Jeff Davis' Blog

Part I

What happens when people continually reject every call from God?  The Lord’s mercy was extended over Israel for only a period of time and because of their disobedience and idolatry, God’s judgment and persecution was sure to arrive.  “In every age it is a temptation for a religious faith to assume God’s blessing and mercy will continue the same no matter what people do… It is better for people to forsake their wicked ways and evil thoughts and rely on God.  Israel did not learn that lesson and paid the price of awful judgment for it” (Fettke, 2007, p. 101).   The political and religious policies of Israel’s kings led directly to God’s judgment.  Jeroboam could have been an instrument of blessing for Israel.  He was divinely chosen and given promises that his dynasty would continue and prosper if he trusted and obeyed the Lord.  He did not trust, nor did he obey the Lord.  Instead, he committed many serious sins that led the Israelites to turn from God rather than to Him.  He was the first of twenty kings, not one of which would lead the people back to God.  Jeroboam did not trust in God’s promise and was worried that the people of the north would go south to Jerusalem in Judah to worship God.  By doing so, he was concerned that the people would be persuaded to follow Rehoboam instead of him.  To insure that this would not happen, he placed two golden calves in the north, one in Bethel and one in Dan to be worshipped.  “Religiously, Jeroboam sinned in the sight of God by establishing substitute worship for his northern people” (Wood & O’Brien, 1986, p. 258).  In doing so, he only led his people further into idolatry by establishing his own priesthood and creating his own annual festival ³ “You shall have no other gods before me. ⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments (Exodus 20:3-6). 

Jeroboam’s promises from God were contingent upon him trusting and obeying the Lord.  Since he chose to do neither, in I Kings 14, under King Baasha’s reign, we hear the prophet Ahijiah speak of a king that would be raised up to cut off Jeroboam’s family.  God promised to uproot the nation from the good land that He gave to their forefathers and to scatter them beyond the Euphrates River.  King Baasha, like his father, was evil, so evil, that he killed his own father and all of Jeroboam’s living family members.  He reigned for twenty-four years and continued to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.  Regardless of who the king was, the story stayed the same because they continued to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.  Even King Zimri, who was only king for 7 days, is remembered as an evil king.

The historian listed several reasons for Israel’s judgment and exile.  Israel followed the practices of the nation and did things secretly against the Lord.  They practiced idolatry and rejected God’s law and His prophets: “Their easy acceptance of pagan deities and their failure to seek God and obey God’s commandments resulted in the eventual destruction of the nation” (Fettke, 2007, p.103).  As a result, God sent the Assyrian army as “the rod of His anger” (Isaiah 10:5).  The saddest part of this story is that things are no different today; in many ways, things are even worse.  In today’s world, we have the same type of deception and idolatry that led to Israel’s fall.  Jesus tells us in the New Testament, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)  Today, more than ever, we still need people like the prophets of the Old Testament to have the courage to stand up and oppose the lies and idolatry of corrupt rulers.    

Part II

Jeremiah’s prophetic words were about to come to pass after seventy years of Babylonian exile.  The book of Ezra, in conjunction with Nehemiah, records the fulfillment of God’s promise to restore his people to their land after their Babylonian captivity.  “The overall themes of the books are the restoration of the Jewish people—both physically and spiritually” (Breneman, 2005, p. 6). Even during the Israelites’ exile, God was still present with His people.  “Just as judgment was sure because of their sins, so restoration was sure because of God’s mercy and faithfulness and covenant promise” (Fettke, 2007, p. 107).  In this story of restoration, we learn that God can use anything and anyone to accomplish His will, as He did with King Cyrus of Persia.  Here, God uses a pagan king, someone who does not even worship Yahweh, to defeat the Babylonians and restore the people of God to their promise land.  King Cyrus not only issues a decree to allow the captives to return home; he tells them to rebuild their homes and their temple (Isaiah 45:13).  Through God’s providential grace and mercy, the Israelites were able to preserve their faith and traditions while in exile.  Most of the Israelites returned to their homeland where another test of faith was waiting.

Upon arriving back to their homeland, the postexilic community seemed to quickly forget about God’s goodness and how the Lord delivered them out of exile.  They were only concerned about rebuilding their homes and not the temple.  One of the many problems the Israelites ran into was when they were taken captive, over the years, people had settled in their homeland and the new inhabitants were not happy about the returning captives. 

One of the main concerns the postexilic community had was maintaining the Mosaic and Abrahamic covenant.  Prophets of the time had three main jobs: expose idolatry, announce judgment, and give hope.  Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Malachi all preached these principles, but each of them focused on one primary thing as their main message.  Haggai and Ezra arrived on the scene and motivated the Israelites to rebuild the temple, which by doing so would reestablish their faith.  During the siege, the temple was the last thing to be destroyed, when the nation fell into captivity, and so it seemed fitting that their first act was to build an altar on the original temple site in the midst of the ruins.   The temple was also the first place where God began to set about the work of restoration with His people.  “Ezra played a key role in preserving the Jewish people from being corrupted by a pagan environment.  He was commissioned by Artaxerxes to leave Babylon and take charge of the religious affairs of the Jews in Judah” (Brubaker, 2003, p. 813).  He was the man for the job; he was a descendant of Aaron, Israel’s first high priest and he was a scribe well versed in the Torah of Moses, which Jews were governed by.  His last qualification sealed the deal; “the hand of the Lord his God was on him (Ezra 7:6, 11). 

Nehemiah’s concern over the condition of Jerusalem broke and burdened his heart when he would hear reports.  In chapter one we learn that he was the cupbearer to the king and that he prayed for an opportunity to rebuild the wall and for the chance to gain the king’s favor.  “Nehemiah’s vision wasn’t so much about rebuilding a wall as it was about reestablishing a context for God to demonstrate his power and fulfill His promises to the nations” (Stanley, 1999, p. 97).  Whenever a follower of Christ stands up and says, “I will arise and build,” Satan always says, “Then I will arise and oppose.”  Satan continually tries to destroy or counterfeit anything God stands for and he can’t stand it when God’s children turn back to Him.  Satan attempted to rise up the Ammonites, Amorites, Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites, and the Perizzites to hinder the Israelites reconciliation with God.  The surrounding neighbors of Jerusalem even attempted to stop the building of the wall by humiliating the people and planning an attack against the city.  Nehemiah remained faithful and he prayed to the Lord for help (Nehemiah 4:1-23).  He didn’t just pray that the wall would be constructed; he prayed that God would use him in the construction and he encouraged the people to remain faithful by also praying to the Lord for help and by wisely advising them to continue their building efforts, while being ready to fight their enemies.  To this day, the enemy still tries his schemes, but as children of the Most High God, we are over comers, we are conquerors, we are soldiers, and we are warriors because the hand of the Lord is upon us.    “Nehemiah’s story, not his presence, was the thing that convinced his audience the time to rebuild had finally arrived.  It wasn’t his vision that moved them to action; it was the news that God had acted on their behalf” (Stanley, 1999, p. 103).  Many tried to stop God’s plan and Sanallat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab were no match because “Our God will fight for us!” (Nehemiah 4:20).

