Have you ever considered the possibility that people in your life could be idols? If they grab your devotion to a point where they supersede God’s commands for you, they may be idols. The more you hunger for the approval of others or protection from their disapproval, the more dangerous is your attachment to those people.
Consider the following thoughts from Ed Welch:
When we think of idols, we usually think first of Baal and other material, man-made creations. Next we might think of money. We rarely picture our spouse, our children, or a friend from school. But people are our idol of choice. They pre-date Baal, money, and power. Like all idols, people are created things, not the Creator (Rom. 1:25), and they do not deserve our worship. They are worshipped because we perceive that they have power to give us something. We think they can bless us. (45)
What is the result of this people-idolatry? As in all idolatry, the idol we choose to worship soon owns us. The object we fear overcomes us. Although insignificant in itself, the idol becomes huge and rules us. It tells us how to think, what to feel, and how to act. It tells us what to wear, it tells us to laugh at the dirty joke, and it tells us to be frightened to death that we might have to get up in front of a group and say something. The whole strategy backfires. We never expect that using people to meet our desires leaves us enslaved to them. (46
Welch, Edward T. When People are Big and God is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1997.
Church Discipline Needed in the OT (1 Samuel 3:11-13)
1 Samuel 3:11-13
11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.
There has been in recent years a revival of the understanding of biblical church discipline. Whether it be in national denominations or among smaller groups, Christians have been doing a great deal of talking about and writing about the issue of how churches must be more responsible for those who are members. Groups such as 9 Marks have called Christians to do their part to obey Jesus’ commands in Matthew 18:15-17.
In my own experience, conversations about church discipline are often met with a push back from folks who argue that confronting church members about their sin or even removing them from church membership simply does not work. These folks tell stories of how they know of people who were confronted in their sin and who chose never to again darken the door of the church. I don’t doubt the genuine desire in these people to not “drive away” wayward Christians. However, I do think that a mistake is being made.
In God’s message to Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:11-13, we see one aspect of discipline that is often neglected by those who do not want to see churches confronting sinful, wayward members. Eli did not confront his children. He knew of their sin, and he did not confront them, at least not with any consequences for their actions. God responds to Eli’s neglect of discipline by tearing the priesthood away from Eli’s family forever.
Why would God take something away from Eli for the sins of his sons? It makes sense pretty easily. Eli knew of sin in his sons. However, whether it be due to his desire not to upset his sons or out of fear that his actions would not make a difference, Eli did not go far enough to try to put a stop to their evil. Eli did not show that he cared enough about the glory of God to do everything in his power to keep these young men from defaming his worship. And it appears that God is acting in this instance out of a desire to protect his holy name.
It is certainly true that Galatians 6:1 and even Matthew 18:15-17, classic church discipline passages, are focused on the restoration of the believer. But it is also true that discipline in churches is also necessary for the sake of the glory of God and the reputation of the church. When we fail to confront the wayward, we do damage both to the believer and to the local church and the glory of God. If we fail to confront a wayward believer, he or she assumes that his or her actions are acceptable or at least not a big enough deal to rouse the concern of the local congregation. By failing to confront, we build walls of a false privacy around the sinner and offer him or her no real help. On the other hand, failure to confront this believer also shows the community at large that god is not concerned about the sin of his people, and that the church is not at all different than the world around us.
Yes, it is possible that confronting someone with their sin might only serve to drive them further from the church. Yes, it Is possible that confronting someone in their sin might make the church look judgmental to the local community. However, it is also possible that these things will not happen. It is possible that a person may be convicted and that a community might see the high view that the church takes regarding God’s word. Either way, if we are pressed with how to respond, as believers, we should respond with the pattern given us in the word of God. For the sake of the believer and for the glory of God, we should lovingly call one another to turn from sin and follow God with all our hearts.
Comfort, Suffering, and God’s Glory (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
There are many preachers and teachers out there who would try to argue that Christians, as children of God the king, are destined for lives of peace and ease. These prosperity preachers say that Christians will not suffer, and those who do suffer are simply lacking in the faith to claim victory. Such teaching is false, dangerous, disheartening, and in direct contrast to the clear writing of Scripture in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7.
As Paul opens his letter to the church at Corinth, we see a word repeated time and time again. The word “comfort” finds its way into the passage some ten times. The point that Paul is making is simple. God comforts us in our afflictions. Because we are comforted by God in our afflictions, we can then use what we have learned to comfort others who are suffering through similar afflictions. The teaching is not that Christians should expect not to suffer. Rather, the teaching is that Christians who suffer and who experience God’s comfort in their suffering will be equipped to serve others who suffer as well.
