Review of "Genesis 1-4: A Linguistic, Literary, and Theological Commentary" by C. John Collins

It is difficult to write a review for this book because I found it simply unremarkable. Collins presents an exegesis of Genesis 1-4 that sees Genesis 1:1-2:3 as "exalted prose" and from Genesis 2:4 on as narrative prose. For his exegesis, he uses a method that he calls the discourse-oriented literary approach, also referred to as discourse analysis. This approach was cursorily defined in the text, but because it depended on the particular form of Hebrew words, it was impossible for one untrained in ancient Hebrew, like myself, to assess the validity of this method. Thus, the exegetical method that he uses lends itself to only experts in Hebrew. But apart from the method, the book had the feel that the targeted reader was simply Biblically literate. So I wonder whom the audience was that Collins intended. Despite this significant drawback, I enjoyed much of his commentary, particularly his sections outlining the "reverberations" of the text in later Scripture. The later chapters of the book, which deal with Chapters 1-4 as a whole, are the real strength of this book. They discuss the current debates over interpretation, what can be meant by the historicity of these chapters, and the impact of these chapters on the larger narrative of Scripture.

God's assignments

For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. (Heb 6:10 ESV)

For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, (2Th 1:6-7 NASB)

This verse in Hebrews struck me recently. How comforting that God will not forget my labor. But then how much labor have I actually put forth that He should be remembering? A quick perusing of the Faith Chapter (Hebrews 11) reveals that there are many who have labored much longer and more arduously than I have. I sit here with a full belly in a warm house in a free country with every physical need that I could imagine provided for. So what labor of mine could possibly be worthy of God’s remembrance? Should I somehow make myself more uncomfortable? Should I head off to a foreign land to be persecuted and martyred?

This is not the first time that these sorts of questions have come to mind. Other verses have struck similar chords. Jesus’ words, “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you,” (John 15:20) or Paul’s, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life will be persecuted,” (2 Tim. 3:12) have dredged up questions about why I am able to live so comfortably while others truly are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. What’s more, I’ve not heard the voice of God commissioning me personally to take the gospel to any particular people or nation. Unlike many dramatic conversion narratives, both ancient and contemporary, mine will not be adapted for screenplays or books. I have no Damascus road experience, though God’s pursuit of my soul has been nothing less than awe inspiring to me—maybe because only He and I know how hard he presses on at times to take hold of me. The essential component that I see in retrospect that I was looking for was something sensational, publically sensational. But today that is not the call that God has given to me.

The questions of persecution and conversion were answered well by two different pastors at two different times. While voicing my concern that my life was not one of suffering or persecution, a wise pastor reminded me that Jesus himself, for thirty years, grew in favor with both God and men. It was only at the twilight of his life that persecution became of the ilk that we often conjure up in our minds. The issue of conversion experience was aptly answered by another pastor who noted that the conversion experience of most of the apostles was not recorded for us, probably because they weren’t dramatic or particularly noteworthy. While I think this likely, my firm conviction regarding my conversion came from reading Jesus words to Nicodemus in John 3:3, “Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” I have seen the kingdom of God—the one spoken of by Daniel and ruled today by Jesus himself.

In response to the present concern—that my life is not laborious enough for God to remember—the pastor of the church that I currently attend gave some perceptive words. We aren’t given the luxury of evaluating the missions and assignments that God has given us to discharge. It is not for us to whine that our assignment is not more glamorous or fetching. God is in the business of furthering His kingdom and bringing glory to Himself through Jesus Christ. When we appear before the Father, we will be asked whether we obeyed him, whether we were the good and faithful servant, whether we did what God asked with what He gave us. We will not be asked why we weren’t given ten talents instead of five; we will be asked what we did with the five that were given to us.

God has given me so much: my amazing, beautiful wife Jess; an exciting and engaging occupation; the luxury of living near my family in an area that I love; but most importantly the adoption as His son through the sacrifice of His only begotten son, Jesus Christ. But in all of these blessings there is a responsibility, an assignment if you will, to be a good steward of the gifts that I have been given, to act, in whatever situation that I’m in, in a manner worthy of the gospel that I profess to herald. Frankly, these assignments have been tremendously enjoyable. But they are not sensational. If I love Jess as I ought and as God intends, God alone will know and maybe Jess. If I work with integrity and demonstrate the peace of Christ among what might be a stressful work environment, maybe no one else will even notice. God alone will know. If our family is bound tightly not because of blood ties but because of the ties of the Spirit, outsiders will simply chalk it up to dumb luck or perceptive parenting. God alone will know that we are bound by His Spirit. My prayers to God for many who do not yet know Him will never be published or even divulged. But God alone will know that it is with the love of Christ that I pray for them. In the end, God will ask me if I prayed for those He gave me to pray for, if I loved those I was given to love, if I spoke the words I was given to speak. On this basis He will say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” These labors, which represent obedience to and consequently love for God, He will certainly not forget.

