For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Fruit of Righteousness. It is interesting that Paul speaks of righteousness as a living, growing fruit and not some deed or act or work that is to be dutifully, religiously, ceremonially performed.
This fruit, to carry the metaphor Paul began, finds it sustenance from the root, the Lord Jesus. All nourishment the fruit requires for maturity is from the root alone. Paul desires his church, his friends to be filled with this fruit, to bring glory to God.
Remember, we began this portion of Philippians in verse 9, speaking of Pauls desire for the Philippians love to abound more and more. This fruit of righteousness, in my thinking, is synonymous with a loving sacrificial giving life. This is the nature of our Savior, for He gave all to deliver us.
Paul will return to this teaching over and over again in this letter to his friends. It would be wise for us to mimic the Lord Jesus, through His strength and nourishment and give of ourselves for the sake of others.
In doing so, the fruit will increase. And we will have joy.
Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
A Need Presented to God
The psalmist has had a realization in the midst of his experience, in the midst of a period of sorrow, loneliness and mockery, where some are constantly wearing him down, asking “Where is your God?” In the midst of his inner conflicts, he has come to a realization that he will praise God again. The current situation is not permanent, and through this realization, he speaks to himself of hoping in God. Hoping in God in order to stabilize his thinking, his life and to endure through his time of struggle.
In our next couple of verses, the psalmist describes his distance from God in a geographical sense
A Prayer from Afar and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. – Psa 42:6 ESV
The land of Jordan is to the east of the Jordan River, with the psalmists further clarification of his location being given as Mount Hermon. This mount is famous through the Old Testament and is northeast of the Sea of Galilee, per the map provided.
Mount Mizar is another matter, for I have not found a location for this mount. Some have referred to it a a minor hill near Hermon. Suffice to say, the psalmist is far from the temple, and this distance is what is exacerbating his thinking. His horizontal distance from God is great and he is at an utter loss due to this separation.
A Prayer from a Depth
Psalm 42:7-8
Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
Being in the mountains of Hermon, the psalmist may have been near a waterfall, and provided a fitting description of his own state of mind. As the water crashed to the bottom of the falls, two things may have come to his mind.
First, the relentless, continual crashing of water to the base of the falls, with the turbulence of the water picturing his own outer trials. As the water falls, it drags all other things into the base, drawing them down into the mix, a physical force that cannot be resisted. This may be a fitting picture as the psalmists compares this continual water pounding the base of the falls, with his own internal struggles.
Secondly, the continual roaring of the falls, may act as a constant reminder of his inner trials. As the noise roars on, it is a constant mental reminder of the struggles he is in, a battle on another front that is constantly influencing and distracting the psalmist. We must remember that though he has spoken of praise in the future, he is still in the experience of being cast down, in a valley, and is at this time, hanging on through hope in God.
Hope
Hope, in our modern thinking may be synonymous with wishing for a possible event to occur. Not unlike when I hear someone say, “I sure hope it rains this month”.
Others may refer to hope as describing a condition we all know won’t occur without divine intervention, as in referring to a loved ones situation after being diagnosed with a terminal sickness. We have heard it said, “Well the only thing we have left is hope…”
This latter definition may be somewhat the condition the psalmist has in mind. Far from God and experiencing an internal drowning in his own life struggles, he realizes his only hope is in God.
Hope, as I understand it, has one thing in common. Hope consists of knowing that positive outcomes shall occur after an unknown period of time. If this is a correct understanding of hope, for the psalmist to have a confident expectation of good outcomes through this experience, he does not simply say that he hopes things turn out. He connects this expectation with God. By that I mean, his expectation of his future outcome resides in God, and not according to his current situation.
This is the Christians hope, based in God and the truth He has provided to us. He is faithful and good, and we can safely hope in Him at our most dire of times.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this post may bless, send them a link so they may join us.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #231
Description
Heaven is clothed in black at His humiliation
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 50:3
I clothe the heavens with blackness and make sackcloth their covering.”
New Testament Fullfillment
Luke 23:44-45
It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,
while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
We find our passage today in the midst of the final chapter of the book of Hebrews, where the apostolic author (whomever it may be!) is guiding the Hebrew believers in the exercising of their faith. Granted, in this passage I will not go so far as to state the intent of the author is to communicate a conditional security message, yet I will request your consideration of the passage in light of our topic.
For the readers information, I have provided my understanding of this passage in a series of five posts under the title Christian Accountability A review may help in understanding my general perspective on this passage.
Some of the questions that arise in my mind are as follows.
Why remember our leaders?
Is not our faith a “personal faith in our personal Savior”? What bearing or influence should those who have went before us have on our lives?
Why imitate the leader?
It is often stated amongst the enlightened believers of the 21st century, that we have a “personal” faith with the Messiah, and that He leads us in our own “personal” path. This has an element of truth to it, yet I fear this thinking allows for too much personal interpretation.
As a believer, I may be able to justify many types of behavior, feeling it is a leading of the Spirit of God. As an example, I may feel I need to lie about this one itty bitty thing in order to relieve a temptation. Surely God loves me, and this is His leading. This may reside under the “personal” leading of God justification for some believers, yet when compared with Scripture and the working out of our salvation, allows too much freedom, leading to slavery.
We need to personally witness a faithful example of walking with the Lord. A leader who speaks the Word of God is the choice of the apostle for the believer to come alongside. Time with this type of believer allowing for the witness of the working out of the glory of God in a sinful earthling, is of great benefit.
Now I would caution you, that when I speak of a leader who speaks the Word of God, this does not, in my mind at least, require a paid professional church employee. If you have a close relationship with a pastor, reverend, deacon or such, good on you. But this may be a condition many of us may not have available.
Why does the author remind us of the type of leader to imitate?
He speaks of the leader who spoke the Word of God. As mentioned above, the leader needs to be one who relies on the Word of God for direction in his own life and speaks of the Word of God to others.
A teacher who speaks of his opinion as if from God, but without the foundation of the written Word of God, is to be avoided. Run away from this one.
Why is the believer exhorted to consider the outcome of this leader?
This is where the rubber meets the road, my friends.