A year or so ago, I had the opportunity to experience some of this passage at work in my life. I was born legally blind. I have never had normal vision. God has, however, blessed me with the kinds of technology that I need to make it through life and to serve him as a minister of the gospel. I am very much grateful to God for what he allows me to do in his service. And, on occasion, God will allow me to impact the lives of others who are learning to deal with their own limitations.
As I said, a year or so ago, I encountered a lady who had lost her sight in her struggle with cancer. She found herself discouraged, feeling alone and helpless. While I do not consider myself special in any way, God used me and my experience to offer hope to this lady. In a very real sense, I was allowed to share in the joy of comforting her with the comfort with which I was comforted by God.
What about you? Where have you suffered? Who comforted you? Where have you gone through tough times? Have you ever stopped to think that God may want to equip you to comfort someone else? Perhaps it would do you well to think through the story of how God has comforted you so that you will be ready to share with others more easily.
Are you presently going through a hard time? How is God presently comforting you? Perhaps it would be good for you, instead of praying only that God would get you out of your hardship, to pray that he would comfort you with a comfort you will be able to share with someone else.
It is not God’s plan that his children will never go through hardships. Such a view is childish for how narrow it is. God has never, neither in Scripture nor through church history, made it his top priority to keep his children from ever having to go through hardships. Instead, God has always used our hardships to display his glory and love to the entire world. God is good. It honors him when his children show that he is more than enough for us, regardless of our circumstances.
Submitting to God’s Authority (Titus 1:1a)
Titus 1:1a (ESV)
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ,
When you get an email, the header usually tells you first of all who the note is from and what the note is concerning. This, of course, helps you to know what to do with the note. If I get a note from my secretary that has as its subject, “Prayer Request,” I know to open the note and pray for the person listed. If I get a note from my wife the subject of which is, “Jewelry,” I know to panic. If I get a note that has a little “fwd:” in the subject, I pretty much delete it on the spot.
In the early first century, people wrote their letters with headings or greetings that were much like the header of an email. The book of Titus is a letter, and the first phrase of it identifies who is sending it.
Paul is a name that we know pretty well. He was originally a Jewish persecutor of the church, was saved after an astounding encounter with the risen Lord Jesus, and is responsible for writing 13 of our New Testament books. Paul traveled the world preaching the good news of Jesus Christ to first Jews and then to mainly gentiles, non-Jewish people.
Paul identifies himself with two interesting phrases. First, Paul calls himself a servant of God. The Greek word here translated servant is a word that literally means slave. Paul knew himself to be a slave of God. God had bought Paul out of his sin and made Paul his own possession. Like a slave, Paul was completely under the authority of god. If God said to Paul, “Go here,” Paul went there. If God told Paul, “Say this,” Paul said it. Paul was under God’s authority, and it was his job to fully obey.
Paul also calls himself an apostle of Jesus Christ. Literally an apostle is a person who is sent out with the authority of the sender. Not only was Paul under God’s authority, he was also given a mission by Jesus Christ. Jesus both commanded and authorized Paul to go into the world and make disciples.
So, in this first phrase, we see that Paul is both under the authority of God and sent out on mission with the authority of God. Paul is both a slave and an apostle.
How do you respond to authority? Does it bother you to have someone in charge of you? Does it chafe at you to know that you are not the master of your fate and the captain of your soul? It did not seem to bother Paul, and it ought not bother you or me.
Paul called himself God’s slave. Guess what? We are too. You were created by God, which means he has full ownership of you. If you are God’s child, saved by Jesus’ blood, you have been bought by God.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
The price paid for souls was infinitely high. However, if you are a Christian, God paid that price to himself, by himself, in Christ.
If we are slaves of God, we are under his authority. We are to obey his commands. If God tells us in his word to do something, we are to do it. If God tells us in his word to avoid something, we are to avoid it. If God tells us in his word to believe something, we are to believe it. If God tells us in his word to feel a certain way, we are to battle our emotions until they do exactly what God said.
Paul was also sent out by God on a mission with authority. While we do not have the authority that Paul had to write holy Scripture, we are sent out by God on a mission with authority too.
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Jesus has all authority. He sends his children out with his authority to make the people of the world into his followers.
Grasp this point: Submit to the authority of God. God is in charge. He is the Creator and master. Because God made you, he has the right to tell you what to do. Give into that and follow his authority. If you are not yet a child of God, give into God’s authority by turning from your sin and turning to Jesus Christ. If you are a child of God, you submit to God’s authority by going out, in God’s authority, and calling people to him.