What is and what is to come

One of the more challenging aspects of being a Christian is the balance between what as, what is, and what is to come. The most common difficulty is mistaking what is to come for what is. In theological terms this is referred to as overrealized eschatology. Its manifestation is particularly prevalent in movements such as liberation theology and some social justice movements. (Interestingly, in both cases there is often an accompanying anachronistic application of what was for what is. But that’s a topic for another discussion.) But the topic that most concerns me is this mindset as it applies to preaching the gospel. My thinking today is motivated by 1 Peter 1, which clearly delineates between the now and the then.

What is the gospel? Is it good news to us? That Jesus died for our sins, according to Scripture; that he was descended from David, according to Scripture; that he rose from the dead, according to Scripture; are all critical ingredients of the gospel. But there is more. He’s coming again. It is then that he will bring justice to victory. It is then that our faith will result in praise, glory, and honor. It is then that our groaning to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling will be sated. Now we may suffer grief in various trials. Now we have trouble. (But take heart, Jesus has overcome the world!) It is not for this life that we have hope—it is for the next. It is those things which are unseen on which our eyes are fixed, those eternal things. Nevertheless, now we still taste and see that God is good. Today we can be filled with joy. Now we can still confidently hope.

The gospel apart from Jesus return and our being with him is no gospel at all. I fear that much evangelism preaches a gospel of comfort for our egos today and a “get out of hell free” card for the future. I seldom hear that we are to live here on earth as foreigners as we await the coming of our country. This partnership in the kingdom of heaven, of course, has radical implications for how we live today. But how we live today must be motivated by fixing our eyes on Jesus and being mindful of his return. To preach a change of behavior with the kingdom of heaven as an afterthought is to mistake the result for the cause. Only with eyes fixed on the kingdom of heaven can we exclaim with the apostle John, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens…Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. (1Pe 1:1-9)

Review of "On the Holy Spirit" by St. Basil the Great

Reading On the Holy Spirit by St. Basil the Great is somewhat like reading two books simultaneously. The title gives the first subject, the Holy Spirit. The second, the state of the fourth century church, occurs inadvertently. Both are educational and enjoyable. St. Basil begins his defense of the divinity of the Holy Spirit by showing the similarities between the language used to describe Jesus and the language used for the Holy Spirit. At the time of his writing, the question of the deity of Jesus is largely settled. (I recommend On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius for a good defense of Jesus’ deity.) The argument then progresses to show the distinction between the Holy Spirit and the Father and Son. Several examples are expounded, such as passages dealing with blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit’s intercession for us. Thus, he articulates the unity and distinction of the Holy Spirit with and within the Godhead. Ultimately, his discussion is persuasive.

The other thread that runs through the book is the state of the fourth century church. I was particularly interested in the role that Scripture played in relation to the teaching of the Fathers. St. Basil acknowledges both, but uses Scripture almost exclusively for his defense—although his Scripture includes several apocryphal books. All of this is being written to a church in turmoil. St. Basil laments, “To what can I compare our present condition? It is like a naval battle, kindled by old quarrels, fought by men who love war, who cultivate hatred for one another…The disorder and confusion is beyond description….” The comfort in all of this is that if we think the faith is in turmoil now, it surely was then too. But the battle did not quench the faith that still prevails today. As G. K. Chesterton says, “Five times in history the faith has had all the appearance of going to the dogs. Five times it has been the dog that died.”

