Monday, February 26, 2007

Can you guess who this is and to what he is referring?

That glorious form, that light unsufferable,
And that far-beaming blaze of Majesty,
Wherewith he wont at Heav'ns high Councel-Table,
To sit the midst of Trinal Unity,
He laid aside; and here with us to be,
Forsook the Courts of everlasting Day,
And chose with us a darksome House of mortal Clay

Matthew 1:18-25 Study Guide

This Wednesday we will study Matthew 1:18-25. This passage is duly concerned with the birth (genesis) of Jesus Christ. Here are some thoughts, observations, and questions that may help you as you prepare for Wednesday night.

1) Take your time as you read this passage of Scripture. Do not rush! I say this because this passage of Scripture, Matthew 1-2, gets preached from all the time making it easy for us to think we know what it says. May I encourage you to become unfamiliar with this passage that you may read it and study it again with freshness! Ask the Lord to help you by His Spirit understand this passage in a deeper and fuller way.

2) What does it mean that Mary was “found to be with child by the Holy Spirit” in Matthew 1:18? What would have happened had Jesus been conceived by Joseph? What is significant about the Holy Spirit’s creative act of conception? What does this say about his divinity? Notice that twice the role of the Holy Spirit is pointed out in this short passage. Maybe this is a good time to stop and appreciate the role of the Holy Spirit in the birth and life of Christ. Unfortunately, the Holy Spirit serves a “thankless” role in the birth and life of Jesus Christ in our theology and in our preaching. See John 15:26, 16:14, I Jn. 4:2

3) To piggyback on the second point, what is significant about Mary’s role in the birth of Jesus? What does this say about his humanity?

4) As you study this passage be sure to refresh your memory in the very least with Isaiah 7, ideally with Isaiah 7-12, often called the “Book of Immanuel.” See especially Isaiah. 9:6, 11:1-5 and compare them with Isaiah 7:14.

5) In our day to name a child is technically to give them a label. It is largely trivial and insignificant. This is not so in the biblical world. In biblical times names pointed to the actual character and destiny of the individual. With this in mind take time to reflect upon the name of Mary’s child. Joseph is commanded to name the baby Jesus. Why? What is the connection between the name “Jesus” and v. 21-23.

6) I am sure you have heard of a popular thought concerning Mary’s perpetual virginity. To put it loosely, it teaches Mary forever was, is, and will be a virgin. Is that biblical? What does Matthew 1:24-25 teach concerning this popular thought concerning Jesus?

7) Here is a simple outline by David J. Macleod I found very helpful…


The Account of the Virginal Conception of Jesus

The Dilemma of Joseph: His Discovery of Mary’s Condition, vv. 18-19

The Revelation from Heaven: The Supernatural Conception of the Child, vv. 20-21

The Fulfillment of Scripture: Isaiah’s Prophecy of the Virgin’s Son, vv. 22-23

The Obedience of Joseph: He Marries the Virgin and Names Her Son, vv. 24-25

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Who is Flavius Josephus?

For any who want to know who Flavius Josephus is and the importance of his writings please go here for all the information you could ever need or want about him! The preceding two posts contain quotes from his writings and it may help you to know who he is before you read what he wrote.

Against Apion: Further proof from Josephus concerning the exact management of the Jews genealogies

The following is taken from Against Apion Book one sections six and seven. This is a great example of the care Jews took concerning their genealogies.

