Anger at Others

Psalm 7:11, Proverbs 15:18; Proverbs 25:28; Nahum 1:3, Ps. 147:5)

 
 

What really gets our goat? What really makes us angry at others? Often, it is something that we cannot tolerate about someone else. What, then, is tolerance?

I can certainly tell you that tolerance is not the present cultural understanding that implies that we must agree with whatever someone else does or is. Tolerance can only exist in the tension of not agreeing with whatever that person is or is doing. A lack of tolerance shows up in anger. Very often it is the people pushing tolerance who show their lack of it toward people that don’t agree with them. They exhibit some real anger at “those people.”

 
 

So what is anger at others all about? 

 
 

There are a few things in the Bible that hint at where anger at others comes from.

 
 

Anger at others is often equated with strife. A man who is prone to anger seems to be surrounded by controversy. He likes stirring the pot and making innuendo about others. On the other hand, a man who is slow to anger seems to quell the anxiety and strife that accompanies a predisposition to be disagreeable. This man, while he is not afraid of confrontation, picks his battles wisely. He is not a hot-head; he uses his gift of reason to think through his situations.

 
 

Proverbs 29:22 says, “a man of wrath stirs up strife, one given to anger causes much transgression.”

 
 

So who is this man of wrath?

 
 

His quick temper results from his foolish attitudes about life. He is greedy and always looking out for “number one.” He is always slighted at the sins others commit against him, but is virtually oblivious to the obvious ones he commits against almost everyone in his sphere. He is dishonest and conniving as he spreads poison about those at whom his anger is targeted. He recklessly and carelessly thrusts his judgments against them. He would never confront a person to his face, because that would risk his being called out on his own behavior. This kind of person is often disliked by most people. He has nothing good to say about anything. He is, as Prov. 25:28 says, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”

 
 

Conversely, the man who is not steeped in anger trusts in God. He is reminded daily that he sins and so is gracious when handling the sins of others. He is slow to attack them for things done wrong, and quickly acknowledges his own lack of ability to be perfect. This man is not quick to judge or become irritated. He is intimately aware of God’s love for him. He knows he does not deserve that love, and so he is able to give it away to others freely. He does not look for the faults of others, because he knows that God loves him in spite of his.

 
 

The man of wrath does not trust in God. He is his own God. This is precisely why he is angry. Who can be their own God? Certainly not a man who sins….and we all do that…..

See Ya Next Time

Anger at Self

Anger at Self

Psalm  25:4-12; Psalm 43

Since the Early 20th Century, there has been a theory of personality that claims we do bad things because we are angry at ourselves; however, in reality we are really good people. If only our environment, like our family or socioeconomic background, had been perfect. Then we would have made all the right choices in our lives and we would like ourselves. If we liked ourselves, we would always treat others nicely and do the right thing.

 

Nice fairy tale, but not reality.

 

According to our Maker, we are not good people spoiled by our parents and our “luck.” We are people made in the image of God, who can use even a perfect childhood and background to sin with. We aren’t angry at ourselves; we are angry at those who get in our way. We justify our anger by telling ourselves that we are just victims of our anger at ourselves.

 

One of the most ridiculous statements I hear as a counselor is “I can’t forgive myself. I know God forgives me, but I can’t seem to forgive myself.”

 

This statement, aside from being ridiculous, is really arrogant. It doesn’t make the person a victim of his high social standards. Instead, it shows that although he acknowledges God’s forgiveness of him, he lacks the insight to see that he is holding his own opinion of who is guilty and who is not over God’s Sovereignty. He fails to see that God’s grace should be enough. If God forgives him, he should let it go.

So what would make a person hold onto his anger? There are several reasons:

First, a person could feel secure knowing that they are in control of the anger, and in turn, being the one who holds the key to letting go of the anger. Second the person could like to be angry because it provides a smokescreen for other emotions. Third, if I am a victim, I don’t see myself as a perpetrator. Nice!

 

 While this person is not forgiving themselves, they are stuck in the situation, they are not moving on. This savored anger can keep a person from reaching out to others, which, is what God calls us to be doing. It also denies God’s rightful call on that person. By not accepting God’s forgiveness they are setting themselves up to be their own God. The ultimate idol worship.