The leaders who spoke the Word of God, revealing the Lord Jesus to an apostate nation, came under persecution from their own countrymen. The Hebrew believers were being tempted to fall back into a dead religion, destined for extinction, and to abandon the Lord Jesus for a sacrificial religion that became blasphemous before God.
This departure from the true God has been addressed throughout the book. Even within this passage, although not directly, the author continues to seek every opportunity to guide the believer into experiencing true faith. A faith that is not simply internal, but also an objective experience that may be measured by others witness, and therefore gauge his own growth and maturity.
Fellow believers provide this challenge! Don’t refuse it, but take advantage of this opportunity to learn of real life faith from those who are a bit further down the road than yourself.
As a caution, do not hear me in saying that we are in competition with one another in our experience with the Master, as we do have various callings, yet the moral temperature of our walk requires challenging, especially when pressure bears upon us to “look the other way”.
Look unto Jesus for leading, and as His apostle has exhorted us in this passage, to those who have went before us. He is good, in giving us so many opportunities to experience His life with others.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #230
Description
He is despised of the Nation
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 49:7
Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
New Testament Fullfillment
John 1:11
He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
John 8:48-49
The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.
John 19:14-15
Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.
I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at
Jesus Heals a Man’s Withered Hand
Matthew 12:9-14
He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”–so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
Mark 3:1-6
Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
Luke 6:6-11
On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
General Observations
This post will address our passage from a perspective related to the miracle, but has been considered in two posts earlier. If the reader would like to consider them, links follow.
Jesus on the Sabbath – Part 5 – An Accusation – This post is my effort to describe Jesus effort to wake up the religiously faithful to the importance of people over a practice, habit or religious habit.
Jesus on the Sabbath – Part 6 – A Withering Response – This post was a quick review on the healing of the man with the withered hand and the logic the Lord used (and it’s implications!) to justify this act of mercy, even on the Sabbath. How dare He?
Questions to Consider
Who were the audience?
The faithful were in the synagogue, along with Jesus’ disciples (it is assumed). The ever present judging Pharisees and scribes were available, to discern the Lord’s works and determine if He really is the Messiah. See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus #7 – Jesus Cleanses a Man With Leprosy for background as to the reason for the Pharisees and scribes were in attendance of the Lord’s ministry of teaching!
The Pharisees asked a question of the Lord. This Sabbath question was a paramount issue for the Pharisees, for it became the center of thier disputes with the Lord in many of their discussions/debates.
“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
The Pharisees came out with a simple question, at it’s face value, for it must be obvious that since the Sabbath was one of the Ten Commandments, it must overrule any type of healing. After all, healings, if to be performed, could be done on the other six days of the week, to allow, no – to keep the Sabbath holy.
This very logic is what I believe propelled the Lord to heal on the Sabbath. The miracle was incredible, but the message was blasphemous, unless of course, a greater authority than the Ten Commandments was present. Two options, it seems to me, were available to the Pharisees
Admit that their reading of the Law was in error, and that the Sabbath was subservient to this renegade Rabbi, eventually admitting to His Messiahship.
Hang on to their religious heritage, and the current teaching of the Pharisees, under the cloak of faithfulness, and begin to plot His destruction. (Hopefully they would not destroy the Son of Man on the Sabbath though!)
On a positive note, the Pharisees eventually did learn not to ask the Master any questions, since He constantly responded with flawless logic, showing their weakness of understanding of the Word.
I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?
The Lord asked a question, after He recognized the Pharisees and scribes in attendance at the synagogue. He knew their thoughts (Luke 6:8), understood their mission, and gave them a challenge in regard to their sacred Sabbath laws.
What is the intent of the Sabbath in relation to the law? To do good or bad?
A little later in the book of Matthew, Jesus used a “greater than” argument, (Matthew 12:6, 12:41 and 12:42) but in this case, He compared good with harm, saving and destroying. He is not mincing words when He lays the gauntlet down, for He is teaching with authority, with a miracle about to happen that will reinforce this teaching. It will either light the Pharisee’s on fire for Him, or enrage them with fury towards Him. Sadly, we know which road they took!
What was the message for the original audience?
For the fringe element within the synagogue, they saw a young rabbi discuss a core doctrine of Jewish faith with the Master’s of the religion. A simple question seemed to nail the experts to the wall, with the following miracle seemingly closing the door to any argument. Those in this fringe group, listening in on the discussion with the Pharisees, and watching the healing had enough to make a decision on the importance of this rabbi.
As for the Pharisees, Jesus again linked His teaching with a miracle that was directly from on high, reinforcing the message and the Messenger. The Pharisees eyes saw a miraculous healing, but their ears refused to hear and admit to the truth. The Pharisees refused to consider that the rabbi before them may actually be the long awaited Messiah, whom they had thought they wanted.
It seems the Pharisees were not wanting to adjust their desired understanding of the Messiah based on truth and works proving such a person. They wanted a Messiah that would be as they expected, to fit their own ideas, serve their purposes. When One came that proved His identity over and over again, yet didn’t fit their preconceived ideas, they refused to repent.
I am afraid this may be a common problem amongst the faithful.
What is the message for us today?
In the Markan account, the 5th verse, the Scripture speaks of Jesus looking at “them” with anger, being grieved at thier hardness of heart. I am assuming those He was specifically looking at were the Pharisees, since the discussion was centered on the Sabbath’s intent in relation to the law, and they were the experts. He was angry with those who would eventually nail Him to a cross, but His anger was centered on their refusal to respond and thier hardness of heart.
Jesus was angry.
The term “angry” is the Greek word ὀργή, transliterated to orgē, and is found in the gospels only five times. That is amazing in itself, but what I find incredible is that this is the only passage where it describes the anger as belonging to Jesus. The other four instances speak of wrath to come, or the wrath of God on a sinner prior to faith (John 3:36).
Where are you going with this Carl?
The message I am beginning to see out of this passage is somewhat surprising to me. Understanding the inner reaction of Jesus towards those who were seeking His failure as Messiah (and His eventual death), Jesus reacted by healing a man. He did not strike them with fire from heaven, or call down twelve thousand angels to wreak havoc on them. He sent a message. He healed a man!
