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Answers to Christmas Observation Exercise

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Last week, I posted some questions to see how well you’ve observed the birth narratives in Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2, and Revelation 12. I now come bearing answers.

  1. In a dream (Matt 1:20)
  2. He came to her in a city of Galilee called Nazareth (Luke 1:26-28)
  3. An angel of the Lord (Matt 1:20)
  4. Gabriel (Luke 1:26)
  5. Both (Matt 1:21, Luke 1:31)
  6. Immanuel (Matt 1:22-23)
  7. The Son of the Most High (Luke 1:32)
  8. Joseph (Matt 1:25). Luke 2:21 does not specify which parent named him, but Matt 1:25 does.
  9. A great red dragon (Rev 12:3-4), who is the ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan (Rev 12:9).
  10. Herod (Matt 2:16)
  11. A house (Matt 2:11)

How Well Have You Observed the Birth Narratives?

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For your Christmas cheer, here is a little quiz. How well have you observed the narratives of Jesus’ birth over the years? First, try this without looking. Then check out Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2, and Revelation 12 for any answers you struggled to remember. Or go ahead and read those passages first, then come back here to see how well you observed them?

  1. In what form or setting did the angel appear to Joseph, when he told him Mary would have a child?
  2. In what form or setting did the angel appear to Mary, when he told her she would have a child?
  3. Which angel appeared to Joseph?
  4. Which angel appeared to Mary?
  5. Which parent—Mary or Joseph—was told to name the child Jesus?
  6. What other name does Matthew say the child will be called?
  7. What other name does Luke say the child will be called?
  8. Which parent—Mary or Joseph—actually named him Jesus when he was born?
  9. Who was waiting to kill Jesus right before he was born?
  10. Who tried to kill him shortly after he was born?
  11. In what sort of structure was Jesus located when the wise men met him and fell down to worship him?

I will post the answers next week so you can see how you did.

Not the Rock but the Storm

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I was recently studying the end of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount, and something struck me about the parable of the builders. Take a look at it.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matt 7:24-27)

This little parable brings the Sermon to an end, and it is famous enough that anyone who has been around church knows what it means, right? There’s even an old children’s song about it: “The wise man builds his house upon the rock…” According to the third and fourth verses:

So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ
So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ
So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ
And the blessings will come down.

The blessings come down as the prayers go up
The blessings come down as the prayers go up
The blessings come down as the prayers go up
So build your house on the Lord

Is that what this parable teaches?

Image generated with Jetpack AI Assistant from the prompt “beach house built on sand destroyed by hurricane”

A Closer Look at the Parable

Jesus is not the least bit mysterious. This parable is perhaps one of the clearest he ever told. No attempt to trick anyone here:

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man… And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will like a foolish man…

So the building of a house on the rock is a picture of not only hearing Jesus’ words but also obeying them. And the building of a house on the sand is a picture of hearing Jesus’ words and not obeying them. So the rock in this parable is a metaphor not for Jesus but for a Christian’s obedience to Jesus. The sand is a picture of disobedience, or perhaps even indifference, to Jesus’ commands.

Of course, this does not mean that “building on the foundation of Jesus” is an unbiblical metaphor. We find that very metaphor in numerous texts such as Eph 2:19-20 or 2 Cor 3:10-11.

So I’m not saying that it’s wrong to portray Jesus with the metaphor of a foundation on which we build. All I’m saying is that that is not what is going on in the parable of the builders in Matthew 7:24-27. In this parable, the rock is not a metaphor for Christ himself but for the Christian’s obedience to Christ.

That doesn’t mean, however, that Jesus himself is absent from the parable. I believe he still plays a major role within it. And maybe the context can help.

A Closer Look at the Context

We don’t have to go very far. The immediately preceding paragraph describes two different kinds of people as well: those who will enter the kingdom of heaven and those who won’t. And the person who will enter is “the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21)—not necessarily the person who builds their case on a foundation of confessing Jesus as Lord (Matt 7:21) or on a foundation of seeking to represent Jesus when speaking the truth, overpowering satanic forces, or performing miracles (Matt 7:22).

