Interpretations and Priorities

http://directors.tfionline.com/post/interpretations-and-priorities/
By P Amsterdam

Maria and I recently received several emails asking for our opinion on a set of two letters written and circulated by a TFI member regarding the 70th week of Daniel. This brother puts forth the possibility that there is no gap between the 69th and 70th weeks in the prophecy of Daniel chapter 9, and that Jesus already fulfilled those things foretold to happen before the end. This interpretation differs from the teachings of David and many other Bible interpreters about the 70th week representing the last seven years before Jesus returns. Before going further, I want to say that while I don’t necessarily agree with the interpretation put forth in these letters, I thought the presentation was well thought out and demonstrated humility. Also, those members who wrote us and asked what we thought did so with an open mind.

As we have said before, neither Maria nor I are experts on endtime scripture and interpretation. Of course, I sat in on many of David’s endtime classes and talks over the years, and have read all of his writings on the subject; but the endtime is not my main focus or expertise, as it is for some TFI members.

Having said that, after reading the two-part explanation in question regarding the 70 weeks, I was intrigued. It sounded interesting, so I did some of my own research. I read some of what David said about the 70th week, looked up material in the books I have available, as well as searched for scholarly material online in order to see what different interpretations are put forth by religious scholars.

Without going into a lot of detail, there seem to be five main views put forward by Bible interpreters regarding the interpretation of Daniel 9:27:
The view which sees the 70weeks of Daniel as fulfilled in 164 BC when Judas Maccabeus cleansed the Jewish temple.
The view of Jewish scholars that the 70th week was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
That the 70th week of Daniel is an indefinite period, beginning with Christ but extending the final fulfillment of the eternal state.
That the 70th seven represents seven literal years, beginning with the public ministry of Christ and ending about three and a half years after His death.
That there is a time gap between the 69th and the 70th week, and that the 70th week begins when a covenant is made between the “prince that shall come” (the Antichrist) and “the many” (the people of Israel). Three and half years later the covenant is broken, resulting in the desecration of the future Jewish temple and the stopping of sacrifices, which brings on the Great Tribulation.

The first four views, for the most part, present the concept that the fulfillment of the 70 weeks has already happened. The fifth view, which David taught, has the 70th week happening in the future. As far as I can tell, the view put forth by the Family brother is number four.

This brother’s explanation is presented well and seems to be in alignment with the Bible scholars who hold to the same interpretation. David’s interpretation is in alignment with number five and, from what I can tell, the majority of Bible scholars agree with this position. After researching and reading up on the various positions, I am in agreement with number five.

If you are unsure which interpretation to hold to, I would suggest you do some personal study and research yourself, in order to better understand the different interpretations. And, while you may disagree with someone else’s interpretation, it’s best to accept that they have a different point of view and to refrain from becoming judgmental and argumentative about it.

Something I have been made keenly aware of while writing series like The Heart of It All, The Stories Jesus Told, and now Jesus—His Life and Message is the extent to which Christians have varying interpretations of Scripture. There are brilliant Christian authors, theologians, teachers, preachers, evangelists, and Bible commentators who are tops in their fields, who disagree with one another’s interpretations. Even when they agree on the core beliefs of our Christian faith, they may have different outlooks on what this or that passage means. I come across this on a regular basis. I consult about 50 books when researching my posts on the Gospels, and while these authors agree on much, they often have differing explanations. And each side usually has good, clear, well-documented reasons for believing as they do.

Thankfully, many Christians understand that everything in Scripture isn’t “mission critical” to the fundamental message of the Bible. There are some things which are of lesser importance, and how you interpret these parts of Scripture has no effect on the fact that Jesus died for the sins of humanity and that through His death salvation is available to those who receive Him as their Savior.

Centuries ago, disputes over differences in doctrine led to Christians killing other Christians. Thankfully, those days are long gone. While in some countries preachers spend a lot of their time castigating other Christians with whom they disagree, and teaching others to do the same, for the most part, Christians today generally recognize that beyond the basic creeds that all Christians believe, there will be differing interpretations of some parts of Scripture, and that’s okay.

I have a Christian friend who believes in predestination. I disagree with him on this issue. I believe that individuals can make the choice of whether to accept or reject Jesus as their Savior; he believes that God has chosen those who will be saved, and those chosen can’t refuse while those not chosen can’t be saved. This is basic Reformed theology, and he has shown me from Scripture why he believes as he does, and likewise I have shown him from Scripture why I disagree.

However, despite our differing theological views, I consider him to be a dedicated Christian who loves the Lord, witnesses, and does his best to live according to God’s Word. I think he feels the same way about me, so we simply agree to disagree on this one matter. Regardless of the right interpretation of Scripture, the fact remains that salvation comes through Jesus. We both agree on that point. Our differing opinions of how to interpret certain scriptures don’t make a difference regarding the core of what we both understand, that those who believe in Jesus and receive Him as their Savior will be saved.

There are numerous other examples of points which Christians disagree on, such as whether or not you have to be baptized; and if you need to be baptized, do you have to be fully immersed or just have water sprinkled over your head? Does one become filled with the Holy Spirit upon getting saved, or only when one specifically prays to receive the Holy Spirit? There is the difference between cessationist and continuationist belief—with continuationists believing that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are in operation, and the cessationists believing that the miraculous gifts—such as tongues, healing, prophecy, and miracles—have come to an end.

Even among continuationists there are disagreements, such as regarding the gift of healing. While continuationists believe that the gift of healing functions within Christianity today and that God miraculously heals, there is some difference in belief regarding whether God will miraculously heal in every instance. There are also disagreements between new and old earth creationist views, as well as the question of whether salvation is eternal or can be lost. Clearly, between Bible-believing, Jesus-loving, witnessing individuals who are dedicated to the teachings of Scripture, there are differences of opinion on some points of doctrine.

When I look at the presentations about whether Jesus already fulfilled the 70th week, or whether the Antichrist is going to sign a covenant which will usher in the 70th week that will begin the last seven years before the rapture, clearly both of these interpretations can’t be right. But frankly, in the overall picture of living according to Jesus’ teachings and trying to follow Him, I don’t think that this detail matters so very much.