Review of "The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity" by Philip Jenkins

In The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, Philip Jenkins paints a picture of the future of Christianity in colors unfamiliar to typical American thinking. He clearly delineates the characteristics of the rapidly growing Christian churches outside Western Europe and the United States: conservative and charismatic. He illustrates the potential conflicts between Christianity and other major religions such as Islam or Hinduism. And he speculates about what the effects will be on established churches of having a Christian majority outside the West. The information he presents is fascinating and paradigm-altering. His writing is clear and his organization straight-forward. Nevertheless, I found the book to be tedious. The writing is dry and seemingly designed only for the utilitarian purpose of conveying information, far removed from any literary pleasure. But the information contained in this book is critical for formation of an accurate picture of the past, present, and future of global Christianity. On those grounds I recommend it to anyone interested in the growth of the Christian church, although I wouldn’t recommend it for reading enjoyment.

Review of "The Language of God" by Francis S. Collins

The Language of God was an immensely enjoyable read, particularly for me as a scientist far removed from the DNA world. I have not seen the basics of evolutionary theory presented as clearly and simply as Collins does here. However, the book does not deliver what some might hope it does or even what the header suggests: evidence for belief. But this is for two obvious reasons, which Dawkins would do well to remember. First, Collins is not a philosopher. But he does not try to be--he merely describes the arguments (mostly articulated by C. S. Lewis) that persuaded him to become a Christian. For Collins, the Moral Law is the most convincing. For me as a scientist and a Christian, the Moral Law is less convincing than other evidence related specifically to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Second, Collins is not a Biblical scholar either. Like the philosophical discussion, Collins simply articulates his position regarding the first few chapters of Genesis. The bridge he develops to traverse from a literal interpretation of Genesis to a more figurative one is tenuous at best. Thus, Collins has the potential to aggravate both Christians and non-Christians. But Collins excels at combating a view often promoted in popular culture and espoused by of the reviewers of this book and some of my own students--that science and faith are incompatible. Strangely, it is far more frequent for a professor in the humanities or social science to tell me how science has nudged out faith than it is for a practicing scientist to articulate the same. The greatest contribution that Collins makes is his own statement of faith as a respected scientist. If this book does anything, I hope that it checks those who attempt to use science to discredit faith. So, although I don't agree with all of Collins's arguments, I stand with him as one of the myriad of believing scientists to say that science and faith are compatible. And I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be fascinated by the natural world.

Further comments on the Bush administration

Along the same lines as the previous article that I recommended by Peter Feaver, this Wall Street Journal column by William McGurn highlights some of the glaring oversights in the media coverage of the recent Scott McClellan book. This article illustrates the significant change in strategy signified by the Surge in Iraq and the firing of Donald Rumsfeld, both of which demonstrated the administration's willingness to not only change directions when necessary but to take responsiblity for failed policies. It also gives some rarely heard praise and respect to the President.

Assessment on the "Surge" in Iraq from a policymaker

Although politics and foreign affairs are generally not the focus of my blogs, I ran across this article (linked to the title of this blog) by Peter Feaver and couldn't help but notice it. I am particularly interested in his comments as I have tried a couple times to get him to speak here at Cornell, but it turns out that he is a really busy guy. In any event, his first hand experience pertaining to the development of the most recent strategy in Iraq, namely the Surge, makes his assessment of the successes and continued challenges of that strategy all the more enlightening. It is a perspective that, apparently, is out of favor with the majority of the media outlets.

Did God say...?

Recently, I was sitting in an excellent lecture entitled “Freedom to Live” by Dr. Stephen Um. During the course of the lecture, he began an exposition on Eve and the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-6). As he examined the text, through the lens of freedom versus the law, my mind wandered from his main point. I considered Satan’s statement generally, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden?’” Satan’s question was an attempt to cast doubt on the trustworthiness of God and His word: they would not really die (3:4); in fact, God’s words to Adam and Eve were not in their best interest at all (3:5).

From the day that the serpent came to Eve many millennia ago, to this very moment, the assault on faith has been the same. A nagging question in our minds whispers, “Can I really trust God?” A broken heart wails in despair, “God, are you really compassionate? Where were you when all this happened?” Weary hope, deferred for seeming eternity, begs an answer, “How long God? Where is your graciousness? Has my patience been for naught?” In tragedy and sickness and death, we indict God, “Where is Your justice? Where is Your goodness? Where is Your power?” Through all the troubles of life, we groan as our faith is tested—sometimes feeling like God is Darth Vader and we are the budding Jedi crying out, “Father please!,” in hope that the lightning bolts will stop. In these times, if we are reminded of God’s revelation to Moses, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin,” (Ex. 34:6-7) maybe we sarcastically respond, “Oh, really?!” Regardless of the exact nature of its manifestation, in the course of the Christian life we will all face the same question: Can I trust God? Does His word hold true? We come to that point when we are confronted with a declaration of God that contradicts our experience. Now what?

