Practicing God's Promises

Just a quick word from God's Word. Today I came across 2 Peter 1:4 as I was spending some time in the the Scriptures:

2 Peter 1:1-4 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

Peter begins his letter with an exhortation for God's people to enjoy and savor the 'precious and magnificent promises' that are ours from God in Jesus Christ by the power of the Spirit. I was struck by how much the writers of Scripture revel in God's promises. They gloried in the promises recieved and presently at work in their lives. They eagerly hoped in the promises to come, "For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised" (Hebrews 10:36). Consider as well that Peter sees our view and enjoyment, perhaps we may even say our practice of God's promises as a source of sanctification and a means to holiness.

I suppose there are several ways that this is true- but I'll just talk about one way that God's promises are a source and means of holiness and sanctification. Coupled with the blessing of deep and abiding joy, the promises of God as instruments of obedience and purification blessed my heart and mind yesterday.

Life in a fallen world is full of struggle. Forgive me for stating the obvious, but we live in an age that denies the patent reality of sin and falleness while desperately seeks to avoid or pass off the struggle. Life is hard, then you die. There is a great deal of truth to this sentence. And it is sheer silliness as a Christian to put on a big vapid grin and pretend the hardness of life and the fight for joy isn't necessary if you're saved (pronounced with a deep southern fried accent: say-ivduh). If anything, believers will face MORE struggle. Our fight will be more treacherous. We are strangers and aliens. "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (1 Tim 3:12). Those who are IN the world but not OF it have real and awful struggles in this life.

In my own life and in my ministry as a shepherd when I face these struggles and hardships I tend to paw and scratch feverishly about for some way to alleviate the pain and remove the struggle. In providing pastoral counsel I rack my mind for ways to minimize the struggle in a couple's marriage, or the minimize the pain of the alienation between a teenager and a father, or get the wife who lost her husband to keep her chin up. We do this through positive thinking: just watch a Joel Osteen broadcast; denial: it'll go away if you just close your eyes, ears, and mouth, or through human endeavor: I'll fix it! I work my way out! I'll make a list and attack the issues one by one! Most of the time we make a creative fusion of all three. In each case we miss out on enjoying the source for hope and joy and an instrument of holiness and growth.

Positive thinking and human endeavor, even denial in a strange way, is making much of yourself as a solution to your problems. It is exalting your mind and your words as a means of victory. It is exalting your power and your acheivements as a way to beat sin and struggle. No matter how great your words are- life is hard, then you die. No matter how hard you work- life is hard and then you die. No matter how much you deny and avoid it- life is hard, then you die.

In considering the promises of God that are ours through Christ and to be enjoyed in the world to come we make much of God and from such a perspective we minimize ourselves. As he increases, we decrease- and our problems and struggles are put into proper perspective.

Do you struggle with ongoing and ever present sin? Consider the promises of God - you have become the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21); you have been given the sanctifying work of the Spirit (1 Pet 1:2); greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Fight sin with the promises of God and their reality in your heart!

This can, indeed MUST be done in every arena of our life. In every circumstance, in every problem, in every conflict, we must sink our roots deep down in the promises of God. Let his Word, His promise, and the fulfillment of them (whether present or future) be fuel for joy, for relief, for endurance in our lives.

Yesterday, as I obsessed over a complex of issues that I faced for that day- the Lord said to me, "Son! LOOK AT MY WORD!" As I looked at Peter's letter I decided to drink deep the fountain of God's promises that poured out, and not go away thirsty hoping the world, the flesh, or the devil might offer me a cup.

All those problems are not solved. I have not found complete resolution in each conflict. I did not go through the day with a pristine attitude and total victory over all my sin. But, throughout the day God's promises energized me to take hope in the goodness and greatness of God. His promises were fuel for my weak heart when it tended toward despair or depression. It propelled me to holiness when my flesh enticed me to go down its path.

God has given precious and magnificent promises! As I dwell on his goodness and greatness my problems didn't go away- they were just put in their proper place.