Consider the Messiah in this instance. He sent a message that should shake these men to the core by convicting them of their error through doing good to a poor man with a withered hand. Conviction of error was communicated to men by way of goodness, by way of healing. He, while experiencing anger, provided a healing for a man, and sent a message of truth and conviction to the Pharisees. This is amazing! When was the last time, in the throws of an “angerfest”, you decided to bless someone?
Did the Pharisees experience shame in the midst of the synagogue attendants? It seems obvious by the way they reacted! Surely, the logic and miraculous healing proved Jesus to be in the right, and therefore the experts to be in the wrong! Yet this was a message of mercy to the Pharisees. Jesus continues to provide these messages of mercy to us as we walk with Him.
Consider the next time a period of shame comes into your life. You may be experiencing shame even as you read this, having difficulty facing your friends or family due to some known error in your life. No fun! Not a pleasurable experience!
But let me ask you – How do you react when shame or embarrassment comes into your life? Think of those proud Pharisees and their decision to refuse to learn from the shame. They were fighting with the Messiah of God, and the end result was personal destruction, and to pull their beloved nation closer to utter collapse within 40 years.
Granted, I do not think any believer reading this post has a nation depending on their decisions for survival, but each reader does have the opportunity to react to personal shame in a positive manner, admitting to errors and exercising humility, even as our Master has practiced, even the sinless Son of Man!
We aren’t perfect, and we need to walk humbly with our God, knowing of His mighty mercy and our tendency to react poorly to His correction.
He really is good! Try to remember that!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #229
Description
He is Salvation unto the ends of the earth
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 49:6
he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
New Testament Fullfillment
Acts 15:7-18
And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,
and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.
Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me.
Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name.
And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
“‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it,
that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things
known from of old.’
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
Remember from our last verse that the topic is to abound in love more and more. In increasing our knowledge and exercising discernment, Paul open up the option for each believer to approve what is excellent. Paul was not a micro-manager. He trusted that those in Philippi would come to godly conclusions from their walk with the Lord, and that when various decisions would be required, this knowledge and discernment would serve the young church in testing the facts and finding the best route for this church.
The intent of exercising this knowledge and discernment was for love to abound, and in this effort, these Philippians would be pure and blameless in the day of Christ
Pure.
To be “pure” here is synonymous to sincerity. An element of genuineness is included in this Greek word.
Blameless
To be blameless is to be without offence. This term always troubled me until I understood the concept of keeping all my known sins confessed both to God and to those I have wronged. To err is human, and we all fall into times when we may offend God or a fellow man or woman, but to let this fester and remain unresolved is to be blameworthy. To request forgiveness is to remove this blameworthiness. Offenses may be removed through the power of forgiveness, which is exercised through love.
Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich. I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
In our last post, we considered the living waters that may be found only in the Lord Jesus, the privilege we have in knowing Him and the opportunity to experience rivers of living water flowing from our hearts.
In our psalm, the Psalmist speaks of tears and sorrow. He speaks of his enemies taunting him, of those who ridiculed him regarding his God. He sought opportunity to appear before his God, but was unable. He was anxious to appear before Him and yet he was far from God, unable to enter the temple, and to be before the creator of heaven and earth.
My friend, the tension between our standing in God and our experience with God may become unbearable at times, where faith is not simply a comfort for our hearts but a lifeline of hope.
Memories
These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. Psalm 42:4
Our author speaks of better days as he pours out his soul. He had precious memories of being with other worshippers, even leading them to the house of God. Memories of better days, of freely heading off to the temple to worship with others. But memories were all he had. And these memories set off reactions in his thinking, of how to deal with his current condition of being away from both God and His people.
He speaks of pouring out his soul. Often in the Old Testament, when an author used this specific term of “pouring out” it was associated with a blood offering. Consider Leviticus 4:18, 25, 30 & 34. The psalmist is pouring out his soul before God, not unlike an offering, as he remembers his previous times of praise and joy. Now he is alone, without the joy and praise of others, without the energy of the multitudes buoying his spirts. No temple, no God, no multitude, no encouragement, no direction, no joy or praise. He only had his tears to comfort him. His soul was as a sacrifice within him before God.
Internal Ruminations
Psalm 42:5
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation – Psalm 42:5
In the midst of this sacrifice before His God, of his pouring out his soul, he suddenly questions his state of thinking. His soul is in the midst of being poured out, the turmoil and loneliness of his life as a constant reminder of his previous joy and praise. In the midst of this felt experience, he enters a realization, a time of questioning his own perceptions, of his inner life, and he realizes this is a temporary situation. In the midst of a dry, lonely, bitter time, he considers that praise for the God of all creation is an inevitable experience.
Looking back over the years with the Lord, I have experienced the relative emotional valleys somewhat similar to this psalmist’s description. Early in my walk with Jesus, and while in a valley, I often feared that I would only and continually experience loneliness, sadness, and disappointment.
After all, believers are called to suffer and some of the sufferings described for believers may be of the internal type, as this psalmist describes. This is an experience a believer will enter into, and this psalmist provides a reason for hope. He shall yet praise Him. Praise is inevitable in this psalmist’s mind. Based on this inevitability of honest heartfelt praise to the Lord of all creation, he speaks of hoping in God. A hope that he grasps for in the midst of a serious valley in his life.
Yet as we consider our walk with the Lord, it is good to remind ourselves of the promise of all things working out together for good. This valley the psalmist was experiencing became an opportunity for a cleansing of his thinking, for a mental readjustment, a realignment of his perspective. I understand these valleys in our experience is necessary for faith to be exercised, for endurance to be increased and for a growing experience of God in our lives.
Although as saints as we are to go through bitter times, it is critical to remember that God is with us. He is at work within us and around us, and we shall have opportunity to praise Him in the near future.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this post may bless, send them a link so they may join us.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #228
Description
He is the Light of the Gentiles
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 49:6
he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
New Testament Fullfillment
John 8:12
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Acts 13:47
For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
As a young believer, I spent an unbalanced amount of time in the book of Romans, trying to follow Paul’s logic, and the message he was presenting to the church in Rome. Some passages seemed to be fairly simple to grasp, with others still beyond me. Don’t even ask me about Romans 5 – the more I read that passage, the less I know!
Given the strong message Paul supplies in Romans 3 concerning the requirement of faith and not works for salvation, how can we understand our topic verse today?
