Is God Promising an Evangelistic Harvest for Us Today in Psalm 2:8? Nope.

Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance,
and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

-Psalm 2:8 (KJV)

Over the years, some evangelistic ministries have used Psalm 2:8 as their mission verse. I would like to start our review of this verse and the surrounding verses with one example from a very big name, the late Jack Hayford. 

I choose him, not only because he is a very recognizable American preacher and teacher, but because he is also known internationally. In addition, he held an advanced theological degree (Doctor of Divinity)  and founded The King's College and Seminary. He's a lot bigger than I am and his influence is far-reaching. 

This is an entry from Jack Hayford's daily devotional studies (emphasis mine):

"'Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.'" -Psalm 2:8

Jesus is the Great Intercessor, and in His high priestly prayer in John 17, He requested of His Father that His disciples would be one and, “that the world may know that You have sent Me” (John 17:23). United by both the Spirit of God and an understanding of the fulfillment of God’s redemptive purposes through Jesus, the early Church prayed: “Give us boldness to speak the word of God.” Their intercession joined with the Great Intercessor, and the Lord heard and answered their request. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they proclaimed the gospel boldly and became witnesses not only to their fellow Jews but to the Gentiles, as well. Nations became the inheritance of the Messiah through them! Students of Christian missions tell us there are nearly 24,000 distinct “nations” or “people groups” in our world.

This entry is not awful. It does tie the promise in Psalm 2 to Christ, but the greater application is where the concern arises. Psalm 2 is not an evangelistic passage. There is nothing in the Psalm for anyone else (certainly no one in the current dispensation) to directly claim. It is prophetic and particular to Israel's Messiah and the plan for the earth. It is a future given, not a current ending dependent upon the actions and obedience of mere men.

We will not examine the entire Psalm in detail, but the immediate context of verse 8 should alert us to the idea that this verse has far greater application than modern day evangelism. Verse 7 carries its own general misinterpretation in our day.

I will declare the decree of the Lord:

He said to me, “You are My son;
this day have I begotten you. 

-Psalm 2:7

We should recognize verse 7 as it is quoted  twice by Paul: once in the Acts when Paul is addressing Jews and again in Hebrews when Paul is writing to Jews. Let us look at the context of Paul's use in Acts 13. As with the The Law and the covenants, the plan for the earth and the kingdom are centered on Israel. 

 

After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.” Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen. The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people [Israel] when they lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt, and with great power He led them out of it. For about forty years He endured their conduct in the desert. When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave them their land as an inheritance by lot. 

-Acts 13:15-18

“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those of you who fear God, the word of this salvation has been sent to us... “We preach to you good news: The promise which was made to the fathers, God has fulfilled to us, their children, raising Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:

‘You are My Son;
today I have begotten you.

-Acts 13:26, 32-33

Acts 13 is after the grafting in of Gentiles in Acts 10. That grafting in was specifically "to make Israel jealous" (Rom 10:19; 11:11, 14). Paul adds "and you who fear God."  These were gentiles who believed in the God of Israel, but had not yet become proselytes. The message of Israel's blessings in their Messiah was expanded to Gentiles. But as was his manner, Paul addresses the Jew first as the gospel of the age was "to the Jew first and also to the gentile" (Rom 1:16; 2:10). The message is built solidly on Israel, on their fathers, on the promises to the nation, and the hope of the earthly inheritance in Abraham. This is clearly stated in Romans 9 as we will see.

This was the hope and plan and focus of that age and of most of scripture. Adam sought a restoration of Paradise and Abraham sought "a city whose builder and maker is God" (the New Jerusalem). Earthly hopes. From Genesis 12 through all the Law and the Prophets (including the Revelation), through the ministry of Christ on earth, and through the Acts Age and accompanying epistles we have the earthly plan in view.

We pause here to again marvel how men have spiritualized Romans 9 and the utterly clear place Israel still has in that age. The promises and glory and covenants and the priesthood belonging to Israel alone. All part of God's earthly plan. Yet men rob from Israel while forsaking the greater spiritual blessings of the current age revealed by Paul in the Book of Ephesians. Imagine forsaking gold to rob silver!

In Acts 13 Paul is pointing Israel back to Psalm 2. Paul is speaking to unbelieving Jews telling them that God has fulfilled the promise of the Messiah to them. Paul includes himself with Israel ("to us, his children"). As scripture and revelation unfold we get more clarity on previous revelation. Paul's usage of Psalm 2:7 will shed light on and bring into greater clarity the full sense of the verses quoted. 

Focusing on the Greater Meaning in Begotten

Unfortunately, most interpreters of Psalm 2 read "begotten" as simply "born a child to the Father." Paul is bringing clarity and depth to the verse in Acts 13 to the word "begotten" far beyond that basic application. Begotten has a much greater meaning than can be seen in Psalm 2 alone: resurrection! The following verses in Acts 13 point to the prophecies of Isaiah 55:3 and Psalm 16:10 along the way.

That He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken in this way:

‘I will give You the holy and sure blessings of David.’

So He says in another Psalm:

‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay.’

-Acts 13:34-35

This passage is about resurrection. We cannot read "‘You are My Son; today I have begotten you" as simply, "You are my Son, today you became my son." But that is exactly how some translations essentially render the verse. In others that do use "begotten" it is assumed it simply means being born in the notes and commentaries. Does this make sense?

You are my son; today I have become your father. [NIV]

Imagine when my son was born, I am holding him, and I declare, "you are my son, today I have become your father." It is redundant. Surely true in a sense. Surely it can have an application. There could be an argument here for the limited Sonship of Christ. This would contradict the doctrine of the eternal (as it is generally understood) Sonship of Christ. As we are creatures of time and God is not, I am not opposed to the idea of the limited Sonship. I only note this possibility, but I believe the issue at hand goes far beyond even that distinction.

Let's look at a few uses of "begotten." 

 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten  [Greek: monogenḗs]

Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 

-John 3:16 

For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have you not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten [Greek: gennáō] you [become your father - MEV] through the gospel. 

-1 Corinthians 4:15

 

God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten [Greek: gennáō] thee.

-Acts 13:33

 

Gennáō has a very broad sense of fathering a child. It is used 105 in the manuscripts used for the KJV and similar texts. It can have broad applications. monogenḗs appears only 8 times and is specific to the only offspring. While we are given the power [authority] to become the children of God in Christ (John1:12), Christ is the only begotten of the Father. Superior in every way. 

All that to say that while monogenḗs would be specific to a child be an only offspring of a kind, gennáō is broad enough to include the idea of any offspring, an only begotten offspring, and one given life in another way. In Acts 13, Paul uses it in the sense of "born from the dead," that is, in resurrection. 

The Greek word prōtótokos, meaning first-born, appears 9 times  

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn [Greek: prōtótokos; "begotten" Wycliffe] from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

-Colossians1:18

Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first born [Greek: prōtótokos; "begotten" KJV] of the dead...

-Revelation 1:5

Out Lord was the "firstborn" of the children of Mary (Luke 2:7) as well as the "firstborn" of many  brethren that he has justified (Rom 8:29). He is the "firstborn" of all creation (Col 1:15) as well as ( as noted) the "firstborn from the dead" ( Col 1:18, the first resurrected).

We thus have two words translated as "begotten" that, together, are a powerful witness, in context, of the Lord being the first-born from the grave in resurrection and the one the Father raised in resurrection. Our resurrection hope shall be accomplished by rank (1 Cor 15) when we follow the Lord (the only to have ever been raised at this point). 

Comparing Scripture with Scripture

So when look back at Psalm 2:7 (and Acts 13:33) we have to decide what is intended in how Christ is begotten of the Father. As with other scriptures, I believe it has a depth of meaning. Certainly Christ has come forth as the preeminent Son, the first Son, the only Son in some respects. But while he is the only son of God, he is also the first of many brethren (Rom 8:29). This is the width and depth of Christ's sonship.

