By Reverend Mark Hunnemann
Many Christians can relate easily to Jesus because He is human, as well as God—and also being called the ‘Son’ is easily grasped on an emotional level. But the Holy Spirit, not to mention the Holy ‘Ghost’ (due to cold, paranormal connotations for some), seems to be less understood.
But once we are saved (through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit), what happens between our salvation and the time of our death? That is a long time…and the Holy Spirit is indispensable for the living of the Christian life. It is imperative that we understand what He does during our stay on earth. And certainly one of the greatest gifts of the New Covenant is the full indwelling of the Holy Spirit in all believers—I say ‘full’ because, in order to be saved in the OT, they had to have some measure of the Holy Spirit.
In our discussion of the Trinity, we talked about the full deity and personality of the Holy Spirit. What I want to focus on in this segment is what He does. I am going to put His work under four headings: empowerment, purifying, reveals, and unifies.
1. Empowerment: The great Cappadocian Father, Basil (330-379) stated that the Holy Spirit was ‘Christ’s inseparable companion.’ When Mary wondered aloud as to how she might get pregnant the Lord said: 35And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be borne will be called holy—the Son of God. (Luke 2:35) His virginal conception is accomplished through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus throughout His entire ministry and life.
As we shall see, from womb to tomb, the Holy Spirit was indeed Jesus’ constant companion. During the ‘hidden years’ we may assume that the Holy Spirit was with Jesus always. From the same psalm in which we have the terrible cry of dereliction, which Jesus screamed from the cross are these words, “Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
10 On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.” (Ps 22) We see a continuity of intimacy with God (through the Holy Spirit) throughout His life.
When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove, and then Mark tells us that the Spirit ‘drove’ Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted. But the Spirit did not leave Him alone during this trial. And when He had defeated Satan, Luke says that He came out from this ordeal in the power of the Spirit and began His public ministry. (4:14)
Indeed, at Jesus’ first sermon He quoted from Isaiah 61: 1The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;a
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound”
So, a defining trait of the coming Messiah, as foretold by Isaiah, would be that He was anointed by the Holy Spirit. We are told in the gospels that He drove demons out by the Spirit of God, revealing that the Kingdom had arrived. Finally, when Jesus rose from the dead we are told that the Spirit played a significant part in this as well.(Rom.1:4) And in His discourse in John 14-17, the coming of the Holy Spirit in His fullness was to be viewed as a gift. Jesus was the original Paraclete but He would send another, and He told His disciple (and us) that it was to our advantage that He leave, in order for the Holy Spirit to come in fullness—which occurred at Pentecost. I once had a case in which there was a mighty rushing of wind which shook the house but it was an unholy mimicry of Pentecost in my view.
If Jesus’ life was empowered by the Holy Spirit, then how much more does our life need to be empowered by Him! As Jesus said in John 15, without Him we can do nothing—nothing to please God that is.
“but be filled with the Spirit”, (Eph.5:18) This present participle indicates that though we receive the Holy Spirit definitely at conversion, there is an absolute need to continually keep being ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ to be empowered to bear fruit.
We need to remember that the Holy Spirit is a Person (who can be grieved or pleased). That He empowers us does not mean that He is a celestial battery from which we gather energy—He is intensely Personal because he is the third Person of the Trinity. We commune with Him existentially (moment by moment).
Christ has baptized us by the Spirit into the Body of Christ in which we celebrate the diversity of Spirit given gifts because we need each other.(1 Cor. 12:13) And we too have access to the power of God in our lives and ministries. Through the Spirit and the work of Christ we have power over the demonic and Satan himself. God Himself dwells within believers! Do you consciously rely upon the Holy Spirit?
2. Second, the Holy Spirit purifies us. He makes us increasingly holy. Surely it is very significant that His name is the HOLY Spirit! He Himself is utterly morally pure, as well as being transcendent or set apart.
But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.(John 16:8-11)
In John 3:3-6 (Eph. 1-2) the Spirit awakens dead sinners to see their need of a Savior. He regenerates them and gives us the ability and desire to believe and repent. Without the work of the Holy Spirit applying the work of Christ, there would be no believers. But after initially purifying us through faith, He continues His role of sanctifier by changing us from one degree of glory to the next. (2 Cor. 3:18) Becoming more Jesus-like is the Spirit’s goal in our lives.
Over a period of time we should see change in our character. The fruit of the Spirit should become increasingly evident in our lives—an observable love which testifies to the Holy Spirit within. Problems with anger and bitterness should gradually be broken.
It is important that we pray before we make decisions, even for ministry opportunities or we may get there and a sense a deadness. Suppose you are in a situation in which you have made a commitment but something else important comes up and you are confused as to what to do. Instead of stressing out, say something like: ‘Father, I know that you have some resolution to this problem. Please reveal it to me.’ And wait to see what happens. It is easy to get stressed out and this one single bit of advice could change your life. Discerning the Spirit is a habit that takes trial and error for us to learn over time. I have made quick decisions which I wished later I had prayed more about. Is there anything in your life that needs purifying? We will all be ‘under construction’ until the Holy Spirit brings us home—He is the seal and guarantee of our glorification.
3. Thirdly, the work of the Holy Spirit is to reveal. “knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”(2 Pet.1:21) Peter is saying that the OT prophets were guided by the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s mind and purposes to us. Many Christians are canonically challenged: meaning that they do not read the OT much. But every major doctrine in the NT finds its origin and foundation in OT, and probably within first 3 chapters of Genesis—and then expounded in more detail as OT progressed. I think we grieve the Holy Spirit when we do not read these books which is said to have been written by men ‘carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Regarding the revealing of God in NT Jesus says: 12“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16:12-14)
This is sometimes misapplied by Christians because clearly the primary meaning of this text is Jesus preparing His apostles for their foundational role in the church as being agents of revelation. Meaning that the primary focus of this text is the prediction of the coming NT—God’s written revelation.
So, to be empowered by the Holy Spirit we need to be men and women of the Word because the Holy Spirit speaks to us primarily to us through His Word.
When it comes to personal guidance by the Holy Spirit there are two opposite errors to avoid. The first is to be too subjective: ‘The Holy Spirit told me to do this, and He told me to do that.” There is a strong over-reliance on feelings to the neglect of the brain God gave us, and His Word (along with counsel of other people) I have seen the craziest things said and done all in the name of what people felt God had told them to do. It is interesting in the council of Acts 15 that there was a lot of discussion first, before coming to a conclusion: and they said that it ‘seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.” The Holy Spirit usually does not bypass the brain in guiding us in specific situations.
The other error is to be too rational—relying too much on the brain to the neglect of the feelings/emotions and the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit. Often after spending time in the Word and praying for a matter, and then waiting on God, a solution will come that ‘feels right’ and from the Lord. It is difficult to express this in words, but if we pray and wait upon the Lord, and not flip out when problems arise, then He will guide us. But this often comes in the form of advice from godly friends. Again, if you find yourself in a mess of a situation, then pray: ”Lord, I believe that You have a good solution to this.” And wait to see what happens—perhaps some new factor will arise or God will make it clear though His providence.
