Peter Krol | Knowable Word

Easy Sex Will Keep You from Being Wise

February 24, 2014 By Peter Krol

A student newspaper at my alma mater once published a set of ABC’s for first-year students as something of “a 26-step instructional guide on how to get the most out of higher education.”

Jirka Matousek (2011), Creative Commons

Along with A for Alcohol, E for Energy drinks, and Q for Questions, came the following:

H is for House Party Weekend. Three parts live music, four parts indiscriminate alcohol abuse, two parts non-prejudicial fornicating. Mix well; serve warm. That’s House Party Weekend.

S is for Sexually transmitted diseases. See letter H.

W is for Walk of shame. Alternatively known as the “stride of pride.” That long walk home wearing the same thing you went out in last night, which inevitably followed a very awkward introduction earlier that morning. When you see the steady stream at 10 a.m., just remember, “Let he who has not woken up spooning a stranger cast the first stone.”[1]

There’s a reason “higher education” and “wisdom” aren’t synonymous.

Lots of Sex

This week, I reinstate my long-running Bible study of Proverbs 1-9. As we hit Proverbs 6:20-35, we ought to notice that Solomon has said a lot about sex already, and he’s not yet done with the topic. Foolish and ungodly sexual activity was common long before universities developed such a strong reputation for it.

But what makes Proverbs 6:20-35 unique? What does Solomon say here that he hasn’t covered elsewhere? Though many ideas overlap, we can observe a primary focus for each of the “sex sections” of Proverbs 1-9:

Prov 2:16-19 explains how easy sex hinders wisdom.
Prov 5:1-23 unveils God’s surprisingly intoxicating alternative.
Prov 6:20-35 enumerates immorality’s terrible consequences.
Prov 7:1-27 unmasks immorality’s seductive tactics.

We must hear wisdom on these matters, so we can find life (Prov 6:23) and avoid death (Prov 5:23). In keeping you from being wise, easy sex holds nothing for you but pain and destruction. But there was one who endured pain and destruction to give us wisdom. So there’s always hope.

The Plan

Over the next few weeks, I’ll tackle this passage somewhat out of order. First, I’ll explain ten terrible consequences of easy sex (Prov 6:24-35). Then, I’ll go back to offer four steps for fighting it (Prov 6:20-23).

Question: How do you see easy sex hindering wisdom in our day?

——————————-

[1] Scott Gosnell, “The BU ABC’s,” The Counterweight, Volume 7, Issue 1, August 24, 2007, pp.8-9.

How to Lead A Great Bible Study

February 21, 2014 By Peter Krol

A few nights ago, our church small group met in our home, and we had one of the most engaging and encouraging Bible studies in the history of the group. Since I didn’t lead the discussion, I was able to reflect on what made the discussion so effective.

Steel Wool (2009), Creative Commons

I now offer you the fruit of my musings.

1. Know Your Point

The leader came to the study with a clear grasp of the text’s main point. He knew exactly where he wanted the group to end up.

2. Ask Good Questions

There’s a place for lecture, and there’s a place for interactive instruction. The key to fostering constructive interaction is to ask good questions. When have you experienced such leadership before? What kinds of questions encourage you to engage in the discussion? And you know what sort of questions shut down the discussion, don’t you?

3. Set a Direction

The leader led. He didn’t let the group meander through the conversation. He didn’t just wing it. He set a course, and he began moving along it.

4. Respond to the Group

Though the leader set a direction, he did not drag the group with him. He didn’t leash the discussion or get insecure when it swerved unexpectedly. He kept us moving toward the main point, but he didn’t control the group’s pathway toward that main point. I’m sure we ended up exactly where he wanted us, but we felt all along like we had gotten there ourselves.

5. Stay in the Text

Here’s the silver bullet. The text provides self-corrective measures to a group prone to tangents. A leader who keeps the people in the text doesn’t have to fear unpredictable discussion. As soon as the discussion gets off-topic, the leader can ask, “So how do you see that in the text?” and get things back online.