But in Acts 13:33 there is no room for compromise. Christ is there raised up from the dead in fulfillment of a promise made to Israel. That is, all the promises to Abraham are predicated on the resurrection of the Lord. He is only son of God to have been resurrected as we continually note. 

We do not argue that there is a sense of Christ being the preeminent and, in a definite way, the only Son of God. But we note again God has given men the authority to become the children of God.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right [authority] to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

-John 1:12-13

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn [from the dead] among many brethren.

-Romans 8:29

So, here we have an idea that is dependent upon its context (again). When Paul is employing the generic idea in Acts 13, he clearly defines the Lord's "birth" there as as "birth" from the dead. To clarify, he used the broad word for "begotten" and applies at "begotten from the dead." As noted, we truly need to read this entire chapter, slowly, to begin to soak in its majesty. Let's finish by walking through a larger section of chapter 13.

“From this man’s [David's] descendants God has raised a Savior for Israel, Jesus, according to His promise. 

-Acts 13:23

From David's line God promised that he would raise up a "Savior for Israel." God would raise up a King in Israel (Luke 22; John 1:49; etc.) like unto David (Luke 1:32), but greater. Christ is both the root (the cause) and the seed (offspring) of David (Rev 22:16). God will restore the Kingdom in and to Israel (Acts 1). 

We can never forget that the context of the calling in the Acts is laid out in Acts 1 when the Lord shares with the future under-rulers of Israel (who will "sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel," Matt 19; Luke 22). We do not see what he taught them for 40 days because we do not need to know. We only know he was speaking of the restoration of the Kingdom in Israel based on their one question. 

We must therefore never forget that the context of all of this is Israel and the expected restoration of the Kingdom in Israel. This is the foundation of understanding the gospel accounts and the Acts age. The resurrection and Israel are connected.

Before His coming John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. As John was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not He. But look! He is coming after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.

-Acts 13:24-25 

John the Baptist is the figure in the parables who sews the seed in Israel but sees no fruit. He was a Levite (Luke 1:5, not from some "lost tribe") and in the priestly line of Israel. His ministry was to Israel alone. His sewing was to Israel alone. His gospel was to Israel alone. 

“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those of you who fear God, the word of this salvation has been sent to us. Because those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, did not know Him, in condemning Him they have fulfilled the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath. Though they found in Him no cause worthy of death, yet they asked Pilate to have Him killed. When they had fulfilled all that was written of Him, they took Him down from the tree and placed Him in a tomb.

-Acts 13:26-29 

Paul is pointing to the death and burial of the Lord at the hands of the nation of Israel. The setting is the synagogue. The setting is the Sabbath. The setting is the words of the Hebrew prophets.  

Charles Welch comments in his book, The Form of Sound Words (Page 48, excerpt):

Paul still addressed the chief of the Jews as ‘Men and brethren’, a title which, as he explains in Romans 9, belonged to Israel according to the flesh. The great change, wherein ‘the twain’ were created ‘one new man’, had not yet been announced, and Israel as a nation still stood before God. From Acts 13:15 it is clear that this form of address was not necessarily a Christian one, for it was used by the ruler of the synagogue. When for the first time Paul used it in the Acts, he added, by way of explanation, ‘children of the stock of Abraham’ (Acts 13:26); the added words ‘and whosoever among you feareth God’, being, not an expansion, but addressed to a secondary company. So, in Acts 13:38, ‘Men and brethren’ is the mode of address to those who in verse 41 were to be called ‘despisers’, and, as verse 42 makes clear, who were ‘Jews’ as distinct from ‘Gentiles’. We find Peter and James using the same form of address at the Council of Jerusalem, where none but Hebrew Christians were present. We meet with the expression no more until Paul addresses the Jews in Acts 22:1; 23:1, and for the last time in 28:17. To those who have learned to love and appreciate the hidden beauties of the Scriptures, it is no surprise to discover that this form of address occurs in the Acts just twelve times, twelve being most evidently the number of Israel. The apostle declared that he had committed nothing against ‘the people’ or the customs of the fathers. Who, in Paul’s estimate, were ‘the people’? There is but one answer; Israel.

 

"To the Jew first, and also to the gentile" was Paul's gospel even after the grafting in of gentiles was declared (specifically to make Israel jealous as we've note). Luke tells us clearly that even as the Apostle to the Uncircumcision (Gal 2:7), Paul always went to the synagogue first in any city with a synagogue before addressing gentiles (Acts 17:2). And as we have seen in our study on Acts 17, Paul uses scripture with the Jews and Creation with gentiles. 

 But God raised Him from the dead, and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now His witnesses to the people.

-Acts 13:30-31

 Again a reference to the Lord's glorious resurrection! Paul refers in the latter verse to the Apostles of the Circumcision (primarily the 12) who were sent to the people of Israel. This is after Peter opened the Kingdom to Gentiles in Acts 10 (which is long after Acts 2) and after the "astonished" disciples "went to Jews only" in Acts 11 after hearing of the grafting in of Gentiles. They praised God and then went to Jews only. Here we see "Israel" and "the people" in context of the resurrection

As the Lord himself stated in Matthew 15:24, he was "sent to none, but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel." This was his response to the gentile woman who approached him as "Son of David" (15:22), a title which has no relevance to a Gentile. Only when she addresses him as her Lord alone does he listen to her request. 

Paul continues.

“We preach to you good news: The promise which was made to the fathers, God has fulfilled to us, their children, raising Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:

‘You are My Son;
today I have begotten you [from the dead]’


-Acts 13:32-33

We are back at our primary verse. And here we again note the resurrection and also the primacy of Israel. Romans 9 is abundantly clear. It is shocking to see those of the Reformed/Replacement tradition grasp Romans chapters 9 through 11 as their own and as somehow referring to the replacing of Israel with a gentile bride. Never. It is not our topic here, but allow me to quote just the opening verses of Romans 9.

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God [priesthood], and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. 

-Romans 9:1-5

Paul will continue in Acts 13 by staying with the resurrection (the conquering of the curse of death on all men) and also note the lack of corruption (decay), the other part of the curse on all of us through Adam ("For dust you are, And to dust you shall return" Gen 3:19; see also: Job 34:15; Ps 104:29 Eccl 3:20; Eccl 12:7).

That He raised Him from the dead,
no more to return to corruption [decay],
He has spoken in this way:
‘I will give You the holy and sure blessings of David.’ [Is 55:3] 

So He says in another Psalm:
‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay.' [Psalm 16:10]

-Acts 13:32-33

As we close we note that Christ must always be preeminent. The resurrection must be preeminent. When it comes to the earthly plan Israel must be preeminent (under their King, the Lord Jesus Christ).  

"'Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.'" 

-Psalm 2:8

Christ is to ask the Father and the Father will give his Son the kingdom, the earth (specifically the promised land), and the nation of Israel as his inheritance. An inheritance gained through his obedience by going to cross. And through Israel, fulfilling her promise to serve as priests for the nations (gentiles), all people. All made possible by the victory over death, over Hades (the state of the dead), and over the grave itself.

I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

-Revelation 1:18

 

We have no stake in any of that in this ge. Our blessings are not earthly, but heavenly. Our hope is not the hope of Israel. Our calling is not the calling of the Israel. The victory over the grave which Christ accomplished on our behalf is, as it is for Israel, the key to our hope, the unsearchable riches of Christ in the far above the heavens! (Ephesians). 

To try and claim Psalm 2:8 for ourselves (or our "church") in any way not only robs from the context, not only robs from Israel (which should not interest us in light of our heavenly calling), but ultimately robs from Christ. May it not be said of us. 

