Following Jesus in How to Read the Bible

[Paidion]

A short article by Dr. Bob Wilson.
Dr. Wilson welcomes questions and critiques.

http://www.evangelicaluniversalist.com/ ... =58&t=6424

[jriccitelli]

Love does not override or void the Law, as if humans or Israel could love as in be perfect and without sin like the sacrifice was. Love was in the Law and of The Law. Love God and your neighbor is a Commandment (not just a way to read the bible). To not keep The Commands carried a penalty, and the penalty was understood as death, and the perfect sacrifices were understood as paying the penalty, which Jesus did, and He knew He would pay the penalty ('that' is how Jesus read the bible)

This is just another attempt to separate Jesus from the Lord of scripture, as if they were to different gods. 'If you love Me, you will keep My commandments' His Commandments are The Lords Commandments, they are no different because They are no different - HE IS THE LORD - "So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the LORD" (Leviticus 22:31, 19:37, and Genesis thru Malachi). Knowing Truth is Knowing Who The Lord Is, and Jesus Is The One Lord, that is how Jesus read the bible. Love is not separated from truth, and Gods Word is Truth: 'And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us'.

[TheEditor]

'If you love Me, you will keep My commandments' His Commandments are The Lords Commandments, they are no different because They are no different - HE IS THE LORD - "So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the LORD" (Leviticus 22:31, 19:37, and Genesis thru Malachi)

Hi JR,

This is at least the second time I have read you as above, or sentiments similar to it. I asked you this once before, but I'll rephrase and try again; What are the "Commandments" in your opinion? And how do you think you see them outside of the Pentateuch?

Regards, Brenden.

[jriccitelli]

Well for one, outside of the Pentateuch you have all the other books and Prophets, then you have Jesus, One like Mose's: a Prophet. Nothing is outside the Prophets, or in disagreement with The Prophets. So is nothing is outside the Law, or the Pentateuch, and nothing can disagree with the Pentateuch, Law and The Prophets.

The Commandments are Gods commandments. And Jesus commandments are Gods commandments. We don't follow someone else's commandments do we? No, God has fulfilled His Commandments in Christ Jesus The Lord Himself.

Did not Jesus fulfill the Law?

Jesus gave and taught Gods commandments; 'You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5 "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments' (Exodus 20, Deut 5). 'I am the LORD. 31 "So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the LORD. 32 "You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel; I am the LORD who sanctifies you' (Leviticus 22)... (Psalm 89)... etc. etc..

That is not my opinion, this is how Jesus read the bible. Same words, same God, same Commandments.

[TheEditor]

Okay JR, but, as I have asked you before, but which you still have not answered, are you referring to observance of the "Commandments" as in the "10 Commandments"? Are you implying that we are somehow under parts of the Law? I think I have asked you this a few times, but never get a direct answer. It's okay if you are an SDA or similar, I don't really care. I'm just curious.

Regards, Brenden.

[jriccitelli]

I am sorry, where did you ask this before? I have had at least 4 or ten threads on the Law on this forum so I am sure the answer is there. No bible scholar should refer to the Law as ten, there are the ten, but the Law is of course hundreds or 613, I have never counted them all, and I believe there can be more or less, as they overlap.

I debate the SDA, just as i do the LDS, just as i would debate 'anyone' trying to justify themselves by the Law or by works. All have sinned, and all are under condemnation.

But I take it as a compliment for believing Jesus and Gods Commandments are the same, and that we should keep them, because They said we should, but we can't. And nobody could be that perfect, except God of course. I will say what I say to the SDA and LDS: we should keep the Commandments because God and Jesus both commanded us to keep The commandments, but we are not Israelites, or Jews. The Law was given to Israelites, not Gentiles. A Jew could not believe: he could not sin - but he could believe he could keep the Law - only by faith - that the Law provided atonement for sin - the sacrifice that is.

We keep the Law by believing in Him, that He was our sacrifice, not to become a Jew, but to be 'just' by faith, alone.
But as Jesus kept the law, and now we are in Him, He never quit keeping the Law and being perfect, and we live as He lives. His mind is ours to share, and we want to honor His Law and keep His Commandments as He keeps them, because He guides us and we follow Him. Of course we do not commit adultery, or steal, or lie, there is no law against keeping His Commands, we just are not justified by our works. We do good works from unselfish motives, a new heart, and we are simply satisfied to serve Him.

Secondly, like the Sabbath, we keep the Sabbath 'everyday' by 'resting from our works'. But I still want to do good works 'everyday'... like Jesus did.