Share Jesus by Sharing God’s Word (John 17:20)
John 17:20
I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
John 17 is the glorious prayer of Jesus as he made his way to the garden on the night of his betrayal. After 19 verses of praying, Jesus makes a wonderful statement that should grip each of us who knows him. He is not praying simply for the eleven disciples who are standing with him in the Jerusalem night; he is praying for others. Specifically, he is praying for those who will come to faith in Jesus through the words of the eleven disciples. Jesus was praying for you and me.
When Jesus makes reference to the words of the disciples through which others will come to faith, there is no doubt that he is meaning the future testimony that these men will give. IN just a few short weeks, Peter will boldly stand in Jerusalem and testify to the resurrected Lord Jesus and will see thousands come to faith. But after Peter’s time, thousands upon thousands will come to believe in the Lord Jesus because of something even more significant than the speech of Peter or any of the other disciples. The words of the disciples that bring faith are kept for us, preserved in the word of God.
We all want people to come to know the Lord Jesus. We all want people to be saved. The way that happens, the way that people come to faith in Jesus, is through the word of God. People are saved when someone presents to them the truth about Jesus as it is revealed in the holy Scripture, God opens their hearts, and they believe. People do not come to faith because you are such a good person or because they see you do something right. People are saved when they are convinced by God of the truth of his word.
Now, if it is true that Jesus prays for those who will come to faith because of the word of the disciples, and if it is true that we now carry that word in the Holy Bible, and if it is true that we want people to be saved, it should be obvious what we ought to do. As believers in Jesus, we should be sure to help others to come to know Jesus by presenting them with the truth of God’s word. We should share Jesus, not with gimmicks and clever tricks, but we should share Jesus by sharing the truth found in the Scriptures.
A Simple Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. . .
It’s funny that, though many fuss over what is the gospel, the Bible seems to make it plain. As Paul wraps up his letter to the Corinthians, he reminds them of the content of the gospel, and that content is very simple.
What is the gospel according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4? The gospel is Christ dying for our sins, being buried, and rising from the dead. Now, to grasp the gospel, one must grasp the details behind those elements, but the gospel is simple. Jesus Christ, God’s own Son, is the central character of the gospel. The gospel is not about you or me. The gospel is not about God’s wonderful plan or purpose for our lives. The gospel is about God—both the Father and Son who are one God.
Jesus died for our sins. Again, there is debate or discussion to be had on this element. What does it mean that Jesus died for our sins? Some say one thing, and some another. The simplest and most biblical understanding is that Christ died as a sacrificial substitute for our sins according to the Scriptures. God punished Jesus for the sins of his children. Jesus paid the price for our rebellion against God.
Jesus was buried, really dead, and he was raised from the dead. These are the hopeful elements of the gospel. Jesus did not die as a sacrifice who stayed in the grave. Yes, he was really dead. Yes, he was really entombed. But he also really came out of that tomb, and is really alive today. Jesus rose from the grave, completing his task of redeeming a people for himself. His resurrection points us to the future of all of God’s children. Everyone for whom Christ died has their sins forgiven and their eternity secured in his own eternal life.
These things are the gospel. May we never waiver from it. may we never be confused by it. may we cease to complicate it. May we never adjust it. Let the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ remain of first importance. It is because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus that we can live. Apart from that grace, we are doomed.
A Jesus-Only Focus (John 14:5-6)
John 14:5-6
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Thomas, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, asks Jesus a very logical question. Jesus has said that they know the way to get where he is going. Thomas, probably speaking everybody’s mind in the room, says, “No, we don’t even know where you are going. If we don’t know where you’re going, we can’t possibly know the way.” This makes perfect sense, but only if Jesus is talking about going to a particular location. Jesus, as you will see, is not.
Verse six is one of the most often quoted verses of the Gospel According to John. It is a statement in which Jesus claims to be something, he says “I am” and then follows it up with what he claims to be. He has already claimed to be the bread of life, the light of the world, the door, the good shepherd, and the resurrection and the life. Here, he claims three things in one sentence. And, like the other 5 times before this one, this “I am” claim of Jesus’ is very important.
Jesus says that he is the way, the truth, and the life. The way that this sentence is written, it is clear that Jesus is claiming to be three distinct yet related things or concepts. His words indicate that he is uniquely each of these things, there is not another way, another truth, or another life. And all this is something he claims to be in the light of what Thomas asked him about how to get where he is going.
