Stephen W. Hiemstra's Blog, page 7

Call of the Church: Monday Monologues (podcast), July 28, 2025

 By Stephen W. Hiemstra

This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on the Call of the Church. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).

To listen, click on this link.

Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!

Call of the Church: Monday Monologues (podcast), July 28, 2025
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com




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Missional Prayer

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Almighty Father,

All praise and honor, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours because you have trained us to be aware of and minister to those around us.

Forgive us when we prefer to focus on ourselves and neglect to share the Gospel of Jesus that heals our souls, builds up our families, and nurtures a community of trust and faithfulness.

Thank you for the ministry of the saints, the person of Jesus, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In the power of your Holy Spirit, open our hearts, illumine our thoughts, and strengthen our hands in your service.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Missional Prayer
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com

Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/jog_0725, Signup

 

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Oración Missional

Por Stephen W. Hiemstra

Padre todopoderoso,

Toda la alabanza y el honor, el poder y el dominio, la verdad y la justicia son tuyos porque nos has entrenado para estar atentos y ministrar a quienes nos rodean.

Perdónanos cuando preferimos centrarnos en nosotros mismos y descuidamos compartir el Evangelio de Jesús que sana nuestras almas, edifica nuestras familias y nutre una comunidad de confianza y fidelidad.

Gracias por el ministerio de los santos, la persona de Jesús y el don del Espíritu Santo.

En el poder de tu Espíritu Santo, abre nuestros corazones, ilumina nuestros pensamientos y fortalece nuestras manos en tu servicio.

En el precioso nombre de Jesús, Amén.

Oración Missional
Vea También:
Una Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Vida en Tensión
Otras Formas de Interactuar en Línea:



Sitio Web del Autor:  http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
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The Call of the Church

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, 

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, 

and to the end of the earth. 

(Acts 1:8)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

The Bible is a missionary document written by missionaries (Schnabel 2004, 5-6). The footloose character of the Holy Spirit as articulated in the Book of Acts must therefore be a controlling view throughout scripture. We see this already in the story of Abram where we, as stand-ins for Abram, are blessed to be a blessing (Gen 12:1-3). Rejecting this call to missions, is effectively a rejection of our own election (McDonald 2010, 61, 97).

Rejecting the Call

Did the Nation of Israel lean into this idea of being a blessing to the nations around them? 

The Prophet Jonah is instructive. God sends Jonah to preach to the Ninevites and he refuses; nevertheless, after being swallowed by whale, Jonah relents. He  goes to Nineveh, prophesies their destruction, and the Ninevites turn to God (Schnabel 2004, 86-87). Jonah is neither surprised nor happy about this outcome (Jonah 4:1).

This impulse to separate from other nations grew stronger during the Second Temple period following the Babylonian captivity:

“You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” (Neh 2:17)

When a nation is defined in terms of walled cities and faith in terms of temples, religion is more of a defense from foreign influences than an opportunity to be blessed and become a blessing to others. This is perhaps why no Shekinah cloud fills the rebuilt temple during this period.

This is the status of the people during the intra-testament period when there was no prophet in Israel after Malachi for four hundred years, which suggests why John the Baptist is often referred to as the last Old Testament prophet.

Crafting the Call

The core missionary intent is evident in Jesus calling his followers to be “fishers of people” and are referred to them as “Apostles” which means: “envoys sent by the risen Jesus Christ to proclaim the good news.” (Schnabel 2004, 10-12) Jesus describes his own mission when approached by Syrophoenician woman: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.“ (Matt 15:24; Luke 4:43-44). Jesus saw himself as a missionary primarily to Israel, but the mandate for disciples to evangelize the world comes from the risen Christ just before his ascension: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8; Schnabel 2004, 207).

