Author Archive
Nov
13
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS
Sermon manuscript available at emmausrbc.org
Nov
8
Q. 43. What shall be done to the wicked, at the Day of Judgment?
A. At the Day of Judgment, the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever. (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28,29; 2 Thess. 1:9; Matt. 25:41)
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you as aad stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ ‘Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’” (Matthew 25:31–46, ESV)
Talk of hell is weighty. It is a very heavy and serious subject. And every Christian does feel this heaviness within their soul when they think of someone being sentenced to hell, and it is right that they do. It is similar to the heaviness that fills a courtroom when a criminal is tried, convicted, and finally sentenced. Everyone in the room can feel the weightiness of the moment. Everyone knows that something serious is happening. And even if all agree that the man is guilty and the penalty is just, those who have love in their hearts will feel a sense of sorrow even for the condemned, knowing that a life has been ravaged by sin. And how much more is the weightiness of the final judgement, and eternal damnation?
It is certainly right to say that the Christian should never rejoice at the thought of someone going to hell. The Christian should feel sorrow at the thought of even their worst enemy coming under God’s condemnation. Just as it would be concerning if a courtroom erupted in jubilant celebration when the sentence of death is pronounced upon the condemned, so too it would be concerning if someone rejoiced in their heart concerning the thought of a man going to eternal punishment. Only one who is consumed with anger and a desire for vengeance could feel such a thing in their heart. As I have said, it is right that we feel a sense of sorrow for those condemned, for this is a weighty matter.
But let us be sure to not error in another direction, and that would be to consider the judgments of God to be somehow unnecessary or unjust. While it is true that the thought of men coming under the judgement of God is weighty and ought to produce a sense of sorrow, it is also true that we ought to say this is right and even good.
If we go back to the courtroom, you will see what I mean. If when the guilty murderer is sentenced to death the courtroom erupts in jubilant and cheerful celebration, that shows that men are very angry and vengeful — this cannot be the disposition of the Christian. But will anyone dare to say that it is wrong for them to celebrate the fact that justice has been served? Will anyone dare to say that those who have lost a loved one at the hands of the murder are wrong to consider the judgemnet to be fitting, right, and good? And so you see that justice will always produce a mixture of thoughts and emotions, and this right. It is right for us to grieve over the destruction that sin brings, but it is also right for us to celebrate when justice is served.
If we rejoice in this way over the just judgements of men, how much more should we rejoice over the just judgements of God.
And brothers and sisters, rest assured God’s judgement are and will be perfect.
He is not driven by a passion for vengeance, as we sometimes are, so that he is moved to over do it. In fact, the scriptures reveal that he takes no pleasure at all in the death of the wicked. Listen to Ezekiel 33:11: “ As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11, ESV).
And when God judges, he does not judge with limited knowledge as we do, for he is all knowing. Human judges and juries do their best to judge according to what they know. They rely upon evidence and testimonies. But they do not see for themselves whether or not the crime was committed. Not so with God. The Judge of all the earth sees everything with perfect clarity. He even knows man’s thoughts and the intentions of his heart. He does not struggle with the issue of limited knowledge when he administers justice.
And when God judges he will get it perfectly right, for he is just. The punishment will fit the sin and perfectly so. Psalm 96:10 speaks to this: “Say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity” (Psalm 96:10, ESV). Equity means rightness or fairness. God’s judgments will be perfectly right and fair. And this is why Paul says in Romans, “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God” (Romans 3:19, ESV). At the judgment, every mouth will be stopped. No one will say, God, you got it wrong.
In our prisons there are men and women who insist that they are innocent. Some of them probably are! For we are flawed in our judgements. But many of them are guilty. They know it, but they lie. There will be none of that at the judgement on the last day, for God will judge with perfect equity, and all will see it.
One question that I often get as a pastor is, what about infants that die in infancy, or those incapable of understanding the gospel? Will they be judged by God? For they are born in sin, aren’t they? Yes, all are born in sin. I think our confession gets it just right in 10.3. But for now let me simply say that I know this for sure, God will get this perfectly right on the last day. No one will be able to complain against God, saying, this is unjust.
God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, and neither should we. But neither should we consider the judgements of God to be bad. To the contrary they are good. His judgements are and will be perfectly right and just.
This truth does bring a kind of comfort to the people of God. This world is filled with sin, wickedness, and injustice. We long for justice because we are made in the image of God who is just. And so it is comforting to know that on the last day God will right every wrong.
And isn’t it interesting how even those who do not believe in God or in the Christ whom he sent will comfort themselves with the idea of justice in the afterlife when faced with some great evil. “This predator will get what is coming to him”, they say. Or “this terrorist who killed thousands of innocents will pay in the life to come.” These same people may deny that hell exists for common folk, but they hope that it exists for those who are particularly heinous. They assume that hell is sparsely populated. They assume that it is for Hitler, Mussolini, Stallen, and other characters like these. But when it comes to the common man, hell is a myth. Those who think in this way are right to take some comfort in the fact that wrongs will be made right in the end and that justice will be served. But they are terribly wrong to minimize their own sin and the sin of others.
