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The Sexual Ethics of Leviticus 18 and Their Abiding Significance

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Thomas Willoughby has a helpful piece entitled “Does Leviticus 18 Apply to New Testament Believers?” In particular, he seeks to answer a common argument that the prohibition against homosexuality in Lev 18:22 no longer applies under the new covenant.

Willoughby models a clear and effective use of the context and structure of the text to conclude that not only Lev 18:22 but the chapter’s entire sexual ethic has abiding significance. I might quibble with some of his secondary conclusions, but overall, he makes a good case from both the context and correlation with the rest of Scripture.

Check it out!

Why is Structural Ignorance or Agnosticism Tolerated in Biblical Studies?

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Fontes Press recently sent me a review copy of Discourse Analysis of the New Testament Writings edited by Scacewater, and a review is forthcoming, once I can blaze a trail through this mammoth volume. (Thanks to Robert Hatfield for tipping me off to this intriguing text!) But I recently hit a priceless quote worthy of your reflection.

Structural analysis is a glaring weakness of NT studies. The absence of any structural consensus for most NT texts is frequently admitted … The failure to resolve this issue can be attributed to one of two opposite extremes: a dismissive attitude that mistakenly minimizes the significance of structural analysis, or a reliance upon complex terminology and intricate diagrams that obscures the analytical impotence and fundamental flaws of the underlying linguistic paradigm. Both extremes are roadblocks to exegetical clarity. Since how an author shapes a message is often as critical for interpretation as what the author’s explicit message is, one should wonder why this state of affairs is tolerated regarding such a foundational issue.

Michael Rudolph, Discourse Analysis, ed. Scacewater, 127.

In the contributors’ bios at the front of the book, Michael Rudolph is described as “a Theological Educator with World Venture in Kyiv, Ukraine.” This introductory paragraph, which I have now quoted for you, to his essay on the structure of John’s Gospel nearly makes me want to relocate my family to Kyiv, Ukraine so we can sit under more such theological education. In the rest of his essay, Rudolph’s insights into the structure of John’s Gospel are worth their weight in vibranium, inviting me to observe, as I have never observed before, the structural breadcrumbs dropped throughout the text, in black and white, to help us grasp the author’s message.

But my goal in this post is not to discuss the structure of John’s Gospel but to serve as something of a wifi extender to Rudolph’s presenting problem. Why is the following state of affairs tolerated in biblical studies?

  1. Scholars often appear unwilling to engage with or resolve the lack of consensus on the structure of New Testament books.
  2. The reason given by some is that structural analysis is not all that important anyway (structural agnosticism).
  3. The reason given by others boils down to outlines and jargon so impenetrable or complex that nobody recognizes how flawed the presenter’s assumptions are to begin with (structural ignorance).

Rudolph’s not exercising a vague hand-waving, either, in order to pull his own structural rabbit from his own touch-not-able, high-priestly hat. He goes and names names in his extensive footnotes. On point number 3, he cites the example of Mlakuzhyil (never heard of him). On point number 2, he cites well-knowns such as Kostenberger, Carson, and Keener. Hear Keener:

Any modern outline of the Fourth Gospel is somewhat arbitrary … But given the expectation that a commentary will divide sections, we have offered a division as likely as any.

Quoted in Discourse Analysis, 127-8

Regarding the attempts to hide ignorance behind impenetrable scholastic lingo, I can’t help but think of my favorite giggle-inducing quote from sociologist Rodney Stark:

I have tried to write everything else in plain English. I do not concede that this in any way compromises sophistication. What it does do is prevent me from hiding incomprehension behind a screen of academic jargon.

From the Preface to Discovering God, viii

On this blog, I have argued that structure provides the very shape of the author’s intended meaning. In other words, structure is not irrelevant for meaning; it is one of the most important expressions of it. Therefore, it is worth our time and effort to learn how to observe it so it can help us to avoid errors or pointless excursions in interpretation or application.

In addition, structure provides us with the very raw materials we require to follow the logic of an author’s argument. It gives us the nuts and bolts of the context, which always matters. Without a grasp of the structure, we might be right about a text, or we might be wrong about it; perhaps we’ve excluded from our study the divinely inspired tools to render a confident judgment either way.

So what do you think? Why is structural ignorance or agnosticism tolerated so widely? And how can we further improve that state of affairs for the next generation? And not just in the academy or publishing houses, but also in our pulpits, Sunday schools, and small groups?

Amazonian digital connective interfaces found within the present writer’s subtext, compiled and rendered for premium convenience on behalf of anonymous inquisitive participants, render no judgment on the value of one’s economic interactions but remain copacetic to the originating body. Let’s see if you can verstehe that prior sentential communicative event sans compromising your bid for respectable sophistication.

