 What are your first thoughts when you hear the word “Christmas”? How does your mind and heart respond? For many, their first thought has to do with shopping and buying and spending and budgeting! In fact, the average Christmas spending per American adult in 2014 was $781. During a time of the year that has been hijacked by our culture in its materialism and secularism, we should make it a priority to think rightly about the Christmas season. And there is perhaps no better teacher than those original nativity characters—Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men. Indeed, by considering their responses on the first Christmas, we learn how God would have us respond this holiday season. During this Christmas, put yourself in the nativity scene. Luke paints an unmistakable contrast between the response of Zechariah (Luke 1:5-23) and that of Mary (Luke 1:26-38) to the angel, Gabriel. Notice the similar situation: Gabriel appeared to both (vv. 11, 26), which provoked a response of fear (“troubled”: vv. 12, 29); the angel calmed their fear and assured them that God was showing them grace (vv. 13, 30); he then proclaims the glorious revelation from God that He had been sent to communicate, and in both cases, it is a message about a miraculous birth (vv. 13-17; vv. 31-33; notice all the “wills” in these verses–a clear expression of divine promise). A contrast emerges between Zechariah’s response in vv. 18-22 and vv. 34-38. Both servants ask a question of the angel, essentially inquiring, “How?” (v. 18). And it is at this point that the narrative diverges. On the one hand, Zechariah betrays an Abraham-like (Genesis 17:15-21) or Gideon-like (Judges 6:36-40) lack of faith in the improbable. In fact, he simply does not believe the Word of God, for he skeptically asks, “How shall I know this?” (v. 18; cf. v. 20b). And this is doubly-indicting, for he was a seasoned servant of the Lord (a priest), “walking blamelessly” and believing and obeying the “commandments and statutes of the Lord” (vv. 5-6), and he had actually been praying for this very thing (a child, v. 13). Mary, on the other hand, also asks, “How?” (v. 34). But her question doesn’t reflect a disbelief in the improbable, but an attempt to discern the impossible (cf. v. 37). She is seeking to understand the mystery of the incarnation—that she, being a virgin, could bear a child (v. 34). The contrast between this pious priest and humble girl is further sharpened by the angel’s answer to both. Zechariah is simply told of Gabriel’s position (i.e., he “stands in the presence of God”) and purpose (i.e., “I was sent…to bring you this good news”) and is rebuked “because [he] did not believe my words” (vv. 18-20). Mary is given additional revelation, culminating with the simple reality that “nothing will be impossible with God” (vv. 35-37). Now, Mary faces the same decision as Zechariah: will she believe or doubt? Her response is humble and trusting: “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (v. 38). \Considering the occupational, experiential, and age difference between the two, we would have expected this response from Zechariah. Yet, here is a young girl, who is beginning to understand the frightening implications of an unexplained pre-marriage pregnancy, and she simply humbles herself in trusting faith. And it wasn’t just that she submitted, she really “believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (v. 45). She knew and trusted her God well enough, that she could simply bank on Him, even when He didn’t make sense. Application: The miracle and grace of the incarnation reminds us to respond with humble faith in God’s Word no matter what the confusion and difficulty we may be facing. Believe God’s promises, cling to His Word, have confidence in His truth—“for nothing will be impossible with God”! QUESTION #6 God told the Israelites that He would conditionally bless them if they kept His commandments and walked in them (e.g., Leviticus 26:3-4; Deuteronomy 4:1, 6:24-25, 8:1). In “keeping His commandments,” is God referring to a general following after Him, knowing that the Israelites would sometimes disobey, but that God would still bless them if their heart was set on Him (dismissing their imperfection)? Or does God mean complete perfection here, even though He knew they couldn’t keep His commandments without spot (making them depend on God’s grace)? I know God requires complete perfection for eternal life with Him (and that’s where the gospel comes in), but these verses are more about material blessings for the Israelites. Was God just looking for their faith in His promises, ready to count their faith as righteousness like He did for Abraham? RESPONSE Acknowledgement — In every dispensation, the truth that our actions do bring consequences (positive and negative) has always been in effect. While God would not punish children for the sins of their parents (cf. Deuteronomy 7:10; 24:16; Ezekiel 18:19-32), the children would indeed be affected by the disobedience of their