The person who builds their Christian life from the groundwork of obedience to the Father will survive the judgment executed by Jesus himself. They will never have to hear him say, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matt 7:23).

Do you see how, between these two paragraphs, Jesus equates doing “the will of my Father who is in heaven” with hearing “these words of mine” and doing them? Jesus places his commands at the same level of authority as the Father’s will. Jesus’ authority is thus complete and dramatic (Matt 7:28-29).

And because Jesus’ authority is both exhaustive and divine, he is the one whom every man and woman will one day have to face. He is the one who will break the nations with a rod of iron and own the peoples for his inheritance (Psalm 2:4-9). So on the last day, he will remove all pretenders from before him (Matt 7:23). Those who honored him with their lips but kept their hearts far from him (Matt 5:20-48) will be cut down and thrown into the fire (Matt 7:19). Those who practiced their righteousness before men, to be rewarded by them, will have reached the end of their full reward (Matt 6:1). Those who passed through the wide gate and walked the broad road with the rest of humanity will reach the end of that path—destruction (Matt 7:13).

And Jesus will be the one doling it out with all authority in heaven and on earth.

So Where is Jesus in the Parable?

By the time we reach the end of the Sermon on the Mount, it ought to be clear that Jesus is not, in this text, the rock on which a person must build their life. No, Jesus is the storm that will come and put severe pressure on the lives they have built.

Jesus is the storm. He is the flood, and the wind (Matt 7:25, 27).

Those who have only heard him, before going on with their precious little lives, will suffer from his storm, and they will fall spectacularly (Matt 7:27). But those who heard his words and then went and lived them out? Those folks will face the same Judge as the first group.

But they will remain standing before him. They will not be shattered to pieces. They will not fall (Matt 7:25).

What will be your experience of facing this Judge and the storm of his reckoning?

Wisdom Ought to be Attractive

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When we hope in the right person, and listen to his instruction often, we should expect others to be attracted to do the same. Why wouldn’t they be? God is giving us garlands and pendants.

For they are a graceful garland to your head
And pendants for your neck (Prov 1:9).

My beautiful wife Erin doesn’t wear a lot of jewelry, but she does have that one pearl necklace for special occasions. I won’t go into too much detail about it, but hooo boy!

close up photo of woman wearing beaded white pearl necklace
Photo by Rene Terp on Pexels.com

Wisdom’s Powerful Influence

True wisdom is attractive. It is like jewelry that beautifies. It attracts others by holding up the beauty and blessings of wisdom’s path. If we are truly becoming wise, then others around us should see that wisdom and be drawn to it. You can’t keep it to yourself.

For example, I have been involved in churches where the elders are such wise and godly leaders that I make up stuff to talk about just so that I can be around them and learn from them! When I see a group of people loitering with one of those elders, I find a way to get myself in on that conversation because I know that “pearls of wisdom” will drip from his lips, sneak into my ears, and infiltrate my heart. I will become a better person simply by hanging out with those who are really wise.

Unfortunately there are often times when we (even as leaders, teachers, and parents) truly love Jesus but have stopped listening to him regularly and thus have little influence in the lives of others. Maybe we go into lecture mode and fail to draw others out (Jas 1:19-21). Perhaps we think people ought to pay attention to us because of our leadership position, when the Bible says real influence flows from our wise and godly character (1 Cor 10:32-11:1; Phm 8-10). Maybe we’ve plateaued in our walk with Christ, and we are no longer growing in wisdom. Whatever the issue is, we haven’t made the effort to become biblically wise, and then we wonder why no one listens to our opinions or why our children rebel.

Wisdom’s Attractive Influence

The greatest struggles in my marriage usually center on money issues. In our best moments, when we acquire some unexpected funds, my gut instinct is to give them away, and Erin’s gut instinct is to save them for the future (especially for our children). Both instincts are biblically informed and reasonably selfless. Yet every time the situation arises, we must make a decision on what to do. How should we go about it?

