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Sola Scriptura: A Faulty Premise.

We continue our study of the doctrine known as Sola Scriptura. Sola Scriptura, from the Latin, simply means Scripture Alone. Sola Scriptura is a term derived from the 16th century Protestant Reformation and is the perspective that the Bible is the sole, supreme and final authority for not only individual believers but also the church in all spiritual matters.

We are examining the importance of the Old Testament and the suggestion by a few within the church that believers should detach themselves from the Old Testament Scriptures. It is my contention that this would be an incredibly misguided and sinful thing to do.

Let’s be accurate. Pastor Andy Stanley acknowledges that the Old Testament Scriptures are inspired. He’s not, according to some, a theological liberal. But he seems to think insisting upon the authority and infallibility of the Bible, specifically the Old Testament, could be a stumbling block to some people coming to faith.

Pastor Stanley states, “If you were raised on a version of Christianity that relied on the Bible as the foundation of faith, a version that was eventually dismantled by academia or the realities of life, maybe it’s time for you to change your mind about Jesus.”

He continues by saying that, “Maybe it’s time for you to consider the version of Christianity that relies on the event of the resurrection of Jesus as its foundation. If you gave up your faith because of something about or in the Bible, maybe you gave up unnecessarily.”

Pastor Stanley begins with a premise that the Bible could be a stumbling block to some people coming to faith. Several years ago, former Pastor Rob Bell began his book Love Wins with a similar premise regarding the doctrine of hell. Bell’s conclusion was to reject this particular biblical doctrine as offensive. Pastor Stanley’s contention seems to be to reject a particular biblical testament. Both of these two premises by these two men begin with a self-centric rather than a Theo-centric premise. Neither Stanley, or Bell, begin from the perspective of “Thus says the Lord.”

In his classic book, Christianity and Liberalism, Dr. J. Gresham Machen writes, “The fact itself is plain that Christianity during many centuries has consistently appealed for the truth of its claims, not merely and not even primarily to current experience, but to certain books the most recent of which was written some nineteen hundred years ago. It is no wonder that that appeal is being criticized today; for the writers of the books in question were no doubt men of their own age, whose outlook upon the material world, judged by modern standards, must have been the crudest and most elementary kind.”

Machen, in addressing the liberalism within the world and church nearly one hundred years ago and its attack against the inerrant Word of God, strikes a current and relevant chord regarding rising liberal thought within the contemporary culture and the church’s ministry within such a culture.

It is a troubling perspective when it is suggested that the authority and infallibility of God’s Word should be reduced or even eliminated because it may prove to be a stumbling block. Of course the Scriptures will be a stumbling block. The moment you allow that that the authority and the infallibility of the Bible is unnecessary, or a potential stumbling block for people coming to faith, you open the door to denying even the most basic of biblical doctrines.

How ironic that Pastor Stanley would not insist upon the relevance of the Old Testament, while at the same time proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, which is good news based and grounded in the authority and infallibility of the Old Testament. You throw the baby out with the bathwater when you contend the Old Testament is not relevant or necessary.

The Scriptures say that the truth it proclaims will be a stumbling block. I Corinthians 1:18-31 says, ““For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

What we have witnessed within the church, say within the last 40 years, with the seeker sensitive movement, the culturally relevant movement and the emerging church movement etc. is an effort to make the gospel more palatable to the unconverted soul. That’s impossible. The gospel will always offend because of the truths contained in the gospel.

Today, the contention is to un-hitch the church from the Old Testament. Tomorrow it will be argued to un-hitch the church from the New Testament. Some churches and pastors have already done so. They do this at their peril and that of the congregations they pastor. How tragic.

We must continue to hold fast to the Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments.

Soli deo Gloria!

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Sola Scriptura: All Scripture.

We continue our study of the doctrine known as Sola Scriptura. Sola Scriptura, from the Latin, simply means Scripture Alone. Sola Scriptura is a term derived from the 16th century Protestant Reformation and is the perspective that the Bible is the sole, supreme and final authority for not only individual believers but also the church in all spiritual matters.

We are examining the importance of the Old Testament and the suggestion by a few within the church that believers should detach themselves from the Old Testament Scriptures. It is my contention that this would be an incredibly sinful thing to do.