parents, either in continuing their sin or in facing the repercussions of it (cf. Exodus 20:5-6). Correspondingly, the same was true of an individual’s righteousness and obedience—it brought blessing. The New Testament continues to teach this truth, for example, in its reference to “reaping and sowing” (cf. Galatians 6:7-8). Background — In essence, I think the question being asked here is, “Was the Mosaic Covenant/Law intended to provide salvation?” The easy and clear biblical answer to that is, “No!” Salvation has always been by grace alone through faith alone in God’s person and promises. Before the Mosaic Covenant, God’s relationship with Abraham in the unilateral, unconditional, eternal Abrahamic Covenant provided mankind with a picture of how one is restored to a relationship with God—by grace through faith (cf. Genesis 15:6). Abraham’s “amen” (the Hebrew word for “believed”) echoes throughout the rest of Scripture, testifying to the sufficiency of grace and faith (also cf. Habakkuk 2:4 and its reverberation throughout the NT). The “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11 reaffirms the timeless veracity of such classic NT texts as John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, and Titus 3:5. Obedience to the Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 6:24-25) was supposed to be a manifestation of a heart of faithful love (Deuteronomy 6:5-6, 13-14). So, then, what was the purpose and essence of the Mosaic Covenant?[i] (1) Unlike the Abrahamic Covenant, the prototype of God’s dealing with sinful mankind by grace through faith, the Mosaic Covenant was bilateral in its nature and goal of the Mosaic Covenant—that is, both God and the people had commitments/responsibilities in this covenant relationship. It was also a conditional covenant, meaning that if the Israelites failed to live up to their end of the bargain, then God wasn’t bound to fulfill His (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-28). What was the condition of this covenant? God shared it with Moses when Israel first arrived at Mount Sinai, “The Lord called to Him out of the mountain, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant [Exodus 19-31], you shall be My treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel”’” (Exodus 19:3-6). Tracing their spiritual progression, this nation was already a redeemed nation, for the Exodus and Passover was behind them. Now, the Lord desires to enjoy fellowship with them and engage them in mission—but to do so, they had to adhere to the Mosaic Covenant. The commitments and responsibilities of the Mosaic Law were given in order for Israel to become, not “saved” or “justified,” but a special and distinct and “priestly” nation. As we know, Israel drastically failed in this goal, and after hundreds of years of patient warning, God punished them with the curses He had promised during their captivity (and beyond). He also prophesied of a New Covenant (Jeremiah 31) that would replace the old, broken one and would become everlastingly effective. The Mosaic Law itself contained language to describe what would happen if one treated it as a means of salvation. Perfect adherence and complete obedience was required, nothing less (James 2:10; Galatians 3:12 [Leviticus 18:5; Romans 10:5]); otherwise, failure to adhere to this covenant brought a curse (Galatians 3:10; from Deut. 27:26 [Jer. 11:3; Ezekiel 18:4]). (2) In its failure, we actually discover, then, the ultimate purpose of the Mosaic Law (Galatians 3:19-26)—to serve as a guard, proving the sinfulness of every person and imprisoning them in its guilt (cf. Romans 7:5-13), and to serve as a guardian, pointing to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ (cf. “shadow”: Hebrews 8:5; 10:1; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13). And in the New Covenant ratified by Christ’s blood, we are no longer under Law (Romans 7:1-4).[ii] ENDNOTES
[i] “A covenant is a legally binding promise, agreement, or contract. Three times in the NT the word “covenants” is used in the plural (Gal. 4:24; Eph. 2:12). All but one of God’s covenants with man are eternal and unilateral—that is, God promised to accomplish something based on His own character and not on the response or actions of the promised beneficiary. The 6 biblical covenants include: 1) the covenant with Noah (Gen. 9:8-17); 2) the covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3; see note on 4:13); 3) the covenant of law given through Moses at Sinai (Ex. 19-31; cf. Deut. 29, 30); 4) the priestly covenant (Num. 25:10-13); 5) the covenant of an eternal kingdom through David’s greatest Son (2 Sam. 7:8–16); and 6) the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 37:26; cf. Heb. 8:6-13). All but the Mosaic Covenant are eternal and unilateral. It is neither, since Israel’s sin abrogated it and it has been replaced by the New Covenant (cf. Heb. 8:7-13)” (The MacArthur Study Bible, p. 1710). [ii] “Paul uses the two mothers, their two sons, and two locations as a