor when we are reminded of the heroic efforts of our fellow man to bring about good to this neighbor.
  3. We reflect on stories that make us cringe at the thought that another person, just like you and I, could do such horrible things- have such evil motives.
  4. We also have joyful stories that serve as positive examples of human ingenuity to overcome obstacles and do what was thought to be impossible.
  5. We have also seen many those we uphold in our culture as heroes fail morally over this past year.

This if anything, causes us to ask one simple yet profound question about us, as human beings. How is it that mankind can in one moment exhibit such qualities of goodness towards others, and in another perform completely unjust acts of cruelty? We are faced with the awful reality that human history is marked by both good and evil, I believe this exposes the great “human paradox.”[3] The human race, as a whole, is very inconsistent – This tells us that something is not right. Things don’t seem to be as they should. The reality of such inconsistency at the very least reveals a great underlying problem.

Now, as Christians we understand that this underlying problem, this inconsistency with the whole of the human race finds its origins in the fall of man in Genesis.

The Christian Explanation of Such Origins

We understand from the beginning that Adam, the first son of God, was the first man created by God’s caring hand. Logically, from Adam and Eve, all of the human race would descend – so, in a larger sense we are all brothers and sisters in the human family. Therefore our history is a shared history- it’s our story. Adam was the first head of the human race, the first son, this was a pivotal role. Adam, the son of God, was tested in his obedience too his Father and Creator in the garden, and he turned his back on God, and sinned. What we cannot miss is that Adam represented all of those who would come from him.[4] He held the destiny of all his descendants in his hands. So, when Adam sinned, he ushered in sin, which cut all of humanity off from our relationship to God which brought condemnation to all. Sin also brought devastating effects on our relationships to one another, and had catastrophic effects on all of creation.

From this, we understand why the world is as it is. But we cannot forget that God, in his sovereign plan for human history, had greater plans for the redemption of mankind. There would be a new man, who would be one of us, “a greater son than Adam”, but who would also be one with God. While human history is marked with sin, inconstancy, and destruction – there is one man who can redeem us, and creation, from all that has gone wrong. This is where we pick up in Luke. Over the past few weeks during the Christmas season, many have studied the Birth of Christ, the beauty of this story is that it is only the beginning of the significance of Christ.

The Genealogy of Jesus (Luke 3:23-38)

One of the things that’s often overlooked when reading through a Gospel is that there is a close connection between the audience and how the author structures the account. Remember that “the Bible bears all the marks of its authors. Their language, thought forms, literary styles and forms, and their culture shape the actual way the messages were given.”[5] In other words, when reading these accounts we must acknowledge that there is meaning in how these accounts are presented.

In our day, genealogies do not play such a pivotal role in our understanding ‘who we are’ as individuals. But, ancient societies were organized around family; therefore it was important for every one to know their ancestral lineage, their pedigree. For ancient people ones heritage was very important to their identity. Lineage was important for several reasons;

  1. Such “family trees” determined a person’s role social relationships. In other words, a genealogy shows who a particular person identifies with. This serves a crucial function in determining membership to a specific kinship group.
  2. Also, Kings and rulers used genealogies to justify their power, rank, and status. Another way of saying this is that one’s lineage was proof of one’s inheritance. Lineage indicates the rights of an inherited status.

You will notice that if you turn to Matthew, he places the genealogy at the beginning of his gospel account. Yet Luke places it right here in the middle of the gospel narrative – which seems a bit odd. What’s going on here? Well, notice where Luke places Jesus’ genealogy, it is ‘right in the middle of two very significant events in Jesus life’. He does this for a specific purpose. (Click Here for a brief treatment on the differences in Matthew and Luke’s genealogy.)

What comes before the genealogy? – Jesus baptism. In the account of Jesus baptism (3:21-22), “a voice from heaven”, being God, says “you are my beloved Son.” – The point, “Jesus stands alone as the designated son of God.” After pointed out this divine affirmation, that Jesus is the Son of God; Luke interrupts the progression of the story. In 3:38, Luke breaks into the narrative with Jesus’ genealogy.

I want you to take notice of something very important in this genealogy. Notice who the Luke traces Jesus lineage back to, he goes back to the beginning with Adam. In 3:38 Jesus is shown to come from “the son of Adam, the son of God.” Now, one of the overarching themes in Luke’s gospel account is to demonstrate that the gospel message is “for all people.” What is Luke saying here in the genealogy?

Luke was showing us that while Jesus stands alone as the designated Son of God (baptism), ‘Jesus also stands with us, the entire human race, as being truly human family.’ Now, why does this matter? Well, we know from the account of the fall that Adam and Eve were tempted. Behind these efforts stood the devil, enticing Adam and Eve to turn from God. This is the same devil “who now steps out from behind the curtain for a direct confrontation”[6] with Jesus. Moving from the genealogy to the temptation is intentional. Jesus stands not only as human with us, but for us. Where Adam was counted as the head of humanity, Christ now stands as the head of a ‘new humanity.’

Luke’s primary focus is on Jesus as the “Son” who will be obedient in a way that all others, starting with Adam- have not been. With that knowledge there is a sense of victory as we move into the temptation accounts and watch this cosmic drama unfold. As our commander and chief straps on a helmet, comes down from the high office and jumps in the trenches of war.[7]

The Temptation of Christ – Luke 4:1-13

a. The Temptation to Doubt God’s Provision (4:3-4)

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. (The verb tense ‘being tempted’ indicates that Jesus was tempted during the whole forty day fast. What we see here is the culmination of the whole drama!) And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. (Notice here, the forty day fast is up. So its not that the devil is attempting to make Jesus break his fast, he is going after him at his ‘weakest’ human physical point.[8]) The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone”

The ingredients of the setting are important. Jesus’ fasting has most likely resulted in near starvation, so his immediate need is obvious, food. Notice the Devils words; “if you are the Son of God” provide food for yourself. The devil is not denying that Jesus is the son of God, but is exploiting this status by urging Jesus to use his power in a way that is against the will of the Father. But remember, it was God’s Spirit that led Jesus into the wilderness, and it is God who will sustain him. Satan’s proposal was simple, “Jesus, provide food for yourself by miraculously turning this stone into bread.” In order for Jesus to have done this, he would have to turn from God’s provision and protection. Jesus reply is simple, human livelihood consists of more than the mere meeting of daily needs.