The scriptures teach that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, ESV), and “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, ESV). Yes, there are heinous sins, and there are particularly heinous. But all sin is truly heinous and will be punished on the last day, unless we are found in Christ, washed in his blood.
Do not believe the lie that you sin is not serious. It is truly terrible for humans to live in the world that God has made, to enjoy his blessings in this life, and to partake of his mercy, but fail to give him honor and glory. How ungrateful we are by nature. And not only do we fail to honor our Creator, we worship the creature instead. We rob him of the glory due his name. This is heinous sin deserving of God’s just condemnation. And add to this the disrespect we have shown to mother and father and to others with authority over us, the hatred we have shown to our fellow man, our sexual immorality, our thievery, and dishonesty. We are ungrateful sinners by nature. Do I really need to convince you of this!? It is strange how we read the news and say, look at all the wickedness in the world! But we are unable to see the wickedness in our own hearts. We see it in the lives of others while convincing ourselves that we and those who are close to us are basically good.
Brothers and sisters, God would be just to send us to hell for all eternity for our sin against him — for failing to love him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. But he is merciful and kind, as you know. He has provided a Savior, Christ Jesus the Lord.
The Matthew 25 passage that was read earlier does clearly teach that God will judge on the last day. Some will go to eternal life, and others to eternal punishment.
I cannot take the time to walk through this passage verse by verse with you, but let me make some important observations.
One, this is the teaching of Jesus. Some wish to have a Jesus who is only merciful and gracious. This is not the historical Jesus, but only a figment of the imagination. The real Jesus taught that on the last day the unrighteous will be judged.
Two, God will judge all people on the last day through Christ, who is in this passage called “the son of man.” Verse 31: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations…”
Three, this passage divides humanity into two groups — the righteous and unrighteous.
Four, the righteous are said to be “blessed by [the] Father”. This is compatible with what the scriptures say elsewhere regarding the doctrine of election. The righteous are those favored by God. And on the last day they will be welcomed to “inherit the kingdom prepared for [them] from the foundation of the world.” This is also compatible with the doctrine of election.
Five, the righteous and unrighteous are known by their fruits. The righteous love God and Christ, and this love is shown by caring for the needy around them. The unrighteous hate God and Christ, and this is shown by their neglect of the needy. It would be wrong to interpret this passage as if it were saying that salvation is earned by good deeds.That would be contrary to the clear teaching of scripture found elsewhere. And that would also be contrary to what Christ said at first in this passage, calling the righteous “blessed by [the] Father”, and inviting them to “inherit the kingdom prepared for [them] from the foundation of the world.” But it would also be wrong to ignore what Christ says regarding good works. Those blessed by the Father will do good works, friends. If our faith is alive and true it will move us to care for the needy around us. Faith without works is dead, as James so clearly teaches. Trully, we will know them by their fruits.
Six, while the righteous receive favor or grace from God, the unrighteous are rightly judged for their sin. The Son of Man will say, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” And you will notice that their sin is not what we would call heinous sin. They are not condemned for being murderers, liars, and thieves, but for failing to show love and compassion to their fellow man in need when it was in their power to do so.
Seven, this judgement will happen when Christ returns in glory. He will return suddenly. He will return bodily. He will return gloriously so all will see. And when he does he will sit upon his throne to judge. There will be no delay. No purgatory, and no thousand reign. Any teaching which inserts a gap of time between the return of Christ and the judgment is to be regarded as false.
Are you ready, friends? What you do in this life will have eternal consequences. When you die, your soul will go immediately to heaven or hell. And when Christ returns bodies and souls will be reunited for the judgment. Those in Christ — those who believed upon him in this life whose sins were washed away — will hear the words, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”, whereas those who die in their sins will hear these words: “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” This is the word of the Lord.
Q. 43. What shall be done to the wicked, at the Day of Judgment?
A. At the Day of Judgment, the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever. (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28,29; 2 Thess. 1:9; Matt. 25:41)
Nov
8
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS
Sermon manuscript available at emmausrbc.org
Nov
8
“And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. ‘Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.’ Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ‘Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’ God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.’” (Genesis 9:1–17, ESV)
“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:1–7, ESV)
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
One of the reasons I chose to preach through 1 Timothy was so that we might be encouraged as a congregation to keep our focus upon Christ, the advancement of his kingdom, and the building up of his church in these politically turbulent times. Granted, all of scripture does point to Christ and the furtherance of his kingdom, but 1 Timothy has a lot to say about life in Christ’s church. And I think it is good for this to be our focus.
As Christians, we are citizens of an earthy nation. We live under the Noahic Covenant. And so we are obligated to participate in the common (but accountable) political communities that covenant sanctions. And this topic has been our focus in Sunday school over the past couple of months. There we have learned a lot about our responsibilities in the civil realm. There you have been encouraged to be responsible citizens.