Why? Because the Old Testament (OT) is not only God’s written revelation of Himself in general, but also the OT is important to the church when it comes to understanding our need of salvation. The Old Testament provides the foundation for all which the New Testament teaches, including the resurrection of Jesus Christ which is the primary truth upon which the church must commit. Let me provide three supportive Scripture passages from the New Testament of the Old Testament’s importance and value.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Within the context of Paul’s words to Timothy, the “All Scripture” to which Paul refers is the Old Testament. While the phrase “All Scripture” would eventually extend to the New Testament, we cannot ignore that the phrase continues to also apply to the Old Testament.

The Apostle Paul argues that the Old Testament Scriptures are profitable. How?

They are profitable for teaching. The word teaching refers to the Bible’s instruction or doctrinal content of both the OT and the NT (cf. 2 Tim. 2:15; Acts 20:18, 20–21, 27; 1 Cor. 2:14–16; Col. 3:16; 1 John 2:20, 24, 27). The Scripture provides a comprehensive and complete body of divine truth necessary for life and godliness. See Psalm 119:97-105.

The Old Testament is profitable for reproof. To reprove means to confront wrong behavior and/or wrong belief. The Scripture exposes sin (2 Samuel 11-12; Heb. 4:12–13) which leads to confession and repentance.

The Old Testament is also profitable to correction. Correction refers to restore something to its proper condition. The word appears only here in the NT, but was used in secular Greek writings of righting a fallen object, or helping back to their feet those who had stumbled. Scripture not only rebukes wrong behavior, but also points the way back to godly living. See Psalm 119:9–11; John 15:1–2.

Finally, the Old Testament is profitable for training in righteousness. Paul was explaining that even the Old Testament Scripture provides positive training (originally used in reference to training a child) in godly behavior, not merely rebuke and correction of wrong behavior (Acts 20:32; 1 Timothy 4:6; 1 Peter 2:1–2).

Additionally, 2 Peter 1:21-22 says, “Knowing this first of all that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” The Apostle Peter is likewise referring to the Old Testament as Scripture.

I Corinthians 15:1-4, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” The Scriptures to which the Apostle Paul again refers is within the immediate context, and at the time of its writing, the Old Testament. While now also applied to the New Testament canon, it continues to be applied to the Old Testament canon as well.

Ephesians 2:14-22 says, “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

The church is built upon the foundation of the apostles (New Testament) and prophets (Old Testament) with the person and work of Jesus Christ being the cornerstone in which the whole structure of salvation and the church exists. The Old Testament Scripture is important for the church to understand what is contained in the New Testament Scriptures.

Take time today and read Psalm 119 and Isaiah 52:13-53:12. Bask in the blessing of these two magnificent Old Testament passages.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

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Sola Scriptura: Unhitching the Church from the Old Testament.

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, “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. ’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.” (Acts 15:12-18).

Let’s start with the comments from Pastor Andy Stanley. I understand what he’s saying if by “unhitching” the Christian faith from Jewish Scriptures, he means you don’t need to strictly observe Jewish ceremonial law to become a Christian (Acts 15). In other words, you do not have to become Jewish in order to become a Christian.

However, let’s look more closely at what is occurring in Acts 15. Pastor Stanley uses the Acts 15 account of the Jerusalem Council as the basis for his assertions. The Jerusalem Council was called to decide whether non-Jewish believers must submit to all the requirements of the Law of Moses, especially circumcision, in order to be accepted as members of the church.

The decision of the council was that they should not make it difficult for the Gentiles because it is by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone that they are saved. Since no further restrictions are imposed by God, we must not impose any.

However, it is interesting to observe that Pastor Stanley does not point out that James grounds the council’s pronouncement in the Old Testament text of Amos 9:11-12, which is printed above. See also Jeremiah 12:15 and Isaiah 45:21. This Old Testament text is not implicit to James and council’s decision, but rather foundational to it.

David E. Prince, pastor of preaching and vision at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky and assistant professor of Christian preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary writes, “James and the church leaders did not unhitch themselves from the Old Testament, but rather found biblical authority to make the decision which was made. Stanley attempts to co-opt the fact that the Bible comes to us as progressive revelation to meet his own agenda of severing the teachings of the New Testament from the Old Testament. James, contrary to Stanley, did the opposite. James grounds the declaration of the council by showing that the position of the council was in continuity with God’s authoritative revelation in the Old Testament. The inclusion of the Gentiles was promised in the Old Testament, and the apostles are in full agreement with the message of the prophets. The restored kingdom of David will include the Gentiles (Acts 15:16-17). Rather than unhitching or completely detaching from the Old Testament, the apostles saw the Gentiles as the living fulfillment of the promise of the Old Testament.”

