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Genesis: Begin Again

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This post begins a series of Bible book overviews. While most book overviews are written with a view toward observation (summarizing or outlining what is said), I write this series with a view toward interpretation (summarizing or outlining why it is said). I will walk through not simply the contents but the argument of each book. I will not cover every book, but only those I have spent enough time in to believe I have something to say.

Many have observed that the narrator of Genesis organizes his material by citing his sources (“These are the generations of” or “This is the account of,” depending on the translation). He makes eleven such statements, though most agree that the two resulting sections of chapter 36 are so similar as to belong together. The eleven statements are in Genesis 2:4, 5:1, 6:9, 10:1, 11:9, 11:27, 25:12, 25:19, 36:1, 36:9, and 37:2. Combining the two sections of chapter 36 results in 10 literary subsections.

In addition almost every commentator wants to divide the book into two major divisions: Genesis 1:1-11:26 and Genesis 11:27-50:26. (Though for shorthand, we typically call the divisions Gen 1-11 and Gen 12-50.) Combining this insight with the one in the previous paragraph shows us that Part 1 and Part 2 each have 5 sections.

Implications of the Literary Divisions

Such literary observation matters, because our interpretation must be rooted in careful observation. And it yields important insights into the argument.

For example, everyone tends to understand that Part 2 of Genesis (chapters 12-50) zeroes in on a single family, a relatively small cast of characters. And following the literary divisions, we see which characters are given greatest prominence.

  • Gen 11:27-25:11: primarily about Abraham
  • Gen 25:12-18: primarily about Ishmael’s descendants
  • Gen 25:19-35:29: primarily about Jacob
  • Gen 36:1-37:1: primarily about Esau’s descendants
  • Gen 37:2-50:26: primarily about Joseph

By tracing that literary focus of each section, we see that there is one character who, despite having tremendous theological importance, has far less literary importance to the flow of the book. That figure is Isaac.

Part 1 Walkthrough

Since the first “generations” statement occurs in Gen 2:4, we see that Gen 1:1-2:3 serves primarily as an introduction to the whole book. In that introduction, God’s creative work establishes a pattern for human dominion of the earth. This pattern communicates that humanity realizes its potential when it illuminates, shapes, and fills the earth in God’s name.1

In the rest of Part 1, we see two cycles of human failure to realize this potential.

In the first cycle, Adam fails to adequately illuminate his wife regarding the instructions of God in the garden (Gen 2-3). He does not trust God’s word, but seeks to elevate himself to God’s position without submitting to God’s authority. Then Cain fails to shape the outer regions by putting things in the right categories (Gen 4). True/false, righteous/wicked, acceptable/repulsive, and life/death all get reversed as he wrestles with his brother out of jealousy and loses. Then the sons of God fail to fill the earth the way God intended, instead parodying the mandate by filling the earth with their own progeny of selfishness and impure or unnatural intermarriage (Gen 6:1-8).

This leads to a cosmic reboot. God judges humanity through a great flood (Gen 7), and he recreates the earth through a sequence of events parallel to the initial creation in chapter 1 (Gen 8). This results in a new mandate given to a new Man, working the ground in a more glorious garden—now a vineyard (Gen 9).

This launches the second cycle of failures. Instead of illuminating the world with God’s word, Ham seeks to seize control through his own vile plans and rebellion against authority (Gen 9:22-27). Instead of shaping the world in God’s name and for God’s glory, Nimrod becomes a mighty hunter (of men?) and shapes the world into his own kingdoms, for his own glory (Gen 10:8-12). Instead of filling the earth with more submissive worshipers, the sons of Joktan ideologically intermarry with Nimrod and try to fill the earth with the glory of their own name (Gen 10:25-30, 11:1-4).

This leads to a second cosmic reboot. God judges humanity by confusing their language, scattering them over the face of the earth, leaving their work unfinished, and refusing to even put their names into the narration of their judgment (Gen 11:5-9). Joktan ends up being cut out of the genealogy of God’s people, and his brother Peleg takes his place (Gen 11:16-19).

Summary of Themes

So chapter 1 prepares us to expect patterns and cycles. And the cycles reinforce both the priority of humanty’s creation mandate and their failure to live it out.

  • Failure #1 (Adam and Ham): rejecting God’s word and rebelling against his authority.
  • Failure #2 (Cain and Nimrod): murdering brothers out of jealousy or self-advancement.
  • Failure #3 (sons of God and sons of Joktan): defiling engagement with the world; being both in the world and of it.

We ought to ask how Part 2 will further advance these themes.

Part 2 Walkthrough

As noted above, Part 2 of Genesis consists primarily of three epic stories: the tales of Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph. In between, we have brief interludes showing the multiplication of the non-chosen seed, the unappointed brothers (first Ishmael, then Esau).