But as Christians, we are also citizens of the kingdom of heaven. If you are in Christ you live under the New Covenant ratified in his blood. And where is this New Covenant community found? Many of its members have already gone to glory and are even now enjoying the blessed presence of God. Their bodies lie in the grave but their souls have been perfected and are alive in the presence of God. These saints who have gone to glory are assembled in heaven. Our brother Steven Haws is among them. Our brother John Thezier is among them, along with many others. But there are also many partakers of this New Covenant who are alive on earth today. These are those who have been drawn to faith in Christ. These have turned from their sins to trust in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. These have been justified, adopted, and are now being sanctified by the word of God and by his Spirit. And where do these members of the New Covenant who are alive in the world today assemble? They assemble in God’s house, that is to say, in the Church. They sit at the Lord’s table. They gather together on the Lord’s Day to feast on Christ and on his word. They come to offer up prayers and praise to God with the intent to obey him in the whole of life. They come to fellowship with one another, and in so doing they gain a foretaste of the blessed life that is to come. In fact, the scriptures remind us that the assembly of God’s redeemed in heaven and the assembly of God’s redeemed on earth are synchronized in their worship even now when the writer to the Hebrews says, “But you [speaking to Christians alive on earth] have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22–24, ESV). Where do those who are partakers of the Covenant of Grace assemble? Whether on earth or in heaven they assemble before the throne of God being united to Christ by faith. Let this truth sink in, brothers and sisters. Believe it sincerely so that it brings peace to your soul. You are citizens of the kingdom of heaven now if you have faith in Christ.
Do you see, then, that the Christian has a dual citizenship? We are simultaneously citizens of an earthly nation, and of Christ’s heavenly kingdom. God is the Sovereign King of both. He reigns over both through his risen Son, all things having been made subject to him. But he reigns over these realms differently. And though he has a special kind of love and concern for his redeemed — those who are citizens in his heavenly and eternal kingdom — we must remember that we are citizens of both.
Brethren, while I do not wish to in any way diminish the importance of our political engagement, this morning I do desire to fix your minds upon the far greater task of building Christ’s church and furthering his heavenly and eternal kingdom on earth. To put it differently, Christians must engage in both realms. They must continuously seek the good of the city and nation in which they live and also the advancement of the kingdom of God on earth. But one of these tasks is more important than the other. Neither should be neglected. And some Christians may be called to engage in politics or in Christian ministry more than others. But even the Christian politician must confess that his work in the political realm is subordinate to the work of Christ’s kingdom.
How so, you ask? Well, while it is true that life in these two kingdoms is always deeply intertwined and interrelated, the political communities in which we live exist to preserve life in this world. And we might ask, why is life on this earth being preserved? If you know about the covenant that God transacted with all of creation through Noah (of which the rainbow is a sign) you know that God promised that “seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease”(Genesis 8:22, ESV). But why did he promise this? Why did he promise to preserve the world? The scriptures are clear. He promised to preserve the natural order so that the human race might be preserved. And the human race is preserved so that God might accomplish his purposes of redemption through the Covenant of Grace. Stated in another way, God in his mercy has determined to preserve the human race. This includes the preservation of stability within our political communities (generally speaking). But the ultimate reason for the preservation of the human race is so that the salvation of God’s elect might be accomplished and applied. Indeed, salvation has been accomplished. The Christ was born. He lived, died, and rose again for himself and others. And indeed, this redemption is being applied to God’s elect, just as it has been from the first utterance of the gospel in the presence of our first parents, Adam and Eve. The world remains — the full and final judgement of God has been delayed — so that redemption may be accomplished by Christ and applied to all his elect.
This is precisely what the Apostle Peter taught in 2 Peter 3. Listen carefully to his words. And notice his allusion to the flood, and his teaching concerning God’s preservation of the natural world from Noah’s day to the present for the purpose of the accomplishment and application of redemption. He writes. “This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Peter 3:1–10, ESV). According to Peter the return of Christ and the final judgement is delayed, not because God is slack, but so that “all should reach repentance”.
What is the point that I am making? Well, in brief it is this. Political issues matter. They matter because they pertain to our life in this world. And clearly, God is concerned with life in this world. He has promised to preserve the human race until Christ returns. And one of the ways that he preserves the human race is by the preservation of political stability, in which governmental powers play a significant part. Political issues matter. They matter to God and they should matter to us. But never can the Christian lose sight of the bigger picture. God has promised to preserve the world under the Noahic covenant, so that his redemptive purposes might be fulfilled. This is why I have said that political concerns must remain subordinate to kingdom concerns for the Christian. Both concerns and valid, but the Christian must keep the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom (which is accomplished through the preaching of the gospel, by applying baptism to those who repent and believe, and by teaching those who believe to obey all that Christ has commanded), as their leading concern. This is our mission, brothers and sisters. The church is to “ make disciples of all nations, baptizing them… [and] teaching them to observe all that [Christ has] commanded…” (Matthew 28:19–20, ESV). This is not our only concern, but it is our primary concern.
