Asking Questions of a Narrative

I think it is helpful to ask questions of any narrative text we are reading.  We should ask questions to aid our thinking and reflection, not because we intend to force answers to all of the questions.  Some questions won’t be answered.

For instance, take the familiar account of Paul and Silas in prison in Acts 16:25-34.  When I preached the passage last Sunday evening at FBC Santo, I posed the following 10 questions:

(1) Why were the other prisoners up at midnight with Paul and Silas while the jailer was sleeping (vv. 25, 27)?

(2) How aware were the city’s authorities that an earthquake shook the Philippian prison (vv. 26, 35)?

(3) Why did everyone’s chains come loose (v. 26) when Paul and Silas were presumably the only believers in the prison?  Why did the Lord not free just Paul and Silas?

(4) If the jailer saw that prison doors were open, why didn’t he check to see if the prisoners were still there before he decided to end his life (v. 27)?

(5) If the jailer called for lights because he couldn’t see (v. 29), how did Paul know that the jailer was about to kill himself if it was so dark (v. 28)?

(6) If the jailer was sleeping during the singing and praying (vv. 25, 27), what did he want to be “saved” from (v. 30)?

(7) If all the prisoners’ doors were opened and shackles dismantled (v. 26), why didn’t the prisoners try to escape (v. 28)?

(8) When the jailer took Paul and Silas to his house in the middle of the night (vv. 30, 32), what happened to the other prisoners?

(9) When Paul and Silas had evangelized and baptized the jailer and his family (vv. 31-33), why did the two missionaries return to prison (v. 35) instead of escaping?

(10) Why did Paul postpone professing his and Silas’ Roman citizenship (v. 37) until after being beaten and imprisoned (vv. 22-24), when professing it earlier could have avoided such treatment?

I think there are clear answers to some of the questions, less clear answers to others, and disputed answers to the rest.  But my point stands: asking questions of a narrative helps us think about the content and reflect on the relationships between some scenes to other ones.

Feel free to pose some answers to the preceding questions in the comments.  Happy reading.

Great Illustration Performed by Francis Chan

In the above video, Francis Chan graphically illustrates the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:10, where Paul conveys the startling truth about the believer’s future: every believer will stand before the Judge for evaluation.

Clothed, Unclothed, and Clothed Again

Spending time studying 2 Corinthians 4:16–5:10 has yielded the following conclusions:

(1) Our “earthly tent” (2 Cor 5:1) is our earthly body that will soon be dismantled at death.

(2) Between the believer’s death and the resurrection of the body, there is an intermediate state of being “unclothed” or “naked” (2 Cor 5:4, 8).

(3) Believers await the coming of Christ which will involve the resurrection of the saints (1 Cor 15:23, 52-54) and the reception of an “eternal dwelling” (2 Cor 5:1), or the “resurrection/glorified body.”

So believers are now embodied and (if Christ’s return tarries) will be disembodied at death.  But disembodiment is not the hope of the believer, as if the body were a prison for the soul.  No, Paul says that we groan in these earthly tents (2 Cor 5:2, 4), longing for our heavenly dwelling (resurrection body).  The hope is for re-embodiment.

From 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, then, I think we can affirm a disembodied intermediate state for every believer that dies.

At the return of Christ, every dead believer will be re-embodied in a glorified body.  Any believers that are living when Christ returns will be transformed and glorified in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor 15:51-52).  What a blessed hope!

Praising God or Craving the Praise of Men

In this video clip from a sermon on John 5:30-47, Pastor John Piper explains how unchecked cravings for the praise of men prevent people from believing in and praising Jesus.  May the Lord daily deliver us from the desire for man’s praise.

Forever the God-Man

There’s a verse in Colossians that reminds us of the ongoing (and never-ending) incarnate state of Jesus Christ.  ”For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Col 2:9).

Notice the present tense “lives.”  Paul wrote those words about 30 years after the resurrection!  This means  that when Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to the Father, he did not discard his glorified body.  The Son of God is forever the God-Man.  He ascended bodily, and he will return bodily (see Acts 1:11).

The truth of Christ’s present bodily existence is the hope of our own resurrection at the return of Christ (1 Cor 15:20, 23, 49).  If the Son no longer lives in bodily form, that would have tragic consequences for our hope of resurrection.  Our hope of receiving a permanent glorified body rests on the reality that Christ himself lives in a permanent glorified body.

The Incarnation was not a temporary experiment or mission.  The Word became flesh (John 1:14) and the Word remains flesh.

Three Senses of Jesus’ Return in John 14

After I recently completed a sermon series in John 14, it became clear that Jesus promised a return to his disciples in at least three senses:

(1) His return from heaven in the event of the Second Coming.  ”And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (14:3).  Jesus will go to his Father (which occurred at his ascension) and then return to take the disciples with him.  This event most likely refers to the Second Coming (see also 1 Thess 4:17).

(2) His return from the grave in the event of the resurrection.  ”I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me.  Because I live, you also will live” (14:18-19).  Jesus will return to his disciples after his resurrection, since his death involved a separation from them (see also John 16:20-22).