Abraham’s epic (Gen 11:27-25:11) shows us, though not without flaw, a man who trusts God’s word and submits to his authority. Abram “believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (Gen 15:6). Though not without flaw, Abraham is the positive foil (contrast) to the failures of Adam and Ham. He generally shows us what it looks like to love God with all our heart.

Jacob’s epic (Gen 25:19-35:29) shows us, though not without flaw, a man who wrestles with brothers and extended family, yet without resorting to insane jealousy or murder. Though Jacob typically gets significant negative press in recent generations, we must recognize God’s own assessment of him: “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed” (Gen 32:28). He generally shows us, in contrast to Cain and Nimrod, what it looks like to wrestle our way through situations where the people around us are doing the wrong thing.

Joseph’s epic (Gen 37:2-50:26) shows us, by and large, a man who is thrust out into the world but remains unstained by it. He refuses to adopt the godless practices and hopelessness of the world around him, and he will not join the wicked in their attempts at self-glorifying world-domination. In the process, God blesses him with extraordinary influence, and a mighty reputation. He is the positive contrast to the sons of God and the sons of Joktan.

Conclusion

Genesis is a book of beginnings and new beginnings. The pattern of chapter 1 establishes an expectation of illuminating, shaping, and filling on the part of humanity, in submissive imitation of their Creator. But each time God starts over, his human creatures seem to find new ways of botching the affair.

That is, until the Lord makes a covenant with his chosen family. In his grace, he calls them to himself and empowers them to meet with (some) success.

The hope of Genesis is that the chosen people can, in fact, learn to honor him in the midst of a cruel world. They can love their God (illuminate), love their neighbors (shape), and make disciples of all nations (fill).

And each time they screw it up, it’s not the end of the story. God himself will find a way to make it possible for them to begin again. Then again (Gal 4:3-5). Then again (2 Cor 4:6-7).

Interpretive Outline

  1. God sets a pattern for humanity to illuminate, shape, and fill the earth in his name – Gen 1:1-2:3
  2. History of Failure – Gen 2:4-11:26
    1. Failure to illuminate and shape – Gen 2:4-4:26
    2. Preservation of the promise and failure to fill – Gen 5:1-6:8
    3. Judgment, new creation, and second failure to illuminate – Gen 6:9-9:29
    4. Second failure to shape and fill, second judgment – Gen 10:1-11:9
    5. Second preservation of the promise – Gen 11:10-26
  3. History of Success – Gen 11:27-50:26
    1. New creation: Abraham submits and believes (illuminates) – Gen 11:27-25:11
    2. Non-promise line of Ishmael attempts to shape and fill – Gen 25:12-18
    3. Jacob wrestles and prevails (shapes) – Gen 25:19-35:29
    4. Non-promise line of Esau attempts to shape and fill – Gen 36:1-37:1
    5. Joseph remains steadfast and changes the world (fills) – Gen 37:2-50:26

1. For a defense of this main point, see the comprehensive study of Genesis 1:1-2:3 in my book Knowable Word.↩

Applying Proverbs to the Right Situation

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A common piece of conventional wisdom is that “proverbs aren’t promises.” That is, that they are only true sometimes. Though well-intentioned, such principles are often misleading and unhelpful.

Tremper Longman has a more helpful way to fulfill the good intentions of such advice. He says of proverbs: “They are not true in every situation.” He then gives a number of examples showing how you can easily go wrong if you try to apply a proverb to the wrong situation.

So proverbs are not simply “sometimes true.” They are true in the situation intended by the proverb. And they are not true in other situations.

This is far more helpful and pastoral than causing people to question the validity of proverbs, as though they are simply rules of thumb, but you can’t really trust them. Longman’s examples are worth considering.

Check it out!

Teach Bible Study to a 2-Year-Old

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Child-twoI’ve stated elsewhere that we can teach OIA Bible study to anyone of any age.  It’s great to start ’em young.

Two-year-old children are terrific, not terrible.  They’re learning so much so quickly, and they’re ready to feast on the bread of life.  Jesus wants them with him (Matt 19:13-15), so let’s not get in the way.

How can you take advantage of this time of life?  I won’t give a comprehensive manual for parenting, but I hope to help you inspire these little ones to treasure God’s Knowable Word and learn to study it.

1.  Read Scripture

Believe it or not, Bible study involves the Bible.  God’s Word reveals his heart (2 Pet 1:21) and pierces ours (Heb 4:12).  It shapes us for glory (2 Tim 3:16-17).  And it wasn’t written just for adults (Eph 6:1-3, Col 3:20).

But sometimes we give our children a diet of caffeine-free, low-fat story book Bibles, and we neglect the nutritious, life-giving, spiritually fattening, satisfactorily scrumptious, obedience-empowering, grace-delighting Word of God.