This call to evangelize the nations is not restricted to Luke-Acts. Matthew cites the Great Commission: 

“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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:19-20)

The phrase—“I am with you always”—sounds suspiciously like a gift of the Holy Spirit. In John’s Gospel the parallel passage is: “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (John 20:21) Mark’s parallel passage is: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15)

When the calls to evangelize the world are cited, some will respond that these texts were late additions to the original manuscripts, but the texts themselves are full of efforts to train the disciples in evangelism. Consider Jesus’ sending of his disciples ahead of his own traveling path, a kind of first-century advance-team:

“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:1-2)

And what training had the disciples received in evangelism, other than to live with Jesus and know him? The disciples were given no resources and were to live among the people: “Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.” (Luke 10:4)

While the Holy Spirit had not yet been formally given to them, the disciples’ report suggests that informally the Holy Spirit had already empowered them: “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” (Luke 10:17) By any line of thinking, exorcism is a ministry of power, a test of wills within a spiritual context.

The Greater Context

While seeds of this view of missions and the church’s call are found throughout scripture, Luke is the one who develops this vision most clearly. Note that the church’s mission statement (Acts 1:8) is given before the granting of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).

References

McDonald, Suzanne. 2010. Re-Imaging Election: Divine Election as Representing God to Others & Others to God. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Schnabel, Eckhard J. 2004. Early Christian Mission: Jesus and the Twelve: Volume One.  Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press.

The Call of the Church

Also see:

The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com

Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/jog_0725, Signup

 

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Llamado de la Iglesia

Pero recibirán poder cuando el Espíritu Santo venga sobre ustedes; 

y serán mis testigos en Jerusalén, en toda Judea y Samaria, 

y hasta los confines de la tierra.”

(Acts 1:8)

Por Stephen W. Hiemstra

La Biblia es un documento misionero escrito por misioneros (Schnabel 2004, 5-6). Por lo tanto, el carácter libre del Espíritu Santo tal como se expresa en el Libro de los Hechos debe ser una visión dominante en toda la Escritura. Esto ya lo vemos en la historia de Abram, donde Abram, como nuestro sustituto, es bendecido para ser una bendición (Gén 12:1-3). Rechazar este llamado a las misiones es efectivamente rechazar nuestra propia elección (McDonald 2010, 61, 97).

Rechazando el Llamado

¿El pueblo de Israel se inclinó hacia esta idea de ser una bendición para las naciones que lo rodeaban?

El profeta Jonás es instructivo. Dios envía a Jonás a predicar a los ninivitas y él se niega; sin embargo, después de ser tragado por la ballena, Jonás cede. Él va a Nínive, profetiza su destrucción y los ninivitas se vuelven a Dios (Schnabel 2004, 86-87). Jonás no está ni sorprendido ni contento con este resultado (Jonás 4:1).

Este impulso de separarse de otras naciones se hizo más fuerte durante el período del Segundo Templo después del cautiverio babilónico:

¨Ustedes ven la mala situación en que estamos, que Jerusalén está desolada y sus puertas quemadas a fuego. Vengan, reedifiquemos la muralla de Jerusalén para que no seamos más motivo de burla.¨ (Neh 2:17)

Cuando una nación se define en términos de ciudades amuralladas y la fe en términos de templos, la religión es más una defensa de las influencias extranjeras que una oportunidad de ser bendecido y convertirse en una bendición para los demás. Esta es quizás la razón por la que ninguna nube Shekinah llena el templo reconstruido durante este período.

Esta es la situación del pueblo durante el período intratestamentario, cuando no hubo profeta en Israel después de Malaquías durante cuatrocientos años, lo que sugiere por qué a menudo se hace referencia a Juan el Bautista como el último profeta del Antiguo Testamento.

Elaborando la Llamada

La intención misionera central es evidente cuando Jesús llama a sus seguidores a ser “pescadores de personas” y se refiere a ellos como “apóstoles”, que significa: “enviados por Jesucristo resucitado para proclamar las buenas noticias” (Schnabel 2004, 10-12). Jesús describe su propia misión cuando se le acercó una mujer sirofenicia: ¨No he sido enviado sino a las ovejas perdidas de la casa de Israel.¨ (Mateo 15:24; Lucas 4:43-44) Jesús se veía a sí mismo como un misionero principalmente en Israel, pero el mandato para los discípulos de evangelizar el mundo proviene del Cristo resucitado justo antes de su ascensión: “Serán mis testigos en Jerusalén, en toda Judea y Samaria, y hasta los confines de la tierra.” (Hecho 1:8; Schnabel 2004, 207).