Jesus quotation of Deuteronomy is very instructive here. This passage was a call to Israel to have faith that God will remain faithful to his promises. In Exodus 4:23 Israel is also called “God’s Son.” (The designation given to Adam, and Christ) After Pharaoh had let the Israelites go, God led them in the wilderness for 40 years. “In this context God reminds the Israelites that, through feeding them supernaturally on manna, [He was showing them His] ability to supply nourishment”[9] in His own ways. The parallels are here are striking as we reflect back to Adam the first son. Adam, the first son, “like Christ, was our representative; what he did affected all of us.”[10] So, Adam’s failure in the test of the garden points us towards the hope of Christ’s temptation in the wilderness. Let me explain the contrast;

  • In the garden we have Adam who had not fasted at all and had plenty at his disposal, while Jesus had suffered a lack for forty days.
  • Adam could eat from any tree in the garden but one, Jesus was denying himself all food – and had none in this wilderness setting.
  • Adam was in paradise with an abundance of food and resources, Jesus in the barren wilderness.

If environment was the determining factor in overcoming temptation, Jesus was seemingly at a great disadvantage from our perspective. But Jesus is the true and greater son, and this temptation was endured because he fully trusted in God’s  provision and care. What God’s son Adam had failed to do, what God’s son Israel had failed to do, Christ accomplished.

Jesus is the true and greater son of God, the ‘new man.’ Through his obedience where Adam failed, Jesus conquered.

b. The Temptation to Rule Apart from God’s Plan (4:5-8)

The second temptation begins with a glimpse of all the kingdoms of the world. Jesus is given a perspective from above- which allows him to see a great expanse of territory. In this territory Jesus was able to view all the inhabited earth, and all earthly power was presented to Jesus.

And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written,

“You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.”

Remember that Jesus is fasting, this is a time when he has nothing to his disposal, and Satan shows up and offers him everything. Satan’s words are emphatic; “Look, Jesus, at what can be yours! All earthly kingdoms under my authority can be yours!’ – just bow down and worship me! – It’s that simple!” In this temptation, Satan was calling Christ to seize all power apart from God’s plan. But, Jesus knew that there was only one source that could make this offer, and it was not Satan. See, whatever the devil exercises is that which is allowed him by God; he can only delegate to Jesus what has already been delegated to him. This attempt was in many ways, an exaggerated offer, an oversell.

Jesus responds by quoting Deuteronomy, these words refer back to Israel’s failure in the wilderness when they began worshiping idols. Where ‘God’s son’ Israel failed, the greater Son Jesus will succeed. The parallel to the temptation in the garden is also striking. “Adam had been given dominion over the world by God…Yet Satan suggested that greater dominion was possible.” They could become like God! Now, if Adam and Eve had not been blinded by their own desires, they would have questioned the authority of the serpent to make such promises. But by obeying the evil one our parents aligned themselves with Satan, and against God. But Jesus’ desires were one in the same with His Father’s. And Jesus replies that God alone is worthy of allegiance. While Satan’s temptation was an attempt to break the Son’s relationship to the Father, Christ shows us that they are perfectly aligned. It’s beautiful to consider the cost here.

  • Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world by simply bowing down to him, so simple.
  • But Jesus knew that the only way to gain the power and authority of all kingdoms was to endure the lashes of death, to endure the torture of the cross.
  • Jesus knew that he would be exalted in the highest once he consumed the wrath of God for all of us who are now in God’s family. Thank God that Jesus remained faithful, where Adam failed.

Jesus is the true and greater son of God, the ‘new man.’ Through his obedience where Adam failed, Jesus conquered.

c. The Temptation to Test God’s Protection (4:9-12)

This third temptation involves another vision-like experience. Satan takes Jesus to the temples pinnacle in Jerusalem, which is a place that, if he were to jump over the edge, it would take miraculous protection for him to emerge from the fall alive.

And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to guard you,’

and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Notice the devils request, again, “if you, Jesus, are truly the Son, cast yourself down.” The devil is attempting to convince Jesus to make a “flashy display of his power to prove that he is truly the Son of God.” In this attempt Satan is quoting 91, and asking Jesus to fulfill it right there, on the spot. What’s interesting is that Psalm 91 is addressed to those “who live in the shelter of the most high.” The temple is a significant place for this test. For the Semitic Jews, the temple was a location that embodied God’s shelter. It is a place of refuge and protection.

Simply put, Satan is asking Jesus to step out from under God’s shelter and jump to see if God will actually protect him. This would be a move to confirm his position as God’s son. Citing Deuteronomy Jesus refuses to jump. This passage in Deuteronomy was a reminder to Gods son Israel, as it entered into the promise land. In Exodus we read that Israel complained that they never should have left Egypt to wander in the wilderness for 40 years- in the wilderness they began to doubt God. While in doubt the Israelites began asking God to “prove himself,’ to show that he could be relied upon.

Satan was proposing that Jesus say to God, “In order to prove that I am your beloved Son I will place you in a situation where you must prove it.” Jesus refused; God had already proclaimed that Jesus was his son in his baptism, and Jesus was fully confident in that promise. Rest on that promise he did, it was what empowered Him to endure the torture of the cross. Once again, notice the contrast to that of Adam in the garden. In the temptation account Satan calls Adam and Eve to doubt God’s word. Satan tells them that if they eat of the fruit, they will “surely not die.” In a way, Adam and Eve tested God’s faithfulness by eating of the tree. “Satan wanted Christ to challenge God’s faithfulness in a much less direct way…[Think about it] There would be no other reason to leap from the temple roof except to determine once and for all, whether God would keep his promise.”

“To Adam and Eve, Satan said eat, you will surly not die- for God has lied to you. To Christ he said, jump, you will surely not die- unless God has lied to you.”[11]

Yet again, where Adam failed Christ conquered.

Jesus is the true and greater son of God, the ‘new man.’ Through his obedience where Adam failed, Jesus has overcome. Furthermore, He is the only one who is able to bring us back into fellowship with God, and sustain us as ‘men made new.’

Application

These are glorious truths about Christ, but some of you are probably asking – how does this affect me? What I am I to do with such truths? Well, you and I are part of the human family- born into Adam’s lineage. While the events in our lives may never make the national stage as events that marked this past year, our faults and battles are very real. When we examine our lives – our failure, our faults, the inappropriate way we have responded in certain situations;

We know deep down inside that something is not right, that we are not right. Things don’t seem to be as they should, and we often fail to respond as we should. – See being born in the line of Adam we are “spring-loaded for evil.”[12]

  • Let me assure you that there will be times in the coming year when you doubt God’s provision.
  • There will be hard situations when you seek to assert your own control over circumstances, and fail to trust in God, and his plans.
  • There will be times when you are also tempted to doubt that God actually cares about you, and you find it hard to hold on to hope.