Children’s Bibles are just great.  I like this one for two-year-olds (although sometimes it can use a stronger connection to the gospel).  But children’s story Bibles are supplements.  Not the meal.

Read the Bible regularly with your child or Sunday school class.

2.  Focus on observation

Young children notice much more than we think they do.  Just look at how much they imitate us.

While preaching a sermon last Sunday, I saw my two-year-old daughter copying my hand motions.  The accuracy of her gestures threatened my composure and confirmed my suspicions.  She catches far more than she lets on, and I’m in a position to hone her fledgling prowess.

Read just a few verses, and expect the children to notice stuff.  Ask them about what they heard and have them repeat the key details.  Then read a few more verses and repeat the process.

3.  Ask basic questions

It seems obvious, but it’s easy to neglect, especially if older children are also present.  I find myself often assuming the youngest child is “still a baby,” and I speak exclusively to the older children.  But the youngest needs practice, too.  “How many men did Jesus heal?”  “Why did he heal them?  Because they were _____ [sick].”  “How many came back to thank him [hold up one finger]?”

4.  Take advantage of the “Why” phase

By the time they reach 3 years of age, many children learn how to ask “why” and never turn back.  They ask it all the time.  Don’t be annoyed by it.  In fact, you can beat them to it.

“Why did Jesus die?  So we could have ______ [life].”  “Why do we need Jesus?  Because our hearts are ______ [sick].”

5.  Ask leading questions

It’s okay if your questions have obvious answers.  The repetition over time is more important than unique insight on the child’s part.  Young children excel at memorization, and asking the same questions over and over builds their foundation.

In our house, the mantra is: “How does God want you to obey?”  Answer: right away, all the way, and with a cheerful heart.

That’s followed by: “And why did Jesus die?”  Answer: so we could have life.

Every Bible study connects in some way to these two questions.

When it comes to training my children, I don’t want to be original.  I want to be useful.

6.  Give them Jesus

They need Jesus more than anything – more than Bible knowledge, more than life lessons, and more than good behavior.  Even at age two, children can learn that “Jesus” is usually the right answer to any question.

Question: What other ideas do you have?  What resources have you found helpful?

(Disclosure: the link above is an affiliate link, so if you click it and buy stuff from Amazon, you’ll help to support our site!)

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Reminder: Bible Reading Challenge Underway

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Here is a friendly reminder that we’re in the midst of our annual Bible reading challenge. (See the link for rules.) You have until March 31 to read the entire Bible.

If you complete the challenge, just let me know by completing the form below, and you’ll be entered into a drawing for an ESV Reader’s Bible, Six Volume Set, With Chapter and Verse Numbers or a one-volume reader’s Bible of your choice.

Just make sure you complete the form after you finish. Entries are time stamped, and those with a finish date after the date of submission will be deleted.

Mastering Book I of the Psalms

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After completing my annual speed-read of the Bible, I like to follow Joe Carter’s plan for how to change your mind. Carter’s plan is simply to select a book of the Bible, read it 20 times in a row, and then move on to another book and do the same. After following that plan for 3 years, I’ve covered 20 books of the Bible, alternating between shorter books and longer ones. This discipline has been the most effective practice I’ve ever followed to help me master these books.

And for most of 2020, I’ve decided to tackle the third-longest book of the Bible: Psalms. (I already covered the second-longest, Genesis, in 2017. The first-longest, Jeremiah, still glares at me threateningly from an undisclosed rendezvous in my future timeline.)

To help me grasp the book’s ebbs and flows, and to prevent too much sensation of swimming in molasses, I’ve decided to consume the book of Psalms according to its five subdivisions, called “books.” Most Bibles will put headings over those five books: Psalms 1-41, 42-73, 74-89, 90-106, and 107-150.

So for now, I’m reading only Psalms 1-41 repeatedly (about to finish my 11th repetition). After 20 times there, I’ll move on to Book II, and so on.

Image by Nathan Williams from Pixabay

The Data I’m Collecting

I’m creating a spreadsheet to help me analyze the psalms and the book’s larger structure. You can find the fruit of my labors here. (I’ll also post it on the blog’s Resources page, so you can easily find it in the future.)

On the spreadsheet, I’m tracking every ascription and description given for a psalm. I’m also tracking every psalm that uses the term “psalm,” “choirmaster,” or “selah.”

But besides such trivia, I’m also tracking which psalms are acrostics (where each verse or stanza begins with a subsequent letter of the Hebrew alphabet), what sort of poem each psalm is, which NT verses directly quote from each psalm.