One way I could do it is to make a power play. “Well Darling, I’m the head of this household. So here is what I think we should do….” I’ve tried this method before, but it rarely results in the swoons and contented sighs I expect. Nor has she said, “I’m so glad to have such a wise husband to make these difficult decisions for me.” But other tactics have been more helpful.

  1. I try to listen to her: “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame” (Pr 18:13).
  2. I attempt to draw out her concerns: “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out” (Pr 20:5).
  3. I consider first how I need to change before we can make a good decision on this issue: “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Pr 26:12).
  4. I seek to approach any faulty thinking I see in her in a way that lowers her defenses rather than raising them. This tactic requires me to know what serves her: “A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle” (Pr 18:19). For Erin, this means that I introduce any criticism with “I love you, and it’s just a small thing, but…”
  5. In the rare cases when I have actually followed through on these wise principles, she usually wants to follow my lead! “They are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck” (Pr 1:9).

If you are a parent or leader of any sort, would you prefer for your children, students, or congregation members to follow your influence only when they have no other option, and then pull away from you once they do? Or would you prefer for them to be so attracted to the godly wisdom they find in you that they’re always coming back for more?

Let’s commit to trusting in Christ, seeking him daily, and transforming our world for his glory.

This post was first published in 2012.

Listen to Instruction

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Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
And forsake not your mother’s teaching (Prov 1:8, ESV).

Having set our hope in the right person, we are now called to do the right thing in response. In verse 8, we have the first instance of one of the most repeated commands in Proverbs 1-9: the command to hear or listen. Solomon made every effort to give us a written record of his instruction, and he calls us to hear it over and over again. Will we do it? Will we listen? Will the instruction sink down deep and become a part of us? Will it make any difference in how we live our lives?

This question is important enough for him to repeat the command incessantly. Hear my instruction (Pr 1:8a). Don’t forsake your mother’s teaching (Pr 1:8b). Make your ear attentive to wisdom (Pr 2:2a). Incline your heart to understanding (Pr 2:2b). Be attentive, that you may gain insight (Pr 4:1). Hear and accept my words (Pr 4:10). Be attentive to my wisdom (Pr 5:1). And so on.

deer behind grass
Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com

Notice, too, that the word “instruction” in 1:8 connects back to Proverbs 1:2, where the first purpose of Solomon’s proverbs was to help us know wisdom and instruction. The “instruction” that he refers to is not his own personal advice, but rather the instruction of God, revealed through his Word, of which Solomon is now a representative. Solomon is not asking his audience to hear and obey every personal whim of his simply because he’s the older, more experienced one among them. He is pointing them to a greater set of instructions: those that came right from the Lord and can be applied to every detail of our lives. This conclusion flows from Prov 1:7 where fools despise the Lord’s instruction, but those who are wise fear the Lord (and thus hear his instruction).

How does this apply to us? If God has put us in positions of spiritual authority over others (as parents, elders, pastors, teachers, etc.), then we should be simultaneously confident and humble in our leadership. We can be utterly confident as representatives of the God of the universe (Josh 1:5, 2 Cor 5:20). Yet we’re also humble, knowing that our instruction does not always match God’s teaching perfectly; there’s room for us to grow, even as leaders. In other words, we must never ask for unqualified obedience on the merit of nothing more than the leadership position God gave to us. For example, “You better obey me, because I’m your father!” We must always aim to be representatives of a greater authority (the Lord himself). And, only in so far as our advice is in line with God’s revealed wisdom, ought we to expect those under us to hear and obey.

A good friend of mine modeled well such confident and humble leadership when he asked his six-year old son for suggestions on how he could be a better father. The boy’s first response was, “You’re a great Dad; I don’t think you could be better.” But later in the day, after some difficult interactions between the father and another sibling, the boy came back and said, “Dad, one way you could be a better Dad is to not get angry when we make mistakes or disobey.” My point here is not that parents should do whatever their children want them to do, but that, in a context of confident and humble authority delegated by God, a leader need not be insecure about wise feedback, even from those he leads.