6. Clarify the Point

The leader took us to the text’s main point, and then he camped out there. He didn’t pursue every possible theological or interpretive quandary. He got us to the main point, and he had us restate the point numerous times. Then he took us to Christ and on into application.

7. Broaden Application

The leader had more than one application in mind. He had prepared a series of questions about our thinking, character, and behaviors. He had considered applications for both individuals and the group. He had considered how the text should impact our engagement with the world around us. In the end, he didn’t ask every question he had prepared, but he had a broad range of ideas in place so he could respond to whichever topics connected best with the group.

8. Specify Application

The leader didn’t let us get away with clichés or vague principles. He asked good follow-up questions that made us get more specific.

These are not the only eight things leaders can do; they just stood out to me after this week’s study. And my intention is not to ignore the impact of character or knowledge on one’s leadership.

But if we had more leaders who practiced these skills to the glory of God, people would be far more interested in going to Bible studies.

What Makes a Good Commentary

February 19, 2014 By Peter Krol

Matt Smethurst at The Gospel Coalition recently interviewed New Testament scholar D.A. Carson about what makes a good commentary. Carson pointed out a few things to look for and a few pitfalls to avoid.

As far as what to look for, Carson begins, “Good all-round commentaries help readers think their way through the text.” He gives some helpful details on what that looks like, but notice what he considers most important: The best commentaries serve our study of the text. They never replace it.

Carson mentions the following pitfalls:

Turning to commentaries too soon in your study.
Turning to commentaries too late (or not at all).
Relying on commentaries instead of developing a robust understanding of biblical, historical, systematic, and pastoral theology.
Allowing commentaries to supplant close study and desperate prayer (trusting the commentators more than the Lord).

I wrote a post a while back about four mistakes to avoid when using commentaries, where I had some similar ideas. But Carson puts it better than I did.

These concepts are not just for full-time preachers, but also for Sunday School teachers, Bible study leaders, and leaders of all stripes.

Check it out!

Beware Unpleasant Harmony

February 17, 2014 By Peter Krol

Have you ever tried singing unaccompanied hymns with a group of tone-deaf people? It presents a unique challenge: Can we hold the tune? Will we end in the same key in which we began? Is the melody recognizable, or would an eavesdropper assume we’re trying one of those new-fangled old-hymn-with-new-music arrangements (and one that wasn’t done very well)?

Vancouver 125 (2011), Creative Commons

With such a group, you’ve accomplished something special if you’ve gotten the group to sing in unison. Usually, you get harmony whether you want it or not. But the harmony is unpleasant if the original tune isn’t clear.

Biblical Harmonization

I just finished a series of Bible studies on the feeding of the 5,000. My goal has been to show that the Gospels recount the same event, but each with a different point. Last week, I summarized the unique intentions of each Gospel’s account.

In this final post, I’ll step back from the study’s content to reflect on the methodology behind it. In particular, I’d like to make explicit what was implicit all along: the dangers of harmonization.

Harmonization is the process of taking multiple accounts of the same event and combining them into a unified whole. So, we harmonize when we teach a lesson on “The Feeding of the 5,000” without looking at a specific passage.

Harmonization is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s very helpful when we’re reconstructing a historical event or building general biblical literacy. For example, most children’s Bibles won’t have a separate chapter for each of the four feeding accounts. They combine the accounts into a single chapter to help children become familiar with the event itself.

But harmonization can be unhelpful when it clouds the text’s message.

Some Dangers

While harmonization is not always bad, here are some dangers of not doing it carefully:

1. Divorcing the event from the text.

We’ll think of the event as a historical abstraction, which can lead to the second danger.

2. Assigning our own meaning to the event.

In the absence of a particular text (with a particular main point), we might assign any point we want to the event. Such abstraction can lead people to use the Bible to prove anything they want to prove. This approach is not submissive to either the text handed down to us or the divine Author who handed it down .