And above all, I’m recording what I believe to be the main point of each psalm. My purpose in doing this is not to erase or ignore the nature of the poetry, which is typically intended to be felt and pondered and not merely reduced to a logical proposition. My purpose is simply to recognize that each psalm is profitable for teaching, correcting, reproving, and/or training in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16). And when I’m feeling especially discouraged about a particular sin that doesn’t seem to go away—to give a practical example—I would like the spreadsheet to help me remember the psalm whose primary purpose is to ask God not to discipline me in anger as my sin deserves. (In case you’re wondering, it’s Psalm 38.)

What I’m Gleaning

The biggest lesson for me so far is that the Psalms are clearly arranged with intention. This is no random assortment of devotional poems. The five books of Psalms have been set in their order to communicate a number of overarching themes designed to infect the prayer and worship of God’s people. To give only one example of the purposeful arrangement, notice how Book I has four psalms with an acrostic structure (marked in column H of the spreadsheet). No other Book has an acrostic, until Book V, which also has exactly four. This can’t be a coincidence.

For a brief, yet brilliant, take on the book of Psalms see the Bible Project video below. While I differ with them on a few details, I find their broad insight into the book quite stimulating. These guys are the ones who set me down the path of seeing the intentionality behind the book’s arrangement.

With respect to Book I, I was intrigued by the proposal that Psalms 15-24 make up an extended chiasm (a structure where the second half is a mirror image in parallel to the first half). As I have dug into these psalms myself, I can’t help but wonder whether the chiasm extends out all the way to Psalms 3-35. I’ve color-coded the parallel pairs in the spreadsheet.

Many commentators, not only those at The Bible Project, agree that Psalms 1-2 provide an introduction to the entire book. This introductions establishes a blessing on those who 1) hold fast to God’s Word and 2) submit to God’s King. I find it unsurprising that the center of the Book I chiasm consists of Psalms 19 & 20, which have the same pair of themes.

Not all proposed pairings are self-evident. But many are uncanny. For example, in Psalm 4, David asks God to answer him when he calls (Psalm 4:1), and in Psalm 34, David praises God for hearing him when he called (Psalm 34:6).

This leads to another insight I’ve gleaned, which is that there is clear movement over the course of the book. Each psalm, and even subsets of verses of a psalm, could be read or prayed in isolation as an act of worship (here are two examples). But at the same time, there is a broad movement over the course of the book that is worth following.

For example, consider only Book I. After introducing the main themes of the book in Psalms 1-2 (blessing on the one who trusts God’s Word and God’s King), the editor presents 39 psalms connected—with only one exception—to David. And in these psalms, we see a high percentage of laments and requests for help from persecution (19 psalms). Intertwined throughout are occasional psalms of praise or blessing (13 psalms). But most of the “praise” psalms even focus on praise for the opportunity to request help when life is tough (Psalms 9-10, 18, 21, 30, 33, 34, 40).

The first praise psalm (Psalm 8) is about how God set a human to reign as king over creation against God’s enemies. And the last praise psalm (Psalm 40) gives thanks for past deliverance in order to request further deliverance in the future (Ps 40:13-17). The rejoicing over past deliverance flows right out of the requests in Psalms 36-39. And the request for future deliverance sets up the Book’s final psalm (Psalm 41), which is as much a confession of faith as a lament over poor circumstances. “Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble Yahweh delivers him” (Ps 41:1).

Putting it together, we see the following flow of thought through Book I:

  • Blessed is the one who trusts God’s Word and God’s King – Pss 1-2
  • David was a king who trusted God’s Word through all sorts of turmoil – Pss 3-18
  • Center of chiasm: The king asks God to align his words with God’s words, and the people ask God to save the king – Pss 19-20
  • But David is not the end of the story. He has yet to be freed from oppression, sickness, and personal sin. He is not yet vindicated as the true Son of God. There must be something more – Pss 21-41

This leaves us wondering whether Book II might suggest what is that “something more.”

A Commentator on Proper Use of Commentaries

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Regardless of whether you agree with Tremper Longman on the best way to read the book of Genesis, his advice on how to properly use commentaries is terrific:

There is a right way and a wrong way to use a commentary. Actually, there are two wrong ways. The first is to ignore completely the use of commentaries. Some people do not consult commentaries because they believe that, since all Christians are equal as they approach the Scriptures, scholars have no privileged insight into the biblical text. The second error is to become overly dependent on commentaries. “These people have devoted their whole lives to the study of the Bible. How can my opinion measure up to theirs?”

Those holding the first position are wrong because they forget that God gives different gifts to different people in the Church. Not all people are equally adept at understanding the Bible and teaching it to others (1 Cor 12:12–31). Those holding the second position err in the opposite direction. They forget that God has given believers the Spirit by which they can discern spiritual things (1 Cor 2:14–16).