4. The Holy Spirit works to bring unity to believers. In the High Priestly prayer in John 17 Jesus actually says that the loving unity of believers is the final apologetic: an observable, costly love from Christians (especially to other believers) will testify to the truth of our faith. The world often separates over differences, but the diversity in the Body is God ordained and we need each other. God gives different passions and gifts to us as individuals, all within the unity of the Body.
Some evangelical leaders are compromising on the gospel by allying with Roman Catholics (whose view of salvation is seriously wrong) or rejecting penal substitution. The point is that in seeking unity, it must not be done at the expense of truth and the holiness and purity of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, we have to set aside non-essential differences in order to give glory to God through the unity of believers. Some folks will call anyone ‘heretic’ who does not believe in every jot and tittle of their belief system. We have to rely on common sense and the leading of the Holy Spirit to know when to say ‘when’. Certain issues are non-negotiable and God the Holy Spirit does not want us to waffle on those in an attempt to have a shallow unity. Grace and truth, holiness and love—we need both to be bold and effective witnesses and to please the Holy Spirit.
Of all the Persons of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is the most intimate with believers because He actually indwells us (and through Him, the Trinity). It should be our passion to walk moment by moment, keeping in step with the Spirit.
Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.
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Showing posts with label trinity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trinity. Show all posts
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Perfect Atonement, Analysis of Hebrews 9:27-28
By Reverend Mark Hunnemann
Perfect Atoner, Perfect Atonement—perfectly accomplished and perfectly applied and perfectly timed (exegesis of Hebrews 9:27-28)
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come,then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)
12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify 6 for the purification of the flesh,
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our 7 conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.8
16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.
17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.
18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.
19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
20 saying, d“This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.”
21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both ehe tent and all the vessels used in worship.
22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God ion our behalf.
25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,
26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, lhe has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear sa second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
10 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But yin these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
c “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”
8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, d“Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second.10 And by that will ewe have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16 n“This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”
17 then he adds,
o“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Hebrews 9:27 is a classic text that folks appeal to for a variety of purposes…including showing the unbiblical nature of earthbound spirits.. They affirm (as they have to) that this text denies both reincarnation as well as a second chance for salvation after death.
In addition, a perusal of commentaries will show a consensus of scholarly opinion that this text also clearly states that everyone faces their own personal judgment before God IMMEDIATELY after death. This HAS to be the case or there would be no entrance to heaven….or hell. And justification by Christ alone is the password. But I’m jumping ahead of myself.
Nevertheless, it has come to my attention that some evangelicals dismiss or seriously water-down this text in the following manner.
The word ‘after’ (Greek, meta) is said to be non-specific in terms of time. I suppose ‘meta’ is as common in Greek as the word ‘after’ is in English…. Hence, this allegedly allows for a period of time between death and personal judgment for deceased souls to wander on earth. There is no attempt to exegete the text. There is the simple statement that the word ‘after’ does not always necessarily mean “immediately after”. That’s the extent of their ‘argument’. Then they turn around and accuse my interpretation of eisogesis.
How do we reply?
First, the most natural meaning of the word ‘after’is to take it at face value, which is a basic rule of hermeneutics. When I say that I will change the babies diaper after I get off the phone, it is assumed that there will not be a lapse of time. You can come up with a thousand illustrations of your own in which, generally speaking, the word after means AFTER…certainly usually not implied is some significant time lapse as some authors assume (especially Dr Montgomery in “Principalities and Powers”pg.142)—unless it is stated otherwise…or made clear by context. Of course there are exceptions to this, as language is fluid, and the meaning of a word is usually found in its context. However, there is nothing in the verse itself which would suggest time lapse. Indeed, I would argue that if you read v.27 naturally then the judgment which comes after death is most naturally rendered ‘right after your only death comes your judgment.” As I said, ‘meta’ can allow for time lapse, depending on the context…but I know of no commentary that argues for that….only a few books which the authors are already committed to the some form of visitation/entrapment of the dead. I do not have access to tons of commentaries so there MAY be exceptions, but my argument does not rest on what others have said.
The point is this: when we die, we go immediately before the throne of God for a personal/private judgment. That is what v. 27 is referring to. “After that comes judgment.” It does not say ‘THE judgment”, that is, the great white throne. “…meta de touto krisis.”—after that (death) judgment.
One of the problems with this text is that it is almost always ripped from its context when interpreting it. Authors I know make no attempt to deal with the immediate or larger context of this text in the book of Hebrews. And frankly, few people who quote v.27 make any attempt to unpack the surrounding verses, or context….and that includes me!! So, I humbly offer my efforts to clarify.
According to the ESV Study Bible the theme of Hebrews is—“Christ is greater than any angel, priest, or old covenant institution; thus each reader, rather than leaving such a great salvation, is summoned to hold on by faith to the true rest found in Christ and to encourage others in the church to persevere.” (pg.2358) Having seen the big picture of Hebrews, let me briefly go through the immediate context—what comes before and after v.27, 28.
Hebrews 9:11-28 is sub-titled ‘redemption through the blood of Christ’. We are on holy ground, my friends.
v.12 Jesus entered once for all the heavenly Holy of Holies to secure our eternal redemption through His infinitely precious blood. A PERFECT ATONEMENT
v.14 Christ is perfect (without blemish)THE PERFECT ATONER
v.15 Hence, the called can/will receive an eternal inheritance as the perfect fruit of the perfect person and work of Christ
v.22 without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins….especially Christ’s…the God/Man (Ch.2)
v.24 our Great High Priest entered heaven itself on our behalf, and sat down….redemption perfectly accomplished and finished (10:12)
chapter 4ff—the great promise is that upon death believers enter their rest…this blessed promise is woven throughout the book of Hebrews because it is the consequence of the perfection of the Person and Work of Christ. Resting is not a lounge chair rest---it is entering GOD’S rest….that is our inheritance and eternal bliss
Ch.10:1-18 (Christ’s sacrifice once for all)emphasis is placed on the voluntary nature of Christ humiliating Himself, for us—especially through the cross. Once for all…
10:14 incredibly, through Jesus’ atonement we are now perfect in God’s eyes for all time—through the imputed righteousness of Christ—but we are also being continually sanctified in ourselves by the same atonement. The now/not yet tension. The perfection of the atonement has been personally applied to us, and will be the basis of our redemption 10 billion, billion years from now!