So, let’s do our best to take these three one at a time. First, Jesus claims to be the way. Thomas just asked where he is going, and assumed that he could not know the way to get where Jesus is going without knowing the actual destination. In response, Jesus tells Thomas, “I am the way.” This, ladies and gentlemen, is a profound and yet weird statement. When you think of a way, what do you think of? Perhaps a road comes to mind. Perhaps a trail pops up in your head. Perhaps a set of directions that you print out from MapQuest will be what you think of first.
Why does it feel so weird for Jesus to claim to be the way? It is because you expect someone to tell you that they know the way to get somewhere, not to be that way. If I told you that I live on Silver Street, you have no trouble understanding that . If I tell you that I am Silver Street, you might feel a little funny. But here Jesus goes, just claiming to be the way.
What concept is at stake here? It is a crucial one. Jesus wants his followers, including Thomas, to know and clearly understand that, in order to get to the proper destination, you do not look for a means to get to a destination that is beyond Jesus. Jesus is not a means you use to find the path to heaven. Jesus does not give you the teaching you need to learn your way to heaven. Jesus does not tell you the good things to do in order to make your way to heaven. No, Jesus tells you that there is only one way for you to get to heaven, for you to get to God, and that is him. Jesus will not show you a way that is somehow separate from him; Jesus is your only way.
With this concept in mind, it is a touch easier to understand Jesus claiming to be the truth. Think of how often you have asked a person to simply tell you the truth. When you ask them this, you are asking them to give you information. You are not, by any means expecting them to refer you to themselves. Yet, Jesus, in the light of his first claim, to be the way, goes another step further and claims to be the truth.
Here we go again. Jesus does not point his disciples to a truth that is beyond himself. Jesus does not tell them that he will tell them a truth that he knows. Nope, Jesus says that he is the truth.
Then, in his last statement in the first half of verse six, Jesus claims something truly amazing. He claims to be the life. Like seeking a way, like seeking truth, people often seek life. Here is the amazing concept: Jesus is not saying that he gives life, as if life is something to be had apart from himself; instead, Jesus tells his disciples that he, himself, Jesus, is the life. You do not go to Jesus to find a life that is apart from Jesus; when you come to Jesus, you find life when you find him.
So, do you feel lost? Are you looking for the way to God? Are you looking for the right path? Do not look to a religion. Do not look to a set of morals, values, or philosophies. Do not look for experiences, meditations, or deep feelings. No, if you want a path to God, there is only one, Jesus.
Are you confused? Are you sick of the deception and lies that are all over our news media? Do you want to know the truth? Don’t go to some library on a fact-finding mission. Don’t go to some kind of new age religion to get hold of a technique to open your mind. Don’t look for a set of facts apart from Jesus. Go to Jesus, he is the truth. He does not tell you truth, he is truth.
Are you wanting to get a life? Are you wanting to truly feel spiritually alive? Are you wanting to live forever with God? Don’t seek that life as something unique to itself. You do not find life as if life is a thing to be found. Jesus is the life. He does not give you a life that is somehow different than himself; he is the life.
And Jesus tells us that no one comes to the Father except through him. In case you are thinking that Jesus is telling you that he is one of many possible ways to God, think again. He makes it abundantly clear, in case the disciples missed his emphasizing the word “the” in calling himself the way, the truth, and the life, that there is only one way to God. If you want to be made right with God, Jesus is that way, the only way. This statement from Jesus is totally exclusive.
Now, just to do a little logic together, let’s ask the questions. If Jesus says he is the only way to get to God, what are the possibilities? Either Jesus is wrong, mistaken, confused, and there are other ways to God; or perhaps Jesus is lying, deceiving, tricking his disciples and there may be other ways to God. The only other option is that Jesus is telling the truth, and there is only one way to God, through Jesus himself.
So, if you are not sure where you stand before God, let me ask you this question? Have you come to God through Jesus? if not, you are not in God’s family, not forgiven by God. If you have tried to add something to Jesus, you have missed the point. If you have come to God, sort of through Jesus and sort of not, you have not come to God. If you want to be part of God’s family, if you want to be forgiven by God of your sin before him, you must come to him through Jesus.
And Christians, if you are listening to the words of the Savior here, you should learn that we are to develop a totally, Jesus-only vision of all things. Jesus points us to himself in all things. He does not want us to use him as a way to get to God, He is the way. He does not want us to seek him to learn some truth, Jesus is the truth. He does not want us to come to him to find life, he is that life.