Three Things Which the Believer Should Make Every Effort to Achieve

Making the Effort

The Greek word spoudázō is translated several ways in the New Testament. It is a key command in two of the three passages we are looking at in this entry. One of the verses we will review, 2 Tim 2:15, is a foundational verse for this blog and my ministry.  I generally use the translation of spoudázō as it is rendered in the KJV, NKJV, and MEV. That is, as "study." There is nothing wrong with that idea as we shall see. However, I want to emphasize the more direct command and idea behind spoudázō. 

We will begin by looking at spoudázō in Ephesians 4. We often refer to verse 1 ("walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called") in these studies to help us understand and apply what we find in scripture to our lives. That is, all we see in scripture must be filtered and interpreted through the current calling (the current age). 

We read countless commands and promises in scripture that have no direct application to our heavenly calling. We don't build arks, sacrifice animals, observe days or years or Sabbaths, we know no feasts, we have no earthly tabernacle, etc. Some of these are obvious to the believer, but as we have seen in other studies, commonly quoted and "claimed" verses like 2 Chron 7:14, Jeremiah 29:11, Ezekiel 36:26, and even the New Covenant itself in Jeremiah 31 cannot be directly claimed by those of us in the current calling who have only a heavenly hope. In their contexts, we have no claim to them at all.

In a similar way, many today, in the name of Christ, are busying themselves with things such as ordinances which are connected to earthly hopes, callings, conditions, covenants, and promises. Often verses are wrenched from their contexts so pastors can apply them to their uncritical congregations. Let it not be said of us that we swallow whatever we are fed. As our last verse for consideration today (2 Tim 2:15) teaches, we must all, as individuals, stand before God and answer for our service and how we handled his precious word.

Make Every Effort to Keep the Unity of the Spirit

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort (Greek: spoudázō) to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

-Ephesians 4:1-6

After Paul urges us to live according to the calling of this age (the Mystery hidden from Moses and the Prophets and revealed to Paul as stated in Ephesians 3), he commands believers to "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit." We do not have create this unity, it is created by God. We must strive to keep it. The best way to do this is found in our next verse regarding the unity of faith. But more about that shortly.

All who are truly in Christ (resting solely in the complete and sufficient sacrifice of Christ Jesus) are united in the Lord on that level. As we seek to be obedient to our call to reach all men with the Paul's message for this age (Col 1:27, etc.), we balance that with a love for the brethren. That love contains a warning for them as well as acceptance. We will look at that warning in a future study, but no matter where we find ourselves or others, love must abound.

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

-Galatians 6:10

This is a general concept from the Acts dispensation, but it is universally true. John writes "God is love" in his epistle to the circumcision. This is the nature of God and guides all God does from Adam to the present. Part of making distinctions in scripture is discerning that which is a general truth from those things that are truth for a particular calling. 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

-1 John 4:7

And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

-1 John 4:16

We also think here of the great Love chapter, 1 Cor 13, from the Acts age as well. Love is a universal condition. This is the guiding force of our striving. We want to keep the unity among those that are his while never sacrificing the truth. This is where the difficulty arises. As we will see in the next section, while we are called to try to maintain a unity created by God in the Spirit, we still have to witness to the truth of the revelation of Paul. And do not miss this: this work is an act of love. Freeing believers from earthly laws and ordinances and opening their hearts and minds to the heavenly calling and full liberty in blessings in the far above the heavens in a supreme act of love. 

Therefore I also, after hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, mentioning you in my prayers, so that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, that the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance among the saints...

-Ephesians 1:15-18

This is Paul writing to believers, beloved believers.  Here we could quote all of Ephesians 1:1-14. Paul is pointing to "spiritual blessings in the heavenly places." He is praying that their eyes be opened to... redemption? No. They already have that. He prays they would be enlightened unto the current calling and the riches of the inheritance. In Ephesians 3 Paul will lay out the revelation given only to him for us in this age; the special calling into blessings in heavenly places. That is a subject unto itself, so will also have to leave that there.

Pray for me, that the power to speak may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel...

-Ephesians 6:19

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and fill up in my flesh that which is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church. I have been made a servant of it according to the commission of God, which has been given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, even the mystery which has been hidden from past ages and generations, but now is revealed to His saints. To them God would make known what is the glorious riches of this mystery among the nations. It is Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we preach, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present them perfect [mature, complete] in Christ Jesus. In this I labor, striving according to His power, which effectively works in me.

-Colossians 1:24-29

Paul is striving among those he loves in the faith to make known the secret which was hidden from Moses and the Prophets. That is, it has nothing to do with Israel or with any earthly hope. It is a heavenly hope. We are called to this same ministry. But in that calling, we have the delicate balance of love for the brethren while being obedient to our witness to the revelation of Paul for this age.

Paul himself suffered for this. "All in Asia have abandoned me" (2 Tim 1:15) refers to believers as well as those in Philippi who sought to make Paul's chains more harsh.  

Some [believers] indeed are preaching Christ out of envy and strife, and some also from good will. The former preach Christ out of contention, not sincerely, intending to add trouble to my circumstance.

-Philippians 1:15-16

The "enemies of the cross of Christ" in Philippians 3 are believers.

Brothers, become fellow imitators of me [followers together of me - YLT] and observe those who walk according to our example. For many [believers] are walking in such a way that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. I have told you of them often and tell you again, even weeping. Their destination is destruction, their god is their appetite, their glory is in their shame, their minds are set on earthly things.

-Philippians 3:17-19

Note that Paul calls us to be imitators of him. Those who rejected Paul then and now are those whose minds are set on earthly things. This can mean simply carnality and worldliness, but it can also those believers who are looking to an earthly hope. 

There is a delicate balance here that we need to note. Many good-hearted believers are simply confused and stuck between the two. They are not necessarily looking for earthly gain, but they have not distinguished between the plan for the earth and the plan for the heavenly places. This group deserves love. Paul eventually had to reject some believers and even turn them over to Satan when they hindered him badly. But that is the extreme end and the privilege of an apostle. We seek to love all.

In a previous study I spoke about the concept of "truth circles." I can fellowship with any true believer on some level, but when it comes to full fellowship and doctrine, my circle becomes much smaller. Here is a podcast on this balance. 

.Listen to "Truth Circles, Logical Interpretation, and Fellowship" on Spreaker.

Make Every Effort to Reach a Unity in the Faith

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

-Ephesians 4:11-14

We don't have spoudázō in this passage, but we do have the ideas of moving towards unity of faith among believers and individual maturity (perfection). We work "until all reach" this unity. We start with a unity in the Spirit and strive for a unity of faith.  

We are looking at the same goal from different angles. We have been looking at the instruction to do what we can to maintain a unity of believers under Christ, powered and driven by love. We have seen where some who reject our witness to Paul's revelation is so egregious to the point where they have become the enemy of that message (this isn't personal). The affront to the truth and the hindrance to our calling forces us to separate from such. We still seek fellowship with all who will have us, but never at the price of the undiluted faith revealed to Paul for us (the current calling).

The difference in this unity it is that it is not a given. Whereas we are called to "keep the unity of the Spirit," here we are called  to "reach [attain unto] unity in the faith." The Greek word translated "reach" here is katantáō. It is an arrival at something. We don't start there as we do with the unity of the Spirit. 

Paul wants believers to be mature, and to understand the fullness of Christ in the Mystery he revealed in chapter 3. It is only then that a believer is no longer an "infant [babe]" in the faith. We can no longer be easily fooled by every doctrine or teacher that drives men between callings and blessings and hopes.

I have argued that a failure to rightly divide scripture destroys more faith than almost anything else. Imaging telling the Nigerian Christians facing slaughter today or the Armenian Christians who were subjected to unspeakable horrors in the Armenian genocide of the last century that all they need do is "claim" verses like Jeremiah 29:11 or 2 Chronicles 7:14. "Claiming" healings that do not happen, etc. All these things, relying on promises in other ages to other callings, can lead to a destruction of faith.

