Jan 21, 2024 | GPS by Pastor Bob Spicer
SPIRITUAL LESSONS FROM COVID 19 (Part 4)
December 2022 GPS
In the September issue of GPS I began a series I called “Spiritual Lessons from Covid 19.” I am really getting tired of thinking and talking about Covid, so I have decided to change the title of this series to one that more accurately describes the purpose of the studies: “Biblical Lessons about How We Are to Treat One Another.” Since we celebrate Christmas in December, and since it is a joyful month in which we send greetings (Christmas cards) to one another and express our joy as we sing (carols) to one another, we will look at passages that call us to do those very things.
Three passages in the New Testament contain instructions from Paul about greeting one another: (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12). All three say exactly the same thing: “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” (2 Corinthians 13:12, ESV) One other verse is similar: “Greet one another with the kiss of love.” (1 Peter 5:14a, ESV) Regarding the act of a kiss, one New Testament scholar writes: “A kiss appears in the New Testament as a sign of respect and greeting (Luke 7:45), of love and reverence (Luke 7:38, 45), and of reconciliation and family fellowship (Luke 15:20). We find a parting kiss in Acts 20:37. But a “holy kiss” represents something more than a social custom. It is a sign of mutual fellowship among persons of mixed social background, nationality, race, and gender who are joined together as a new family in Christ. The holy kiss becomes a token of the joy, love, reconciliation, peace, and communion that Christians know in Christ and with one another.”1 In our western culture where kissing may have sexual connotations, we can express greetings other ways. The original Living Bible read “Greet each other warmly in the Lord.” I think I recall another paraphrase from many years ago that had the rendering, “Greet one another with a holy handshake.” In any case, the essential idea being conveyed is that believers are to express genuine love and affection for one another flowing out of a heart filled with real agape love. If we recall the bond that we have with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, causing us to treat one another in a way that reflects that common bond, we will be glad to see one another, and we will express that fact in the way we greet one another. When we see people we really love we show that love by the way we greet them. The way we show it will differ depending upon the relationship but we will show it one way or another. It may be a kiss or a hug or a handshake, but in any case is will express genuine joy at being with the people we are greeting. The greeting may also take the form of something written. Whole churches send greetings to other churches in writing (“All the saints greet you.” 2 Corinthians 13:13, ESV). At Christmas many people send and receive greeting cards. Hopefully, they express the same kind of love and affection. In whatever form the greeting takes, it is important that we take the time and effort to express the love and appreciation we have for one another in the body of Christ. Again I would observe that although written communication or (in our day) electronic communication may be necessary, there is no substitute for greeting one another in person.
We are also instructed to sing to one another. “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Ephesians 5:18–20, ESV) “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16, ESV) It is certainly true that when we sing, we are to sing to the Lord, but it is also true that we are to sing to one another. How do we do that? When we, as a congregation sing in the presence of one another, “A mighty fortress is our God,” we remind one another of God’s power and ability to defend us. When we sing, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me,” we bear testimony to one another of the grace of God that reached down to save one so undeserving as we are. Even when we sing to the Lord, “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” other people hear and are reminded of that attribute of our Father. Now, it is certainly possible to watch a worship service on television or via our YouTube channel and hear others singing, and in some cases that is the only way people can participate. That only makes it possible for the ministry to be one way, however. If there is a choice, this kind of mutual ministry can be performed most effectively in person. Down through the years I can bear testimony to the fact that on many, many Sundays I arrived at our church discouraged, unhappy, afraid or just miserable but when we began to sing the great hymns of the faith my whole attitude changed as I heard my brothers and sisters sing those great words. They may not realize it but they were singing to me and my heart was blessed in a way that rarely happens when I am not there in person. 1 1 Garland, D. E. (1999). 2 Corinthians (Vol. 29, pp. 554–555). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Jan 21, 2024 | GPS by Pastor Bob Spicer
This month’s meditation is a continuation of the series I began in September, dealing with lessons we, as believers in Jesus, should learn as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. Each installment deals with what the Bible says about our responsibilities to one another as believers in Jesus. Although the occasion that started my thinking about these issues was the isolating effect that Covid 19 had on all of us at Grace, the reality is that these lessons deal with the kinds of behaviors and attitudes that should always characterize us as brothers and sisters in Christ. It is important that we review them from time to time because we can so easily slip into the mode of thinking that the value of attending church is only about what we get out of it. The “one another” passages remind us that an ongoing value that is at least as important as that one is our responsibility to minister to others (not to mention the concern for what God receives from our time together).