What we know is that the Bible tells us that Jesus will return, that the dead in Christ will rise first, and then those who are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.1 The exact timing and the interpretation of how the events will unfold are secondary to the biblical truth that Jesus will return. As David often pointed out in his teachings on the endtime, we cannot know for certain or be dogmatic about details regarding the timing of Jesus’ Second Coming, the events surrounding it, and other details of the prophecies and how they will play out.

While we may or may not be alive to see the events of the endtime, we know that when our own life comes to an end, we will stand before the Lord and give account for how we lived. This should help us stay focused on the majors. So while trying to understand biblical prophecies regarding the future, Christ’s return, the Millennium, and the new heaven and earth is exciting, interesting, and worthwhile, I feel it should be secondary to doing our best to live our faith in our daily lives.

We may feel strongly about a certain doctrine, as my Reformed friend does about predestination, or as I do against that doctrine. But since we are both able to use Scripture to defend our position, we must both humbly admit that this is something we won’t know definitively until we are with the Lord.

I believe that if he and I were to become angry with each other, or if we were to speak negatively of each other because we don’t agree on secondary doctrine, we would be acting in a very un-Christlike manner. I feel that when such things happen, it hurts the cause of Christ. If I were to gather with other believers and speak against my friend and his belief; or if I were speaking with others who believe as he does and I were to go out of my way to show them how I feel they are in error and try to convince them that they are wrong; if I were to become so adamant about my beliefs that I criticized him verbally to others or in my heart; then I should seriously question whether I was truly living in accordance with Christ’s teachings. (To clarify, I’m not speaking about standing up to someone who is preaching outright false doctrine; that, if necessary, should be done—still with love and humility. I’m referring here to positions regarding minor doctrine on which many Christians disagree, as mentioned above.)

It is spiritually unhealthy to have an attitude of absolute certainty when it comes to secondary doctrines. Whenever we exhibit deep dogmatism, it breeds intolerance and judgment, which are the opposite of Christlikeness. Dogmatism is generally harsh and condemning. It is usually arrogant and repellent. It pushes people away rather than drawing them close. When we are dogmatic we become rigid, which leads to being critical of those who don’t agree with us, and creates an “us against them” scenario that hurts the cause of Christ. When we find ourselves spending time in heated face-to-face or email discussions on secondary points of doctrine, it distracts us and can easily drive us away from the more important aspects of our faith, such as applying Jesus’ teachings in our day-to-day lives or reaching others with the Gospel. It damages our testimony as Christians when we exhibit such a lack of love and tolerance.

As I said earlier, those who presented the question regarding the 70 weeks did so in a non-dogmatic way and with a humble attitude. Likewise, those who have written us asking for our view on the matter did so in a loving and open manner. I was inspired to see their Christian maturity, their understanding that others may disagree with them, and their lack of dogmatism. As Christians, it’s healthy for us to walk humbly, to realize that some of our personal beliefs will differ from those of other believers, and that some of our interpretations of secondary doctrine may be wrong. We’re all Christians, we believe the same things regarding the core of our faith, and we should show love and respect for those who may not interpret some scriptures the same way we do.

As the beautiful “love chapter” says:

If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing … As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away … For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.2


1 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17.




2 1 Corinthians 13:2, 8–10, 12–13 ESV.

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O Quanto Deus Se Importa?

http://anchor.tfionline.com/pt/post/o-quanto-deus-se-importa/
P Amsterdam

Em questão de uma semana, ouvi três pessoas dizerem três coisas diferentes, mas interligadas, que me fizeram pensar na minha interação com Deus e Sua participação na minha vida.

A primeira pessoa disse que não sabia se Deus realmente Se importava com o que fazemos, que talvez não esteja interessado nas decisões que tomamos, além da Salvação. Disse que talvez a maioria das nossas escolhas não fazia diferença para Ele, principalmente as corriqueiras.

A segunda pessoa disse que tinha ouvido um palestrante em um podcast dizer que Deus só intervém depois que chegamos ao limite e não temos mais nenhum outro meio de descobrir a Sua vontade. Segundo ele, Deus espera que usemos todos os recursos disponíveis e façamos tudo o que podemos, antes de Se envolver.

A terceira pessoa mencionou que depois de criar o mundo, Deus fez como um relojoeiro, montou o relógio, deu corda e o largou para funcionar por conta própria. Deus criou o mundo e as leis da natureza, e depois deixou tudo funcionar sem intervenção ou envolvimento da Sua parte.

Fiquei pensando nesses comentários por alguns dias, porque essa maneira de ver as coisas me incomodou. Algo dentro de mim se recusava a aceitar que Deus não Se importava nem queria participar da minha vida, ou que receber Sua atenção exigia tanto empenho que nem parecia valer a pena.

Se algum desses três conceitos é verdadeiro, eu não precisaria de Deus para mais nada a não ser a Salvação. De que adiantaria Deus para mim? Nos momentos de conflitos, na hora da necessidade de orientação, preciso ter certeza que Ele pode me ajudar, e não ficar me indagando se Ele Se importa ou vai Se envolver. — Ou quão ruins as coisas precisam ficar para Ele agir.

Remoendo esses três pontos de vista, lembrei-me que Deus interveio na minha vida em diferentes ocasiões, deixando claro que estava interessado nas minhas decisões. Há muitos anos, tive um sonho no qual recebi a resposta antes sequer de saber qual era a pergunta. O sonho foi alguns dias antes de me serem oferecidos dois serviços. Ficou bem claro que oferta eu devia aceitar, o que me colocou no caminho do meu trabalho principal para o Senhor.

Em inúmeras ocasiões busquei e recebi a orientação do Senhor. Orei e encontrei soluções. Pedi a Deus para me responder e Ele me atendeu: falando comigo em profecia, falando ao meu coração, durante a leitura da Palavra, e por meios de circunstâncias. Ele me deu conselhos e orientações claros que funcionaram. Eu sei, por experiência pessoal, que Deus Se importa, está interessado em mim e intervém na minha vida.

O Antigo e o Novo Testamento contêm diversos exemplos da interação de Deus com o homem, Sua intervenção, orientação e conselhos, bem como instruções e avisos.

