Considering the Bible

Matthew 10:32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
Matthew 10:33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Two words pop up in this short passage. Acknowledge and deny. I behoves me to look into each and try to find out what is going in in the two verses above. A parallel passage may be found in Luke 12:8-9.

Acknowledge

To acknowledge something or someone is to confess or agree with that person or topic. The Greek word is ὁμολογέω homologéō. (Strong’s number G3670). It is a compound word made up of two base Greek words.

• ὁμοῦ homoû, (Strongs G3674) meaning the same, or as an adverb, at the same place or time, together
• λόγος lógos, (Strongs G3056). Strongs definition includes the following
  • …something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive.

To acknowledge is to agree with a person on his teaching, to admit (before men, as the passage clearly teaches) that you agree, confess and openly declare agreement (before men) with the teaching of the Rabbi.

The term is somewhat defined by the negative at times. To acknowledge is to concede, or not to deny, not to refuse. There may be an element of grudgingly admitting defeat to the truth of the message in this term.

Alternatively, the term allows the meaning of declaring openly, speaking out freely and to profess one’s self the worshipper of the Rabbi, to praise and celebrate the Rabbi in His teaching and life.

As you can see, it has a broad base of meaning to the hearer, and allows for some variation within those confessing as to the inner motivation.

Have you always, and without exception been joyous and exuberant in your confession of the Lord before men? I imagine it is the desired method of confession, that is to openly and with great joy agree with the Savior in His teaching. Yet I know from personal experience, I have at times (and in fear) provided a confession that appeared reluctant, almost grudgingly. I admit, from my point of view, this is the worst type of confession before men, but according to my little study, I find it is an acceptable confession before men.

Does my reader have a similar experience? Let me ask you a question.

In your imagination, which type of confession communicates dedication to God better?

When things are great in our lives, with no outward resistance being experienced, confession is relatively easy. On the other hand, when the enemy is attacking, difficulties pile up, situations are dark and we may have lost that inner confidence, but we confess anyway, simply because we know the truth, is this a confession that will be rejected?

Something to consider!

DEny

To deny is to reject. May I suggest that to deny is to understand a position or a persons message and after having understood it, to reject the person or the message. Jesus is not speaking of those who have never heard His message. That group of people are not being dealt with in this passage.

The Greek word is ἀρνέομαι arnéomai, Strongs G720, and includes the idea on contradiction, of refusing or rejecting a teaching, of disowning a person. To deny is to reject or renounce a person or teaching.

To deny is interestingly enough used in relation to the teachings of Christ and of our own desires.

The passage above speaks of denying the Christ and His teachings. Jesus also speaks of denial in relation to our own desires in Luke 9, and to take up a life of suffering in order to follow Him.

Luke 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

In summary, Jesus is providing us the opportunity to know how He represents us before the Father. He is providing us the knowledge of His communication to the Father of our reaction to His teaching and person.

Note one additional difference between Acknowledge and deny in this set of verses.

The Greek word for “acknowledge” in verse 32 is a future active indicative* verb. Jesus is stating that anyone who actively (of his own power and volition) acknowledges Him before men (after He makes this statement) will be acknowledged by Jesus before God.

The Greek word of “deny” in verse 33 is an aorist middle subjunctive* Understanding each of these descriptions of the verb is beyond my depth. I will only refer my reader to the difference, and imply that since it is aorist, there is no time defined, that the verb being in middle voice, speaks of the one denying as being involved (possibly with other’s influencing the denial), and as subjunctive, it speaks of possibility or potentiality, depending on circumstances.

Was Jesus speaking to those who, at the time of His message were actively confessing, acknowledging and agreeing with Him? Chapter 10 of the Gospel of Matthew is describing and preparing the apostles for their mission to the lost sheep of Israel. Those hearing this message were, to all appearances, the most committed of His followers.

Jesus warns these followers of the potential of denial.