3. Dulling observation

We think of the little boy’s lunch as being central to any discussion of the feeding. We fail to notice that only John mentions this boy. Similarly, only Luke mentions the disciples’ concern with not only food but lodging for the multitude.

4. Hindering interpretation

Why does only John mention the little boy’s lunch? Why does only Luke mention the disciples’ concern to find the people not only food but lodging? Such questions simply don’t matter if we harmonize the accounts.

5. Flattening application

If I harmonize the feeding accounts, I might always land on the same application (probably something about giving up what little I have and trusting Jesus to multiply it). I’ll lose the rich variety of applications that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John make to different audiences.

A Way Forward

Let’s hear the text—each text within its context. Once there’s a clear tune, we can see how it fits together with others.

The key is to learn to sing before you try to harmonize.

Are You a Good Bible Teacher?

February 12, 2014 By Peter Krol

Mark Driscoll recently posted an article called “5 Things to Look for in a Good Bible Teacher.” The 5 things are:

Character
Clarity
Consistency
Courage
Christ

I suppose a good question to ask is: Do you sit under a good Bible teacher? But an even better question is: Are you a good Bible teacher?

You don’t have to be an ordained minister to be a Bible teacher. In fact, like it or not, every Christian already is a Bible teacher. The question is whether they are good ones.

Check it out!

Four Reasons Why Jesus Fed the 5,000

February 10, 2014 By Peter Krol

Jill M (2007), Creative Commons

Other than Jesus’ resurrection, the feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle to occur in all four Gospels. This repetition gives it a high degree of importance.

We commonly consider an event like this feeding independent of its literary context. We piece together the historical details from the various accounts, and then we boil the message down to an abstract theological or practical message divorced from any specific text.

Those with a practical bent see the feeding’s message as “give Jesus whatever you have, and let him multiply it into something great.” Those with a more theological bent see the feeding’s message along the lines of “Jesus is God’s true representative, providing life to the world.” Others delight in all the ways Jesus is better than Moses or Elisha.

All of these angles on the message are true, but we run into trouble when we grow too familiar with the story. If we don’t observe each Gospel account carefully, we’ll presume they all mean the same thing. Whichever angle makes the most sense to us is the one we’ll land on every time we read or teach the story.

In other words, we harmonize the texts and generalize the purpose. Then we miss the clues signaling each author’s intent.

Over the last few weeks, I explained each account in its context. Now I’ll bring them together and ask some application questions.

Why Did Jesus Feed the 5,000?

According to John: Jesus is the very Messiah Israel has waited for.

Do you believe he has the life you’re looking for?
Where else do you look for life?
How can you help others to expose false sources of life?
How can you help others to find their life in Jesus?

According to Matthew: Jesus’ followers must learn to identify good soil when they see it, and upon seeing it, they must be ready to proclaim the word of the kingdom to hungry souls.

What opportunities do you have to sow the seed of the word? Are there any right in front of you?
How can you be ready to lead hungry souls to Jesus?
What do you think needy people most need?
How can you trust Jesus more, as he uses you to provide that need on his behalf?

According to Luke: Jesus’ followers, on mission from their master, must learn not only to accept hospitality but give it in Jesus’ name.

What sort of people do you expect to enter God’s kingdom?
What sort of person were you when you entered God’s kingdom?
How can you grow at not only preaching the gospel, but demonstrating it visibly through your generosity and hospitality?
How can you train others to live out the gospel?

According to Mark: When Jesus is your king, he will transform your selfish faithlessness into compassionate self-sacrifice.

When you prove incapable of preaching the word and demonstrating it visibly as you ought, where is your hope?
How have you avoided your Christian responsibility out of fear of inadequacy?
How have you brought glory to yourself even as you ministered to others?
How would you like to see Jesus change you in these areas?

One Event, Four Points

All four accounts describe the same event. We can compare the accounts to show that there is no historical discrepancy.