A Bíblia diz explicitamente que devemos buscar a orientação divina antes de uma decisão, e se o fizermos, Ele nos mostrará:

Reconhece-o em todos os teus caminhos, e ele endireitará as tuas veredas.[1]

Instruir-te-ei e ensinar-te-ei o caminho que deves seguir; guiar-te-ei com os meus olhos.[2]

A fé de Davi na orientação divina fica clara na sua oração nos Salmos, “Faze-me saber o caminho que devo seguir, porque a ti levanto a minha alma.”[3]

Jesus disse que se precisamos de algo, devemos pedir:

Peçam, e lhes será dado; busquem, e encontrarão; batam, e a porta lhes será aberta.[4]

Quando Jesus ia escolher os apóstolos entre Seus discípulos, fica evidente que Ele acreditava que Seu Pai O guiaria nas decisões:

E aconteceu que, naqueles dias, subiu ao monte a orar e passou a noite em oração a Deus. E, quando já era dia, chamou a si os seus discípulos, e escolheu doze deles, a quem também deu o nome de apóstolos.[5]

As Escrituras deixam claro que Deus quer e intervirá se nós assim desejarmos.

Jesus também prometeu que, quando Se ausentasse fisicamente, o Pai enviaria o Espírito Santo para habitar entre os que criam. Ele disse que o Espírito Santo viveria em nós.

E eu pedirei ao Pai, e ele lhes dará outro Conselheiro para estar com vocês para sempre, o Espírito da verdade. O mundo não pode recebê-lo, porque não o vê nem o conhece. Mas vocês o conhecem, pois ele vive com vocês e estará em vocês. Naquele dia compreenderão que estou em meu Pai, vocês em mim, e eu em vocês.[6]

Se Deus ia enviar o Seu Espírito para habitar comigo para sempre, então faz sentido Ele estar interessado em mim pessoalmente, no que faço e nas decisões que tomo. Eu diria que Ele na verdade está bem interessado. E não apenas interessado, mas envolvido.

Vejo evidência suficiente do desejo de Deus de participar da minha vida ativamente, até de forma interativa. Nós dois estamos trabalhando juntos. O Seu Espírito habitando em mim, guiando minhas decisões, me ajuda na jornada na vida.

Em diversas versões traduzidas da Bíblia, a palavra “conselheiro” que é usada para se referir ao Espírito Santo é reconhecida como Ajudante. Gosto dessa perspectiva de ter o Espírito de Deus para me ajudar. Adoro o fato de que Deus participa ativamente da minha vida, está interessado em mim, em quem sou e no que faço.

Estou muito agradecido por Ele não ter simplesmente dado corda em mim e Se afastado. Pelo contrário, deu-me meios de interagir com Ele por meio da Palavra e do Seu Espírito. Adoro o fato do Seu Espírito habitar em mim.

Publicado originalmente em setembro de 2010. Adaptado e republicado em abril de 2015.


[1] Provérbios 3:6.
[2] Salmo 32:8.
[3] Salmo 143:8.
[4] Mateus 7:7–8 NVI.
[5] Lucas 6:12–13.
[6] João 14:16–17,20 NVI.

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Jesus—His Life and Message: First Contact

http://directors.tfionline.com/post/jesushis-life-and-message-first-contact/

After His temptation in the wilderness, Jesus returned to Galilee and began His ministry of preaching, teaching, and doing miracles. Matthew and Mark both place the beginning of Jesus’ ministry after John the Baptist had been arrested, possibly indicating that Jesus remained in the area where He had been baptized for some time before returning to Galilee.1 At some point prior to the beginning of His ministry, He moved from His hometown of Nazareth to the town of Capernaum.2

Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea … From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”3

Prior to His departure back to Galilee, we are told in the Gospel of John about Jesus’ contact with some of the men who would become His first disciples. In the synoptic Gospels, we read of Jesus’ call to these same men occurring at a later time. It’s possible that John is telling of Jesus’ first contact with some of these men, and that some time later He called them to follow Him as disciples. It’s also possible that John incorporated the call of these disciples earlier than the synoptic Gospels did, for literary purposes.

Here’s how John tells the story:

The next day again John [the Baptist] was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).4

Upon hearing John the Baptist identify Jesus as “the Lamb of God” as He was walking by, Andrew and an unnamed disciple of the Baptist decided to follow after Jesus. As disciples of John who had heard John preach about the one who would come after him and who would be greater than he was, it seems natural that they would have wanted to find out more about this man that John called the Lamb of God. To John’s credit, he informed his disciples of who Jesus was, and made no objection to their now following Him.

Jesus asked them why they were following Him, and in line with the status-conscious culture of the day, they respectfully called Him “Rabbi.” Asking where He was staying opened the door for Jesus to extend hospitality by inviting them to His lodgings or home. Because it was later in the day—the tenth hour, or about four o’clock in the afternoon—it would have been too late for the two men to travel farther before nightfall, so ancient custom would have called for them to be invited to spend the night.

The walk to Jesus’ lodgings and the time spent with Him that evening was most likely spent in conversation that deeply touched these two disciples of John the Baptist. They came away from those conversations convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, as shown by Andrew finding his brother Simon, telling him that theyhave found the Messiah, and bringing him to Jesus.

Jesus then found Philip, who was from the same original hometown as Andrew and Peter. By this time Peter and his brother no longer lived in Bethsaida, but lived and worked in Capernaum. Philip is a Greek name, which wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary for Jews in Galilee, as the area was quite Hellenized.

Philip in turn found Nathanael, telling him: “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”5 Nazareth, a small insignificant town in Galilee, lay outside the mainstream of Jewish life, which is perhaps what prompted Nathanael’s comment, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” It could be that since Nazareth was close to Cana, which was Nathanael’s hometown,6 there was civic rivalry between the villages, as was common in antiquity.7 Nathanael’s question is similar to that of some who opposed Jesus later on and who asked: “Is the Christ to come from Galilee?” and said, “Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”8 However, as we’ll see, Nathanael quickly realized that Jesus’ hometown didn’t disqualify Him from being the Messiah.