 

 The next time someone says, “I just can’t forgive myself,” remember they are not sinning against themselves, they are sinning against God. They cannot forgive that one, only God can.

Anger at Self

Anger at Self

Psalm  25:4-12; Psalm 43

Since the Early 20th Century, there has been a theory of personality that claims we do bad things because we are angry at ourselves; however, in reality we are really good people. If only our environment, like our family or socioeconomic background, had been perfect. Then we would have made all the right choices in our lives and we would like ourselves. If we liked ourselves, we would always treat others nicely and do the right thing.

 

Nice fairy tale, but not reality.

 

According to our Maker, we are not good people spoiled by our parents and our “luck.” We are people made in the image of God, who can use even a perfect childhood and background to sin with. We aren’t angry at ourselves; we are angry at those who get in our way. We justify our anger by telling ourselves that we are just victims of our anger at ourselves.

 

One of the most ridiculous statements I hear as a counselor is “I can’t forgive myself. I know God forgives me, but I can’t seem to forgive myself.”

 

This statement, aside from being ridiculous, is really arrogant. It doesn’t make the person a victim of his high social standards. Instead, it shows that although he acknowledges God’s forgiveness of him, he lacks the insight to see that he is holding his own opinion of who is guilty and who is not over God’s Sovereignty. He fails to see that God’s grace should be enough. If God forgives him, he should let it go.

So what would make a person hold onto his anger? There are several reasons:

First, a person could feel secure knowing that they are in control of the anger, and in turn, being the one who holds the key to letting go of the anger. Second the person could like to be angry because it provides a smokescreen for other emotions. Third, if I am a victim, I don’t see myself as a perpetrator. Nice!

 

 While this person is not forgiving themselves, they are stuck in the situation, they are not moving on. This savored anger can keep a person from reaching out to others, which, is what God calls us to be doing. It also denies God’s rightful call on that person. By not accepting God’s forgiveness they are setting themselves up to be their own God. The ultimate idol worship.

 

 The next time someone says, “I just can’t forgive myself,” remember they are not sinning against themselves, they are sinning against God. They cannot forgive that one, only God can.

Anger at God

Songs of my Soul

PSALM 2

Anger at God.

 
 

We all get angry. It’s a fact of human nature. However, when we get angry at God our problem is whether or not our anger is appropriate. What stand do we have? What rights do we have to be angry at God?

 
 

Psalm 2 talks about the anger that man generates toward God. In reality, it is rebellion. Man, in his unrepentant state does not want to live under God’s rule and wants to be autonomous. He will often group together with others to make war against God. Man often believes that God is unfair.

 
 

God gets angry when we rebel against Him; however, His anger is much different than ours. God is aware that man cannot live apart from Him. Man is meant to be dependent on God for his very life. Man, as mad as he gets, cannot be autonomous; he will self-destruct. Knowing this, God does not act out His anger. He provides for us, His creatures, because He knows we need Him. God sends His Messiah to be our King. He is not impressed with our might and our war machines. He can defeat us with a word. Often, as in the case of a panic stricken drowning man, God has to break us for us to realize that we need Him. God is not impressed with earthly might, but as a good parent to wayward kids he still loves them; therefore, he wants the best for them. Even though these are His desires, He cannot condone their behavior.

 
 

The Psalmist knows this in Psalm 2, and is incredulous about why people would create factions against God.  How did these people lose their minds to think that they can fight God and win? Isn’t that what we do though? Don’t we get angry with God, not even thinking about, who He is or what He has already done for us? We get angry with God because we don’t understand or don’t agree with what is happening in our lives. Even if we could understand, it might not make any difference.

 
 

There is a pattern of behavior that has existed since Eden that man consistently practices. Those behavior patterns always result in rebellion. That pattern can be seen in James 1:13-15

¹³ When someone is tempted, he shouldn’t say that God is tempting him. God can’t be tempted by evil and God doesn’t tempt anyone. ¹⁴ Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him. ¹⁵ Then desire becomes pregnant and gives birth to sin. When sin grows up, it gives birth to death.