Jesus himself told us that Solomon’s wise advice was not the ultimate instruction for us to heed. Solomon was a picture of the Savior to come, the man who was God and who spoke only God’s own words. In answer to those who wanted Jesus to prove himself to them, he said, “The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here” (Matt 12:42). Jesus, as God’s ultimate representative (Heb 1:1-4),repeatedly reminded people, “Truly, truly, I say to you….” As God in flesh, Jesus had no need to speak tentatively. In fact, one title for Jesus is the Word (John 1:1; Rev 19:13). Our objective in studying Proverbs is not just to listen to Solomon but, far more importantly, to make sure we are listening to Jesus.

Our default is to listen to anything but the Lord Jesus. Our own hearts whisper sweet promises of joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction in anything other than the righteousness of Jesus. The world gives apparent credibility to these promises, offering us more stuff, more pleasure, and whatever else will promise happiness. The devil prowls about seeking to destroy us, exploiting opportunities to showcase these lies and to hide from us the reality of their vicious consequences.

Thus Solomon comes back to it again and again: “Hear…listen…pay attention.” The second step on the path of wisdom is really the same as the first. We just have to keep taking it over and over again.

This post was first published in 2012.

The Fear of the Lord

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The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction (Prov 1:7).

This verse describes the first step on the path of wisdom. We must begin by fearing the Lord. So far, so good.

person wearing white and black mid rise sneakers at borobudur indonesia
Photo by Porapak Apichodilok on Pexels.com

Defining the Fear of the Lord from the Text

But what does it mean to fear the Lord? Does it mean to reverence the Lord? Or does it mean to obey him? Or does it mean to be afraid of him? How should we understand the term “fear” in this verse?

The poetry here gives us a lot of help. Do you remember our brief discussion of parallelism (more here)? In this verse, we have an example of two lines that say opposite things. So, in order to help us interpret the first line, let’s look at the second line: “fools despise wisdom and instruction.” The beginning of knowledge in the first line appears to be parallel to wisdom and instruction in the second line. That much quickly makes sense.

That leaves us with fools despise contrasted with the fear of the LORD, so fearing the Lord must mean that I don’t despise wisdom or instruction!  How does that work?

Let’s consider this further. Why would a fool despise wisdom and instruction? Because he thinks he doesn’t need it. Why doesn’t he need it? Because he thinks he’s already smart enough. He doesn’t need anyone (especially the Lord) telling him what to do. He’s doing just fine on his own. As the fellow once sang, “I did it my way!”

The wise person, on the other hand, knows he isn’t wise enough yet. There’s always more room for growth, so he loves wisdom and instruction. He wants feedback. He welcomes constructive criticism. He delights in correction. Therefore he has the humility and faith to look for a true source of wisdom (which will not be himself). Ultimately, he knows that the only real source of this much-needed wisdom is God, who stores up wisdom and doles it out to the upright who walk in integrity (see Prov 2:6-7). Therefore, fearing the Lord means resting in God and trusting that he alone is wise.

The Fear of the Lord and the Gospel

We have here an example of the Good News being preached long before Jesus actually came on the scene. Solomon communicates that the most important thing to know about becoming wise, indeed the first step on the path of wisdom, is to acknowledge that you are not wise. Only the most courageous people can do such a thing. They must have nothing to prove, nothing to defend, and nothing to justify. They don’t make excuses or blame others for their own faults. They’re not touchy when conflicts arise or when relationships become awkward. These people find their security not in their own righteousness, but in the righteousness of another who died so they could have life.

Some wiseacre once quipped that Christianity is just a crutch for weak people. Others accurately responded that Christianity is actually more like a stretcher for dead people. Christians know they need all the help they can get. We’re dead meat if Jesus doesn’t rescue us. This teaching is not unique to Solomon, but is inscribed on every page of the New Testament as well. For one example, see 1 Corinthians 1:26-31:

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

If we are believers in Jesus and destined for eternal life and glory, it is not because we had something to offer God. Rather, God called and chose us because he couldn’t find any bigger fools than us! He gets more glory for having drafted us into his service, and we get wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. This is Good News.