(3) His return to every disciple in spiritual union and indwelling.  ”If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.  My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (14:23).  Even though Jesus would be physically absent after his ascension, his disciples would still be connected to him by faith through a spiritual union (see also Matt 28:20; Col 1:27).

This brief overview reminds us that we must pay close attention to every phrase in a Scriptural passage.  After all, in one chapter alone, Jesus speaks of “coming to his disciples” in three different ways.

Finally, Jesus’ promise to return from the grave (see #2) was fulfilled, Jesus’ promise to remain with his disciples spiritually (see #3) is true for every believer, and so we await the fulfillment of his glorious return (see #1).  Come, Lord Jesus, come, so that your disciples may dwell with you forever.

Footwashing as Prophetic Symbolism

In his two-volume commentary on the Gospel of John, scholar Raymond Brown describes John 13’s footwashing scene as prophetically symbolic of Jesus’ death.  Brown is, of course, alluding to the fact that some of God’s OT prophets engaged in actions with underlying theological meaning.  For those with eyes to see, then, Jesus washing his disciples’ feet grants us a window into a deeper truth: the cleansing work of Calvary. 

The more common interpretation of John 13:1-11 is that Jesus models humility for the believer.  Yes, that is true (13:14-15), but there is much more going on here than just an example of meekness and service.  In fact, Jesus told Peter, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand,” which indicates that the meaning of the footwashing is not apparent to the disciples.  But it will be…later (after the cross and resurrection?). 

Several clues cue the cross throughout the passage.  Here are 7 examples:

(1) The opening of John 13 begins, “It was just before the Passover Feast” (13:1).  According to the four gospels, Jesus died during Passover.  So the opening of John 13 sets the context that prepares us for the coming cross. 

(2) Jesus knew that “the time” had come (13:1).  Until this point, the “hour” or “time” was “not yet” (e.g. 2:4; 7:6).  The “time” that had now arrived was the glorification of Jesus through his suffering and death. 

(3) It was time for Jesus “to leave this world” and “go to the Father.”  Leaving and going to his Father occurred through the cross and subsequent resurrection.  The suffering on the cross equaled Jesus “going” where the disciples “could not follow” (13:33, 36b).  Therefore, Jesus’ statement about leaving this world should conjure up the cross for the reader. 

(4) The devil had enticed Judas with betraying Jesus (13:2b).  That coming reality, narrated in John 18:1-11, connotes the events of Jesus’ passion–since Judas’ betrayal precipitates the events that follow. 

(5) “Laying down” his garments (13:4) and “taking them up” again (13:12) echoes “laying down” his life (10:18) and “taking it up” again (10:18).  This indicates that the full meaning of laying aside his garments and taking them up again would be understood when he laid down his life and took it up again. 

(6) Jesus must wash us if we are to be clean (13:8b).  Therefore, something more than an example of humility is occurring.  Jesus is pointing to the promise of sharing in his life through his work on the cross and vindication through resurrection.  Jesus did not tell Peter, “Unless I wash you, you won’t understand humility.”  He said, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 

(7) The preceding narratives create a flow of cross-connotations.  In John 10, Jesus depicts the cross-work as a shepherd laying down his life for his sheep (10:11).  In John 11, the dying and rising of Lazarus foreshadows the dying and rising of Jesus.  Also in John 11, Lazarus’ resurrection is a catalyst for the Jewish leadership’s final plots against Jesus’ life (11:50, 57).  In John 12:1-11, Mary anointed Jesus at Bethany with perfume that Jesus tied to “my burial” (12:7), denoting his death.  In J0hn 12:23, Jesus announced that the “hour” of his glorification “has come”–which was the hour of his death.  Therefore, since the reader encounters “death” words and symbols throughout John 10–12, it is appropriate that the action of footwashing in John 13 also speaks ultimately to Jesus’ death on the cross. 

Paul said it well in Philippians: “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross!” (2:8).

7 Reflections After Preaching Through Romans

Last week I finished preaching through Paul’s letter to the Romans.  This verse-by-verse journey took me through 77 messages in order to thoroughly deal with each chapter. 

Here are 7 reflections after preaching through the letter:
(1) I am more astounded by the comprehensive sovereignty of God than I was before preaching Romans
(2) I am even more convinced of God’s predestination of sinners unto salvation than I was before preaching Romans
(3) I am more burdened for the hardened nation of Israel than I was before preaching Romans
(4) I am more grateful for Jesus’ role as our “propitiation” than I was before preaching Romans
(5) I am more burdened for evangelism and missions than I was before preaching Romans
(6) I am even more convinced of man’s total spiritual and moral inability than I was before preaching Romans
(7) I am more convinced of the necessity for every Christian to thoroughly understand Romans than I was before preaching Romans

Any Romans-lovers out there?  If any reader has devoted time to study, preach, or teach through part/all of Romans, what resolutions and convictions has the letter left you with?  If Romans is a favorite book of yours, why?  If not, why not? 