We have seen some that have come out of the "Jesus Movement" of the 1970s and Contemporary Christian Movement of the last several decades utterly deny Christ when the promises they were handed did not match their experience. I place the blame in large part on a failure to embrace the fullness of Paul's revelation of the current heavenly calling. 

The "unity in the faith" is rarely achieved as its foundation is rejected by most. And much of the blame for this falls at the feet of the clergy class who keep men and women in darkness and in chains. But these believers, while they have our sympathy and love, are partly to blame for not heeding our third pronounced effort. 

Make Every Effort to Present Yourself (Individually) Approved to God

Strive diligently (Greek: spoudázō) to present yourself approved to God, a workman with no cause for shame, rightly dividing (cutting straight, handling accurately) the word of truth.

-2 Timothy 2:15

The approval here has nothing to do with our eternal, resurrection life. That is a free gift. It cannot be forfeited by failure to strive for maturity or failure to strive to present yourself approved unto God. It cannot be forfeited by carnality. But each of these failures does come at a price. As we have examined elsewhere, there are not only crowns and rewards and a Prize to be gained through obedience and service, there is also an order in resurrection that should motivate us (1 Cor 15). But we must leave that there. Suffice to say, while a free gift remains free, our love of Christ and his truth alone should drive us apart from the consideration of rewards (which ultimately go back to him).

I have posted the Modern English Version here (translated from the same Greek manuscripts as the King James Version and others) which uses the words "strive diligently." Our word is translated as "study" in the KJV.  In the context of handling God's word, "study" is perfectly fine. When one is striving to draw accurate lines in scripture and handling it accurately (rightly dividing), he does this through diligent and careful study of the word of truth. 

And draw lines we must. We will not turn this into a study of all those lines, but we have seen even in this brief study the importance of drawing lines when it comes to God's plans, purposes, commands, and callings. 

And even within a calling there are callings. In the calling of the earthly kingdom, the twelve have their own calling within a calling. One example is the promise to them that they will "sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matthew 19:28). Paul's calling in the Acts was different than the calling of Peter, James and the twelve.

I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, as the gospel to the circumcised was to Peter. For He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles.

-Galatians 2:7-8

In our current calling, Paul is unique as the only one given the Mystery of the current age and the only servant given any revelation from God (as he was chosen to complete the revelation of God). 

I did become a minister according to the dispensation of God, that was given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God

-Colossians 1:25 (YLT)

*I* became minister, according to the dispensation of God which [is] given me towards you to complete the word of God,

-Colossians 1:25 (Darby)

 

Young uses the word "dispensation" here as does Darby. I use Young, in part, because his translation is literal and, in part, because he was not a dispensationalist (as Darby obviously was).  But the greater point is that Paul was the one assigned to "fulfill," that is, "complete" the word of God. And while we share in the same blessings and hope and dispensation of our Apostle, we do not have his ministry or privilege (for which he paid a great earthly price both to the world and to believers who rejected him). 

We can use aids. We can read books. We can listen to sermons. We can attend studies. We can help each other. But in the end we will stand alone. If we have a stated belief (however imperfect) it must be through our own effort in seeking our own conclusions (even if they be in pencil).

God knows that we are but dust and that we have limited, failing minds. But that does not excuse us from the pursuit. We must put in the effort.

All Bible study must in the end be individual. As with ordinary bodily food: others may prepare the food and serve it up in various forms: they may cook it in more senses than one: they may present it in "made dishes": they may carve it, and cut it up, and even put it in the mouth, as with babes; but, after all, there is no more that they can do. They cannot eat it or digest it for us; they cannot assimilate it for us; even so it is with the spiritual food of the Word of God. Notwithstanding all that has been said in the foregoing pages, the great necessity remains: the work of Bible study must be, to the end, intensely personal and individual. Each one must look out the reference for himself. He must trace the words through all their occurrences where these are given; he must consider their usages; he must read the contexts; he must make his lists and tables, and do his countings for himself: for so only can he feed upon the Word and the words, and be nourished, and be strengthened himself, and grow thereby: so only will he be able to say with Jeremiah: 

"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; And thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart."

-E.W. Bullinger (Excerpt, "How to Enjoy the Bible," page 362, emphasis mine) 

 

Listen to "S3 Ep61 Introduction to Individual Bible Study - Part 1 (2007)" on Spreaker. 

Listen to "S3 Ep62 Introduction to Individual Bible Study - Part 2 (2007)" on Spreaker. /body

It is Priests Who Are Appointed Once to Die Before the Judgment (Hebrews 9:27)

As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this comes the judgment.

-Hebrews 9:27

We will look at the context of this verse in several ways.

• The passage
• The chapter
• The Book
• Paul's teachings
• The Law

This verse is often pulled from its context and used to teach that every human being is placed before God and judged for heaven or "hell" immediately. In light of Paul only knowing of two types of bodies (terrestrial and celestial, of the earth, of the spirit in resurrection), we find no room for any immediate state. We also see in the same chapter (1 Cor 15) Paul's only use "Hades" in his epistles and he is referring to believers, in context.

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? With what body do they come?” You fool! What you sow is not made alive unless it dies. When you sow, you do not sow the body that shall be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. Then God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. All flesh is not the same flesh. There is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fish, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies. The glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars. One star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

1 Corinthians 15:35-44

When this corruptible will have put on incorruption [in resurrection], and this mortal will have put on immortality, then the saying that is written shall come to pass: “Death is swallowed up in victory."

“O death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?

-1 Corinthians 15:54-55

We have covered the topics of Hades and resurrection elsewhere, but it is important to the understanding of Hebrews 9. Since we cannot cram the common interpretation of Hebrews 9:27 into Paul's teachings on death and resurrection, we should look to the greater context for understanding.

But even without referencing Paul's teachings about resurrection, we can dismiss the common interpretation of our verse from the context of Hebrews chapter 9 and the full passage alone.

It was therefore necessary that the replicas of heavenly things be cleansed with these sacrifices, but that the heavenly things themselves be cleansed with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter holy places made with hands, which are patterned after the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Nor did He enter to offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. For then He would have had to suffer repeatedly since the world was created, but now He has appeared once at the end of the ages to put away sin by sacrificing Himself. As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this comes the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to save those who eagerly wait for Him.

-Hebrews 9:23-28 

The Superiority of Christ is the Context

The greater context speaks to the reality of Christ's perfect and complete sacrifice as being superior to the work of Israel's High Priest and the sacrificial system of the Law. That system was merely a picture of the final work. It also was work that had to be repeated as it could never actually redeem anyone from his sins. We will continue to point us to the superiority and the finality and perfection of the work of Christ as does the Book of Hebrews. We can never stress it to often or too greatly!

For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Hebrews 10:3


But every priest stands daily ministering and repetitively offering the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

-Hebrews 10:11

The Book of Hebrews, written during the Acts Age to Jews, is a presentation of Christ as superior to everything in the Law and in the sacrificial system. Christ is superior to the sacrifices in the tabernacle and temple for his sacrifice does not need to be repeated. Christ' priesthood is superior in that it never ends. The Roman Catholic church offers thousands of masses everyday in which they teach they are offering an ongoing sacrifice, a work that is neither sufficient nor complete. There is no room for compromise with such a system. 

In the Law, the High Priest enters the Holy Place with blood that was not his own. But neither his blood nor the blood of animals could take away sin. Christ sacrificed himself for sin once and for all. Christ never has to die again. He is Israel's ultimate High Priest (but not according to the Levitical priesthood as we shall see). The High Priest under the Law will die and must be replaced in that system with the next High Priest. 