When we hope in Jesus’ goodness, and not our own, we have taken the first step on the path of wisdom. Without this step, it is impossible to be wise. Therefore, if wisdom is a continual striving to know and do what the Bible says, the first step is to recognize that we aren’t doing it! In fact, we simply can’t do it. We need Jesus to do it for us.

This post was first published in 2012.

Jesus is More Than Our High Priest

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Reiley Costa (2021), public domain

The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). This profound truth leads an honest reader to ponder what Jesus’ earthly existence was like.

In the incarnation of Jesus, Christians understand that God identified with his people. The details of this identification are important enough that the author of Hebrews writes about it at length.

Our Great High Priest

In Hebrews 4 and 5, the author writes about Jesus’ high priesthood. Jesus is our “great high priest who has passed through the heavens” (Heb 4:14). He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he has been tempted in every respect as we are. Yet in all his temptations, he didn’t sin (Heb 4:15).

Because of this, we can draw near with confidence to the “throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16).

The original recipients of this epistle were much more familiar with what we think of as the “Old Testament” priesthood. The author calls Jesus a great high priest and then makes it clear what he means.

High priests “chosen from among men” are “appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins” (Heb 5:1). They are themselves weak, so they can “deal gently with the ignorant and wayward” (Heb 5:2). These priests must offer sacrifices for their own sins before sacrificing for the people (Heb 5:3). And no one volunteers for this—they must be called by God like Aaron (Heb 5:4).

How is Jesus like and unlike these more familiar high priests?

Jesus is a Priest-King

Like Aaron, Jesus was appointed to his position (Heb 5:5). The author quotes Psalm 2:7 regarding this appointment. However, this is not a text referring to any sort of priest! Psalm 2 is thought of as a royal coronation psalm, detailing the installation of a king. (I have written more extensively about how the title “Son of God” in Scripture is used to refer to kings.)

That kingly reference may feel surprising in the context of Hebrews. But it is confirmed in the next verse: Jesus was also appointed when God said, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek” (Heb 5:6). This quotation of Psalm 110 refers to the mysterious figure who appeared briefly in Genesis 14:18–20 as both a priest and a king. (Melchizedek knew God’s promises to Abram and blessed Abram, and Abram tithed to Melchizedek.)

If we look back a few verses, it’s clear we should have seen this coming. The author encourages his readers to draw near to Jesus’ throne of grace (Heb 4:16), which is furniture for a king, not a priest.

Jesus Identifies With Us

So Jesus is like other high priests in that he was appointed and offers sacrifice for sin. He is unlike other priests (except for Melchizedek) because he is also a king.

One beautiful part of the description of high priests in Heb 5:2 is that they can deal gently with the people because they share the same weaknesses. We know that Jesus sympathizes with our sinful weaknesses (Heb 4:15), but he does not share them. Does this make him more distant?

No. The author of Hebrews argues that Jesus identifies with us as a fellow sufferer, not as a fellow sinner. Jesus prayed with “loud cries and tears” in hope that he would be saved from death (Heb 5:7). He “learned obedience through what he suffered” (Heb 5:8).

Like all humans, Jesus had to depend on God in his suffering. He showed this radical dependence in his passionate prayers and his trust in God to deliver him from death.

The Source of Salvation to Those Who Obey

We might ask what difference it makes that Jesus is both priest and king. I suspect the readers of this letter were wondering the same thing.

It makes a massive difference!

And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. (Heb 5:9).

As a priest, Jesus offered sacrifice for sin. The perfect sacrifice he offered was himself. But a mere priest does not make laws, command obedience, or rule—that is a king’s domain.

So, as a king, Jesus commands us to obey him in his gospel. This primarily means believing the gospel and trusting him. And the ruler of the earth then declares (as the king) that all who trust in him—having made an offering for sin (as the priest) of himself (as the sacrifice)—shall be eternally saved.