Ask yourself, is your hope totally in Jesus or are you thinking that Jesus leads you to a way that is somehow apart from him? Ask yourself, do you think that there is truth outside of Jesus? Ask yourself, are you looking for Jesus to give you eternal life as if eternal life is somehow different from him? Folks, Jesus is how you get to God, not just a sign pointing you to God. Jesus is the truth, not just a truth teller. And Jesus is your reward, not just the means by which you get to your reward. He is not your ticket to heaven, he is your heaven because heaven is not heaven without Jesus.
Christians, God wants you to hear this, think about the awesome truth of who Jesus is, and worship him. Your life, from how you do things and how you think to what is your reward is totally wrapped up in Jesus. If you don’t know Jesus, you don’t know the way, you don’t know the truth, and you don’t have life. Develop a Jesus-only focus in life.
Self-Sacrificial Unity (Philippians 2:3-4)
Philippians 2:3-4
3Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
There is just no way that we will ever be unified in a way that will please God unless we learn to do two things. We have to learn to take off sinful practices and attitudes. But, we do not simply turn from sin and feel like we have done enough. We also have to put on righteous practices and attitudes in order to accomplish what God wants.
In this instance, look at the things we are called to get rid of. We are to put off rivalry, conceit, and looking out for our own interests. These are exactly the opposites of the world around us. The world says for you to look out for #1. It calls you to get all that you can for yourself. It calls you to make self-esteem a top priority of your life. But God does not make such a call to you. He tells you to avoid the temptation to be selfish, to think too highly of yourself, or to seek your interests and desires above those of others.
God calls us to replace our natural selfish ways with humility, considering others more significant than ourselves, and looking out for the interests of others. These are not the things they teach you in business 101, but they are the attributes of a citizen of God’s kingdom. Just think back to Jesus’ teaching at the beginning of the sermon on the mount. To be poor in spirit, to morn over sin, to be gentle or meek, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to be merciful, to be pure in heart, to be a peacemaker, or to suffer for the sake of righteousness is not what the world values; but these are exactly what our God calls us to in order to reflect him and his values.
What does it look like in the church when the people of God are humble and selfless? Think to one of the most common fights in any church, the debate over contemporary or traditional music styles. If the people of God were doing what Jesus commanded here, they would be looking out for the interests of others more than their own. So, the young people in the church would not be demanding modern music. Instead, they would be thinking more about the desires of the older saints who identify more with the hymns. The older saints, for their part, would be calling the worship leader to sing more modern songs for the sake of the younger generation. And, since we do not look for unity at the expense of doctrine, both groups would be regularly checking out every song of every time period to be sure that its words are doctrinally sound and honoring to Christ.
Can you imagine this kind of fight in the church: “No, really, we want you to pick the carpet color you like best.” “No, you choose, we want you to be happy first.” Or, “Bob, I want you to lead the committee.” “But Jim, you are so qualified, I would much rather submit to your leadership in this issue.” Attitudes like those would make the world around us know that we really are different, changed by the power of God into something totally other than we would be naturally.
When we put off hearts of selfishness, and replace them with hearts of humility, we follow God’s command, we walk toward unity, and we make his joy full in us. This is, if we are honest, a tough thing to do. We cannot do it by our own power, but we are commanded by God to do it. We have to work with all our hearts to follow his command, and we must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to truly change us. We do not sit still and wait for God to change us, nor do we change apart from God empowering the change. It is us working in the power of God to do what he wants most, to live lives that bring him the honor he deserves.
So, the call here is to remember who you are in Christ, and then to make God happy by striving for unity in the church. We strive for unity by thinking more about others in the body of Christ than we think about ourselves. We look out for their interests. We think of them as more important than we are.
And if you would like an example of what that would look like, spend some time in the verses that follow. Philippians 2:5-8 show us that Jesus was the perfect picture of the kind of others-centered, self-sacrificing person that thrills the heart of God.
A Caution on Handling Scripture (Judges 14:8-9)
Judges 14:8-9
8 After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. 9 He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion.
One of the sad things about our Christian pop culture is that we are so easily given to terrible handling of the word of God. I’m not trying to be full of myself here. I have no doubt that I still have an eternity’s-worth to learn of my Lord and his ways. However, it is true that God has given us his word and with it has spoken plainly about things we are to think and believe.