It’s really about perspective and priorities. Tell me friends, what is a husband and father to devote himself to? I hope you would say, his life is to be devoted to loving his wife and children, and to raise the children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. So is that all he is to do then? Is he to spend every waking hour with his wife and children and focus all of his energies only on them? You know that life in this world does not work this way. That husband and father must go to work, he must maintain the home, mow the lawn, pay the bills, serve within the church, engage socially, along with many other things. But as he engages in these other responsibilities, he must constantly keep everything in perspective and maintain his priorities. He would be irresponsible to neglect work and the other duties of life. But he would error greatly if he allowed work or social life to take priority over loving and leading his wife and children. It is about perspective and priorities. And so it is for the Christian sojourner. Life is complex. We have many responsibilities. But why are we here? Answer: To give glory to God and to further Christ’s kingdom.
I wonder, do you see how keeping this big picture in mind helps us to keep politics in perspective? Should the Christian care about politics? Yes! For God is preserving humanity by maintaining stability in this realm. But should the Christain view political matters as ultimate? No! For according to the scriptures the preservation of the natural world and of the human race is serving a greater end, namely, the accomplishment of salvation and the application of it to God’s elect, which is the furtherance of God’s kingdom which will come to a culmination in the new heavens and earth which Christ has earned on the last day. Stated even more simply: politics matters, but the advancement of the kingdom of Christ and the building up of Christ’s church matters more. This is the mission of the church under which the other responsibilities of life are subordinate.
One thing that has been on my mind lately is the question, how will the church in this land, not only survive, but thrive as the culture grows ever more hostile to the Christian faith? I’m sure you have noticed the hostility. It’s not directed at Christians only, but towards others who hold to a belief in God and the idea that morality is rooted in him. And the hostility is not coming from our neighbors primarily. Instead it is concentrated in institutions of power — the universities, the press, large and powerful corporations, and in the elite celebrity class. There is indeed some hostility present within the broader society. Will it continue to trickle down to our neighbors and become pervasive? Only God knows. But the question is this, how will the church thrive if our culture remains on this path?
The answer is rather simple, I think. The church will thrive in a culture that is hostile to her in the same way that will thrive when she holds an honored and privileged place within society, and that is by being faithful to Christ and his word.
And this is my charge to you this morning: As sojourners maintain a heavenly and eternal perspective, keep our mission always in mind, and be faithful to Christ and his word. Be faithful in your own soul. Be faithful in your home. Be faithful in public. And be faithful in the church.
The church will thrive if she is faithful. The church will wither if she is compromising.
Compromising churches will seem to be alive for a time. This is especially true when the culture is relatively kind to Chritsians. But compromising churches will surely wither with the passing of time, for they have separated themselves from their lifesource. They are like cut flowers. They may for a brief moment have the appearance of life and beauty, but their decay is inevitable, for they have been severed from their roots.
But faithful churches will thrive with the passing of time. Faithful churches are like the hardy shrubs that blanket the hills here in Southern California. They often go unnoticed. They are not as visually impressive as an elaborate bouquet of flowers, but their roots are firmly set in the soil. They thrive in the springtime rain, and they are resilient to drought and the heat of summer.
Brethren, let us be sure that faithfulness to Christ and his word is our aim. Let us continue to send our roots down deep into the soil of Christ and his word. Let us be sure to believe him and to obey him individually, as families, and as a congregation. And let us not fear times of drought nor the heat of summer, leading us to compromise. No, the very worst thing that we could do is compromise in faith and practice, for then we would be severed from the root. But remaining faithful we must rest assured that God has designed his church to thrive, not only in the springtime rain, but also the heat of summer. The church, and every member within her, is well equipped to thrive in every condition.
That was a very long introduction, I know. But I wished to set this sermon, and this sermon series, against that backdrop. Faithfulness is what we are after. What is God will for the church? Once we know, we must be faithful.
And what have we learned so far? In brief, the church must be faithful in doctrine, in holiness, and in prayer. And the text that is before us today makes it clear that one of the most important things that a church will do is to appoint men to the office of overseer. Stated negatively, one of the most damaging things a church can do is to appoint men who are not called qualified to the office of overseer. In brief, if the church is to be faithful, then she must have faithfull men leading her.
Our text for today begins with what Paul calls “a trustworthy saying.” This must have been a saying that was adopted by the early church: “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.”
To aspire to something is to seek to attain, or to long for something eagerly. “Noble” does not mean glorious, but rather good, fine, and praiseworthy. And it is important to notice that the office of overseer is called a “task”, that is to say, a work.
You will note that Paul does not rebuke men for aspiring to the office of overseer as if they were being selfishly ambitious, but he does remind Timothy, and through him, the church, that overseers must engage in good, fine, and praiseworthy work. Undoubtedly, there are some who are selfishly ambitious to hold the office of overseer within Christ church. These wish to have the notoriety and respect that sometimes comes with the position. But Paul does not assume that all who aspire to the office are of this spirit. Instead, he simply reminds us that overseers must engage in noble work.
So what is the office of overseer? Well, it is no different from the office of pastor or elder. This one office — the office of elder — goes by many names. Each name highlights a different aspect of what the office requires. The term elder brings to mind authority. The term pastor brings to mind the care of a shepherd. And the term overseer (or bishop) connotes general leadership and oversight. If you were to read Acts 20:17 and following you would find an account of Paul the apostle meeting with the “elders of the church” of Ephesus. And as they met he spoke to them saying, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28, ESV). And so elders are also called overseers, and these have the responsibility to look out for and lead the church of God.