One of the evidences that the Bible is the Word of God is fulfilled prophecy. When you take away the Old Testament, you are removing a particular prophetical pillar supporting the authority of the Bible.

As Pastor Timothy Clothier explains, “He (Pastor Andy Stanley) seems to offering a misguided apologetic for the Christian faith.  He’s made similar arguments elsewhere such as “you don’t need to believe the Bible you just need to believe in the resurrection.”  Without question problematic and misguided, however I’m not sure he’s trying to out rightly undermine Christianity. However, it may be the result.”

 Pastor Clothier continues by saying, “I think this is also a bi-product of his preaching/church philosophy.  I heard him say, years ago, that walking through a book of the Bible was an easy cop-out because you didn’t have to be creative.  However, when one determines to be the originator of content and not the expositor of content you eventually run out of solid content.  That coupled with the fact he’s eliminated the OT from all consideration he’s not left with much to preach on/from.”

The Bible says, ironically in the Old Testament, that there is no new thing under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Andy Stanley begins with a premise. The Old Testament offends some people. Stanley does not want them to be offended. Therefore, you “unhitch” the church from the Old Testament. Haven’t we witnessed this in the church over the past several decades with the removal of crosses, any mention of sin and the denial of biblical doctrines which offend such as Hell. E.g. Love Wins by Rob Bell.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Let us resolve to not allow anyone to unhitch us either individually, or corporately in the church, from the whole counsel of God: both Old and New Testaments.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

 

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Sola Scriptura: Its Meaning!

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

For the next several days we’re going to take a brief hiatus from the Gospel of John in order to examine the doctrine known as Sola Scriptura. Sola Scriptura, from the Latin, simply means Scripture Alone. Sola Scriptura is a term derived from the 16th century Protestant Reformation and is the perspective that the Bible is the sole, supreme and final authority for not only individual believers but also the church in all spiritual matters.

The Westminster Confession of Faith states, “The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men.”

The Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 sets forth the principle of Sola Scriptura when he wrote that all Scripture is inspired, or God-breathed, and is profitable or beneficial for teaching or doctrinal content, reproving the sinner of his sin, showing the proper correction from sin, and training the individual believer in ways to live righteously and therefore, to not sin. Furthermore, Scripture alone enables each believer, and especially those involved in full-time ministry, to be equipped for every good work God has given them to do.

When the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write these verses from 2 Timothy, the phrase “all Scripture” was exclusively referring to the Old Testament. For example, Psalm 1, Psalm 19 and Psalm 119 all focus on the subject of God’s Word. All three psalms provide a rich framework concerning the inherent value of God’s biblical revelation of Himself contained in the Old Testament.

However, we now understand that the phrase “all Scripture,” today has come to encompass and include the New Testament Scriptures as well.  All sixty-six books of the Bible are to be viewed as God’s Word. As one pastor has written on the subject, “we are forbidden to add to or take away from Scripture (cf. Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Rev. 22:18-19). To add to it is to lay on people a burden that God Himself does not intend for them to bear (cf. Matt. 23:4).” This is known as legalism.

I would add that to take from Scripture is to open the believer, and the church, to license or licentiousness which is a recklessness born from a rejection of God’s written revelation. We must not disregard passages, portions or even entire books of Scripture because they make us uncomfortable or may prove difficult to interpret and/or understand.

This introductory essay is written within a particular context of controversy. Earlier this year, a nationally known pastor stated that Christians needed to “unhitch” the Old Testament from their faith. Andy Stanley, Senior Pastor of North Point Community Church, explained that while he believes that the Old Testament is “divinely inspired, it should not be “the go-to source regarding any behavior in the church.”

Stanley preached in May of this year from Acts 15, which described how the early church decided that Gentile converts did not need to strictly observe Jewish law to become Christians. “[First century] Church leaders unhitched the church from the worldview, value system, and regulations of the Jewish scriptures,” said Stanley. “Peter, James, Paul elected to unhitch the Christian faith from their Jewish scriptures, and my friends, we must as well.”

Stanley argued that detaching the church from the Old Testament has to be done for the same reason the church in Acts 15 did so, which was so that “we must not make it difficult for those Gentiles who are turning to God.” 