But your failure, our failure, is not the end of the story. See, Christ not only conquered where Adam failed. He conquered where all of Adams descendants have failed and will fail. When you place your faith in Christ you are adopted in to his family, you are adopted into the family of God.

  • As a Christian your family tree becomes a cross, where your sin and shame were paid in full.
  • As a Christian, you can have the hope that your family grave is empty. That’s a promise from your Father.
  • As a Christian you know that one day things will be as they should. Christ brings us back into fellowship with our Father, where Adam locked us out. – A place free of sin, death, disease, disaster, failure, and ten thousand other things that make this life the hard battle it is.

So I call you to wage war against the doubt of God. Fight to trust in the promises of God. And know that Jesus, cares for you deeply, as Hebrews 2:18 tells us;

“Because He himself has suffered when tempted, and is able to help those when they are tempted.”

And even when you fail, know that Christ has succeeded, and will stand as your representative before the Father. Let me remind you of two promises concerning this matter from Scripture;

Romans 5;

“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”

1 Corinthians 15

“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”

Oh church, Believe and continue to believe that Christ is the ‘New Man’, and in Him, ‘Men are Made New.’

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank you for your perfect Son, who conquered sin and death knowing that He held the destiny of all your children in his hands.

  • Father, there may be some in this room who are still under the curse of Adam. I pray that you would move in their hearts right now and adopt them into your family.
  • Father, there are also many of your children in here right now who have had a horrible year, and worry about what this next year brings. I pray that you would lovingly comfort them right now with your Spirit to know that despite the reality of our sufferings, you love and care for us.
  • Father, there are also many of your children here that are surrounded in comfort and have lost the blazing heart of worship that you alone deserve. I pray that you would begin to show them where they have placed their hope and trust, how those things will fail, and how you alone are worthy of our allegiance.

We know that the book of Luke was written long ago to sustain our brother in Christ Theophilus, that he “may have certainty concerning the things he had been taught.” I pray that you would grant us with that same certainty here today, as we rest in the promise of salvation through Jesus Christ, the new man. And let us live now, ‘as men made new.’

Amen.

  1. Isaiah 40:8
  2. Charles Spurgeon, A Sermon for New Year’s Day, 1885.
  3. Will Metzger, Tell the Truth.
  4. Edmund Clowney, The Unfolding Mystery.
  5. Graeme Goldsworthy, According to Plan.
  6. Darrell Bock, Luke.
  7. John Piper used this analogy in his sermon “Christ in Combat: Defense by the Spirit” on Luke 4:1-14.
  8. Timothy Keller points this out in his sermon “The First Temptation of Christ” on Luke 2:34-35; 4:1-13.
  9. Geerhardus Vos, Biblical Theology.
  10. Anthony Hoekema, Created in God’s Image.
  11. Edmund Clowney, The Unfolding Mystery.
  12. Thomas Schreiner, New Testament Theology.

I also benefited greatly from the following commentaries on Luke’s gospel;

  • Joel Green, Luke
  • Leon Morris, Luke
  • Walter L. Liefeld, Luke

Note: This is the edited manuscript of a sermon I preached at Calvary Baptist Church on December 27th.

Matt Capps Christianity, Culture, Faith, Philosophy, Religion, The Southern Baptist Convention

Kitsch, Trinkets, and the Commodification of Evangelical Christianity

I recently heard Russell Moore say that evangelical Christianity is “one big conspiracy to sell each other stuff.” To be fair, his comment was not limited to retail, he was speaking more on a philosophical level. But, religious retail is a very large sector in our Christian subculture. I think we can learn something here. Christian retail may be one of the most indicative signs of a theologically anemic American evangelical subculture.

The other day I received a catalog in the mail from a Christian retail chain advertising for Christmas. I found it interesting that “the good news” being proclaimed on the cover was that shoppers can “save on Christ-Centered items for the entire family.” At the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon, this is simply unacceptable. I think we should take a cue from Neil Postman and apply Marshall McLuhan’s aphorism “the medium is the message” to our sub-cultural situation. Here is a good question, ‘what cultural message are we communicating by the mediums that we use as vehicles to present the Christian message?’ I think this excerpt from the magazine Mere Comments highlights the problem well;

“The Los Angeles Times report from the Christian Retail expo is depressing. The makers of a “new genre” of “Christian perfume” rolled out their product, with the promise that it can be an effective evangelistic tool/ “It should be enticing enough to provoke questions: ‘What’s that you’re wearing?'” the marketer said. “Then you take that opportunity to speak of your faith. They’ve opened the door, and now they’re going to get it.” Going to get what? A migraine headache? An allergic reaction? Or the gospel of salvation?

Mentioned in the Times piece also are Christian golf balls with John 3:16 on them, so that, even if you lose it in a sand trap, well, “lose a golf ball, share the gospel.”  Also for sale are Christian sandals that leave footprints that leave the message “Follow Jesus” in the sand behind them.”

Here is my issue with Christian retail: The commodification of the Christian message not only exploits the faith to consumer capitalism, but it also sentimentalizes and trivializes the gospel. We can’t just slap a Bible verse on something and call it “Christian” because that item itself has a message attached to it within the context of our culture.

What burdens me is that these items often confuse the central message of Christianity. Christianity is not about wearing Christian logos. Often times, that can become nothing more than a new marketing twist on the old veneer of self-righteousness. More than that, these “Christian” trinkets often are corny little attempts to mimic culture in a “Christian way.” The true message is often lost in translation once it leaves the American evangelical Christian subculture.

We really need to think about these kitsch products that we peddle in “Christian” retail. Stephen Nichols nails it on the head, “the threat of losing the gospel message even within the Christian community itself looms large.” I don’t think we have seen Jesus marketed like this in centuries! The last time it was this bad Martin Luther protested the hawking of Christ and changed the face of the world. The sad thing is that today’s evangelical Christians freely embrace and participate in the commodification of Christ with no theological reflection.

The “good news” of Christmas should not be that you can “purchase Christ-centered items for the whole family at discount.” The good news of Christmas is Jesus Christ himself. Jesus, who purchased your pardon and freely offers you eternal life when you place your faith in him. I don’t see why we need a golf ball, tee-shirt, or perfume to proclaim this message. It should come out of our own mouths. It should be written all over our lives!

Matt Capps Books, Christianity, Culture, Faith, Philosophy, Religion, The Southern Baptist Convention

The Literary Nature of The Gospel Accounts

When reading or teaching through the gospel accounts one must recognize their literary distinctiveness. One important characteristic about the genre ‘gospel’ is that superscriptions to these historical narrative accounts are worded “the gospel according to”, add the authors name. (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) This implies that there is ‘one gospel’ in four versions.

