Tag Archives: Power

Bible Study, Church/Ecclesiology, Gospel of Mark

Of Passion and Power

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In this Series

Building on a recent post where we looked at the development of a Kingdom Leadership Paradigm through the teaching of Jesus, in this post we’ll look at how the Gospel of Mark presents contrasts between the predicted passion (sufferings) of our Lord with His disciples desire for power and authority.  This overview will, hopefully, further elucidate the paradigm that was introduced earlier.

In Mark’s divinely inspired gospel account, we find our Lord prophesying of His imminent death on three separate occasions.  In each of these passages there is a general pattern followed: the prophecy, the reaction, a correction, and a new paradigm.  In each of the prophecies, the Lord describes His being handed over to men (elders, scribes and priests), suffering unto death, and subsequently His resurrection.  Typically, the reaction by the disciples provides evidence that they’ve misunderstood the nature of Christ’s predicted suffering and instead move to assert, posture towards, or request positions of power.  These misunderstandings are then followed up by a rebuke or correction by the Lord, who then subsequently establishes of a new way of looking at kingdom relationships, particularly as it relates to authority.

Prophecy #1

The first of the passion prophecies comes in Mark 8:31

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Subsequent to this announcement, the self-appointed spokesman of the disciples, Peter, takes Jesus aside and rebukes him.  We need to pause here and consider the weightiness of this situation.  Jesus has just announced to His disciples that His life will soon end in suffering and death, followed by the prophecy of His three-days resurrection.  Peter, obviously disliking or disagreeing with this prophecy, asserts himself as the authority over Jesus, essentially attempting to establish His own superiority prior to Jesus’ death, “And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.”

In turn, this garners its own rebuke from Jesus, “Get behind me Satan.”  This scene is especially striking when we consider that just prior to his rebuke, Peter had made his familiar statement that Jesus was the Christ (Mark 8:27-30).  Following upon His rebuke of Peter, Jesus, having laid down the pattern of suffering to come in His own life, then sets forth the expectation of suffering and self-denial for those who would follow after Him

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Mark 8:34-35

This statement on the necessity of self-denial for the followers of Christ is a further statement on the Kingdom Paradigm that inverts the normal societal structure.  In this case, whoever wants to live, must die.

Prophecy #2

Next, we arrive at the second prophecy of Jesus’ death in Mark 9:30-32

30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Following in the the steps of their self-appointed leader after Jesus’ earlier prophecy, the disciples again do not understand what Jesus is saying regarding His death and again, we find them jockeying for power following the predicted passion of our Lord

33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. Mark 9:33-34

Here in these first two passages under our consideration, the contrast could not be more striking.  Jesus announces His pending suffering, death, and resurrection and the disciples are concerned with earthly authority and power, perhaps even as it relates to who would be in charge after Jesus’s death.

Once again we find a rebuke coming from our Lord and a reordering of expectations (Note the related event in Mark 10:13-16)

35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”  Mark 9:35-37

With this particular correction Jesus reverses the assumed order of societal structure, leadership, and ambition i.e. last will be first.  In order to drive this point home, He places a child in their midst.  Just after this, Mark 10:13-16, Jesus again uses the physical example of a child to establish the point that one must be child-like to enter into the Kingdom.

Prophecy #3

The third prophecy that our Lord makes, concerning His passion occurs in Mark 10:33-34

32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him,33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

As if having nothing better to say on the matter, the disciples once again prove that they do not yet understand what Jesus is prophesying, rather they are more interested in seeking individual power and authority.

35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” Mark 10:35-37

Notice the contrast between the predicted suffering of Christ and the power-play by two of the disciples.  After commenting that the disciples would likewise follow the Lord in suffering, and noting the indignation of the other disciples, the passage shifts towards another example of the overturned structural norms, specifically patterns of authority.

42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

Perhaps here in this final passage we have yet the strongest statement on the nature of leadership and authoritarian structures within Christ’s Kingdom.  Specifically, Gentile leadership is held up as an example of dysfunctional leadership, namely that of a top-down authority which our Lord directly contradicts by His establishment of servants being leaders.