When Christ died, the judgment came, the offering made, and proof of acceptance was satisfied by his resurrection. The High Priest under the Law dies, yet sin is never washed away (it is merely covered). All men are appointed to die. The use of "judgment" in Hebrews 9:27 as interpreted by almost all schools of theology, completely ignores the rest of the context. Christ's work is thus diminished. 

This is how the New Living Translation renders the verse:

It is in the plan that all men die once. After that, they will stand before God and be judged.

We have spoken favorably of certain NLT translations of verses, but here we see the danger of "dynamic equivalency." A doctrine of men is forced onto a verse that says nothing of the sort. Young's Literal Translation renders the verse, "and as it is laid up to men once to die, and after this -- judgment." Nothing here about a man standing before God to be judged after his death. That is tradition, not truth.

Basic Evangelical understanding of redemption knows we are judged in Christ and redeemed the moment we believe. There is a future judgment of service, but tradition never puts that on this verse (and rightly so). So, what is this "judgment?" 

The NLT continues into verse 28 and things no longer make sense if verse 27 was a judgment for any random person upon death with no knowledge of the outcome.

And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.

-Hebrews 9:27-28 (NLT)

We have again here, as we do throughout the Acts age, a pointing to the return of Christ. This is the central point of verse 28. So what would "Dolly Parton [or whomever] died and then God sent her to heaven/hell" (whichever position you take on her faith) have to do with the second coming or the work of the High Priest? What "salvation" is the Lord bringing and to whom? The already redeemed? The already judged? Paul is speaking to Jews about the Kingdom in Israel that is to come (as promised by the Lord in Acts 1 at his coming and reflected in Paul's Acts epistles, such as First and Second Thessalonians). 

In the traditional understanding, a man dies, is judged right then, and then floats off in a mysterious form to either heaven or "hell." Who is "eagerly waiting for him?"  What salvation is he bringing and to whom? 

If you don't like the NLT, here it is in the KJV and the problem remains:

Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (KJV)

I reference Dolly Parton because Hebrews 9:27 was employed by the leader of a very large Evangelical ministry to argue that God judged her directly upon death. But Dolly doesn't fit the context nor does any random human. Is the Evangelical leader thinking then that when he dies he'll be judged, go to heaven, then look for the return of Christ for his salvation?

The Greater Context of a Mortal Priesthood

We must also remember, the greater context of chapters 7, 8, and 9 is the superiority of the Priesthood and Offering of Christ, and the types and shadows in the law. Not addressing this issue directly, but in discussing the limited priesthood of the Levites compared to the eternal priesthood of Christ pictured in the priesthood of Melchizedek, Paul wrote:

And in one case dying men [Levitical priesthood] receive tithes, but in the other case [Melchizedek picturing Christ] it is one who is borne witness to that he is living.

-Hebrews 7:8

 

"Dying men" is rendered "mortal men" in other translations and "men that die" in the KJV. These are the ones that die in Hebrews 9:27. They are juxtaposed throughout Hebrews against the superior priesthood of Christ, a priesthood that never ends for Israel. Christ died once for all, was buried, did not decay, rose again to never die again. This is a superior priesthood in every way, certainly superior to "dying men." In any case, all mortal men die whether priest or not, whether believer or not. Christ is superior to all.

As a comparative, Christ's death is the ultimate death. There remains no more sacrifice for sin. All guilt is remitted. No more mortal High Priest is needed. We also have juxtaposed in this book the Lord's priesthood against the Levitical priesthood as a whole. Our Lord is from the Tribe of Judah. This means nothing to gentiles, but Israel's priesthood was limited to the Tribe of Levi. The Lord's priesthood is pictured in Melchizedek, a priest with no beginning or end, a priest of no tribe. 

This is important to remember as this argument was laid out earlier in Hebrews. Melchizedek ministered to Abraham (Abram at the time) while he was still in uncircumcision. 

So also Christ did not glorify Himself to be made a High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:

“You are My Son;
today I have become Your Father.” [Ps. 2:7]

As He also says in another place:

\You are a priest forever
in the order of Melchizedek.” [Ps 110:4]

In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death. He was heard because of His godly fear. Though He was a Son, He learned obedience through the things that He suffered, and being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him, being designated by God a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

-Hebrew 5:5-10

The Priesthood Pertains Only to Israel

This priesthood is relevant only to the children of Abraham. When the Lord provided coats of skins for Adam and Eve (the founders of all races), he used no intermediary. The picture was complete. Blood was shed for sin. But we must also note in Genesis that no mention of the blood is given, the focus is on the covering (the atonement). 

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

-Genesis 3:21

Israel's sins were "covered" by the animal sacrifices, but the sin was never taken away ("For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." -Heb 10:4). For Adam, Abel, Seth, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, etc., the only way sin is taken away is by the perfect sacrifice of Christ (to which they looked forward as we look back). The context of a priest (High Priest) is only for Israel. Christ is not our High Priest (just as he is not the Son of David) in the current calling. In Adam, he his our Lord and our God. He has always been the God of the Gentiles (Rom 3:29, 15:10-11; etc.). But Gentiles never (even now) have been called to be a "nation of priests" as Israel was (Ex 19:5-7).

We will never see the Lord as priest in the Post Acts epistles. We must keep all this in mind and we look back at the Law and the inferior priesthood of the Levitical High Priest which is the context of much of the Book of Hebrews. Christ did his work as High Priest as part of Israel's covenant for them. This is the immediate context of verse 27 in question. 

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place every year with blood of others; for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

-Hebrews 9:24-26

When the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies, there was no seat. He did not sit. His work was never done as sin was only covered and not forgiven in full. And no gentile (from Adam on) looked to an annual feast nor waited on the work of a High Priest in a tabernacle or temple. The covering was only for Israel, under the First Covenant, and connected to her special, earthly calling. (We remind ourselves here that the hope of the current calling is greater than Israel's hope.)

The Roman Catholic system of priests, confession, Penance, and Purgatory is reflection of this inferior system. They offer daily a sacrifice that they teach can never take away sin. Men must confess, perform Penance, and then may still have to pay for sin in the fires of Purgatory (only venial sins as grave/mortal sins will damn the soul, Christ is of no value without your  works of Penance, as assigned by a priest). Of course, in that system, your family can pay for sins after death with their suffering and works of charily while Christ's work remains impotent. They have saints who have bled for sin. They are still offering the "blood of others" which can never take away sin.

The Judgment and Salvation in View

The Greek word translated "judgment" in Heb 9:27 is "krísis." As used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew canon, Old Testament), it carries both the idea of judgment and salvation. We need to think of salvation in its broader sense of rescue (but even the narrow sense can be applied). So when the High Priest dies, the accused Israelite is saved from what?

What is the significance of the High Priest dying to a Jew under the Law? A Jewish reader would understand the significance of the comparison. Let's look at how a person who accidentally kills another is handled under the Law.

“Six of the towns you give the Levites [priests] will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands.

-Numbers 35:6-7

A Jewish reader would understand the significance of the High Priest's death in relation to the accused in a city of refuge. The accused must go to the city of refuge or be subject to death by an avenger. He is essentially trapped there. If he were to leave, he was subject to revenge by the deceased's family.

Then the Lord said to Moses: “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that anyone accused of murder may not die before they stand trial  [judgment: krisis] before the assembly. 

-Numbers 35:9-12

We note again: The accused must stay in the city of refuge if he wants protection from any avenger. If he leaves the protection, he is liable to be killed by an avenger. We repeat this condition so we don't miss the requirement for his full release of responsibility. He must stay in the city until the death of the High Priest. This is paramount to see. The condition is noted three times in one passage.

 

The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil. ‘But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.

-Numbers 35:25-27

When the High Priest dies, the avenger cannot act. The accused is judged/saved from vengeance. This fits not only our selected passage from Hebrews 9, but also the greater theme of the one, perfect sacrifice of Christ for all forever. Christ the High Priest died for Israel, all were set free, no new High Priest is needed as the ultimate has risen from the dead! There remains no more sacrifice (death/blood payment) for sin.