Also of importance, the gospel accounts are ‘two level documents.’[1] The term gospel is a translation of the Greek word euangelion which means ‘good news.’ In the New Testament the word can either refer to ‘good news proclaimed by Jesus’[2] or the ‘good news of Jesus.’[3] In other words the gospel accounts consist of ‘sayings’ and ‘narratives’, or ‘teachings of Jesus’ and ‘stories about Jesus.’ Fee and Stewart argue;

“Our Gospels do indeed contain a collection of sayings, but these are always woven…into a historical narrative of Jesus life and ministry. Thus they are not books by Jesus but books about Jesus.”[4]

It’s important to note that the authors purposely structured their accounts of the good news. Remember, the gospel accounts are narratives that are not necessarily arranged in chronological order. It’s often helpful to read the gospel accounts while keeping in mind that the theological themes are sometimes the organizational element.[5]

So, these gospel accounts are not biographies in the modern sense of the term, but they are biographical. Modern biographies mainly focus on a persons psychology while ancient forms of biography tend to focus on the persons ‘action and/or teaching.’ As one author writes, “they are technically known as Christological biographies or historical stories about Jesus told for a particular theological purpose.”[6] Perhaps ‘sub-biography’ would be more appropriate? Goldsworthy argues that the gospel accounts presented a “new and distinctive literary genre that came about because of the nature of the gospel event and of the impulse to communicate it.”[7]

Either way, the writers understood that “their churches had special interests that…caused them to arrange and adapt what was selected”[8] by the work of the Holy Spirit. These writers faithfully told the story of Jesus for a theological purpose, and did so while emphasizing certain aspects of Jesus’ life and teaching for the persuasion of their audience.

We should be reminded that the authors could not tell all that there was to tell about Jesus.[9] Therefore, they had to choose what to include, what to omit, as well as how to arrange it in order to most effectively communicate the good news to their audience.

Fee and Stewart propose that there were three principles that guided the composition of each gospel account; selectivity, arrangement, and adaptation. All of these considerations are significant to show the reader that even the “literary structure serves a theological purpose.”[10] So, “the gospel writers are [not only] saying something about Jesus in each episode, they are saying something about Jesus in how they link the smaller stories together to form the larger story.”[11]

Matt Capps Arts, Christianity, Culture, Faith, Media and Technology, Philosophy, Religion, The Southern Baptist Convention

Uncovering Idols (Part 3): Beauty Magazines and the Idol of Image Projection

Note: This is the last  post taken from the manuscripts of a series I preached titled “Uncovering Idols.”

Human beings were created to “image” God. Because of sin we cannot properly “image” God. But the Spirit conforms us to the ‘Image of Christ’ and we are enabled to do what we were created for.

Introduction

Idolatry is difficult to uncover in our society because it is so subtle, so covert. We don’t necessarily worship idols formed from wood and stone. Our idolatry is hidden in our hearts. Remember that “an idol is anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.”[1]

What makes “uncovering idols” even more complicated is that are idols are, on the one hand formed by our inner desires, and at the same time socially shaped. In other words, our idolatry is “generated from within and insinuated from without.”[2] Idolatry is a problem rooted deeply in the human heart, but is also powerfully imposed on us from our social environment. So, in order to understand idolatry we need to

  • Examine the world around us.
  • Examine the world within us.

This is extremely important for the subject we are examining tonight, “the idol of image projection.” The very idea of “image” is quite informative on what it actually means to be a human being. In Genesis 1: 27 we are told that;

God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.”

“Unlike the rest of creation, we are made in God’s image,”[3] we were made to literally ‘image God.’ Humans were created for this very purpose, to image, to mirror, to represent God within creation order.[4] Let’s make an honest observation: If humans were made to reflect God in our world something has gone wrong. In fact, a quick glance at the world around us reveals that something has gone terribly wrong. If we truly reflected God as we should, things would not be as they are. Now, as Christians we understand that our projection, or “reflection of God” has been ‘perverted, corrupted, and distorted.’ by sin. Yet at the same time the mirror has not been completely shattered. “Imaging” is still a very important aspect of human function, it’s what we were created to do. We just reflect the wrong things; we mirror God in the wrong way.

Our Culture: A Reflection on Self Image

If you need to be convinced of the importance of “image in our culture”[5] consider what’s projected at you as you pass through what one author called the ‘gauntlet of temptation’, more commonly known as the magazine racks in the checkout line. We have all seen it. On each of these magazine covers a message is proclaimed, a message reflecting what it looks like to have “the good life.” The images communicate to you that;

  • ‘This’ is what it looks like to be significant!
  • To be secure in who you are, you must have or look like ‘this!’
  • ‘This’ is what it feels like to have fulfillment!
  • You will have comfort if you surround yourself with ‘these’ things!

In the supermarket checkout line you are presented with a mosaic of images on magazine covers, images that reflect “the fulfilled life.” While standing in line you enter “a place of possibilities where you can imagine your life differently” a place where you can “choose who you will be.”[6] The message here is simple, “by the choices you make, you tell the world who you are”[7] Typically, this “ideal image” that is being projected can be accomplished by the purchase of certain products.

Think about it, we can construct our image by the things that we adorn ourselves with; how we posture ourselves. We communicate “our meaning” in various ways,

  • Our appearance communicates something about who we are.
  • Where and how we live communicates something about who we are.
  • How we talk, what we say, communicates to others who we are.
  • Our accessories and the things we own tell the world who we are.

In our culture it’s about projecting your significance, your “meaning”[8] to the world around you, and “our preoccupation is with the outward appearance”[9] is very clear. The most obvious cultural example of what I am talking takes us back to the line at the super market. Consider magazine covers again. I think one author put it well when he wrote that “magazines peddle unrealistic hopes to people desperate for some version of the good life.”[10] Magazines sell an unrealistic ideal.

The covers of these magazines are imprinted with our cultural gods known as celebrities. In many ways they have become “the physical manifestation of the fulfilled life.” They represent what we are told we need to be.

Take this months “O” magazine for example. This particular magazine typically features articles on relationships, spirituality, health, and helpful tips on just about everything. Just like many other magazines this one features a celebrity or cultural guru who is aptly pictured and invites us to participate in the fulfilled life.[11] In this particular magazine the cover shot is of a celebrity/guru, and by the way, she is on the cover of “O” every month.

Listen to what this particular magazine promises;

  • “Who are you meant to be: A Step-by-step guide to finding your life’s purpose.”
  • “How to talk so people really listen: 4 ways to make yourself heard.”
  • “Plus: 28 questions that will change the way you see yourself.”