The following text (v.27-28) is book-ended with this sublime discussion of the perfection of Christ’s person and work—that is crucial in its proper interpretation!
v.27-28
The logic is this—just as Christ died once (to atone for our sins), so we die once to face personal judgment, and just as Christ died once to bear our sins, so He will return to complete salvation for those who are in Christ. So, the once for all perfection of the Person and Work of Christ is inextricably intertwined with our judgment after death (did you catch that?). Hence, to diminish the immediate certitude and seriousness of personal judgment after death (by asserting its delay) is tantamount to denying the perfection of the person and work of Christ, and its finished nature. Do we forget the centrality of death in the bible and how its defeat figures so prominently in the cross of Christ? To diminish the fruit of the atonement is a diminishment of the atonement itself.
That we are APPOINTED to die once, etc will be discussed momentarily.
Personally, I think one can summarize this rich book by saying that it presents the Perfect High Priest offering the once for all sacrifice of Himself. Nowhere is the perfection of the Person and Work of Christ elaborated more in-depth then in Hebrews..esp chaps 9-10. We see the Perfect Atoner (the God/Man), accomplishing and applying the Perfect Atonement, in God’s perfect time. We are saved by the finished work of Christ on the cross, plus nothing. To me, the book of Hebrews is the New Testament companion volume to the Old Testament book of Leviticus. Hebrews shows how much greater/better Christ’s all sufficient sacrifice is to the innumerable animal sacrifices of the Old Testament. However, one theme that is a common motif in both is the utter holiness of God Almighty as the Judge of heaven and earth. He is a God to be feared with reverence and awe. This a theme we shall return to when asking whether the BIBLICAL GOD would allow saved or even un-saved persons to wander the earth after their deaths. In light of the truths of Hebrews it is utterly unthinkable.
Propitiation
As we saw, the immediate context of this text is verses 9:11-27, which is sub-titled ‘redemption through the blood of Christ’, and 10:1-18 is sub-titled ‘Christ’s sacrifice once for all’. This is holy ground we are standing on as the heart of the atonement is being laid bare.
Instead of entering an earthly tabernacle, Jesus entered once for all a heavenly tabernacle and achieved eternal redemption for us. In 2:17 Jesus made ‘propitiation’ for the sins of the people. The cross is a many splendored thing, and we need to understand propitiation because it is the heart of the atonement. When Jesus took on our sin as our divine sin-bearer, He also was PUNISHED for our sins—that is propitiation. He experienced ‘hell for us.’ Nobody can plumb the depths of the horrors that Jesus experienced while the Father poured out His unmitigated fury upon His dearly Beloved Son. The Father unleashed hell upon our Lord Jesus, for us. Propitiation has been described as: God Himself, punishing Himself, in order to save us from Himself. Jesus didn’t just die for our sins, He was also punished for them. Only then could there be a just redemption (Romans 3:25) Salvation is free, but it is not cheap….it cost God in Christ everything.
In (9:1-10) the author outlines in brief the function of the tabernacle and the high priest. Then in vvs 11ff the contrast is made in that Christ entered the true tabernacle, heaven itself, and offered His own infinitely precious blood, once for all. As The High Priest Jesus secured complete forgiveness of sins, eternal salvation, purified consciences, and direct access to God. This is in contrast to the earthly tabernacle and the earthly high priest who could enter the Most Holy Place once a year, and had to offer blood for his sins as well.
The beauty of the redemption through the blood of Christ, the divine sin-bearer, is infinitely better/greater than the law declared by Moses. The Law reminds us continually that there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood (v.22) We can summarize vvs 23-26 thusly—the Perfect Lamb of God offered once for all a Perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins. It need not be repeated. Indeed it cannot be repeated! In the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all the rituals, sacrifices and the Law were fulfilled. V.26 ‘He came at the end of the ages’,….meaning that he came in God’s perfect timing…in the fullness of time (Galatians 4:4) In God’s absolute sovereignty over human/cosmic history, Jesus was born at the precise perfect nano-second.
In chapters 9 and 10, which book-end our text—we see a magnificent display of God’s absolute sovereign control over human/cosmic history as the theatre in which the drama of redemption unfolds. God is both the primary Actor as well as The Director.
Please take the time to read the texts I have quoted in full because they provide the unspeakably rich context of Christ’s once for all Perfect Atonement…and it provides the context for understanding/interpreting the classic verse (27).
In God’s perfect timing, the perfect High Priest, offered Himself as the perfect atonement. THAT is the context of our text. (v.27-28) I must insist that all that follows must put front and center the perfection of the atonement, or we do violence to the context. We may put it this way: this well known text is book-ended on both sides with a passionate defense of the beauty and glory of the perfect Atoner and atonement.
What a monstrous introduction of asymmetry—in the midst of utter holiness and perfection—to state that miserable sinners can slink around for a wee bit…or perhaps even a very long time. Once you understand the context, the seriousness of the ‘time-lapse’ theory is seen for the man-centered aberration that it is.
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment….” In discussions of this text I have never seen anyone mention the word “appointed”. I’m not sure why because it adds a lot. The text does NOT say, “Men die once, and after that comes judgment.” WE ALL ARE APPOINTED TO DIE. Psalm 139 states that every day is planned out by God. The Greek word for appointed is ‘apoketie’. It as if to say, “The sovereign King has soveringly decreed each mans only death, and afterwards He has sovereignly decreed for them to face Him at His holy judgment throne.’ We must not miss the force of this word ‘appoint’ because it brings front and center God’s holy, absolute sovereignty over life and death. We don’t just die once, we are appointed to die once.
Now it makes more sense when it says that ‘..to die once..’ (Greek, hapax) With one fell swoop the word ‘once’ shoots down the notion of reincarnation, and any idea of a second chance to convert after one dies.
The text and grammar invites us to see the ‘appointing’ applies to the second clause. As if to say, “It is appointed (or sovereignly decreed) as well that after we die, we face judgment. Once we let the sovereignty of God sink in on both sides of the comma, it should make a difference in how we view things. The Greek construction is such that the coming judgment after death is just as much under Gods sovereign control as is our deaths. How could they not be? God is always sovereign or He is not God. Ephesians 1:11
Notice that it does not say THE judgment…it says, “and after that (death) comes judgment.” (meta de toutoo krisis) Given that deceased believers are in heaven now, and unbelievers are in hell now, there must be a personal, individual judgment immediately after death. There is a distinction between our personal, private judgment following death and the Great White Throne Judgment which is public, and at the end of time—that is mentioned in v.28. There HAS to be a distinction or there would be no believers in heaven now.
JW Montgomery and others state that ‘after’ does not mean ‘after’ in this text…it means, at some later point…perhaps a day…perhaps decades…or even centuries. (I will evaluate Montgomery’s book in-depth next time, Lord willing. His writings have had a profound influence on others). In this view you might as well drop the word ‘appoint’. Worse, the certitude of the hope of seeing God face to face upon death is vitiated. Worse still is the implications regarding the atonement.