The Book of Haggai contains four sermons the prophet delivered to the returned exiles in 520 B.C. “We know from what he said that the people had turned from their commitment to rebuild the temple to constructing comfortable houses for themselves” (Constable, 2010, p. 23).  After an early stage of construction on the foundation, opposition from the community stopped any future progress.  With the work on the temple not proceeding, the people began to pursue their own selfish interests again, so in Haggai’s first sermon he rebukes them for having their priorities all wrong.  He tells the Israelites to consider their ways and gave them two motivations for completing the work: to please the Lord and to glorify the Lord, so God could dwell among them again.

“The temple was completed under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Haggai, and Zechariah in 516 B.C. But almost 100 years had passed, and whatever reforms had been instituted were presently being ignored and as a result, spiritual apathy had set in. The people were disregarding the priests and the temple, they were not bringing their tithes and offerings and there was intermarriage with foreigners and divorce taking place” (Hampton, bible.org).

God used the prophets as His messengers and most major changes in Israel’s history were preceded by revelations from God.  Rarely did He act without first giving warning through a prophet.  That is why most prophets confronted the people about their apathy and complacency.  It is amazing to me that even today we have such selective memory about history.  Reading through scriptures it seems as though every generation makes the same mistakes as the past ones.  In Amos, chapter three, we learn that Israel’s punishment was inevitable and because of their sins, God would not turn back His wrath.  Even after their exile we read about the old and comfortable routine taking over, yet again.  “Malachi’s prophecy indicts the religious leadership of the day and chides God’s people for their spiritual apathy and their skepticism and cynicism concerning God’s plan for their future. It also calls the people to correct their wrong attitudes of worship by trusting God with genuine faith as living Lord. Furthermore, it warns the people of their immoral behavior toward one another and calls for their repentance lest they be terrorized at the coming of the Lord” (Taylor & Clendenen, 2004, p. 231).

Names have a very significant meaning.  Figuratively speaking, to know someone’s name is to grasp that person’s inner essence and significance and it is only as we learn God’s names that we truly begin to know Him.  Because of this; we will be examining two of God’s most powerful names: Elohim and Yahweh.  God chose to reveal Himself to us through His Word and through creation and knowing His names allows us to be committed to Him in a way that we can trust Him for our daily needs.

“The two most significant names of God are Elohim and Yahweh” (Payne, 2006, p145).  El is another singular form corresponding to Elohim and suggests the idea of power, strength, and authority and it is the first name of God found in the Bible.  Because occurrences of God’s names being revealed are rare, I have to believe there is significance in that He chose this to be the first name revealed to us through His special revelation.  This name points to God’s creative power as well as His authority and sovereignty.  Elohim is the God of gods, the highest of all.

“In the Mosaic period was revealed the most important single definition of God’s name = His nature” (Payne, 2006, p146).  “In reality, the name Elohim embodies the transcendent idea of God, but it is Yahweh who communicates with man in the manner of men” (Phillipps, 1993, p104).  We know God because of what He has done and this name reminds us that we are God’s chosen people just as the Israelites were when they began to know the God who is and causes to be.  Yahweh can also be translated as Jehovah, the Lord, or Eternal and is the name of the covenant making God.  “God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation” (Exodus 3:14-15).  These two names paired together are one of my greatest comforts: “the LORD God.”

When God promised something, He revealed His nature generally through a name and He promised never to leave or forsake us.  God is the same today as He was at the beginning of time and nothing we do can separate us from Him.  “Knowing God’s nature, power, and plan for our good, we can trust Him through the turmoil and tragedy of this life.  We know that whatever He permits to come into the lives of His people – even the attacks of the adversary – will be for our ultimate good” (Phillipps, 1993, p147).  God will not allow a challenge to come into our lives unless He has a divine purpose for it.  Nothing in life happens to us; it happens for us and if we keep the right attitude, God will use any circumstance for our good.  ^“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

In the natural, things may seem impossible, but in the supernatural, all things are possible.  We grow strong in faith by giving up praise to God when things seem impossible and incredible power is released when we choose to believe in God’s faithfulness.   No matter our circumstance or what we have walked through, when we call upon the name of the Lord, He will be our ever-present help in time of need; He will provide, save, heal, guide, protect, give peace, and comfort us; all we need to do is have faith and trust in Him.

God gave us Jesus so we could have salvation and He grants forgiveness and redemption to those who deserve punishment.  God solved this problem by sending His Son to suffer the punishment we should have received.  Jesus Christ was the spotless Lamb of God and our redemption was accomplished through the death of the innocent for the guilty.  For an inheritance to be paid; the testator must die and our inheritance was salvation and everlasting life.  Christ came to free us from sin and from the dominion of Satan and to destroy the devil’s work.  As a symbol, the sacrificial lamb prefigured the character and suffering of the Lamb of God.  In the Old Testament, the sacrifice of lambs was very important because it was a guilt offering.  When the animal was to be sacrificed, the individual would place his hand on the animal’s head, essentially passing the sin and guilt to the animal.  This is exactly what Jesus did; He removed the world’s sin by taking it upon Himself.

“God’s names are descriptive of His activity to establish or fulfill the testament, activity that makes salvation available to all men.  His names reveal much about His concern that men come to know and love Him” (Phillipps, 1993, p109).  God’s love for us motivates His redemptive activity, His ability to provide redemption shows His sovereignty and His desire to do so shows His beneficence.    We were separated from God because of our sin. For that reason, the only hope we had was if He provided a way for us to be reconciled to Himself.  This is exactly what He did in sending His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins on the cross. Christ died to make atonement for our sin and to pay the penalty of the sins of all who believe in Him.