6. As to the care of writing down the records from the earliest antiquity among the Egyptians and Babylonians; that the priests were intrusted therewith, and employed a philosophical concern about it; that they were the Chaldean priests that did so among the Babylonians; and that the Phoenicians, who were mingled among the Greeks, did especially make use of their letters, both for the common affairs of life, and for the delivering down the history of common transactions, I think I may omit any proof, because all men allow it so to be. But now as to our forefathers, that they took no less care about writing such records, (for I will not say they took greater care than the others I spoke of,) and that they committed that matter to their high priests and to their prophets, and that these records have been written all along down to our own times with the utmost accuracy; nay, if it be not too bold for me to say it, our history will be so written hereafter; - I shall endeavor briefly to inform you.
7. For our forefathers did not only appoint the best of these priests, and those that attended upon the Divine worship, for that design from the beginning, but made provision that the stock of the priests should continue unmixed and pure; for he who is partaker of the priesthood must propagate of a wife of the same nation, without having any regard to money, or any other dignities; but he is to make a scrutiny, and take his wife's genealogy from the ancient tables, and procure many witnesses to it. (7) And this is our practice not only in Judea, but wheresoever any body of men of our nation do live; and even there an exact catalogue of our priests' marriages is kept; I mean at Egypt and at Babylon, or in any other place of the rest of the habitable earth, whithersoever our priests are scattered; for they send to Jerusalem the ancient names of their parents in writing, as well as those of their remoter ancestors, and signify who are the witnesses also. But if any war falls out, such as have fallen out a great many of them already, when Antiochus Epiphanes made an invasion upon our country, as also when Pompey the Great and Quintilius Varus did so also, and principally in the wars that have happened in our own times, those priests that survive them compose new tables of genealogy out of the old records, and examine the circumstances of the women that remain; for still they do not admit of those that have been captives, as suspecting that they had conversation with some foreigners. But what is the strongest argument of our exact management in this matter is what I am now going to say, that we have the names of our high priests from father to son set down in our records for the interval of two thousand years; and if any of these have been transgressors of these rules, they are prohibited to present themselves at the altar, or to be partakers of any other of our purifications; and this is justly, or rather necessarily done, because every one is not permitted of his own accord to be a writer, nor is there any disagreement in what is written; they being only prophets that have written the original and earliest accounts of things as they learned them of God himself by inspiration; and others have written what hath happened in their own times, and that in a very distinct manner also.

Josephus and Genealogies

It was mentioned in the previous post that Jews were meticulous in their genealogies. Ezra 2:62 is proof of this. In that passage there are several exiles who wish to return to Jerusalem to help rebuild it but they are considered "unclean and excluded from the priesthood." This is an amazing piece of Scripture. It reveals to us that even in the midst of captivity the Jews maintained their records. Further proof of the meticulousness, importance, and availability of these records is found in the writings of Flavius Josephus. The following is taken from Life 1:1-6, you will notice at the end he speaks of finding this in the public records:

1. THE family from which I am derived is not an ignoble one, but hath descended all along from the priests; and as nobility among several people is of a different origin, so with us to be of the sacerdotal dignity, is an indication of the splendor of a family. Now, I am not only sprung from a sacerdotal family in general, but from the first of the twenty-four (1) courses; and as among us there is not only a considerable difference between one family of each course and another, I am of the chief family of that first course also; nay, further, by my mother I am of the royal blood; for the children of Asamoneus, from whom that family was derived, had both the office of the high priesthood, and the dignity of a king, for a long time together. I will accordingly set down my progenitors in order. My grandfather's father was named Simon, with the addition of Psellus: he lived at the same time with that son of Simon the high priest, who first of all the high priests was named Hyrcanus. This Simon Psellus had nine sons, one of whom was Matthias, called Ephlias: he married the daughter of Jonathan the high priest, which Jonathan was the first of the sons of Asamoneus, who was high priest, and was the brother of Simon the high priest also. This Matthias had a son called Matthias Curtus, and that in the first year of the government of Hyrcanus: his son's name was Joseph, born in the ninth year of the reign of Alexandra: his son Matthias was born in the tenth year of the reign of Archclaus; as was I born to Matthias in the first year of the reign of Caius Caesar. I have three sons: Hyrcanus, the eldest, was born in the fourth year of the reign of Vespasian, as was Justus born in the seventh, and Agrippa in the ninth. Thus have I set down the genealogy of my family as I have found it described (2) in the public records, and so bid adieu to those who slander me [as of a lower original].

Genealogies and Matthew 1:1-17: A Review

Here is a review of last Wednesday's Bible Study.

1. Unlike the purpose of genealogies today, the genealogies in the Scriptures are not meant to be strictly biological history. They are rather to demonstrate a person's corporate identity and to demonstrate one's status. See Thomas A. Graves, "Matthew 1:1-17" RevExp (Fall 1989) p.596.

2. Why start a book with a genealogy? What was Matthew thinking? Was he trying to lose readers? While I am willing to wager that many contemporary readers of Matthew quickly blow over the first 17 verses of Matthew thinking to themselves that it is of little or no practical value, it is clear the original Jewish audience would have loved and devoured such a purposeful genealogy. Consider Ezra 2:62! This genealogy establishes a legitimate claim to a particular line!Jesus Christ is the son of David the son of Abraham! See Genesis 12 and 1 Samuel 7.