The passage above is one of those that I have heard so misinterpreted in times past that the bad handling of it still rings in my ears. I still remember walking out of a local Christian bookstore with a little devotional book entitled Don’t Quit Until You Taste the Honey. This little work used the picture of Samson finding honey in the carcass of the lion as an encouragement for us to find the good that will come out of our dangerous or scary situations. However, such an interpretation would not have been what a Jew would have taken from this passage. What Samson did was wrong, unclean and a violation of God’s law—especially for a Nazirite.
Regarding this passage, Daniel Block writes:
Empowered by the Spirit of Yahweh, Samson had passed the physical test posed by the lion. For a person who operates by his senses, these bees and their honey will test his spiritual mettle. Will he be true to his Nazirite calling and leave the honey alone? The answer is not long in coming—Samson scrapes some of the honey out of the cavity in the corpse with his hands and nonchalantly eats it as he resumes his walk to Timnah. Like the Timnite woman in v. 1, the test has become a trap. In fact, Samson’s response to this test is triply sinful. First, since contact with a corpse renders any object unclean, as an ordinary Israelite Samson should have left the honey alone (cf. Lev 11:24–25, 39). Second, contact with a cadaver is particularly defiling for a Nazirite (Num 6:6).
Third, Samson callously implicates his parents in the defilement, offering them some of the honey without telling them that he had scraped it out of the corpse of a lion. Samson’s perversity knows no bounds. His parents had sanctified him, but now he desecrates them. Unaware of his defilement, Samson’s father continues the journey down to Timnah, presumably to finalize the wedding arrangements and to settle the business side of this “arranged” marriage.*
One who knew the Bible and interpreted the Bible by the Bible would have seen that Samson’s actions went against God’s commands. It is not good to miss this and then to spiritualize some sort of feel-good message for the Christian pop culture in a devotional. Such a thought may eventually bring out a truth—that God can bring good out of bad. However, such handling of the text leaves the door wide open for anyone to bring any meaning they wish to the text. Eventually, if such interpretation persists, the Bible has no meaning other than what a person “gets out of it.” Such meaning strips the divine revelation from the Bible and leaves it only as a vehicle through which readers find themselves and their own wishes.
I’m not wanting to be overly harsh on the author of my little devotional book from years ago. I do not for a moment doubt that he intended well. Perhaps the author was even led to believe that his lesson from the passage above was correct. What I want to expose is that we must be very careful looking to the text of Scripture to “get something out of it.” What we need to do is to look to the Scripture and ask what God, through the author, intended everyone to see in the passage.
*Daniel Isaac Block, vol. 6, Judges, Ruth (electronic ed.;, Logos Library System; The New American Commentary Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1999), 429.
Doctrine Matters (Titus 1:9)
TITUS 1:9
He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
This verse is the final category presented by Paul in Titus that a church elder must meet. It is significant how much space Paul gives to this topic. This section gets even more words than does the section on family. While a pastor must have a good family life, and while a pastor must have a solid character, he also must, absolutely must, have solid, biblical doctrine. This tells us that doctrine very much matters.
Speaking of the pastor, Paul writes, “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught.” A pastor must cling tightly, never even for a moment letting go of the trustworthy word, the Bible, as it has been taught for generations. Trusting the Bible and keeping faithful biblical interpretation is central to what a church leader must be.
Why should a pastor keep to the word so solidly? There are two reasons. A pastor or elder is to instruct people in right doctrine. He is also to reprove or rebuke those who teach false doctrine. Neither of these things can happen if the pastor himself is not totally committed to God’s word and to rightly handling it.
I just spent three days with seven thousand Christians being challenged to never, under any circumstances, allow any adjustment to the gospel or the word of God. If you look around the world, if you look even around our own community, you will find churches and individuals who simply refuse to stand firm with the Bible as the inspired, unfailing, sufficient word of God. We must make it plain, regardless of how popular or unpopular, that we believe, as Jude says, the faith that was once, for all time, delivered to the saints.
You might not be called to be a pastor or an elder, but you have something to learn here. If doctrine in a pastor is crucial, doctrine in a church member and a servant in the church is crucial too. If the pastor’s job is to teach you, it is your job to listen, to learn, to study, and to grow in faithful, biblical doctrine.
Get your doctrine in order if you are going to be a faithful part of the church. This means that you do not assume something to be true without biblical support. This means that you read the Bible and good books by good preachers and teachers who are devoted to the Bible. And be careful. Just because a man says he is devoted to the Bible does not make it so. Test those who teach things. Have their doctrines been held by the saints over the centuries? Are their doctrines clearly present in the word? Be careful, because what you think, what you believe, matters very much.