Heeding Philip’s invitation to “come and see,” Nathanael followed Phillip to see Jesus.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” 9

Jesus had insight into Nathanael’s character, seeing him as an honest man. Nathanael’s response was an affirmation that Jesus accurately understood his character without having ever met him.10 There were also other instances where Jesus showed His ability to supernaturally know things about others:

The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.”11

Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.12

Besides speaking of Nathanael’s character, Jesus also said that He saw Nathanael sitting under a fig tree before Philip called him. While there’s no explanation of what he was doing under the tree, considering Nathanael’s response, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel,” it was apparently of great significance to him that Jesus had seen and was aware of whatever Nathanael was doing before Philip called him.

Nathanael’s spontaneous confession of faith, calling Jesus the Son of God and King of Israel, echoes what God called Jesus at His baptism in the synoptic Gospels: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,”13 and what John the Baptist said in the Gospel of John: “I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”14 It also proclaims what the people of Israel expected of the Messiah, that He would be king of Israel. This same expectation will be seen again later, when just days before Jesus’ crucifixion the people cried out: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”15

Jesus said that while Nathanael believed because of what was revealed to him, in the future the disciples “will see greater things than these.”16 He went on to say: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”17

Jesus was quoting Genesis 28:12, the story of Jacob’s dream:

And he [Jacob] dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!

Jesus was making the point that He is Jacob’s ladder, the connection between heaven and “Israel,” for those who come to believe as Nathanael, the “true Israelite,” did. Jesus is the mediator between God in heaven and people on earth; He is the way between God and the world.18

This gospel tells of these four men’s first encounter with Jesus. Within them we see examples of different ways people come to know the Lord. Andrew came because his interest was piqued by someone else (John the Baptist) stating a truth about Jesus. Peter was brought by a relative, Andrew. Philip was found directly by Jesus, and Nathanael through Philip’s telling him that Jesus was the one foretold in Scripture.

In these men we also see different kinds of people respond to the invitation to know Christ. As the brother of Simon Peter, who was volatile and impetuous, Andrew may have lived his life in Peter’s shadow. Many people’s lives are overshadowed by their parents, family members, or friends. Nevertheless, Andrew made a point of bringing his brother to Jesus, and in doing so did a great service to his brother and to the church.

Simon was a person with an explosive, strong character, a potential leader. Upon meeting him, Jesus renamed him Cephas (Aramaic) or Peter (Greek), meaningrock. Jesus looked past his personality and recognized the potential he had and what he could become.

Philip isn’t seen as being as prominent as some of the other disciples, at least prior to Jesus’ death and resurrection. In the three instances we’re told something about him in the Gospel of John, he is seen as being shy or timid and a bit out of his element: when Jesus asked him how to feed the 5000;19 when some Greeks approached him about seeing Jesus, and he went to Andrew as he didn’t seem to know what to do;20 and when he asked Jesus to show him the Father.21 Yet Jesus sees his value and personally enlists him. Some of us might be timid and remain in the background, but we can bring people to the Lord, as Philip did with Nathanael and others.

Nathanael, the one who is “without guile,” can be seen as one who responds to signs or something dramatic in making a step toward belief.

This introduction to some of the disciples shows how different people with differing personalities are called to follow Jesus, and how they respond. Personality and temperament, along with race, color, and creed, do not matter, for God’s call to salvation and service is for all.

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Biven, David. New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus. Holland: En-Gedi Resource Center, 2007.

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Bock, Darrell L. Luke Volume 2: 9:51–24:53. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1996.

Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah. New York: Doubleday, 1993.

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Carson, D. A. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the Word.Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1987.

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Edersheim, Alfred. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Updated Edition. Hendrickson Publishers, 1993.

Elwell, Walter A., and Robert W. Yarbrough. Encountering the New Testament.Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005.

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Guelich, Robert A. World Biblical Commentary: Mark 1–8:26. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1989.

Jeremias, Joachim. The Eucharistic Words of Jesus. Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1990.

Jeremias, Joachim. Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1996.

Jeremias, Joachim. Jesus and the Message of the New Testament. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002.

Jeremias, Joachim. New Testament Theology. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1971.

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Keener, Craig S. The Gospel of John: A Commentary, Volume 2. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003.

Keener, Craig S. The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009.

Lewis, Gordon R., and Bruce A. Demarest. Integrative Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.

Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976.

Manson, T. W. The Sayings of Jesus. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1957.

Manson, T. W. The Teaching of Jesus. Cambridge: University Press, 1967.

Michaels, J. Ramsey. The Gospel of John. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010.

Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1992.

Ott, Ludwig. Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma. Rockford: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1960.

Pentecost, J. Dwight. The Words & Works of Jesus Christ. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981.

Sanders, E. P. Jesus and Judaism. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985.

Sheen, Fulton J. Life of Christ. New York: Doubleday, 1958.

Spangler, Ann, and Lois Tverberg. Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009.

Stein, Robert H. Jesus the Messiah, Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996.

Stein, Robert H. Mark. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008.

Stein, Robert H. The Method and Message of Jesus’ Teachings, Revised Edition.Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1994.

Stott, John R. W. The Message of the Sermon on the Mount. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1978.

Witherington III, Ben. The Christology of Jesus. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990.

Witherington III, Ben. The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2001.

Wood, D. R. W., I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman, eds.New Bible Dictionary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996.

Wright, N. T. Jesus and the Victory of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996.

Wright, N. T. Matthew for Everyone, Part 1. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.

Wright, N. T. The Resurrection of the Son of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003.

Yancey, Philip. The Jesus I Never Knew. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

Young, Brad H. Jesus the Jewish Theologian. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 199

Footnotes:
1 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God (Mark 1:14).
See also Matthew 4:12.
2 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali (Matthew 4:13).
And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home (Mark 2:1).
3 Matthew 4:12–13, 17. See also Mark 1:14–15.
4 John 1:35–42.
5 John 1:45.
6 John 21:2. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.
7 Keener, The Gospel of John, 484.
8 John 7:41, 52.
9 John 1:47–51.
10 Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, 145. Michaels, The Gospel of John,130.
11 John 4:17–19.
12 John 6:70–71.
13 Matthew 3:17. See also Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22.
14 John 1:34.
15 John 12:13.
16 The “you” in “you will see greater things than these" is plural, meaning that at this point Jesus is speaking to more than just Nathanael.
17 John 1:51.
18 Keener, The Gospel of John, 490.
19 John 6:5–7.
20 John 12:20–22.
21 John 14:8–9.

