How are children of believers, holy?

Here is a helpful comment on 1 Corinthians 7, by Warren Weirsbe regarding the statement of Paul: “For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.” (1 Corinthians 7:14, NIV)

Comment[1]

Some of the members of the Corinthian church were saved after they had been married, but their mates had not yet been converted. No doubt, some of these believers were having a difficult time at home; and they asked Paul, “Must we remain married to unsaved partners? Doesn’t our conversion alter things?”

Paul replied that they were to remain with their unconverted mates so long as their mates were willing to live with them. Salvation does not alter the marriage state; if anything, it ought to enhance the marriage relationship. (Note Peter’s counsel to wives with unsaved husbands in 1 Peter 3:1–6.) Since marriage is basically a physical relationship (“they shall be one flesh,” Gen. 2:24), it can only be broken by a physical cause. Adultery and death would be two such causes (1 Cor. 7:39). It is an act of disobedience for a Christian knowingly to marry an unsaved person (note “only in the Lord” in 1 Cor. 7:39; see also 2 Cor. 6:14).

But if a person becomes a Christian after marriage, he should not use that as an excuse to break up the marriage just to avoid problems. In fact, Paul emphasized the fact that the Christian partner could have a spiritual influence on the unsaved mate. First Corinthians 7:14 does not teach that the unsaved partner is saved because of the believing mate, since each person must individually decide for Christ. Rather, it means that the believer exerts a spiritual influence in the home that can lead to the salvation of the lost partner.

What about the children? Again, the emphasis is on the influence of the godly partner. The believing husband or wife must not give up. In my own ministry, I have seen devoted Christians live for Christ in divided homes and eventually see their loved ones trust the Savior.

Salvation does not change the marriage state. If the wife’s becoming a Christian annulled the marriage, then the children in the home would become illegitimate (“unclean” in 1 Cor. 7:14). Instead, these children may one day be saved if the Christian mate is faithful to the Lord.

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[1] Wiersbe, Warren W.. Be Wise (1 Corinthians): Discern the Difference Between Man's Knowledge and God's Wisdom (The BE Series Commentary) (pp. 87-88). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition.

For Bible Students: Be Cautious Doing Word Studies - Part 2

Here's another short blog to help those of us who study the Bible, to do it with a level of precision that we are not in danger of being ashamed.  Previously I cautioned about doing "word studies".  In that Blog I mentioned that we need to confirm the meaning of word with how it is used contextually.  We can't always rely on the etymological origins.

Along the same line, I want to caution you to be careful in applying the same meaning for a word, throughout the Bible.  Stated otherwise, the same word can be used differently in different passages. I ran into an example of that recently in 1 Corinthians 7.  Note:

“If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.” (1 Corinthians 7:13–14, ESV)

In the ESV the word translated "holy" is the Greek word hagiazo [pronounced: hag·ee·ad·zo].   The KJV translates the word "sanctified".  It is often understood as "separated unto God" or "pure".  We know that marriage to a Christian or birth in a Christian family does not make someone pure before God. The word is used in a different sense here.

In Paul's letter to Rome we read, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1, ESV).  But when James wrote his epistle he said, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24, ESV).   That word justified, although the same word, is used in two different ways.  There is a justification [a declaration of righteousness] by faith alone whereby God imputes the perfection of His Son upon believing sinners, as free grace.   But there is a declaration of validity that confirms that a person, indeed is saved or justified. Or stated better:

Faith without works cannot save; it takes faith that proves itself in the deeds it produces. James is not speaking of deeds performed to earn merit before God (as Paul uses the term in Rom 3:20). Genuine faith is a concomitant of regeneration and therefore affects the believer's behavior. Faith that does not issue in regenerate actions is superficial and spurious.[1]

This is not bizarre (even if you don't know Greek).  The English language is full of such anomalies.  If I say that my wife is not home, but at a shower, you know that I don't mean she is bathing elsewhere.  She is perhaps at a baby shower or a wedding shower.  Likewise you will err if you think the same word in the Bible always means the same things.  Once again context umpires the call.

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[1] Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:James/Exposition of James/V. The Relation of Faith and Action (2:14-26), Book Version: 4.0.2

Awe and Absence!

