All Old Covenant imagery relates to Christ and has its fulfilment in Him. This is what made the church distinctive in its early years. It claimed that Christ fulfilled all the expectations and hopes of Israel. A doctrine that does not find its fulfilment in Him, but in some peripheral idea or event, is not Christian. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for,” which means all the types under the Old Covenant (Heb 11:1).
To think that the Jews, or a millennial kingdom in Israel, were to be a fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecy was unthinkable. All is fulfilled in Christ. Christ is everything. This is what makes Christianity Christianity and not a Judeo/Christian sect. There is no fulfilment of scripture outside of Christ. He is the theme of the entire word of God. This was Paul’s view:
But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar…because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain…he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. (Acts 28:19-20, 23. See also Matt 5:17 and Luke 24:44).
Jesus is the hope of Israel, meaning that all of their hopes are fulfilled in Him. All of the prophetic and symbolic expectations are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This is what the church stood to declare in the book of Acts. Israel’s hopes are not fulfilled in a national kingdom, but in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, for eternal life. The scriptures claim that those from Israel who do not follow Christ are cut off from God’s people (Deut 18:15-19, Acts 3:22-23). This is the plain teaching of the word of God.
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Christian Liberty
Paul said all things are lawful, but not all things edify, all things are lawful, but I will not be brought under the power of anything (1 Cor 6:12, 10:23-24). The issue is not so much what we do, but why we do it? What is our motive? That which we allow for ourselves is fine, so long as that thing does not rule and control us.
Paul also claimed we should not allow our liberty to be a stumbling block to others. If our liberty would cause others to stumble, then we should not take that liberty (1 Cor 10:27-33). This means that love for others is more important than our freedom to do something.
Finally, Paul said we that should use our liberty not as an opportunity to the flesh, or to serve self, but to serve one another (Gal 5:13). Liberty from the law is for the purpose of serving God. It comes back to what Jesus said, “Not My will but Your will be done.” (Luke 22:42). This is what it means to be not under the law. God is a God of liberty, not of law. The “glorious liberty of the Sons of God” means there is no law and no sin, because the nature is right (Rom 8:21). This was God’s plan before the earth was made.
Paul also claimed we should not allow our liberty to be a stumbling block to others. If our liberty would cause others to stumble, then we should not take that liberty (1 Cor 10:27-33). This means that love for others is more important than our freedom to do something.
Finally, Paul said we that should use our liberty not as an opportunity to the flesh, or to serve self, but to serve one another (Gal 5:13). Liberty from the law is for the purpose of serving God. It comes back to what Jesus said, “Not My will but Your will be done.” (Luke 22:42). This is what it means to be not under the law. God is a God of liberty, not of law. The “glorious liberty of the Sons of God” means there is no law and no sin, because the nature is right (Rom 8:21). This was God’s plan before the earth was made.
Monday, 5 April 2010
Civil Laws
Deut 22:8 speaks of putting a protective barrier around our roof, when people sit on the roof, as they did in Israel, to help prevent people accidentally falling off. This puts some burden of responsibility on the owner to take due care for the wellbeing of others and to avoid their harm.
This does not mean that the property owner is responsible for the foolish behaviour of others. It is not meant to be an opportunity for a litigious society of corrupt lawyers and greedy people seeking to take money from others.
Thieves who went outside the law to steal private property would to some extent, but not entirely, lose the protection of the law. The owner of the property had rights to protect the property. Ex 22:1-3 said if the thief is killed at night the house owner is not blamed. Here there is a balance between the right to protect oneself and the responsibility not to take extreme measures against others.
In so many different laws, regarding slaves, property, marriage and many other civil issues, there is the balance between rights and responsibilities. These are the guiding principles for our societies today. The scripture is beyond equal in the principles it furnishes for modern nations to build upon.
Regarding slavery, the Law of Moses did not outlaw it but accommodated it as a fact of the society of fallen man, due to the hardness of their heart. It is right that in Christian society we do not have slavery. The Christians (such as William Wilberforce) who finally won over the selfish business interests of Britain and outlawed slavery were possibly the first in human history to achieve this.
But Moses’ Law protected the interests of slaves. Slaves were often temporary economic slaves, because they owed a debt. They had rights. This system, with cities of refuge, the Year of Jubilee and capital punishment for serious crimes, can sometimes be favourably compared with modern systems of crowded prisons and increasing crime rates.