Empower Your Church to Study the Bible

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Faithlife recently republished a guest post I wrote for them a few years back entitled “How to Empower Your Church for Serious Bible Study.” In the article, I promote four straightforward habits to develop a culture of rich Bible study within your church. Learn, model, teach, and coach. Please don’t rely on a single seminar or workshop to change people’s lives. Trust the process of discipleship, and win people through practice and repetition.

Here is a taste:

If you can’t articulate a simple Bible study method and show the fruit of it in your own walk with God, you’ll never win your congregation to the practice. You’ll inadvertently communicate that ordinary people can’t or shouldn’t try to study the Bible, and you’ll persistently work against a culture of Bible study within the church. Leaders must do more than regurgitate commentaries for their people; they must know how to handle the sacred text themselves.

Bible study skills are infectious, not contagious. In other words, they don’t catch very easily; they require close personal contact to be transmitted. In 17 years training dozens of people to study the Bible, I’ve seen that folks don’t really get Bible study until they’ve had ample opportunity to practice it, with coaching. Pastors can’t expect a single seminar or teaching event to create a culture; only a dogged pursuit of personal training will do it. So encourage people to try Bible study for themselves. And when they do, your role can shift from inimitable expert to beloved coach. Regularly check in, revisit the topic, and keep training people in groups both small and large.

Check it out!

Reflections on a Repeated Reading of 1-2 Samuel

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For a number of years, I have been following Joe Carter’s excellent Bible reading plan: Read an entire book of the Bible 20 times. Pick another; read it 20 times. Repeat. I’m currently working through 1 & 2 Samuel (since it’s really one long book). Here are some unorganized reflections upon completing my tenth readthrough.

Image by ian kelsall from Pixabay
  • Upon reading the entire book rapidly (about 8-9 days for each time through), the large characters arcs are clear. There is a Samuel arc, followed by a Saul arc, and then a David arc. There is much overlap between them, but the Bible Project videos get these arcs just right.
  • It seems the summary statements of the king’s “cabinet” may serve a major structuring role. I haven’t pinpointed them all yet, but a few are found in 1 Sam 14:49-52 and 2 Sam 20:23-26. In each case, there is a tangible sense of narrative resolution and conclusion. I wonder if these statements mark the ends of the book’s main divisions, but more reading and testing is required to see if this is so.
  • The beginning is quite dark, with a barren woman, a high priest who cannot recognize either a praying woman (1 Sam 1) or the voice of God (1 Sam 3), and the ark of the covenant being forever separated from the tabernacle of Moses (1 Sam 4).
  • The end is a mosaic of David’s legacy: making restitution for Saul’s mistakes (2 Sam 21), celebrating the God who rescues (2 Sam 22), recounting mighty men’s exploits (2 Sam 23), and one last, glorious failure—which God uses for good, to clear the ground on which the temple will be built (2 Sam 24).
  • The lengthiest poetry occurs in 1 Sam 2 (Hannah’s prayer) and 2 Sam 22 (David’s song; copy of Psalm 18). This must be on purpose at beginning and end, as the two poems have so much in common. Both are celebrating the “Messiah,” the anointed king:
    • “The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed” (1 Sam 2:10b).
    • “Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever” (2 Sam 22:51).
      • The other sizable poem (2 Sam 1) laments the untimely slaying of the Lord’s anointed (messiah), Saul, and his son Jonathan (see 2 Sam 1:14-16).
  • The “exile” of the ark to Philistia (1 Sam 4-6) parallels David’s own exile out of the land (1 Sam 21:10-15, 27:1-28:2. The ark’s return to Beth-Shemesh, and then Kiriath-Jearim (1 Sam 6:12, 7:1-2) parallels David’s return from Ziklag to Hebron (2 Sam 2:1-4). After David takes control of Jerusalem (2 Sam 5:6-10), he knows it is time to bring the ark there as well (2 Sam 6). It requires two tries to get it right (transporting it the way God commanded and not the way they thought most expedient), but once he does, God’s covenant is quick to follow (2 Sam 7). God is present with this king and his dynasty forever.
  • After the stress of being on the run from Saul (1 Sam 18-31), much tension is relieved as David comes into his kingship (2 Sam 1-10). But it gets really tense once again, beginning with his sin with Bathsheba (2 Sam 11-12) and continuing in the resulting family fallout (2 Sam 13-20).
  • Even Absalom’s rebellion spends more time describing David’s exile from Jerusalem (2 Sam 15:13-17:29) and return (2 Sam 19) than it spends describing the rebellion (2 Sam 15:1-12) and civil war (2 Sam 18) itself.
  • The faithfulness of God, the presence of God, exile and return, and the anointed of God are all major themes that point us ahead to the Lord Jesus.