First off, lets read it.
to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; – Romans 2:7 ESV
First, some background.
I am of the opinion that Paul was crouching his remarks in these early chapters of Romans, providing theological teaching with an intent to address a practical problem within this church.
Now before we go any further, if I were to ask you of the problem resident in the Roman church, what would you say? Was there heresy floating about? Some type of false doctrine infecting this body of believers?
Maybe.
But as we travel through the book of Romans, we find Paul gives his “pièce de résistance”, his crowning jewel setting forth a theological masterpiece, to a church at Rome.
Out of sixteen chapters, three quarters of the book is positional teaching. Chapters 12 through 16 are practical teaching with the following topics
Chapter 12 – rapid fire list of Christian commands,
Chapter 13 – the believers relationship with government (fitting for believers in the capital!)
Chapter 14 – a discussion on strength and weakness in faith
Chapter 15 – a continuation of the discussion on strength and weakness in faith
Chapter 16 – personal greetings to the saints in the church.
Given the amount of space Paul uses for a discussion on strength and weakness in faith, it appears there is an element of disunity fueled by pride within the body. I would suggest that those of the Jewish faith may be holding their religious heritage over their gentile brothers, and causing strife in the body.
As long an introduction to this post is, it is important to consider a possible context we find Romans 2:7. I understand Romans 1 & 2 to be Paul’s mimicking of Nathan’s methods of when he dealt with a sinning King David. (For a fuller discussion on this topic, I recommend Judge Judge Judge – δικαιοκρισία –Study 7)
If my thinking is correct about what Paul has in mind in Romans 2, he is aiming to get a mental agreement of the Jewish believers regarding the wickedness of the subjects of chapter 1, all the while setting the Jewish believers up for self identification as the sinners. (The Nathan method! – See link to earlier post for explanation.)
Given this background, how does Romans 2:7 relate to conditional security? Is Paul simply baiting the Jewish believer, teaching the sinfulness of those described in chapter 1 and then identifying the sinners as Jewish? When Paul speaks of those who “knew no law” being able to attain salvation, how would this have impacted the Jewish believer who has “obeyed the law” their entire life? (And to add a wrinkle to this convoluted thinking, if the Jewish believer had obeyed the law, why did they repent and run to Jesus for salvation! But I digress.)
Context is king here and the previous verse to our text may provide some guidance.
He will render to each one according to his works: – Romans 2:6 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; – Romans 2:7 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. – Romans 2:8
Paul is speaking of God rendering judgement according to each ones works. The outcome of judgement, based on the well-doing of the subject, is that God will provide eternal life. What? It seems so strange to think of any judgement as resulting in eternal life. When I hear the word “judgement”, I automatically think of fire and brimstone! But that is a different topic for another day.
Granted, the link between works and eternal life is difficult to deal with. I think the reason this linkage between eternal life and works is difficult to deal with is that it impacts our daily decisions to live for Him. Some may say that it is at odds with the salvation by grace through faith teaching that permeates the Word, but I believe there is a solution.
Let me summarize my questions about this passage, with a challenge for my reader.
When we come to judgement for the believer, it is common to have works associated with judgement. As this post is getting a bit long, and if it has peaked my readers interest, I will recommend a study in the Word on the relationship between works and judgement for the believer. I did a search in Blue Letter Bible for “works” and considered the verses that came up. It may be surprising to the reader of their findings!
But kindly note that the suggested topic of study is “works and judgement”, not “works and justification”. Two different studies! (A bit of a hint there, my friends!)
In all of this discussion, it is of primary importance to remember the main thing, that as believers, we are to be patient in well doing, not giving up and to be faithful in what He has called us to.
May God bless you and keep you in serving Him.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #227
Description
He is Salvation for Israel
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 49:6
he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
New Testament Fullfillment
Luke 2:29-32
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
My favorite and I celebrated our 41st anniversary, heading off to a quiet little cabin, secretly hoping it would rain and force us to stay in, read a good book, and have a tea together.
This type of get away has become increasingly popular for us, and for this particular getaway, we chose a cabin in a tiny town, 15 minutes northeast of Fredericksburg Texas. The cabin appealed to us in that the owner claimed the deer were plentiful in the area. A little (natural) wildlife for my wifey and I is very appealing.
Nevertheless, we stayed for a couple nights, and each morning, I would get up before sunrise and head out to the porch with a coffee and my Bible, and simply experience the quietness of nature. In the quietness of the morning, I could hear the crickets chirping in the distance and a faint “ticking” noise that I didn’t recognize. Obviously it must be the deer, but I would be patient and not turn on the porch light, for fear of scaring them off. I later found out that the noise I heard is the dropping of leaves onto the ground. Yes it was that quiet!
Sitting on the porch in the quiet, allowed my thoughts to slow down, my vision to open up and the skies to speak.
And my mind thought of Psalm 19.
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, – Psalm 19:1-4
In the dark, surrounded by stillness, the voice of the heavens shout. Sitting in the quietness, the Lord allowed me to view my first falling star, and with the moon behind some clouds, each star pierced the sky. To try to imagine the distances to the stars always comes far short of reality, and the immenseness of the sky enthralls me. The sky alone speaks of the vastness of our creator, and to sit quietly under His creation brought about a sense of awe and worship I rarely experience. I recently visited Montana, and experienced a similar time with the Lord. See Let Me Tell You a Story – Montana
As the early morning allowed the sun to rise, I found myself able to view a doe in the yard, picking up some of the dry corn the owner spreads for them. To see these graceful animals so close was a blessing and reminded me of Psalm 42, where the psalmist speaks of a deer panting for water. (See Psalms for Psome – Ps 42 – A)
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. – Psalm 42:1
Granted, the deer we viewed were searching for food instead of water, but my thoughts were drawn to the goodness of God in supplying both food and water to His creation. Whether it be through an owner of a cabin or the natural growth the deer depends on, God supplies.
Later that weekend, as my wifey and I were around a firepit, we watched as a dozen or so deer wandered within our view, with four of them antlered bucks. As we sat quietly, we enjoyed a bit of nature up close, for the deer were confident enough to be within 20 – 30 feet of the porch.