Everything is geared towards “creating an image” for yourself. Now, let’s break the cliché literary rule and make a few judgments about magazines based on their cover, just based off the cover shot. Think about this for a second. In preparation for this image to make the cover of the magazine this celebrity;

  • She goes into several hours of hair and make-up.
  • They create a set with ideal lighting and backgrounds that accentuate the colors in her clothing and shaded in her makeup.
  • They shoot hundreds if not thousands of angles.
  • Once a photo is chosen, it then enters into a multiple phase manipulation process where a graphic designer adjusts the light and dark contrast, the colors, removes any blemishes in the skin, crops, and so on.

This is the absurdity of our cultural attempt to “image” fulfillment, as manifested in magazine covers. They present you with a person that embodies the “image” of the fulfilled life. But the person presented is not the person as they actually are. This is the paradox, what is represented as the ideal does not actually exist. In reality we do not get an actual image of this person. We get an image of what she wants to be perceived as.

This is something that we need ponder. There are many times when we try and cover who we actually are by projecting an image of ourselves that is not actually true. So we project an image not of who we are, but what we would like others to see us as. In other words, we try and cover our true selves.

The Twofold Perversion of “Image”

As human beings we find comfort in mere “window dressing,”[12] or “fig leaves” that we hide behind. This started in the Garden of Eden. See, before the fall Adam and Even were pure and clearly reflected the image of God. This is why humanity was made, to reflect the glory of God. This is where we were meant to find our significance, our worth, our security, our comfort.

Our image is a derivative image; it is derived from the one who created us. When we sinned, we were cast away from clearly reflecting the glory one whom we derive our image. This created a problem because we were created to reflect God’s glory. And now we were left to ourselves, to reflect ourselves. Therefore, since the fall we have tried to glorify our own image by adorning ourselves with all types of functional fig leaves. In short, we begin to bow to the idol of self-image. Two quick observations from Genesis that provide ‘examples of’ and ‘explain why’ creating and reflecting our own “image” is so devastating;

1. The fall was preceded by a heightening exaltation of “our image.”

Genesis 3:6– So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Adam and Eve wanted to be higher than God. In disobeying God’s clear command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, our first parents exalted themselves above God taking things into their own hands. They decided to “create their own image” apart from their creator. Reminds us of Paul’s word in his letter to the Romans in chapter 1, “claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man.” Which begs us to head Paul’s warning later on in 12 “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment.” Simply put, a heightened sense of “image” leads to unreasonable pride.

2. The fall was followed with a lowering perversion of “our image”

Genesis 3:7- “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.”

Now Adam and Eve felt ashamed of themselves, and rightly so. Their self image became wholly negative- with a devastating shame and worthlessness. They no longer clearly reflected the God who made them. In verse 10 we see that shame revealed itself in fear. Adam hid from God in the garden. Even in us we see the effects of this shame in human despair. Here is the point of pointing out these two;

  1. heightening exaltation of “our image.”
  2. lowering perversion of “our image”

We (as humans) still fluctuate between these two today. “Man’s image is sometimes extremely high (in the form of sinful pride) or excessively low (in the form of feelings of shame and worthlessness).” Both cases are perversions of our created “image.” More often times than not we “exalt our image” as an attempt as a cover who we truly are. When we truly see ourselves for who we are, its obvious that left to our own devises we offer nothing but shame. I would argue that vacillating between these two (pride and despair) is inevitable when humanity cannot clearly reflect God.

Human beings were created to “image” God. Because of sin we cannot properly “image” God.  (Then where do we turn?) But the Spirit conforms us to the ‘Image of Christ’ and we are enabled to do what we were created for. (This keeps us from pride, and keeps us from despair.

But, I would not hesitate to guess that many of us in this room find ourselves vacillating between pride and despair because when don’t have a proper understanding, or forget who we are in Christ. Here’s our hope, we have a good God, a God who is on “mission is to restore creation to its full original purpose of [reflecting his glory].”[13] This proper “image of God” is, is being, and will be restored to us through Jesus Christ.

Restoration: Jesus Christ the “Image of God.”

1. God’s Image Revealed in Christ

Colossians 1:15- “He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Though God is invisible, through Christ God becomes visible. Christ is the pure reflection of God! So the one who looks to Christ is actually looking to God. There is a remarkable passage in Hebrew’s proclaiming this same glorious truth.

Hebrews 1:3- “He (Jesus) is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” Think about that, Christ radiates the glory of the Father. In other words, Christ is the mirror image of God. Every trait, ever characteristic, every quality found in the Father is seen in the Son, who is the exact representation.

We begin to understand what it means to be created in the image of God as we look at Christ. As we are conformed to the image of Christ, the image of God will be restored. In fact, being ‘conformed into the image of Christ’ is the purpose for which God has chosen his people. Romans 8:29- “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” (Equivalent to the “image of God”) This is the purpose of redemption, to restore the image of God to man.

2. God’s Image Reflected from Christ

1 John 3- “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” Think about that “we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is.”

You will be conformed to him as you look at him “as he is.” Christ is the pure image of God. He does not need make up or digital manipulation, He is perfect “without spot or blemish.” Yet we often attempt to conform ourselves to the images of cultural gods who are not pictured as they actually are. Listen to the words of Paul.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all behold the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness, from one degree of splendor to the next, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor.3:18)

The complex verb that Paul uses is which means “to behold in a mirror.” “This word combines the ideas of looking long and hard at something, and resembling or reflecting something. We are called to long, contemplative gazing at the Lord Jesus and changing so as to reflect his image.”[14]

The more we gaze at and contemplate Jesus, the more the Spirit shows us his glory and the more we become transformed into the likeness of what we see. As we look at Christ we realize in our hearts His beauty. In other words, the Spirit conforms you by affecting the heart by what you see in the person and work of Christ.

3. God’s Image Restored Through Christ

Ephesians 4:22-23

“Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Tim Keller unpacks the description of “putting on” Christ like a garment, which implies several important things

a) That our primary identity is in Christ. Our clothing tells people who we are. Clothing is a way of showing that we are identified with others of the same gender, social class national group. But to say that Christ is our clothing is to say that our ultimate identity is found, not in any of these classifications, but in Christ alone!

b) The closeness of our relationship to Christ. Your clothes are kept closer to you than

any other possession you have. You rely on them for shelter every moment. They go everywhere with you (hopefully). So to say Christ is our clothing is to call us to moment-by-moment dependence and awareness of Christ. We are to spiritually “practice his presence.”

c) Our acceptability to God. Finally, clothing is worn as adornment. It covers our nakedness. To say that Christ is our clothing is to say that in God’s sight we are loved because of Jesus’ work and salvation. This is why the gospel restores our original “image” which is not based on cultural standards or comparisons with others. Only the gospel keeps us from being prideful or disdainful of our image.