“If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” But you will notice that someone aspiring to the office of overseer does not make them qualified to hold that office. Instead, there are qualifications to be met. And if we are paying attention to the New Testament scriptures we will agree that it is the church that must agree that the man who aspires to the office of overseer meets these qualifications. Naturally, existing elders have an important role to play in this process. The fact that Paul wrote to Timothy to see to it that these qualifications were met confirms this. But those who aspire the office of overseer are to be vetted by the congregation. The congregation must agree that the man is called and fit for the office. And the church, with the existing elders at the lead, is to lay hands on the man to set him apart for the work, with fasting and prayer as Acts 13 describes.
So what are the qualifications? Many are listed here, but they fall into two categories. First, the man must exhibit personal self-discipline and maturity. In other words, he must be morally upright. And secondly, he must have the ability to relate to others, to care for them, and to teach them. In other words, he must be gifted for the work. These personal and interpersonal qualifications are not grouped together. They are intertwined in this text. But we will consider them according to these classifications.
First, let us consider the moral qualifications. An overseer, must be morally upright.
In verse 2 we read “Therefore”. Because overseers must do noble work, “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach”. This means he must be above criticism. Now, of course the apostle has reasonable or valid criticism in mind. If an overseer, or an aspiring overseer, comes under criticism from someone in the church or outside the church it does not mean he is disqualified. If that were the case then neither Paul himself, nor Jesus, would be qualified to hold the office, for these men were often criticized by others. Clearly, Paul means the man must be above reproach that is valid. No one should be able to look upon the man and say in truth, his life is marked by sin. He is a hypocrite.
This requirement to be above reproach functions as a heading for the other moral requirements, I think. He is to be above reproach, generally speaking. In particular he is to be “the husband of one wife”.
Let me tell you what this does not mean. This does not mean that an overseer must be married. Paul was not married. Jesus never married. But if the man is married, he is to be the husband of one wife. Furthermore, this does not mean that a man is disqualified from holding office if he has had more than one wife in his lifetime. If a man has remarried after the death of his previous wife, then he may hold this office. And if a man has remarried after a valid divorce, he may hold this office. But in this case the church would be wise to look very carefully into the circumstances of that divorce to be sure that it was valid according to the scriptures so that the man be truly above reproach.
What then does it mean to be “the husband of one wife”? First, it means that overseers are to be men and not women (but that was already made clear in 1 Timothy 2:11-15). Secondly, it means that if the man is married, he must be faithful to his wife. He must be a one woman man. This is of course the standard for all Christian husbands, but it is absolutely required to hold the office of overseer. The man must be faithful to his wife, and thus above reproach.
Thirdly, the man must be “sober-minded”. When we compare English translations of the Bible is clear that translators struggle to capture the meaning of this Greek word with one English word. Some say “temperate”, meaning self-restrained, disciplined or moderate. The KJV says “vigilant”, meaning watchful. Again, the ESV says “sober-minded”. When we put these terms together, we get the idea. An overseer must be alert, clear-headed and disciplined in his way of life.
Fourthly, he must be “self-controlled”. This term is similar to the previous one. But in the Greek the word seems to suggest prudence, thoughtfulness and sensibility.
Fifthly, the man must be “respectable”. This means that he must be “modest, well-ordered, moderate”(Louw Nida, 747). He must behave in a way that is becoming of a Christian man and of a leader within Christ’s church. Sometimes I wonder if these celebrity pastors who make a name for themselves by being brash and obnoxious meet this qualification.
We will leave “hospitable” and “able to teach” for the next section. In verse 3 we find the sixth moral requirement: “not a drunkard”. This, like all of the moral requirements, applies to all Christians, but it is required of overseers. He must not be “given to drunkenness”, the NIV says. “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18, ESV), brothers and sisters.
Seventhly, he must not be “violent”. Violent here refers to one who is “pugnacious and demanding—‘bully…’, (Louw Nida, 756). This applies not only to physical violence, but also relational violence. He must not be combative, aggressive, and contentious.
Eightly, let us take “gentle” and “not quarrelsome” together. Instead of being combative, aggressive, and contentious, an overseer must be gentle and peaceful.
Some, I am afraid, take this string of requirements — “not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome” — to mean that a pastor must never be firm. That is of course ridiculous. In fact, it is because pastors will sometimes need to rebuke false teachers and sinners that they must not be violent nor quarrelsome, but gentle. If the man is sober-minded, self-controlled, not violent or quarrelsome, but gentle, he will be able to deliver a firm rebuke when it is needed without losing his temper. To say it differently, the man must not be driven by his passions.
In fact, there is parallel passage to 1 Timothy 3 found in Titus 1. There Paul lists qualifications for elders for his co-worker Titus. The list is very similar, but not the same. In Titus 1:7 we read “For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain…” (Titus 1:7, ESV). He must not be quick-tempered. But listen to what Paul says just a few verses down in Titus 1:13. He commands that Titus “ rebuke [false teachers] sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth” (Titus 1:13–14, ESV). The meaning is this: an overseer cannot be violent, quarrelsome, or quick tempered. Instead he must be gentle. And this is so that he might deliver a firm rebuke when needed, not driven by passionate anger, but with affectionate love. All Christians ought to have these qualities, brothers and sisters.