Peter tells us in God's Word:
"we have received faith by the rigteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ"
"grace and peace are multiplied to us in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord"
"his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him"
"we have been called by His glory and excellence"
"he has granted us His preciaous and magnificent promises"
"by these promises we become partakers of the divine nature"
"by them we have escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust"
And, further down in 1:10-11 we find this great promise: Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

So, life is hard and then you die. By the promises of God we can look this reality in the face and say, "God is good and great and his promises are precious and magnificent!" I hope that these truths from God's Word might be fuel for joy and obedience in your life today by God's grace.

A Brief Prophecy and Tongues Bibliography

We've been working through 1 Corinthians 14 and examining those two 'controversial' gifts of the Holy Spirit, tongues and prophecy. Some of you have asked about which authors, scholars, works have influenced and helped me the most in understanding this passage and these gifts.

The best and most thorough treatment of 1 Corinthians 12-14 is D.A. Carson's Showing the Spirit. I strongly encourage all believers to work through this book as they seek to understand and apply Paul's exhortations in these three chapters of the New Testament.

A great introduction to the 'continuationist' position, and a very helpful overview of all the issues at stake can be found in Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology (chs. 52-53). If you don't already have a systematic theology on your bookshelf- you need to go ahead and get this one regardless. Sam Storms (who has a very nice website here) also has a good Spiritual gifts primer called The Beginner's Guide to Spiritual Gifts.

Grudem's very detailed examination of the continuing gift of prophecy in the context of the contemporary local church is found in his The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today.

For an overview of the various positions on these issues check out Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? Four Views.

And, for a decidedly 'cessationist' position you can go to Richard Gaffin's Perspectives on Pentecost. For a bit more of a heavy handed approach you can check out John MacArthur's Charismatic Chaos . While I agree with much of MacArthur's assesment of the modern 'charismatic movement' and its excesses and abuses, I find his biblical and theological arguments against a continuing use of these 'miraculous' gifts less than persuasive.

Gossip in God's Family

God's Word has a lot to say about gossip. Consider the Proverbs:

Proverbs 11:13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
Proverbs 16:28 A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.
Proverbs 20:19 A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.
Proverbs 26:20 Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.
Proverbs 26:21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

Or God's Law:

Leviticus 19:16 "'Do not go about spreading slander among your people. "'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD.

Or Jesus:

Mark 7:21 For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.

Or Paul:

2 Corinthians 12:20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
Titus 3:1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.
1 Timothy 5:13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.

Or James:

James 4:11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.

Or Peter:

1 Peter 2:1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation

There are many words in Scripture used to describe this sort of 'wicked speech' against one another: talebearer, mumbler, whisperer, slanderer, evil-speaker, reviler, blasphemer, babbler.

Gossiping is destructive for at least 10 reasons:

1. It is hatred toward God who created all men in his image and for his glory.

2. It is hatred toward God who redeemed his people and loves them with a steadfast love.

3. It is a hatred toward Christ who gave his life for his people, and who himself loved all men, especially those who reviled him- not reviling in return.

4. It is hatred toward the Spirit who lives in us and seeks to bear fruit and is grieved by our evil speech; it is hatred toward the Spirit who lives in our brothers and brings fellowship and is grieved by our divisive words and desires.

5. It is hatred toward men who bear God's image and deserve our respect, kindness, and love.

6. It is hatred toward our brothers and sisters in Christ, who are part of our very family deserving our protection and love.

7. It brings strife, division, and chaos in the body of Christ.

8. It plants seeds of doubt, discouragement, disloyalty.

9. It is an attack of Satan against those called to lead and maintain godly authority.

10. It is an attack against the Church and the Kingdom of God.

How should we protect our own hearts and tongues from this great evil? How should we protect the reputation and dignity of our brothers and sisters when malign and blasphemed? How should we handle those who come with wagging tongues against our siblings in the household of God?

I have the rare privilege of having my parents, my parents in law, my older brother and his family, my younger brother and his family, and my younger sister all living in the same town and all worshipping with us at Four Oaks. Yes, this presents challenges, but by and large it is a tremendous blessing and joy to me to have my family around me in ministry. I want to use my relationships with my family as a picture of the way we should handle slander in the family of God.