In Mark’s gospel account, the contrast between suffering and servanthood with exaltation and authority could not be more striking.  With this, as with our previous post, we may clearly see that Jesus was reordering priorities, ambitions, and the nature of authority or leadership. His new Kingdom Paradigm establishes how we are called to live in our Christian communities and how we are called to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Apologetics, Evangelism

The Holy Spirit and the Jehovah’s Witness

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One of the chief objections that Jehovah’s Witnesses have toward orthodox Christianity is a denial of the personhood or personality of the Holy Spirit (along with a denial of Christ’s deity and a host of other fundamental beliefs).  Because JW’s deny the Trinity, by default they must deny that the Holy Spirit is a divine person at all, instead depersonalizing Him to a power or force.

Conversely, orthodox Christianity recognizes and has always recognized that the Spirit is God, the third member of the Trinity. In John 16, Jesus offers great comfort to His disciples by assuring them that His departure is for their good because He will send another “Helper” or Paraclete.

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

Twist and turn as they may, there really is no consistent way to interpret this passage other than that the Holy Spirit is indeed a person and member of the Triune God-head.  Interpreting this passage to represent the Spirit of God as an inanimate force or power simply violates the entirety of the context and meaning.  That said, there are even clearer passages on the operation of the Spirit that make an even stronger argument that He is more than a mere power or force, but instead does indeed operate as God.

In the book of Acts, perhaps more than any other book, the operations of the Holy Spirit are recorded in abundance.  No coincidence that this book contains the “giving” and “filling” of the Holy Spirit, so it makes sense that we would find a variety of operations by the Spirit on display in this book.  Note below a sample of passages that assert clearly that the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, is indeed a person, not just “a person”, but indeed God.

  • Acts 5:3-4, 9 “3 But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.’” “9But Peter said to her, ‘How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.’”

In this passage we have the familiar account of Ananias and Sapphira, the husband and wife team that had promised to give the money from the sale of their land to the apostle’s (a vow they were free to NOT make), but instead lied and withheld some of the funds.  If the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force, as the Jehovah’s Witness contends, then how can Ananias lie to Him?  Furthermore, in the very same passage, Peter connects his accusation, “lie to the Holy Spirit” with “you have not lied to man but to God” giving a clear indication of the “personhood” and deity of the Holy Spirit.  In verse 9, where Peter is now confronting the wife, Sapphira, we see that she and her husband have tested the “Spirit of the Lord”.  In this passage the Spirit has been lied to and tested, clearly asserting that the Spirit is not simply an impersonal force or power.

In the New World Translation, the false and apostate translation that the Jehovah’s Witness use, the translation is nearly identical, so this would be a case where you could use their own translation to disprove their beliefs.

  •  Acts 5:32 “And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Again, we see briefly in this passage that the Holy Spirit is a “witness” along with the apostles.  Try using the fact the Holy Spirit is the True witness of Jehovah in your next encounter with the JW’s!

 Acts 8:29 “And the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and join this chariot.’”

The Spirit is speaking to Philip in this passage, instructing him to join the Ethiopian in his chariot for the purpose of testifying the death and resurrection of Christ to him (using Isaiah 53!).  In the New World Translation of the Jehovah’s Witness, you’ll find the same wording, however the word “spirit” is lower case.  That should not distract or deter you from the truths of this passage.  The capitalization of the word in the ESV or some of the more reliable translations is simply and interpretive clue to alert you that the context regards the Spirit as God.

  •  Acts 10:19 “And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.”
  • Acts 13:2-4 “2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. 4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.”
  • Acts 21:11 “And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles’.’”
  • Acts 28:25 “And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: ‘The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:’”

 Pretty straightforward in these four passages, once again we have communication from the Spirit to a man.  Communication that could not (and did not) come from an impersonal force or power, but from a member of the God-head.  Additionally, in the second passage from Acts 13, we find that it is the Holy Spirit Who has sent out the apostles to Seleuicia and Cyprus.  Once again, the NWT affirms this reading.