James 1:13-15 (GW)

When we want something, we have a tendency to become obsessed. We think about it, talk about it, and dream about it. It doesn’t matter what that desire is. It could be something good, like wanting money for our ministry or wanting to give something to someone else. The desire is not as important as the strength we give it. I have seen people claim that God was going to give them something. They were so confident in their desire that it took on worship status. When it goes too far, we are trapped. When God doesn’t give us what we desire, we start getting angry at God. We think that He should have acted on our behalf. We presume upon God’s goodness then get angry at Him when He doesn’t come through. Then we start to want to do it our way. We don’t want to be dependent on Him. We slowly drift away getting angrier and angrier. So what do we do?

 
 

Psalm 2:10-12 gives us the answer. It tells us to act wisely. It tells us to serve the Lord with fear and not presumption. It tells us to cling to God’s annointed and treat Him well or we could perish. We are blessed, says the Psalmist, when we find our refuge in Him and not our desires.

  

The Difference Between Matzoh and Manna John 6:22-59

 One of the things I am most grateful to God for is my Jewish Heritage. While I am certainly a Christian, and the fact that my mother is not Jewish excludes me from saying I was born Jewish, Nevertheless, I have Jewish blood and real Jewish roots. That being said I have a real love for Jewish people and customs and when I think of Jesus, I color Him with the memories I have of my grandmother, great grandmother, aunts, uncles, and friends. Jesus becomes more real to me because I have these memories of those whom I love who were and are close to me. My grandmother introduced me to matzoh. She told me there were times in Israel’s history, on the move, when they did not have time to let bread rise. So instead, they made matzoh. Matzoh, if you don’t know, is a giant cracker. It’s flat, square, and scored. There are multitudinous ways to use it in recipes, and it forms the carbohydrate staple for anyone celebrating Passover. Matzoh is often used as the bread for communion as well. I have fond memories of my grandmother making Matzoh Brei for me when I was little. My kids love it plain, slathered with butter…good stuff! On the other hand, manna was the sticky stuff that came from the sky during the time of wandering in the Wilderness. It could be used to make things, but it didn’t keep; it spoiled over night. God gave it directly to the people for their sustenance as they wandered for those forty years. The people eventually got sick of it and grumbled that they had to eat it. This bread was nothing that they ever knew before, it had qualities they were not familiar with, nor particularly fond of, but it kept them alive. In John 6:22-59, Jesus makes some comparisons of these breads to Himself. The scene takes place with the people looking for Jesus in Capernaum. They went seeking more miracles because they had seen Him feed over five thousand people with a few loaves and a few fish. They were seeking matzoh, that good stuff that Jesus had given them. They also wanted the power to do it themselves. Think about it! If they could do the works of God, there would be no hungry or sick people. They could fix their own problems. They wouldn’t have to traipse all over after this elusive magician. They could do it themselves. Jesus knows this, and in famous Jesus style, lets them know. When they inquired of Him He said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, [i] you are seeking me, not because you saw [j] signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 [k] Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for [l] the food that endures to eternal life, which [m] the Son of Man will give to you. For on [n] him God the Father has set his seal.” John 6:26-27 (ESV) Not to be deterred, the people asked how they could do the works of God. Jesus’ response was classic: Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:29 (ESV) Frustrated then, the people asked for another way of getting what they came for, they asked for a sign. They knew about manna, and were looking for signs that Jesus was like Moses who performed miracles and wonders and produced the things they needed. They looked to Moses, a human, and not to God Himself. What they were looking at right now was God in the flesh. Jesus was going to clue them in. He said: 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:32-33 (ESV) Still looking for matzoh, and not getting the analogy, they just demanded! Sir, they said, give us this bread always. Then Jesus lowers the boom. 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:35-40 (ESV) People grumbled with aggravation. They were sure this man was a nut. Wasn’t he just a person who had parents? He couldn’t be from heaven, they knew His family. All they wanted was the means to make matzoh. He could just give them that without this entire alien from outer space talk. Jesus was not surprised. He had to teach them that their expectations were not what He was fulfilling. There was something else, something far more wonderful than matzoh or manna. It was God Himself. They didn’t get it. So Jesus explains again: Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:43-51 (ESV) Keeping the matzoh before their faces, as usual, the people failed to see the bigger picture. Instead of seeing that God was giving them, this incredible gift of life, which the bread represented, they only saw the sticky reality of manna. They still had the carnal agenda. They missed the point again. Now they were fighting amongst themselves accusing Jesus of promoting cannibalism. My mentor always told me never to lower the bridge but always raise the water. Jesus does this in his closing statement to these people. He skips over the cannibalism part and doesn’t even address it. He gives them an explanation that requires them to use the equipment God has given them for thinking, their brains! He says: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” John 6:53-58 (ESV) Jesus was not going to show them the difference between matzoh and manna. He was not going to indulge their obsession with material goods. Jesus was showing them that their relationship with Him was more important than either matzoh or manna, and if they were listening to Him instead of their grumbling stomachs, they would never hunger or thirst… So how’s your appetite? Ready for a little bread? See Ya Next Time You are free to use this study on your website or blog as long as you include the following: Rev Dr. Cheryl A Durham, Biblical Counselor, Discipleship Coach, Above and Beyond Discipleship Ministries, provides services for individuals and groups online and via teleconference. www.abovenbeyonddiscipleship.com

