Knowable Word - Bible study help

One Easy Way to Grow Your Church

March 25, 2020 By Peter Krol

Colleen McFadden has a terrific piece on one of the easiest and most effective ways to grow your church: one-to-one Bible reading.

If you would like to grow as a Christian, be more disciplined in reading the Bible, reaching out to unbelievers, and discipling other believers unto maturity—and if you would like to see others grow in these ways as well—all you have to is read through a book of the Bible with one other person and talk about it.

Perhaps it sounds too simple. But McFadden has some great stories to tell about how it works.

Check it out!

Share or follow:

Genesis: Begin Again

March 20, 2020 By Peter Krol

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

God sets a pattern for humanity to illuminate, shape, and fill the earth in his name – Gen 1:1-2:3
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
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.↩}

Share or follow:

Applying Proverbs to the Right Situation

March 18, 2020 By Peter Krol

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!

Share or follow:

Context Matters: Taste and See That the Lord is Good

March 16, 2020 By Ryan Higginbottom

Priscilla Du Preez (2017), public domain

Perhaps you’ve heard that Christians need to taste and see that the Lord is good, that God’s blessings extend to all of our senses. Maybe you’ve been given this encouragement in the context of celebrating the Lord’s Supper or as a reminder that God cares for your body. You may even have been told that “taste and see” means that God wants you to have all of the material blessings you can name.

Context matters. When we learn to read the Bible as a whole—not as a collection of disjointed sentences and phrases ready for posters and sermon titles—we’ll find that some familiar expressions have deeper meanings than we thought.

The Immediate Context

The phrase “taste and see that the Lord is good” comes from the middle of Psalm 34.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:8–10)

In the immediate context, tasting and seeing God’s goodness is tied to taking refuge in him; this is the path to blessedness (Ps. 34:8). Saints who fear the Lord will lack no good thing (Ps. 34:9–10).

Just after these verses, David (the psalm’s author) mentions one of these “good things.”

What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good? (Ps. 34:12)

This is what seeking the Lord must look like for anyone who wants a long life.

Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it. (Ps. 34:13–14)

The Bigger Picture

Just as we must not ignore the immediate context of Psalm 34:8, we also must not ignore the larger picture. When we read the entire psalm, we see the Lord’s goodness everywhere.

God answers us and delivers us from all our fears (Ps. 34:4)
Those who look to God are radiant and will not be ashamed (Ps. 34:5)
God hears and saves us out of all trouble (Ps. 34:6)
God delivers those who fear him (Ps. 34:7, 17, 19)
The Lord is near and he saves (Ps. 34:18)
The Lord redeems life, none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned (Ps. 34:22)

We often spiritualize the psalms, reasoning that the psalmist was facing military and physical threat while our dangers are moral or spiritual. But David wrote “taste and see” in the middle of this psalm for a reason.

David experienced the Lord’s goodness with his senses, in real life. God’s nearness, his deliverance, his salvation, his redemption, his hearing and answering—and consequently David’s crying out, looking to God, seeking God, and taking refuge in him—were just as real as honey on David’s tongue or the altar in front of David’s face.

And the goodness of the Lord is just as available to us as it was to King David.

Not an Easy Life

If we’re honest, we’d like the Lord’s goodness to eliminate all sickness, hardship, and want. But that is not reality in Psalm 34.

We have fears (Ps. 34:4) and troubles (Ps. 34:6)
We need deliverance (Ps. 34:7, 17)
We need to cry for help (Ps. 34:17)
We are brokenhearted and crushed in spirit (Ps. 34:18)

We see both from this psalm and from David’s life that turning to God does not ensure a life of trouble-free blessing thereafter. Psalm 34 is written to/for “saints of the Lord” (Ps. 34:9), so all the difficulties mentioned above come to God’s people. This is highlighted in the psalm itself: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous” (Ps. 34:19).

David, even as the anointed of the Lord, faced enormous hardship and threats to his life. In the introduction to Psalm 34 he references 1 Samuel 21:10–15. As David fled from Saul, he went to the king of Gath. But news of David’s military success preceded him, so he faked madness to save his life. And it worked! David cried for help, and the Lord heard him and delivered him (Ps. 34.17).

How to “Taste and See”

I had two questions before digging into this psalm: What does it mean that the Lord is good? How do we experience the Lord’s goodness?

The answers to both questions, from a detailed look at this psalm, are clear. When we seek God in humility, he answers and delivers us.