For Pastor Stanley, the difficulty lay with the Old Testament and his concern that many Christians are turning away from the faith because of certain passages in the Hebrew Bible. He explained the early church showed that there was a need to move past the Old Testament for the sake of Gentile believers and that the resurrection of Jesus was enough.

“Jesus’ new covenant, His covenant with the nations, His covenant with you, His covenant with us, can stand on its own two nail-scarred resurrection feet. It does not need propping up by the Jewish scriptures,” explained Stanley. “The Bible did not create Christianity. The resurrection of Jesus created and launched Christianity. Your whole house of Old Testament cards can come tumbling down. The question is did Jesus rise from the dead? And the eyewitnesses said he did.”

Pastor Stanley acknowledged that his comments may be considered “a little disturbing” to some, but then added that for many it is “liberating.” “It’s liberating for men and women who are drawn to the simple message that God loves you so much He sent His Son to pave the way to a relationship with you. It’s liberating for people who need and understand grace, who need and understand forgiveness. And it’s liberating for people who find it virtually impossible to embrace the dynamic, the worldview, and the values system depicted in the story of Ancient Israel.”

At the same time, Stanley still regards the Jewish scriptures as having importance, saying they were “a means to an extraordinary end.” He explained that, “The Jewish scriptures are the backstory for the main story. They’re an important backstory. They’re divinely inspired. They are God on the move through ancient, ancient times.” 

“It’s the fabulous story of God the Founder playing by the rules of the kingdoms of this world, to establish a kingdom not of this world. To send a king who would be like no other king. A king who lay down His life for His subjects. A king who would introduce the entire world to God the Father,” Stanley concluded.

Stanley’s sermon was the third part of a series titled “Aftermath,” in which the pastor was trying to appeal to individuals who left Christianity over what they were taught the Bible said about certain things. “If you were raised on a version of Christianity that relied on the Bible as the foundation of faith, a version that was eventually dismantled by academia or the realities of life, maybe it’s time for you to change your mind about Jesus,” stated North Point Community Church Pastor. “Maybe it’s time for you to consider the version of Christianity that relies on the event of the resurrection of Jesus as its foundation. If you gave up your faith because of something about or in the Bible, maybe you gave up unnecessarily.”

Days before giving the third Aftermath sermon, Stanley also preached at the Orange Conference held in Atlanta, Georgia, using Acts 15, as well as John 17, to argue that church unity was more important than “theological correctness.” “[Jesus] prayed for our oneness, that we’d be on the same page,” said Stanley at the conference. This is mission critical. If they are not one, we will not win … unity is mission critical and disunity disrupts the mission. Will we prioritize our oneness over our politics? Will we continue to allow the kingdom of the world to divide the Kingdom of God that is in this world because of politics?”

Well, as you can see there is a lot in which to respond. Is the principle known as Sola Scriptura no longer practical or relevant today? Is Pastor Stanley correct when he says believers should “unhitch” themselves from the Old Testament Scriptures? Has a Christianity which relies on the Bible as the foundation of faith been dismantled by academia and the realities of life as Pastor Stanley contends?

An honest attempt will be made to answer these questions, and others, and to do so graciously and honestly. However, this will be done with an unswerving and unapologetic commitment to Sola Scriptura.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

 

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His Word Today: A Time to Reflect!

It was one year ago to the day when His Word Today began. This daily blog was the result of a suggestion given to me by a colleague in ministry. I am forever grateful for my friend’s inspired encouragement for me to present biblical truths and insights God has given me in over 40 years of preaching and teaching.

The vision of hiswordtoday.org is simple. First, everything written will be about God: who He is and what He does. Second, we seek to faithfully examine what God has revealed to us in His Word, the Bible, about who He is and what He does. Third, we want to see how God in His Word practically impacts us each day we live because of who He is and what He does.

I am grateful to all of you who faithfully follow this blog. Your words of encouragement have been a blessing. Your comments have proved helpful. They have strengthened me to continue this daily discipline: not only for your edification but my own.

I am grateful to my family who proved pivotal in creating this site and who continue to help me maintain its vision for excellence.

Finally, I am grateful to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him, I could do nothing. With Him I can do all things for which He has called me to do (Philippians 4:13).

As we enter a second year of Bible study, we will begin with an examination of the Doctrine of Sola Scriptura. Thereafter, we will continue to study the Gospel of John. I’m not sure what we will study after that, but your suggestions are most welcome. Are their questions your need answered? Are there biblical truths that need explaining? Is there a biblical book you would like for us to study? Let me know what you think and we will proceed from there.