When I encounter individuals going through a trial or a shaking I explain that Satan is the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy and he attempts to counterfeit or destroy everything God stands for.  Soon though, God will destroy sin forever and He will judge and punish Satan and all those who chose to follow him.  This is not a pretty picture because living outside of God’s will is a dangerous place to be and can cause us to miss out on many of the blessings God has in store for us.  What we must understand is that God is more interested in changing us than He is about changing our circumstances.  As long as we are living by faith and according to what God has called us to do, where we are is exactly where we are supposed to be; even if it feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar.   By human nature, we don’t enjoy the uncomfortable or the unfamiliar, but as children of the Most High God, it’s not always about us; it’s about advancing the kingdom of God.  God rewards those who are faithful; He is in complete control and everything happens according to His divine plan.  When God sees us doing all we can do, He will show up and do what we can’t do.  He will open doors that no man can shut and that is a promise we can hold on to.

Section 1

1.  Why should a reader begin with the “then and there” meaning of the Bible before looking for the “here and now” meaning and what is the danger of considering one meaning without the other?

The “then and there” must be understood before the “here and now” because the first step in exegesis is to uncover the original author’s intent.  “God’s Word to us was first of all His Word to them.  If they were going to hear it, it could only have come through events and in language they could have understood.  Our problem is that we are so far removed from them in time, and sometimes in thought. This is the major reason one needs to learn to interpret the Bible” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p. 23).  The danger of considering one meaning without the other is “a text cannot mean what it never could have meant to its author or his or her readers” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p.74).  True understanding of God’s Word begins with asking questions like: who wrote it, who was it written for, and why was it written and most importantly: what is the point.  Only once these questions are answered can one understand the singular scriptural interpretation, its principles and its applications.

2.  Explain the concepts of literal, free, and dynamic equivalent translations and include any advantages or disadvantages of each.

The problem with only using one translation is that you are limited by the exegetical choices of that translation.  In the literal translation, one attempts to keep as close as possible to the Greek or Hebrew root word.  “The closer one stays to the Hebrew or Greek idiom, the closer one moves toward a theory of translation often described as “literal.”  Translations based on formal equivalence will keep historical distance intact at all points” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p.41).  With functional equivalence, the goal is to try and keep the meaning of the Hebrew or Greek word while putting it in a normal way of saying the same thing in English.  I am a fan of this translation because it is easier to understand.  “The more one is willing to forego formal equivalence for functional equivalence, the closer one moves towards a theory of “dynamic equivalent.”  Such translations keep historical distance on all historical and factual matters but “update” matters of language, grammar, and style (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p.41).  In free translation, the focus is to translate ideas from one language to another.  With this translation, less emphasis is placed upon using the same words as the original.  I find with this translation that on occasion the true meaning behind a scripture can be lost.  “A free translation, sometimes called a paraphrase, tries to eliminate as much of the historical distance as possible and still be faithful to the original text” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p41).

3.  Briefly describe these four problems in interpreting the Epistles: extended application, non-comparable particulars, cultural relativity, and task theology.

In my opinion, the biggest problem arises in cultural relativity: deciding what was relevant to the people for whom it was written and what transcends to our current generations.  “The point is that it is extremely difficult to be consistent here, precisely because there is no such thing as a divinely ordained culture; cultures are in fact different, not only from the first to the twenty-first century, but in every conceivable way in the twenty-first century itself” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p81).  Problems that arise with particulars that are not comparable are that some texts speak only to first-century issues while others speak to issues that are highly unlikely to happen in the twenty-first century.  Extended application deals with comparable situations and comparable particulars.  However, it is important to remember, “God’s Word to us in such texts should be limited to its original intent” (Fee/Stuart, 2003 p.76).  Task theology is not without its own limitations.  “Much of the theology in the Epistles is task oriented and therefore is not systematically presented” (Fee/Stuart, 2003 p.86).  Another problem that arises occurs when we attempt to answer questions about moral decisions in our day with epistles that spoke specifically to issues during which they were written.

4.  What do the authors mean when they instruct us to interpret the Gospels by thinking horizontally and vertically?

Thinking horizontally means that when we study a passage in any one Gospel, we should be aware of the parallels going on in the other Gospels.  Because Jesus Himself did not write the Gospels, we must assume there was a reason why.  “…the fact that the gospels were not written by Jesus but about him is a part of their genius” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p.128).  Two of the reasons for thinking horizontally are to give us an appreciation for the treasures found in any one of them and to provide a different kind of context.  Knowing that Mark wrote his Gospel first, then Luke and Matthew, and then John illuminates the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in doing so and these Gospels are a wonderfully made synopsis of the life of Jesus.  Thinking vertically takes a different approach in that its focus is placed on being aware of historical contexts: that of Jesus and that of the evangelist.  One error in thinking vertically is to reconstruct the life of Jesus.  Even though this should be of great interest, it is not the primary goal.  “Thinking vertically will reveal that the same point is being made at both levels” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p.140)

5.  Describe these three forms of prophetic oracles: lawsuit, woe, and promise prophecies.

Many of the prophets used different forms of prophetic utterances is their books.  The lawsuit is one of my favorites used by the prophets.  In it, God is often pictured as the plaintiff, prosecuting attorney, judge, and bailiff in a court case against the defendant, Israel.  It flows just like a court case; you have a summons, a charge, evidence, and a verdict.  Not surprisingly the evidence always shows that Israel is guilty of breaking its covenant with God.  This literary form is brilliant in the way it gets the message across to the reader.  The woe oracle has three primary elements: an announcement of distress, the reason for distress, and a prediction of doom.  When an Israelite cried out “woe” it was because there was imminent disaster or death.  “Through the prophets, God makes predictions of imminent doom using the device of the “woe,” and no Israelite could miss the significance of the use of that word” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p.195).  The promise or salvation oracle is used whenever the following elements are present: reference to the future, mention of radical change, and mention of blessing.  Many of the passages that fall into this category deal with abundance and blessing because of a radical change.

6.  Describe at least five characteristics of apocalyptic literature.

Apocalyptic literature is a literary form that does not exist in our own day.  In it, the common theme deals with coming judgment and salvation either in time of persecution or great oppression.  “The apocalyptists looked exclusively forward to the time when God would bring a violent, radical end to history, an end that would mean the triumph of good and the final judgment of evil” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p.251).  In apocalyptic literature, the authors are agents of God speaking of things to come from the beginning.  The apocalyptic authors, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, were told to speak what they were told or had seen.  Apocalyptic literature is often times presented in visions and dreams and typically has cryptic and symbolic meanings contained within it.  “The images of apocalyptic are often forms of fantasy rather than of reality” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p251).  Most of the literature was formally stylized, having a tendency to divide time and events, as well as, symbolically using numbers.