Seeking God in humility is difficult. It means admitting that we are poor (Ps. 34:6) and that we have fears and troubles beyond our ability (Ps. 34:17). Taking refuge in God and learning the fear of the Lord also have dramatic implications for our lives: we boast in the Lord (Ps. 34:2) and bless him at all times (Ps. 34:1), we keep our tongues from evil (Ps. 34:13), and we turn from evil and pursue peace (Ps. 34:14).

But the reward is far greater than the cost. “None of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.” Given what we deserve and what we are promised, this is the best news in the world! Even in the middle of this Old Testament book of prayers and songs, we see the work of Jesus—condemned in the place of his people.

So, while “taste and see” has no contextual reference to the Lord’s Supper, and no promise of material blessings, this psalm teaches that God’s people experience his deliverance with their senses. In our actual bodies, God delivers us, he saves us, he hears us, and he is near to us.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

Share or follow:

Teach Bible Study to a 2-Year-Old

March 13, 2020 By Peter Krol

I’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!)

Thanks for visiting Knowable Word! If you like this article, you might be interested in receiving regular updates from us. You can sign up for our email list (enter your address in the box on the upper right of this page), follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or subscribe to our RSS feed.

Share or follow:

Reminder: Bible Reading Challenge Underway

March 11, 2020 By Peter Krol

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.

Share or follow:

Mastering Book I of the Psalms

March 6, 2020 By Peter Krol

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.

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.”

Share or follow:

A Commentator on Proper Use of Commentaries

March 4, 2020 By Peter Krol

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!

Share or follow:

Context Matters: Jesus Came to Give Abundant Life

March 2, 2020 By Ryan Higginbottom

Perhaps you’ve heard that Jesus didn’t just come to give life, he came to give abundant life. You may have seen teachers urge that Christians should not be poor, should not be sad, should not be sick, should not be lacking in any blessings God can give. After all, how does a less than existence match up with an abundant life?

When we learn to read the Bible properly—not as a series of isolated words and phrases—we find that some familiar phrases take on entirely new meanings.

The Audience

Jesus uses the “abundant life” phrase to a group of Pharisees in John 10. Importantly, these Pharisees gathered after a controversy surrounding Jesus’s healing of a blind man.

In John 9:1–7, Jesus comes across a man born blind. He anoints the man’s eyes with mud, tells him to go wash in the pool of Siloam, and the man comes back with sight. This starts several rounds of questioning from the Pharisees directed at both this man and his parents. No one wants to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah for fear of the Jews (John 9:22).

However, the man’s life has been changed so dramatically, he cannot help himself. He tells the Pharisees that this man is clearly from God, and the Pharisees cast him out (John 9:33–34). Jesus seeks out the man again, and he confesses Jesus as Lord (John 9:38). The purpose of the healing is realized; the miracle points back to Jesus.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd

Jesus launches into an extended figure of speech that leaves the Pharisees confused.

Jesus first tells the Pharisees about the shepherd of the sheep. The sheep will follow the shepherd, because they know his voice. But they will not follow a stranger with a strange voice (John 10:1–6).

Since this first use of a sheep/shepherd metaphor is confusing, Jesus reloads. He uses different metaphors.

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:7–9)

And then we arrive at the verse in question.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)

It’s quite natural, after hearing this, to ask: What does it look like to have life abundantly? John (and Jesus) anticipates this question, because the answer comes quickly.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:11–15)

Having an abundant life means having a good shepherd!

Plenty of employees can perform simple tasks for the sheep, but they don’t care for the sheep at all. They will save their own skin when the wolf howls. But Jesus is so, so different. He is the good shepherd. He knows his sheep, and he lays down his life for his sheep.

Notice that nowhere in this passage do we see a discussion of money, large houses, swimming pools, or everlasting youth. The way Jesus uses this phrase has nothing to do with material possessions or anything doctors or therapists can offer. He intends something much better.

The Greatest Treasure

Jesus came to give himself for his sheep. He calls his sheep, and they perk up their ears and follow him because they recognize his voice. With the good shepherd the sheep will find pasture, shelter, and safety.

Jesus is quite comfortable at the center of this metaphor. Both his healings and his figures of speech point people back to him.

Many sheep are used to thieves and wolves in the field. But with a good shepherd, the sheep have a guide and friend who loves them. He knows them, and they know him. And this—this is abundant life.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

Share or follow:

Context Matters: Leave the Dead to Bury Their Own Dead

February 28, 2020 By Peter Krol

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.

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.

Share or follow:

« Previous Page