Este llamado a evangelizar las naciones no se limita a Lucas-Hechos. Mateo también cita la Gran Comisión:

¨Vayan, pues, y hagan discípulos de todas las naciones, bautizándolos en el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo, enseñándoles a guardar todo lo que les he mandado; y ¡recuerden (he aquí)! Yo estoy con ustedes todos los días, hasta el fin del mundo.¨ (Mateo 28:19-20)

La frase—“Yo estoy con ustedes todos los días”—suena sospechosamente como un don del Espíritu Santo. En el Evangelio de Juan, el pasaje paralelo es: “Como el padre me ha enviado, así también yo los envío.” (Juan 20:21) El pasaje paralelo de Marcus es: ¨Vayan por todo el mundo y prediquen el evangelio a toda criatura.¨ (Marcus 16:15)

Cuando se citan los llamados a evangelizar el mundo, algunos responderán que estos textos fueron adiciones tardías a los manuscritos originales. El problema con esta crítica es que todos los manuscritos están llenos de esfuerzos para entrenar a los discípulos en la evangelización. Consideremos el envío de Jesús de sus discípulos por delante de su propio camino, una especie de equipo de avanzada del primer siglo:

¨Después de esto, el Señor designó a otros setenta, y los envió de dos en dos delante de el, a toda ciudad y lugar adonde el había de ir. Y les decía: La cosecha es mucha, pero los obreros pocos; rueguen, por tanto, al Señor de la cosecha que envíe obreros a su cosecha.¨ (Lucas 10:1-2)

¿Y qué formación habían recibido los discípulos en la evangelización, aparte de vivir con Jesús y conocerle? A los discípulos no se les dieron recursos y se les ordenó vivir entre la gente:“No lleven bolsa, ni alforja, ni sandalias; y a nadie saluden por el camino.” (Lucas 10:4)

Aunque el Espíritu Santo aún no les había sido dado formalmente, el informe de los discípulos sugiere que informalmente el Espíritu Santo ya los había empoderado: ¨Señor, hasta los demonios se nos sujetan en Tu nombre.¨ (Lucas 10:17) Desde cualquier punto de vista, el exorcismo es un ministerio de poder, una prueba de voluntades dentro de un contexto espiritual.

El Contexto más Amplio

Aunque las semillas de esta visión de las misiones y del llamado de la iglesia se encuentran a lo largo de las Escrituras, Lucas es quien desarrolla esta visión con mayor claridad. Nótese que la declaración de la misión de la iglesia (Hechos 1:8) se da antes de la concesión del Espíritu Santo en Pentecostés (Hechos 2:1-4).

Llamado de la Iglesia
Vea También:
Una Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Vida en Tensión
Otras Formas de Interactuar en Línea:



Sitio Web del Autor:  http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Sitio Web del Editor:  http://www.T2Pneuma.com





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Augustine’s Confessions, Part 1—Overview

Foley, Michael P. [editor] 2006. Augustine Confessions (Orig Pub 397 AD). 2nd Edition. Translated by F. J. Sheed (1942). Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.)

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

In the late seventies as I worked on a master’s degree in agricultural economics, my best friend, who had just entered seminary, encouraged me to undertake study of classics in the faith and early on I read Augustine’s (1978) Confessions. The Confessions proved to be a challenging read both because of my lack of seminary training and because of the old English translation. When I undertook this year to write my own memoir, my friend encouraged me to return to the Confessions both because the Confessions provided a template for all memoirs to follow and because this time I also had seminary training.

Introduction

Convinced of the wisdom to return to the Confessions, I sought a more modern translation that would be easier to read and, to my delight, found a translation by E.J. Sheed with an introduction by Augustinian biographer, Peter Brown. Brown (2000) is revered as one of the leading Augustinian biographers of our time and I had used his biography during my days in seminary.

I break this review up into four parts. First, I give an overview of the Confessions and why we are interested. Second, I review the life of Augustine and sin, as he describes it. Third, I will focus on Augustine’s coming to faith. Lastly, I will review his theological writings, which focus on the creation accounts in Genesis.