The responsibilities I would like to address this month are that we are to encourage one another and build each other up. One dictionary defines the Greek verb translated “encourage” as: “To exhort in the way of consolation, encouragement, to console, comfort.”1 Paul refers to this task twice in 1 Thessalonians. The first time is 1 Thessalonians 4:18. It comes at the end of a small paragraph in which Paul teaches his readers about the future for believers who have died. Apparently they were unaware of what lay ahead for their loved ones who had passed and they were mourning their loss not realizing they would see them again. “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13, ESV) After briefly describing the resurrection of believers at the coming of the Lord and their being united with saints living at that time, Paul concludes chapter 4 with the exhortation of verse 18: “Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18, ESV) Undoubtedly, the knowledge that they would see their departed loved ones again and that in the very presence of Jesus would have been a great source of encouragement to them.
In the immediately following verses, which constitute the first section of chapter 5, we find the second time Paul calls his readers to encourage one another, this time pairing it with the responsibility to build each other up. The verb translated “build up” means: “to build up, establish, confirm.”2 The thrust of the paragraph is that Paul exhorts his readers to live godly lives with the expectancy that the Day of the Lord may begin at any moment. What were the Thessalonians supposed to do in light of this information? The very next verse answers that question. They were to use it to continue to encourage and build up one other. “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV) The knowledge that we will spend eternity with the One who died to save us should motivate us to live to please Him in this life. All of us go through times of discouragement when we need our brothers and sisters to encourage, console, or comfort us by reminding us of who we are and what the future will be like for us as children of God and joint heirs of Jesus Christ. We also experience times when we are weak or in doubt when we need a brother or sister to build us up, establish, or confirm us in the faith.
I realize that we can encourage or build one another up through phone calls, notes and texts, and we ought to take advantage of these means to do so, but they cannot replace the effectiveness of being physically present with someone. That is why, in the last recorded epistle Paul wrote, he strongly urged Timothy twice to come to him and once to bring someone else with him. “Do your best to come to me soon. … Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:9 & 11, ESV) “Do your best to come before winter.” (2 Timothy 4:21, ESV) I also realize that physical proximity does not guarantee that we will encourage one another or build each other up. It is something we need to be intentional about. A fringe benefit for concentrating on encouraging others or building them up is that as we do so our attention is taken off of ourselves so we have less time to be depressed or focused on our own needs. When was the last time you looked for an opportunity to encourage or build up someone during Grace Café?
1 Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). AMG Publishers.
2 Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). AMG Publishers.
Jan 21, 2024 | GPS by Pastor Bob Spicer
October 2022 GPS
In the September GPS I began a brief series of meditations dealing with lessons we, as believers in Jesus, learned as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. The thread that binds the parts of the series together is the use of the phrase “one another” in the New Testament. The idea came to mind as I thought about how numbers of people remarked about how good it was to actually be back together again after being separated because of the quarantines. There are ways in which we can only minister effectively when we are with our brothers and sisters in person. Last month we looked at the admonitions to love one another which in a sense covers all the rest of our responsibilities. This month we will begin to look at some ways in which we are called to express that love, specifically in the attitudes we display.
We briefly saw one of them last month when we looked at Romans 12:10 and the commandment to love one another. The second half of that verse was: “Outdo one another in showing honor.” (Romans 12:10b, ESV) Another translation renders that phrase: “showing eagerness in honoring one another.” (Romans 12:10b, NET) One dictionary defines the verb as “take the lead in.” In any case, the idea is that honoring our brothers and sisters is a responsibility that we are to spend genuine effort to fulfill. We are not to think of it as a responsibility of minimal importance that we will fulfill if we have spare time and energy. As to what “honor” means, it might help to think of some synonyms for honor such as “respect, esteem.” The heart attitude that produces this honor is found in Philippians 2:3: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (ESV) Some translations read “better than” or “more important than” instead of “more significant than.” If we truly count others as more significant, important or better than ourselves, we will naturally treat them with respect, esteem or honor. That simply is the way we treat people we view as more important than we are. Part of our problem in this regard is that we are constantly encouraged to think of ourselves as more important than others and we find it easy and personally gratifying to do so.