7.  Discuss at least five types of psalms and their characteristics.

Psalms are prayers or hymns to God or about God.  Laments represent the largest group of Psalms and they express deep trust in Yahweh.  They can individually or corporately help people through struggles, suffering, or disappointment by allowing them to express their feelings to the Lord. 

Thanksgiving Psalms operated in contrast to Laments since they expressed joy to the Lord because something had gone well, God had been faithful or provided, or any number of other reasons they had to praise God.  These psalms helped them express their deep gratitude to the Lord. 

Hymns of praise are similar to Thanksgiving Psalms in that they center on the praise of God but are not limited to a specific reference of personal misery or joy. 

Psalms of celebration and affirmation are broken down into several categories consisting of:  covenant renewal liturgies which are designed to lead God’s people to a renewal of the covenant established on Mount Sinai.

Royal psalms were used to demonstrate that even though most of Israel’s kings were unfaithful to God, He could use anyone to accomplish His purpose. 

Enthronement psalms did exactly what they sound like; they celebrated the enthronement of the king in ancient Israel. 

Songs of Zion celebrated Jerusalem as the holy city and the place in which the kingship of David exercised authority. 

Lastly, songs of trust focus on the fact that God can be trusted especially in times of despair and no matter what the circumstances.

8.  List and briefly explain six factors the interpreter should consider in deciding which Old Testament laws apply to modern believers.

We are to see the Old Testament law as God’s fully inspired Word for us and not His direct command to us.  We must use the Old Testament law as a basis for the old covenant, which is Israel’s history and we need to understand that the old covenant only applies to us when it has been specifically renewed in the new covenant.  We must see God’s justice, love, and high standards revealed in the Old Testament law while not losing sight that God’s mercy is made equal to the severity of the standards.  We must look at the Old Testament law through a lens that allows us to see it as a paradigm, one which provides examples for all types of behavior and we must stop viewing it as complete because it is not comprehensive.  We must never forget that the Ten Commandments and the two chief laws are repeated by the prophets and thus renewed in the New Testament and we must not expect the Old Testament law to be cited frequently in the New Testament by the prophets.  We must also see that the Old Testament law was a generous gift to Israel which brought tremendous blessings when they chose to obey it.  It was not merely a list of what they could and couldn’t do, limiting their freedom with annoying regulations; instead, it was a way to bring glory to God by obeying what He commanded.  The covenant was a binding contract between God and the His children, both of whom had obligations in the covenant.

Section 2

Part I: Compare and contrast the hermeneutical principles of interpreting narrative and specifically the book of Acts by both Gordon Fee/Douglas Stuart and Wave Nunnally.  Note both similarities and differences in the two approaches.

Hermeneutics is the science of interpreting ancient scripture and it is amazing to me how two brilliant evangelical Christians can differ in their opinion over Luke’s writings in Acts.   Gordon Fee and Wave Nunnally both seek truth, but their paths split when their views regarding the purpose and intent of Acts is revealed.  “We seldom think of the Old Testament histories as setting biblical precedents for our own lives.  On the other hand, this has been a normal way for Christians to read Acts.  It not only tells us the history of the early church, but it also serves as the normative model for the church of all times.  And this is precisely our hermeneutical difficulty” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p.107).  Fee attempts to answer the question of how individual narratives in Acts function as precedents for the later church and if there is a word that not only describes the primitive church, but speaks to the church of all times.  In answering this question, he says it is crucial to understand whether biblical narratives describe what happened or what must happen.  Nunnally points out that for the past five hundred years that the goal of the Protestant church has been to allow the Bible to speak for itself.  “People from all walks of life, religions, and political views have willingly played the “this is what the Bible means to me” game.  Unfortunately, many who call themselves conservative Christians are not immune to the same self-centered trap of thinking that their own authority, agenda, personal revelation, personal experience, or unique insight is sufficiently weighty to override the original author’s intended message” (Nunnally, 2007, p.33).  Both scholars agree that God’s Word cannot mean something today that was not intended by the original author and that all scripture is God breathed.  This being said, Fee makes the distinction that we must discover what is prescriptive and what is descriptive in the book while Nunnally holds true to the idea that the main purpose of Acts is to be “an indispensible source of direction and inspiration toward a return toward the power and patterns of the first-century church” (Nunnally, 2007, p.32).  It is only through sound exegesis that we can truly understand what is normative or one-time-only.

The question arises: To what degree do we adhere to the practices held by the first-century church and can theology and doctrine be based on narratives and where should the precedent be set?  Nunnally believes that these narratives were given for future churches to emulate and strive for.  Fee holds true to the notion that narratives primary purpose was to give an account of historical record.  “Unless Scripture explicitly tells us we must do something, what is only narrated or described does not function in a normative way – unless it can be demonstrated on other grounds that the author intended it to function in this way” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p.118).  I believe the purpose of narratives is not only to teach us, but also in some areas to establish precedents.  The one principle that we must adhere to is that scripture interprets scripture so when contradictions appear to exist, emphasis should be given to the multiple and clear passages over the isolated and obscure ones.  Both scholars hold true to the principle that the Bible is absolutely consistent and that it cannot contradict itself in matters of doctrine, ethics, or historical facts and they acknowledge that only scripture has the authority to establish matters of faith and practice.

Part II: Discuss how these approaches can potentially affect one’s viewpoint of the Pentecostal understanding of the doctrine of the baptism with the Holy Spirit.  Note both similarities and differences.   Address specifically the following two aspects: (1) Spirit baptism as a subsequent experience to salvation and (2) speaking in other tongues as the initial physical evidence of Spirit-baptism.