No one knows the warts and flaws of my brothers and sisters like me. No one knows my sins and failures like my brothers and sisters. If anyone has the goods on me it is them. But their love for me is fierce, as mine is for them. It isn't blind, and it doesn't passively accept all these faults. But this love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8); it bears all things and believes all things (for their good, doubting first the bad report). My love for them will not allow me to hear a hurtful word without protecting their name, because it is my own. My love for them will not allow me to accept a report without first coming to them for their side. My love for them causes me to bear trivial accusations or mocking sentiment against them in silence without burdening their hearts with petty concerns and harsh words.

You want to see Erik the fierce? Just try and speak some evil against my little sister. You can be
assured that there will be an unequivocal smackdown in every sense of the term if you wag your tongue against one of my brothers. It is not because I am a fool who cannot bear to hear the truth about them (as I said, very little anyone could say could surprise me). I desire that my siblings be conformed to Christ and turn from actual sins or flaws in character. But gossip never accomplishes this. The context for our growth in Christ is through the 'one anothers' of the New Testament lived out in the house of God, not through cowardly whispers and proud mumblings.

The next time you hear someone sharing a tasty morsel of gossip against another believer, remember that they are speaking against your own brother. The next time you hear someone bad mouthing the preacher or the worship pastor, remember that they are talking about your Dad- he's not perfect, but he's your dad. If we truly lived as a family together, and believed that we are brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers in the household of God, we would be far less eager to speak against each other.

This happens more often than I'd like to think: someone has a word of judgment or criticism against me as a pastor. Little do they know one of my siblings is within earshot. But, the spiritual reality is- many of my siblings are within earshot. The problem is that we have either grown too accustomed with our hard and wicked words, or too unacquainted with our family to care.

So when you are about to whisper a word of dissent and contention against Joe Smith, remember you're talking to Joe's sister. When you lean in to hear the story of Jane Smith's recent struggle, remember that Jane is your little sister. Close your mumbling lips and bear the contention between your brother quietly and privately. Rear up with fierce and righteous indignation against the slander of your dear sister and stop the wagging tongue.

In this way we will begin to learn 'how people ought to conduct themselves in God's house, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth'.

A Call to Love

As I promised in Sunday's sermon(ette?) introducing Paul's wonderful description of love- here are the fifteen descriptions of agape given in those four power packed verses (1 Corinthians 13:4-7):

1. Love is patient.
2. Love is kind.
3. Love does not envy.
4. Love does not boast.
5. Love is not arrogant.
6. Love is not rude.
7. Love does not insist on its own way.
8. Love is not irritable.
9. Love is not resentful.
10. Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing.
11. Love rejoices with the truth.
12. Love bears all things.
13. Love believes all things.
14. Love hopes all things.
15. Love endures all things.

I challenge you to commit 1 Corinthians 13 to memory (or at least verses 4-7). The Apostle lays down the great imperative and exhortation to love in the midst of establishing how the body is to built via the gifts of God's Spirit. He does this, I believe, to echo the new command of Christ to his disciples: "Love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples- if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)

Lay this 15 point 'love grid' upon your heart and let the Spirit of God conform you to the image of Christ.

Some Resources on Imprecation

As I've been working on Psalm 90 for worship at the Lord's Table this Sunday, I came upon a 3-part series by Sam Storms called Those Troubling Psalms of Imprecation (scroll down the series list).

It is well worth it to work through Storms' helpful discussion of this troubling, but also oft overlooked, portion of God's Word.

John Day has an excellent article entitled Imprecatory Psalms and Christian Ethics in Bibliotheca Sacra (the journal of Dallas Theological Seminary) from back in 2002. Spoiler and teaser last paragraph:

"This article has sought to demonstrate that at times it is legitimate for God's people to utter prayers of imprecation or pleas for divine vengeance--like those in the Psalms-against the recalcitrant enemies of God and of His people. This is based on the psalms' theology of imprecation in the Torah, and on the presence of this theology carried essentially unchanged to the end of the canon."