Closely related to the responsibility to honor one another is the call to live in harmony with one another. Two passages exhort us to do that very thing. The first is found just a few verses below the previously noted verse in Romans 12: “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in by your own sight.” (Romans 12:16, ESV) Other translations for “live in harmony” are “be of the same mind” and have a “spirit of unity.” The rest of the verse is an exposition of how that can be accomplished, and it is very similar to what we read in Philippians 2:3. It is by being humble. “Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in by your own sight.” Mutually harmonious living is only possible if we truly honor others more than ourselves. That attitude can only be ours as a result of the work of God in our lives which leads us to the second verse that speaks of living in harmony with one another. It is found later in the book of Romans where Paul prayed: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5–6, ESV) This kind of genuinely living in harmony with others only comes from God. It is insightful that Paul refers to two attributes of God that equip Him to grant this kind of harmony. He is the God of endurance and encouragement. He endures, perseveres, and bears up under a burden. He is also the God who encourages. He does not endure grudgingly. He endures while also encouraging us. As such, He is perfectly qualified to enable us to live in harmony with one another because the ability to live this way simply flows out of His character. He endures, and perseveres with us, and that very endurance is granted in a way that encourages us rather than causes us to give up. The verse goes on to point out that the example we are to follow in living in harmony with one another is Christ Jesus. Returning to Philippians 2, Paul explains how Christ was our example in His humility: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5–8, ESV)
The kinds of attitudes and actions seen in the verses above may be expressed to some degree via the internet but they can certainly be more effectively expressed by being physically in the presence of other people.
Jan 21, 2024 | GPS by Pastor Bob Spicer
September 2022 GPS
I doubt that I will ever forget the long months during which our church dealt with the threat of Covid19. For a short time we did not meet in person at all; we only met via technology (which continues to the present day as an option). Then, as time passed we met outside in the parking lot for many weeks. Finally, we met inside wearing masks and being distanced from one another. Now we meet, some with masks, without the large distance between each other. Some, for various reasons, still join us via the internet, but many have said in my hearing, “It’s not the same as being there.” There are a number of reasons why that is so. For example, technology provides a “one way” ministry, but we need more than that. God designed the church to provide “two way” ministries between lots of people. We see this illustrated in various “one another” passages in the New Testament. This month and in the next few months we will look at some passages that identify specific ways in which we are to minister to “one another.” The first way we will consider, in a sense, covers all the rest. It is our responsibility to love one another. Three passages specifically teach this responsibility. The first one talks about the quality of love that we are to express toward one another. The second and third passages talk about what we might call the quantity of love we are to show toward one another. We will look at each passage in order to discover what they teach us about how we are to love one another.
The first passage is Romans 12:9-10. “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” In verse 5 of this chapter, Paul had reminded his readers that, as believers, “we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” There is a sense in which all of us are related to one another like different parts of a body are organically connected to one another. With that organic unity in mind, Paul issued his exhortations to love one another. He introduces those exhortations with the admonition, “Let love be genuine.” “In the NT, it [the word behind “genuine”] came to mean one without hypocrisy or pretense, unfeigned, genuine, real, true, sincere.”1 We are not simply to fake it or act like we love one another. Our love is to be real. In the exhortation itself he tells us we ought to love one another with “brotherly affection.” This verse uses all three of the four Greek words for “love” which are found in the New Testament (eros, denoting sexual love, is not found in the New Testament). In some cases in the New Testament the three words are used in a nearly synonymous sense. In this verse they are used in a way in which, although their meanings overlap each other, they demonstrate the different facets of the love we are to show toward one another. When the three words do have somewhat different meanings, storge denotes love for family members. It is the love that wells up in your heart when you hold your newborn child for the first time. The next word, phile, refers to the love of friendship, the connection you have with a “kindred spirit.” The third word, agape, denotes a love that is not motivated by external factors. It is simply a decision to do what is best for the object of your love. It is hard to imagine how we could adequately express these kinds of love if the only contact we have with one another is “virtual.”
The second passage is 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13: “[M]ay the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” In this verse Paul expresses the wish that their love for one another (and for all others) would grow, not diminish or even remain unchanged. Furthermore, he desires that it would increase to the degree that it could be described as “abounding.” That is, “to be in excess, exceed in number or measure. In the NT, to be or have more than enough.”2 What would it look like if our love for each other grew to the point that those we love would have more than enough of it?