3. I will quote from Overstreet for this third preliminary consideration, "The NT opens with an arresting prefatory record of names. Many readers probably pass over them as being of no practical value. However, this genealogy which opens the NT is, in many respects, one of the most important documents in the Scriptures. Much of the Bible stands or falls with its accuracy. If the Word of God contains mistakes in this section, how is any of it to be trusted, for this is the connecting link between the OT and NT?" R. Larry Overstreet, "Difficulties of New Testament Genealogies," GTJ (Fall 81) pg. 304.

4. The genealogy is divided into three main sections (Matt. 1:17). Why three? Specifically, we can say with certainty he has cut the genealogy down to three main sections to achieve literary symmetry and to highlight key events in Israel's history thus demonstrating God's sure hand in directing their affairs toward the promised King and Messiah. Not so certainly we can say Matthew is using a method called Gematria to emphasize Jesus Christ's relationship with David.

5. Matthew includes five women in his genealogy, Tamar (1:3), Rahab (1:5), Ruth (1:5), Bathsheba (referred to as "her who had been the wife of Uriah" in 1:6), and Mary (1:16). While I am not convinced this is as unusual or unnecessary as many commentators have posited, see Gen. 25:1, 36:10, 36:22; 1Chronicles 2:4, 2:18-19, 2:49 for examples of women being placed in genealogies, it is nevertheless very significant; Significant in a number of ways. First, consider women he has not included in the genealogy such as Sarah the mother of all nations or Rebekah! Second, as Graves mentions in his article I previously cited, "If Matthew were to scour the Old Testament stories, could he have produced any more surprising cast for his story of Jesus ancestry - harlots, adulterers, non-Jews, liars, and schemers?" So the question that we must ask ourselves and seek answers for in text becomes why has Matthew in his portrait of Christ's genealogy included these five women and not others? While not being dogmatic, I believe a very good case can be made, as Hutchison has, that "Matthew intentionally cited four Old Testament women in his genealogy in order to bring attention not to four persons, but to four familiar Old Testament stories that illustrate a common point. The allusions span the Old Testament periods of the patriarchs, the Conquest, the judges, and David's kingdom, and in each case a Gentile shows extraordinary faith in contrast to Jews, who were greatly lacking in their faith" John C. Hutchison, "Women, Gentiles, and the Messianic Mission in Matthew's Genealogy," BibSac (Apr 01). Third, Matthew by including these other four women with Mary has blunted the force of Mary being pregnant though unmarried. Each of those four women were in seemingly scandolous sexual situations yet through divine intervention they are lifted up for their faith and righteousness in Scripture (see Gen. 38:26; Heb. 11:31). Matthew has in a sure and definite way prepared the careful reader to expect something unusual yet wonderful in the birth of the Messiah Jesus Christ. God works his will in the midst of scandal and seeming chaos. Nothing can deter his plan or will. We must take seriously God's ability to work in situations of decadence, scandal, moral decay, and impropriety (Graves, "Matthew 1:1-17," 600).

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Holiness of God

If you have never read "The Holiness of God" by R.C. Sproul then you must do so. I remember reading this book the summer between my Freshman and Sophmore years in College. I read it in one night. I am willing to bet you will too should you be so wise as to go and read the book after reading this post.

I only go down memory lane about this book because you can now access and download to your computer (for free!) video lectures by RC Sproul on the holiness of God. There are three video's all together. Download them now!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

CANCELLED!

I was bound and determined not to cancel the bible study tonight, but the Lord was bound and determined to make any road to my house impassible! The road by my house is not plowed nor is my driveway.

Enjoy Valentines Day!

Monday, February 12, 2007

Bible Study - Matthew 1:1-1-17

This Wednesday we will study Matthew 1:1-17. Please take your time as you study this passage. Take time to look up the names in the Old Tesament. Take time to think about the structure of the genealogy.

Some questions to ask yourself and to consider as you read and re-read the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

1. What is the purpose of Matthew recording a genealogy of Jesus Christ?
2. What is significant about the names listed in the genealogy (Patriarchs, Kings, Women)?
3. The structure of Matthew's genealogy is fourteen generations: Abraham to David, David to deportation, deportation to Christ. What significance, if any, is there to this? Is it an example of gematria? Is it rhetorical? Is it balanced for reasons of memorization, etc.
4. What is the difference of focus and purpose of this genealogy compared to Luke's genealogy (Luke 3:23-38).