Interpreting narratives and deciding whether they are intended to teach or be normative will be a never-ending debate among scholars.  Fee attempts to establish that doctrinal statements fall into several categories: (1) Christian theology-what Christians believe, (2) Christian ethics-how Christians ought to live in relation to God and others, and (3) Christian experience/practice-what Christians do as religious/spiritual people.  Within these categories he goes on explaining that there are two levels of statements: primary and secondary.  “At the primary level are those doctrinal statements derived from the explicit propositions or imperatives of Scripture (i.e., what Scripture intends to teach).  At the secondary level are those statements derived only incidentally, by implication or by precedent” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p.119).  Many of our practices, we do because God commands it, but how we do them and how often is sometimes based upon tradition and precedent.   In contrast, Nunnally says, “when something is reported multiple times and in varied contexts, it is likely that something of eternal relevance is being communicated” (Nunnally, 2007, p.36). It is this principle which he uses to establish his view of normativity, instead of just one-time events.  He provides the following example: “Luke presents baptism in the Holy Spirit as a normative experience for all believers; tongues of fire accompanying this experience is reported only once.  Therefore modern believers can expect to experience a baptism in the Spirit, but should not expect accompanying tongues of fire” (Nunnally, 2007, p.36).  Fee’s argument and position seems much more logical to me because Nunnally’s logic is: since there are multiple examples of speaking in tongues, this should be a normative experience for everyone who comes to faith.  He furthers this argument by establishing since there are multiple accounts in Acts, that the church should establish it as a precedent. To me, this sounds like a disaster just waiting to happen and in many cases, I am sure it has already done so.  Fee concludes, “Likewise, on the basis of the narrative of Jesus’ reception of the Spirit at his baptism, two different analogies have been drawn that move in quite different directions.  Some see this as evidence for the believer’s reception of the Spirit at baptism and thus support by way of analogy for baptismal regeneration; by contrast, others see it as evidence for a baptism of the Holy Spirit subsequent to salvation.  There can be little question that Luke himself saw the event as the moment of empowering for Jesus’ public ministry” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p.123).  Unfortunately, none of us have God’s authority to reproduce the exegetical efforts of the New Testament authors.  “The issue of interpreting narrative and whether or not it is intended to teach is a continuing discussion among scholars.  It is important to note that several non-Pentecostal evangelical scholars as well as some noted Pentecostal scholars affirm that some narratives are intended to teach.  They suggest helpful guidelines for determining if a passage is intended to be prescriptive (normative) or if it is merely descriptive (a unique historical event that occurs only once)” (Stronstad 1984 & 2005, Duvall and Hays 2001 & 2005, and Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard 1993).

Regarding the issue of tongues being  the official evidence of a Spirit-baptism, Nunnally states that “when something is reported multiple times and in varied contexts, it is likely that something of eternal relevance is being communicated” (Nunnally, 2007, p.36).  He concludes that since there are several examples of believers experiencing a Spirit baptism that this means: Luke is presenting baptism in the Holy Spirit as a normative experience for all believers.  I have a problem with this because it bases precedent solely on historical events and not on the teaching.  Even though we know all the narratives took place, it does not make them all normative experiences for the church today, even though most of them should be.  When Scripture commands we do something, we should do it and in areas that are not clear, we must pray and trust that the Holy Spirit will illuminate the truth for us to see it and obey it.

Part III: Present appropriate plans for applying the concepts in this assignment to your ministry.  Contextualize the concepts you have learned to the sub-culture or setting of the people you are ministering to or plan to minister to.  How have you personally benefited from this assignment?

Currently, I lead several small groups at my local church ranging from youth to adults.  For me, this course has definitely been worth all the time and effort I have put into it.  I feel much more confident in my ability to teach.  My ability to perform exegesis has dramatically improved and in turn, my ability to communicate the author’s original intent to my students has gotten much better.

Personally, I have benefited in realizing that even though brilliant scholars cannot agree on certain secondary truths, we can all agree on the primary truth of God’s awesomeness.  We are not to lean on our own understanding and if God wanted us to simply have a list of things to do and not do, He would have given that to us, but instead, He chose to provide us with narratives, poetry, parables, prophecy and stories that could teach us, be an example and most importantly: help us understand how majestic our God is.

Reference List

Duvall, J. Scott and J. Daniel Hays. 2005. Grasping God’s Word. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Fee, Gordon D., Stuart, Douglas. 2003. How to Read the Bible for All it’s Worth: Third Edition, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Gibbs, Carl, B., 2004, Principles of Biblical Interpretation: An Independent-Study Textbook, Springfield, MO: Global University

Klein, Blomberg and Hubbard. 1993. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Nunnally, Waverly E., 2007, Hermeneutics and Interpreting Acts: A Pentecostal Perspective, Springfield, MO: Global University.

Stronstad, Roger. 2005. The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.

Here is the latest paper from my Biblical Interpretation Class:

1.  A response to the interpretation of Acts 4:32-36 as an endorsement of a type of communal living as being normative for the Christian church.

a)  The interpretation rules broken here are that no doctrine be based solely on one passage of scripture and that no verse or phrase can mean something in isolation that it does not mean within its wider context.

b) The interpretation rule that should have been followed here was when contradictions appear to exist, emphasis should be given to the multiple and clear passages over the isolated and obscure ones.  The historical occurrence of an event cannot be the only basis for establishing a doctrine and the only valid interpretation of a Bible passage is the one that is based upon the original writer’s intent.

c)  I believe that Luke had a couple of reasons for writing this passage and communal living was not one of them.  The first was to convey how Barnabas and the rest of the church differed from Ananias and Sapphira in their giving.  The church and Barnabas gave generously while Ananias and Sapphira gave selfishly.  Luke was conveying the principle of being of one heart and of one soul, meaning that they were spiritually unified by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Because of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, followers of Christ chose to help others in need.  The selling of their goods was voluntary and the distribution was according to the need.  We see in verse 36 that Joseph sold a field that he had owned, but there is no mention that he sold all of his belongings or cut-off communication with the outside world, so this passage of scripture should be considered descriptive to the modern church and not prescriptive.  Since most of Acts in narrative, one must remember, “Some actions, customs, and events are more important only as they help to form a broader concept” (Gibbs, 2004, p.265).  Here, this broader concept is to be generous and to see and meet the needs of brothers and sisters in Christ.  “Unless Scripture explicitly tells us we must do something, what is only narrated or described does not function in a normative way – unless it can be demonstrated on other grounds that the author intended it to function in this way” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p.118). 