The third passage is 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10: “Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more,” (1 Thessalonians 4:9–10, ESV) For the second time in this brief epistle Paul brings up the topic that our love for one another ought to be growing. Here he says that the Thessalonians do not need further teaching about loving one another because God Himself has taught them to do this and they have been doing it. But, Paul urges them to “do this more and more.” The implication seems to be that we can never completely fulfill all of our responsibility to love one another.
If we meet only via the internet when we have other options, do you believe that we can obey these injunctions to love one another as friends and relatives or simply as people who need love in the way we are intended to? Will our love for one another continue to grow the way these passages call us to love if our connection with each other is solely with a computer or a wide screen TV? I realize that even if we are meeting face to face we still may not love one another as we ought to, but is the solution resorting to technology? Isn’t the right solution meeting together and asking the Holy Spirit to produce more and more love for one another in our hearts? -Pastor Robert Spicer
1 Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). AMG Publishers.
2 Ibid.
Jan 21, 2024 | GPS by Pastor Bob Spicer
August 2022 GPS
A few weeks ago our Wednesday night Bible study was in Psalm 37 and one verse of that Psalm reads: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4, ESV) That verse so captivated my mind that I decided to give it more thought. It occurred to me that the promise in the second half of the verse was amazing. It promises that the LORD will give the desires of the heart to the person who delights in Him. So, I began to think about the concept of delighting in the LORD. What does it mean to “delight yourself in” the LORD as opposed to loving Him or worshipping Him? To get the meaning of “delight oneself in,” I looked at some of the uses of the Hebrew word here translated to “delight.” It is found a second time in the same Psalm: “In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.” (Psalm 37:10–11, ESV) Throughout this Psalm the writer is comparing the present and future of the godly versus the ungodly. In verse 11, he tells us about some blessings that await the meek (the godly). They will inherit the land and “delight themselves in abundant peace” (Hebrew shalom). I take that to mean that they will be able to find great pleasure and joy in the shalom that will be theirs. Shalom does not mean only the absence of conflict but also the presence of all kinds of good things. So, the Psalmist is promising God’s people that the time will come when they will be able to enjoy, find pleasure in, delight in the blessings God will provide. Furthermore, he describes the future shalom as being “abundant.” There will be lots of it.
The word is also found in the wonderful invitation the LORD extended to His people to repent and return to Him in Isaiah. There we read, ““Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.” (Isaiah 55:1–3, ESV) In this beautiful portrayal of the blessings of forgiveness and cleansing and restoration, the LORD invites His people to return to Him and find pleasure and joy in a loving relationship with Him. In all of these and similar passages the idea seems to be that the person in view is said to find personal enjoyment or pleasure in someone or something. To delight myself in the LORD then means that I find personal enjoyment or pleasure in Him.
In order for one to delight in another person, two conditions must be met. First, that other person must have qualities that merit being admired. Who would want to delight in a despicable, brutal fiend? However, the LORD is “altogether lovely,” so He is completely worthy of being the object of delight. That condition has always existed because of who God is. Second, the observer would need to have the ability to appreciate the positive qualities of the one he is considering. How could a deaf person appreciate the musical ability of even the finest violinist in the world? God can enable His people to appreciate His loveliness. David wrote, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4, ESV) David was able to appreciate, at least to some degree, the beauty of the LORD. We can too. It is no wonder that the Psalmist wrote, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11, ESV)
That being the case, how can we go about delighting in Him? A verse that came to mind as I considered that question was, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8, ESV) For many years I had never tasted pizza. I didn’t like the looks of it or the smell of it. Then, one day, on a date with the girl who became my wife, I was socially forced to try it. (Everyone else in that group ate it and enjoyed it.) I tried not to taste it by drinking a lot of soda with each bite. Today I love pizza! I might even say, “I delight myself in pizza.” I find personal enjoyment or pleasure in various things. One thing is the beauty of the natural world that God has created, especially the mountains. Another is in watching people I love do well. Another is by discovering truth in God’s Word. Another is by observing God’s kindnesses to me and those I love. Perhaps a wise thing to request in prayer would be to ask God to move in our hearts in such a way that we taste and see that the LORD is good and so delight ourselves in Him.
What is the meaning of the promise that concludes this verse which says, “He will give you the desires of your heart”? Is that a promise of an easy life, great wealth, a successful career, or a problem free marriage? Seen in its context of the first half of the verse, that cannot possibly be true. What it does promise is that if we delight ourselves in the LORD, if we discover that we can find in Him alone the satisfaction of our deepest longings for joy, pleasure, meaning and purpose, He will satisfy those desires of our hearts by showing us more and more of His character.