The Shrinking Power of David’s Sin

Reruns, just in case you forgot

 

Here’s an old post that has new questions…I will be on vacation for the next 10 days…so we will have one more oldie but goodie next week. If you have any favorites you would like to see reworked…let me know. Here it is!

 

 

 

Psalms 36: The Shrinking Power of Sin

 Have you ever met a person, who was drunk with his/her own delusions? No one else appears to see their situation the way they see it. Puffed up with their pride, they feel as if they are invincible. They believe they are untouchable, even by God. In order to believe their own lie, they must convince themselves that they are superior. Their self-flattery and manipulations are sickening. They are the type of people David refers to in verses 1-4 of Psalms 36. The person David describes is the epitome of evil. His sin of pride is the core of all sin. However, look what it does for him.

 
 

He must convince himself. He must hide what he knows from others. He must manipulate other people to go along with his schemes. His world narrows to a small circle of friends. His blatant pride pushes people away! He is caught in his own trap. In verses 5-8, David contrasts the small and shrinking power of sin, with the ever-expanding love of God.

 
 

In verse 5, David talks about God’s “steadfast love extending to the heavens.” In verse 6, God’s righteousness is compared to mountains, and His judgments to the depths of the oceans. In verses 7-8, we all see that God’s love is so big that the people of the Earth find refuge in it, and feast upon His abundant resources.

 
 

Verse 9-10 David extols God’s character and exclaims that everyone needs God to live, but God is generous to those who respect Him. In verses 11-12, David throws himself on the mercy of the Lord and asks God to protect him from the oppression of the arrogant, the hand of the wicked, and the fate of all those who do evil. The shrinking power of evil in the hand of a mighty all-loving God doesn’t stand a chance.

 

Questions:

Read Psalm 36

1. How do relate to David’s feeling of conviction?
2. What are some reactions that people have when they feel this way?
3. What is David’s reaction?
4. What is the difference between David’s attitude and some others?
5. What is your reaction to knowing that you have sinned against God?
6. Would you, like David throw yourself on the mercy of God ?
7. Why or why not?
8. If you would not what would you do?
9. Why would you do this?
10. How can you change your heart to see God differently?
11. Discuss this issue in your group
12. What are some of the ideas that came out of the discussion?

Hermen who? What Biblical Interpretation?

 

Recently, I read a blog post that disturbed me. This is what it said:

    Determining the method of Hermeneutics or method of interpretation is fundamental in the study of the Bible and Theology. Since the Bible is subject to literal and metaphorical interpretation, we are given two options either to be literal or metaphorical. There is no middle ground to determine what is right and wrong. One who studies theology should have his ground to stand on and must be ready to give an answer when in question.