Ninthly, “not a lover of money”. Money is not evil. Money is good. It is needed to survive. Overseers are not commanded to care nothing about money. The Proverbs calls that foolish. Instead, he must not be a lover of money. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (1 Timothy 6:10, ESV). Hebrews 13:5 warns us, saying, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV). As you know, there is money to be made in religion. And some do seek positions of authority in the church to capitalize. And this why Peter instructs elders, saying, “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2–3, ESV). He must not be “a lover of money”, Paul says.
Tenthly, an overseer must be humble. In verse 6 we read, “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:6, ESV). Recent converts are prone to pride if promoted to positions of leadership prematurely. Let a man demonstrate that he is mature and therefore humble. Life experiences are humbling. And education is humbling — the more you learn the more you realize what you don’t know. Pride is destructive. Pride caused the devil himself to fall and to be condemned. Pride led to Adam’s fall. And pride will lead to our fall as well. Hear Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall”. And hear Proverbs 18:12: “Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.”
So the man must be morally fit to hold the office of overseer, bishop, pastor, or elder — whichever term you prefer. I am afraid that churches are often tempted to overlook character flaws for the sake of having a man who is gifted lead the church. What will bring people in?, they ask. Answer: a gifted preacher and a charismatic leader. And it is true, that will bring people in the doors! But if the man is not molly upright, the end is destruction. How many scandals do we need to hear about before we learn this lesson — stories of ministers who are financially corrupt, sexually immoral, compromising, deceitful, and abusive? The church is greatly harmed by these immoral leaders, and so to is the reputation of Christ. The pattern will continue so long as we have numerical success and cultural relevance as our highest aim. Instead, we must seek to be faithful.
Let us now briefly consider the gifts that are required of an overseer. And I will have you notice from the outset that “eloquent preacher” and “charismatic leader” is not on the list! If the man is able to preach eloquently and to lead with great skill, then thanks be to God. BUt these are not requirements. Instead, the man must demonstrate that he is able to, one, care for God’s church. And two, teach.
First, he must demonstrate that he is able to care for God’s church. Look at verse 4: “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?”
The requirement is that the man be able to care for God’s church, just as the title “overseer” implies. And how will he demonstrate that he is able to do this? Answer: in his personal life. Before he is entrusted with the management of the church, he must demonstrate to the congregation that he is able to manage his own household.
The word translated as “manage” means to “guide, to direct, to lead” (Louw Nida, 464). This is what all husbands and fathers must do in the home. They are called to guide, direct, and lead their wife and children. They are to influence them to cause them to follow a recommended course of action (Louw Nida, 464). But if a man is struggling to manage his own household, he should not be trusted to manage the household of God.
He is to “manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive.” This phrase, “with all dignity” means that a man is to manage his household with “behavior which is befitting, implying a measure of dignity leading to respect—‘propriety, befitting behavior” (Louw Nida, 746). I suppose there are a couple of different ways for a father to keep his children submissive, or obedient. The children of a father who is a drunkard and violent may be submissive. They may obey, but only out of fear. They may obey, but not from the heart. And they will not obey for long. They will grow to resent their father and to run from him at first opportunity. But Christian fathers must manage their households and keep their children submissive “with all dignity”. They must lead strongly with love and gentleness. It is right that the children fear him, but with the kind of fear that has a deep love and respect for him at its core. This is the kind of fear that we have for God, isn’t it? We fear him because we love and respect him — and we know that he loves us. All Christian men must manage their households well. All are to keep their children submissive. But they are to do so, “with all dignity”. They are to lead as Christ leads — not by domineering over those under their care, but with love and service.
Secondly, an overseer must be “hospitable”. This was stated up in verse 2. It means that he must be open to others and able to care for them. The one who is hospitable is willing to receive others into their home, to be involved in their lives, and to care for their needs. An overseer must have this capacity. Being an overseer involves more than preaching and teaching, you see. In the church we live life together. And pastors must be willing and able to relate to others and to care for this. This does not mean that pastor’s homes must be wide open, for they must maintain their own household. But their homes and their lives should be open, for being an overseer involves caring for others.
Thirdly, and lastly, an overseer must be “able to teach”. This also was stated in verse 2. When we come to the qualifications for deacons in the next passage we will see that they share many things in common with the qualifications for overseers, but “able to teach” is not one of them. Overseers must lead the church. And one of the ways that they lead is through the teaching of God’s word.
So these are the qualifications to hold the office of overseer. A man must be morally upright and also gifted for the work.
When it comes to the gifts required, we find that men will possess these gifts to varying degrees. Some will excel in caring for the church, others in hospitality, and others in teaching. Every overseer will have room to grow. But each man must possess all of these gifts to some degree before his appointment to the office, and the church must recognize that he does.