Jan 21, 2024 | GPS by Pastor Bob Spicer
May 2022 GPS
Several times Jesus gave his disciples an amazing promise regarding praying in His name. “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13–14, ESV) “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (John 15:16, ESV) “In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf;” (John 16:23–26, ESV) Recently I read a portion of John 14 to someone, including verses 13-14 as above and that person responded, “But that is not true!” The reason she said that was that she had made requests in prayers which she concluded with the phrase, “in Jesus’ name, Amen.” I explained to her that concluding a prayer with the words, “in Jesus’ name” is not the meaning of Jesus’ promises in these verses. Of course one meaning is that when we pray in Jesus’ name we are acknowledging the fact that basis for being able to ask anything of God is the fact that Jesus made that approach possible by His death, burial and resurrection. Still, the phrase means more than that. Then what does praying in Jesus’ name mean? In order to answer that question we need to look at what is meant in the Bible when written or spoken communications are said to be “in the name” of someone.
In some cases a communication would come “in the name of” a human being. Early in David’s career, when he and his men needed supplies, he sent some of them to Nabal to ask for his help, giving them the very words they were to use. “When David’s young men came, they said all this to Nabal in the name of David, and then they waited.” (1 Samuel 25:9, ESV) That is, the request was coming with the authorization of David himself. It was David’s will that the request was being made. Of course it was possible for someone to claim falsely that a communication had the authorization of someone when that was not the case. When Jezebel wanted to get Naboth murdered, without Ahab’s awareness, “She wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city.” (1 Kings 21:8, ESV) These letters accomplished her purpose because they were purportedly coming with Ahab’s authorization. Whether Ahab would have agreed or not, we have no way of knowing, but to write a letter over Ahab’s name ostensibly made the claim that he wanted Naboth murdered.
The same kind of meaning is conveyed when people are said to speak “in the name of the LORD.” One example can be seen from the ministry of Jeremiah.“And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” (Jeremiah 26:8–9, ESV) Jeremiah had truthfully claimed that what he prophesied came with the authorization, fulfilling the will, of the LORD. Here again, it was possible for someone to claim that a communication had the authorization of the “sender” (the LORD) when that was not true. “When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:22, ESV) It was possible falsely to claim to speak in the name of the LORD when the LORD did not authorize the message.
Returning to the topic of this article, if we apply the same meaning of “in Jesus’ name” to praying, what conclusion do we reach? Prayers in His name will be those that accord with His will. If I had to be away for an extended period of time and knew that certain bills would need to be paid, I could sign several blank checks and give them to a friend. That friend could them get the bills out of my mailbox and fill in the payee and the amount and send them to the appropriate person. They would be paying the bills “in my name,” according to my will. Praying for something “in Jesus’ name” means asking for something that is consistent with His character and will. It is no surprise to read in 1 John: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” (1 John 5:14, ESV)
Jan 21, 2024 | GPS by Pastor Bob Spicer
April 2022 GPS
This month, as we continue our study of the use of the name(s) of the Lord in the Bible, we will begin to look at some actions which the Bible says may be done “in the name of” Jesus or the Lord. My goal is to address the question, “What does it mean to perform these actions in the name of Jesus/or other members of the Godhead?” This time we will look at the meaning conveyed by being baptizing in the name of the Lord or in the name of all three members of the Trinity.
In the Great Commission which Jesus gave before He ascended into heaven, He said, “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.”” (Matthew 28:19–20, ESV) In order to understand the meaning of “in the name of” in this command, we need to make sure we are clear about the symbolism of baptism in general. Undoubtedly Christian baptism conveyed several ideas including that of union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection, purification, and repentance. However, I do not believe those were the only concepts which baptism symbolized. I believe that another (equally significant) concept involved in the symbolism of baptism was the identification of the one being baptized as a follower, either of the one who performed the baptism, or of the one in whose name the individual was being baptized. I arrived at this conclusion on the basis of several passages. The first is found in the Gospel of John following the record of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus. “Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. [The fact that the text says it was in the context of discussing the topic of purification that the subject of baptism came up leads me to the conclusion that purification was part of the symbolism involved in it.] And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”” (John 3:25–26, ESV) John’s disciples were concerned that the number of people who were becoming followers of Jesus (indicated by the number of people being baptized) was superseding the number of those who were following John. John had to reassure them that this turn of events was exactly what was supposed to take place (verses 27-30).