But remember that God’s ‘appointing’—His absolute sovereign will—is woven through the entire verse. Just as it is appointed by God for man to die once, so it is appointed by God that after death we face judgment. Now given all we know about what God has done to accomplish our redemption, all we know about His sovereign appointing, all we know about how He applies His redemption, all we know about the perfection of the atonement and the atoner, all we know about the horrific nature of the propitiation, all we know about the consuming fire nature of Gods holiness as Judge of heaven and earth,…are you really going to assert that once men die by sovereign appointment, that they may wander on earth…avoiding their audience with their absolutely sovereign Creator and Judge? JW Montgomery states that not only believers may wander around for awhile but non-believers too. Why not? Once you open the door to anyone wandering or not coming to judgment immediately after death, then Pandora’s box is opened. Worse, the perfection of the atonement is brought into question. As I said, neither he nor his followers have offered a sufficient exegesis of this text—just announcing that after does not mean after, and this allows for ‘wiggle room’…all in the name of ‘intellectual honesty. However, JW Montgomery’s book is laden with occult ideas which are fraught with peril, and have affected many others.
But its not just God’s holy sovereignty at stake. All that we said about the perfection of the atonement is nullified if we allow for the word ‘after’ to mean anything but “immediately after”.
From the very beginning of my quest to find the truth regarding the notion of ghosts, I realized that the most important issue is: what does the notion of trapped spirits imply regarding the Person and Work of Christ? There are dozens of other issues and arguments, as I point out in my book and blogs. But nothing comes even close to THE Litmus Test: Does it enhance the beauty and perfection of the perfect atonement, or does it diminish it in ANY way? THAT is the main issue. It always has been and always will be. And I humbly insist that any notion of wandering human spirits demeans the infinitely precious and perfect work of Christ, which was intended, in part, to conquer death, and lead us into our eternal rest (see Hebrews 4)—which extrapolates from God’s eternal Sabbath after creation to our entrance into His eternal rest immediately upon death, IF we are in union with Christ and His perfect atonement.
After all the Trinity has been through to accomplish/apply our redemption, may I humbly suggest and plead with you to think through what your beliefs regarding ghosts implies about the nature of God and His Son’s unspeakably precious and perfect atonement. Don’t we understand how jealous God is for us? Are you not aware that God passionately longs for us to come home so that we may be with Him forever? According to the bible, physical death is God’s portal to lead His dearly beloved Bride home. Yes, He is anxious to see you—face-face-face-- for all eternity. He has already, at great cost to Himself, overcome all obstacles that prevent us from seeing Him immediately after death. You really think that our Lover is going to let saints (and sinners) dilly dally for even a second? If so, then you don’t understand how wildly passionate He is in His love for us. HE WANTS US HOME!!
Let me close with an illustration. When riding by a magnificent cathedral at night, the powerful flood-lights are focused on the cathedral. Nobody drives by saying, “Wow, what wonderful lights!” Instead, they say, “What a magnificent cathedral!” Similarly, that is the role of the Holy Spirit—He does not shine the Light on Himself, but He delights to accent the perfection and beauty of Christ’s Person and Work…and that He perfectly accomplished all He set out to accomplish. (There is a tension between the now and not-yet until Jesus returns.) Do not take the spotlight off the ‘cathedral’ of Christ’s utterly perfect atonement, and God’s burning holiness, and speculate on whether the deceased can hang around a bit. That is the kind of speculation which the bible warns us against. Does God wants us home now or later, after death? NOW!!! The greatest gift of the gospel is God Himself. His chariot will swing low…sweet chariot….coming to take us home.
Amen.
Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.
Perfect Atoner, Perfect Atonement—perfectly accomplished and perfectly applied and perfectly timed (exegesis of Hebrews 9:27-28)
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come,then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)
12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify 6 for the purification of the flesh,
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our 7 conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.8
16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.
17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.
18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.
19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
20 saying, d“This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.”
21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both ehe tent and all the vessels used in worship.
22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God ion our behalf.
25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,
26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, lhe has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear sa second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
10 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But yin these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
c “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”
8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, d“Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second.10 And by that will ewe have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16 n“This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”
17 then he adds,
o“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Hebrews 9:27 is a classic text that folks appeal to for a variety of purposes…including showing the unbiblical nature of earthbound spirits.. They affirm (as they have to) that this text denies both reincarnation as well as a second chance for salvation after death.
In addition, a perusal of commentaries will show a consensus of scholarly opinion that this text also clearly states that everyone faces their own personal judgment before God IMMEDIATELY after death. This HAS to be the case or there would be no entrance to heaven….or hell. And justification by Christ alone is the password. But I’m jumping ahead of myself.
Nevertheless, it has come to my attention that some evangelicals dismiss or seriously water-down this text in the following manner.
The word ‘after’ (Greek, meta) is said to be non-specific in terms of time. I suppose ‘meta’ is as common in Greek as the word ‘after’ is in English…. Hence, this allegedly allows for a period of time between death and personal judgment for deceased souls to wander on earth. There is no attempt to exegete the text. There is the simple statement that the word ‘after’ does not always necessarily mean “immediately after”. That’s the extent of their ‘argument’. Then they turn around and accuse my interpretation of eisogesis.
How do we reply?
First, the most natural meaning of the word ‘after’is to take it at face value, which is a basic rule of hermeneutics. When I say that I will change the babies diaper after I get off the phone, it is assumed that there will not be a lapse of time. You can come up with a thousand illustrations of your own in which, generally speaking, the word after means AFTER…certainly usually not implied is some significant time lapse as some authors assume (especially Dr Montgomery in “Principalities and Powers”pg.142)—unless it is stated otherwise…or made clear by context. Of course there are exceptions to this, as language is fluid, and the meaning of a word is usually found in its context. However, there is nothing in the verse itself which would suggest time lapse. Indeed, I would argue that if you read v.27 naturally then the judgment which comes after death is most naturally rendered ‘right after your only death comes your judgment.” As I said, ‘meta’ can allow for time lapse, depending on the context…but I know of no commentary that argues for that….only a few books which the authors are already committed to the some form of visitation/entrapment of the dead. I do not have access to tons of commentaries so there MAY be exceptions, but my argument does not rest on what others have said.
The point is this: when we die, we go immediately before the throne of God for a personal/private judgment. That is what v. 27 is referring to. “After that comes judgment.” It does not say ‘THE judgment”, that is, the great white throne. “…meta de touto krisis.”—after that (death) judgment.
One of the problems with this text is that it is almost always ripped from its context when interpreting it. Authors I know make no attempt to deal with the immediate or larger context of this text in the book of Hebrews. And frankly, few people who quote v.27 make any attempt to unpack the surrounding verses, or context….and that includes me!! So, I humbly offer my efforts to clarify.
According to the ESV Study Bible the theme of Hebrews is—“Christ is greater than any angel, priest, or old covenant institution; thus each reader, rather than leaving such a great salvation, is summoned to hold on by faith to the true rest found in Christ and to encourage others in the church to persevere.” (pg.2358) Having seen the big picture of Hebrews, let me briefly go through the immediate context—what comes before and after v.27, 28.