And when it comes to the moral qualifications, we understand that no man is perfect. Some sins are particularly heinous and may automatically disqualify a man from holding office in Christ’s church. Most sins are not automatically disqualifying. Certainly, the point is that the man must be above reproach. His life is to be marked by obedience to Christ, and not sin.
So how does this apply to you? In many ways!
One, all Christians, young and old, male and female, should seek to mature in Christ so they are morally upright. These moral qualifications are not unique to pastors — all Christians should have them. But an overseer must have them to hold the office.
Two, how important it is for the church to know what the qualifications for overseers are! To appoint a man to the office of overseer who is not fit may do great damage to the church in the long run. Do not compromise on this, brothers and sisters.
Three, if you aspire to the office of overseer then it is imperative that you ask yourself if you meet these qualifications and that you seek to strengthen what is lacking while you wait for the congregation to add the external call to the inward call that you sense within your heart. It is the church that must recognize these qualities within you. One of the best ways to develop the gifts of an overseer is to simply relate to people, to care for them naturally, to be hospitable, and to pray for others in the corporate prayer meetings of the church. Be careful not to pray for show. But pray with a sincere love for God and others. I do believe a pastors’ heart is put on display through prayer.
And I will conclude where I began. Brothers and sisters, let us be found faithful. Let us be found faithful in our own souls, in our homes, in society, and within the church. The glory of God must be our aim. Faithfulness to God must be our objective. Let us maintain that eternal perspective, and give priority to the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom over all other earthly pursuits.
Lord help us. To him be the glory. Amen.
Nov
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Q. 42. But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?
A. The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day. (Luke 16:22-24; Ps. 49:14)
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19–31, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Over the past couple of weeks, we have been considering the blessings that will come to those who have faith in Christ at the moment of death and at the resurrection, when Christ returns to make all things new. Those questions and answers were very encouraging to the believer.
Q. 40. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
A. The souls of believers are at death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory, and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection. (Heb. 12:23; Phil. 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:8; Luke 23:43; 1 Thess 4:14; Is. 57:2; Job 19:26)
Q. 41. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the Resurrection?
A. At the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity. (Phil. 3:20,21; 1 Cor. 15:42,43; Matt. 10:32; 1 John 3:2; 1 Thess. 4:17)
But in question 42 (which we are considering this evening), and in question 43 (which we will be considering on the next Lord’s Day), these blessings that will be enjoyed by all who are effectively called are contrasted with the awful destiny of those who die in their sins.
This evening we consider that “The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.” And next week we consider that “At the Day of Judgment, the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever.”
These are unpleasant truths. But these are essential truths that must be proclaimed.
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There are other places that we could go in the scriptures to support what our catechism teaches, that “the souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell”, but the story that Jesus told concerning the eternal destinies of a certain rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus is sufficiently clear.
Most regard this story as a parable, and I am of that opinion. This means that we should not think of this story as being literally true, but a story which communicates truth generally. What does this story teach us about life after death?
First of all, that life on this earth is only a preparation for the life to come. What we do, or fail to do, here will have an impact on our life in eternity. In particular, Jesus is warning those who live lives of luxury and pleasure in the here and now and neglect the poor when they have it in their power to relieve their suffering. Injustices like these will be set right in the end.
Secondly, we learn that a man’s outward condition in the here and now is no indicator concerning his relationship to God and his eternal destiny. There are some who are rich who are right with God through faith in Christ. And there are some who are poor — even very poor and suffering — who are right with God. Evidently this man Lazarus was one of these. And indeed there are some who are poor who are wicked. And there are also those who are rich who are wicked. The rich man in this story fell into this category. A person’s outward condition in this world is no indicator concerning his relationship to God and his eternal destiny.
Thirdly, we learn that after we die we go either into the presence of God or are cast into the torments of hell. Lazarus, though he suffered on earth, passed into the blessed presence of God. He was received into Abraham’s bosom, if you will, because he shared the faith of Abraham. But the rich man went to Hades, that is, to the place of the dead, and was in torment.
Fourthly, notice that a great chasm or gap is fixed between these two realms so that after death no one is able to transfer from one realm to the other. Indeed, no relief is brought from the realm of paradise to the place of torment, though the rich man begs for it, ironically. It is at this point especially that the story takes on the flavor of a parable. Nowhere else do the scriptures suggest that those in hell will be able to converse with those in paradise. But the point is this, once we pass from this life to the next, things are fixed. The Roman doctrine of purgatory is a false doctrine, which gives men false hope.
Fifthly, the torment of hell is real torment. The rich man lived in luxury on earth, but after death he cried out to Abraham, saying, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.” And when that request was denied he said, “‘Then I beg you, father, to send [Lazerus] to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.”
Sixthly, the thing that distinguishes between those destined for heaven or hell is repentance and faith in Christ. In response to the request of the rich man to send Lazarus back from the dead, “Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” Luke in his gospel emphasizes that Moses and the prophet testify concerning Jesus and urge repentance and faith in him. The rich man knew this would be the only thing that would keep his brothers from the torments of hell. They must turn from their sins and believe upon the Messiah.