[Paidion]

For those who didn't take the time to read Dr. Wilson's article, here are some passages from the article showing how Jesus read the Hebrew Scriptures, avoiding the wooden sense of "the letter", and making love the essence. Often this meant doing the exact opposite to "the letter."

Outsiders
Separation from unclean uncircumcised foreigners is required (Dt 23:3f; Ex 12:43,48; Neh 9:2; 10:28). So Jesus’ embrace of outsiders angered Bible teachers. And he never quotes, “Be holy as I am holy” (Lev 11). Seeking holiness fostered excluding many. So, Jesus’ emphasis is, “Be merciful as God is merciful” (Lk 6:36). For this lets others join him in loving and embracing outsiders (4:25-29; 7:9; 17:18; Jn 4:1-9; Acts 10:28).

Execution
Without exception, Scripture required inflicting death on adulterers caught by eye-witnesses. But when these requirements were met, Jesus refused to follow this, and would not “condemn” a woman (Dt 22:22; Lev 20:10 vs. Jn 8:1-11).

Sabbath
The Scriptures required death for providing on Saturdays for human needs that could wait. Thus, “All must stone a man to death found gathering sticks” (Num 15:32-36; Ex 20:9,10; 31:12-17; 35:2f). But Jesus defends his men’s similar actions, and he deliberately violates Sabbath, insisting that it’s the best day for his main work. He admits, “I am working,” for “my Father is always at work.” He reasons that Sabbath must be “made for man,” and also that David too broke the Law’s rules to benefit others. Thus, he is able to argue that human need must come first (Mt 12:1-14; Lk 13:10-17; 14:1-6; Jn 5:10f,17; Mk 2:27).

Divorce
Bible teachers quoted Moses’ law that men can write “displeasing” wives a divorce (Dt 24:1-4). But this formula put women at risk. So, Jesus rejects it as too permissive in violating God’s will & plan that “no one separate” (Mk 10:1-11; Mt 5:31f; Gen 2:24; 5:2). He explains that God only let “this law” be written that accommodated their sin because “your hearts were hard.” (Also Cf. Ezra 10:10 & 1Cor 7:10-16; God used inspired yet finite men, and Ezekiel 20:25 puzzlingly explains, God gave some “laws that were not good.”)

Oaths
The Bible commands us to swear honestly and “take an oath” (Dt 10:20; 5:11; 23:21-3; Lev 19:12; Num 30:2). But Jesus quotes this, and opposes it! “But I tell you, never swear an oath at all” (Mt 5:33-37; 23:16ff; Jas 5:12).

Retribution
Jesus quotes the vs., “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” For Scripture often taught violent retribution (Lev 24:19f; Dt 19:21; Ex 21:24f). Yet Jesus’ love for enemies directly challenged doing this anymore: “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person” (Mt 5:38f). Moses had limited violent retaliation (no more taking multiple eyes)! But Jesus fulfills this law by extending it to seeking no retaliation (Gen 4:15,24).

Enemies
The O.T. defined loving a ‘neighbor’ as applying to fellow Jews (Lev 19:17f), but Psalms affirms that violently hating their enemies is “blessed” (139:21f; 137:8f; 55:15; 109:9-12). Thus, Jesus directly opposes this by saying, “You have heard, love your neighbor & hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies” (Mt 5:43f).

Using Violence (a major reversal)
In the O.T., a common way to deal with evil people was to kill them. This was commanded for a rebel child, a sexual sin, doing Saturday work, etc. Even a spouse or a child teaching false ideas must be assassinated (Deut 13:6-11; 17:2-7; 18:20; 21:18-21; 22:22-4; Lev 20:9-13; 24:10-23; 27:29; Ex 31:12-17; 22:20; 2Kgs 2:23f; 23:30).

Violence & ethnic cleansing were also a key in delivering Israel from her pagan enemies. Being “holy” required, “Show them no mercy… kill everything that breathes… women, children, and infants.” Such calls for “vengeance” implied, “Blessed is the man who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.” A variation was, “Kill all the boys, but (as war’s “spoils,”) save every virgin girl for yourselves!” (Dt 7:1f,6; 20:14-18; 2:34f; 3:6; 1Sam 15:3; 27:9; Jos 6:20f; 8:24f; 10:28-40; 11:11-20; Ps 137:8f; Num 31:17f,27; 2Chr 15:13; Nahum)

Believing God had typically brought victory by violence, Jews must expect the Messiah, as a king like David, who had many military exploits (2Sam 7), would again “rescue us from the hand of our enemies” by slaughtering their Gentile oppressors (Lk 1:74). But Jesus boldly rejects the devout’s reading that God had promised to again show Israel belongs to Him, by violently conquering their pagan enemies (Jesus looks to non-violent texts: Ezek 45:9; Hos 2:18; 4:2f; 5:2; 10:13; Isa 1:15; 2:4; 9:5; 11:6-9; Mic 4:1-4; Zech 9:9f; Ps 46:9; Job 16:17).