I’m only halfway through my time in this book. I’m eager to see what the Lord does with my next ten times through it. But these reflections may shape up into something more organized and useful in the next few months.

More Reliable

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Andrea Crocker has a fine piece on her blog reminding us that the word of God is more reliable.

  • More reliable than experience
  • More reliable than relationships
  • More reliable than society

I would guess that most readers of this blog will quickly assent to these abstract statements. But when it comes down to it, do we live as though they are true. Let Crocker’s insights provoke you to greater love for Christ and his word.

Check it out!

Announcing the Winners of the 2021 Bible Reading Challenge

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Many thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s 90-day Bible reading challenge! And again, many thanks to Lifeway for sponsoring the grand prize of a five-volume CSB Reader’s Bible. This year we had 25 entries that met the qualifications for the drawing. And the winners are:

  • Margaret D.
  • Benjamin D.

More than half of this year’s entries read the Bible in canonical order. The next most common reading order was chronological.

15 folks read the ESV. The second most common translation was HCSB. And one person read the 1560 Geneva Bible!

Here’s what some folks had to say about the experience:

It was a different experience. I am used to reading the Bible in a year. I plan to read this way more frequently, as it helps to relate texts to others, but I prefer to read at a lower speed.

It added so much context and meaning when I would read about the history of Israel’s kings one day and then the next day read about the prophets and prophecies that applied to them. It added a lot of context that I am usually missing when I read the prophets. Furthermore, reading quickly allowed me to notice more of the quotations and allusions of the Old Testament in the New Testament.

I enjoyed it immensely. Some passages like Proverbs were difficult to read through so quickly but Job, for instance, makes a lot more sense when read in large chunks. Elihu’s speech, for example, shows up in stark contrast to the others this way.

I would say overall I enjoyed it. It helped me to see the bible as one book as opposed to many smaller ones. It gave me a better idea of God’s overarching story. It also surprised me how much I liked certain books I disliked the last time I did this. I guess that’s why you always keep rereading?

5th year in a row! The Holy Spirit is still showing me themes I don’t think I would see without doing this each year.

Thanks again to all for participating. I trust it was profitable even for those who found it difficult or uncomfortable. May the Lord use this time of saturation in his word to influence the rest of this unusual year for the sake of his kingdom.

Last Chance to Enter Drawing

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Today is your last chance to enter the drawing for a reader’s Bible! Winners will be notified by the end of this week. See here for official rules. Entries that do not follow the guidelines will not be accepted.

Habakkuk: The One Thing that Must Change

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Though we can’t pinpoint the precise year or month of Habakkuk’s writing, we know he delivered his brief book of prophecy near the end of the southern kingdom of Judah, probably before (or some of it very shortly after) Nebuchadnezzar’s first assault in 605 BC. Habakkuk’s book is unique among the prophets in that it doesn’t present a series of speeches for the general public. Instead, it records Habakkuk’s own wrestling in dialogue with the God of Israel.

Photo by Francesco Tommasini on Unsplash

Literary Markers

The book has two explicit headings, marking two main sections:

  1. The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw (Hab 1:1)
  2. A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth (Hab 3:1)

In the first main section, we can follow the subsections by observing the pronouns and direction of the dialogue:

  • Habakkuk’s first question – Hab 1:2-4
    • God’s answer – Hab 1:5-11
  • Habakkuk’s second question – Hab 1:12-2:1
    • God’s answer – Hab 2:2-20

In the second main section, we can distinguish stanzas based on the shifts between first person (I, me) and second/third person (you, God) pronouns:

  • Habakkuk’s faith-filled request – Hab 3:2
    • God’s mighty character – Hab 3:3-15
  • Habakkuk’s fear-enduring faith – Hab 3:16-19

Part 1 Walkthrough

Habakkuk’s first question (Hab 1:2-4) could be paraphrased as either “When will they change?”—referring to the people of God behaving wickedly—or “When will you change, God?”—so as to not allow your people to continue in evil. In either case, Habakkuk sees destruction and violence, where he expects to see God’s law and justice. The result is an unacceptable perversion.

Yahweh’s answer (Hab 1:5-11) is so utterly unbelievable, that he expects Habakkuk to be astounded by it (Hab 1:5). He will, in fact deal with his people’s violence. And he will do it by bringing an even more violent and godless nation against them. In other words, the answer is neither that God’s people will change nor that God himself will change. The answer is that Habakkuk’s situation will change, and much for the worse.