further illustration of two covenants. Hagar, Ishmael, and Mt. Sinai (earthly Jerusalem) represent the covenant of law; Sarah, Isaac and the heavenly Jerusalem the covenant of promise. However, Paul cannot be contrasting these two covenants as different ways of salvation, one way for OT saints, another for NT saints—a premise he has already denied (2:16; 3:10-14, 21, 22). The purpose of the Mosaic Covenant was only to show all who were under its demands and condemnation their desperate need for salvation by grace alone (3:24)—it was never intended to portray the way of salvation. Paul’s point is that those, like the Judaizers, who attempt to earn righteousness by keeping the law receive only bondage and condemnation (3:10, 23). While those who partake of salvation by grace—the only way of salvation since Adam’s sin—are freed from the law’s bondage and condemnation” (The MacArthur Study Bible, p. 1796). QUESTION #2 What is the meaning of 1 Peter 3:19-20 regarding Christ preaching to spirits in prison? RESPONSE Principles — (1) God’s word is inerrant and does not contradict. So, apparent contradictions can be explained, and God’s Spirit will be our teacher. (2) Always move from clearer passages to less clear in your Bible interpretation; let the clear passages be your foundation and help you interpret the less clear passages. (3) Beware of building a theological dogma on an unclear passage. (4) Use the context to help you understand the unique nuance the author is seeking to convey. Option #1 — (1) Rather than suggesting Purgatory, this text must be interpreted in light of clearer biblical teaching, like Luke 16:26 and Hebrews 9:27 which teach that there are no second chances to respond to the gospel after death. Furthermore, the word for preach is not “preach the gospel” (euangelizo), but “preach” or “proclaim” (kerusso), so the idea of those who die having a second chance to hear and respond to the gospel is not substantiated by this text. (2) Jesus preached to these “spirits in prison” “in [the Spirit]”—that becomes quite helpful. It was not, then, a physical preaching in which His presence was materially present. (3) Who are these “spirits in prison”? I believe that the grammar, context, and purpose of the passage strongly indicates that they are those who didn’t obey Noah’s preaching during the time of God’s patience when the ark was being prepared for judgment (v. 20).
So, because of the grammar, context, and purpose of this passage, I believe these are the unbelievers who used to be alive in Noah’s day, and after they died, having rejected his preaching, they were imprisoned in eternal condemnation (i.e., they are “the spirits now in prison who once were disobedient…in the days of Noah,” NASB). Both the NET and NASB translations favor this interpretation. John Piper explains it this way, “I think it refers to the time when people in Noah’s day were disobedient, mocking him as a righteous man obeying God (like the situation in the lives of Peter's readers), and that Jesus, in the spirit, was sent by God in those days to preach to those people through Noah. Just like in [1 Peter] 1:11 the Spirit of Jesus was in the Old Testament prophets predicting his coming, so the Spirit of Jesus was in Noah preaching to the disobedient people of Noah’s day. They are NOW in prison—that is, in a place of torment awaiting the final judgment (Luke 16:24).”[ii] Option #2 — While the NET Bible argues for this interpretation, it also suggests a viable alternative: "Christ’s announcement of his victory [cf. v. 18] over evil to the fallen angels who await judgment for their role in leading the Noahic generation into sin [cf. Colossians 2:14-15; 2 Peter 2:4-5; Jude 6-7; Genesis 6:1-8];[iii] this proclamation occurred sometime between Christ’s death and ascension”[iv] (cf. MacArthur Study Bible). The Point — (1) God the Son has always been concerned with the salvation of sinners, even in His pre-incarnate state. (2) The ark is a prophetic event, a shadow of the gospel, pointing forward to the gracious provision of God through the substitutionary Atonement on a wooden cross. God provides a way of salvation from His wrath on our sin, and we must take our refuge in Him in order to be rescued! Just as Noah and his family were only saved by being “in the ark” which bore the brunt of God’s punishing waves, so we are only saved by being “in Christ” who bore the wrath of God for us. QUESTION #3 What is the meaning of 1 Peter 3:21 regarding baptism? It seems like it is saying that baptism is necessary for salvation. RESPONSE Starting with the clearer truth, we know from Scripture that baptism does not save a person. So, we have to figure out what this passage means, when it appears on a surface level reading to contradict that clearer truth. It is helpful for us to observe that Peter writes that baptism “corresponds” (i.e., “like figure whereunto,” KJV; “antitype,” NKJV; “symbolizes,” NIV; “prefigured,” NET; BDAG: a representation, copy, corresponding situation) to the ark.
