SlimJim was originally correct that I was doing a series on 1 Peter, and I would still like to, but being demoted from Yourh Pastor to essentially an executive pastor of another church took away a bunch of the time I originally intended to use to finish this series. I completed this part because I had offered it months ago. (And, as stated in the post, I had to finish this part for a seminary preaching class assignment. I did much of the exegesis for the rest of the book to complete this work. I slightly modified the work for the blog.)
Keep in mind it is mildly academic, and I pray you enjoy it!
Daniel
Note: This is a guest post since presently I am overseas. This is by Daniel M. Klem. His blog be found here. This is part of a series he’s doing for his blog! Exegesis of 1 Peter 3:8-17 as the Chiastic Hinge of 1 Peter or Answering the Faithless and the Faithful, An Exegesis of […]
Jimmy’s thoughts are timely, as our congregation is going through Proverbs on Sunday mornings. It’s also a good reminder in an election year in the good ol’ US of A, especially.
May we learn how to pick our battles and answer wisely.
Daniel
I have been thinking about the topic of not answering a fool.
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect
1 Peter 3:15, ESV
Our God has not left us alone, and He sends us into a hostile world that demands answers about Christ and God’s character. May we give them the same respect He has given by coming and dying, and may we show fear of God as He empowers us to be loving and compassionate.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ
2 Corinthians 10:5, ESV
This world fights and argues against God. The Holy Spirit guides us in all truth, based on the Word, showing how our thoughts deviate from truth and then pointing us to Christ.
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
Matthew 10:16, ESV
We are not merely to be doormats, but, knowing we have the power of God in us, we are ready to answer anyone who challenges or questions us about the Gospel.
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6, ESV
Most people speak from what they think they know. Let us remember to show grace as we speak the truth, speaking to sin-corrupted minds and souls. May God grant us the grace and opportunities to bring others to know the truth.
If you are unable to attend a church at this time, may this short message help get you through. Obviously, it is preferable to get together to sing praises, pray, read Scripture, and hear the Word preached.
Regardless, may this message be a blessing to you in some way.
Topical Message: The God Who … Slays?
I guess we can consider this part two of the C-19 response series.
Last time we looked at whether the church staying apart during something like a pandemic is biblically okay. (Basically, yes, though far from ideal.)
This time, I am going to tackle one of those difficult questions: Does God send various calamities – such as C-19, locusts, earthquakes, and famines – against people, nations, and various groups?
There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
“I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord. “I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither; so two or three cities would wander to another city to drink water, and would not be satisfied; yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.
“I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord. “I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, and carried away your horses, and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.
So, what do these two passages tell us?
Sometimes people really deserve what they get! But they do not always get what they deserve, at least in this life;
And sometimes God does send war, famine, pestilence, and pain as judgment.
We should talk about this.
Let’s start with that second point: God sending these things. We see through Amos and the other Old Testament accounts that God sent the plagues on Egypt (Amos 4:10), and we know long before that He sent the flood waters in the time of Noah. Further, we get to the Revelation at the end of the Bible, and we see that God’s wrath is literally poured out on the entire Earth because they have rejected God.
And of course, we see the highlight of the whole Bible, when God’s wrath was poured out on the Man on the cross. This points back to the first point: people do not always get what they deserve. As Christians, we appreciate this, because we know that humanity deserves God’s wrath and judgment. Yet, we do not get what we deserve thanks to God’s grace poured out to us through the cross.
But what about the rest of the world?
In the Luke passage, we see that Pontius Pilate deserved punishment from God by mixing the blood of Galileans in with the sacrifices. Yet, he lived much of his life in relative comfort. Conversely, those Galileans and the eighteen killed by the tower falling did not necessarily do anything wrong.
This brings up two other quick points:
Is it so bad to die? If we are true followers of Christ, no! As Paul said, in 2 Corinthians 5:1-10: For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
So, for those apart from Christ, it is bad to die, because they still face judgment and wrath. But we Christians await judgment and glory with Christ.
And, we must also recognize, God is our Creator. As Romans 9 reminds us, who are we to question the Potter? Just as we may create something – say, a bowl – and then throw it away later, why can’t our Creator do the same? Compared to God, we are nothing: clay. Yet, He still chooses to save us or let us reject Him. Which leads to …
The other point is that God may not directly send these things, but He does allow them.