This provokes Habakkuk’s second question (Hab 1:12-2:1), which is more of a protest. Habakkuk appeals to God’s eternity (“Are you not from everlasting?”), holiness (“my Holy One”), and covenant promises (“We shall not die”)—all in his opening verse (Hab 1:12). He trusts that God is in control by the word of his power (“you have ordained them…established them”). He appeals also to God’s righteous purity (Hab 1:13) and jealousy to be worshiped (Hab 1:16). So Habakkuk believes that God would not be true to his nature if he simply lets the Chaldeans have their way. Surely this cannot be a permanent state of affairs (Hab 1:17). Habakkuk stands in confidence to see how God will receive his protest (Hab 2:1).

Yahweh’s second answer covers quite a lot of ground. He assures Habakkuk that things will certainly change—but not until well into the future (Hab 2:2-3). He calls the righteous—in this case, Habakkuk—to trust his promise, even when everything looks and feels awful (Hab 2:4-5). Then he speaks of a time when all evildoers, everywhere, will be upended. He does this by pronouncing five curses on the wicked (Hab 2:6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-17, 18-20) and highlighting two stark conclusions:

  1. God’s judgment and knowledge of him will fall not only on the people of Judah but on all people everywhere – Hab 2:14
  2. All will see his holiness made evident through how he deals with the problem of sin – Hab 2:20

The larger point of God’s responses to Habakkuk is that neither God himself nor the people around Habakkuk are the ones who must change. The one thing that must change is Habakkuk himself. The book’s chief question is: Will Habakkuk respond to God’s word with a heart of trust, even if it means things will get terrifyingly disastrous in the process?

Part 2 Walkthrough

Habakkuk 3 provides the answer to the book’s main question: Yes! Yes, he will. And in so doing, he shows all who come after him what it looks like to have faith in God’s righteous and holy promises.

In the first stanza (Hab 3:2), Habakkuk confesses that there is something even more fearful than an attacking Babylonian horde; it is the work of God to rectify all that is wrong. Habakkuk’s hope is no longer that wrath will not befall the people of the land, but that in the midst of such wrath Yahweh will not forget to show mercy. Habakkuk clings to God’s promise to make everything right once again, though it may yet be long in the future.

The second stanza (Hab 3:3-15) could easily be further subdivided into a third-person stanza (Hab 3:3-7 – he/his) and a second-person stanza (Hab 3:8-15 – you/your). But for the sake of this book overview, they stand together as a lengthy reflection on the splendor and power of Yahweh to do what he says he will do. He is not only able, but also willing, to do whatever he must to both save his people and crush his enemies (Hab 3:13).

In the third stanza (Hab 3:16-19), Habakkuk confesses how terrifying it is to live between promise and reality, to live by faith (Hab 3:16). Yet he chooses to stand fast in faith, finding joy in God’s salvation and strength in God alone. No matter how much everything around him falls to pieces (Hab 3:17-19).

Conclusion

When the Apostle Paul was looking for a banner to wave, a motto to rally under, for introducing the glorious good news of Christ’s righteousness available through faith, he could find nothing more suitable than Habakkuk 2:4: “The righteous shall live by faith” (Rom 1:17). That’s not because he needed a tweetable phrase from a random Old Testament text. It’s because that phrase captures the entire thrust of Habakkuk’s book of prophecy.

This is what it means to live by faith: We cannot change our circumstances. We cannot change the people around us. And we cannot coerce change from God. But, especially when our knees knock and our lips quiver, the one thing that must change is us. We can bank everything on the God who is both willing and able to do all he has said he will do. So in faith we look back on the death and resurrection of his Son (Rom 1:16-17). And in faith we also look forward, through whatever suffering and trial we now face, to see faith’s founder and perfecter (Heb 10:36-39, 12:1-3).

Interpretive Outline

  1. The process of faith – Hab 1-2
    1. Please change everyone else – Hab 1:1-4
    2. It’s going to get worse before it gets better – Hab 1:5-11
    3. Please change your mind! – Hab 1:12-2:1
    4. Someday I’ll make everything right again, but you need to trust me – Hab 2:2-20
  2. The prayer of faith – Hab 3
    1. Your work is terrifying – Hab 3:1-2
    2. Your strength is sure – Hab 3:3-15
    3. Your people stand ready – Hab 3:16-19

This post is part of a series of interpretive overviews of the books of the Bible.

Understand How Doubt Helps, and doesn’t Hinder Bible Study

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I really appreciate Mike Leake’s reflection on the nature of spiritual doubt and how it ought not get in the way of our Bible study. Perhaps your doubt has so terrified that you that you’ve sought to shoot or strangle it instead of allowing it to motivate your wrestling with God’s words.

Truth is never scared of a microscope. If something is true then it’s true down to it’s very core. You don’t have to be afraid to ask difficult questions.

Check it out!