The right way to use a commentary is as a help. We should first study a passage without reference to any helps. Only after coming to an initial understanding of the passage should we consult commentaries.

Neither should we let commentaries bully us. Many times they will be of great help, but sometimes the reader will be right and the commentaries will be wrong.”

The piece at the Logos blog reflects further on the best use of commentaries.

Check it out!

Context Matters: Leave the Dead to Bury Their Own Dead

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Perhaps you’ve heard some of Jesus’ cryptic sayings, such as “Let the dead bury their own dead.” What are we to make of such a mysterious sentence? How shall we go about trying to puzzle it out?

Context matters. When we learn to read the Bible properly—and we don’t just take a guess at the meaning on our own—we’ll find that the clues are right there in the passage waiting to be found.

The Text

The command comes in response to a man who considers following Jesus. The man asks to be allowed to go first and bury his father. Then Jesus speaks the words under consideration: “Leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

This brief scene occurs in both Matthew 8:21-22 and Luke 9:59-60. For the sake of this post, I’m looking at Luke’s version. Because Matthew may have a different use in mind for this scene, I might analyze his version in another post. For this season, however, my head has been in Luke. So I’ll camp there.

Photo by Rhodi Lopez on Unsplash

Some Options

A number of options have been proposed for how to interpret this command.

Some describe an ancient Jewish practice of “second burial,” where a family would return to the tomb of a loved one a year after burial and rearrange the placement of the bones. They suggest that, because Jesus would presumably never contradict the 5th commandment to honor one’s parents (Ex 20:12), Jesus must be ordering the man to forgo this practice of second burial. “Leave the second-burial dead to bury their own first-burial dead.”

Others claim that the first “dead” in the verse refers to the spiritually dead. And a Christian ought to delegate the responsibility for burying their (physically) dead parents to those who are not Christians. “Leave the spiritually dead to bury their own physically dead.”

Still others suggest that the man’s father was not yet dead, and the potential disciple was merely making excuses not to follow Jesus. “Leave off the excuse of needing to care for the aging.”

Another idea is that the phrase means either that God must come first before all else, or that we must accept that what is done is done. “Bury your priorities and your past as though they were dead, and put me first.”

Still others propose that the command is not relevant to Christians today, but was only for the first apostles. Jesus’ call to them then was so strict as to preclude their responsibility to care for aging or dying parents. But his call on us today is not as strict. “Leave the dead apostles to leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

How are we to choose from among these options? Surely we won’t get the answer by closing our eyes and reflecting on the options until one of them feels right. There have got to be clues in the text itself.

Help from the Structure

In Luke’s account, we’re given three brief scenes with potential disciples, all in a row. The first (Luke 9:57-58) and third (Luke 9:61-62) both take initiative with Jesus and announce “I will follow you.” However, with the second potential disciple, the one we are considering, Jesus makes the first move: “Follow me” (Luke 9:59). This pattern sets up a simple three-part structure:

  • “I will follow you wherever you go.”
    • “Follow me… But as for you…”
  • “I will follow you, Lord, but…”

The first and third potential disciples are idealists. They’re quick to make promises about what they will do. The first is a broad idealist, offering to follow Jesus “wherever.” And the second one is a narrow idealist, offering to follow Jesus under one small condition (“let me first say farewell to those at my home”). But both remain idealists who need a dose of reality: We won’t have the greatest of accommodations (Luke 9:58), and we need to be singly focused on the kingdom (Luke 9:62).

But the structure of the paragraph points a flashing neon arrow at the second potential disciple. Being at the center of the concentric structure, we ought to expect the punchline to fall there.

And so it does. Not only is Jesus the one to take initiative, but he also closes the vignette with a clear call: “But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60). So in some way, “burying the dead” is in tension with “proclaiming the kingdom of God.” If burying the dead will get in the way of proclaiming the kingdom, then leave the task to the dead.

In brief, then, the structure helps us to see the main point: Go and proclaim the kingdom. But it doesn’t yet help us to grasp the precise interpretation of the phrase “leave the dead to bury their own dead.” We need more help.

Help Before and After

The train of thought in the larger passage may come to the rescue.

The paragraph before the one we’re examining (Luke 9:51-56) launches a major division in Luke’s gospel (see my post on how to navigate the middle of Luke). In that paragraph, James and John ask if Jesus wants them to call down fire on a village that didn’t receive him (Luke 9:53-54). Clearly he doesn’t, because he rebukes them and moves on to another village (Luke 9:55-56). So now is not a time for unflinching judgment.

The paragraphs after the one we’re examining (Luke 10:1-24) show Jesus appointing “seventy-two others” (so not including the Twelve) to go ahead of him (Luke 10:1) and proclaim the kingdom of God (Luke 10:9, 11). For this particular mission, they are to take no supplies and stop to greet no one (Luke 10:4). In other words, they are to leave possessions and ordinary politeness behind. This mission is far too urgent.