One approach is to become a moral deist of sorts: I’ll just try my best to be a good person. I’ll be kind to the poor and I won’t engage in any really egregious sins, but as far as serving and worshipping a personal God…maybe later. This is better for society than the other option of tacit rebellion. Perhaps a third option is to be “Christian,” but replace joy with bitterness and faith with duty. Unfortunately, all of these miss the mark. What does God require? He requires us to act justly and to love mercy, to which all the deists say amen, but also to walk humbly with God. (Mic. 6:8) Sorry, all of you deists, a walk is an intimate affair.

Because ultimately it is God who directs our paths, we cannot walk with Him without trusting Him. To trust Him, we must believe that He will be true to His word. In other words, when the time comes that we find ourselves being asked, “Did God really say…,” we can answer back, “Yes he did! And He will do it!” Two directives are implicit here. First, we must know what God said. Second, we must know Him in order to trust that He will deliver. I think that Jesus’ response to Satan, after being hungry for forty days in the desert, is remarkable. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4) It is a doubly intriguing statement because not only is Jesus saying it, but he is also citing God’s word in Duet. 8:3! In fact, all three of Jesus responses to Satan are citations of God’s word in the Old Testament. It is worth thinking about the difference between Adam and Eve’s response and Jesus’ response to Satan; it is precisely that Jesus knew what God said and knew God to be true, while Adam and Eve did not. Much more could flow from this line of thought, such as the fact that Jesus is referred to as the Word (John 1:1-14), but I hope this suffices to stir a little reflection.

A Tribute to a Faithful Witness

Below is the eulogy that I gave for my Grandpa Flynn, who passed away the weekend after Thanksgiving. I spoke only from an outline, so this is my attempt to recollect the words that I actually said.

Tribute to a Faithful Witness

A Eulogy for Grandpa Flynn

Hello. I am the oldest of Grandpa’s Wyoming grandkids. I have talked with my brothers regarding their thoughts about Grandpa, and I think we are of one mind in our recollection. But first, I want to share one of Royce’s memories that doesn’t exactly fit into what I’ll be talking about. He wanted to remind everyone that at age 69 Grandpa demonstrated how to do a back flip off the diving board! This is just one of many examples of his zest for life.

As I reflect back on Grandpa influenced my life, I am surprised by what does not come to mind. It is not the numerous pool parties that he threw for birthdays or family get-togethers. It is not getting my back adjusted, hoping that he would not find my C1 or pubes out of alignment—these were not fun to get adjusted! It is not the mathematics tutoring that I received from him during junior high and high school, even though his academic mentoring was very influential. It is not even the wise words that still echo in my ears and gave me perspective as I wrestled with issues ranging from a broken heart to graduate school burnout, “It’s par for the course.” After leaving for New York, my visits back to Wyoming almost always consisted of a three or four hour conversation on theology or philosophy; yet I cannot recall the specific content of these recent and deep conversations.

As I remember Grandpa, two qualities stand out that seem to dwarf the others: his gratitude and his eager expectation of the return of Christ. I know some people have said he was just about the best man for whom to cook—he expressed his gratitude heartily with every bite. I don’t know how many times he would come over for one of Mom’s brunches (which are quite legendary) and with every morsel of strawberry or every mouthful of waffles exclaim things like, “This is just incredible,” or, “This is just such a treat!” Meanwhile, I would have already eaten two cinnamon rolls without so much as a peep. His gratitude extended beyond food though, to everyone who helped him out with his oxygen or mowed his lawn or shoveled his walk. I still have much to learn from him in this regard.

Paradoxically, his gratitude for the blessings of this world was superseded only by his longing for the blessings of the next. His strong interest in eschatology and the state of Israel stemmed from his longing to see the return of Christ. I have heard him say, “Come, Lord Jesus,” so many times that when I read the end of Revelation today it is his booming voice I hear proclaiming those words. He was truly looking for the heavenly city—certain of its coming. In short, he was a man of faith. And I am grateful to have had him as one of my spiritual mentors.