Hebrews 9:11-28 is sub-titled ‘redemption through the blood of Christ’. We are on holy ground, my friends.
v.12 Jesus entered once for all the heavenly Holy of Holies to secure our eternal redemption through His infinitely precious blood. A PERFECT ATONEMENT
v.14 Christ is perfect (without blemish)THE PERFECT ATONER
v.15 Hence, the called can/will receive an eternal inheritance as the perfect fruit of the perfect person and work of Christ
v.22 without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins….especially Christ’s…the God/Man (Ch.2)
v.24 our Great High Priest entered heaven itself on our behalf, and sat down….redemption perfectly accomplished and finished (10:12)
chapter 4ff—the great promise is that upon death believers enter their rest…this blessed promise is woven throughout the book of Hebrews because it is the consequence of the perfection of the Person and Work of Christ. Resting is not a lounge chair rest---it is entering GOD’S rest….that is our inheritance and eternal bliss
Ch.10:1-18 (Christ’s sacrifice once for all)emphasis is placed on the voluntary nature of Christ humiliating Himself, for us—especially through the cross. Once for all…
10:14 incredibly, through Jesus’ atonement we are now perfect in God’s eyes for all time—through the imputed righteousness of Christ—but we are also being continually sanctified in ourselves by the same atonement. The now/not yet tension. The perfection of the atonement has been personally applied to us, and will be the basis of our redemption 10 billion, billion years from now!
The following text (v.27-28) is book-ended with this sublime discussion of the perfection of Christ’s person and work—that is crucial in its proper interpretation!
v.27-28
The logic is this—just as Christ died once (to atone for our sins), so we die once to face personal judgment, and just as Christ died once to bear our sins, so He will return to complete salvation for those who are in Christ. So, the once for all perfection of the Person and Work of Christ is inextricably intertwined with our judgment after death (did you catch that?). Hence, to diminish the immediate certitude and seriousness of personal judgment after death (by asserting its delay) is tantamount to denying the perfection of the person and work of Christ, and its finished nature. Do we forget the centrality of death in the bible and how its defeat figures so prominently in the cross of Christ? To diminish the fruit of the atonement is a diminishment of the atonement itself.
That we are APPOINTED to die once, etc will be discussed momentarily.
Personally, I think one can summarize this rich book by saying that it presents the Perfect High Priest offering the once for all sacrifice of Himself. Nowhere is the perfection of the Person and Work of Christ elaborated more in-depth then in Hebrews..esp chaps 9-10. We see the Perfect Atoner (the God/Man), accomplishing and applying the Perfect Atonement, in God’s perfect time. We are saved by the finished work of Christ on the cross, plus nothing. To me, the book of Hebrews is the New Testament companion volume to the Old Testament book of Leviticus. Hebrews shows how much greater/better Christ’s all sufficient sacrifice is to the innumerable animal sacrifices of the Old Testament. However, one theme that is a common motif in both is the utter holiness of God Almighty as the Judge of heaven and earth. He is a God to be feared with reverence and awe. This a theme we shall return to when asking whether the BIBLICAL GOD would allow saved or even un-saved persons to wander the earth after their deaths. In light of the truths of Hebrews it is utterly unthinkable.
Propitiation
As we saw, the immediate context of this text is verses 9:11-27, which is sub-titled ‘redemption through the blood of Christ’, and 10:1-18 is sub-titled ‘Christ’s sacrifice once for all’. This is holy ground we are standing on as the heart of the atonement is being laid bare.
Instead of entering an earthly tabernacle, Jesus entered once for all a heavenly tabernacle and achieved eternal redemption for us. In 2:17 Jesus made ‘propitiation’ for the sins of the people. The cross is a many splendored thing, and we need to understand propitiation because it is the heart of the atonement. When Jesus took on our sin as our divine sin-bearer, He also was PUNISHED for our sins—that is propitiation. He experienced ‘hell for us.’ Nobody can plumb the depths of the horrors that Jesus experienced while the Father poured out His unmitigated fury upon His dearly Beloved Son. The Father unleashed hell upon our Lord Jesus, for us. Propitiation has been described as: God Himself, punishing Himself, in order to save us from Himself. Jesus didn’t just die for our sins, He was also punished for them. Only then could there be a just redemption (Romans 3:25) Salvation is free, but it is not cheap….it cost God in Christ everything.
In (9:1-10) the author outlines in brief the function of the tabernacle and the high priest. Then in vvs 11ff the contrast is made in that Christ entered the true tabernacle, heaven itself, and offered His own infinitely precious blood, once for all. As The High Priest Jesus secured complete forgiveness of sins, eternal salvation, purified consciences, and direct access to God. This is in contrast to the earthly tabernacle and the earthly high priest who could enter the Most Holy Place once a year, and had to offer blood for his sins as well.
The beauty of the redemption through the blood of Christ, the divine sin-bearer, is infinitely better/greater than the law declared by Moses. The Law reminds us continually that there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood (v.22) We can summarize vvs 23-26 thusly—the Perfect Lamb of God offered once for all a Perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins. It need not be repeated. Indeed it cannot be repeated! In the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all the rituals, sacrifices and the Law were fulfilled. V.26 ‘He came at the end of the ages’,….meaning that he came in God’s perfect timing…in the fullness of time (Galatians 4:4) In God’s absolute sovereignty over human/cosmic history, Jesus was born at the precise perfect nano-second.
In chapters 9 and 10, which book-end our text—we see a magnificent display of God’s absolute sovereign control over human/cosmic history as the theatre in which the drama of redemption unfolds. God is both the primary Actor as well as The Director.
Please take the time to read the texts I have quoted in full because they provide the unspeakably rich context of Christ’s once for all Perfect Atonement…and it provides the context for understanding/interpreting the classic verse (27).
In God’s perfect timing, the perfect High Priest, offered Himself as the perfect atonement. THAT is the context of our text. (v.27-28) I must insist that all that follows must put front and center the perfection of the atonement, or we do violence to the context. We may put it this way: this well known text is book-ended on both sides with a passionate defense of the beauty and glory of the perfect Atoner and atonement.
What a monstrous introduction of asymmetry—in the midst of utter holiness and perfection—to state that miserable sinners can slink around for a wee bit…or perhaps even a very long time. Once you understand the context, the seriousness of the ‘time-lapse’ theory is seen for the man-centered aberration that it is.
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment….” In discussions of this text I have never seen anyone mention the word “appointed”. I’m not sure why because it adds a lot. The text does NOT say, “Men die once, and after that comes judgment.” WE ALL ARE APPOINTED TO DIE. Psalm 139 states that every day is planned out by God. The Greek word for appointed is ‘apoketie’. It as if to say, “The sovereign King has soveringly decreed each mans only death, and afterwards He has sovereignly decreed for them to face Him at His holy judgment throne.’ We must not miss the force of this word ‘appoint’ because it brings front and center God’s holy, absolute sovereignty over life and death. We don’t just die once, we are appointed to die once.