ENDNOTES
[i] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2006). [ii] http://www.desiringgod.org/sermons/strengthened-to-suffer-christ-noah-and-baptism [iii] Noting that the word for “preaching” or “proclaimed” here is not the Greek word euangelizomai, but kerusso, Gleason Archer suggests a slight variation to this option: “the proclamation made by the crucified Christ in Hades to all the souls of the dead may have been to the effect that the price had now been paid for sin, and all those who died in the faith were to get ready for their departure to heaven—shortly to occur on Easter Sunday [cf. Ephesians 4:8]” (Bible Difficulties [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982]). [iv] The NET Bible First Edition. [v] http://www.desiringgod.org/sermons/strengthened-to-suffer-christ-noah-and-baptism
This Bible study was originally considered during Midweek Connection on November 12, 2014.
TELLING THE STORY  THE SETTING Jesus returns to Capernaum (probably to Peter’s home—cf. Matthew 4:13 and Mark 1:21, 29; important to note that this would have been a relatively small and simple home made with stones with a flat roof that would be frequently used for relaxation, oftentimes with an exterior staircase providing access), and the people discover that He’s back. They gather at the house to hear Jesus teach the Scriptures. The crowd of listeners was so large that people were crammed outside against the house. THE PROBLEM A group of men carrying their crippled friend arrive on the scene, trying to get to Jesus. They were unable to, because of the great crowd. THE INCITING MOMENT The friends, insistent on getting their needy comrade to Jesus, are not ready to give up. They climb up the stairs to the roof, and begin tearing up the clay roof above where Jesus was teaching. When they had created a large enough opening, they lowered their friend down into the house near where Jesus was. This was pretty bizarre considering that this wasn’t their house and considering that teaching below would have been interrupted as debris began falling upon those inside. This would have created quite the scene…embarrassment and social awkwardness. THE RISING ACTION When Jesus saw the faith of these friends (and apparently of the paralytic himself) so clearly demonstrated in their aggression, persistence, and boldness (they weren’t embarrassed) in getting their needy companion to Jesus, He responded by performing an invisible, and yet most important, miracle (more important, in fact, than the physical healing of this man, which was, of course, what these men had desired in brining their fellow to Jesus)—the salvation of his soul. Jesus would later actually respond to his initial request and heal him physically, too. THE CONFLICT When the religious leaders heard Jesus forgive this man’s sins, they were troubled. Their doctrine correctly taught them that only God could forgive sins, but their evaluation of Jesus incorrectly led them to conclude that He was blaspheming. The other valid option—that Jesus was God—was never even considered. I’m not sure that my conclusion would have been any different, especially since I’ve been trained as a good Bible student to live by the book. Yes, a logical conclusion was that this man Jesus was God, even the Messiah, but there was so much practical and convention wisdom that went against that idea. It “made more sense” to be doctrinal and conclude that He was a heretic. Any good pastor would have concluded the same; so, I’m not going to fault the scribes here in verse 7. Jesus, knowing this internal conflict within the scribes, begins to help them understand that the option they so readily dismissed (i.e., He is God) was the truth. He asks them whether it is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” Obviously, it is easier to say the first because it is invisible and cannot be visibly proved. The latter can be verified immediately through physical and visible evidence. So, Jesus now determines to effectively say the latter in order to prove that He had effectively said the former. THE CLIMAX: THE MIRACLE The man “immediately” got up and walked “in the sight of everyone.” THE RESPONSE The people were “amazed” and “glorified God.” They also continued to come and listen to Jesus. At this point, however, I believe that a reproof again the scribes is in order. Jesus had sought to correct their legitimate, but incorrect, conclusion—the physical healing proved the veracity of His claim and power to forgive sins, and should have caused the Scribes to change their conclusion and submit to Him as their God. We know, however, that this was not their response. APPLYING THE STORY PRINCIPLE 1 — Jesus knows and can meet our greatest (and perhaps unknown) needs when we have faith in Him.