Background on Augustine

For those unfamiliar with church history, Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD), which was in modern-day Algeria, lived right after the time of Emperor Constantine the Great (272-337 AD) who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. Bishop Ambrose baptized Augustine who had such contemporaries as Jerome, who translated the Bible in Latin. The fourth century posed a heady time for the Christian church and Augustine’s theology influenced much of what followed. For example, Martin Luther (1483-1546), a leader in the reformation more than a thousand years later, was an Augustinian monk (Bainton 1995, 25).

Of contemporary significance is the point that Augustine hailed from Africa where some of the best theology and early Bible manuscripts were copied. African scholarship dominated the early church and this dominance continued until the Islamic invasion in the sixth century, following the life and work of Mohammad (570-632 AD). The statement that Christianity is a “white man’s religion” (widely touted in developing countries) is not historically accurate and denigrates the significant contribution of African scholarship to the early church.

What Are the Confessions?

Augustine came to Christ as an adult. In his introduction, Peter Brown writes:

“On Easter day, April 24th, 387, he [Augustine] had ‘put on Christ’ by receiving baptism at the hands of Ambrose.” (xv)

Shortly before the death of his mother, Monica, who was a devout Catholic, later that year. Augustine supported himself teaching rhetoric, was heavily influenced by the writings of Plato, and wrote the Confessions to be read aloud. Each of the thirteen books could be read in about an hour’s time (xvi-xviii). Brown writes:

“For, as Catholic bishop, Augustine did not simply know ‘about’ the Bible, or preach ‘on’ the Bible. He prayed out of it every day, using especially the book of Psalms, which he believed to be the direct, personal prayers of King David, and so the model of all Christan, as they had been of all Jewish, prayer.” (xvii-xviii)

Biblical Influence

The influence of the Bible on the confessions is obvious to any reader because Augustine frequently begins a particular section in prayer and cites scripture throughout, allusions to which the editor has conveniently footnoted.

Less obvious to the reader is the definition that Augustine used for confession. As noted by the editor’s glossary, for Augustine confession could be:

a profession of faith,praise of God, oran act of penance (self-accusation).

Today, we primarily assume the last definition (329).

Augustine’s Conversion

In his book, Confessions, Augustine of Hippo describes his life before and after converting to Christianity as an adult. Augustine shamelessly lays out the sins of his life, saying:

“Let the mind of my brethren love that in me which You teach to be worthy of love, and grieve for that in me which You teach to be worthy of grief.” (191)

I take this statement to mean that Augustine proposes to be frankly forthright in confession so that he can be an example to others. Is it any wonder that people trusted him and followed him into the monastic life? Having read the Confessions as a young man, I truly believe that they helped lead me to live an ascetic lifestyle, even after it was no longer a financial necessity. I commend the Confessions to anyone who wishes to deepen their faith in Jesus Christ.

References

Augustine. 1978. Confessions (Orig Pub 397 AD). Translated by R.S. Pine-Coffin. New York: Penguin Books.

Bainton, Roland H. 1995. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. New York: Meridan Book.

Brown, Peter. 2000. Augustine of Hippo: A Biography (Orig pub 1967). Berkeley: University of California Press.

Metzger, Bruce M. and Bart D. Ehrman. 2005. The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration. New York: Oxford University Press.

Footnotes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusti....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constan....

Before mechanical printing, manuscripts had to be copied by hand and copyist sometimes “corrected” texts as they reproduced them. African scholars, centered in Alexandria, were much more careful in copying manuscripts than others, including their European rivals (Metzer and Ehrman 2005, 278).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad.

Augustine’s Confessions, Part 1—OverviewAlso see:Books, Films, and MinistryOther ways to engage online:Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/jog_0725, Signup

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Introduction to Acts: Monday Monologues (podcast), July 21, 2025

 By Stephen W. Hiemstra

This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on the Introduction to Acts. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).

To listen, click on this link.

Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!