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Jesus—His Life and Message: Jesus’ Birth (Part 2)

By P Amsterdam

http://directors.tfionline.com/post/jesushis-life-and-message-jesus-birth-part-2/

(You can read about the intent for and overview of this series in this introductory article.)

In recounting the story of Jesus’ birth, the book of Luke begins by first telling the story of the birth of John the Baptist, who is both a relative of Jesus and the forerunner of the Messiah. Luke brings in numerous ties to the Old Testament, making the connection between God’s promises to Israel and the fulfillment of those promises in the birth of Jesus.

We learn about a priest named Zechariah whose wife, Elizabeth, was a descendant of Aaron—the brother of Moses and the first priest of Israel.1 Zechariah and Elizabeth were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.2

In biblical times, childlessness was often perceived as a sign of divine punishment and a source of shame.3 However, Zechariah and Elizabeth’s situation is an echo of the righteous couples throughout Israel’s history who were also barren but through the intervention of God bore a child: Abraham and Sarah,4Elkanah and Hannah,5 Isaac and Rebekah,6 Jacob and Rachel,7 and the parents of Samson.8

As a priest, Zechariah ministered in the temple twice a year. The priesthood was divided into twenty-four orders or courses. Each course would serve in the temple on a rotating basis for one week every six months. As a result, at any given time one would find only a subdivision of priests on duty in the temple.9

This year, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.10 Part of the daily routine at the temple was incense offerings before the morning sacrifice and following the evening sacrifice. The incense offerings were offered in the sanctuary known as the Holy Place, which in terms of holiness was second only to the Holy of Holies. It was a great honor for a priest to offer this sacrifice, and each was only eligible to do it once in his lifetime. The manner of choosing the priest for this honor was the casting of lots, and thus the priest chosen was considered chosen by God. While five priests were involved in the service, only one was chosen to offer incense.

The altar of incense was located in the sanctuary itself and was separated from the Holy of Holies—the place where God was understood to dwell—by a very thick curtain. Only the High Priest was allowed to go into the Holy of Holies, and only once each year, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Zechariah’s opportunity to offer the incense, separated only by the curtain from the Holy of Holies, put him as close to the presence of God as any person other than the High Priest might ever come. It was a great honor.11

While Zechariah was in the Holy Place, there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.12 The “right side” was considered a place of honor, which could denote the importance of the angel, who later is revealed to be Gabriel—the same angel who visited Mary and who brought a message to Daniel centuries before. Zechariah’s reaction was similar to Daniel’s, who said: I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called,“Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face.13

The angel said to Zechariah, Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord.14 In the Old Testament, when God named a child it was often someone who had some significance in salvation history. Saying that many would rejoice at his birth and that he would be great before the Lord reinforced the idea that he would have an important role in God’s plan of salvation.

Zechariah is instructed that his son must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.15 When the priests were serving in the temple, they abstained from alcoholic beverages, as did those who took a Nazarite vow.16 Refusing to drink alcohol was associated with separation from normal life for a divine task, whether for a temporary specified period or for life. In this we see that John is chosen by God even before his conception.17

The angel tells Zechariah something about the child’s future.

He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.18

John’s role will be that of a prophet whose task is to bring spiritual reconciliation to the nation by turning many to the Lord. His coming in the spirit of Elijah echoes God’s promise made about 400 years earlier in the book of Malachi:

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.19

John’s purpose is to ready a people for the Lord’s coming by bringing them to repentance. The period of waiting for the Messiah, for deliverance, is drawing to a close. God is on the move.20

At this point, Zechariah questions the angel:

How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.21

This denotes some doubt on Zechariah’s part, and the angel responds:

I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.22

As a confirmatory sign, Gabriel declares that Zechariah will be silent, meaning mute and probably also deaf,23 until all of what he’s been told comes to pass.24

Throughout the Old Testament we see God giving signs to His people, as in the case of Abraham,25 Moses,26 Gideon,27 Hezekiah,28 and Ahaz.29 Just as with the Old Testament signs, the sign given to Zechariah is a guarantee of God’s promise, but in this case it was also a chastisement for his unbelief. In Luke’s gospel, God gives signs through His own initiative,30 but requests for signs are seen negatively.31 32

At the end of his days of service, Zechariah returns home, and we learn that after some time his wife Elizabeth conceives—just as Gabriel had said she would. Upon realizing she is pregnant, Elizabeth responds with praise and gratitude, saying,Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.33 One can imagine the joy she experienced.

We’re told that Elizabeth remained secluded in her home for five months. The reason for doing so isn’t explained, but it could be that she remained at home until it was obvious to everyone that she was pregnant, in order to avoid five more months of the public disgrace that she had been accustomed to all of her married life. After five months, it would have been very clear to everyone who saw her that God had looked favorably upon her.34

The story then moves forward six months from the time of the angel Gabriel’s visitation to Zechariah. Gabriel is now sent to the region of Galilee, north of Judea, to the village of Nazareth, to bring Mary the message that she would become mother to the Messiah.

Mary is told that her son will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.35 This information and the title Son of the Most High were probably understood by Mary to mean that her son would become the king of Israel.36 As His life unfolds, it becomes clear that His role is to be very different from the standard expectation of the awaited Jewish Messiah. We find that He is instead the Son of God.

Since Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel and comments on that text were covered in the previous article, we’ll move forward to Mary’s visit to her relative, Elizabeth. Soon after Gabriel’s visit, having made the decision to accept to miraculously become the mother of the Savior, we’re told that Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.37

Nazareth, in the region of Galilee, is about 70 miles north of Jerusalem, which lies in the region of Judah. It’s interesting to note that the angel appeared to Zechariah in the temple in Jerusalem, in the Holy Place, right next to the Holy of Holies. However, the appearance to Mary was in Nazareth, in Galilee, far from the center of the Jewish faith. God was doing a new thing, and as the gospel story progresses, we'll see the focus move away from the temple and onto God’s Son. As Brown says:

If the appearance to Zechariah, a priest, took place in the Jerusalem Temple as a sign of continuity with Old Testament institutions, the coming of Gabriel to Mary takes place in Nazareth, a town to which no Old Testament expectation was attached, as a sign of the total newness of what God is doing.38

Upon Mary’s arrival she greeted Elizabeth; and when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”39

Mary greets Elizabeth as would be proper, since Elizabeth is her elder, a daughter of Aaron, the wife of a priest, and blessed of God through a divinely assisted pregnancy. Upon hearing the greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped in the womb, causing her, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to cry out with a blessing both for Mary and the child in her womb. What the angel had told Mary when he appeared to her is now confirmed to the reader of the gospel—Mary is pregnant. While Elizabeth is considered Mary’s superior, she now places herself in a servant’s role by honoring her guest and recognizing her as the mother of my Lord and calling her blessed among women, affirming Gabriel’s message of Mary’s favored status.40

Mary responds with a beautiful hymn of praise, known today as the Magnificat.

Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”41

Like other hymns of praise in the Psalms, this one has three parts: 1) an introduction of praise to God; 2) the body of the hymn giving the reasons for praise, which often begins with “because;” and 3) the conclusion.

Mary’s introduction of praise begins with, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.42 It continues with the body of the hymn (verses 48–53), starting with for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.43 The Greek word translated here as “for” is translated as “because” 173 times in the New Testament. The motive (or the “because”) for the praise involves God’s attributes (mighty, holy, merciful), and deeds (shown strength, scattered the proud, brought down the mighty, exalted the humble, filled the hungry). The conclusion summarizes God's deeds (He has helped His servant Israel) and attributes (in remembrance of His mercy) in light of helping His servant Israel.44

Mary remained with Elizabeth for about three months, most likely helping her in her last months of pregnancy. It’s not clear if she left before or after Elizabeth gave birth; it could have been either. These two women who played such an important role in the history of salvation were able to be a comfort and help to one another preceding the birth of their children. The time with Elizabeth most likely strengthened Mary for what she was going to face when she returned to her home and explained to Joseph that she was pregnant.
Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
General Bibliography

Bailey, Kenneth E. Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008.

Biven, David. New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus. Holland: En-Gedi Resource Center, 2007.

Bock, Darrell L. Jesus According to Scripture. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002.

Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah. New York: Doubleday, 1993.

Brown, Raymond E. The Death of the Messiah Vols 1,2. New York: Doubleday, 1994.

Charlesworth, James H., editor. Jesus’ Jewishness: Exploring the Place of Jesus Within Early Judaism. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1997.

Edersheim, Alfred. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Updated edition. Hendrickson Publishers, 1993.

Elwell, Walter A., and Robert W. Yarbrough. Encountering the New Testament.Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005.

Evans, Craig A. World Biblical Commentary: Mark 8:27–16:20. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000.

Flusser, David. Jesus. Jerusalem: The Magnes Press, 1998.

Flusser, David, and R. Steven Notely. The Sage from Galilee: Rediscovering Jesus’Genius. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans’ Publishing Company, 2007.

Green, Joel B. The Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans’ Publishing Company, 1997.

Green, Joel B., and Scot McKnight, eds. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels.Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1992.

Guelich, Robert A. World Biblical Commentary: Mark 1–8:26. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1989.

Jeremias, Joachim. Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1996.

Jeremias, Joachim. Jesus and the Message of the New Testament. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002.

Jeremias, Joachim. New Testament Theology. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1971.

Jeremias, Joachim. The Eucharistic Words of Jesus. Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1990.

Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans’ Publishing Company, 1976.

Manson, T. W. The Sayings of Jesus. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans’ Publishing Company, 1957.

Manson, T. W. The Teaching of Jesus. Cambridge: University Press, 1967.

Michaels, J. Ramsey. The Gospel of John. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans’ Publishing Company, 2010.

Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans’ Publishing Company, 1992.

Pentecost, J. Dwight. The Words & Works of Jesus Christ. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981.

Sanders, E. P. Jesus and Judaism. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985.

Sheen, Fulton J. Life of Christ. New York: Doubleday, 1958.

Spangler, Ann, and Lois Tverberg. Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009.

Stein, Robert H. Jesus the Messiah, Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996.

Stein, Robert H. The Method and Message of Jesus’ Teachings, Revised Edition.Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1994.

Stott, John R. W. The Message of the Sermon on the Mount. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1978.

Wood, D. R. W., I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman, eds.New Bible Dictionary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996.

Wright, N. T. Jesus and the Victory of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996.

Wright, N. T. Matthew for Everyone, Part 1. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.

Wright, N. T. The Resurrection of the Son of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003.

Yancey, Philip. The Jesus I Never Knew. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

Young, Brad H. Jesus the Jewish Theologian. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1995.

Footnotes:
1 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40:12–13).
2 Luke 1:6–7.
3 Genesis 16:4; 29:31; 30:1, 22–23; 1 Samuel 1:5–6.
4 Genesis 18:11–14.
5 1 Samuel 1:1–2.
6 Genesis 25:21.
7 Genesis 30:22–23.
8 Judges 13:2–3.
9 Green, The Gospel of Luke, 68.
10 Luke 1:9.
11 Green, The Gospel of Luke, 70.
12 Luke 1:11–12.
13 Daniel 8:16–17.
14 Luke 1:13–15.
15 Luke 1:15.
16 Numbers 6:1–4.
17 Green, The Gospel of Luke, 75.
18 Luke 1:16–17.
19 Malachi 4:5–6.
20 Green, The Gospel of Luke, 76, 78.
21 Luke 1:18.
22 Luke 1:19–20.
23 Luke 1:62–63.
24 Bock, Jesus According to Scripture, 59.
25 Genesis 15:7–17.
26 Exodus 4:1–17.
27 Judges 6:36–40.
28 2 Kings 20:1–11.
29 Isaiah 7:10–17.
30 Luke 1:36; 2:12.
31 Luke 11:16, 29–30; 23:8.
32 Green, The Gospel of Luke, 79.
33 Luke 1:25.
34 Green, The Gospel of Luke, 81.
35 Luke 1:32–33.
36 Green, The Gospel of Luke, 81, 60.
37 Luke 1:39–40.
38 Brown, The Birth of the Messiah.
39 Luke 1:41–45.
40 Green, The Gospel of Luke, 81, 94.
41 Luke 1:46–55.
42 Luke 1:46–47.
43 Luke 1:48.
44 Brown, The Birth of the Messiah, 355–56.