This man had faith in Jesus’ ability…this was more than knowledge about Jesus, belief in Jesus’ existence. I believe that this man sincerely and earnestly believed (as revealed in tearing the roof up) that Jesus could meet his needs and fix his problems. However, I don’t think that his faith was fully mature, correctly focused, or fully taught. His faith in Jesus is unquestioned, but it seems that he’s overlooking some things that we would consider integral, like Jesus’ purpose to save people from their sin. However, when he came in confident expectation to Christ to fix the problem, Jesus in His omniscience and grace honored his unwavering faith, by meeting his greatest need. The content of saving faith has changed throughout the ages (e.g., “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness”), but saving faith is always rooted in the ability and promises of God. Today, saving faith is a confident belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and in His ability to completely fulfill His promise to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by Him. This man demonstrated saving faith by unwaveringly and desperately clinging to the truth that if he just got to Jesus, Jesus would know what to do. He didn’t have all his theology worked out; He hadn’t thought through all the details of who Jesus was…but He confidently believed in Jesus’ ability to meet his need. And he discovered that faith in Jesus gets all of Him—Jesus met his physical and spiritual needs. This is grace – He didn’t give them only what they asked for. Faith in Jesus, even though not fully mature (i.e., they believed in His ability to physically heal, but perhaps they hadn’t considered His ability to spiritually heal), was what pleased Jesus and caused Him to respond by meeting the need, not just the request. PRINCIPLE 2 — Christ honors our faith when we bring other people to Him. And, considering that He alone really knows the true needs, He may do more than we ever expected. Had they allowed the circumstances to deter their perseverance to get their friend to the only One who they believed could help him (e.g., embarrassment from the situation), their friend would not only have never walked, but he also would have never experienced salvation. Their faith was in some way catalytic to the spiritual healing of their friend. This would have been one of those sobering “wow” moments, in which they would have been very thankful for God’s grace in overlooking their limited faith and using it to draw this man (and perhaps themselves) to Himself. From the paralytic’s perspective, he had done nothing (except believe). His friends had been tools. God had orchestrated everything (i.e., He had given the crippled man these friends and stirred within them this faith in Jesus’ physical-healing ability). Jesus saw and met the true need though these friends. Comparing Scripture with Scripture, this passage cannot be teaching that a man can be saved by someone else’s faith. However, the passage is emphasizing how influential your faith can be in the salvation of someone else. Application: How can we demonstrate faith by bringing people to Jesus? Not bringing people to Jesus reveals a lack of faith. 1. Bringing the unsaved to Jesus:
PRINCIPLE 3 — I don’t need any other proof from Jesus; I just need to trust Him.  At the Exchange Seminar, Jeff Musgrave defined faith as “not believing that God can, but believing that God will, through me, to the point of stepping out on it” (Hebrews 11:1-6). That is a terrific definition!
I loved this quote: “The lost are already within the gates of hell. We need to use the keys of the gospel to rescue them from that realm.” What authority is ours in Christ! When applying some principles from I Samuel 17 to the specifics of boldness in evangelism, Jeff made the following conclusions, which I’ll paraphrase in bullet points to make each one sink in.
 This past week, we enjoyed Missions Conference at Colonial, and I thought I'd share a few nuggets that I gleaned.