It was a wonderful time, and although it didn’t rain, forcing us inside to read a book, we found the Lord’s choice for our weekend to be the better option.
And a bonus add on to the weekend, internet was spotty at best – such a blessing!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #226
Description
He will restore Israel
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 49:6
he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
New Testament Fullfillment
Acts 3:19-21
Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,
that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,
whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.
Acts 15:16-17
“‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it,
that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,
Abounding Love.
Paul consistently emphasizes one Christian characteristic over all others in his writings. If he speaks of knowledge, it was to increase love. If he speaks of discernment, it was to increase love.
To seek knowledge and discernment is a godly exercise, and yet if it gets derailed, or becomes an end game of its own, it is short sighted and misses the mark. Each endeavor of the Christian is to focus on love towards the Lord Jesus and to His people. Love is so primary in the Christian life that it would be accurate to state it is to consume the saint.
Each saint may find differing ways of expressing this love, either through service, or administration, teaching or acts of mercy, but each act of the Christian is to be motivated by love. A self sacrificing, joy filled love that reflects the Lord’s nature and character.
Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 42:1-3
To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”
How often I have heard the beginning verse of this psalm, thinking of the privilege of coming before God and spending time with Him, of the joys of being in His presence. The lyrics of the song “As The Deer Pants For The Waters” by Martin Nystrom addresses the first phrase of this psalm, where a desire to be before God is spoken of, where he confesses his complete reliance on the Lord.
It is a wonderful song, yet the psalmist veers into a sadder, somewhat darker & less hopeful expression of his inner being. The psalmist is hurting, and frustrated, far from God and not able to approach Him in His temple.
A Saint’s Need.
Such a popular well known introductory verse to begin a psalm that introduces a true saints desire to be with God, quickly moves into some troubling issues a saint may likely experience in this life. This introductory portion of psalm 42 provides a description of a saint’s felt need for God. I say “felt need”, since in actuality, our need of God is very real each and every day of our pilgrimage on earth. The psalmist’s statement describing this felt need is also his prayer, and is so required in the saint’s life.
The psalmist is blessed to be so thirsty, even though it hurts!
As believers, we truly are desperate for the living God. And yet, would you not agree that our experience is not reflective of this reality? Through diversions, distractions and deceptions, our realization to this actual need is not met. We spin our wheels with worry and short term goals, “keeping busy”. All the while we are missing out on aligning our experience with reality.
A Saint’s Salvation
The saint is not one who can be satisfied with still water, water that is available yet not alive, not moving, not active! Oh to have that desperation for the Source of Living Waters. The mention of living water reminds me of a two different of verses in the Gospel of John.
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” – John 4:10
In this passage, we find the Lord giving the offer of living water to the Samaritan woman, and describing Himself as the originator and provider of this living water. Might I suggest this is the same living water that is being panted after by the deer in our Psalm.
A wee bit later, in a different setting, Jesus described the living water as a river, and not simply a personal possession. The believer becomes a conduit for this living water to gush out from. The believer!
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” – John 7:38
Jesus was speaking to His disciples regarding their ability to provide living water out of their own lives to those around, contingent on their belief in Him. Rivers of living water, my friends. Some may experience rivers as mighty as the Amazon river, and some may have rivers not unlike Turkey Creek (a tiny creek I know of), but nevertheless, those who trust in Him shall have rivers of living water flowing from his heart.
What a tremendous promise for the believer, and yet those satiated by this river of living water exuding from a believer may never know from whence it came. The influence of the river is up to the One who guides the flow, and we are not to force who or when the effect of the living water may impact. Our promise given is to be simply be a conduit, for the ultimate source is God Himself. We are simply conduits, a channel for God to use in order to bless others and provide a glimpse of His nature.
Availability
The fact that moving waters requires an unending source of water is part of the beauty of this word picture. A water well, or a pond may have a gazillion gallons of water, but the pond has a measurable volume. Living waters never end. By definition they continue to flow. Continue to be available. Continue to be active. Continue to be cleansing.
Cleansing
A well or pond may have no visible activity, and can easily become stagnant, “stinky” and a source of death and sickness. Without movement, water can become a source of contamination and death. In contrast, living waters, moving and active, actually has the ability to cleanse itself, to be improved by it’s very activity.
This truth came home to me while I was in engineering school. A sanitation course I took required the class to analyze the effects a “babbling” river has on the waste produced from cattle grazing near a river, upstream from a population’s only water source. Could the movement of the water naturally “treat” the waste material seeping into the river upstream form the town?
We were required to calculate the distance needed to ensure water quality was safe for the population. I pulled my calculator out, found the appropriate formulas, calculated a distance, and provided an answer. (If my memory serves me right, it was much closer to the town than I expected, but I digress!)
But as I walked out of the class, it occurred to me that living, moving, active waters are self-healing, and may be part of the image spoken of in the Word.
Self healing waters, are also cleansing waters for others. The Psalmist may be considering the cleansing power of living (fresh) waters spoken of in the law, such as in Leviticus 15:13
“… And he shall bathe his body in fresh water and shall be clean. – Lev 15:13 ESV
In summary, in God we find our only source of living waters waters that cleanse and provide life. Because of God, we have the opportunity to provide living water, waters that are continuous, cleansing and healing to others.
Let me ask you a question before moving on. Are you seeing evidence of a continuous cleansing and healing spirit about you as you interact with family friends, coworkers and strangers? If I am honest with myself, I simply stop short and join with the Psalmist in admitting my need for Him.
How about you?
The Psalmist admits his need and desire for God, and as we venture through this psalm, we find he is in desperate straights, a great distance having accumulated between himself and his God. He looks for a chance to come and appear before his God, to find a closeness he had at one time. He desires to enter into the presence of God, at His temple and before His throne.
Yet his current experience is far from his deep desire. He is in the midst of those who mock him, taunting him of his allegiance to “some god out there”, experiencing weakness and ridicule, and apparently without support from God.
What a seeming contradiction, where our inner desires are not realized, and our outer conditions are beating us down, causing us pain and distress. Why put up with this emptiness and abuse? Why live a life that actually becomes a target for others, and in the midst of ridicule and mockery, find a loneliness and seeming abandonment at our time of greatest need?