Make no mistake. God is still in complete control. He lets natural processes play out. And we may ask why, because, if He is all-powerful (omnipotent), then He can stop these things from happening.
But as I have said numerous times, if people keep saying they want nothing to do with God, that they push Him away and call Him evil, why should He stop these things or protect them from these things? We know God can control illnesses (Plagues in Egypt, Exodus 7-12), the movements of the Earth (see Korah’s rebellion in Numbers 16) and the weather (Noah’s flood in Genesis 6-9 and Elijah’s praying for rain in 1 Kings 17-18), and even the Sun’s motion (Joshua 10). He can stop these things from happening or getting worse, but the majority of the world’s population says, “We don’t need you!” Then they blame Him for those things!
So, now that we know God does send some things and allows others, how do we respond?
We can blame God for all the problems in this world and fear what will happen to us in this life. And then the life to come.
Or we can remember that we live in a rebellious world, fallen into chaos because of our own (collective) sin, and that God is still in control. It is not pleasant to suffer, and I will not judge anyone for fearing that suffering. But we can rest in the hope that the One who suffered for our sins on the cross has promised He is coming again, and we will be with Him in comfort and joy for all eternity.
Therefore, believe that Jesus was the perfect man and Son of God, who saw us in our sin and rebellion but came to offer us grace and forgiveness by dying on the cross for our forgiveness of sin, that He rose again to life, and that He now sits at the right hand of the Father until He comes again. Then, you can know you will escape the final judgment of the Earth.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ 2 Corinthians 10:5, ESV
The world tries to argue against God, but their arguments tend to be contradictory, circular, or ignorant. This is why we must know what we believe, based on Scripture and what the evidence truly points to, helped by the Holy Spirit.
I am doing a short series! We are going through some of the sayings
of Jesus that can be … confusing … difficult … misapplied … whatever!
What does this mean? I will look at passages that I have personally
heard misapplied, misunderstood, or simply confusion expressed over what
Jesus meant.
Now, what is our next passage? (Maybe you already have an idea based on the title.)
Two swords? What about peace?
And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.” Luke 22:35-38, ESV
Okay. What’s up here? Was it not Jesus who said we should avoid violence, turning the other cheek and whatnot?
Perhaps now you see why some people struggle with understanding the Bible. Maybe you are one of those people.
What was Mr. Peace-Nick Godman getting at?
Firstly, let us remember Jesus’ own words:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:34
It would be very easy to take this out of context, so how about we take a look at that context to understand better what Jesus meant about bringing a sword:
“So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.“ Matthew 10:32-39, ESV
So, we know that Jesus will divide families, friends, and communities, but this is definitely a figurative sword. We are to love God so much that it is as of we hate our family and friends in comparison. (But we love them all the more through God’s love!)
Perhaps we need to keep in mind that we are to defend the weak and defenseless. This is perhaps the most applicable literal sense of having a sword. Sure, self-defense may be a part of it, too, but probably defending others is more accurate.
We also need to consider the other meaning Jesus may have had:
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God Ephesians 6:17
We know that the Word of God is often referenced as a sword (Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 1:16, 2:12, 19:15), so this definitely far from being outside of the realm of possibility.
However, we also must remember what He said in Luke 22:37 above, that the scripture must be fulfilled that He was numbered with the transgressors.
Obviously, this points to being hung on a cross between two criminals, but I offer one other possibility (from Jesus’ arrest):
And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant[h] of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” Luke 22:49-53, ESV
You can probably imagine the Apostles’ thoughts: “He said have swords, so now that He is about to be arrested, is this the time He finally overthrows the leaders and takes control?”
But Jesus also hints that at this moment it appears He is already being considered counted among transgressors, as a conquering king raising an insurrection. It is made more likely an assertion with Peter striking Malchus’ ear off. (See John 18:10)
I would even argue that all of these are the reasons Jesus said to get a sword to the Twelve (well … Eleven).
Jesus must be numbered as one guilty of raising a rebellion.
Do we truly love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths? Maybe I can help with the mind part, at least! This is Daniel M. Klem, apparent poet, reluctant yet passionate Disciple (Peter?), and foolish man attempting to understand theology!
a simple man of God 