Beginning the Path of Wisdom

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Why is it so difficult for me to arrive home from work at the time I promised to my wife? I love her passionately, and I have no intention to deceive or discourage her. Yet I persistently fail to arrive on time.  Not only that, but every time I do it, I have a really good reason. “I was wrapped up in this significant project that had to get completed before I left the office.” Or, “I was having a very fruitful counseling meeting, and I couldn’t just cut it short.” Or, I can achieve ultimate vindication with: “You’re rarely on time when I’m waiting for you.”

man facing road
Photo by Sharefaith on Pexels.com

The one thing that I find most excruciating is simply to admit, “I should have set aside what I was doing and returned home on time for dinner. Will you please forgive me? Can you also please help me figure out how I could make a better choice next time?” It feels so right to make my excuses.  But when I make excuses, I am not fearing the Lord; therefore, I am not acting wisely.

One thing we can be certain of, from both Scripture and experience, is that we are sinners by nature, and thus prone to play the fool. We need to be rescued. We are selfish blame shifters who will stop at no length to justify our own choices and values. This habit is the essence of folly. If we hope to be wise, we must tread a different path. In fact, we cannot be wise until we do.

In the last few Proverbs posts, we pieced together a definition of wisdom: a continual striving to know and do what the Bible says. In the next few posts, we’ll consider three things that enable us to begin this journey of wisdom. First, hope in the right thing: the Good News of Jesus, not your own goodness (Prov 1:7). Second, do the right thing: listen to the Lord, not your own heart (Prov 1:8). Third, help others do the right thing: be an agent of godly influence, not another boring authority figure (Prov 1:9).

This post was first published in 2012.

Proverbs Purpose #5: To Master the Word of Wisdom

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To understand a proverb and a saying,
The words of the wise and their riddles (Prov 1:6, ESV).

In Proverbs 1:1-6, Solomon gives four purposes for his book. We’ve already discussed the first, second third and fourth. The fifth purpose comes in verse 6.

At first glance, it might appear that this statement simply repeats what came before in verse 2: “to understand words of insight.” We’ve already established that Solomon wants to train us to recognize wisdom when we see it.

But to understand how this fourth purpose advances the train of thought, consider what Solomon is saying when you put the entire sentence together again: “The Proverbs of Solomon [are]…to understand a proverb.” In other words, a purpose of Proverbs is to help us understand proverbs. As one of my seminary professors once said, “the more you understand Proverbs, the more proverbs you understand.”

close up shot of book of proverbs
Photo by Michelle Andrews on Pexels.com

Have you ever read through the whole book of Proverbs before? There are some weird things in there!

Weird Example #1: Whoever winks the eye causes trouble,
But a babbling fool will come to ruin (Prov 10:10).

Weird Example #2: The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
And good news refreshes the bones (Prov 15:30).

Weird Example #3: The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion in the road!
There is a lion in the streets (Prov 26:13)!

Weird Example #4: The leech has two daughters;
‘Give’ and ‘Give,’ they cry (Prov 30:15a).

Often, to help us understand strange proverbs like these, other proverbs come to the rescue. Proverbs 6:12-15 helps with example #1 by explaining that winking has to do with causing disunity. Many proverbs help with example #2 by defining “the light of the eyes” as an inward vitality (Prov 29:13) that results from a righteous life (Prov 13:9), expressing itself on our faces (Prov 15:13). Proverbs 22:13 helps with example #3 by explaining that the “lion” is simply a fabricated excuse not to go to work. Proverbs 30:15b-16 helps with example #4 by illustrating for us the warning signs of the type of needy person who won’t be helped by our charity.

My point is this: one purpose of Proverbs is to help us to master other proverbs.