Should you have time you might want to review and think about genealogies in Genesis and 1 Chronicles. You may want to see remarks by Josephus in Life 1:1-6 concerning his own family line. You may also want to note the report by Eusebius from Julius Africanus in ECCL. Hist. 1.7; In this report by Eusebius he attempts to explain the difference between Matthew and Luke and how some families keep private family records.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Preach the Word

My wife taught our daughter to say "preach the word" this week, and that is what I am going to do tomorrow at Greencastle Bible Church in Greencastle, Pennsylvania. Please pray for me and my family as we travel (it is around three and a half hours away) and for God to bless the preacher, his preaching, and the audience. My preaching of the word is powerless without your beseeching of the Lord of Heaven to bless the preaching of His word!!!

Forthcoming Bible Study

This past Wednesday we introduced the Gospels as a whole and talked briefly concerning the "synoptic problem." This upcoming Wednesday we will jump into the text of Matthew chpt. 1. Please, as always, come with at least three observations from the text to share with us all. Also, let me take advantage of this oppurtunity to once again challenge you to read through Matthew entirely once each week! You will profit and gain from this in more than words can say.

Stay posted, in the following days I will post some suggestions and brief observations concerning Matthew 1.

Gospels as "slow action replay"

This quote is taken from Donald A. Hagner, "Interpreting the Gospels: The Landscape and the Quest," Jets 24:1 (March 1981) p. 23-37.

"We are the richer because our gospels are what they are. If the gospels were the written equivalents of videotapes that is, the results of a kind of flat, disinterested reporting of “the bare facts” we should be immeasurably impoverished. Comparatively, Jesus would be enigmatic, his words obscure, his intent confusing, his ministry bewildering. (Of course we should still do quite well—better than the disciples—in making sense of it all, since we would be reading these accounts from our post-resurrection perspective.)

What we have in the gospels as they are is perhaps analogous in some ways to the “slow-action replay” that we encounter in television coverage of sports events. In these replays the action can be dramatically slowed down so that one is able to see much more than one was able to see in the action as it actually occurred. If one is given the full treatment—close-up, slow-action, forward-and-reverse, split-screen, the same scene from several perspectives, and with the verbal commentary and interpretation of an expert superimposed—one has a fair analogy of what the evangelists do. The correspondence is striking especially in that this kind of replay is in one sense what actually occurred, but in another sense is quite different from what occurred (not only in speed but also in what one individual is capable of perceiving). One might add to the force of the analogy by pointing out that the true significance of certain plays can only be known after the game is over. Now they are often seen in a new light, their true meaning dependent on what subsequently transpired. The gospels are like slow-action, analytical replays with expert commentary seen after the conclusion of the game. The gospels are truer portraits of Jesus than they would have been had they only given us “the bare facts.” The irony is that to the extent that the evangelists go beyond “the bare facts” they give us what in the last analysis is a more accurate portrait of Jesus and his significance. Since the evangelists know with full certainty the meaning of what transpired, there is an authority in their presentation of the story that is unmistakable. Their creativity in its own way not only demonstrates that authority but also paradoxically amounts to the honoring of the tradition.“ The tradition is preserved as it ought to be—intact and yet enhanced by the insight of a mature perspective."

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

To quote...

Synoptic Problem
That there is such a problem is a fact,
and everyone who is interested in the Gospels
should know something about it.
Scroggie, A Guide to the Gospels (London: 1967), 83

Synoptic Problem and Wednesday Night

Several have expressed unease and apprehension concerning our upcoming discussion of the Synoptic Problem this Wednesday night. Please do not be alarmed! I merely desire for us to be aware of it as a problem and familiar with it's terminology. I desire this because any commentary you pick up on Matthew (or any of the synoptic Gospels) that was written in the last century will be full of synoptic Gospel terminology and language. You will see terms like "form criticism," "source criticism," "redaction criticism," "sitz im leben," etc. that you should at the very least be able to define. What's more, several commentaries or articles you may pick up will be discussing the synoptic problem without ever using these terms and you need to be able to identify it.

In short, to prepare for Wednesday night, don't lose any sleep over the synoptic problem. Simply read some of the material suggested concerning it and think through some of the positive and negative aspects of the synoptic problem, and then stop and think if there really is a synoptic problem after all.

To be well prepared for Wednesday night, spend most of your time reading Matthew and introductions to the Gospel.

Friday, February 2, 2007

Textual Criticism

If you are interested in textual criticism then click your way on over to James R. White's website where he is starting a series on textual criticism. It is well worth your time.
http://www.aomin.org/index.php?itemid=1725
http://www.aomin.org/index.php?itemid=1724

Verse of the Day