This post disturbed me because it makes big assumptions about what is fundamental and what choices we have as to how to interpret Scripture. However, it’s interesting that the author assumes only one. The author is coming from a Greek orientation (epistemology) and worldview that claims the answer to the problem must be this or that.

This approach is problematic because the Bible was not written from a Greek or Western worldview, but from a Hebrew one. In the Hebrew worldview, the answer does not have to be this or that. It’s startling that the author to this post doesn’t recognize that his perspective is influenced by his Greek orientation. He doesn’t allow for anything but his own view. He is obviously unaware of the Hebrew worldview that could allow both literal and metaphorical interpretation of the text at the same time.

The author grounds his opinion in the last two sentences above. “There is NO middle ground to determine what is right and what is wrong.” “One who studies theology should have his ground to stand on and must be ready to give an answer when in question.”

I believe that the author is projecting his own Greek worldview need onto a Hebrew worldview that does not see things the way he does. So why should we look at the Hebrew worldview? Well, for one thing we worship Jesus (not His real name) who was a Jew, raised in Jewish tradition, who ascribed to the Hebrew worldview and not the Greek one.

It was Yeshua who used both literal and metaphorical ideas in His statements and parables. He used the methods of the Second Temple Period Rabbis. Yeshua turned many phrases that used both Greek and Hebrew idioms, and if taken literally (like raining cats and dogs) could change the meaning of the text significantly.

Additionally, Paul (or Sha’ul), a rabbi who studied under Gamaliel, was not a Greek at heart; he was a Jew. While he had an excellent understanding of the Greek language and both the Greek and Roman civilizations, to be a Jew is not just a nationality; it is a life. This is evident in the idioms, practices, and categories that Paul uses to describe his theology. He is far from just literal. In fact, Paul would not use a Greek understanding of rightly dividing the word of truth as is mentioned in the blog post (2Tim 2:15). He would use Hillel’s Seven Principles of Biblical Interpretation which are far from the blog author’s view of Hermeneutics or Biblical Interpretation.

I am not saying this author knows nothing, and I certainly don’t know a whole lot. However, what I do know is that we cannot just take the Greek or Western way of understanding reality and superimpose it on a people and a God who did not endorse our western worldview. That is an anachronistic error.

The Jews are God’s people; we are grafted into them; they are not grafted into us. I am learning, however slowly, that we have done much damage to the Word of God by not understanding its roots. In our imperialism, we have ripped the New Testament from its Old Testament foundation, and by doing that, we have rendered it rootless. Something uprooted, and not connected to its life-giving source is useless. So what do we do now?

I would suggest to the author that he begin to look at the Hebrew foundations for the Bible. Jesus quoted the Old Testament saying that not a jot or a tittle will pass away until all is fulfilled. What does that mean? What kind of idioms are in that statement? Do the idioms mean something different in Hebrew than they do in English? You bet they do?

How do Jesus and Paul’s Jewish origins affect what they say? How can we know what He really means?

 

I have a few resources for you….

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/index.html  Hebrew for Christians 

www.eshavbooks.com A Series called “The Essentials”

www.skipmoen.com     Sign up for the free Newsletter on 30 Days to a Hebrew Worldview!

http://skipmoen.com/2009/09/06/as-greek-as-it-gets/

These resources will open your mind on the Bible and how God is speaking to you!

 

See Ya Next Time

 

 

Study Helps:

1. Read 2Timothy 2:15
   
2. Paraphrase the meaning in your own language.
   
3. Reread the verse and Identify those words or phrases that might be idioms
   
4. Go to http://skipmoen.com/2009/09/06/as-greek-as-it-gets/ and read the article “As Greek as it Gets.”
   
5. Using Hillel’s 7 Principles for Biblical Interpretation, quoted below from “Meet the Rabbi’s” by Brad H. Young and Skip Moen’s blog find the different ways you can understand this verse. How do they differ from #2 above?
   

   1. Kal va-chomer (simple and complex, literally “light and heavy”) – reasoning from something known to something less known, from something obvious to something less obvious. This principle often employs the phrase “how much more.” You can see this principle at work in Yeshua’s statements about a father who gives to his son (Matthew 7:9-11) If an earthly father knows how to give good gifts, how much more will your heavenly Father know what to give.
   