Yet this is the very environment in which faith is required, exercised and tempered. But take note, it is not some faith in a religious teaching or a general truth all may agree to, but faith in the Son of Man, who is
…the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:2
The reality we experience is full of contradictions, for we are, as believers in the crucified One, raised to heights of privilege no others have ever been granted. Yet also, at times we experience to varying degrees, depths of inner turmoil that is inexplicable and full of pain, doubt and self absorption.
At these times we must consider our Founder and Perfecter of our faith. He is good, and at times of loneliness or inner turmoil, remember His cross and the love He has proven to us.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this post may bless, send them a link so they may join us.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #225
Description
A Servant from the womb
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 49:5
And now the Lord says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and my God has become my strength—
New Testament Fullfillment
Luke 1:31
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
Phil 2:7
but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”
As I read the Word, and find passages that may lend themselves to the teaching of a conditional security, I shall offer up the verse or set of verses. Some, as our passage for today is an example, I previously did not consider a challenge to the OSAS (once saved always saved) position. But it does pose a bit of a challenge.
You see, the purpose of this series is not to prove any particular teaching but to provide challenges to a conventional thinking, to stir up a possible complacency, to allow for discussion (if only in your own thoughts), and to request an honest consideration of viable perspectives of Biblical teaching.
The passage above, as I understood it during my OSAS days, simply defined the fellowship condition of the believer in the daily washing of the believers sins through confession and repentance. Nothing to be related to security of salvation – a fellowship teaching only. To be quite honest, I still tend to this understanding.
Yet I wonder …..
In this passage, Jesus tries to help Peter understand the reason for His act of humility. Lets walk through John 13:10-11 to consider what is going on.
Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. – John 13:10
OK – So you don’t need to wash if you have bathed. Got it.
Let’s dig a bit, and consider this particular word, bathed.
When the Lord spoke of the one who has bathed, He used the word λούω, Strong’s # G3068. This specific word is used six times in the New Testament in the following passages along with John 13:10.
Acts 16:33 – a washing to cleanse from the blood of wounds
Acts 9:37 – a washing of a dead person
Hebrews 10:22 – referring to “our bodies” being washed with pure water
2 Peter 2:22 – a sow being washed, yet returning to wallowing in mire
Revelation 1:5 – washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Each instance speaks of a whole body washing, or bathing, except possibly Acts 16:33. As an aside, this verse may also include the idea of whole body washing, implying the wounds were extensive, and the associated blood effectively covered the body.
With this quick study, I find nothing that contradicts my original understanding that Jesus is comparing our relationship in Him as being compared with a full body cleansing that needs not repeating, unlike a foot washing during the day which may be repeated.
And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” – John 13:11
This is the verse that has given me some pause, primarily due to my struggling to identify each “you” in the passage. Let’s see if we can get some traction on this verse, by identifying each time the word “you” is used.
“You are clean”
Is Jesus referring to an individual (i.e. Peter) or to the group (i.e. the disciples). Seems this “you” is Peter, but it could be argued that the you is the plural, as in y’all, or even all y’all. (See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Jesus Heals and Officials Son, under the heading “What was the message for the original audience?” for a wee explanation my understanding of y’all and all y’all)
“Not everyone of you”
Is Jesus referring to the group at this point? Is this obvious?
“Who was to betray Him”
An individual within the group – the betrayal of Judas is introduced, that the disciples were oblivious to at the time.
“Not all of you are clean”
Explanation of this last clause in verse 10, where it seems Judas is being referred to as the exception. I don’t see Jesus referring to parts (the feet?) of each of the disciples. This is how I understand Jesus when initially referring to Peter in verse 8.
No Share with Him
A final thought on this passage is that as Jesus taught Peter and the rest of the disciples, He refers to “you” (Peter) as having “no share with Him” in verse 8. This is another area where I somewhat struggle with the passage.
Let me try to explain.
The Greek word used for “share” is μέρος, Strong’s # 3313, and is used over 40 times in the New Testament. I will leave it to my readers to search this out on their own if of interest, as this post is becoming longer than intended. Nevertheless, let me start you off with one verse that may be of assistance.
Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. – Rev 20:6
As my readers search this out, it is important to remember that the word “share” is a noun, and does not carry with it any specific association. By that I mean, simply that when the word “share” is used, it does not have to refer to final salvation, but I find it interesting that at times it does.
As always, thanks for considering this difficult series, and for your encouragement as you read each post.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this post may bless, send them a link so they may join us also.
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The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #224
Description
Called from the womb-His humanity
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 49:1
Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.
New Testament Fullfillment
Matt 1:18
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.
I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
Matthew 9:1-8
And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–he then said to the paralytic–“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
Mark 2:1-12
And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–he said to the paralytic– “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Luke 5:17-26
On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–he said to the man who was paralyzed–“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”
General Observations
I have to admit it. This is one of my favorite miracles, for it not only shows the Lord’s grace to a totally helpless soul, but also that the Lord responds to the love others have for the one needing help.
Note that at this time, per Luke’s account, Pharisees and teachers of the law were “sitting” and listening in on His teaching. When I read that they were “sitting”, I mentally replace that word with “judging”. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were listening to His teaching in order to discount Him, to test Him against a standard they had established.
This visitation of the Pharisees and teachers of the law was actually an expected occurrence, a response to the healing of the man with leprosy. You see, in the performing of the miracle of the leper, Jesus actually challenged the nation to investigate His work. (See Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus #7 – Jesus Cleanses a Man With Leprosy).
The Pharisees and teachers of the law were on assignment, listening, testing, judging and waiting for a mistake, a time when this young upstart rabbi would fail, revealing His false status. They needed some way to discount this young teacher, finding some contradiction, and thus revealing His lies and deception.
Of course the Jewish leadership were in the dubious situation of determining if He truly was the Messiah, and had to have a critical mind. This it seems does not phase the Lord, for truth can easily withstand scrutiny. As a matter of fact, truth welcomes scrutiny, for the Lord did request this testing. The trouble in this scenario is that those sent to judge this new Rabbi would allow bias, pride and jealousy to color their judgement.
Not the best attitude to have when listening to the Lord when He speaks!