Read thru the Bible

We are only a couple days in, so it is not too late to resolve to read through the entirety of God's Word this year.

Several folks in our church family enjoy reading through the chronological bible. This moves through God's word as it was written through history (beginning with Job...).

I follow the daily readings that are in the back of my ESV Journaling Bible. (ESV has a helpful daily reader bible as well.)

A great bible reading calendar was made by Robert Murray M'Cheyne and can be found here and here.

Get bible-saturated in 2008!

On Being Bible-Saturated

We all know that I love John Piper. One of Piper's habits is to make up and string hyphenated terms together: God-besotted, faith-building, joy-inducing, body-edifying, etc. and so forth. One of my favorite Piper hyphenyms (word?) is 'bible-saturated'- I use it often in my prayers for and exhortations to our church family.

What exactly do I (and, I suppose, Piper) mean by 'bible-saturated'? I think it means being so immersed in, so filled with, so consumed by the Word of God that it is always radiating out of you. When you are bible-saturated you can't help but relate all things to the truth of God's Word.

During my vacation I am trying to work through the new edition of John Owen's Communion with the Triune God (edited by Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor ). It is heady and rich stuff, and I can only take about 4 or 5 pages at a time (thankfully, the argumentation and progression of Owen's meditations are helpfully arranged and outlined for just such an approach). As I read this morning I realized that John Owen's work gives us a wonderful picture of bible-saturation. In the first two pages chapter 1 under the heading, "The Saints Have Communion with God" we find 17 scripture references. If you count the footnotes, there are over 30 references to Scripture in just two pages of discussion on our communion with God. Scriptural truth just pours out of this great Puritan theologian. I prayed this morning that this would be the case in my life.

The Spirit and the Body: Some Ground Rules

Here are the three basic principles that should guide our discussion and understanding of the gifts and their operation in the local church (from my first sermon on Spiritual Gifts in our 'Spirit and the Body' series from 1 Corinthians 12-14):

1. The Gifts are given to glorify God.

2. The Gifts are given to build the body.

3. The Gifts are distributed to each one displaying diversity and harmony
in the body.

Here are the seven 'ground rules' that we are to keep as a foundation and framework for our study of 1 Cor. 12-14:

1. Understand your biases and presuppositions.

2. Avoid reductionistic caricatures on both sides of the ‘charismatic’ debate.

3. Beware of placing experience above Scripture; the gifts and working of the Spirit should never be placed in opposition to the authority and sufficiency of the Word.

4. Beware of neat and tidy explanations and categorization of the gifts.

5. Understand the peculiar and unique contexts in which the gifts are exercised.

6. Beware of spiritual elitism via the emphasis of particular gifts; beware of using particular gifts as evidence of spirituality (or as litmus tests for the Spirit’s presence).

7. Pursue an organic, corporate understanding and exercise of the gifts with accountability and order under godly leadership in the local church.

A Helpful Site (and blog)

Reclaiming the Mind - Reclaiming the Mind Ministries was created to impact individuals, the church, and the culture with the glory of God and the majesty of Christ by presenting the truths of the Christian faith in a fair and balanced way. Whether taking classes through The Theology Program, listening to Theology Unplugged, or engaging with top Christian scholars on Converse with Scholars, the student will be encouraged to understand the issues at a profound level in order to make informed decisions on the most important topics of life.

You can visit the blog of Reclaiming the Mind (C. Michael Patton and Daniel Wallace)- here's a provocative and helpful first glance.

Piper Seminars - Audio Online

Many of you who hear me speak so highly of Pastor John Piper can go listen to any (and I pray you would listen to them all!) of these wonderful seminars that he taught at Bethlehem Baptist church over the years. These are all provided at Desiring God's website (I've linked them through Justin Taylor's blog, Between Two Worlds)- free of charge. All of Piper's book royalties are funneled into the Desiring God ministry and Bethlehem Baptist and all of his ministry work that can't be boxed is provided free online. The online ministry of Desiring God has been a mainstay of encouragement and strength for me in my pastoral ministry.