So the train of thought takes the following track:

  • Now is a time not for judgment but for patience—Luke 9:51-56
  • Now is a time for single-minded and urgent proclamation of the kingdom—Luke 9:57-62
  • Here are your marching orders for this season of patient yet urgent proclamation—Luke 10:1-24

Conclusion

I don’t think we have reason to believe that “leave the dead to bury their own dead” is intended by Luke as a code or metaphor for something else, as though we need to figure out who exactly the first “dead” are and who the second “dead” are. I also don’t see support from the context for even a precise definition for the saying.

Luke’s purpose here is not to tell us what to do with our dead. His purpose is to paint a picture of the urgency of proclaiming the kingdom of God. In particular, the urgency they had then of proclaiming Jesus’ approach toward Jerusalem to bring that kingdom (Luke 9:51, 53).

In painting this picture, Luke portrays a man who wants to bury his father. And Jesus wants the man to leave the situation alone for now so he can proclaim this urgent kingdom message instead. Somewhat like a modern father of a preschooler, late for a family gathering, telling his daughter to just leave her baby dolls to have their own tea party; we only need to get in the car! She would be missing the point if she began dissecting the question of whether dolls really have the ability to have their own tea parties without her.

So the weight of our interpretation ought to land on the proclamation of the kingdom instead of on deciding allowable burial practices.

Now, while the passage clearly has a particular setting (proclaiming Jesus’ imminent arrival in Jerusalem), I wouldn’t go as far as to say that this means the passage has no application to today (as with the last option on the list above). All Scripture is profitable for teaching and equipping. We can identify principles here for application, but we need to be careful not to read the instructions as though they had been delivered directly to us. There was something unique about Jesus’ journey toward Jerusalem, for which those 72 folks had a particular urgency. We likewise face an analogous urgency in our proclamation of the kingdom, but the instructions don’t always directly apply. For example, it may now be appropriate for missionaries to raise support (contra Luke 10:4; see Rom 15:24, Phil 4:15-18).

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

Why Study Esther

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Jesse Johnson has another great post at The Cripplegate, this time about the book of Esther. (I previously linked to one about Ezra.) In “Why Study Esther,” Johnson delves into the mystery of why God is never named or explicitly mentioned in the book.

To drive this point home, Esther is the only book of the Bible that does not mention God or God’s name. In fact, the author goes out of his way to avoid writing it (consider the pains he took in Esther 4:14, writing an ambiguous sentence when every Jewish child would know God was the one working).

But this too is by design. No book of the Bible has its focus on God’s sovereign direction of history to the extent that Esther does. It’s masterful. It’s clear. It’s unambiguous. But it’s also subtly beautiful.

Only a fool would look at a backyard covered in animal tracks and declare that because the animals can’t be seen now, they must not have been there at all. Similarly, only a fool would look at Esther and imagine that because God is not seen on stage that he is not there at all.

At the end of 2019, I spent a few months saturating in Esther, reading it 20 times in a row. I agree with Johnson on the book’s high value. The full article is worth your time.

Check it out!

How to Navigate the Middle of Luke

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Of the four New Testament gospels, Luke’s is the lengthiest. And in my opinion, the longest section within the book (Luke 9:51-19:27) is the most challenging to get through. It can feel aimless and meandering, almost as though Luke indulges his personal wanderlust without a clear purpose or organization.

Image by Ales Krivec from Pixabay

Literary Stasis

At least his second volume, the book of Acts, can be organized according to travel sequences. The gospel moves out in waves from Jerusalem, into Judea, then Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth. And “the ends of the earth” section is commonly subdivided into Paul’s first, second, and third missionary journeys, with a voyage to Rome appended to the end.

But in Luke, Jesus simply commits himself to going to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51), and then he finally goes up to Jerusalem (Luke 19:28). And nothing really happens plot-wise in the intervening 10 chapters. There is a lot of talking and meandering, with occasional reminders that Jesus is “on the way.” But very few narrative events take place. And they are the sort of events that don’t typically show up on a summary timeline of the life of Christ.

There’s a funny thing about these 10 chapters. In a sense, Luke could have gone without them. Luke more or less puts Jesus into a literary stasis, frozen in the act of traveling toward Jerusalem (with almost no named stops along the way). And Luke’s overall themes could function without this part of the book. In Luke 1:1-4:13, Luke presents Jesus as, himself, the salvation of God. In Luke 4:14-9:50, Jesus proclaims the coming salvation of God through himself. And in Luke 19:28 to the end, Jesus goes and accomplishes the salvation of God. Luke could have jumped right from Luke 9:51 to Luke 19:28 without the intervening material, and the book would still have made sense.