The gospel creates a new self-image. The gospel keeps us from excessive pride or excessive despair. In Christ we are a “new creation.”

Self-image can be a very elusive idol that absorbs our heart and imagination before we realize it. There is this cultural assumption that a reflecting a particular image of oneself will bring security, comfort, significance, worth. No! In Christ alone will you find your security, comfort, significance, and worth!

The question tonight is simple: “Is your sense of identity found in who you are as a child of God or how others to perceive you?” Like a mirror we reflect whatever we are oriented towards. We reflect what we revere.[15]

We have a desire to reflect and mirror because this is what we were created to do, we are imagers. Human beings were created to “image” God. Because of sin we cannot properly “image” God. But the Spirit conforms us to the ‘Image of Christ’ and we are enabled to do what we were created for.

Matt Capps Books, Christianity, Culture, Faith, Media and Technology, Personal, Philosophy, Religion, The Southern Baptist Convention, Thoughts

Uncovering Idols (Part 1): Meteorology and the Idol of Future Control

Note: Over the next few weeks I will be posting the manuscripts from a series I am preaching titled “Uncovering Idols.”

Introduction

Last week Laura and left for Nashville, Tennessee late afternoon for a conference that was beginning the next day. It was about dinner time so we stopped in a small town in Western North Carolina named Canton. We began to notice a strange stench; to us it was a horrible smell- a smell we could not get away from (in other words it wasn’t inside coming from insider the car)

For those of you who know the area, Canton is the home of Blue Ridge Paper Products- a paper mill, and paper mills smell. Anyway, we ate and as we got back on the highway I began thinking to myself. “I wonder of the people of Canton are even aware of that smell? They live and breathe that air. I tell you this story becuase in many ways this is the way idolatry functions in our culture. It’s the air we breath.

An Important Distinction in Idols: The Overt and Covert[1]

For most people, the subject of idolatry conjures up pictures of a “primitive people bowing down before statures.”[2] We would be pretty safe to say that when most people think of “idols” they picture literal statues- which is what we might call “overt idolatry.” An example of overt idols would be “the golden calf” that the people of Israel worshiped in Exodus 32. It was a literal statue, an “overt idol.” Even today, there are people across our world who worship “overt” idols- consider Hinduisms many god’s.

Tonight we are going to focus on a different type of idolatry, one that runs rampant in our culture, a type of idolatry that may be the most dangerous because it is so elusive, so obscure, so concealed, so “covert.” See, our idols are not the “overt” idols seen in Hindu temples, but the covert idolatry of the human heart. Actually, I would argue that it’s better to understand idolatry as a posture of the heart, rather than a religious practice. Therefore idolatry is not constrained to false religions; an idol can be anything, literally.

The human heart has a powerful way of taking anything and turning it into the ultimate thing. We have this uncanny ability to take anything that gives us significance, security, comfort, safety, and fulfillment, and place it as the center of our lives. “An idol is anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.”[3]

How Does Meteorology reveal idolatry?

Some of you are still trying to figure out the point of my title for this post. What does meteorology have to do with idolatry? Nothing in and of itself; but meteorology (weather reports and forecasts) reveal something that we as a people value, something we are concerned about. See, the weather report and forecast are permanent fixtures in the news. They are very practical and convenient as a reference point for “future planning.”

Let me clarify something, we are not exploring the scientific discipline of meteorology, we are examining meteorology as “cultural phenomenon.” In other words, “what does our cultures [reliance, maybe even] fascination with weather reports [and forecasts] say about who we are and what concerns us?”[4]

I thought it would be interesting to test this concept with an actual meteorologist. I had the privilege of interviewing WXII’s meteorologist Austin Caviness this past week, we talked a few minutes about “weather reports” and “forecasts.”

See, forecasting is simply, the process of estimation in unknown situations. Austin’s job is really to “prepare people for what lies ahead.” This is not wrong in and of itself. But, he quickly pointed out that “people want to it to be right, they get upset when its not.” That’s the key- how we respond when things don’t go as expected.- What does this reveal about us? I think Austin nailed it when he said; “we want to fill like we can control the things we can’t. It takes us out of our comfort zone when we can’t control our expectations for a situation. It’s a way we protect ourselves.” When our future expectations are not met, how we respond reveals what’s truly in our hearts.

See, on a much deeper level I believe that our concern with the weather reveals a deeper anxiety over the future – here is the reality of our situation;

  1. Because we cannot fully see the immediate future. We don’t know exactly what will happen in the years, months, weeks, even moments to come. We can estimate.
  2. But, without being able to fully see all the things ahead, we cannot control certain situations our specific outcomes in our future.

‘Meteorology’ is just one (maybe even trivial) cultural expression of an attempt to find security in the unknowns of the future. Think about insurance (being covered for the future), financial planning (making sure you have your assets alighted for the future), there are 10,000 examples of good things that we do to prepare for the unknown.

When facing the unknown – we can feel somewhat helpless. So we forecast, because the illusion of control helps us “deal with that uncertainty”. Remember, and idol is anything that we find our security, comfort, safety, and fulfillment in other than God, “anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.”[5]

For many people, the illusion of “future control” can be a very covert idolatrous posture of the heart. If we are not careful our concern over the future can absorb our lives. In fact, we can begin to act as if “control” over the future gives us only what God can- security, comfort, and safety.

“Hold your future with open hands.”

The Attitude and Action of Unbelief revealing the “Idol of Future Control.”

Idolatry deeply affects the way one thinks, behaves, and lives. Idolatry always produces attitudes and actions that reveal what the heart reveres.

A.) Attitude of Unbelief: “The Idol of Future Control” is rooted in Anxious Fearfulness- Matthew 6:34

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

In this passage Jesus is addressing the disciples. He is basically saying, worrying about tomorrow is nonsensical, because today has enough to occupy our attention and it does no good to dwell on the situations of tomorrow (the inevitable, possible, or hypothetical) Honestly, we all worry about many things, but we often get obsessed with the wrong things. Almost any of your worry’s can hijack the controls of your mind. So we need to start by asking “what do I worry about”, but that will get you nothing but a big list.