Or, the more we understand Proverbs, the more proverbs we will understand.  It doesn’t stop with Proverbs either; the more wisdom you glean from Proverbs, the more you will understand the rest of the Bible as well. And the better you truly understand the main points of the Scriptures, the more you will know Jesus, for they all speak of him (Luke 24:44-49, John 5:39-40, 1 Peter 1:10-12). The more you know Jesus, the wiser you become, for he is our wisdom (1 Cor 1:30). In other words, the fifth purpose of Proverbs is to help you master the word of wisdom (see also 2 Tim 2:15). We are tempted to define “wise” and “foolish” however we want, but the Bible must be our measuring rod on these categories. Let’s add this point to our definition of wisdom.

Wisdom is:

  1. Knowing the right thing to do in any particular situation.
  2. Recognizing those who promote the right thing to do.
  3. Doing it.
  4. Always improving at both knowing and doing.
  5. Deriving all of our knowing and doing from the Bible.

A simpler way to phrase this whole definition could be: Wisdom is a continual striving to know and do what the Bible says.

This post was first published in 2012.

Context Matters: The Fruit of the Spirit

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Arturrro (2016), public domain

Perhaps you’ve heard about the fruit of the Spirit. You may have learned about them or taught them at Vacation Bible School, and you might even know a catchy song that helps you remember what comes after love, joy, and peace.

Many people know that the famous fruit of the Spirit come from the book of Galatians. But we rarely connect these Christian qualities to the message of Paul’s letter. Why was this list written to these specific Christians?

Context matters. Every word in the Bible was written in a historical moment and for a purpose. When we learn to read the Bible and honor the way it was written in time, we’ll see that some of its most familiar, musical verses have more depth than we have thought.

The Immediate Context

Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Gal 5:22-23)

The larger section in most Bibles is Galatians 5:16–26. Paul urges the Galatians to “walk by the Spirit” so that they “will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). He describes how the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit are opposed to each other. Immediately before the fruit of the Spirit, Paul lists “the works of the flesh,” which are “evident.”

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5:19-21)

We clearly must not take these sins lightly!

Then Galatians 5:22 contrasts these obvious works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. When the Spirit is present—when a person is “led by the Spirit” (Gal 5:18), “live[s] by the Spirit,” and “keep[s] in step with the Spirit” (Gal 5:25)—these fruit sprout forth in a similarly obvious way.

The Larger Context

This list of the fruit of the Spirit comes not only in a specific paragraph, but toward the end of a specific letter. How does this fit in with Paul’s train of thought?

Some of those in Galatia were deserting Christ, turning toward a different gospel (Gal 1:6). Paul insists that his gospel is from Jesus himself (Gal 1:11) and then writes about his own reception of the gospel and how he responded.

In Galatians 2:15–21, Paul writes the content of this gospel, nicely summarized in verse 16: “…a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” This faith brought with it the Holy Spirit, and since the Galatians began in faith by the Spirit, they must also continue by the Spirit (Gal 3:2-3). This is the “promised” Spirit that is received through faith (Gal 3:14).

God sent his Son “to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal 4:5). And sons receive the “Spirit of his Son” in their hearts, inclining them to call God “Father” (Gal 4:6).

Before they knew God, the Galatians were “enslaved to those that by nature are not gods” (Gal 4:8). Paul tries to show them the foolishness of turning back “to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more” (Gal 4:9).

Christ set us free for freedom (Gal 5:1). “Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal 5:13).

By this point we have arrived at the paragraph we examined earlier. But now we can place it in context. Those who have embraced the true gospel have received the promised Spirit by faith. This Spirit leads away from slavery to the works of the flesh and toward freedom—the freedom to serve one another through love.

How do we know we are walking by the Spirit? We show the fruit of the Spirit.

The Spirit Bears Fruit

The fruit of the Spirit are not a magical collection of good behaviors or character traits. Rather, they are what the Holy Spirit brings about in those who believe the true gospel—those who have been justified by faith, those who have the Spirit of adoption as sons, those who “belong to Christ Jesus” and “have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal 5:24).

Context matters.

(My co-blogger Peter wrote some similar ideas about the fruit of the Spirit more briefly back in June, but I wanted to give this section of Galatians a longer treatment.)

For more examples of why context matters, click here.