   2. Gezerah shavah (“equally cut”) – reasoning from an analogy of inference from one verse to another. A similarity in one passage is connected to the similarity in another passage.
   

   3. Binyan av mikatuv echad (“building a teaching principle based on a verse”) – reasoning from a verse to a main proposition. In other words, finding a larger principle on the basis of a verse.
   

   4. Binyan av mishnaic ketuvim (“building a teaching principle based on two verses”) – reasoning from two verses to a larger principle.
   

   5. Kelal uferat-perat vekelal (“general and specific-specific and general”) – teaching from a general principle to a specific application, or from a specific application to a general principle.
   

   6. Keyotza bo bamakom acher (“as comes from it in another place”) – teaching based on what is similar in another passage.
   

   7. Devar halamed meinyano (“a word that is learned from its own issue”) – something that is learned from its own subject.
   

8. What did you learn today? What will you do now?

What a Little Research Does

What a Little Research Does…..

Romans 1-8

 

 

“Romans 8:9-10 talks about our spirit being alive and how our sins will make us die if we don’t have the spirit of Christ in us. It goes ahead and let’s us know without the spirit of God in you, you are not a Chistian at all. But with the right relationship Your spirit is alive”.
 

 
 

The statement above was sent to me by email. As I read it, I was curious to see if the verse really said what the writer claimed it said. Since I am in this research program, I just had to look it up. This is what it said in the English Standard Version.

 
 

⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness

Romans 8:9-10 (ESV)

 
 

After spotting the word “however,” I knew to look back further for the beginning of the thought. I went back to verse one and found another “therefore,” so I knew I had to go back even further than the end of Chapter 7 to get the full meaning. In fact, it goes back to Chapter 7 Verse 25. I decided that instead of trying to break down the whole book I would start at 8:1 to get a part of the entire thought. Here it is:

²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

¹ There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. ³ By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 7:25-8:3 (ESV)

 
 

I have been taught to look up the verse in 40 translations to get a better understanding of the verse. However, time does not allow this process and the software I need is on my Christmas wishlist, but I will take what I have to look at a few different translations.

 
 

What I learned from various sources is that this verse is not really about just having the Spirit; although without the Spirit, one has no chance to succeed. However, the thrust of the passage is that because of the Spirit, we can walk the way our minds want to walk. It’s about having a choice in the struggle.

This is how it falls out.

 
 

Paul is talking about how the Law showed him that he had sin. Sin was so ingrained in his person that unless the Law existed he’d never have known that he was sinning. The problem was even when he knew he was sinning, it was impossible to act the way he set his mind to act. No matter how hard he tried, he could not live up to the standard of God. Paul was waging war with his own body. However, Chapter 7 and verse 25 turns the verse.

Paul tells us “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin”. Paul is saying that because of God’s grace he is not afraid of the condemnation even though his flesh still sins.

 
 

He is not worried about condemnation. He sees that it is God, not he, that does the work. He is free, not to commit sin, but to follow Torah because he loves God, not because he is trying to reach God’s standard. God loves obedience and not sacrifice; He will take care of the rest. This is not to say that Paul can be simply lackadaisical about the matter. He should think about his love relationship with God that he has through the Spirit of God and act accordingly.

Keeping in mind that there were no Christians until the third century, Paul is not talking to Christians. He’s talking to Jews and Gentiles who are believers in Messiah. Those people understood what following the Law was about. Most of them knew it was not for salvation, but rather as an obedient act toward a holy God. Similar to Paul as he said in 7:22, they delighted in the Law of God in their inner-beings. They, like Paul, had a problem with the struggle.

 
 

While the synopsis above of Romans 8:9-10 is not completely inaccurate, it does not carry the full weight of the verse. It implies a burden, which when reading the full passage, does not exist. The Spirit of God is an enabler not to sin. It is not a warning or threat that if we don’t have the relationship we will die.

With respect to the writer, I hope that they are able to “flesh” out the verse better next time…pun intended.