Questions to Consider
Who were the audience?
As the text states, the Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, possibly enjoying front row seats as it were. After all they were the important ones, were they? The house was packed, and it is safe to say the disciples were present. Beyond that, the remaining audience were locals of the city, neighbors and others who showed an interest in this new teacher. It was a packed house, with every opening clogged with people wanting to hear this new teaching.
Those who attended this teaching session were about to get blown away. Luke tells us that “amazement seized them all”. Amazed, or as Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines the term – “a throwing of the mind out of it’s normal state”. Truly, this audience were about to experience their mind being “blown away”.
As with each miracle, it is becoming apparent to myself that as a miracle was performed, it revealed the mercy the Lord upon an individual and their loved ones. I assume many who read of the miracles see this as a primary reason for each miracle. After all, we understand Jesus to be the friend of sinners, the One who consistently reached out to the helpless and downtrodden, the weak and poor. This is not at all to be discounted, for He is the One who cares for us, for each of us in our circumstances, in our weakness and in our confusion.
Yet, the Lord in His wisdom and with His mission in mind, had a much greater purpose beyond exercising His grace and mercy to a few individuals in the nation of Israel. His ministry included healing, but healing was not an end to it own. Healings were an instrument to allow those with open eyes and ears to understand Who had arrived.
Both the Lord Jesus’ words and works testified to His person. The Pharisees and teachers of the law would find plenty to consider after this miracle!
What was the message for the original audience?
Friends Faith
As I mentioned above, this is one of my favorite miracles, and one of the reasons this is so, is because it seems it was the faith of the friends that brought about the mercy to be extended to this paralytic man. The men that brought their friend were late to the party, yet their faith would not miss this opportunity.
But these fellows destroyed a roof! Seems a bit much. Couldn’t it wait until the crowd dispersed? Couldn’t they have simply cried out to the Master until they got His attention? So many possible scenarios come to mind, but we have a recounting of this miracle that speaks of the paralytics friends desire to help their friend, and it seems these men were men of action!
Let’s take a moment to consider the roof. I have imagined it was literally pulled up by the friends in order to get to Jesus. Yet as I have researched this miracle, I found that the house the Lord was teaching in may have been in an upper room, such as we see in the famous Acts 1:13 account of Pentecost and also of Paul’s teaching in Acts 20:8. If so, typical upper rooms had flat roofs with parapets surrounding it as required per Deuteronomy 22:8. With all this background information, it is important to consider that these friends may not have went on a destruction spree, but used a “roof door”, that the owners used to access the roof when needed. The tiles of the roof may have been intended to be removed.
Nevertheless, whether the friends actually damaged the roof in order to get to Jesus, or used a common access point, where the tiles were intended to be used for access, both situations should not take away from the faith of these friends.
What I always come away from this miracle asking is, Did the paralytic have faith? Nowhere in the passage, is the paralytic specifically referred to as exercising any faith, and the Lord responded to the paralytic based on “seeing” the paralytic’s friends faith. The faith expressed in their effort to get a man who couldn’t move in front to Jesus.
Can you think of another instance in the Word, where the faith of friends or relatives impacted one who didn’t exercise faith? You may be surprised once you consider this question. I can think of at least three other miracles.
Proofs Provided
As mentioned above, I am convinced that this miracle was an offer to the Jewish leadership to consider Who He was. Without this understanding, it seems that Jesus initial statement to the paralytic of forgiven sins was “unnecessary” He had healed before without stating of the forgiveness of sins. Now, in front of a formal delegation of Pharisees and teachers of the law who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem (see Luke 5:17), Jesus throws the gauntlet down.
Immediately, the scribes and Pharisees began to question this statement. This is exactly the bait the Lord offered to the Pharisees, in order to provide “the judge and jury” a point of discussion. They were rightly thinking that only God can forgive sins, and if Jesus was merely a fallen man Himself, this would amount to blasphemy. Their logic was correct, and forced one of two conclusions.
Either this new Rabbi committed blasphemy, or the unthinkable was staring them in the face. Jesus offered them a choice of how to consider this mighty work, with an offered conclusion. Note the “that you may know” clause in the following passage
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–he said to the man who was paralyzed–“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” – Luke 5:23-24 ESV
Obviously, to the human eye, it was easier to claim this man’s sins to be forgiven, for this was a claim that could not be refuted, since no physical evidence would be required. Of course this claim of sins forgiven, would bring about a cleaving of opinion within the nation of who this Rabbi was, with the Jewish leadership, along with most everyone else in the nation, requiring the cruel death of the Only One who truly loved them.
Yet He claimed the paralytic had received forgiveness of sins, since a physical healing, I imagine is easier for Him. You see, to heal a physical ailment did not require a direct command from the God of the Universe, but could be performed through an intermediary, such as a prophet or as we see in the New Testament, the apostles. The healing was relatively easy for the Lord, since the the forgiveness of sins required the cross.
How could One who represented God in the healing of the paralytic, also make such a bold statement of His authority to forgive sins without bringing upon himself the judgement of breaking the 9th commandment? Unless of course He truly had this authority. By tying these two conditions together, Jesus provided the judges a logical proof of His deity. And a huge problem!
No wonder they were blown away! The confusion these poor Pharisees and scribes experienced, in a very real way, was self inflicted due to their preconceived notions of Who this One was. This is the common experience of every living soul who has considered the One who came to earth, walked about in a small nation, taught the truth and died a cruel death.
The implications of this miracle were far beyond a mere physical healing!
What is the message for us today?
I suppose the message for us today would include a minimum of two applications.
Truth Seeking
First off, Jesus isn’t threatened by honest inspection or anyone asking searching questions of His personhood. He actually invited the Pharisees and scribes to inspect His ministry, and when they came to the invite, provided them copious evidence to consider.
For any to consider asking Him hard questions might offend the Master, out of some “respect” towards God seems to me to be a wee bit of an excuse to avoid the truth. If you are a truth seeker, ask the hard questions. The problem with this is that we fear we may get the evidence that causes us to make a decision.
Let’s be honest in our claim of being a truth seeker, if we do not want to accept evidence when presented. This is a contradiction that needs to be admitted to, if we claim our intent is to find the truth, and yet allow for the rejection of evidence!
