Hermeneutics part 3: Beginning the Observation Phase

I'm a big fan of the new Sherlock Holmes series, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. It's kinda like a modern twist on an old classic, which usually doesn't sit well with my taste, but somehow BBC made this really work.

One of the most impressive features of the show is Sherlock's ability to notice the seemingly insignificant things. These usually turn out to play a role in solving the crime. Something as simple as stain on a shirt, or a particular type of clothing always betrays the villain.

Bible study is the same way. It's the little things that add to the whole and make significant contributions to the story. For example, in John 4 we have the account of Jesus' encounter with a Samaritan women at Jacob's well. Jesus asks her for a drink and then launches into discourse about Himself being the Living Water.





This all seems a bit insignificant until we learn that the Samaritans were hated by the Jews! Normally, any self-respecting Jew that had to travel to the Northern part of Israel would travel all the way around Samaria to keep from "tainting" himself.

Samaritans were considered half-breeds, to some extent. During the Northern exile Assyria carried off most of the inhabitants of Northern Israel, leaving only the poorest of the land. Remember, Israel was split in two, Judah in the Southern half, and Israel in the Northern half during the reign of Rehoboam. When Assyria carried them off they re-settled the land with peoples from their other conquests. The people of Israel eventually began to inter-marry with these Gentile captives, and thus the Samaritans were born.

The Jews were not allowed to intermingle with other nations, hence their hatred for these people.

By the time of Jesus most Jews would go to great lengths to avoid them. When going to the Northern Israel they made it a point to walk all the way around their land. But notice the map above. The line represents Jesus' own journey. He didn't avoid Samaria. In fact, He took the most direct route. We know from John 4 that the entire village became believers on account of the woman's testimony. And it all started with Jesus' trip to Samaria.

My point is that I would not have known this significant piece of information without practicing the observation phase. This would have been just another lovely story about a woman accepting Christ as Messiah, and therefore would have lost its original impact.

Observation is the most important step in any Bible study. I can't overstate this enough. When we read we should be reading purposely, with intent, allowing our eyes to rest on every word, sentence, and paragraph.

Like Sherlock Holmes we need to break out the magnifying glass and begin to look for "clues" that will help us to grow in our relationship with Christ. In the next post we will discuss and lay out all the steps to the observation phase.

Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for the next post. But be warned–from here on out the real work begins!

No Fear

I used to think the reason that the Church was fading so fast was because of a lack of the sufficiency of Scripture. I used to think that! I am becoming more convinced these days that the problem therein lies, not in a lack of Scriptural integrity, but rather, a lack of holy fear.

Think about it for a moment. What is is that causes one to trade in the very God-breathed Words for modern psyco-babble and hip lingo? Sure, it could very well be that the “pastor” doesn’t believe the Word of God can be relevant to his young millennial congregation, therefore falling away from the sufficiency of Scripture. But the at the very root lies the real cause. He has failed in the things of holy fear. 

In Scripture, we never see any good thing come from a lack of holy fear. Consider Nadab & Abihu, for example, Aaron’s sons who did not fear God enough to offer the proper sacrifice. 

Leviticus 10: 1-2  Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.

Or perhaps Uzzah will suffice as an illustration, considering that his intentions, unlike Nadab and Abihu’s intentions, were actually good.

2Sam 6:5-7   And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.

One may look at these two examples and think, “Pfft. Those were Old Testament people. We’re under the covenant of grace, now. No need to worry about silly things, like holiness, anymore.” 

Okay. I understand what you’re saying. Now that Christ mediates for us to God there is no longer a need for holy fear of God. Does this really jive with New Testament teaching?

Acts 5:1-11   But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 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? 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.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” But 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.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. 

The one thing that jumps out at me from the Acts passage is that the people who heard about this incident feared! They didn’t just fear the fact that Ananias and Sapphira were killed, they feared that they had been killed because of their offense to God. In other words, they had a healthy, holy fear. They knew they weren’t in church to play or pretend. In fact, verse 13 of Acts 5 relays to us that the people would not join the disciples in worship because of fear. 

So, what has changed? 

Instead of pastors and Christians who tremble at the thought offending God, we have clowns in the pulpit that mock him. 

Rather than faithful stewards that proclaim the whole counsel of the Word, we are left with cowards that fear men and cater to their “felt needs.” 

In the stead of godly soldiers that storm the gates of Hell, we are reduced to unarmed minutemen that try to reason with vipers.

And replacing loving shepherds who protect the flock, we have turned over the watch-care of the soul to hirelings that gladly open the door for the wolves.

All of this is a direct result of no fear. Perhaps it is time to recover the fear of the Lord. It is now that we, as a Church, must stop offering our strange fire on an altar unmade by God. Let us tremble once more in the presence of pure light and fear even the veiled glory of a God who is able to snuff out our candlesticks. 

Let us be afraid. Let us be very afraid!

Heb 10:31   It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Christ-less Self Examination, Judging My Salvation by My Sanctification

One of the most sobering questions a Christian can ask is, "How do I know I'm saved?" This is a question that every Christian has had to grapple with at one time or another.
If this is a question you're struggling with now, you're not alone. Many Christians are struggling with assurance, even to the point of despair.

Assurance Does Not Lie Within Us

Although the Bible does teach us that the sanctification process begins at conversion, and that every Christian should be becoming more and more like Christ, it doesn't make sanctification the primary test of one's salvation. Assurance does not lie within us, but outside of us.
For years I was told, and I taught, that the key to assurance of salvation, i.e. "how do I know I'm saved," lied in self examination. In other words, I know I'm saved if I'm progressing in my sanctification.
So, I need to look at my works to see whether or not I'm becoming more and more holy. If I'm not, well, it could mean that I'm not a genuine Christian. If I am, then there's good evidence I'm really saved.
This is what I call "Christless self examination," a looking away from Christ as my substitute in life and in death, and a constant looking within to see if there is any evidence of conversion.

The Way to Despair

What a horrible way to live the Christian life. Living this way will either lead to despair or even worse, spiritual pride.
Sanctification, the process of becoming holy, can be a tricky thing.
First, not everyone grows at the same rate. Certain sins can take a long time to be rooted out. But even the process of dropping particular sins from one's life doesn't mean a person is holy. I know plenty of unsaved moral people.
Second, how do you measure spiritual growth between say, someone who was converted as a child and never had to deal with certain outward immoral behaviors, and someone converted from a long life of immoral behavior?
And third, how do you know whether or not your "holiness" is nothing more than legalism? There's a big difference between obedience to biblical commands, and obedience to personal standards.

Assurance Lies in Christ's Work for Us

Just to be clear, I'm not saying that we shouldn't strive for holiness. The Bible makes it clear that we should:

Hebrews 12:14 (ESV) Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Romans 8:29 (ESV) For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

What I am saying is that our assurance lies in Christ's work for us, not in our works for Him.

Just and Sinner

Every Christian has to deal with the problem of indwelling sin. And because we are at the same time just and sinner, we need to know where to look when we blow it. And we will blow it.
The answer to assurance lies outside of us to something objective, the work of Christ on our behalf.
The work of Christ was twofold, active and passive. Active in that He obeyed the entire Law of God perfectly on our behalf, and passive in that he paid the penalty God required from us for breaking His Law by "bearing our sins in His body on the tree," 1Pet. 2:24.
The work that Christ did for us is objective. It actually happened. All of our sins were punished at the cross. The judgment of God against our sins has already taken place. Christ was judged on our behalf. No more judgement remains for us.
Looking to the objective work of Christ alone is what gives us great comfort and assurance. Looking to the subjective work of our sanctification can be deceptive.

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