  • Acts 15:28 “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements”
  • Acts 16:6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

In the first passage above we find that the Holy Spirit has communicated approval of the Apostle’s actions, while in the second the Holy Spirit has restrained Paul from speaking the word in Asia.

To assert that the Holy Spirit is a force or power violates not only the meaning and context of the passages listed above, but indeed the English language and the Koine Greek language in which Acts was originally written.  If you kindly, but boldly walk a Jehovah’s Witness through several of the key passages highlighted above, it’s likely they will stare blankly at you with incredulity.  Do not back off.  I’ve talked to JW’s who have been in the cult for decades and they simply have no response to these verses.  Nevertheless, the truth will be presented to them.

It’s not your job to convince or convict them of their heresy, it is the Spirit’s.  He will do it, if and when He sees fit to lift the scales from their eyes, giving them a heart of repentance, and opening their ears to receive the words of truth.  Be faithful in your witness and always be prepared to give a defense to anyone that asks for a reason for the hope that is within you.

Bible Study, Christian Living

The Power of Christ in Conversion

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“1But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” Acts 9:1-2

The above account from the book of Acts details the murderous actions of a man named Saul against 1st Century Christians, known as followers of the Way (likely derived from Jesus’ statement in John 14:6). The author of Acts, Luke, writes that Saul was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord”. We need only be reminded of Luke’s account a couple chapters earlier of the stoning of Stephen where we were first introduced to this man named Saul, “58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.” Acts 7:58

At the beginning of the next chapter we read more insight into the intentions of this man named Saul against the church of Jesus Christ, “1And Saul approved of his [Stephen’s] execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.” Acts 8:1-3

Let’s look again at verse 3, “Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.” Certainly we can picture this scene and it’s not a pretty one. It’s unlikely that dragging men and women off to prison is meant to convey a peaceful tone. It seems appropriate to assume there was a struggle; perhaps the people crying out for mercy to God and their captors; children seeing their father beaten and perhaps their mother being dragged out of her home by her hair all at the hands of a man named Saul. Though unwritten in the biblical account, it doesn’t seem inconsistent to imagine the details of the horrific events. Would it be too different than what is happening in the Middle East to Christians today? It seems safe to say that similarities would likely abound and it’s brutal portrait. The vacuous term “hate crime” would have been fitting to describe the actions of Saul against the Christians, for he genuinely hated them and the Man they represented. This is the background of Saul and the landscape of Jerusalem at the time we enter into our passage from Acts 9.

With that in mind, notice what we read next,

“3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” Acts 9:3-6

Saul was on his way to Damascus, likely to continue ravaging and persecuting Christians when he is interrupted on the road by a blinding light and a voice from heaven saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” What courage and hope this offers believers who are being persecuted today. Our Lord is neither blind nor ignorant of the actions of wicked men who would savagely beat, kill, discredit, shame, ostracize, etc. those who are followers of His. He is fully sovereign over these events and intimately aware of the details, even to the counting the number of hairs on the head of the persecuted. As it relates to Saul, He knows the brutal persecution that has come at his hands and our Lord confronts him with the question why are you persecuting Me? Again, the comfort that believers can take in knowing that the temporary suffering that we endure in this world is felt by our Lord. He takes it as personal persecution. The evil actions of men against Christians are nothing less than evil actions against the Lord Jesus Christ.

Given the level of brutal persecution that Saul has inflicted upon the early church, one might expect that his day of reckoning has arrived. Finally the cries for justice would be met by the sovereign and just right hand of the Lord God Almighty, right? Thankfully, God’s idea of justice and our idea of justice are rarely equivalent. Instead of pouring out vengeance upon Saul for his vile actions against Christ’s church he tells Saul to “rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do”.