Now it makes more sense when it says that ‘..to die once..’ (Greek, hapax) With one fell swoop the word ‘once’ shoots down the notion of reincarnation, and any idea of a second chance to convert after one dies.
The text and grammar invites us to see the ‘appointing’ applies to the second clause. As if to say, “It is appointed (or sovereignly decreed) as well that after we die, we face judgment. Once we let the sovereignty of God sink in on both sides of the comma, it should make a difference in how we view things. The Greek construction is such that the coming judgment after death is just as much under Gods sovereign control as is our deaths. How could they not be? God is always sovereign or He is not God. Ephesians 1:11
Notice that it does not say THE judgment…it says, “and after that (death) comes judgment.” (meta de toutoo krisis) Given that deceased believers are in heaven now, and unbelievers are in hell now, there must be a personal, individual judgment immediately after death. There is a distinction between our personal, private judgment following death and the Great White Throne Judgment which is public, and at the end of time—that is mentioned in v.28. There HAS to be a distinction or there would be no believers in heaven now.
JW Montgomery and others state that ‘after’ does not mean ‘after’ in this text…it means, at some later point…perhaps a day…perhaps decades…or even centuries. (I will evaluate Montgomery’s book in-depth next time, Lord willing. His writings have had a profound influence on others). In this view you might as well drop the word ‘appoint’. Worse, the certitude of the hope of seeing God face to face upon death is vitiated. Worse still is the implications regarding the atonement.
But remember that God’s ‘appointing’—His absolute sovereign will—is woven through the entire verse. Just as it is appointed by God for man to die once, so it is appointed by God that after death we face judgment. Now given all we know about what God has done to accomplish our redemption, all we know about His sovereign appointing, all we know about how He applies His redemption, all we know about the perfection of the atonement and the atoner, all we know about the horrific nature of the propitiation, all we know about the consuming fire nature of Gods holiness as Judge of heaven and earth,…are you really going to assert that once men die by sovereign appointment, that they may wander on earth…avoiding their audience with their absolutely sovereign Creator and Judge? JW Montgomery states that not only believers may wander around for awhile but non-believers too. Why not? Once you open the door to anyone wandering or not coming to judgment immediately after death, then Pandora’s box is opened. Worse, the perfection of the atonement is brought into question. As I said, neither he nor his followers have offered a sufficient exegesis of this text—just announcing that after does not mean after, and this allows for ‘wiggle room’…all in the name of ‘intellectual honesty. However, JW Montgomery’s book is laden with occult ideas which are fraught with peril, and have affected many others.
But its not just God’s holy sovereignty at stake. All that we said about the perfection of the atonement is nullified if we allow for the word ‘after’ to mean anything but “immediately after”.
From the very beginning of my quest to find the truth regarding the notion of ghosts, I realized that the most important issue is: what does the notion of trapped spirits imply regarding the Person and Work of Christ? There are dozens of other issues and arguments, as I point out in my book and blogs. But nothing comes even close to THE Litmus Test: Does it enhance the beauty and perfection of the perfect atonement, or does it diminish it in ANY way? THAT is the main issue. It always has been and always will be. And I humbly insist that any notion of wandering human spirits demeans the infinitely precious and perfect work of Christ, which was intended, in part, to conquer death, and lead us into our eternal rest (see Hebrews 4)—which extrapolates from God’s eternal Sabbath after creation to our entrance into His eternal rest immediately upon death, IF we are in union with Christ and His perfect atonement.
After all the Trinity has been through to accomplish/apply our redemption, may I humbly suggest and plead with you to think through what your beliefs regarding ghosts implies about the nature of God and His Son’s unspeakably precious and perfect atonement. Don’t we understand how jealous God is for us? Are you not aware that God passionately longs for us to come home so that we may be with Him forever? According to the bible, physical death is God’s portal to lead His dearly beloved Bride home. Yes, He is anxious to see you—face-face-face-- for all eternity. He has already, at great cost to Himself, overcome all obstacles that prevent us from seeing Him immediately after death. You really think that our Lover is going to let saints (and sinners) dilly dally for even a second? If so, then you don’t understand how wildly passionate He is in His love for us. HE WANTS US HOME!!
Let me close with an illustration. When riding by a magnificent cathedral at night, the powerful flood-lights are focused on the cathedral. Nobody drives by saying, “Wow, what wonderful lights!” Instead, they say, “What a magnificent cathedral!” Similarly, that is the role of the Holy Spirit—He does not shine the Light on Himself, but He delights to accent the perfection and beauty of Christ’s Person and Work…and that He perfectly accomplished all He set out to accomplish. (There is a tension between the now and not-yet until Jesus returns.) Do not take the spotlight off the ‘cathedral’ of Christ’s utterly perfect atonement, and God’s burning holiness, and speculate on whether the deceased can hang around a bit. That is the kind of speculation which the bible warns us against. Does God wants us home now or later, after death? NOW!!! The greatest gift of the gospel is God Himself. His chariot will swing low…sweet chariot….coming to take us home.
Amen.
Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Genesis in Space & Time
By Reverend Mark Hunnemann
There is an interpretive dance happening amongst a growing number of Christians regarding the historicity of Genesis 1-3 in general, and Adam and Eve in particular. BioLogos is a well-funded foundation which is pushing churches and believers to embrace evolution, and in the process how they read the bible.It offers grants to church, parachurch, and academic leaders and organizations that promote "evolutionary creation." They believe that churches that support macro-evolution will be more effective witness in a culture that reveres science.The disturbing thing to me is the number of evangelical pastors and theologians who not only embrace this notion, but are also being given grants to write books about evolutionary creation.In addition, at BioLogos conferences, those scholars who differ with them (intelligent design) are not being invited. Why would they do this when they are fellow Christians with impeccable scientific credentials? Isn't science about testing theories with those who differ? The result is the same old story--those in higher education are being taught evolution as fact, and not being introduced to any credible alternatives, making it seem moronic to disagree.However, the evidence for intelligent design--from astrobiology to cellular biology--is astonishing in its quality and quantity.
Frankly, the term "evolutionary creation" is an oxymoron in my opinion. The first three chapters of Genesis are especially hated by the Evil One because it is foundational to all that follows. If Satan can get even bible believing Christians to effectively undermine the foundation, then the results are disatrous. When the foundation crumbles......Jack Collins, Old Testament professor at Covenant Seminary says, "Christian doctrine...will come apart if we don't tell the story with the proper beginning."
The entire secular academic scene is wedded to evolution as fact. How sad that an influential Christian foundation is passionately pursuing the world's/Satan's agenda.
It is instructive to see how quickly Jesus appealed to Genesis 1-3 in some of His most heated debates (e.g. re: divorce) It is beyond the pale of this blog to discuss the scientific data. But it is crucial for us to embrace the fact that there is no final conflict between the bible and science. Truth is truth, and wherever the bible touches on matters relating to history or science it always speaks the truth.