 
 

See Ya Next Time

 

You are free to use this study on your website or blog as long as you include the following:

Rev Dr. Cheryl A Durham, Biblical Counselor, Discipleship Coach, Above and Beyond Discipleship Ministries, provides services for individuals and groups online and via teleconference. www.abovenbeyonddiscipleship.com

 

 
 

Questions:

 
 

Read Romans 1-8

1. What is Paul talking about with regard to the following concepts?

A. Sin

B. Law

C. Flesh

D. Spirit

E. Desire to Sin

F. Desire for Righteousness

2. What is Paul talking about when he talks about the Law?

3. If Torah observance is the law and Christ said none shall pass away…

a. How should we as Christians observe Torah

b. What parts of Torah were fulfilled?

c. Which parts go, which parts stay?

 

You are free to use this study on your website or blog as long as you include the following:

Rev Dr. Cheryl A Durham, Biblical Counselor, Discipleship Coach, Above and Beyond Discipleship Ministries, provides services for individuals and groups online and via teleconference. www.abovenbeyonddiscipleship.com

What a Little Research Does

What a Little Research Does…..

Romans 1-8

 

 

“Romans 8:9-10 talks about our spirit being alive and how our sins will make us die if we don’t have the spirit of Christ in us. It goes ahead and let’s us know without the spirit of God in you, you are not a Chistian at all. But with the right relationship Your spirit is alive”.
 

 
 

The statement above was sent to me by email. As I read it, I was curious to see if the verse really said what the writer claimed it said. Since I am in this research program, I just had to look it up. This is what it said in the English Standard Version.

 
 

⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness

Romans 8:9-10 (ESV)

 
 

After spotting the word “however,” I knew to look back further for the beginning of the thought. I went back to verse one and found another “therefore,” so I knew I had to go back even further than the end of Chapter 7 to get the full meaning. In fact, it goes back to Chapter 7 Verse 25. I decided that instead of trying to break down the whole book I would start at 8:1 to get a part of the entire thought. Here it is:

²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

¹ There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. ³ By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 7:25-8:3 (ESV)

 
 

I have been taught to look up the verse in 40 translations to get a better understanding of the verse. However, time does not allow this process and the software I need is on my Christmas wishlist, but I will take what I have to look at a few different translations.

 
 

What I learned from various sources is that this verse is not really about just having the Spirit; although without the Spirit, one has no chance to succeed. However, the thrust of the passage is that because of the Spirit, we can walk the way our minds want to walk. It’s about having a choice in the struggle.

This is how it falls out.

 
 

Paul is talking about how the Law showed him that he had sin. Sin was so ingrained in his person that unless the Law existed he’d never have known that he was sinning. The problem was even when he knew he was sinning, it was impossible to act the way he set his mind to act. No matter how hard he tried, he could not live up to the standard of God. Paul was waging war with his own body. However, Chapter 7 and verse 25 turns the verse.

Paul tells us “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin”. Paul is saying that because of God’s grace he is not afraid of the condemnation even though his flesh still sins.

 
 

He is not worried about condemnation. He sees that it is God, not he, that does the work. He is free, not to commit sin, but to follow Torah because he loves God, not because he is trying to reach God’s standard. God loves obedience and not sacrifice; He will take care of the rest. This is not to say that Paul can be simply lackadaisical about the matter. He should think about his love relationship with God that he has through the Spirit of God and act accordingly.

Keeping in mind that there were no Christians until the third century, Paul is not talking to Christians. He’s talking to Jews and Gentiles who are believers in Messiah. Those people understood what following the Law was about. Most of them knew it was not for salvation, but rather as an obedient act toward a holy God. Similar to Paul as he said in 7:22, they delighted in the Law of God in their inner-beings. They, like Paul, had a problem with the struggle.

 
 

While the synopsis above of Romans 8:9-10 is not completely inaccurate, it does not carry the full weight of the verse. It implies a burden, which when reading the full passage, does not exist. The Spirit of God is an enabler not to sin. It is not a warning or threat that if we don’t have the relationship we will die.

With respect to the writer, I hope that they are able to “flesh” out the verse better next time…pun intended.