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The Spiritual Disciplines: Confession

http://directors.tfionline.com/post/spiritual-disciplines-confession/
By P Amsterdam

A familiar Scottish proverb tells us that “Confession is good for the soul,” and so it is. When we are looking to deepen our connection with the Lord, to live a God-centered life, confessing our sins plays an important role.

The Spiritual Discipline of confession involves sin that is committed after salvation. When we accept Jesus as our Savior we are forgiven for our sins, and therefore are seen as judicially righteous before God, with assurance of salvation.[1] In His great love for humanity, God made a way for us to be reconciled with Him, and that way was through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, who gave His life so that we could be born again as members of God’s family. Salvation changed our relationship with Him—He is now our Father.[2] We are eternally part of His family.

Being born again, however, doesn’t mean that we no longer sin, or that when we do, our sins have no consequences. Sin has negative effects in our lives and the lives of others, and most prominently in the damage it does to our personal relationship with God. Sin causes a breach in our relationship with our Father, and confession repairs the breach. It takes effort on our part to make things right, similar to how it takes effort to restore a relationship with another person whom we have hurt or offended.

The discipline of confession is the means of counteracting the effect our sins have on our relationship with God. If we don’t regularly repair the damage through confessing our sins, we run the risk of becoming hardened in heart and spirit and relationally growing more distant from Him. As John MacArthur wrote:

I’ve seen Christians—judicially forgiven and eternally secure—who are hardened, impenitent, and insensitive to sin. Consequently, they are also without joy because they don’t have a loving, intimate fellowship with God. They have blocked out joy and fellowship with the barricade of their unconfessed sin.[3]

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus directed us to ask the Father to forgive us our sins.[4] He wasn’t instructing us to pray repeatedly for justification, as we received that upon salvation.[5] Instead, He was showing us the means of restoring our personal fellowship with God when that fellowship has been broken or damaged due to our sins. When King David had grievously sinned, his fellowship with God was broken and his sin had distanced him. His prayer was:

Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.[6] He asked God for restoration: Restore to me the joy of Yoursalvation.[7]

Confessing our sins and asking God to forgive us is the path to that restoration. When we come before Him and admit that we have sinned, when we ask forgiveness and have heartfelt repentance, the breach is repaired and the damaged relationship is restored. We are cleansed from our unrighteousness and can once again be in fellowship with righteousness, God Himself.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.[8]

Confession shouldn’t be looked upon as something negative or distasteful, because the positive result of confessing our transgressions is forgiveness. God desires to forgive us, and confession is the avenue through which we receive His mercy and compassion. His forgiveness brings freshness to our spirit as our relationship, love, and friendship with Him is renewed.
What Confession Means

The Greek word for sin is hamartia (pronounced ha mar TEE ah), which means to miss the mark, to wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong. As Christians, we don’t want to wander from the path of uprightness or miss the mark. Our goal is to journey through life walking close to Jesus, to avoid straying from His side. When we sin, we wander from Him, but confessing draws us back. Confession is an expression of our love and desire to have a close relationship with Jesus and stay connected to Him.

The word used in the New Testament in reference to confessing our sins is homologeo (pronounced ha ma la GAY oh),which comes from the combination of the words homos, meaning “the same,” and lego, meaning “to speak.” It means to speak the same thing, to agree. When we confess our sins, we are saying the same thing about sin as God does. We are agreeing with His condemnation of sin and acknowledging that in sinning we have acted against God personally, against His Word and His nature. We are admitting that sin is wrong and that we have acted in a way that is offensive to Him. It’s acknowledging that we call these actions the same thing God calls them: envy, jealousy, lust, hatred, deceit, greed, anger, gluttony, adultery, etc.[9]

It is recognizing that these actions are repugnant to God and that by doing them, we are hurting our relationship with Him. It is agreeing that because of the sins of humanity, including our specific sins, Jesus suffered torture and death on the cross. Confession is the acknowledgment that these things are wrong, that we have personally done them, we have offended God, we are sorry, and we need His forgiveness. It is also an expression of our understanding that when we confess our sins, God, in His love and mercy, forgives us.

Charles Spurgeon pointed out that as God’s children, we don’t come before Him to confess as a culprit or criminal comes before a judge. Instead, as His children, we come to our loving Father who desires to forgive.

There is a wide distinction between confessing sin as a culprit, and confessing sin as a child. The Father’s bosom is the place for penitent confessions. We have been cleansed once for all, but our feet still need to be washed from the defilement of our daily walk as children of God.[10]

When we confess our sins, we are recognizing and admitting our guilt. We are stating that no matter who we have wronged, we have sinned against God, whom we are accountable to, we deeply regret doing so, and we seek His forgiveness.

Confession consists of acknowledging our specific sins and claiming them as our own. The following story expresses this point well:

A counselor was trying to help a man who had come forward during an evangelistic meeting. “I’m a Christian,” the man said, “but there’s sin in my life, and I need help.” The counselor showed him 1 John 1:9 and suggested that the man confess his sins to God. “O Father,” the man began, “if we have done anything wrong—” “Just a minute!” the counselor interrupted. “Don’t drag me into your sin! My brother, it’s not ‘if’ or ‘we’—you’d better get down to business with God!”[11]

Because our goal is to regain our close relationship with God, it is helpful to confess specific wrongdoing along with our general sins and weaknesses.

Of course, part of confession is repentance, meaning the changing of the mind, a change of view and of purpose. It’s understanding that sin isn’t just a weakness or an area of your life that you need to work on; it is you acting contrary to God and His nature, resulting in His displeasure and causing a distance in your relationship with Him, as well as negatively affecting you as a person. Repentance means turning from sin and toward God, similar to the prodigal son who returned from a far country to his father’s house. It’s being sorry for sinning and committing to change.

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.[12]

Every one of us sins frequently. We don’t want to, we usually don't mean to, but we do. And while some sins are more serious than others, all sin is spiritually damaging. Confession as a discipline is part of the process of counteracting the damage.
How Often to Confess?