This does not mean that the property owner is responsible for the foolish behaviour of others. It is not meant to be an opportunity for a litigious society of corrupt lawyers and greedy people seeking to take money from others.
Thieves who went outside the law to steal private property would to some extent, but not entirely, lose the protection of the law. The owner of the property had rights to protect the property. Ex 22:1-3 said if the thief is killed at night the house owner is not blamed. Here there is a balance between the right to protect oneself and the responsibility not to take extreme measures against others.
In so many different laws, regarding slaves, property, marriage and many other civil issues, there is the balance between rights and responsibilities. These are the guiding principles for our societies today. The scripture is beyond equal in the principles it furnishes for modern nations to build upon.
Regarding slavery, the Law of Moses did not outlaw it but accommodated it as a fact of the society of fallen man, due to the hardness of their heart. It is right that in Christian society we do not have slavery. The Christians (such as William Wilberforce) who finally won over the selfish business interests of Britain and outlawed slavery were possibly the first in human history to achieve this.
But Moses’ Law protected the interests of slaves. Slaves were often temporary economic slaves, because they owed a debt. They had rights. This system, with cities of refuge, the Year of Jubilee and capital punishment for serious crimes, can sometimes be favourably compared with modern systems of crowded prisons and increasing crime rates.
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Eco Sustainability
According to Deut 22:6, if the people of Israel met a bird’s nest, they could take the eggs or the adult bird, but not both. If they took both there would be no birds for tomorrow. This verse is not in favour of the “Greens” who say that we should use neither the eggs nor the bird.
It is not in favour of unproven science (global warming theories), that say we should not develop. It means that we should develop our nation in a way that limits the damage to our natural environment. There is responsible management of our environment. This does not mean that we should be opposed to economic growth.
It is not in favour of unproven science (global warming theories), that say we should not develop. It means that we should develop our nation in a way that limits the damage to our natural environment. There is responsible management of our environment. This does not mean that we should be opposed to economic growth.
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Dress
Continuing the theme on dress, the way a person dresses shows their attitude. A woman who dresses provocatively shows the type of person she is. A man who dresses sloppily or over casually also shows his character.
People should not dress on the edge of social acceptability, but with respect for others. People often claim Christian liberty in the way that they dress, but this is not Christian liberty, but self-centeredness. It is not what suits you that counts as a good behaviour, but what is respectable towards others.
Similarly, dressing expensively is not good as a Christian. Peter tells the woman not to let her beauty consist of expensive clothing. This means expensive fashion and brand names. Prosperity preachers speak of having expensive suits, when other suits are very decent but cost much less. 1 Pet 3:2-4 applies equally to the men.
People should not dress on the edge of social acceptability, but with respect for others. People often claim Christian liberty in the way that they dress, but this is not Christian liberty, but self-centeredness. It is not what suits you that counts as a good behaviour, but what is respectable towards others.
Similarly, dressing expensively is not good as a Christian. Peter tells the woman not to let her beauty consist of expensive clothing. This means expensive fashion and brand names. Prosperity preachers speak of having expensive suits, when other suits are very decent but cost much less. 1 Pet 3:2-4 applies equally to the men.
Friday, 2 April 2010
Interpreting the Law
We will now go through some passages in Moses’ Law to see how it should be interpreted. First, we start with dress.
The woman shall not wear that which pertains to a man, neither shall man put on a woman‘s garment: for all that do so are an abomination to the Lord their God. (Deut 22:5).
This verse is not about whether women may wear trousers. There are certain types of clothing that are acceptable in one culture but not in another. Rebelling against what the culture deems to be decent and godly shows a bad attitude.
This scripture is about issues of sexuality. A man should not dress as though he were a woman, nor a woman as a man. It means homosexuality, transvestite and sex changes are an abomination to the Lord. It means sexual perversion is an abomination to the Lord.
The woman shall not wear that which pertains to a man, neither shall man put on a woman‘s garment: for all that do so are an abomination to the Lord their God. (Deut 22:5).
This verse is not about whether women may wear trousers. There are certain types of clothing that are acceptable in one culture but not in another. Rebelling against what the culture deems to be decent and godly shows a bad attitude.
This scripture is about issues of sexuality. A man should not dress as though he were a woman, nor a woman as a man. It means homosexuality, transvestite and sex changes are an abomination to the Lord. It means sexual perversion is an abomination to the Lord.