Paul speak the same later on in his message to Timothy.

2 Timothy 2:12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;

To deny is an option for the believer.

What a far better choice we have, as we agree with the Master, willingly comply with what we know of His message, fully agree with Him and openly confess Him before men. If we do this, Jesus has told us of how He will communicate with the Father.

Perty good news if you tell me!

*I am not, and will never claim to be any level of Greek scholar, but simply depend solely on the work of learned men and women of the past who have provided such great tools as the Strong’s Concordance, in combination with the interlinear provided by Blue Letter Bible website. Any corrections or assistance in understanding the above from a formally taught linguist will be happily received.

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Matthew 5:22

But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

The beatitudes. The longest sermon the Lord provided for His people. Yes, it may be a compilation of Jesus teachings, given over a period of days, but that does not detract the sheer power of the message delivered.

Our verse, Matthew 5:22 is found in a portion of the sermon addressing anger. The question being addressed is – How is a believer to understand anger in his life?

There are some well meaning believers that consider this passage to be applicable to the future, to the saints who will exist in some future kingdom. As such, this passage supposedly does not apply to the church age believer. I know of these teachings because I was drawn to them, believed this slant and taught others of it. It is an outgrowth of a dispensational thought process and it was a comfortable way of thinking.

A comfortable way of thinking since this passage is a very challenging portion of Scripture if we allow it to be applicable to the current age. After many years of hanging on to a teaching that I currently reject, that strips the Word of much instruction for the modern believer, and causes much confusion, I began to consider that this passage Jesus gave His followers while He was on earth were for His followers while He was on earth.

Nevertheless, Jesus is instructing those who want to know of His teaching, what He expects of those who follow Him, and occasionally provides the results of not obeying His Word.

Such is the case in this passage. He builds in intensity of judgement, based on three acts escalating acts of anger.

• Angry with his brother = liable to judgement
• Insults his brother = liable to the council
• Calls his brother fool = liable to the hell of fire (Gehenna)

His teaching is a correction of the Pharisees, in that they allowed anger to be resident in the faithful adherent, teaching that physical murder is where sin is found. Anger seemed to be allowed, but not under the Lordship of Christ.

A bit of a sidebar. Note that the Lord speaks of anger in relation to a brother. This is critical, for we know that the overarching message to the follower of Christ is to love the brethren, to care for them, to carry their burdens if called upon.

Yet there is a place for anger in the believers life. I fear I may be going down a bit of a rabbit trail mentioning this, but I do want to make clear that Jesus is addressing interpersonal relationships within the body of people we eventually call the church. There are situations where anger is called for, but this post is not addressing that topic. Maybe another day!

Let us move on to the reason for considering this passage. What is the outcome of anger being resident in the believers life, the one who is following the Savior?

It is not good!

According to Jesus, being angry with a brother is equal in judgement to that of physical murder! The first mention of anger Jesus addresses is equal to the sin of murder, and the worst judgement the Pharisees spoke of. Both murder and anger with a brother are described as being “liable to judgement”.

Jesus continues His teaching that a believers act of insulting a brother would result in being liable to the council. I don’t understand this to be yanked in front of the Sanhedrin, other than Jesus saying it to provide context. This judgement may be before a council that had not been convened as yet, or that was convened, but without physical location. It may be the very council of God, setting judgement for the believer in his life.

Matthew 12:36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

A careless word certainly would include insulting a brother! To give account speaks of our defense, but we know we have no real defense before the holy and righteous God, sitting on the throne. Our only defense is the Lamb of God, slain for our sins. Yet we must remember that our actions have consequences, even as we live in the abundant forgiveness of the Lord.

For the last phrase, Jesus mentions Gehenna fire. As you know if you have been following Considering the Bible, I am not convinced this reference is to what is commonly thought of as hell, or the lake of fire. For those who may be interested in my current thoughts, I would direct you to Perishing in Eternal Torment. I readily admit that I am unsure of the exact fate of the lost, other than it will not (at least immediately) be with the Living Savior.