In the time that I knew him, he lived his life as a testimony, as a witness of the things not yet seen. And just as we are told that Abel still speaks through his faith, even though he is dead; so also, Grandpa by faith still testifies to the death, the resurrection, and the imminent return of our Lord. Although it is true that he is in a better place, this really doesn’t capture the essence of his life or his death. Rather, he stands now among that great cloud of witnesses and by faith his voice is still speaking, encouraging us to run this race with eyes fixed on Jesus, to persevere, and to not lose heart. One passage in Hebrews is particularly pertinent, and I instantly thought of him when I read it. I want to read that passage as a tribute to him.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Heb. 11:13-16, TNIV)

Testimony

In the process of applying for church membership I had to write up a short testimony. It certainly doesn't tell all the story, but it does hit the highlights.

I was born into a Christian family and was taught throughout my childhood to pray, to read and memorize Scripture, tithe, etc. My parents are wonderfully supportive and have a godly marriage. We were members of the Worldwide Church of God, a church whose theology was faulty in many regards, but whose commitment to Biblical authority was undeniable. I was thirteen or fourteen when I committed my life to Jesus Christ in prayer. Of course, at this time I didn’t grasp my own sinfulness, but I wanted to be godly and obey. I was baptized on August 2, 1997 at the age of 18, by the then-pastor of my church, Roger Ludwig. I had been thinking about baptism for some time, but was confirmed in this desire by an encounter of sorts. I would almost describe this encounter as God’s speaking to me, but the exact words I won’t try to parse. It is sufficient to note that I was very aware of my smallness, God’s magnitude, and the joyful absurdity that in His greatness He would condescend to care for me. This encounter sealed the deal, and I was baptized shortly thereafter.

I must confess that I felt far from exuberant following my baptism. It seemed that very shortly afterward all of the battles that I had been fighting escalated, as if my previous battles had only been against puppets with wooden swords. The battles now were grueling and vicious, too often leaving me bloodied on the battlefield. During this time I was also wrestling with an upheaval of much of my theology. I had grown up keeping the Law, including the food laws, the Jewish festivals, and the seventh day Sabbath. In addition, I felt that those not keeping these laws could not be saved. In my late teens, the church I was attending began to realize that we had misinterpreted much of the new covenant and had been living under legalism. I was still wrestling with these changes in college, in addition to dealing with a dating relationship and the later fallout thereof. Thus, during the first three years of my undergraduate college years God dramatically broke and reshaped me.

I began graduate school at Wyoming in January of 2002. I didn’t feel the same turmoil that I had felt at the beginning of my undergraduate education, and I wanted to share some of the things that I had learned in that valley with some of the older teens at my church. Thus, I began giving sermonettes, specifically targeted at older teens approaching college. After a year or so I began giving sermons once a month. (Our church has a lay pastor, so several different men help out in the pulpit duties.) Coupled with these increasing responsibilities was a greater seriousness about Bible study and my own relationship with God. During these years I grew spiritually, especially through my relationship with our new pastor Shannon Fertig (my older cousin) and his wife Denise –I found in them a kindred spirit and encouraging presence in the walk of faith.

I graduated with an M.S. in July 2003 and came to Cornell in August. I have seen God work here in my life in three ways—probably more too. First, in interacting with Christians of different denominations, political viewpoints, nationalities, and professions; I have been astounded at the magnitude of God’s kingdom. Truly the rock that struck all other kingdoms is growing to fill the whole earth and though the kingdom of God suffers violence it advances with equal vehemence. Second, I have learned much about Biblical study from older people in Cornell’s Graduate Christian Fellowship, from teachings at church and things like Pastor Felker’s Systematic Theology class, and from leading a few Bible studies. Finally, God has blessed me here with more friends than I have ever had—Christian friends who share a passion to follow Jesus and help each other when the road is difficult. That brings me to today.

As I reread what I’ve just written, I realize that it doesn’t capture the essence of what I want to say. The essence of my life is this: God continues to seek and save me who would otherwise be lost. As a man who was taught to and prides himself on never quitting, I too often find myself ready to throw in the towel. In these times, when I feel like my quitting would do God a favor, when part of me just wants to let go because it is too hard, it is then that I find that the epitome of perseverance is found in God alone, who truly does not quit. The potter has begun to shape the clay and will not turn back his hand until it is the vessel he desired it to be. Praise be to God for this faithfulness in spite of my faithlessness.

Enslaved by desires

Last week I was reading Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov and the following passage struck me as quite profound. It's noteworthy that it was written in the latter half of the nineteenth century!