2.  A response to the belief that Christians are still obligated to adhere to Old Testament rules regarding sacrifices, clothing, and diet.

a)  The rule of interpretation violated here is that the Bible is absolutely consistent and cannot contradict itself in matters of doctrine, ethics, or historical fact.

b)  The rule of interpretation that should be followed here is when contradictions appear to exist, emphasis should be given to the multiple and clear passages over the isolated and obscure ones.  A doctrine should not be considered biblical unless it sums up and includes all that Scripture says about it.

c)  Biblical revelation was given in a progressive manner so that some passages reflect a partial teaching of a truth. The Old Testament Law was a covenant between God and His children.  The Law’s role in Israel’s history was to show them how to live.  “It was God’s gift to his people to establish the ways they were to live in community with one another and to provide for their relationship with and worship of Yahweh, their God” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p.163).  This sounds easy on paper, but there were over 600-plus commandments the Israelites were expected to keep. They were held to laws about sacrificing animals to purify them of their sins, laws about food preparation and consumption, and laws about righteous living.  They had to work daily to keep themselves clean and worthy of God’s mercy.  God’s desire has always been to redeem the lost and because of this, He sent Jesus Christ to fulfill the Law, which required a blood sacrifice for the remission of sins. The law required that nearly everything be cleansed with blood and that without the shedding of blood there could be no forgiveness.

Praise God, the New Testament is our covenant with God under the blood of Christ.  In it, we are instructed about living a moral lifestyle and serving others so that they may know God.  Jesus was the final, pure, spotless lamb, sacrificed as payment for the sins of man, so that we might have everlasting life.  “The Old Testament represents God’s previous covenant with Israel made on Mount Sinai, which is one we are no longer obligated to keep” (Fee/Stuart, 2003, p.167).  None of the previous laws are binding unless they are restated, renewed, or reinforced in the New Testament.  This being said, some laws still do apply because most of the Old Testament stipulations not renewed were either civil or ritual laws.  However, ethical/moral laws were renewed in the new covenant so it is often said that aspects rather than simply the laws themselves are renewed from the old covenant to the new.

3.  A response to (or rebuttal of) the belief on an interpretation of Galatians 5:1, that Christians may ignore New Testament commands as long as they feel that they are being led by the Holy Spirit.

a)  The interpretation rule ignored here is that the Bible is completely consistent and cannot contradict itself in matters of doctrine or ethics or historical fact.  The only valid interpretation of a Bible passage is the one that is based upon and consistent with the writer’s original intent.

b)  The interpretation rule that should have been followed here would be to understand the immediate context and basing it upon the original writer’s intent.  The interpretation of a passage must be consistent with the flow of thought of the chapter and book in which it is found.  The teaching of clear and multiple passages should have been given precedence over singular or obscure ones.

c)  God has called each of His children for a specific purpose in which we are to glorify our Heavenly Father by doing what He commands us to do, living lives that are pleasing to Him, and having hearts that are like His.  To do so, “The Bible interpreter must be (1) regenerated by the Holy Spirit, (2) obedient to the Scriptures, (3) guided by the Holy Spirit, and (4) diligent in study (Gibbs, 2004, p.31).

Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen; will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.   Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-20)  Jesus was not only the fulfillment of the Law, He was the teacher of it and He did so by obeying it perfectly.

The role of the Holy Spirit is not to reveal new truths, but to give us a deeper understanding of existing truths.  ^“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)  Being regenerated with the Holy Spirit makes everything we do more effective, but that does not justify breaking New Testament commands.  In this passage, Paul is illustrating that being a Christian is having a life apart from the Law.  Just as they were previously in slavery to heathenism, they were yet again becoming slaves, this time to Mosaic Law.  They were seeking righteousness by works and in doing so Paul declared that Christ would be of no value to them.  You cannot understand a verse in isolation without understanding the context around it.  Christ had already set them free, so Paul was urging them to stand firm and not become slaves again.

4.  A defense that the early Christians might have given to pagans in Rome who mistakenly thought that Christ had instituted cannibalism as a rite in the early church because of his words in John 6:53.

a) Multiple interpretation rules would be broken if one argued this point.  Every passage has only one meaning to discover and the only valid interpretation of a Bible passage is the one that is based upon the writer’s original intent.

b) The interpretation rule that should be instituted here would be to understand that all principles and applications of a Bible passage must be consistent with the writer’s original intent.  This scripture would also be easier to understand once applying the principle of who wrote it, who it was written for, and why it was written.  One must also remember that every passage of scripture has only one meaning and sometimes that meaning is expressed directly and in this case indirectly through figurative language.

c)  This passage of scripture does not say we are supposed to cannibalize each other.  Drinking “His blood” is a figure of speech. The Jews knew this command because it was a forbidden practice, so they must have been shocked to hear these words from Jesus’ mouth.  “When God gave His written revelation He did not communicate it in the language of angles for celestial beings to read and interpret to people.  His message was given in normal human language for people to read and share with each other” (Gibbs, 2004, p.24).  John was illustrating that just as food and water sustain physical life, that Jesus sustains His believers spiritually.  “It is His flesh and blood that gives everlasting life to those that chose to receive salvation.  For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”  (Leviticus 17:11).  Jesus commonly used metaphors that His listeners misunderstood and interpreted to be literal.  If He had been teaching them to be cannibals, instead of being buried in a tomb, His disciples would have cannibalized Him after the crucifixion.  Eating His flesh is only another expression for believing and putting your faith in Christ.  A doctrine or practice should not be considered Biblical unless it sums up and includes all that Scripture says about it.

Reference List

Fee, Gordon D., Stuart, Douglas. 2003. How to Read the Bible for All it’s Worth: Third Edition, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Gibbs, Carl, B., 2004, Principles of Biblical Interpretation: An Independent-Study Textbook, Springfield, MO: Global University

What are angels?

Angels are created beings that exercise intellect, emotions, and free will.  Biblical writers use the word angel to refer to both human and divine messengers, deities on occasion, as well as to holy and evil spirit beings.  Heavenly angels are spirits; therefore, they have no physical bodies.  For us to be able to see them, God has to grant us the ability to do so.  There are two distinct types of angels: “holy” and “evil” and within each, there is an order and rank.  The purpose of holy angels is to serve God and to minister to those He has redeemed.  The opposite is true with evil angels, whose purpose rest solely on opposing the gospel.  Angels are not restricted by normal human limitations, but the power they exercise is the power that God grants them.  Angels are immortal, but they are not eternal; only God is eternal.  Holy angels represent two-thirds of the innumerable number of hosts the Lord created, while the remaining one-third are evil angels which fell from heaven after they allied themselves with Lucifer.  ^“His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.” (Revelation 12:4)  After the fall, some angels were bound in darkness (Jude 1:6) while others were free to carry out Satan’s purpose. As a result, the devil attempts to strike back against God, by attacking His children.  There are several different kinds of holy angels, each with different characteristics and roles: cherubim, seraphim, and archangels.  Seraphim were created to declare the holiness of God.  They constantly worship Him and declare His glory.  “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.  Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.   And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”  (Isaiah 6:1-3)  Cherubim are considered to be angels that guard sacred things, possibly even the throne of God.  They were over the Ark of the Covenant on the Mercy Seat and they also guarded the entrance to the Garden of Eden.  Archangel means “chief angel” and the term only occurs two places in the Bible both of which are in the New Testament.  Only one of these scriptures identifies an archangel by name, but it does suggest there may be others.  Michael is referred to as “one of the chief princes” and his role includes: protecting the nation of Israel, battling Satan and announcing the second coming of Christ.  Gabriel is thought by some to possibly be an archangel himself, but the Bible does not identify him specifically as one.  He has had many important duties including: announcing the birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah, announcing the birth of Jesus Christ to Mary, as well as, interpreting future events in a vision to the prophet Daniel.