Finally, let the words of I Corinthians 10:31 ring loud and true: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Soli deo Gloria!

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The Gospel of John: Let Him Who is Without Sin.

“And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.” (John 8:7-9).

It should be noted at this time that John 7:53 – 8:11 is not found in the earliest manuscripts we possess of the Gospel of John. Dr. John MacArthur provides a very thoughtful explanation as to this portion of Scripture.

This section dealing with the adulteress most likely was not a part of the original contents of John. It has been incorporated into various manuscripts at different places in the Gospel (e.g., after vv. 36, 44, 52, or 21:25), while one manuscript places it after Luke 21:38. External manuscript evidence representing a great variety of textual traditions is decidedly against its inclusion, for the earliest and best manuscripts exclude it. Many manuscripts mark the passage to indicate doubt as to its inclusion. Significant early versions exclude it. No Greek Church father comments on the passage until the twelfth century. The vocabulary and style of the section also are different from the rest of the Gospel, and the section interrupts the sequence of John 7:52with 8:12ff. Many, however, do think that it has all the earmarks of historical veracity, perhaps being a piece of oral tradition that circulated in parts of the Western church, so that a few comments are in order. In spite of all these considerations of the likely unreliability of this section, it is possible to be wrong on the issue, and thus it is good to consider the meaning of this passage and leave it in the text, just as with Mark 16:9–20.”

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains that, “We must note that whether John actually recorded this story is up for debate. Most biblical scholars do not believe this is a Johannine text because it is not found in many of the oldest New Testament manuscripts. Moreover, the manuscripts that do have the story do not all agree on where it should be placed. Some manuscripts have it in other places in John, while some even have it in the gospel of Luke. Nevertheless, it is an ancient story referenced in several of the earliest church fathers, and the church has long held that it records an authentic episode from the life of Christ. Thus, we agree with John Calvin that since the passage “contains nothing unworthy of an Apostolic Spirit, there is no reason why we should refuse to apply it to our advantage.”

All of that being said, the text records Jesus’ response to the continued badgering by the Sadducees and Pharisees regarding the woman. He finally responds by saying, ““Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

This is a direct reference to Deuteronomy 13:9 and 17:7. Both texts indicate that when an execution is about to begin, only those who were not guilty of the same crime or sin may participate in the execution.

Jesus once again bends down and writes on the ground. Perhaps this was a delaying tactic which gave the leaders time to think and consider their actions. However, after hearing Jesus’ words, one by one they began to leave the scene with eventually Jesus and the woman together while in the midst of the crowd at the temple.

John Calvin writes that, “Beginning from the eldest, even to the last, that according as each them surpassed the others in honorable rank, they were more quickly moved by His (Jesus’) condemnation. We ought also to observe how widely this conviction of sin, by which the scribes were affected, differs from true repentance. For we ought to be affected by the judgment of God in such a manner, that we shall not seek a place of concealment to avoid the presence of the Judge, but rather shall go direct to Him in order to implore His forgiveness.”

There is nothing better for any sinner to come to Christ in total surrender. If you need to be forgiven, and who doesn’t, flee to the forgiveness Christ provides for sinner and saint alike.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

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The Gospel of John: Unjust Justice!

“They said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say? This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.” (John 8:4-6)

The Sadducees and Pharisees bring a woman to Jesus while He was sitting and teaching in the Temple. No information is given as to how these religious leaders happened to catch the woman in the very act of adultery? Did they set up the whole scenario? We do not know. Additionally, where is the man she was with? No mention is made of him, either by John, the religious leaders or Jesus.

The religious leaders immediately wanted to know what Jesus would say about this situation. They referenced the Law of Moses that such women were to be stoned. The Old Testament references may have been Leviticus 20:10 and or Deuteronomy 22:22-24.

Leviticus 20:10 says, “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”

Deuteronomy 22:22-24 says, “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel. “If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor’s wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.”

However, even the casual observer must note that in both Old Testament references, the law indicates that both parties engaged in adultery were to be put to death. In the case of the situation recorded in John 8, only the woman is brought before Jesus. Where was the man who committed adultery with her? His absence, and John’s editorial comment that this was all a test in order to arrest Jesus, reveals the utter hypocrisy of the Sadducees and Pharisees.