This picture is consistent with other Hebrew references. The Passover, The Day of Atonement, etc. and other types and shadows explained in the Book of Hebrews as is the death of the High Priest and its connection to judgment/salvation (krisis). 

One passage to help us further see the connection between judgment and salvation (rescue):

And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered (saved) them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge ... when the judge was dead, they returned (turned back) ...’ 

-Judges 2:18-19\

 

The judges of Israel were first of all saviors. This is seen in the judgeship of Othniel and Ehud ‘The Lord raised up a savior to the children of Israel’ (Judg. 3:9-15). The reader will doubtless call to mind the many passages where the poor, the needy and the righteous call upon God to ‘judge’ them, and such passages as Psalms 1:5 where the ungodly are excluded from ‘judgment’. It is this Old Testament conception of judgment and the particular exercise of it seen in Numbers chapter 35 that must be kept to the fore as we read Hebrews 9:27.

-Charles Welch (Perfection or Perdition, excerpt, P.150) 

We also must remember that chapter breaks in scripture are not in the original manuscripts. After the passage at the Hebrews 9, chapter 10 in our bibles continues the theme of the superiority of the sacrifice of Christ.

For the law is a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of those things. It could never by the same sacrifices, which they offer continually year after year, perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshippers, once purified, would no longer be conscious of sins? But in those sacrifices there is an annual reminder of sins. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:

“Sacrifices and offerings You did not desire,
but a body You have prepared for Me.
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You have had no pleasure.
Then I said, ‘See, I have come to do Your will, O God,’
as it is written of Me in the volume of the book.” [Ps 40:6-8]

-Hebrews 10:1-7

The cities of refuge, the judgment, the salvation, the finality all point to Christ. We dare not reach into that book and pull out a verse to serve our traditions.  In Christ we are clean. No one can bring a charge against us. Let them judge us. In Christ we are fully sanctified.

Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity. I have trusted in the Lord; I will not slip.

-Psalm 26:1

 

Charles Welch offers this structural outline from Hebrews 9 with the idea of judgment/salvation:

A 27. And as. 

B 27. The men die once. 

C 27.Judgment. 

A 28. So also. 

B 28. Christ was offered once. 

C 28. Salvation. 

The Hebrew Context of the Book of Hebrews

 A Jewish reader wouldn't need the explanation. That is for two reasons. First, he would be familiar with the history of Israel, the Law, the High Priest, the sacrificial system, the cities of refuge, and the annual feasts. Second, he would not have any concept of a bodiless "soul" floating about. When Lazarus died in John 11, there is no mention of any hope that he is sitting around, bodiless, somehow in Abraham's bosom. There is only talk of the only hope for the dead, resurrection in Christ.

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You may ask of God, God will give You.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

-John 11:21-27

We have covered this topic elsewhere, but we note it in this study to once again point out that no Jew would understand the context of the priesthood and the dying spoken of in Hebrews 9:27 as being some teaching on bodiless souls going to either heaven or into God torture chamber. The hope is always freedom from death ("the gates of Hades/Sheol") in a future resurrection. 

When Job faced death, he wasn't rejoicing or thinking he would immediately be in "Abraham's Bosom" (which was not possibly in any case). Did Adam and Noah go to "Abraham's Bosom?" Just food for thought as the passage concerning Abraham's Bosom in John is almost universally plucked out of its context as the sole "evidence" for a bodiless future (a doctrine of the Pharisees).

They change the night into day;
the light is short because of darkness.
If I wait, the grave is my house;
I have made my bed in the darkness.
I have said to the pit, ‘You are my father’;
to the worm, ‘You are my mother and my sister.’
Where now is my hope?
As for my hope, who will see it?
Will they go down to the gates of Sheol?
Will we descend together in the dust?”

-Job 17:12-16

This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

I said: In the middle of my days,
I shall go to the gates of Sheol;
I am to be deprived of the rest of my years.
I said, I shall not see the Lord,
even the Lord, in the land of the living;
I shall see man no more
with the inhabitants of the world.

-Isaiah 38:9-11

 

These are believers. And the entire passages should be read to get a sense of the full gloom they have in facing death. The gates of Sheol (Hades, Hell) is death. And death is not looked to in joy. This is why the Lord states that a profession of faith in him is a the key to bursting forth out of the gates of Hades (compare Paul in 1 Cor 15). Gates aren't attacking the "church" (the picture alone makes no sense), gates are holding in the dead. And the only escape is resurrection life.

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (KJV: hell) shall not prevail against it.

-Matthew 16:15-18 (MEV)

It is Gentiles who have taken this passage and this book from their purpose and have imposed the Greek mythological version of Hades and our own religious traditions upon them.

Reading the Passage With a Jewish and Scriptural Understanding

Let's read our passage in Hebrews 9 again (even using a biased translation) with hopefully a better understanding of the significance of the High Priest (which is present in the entire last section of the epistle as a whole):

It was therefore necessary that the replicas [pictures, types, shadows] of heavenly things be cleansed with these sacrifices, but that the heavenly things themselves be cleansed with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter holy places made with hands, which are patterned after the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Nor did He enter to offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. For then He would have had to suffer repeatedly since the world was created, but now He has appeared once at the end of the ages to put away sin by sacrificing Himself. As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this comes the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to save [rescue] those who eagerly wait for Him.

-Hebrews 9:23-28

As with the Book of Acts and the  other Acts-Age epistles, we stress again, the expectation of the return of Christ is part of the context.  We have looked at this elsewhere. But we need to be reminded (in light of the human traditions of Christendom) that the churches of the Acts age (with Jews and grafted-in gentiles) were anticipating both the Tribulation, the Return of Christ to the land to establish his Kingdom in Israel.

While none of that applies to us in the current age, it is present in the Book of Hebrews. But even without that piece, the passage stands on its own when we understand the teachings connected to the High Priest and the cities of refuge under the Law.

The Jewish believer is being assured that Christ's priesthood is superior to any priesthood in the Law. His sacrifice was not like that of bulls or goats, but of his own blood (something no other High Priest could offer). Upon his death, all sin was remitted. The city of refuge inhabitants were free. No charge could ever be brought against them whether inside or outside the city. It is appointed unto the High Priest to die, then the judgment from the council of innocence, then the full release. 

After the human High Priest died, the accused were free. Christ's sacrificial death is far superior and never had to be repeated for anyone else. All in Christ are free forever.  

When we allow ourselves to see this, Hebrews 9:27 comes alive for Jew specifically and for us in its continuing glorification of the finished work of Christ. It is not a random, out of place threat. It is pointing the glorious freedom from even accusation we have in a Savior who has died to make us free, but who will never die again!

Why Does God Hate Divorce? A Fresh Look at Malachi 2:10

For the Lord, the God of Israel, says that He hates divorce

-Malachi 2:16a

Netflix is currently running a docuseries titled, "Death of the Pastor's Wife."   This isn't a review of the program, but suffice to say it's unintentionally a good docuseries on just about everything wrong in what is called Evangelical Christianity (with which I identify). It's also good case study of the disease we've looked at  from several different angles which I call the clergy/laity system.

In the Netflix docuseries, the sick and demented pastor, John Paul Miller, after cheating (committing adultery) on his first wife, getting a divorce (don't miss that) so he could marry the worship leader (who also committed adultery and then got a divorce so she could marry JP, don't miss that) who was much younger, abuses and cheats on this second wife as well. Feel free to watch the series and be disgusted with him on your own.