…but in science there is nothing but what is the object of sense. The spiritual world, the higher part of man’s being is rejected altogether, dismissed with a sort of triumph, even with hatred. The world has proclaimed a reign of freedom, especially of late, but what do we see in this freedom of theirs? Nothing but slavery and self-destruction! For the world says: “You have desires and so satisfy them, for you have the same rights as the most rich and powerful. Don’t be afraid of satisfying them and even multiply your desires.” That is the modern doctrine of the world. In that they see freedom. And what follows from this right of multiplication of desires? In the rich, isolation and spiritual suicide; in the poor, envy and murder; for they have been given rights, but have not been shown the means of satisfying their wants. They maintain that the world is getting more and more united, more and more bound together in brotherly community, as it overcomes distance and sets thoughts flying through the air.

Alas, put no faith in such a bond of union. Interpreting freedom as the multiplication and satisfaction of desires, men distort their own nature, for many senseless and foolish desires and habits and ridiculous fancies are fostered in them. They live only for mutual envy, for luxury and ostentation. To have dinners, visits, carriages, rank and slaves to wait on one is looked upon as a necessity, for which life, honour and human feeling are sacrificed, and men even commit suicide if they are unable to satisfy it. We see the same thing among those who are not rich, while the poor drown their unsatisfied need and their envy in drunkenness. But soon they will drink blood instead of wine, they are being led to it. I ask you, is such a man free? I knew one “champion of freedom” who told me himself that, when he was deprived of tobacco in prison, he was wretched at the privation that he almost went and betrayed his cause for the sake of getting tobacco again! And such a man says, “I am fighting for the cause of humanity.”

How can such a one fight, what is he fit for? He is capable perhaps of some action quickly over, but he cannot hold out long. And so it’s no wonder that instead of gaining freedom they have sunk into slavery, and instead of serving the cause of brotherly love and union of humanity have fallen, on the contrary, into dissension and isolation…And therefore the idea of service to humanity, of brotherly love and the solidarity of mankind, is more and more dying out in the world, and indeed this idea is sometimes treated with derision. For how can man shake off his habits, what can become of him if he is in such bondage to the habit of satisfying the innumerable desires he has created for himself? He is isolated, and what concern has he with the rest of humanity? They have succeeded in accumulating a greater mass of objects, but the joy in the world has grown less.

The Stranger

Several years ago, I was on a flight back to my home state of Wyoming, coming from Duke on a spring break visit to Rod. Seated next to me was an older black woman, maybe in her sixties, with short gray hair. I think she was returning from visiting her grandchildren. I don’t remember if we introduced ourselves or not; I suspect we probably said a polite hello and then proceeded with our respective activities.

When flying, I often do my daily Bible study on the flight. This day was no different. I dug through my backpack, pulled out my Bible, and began reading. Noticing that I was reading the Bible, the woman asked me if I was a Christian and introduced herself as Viola. She seemed both surprised and encouraged to see a young person studying the Bible, as she too was a Christian. We began talking about faith and the hope that accompanies it. We chatted pleasantly for the remainder of the flight. (I’m one of those talkative persons that many dread sitting beside on a flight.)

After landing, we collected our belongings and headed off the plane. Just as we were about to disembark, Viola turned to me, smiled, shook my hand, and with a note of confidence in her voice that would have made General Patton green with envy, said, “Well, I’m sure I’ll see you again.” I grinned, knowing that she was not speaking of anything in this lifetime, and responded with a similar statement.

The impact of her words to me has grown over the years; not because I think she was giving me some message about my salvation, but because she was so confident in hers. More than that, the reality of eternity was with her that day. Her statement wasn’t forced or contrived; it was a genuine reflection of an outlook that views this life as merely a breath. I see in her words a trust in Jesus that humbles me, a trust in what he has done and what he will do. Even today, I can barely tell the story without being choked up. She knew that the one who called her was faithful and her confidence in him was her peace.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 ESV)

The Trail of Betrayal

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. (Acts 4:27-28, TNIV)