No matter, for as the Lord speaks of Gehenna, He communicates clearly that any believer who degrades a brother, calling him a fool, is liable for the fires of gehenna.

Ok, we should make every effort to understand what the people Jesus was teaching would associate with when He uses this word. Did they have, as a general teaching in their culture and religion, a concept of Dante’s inferno, with pitchforks, darkness, fire, demons, eternal suffering and torture already in their consciences? Was that a common thought in the first century?

I would suggest that Jesus’ audience more likely associated the term Gehenna with a garbage dump on the east side of the City of Jerusalem. A waste pit, the repository of the garbage generated by the city, constantly being consumed by the fires that were continually burning.

A very vivid picture for Jesus to refer to.

As a believer, if we are angry with our brother, we are liable (destined?) for the waste pit. A stark message from the Savior, that anger has no place in the believer’s life, and that if anger is resident in the believers life, it escalates and consumes the believer until he has wasted his life, destined for a waste pit.

Would Jesus’ audience have understood the Savior as such? Should we?

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Proverbs 21:16 One who wanders from the way of good sense will rest in the assembly of the dead.

As we read the proverbs, we have to remember that they describe general truths of life. A good example may be found in Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Many parents, when their child seems to wander from the faith, run to this verse and find some comfort. Two thoughts give me pause though.

Proverbs 22:6 does not speak of faith but of lifestyle. Yes I know those two things can be synonymous, but not necessarily so. The second thing to notice is that Solomon does not instruct us with what we want him to say, such as my mashed up verse 6.

Train up a child in the way he should go; and though he departs from the faith for a season, never going to church, or even praying, I promise he will return to the very denomination he left when he gets older.

See the difference? Solomon speaks of the child never departing. We think he is telling us the child will return.

My point is that the proverbs should be read carefully, and we should not try to extract an absolute truth from a proverb. They are general truths. Solomon speaks of the child not departing if he/she has been trained properly, but we all know godly families who have a son or daughter who has rebelled and walked away.

The proverbs provide general truths.

Now, back to our topic verse, and to consider what Solomon is trying to generally tell us. I think there are two items worthy to consider in this verse.

1. – TO WANDER

First off, consider that the one spoken of here is “wandering from the way of good sense”, or “strays from common sense” (NLT).

The Hebrew verb תָּעָה tâʻâh, is typically translated “wander” in this verse. The one passage I found above, translating it as “stray” is rare. To wander or to stray, speaks of an undisciplined life, a life that may not have a goal in sight, or that the life goal has been lost, ignored, or even forgotten.

When the topic of wandering comes to mind, I always think of my days trapping beaver and muskrat with Reynald in northern Canada. He definitely had a goal as we trudged through that field to the beaver dam, but I seemed to wander! If interested, check out Let Me Tell You a Story – Plowing

To wander implies no goal, or a forgotten goal. Might Peter be speaking to the same topic?

2 Peter 1:9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

2 – TO WANDER FROM

Yes I know my first point included wandering, but let me explain.

This soul who is wandering in Solomon’s mind is wandering from something. Solomon is not stating that this soul is one who is currently in the assembly of the dead, but that he has his origin in the “way of good sense”. He wanders, not from a neutral position, or even from within an immoral, sinful position, but from the way of good sense.

Does this verse speak directly of the absolute truth of the conditional security for the Christian believer? No. I don’t think so. It is a general truth. A truth that may apply to one who wanders.

As we have looked at passages in the Conditional Security series, it has become evident (at least to me) that walking away from God is a common thread in the Word, that there is danger in sliding away, and that we need to pay attention, not wander, from the Savior and His will for our lives.

Paul warns the early church of an apostacy from sound teaching, and this counsel is appropriate for us in the modern church.