My favorite of the seminars is 'Why we believe the Bible'. The notes for all the seminars are provided as well.

Digging Deeper- an outline for biblical exploration

Digging Deeper:
Reading, Studying, Understanding, and Applying God’s Word


Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:4

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. John 17:15-17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

And we also thank God continually because, when you received
the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as
the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. 1 Thessalonians 2:13


Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,
a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:23

I. The Bible as Window, Picture, and Mirror:

A. Window: When we read any passage of Scripture it is a ‘window’ into another world.

· It is a window into the life and events of the author- inquire of the passage regarding this author.


· It is a window into the life and events of those to whom it is written- inquire of the passage regarding those to whom this passage was first intended.


· It is a window into the lives and events that are being told.

B. Picture: When we read the Bible we read something written by someone. It is crafted- with a purpose, style, reflections, etc.

· Any obvious ‘sylistic’ factors? Metaphor, symbolism, metonymy, parallelism, etc.

· Does it seem like the author is dwelling on certain things? Is he leaving anything out?

· What words is he using? Repetition, unique wording, etc.

· What is the author communicating to us about the people, places, events? Why?

An obvious example of looking at Scripture as a ‘picture’ is in the poetic books such as Psalms. In poetry, understanding the ‘sylistic’ intention of the author is very important to understanding the meaning of the text and properly interpreting and applying it. Here’s an example:

One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done. Psalm 62:11-12




C. Mirror: When we read the Bible we read something written by someone to someone. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we are included in this process as God’s people.

· How is your life like/unlike the author’s? The recipient’s?

· How does the intention of the author apply to your life?

· How do the lives, places, events, circumstances written about apply to you and your circumstances?

· How does God want you to apply this passage? Teach this passage?


II. The ‘Worlds’ of Biblical Interpretation:

In inductive study, finding the ‘worlds’ of biblical interpretation comes through what is called ‘interrogating the text’. We must ask Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? We need to be ready to roll up our sleeves and really peer into the passage. We must be ready to do the work of research involved in finding adequate answers for these questions.



A. The Five ‘Worlds’:

1. The World of Events- the world the writer is presenting (Moses tells of Joseph's 'world' in Gen. 37-50). Get into that world, study it, understand it. How does knowledge of this world help us in relating the passage to our world?

2. The World of the Audience: the world directly receiving this message of God's Word (Moses is writing in the context of the wilderness wanderings on the plains of Moab).

3. The World of the Author: What can we discover of the world of Paul? Peter? Luke? Isaiah?

4. The World-view of Scripture: what can we find through Scripture that teaches us regarding the passage at hand? What does the New Testament tell us about Joseph? What does the OT tell us about the book of Hebrews? Let scripture interpret scripture.

5. Your World




B. Understanding ‘Genre’: The ‘nature’ of these worlds depends
on the sort of passage we are reading. Ascertain the ‘genre’ of the passage, and how this specific genre causes us to adjust our questions, and the way we answer them.

1. Historical Narrative: Genesis, Kings, Acts
2. Poetic: Psalms, Song of Solomon
3. Proverbial: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes
4. Prophetic/Apocalyptic: Daniel, Revelation, Ezekiel
5. Prophetic: Major and Minor Prophets
6. Gospels/Biographical
7. Epistle: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, etc.

Here’s an example:

Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. Jude 1:5

Jude is writing a letter. When one writes a letter there are different intentions than when writing history or biography. Jude is not primarily writing about a ‘world of events’ but is writing a letter filled with instructions, warnings, encouragements, etc. directly to the audience. So, we will spend more time in the ‘World of the Author’ and the ‘World of the Audience’, the ‘Worldview of Scripture’ and ‘Our World’. But, in the above passage, there actually is a ‘World of Events’ inserted into the text. So we must interrogate that ‘world’ as well.