Pastor Burk Parsons comments that, “John 8:6 confirms that these leaders were not concerned with justice. They brought the woman to Jesus to test Him, asking whether they should execute her as the law demands. From a human perspective, this put Jesus in a predicament. If He were to deny that she deserved death, He could be accused of taking the law lightly and might lose much of His Jewish audience. If He were to call for her execution, the religious authorities could complain to the Roman government that controlled the Holy Land that Jesus was calling for the Jews to do something only the Romans could do in that day, namely, enforce capital punishment. Seeing their trap, Jesus crouched down and began writing in the dirt, making them wait for His answer (v. 6).

We do not know what Jesus wrote on the ground and it is unwise to speculate. John Calvin writes, “By this, Jesus stooping down and writing on the ground, He intended to show that He despised them. Those who conjecture that He wrote this or the other thing, in my opinion, do not understand this meaning. For Christ rather intended, by doing nothing, to show how unworthy they were of being heard; just as if any person, while another was speaking to him, were to draw lines on the wall, or to turn his back, or to show, by any other sign, that he was to attending to what was said.”

Calvin concludes by saying, “Thus in the present day, when Satan attempts, by various methods, to draw us aside from the right way of teaching, we ought disdainfully to pass by many things which he holds out to us.”

Pastor Burk Parson’s writes, “Deuteronomy 16:20 stresses that the judges in ancient Israel were to pursue justice and only justice. The religious authorities who brought the adulterous woman before Jesus didn’t care about justice, for they went after the woman only and not the man she was sleeping with as well. As God’s people, we must be concerned with justice, with making sure that the innocent are protected and the guilty held accountable.”

Soli deo Gloria!

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The Gospel of John: What a Contrast!

“Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst.” (John 8:2-3).

The contrast between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders continues to be John’s focus as the eighth chapter of John’s Gospel continues. Following a night of presumed prayer on the Mount of Olives, early the next morning Jesus comes once again to the temple. The people, like the sheep they symbolically were, flocked to Him. Jesus, like the Good Shepherd He is, sat down and taught them.

On the other hand, following a night of presumed plotting and renewed efforts to arrest Jesus, the Scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery and placed her in the midst of the crowd and Jesus. No information is given as to how they discovered this woman’s adultery or where the man was who committed adultery with her. The religious leader’s intention will become clearer as the text unfolds.

Dr. R. C. Sproul explains, “Right away, astute observers will notice that something is amiss. It takes two people to commit an act of physical adultery, and if the woman was caught in the act, a man would have been caught as well. Where is he? The text does not say, but the very fact that only the woman is charged shows that these religious leaders were not concerned with the law. Both the man and the woman were to be punished when they were guilty of adultery (Lev. 20:10), but the scribes and the Pharisees sought to condemn only the woman.”

While Jesus is sitting down to teach the people the Word of God, the religious leaders place a woman in their midst who they condemn as having broken the Word of God. Jesus is concerned with teaching, while the religious leaders are only interested in condemning: the woman and Jesus. While Jesus is the embodiment of justice, the Sadducees and Pharisees embody injustice.

Who do we most identify with? Of what people group from this text do we most compare ourselves? Do we identify ourselves with Jesus in seeking to be Christ-like in all we do? Or what about the people who listened to His teaching? Are we more like them?

Are we like the adulterous woman? Are we in need of God’s forgiveness and restoration? Or are we more like the religious leaders: condemning other people by our own self-righteousness while at the same time ignoring our own sinfulness?

Our personal answers to these questions will impact our understanding and application of this text. There is much more to come from the account of the Woman Caught in Adultery. I trust you will make every effort to continue to join me each day as we study His Word.

Soli deo Gloria!

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The Gospel of John: False Shepherds.

“They went each to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.” (John 7:53-8:1).

As indicated yesterday, the Feast of the Tabernacles came to its conclusion. So too, for the time being anyway, did the Sadducees and Pharisees conclude their efforts to arrest Jesus. Today’s text refers to the religious leaders going back to their respective homes. You get the impression that they went to their homes thinking that tomorrow was another day in which to plot and plan anew their intent to arrest and kill Jesus. As we will witness in John 8:1-11, it would not take them long.

Jesus, however, went to the Mount of Olives. We may observe a contrast concerning Jesus and the religious leaders.

First, they went to their respective homes. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. He had no physical home or house in which to spend the night.