Remember that the goal of BioLogos is not just to teach evolutionary creation but to re-interpret the entire structure of the creation narrative.Let me list some of the issues at stake-
1.If Adam was not a real man then he could not have acted as our covenant representative. This undermines the notion of substitutionary atonement which is based on Jesus being the second/last Adam.(Romans 5; 1 Corinthians 15) It also leaves us with no explanation of how sin entered the world. The biblical teaching on original sin (Psalm 51) would also unravel.
2.All of the major themes of the bible are found implicitly or explicitly in the Creation/Fall narrative (Genesis 1-3) God as Creator of all things (natural and supernatural realms) Hence, there is a distinction between the Creator and His Creation. God is both sovereign and immanent who populates the spirit realm (good and bad angels....nobody else..3:1, 24) the cultural mandate....the dignity of work mankind made in God's image Adam and Eve as progenitors of entire human race. Marriage between one man and one woman there is only one God (Trinity implied) the historical Fall which effected the whole cosmos (cf. Romans 8) the first promise of a Messiah (Genesis 3:15)
There is a sense in which the rest of the entire bible is an outworking of the first three chapters of Genesis, which happened in space and time. Hence, the denial of the historicity of Adam and Eve and the rest of the creation narrative, undermines all the major doctrines of the bible. The beauty of the unfolding drama of redemption becomes a devilish interpretive dance in which the sacred authority of the bible is vandalized.
I hope it is clear that embracing evolutionary creation is not an option. I hope it is equally clear how comprehensive and devastating the consequences are for embracing evolutionary creation.We need to firmly but winsomely engage this assault on the integrity of God's holy Word. This IS spiritual warfare.Thankfully the Intelligent Design leaders are responding. May the Lord bless their work and may their tribe increase!
May I suggest Lee Strobel's book "The Case for a Creator" in which he interviews some of the world's leading intelligent design scientists....much useful information in just one volume...very readable.
Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.
There is an interpretive dance happening amongst a growing number of Christians regarding the historicity of Genesis 1-3 in general, and Adam and Eve in particular. BioLogos is a well-funded foundation which is pushing churches and believers to embrace evolution, and in the process how they read the bible.It offers grants to church, parachurch, and academic leaders and organizations that promote "evolutionary creation." They believe that churches that support macro-evolution will be more effective witness in a culture that reveres science.The disturbing thing to me is the number of evangelical pastors and theologians who not only embrace this notion, but are also being given grants to write books about evolutionary creation.In addition, at BioLogos conferences, those scholars who differ with them (intelligent design) are not being invited. Why would they do this when they are fellow Christians with impeccable scientific credentials? Isn't science about testing theories with those who differ? The result is the same old story--those in higher education are being taught evolution as fact, and not being introduced to any credible alternatives, making it seem moronic to disagree.However, the evidence for intelligent design--from astrobiology to cellular biology--is astonishing in its quality and quantity.
Frankly, the term "evolutionary creation" is an oxymoron in my opinion. The first three chapters of Genesis are especially hated by the Evil One because it is foundational to all that follows. If Satan can get even bible believing Christians to effectively undermine the foundation, then the results are disatrous. When the foundation crumbles......Jack Collins, Old Testament professor at Covenant Seminary says, "Christian doctrine...will come apart if we don't tell the story with the proper beginning."
The entire secular academic scene is wedded to evolution as fact. How sad that an influential Christian foundation is passionately pursuing the world's/Satan's agenda.
It is instructive to see how quickly Jesus appealed to Genesis 1-3 in some of His most heated debates (e.g. re: divorce) It is beyond the pale of this blog to discuss the scientific data. But it is crucial for us to embrace the fact that there is no final conflict between the bible and science. Truth is truth, and wherever the bible touches on matters relating to history or science it always speaks the truth.
Remember that the goal of BioLogos is not just to teach evolutionary creation but to re-interpret the entire structure of the creation narrative.Let me list some of the issues at stake-
1.If Adam was not a real man then he could not have acted as our covenant representative. This undermines the notion of substitutionary atonement which is based on Jesus being the second/last Adam.(Romans 5; 1 Corinthians 15) It also leaves us with no explanation of how sin entered the world. The biblical teaching on original sin (Psalm 51) would also unravel.
2.All of the major themes of the bible are found implicitly or explicitly in the Creation/Fall narrative (Genesis 1-3) God as Creator of all things (natural and supernatural realms) Hence, there is a distinction between the Creator and His Creation. God is both sovereign and immanent who populates the spirit realm (good and bad angels....nobody else..3:1, 24) the cultural mandate....the dignity of work mankind made in God's image Adam and Eve as progenitors of entire human race. Marriage between one man and one woman there is only one God (Trinity implied) the historical Fall which effected the whole cosmos (cf. Romans 8) the first promise of a Messiah (Genesis 3:15)
There is a sense in which the rest of the entire bible is an outworking of the first three chapters of Genesis, which happened in space and time. Hence, the denial of the historicity of Adam and Eve and the rest of the creation narrative, undermines all the major doctrines of the bible. The beauty of the unfolding drama of redemption becomes a devilish interpretive dance in which the sacred authority of the bible is vandalized.
I hope it is clear that embracing evolutionary creation is not an option. I hope it is equally clear how comprehensive and devastating the consequences are for embracing evolutionary creation.We need to firmly but winsomely engage this assault on the integrity of God's holy Word. This IS spiritual warfare.Thankfully the Intelligent Design leaders are responding. May the Lord bless their work and may their tribe increase!
May I suggest Lee Strobel's book "The Case for a Creator" in which he interviews some of the world's leading intelligent design scientists....much useful information in just one volume...very readable.
Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.
Friday, January 3, 2014
The Beauty of God
By Reverend Mark Hunnemann
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!
Aesthetics is that branch of philosophy which deals with theories of beauty. At the beginning of 2014 I want to try and paint a picture of God's unspeakably infinite beauty.
I think it is safe to say that we all know beauty when we see or hear it, but it is a bit more of a challenge explaining what beauty IS. For example a beautiful sunset, a beautiful song, a beautiful woman, a beautiful novel, and so on. What is it that all representations of beauty seem to have in common?
When our children were young, we took great delight in the simple beauty of their stick figures. They somehow learned instinctively that symmetry was part of their goal to make the picture "pretty for mommy". I remember my children's stick figure drawings with much fondness, as I'm sure you do.
Consider other expressions of beauty. Normally, the more complex the beauty, the more intense it is. There is simple beauty and their is complex beauty...the more complex, the more beautiful it appears. For example, we marvel at the extraordinary wonderment of Michelangelo's "David". Or we think of Rembrandt and how his balancing of light with dark was genius and the result was complex, intense beauty.