The “parenthetical” nature of Luke 9:51-19:27 is so stark that commentators even have a label for it. They tend to call this section of Luke “The Travelogue” or “The Travel Narrative.”

What further sense can we make of this literary stasis?

Literary Divisions

It appears that Luke divides this large section into four sub-sections.* His literary signal, to show the beginning of a new sub-section, is a reminder that the plot is still frozen and Jesus is still “on the way” to Jerusalem.

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.

Luke 9:51

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village.

Luke 10:38

He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.

Luke 13:22

On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee.

Luke 17:11

In each case, Luke makes sure to remind us that Jesus is “on the way” to Jerusalem. And then, almost immediately, somebody asks Jesus a weighty question. And Luke spends the rest of the section showing us how Jesus answered the question.

So the pattern to mark each sub-section is as follows:

  1. Luke reminds us that Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem.
  2. Somebody asks a weighty question.
  3. The following collection of scenes and dialogues answers the question.

For example, in the first section (Luke 9:51-10:37), James and John ask Jesus if he wants them to call down fire from heaven on an unresponsive village (Luke 9:54). Jesus rebukes them, and then he calls another disciple to “go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60). The rest of the section describes the plan for such proclamation.

In the second section (Luke 10:38-13:21), Martha asks Jesus whether he cares that her sister has left her to serve alone (Luke 10:40). She asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her with the work. Jesus tells Martha that he absolutely cares about what Mary has done, and that Mary has actually chosen the better portion—to sit at his feet and grow closer to him. The rest of the section describes the process for such growth in the lives of those who will sit at Jesus’ feet. We get instruction about such practical topics as the Holy Spirit, prayer, tradition, money management, and repentance.

At the start of the third section (Luke 13:22-17:10), a random person asks Jesus if those who are saved will be few (Luke 13:23). Jesus acknowledges that they will, in fact, be few. And very many will strive to enter the kingdom but will find themselves weeping outside. The rest of the section shows a great concern for how many will get in and how many will be left out.

At the start of the fourth section (Luke 17:11-19:27), the Pharisees ask Jesus when the kingdom of God will come (Luke 17:20). Jesus claims that it has already arrived, but they are simply unable to recognize it for what it is. The rest of the section then describes how to recognize the kingdom, how it is already upon us, and how most Jews of that generation are just about out of time to enter it.

Summary

In summary, this lengthy section of Luke, this literary stasis, could be called “The Life of Discipleship.” This large section describes life in the kingdom of God, the life of those who would be his disciples. Luke freezes the plot to draw out the implications of what he’s told us so far in the book. What is Jesus really after? How would he describe the results he expects from his salvation? When does he expect things to play out? And what sort of people does he want his followers to be?

This lengthy section concerns four main topics:

  1. How we must proclaim his kingdom (Luke 9:51-10:37)
  2. How to grow as citizens of the kingdom (Luke 10:38-13:21)
  3. Who is a true citizen, and who is not (Luke 13:22-17:10)
  4. How to recognize that the kingdom has, in fact, come through Jesus (Luke 17:11-19:27)

Now that you grasp this skeleton, perhaps you can make more sense of the meandering parables and dialogues found there. We find some of Jesus’ most famous parables here (e.g. good Samaritan, lost sheep, prodigal son, Pharisee and tax collector, rich fool, and rich man and Lazarus). Perhaps you’ll grasp these parables—and other familiar texts—more clearly when you consider them within the context of their sub-section.

* For these structural insights, I am indebted to William Taylor’s marvelous two-volume study guide on Luke in the Read Mark Learn series (Christian Focus, 2016 & 2018).

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Context Matters: Always Prepared to Make a Defense

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Perhaps you’ve heard that, as a believer in Christ Jesus, you must always be prepared to make a defense for the hope that is in you. And for good reason. 1 Peter 3:15 has inspired countless books on apologetics, as well as instruction on how to enter the moral and philosophical debates surrounding objections to the Christian faith. Is that what Peter had in mind?

Context matters. When we learn to read the Bible properly—and not merely as a collection of isolated instructions—we’ll find that some commands make even more sense in light of what came before.

Photo by Thao Le Hoang on Unsplash

The Command

We find the command in 1 Peter 3:15:

“…in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…”

I often hear the verse quoted just like that, landing on the key phrases “always prepared to make a defense” and “a reason for the hope that is in you.” But we ought to notice that this is only part of a sentence.

The sentence begins with: “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled…” (1 Pet 3:14b). And the sentence ends with, “…yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Pet 3:15b-16).

And look at the next sentence: “For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil” (1 Pet 3:17).