But four Spirit-inspired writers had four points to make. Let’s not squelch their voices.

John wants you to know Jesus so you can have eternal life.
Matthew wants to equip you to preach the gospel boldly.
Luke wants to equip you to practice the gospel daily.
Mark wants you to know that Jesus will complete his work in you, despite your sin and failure.

Next time you study or teach the feeding of the 5,000, which point will you land on? And can you show how you reached it?

What Frozen Taught Me about Bible Study

February 7, 2014 By Peter Krol

I’ve seen this movie a million times. Not this exact film, of course, but many like it. O Disney, how you love your clichés; let me count the ways:

Cutting edge, beautiful animation? Check.
Pleasantly catchy tunes? Check.
Adventurous young princess pushing boundaries? Check.
Handsome young feller rolling over for his sweet crush? Check.
Skin-deep, feelings-driven love at first sight? Check.
Confusing this love with “true love”? Check.
Promises of gooey sentimentality? Check.
Look inside, find yourself, break free, follow your heart, “Let It Go”? Check. Check. Check. Check. Check.

The movie’s action turns on the declaration that “only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart.” Upon hearing such drivel, I begin preparing an agenda for discussion. I think, My daughter—mesmerized by her first theatrical experience—must learn to see through these lies. I’m glad we came, for it will be a good exercise in discernment.

However, something shifted. I need to see the movie again to remember exactly when and how it shifted, but the shift was clear. The seeds of drivel sown throughout the movie never bore fruit. In fact, those seeds were trampled on, dug up, and burned in the fire (or should I say frostbitten and discarded?).

Everything got turned on its head and flipped around, such that infatuation proved unsatisfying, self-indulgence had to cease, and true love required personal sacrifice.

Now here is something to celebrate.

What did this movie teach me about Bible study?

I could write about the Bible’s message of true love—the sacrifice of the only innocent one, who thaws our frozen hearts and restores us into God’s royal family—but I don’t want to give away any detailed plot spoilers from the movie. (I recommend this excellent reflection on Frozen by my friend Sarah Monticue.)

I could write about the bankruptcy of self-actualization, but it’s way too easy a target.

Instead, I’ll write about how Frozen reminded me not to presume an interpretation simply because I’ve observed something familiar.

The clichés were familiar. The message was familiar. The cinematic devices were familiar. The movie’s direction seemed familiar.

This familiarity led me to presume the movie’s main point. I was preparing to rebut the message of inward sovereignty and misdirected authenticity. But if I had stopped watching and hearing, I could have missed the film’s true intention.

So it is with the Bible. The more we read and study, the more likely we are to find ourselves in familiar territory.

And such familiarity comes at great risk. We presume to know what we’re reading. “I know that story,” “I’ll skim the part I’ve been through before,” and “I understand this; it’s time to move on” all put us in danger of missing the point. And since the point is to know Jesus better, I presume we won’t want to miss the point.

“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” (Heb 2:1, ESV).

How can we become better observers?

I notice this danger when I read emails or blogs or books that quote Scripture. I often skip the quotation (since I’m familiar with the Bible already) and dedicate my attention to what’s new (what this person wrote about the quote). The more I notice myself doing it, the more I realize the frequency with which I do it.

And I’ve realized that I do it in my Bible reading as well. As soon as I hit the familiar parts, I fly through them to get to something more innovative and exciting.

We must be aware of this tendency so we can resist it. Let’s master observation so we can perpetually build on what we know, but without presuming that there’s nothing more to learn. Let’s learn not only to see but to observe.

One thing that helps me to fight deadening familiarity is to read a different translation each year. Also, I like switching Bibles from time to time, so a familiar text isn’t on the same part of the page. But not everyone is like me. What do you find helpful in resisting familiarity and presumption in Bible study?

Perhaps you find my advice a bit cold, as though I would prefer unfamiliarity over familiarity. Please know that I’m arguing not for ignorance but for careful observation.