One of the most painful experiences in life is betrayal: the breach of a trust or disloyalty. Betrayal tears the strength from us and rips our hearts. Who can forget the look on Mel Gibson’s face in Braveheart when he pulls off the helmet of his enemy only to reveal Robert the Bruce, his supposed friend? There was no fight left in him; the pain was too deep and it seemed his very will to live was sapped from him. In fact, it takes a great deal of effort to think of any movie or TV show that doesn’t have some form of betrayal as the bedrock of its evil whether it be abandonment, treason, adultery, etc. But we don’t really need the entertainment industry for this; most have experienced betrayal first hand at one time or another. The immediate emotions after being betrayed run the gamut from bitter sadness to blind rage to complete detachment; later we become jaded or apathetic. How does Christianity fit in with all of this? Should our reaction be any different than a non-Christian? The difficulty is that our thinking can become so irrational after we are betrayed that we are nearly immobilized. Worse yet is that the closer the person is to us, the more painful the experience and the greater likelihood that the person who betrayed us is one that we would be asking for comfort and support.

Suppose that we are relatively strong in the faith, then what? Maybe we can get our intellect to agree that whatever betrayal we have suffered is much less than the betrayal that Jesus suffered at the hand of Judas (Matt. 26:14-23); but we don’t feel any better. We know that God, in his sovereignty, has permitted our pain and we begin to be angry with God. To add to the difficulty we may even be technically “justified” in our feelings toward our betrayer because quite possibly we have genuinely been wronged; so we nurse our bitterness along. In my life I’ve found that when I’m angry with my friend and angry with God I’m generally angry with the world too. Just like if you feel heat, smell smoke, and see your shirt aflame you should stop, drop and roll; so also when we find ourselves angry at the world, our friends, and God we need to stop, drop and pray. Unfortunately, in this condition I find it most difficult to pray, mostly because I know God can fix it but I wonder why He doesn’t; I know that he is omnipotent, I just don’t know if He cares. I also know that I’m acting like a kid throwing a temper tantrum because God’s not doing things exactly the way I wanted – so clearly I’m not walking in His will. Of course just because I’m aware of these things doesn’t make it any easier to pray; I just know that I should.

Regardless of how badly we don’t want to pray, we must! We pray for the Comforter to dwell in us; Him who helps us in our weakness and intercedes with groanings too deep for words (Rom. 8:26-27). We must open our Bibles to hear the words of God: “…let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16) and “…humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God…casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Pet. 5:6-7) I find that too often another impediment to prayer is that I can’t see a solution. This is very ironic since it is exactly the times when our backs are to the sea being pressed by an insurmountable force that we need the waters to part. Our cry should not be the one of the Israelites, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, so as to bring us out of Egypt?” (Ex. 14:11) Rather we should take heart from the words of Moses, “Do not fear! Stand firm and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today…The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.” (Ex. 14:13-14) I want to make it clear that the danger that faces us and hems us in does not come from our betrayer. I don’t mean to minimize the pain caused by betrayal, but a great danger exists of bitterness springing up and defiling us (Heb. 12:15). Beware of feeling too emotionally exhausted to pray, too mentally exhausted to read and meditate, and too angry to care; these are warning flags that we’re on a slippery slope and we must not give the Devil a foothold (Eph. 4:26-27)!

The question still remains, what about the betrayal? We didn’t deserve this! It seems that throughout the course of God’s dealings with mankind He has used man’s betrayal to show His grace and power; He is not thwarted by the plans of men (Prov. 19:21). Let’s start with Abel; he was betrayed and murdered by Cain, his own brother, because Cain was jealous of Abel’s righteousness (Gen. 4). God’s will was not impeded; Abel still speaks through his faith (Heb. 11:4; 12:24). It must have seemed to Abraham that God Himself was betraying him when asking for the sacrifice of Isaac. God’s purpose stood; He chose to bless all nations on the earth through Isaac (Gen. 22:18, Gal. 3:16). Isaac was betrayed by his wife and son to give the blessing to Jacob instead of Esau (Gen. 27). But even here God’s will remained unchanged; the blessing was given to the one God intended (Gen. 25:23). Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery (Gen. 37) in Egypt. His good behavior was rewarded by betrayal from his master’s wife when he refused to let her betray her husband, which resulted in Joseph serving years in prison. God was not usurped; Joseph was made ruler of Egypt second only to the Pharaoh (Gen. 41) and because of it he was able to aid his family during the famine. His words to his brothers are ones that we should remember when we’re betrayed, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life…to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Now therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God.” (Gen. 45:4-8) The list could go on with many others; the point is that many of the turning points in the lives of people of faith began with what was or looked like unjust betrayal but God made all things work together for the good of those He called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