Jesus never calls his followers to kill, but to renounce violence and repayment. He warns that violating his “path of peace” only leads to future destruction. For those “who draw the sword will die by it.” So when his men use a weapon, or cite Elijah’s way to “destroy” God’s enemies by fire, he rebukes it. He also explains that “clubs” were not needed to capture him. Because, “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight… but my kingdom is not” (Lk 1:79; 19:41-4; 9:51-56; Mt 26:51-56; Jn 18:36; cf 1Kgs 18:38-40; 2Kgs 1:10; Num 16:28-35).

He defined his mission by quoting Isaiah 61’s “setting free the oppressed” (Lk 4:16-30). But he eliminates the line Jews loved: another “day of God’s vengeance” on Israel’s oppressors. And he sensed this twist means, he won’t be “accepted as a prophet.” So, he seals their anger by adding that he will copy Elijah in healing hated enemies such as Nathan, a pagan general. Similarly, when John the Baptist stumbles because Jesus did not free him from their enemies, he cites his healings as fulfilling his view of Messiah (Lk 7:22f; Cf Isa 35:5f & Jonah).

For Jesus had radically redefined what it means for God’s Davidic King to win the battle that frees us from evil. Jesus’ Last Supper identifies him with Passover’s theme of liberation. But he ignores the Exodus victory’s reliance upon killing enemy nations. For the enemy that needs to be overcome is sin and the devil. Thus, he reveals that God’s true way to do this, is not as a warrior-king who sheds his enemies’ blood, but as a Servant who absorbs and defeats evil by letting his own blood be shed.

Indeed, Jesus’ way reverses Israel’s interpretation. The key to overcoming our enemies is love & mercy that returns good for evil. For imitating “God who is merciful” requires being “kind to the wicked” just like God! So, “Love your enemies so that you may be children of your Father.” For “peacemakers” are God’s true children, and it’s “the meek who will inherit the earth.” Indeed, Jesus’ only action toward the “Canaanites,” that Israel had tried to annihilate, was to “grant mercy” (Lk 6:27-35; Mt 5:5-9,38-48; 15:21-28; 10:38)

.

Yes, Paul truly said, "The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

Letter—"γραμμα"(gramma)—any writing, document, or record. According to some lexicons, "gramma" is also a reference to the Old Testament Scriptures.

[Paidion]

Luke 4
16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."
20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

Notice that in quoting this scripture from Isaiah 61, our Lord stopped quoting in the middle of a sentence. Let's see what the end of the sentence looks like:

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God. (Isaiah 62:2)

Why did Jesus stop in the middle of the sentence?
1. Was it merely accidental?
2. Did He suddenly get tired of reading?
3. Or did He do it intentionally?

If He did it intentionally, what was His purpose? Could it be that He had no intention of proclaiming vengeance in any form? That would have been in keeping with His message to His disciples—not to seek vengeance, but to love their enemies.

[dizerner]

Lot of errors in this I'll just mention one quickly:

Yes, Paul truly said, "The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." Gramma here is the Law, a legalistic righteousness by moral or religious works. It does not mean the Word of God, which is light, life and a lamp. Beware of anyone that tells you that you don't need the Word of God anymore and wants to throw away Scripture.

6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

Direct correlation of γράμματος with τοῦ νόμου.

Paul also says that the "gramma" was glorious.

7 But if the ministry of death, written (γράμμασιν) and engraved on stones, was glorious
9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory

But Paul said that the "ἱερὰ γράμματα," or holy letters, make us wise for salvation.

and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures (letters), which are able to make you wise for salvation

Jesus also said we should believe Moses' γράμμασιν, and equated them to his own words, which are spirit and life.

47 "But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"
"For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.

God bless.

[TheEditor]

Hi JR,

I'm still not following. I have heard the "I don't have to follow the Law, but I get to or want to follow the Law now" position before. Is this yours? Please be succinct, I am slow-witted.

Regards, Brenden.