When were angels created?

Scriptures like II Peter 3:8 make this a difficult question to answer, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”  Angels were created at the moment God commanded them into existence.  ^“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created.” (Psalms 148:5) While the exact time angels were created is not revealed in God’s Word, some conclusions can be made.  We do know that God created them before He created man and that they were created out of existing matter, so it is reasonable to assume that God created them immediately out of nothing when He began His creative acts.  We do not see any mention of angels in the first chapter of Genesis, which details the account of creation, but in chapter three we are introduced to a fallen angel whose sole purpose was and is to hinder God’s purpose.  Angels witnessed the creation of the universe because as we read in Job, they were worshipping Him as He was creating the world.  We also know that angels existed before the Garden of Eden, since Lucifer was already there in his fallen form.

What is the place of angels in God’s purpose for us?

God is our ultimate provider, protector, deliverer, and guide and He has infinite resources to accomplish His will and purpose, one of which is angels.  Colossians 1:16 tells us, “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”  Holy angels are ministering spirits that are sent to serve those who will inherit salvation, and while they minister to man, they also minister to God.  An angel has the power to provide physical and spiritual strength in our time of need and they also have the ability to protect us.  In Daniel 6, God sent His angel to shut the mouths of the lions and in Daniel 3 God sent His angel to protect Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  God can also use angels to deliver people out of or from perilous conditions and situations.  In some instances, He even uses angels to keep people from entering dangerous circumstances.  On two separate occasions, in Acts 5:17-23 and Acts 12:6-10, God dispatched an angel to deliver the apostle Peter from imprisonment.  Angels can also guide people according to God’s word.  Many times, He uses angels to minister to us without us even knowing it. 

What is our relationship to angels?

Angels are servants of God and exist to bring glory to His name; however, they are not slaves just carrying out his will.  We are not angels, nor do we become angels when we die.  When Jesus addressed this matter in Luke 20:34, He said that when we are resurrected, we will be like angels, not we will be angels.  After our resurrection, we will have glorified bodies in which our physical bodies will be majestically transformed.   Paul tells us in Philippians 3:20-21, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”  One could argue that humans are more like God than angels, since we are created in His image.  Unlike humans, angels do not reproduce and they do not have gender.  We can be assured that when God sends either humans or angels to do anything that He will provide whatever is necessary to complete the task.  God uses angels to provide physical and spiritual strength and He uses them to provide protection over people and nations because He protects His own.  God can deliver us from, through, or by things and using angels is just one way in which He does this.  Angels can also provide us with guidance and most of our encounters with angels will happen without us even knowing about it.

What is the origin of demons?

Man’s fall is fairly detailed in scripture, but God has chosen not to reveal much of the specifics of evil angel’s fall from grace.  If there was a specific cause, it was pride.  Their pride robbed them of reason and in doing so; they wanted to be equal to God in power and position.  The rebel angels questioned God’s authority and joined forces with Lucifer causing them to lose their holy character.  This sinful act also caused them to abandon their authority and dwelling place.  They were angels who once were good and served God, but choose to exercise their free will and rebel against Him.  Because of God’s holiness, these once good angels could no longer be in His presence.  This sinful act caused God to cast them into hell, a bottomless pit and place of unknown misery.  Lucifer was the beginning of their end, giving way to a dark and corrupted kingdom of evil.  From Jude 1:6 and I Timothy 4:1 we can infer that some angels are bound and kept in darkness while other angels are used to carry out the devil’s bidding.  These demons are banished from God’s presence forever and live under eternal judgment.

What is Satan’s role as the head of demons?

Satan is God’s adversary and his primary goal is to frustrate God’s purpose by any means necessary.  Lucifer was the first being to ever sin.  John 8:44 tells us, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire.  He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” He attempts to strike back against God by attacking His children in jealous rage.  His goal is for as many of God’s children to go to the hell that God created specifically for Satan and his evil angels.  Satan roams the earth like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour and he masquerades as an angel of light.  Although he is powerful and cunning, he operates under limitations and he does not possess the same attributes that God does. His power is limited, his knowledge is incomplete, and his presence is restricted.  Satan is the originator of sin, he is the father of lies, and he is the great accuser.  His strategies are to lie, deceive, and kill and in doing so; turn God’s children away from Him.  Satan leads the host of evil angels and they carry out his purpose and sinful schemes.

What is the activity of Satan and demons?

Satan and his demon’s goals are to destroy or counterfeit every work of God.  Their tricks and schemes are time tested and they have become very proficient at them, since their fall from heaven.  Evil angels attempt to cause God’s children to become blind to the gospel and they plot to keep His children in spiritual bondage.  They use temptation because they know where we are vulnerable, they use guilt because they understand our emotions, and they use fear to play with our minds.  Their personal sin of pride is another one of their favorite tendencies because they understand how vain and envious humans are.  These are just some of the many tricks the enemy uses to hinder the effectiveness of a Christian.  Misery loves company and any opportunity to become a hindrance to the gospel will not be missed.  Evil spirits love to torment believers of past mistakes even though when we bring it before God, His answer to us is, “What sin”?  One thing we must never do is give credit to the devil for something he never had a part of because you can rest assured that he will take the credit.  Unlike unbelievers, demons believe there is a God and “shudder” “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.” (James 2:19)

 What is our relationship to demons?