Second, it can be speculated that the religious leaders spent the night plotting their next effort to trap Jesus in order to arrest Him. John 8:2-11 will support this conclusion. In contrast, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives presumably to pray. Luke 21:37-38 indicates that this was His common practice.

Dr. John Walvoord explains that, “It might have been the Lord’s ordinary custom from the beginning to leave the brilliant misery of the city every night, that so He might compose His sorrowful and interceding heart, and collect His energies for new labors of love; preferring for His resting-place Bethany, and the Mount of Olives, the scene thus consecrated by many preparatory prayers for His final humiliation and exaltation.”

Today’s text may also be a contrast between the false shepherds of Israel, the Sadducees and Pharisees, and the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Why were people who were so religious at the same so intent on destroying the very One who was the fulfillment of their religion? The Prophet Ezekiel shares the possible answer in Ezekiel 34:1-11.

The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them. “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them. “For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.”

The LORD’s stinging rebuke of Israel’s kings through the prophet may also be applied to Israel’s religious leaders during Jesus’ days of ministry. The Sadducees and Pharisees true identity as false shepherds is in contrast to Jesus’ true identity as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-16). Their desire to kill Him is in contrast with Jesus’ desire to die on behalf of sinners like them.

Jesus gave His own warning against false shepherds. In Matthew 7:15-20. He said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”

What was true in Ezekiel’s and Jesus’ day remains so in our own. There are many so-called spiritual leaders who are in reality false shepherds. They are only interested in preying upon believers in Christ, instead of praying for them. They are only interested in feeding themselves instead of feeding the flock of God’s people. Jesus said we will know them by their fruits.

Pray for and encourage pastors and religious leaders who are truly doing the work God has called them to do.

Soli deo Gloria!

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The Gospel of John: A Pastor’s Perspective on the Sovereignty of God in Salvation.

“They went each to his own house,” (John 7:53).

As the Feast of the Tabernacles came to its conclusion, so too, for the time being anyway, did the Sadducees and Pharisees plot to arrest Jesus. Today’s text refers to the religious leaders going back to their respective homes. You get the impression that they went to their homes thinking that tomorrow was another day in which to plot and plan anew their intent to arrest and kill Jesus. As we will witness in John 8:1-11, it would not take them long.

Why were people who were so religious at the same so intent on destroying the very One who was the fulfillment of their religion? Jesus will answer this directly in John 8. His answer may surprise you.

For the time being though, let’s ponder the words of pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards. His sermon, God’s Sovereignty in the Salvation of Men, is based upon Romans 9:18 which says, “Therefore He has mercy on whom He has mercy, and who He will he hardens.”

Pastor Edwards, in addressing the particular theological point that God exercises His sovereignty in the eternal salvation of men, writes that God’ sovereignty is “His absolute, independent right of disposing on all creatures according to His own pleasure.” This pleasure is in opposition to any constraint, is not under the will of another, and is not under any other obligation.

What God’s sovereignty implies, Edward’s stated, is that “God can, without any prejudice to the honor of any of His attributes, bestow salvation on any of the children of men, or refuse it.”  The implication of such a bestowing is that God may give salvation to the meek and lowly and deny it to the wise and great.

I Corinthians 1:26-28 says, “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,”

Edwards explained that God will sometimes bless weak means in producing astonishing effects when more excellent means are not utilized. Edwards writes, “Sometimes some, who have eminent means of grace, are rejected, and left to perish, and others, under far less advantages, are saved. Thus the scribes and Pharisees, who had so much light and knowledge of the Scriptures, were mostly rejected, and the poor ignorant publicans saved. The greater part of those, among whom, Christ was much conversant, and who heard Him preach, and saw Him work miracles from day to day, were left; and the woman of Samaria was taken, and many other Samaritans at the same time, who only heard Christ preach, as He occasionally passed through their city. So the Jews, who had seen and heard Christ, and saw His miracles, and with whom the apostles labored so much, were not saved. But the Gentiles, many of them, as it were, but transiently heard the glad tidings of salvation, embraced them and were converted.”

The reason people who were so religious but also at the same so intent on destroying the very One who was the fulfillment of their religion were so because their religion was of the devil and not of God. This is what we will see in John 8.

This is what we witness in our own day and age. As the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

Take time today to thank God for saving your soul and resolve to live in gratitude to Him for His extravagant gift.

Soli deo Gloria!