  1. I am worried that I won’t get that job, or job promotion.
  2. I am worried because I won’t have enough saved for retirement.
  3. I am worried because I have a family history of cancer.
  4. I am worried because my older child has strayed away from the faith.
  5. I am worried because I am getting older and don’t know if I’ll ever get married.
  6. I am worried because we have been trying to have children for 3 years, and it’s not working.[6]

The list goes on and on. While these things are good to identify, we need to learn to pull the roots up on these problems. The deeper and more important question is “why do I worry about these things?” What is it in these things that you are trying to obtain? Worry assumes the possibility of control over the un-controllable. So the attitude of unbelief often leads to actions aimed at “controlling the future.” So the attitude or root of the “Idol of Future Control” is usually anxious fearfulness.

B.) Acting on Unbelief: “The Idol of Future Control” is often revealed in Arrogant Confidence- James 4:13-14

What do I mean by arrogant confidence? I mean the illusion that we know how the future ought to be, therefore we are going to bring it about ourselves. To this mindset we should be reminded of the words of James; (James 4:13-14)

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—  yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

In this particular passage James is writing to combat boastful arrogance in his readers. James is not forbidding any type of planning here, or even forbidding concern for the future altogether. But, James is warning from “any type of planning for the future that stems from human arrogance in our ability to determine the course of future events.”[7] Worriers act as if they might be able to control the un-controllable. Central to worry is the illusion that we can control things. “I am going to this town or that”, I am “going to spend a year there” and make much profit.

  1. If only I could get that job, or job promotion everything would be secure.
  2. If only I had enough saved for retirement we could be comfortable.
  3. If only I get my diet and exercise right I can overcome our family history of cancer.
  4. If only I can get my child rearing techniques right, my other kids wont turn out like my prodigal son.
  5. If only I can find someone to marry I will be complete.
  6. If God would give us children, we would be happy.

See, worry assumes the possibility of control over the uncontrollable. Sure you can take preventative measures to set yourself in a better place, but you cannot completely control the future. This is essentially what James is asking here, “how do you finite creatures presume to dictate the course of future events” as if you know better than God almighty. The obvious sin in this approach to this approach is having no regard for God as you plan for the future. And it’s not just that forgetting God is evil (of course it is), it’s not just that this attitude boastful, arrogant, and proud. The greater evil is that when your forget God, you assume God’s place. We were created in the image of God, in other words God built us to reflect him.

But, our sin has distorted us and how we reflect God. In other words, in our sin we even seek to reflect God in sinful ways.- What do I mean?- Let’s work this out a second. When talking about God we describe Him according to his attributes. His attributes being the characteristics or qualities that express His nature. Typically we classify God’s attributes into his moral and non-moral attributes. This is important;

  1. Moral attributes: The attributes that humans share with God. (Patient, holy, truth, love, etc.)
  2. Non-moral attributes: The attributes that humans do not share with God. (Self-existent, all-powerful, all-knowing, and sovereign, etc.)

Here is the point: Under the influence of sin, we tend to care less about reflecting God moral attributes (love, patience, holiness), but what we want more than anything else is to reflect him in his non-moral attributes (self-existence, all-knowing, all-powerful) When facing our uncertain, and often scary future; (think about this)

  1. We would rather be All-knowing, than patient.
  2. We would rather be All-powerful, than loving…

Sinfully we desire God’s non-moral attributes, because we think “control = comfort and security.[8] (This is an illusion)

Why is this devastating?

“We are but images of God, not the real thing. We are shadows and echoes. So there will always be an emptiness of in the soul that struggles to be satisfied with the resources of self.”[9] Sure, you can take preventative measures to prepare for the future, but ultimately you cannot control the future. This is always revealed when our expectations or desires for future circumstances or outcomes are not obtained. We become angry and confused, because things are not the way we wanted them. You assumed the place of God without considering that God may have other plans. Ultimately you bow down to the idol of future control rather than the only God of the universe who knows eternity in its entirety.

Let me propose to you that “the root of worry/anxiety is unbelief.”[10] Even more so, unbelief is the reason we act in arrogant confidence.

  1. The Root of Unbelief: Anxious Fearfulness
  2. The Fruit of Unbelief: Arrogant Confidence

Idolatry is always connected to unbelief. It is turning to anything other than God for a sense of security and comfort because we don’t trust God. Now, since the Idol of Future control is rooted in unbelief, we need to learn to fight for faith. Let’s apply some biblical doctrine as armor for the fight of faith.

Truth to Destroy the “Idol of Future Control”

1. God is in control of all things, therefore we don’t need to control the future.

Often times, “We don’t just want His word that he will be with us; we want Him to show us the end from the beginning, and prove to us that He can be trusted. We want to know what tomorrow will bring instead of being content with simple obedience on the journey.”[11] Let me be clear here. You don’t need to know the future, and most likely God is not going to show you the future. When we obsess about the future we get anxious. Anxiety is simple “living out the future before it get’s here.” This is why James says in 4:

“you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

“If the Lord wills.” This is one of the clearest texts on God sovereignty in the Bible. James is confronting his readers and arguing that we must live our lives believing that all of our plans are subject to the sovereign will of God. God is all-knowing, God is all-powerful and what God wills will be. Period. Trust that, and trust him. We are humbled when looking to the future because we don’t control it; God does. God is our hope, the future is not our hope- therefore we don’t need to control the future, we need to be content with knowing that God is in control. We must repent of our sinful desire to control the future, and walk into the future with our confidence in God, “not because the future is known to us, but because it is known to God.” We trust Him fully.

2. God will supply all of our needs, therefore we should not obsessively worry about the future.

Matthew 6:25-26 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

God provides you with life itself, we He not sustain you, provide for you? Look at the birds, they are more helpless than you…they cannot grow their own food, they cant even make a sandwich, and God provides for them. God knows what we need for life. God knows when we will die, we will die. As long as He wants us to live- will he not provide us with the necessities of life? Plus, worrying and fretting about the future will not “add one single hour to our lives, “and it will certainly not add any happiness or holiness either.”[12]

Listen to Jesus question, “and which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matthew 6:27)

This is almost funny when you process what he is saying. You worry and fret about “how you will continue living”, and it will not add anymore time to your lifespan. Worry is a spiritual issue that must be fought with faith. We must believe that God has mercy for today’s troubles, and no matter what comes tomorrow we will have fresh mercy every morning. I think there is much wisdom in the words of C.S. Lewis on this point. He argues that we should be “living each day as though it were our last, but planning as though our world might last a hundred years.”[13] We need to learn how to hold our future with open hands. If we don’t we will continually act like the school girl who got angry at the weather man because he got the forecast wrong.

– “Hold your future with open hands.” –

Matt Capps Christianity, Faith, Philosophy, The Southern Baptist Convention

Evil Angels: Satan and Demons

Introduction

Today we rarely talk about the spiritual realm for various reasons. First, the naturalistic worldview of our society looks very skeptically at these conversations, if not dismissing the subject all together. Secondly, the idea that we have advanced beyond these “primitive mythologies” has influenced many, especially in the liberal traditions. But, it’s important that we become familiar with the biblical material on this subject to develop a better perspective on the world around us.