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Marriage
Marriage problems are one area where the letter of the law can harm. The law is not a formula we apply legalistically to every case that arises. In some regions polygamists are saved. It is wrong to tell them that they must drive away their wives. The Holy Spirit will guide in each situation to work out what is best, in time. Each case must be treated in love on the basis of its own particular details.
Divorce and remarriage is rampant in some regions. Paul said in 1st Corinthians 7 that if the unbelieving partner departs let them depart. This means the other partner is free to remarry, but it should be clear to all that the “innocent person” is innocent. Paul then referred to Jesus (our Lord), who said that if we marry we should not leave our partner, but if we do leave, we should not remarry (1 Cor 7:10-11).
For this reason Paul said that if a man puts away his wife and marries another then he is not fit for leadership in ministry. This is what Paul meant in 1 Tim 3:2 by “husband of one wife”. The Greek and Jewish cultures of that time did not practice polygamy. The exeget Gordon Fee admits that the Greek term used in 1 Tim 3:2 refers to divorce and remarriage, not to polygamy.
If a man cannot take care of his own household, how can he take care of the household of God (1 Tim 3:5)? A leader is to be an example in family, for others to follow. When leadership compromises an issue once, the members of the church will compromise the same issue many times. Divorce and remarriage in the church multiplies when leadership does it.
In 1st Timothy 3 Paul is not applying law to leadership in the church. He is applying godly values and common sense. There is right behaviour and wrong behaviour. Grace does not change that. Some have said that Paul was making suggestions to Timothy, that we should not be legalistic about. We are not speaking of legalism, but the effect our example has on others.
If a woman is being beaten by her husband and if the husband is a drunkard and is not caring for the family and if the lives of the wife and children are in danger, or if the husband is sexually unfaithful, then that man is a covenant breaker and has departed from the marriage, even though he may be boarding in the house.
In such cases the wife may in time remarry in the Lord. If the first husband later be saved, then he must move on in the grace of God and not go back to the first marriage. This principle is even in the law (Deut 24:1-4). He cannot go back to the first marriage if the woman has remarried.
Marriage is a very crucial matter. Do not marry someone who confesses Christ, but someone who has the real Spirit of Christ shown by fruit. Know the person well before you agree to marry them. Once you make your bed you must lie in it. With patience build your house!
Divorce and remarriage is rampant in some regions. Paul said in 1st Corinthians 7 that if the unbelieving partner departs let them depart. This means the other partner is free to remarry, but it should be clear to all that the “innocent person” is innocent. Paul then referred to Jesus (our Lord), who said that if we marry we should not leave our partner, but if we do leave, we should not remarry (1 Cor 7:10-11).
For this reason Paul said that if a man puts away his wife and marries another then he is not fit for leadership in ministry. This is what Paul meant in 1 Tim 3:2 by “husband of one wife”. The Greek and Jewish cultures of that time did not practice polygamy. The exeget Gordon Fee admits that the Greek term used in 1 Tim 3:2 refers to divorce and remarriage, not to polygamy.
If a man cannot take care of his own household, how can he take care of the household of God (1 Tim 3:5)? A leader is to be an example in family, for others to follow. When leadership compromises an issue once, the members of the church will compromise the same issue many times. Divorce and remarriage in the church multiplies when leadership does it.
In 1st Timothy 3 Paul is not applying law to leadership in the church. He is applying godly values and common sense. There is right behaviour and wrong behaviour. Grace does not change that. Some have said that Paul was making suggestions to Timothy, that we should not be legalistic about. We are not speaking of legalism, but the effect our example has on others.
If a woman is being beaten by her husband and if the husband is a drunkard and is not caring for the family and if the lives of the wife and children are in danger, or if the husband is sexually unfaithful, then that man is a covenant breaker and has departed from the marriage, even though he may be boarding in the house.
In such cases the wife may in time remarry in the Lord. If the first husband later be saved, then he must move on in the grace of God and not go back to the first marriage. This principle is even in the law (Deut 24:1-4). He cannot go back to the first marriage if the woman has remarried.
Marriage is a very crucial matter. Do not marry someone who confesses Christ, but someone who has the real Spirit of Christ shown by fruit. Know the person well before you agree to marry them. Once you make your bed you must lie in it. With patience build your house!
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