A few verses further in the text we read: “Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee.” (John 4:1–3, ESV) Apparently the Pharisees attached the same significance to baptism that John’s disciples had. It indicated that those who were being baptized identified themselves as followers of either Jesus or John. Note that the text says, “making and baptizing …disciples,” followers.
I believe this understanding of the significance of baptism is confirmed by what Paul wrote to the Corinthians. In a context in which Paul is scolding the Corinthians because of their divisions over which human leaders they were following, Paul asks a question. “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.” (1 Corinthians 1:13–15, ESV) One of the ways used to indicate the identity of the leader that one had begun to follow had to do with baptism. A person would claim to have been baptized by the leader or at least to have been baptized in the name of the leader that he or she had begun to follow.
Before concluding this study, I should address the fact that in four passages in Acts (2:38, 8:16, 10:48 and 19:5) we read that people were to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (or Jesus Christ or Jesus Christ). Why were all three members of the Godhead not included in these admonitions? I think the answer is that whenever the object of saving faith is named, that one is Jesus. Examples include John 1:12, 3:16-18, Acts 4:11-12, 16:31. The problem with the auditors in all of these cases was not unbelief in God but in Jesus. When people became genuine followers, disciples of Jesus, they would, in doing so, become believers in, and followers of, the Father and the Holy Spirit. The key issue in each case was a person’s response to the claims of Jesus. I have endeavored to show that a major concept involved in the symbolism of “baptism in the name of” someone was the identification of the one being baptized as a disciple/follower either of the one who performed the baptism or of the one in whose name the individual was being baptized. That is true also of the Great Commission. Jesus instructed His followers to go into all the world and make disciples/followers. He then explained that there were two steps involved in the process of doing that. The first step was “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (all three persons of the Godhead). That act bore testimony that the one being thus baptized had decided to become a disciple of the triune God. The second step was “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” The rest of that person’s life was to be taken up with learning to observe/obey all of Jesus’ commands.
Jan 21, 2024 | GPS by Pastor Bob Spicer
March 2022 GPS
The third commandment in God’s Ten Commandments reads, ““You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7, ESV) What is being forbidden in this commandment? In order to answer this question, we need to know the meaning of, “the name of the LORD” in this context, as well as the meaning of, “take in vain”. It would also be a good idea to know the reason why the penalty was attached to this command.
We will begin by examining the meaning of “the name of the LORD.” Jewish people have understood the word “name” to refer solely to the Hebrew term translated LORD (or Jehovah or Yahweh), which is sometimes referred to as the “Tetragrammaton” (four letter word). I believe that view is based upon two passages. First, as a part of God’s commission to Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt, “God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” (Exodus 3:15, ESV). The second passage identifies the One who has spoken through Hosea: “Even the Lord, the God of hosts, The Lord is His name.” (Hosea 12:5, NASB95). I believe that more than just the name “LORD” is involved in this prohibition. In previous articles I have endeavored to demonstrate that God’s name is more than just what He is called. It is a revelation of His nature/character. In his commentary on Exodus, D.K. Stuart writes: “Yahweh’s name signified his essence.”In the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, W.C. Kaiser says: “The name of God also signifies the whole self-disclosure of God in his holiness and truth (Ps 22:22 [H 23]). This Name can be ‘walked in,’ i.e. people are to live according to its teaching (Mic 4:5).” I believe His “name” in the context of the Ten Commandments denotes not only the way we use words like “God” or “Jesus Christ” but also the manner in which we think and speak of God, Himself.