I hate writing what I’m going to write, because I hate sympathy.  I’m proud.  I usually keep my thoughts to myself.  So if you continue reading, don’t comment or call me.  That’s embarrassing.  Just pray for me and secondly realize that what I’m doing right now is the best therapy in the world: studying God’s Word and applying to me.

That’s right I am discouraged.  I’m feeling disheartened.  For a few days now I have been going, “Why are you downcast, O my soul?”  “Hope in God!” But Psalm 77 has grabbed my heart; and I think we are in tune.

I don’t know who the writer is. It may be Asaph, but the way the superscription is written, that is not necessarily he that authored it. It is a lament.  It sounds like bagpipes out of tune. Like me, right now, at 1:00 a.m. in the morning he describes his sleepless night.  He tells us of the struggle he has to find answers. “When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted” (Psalm 77:2, NIV). This is not the first time he went through this Slough of Despond.  And the last time God didn’t seem to come through then, either.  Phoned, but it just rang busy!  So what’s the deal, God?

““Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”” (Psalm 77:7–9, NIV)

Oops, change of plans: “Then I thought, ‘To this I will appeal . . ..’”^[1]  He starts to recall God’s character and God’s past actions on behalf of Israel.  I was surprised.  If I had been teaching Counseling 101 I would have said, “Think about all the great things God has done for you.”   Not this anonymous songwriter!  He sees God working corporately and across history.

Did it help?  Not sure!  He doesn’t say.  But two things that I see in this Psalm is that the writer is left with a sense of ‘awe’.  Awe is awe.  It’s just a mouth-dropping look.  “. . . What god is as great as our God?” ^[2]  And secondly, we are left with the ‘absence’ of God (sort-of).  “Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen” (Psalm 77:19, NIV).

You probably recognize where the author of “Footprints” got his or her inspiration for their poem.  The authorship seems disputed, but we are all familiar with the poem and the wonderful ending:

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you."

It simply isn’t our privilege to know all the ins and outs of how God leads.  We are simply (Oh, that’s an understatement!) to trust HOW He leads. 

So what did Asaph (or whomever) teach me about being dejected?  One, think about what God is doing for other people; Two, think about who God is; and Three, a sense of God’s absence can be uncomfortably safe.

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^[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Ps 77:10). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

^[2] The New International Version. (2011). (Ps 77:13). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Intimacy in the Valley

Most funerals include at least a reading of Psalm 23.  At these times there is often a focus on the one stanza in the song: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me . . .." But prior to those words we read about how good life was for the author.  In fact we are somewhat envious.  He testifies to not wanting, to enjoying green pastures, living beside still waters, sensing a restored soul and living in paths of righteousness.  But suddenly the tranquility and the peace is broken with this words: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death . . ..

Some of us can relate to that.  We move along through life and suddenly the still waters turn into stormy seas. We get that unexpected call; that unexpected circumstance.  But in the big picture, what we just read in Psalm 23 was a common occurrence in the life of mid-eastern sheep and shepherds.  In the summer the good shepherd had to move his sheep to higher ground – to greener pastures.  But the route there as hard and dangerous.  They had to cross raging rivers, encounter poisonous plants, unexpected storms and wild animals.

But something was different about living in the winter plains and moving to the summer grazing in the hills.  The difference was the presence of the shepherd.  In the safe plains the shepherd didn't need to be beside the sheep all the time.  But in the trek up to the hills, the one thing the sheep could count on was the ever-present, ever-vigilant shepherd who had his rod and his staff for care and protection.

We speak rather romantically about "mountain-top experiences" – but the reality is that every mountain has its valleys, its ravines, its dangers.  The encouragement from the Psalmist is that it is in this very context that the intimacy with the shepherd is felt the deepest.  The Good Shepherd takes His sheep there because that is where the best food is.  That's where the best water and best nourishment is.

To anyone going through difficult seasons of life, scary days, threatening days – the answer is found in the opening sentence of this Psalm.  David wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd . . .."  That is the key to comfort, hope and peace today.  Is the Lord YOUR Shepherd?  Can we say with the psalmwriter:

“Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” (Psalm 100:3, NIV)

For Bible Students: Be Cautious Doing Word Studies.