Another example:

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life. Proverbs 22:3-4

So, do we take this proverb to mean that wisdom and prudence ALWAYS dictate seeking refuge in the face of danger? Is it true that humility and the fear of the Lord will bring us wealth- no matter what?

Seeing that this passage is from the book of Proverbs helps us in our interpretation. We should not read Proverbs the way we read the epistles, or the way we read Prophecy, History, etc. ‘Proverbial’ writing has a character all its own which tempers our interpretation of it.


C. The Importance of CONTEXT: the word level, sentence level, the paragraph level, the chapter level, book level, author level, Bible level, language/cultural level.

III. The ‘INDUCTIVE’ Study Method:

A. Definition: ‘Induction’ is the method of reasoning toward general conclusions from individual or particular facts/truths.
‘Deductive’ study would bring general conclusions to the particular facts under examination.

In the area of Bible study we must do both. There is no such thing as ‘pure’ induction. Beware of the fallacies involved in inductive study. We always bring presuppositions to the text and its particulars. An inductive approach seeks to intentionally challenge such presuppositions with thorough examination of the Scriptures.

B. The Doctrine of Perspicuity: God’s Word is clear. It is able to be studied, understood, and applied by all. You do not need a seminary degree to be a student of the Scriptures.

C. The Three Levels of Inductive Study:

1. OBSERVATION

There are three false approaches to God’s Word:

· We think it will magically make an impression on us without any effort on our part
· We don’t really believe we can understand what we’ve read- or we don’t believe its true
· We are waiting for our pastor of favorite Bible scholar to tell us what to think on a given passage

Observation is simply asking, “What does the passage say?” It is the groundwork it takes time, practice, and sweat. If you aren’t disciplined and diligent in your observations, then your interpretation and application is flawed.

KEY PROCESS IN OBSERVATION:

1. INTERROGATION

Ask the 5 W’s and an H as you read and study:
· WHO wrote it? Who said it? Who are the major characters? To whom is it being said? About whom is it written?
· WHAT are the main events? What are the major ideas? What are the major teachings? What are these people like? What is spoken of the most? What is the purpose?
· WHEN was it written? When did certain events take place? When will something happen? When was something said? When did he do it?
· WHERE was this done? Where was this said? Where will it happen?
· WHY was it needed to be written? Why was this or that mentioned? Why was so much or so little space devoted to this or that? Why did this happen, why should this happen?
· HOW is it done? How did it happen? How is this said or illustrated?

These are the building blocks of observation, laying a solid foundation for accurate and sound interpretation.

2. INTERPRETATION

There are many pitfalls in trying to rightly interpret God’s Word:
· We feel we have cornered the market on God’s truth.
· We jump to conclusions very quickly
· We cut corners in observation and make bad interpretations
· We don’t seek the whole counsel of God’s Word
· We don’t seek the Godly counsel of respected men and women of God whom we trust and are approved by God - we become lone ranger interpreters
Interpretation is simply asking, “What does the passage mean?”. Interpretation isn’t always separate and distinct from observation. As you carefully work “exegetically” (exegesis: drawing meaning from a word or text in Scripture) you will make good and valid interpretations.
Golden Rule of Interpretation: Let Scripture Interpret Scripture!! After exhaustive cross referencing and laboring in the Word - then turn to word studies, Bible Dictionaries, and commentaries.
Silver Rule of Interpretation: Don’t Over Interpret!! Don’t let your zealous cross referencing and word study override the natural understanding of a word or passage in its context.

3. APPLICATION

Application is your obedient response to the truth of God’s Word in practical everyday living.

Application is letting personal study of God’s Word with the goal being a transformation of heart, mind, and soul with a deeper commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord in your life.