Introduction to Acts: Monday Monologues (podcast), July 21, 2025
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com




Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/jog_0725, Signup

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Prayer for the Holy Spirit’s Presence

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Blessed Lord Jesus,

All praise and honor, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours because when we sought retribution, you taught us restoration, and when we wanted to pick nits, you gave eyes that see and ears that hear.

Forgive our narrow minds and shallow hearts. Help us to confess sins that we hide even from ourselves.

Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth and grace, the spirit of a new day and fresh thinking.

In the power of your Holy Spirit, open our hearts, illumine our thoughts, and strength our hands in your service.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Prayer for the Holy Spirit’s Presence
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com

Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/jog_0725, Signup

 

 

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Oración para la Presencia del Espíritu Santo

Por Stephen W. Hiemstra

Bendito Señor Jesús,

Tuyos son toda la alabanza y el honor, el poder y el dominio, la verdad y la justicia, porque cuando buscábamos retribución, nos enseñaste a restaurar, y cuando queríamos criticar, nos diste ojos que ven y oídos que oyen.

Perdona nuestras mentes estrechas y nuestros corazones superficiales. Ayúdanos a confesar pecados que escondemos incluso de nosotros mismos.

Gracias por el don del Espíritu Santo, el espíritu de verdad y de gracia, el espíritu de un nuevo día y de un pensamiento fresco.

Con el poder de tu Espíritu Santo, abre nuestros corazones, ilumina nuestros pensamientos y fortalece nuestras manos en tu servicio.

En el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo, Amén.

Oración para la Presencia del Espíritu Santo
Vea También:
Una Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Vida en Tensión
Otras Formas de Interactuar en Línea:



Sitio Web del Autor:  http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
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Introduction to Acts

It seemed good to me also, 

having followed all things closely for some time past, 

to write an orderly account for you, 

most excellent Theophilus 

(Luke 1:3)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

The history of the church is chronicled most extensively by Luke, who was Greek, a physician by trade, and a companion of Paul (Col 4:14). By his own account, Luke functioned like a modern journalist and was not among the original twelve disciples. Modern scholars believe that Mark’s Gospel is the oldest and that Luke’s Gospel draws heavily on Mark as source along with his own interviews. This makes sense because Luke was well acquainted with Mark, who served as a amanuensis (scribe or secretary) of the Apostle Peter and is later believed to travel with Luke and Paul telling the Jesus story (2 Tim 4:11). Luke is also believed to have spoken extensively with Jesus’ mother Mary.

Luke’s many references to the agency of the Holy Spirit set his Gospel apart. Luke mentioned the Holy Spirit more than twice as often as any other Gospel⁠1 and the Book of Acts is even more prolific in mentioning the Holy Spirit.⁠2 A key passage in Luke in this respect is one of the first: 

“And Mary said to the angel, How will this be, since I am a virgin? And the angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” (Luke 1:34-35)

If Jesus’ conception is of the Holy Spirit, then so is everything that follows (also Matt 1:18).

Luke’s writing is also disguised by his attention to the role of women in Jesus’ ministry, entourage, and financial support (Luke 8:3). R.C. Sproul (2005, 14) describes Luke’s Gospel as the Ladies’ Home Journal of the Bible. Only in Luke do we hear about Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, and the mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1) or Anna the Prophetess (Luke 2:36-37). Who, but Mother Mary herself, could tell the story of her conversation with an angel? (Luke 1)

The Gospel of Luke serves as a prologue to the Book of Acts that focuses on the person of Jesus and his wandering ministry, which starts with temptations in the desert (Luke 4:1-13) that look a lot like the temptations of the people of the Israel during their sojourn in the wilderness (Wright 2004, 43). At least three aspects of Jesus’ ministry highlight the role of the Holy Spirit: The wandering ministry, Jesus’ healings and exorcisms, and Jesus’ interpretation of law.

Wandering Ministry

Jesus’ traveling ministry appears patterned after the wandering of Abram and the later wandering of the people of Israel during their time in the wilderness. For Abram and the people of Israel this wandering is formative and it teaches them to rely on God. For Jesus’ disciples, the traveling ministry performs the same formative function, which provides room in their lives for the work of the Holy Spirit.