The modern Christian reasoning the second wife uses to stay in the abusive and sick second marriage is also a disease that seems to permeate all of Christendom. That is, she does what most of Christianity does and builds her theology on selected verses taken out of context. It's sad to watch because she really wants to do the right thing. Unfortunately, she was able to be manipulated because of her failure to "rightly divide the word of truth" (2 Tim 2:15). A review of all the common theological errors of just about everyone in this series would require multiple blog entries. So, let me limit this to our verse above and the pastor's abuse of it.  

[Note: although this entry focuses on what I believe are gross blind spots and bad interpretation within Evangelical Christianity, the enormous Catholic Church has no room to boast as its threat of eternal damnation for the "grave sin" of divorce (without the very expensive annulment approval of the CC) is probably far worse in terms of abuse.] 

The pastor in the series (although divorced himself as noted) text bombs his second wife (remember, she was also already once divorced after an adulterous affair with the pastor) screeching at her and asking why she would do something "God hates." He is, of course, referring to Malachi 2:16 (quoted above).

But what exactly does God hate in that chapter and why does God hate divorce in general? We will look at the context of the verse in the Book of Malachi, but first let's look at the Lord's words in Matthew that also need examination in context (rightly divided). 

But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality...

-Matthew 19:9a

Just on its surface, this verse is telling us of at least one reason for "divorce" (we will look at that word shortly). When we pull half of verse 2:16 out of its context in Malachi, we are left with the idea that God just hates divorce for the sake of hating divorce. Of course, God allows divorce for several violations of the Hebrew/Jewish marriage covenant (such as we shall see when we examine Matthew 19:9 more closely). God allows that which he "hates?" Yes. And that makes perfect sense when taken in the context of the verse in question. 

Let's start by reading the address on the envelope.

The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.

-Malachi 1:1

The harsh words of this book are to God's chosen nation, Israel. His beloved. The apple of His eye. We need to mark some things because of that. First we note, as we are taught, that all scripture is profitable (2 Tim 3:16). So there is something for our learning in this book, but there is a difference between that which is for us and that which is to us. Malachi was prophesying to Israel. Not to us, not even to gentiles in his own day (unless he specifically notes them). As we shall see, Malachi (and God) is concerned with the covenant God had with the fathers (Israel's fathers). 

Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

-Malachi 2:10

God did not make the Sinai covenant with Adam, Noah or even Abraham (who was justified in a state of uncircumcision, Romans 4:9-12). He does not have that covenant with us in this age. The First Covenant is expressly and specifically with Israel alone (Ex 20:5-9).

We are not in covenant relationship with God in this age, but we must leave that there (we have covered this elsewhere). We will note again that while not directly to us, these things in the prophets are for our learning. We learn about the character of God and what he hates. We can certainly profit from understanding such things.

We also see in this one verse (in addition to the reference to the covenant) God's charge against his own people. They have dealt "treacherously" with one another. This is among his own people. We cannot make this "unbelievers" as those who teach Replacement Theology must do. If the "church" is Israel, the application here would have to be the "church." But we do not need that false application to understand God's anger here. And we never forget that this is all part of the reasoning for God hating divorce.

Treacherously is translated from the Hebrew word, "bâgad." We have the idea here of dealing deceitfully (Strong's Hebrew Definitions). The word also carries the idea of covering something with a garment (ibid). We can see the relation. Something that is hidden. When we deal deceitfully we are hiding both the truth and our own intentions. This is the overarching charge God has against his chosen people.

 

Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant of the man who does this, teacher and student, yet who brings an offering to the Lord of Hosts.

-Malachi 2:11-12

Here the charge is centered on Judah and Jerusalem (try cramming "church" in there). This is not a study on the entire Book of Malachi, but I think it is helpful to know the setting here. Malachi is prophesying to a post-Babylonian captivity people during the time of the Second Temple (~400 BC). The nation was being rededicated after Nehemiah's request to return to Judah and rebuild had been granted (Neh 2:5-8). We are near the end of the inspired Hebrew Canon. To be sure, I do not know my Hebrew prophets as well as I should or hope to, but the big picture is clear.

Since I've mentioned his prophecy, just a quick reference to Nehemiah 13.

On that day they read aloud from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. In it there was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the congregation of God, because they did not meet the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. When they heard the Law, they separated from Israel all the racially mixed.

-Nehemiah 13:1-3

There is absolutely no room here for some sort of church-Israel connection. There is no room under the Old/First Covenant that one's race would be the marker of "salvation" (as we commonly use the word). When we rightly divide, we can see God's plans for the nation in his greater plan for the earth. We know those outside Israel could have resurrection life while simultaneously being excluded from the blessings specific to Israel's calling in the First Covenant to be a holy nation of priests (Ex 20:5-9). 

This begs the question, "priests for whom?" And the answer is, priests for the nations in a future earthly kingdom. For that to happen, Israel needs yet to be winnowed and cleansed. But rest assured it will happen one day under the Second Covenant. But, again, we must leave that there. We just acknowledge that we can in no way insert a "church" with a heavenly hope into these prophecies and passages. Again, there is more than one "church" in scripture.

This is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying out, because He no longer regards the offering, nor receives it with good will from your hand. Yet you say, “Why?” It is because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously. Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant.

-Malachi 2:13-14

Would we ever say to any believer of what men today call the "church" that his/her offering is received or rejected of the Lord? All men have already been reconciled to God through the single and perfect offering of Christ (2 Cor 5). Now, not all men are thus redeemed, faith is necessary for that (Rom 4:9-16, etc.). God is reconciled to all men from his side through Christ, but men must individually be reconciled to God by faith (2 Cor 5). 

Verse 14 tells us why Israel, as a nation, is being judged and why she is having her offerings rejected. We've already seen that Judah has dealt deceitfully and has profaned the covenant the nation had with God. But now the Lord brings a specific accusation: the treachery against their wives.

Since Adam, God has used the marriage and unity of one man and one woman as his template and his picture. In this section of Malachi we see God equating Israel's idolatry and deceitfulness with him with deceitfulness in the marriage covenant. Just as Moses striking the rock the second time ruined the picture of the single striking of Christ (once for all), so does treachery in marriage ruin the picture of God's care and  oneness with his own. 

The second striking of the rock was so offensive to God's picture of the provision in the single offering of Christ that Moses was forbidden to step into the blessings in the promised land. Moses, yes the great man of faith Moses, lost an inheritance and is a picture and warning to all. Moses did not lose his free gift of resurrection life. He did not lose the blessings he will enjoy in a future earthly kingdom in Israel, but he did lose the joy of leading Israel into the land.

Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels. Will we bring out water from this rock for you?” And Moses lifted up his hand, and he struck the rock twice with his rod, and plenty of water came out, and the assembly drank, and their livestock. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you will not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

-Numbers 20:10-12

God is very protective of his pictures (types). This is another reason we must be very careful in handling God's word and in rightly dividing it properly. 

God loves his own. Dealing treacherously in a marriage covenant hurts both God's picture of his relationship to his people and it hurts his people. We should start to see what it is God "hates." 

 

Did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously. For the Lord, the God of Israel, says that He hates divorce; for it covers one’s garment with violence, says the Lord of Hosts. Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.

-Malachi 2:15-16

 

God hates divorce because it is the end result of treachery and a distortion of his design. 

Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, but rather that he should turn from his ways and live?

-Ezekiel 18:23

God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Is that because prefers they stay alive in their wickedness? Of course not! He would rather have seen them turn from the way of death unto the way of life. Death is the end for the unbeliever (not entering some sadistic torture chamber of God's as most of Christendom teaches). It is the end of any hope of reconciliation with God. In the great resurrection chapter, death is spoken of as our "enemy" (1 Cor 15:26). Resurrection is the undoing of death and the power of the gates of Hades (i.e. the grave). 

All of that hope is lost in the death of the wicked. They surely deserve death (as we all do because of our own sin and our sin in Adam). But in death all hope is gone. This is similar to why God hates divorce. It is not the act of divorce itself that God hates (unless abused), it is that which leads to divorce. It is the deceitfulness that God hates. 