(1) I'm thankful to be a part of a missional church. First, as we planned for the Missions Conference, it was decided that we would host fewer missionaries, in order to be able to involve them more fully, get to know them more personally, and treat them more generously. Prior to the conference, the missionary families had been emailed in order to gather information regarding their needs. Throughout the week, our church family had the privilege of meeting those needs and presenting a different missionary family in each service with the "surprise" of certain gifts that would really be a asset to them. It was a thrill to be an encouragement to them in this way and to demonstrate our loving commitment to co-laborers that we don't often get to see! Second, our Missions Conference ended on Sunday night with the recommitting of our faith-promise missions giving for the next year. Last year, the church family had promised a generous amount and had exceeded that by year's end. This year, the commitments were even greater than last year, and by God's grace in the faithfulness of His people's giving, Colonial will be able to contribute financially to missionaries and missions projects in greater ways than before. In the past, Colonial has been able to enjoy ministering financially to a work in Myanmar, and we were able to hear in detail this past week how the Lord has used our gifts in that mission field. With the faith-promise commitments of the upcoming year, we hope to continue to store up eternal treasure by partnering in the gospel with those brothers and sisters across the ocean whom we have never met but with whom we can have a substantial and Christ-exalting impact through our finances (cf. II Corinthians 8). What a true joy to see the grace of giving in the church family, as it takes what God has entrusted to it and willingly gives it right back to Him in gospel missions! Third, last summer our church sent a medical missions team to Panama, and the Lord richly blessed their ministry (i.e., they treated over 600 patients and witnessed over 300 professions of faith in Christ in three days). This summer, we will be sending another team to different area in Panama to engage in the same kind of ministry. Last week, the team introduced themselves and shared their vision for this summer, and it was an honor to recognize our church's commitment to do more than just pray for and give to missions, but to actually do missions. God has purposely blessed Colonial with many medical personnel, so these medical mission trips are a wise usage of these entrusted talents. However, I hope in the future that Colonial will be able to offer summer missions trips for non-medical people, so that we can continue to reinforce here our individual need to fulfill the Great Commission in a hands-on manner. (2) I was challenged to maintain a missional lifestyle and ministry. First, Nathan Deatrick, a church-planter in Columbus, NC, brought a missionary sermon one evening on the life of Isaac McCoy. I had never heard anything like it, but I was greatly convicted by this man's example of faith-living. This 18th Century pastor understood that we are "strangers and exiles on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13), and he lived and ministered by faith in the unseen as the utmost and eternal reality (cf. Hebrews 10:32-11:40). I was humbled to recognize again that in my struggles on earth, "[I] have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in [my] striving against sin" (Hebrews 12:4). Thank You, Jesus, that you did! And, thank You for the example of those who have gone on before who model for us what it means in the modern day to "desire a better country…a heavenly one" (Hebrews 11:16). If you'd like to hear this powerful challenge for yourself, you can do so here. Second, Josh Hedges, a missionary to Chad, Africa, shared a unique challenge during our International Dinner. He shared the hypothetical story of a believing businessman whose business trips frequently took him to that country, where he got to know some of the missionaries there. Over time, the disadvantaged conditions of that country, its very needy people, and the missions work that he had witnessed began to greatly impact him as God's Spirit challenged him concerning what he could be doing stateside to further accomplish the Great Commission. Upon returning home, this man and his wife began to pray for wisdom about how they could participate more practically in Christ's rather radical call to discipleship (cf. Matthew 10:37-39; 16:24-25). They adopted a "wartime lifestyle" that allowed them to live modestly according to their needs, so that they were freer to contribute financially to God's mission around the world. Over time, they saw the fruits of their faith, as God blessed their partnership with Him. What a challenge to break out of our convenient, casual Christianity, and really dive in to God's mission in the world today! "The mission of the church is missions; the mission of missions is the church" (James MacDonald). In an American society that is so driven by sight, I know that I must live by faith. In an American culture that is so given to entertainment, I know that I must live with a mission. Christ, increase my faith in the unseen, and allow me to give all for You who gave all for me, because my home and reward is not on the earth! (3) I developed a deeper appreciation for Bible translators. On the last day of our Missions Conference, Josh Hedges shared more information about his Bible translation work in Chad, Africa. He sought to provide us with a theological framework for Bible translation, putting it into its proper context of preservation. Throughout the centuries, God has providentially preserved His Word through the careful transmission and translation of men devoted to carefully passing on God's message of truth. Translation, then, is vital, not just to preservation, but to the perpetuation of understanding truth in the language of the masses! Furthermore, Josh showed how translation relates to personal growth, and he did so by creating a scene in which an American church (like mine and yours) were to take a 6-month complete fast from God's Word. While some in our churches might unfortunately not be affected by such a loss, most of us would find our spiritual stability unraveling, and the preaching in our churches would greatly diminish in its content and effectiveness. We take for granted in America the immediate access to God's Word that we enjoy in our own language, but many nations have no such access. The believers in thousands of people groups around the world are illiterate and/or have no Bible translation in their language, and so are unable to experience the spiritual power that God has sourced in His Word. Praise God, then, for men and women who sacrifice their time to learn the original languages and who sacrifice their comfort to put God's Word in the hands of others. Since faith comes by hearing the gospel message in God's Word (Romans 10:17), and since God is calling out a people from every people group (Revelation 7:9-10), then we must send Bible translators to do what God has gifted them to do in fulfillment of the Great Commission. Just some nuggets for thought and application. I hope we'll partner with Christ in these things, starting in Indianapolis! |
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