What is the meaning of “in vain” in the context of the third commandment? The Hebrew word translated “vain”, is also translated with concepts like “false, empty, deceitful.” Because of their understanding of the meaning of the name of the LORD, devout Jews do not pronounce the Tetragrammaton or write it unnecessarily but substitute other terms in its place lest they violate the commandment. Their respect for God’s name is certainly commendable but I do not believe their practice is what God had in mind. In the Old Testament Wordbook, V. P. Hamilton says the Hebrew word behind “vain” “designates anything that is unsubstantial, unreal, worthless, either materially or morally…. The evidence points to the fact that taking the Lord’s name (i.e. his reputation) ‘in vain’ will surely cover profanity, as that term is understood today, or swearing falsely in the Lord’s name. But it will also include using the Lord’s name lightly, unthinkingly, or by rote. Perhaps this is captured by the LXX’s [Greek] translation … as ‘thoughtlessly.’” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary, in the section on Deuteronomy, J. S. Deere writes: “To misuse God’s name means literally, ‘to lift it up to or attach it to emptiness.’ This command forbids using God’s name in profanity but it includes more. The third commandment is a directive against using God’s name in a manipulative way (e.g., His name is not to be used in magic or to curse someone). Today a Christian who uses God’s name flippantly or falsely attributes a wrong act to God has broken this commandment.” The Protestant Reformers applied it especially to breaking oaths taken in His name. In his comments on the thrust of this prohibition, John Calvin wrote, “for in order that God may procure for His name its due reverence, He forbids its being taken in vain, especially in oaths.” When people say, “Jesus Christ” as an expression of surprise or anger without any real reference to Him, that is certainly taking His name in vain, unthinkingly. The same can be said about the thoughtless exclamation, “Oh my God” when it is used flippantly. In light of the meaning of “name” as noted above, any thoughts or expressions that treat God’s nature/character irreverently would seem to me to violate the intent of the third commandment.
What is the meaning behind the stated warning that concludes the commandment: “the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain”? Is that not true of all of the commandments? Of course it is! I think there are at least two reasons for the inclusion of this warning. First, it is so easy for us to allow words to come out of our mouths thoughtlessly. In our day, multitudes of people use the name of Jesus or say “God” without thinking about what they are saying. Second, even worse, is that such thoughtlessness when applied to the name of our Lord reveals what we actually think of Him, and that matters a great deal! We may think that such carelessness does not matter and thus deserves no punishment. God disagrees. Jesus Christ is the second Person of the Godhead who became flesh and bore the wrath of God in the place of sinners in order to redeem them. God is the mighty Creator in whose hand is the very breath we breathe and the next beat of our hearts. How we use those names is an indicator of the importance we place upon those persons. Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34, ESV) What does the way we refer to God say about the place He holds in our hearts?
Jan 21, 2024 | GPS by Pastor Bob Spicer
February 2022 GPS
Earlier in this study we looked at what the different names of God tell us about His nature, character and attributes. In this month’s study we will look at ways in which God’s name is to be used – and how it is not to be used. This time we will look at a way in which His name is not to be used.
In Exodus 20:7, we read: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” Why is the prohibition so important and how is it to be obeyed?
This prohibition is so important because of the function which God’s name performs. His names reveal His nature/character/attributes. If we think about the names of God that we have studied so far, we will notice that there is one quality that is common to all of them. They all reflect the fact that God is nonmaterial. We cannot see the qualities portrayed in them except as they are manifested in His behavior. We cannot see love, but we can see how it acts. We cannot see holiness, but we can see how it is manifested in His behavior.
John made this one quality clear in the prologue to his Gospel: “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” (John 1:18, NASB95) That is why the second of the Ten Commandments prohibits idolatry. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me.” (Exodus 20:3–5, ESV) Any physical representation of God would distort the truth about Him. When God manifested His presence in the Tabernacle/Temple, it was in the form of a cloud or pillar of fire, not in the form of an animal or person or thing that could be touched. When the Samaritan woman brought up the question of the proper location where God manifested His presence, He said, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”” (John 4:24, ESV)
How then are we to conceive of God? Isaiah 40:9b-31 helps us answer that question, as it is a self-portrait of God. I will not quote it here, but you can read it yourself. You will notice that all of it deals with God’s power. It is an exposition of one of God’s names, El Shaddai, God Almighty, a name that we studied in September’s GPS. In other words, our conception of God is to be formed by contemplating His attributes as they are revealed in Scripture. An important part of that revelation in Scripture is composed of the names He has given us for Himself there.
The LORD’s response to Moses’ request to see His glory is very instructive in this regard. “The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:5–7, ESV) In this passage “the name of the LORD” is composed of a list of His attributes.