Ever since the charismatic “deliverance ministries” began to employ broad-scale use of exorcism in pastoral care there has been an increased attention given to the subject. But these deliverance ministries may have taken it too far by identifying every compulsive pattern of sin as an effect of “demon possession.” Therefore, careful consideration needs to be given to this subject.

What are “Evil Angels?”

Evil angels are created spiritual beings. Sometime between Genesis 1 and Genesis 3 these angels rebelled against God and turned evil. At that time they were immediately removed from God’s presence (1 Peter 2:4; Jude 6).

Wayne Grudem defines evil angels as ones “who sinned against God and now continually work evil in the world.” In the OT and NT the words used in reference to satan carry the ideas of “slanderer, accuser, adversary, or opponent.” When speaking about evil angels (satan and demons) it is important to remember that these beings are thoroughly corrupted by sin. In fact, satan is the originator of sin (Gen. 3:1-6; Rom. 5:12-21; 2 Cor. 11:3). Jesus proclaimed that he was a “murderer from the beginning”, and anyone who continually practices sin is of him (John 3:8, 1 John 3:8). Therefore, we should conclude that all activity associated with evil angels is not only inseparable from sin, but can also be the foundational work in tempting others to sin.

In other words, the evil angels oppose God, his Word, and his work throughout creation order. For this reason, Jesus Christ came to “destroy” their work (1 John 3:8). The decisive victory over the evil angels, and all evil has been secured at the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Col. 2:15; 1 Cor. 15:24; Matt. 25:41; Revelation 20:10). Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that evil angels are ultimately under the control of God and have limited power.

A Biblical Theology of Evil Angels

The works of the evil one and his demons are described in various ways throughout the bible. I have adapted the list below from Peter Shemm’s chapter in the book “A Theology for the Church.”

  1. Satan opposes God (Matt. 16:23)
  2. He slanders and accuses believers (Rev. 12:10)
  3. He lures and tempts people to sinful actions (1 Thess. 3:5; Matt. 4:3)
  4. Satan and demons incite false worship (Lev. 17:7; Deut. 32:17)
  5. They inflict physical suffering (Job 2:1-10; 2 Cor. 12:7)
  6. Attempt to enslave people in sin (John 8:34, 44; Acts 26:18)
  7. Lie (John 8:44)
  8. Scheme evil (2 Cor. 2:11; 2 Tim. 2:26)
  9. Blind unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:4)
  10. Disguise evil (2 Cor. 11:14)
  11. Oppose the progress of the saints (Eph. 6:10-20)
  12. Hinder godly ministry (1 Thess. 2:18)
  13. Spread false doctrine (1 Tim. 4:1)
  14. Seek to destroy (1 Pet. 5:8)
  15. Inspire false teachers (1 John 4:1-4)
  16. Incite persecution (Rev. 2:10)
  17. Deceive the whole world (Rev. 12:9)

Rebuking and Casting Out Demons

It is obvious that Jesus and his disciples did rebuke and cast out demons (Matt. 12:27; Luke 9:1-5; Luke 10:17). A careful study of scripture reveals that “rebuking and casting out” of demon’s is not the normative pattern for all believers. While we as believers have a sense of authority by virtue of identification with Christ (Eph. 1:21; Col. 2:10), and even though Christ’s authority is what guarantees victory in spiritual warfare, it does not follow that every believer is thus commissioned to an active ministry of demon hunting. We must remember that the apostolic era was a special period of miraculous activity for the purpose of inaugurating and authenticating their gospel ministry.

Therefore, since there is no specific instruction in the New Testament (in the same sense that we are told to “preach the gospel and teach them to obey all I have commanded you”; Matt. 28:18-20) that would lead one to think that such a ministry is the normative pattern and practice for every believer, and even the church, we should practice wisdom in approaching this subject. This is not to say that demons are not active in our world today such that there might be an occasion where demonic deliverance is necessary. In light of that, one should be cautious but open to such possibilities.

Grudem rightly states, “demonic opposition may arise…which Christians would then pray and battle against, according to 1 Cor. 12:10; 2 Cor. 10:3-6; and Eph. 6:12.” Ultimately true deliverance is found in Jesus Christ. Therefore, our main concern as Christians is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ which has the power to change lives.

Thoughts on “Demon Possession”

I agree with Grudem, “the term demon possession is an unfortunate term.” The Bible speaks of people being “under demonic influence, demonized, and having a demon,” but not possessed in such a way that a person can be completely dominated or controlled. While there is evidence of extreme cases (Mark 5:1-20), it is difficult to defend the term “demon possession” from biblical theology. At the same time, we must affirm that there are different degrees of demonic attack or influence (Luke 4:2; 2 Cor. 12:7; Eph. 6:12; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8). To take it a step further, no Christian can ever be demon possessed according to Rom. 6:14 (See also vv. 4, 11) because if we are “in Christ” then sin shall not have dominion over us.

Why does this  matter?

Richard Lovelace writes, “since the enlightenment much of the church has been somewhat embarrassed by the literal meaning of this doctrine, and even evangelicals have been increasingly vague about its practical benefits.” But, if we agree that there are demonic forces in the world, then there are a few things we need to remember.

First, demonic forces must be considered when we seek to understand and explain the problems of man. Tim Keller writes, “the older “physicians of the soul” understood that depression, fear, anger, or inner numbness may be so profound and difficult to deal with because of the multiplicity and inter relatedness of the many different roots and causes.” We must consider this when we explore physiological, psychological, and moral problems in individuals. As we see above the Bible teaches us that demons can accuse, tempt, stir up and aggravate all the other factors, making our emotional dungeons very deep and double locked.”

Second, demonic forces can help us understand the systemic social evil of our world. I think we would all agree that unjust social systems can reign in a culture and have enormously evil and devastating effects. At the same time no single individual member of the oppressive system seems to be “all that bad.” Keller writes “there are indications in the Scripture that demons can stand behind human institutions such as governments or nations and can produce evil effects through those systems and institutions.”

I think Keller sums this up well, “it is not entirely possible to explain that all of the misery and evil in the world are only the product of individual sinful choices. Evil spirits greatly magnify, aggravate, and complicate the sin in our hearts that we commit toward God, one another, and against our own selves.” Yet, as Christians we must remind ourselves that Jesus “can heal the darkest troubles in the deepest recesses of the human soul — individually and corporately. He can handle the forces that enslave us.”