And, well, the cold never bothered me anyway.

Jesus, Hero of Every Text

February 5, 2014 By Peter Krol

Over a year ago (which is about 3 full generations in hipster-blogger-Internet years), I wrote about how to see Jesus in any Bible passage.

My main point was that we shouldn’t look for Jesus in every Old Testament detail. Jesus isn’t in every detail, but his message is there. The unified message of the Bible boils down to 4 points summarized in Luke 24:46-47.

And we must first understand the main point of an Old Testament passage before we can connect it to Jesus.

Now along comes Mike Leake to my defense. Well, Mike isn’t exactly defending me; I’m sure he doesn’t even know me. But he and I must have been twins separated at birth and predestined for eventual reunification. Mom: I know you’re reading this. Why didn’t you tell me?

Anyway, the esteemed Mr. Leake wrote this fabulous post at SBC Voices. “Is Jesus Really the Hero of Every Text?” he asks. The answer is yes. Well, no. Sort of. As long as you first get to the point and don’t force the details. This approach helps when you read of Shemiramoth and other harpist-priestly types, and you wonder whether you should stuff Jesus somewhere between the cymbals and the trumpets.

You should read Leake’s post. I’ve linked to it twice now, and you still haven’t clicked it. Now I’ll make it a trinity of links with this third one.

Check it out!

The Feeding of 5,000 According to Mark

February 3, 2014 By Peter Krol

Why did Jesus feed the 5,000?

Each Gospel writer gives a different answer. In this post, I’ll unpack Mark’s account. I’ll start wide before zooming in on the passage.

The Book

In one sense, Mark’s Gospel is the simplest Gospel. It’s the shortest. It’s a to-the-point Gospel. It’s a matter-of-fact Gospel.

Sean MacEntee (2011), Creative Commons

In Mark, there’s much more doing than teaching, which is great for those readers who find Jesus’ teaching confusing. The action comes fast (notice the repetition of “immediately” in Mark 1:10, 12, 18, 20, 21, 23, 28, 29, 30, etc.) and hard (people respond strongly: Mark 1:20, 26, 27, 28, 45, etc.).

In another sense, however, Mark is challenging to interpret because he does more showing than telling. His rarely states his point explicitly. For example, compare Mark 8:14-21 with Matthew 16:5-12. Matthew and Mark tell of the same conversation, but only Matthew writes a narrative conclusion for the episode (Matt 16:12). Mark leaves the narrative open, and we must infer Mark’s conclusion from the context and flow of thought.

Mark sneaks his points into the order of events far more subtly than the other Gospel writers do. Interestingly, however, Mark’s versions of parallel episodes usually have more narrative detail than either Matthew or Luke. For example, Matthew and Luke each take only 8 verses to recount the feeding of the 5,000, but Mark stretches the tale to 15 verses. (John gives it 64 verses, but remember that much of that is dedicated to the debate surrounding Jesus’ identity. The feeding itself gets 14 verses in John’s account.)

My point is this: When Matthew, Luke, or John have a point to make, they usually say it. When Mark has a point to make, he prefers to show it.

The Structure

Mark structures his action-oriented Gospel around the works of Jesus. In the first half of the book, those works involve healing and calling disciples. In the second half, they involve preparing for his death (and, of course, dying).

Early on, Jesus calls four disciples and heals four people (Mark 1:16-2:12). Then he calls one and heals one (Mark 2:13-3:12). Along the way, he establishes his authority over sickness, the Sabbath, the unclean spirits, the forgiveness of sin, and the Jewish traditions.

Then he appoints 12 apostles, redefines his family, and praises those who show faith (Mark 3:13-6:6). He shows what sort of people—those of faith—will comprise his new kingdom.

Then he sends out his duly appointed kingdom representatives. When they return, they struggle to keep the faith they began with, but Jesus will not let them go. He can heal their blindness and make them useful in his kingdom (Mark 6:7-8:30).