If you read my recent post on “the weaker vessel” in 1 Pet 3:7, I imagine many bells should be ringing for you. You can’t miss the connections to the larger context.

The Argument

While I encourage you to read that full post, let me summarize Peter’s argument in this section of the letter (1 Pet 2:11-4:11).

Peter’s main idea in the whole section is that we must resist our natural desires to do evil, and choose to do good instead (1 Pet 2:11-12). A major reason for doing this is that we might win over, to the glorification of God, those who are currently doing the wrong thing by maligning us (1 Pet 2:12b).

Peter then particularizes the instruction to the power structures of society (1 Pet 2:13-17). Wherever you are in the hierarchy, you have an opportunity to influence others to join you in giving glory to God. Peter offers three examples:

  • Servants can win over harsh masters by doing the good of honoring them through lawful submission (1 Pet 2:18-25).
  • Wives can win over disobedient husbands by doing the good of honoring them through lawful submission (1 Pet 3:1-6).
  • Husbands can extend honor not only up the chain (to the emperor – 1 Pet 2:17) but also down the chain, toward their wives, the “weaker vessels.” Doing this enables them to win their wives, who are co-heirs of grace, to a lifelong partnership of prayer.

In 1 Pet 3:8, the author now generalizes the instruction to “all of you.” He continues applying the same principles; he’s just no longer discussing specific power structures. We are to do good and not evil (1 Pet 3:9-11; 4:1). We do this, even when people hate us for it (1 Pet 3:13-14, 16-17; 4:4), so we might win them to the glory of God (1 Pet 3:9, 12, 16; 4:5-6, 8-11).

Comparisons to Earlier Examples

Let’s refocus on 1 Pet 3:14-16.

When Peter says “have no fear of them,” we ought to think about the command to fear God (1 Pet 2:17), and the command for servants to be subject to their masters “with all respect” (a commentary will inform you that “respect” and “fear” translate the same Greek word in this passage). We ought to think of the “respectful” conduct of godly wives (1 Pet 3:2) who don’t need to “fear” the intimidation or mistreatment they might receive from disobedient husbands. The fear in 1 Pet 3:14 is the fear of slander or persecution for doing what is right in God’s sight.

When Peter says to give “a reason for the hope that is in you,” this is in direct contrast to the instruction to the “weak” to win their husbands without a word (1 Pet 3:1). In other words, when you’re with those doing the wrong thing, don’t try to win them by nagging them. Win them by being the most respectful, pure, and gentle person in the room. When they ask why you’re doing that, then speak.

When Peter speaks of “the hope that is in you,” he’s reconnecting you to your spiritual ancestors, like Sarah, who “hoped in God” (1 Pet 3:5).

When Peter speaks of being “slandered,” and of “those who revile your good behavior,” he’s connecting right back to the example of Jesus (1 Pet 2:23) and the larger situation of dealing with those who “speak against you as evildoers” (1 Pet 2:12).

The Point

So what is Peter getting at in 1 Pet 3:15? Having already covered good and godly behavior within society’s hierarchy (1 Pet 2:13-3:7), he now carries over the same principles to all relationships. Whether you’re in the public square, or with extended family members, or around school-fellows or co-workers, the same principles apply.

Do what is right. Use your freedom as a child of God to serve God and not cover up the evil around you. Don’t nag people or present yourself as “holier-than-thou” or “too good for this crowd.”

Christians should be the most gentle, most respectful, most honoring people to be around. If you fear God and honor him in this way, it is inevitable that others will try to take advantage of it. They will attack you and call you all kinds of names. They will presume upon your motives and malign your intentions. Your gentleness and respect will make them feel so ashamed of themselves that they must take it out on you through ridicule, dismissal, or outright persecution.

When that happens, don’t fear. It shows that you are blessed by God. Don’t fear their intimidation or social media lynching. Continue honoring Christ the Lord, by reserving to him the most prized place in your heart.

And when a few courageous ones ask how you can put up with all of the scorn, you’ll be ready to explain it. You’ll be prepared to explain your hope in King Jesus, who similarly suffered, albeit only once, for sins, that he might bring us to God, having died in the flesh but now raised from the dead by the Spirit (1 Pet 3:18).

Apologetic Conclusion

So what does this mean for apologetics—a more direct, initiated, and formal defense of the faith?

By all means, please do it. That is a fine application of this text, as long as you do it with gentleness and respect (1 Pet 3:15b). And please don’t live in such a way that you’ll end up undermining your own words (1 Pet 3:16).

But apologetics are not the only application here. Nor, most likely, even the primary application Peter had in mind. Not all Christians can succeed at philosophical argumentation. But all must succeed at living righteous and respectful lives, thereby generating opportunities to bear witness to the suffering and kingship of the Lord Jesus.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.