Golden Rule for application: 2 Timothy 3:16: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Overview of the Book

A. Pick a book of the Bible- Read and re-read this book as a whole.
B. Identify the Type of Literature
C. Use the 5 W’s and an H
D. Discover Facts about People and Events
1. Identify obvious names
a. mark distinctively all people mentioned
b. as you mark- ask the 5 W’s and an H
2. Identify obvious events
E. Mark Key Words in the Book
1. Words vital to the meaning of the text
2. Often repeated- in chapter, segment, or whole book
3. Mark words distinctively or colorfully
4. Find and mark synonyms
5. Mark key phrases and sentences
6. Realize each key word answers one or more of the 5 W’s and an H
7. Key word reveal subjects which reveal themes
F. Discern the Main Theme of the Book
1. Summary Statement in the text
2. Summary statement will be revealed in careful and diligent overview work
G. Discern the Themes of Each Chapter
1. This will be done again in your specific chapter analysis
2. Does your chapter theme relate in some way to your book theme?
H. Identify Clearly Defined Segments
1. Major Divisions (usually beyond chapter divisions)
2. Usually dealing with some subject, doctrine, person, place, or event
I. Develop An At a Glance Chart
1. Gives you a visual overview
2. Identify and relate the parts to the whole

Chapter Studies

Identify themes and key-words for particular chapter: compile lists.
Set out distinctive characteristics of the chapter: people, places, time references, events, doctrines
Interrogate the chapter as the whole book in step one.
Read through the chapter with key words, key themes in mind – look for contrasts, comparisons, symbolism, metaphors, intro/concl, etc.
Determine a chapter theme and a paragraph theme.


Basic Tools for Bible Study

1. An accurate, comfortable translation of the Scriptures (not the Living or New Living Translation): NIV, NAS, RSV, KJV
(it is good to have a King James handy if you are using Strong’s).

2. Concordance- find one in your translation. This is a tool that lists all uses of Biblical words in their original language. An absolute MUST for a believer.


3. Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries:

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Vine, E.W. and Unger, M.F.

Complete Word Study Dictionary- Old and New Testament (2 vols.) Zodhiates, Spiros.


4. Bible Dictionaries, Theological Dictionaries, and Systematic Theologies. (Helpful Systematic Theology – Systematic Theology or Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem)

Commentaries- make sure it is authored by a reputable scholar.

More on the Beatitudes

My first message on the Beatitudes was an interesting study for me. As I studied to prepare an introduction to understanding and living the Beatitudes of Matt 5:1-10, I recognized a few important principles about Christ's teaching that reach into his whole sermon on the mount, and the Gospel itself. Let's look at the STANDARD and the MISSION Christ gives us in his sermon today, and we'll explore the other principles later.

First, we are given an impossible standard.

Consider the beatitudes for a second. Upon first reading, if you take inventory of the past few hours, days, and weeks you will find that your righteousness falls woefully short. Jesus echoes the Law when he establishes the God's requirements for holy living: Matthew 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Consider this standard that Jesus establishes for his hearers:
Matthew 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."
Now, when one discovers this holy standard he is faced with his sin, with his wretchedness in the face of Christ's purity and the awesome requirements of God's justice. At this discovery we then meet with the first beatitude, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit.' We are in desperate need of God's grace, the work of Christ, and the power of the Spirit to find any footing in God's kingdom. This is the heart of the gospel, which is a gospel not of human righteousness but of grace: Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Romans 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.


Second, we are given a radical mission.

What is the purpose of the sermon on the mount. Is it the key to better living? Is it a paradigm for leadership? Is it to give us the keys to getting along better with friends and family?
You can anticipate my response.
No.
The purpose of the beatitudes is the same as the purpose of Christ's teaching throughout the Gospels: to equip God's elect with a radical mission to glorify their heavenly Father in everything they say and do. And nothing glorifies God more than the spreading of the good news that Christ came to save sinners. Spreading the news of Christ's work on the cross to bring salvation to God's chosen people. And so Jesus' commission to his disciples is simple: Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

And what sort of life are we to live as believers in Christ with a radical mission? Well, we are to live as those engaged in a life and death struggle. A battle for the hearts and minds of our families, neighbors, friends, enemies, coworkers, bosses (everybody!). And here is the approach Christ gives us to our mission: Matthew 16:24-27 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.”

There you have it. Theres your mission and your mindset. If you are a follower of Christ, then you have reckoned with his words and I hope you have adjusted your life accordingly!