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
2 Timothy 4:4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Teachers in the church are not immune to this wandering, sometimes swerving from the truth and into vanities.

1 Timothy 1:6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion,
1 Timothy 1:7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

Finally, though speaking specifically of widows, the truth is still presented, that after some wandering from, there is the next step of straying after.

1 Timothy 5:15 For some have already strayed after Satan.

My friend, there is only One Savior and He is the way, the good path. Let us not be the one who “wanders from the way of good sense”.

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Ezekiel 33:12 “And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins.
Ezekiel 33:13 Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die.
Ezekiel 33:14 Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right,
Ezekiel 33:15 if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

Last week we spent a short time in Ezekiel 18:24, where Ezekiel is addressing the people of God during the captivity regarding personal responsibility. A difficult teaching for ever since the fall, us humans have been very apt to shift the blame of our own decisions onto someone else.

Consider our original parents.

Adam blames God for the actions he took in eating the fruit of the tree.

Genesis 3:12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

Eve blamed the serpent for her decision.

Genesis 3:13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

It is a favored method of avoiding our responsibility, and as I have recognized in my own life, an automatic response, a response that I need no training in, nor any guidance in. It is a natural response, a common response, a routine response, yet it draws us away from a faithful life before God.

For the people of Ezekiel’s day, in this passage, it may seem to have a similar truth as in chapter 18. A good man slips into sin. A sinner repents and turns to God.

I am not so sure that it is as simple as that.

Consider a verse immediately prior to our passage.

Ezekiel 33:10 “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’

Can you hear the fatalism, the determinism that the children of Israel is expressing to the Lord? There is no hope to do right Lord because of the sin laid on us. It is hopeless, and our condition will not allow us to live a righteous life.

God turns back and tells them He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Think about that. If He could provide an out for the wicked, would He not do that. He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked! But the problem lies in the attitude of the people in saying they are helpless, that their condition is their fate. Is there a hint that they may be blaming God for the state they are in? In my mind, this sounds very similar to those who claim that they were not chosen by God, and therefore are not able to trust in God.

Nevertheless, Ezekiel provides two situations.

Sinner turns

One known as a sinner, who is characterized by his sin, that has history of rebellion, and a past of disobedience, one who is under the judgement of God and has no hope, if he turns from his sin, restores that which he unjustly took, and walks properly before the Lord – He shall live.

His active obedience to the known will of God will provide life to him. He shall not die. He shall live

For a sinner in Ezekiel’s day to turn toward from God was to have the debt of his many years of wrong living thrown away.

Saint Turns

One known as a saint, who is characterized by his obedience, that has a history of doing right, and a past of righteousness, one who is under the blessing of God and has great hope, if he turns from his God, trusts in his righteousness and walks away from the Lord – He shall die.

His active disobedience to the known will of God will provide death to him. He shall not live. He shall die.

For a saint in Ezekiel’s day to turn away from God was to throw the benefit of his many years of right living away.

Past performance does not dictate current conditions!

Notice that Ezekiel is very strong in defining the responsible party in each of these situations. God reacts to the life decisions of each of Ezekiel’s audience.

If they hate God – that is they turn from Him – forget about their history – God lets them and they die. (Sounds somewhat like the truth of Romans 1!)

If they love God – that is they turn to Him – forget about their history – God accepts them and they live. (Sounds somewhat like the truth of Romans 3!)

In his message to saint or sinner, Ezekiel is trying to wake up the nation to a fatalistic belief, slapping them in the face with personal responsibility, and not allowing them to blame shift their condition onto anyone else, especially on to God.

You know, when I read a passage like this, I can hear my pretty wife talking, saying that what is past is past, and all we can do is look to the future. look to do the right thing today, and to throw the past in the back seat of life.

I like that girl. She speaks a good life lesson, for our past is sometimes an anchor we simply cannot bear! We have been given the blessing of one more day, and we have opportunity to do right and to love God.

Simple!

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