Once they get it (Mark 8:29: “You are the Christ”), Mark launches into Part 2 of the book, designed to show them—and us—what sort of Christ Jesus is. This Messiah will usher in God’s new kingdom by his death; his followers must also trod the way of the cross as they come after him.

Here’s an outline:

Introduction: the Kingdom’s call is to repent and believe the gospel—Mark 1:1-15

I. Establishing the Kingdom—Mark 1-8

A. Jesus establishes his authority—Mark 1:16-3:12

B. Jesus assembles his new people—Mark 3:13-6:6

C. Jesus help his people understand his authority—Mark 6:7-8:30

II. Securing the Kingdom—Mark 9-26

A. Jesus prepares to die, calling his followers to die as well—Mark 8:31-10:52

B. Jesus’ kingdom will displace Israel’s kingdom—Mark 11:1-14:11

C. Jesus dies and is crowned king—Mark 14:12-16:20

The Feeding

The feeding of 5,000 occurs in Mark 6:30-44. The disciples are fresh off a successful preaching tour, packed with exorcisms and miracles of healing (Mark 6:12-13), and they’re exhausted (Mark 6:31). Readers sense a hint of doom, however, as they remember the fate of last one to preach God’s word powerfully (Mark 6:14-29). Will these twelve apostles likewise donate their heads to the hors d’oeuvre platter?

Jesus already gave them the key to his kingdom: “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear…Pay attention to what you hear: With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Mark 4:23-25, ESV). They must listen and respond with faith. If they have ears to hear, they will be given more. If they stop listening, they’ll lose whatever momentum they once had. Such is how the kingdom works.

So they go off with Jesus to find a quiet rest (Mark 6:32), but many recognize them and run to meet them (Mark 6:33).

Jesus has compassion for those who seek him. Sheep in need of a shepherd win his heart every time (Mark 6:34). But those who don’t think they need shepherding should be wary.

The disciples endure the change of plans for a day, but by evening they’re ready to send folks away to buy their own food (Mark 6:35-36). Will the disciples pay attention to all Jesus has shown them about his kingdom authority? “You give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37).

Their answer: “Shall we go and buy 200 denarii worth of bread [everything we have] and give it to them to eat?” (Mark 6:37).

Uh oh. They’re in danger of losing what they had…

“How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” Jesus won’t make them into martyrs just yet. All he wants for now is the first five loaves and two fish (Mark 6:38).

Then Jesus shows his tremendous authority over the elements, commanding the sheep to sit in green grass (remember Psalm 23:1-2), dividing them into groups of hundreds and fifties (like Israel in Ex 18:25, etc.), blessing, breaking, and giving. Jesus gives and gives what he has until all eat and are satisfied. They end up with twelve baskets full of broken pieces (Mark 6:39-44).

The Section

The full beauty of Mark’s account lies in the flow of the entire section.

Jesus feeds a multitude (Mark 6:30-44), crosses the sea (Mark 6:45-52), corrects the Pharisees (Mark 7:1-23), dialogues about bread (Mark 7:24-30), and heals a sensory problem (Mark 7:31-37). The section climaxes with a confession of Jesus’ authority: “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak” (Mark 7:37). Terrific, but can he work such miracles on the disciples?

Next, Jesus does it all again: feeding (Mark 8:1-9), crossing (Mark 8:10), correcting (Mark 8:11-13), dialoguing (Mark 8:14-21), and healing (Mark 8:22-26).

That last healing occurs in two stages (a picture of these two cycles of events in Mark 6-8) and results in the disciples finally understanding who Jesus is: “You are the Christ.”

Jesus healed their blindness! They’re not worthy of him, but he has kingly compassion anyway. What grace! Such grace will lead them to lay down their lives with him (Mark 8:31-37).

The Main Point

The point of the story (according to Mark) is this: When Jesus is your king, he will transform your selfish faithlessness into compassionate self-sacrifice.