Think of music...in a symphony, the more instruments you have playing in sync with each other, the more extraordinary the beauty. Personally, I am more into classic rock. My favorite band is the Allman Brothers. Most bands have one lead guitarist and one drummer (in addition to a bassist and others), but they were blessed with two of the best guitarists--the late Duane Allman and Dickie Betts. Their guitar inter-play was almost transcendental at times--to me anyway! Have you ever had the experience of listening to music that affected you so profoundly, that you forgot you were listening, and were transported up into the music itself?
The key is taking all the disparate elements and bringing them ultimately together--resolution. A simple but beautiful floral design is made more intensely beautiful by adding more color and intricacy to the design. A really good movie (the Hebrew word for good and beauty are from same root) or beautiful play or novel is where all these sub-plots are intricately woven together and resolved by the end....leaving no loose threads or irresolution.Symphony and not cacophony! Twice in the Song of Solomon the same Hebrew word for beauty is used that is in Psalm 27:4 for God....and both lovers describe the traits that make the other so beautiful and desirable. Notice the focus on symmetry in their descriptions.
Asymmetry sticks out like a sore thumb.I am thinking of Satan now as "pure ugly"...his soul is misshapen and assymetrized.
What happens when you have infinite complexity and symmetry? This where it gets exciting--there is INFINITE BEAUTY. That kind of beauty would certainly blur the distinction between sight and sensation!
Some of God's attributes seem so polar opposite,making Him appear at first glance, as asymmetrical. (e.g. wrath/hatred and mercy/love) "Note then the kindness and severity of God..." (Rom.11:22) However, when put together, there is infinite,complex beauty! Like a rainbow, here is a list of some God's attributes...which taken together are astonishingly beautiful!
God is transcendent and immanent
infinity and immensity (all of God is everywhere)
immutability and His emotions.
unity (one God) and His tri-personality as Trinity
omniscience, omnipotence, wisdom, truth
goodness, love, grace, mercy, hesed, holiness, righteousness, justice, and glory
sovereignty of God and our moral responsibility
heaven and hell....blessing and cursing.
All these traits are in perfect balance...symphonic symmetry in infinite complexity and intensity.God's beauty is primary and all human beauty is derivitive from Him.
ON THE CROSS, JUSTICE AND MERCY KISSED
In Rev. 4--5 Jesus is revealed as a Victorious Lamb, but who has the scars of having been slain. We blink, and this Lamb is now the mighty Lion of the tribe of Judah. Such is the incredible complexity of the Person and Work of Christ.
So that is why the beatific vision has always been considered the most wonderful experience of heaven...seeing Jesus face to face. It seems that human language is not adequate to convey the infinitely complex, infinitely intense beauty of our ascended Savior!
Every experience of beauty here on earth is momentary, and reflects a longing for heaven. As we gaze upon the infinitely complex intense beauty of God, every pore of our being will dance with sheer pleasure and delight. It will be ravishing and unending delight.
The next time you experience the pleasure of beauty, let it turn your heart in contemplation of the beauty of God...and worship Him!
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!
"One thing have I asked of the Lord, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple."
(Psalm 27:4)
Aesthetics is that branch of philosophy which deals with theories of beauty. At the beginning of 2014 I want to try and paint a picture of God's unspeakably infinite beauty.
I think it is safe to say that we all know beauty when we see or hear it, but it is a bit more of a challenge explaining what beauty IS. For example a beautiful sunset, a beautiful song, a beautiful woman, a beautiful novel, and so on. What is it that all representations of beauty seem to have in common?
When our children were young, we took great delight in the simple beauty of their stick figures. They somehow learned instinctively that symmetry was part of their goal to make the picture "pretty for mommy". I remember my children's stick figure drawings with much fondness, as I'm sure you do.
Consider other expressions of beauty. Normally, the more complex the beauty, the more intense it is. There is simple beauty and their is complex beauty...the more complex, the more beautiful it appears. For example, we marvel at the extraordinary wonderment of Michelangelo's "David". Or we think of Rembrandt and how his balancing of light with dark was genius and the result was complex, intense beauty.
Think of music...in a symphony, the more instruments you have playing in sync with each other, the more extraordinary the beauty. Personally, I am more into classic rock. My favorite band is the Allman Brothers. Most bands have one lead guitarist and one drummer (in addition to a bassist and others), but they were blessed with two of the best guitarists--the late Duane Allman and Dickie Betts. Their guitar inter-play was almost transcendental at times--to me anyway! Have you ever had the experience of listening to music that affected you so profoundly, that you forgot you were listening, and were transported up into the music itself?
The key is taking all the disparate elements and bringing them ultimately together--resolution. A simple but beautiful floral design is made more intensely beautiful by adding more color and intricacy to the design. A really good movie (the Hebrew word for good and beauty are from same root) or beautiful play or novel is where all these sub-plots are intricately woven together and resolved by the end....leaving no loose threads or irresolution.Symphony and not cacophony! Twice in the Song of Solomon the same Hebrew word for beauty is used that is in Psalm 27:4 for God....and both lovers describe the traits that make the other so beautiful and desirable. Notice the focus on symmetry in their descriptions.
Asymmetry sticks out like a sore thumb.I am thinking of Satan now as "pure ugly"...his soul is misshapen and assymetrized.
What happens when you have infinite complexity and symmetry? This where it gets exciting--there is INFINITE BEAUTY. That kind of beauty would certainly blur the distinction between sight and sensation!
Some of God's attributes seem so polar opposite,making Him appear at first glance, as asymmetrical. (e.g. wrath/hatred and mercy/love) "Note then the kindness and severity of God..." (Rom.11:22) However, when put together, there is infinite,complex beauty! Like a rainbow, here is a list of some God's attributes...which taken together are astonishingly beautiful!
God is transcendent and immanent
infinity and immensity (all of God is everywhere)
immutability and His emotions.
unity (one God) and His tri-personality as Trinity
omniscience, omnipotence, wisdom, truth
goodness, love, grace, mercy, hesed, holiness, righteousness, justice, and glory
sovereignty of God and our moral responsibility
heaven and hell....blessing and cursing.
All these traits are in perfect balance...symphonic symmetry in infinite complexity and intensity.God's beauty is primary and all human beauty is derivitive from Him.
ON THE CROSS, JUSTICE AND MERCY KISSED
In Rev. 4--5 Jesus is revealed as a Victorious Lamb, but who has the scars of having been slain. We blink, and this Lamb is now the mighty Lion of the tribe of Judah. Such is the incredible complexity of the Person and Work of Christ.
So that is why the beatific vision has always been considered the most wonderful experience of heaven...seeing Jesus face to face. It seems that human language is not adequate to convey the infinitely complex, infinitely intense beauty of our ascended Savior!
Every experience of beauty here on earth is momentary, and reflects a longing for heaven. As we gaze upon the infinitely complex intense beauty of God, every pore of our being will dance with sheer pleasure and delight. It will be ravishing and unending delight.
The next time you experience the pleasure of beauty, let it turn your heart in contemplation of the beauty of God...and worship Him!
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