Unstoppable Friends
Consider those friends of the paralytic that decided Jesus could (and would) cure the paralytic, how they carried him from his home, saw the problem of a choked house of listeners, climbed the outdoor stairs to the roof, risked their relationship with the owner of the house in removing the roof tile, interrupted the Lord in His teaching, and lowered this man to the Lord. The friend’s faith, which the Lord saw, was the impetus of the healing.
As a matter of fact, the paralytic is passive in all the accounts. He is simply lying of a cot, being carried by his friends or healed by the Lord. Only after the healing, does the paralytic become active in any way, in that he obeys the Lords command to pick up his bed, and go home.
What does this communicate to us today? How much of an impact do we have on our friends and family. Acts of goodness, that may include some risk, or inconvenience, or of an unorthodox effort, may be what is required.
After all, the Lord shocked an audience and challenged a religious leadership due to the the actions of a poor paralytics friends!
Such a fantastic miracle! He is good, and He is still providing proofs to those who ask. This day, as you go about your business, drop any attitude of criticism, and adopt an attitude of openness to His proofs!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this post may bless, send them a link so they may join us also.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #223
Description
He came as a Teacher
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 48:16-17
Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there.” And now the Lord God has sent me, and his Spirit. Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.
New Testament Fullfillment
John 3:2
This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Paul is calling upon God as his witness, the One who is the observer of an action, any action, as a matter of fact, of all actions. Paul is calling on God as a witness of his emotions for the Philippians, of his great longing for his friends in Philippi.
Human witnesses observe physical actions and happenings. God is a witness of emotional truths, of the inner heart and mind, of the heart of the apostle. Those inner yearnings of the apostle towards the Philippians are sourced of the Christ, and this Greek word speaks of tenderness, compassion, kindness and compassion. Paul described his emotions using a word that speaks of mercy and affection.
Have you considered that the affection of Jesus is such for you?
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 41:11-13 By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever. Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.
Let’s summarize what we have discussed in the last few posts regarding Psalm 41.
David started out this psalm with a statement of blessing upon the one who considers the poor, and the reciprocal reaction of the Lord toward the saint when he is in trouble, keeping him alive and giving the saint a good name, being called blessed in the land.
He continues with his confession of sin, and experiencing an attack from his enemies. The attack appeared to be the spreading of malice, empty words and whispering against the king.
Our last posting described the continued attack upon David and his throne through the betrayal of David’s familiar friend, Ahithophel, joining his son Absalom in the rebellion. He ended the passage from our last post with his request to the Lord to raise him up, that he may repay his enemies.
In our passage above, David states his dependence on the Lord to respond favorably to his request for deliverance. He is looking for the Lord to provide deliverance, giving a proof of His delight in him. The deliverance will provide David an opportunity to find justice over his enemies and be restored to the throne.
And then he speaks of the Lord upholding him due to his integrity.
What? Now I am confused!
In our last post I suggested the betrayal of Ahithophel may have sprung from David’s sin with Bathsheba, his greatest fall from grace. David now claims the Lord upheld him in his integrity? How does a fall from grace relate to this claimed integrity of David? David claimed an integrity during this trial, and the Lord Himself described David as one with integrity of heart when Solomon came to the throne.
And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, – 1 Kings 9:4
Am I confusing innocence with integrity? Can the saint walk in integrity, though having fallen in sin?
Let me go out on a limb and suggest that the integrity David walked in included an active response to his own sin. He did not seek to deceive his God in denying his sin before the Lord, as we will continue to see as we travel the psalms. This teaching is somewhat similar to the teaching of the New Testament believer being blameless. Let me explain.
The believer is admonished to be blameless in a number of New Testament passages, one of which is Philippians 1:10
so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, – Philippians 1:10
As you read the verses leading up to verse 10, you will find that Paul is encouraging the believer to grow in their knowledge and discernment. This has always fascinated me, in that the believer is encouraged to find the Lord’s will, which may include possible mistakes or errors. Through these efforts, the believer gains knowledge of the Lord’s will and thus discernment. Paul speaks of the saint “approving” what is excellent, implying that some actions are to be disapproved, and possibly an error for that particular saint. How can the saint then be blameless, if he is not in the Lord’s will completely and fully at all times?
As I walk my faith out, I may hurt of offend a brother. Let’s say I exercise my thieving side, and steal something from a brother. I then repent and go to my brother the next day, confess my fault, offer restitution and ask for forgiveness. At this point, I understand I have regained my blamelessness before my brother and God. My brother can forgive me, or reject my appeal, but he can no longer blame me in good conscience.
So, in simple terms, blamelessness is the condition of a good conscience toward our brothers and God.
It turns out that David is a stellar example of this, in that the Word describes David as a man after God’s own heart, and yet he experienced a great fall. In the midst of this fall, when challenged of his sin, he repented and found mercy.
As may be apparent by now, I do not understand blamelessness to be sinless perfection, but a brutal honesty before those we relate to. David was brutally honest with his God, and the Lord looks for this in His people.
Psalm 41 ends with David stating that the Lord set him in his presence forever. David was in the Lord’s presence at the very time of the psalm being written, and that David experienced the presence of the Lord during his time on earth. He didn’t state that he would be in the presence of the Lord in the future only, but that the Lord “set him” in His presence, even at that current time!
This is the God we serve. Out of the greatest fall in David’s life came a threat that potentially would remove David from his Throne, and extinguish his life from the earth. And yet, God “set’s” him in His presence forever.
As we walk this sod, let us remember to imitate the Lord’s grace, not allowing evil to triumph but to overcome evil with good. As you go about your day, watch for opportunities to be gracious to those who may seek your harm. Disarm your enemies with love!
But let us not forget how this relates to the Lord Jesus Christ, for the Word speaks ultimately of Him. Per verse 11, we know that God delights in His Son, and that the enemy did not shout in triumph over Him, but that His resurrection proved to be the enemies downfall.
Join me in confessing with David – Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel! Jesus is “set” as the King over all, forever and to everlasting.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #222
Description
The First and the Last
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 48:12
“Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last.
New Testament Fullfillment
John 1:30
This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’
Rev 1:8, 17
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
Considering the Bible 