Some common mistakes in biblical interpretation!   Occasionally and from time to time I hope to write some short blogs on this topic.  Much of what I say will be based upon Dr. D.A. Carson's work: Exegetical Fallacies[1].   I do hope that as you consider what is identified as a misleading notion, it will not only aid your own study but cause all of us to be discerning about what we hear and read from other sources.

Some years ago, in my experience, a common exercise that Christians would go through in seeking to understand the Bible is by doing word studies. I came love word studies, particularly the etymology of words.  That word simply means the origin.  For example we have a word in our Bible that we love identified as Gospel.  An online Etymological Dictionary teaches us that this word comes from the old English made up of two words: good and spel; or good story, good message.  The English is a translation from Latin bona adnuntiatio which is a translation of the Greek: euangelion.  Greek scholars tell us that this means good tidings.  At a funeral we often have a eulogy which has the same root.  It's where someone has a good word to say about the deceased. 

Now here's the problem.  Not every word study will give us an accurate meaning of the biblical word.  For example we are told that the Greek word μονογενής, monogenes as used in John 3:16 means "only begotten".  But a careful use of the word in the Bible reveals that it cannot mean "the only one born to". In fact although "only begotten" is the right meaning of monogenes, that is not the right biblical interpretation of that word.  The accurate interpretation is closer to the idea that God gave His unique Son.  We determine that not by its historical meaning, but by it usage in the Bible.  

We shouldn't ignore root studies of words, but we should do them in line with inductive study of the word in the Bible.  Carson writes, "I am simply saying that the meaning of a word cannot be reliably determined by etymology, or that a root, once discovered, always projects a certain semantic load onto any word that incorporates that root."[2]

So when you read or hear that such and such a word means a certain thing because it is made up of two compound words: this and that -- you are to question that statement.  The compound structure of the word and the historic meaning of the word may not totally align with the Biblical use of that same word.  We need to search the Scriptures to see if it is so!

Word studies are good, but be careful.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, ESV)  

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[1] Carson, D. A.. Exegetical Fallacies, Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

[2] Carson, D. A.. Exegetical Fallacies (p. 32). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

We are called to live questionable lives!

I don't know anything about this author, but I agree wholeheartedly with his assessment of Jesus:

One of the things that struck me profoundly in my reading of the accounts of the life of Jesus is that he provoked a strong reaction in everyone who met him. I cannot think of a single individual who encountered Jesus personally and didn't show a strong reaction. Sometimes people reacted positively, at other times their reaction was very negative. But he always provoked a strong reaction.[1]

In preparing for a Sunday message I was considering the same thing.  Jesus always moved people a reaction – a response.  A young man watching a dinner party by a Pharisee, when asked by his parents, upon his arrival back home, "Who was at the party?" would never answer, "Oh . . . and I think a man named Jesus was there!"  Never!  Jesus always provoked a response. 

      ·         To a Jewish academic; a professor of religious studies: ““How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”” (John 3:4, NIV)

      ·         To a woman of a race He was not supposed to talk to: “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (John 4:9, NIV)

      ·         He heals a man on the Sabbath. “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”” (John 5:12, NIV)

      ·         He eats with sinners. "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"^[2]

      ·         When His death was witnessed by a Roman soldier: "Surely he was the Son of God!"^[3]

Jesus always invokes a reaction.  He is never boring.  Where am I going with this?  In Paul's letter to Colossae he writes, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:6, NIV).  There is a heavily laden presumption in this verse. The presumption is this: My conversation with unbelievers ought to invoke a response – particularly a question.  That's troubling to me because it rarely does.  Dr. Douglas Moo comments: "By putting it this way, Paul assumes that unbelievers will be raising questions about the faith of the Colossian Christians, questions that may be neutral or even, perhaps, hostile."^[4]

We are called to live questionable lives! 

Someone should be asking me, "Why are you different;" or "Why do you have that hope?[5]"  So here's the question that I find so provoking and challenging: "Do I relate to unbelievers in such a way they question me about my faith in Christ?"  If not, why not!

We are called to live questionable lives!

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[1] March, Stephen John. Fuel for Pilgrims (Volume One) (p. 21). Lulu.com. Kindle Edition.

^[2] The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 9:11). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

^[3] The New International Version. (2011). (Mt 27:54). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

^[4] Moo, D. J. (2008). The letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (p. 331). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.

[5] 1 Peter 3:15