His name is so closely identified with Himself that there are even a few times in the Old Testament where His name seems actually to be a reference to Himself. “Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke; his lips are full of fury, and his tongue is like a devouring fire; his breath is like an overflowing stream that reaches up to the neck; to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction, and to place on the jaws of the peoples a bridle that leads astray.” (Isaiah 30:27–28, ESV) What comes is “the name of the LORD,” but the following phrases make it clear that the LORD Himself is the one coming. Notice how “the LORD” is synonymously parallel with “the name of the God of Jacob” in the following verse: “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion!” (Psalm 20:1–2, ESV)
The same kind of identification can be observed in the New Testament. For example, after the chief priests and the council deliberated regarding what to do with Peter and the apostles, “when they had called in the apostles [from prison], they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.” (Acts 5:40–42, ESV). Another example is found in Acts where Luke quotes Joel 2:32: “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:13, ESV) Surely, the point in each of these passages is the “the name” refers to the Person in view, the Lord Himself. Still another example is found when John alludes to brothers who are working for Christ by saying of them: “For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.” (3 John 7, ESV) Again, “the name” must be a reference to the Lord. Israel was forbidden to take His name(s) in vain because they reveal His nature/character/attributes.
Jan 21, 2024 | GPS by Pastor Bob Spicer
January 2022 GPS
We began our study of names by looking at the way names reveal something about the nature/character of the one who bears the name. We then looked at what some of the names of God tell us about His nature or character. Although there are many more examples of names for God in the Bible, we will conclude our study of His names for now with one last example. This name is especially precious for two reasons. First, we need to have hope for the future when we see governments in various parts of the world making decisions and taking actions that are morally wrong. We wonder if there is any hope for a future where all government for the world will be just. This name assures us that there will come a day when the government that rules the world will be just and righteous.
Second, we need hope when we look at ourselves and recognize how far short we fall from God’s standards of holiness. If God is just, and He is, and we are so guilty, and we are, what hope is there for us to be right in His eyes?
The last name we will look at gives us a sure and certain hope for our own future as well. The name we will consider is “The LORD our righteousness.” The prophet Jeremiah lived and ministered at a time in history when the Babylonians ruled the near east, including Israel. In his lifetime Jerusalem would be conquered and many of his people would be deported. The walls of the city were flattened and the Temple of Solomon was utterly destroyed. Jeremiah knew that all of that destruction was coming because of the sins of the nation. Most of the kings of Judah who had reigned over the nation had been evil and had made disastrous decisions. Was there any hope? In that horrible situation, Jeremiah wrote: ““Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. “In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’” (Jeremiah 23:5–6, NASB95)
As in the other uses of names of God, this one also describes His nature/character. The basic meaning of the root word for “righteous” or “righteousness” is that which conforms to the correct standard. A helpful example is: “You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” (Leviticus 19:36, ESV) The Hebrew word here translated “just” is another form of the same word translated “righteousness” in the Jeremiah passage. In other words, Israelites were to make sure that the measurements they used to conduct business would conform to the standard that was right. They were to be accurate. It would be like our saying today, “Make sure your gallon really is a gallon.” Make sure your measurement conforms to the correct standard.
In the Jeremiah passage quoted above, that is exactly the point that was being made about the One whose coming was being prophesied. In verses 1-2 of chapter 23, the Lord had pronounced woes upon the shepherds (kings) over His people who had mistreated the sheep. They had not measured up to the standard of the way shepherds should behave, so He pronounced judgment on them. Then, in verses 3-4, He promised to regather His sheep and to give to them shepherds that would take good care of the sheep. Then, in verses 5-6, the LORD promises something greater still. He will raise up for David a righteous branch who will reign wisely and execute justice and righteousness. In His days the whole nation, north and south, would be rescued and dwell in security. Of course this was a prophecy of the Messiah, God’s Anointed. The name of this promised One would be, “The LORD [is] our righteousness.” (ESV) The behavior of the coming King will conform to the way a godly King should behave. Furthermore, in some way He, Himself, as to His nature or character, will conform to God’s standard of holiness. Not only would this coming One be righteous Himself and reign righteously, but in some way He would be the righteousness of the nation. How could that be? I think we find help to answer that question from the Apostle Paul. In 2 Corinthians 5:17-19, Paul describes the change that God brings about in a person when he or she is born again, regenerated. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17–19, ESV) The believer becomes a new person. God does not count their trespasses against them but rather God reconciles them to Himself. For that reason, as an ambassador of Christ Paul pleads with people to accept that reconciliation. “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20, ESV) How is it possible for God, who is just, not to count our trespasses against us? The answer is in verse 21. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV) Jesus became sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. He is our righteousness. We have no righteousness of our own. “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” (Isaiah 64:6, ESV) His righteousness becomes our righteousness. The same was the case with believers in Jeremiah’s day.