We are engaged in daily battle with demons.  ^“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12) Satan and his evil angels attempt to retaliate against God by attacking His children.  Satan’s hostility toward God is unrelenting and he will do whatever he can to upset God’s plan of redemption.  I John 3:8 tells us, “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”  Even though Jesus came to destroy the devil’s work, Satan wages a desperate spiritual conflict.  Our sinful nature is what demons use against us as they attempt to afflict, tempt and even possess human beings.  This being said, Satan and his evil angels can only do what is permitted by God.  All angels have free will, just as humans, so they understand our weaknesses and areas of vulnerability.  They personally know the areas we are susceptible to temptation.  They know when we are told, “Don’t do that,” it just makes us want to do it even more.  I Timothy 3:7 talks about traps the enemy sets to catch believers unaware, causing them to fall.  We can be assured that the One who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world and we can have confidence that the spiritual battle we are engaged in is not one of equal powers.  Satan attempts to make us blind to truth.  ^“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (II Corinthians 4:4)  Another aspect of demons involves possession, in which one surrenders themselves over to an evil angel(s).  Humans’ fascination with the unknown and the demonic is not something new; it has existed since there was evil in the world.  Man constantly attempts to worship false gods in order to reveal things that God has chosen not to make known and they desire to worship something they can hold in their hands.  God and His plan are perfect; He knows the end from the beginning and He can even use demons to accomplish His will.  Although possession is very real; it cannot occur in someone who is a Christian.  Believers in Christ are off-limits to demon possession because once we accept Christ into our lives; our body becomes the temple of the Most High.  God purchased our lives with the blood of His Son and He will not share our heart with anything unclean.  Satan knows he is running out of time so he and his evil angels are desperately attempting to derail Christians and their walk with Christ. The reality of demons roaming the earth can be troubling, but Christ has already triumphed over them.   ^“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)  

God is infinitely and unchangeably good (Zephaniah 3:17) and while He is infinitely powerful and majestic, He also desires to have a personal relationship with us.  After reading about the qualities of God, you soon begin to realize that they are not independent of each other; instead, they complement each other and encompass His very nature and being.

What makes God good?  Is it because He loves us, or is it because He is merciful?  He is good because of these and so many other reasons.  The love of God is a totally unselfish love and He demonstrated His love for us by sending His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.  God is good because He loved us even when we had no concern for Him and Christ died for us while we were still sinners.  Love is so important that Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).  The Spirit of God is the Spirit of love and whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:8).

God’s love is a persistent unending love, even when people resist it and many scholars believe, in grace, God manifests His goodness toward the ill-deserving, but in mercy, He directs it toward those who are in misery or distress.  “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).  Because of God’s mercy towards us, He also expects us to be merciful to others and by not showing mercy to others, we keep ourselves from receiving mercy from God.

To act out of true love, one must put their concern for someone else equal to or above that for themselves.  People know they are loved when they feel it, not when they hear it or if it is implied.  Loving someone as Christ loved us involves a decision to meet people where they are at in their walk in life and coming along side them.  It involves getting our hands dirty by reaching down to pick them out of the pit they are in or walking with them through a trial just like Christ has done for us time after time.  We quickly forgot what and where our Savior pulled us out from and as the Body of Christ that is how a lost and hurting world will feel the love and compassion of God.  We are His instruments and while He doesn’t need us to accomplish His will, we need Him and when we act according to His will, we bring glory to His name.

 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7).  Mercy is shown by those who have authority, power, or control over another person. Jesus paid the ultimate debt with His life and He expects us to do the same.  In Matthew 18:23 we read about a king forgiving one of his servant’s vast debt.  In this story, the Lord was showing us that forgiveness must be in direct proportion to what was forgiven.  In the story, the servant was forgiven of all his debt and he in turn should have forgiven all.  Instead, he chose not to forgive one of his debtors who owed merely a fraction of the debt he himself had just been forgiven.  As children of God, we have been forgiven of all our sins, so in turn when someone sins against us we must be willing to forgive them no matter the circumstance or how many times it occurs.

God is our ultimate provider, protector, deliverer, and guide and He has infinite resources to accomplish His will and purpose, one of which is angels.  Angel means “messenger” and they are ministering spirits who are sent to serve those who will inherit salvation.  An angel has the power to provide physical and spiritual strength in our time of need.  In Matthew 4:11, after Jesus’ tempting, angels came and attended Him.  God also uses angels to protect His children.  In Daniel 6 God sent His angel to shut the mouths of the lions and in Daniel 3 God sent His angel to protect Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  God can also use angels to deliver people out of or from perilous conditions and situations.  In some instances, He uses angels to even keep people from entering dangerous circumstances.  On two separate occasions in Acts 5:17-23 and Acts 12:6-10, God dispatched an angel to deliver the apostle Peter from imprisonment.  Angels can also guide people according to God’s word.  Many times, He uses angels to minister to us without us even knowing it.  Other times, as in Acts 10:1-8, Cornelius was reassured and instructed by an angel to send for the apostle Peter who could help make sense of the heavenly visitation he had received.

The purpose of holy angels is to serve God and to minister to those He has redeemed.  The opposite is true with evil angels, whose purpose rest solely on opposing the gospel.  As a result, we are engaged in an ongoing spiritual battle and it becomes evident that angels play a significant role in God’s plan.  With 175 references to angels in the New Testament, it becomes apparent that there is an increase in the activity of angels or that the writers of this period simply decided to write more about them.  Ultimately, spiritual warfare began when Lucifer exercised his free will and chose to rebel against God.  At that instance, he and a third of the angels fell from grace like lightning falling from heaven and as each day passes; Satan’s earthly kingdom becomes less secure.  After the fall, some angels were bound in darkness (Jude 1:6) while others were free to carry out Satan’s purpose. As a result, the devil attempts to strike back against God by attacking His children. 

To win a battle, understanding the weapons and tactics of your opponent is essential.  To battle Satan and his dominion and to wage war in the heavenlies, we must grasp what it truly means to put on the full armor of God and we must know how to stand firm against his attacks.  Our key to victory rests in our ability to not give the devil a foothold because he is the great accuser and he is the tempter.  The same ploy he used in the Garden of Eden was the same ploy he used in heaven – why worship God, when you can be God?  His tricks and schemes don’t change and he knows where we are vulnerable to temptation.  Satan roams the earth like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour and he masquerades as an angel of light.  Understanding this and knowing that whatever God calls us to do that He will grant us the strength and power required is our key to fighting the good fight.  Satan operates under limitations and he does not possess the same attributes that God does. His power is limited, his knowledge is incomplete, and his presence is restricted.  The greatest pay-back the devil could deliver would be to have as many of God’s children going to the place in which God created specifically for the devil and his angels.