Saul’s companions then lead the blind man into the city where he waits for three days, neither eating nor drinking. As we read through the section of the passage we find our Lord’s plan continuing to unveil by involving a man named Ananias,

“And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”

This same Saul who just days earlier was brutally ravaging men and women who were followers of Christ is now left humbled and broken at the mercy of God and we read of him praying, waiting on the Lord; quite a turn of events in just a short time period. Saul’s reputation was not limited to just the Christians in Jerusalem whom he had accosted; Ananias is in Damascus and is fully aware of the wake of carnage that Saul has left behind, so much so that he offers objection to the command of our Lord, “13But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” For Ananias, to approach Saul meant sure death. His objection, as though our Lord was ignorant to the deeds of Saul, was out of self-preservation. How patient and kind is our Lord in dealing gently with the fearful Ananias and offering him words of encouragement about His plan, “15But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

Now wait a second. Is this justice for those who have been brutally ravaged, ripped from their families and homes, even murdered at the hands of this man Saul? Doesn’t he deserve to pay for his crimes against humanity? We like to hear verse 16, “For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” because it sounds like a just retribution for the crimes of atrocity that Saul has committed. But when we read of verse 15, “But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” we’d prefer to object. The objection is not limited to the world, whose eyes are blinded to reality of redemption and reconciliation in Christ, but also from professing Christians who too often fail to realize the power of conversion, the meaning of spiritual life from the dead, and the working of grace at the merciful hand of God in their own lives. Obviously this is a general statement and certainly not the sentiment of all believers, but if we are honest with ourselves typically our first cry is one for justice against the sinner not mercy.

Concluding our account of Saul’s conversion we read of Ananias’ commissioning of him, “17So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.” Acts 9:17-19

Continuing on with Paul’s immediate response to his conversion:

“For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. 23 When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.” Acts 9:19-25

Saul, called Paul in Acts 13:9, immediately responded to his conversion by proclaiming the name of Christ and affirming His deity as the Son of God. The very actions and statements that he once condemned as blasphemous and sought to ravage the church of Christ as a result of, he was now affirming himself. In fact, his proclamation of Christ led to his own persecution and plots of death (vs. 23). The power of Christ in the conversion of Paul turned him from one vehemently opposed to the message of the Gospel, one who ravaged the church, was complicit in the murder of Christians, and dragged men and women from their homes into prisons, into arguably the boldest witness for the Gospel that the world has ever known.

When we read of this within the context of Acts, we understand that this man named Saul has a conversion experience like no other on the Road to Damascus. We know how mightily Saul/Paul was used by the Lord in spreading His name and establishing His church. However, we disconnect this passage from our own real world experiences and fail to see the power of conversion in the lives of sinners today. Those who may have been murderers like Paul, or child abusers, or sex offenders, or the worst that society has to offer who have been miraculously converted to Christ through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit; raised from death unto life; and useful for the Master’s good work (2 Timothy 2:21). Paul was that guy. He readily admits his sin in his letter to young Timothy, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost” 1 Timothy 1:15 and openly confesses the person that he was in persecuting the church Acts 22:3-5; Philippians 3:6. But he is intimately aware of the power of Christ in his life in converting him from wretched, murderous sinner to a glorious saint. Romans 1:16; Philippians 3:8-11

Amazing Grace!

Let us not fail to understand the power of Christ in the conversion of sinners. Let us not be guilty of snubbing our noses at the mass murderer serving a life sentence who has been turned to Christ and now leads a Bible study in prison proclaiming the Gospel to the worst of society. Let us not fail to recognize the power of God’s grace in the lives of others. Last of all, let us not fail to recognize that God did not save us because we were good or not as bad as others. We too were dead in trespasses and sins, guilty of blasphemy and rebellion against a holy God and guilty of violating His holy standard. But God…who had mercy on us (Ephesians 2:4)…so too can have mercy on whomever He wills (Romans 9:18), even those whom society deems as a lost cause or too bad, and such were some of you (1 Corinthians 6:11). This is the power of Christ in conversion.

Soli Deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

 

Image Credit: La conversion de Saint Paul by Luca Giordano (1690), Museum of Fine Arts of Nancy.