I want to recommend several “must-have” resources for studying and preaching through Romans, which sometimes come from varying perspectives, but are nonetheless insightful:
-Thomas Schreiner’s commentary
-Douglas Moo’s commentary
-Paul Jewett’s commentary
-Leon Morris’ commentary
-Ben Witherington’s commentary

May the Lord prosper the proclamation of His holy word, especially Paul’s masterful letter to the Romans!

Just Do Something, by Kevin DeYoung

Yes, yes, yes!  Due to the many terrible and misleading books published along the topic of “finding God’s will,” it is my joy to recommend Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will. 

For too long believers have been told that they need to discover God’s secret will for their lives through a variety of mystical measurements: open doors, whispers of God in times of devotion, subjective feelings of “peace” about this or that scenario, Bible roulette that leads to spontaneous passages to provide God’s “word” at the moment, etc. 

DeYoung puts the supernatural guidance of God in biblical perspective.  Tragically, many believers rely on downright pagan means to divine the will of the Lord.  Every believer should buy DeYoung’s book and devour it ten times over. 

Some great statements include these:
-”I’d like us to consider that maybe we have difficulty discovering God’s wonderful plan for our lives because, if the truth be told, He doesn’t really intend to tell us what it is.  And maybe we’re wrong to expect Him to” (p. 18). 
-”Waiting for God’s will of direction is a mess.  It is bad for your life, harmful to your sanctification, and allows too many Christians to be passive tinkerers who strangely feel more spiritual the less they actually do” (p. 26). 
-”His way is not a crystal ball.  His way is wisdom” (p. 41).
-”Christians often use ‘open door’ theology to bless whatever bad idea they’ve already decided to do” (p. 78). 
-”Open doors, fleeces, random Bible verses, and impressions, if construed in the right way, have their place in the Christian’s life.  But in my experience, these tools have been wielded for more harm than good.  They are easily abused, manipulated, and lend themselves to superstition” (p. 85). 

At only 122 pages, DeYoung’s book is both quickly readable and invaluably helpful!  It is a needed corrective to the many superstitious approaches to “finding God’s will,” and DeYoung anchors the reader in the wisdom of the Scriptures and the guidance of the Spirit according to God’s secret will of decree.  DeYoung, like the Bible, calls his readers to walk by faith, not sight; by wisdom, not superstition.  Buy this book right now, and buy one for someone else that you know needs DeYoung’s treatment of “God’s will.”

The Sovereign Shepherd and the Chosen Sheep

There are 5 statements in John 10 that deserve careful attention:

-”He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3b)
-”When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them…” (John 10:4a)
-”I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.  I must bring them also” (John 10:16a-b)
-”but you do not believe because you are not my sheep” (10:26)
-”My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (10:27)

John 10 is the famous “Good Shepherd” discourse that constantly speaks of people who are God’s “sheep.”  While most readers may assume that “sheep” in John 10 refers to “Christians”/”believers,” there are several statements that should give us pause here.  Above, in John 10:3b, the sheep are called “his own” before he ever leads them out, and he calls to those who are “his own” before they ever follow him.  Jesus brings out “his own” in 10:4a.  This means that before these “sheep” become believers in the Lord and followers of the Shepherd, they are already in some sense “his.”  And while there may be many other sheep in that particular sheep pen, Jesus came only to call “his own” sheep. 

Jesus said earlier, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37), and, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (6:44a). 

Who are the sheep in John 10?  The sheep are the chosen people, the elect of God, those whom the Father gave to the Son before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4).  Before he even calls to them, Jesus describes the sheep whom he will call as “his own” because they were chosen. 

Understanding the “sheep” of John 10 as those who are mercifully chosen by God for salvation makes the best sense of other verses, like John 10:26: “but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.”  Jesus was talking to the Jewish opposition, who were clearly unbelievers.  Notice Jesus does not say, “You are not yet my sheep because you do not believe,” as if it was believing in Jesus that resulted in becoming a sheep of Jesus.  Rather, the reverse is true!  According to Jesus, it is being a sheep of the Lord that leads to believing in the Lord! 

Think also about John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice…and they follow me.”  One does not listen to Jesus’ voice and then (upon proper response) become a sheep of the Lord.  Instead, the only ones who will listen to Jesus’ voice are Jesus’ sheep, the chosen ones.  Jesus’ sheep listen to his sovereign call.  “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (10:3b).  There are others who are not Jesus’ sheep, and Jesus does not sovereignly call them and lead them out. 

Finally, consider “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen” (10:16a).  Since Jesus’ primary audience in John 10 is composed of Pharisees and other Jews, “this sheep pen” is probably the sheep pen of Judaism.  This means that the “other sheep” who are “not of this sheep pen” are the Gentiles who will believe.  What is Jesus teaching us in John 10? 

(1) God has chosen a people for himself, and they are the “sheep”
(2) Jesus is the Good Shepherd who calls to his sheep and leads them to salvation
(3) Jesus’ sheep come from the sheep pens of the Jews and the Gentiles, and he forms one people of God (10:16c)
(4) Being a sheep of Jesus will result in believing in Jesus, not vice versa (10:26)
(5) Jesus will bring all of his sheep to salvation; they will follow (10:16b-c)