There is no set rule for how often to confess your sins to the Lord, though it seems wise to do so on a regular basis. Before coming before the Lord to confess your sins, it’s good to take some time in self-examination, thinking and praying about the ways you have sinned and any specific sins you can remember. The goal isn’t to root out every detail or every possible sin, rather it’s taking time in prayer to invite the Lord to move in your heart to show you areas in which you need His forgiveness.[13]

If you invite the Holy Spirit to help you search your heart, you will likely become aware of specific sins you would want to confess. Not just sins of commission, but also of omission—times when you should have done something but didn’t. You may become more aware of sins of the heart (such as greed, pride, anger, etc.), which are less obvious than the more outward sins of the flesh. The purpose of confession is greater closeness to God, and taking some time to pray, meditate, and open ourselves to God in self-examination is part of the discipline.
Whom to Confess to

Scripture tells us to confess our sins to God. I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.[14] Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.[15] We confess to the Lord because ultimately He is the one we have sinned against. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t apologize to those you’ve wronged—you should, and also make restitution if it’s called for.

Besides confessing our sins to God, Scripture also speaks of confessing our sins to others.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.[16] If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.[17]

Some Christians—Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and some Anglicans—act upon the instructions to confess sins to another within the sacrament of confession (also called the sacrament of penance or the sacrament of reconciliation), as they confess their sins to a priest. Generally, Protestant belief is that confession is made only to God in the privacy of personal prayer. In some Protestant services, the pastor will call for a period of silence in order to allow time for members to privately confess their sins to the Lord.

While confessing one’s sins is generally a private matter between the individual and God, as we’ve seen by the verses above, there are occasions when we are instructed to confess our sins to one another. Martin Luther said that “secret confession” to another Christian, although not required by Scripture, was “useful and even necessary.” John Calvin also commended private confession for any believer who is “troubled and afflicted with a sense of sins, so that without outside help he is unable to free himself from them.”[18]

There are times when individuals confess their sins to the Lord, but don’t feel it is enough; they don’t have peace that their confession has restored their fellowship with God. In times like these, it can be beneficial to confess the sin to a trusted brother or sister in the Lord. In such instances God has given us our brothers and sisters to stand in Christ’s stead and make God’s presence and forgiveness real to us.[19]Making a verbal confession of sin to a trusted fellow Christian, along with the effective prayers prayed by that Christian, is sometimes needed to bring the realization of forgiveness, resulting in peace of heart, mind, and spirit.

Of course, such a confession wouldn’t be made to just any Christian, as not all of our brothers and sisters have the necessary empathy or understanding to receive a confession, neither can every Christian be counted on to keep the information in absolute confidence. Richard Foster gives some further qualifications for a person who will be receiving a confession:

Others are disqualified because they would be horrified at the revealing of certain sins. Still others, not understanding the nature and value of confession, would shrug it off with a “That’s not so bad.” Fortunately, many people do understand and would be delighted to minister in this way. These people are found by asking God to reveal them to us. They are also found by observing people to see who evidences a lively faith in God’s power to forgive and exhibits the joy of the Lord in his or her heart. The key qualifications are spiritual maturity, wisdom, compassion, good common sense, the ability to keep a confidence, and a wholesome sense of humor. Many pastors—though by no means all—can serve in this way. Often ordinary folk who hold no office or title whatever are among the best at receiving a confession.[20]
Receiving a Confession

Receiving a confession from another Christian is a sacred matter. Your brother or sister is coming to you in obedience to Scripture, trusting that you will listen with love and compassion. In order to properly receive a confession, you need to begin from a place of deep humility. All sin is abhorrent to God, and since we all sin, no one is in a position to be judgmental or to look down upon the one making confession.

The individual making their confession may be in pain and sorrowful about their sins, or they may be confessing in obedience to Scripture, or because they want to please the Lord. They deserve the utmost respect and love from you. If you can’t give them that, if you don’t feel you can keep the information confidential, if you are concerned that you may betray their trust, then you shouldn’t agree to receive it.

Foster gives the following wise counsel for those who are receiving a confession:[21]

When one is opening their griefs to you, discipline yourself to be quiet. Don’t try to relieve the tension by making an offhanded comment, as it’s distracting and even destructive to the sacredness of the moment.

Don’t try to pry out more details than necessary. If you feel they are holding something back due to fear or embarrassment, it’s best to wait silently and prayerfully.

Pray for them inwardly and imperceptibly, send prayers of love and forgiveness toward them. Pray that they will share the “key” that will reveal any area needing the healing touch of Christ.

Once they have confessed, pray for them out loud, and in the prayer, state that the forgiveness that is in Jesus is now real and effective for them. You can say this in a tone of genuine authority because If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.[22]

Ask God to heal their heart and mind from any wounds the sin has caused.

One of our goals as Christians is to have a deep and abiding relationship with God, through Jesus. Because sin separates us from God, we want to avoid sinning; yet as human beings, it is impossible for us to be completely free of sin. Because of this, confessing our sins and seeking the Lord’s forgiveness is key to our having the relationship with Him that we desire. Confession is God’s way for us to eliminate the effects of sin in our relationship with Him. God desires to forgive us, and He wants us to be willing to seek His forgiveness.

When we come to the Lord to confess our sins, we may come in sadness, sorrow, and contrition, but we leave with great joy.—Joy that we are forgiven, that our relationship is restored, and that we can be in His presence unhindered by the burden of our sins. Confession leads to celebration. Our sins are forgiven, our lives are changed. Simply put, “confession is good for the soul.”

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Footnotes:
[1] For more on the concept of Justification, see: The Heart of It All: Salvation, Results—Justification, Adoption, and Regeneration.
[2] When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God (Galatians 4:4–7).
[3] John MacArthur Jr., Alone with God (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1995), 104–106.
[4] Luke 11:4.
[5] Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
[6] Psalm 51:11.
[7] Psalm 51:12.
[8] 1 John 1:9.
[9] David Walls and Max Anders, Holman New Testament Commentary: I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 166.
[10] C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings (Complete and unabridged; New modern edition), (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2006).
[11] W. W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 481–485.
[12] Isaiah 55:7.
[13] Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline (New York: HarperOne, 1998), 151.
[14] Psalm 32:5.
[15] Proverbs 28:13.
[16] James 5:16 NAS.
[17] John 20:23.
[18] W. A. Elwell and B. J. Beitzel in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988).
[19] Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 147.
[20] Ibid., 153.
[21] Ibid., 155–56.
[22] John 20:23.

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