Ultimately, it was through Judas betrayal of Jesus that salvation comes to us. If he had not died we could not live! We see that the faithful of old have been betrayed. We acknowledge that it is implicit in becoming a Christian that we will be betrayed (e.g. Matt. 5:11-12; 10:34-39; 24:10; 1 Pet. 4:12-16), as ones following after Christ. But how should we treat those who betray us? The clear and tall order is this: “…love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matt. 5:44) Even the words of Jesus, the only truly innocent one, on the cross reflect this, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) I don’t write these things because I have mastered them but rather because I want to know how to be holy, even when I am hurting. I have no doubt that I’ve betrayed people, hopefully only accidentally; but most of all, my sin is betrayal of God. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ that he came to save His people from their sin (Matt. 1:21). So the practical answer to the question of how to deal with our anger about someone hurting us is best summed up by Paul: get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger. I know this doesn’t sound like the popular notion of expressing and validating our feelings, but it’s the mandate of Scripture because they separate us from God.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love… (Eph. 4:31-5:2, TNIV)

...and justice for all?

Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity…for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness. (Psa 96:10,13 ESV)

The following is my effort to try to work out what true justice is from the counsel of Scripture, spurred on by the questioning of my brother Royce. My purpose is to first establish that God is just and as such defines what it means to be just. I see the justice of God in three manifestations: Jesus death that justifies us sinners, God’s promise to call every deed to account and to reward and punish accordingly, and finally the justice with which God deals with nations. Given that foundation I will move on to consider its implications for the justice that we are to display towards others as well as the justice we ought to expect from a government.

Before considering the justice of God it is necessary to understand our own sinfulness lest we deceive ourselves and find the truth is not in us. This understanding entails more than agreement that we are not perfect; it involves the realization that on our merits alone we have no business standing before the living God. The Bible takes for granted the sinfulness of man and I have no delusions that I will convince those who think themselves sinless. If we agree that we are sinful we recognize that we need mercy also, not merely justice. True justice, at its core, is characterized by equity: impartiality and fairness. But I would add that the equity God metes out goes deeper than mere outward acts; God looks on the heart and the attitude (1 Sam. 16:7; Matt. 5:27-28; Luke 16:10-15). His word is sharp, penetrating the soul and spirit and nothing in all creation is hidden from His sight, to whom we must give account (Heb. 4:12-13). Of course if we received equity apart from Jesus’ sacrifice we are in dire straits, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23), there are none who seek Him (Ps. 14:2-3), and by works of the law no flesh will be justified (Rom. 3:20). For us, as human beings, justice slays us at life’s starting gate (Ps. 51:5). We were dead in our sins but God who is rich in mercy made us alive in Jesus Christ, being saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:1-9). Put simply, in the absence of an atoning sacrifice we stand before God as sinful and worthy of his wrath (Rom. 3:9-19). We warrant death if God does not show mercy; but in his mercy He is still just (Rom. 3:21-26)!

How then is God still just in justifying sinners? Why is it just for God to accept the suffering and death of the innocent, namely Jesus Christ, so that sinners might come confidently before the throne of God to ask for mercy and help in time of need? In response to this I forcefully state a part of the doctrine of the Trinity: Jesus is God. The Old Testament looks forward to the day when God, not man, will justify the people by atoning for them (Ps. 65:3, 79:8-9; Duet. 32:43; Isa. 43:25, 44:22-23, 48:20, 53:1-12); He does this in the person of Jesus. It is instructive to note that Jesus in fact means “God saves” (see Matt. 1:21). Since much has been written regarding this doctrine I’ll simply refer to John 1:1-14. Coupling the fact of Jesus deity with the understanding that our sin is first and foremost sin against God gives us the answer to the above question. David knew this very well when, after committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering Uriah her husband, he rightly cries out, “Against you and you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.” (Ps. 51:4) The question is then answered: God is just in His mercy because He bears our sin; sin that is ultimately against Him. Thus He is uniquely able to uphold justice and show mercy by unjustly bearing our iniquities in the person of Jesus on the cross. In other words, the One whom we have sinned against chose to display His mercy by dying in our stead. It is crucial that we see that it was the offended party, God, who extended mercy; Jesus was not a random innocent man that God picked to die for the people, rather he was God himself.