It’s okay if you’re not perfectly selfless yet. It’s even okay if you don’t have as much compassion as Jesus has for his sheep. If you follow him, he’ll get you to where he wants you to be. He’ll give you the faith you need to lay down your life for him. His kingly authority is transformative.

Four Perspectives on the Message of Christ

January 31, 2014 By Peter Krol

Because the good news about Jesus Christ is for all nations (Gen 12:3, Is 66:18-20, Matt 28:19-20, Acts 11:17-18), the message has some inherent flexibility. It can be delivered in various ways to various people at various times.

Please don’t misunderstand: I’m not saying there are no false gospels (nor that any message = God’s message). I’m merely saying that the true gospel can’t be oversimplified to a single, universal formula. For example, “Jesus is Lord,” “Jesus is the Christ,” “Jesus died for our sins,” and “The Kingdom of God is among you” are all biblical and have their place, and each formula will resonate differently for different people groups (or even different individuals).

I believe that’s why God didn’t give a single portrait of Jesus in the New Testament. To communicate the breadth of his grace to the nations, God gave four Gospels, which provide four lenses through which we can view the work of Christ.

All four perspectives are true. All four are important. Each speaks truth in a slightly different way, though there’s significant overlap between them.

And each Gospel lens triggers further reflection on the person and work of Christ in the epistles.

As you read the New Testament, consider these subdivisions:

Kathryn Decker (2013), Creative Commons

Matthew: with James, Hebrews, Jude
Mark: with 1 & 2 Peter
Luke: with Acts, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon
John: with 1, 2, & 3 John, Revelation

Perspective #1: By Jews, for Jews

These books show Jesus fulfilling the Old Testament; he’s everything the Jews had been waiting for. These books clarify points of continuity and discontinuity between Old and New Testaments, and they preach the gospel to people familiar with the things of God.

Perspective #2: Peter’s Perspective

Mark was Peter’s close associate (1 Peter 5:13), and many scholars have noted Peter’s hand in Mark’s Gospel. Many episodes read like Peter’s memoirs (such as, Mark 1:36, 14:72). Mark’s Gospel and Peter’s epistles have a strong sense of “doing,” with comparatively little emphasis on “teaching.” These books preach the gospel to people who feel out-of-place in their world and who appreciate knowing just the facts.

Perspective #3: Paul’s Perspective

There’s a strong case for identifying Luke-Acts as a trial brief written to aid Paul’s defense in Roman court. Undoubtedly, Luke was Paul’s close associate and one of his only companions to the end (2 Tim 4:11). Thus, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, influenced Luke’s Gospel, where Jesus gives more attention to Gentiles and marginalized outsiders than he does in any other Gospel. Luke, Acts, and Paul’s epistles preach the gospel to people working through the implications of God’s grace and his “all nations” mission.

Perspective #4: John’s Perspective

John was a Jew through and through, and he had a remarkable tenderness in relationships (John 13:23-25). His Gospel and epistles assume unfathomably profound associations between Old and New Testaments, while simultaneously simplifying the message with such clarity that anyone can understand it. Son of God. Believe. Know. Love. Come, Lord Jesus. These books preach the gospel to people who need to learn (or re-learn) the basics.

Read, Study, Preach

These four subdivisions don’t represent the only way to read the New Testament; they merely provide a framework I’ve found to be helpful. Each perspective is like a set of tracks for shipping the cargo of the gospel to a different group of people. As you read the New Testament, you may find it helpful to stay on one track for a time, or you may find it helpful to maintain balance in all four.

As you teach and share the gospel with others, you may want to consider which track is most likely to connect with your audience. Are they already familiar with God or not? Do they have basic Bible knowledge or not? Do they feel like a minority or majority in their environment? Are they likely to feel excluded, and so need more coaxing? Or are they more likely to feel included, and so need more confrontation?

And with a more diverse audience, we have a greater need to cycle through all four perspectives.

Question: Which perspective resonates the most with you?

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