• sexual immorality
• adultery
• abuse (physical or emotional)
• lack of provision
• lack of affection

These are the things that destroy a marriage. These are the sins and failings that lead to divorce. God has allowed death (our enemy) to keep us from being trapped in this earthly body of decay and sin. God has allowed divorce (which he hates) to free the abused from the bondage of a treacherous spouse.

Where is the deceit? The deceit is in the denial of the vow. Let's look again at verse 16.

For the Lord, the God of Israel, says that He hates divorce; for it covers one’s garment with violence, says the Lord of Hosts. Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.

The "spirit" refers to the life God has given you. For us, we need to take heed to our new nature in Christ. No use telling the lost man to look to his carnal nature to find what he needs. The redeemed must recognize that while we do have a new spirit (nature) from God, we still have an old nature. We must learn to walk in the new nature (the newness of life). If we walk in the lust of the flesh, horrific sins against marriage will manifest. Remember, the wicked sins of 1 Corinthians 5 and 6,are charged against believers. It does not hurt to continually be reminded that we must recognize that we have both an old nature and a new nature, and learn to walk in the new. 

just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in the likeness of His death, so shall we also be united with Him in the likeness of His resurrection,

-Romans 6:4-5 

I say then, walk in the spirit [new nature], and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

-Galatians 5:16 

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the age of this world and according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among them we all also once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and we were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and He raised us up and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we should walk in them.

-Ephesians 2:1-10

We must now turn to a dispensational distinction Paul gives us regarding divorce. In the Acts age, when Gentiles were grafted-in for the stated purpose of making a real, live, relevant Israel jealous (not to make "the church" jealous, Rom 10:19; 11:11,14). Paul, in the Book of Romans, is addressing grafted-in Gentiles in the context of his teachings on the last days and the expected return of the Lord to establish his Kingdom in Israel (Acts 1; Acts 3, etc.). The message of that age was still "to the Jew first." It is focused on God's plan for the earth.

We have covered this elsewhere, but just as the Lord in the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24-25) spoke of the burden of children in the tribulation ahead for Israel, so does Paul warn of this burden because "the time is short" in 1 Cor 7. In that chapter, Paul teaches that it is best not to marry (he will seemingly contradict this in 1 Timothy 5, only if we fail to rightly divided the dispensations) and to not have children. But for those who cannot control themselves or who are already married, Paul upholds the sanctity of marriage.

In the midst of those instructions and the honoring of marriage, Paul says something that would be strange to someone in Israel in light of their covenant.

Now to the married I command, not I, but the Lord, do not let the [believing] wife depart from her husband. But if she departs, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And do not let the husband send away his wife.

-1 Corinthians 7:10-11


But if the unbeliever departs, let that one depart. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

-1 Corinthians 7:15-16

 

Just to quickly address the word "save" here. We must understand that this word also is subject to its context. One can be saved from a sinking ship. When Paul was in the storm in Acts 27 and told his fellow passengers to remain on the ship to be "saved," he obviously wasn't teaching "salvation by floatation." In 1 Corinthians, with the terrible prophetic days for Israel and the earth "at hand," Paul is thinking about physical salvation of the unbeliever.

Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, you cannot be saved.

-Acts 27:31

 

The Lord is also referring to physical salvation (rescue) when he notes in Matthew about enduring to the end. The end of what? The end of Israel tribulations. He is not teaching "salvation by surviving."

“The brother will deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child. And the children will rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all men for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, escape into another. For truly I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

-Matthew 10:21-23 (spoken to his chosen disciples)

“So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. Let him who is in the field not return to take his clothes. Woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse in those days! Pray that your escape will not be in the winter or on the Sabbath. For then will be great tribulation, such as has not happened since the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be. “Unless those days were shortened, no one would be saved..."

-Matthew 24:15-22 (spoken to his chosen disciples)

Let us return to the instructions for grafted-in Gentiles concerning marriage in 1 Cor 7. The first passage quoted from 1 Cor 7 above is specific to women believers. In light of the end, they were not to depart from their husbands. But if they did depart, they could not remarry. .The departing was then connected to obedience in light of the end (and perhaps not willing to bear children). In such a case, between believers, he was not free to divorce her. From earlier in the chapter (v.5) we know that this will leave him open to an attack from Satan, but it is allowed.

The word translated "divorce" in many versions (but not all) is the Greek word aphíēmi. I have changed the Modern English version above to "send away" instead of "divorce" (And do not let the husband send away his wife). When the Lord references the "certificate of divorcement" in Matthew 5:31 from the Law (Deut 24), he uses "apostásion." It is used three times in the Greek, all as part of "certificate of divorcement." 

I would suggest, the lack of the Greek word "apostásion" in 1 Cor 7 makes sense. Under the Law, the formal "bill of divorcement" is more than simply sending away or putting away. It has no direct application to Gentiles who were never under the Law. I think we can thus say, the "departing" and "sending away" of 1 Cor 7:10-11 is clearly to the gentile in that age. A believing husband and believing wife. She shouldn't just walk away and he should not send her away. 

The second passage (1 Cor 7:15-16) is regarding an unbelieving spouse (either male or female). No writ of divorcement (as required under the Law) is needed here as it would be if they were under the Law. If the unbeliever wants to leave, the believer is free to remarry. Under Roman Law this was allowed. But even here in God's eyes, for the grafted-in Gentile who was not under the Law (1 Cor 15, 21, etc.) nor ever under the Law (Rom 2:14; 1 Cor 9:21; etc.), Paul allows this rather "easy divorce." I say that, but Paul does not even use the word. 

In Israel if one just "sent away" his wife, there were still be restrictions on him and on her. There had to be cause under the Law for a writ of divorcement (Ex 21, Deut 24, etc.). If a wife is simply sent away and then marries another, he has caused her to then commit adultery. 

But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put (apolýō) away his wife, not for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery; and he who marries one put away (apolýō) commits adultery.

-Matthew 19:9 (Darby)

apolýō means to separate or loose. I believe the reason listed here (but not earlier in Matthew 5) concerning this question, "fornication," is a specific sin which makes the marriage itself null and void. The word  translated "fornication" is "porneía." It is translated as fornication in all 26 uses in the KJV. The word translated into some form of "adultery" is "moicháō" all six times in the KJV and in nine other translations that I checked (from literal to dynamic equivalencies) in including, obviously, in both Matthew 5 and 19. 

Under the Law, a bill of divorcement was required for very specific violations of the marriage covenant (as bullet pointed above). One could not simply "send away" his wife for any reason. We can sum it up this way (under the Law):

• A Writ of Divorcement was allowed for specific sins of treachery in marriage
• Sending away was only allowed only in the case of a discovery of fornication

When God divorced Israel, he did it under the terms of the covenant he had with them (and with them alone). God did not divorce Nineveh. God did not divorce Amalek, etc. God did not simply send away Israel without cause.

We come back to our opening questions. Why does God hate divorce? Did God do that which he hated against his own Law (as Pastor John Paul Miller accused his wife)? Putting these thoughts together, we conclude: 

God does not hate the act of divorce, he hates the necessity of the act of divorce. God hates what leads to divorce.

If the accusations (presented with a great amount of evidence) against JP Miller in the Netflix docuseries are true, he is guilty of many acts of treachery against his wife (wives, if we count his first wife) and thus she had the right to divorce him. What God hates is his guilt in all these areas:

• sexual immorality
• adultery
• abuse (physical or emotional)
• lack of provision (to the best of one's ability)
• lack of affection

God doesn't hate divorce without cause. He hates the cause of divorce.

Next time we will look at God's divorce of Israel and what that means in light of prophecy and God's plans for the earth and the promised land. 

I saw that for all the adulteries of backsliding Israel, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. 

-Jeremiah 3:8