 
 

See Ya Next Time

 

You are free to use this study on your website or blog as long as you include the following:

Rev Dr. Cheryl A Durham, Biblical Counselor, Discipleship Coach, Above and Beyond Discipleship Ministries, provides services for individuals and groups online and via teleconference. www.abovenbeyonddiscipleship.com

 

 
 

Questions:

 
 

Read Romans 1-8

1. What is Paul talking about with regard to the following concepts?

A. Sin

B. Law

C. Flesh

D. Spirit

E. Desire to Sin

F. Desire for Righteousness

2. What is Paul talking about when he talks about the Law?

3. If Torah observance is the law and Christ said none shall pass away…

a. How should we as Christians observe Torah

b. What parts of Torah were fulfilled?

c. Which parts go, which parts stay?

 

You are free to use this study on your website or blog as long as you include the following:

Rev Dr. Cheryl A Durham, Biblical Counselor, Discipleship Coach, Above and Beyond Discipleship Ministries, provides services for individuals and groups online and via teleconference. www.abovenbeyonddiscipleship.com

Christians? What Christians?

 
 

Here is a question I received on one of my Ning networks. 

Did Christians believe there was God, and did Christians believe Jesus was alive and coming back again to judge the living and the dead?

The answer may have surprised the inquirer. 

There was no such thing as a Christian until well into the second century. People who believed in Yeshua were Jews. Did they believe in God? YES! He was the center of their worldview! Did they believe that Messiah was coming back to judge the living and the dead?

Yes, they were waiting for a conquering Messiah. What they were not expecting though was the death of their Messiah. They were expecting a conquering King, who would defeat their enemies and judge the living and the dead, and bring in the Glorious Kingdom of Heaven. Just like in Egypt, they were waiting for God to save them out of their situation.

 However, what Yeshua did was bring in the Kingdom of Heaven in a far different way. He brought in the Year of Jubilee.

In the Jewish worldview, God is the center of everything. There is no such thing as no God, or a god who stays out of your life; that’s a Greek concept. In fact, it is one that we hold today.  

We have to be careful not to superimpose the Greek worldview, and the idea of Christianity or Christians apart from the Jews, back over on the Gospel period, because both the Greek view and Christianity were not relevant to the Gospel message at the time.

The only Scripture that existed at that time was the O.T. and some rabbinic writings.  Jesus referred to these but not the New Testament.  Also, the people that Yeshua was talking to were Jews not Christians. He came to bring in the Kingdom of Heaven, to fulfill prophecy that God was bringing His Kingdom (meaning Himself) to His people in Israel. He didn’t come to judge.

The Christianity you are referring to was a Jewish Sect, not a separate religion. There were no Christians, only Jews. The Gentiles became believers in Yeshua, not Christians. The term Christian did not come about until much later.

Let’s look at Luke 4:16-19, to see what Jesus told the synagogue was His reason for coming.

¹⁶  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, ^[v] he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up ^[w] to read. ¹⁷ And ^[x] the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
^{18  [y]}
“The Spirit of the Lord
^[z]
is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to
^[a]
proclaim good news to the poor.
^[b]
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and
^[c]
recovering of sight to the blind,
^[d]
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
^{19  [e]}
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 4:16-19 (ESV)

 
 

Here, Luke tells us that Yeshua came to fulfill a prophecy that the Jews were already given. There is no mention of Christians. He is talking about the concept of the Jubilee, which is part of Jewish Law.

Much of what we read Jesus saying in the Gospels is loaded with Hebrew idioms that only Jewish people would understand. Gentiles had no clue what He was talking about. I believe that today, Christians are much the same.

 
 

When we read a verse, we only see the English meaning. Most of what Jesus and the Gospel writers said was written in Hebrew. If you don’t understand the language, and particularly the idioms of the language, you miss much of the meaning.

 
 

For the next few weeks, I will cover some of these concepts so you will have a clue on how to begin understanding what the N.T. really means. We have gotten so far off track, as Christians, that we have alienated ourselves from Yeshua himself. After all, He was a Jew.

 
 

See Ya Next Time