Luke, whose purpose in writing is more analytical perhaps than the other Gospel writers, may actually have understood this point. Darrell Bock (1996, 146) observes:

“The unit in Luke divides clearly: An introduction (4:31-32), an exorcism (4:33-37), the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law (4:38-39), another encounter with a demon (4:40-41), and a closing mission statement (4:42-44). Three miracle accounts dominate this description of Jesus’ activity…. Mark tends to focus on the miracles themselves, while Luke balances his portrait between teaching, exorcism, and healing. For Luke words and deeds belong together.”

If head and heart must be united in forming and informing faith, then time is required for ideas to be put together with actions. Walking around and observing a teacher in action is not only an effective teaching method, it permits the Holy Spirit to work in one’s heart and mind.

Jesus’ wandering ministry, like missions trips today, likely benefitted the disciples’ faith as much or more than those ministered to.

Healings and Exorcisms

Healings and exorcisms make it obvious that Jesus was the first medical missionary. More than that, his miraculous healings (and resurrection) credentialed his claim to be the son of God because they point beyond the natural world to supernatural power (Lewis 1974, 5). Luke more often than other Gospel writers attributed such events to the agency of the Holy Spirit, such as when Jesus was baptized or led into the wilderness to be tempted (Luke 3:22, 4:1).

Interpretation of Law

Jesus’ interpretation of Jewish law distinguished him from other teachers in at least two ways that offer room for the Holy Spirit to work in a person’s life. 

First, Jesus speaks to the principle behind the law by posing an ethical dilemma, which places two legal principles in opposition to one another. He asked: “It lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” (Luke 6:9) When the Pharisees refused to answer, Jesus healed a man with a withered hand and infuriated the Pharisees because the act of healing set a righteous act in opposition to their rules about work on the Sabbath (Luke 6:10-11).

This act of legal interpretation and healing embarrassed the Pharisees and put Jesus’ life at risk, which lead him to a night of prayer and the calling of his disciples (Luke 6:12-16). Ironically, the healing could not be construed as work under the Sabbath laws because Jesus never touched the man (Wright 2004, 28).

Second, Jesus widened the interpretation of legal sanctions for murder, adultery, and other sins to consider the motivation behind the sin drawing attention to anger, lust, and other dark motives (e.g Matt 5:20-22). This made compliance with the law impossible without divine intervention.

Technical compliance, as taught by the Pharisees, was not enough to assure righteousness. While in Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount proscribes technical compliance, Luke’s account promotes using rights under the law, such as enemy love, to witness to sinners (e.g.Luke 6:27).

Using law to open disciples up to the Holy Spirit’s intervention clearly set Jesus’ teaching apart from that of the Pharisees, who promoted strict adherence to a narrow definition of law. Those that have no sin feel no need of a savior. This is is a problem today when people believe that they are in technical compliance with law and basically good.

Footnotes

1 Matt 1:18, 20, 3:11, 12:32, 28:19; Mark 1:8, 3:29, 12:36, 13:11; Luke 1:15, 35, 41, 67, 2:25, 26, 3:16, 22, 4:1, 10:21, 11:13, 12:10, 12; John 1:33, 14:26, 20:22

2 Acts 1:2, 5, 8, 16, 2:4, 33, 38, 4:8, 25, 31, 5:3, 32, 6:5, 7:51, 55, 8:15, 17, 19, 9:17, 31, 10:38, 44, 45, 47, 11:15, 16, 24, 13:2, 4, 9, 52, 15:8, 28, 16:6, 19:2, 6, 20:23, 28, 21:11, 28:25

References

Bock, Darrell L. 1996. The NIV Application Commentary: Luke. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Lewis, C.S. 1974. Miracles: A Preliminary Study (Orig Pub 1960). New York: HarperCollins.

Sproul, R.C. 2005. A Walk with God: An Exposition of Luke’s Gospel. Great Britain: Christian Focus.

Wright, Tom. 2004. Luke for Everyone. Westminister: John Knox Press.

Introduction to Acts

Also see:

The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



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