Seventhly, this parable also teaches that effectually calling is needed. Again, Abraham replied, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” Clearly, this proved to be true. Many persisted in unbelief after Jesus did in fact raise his friend named Lazarus from the dead. And many would persist in unbelief even after Christ himself was raised. What greater proof could be given that a man was from God than his ability to raise the dead and to be raised himself. And yet men and women in their hardness of heart persist in their unbelief to this present day, unless the Lord opens their eyes to make them see. This is effectual calling.
As I have said, these truths about hell are unpleasant truths, but they are essential truths that must be proclaimed.
They must be proclaimed for the scriptures clearly teach them. The scriptures speak often of the torments of hell and the judgments of God that await the wicked. Christ himself spoke of hell.
These truths must be proclaimed if we have love for our fellow man. If this is true that the wicked will be tormented in hell forever. If it is true that all are by nature sinners. And if it is true that our only hope for the forgiveness of sins and life eternal is faith in Christ, then we must warn those we love. We must urge them to turn from their sins and to believe upon Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
And these truths about hell must be proclaimed if those in Christ are to truly appreciate what they have been rescued from.
Brothers and sisters, do you believe in hell? If you do, it will affect the way that you live. You will live with a reverential fear of God. You will be eager to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ones you love. And you will have greater gratitude for the work that Christ has finished on your behalf. He has, among other things, rescued you from the torments of hell forever.
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Let us now very briefly consider our catechism.
Notice that question 42 asks, “But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?”
Indeed, all are wicked, being born in sin and committing many sins of their own. But here our catechism is concerned with what happens to those who die in the guilt of their sins, and not in Christ. Those in Christ are no longer wicked but have been made clean through the blood of the Lamb. The righteousness of Christ has been imputed to them and received by faith alone.
And the question asks, what happens to the wicked at death. In other words, when someone passes from this world in their sins, what do they experience?
Well, “their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.” On that day their bodies will be raised and rejoined to their souls for judgment. But until then their bodies lie in their graves.
But our catechism is right to say that their souls are immediately “cast into the torments of hell”, just as the parable of Luke 16 describes.
Friends, are you in sin, or have you been made righteous through faith in Christ? Those who are righteous will go to glory. Those in sin will go to hell. Where will you go when you pass from this world?
And where will your loved ones go?
As I have said, talk of hell is unpleasant.
It should cause us to tremble at the thought of going there.
And it should cause us to mourn at the thought of those we love going there.
Above all, it should move us to pray, to proclaim Christ crucified and risen, and to urge men and women to be found in him, clothed in his righteousness.
Q. 42. But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?
A. The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day. (Luke 16:22-24; Ps. 49:14)
Nov
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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS
Sermon manuscript available at emmausrbc.org
Nov
1
“Thus says the LORD: ‘Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil. Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, ‘The LORD will surely separate me from his people’; and let not the eunuch say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’ For thus says the LORD: ‘To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.’ The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, ‘I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.’” (Isaiah 56:1–8, ESV)
“I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.” (1 Timothy 2:8–15, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
As we consider this passage today it is important that we remember Paul’s purpose in writing to his co-worker, Timothy. Paul’s purpose for writing can be discerned by simply reading the letter, but it is stated directly in chapter 3 verses 14 and 15. There we read, “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” So, Paul’s primary concern was to encourage Timothy to promote good order in the church in Ephesus. He wrote so that the members and ministers in Ephesus would know how they ought to behave within the church of the living God.
First, Paul addressed Timothy directly and charged him to fulfill his ministry in the church of Ephesus. Among other things, he was to “charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” (1 Timothy 1:3–4, ESV). He was to “wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience” (1 Timothy 1:18–19, ESV).
And then after this Paul urged Timothy to see to it that the church fulfill its calling. And the first thing he urged the church to do was to pray. Chapter 2 verse 1 says, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…” (1 Timothy 2:1, ESV). The church is God’s temple or household. And the church is to be a house of prayer for all nations.
But here in verse 8 the apostle turns his attention to the genders. First, he addresses the men, and after this he addresses the women in the church. Both are to pray. Both are to offer up “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings… for all people”. But they are to do so being aware of their particular propensities to sin. Both are to lift up “holy hands” to the Lord in prayer. But the men are to teach and have authority within Christ’s church, as we will see.
Yes, brothers and sisters, I am well aware of how offensive this is to many within our culture. And yes, I am aware that many within the professing church have also taken offense and have, in one way or another, attempted to explain this text away. Most of these will say that Paul’s views concerning gender roles belong to a bygone era, but we have progressed beyond them. But this interpretation will not stand, for here Paul roots his teaching, not in the ever-shifting tides of culture, but in the Triune God’s fixed design at creation. In the beginning, God (who is one in three), “created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27, ESV).
God is one, and yet within him we may distinguish between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And so too humanity is one, and yet within humanity we may distinguish between male and female. Brothers and sisters, both the unity and the diversity within humanity are beautiful. Both are to be celebrated, for in the unity and diversity we see the image of the Triune God.
Men and women are of equal dignity and worth. Both are human. Both are image-bearers. Never can we lose sight of this fundamental unity. The result will be oppression. But neither can we lose sight of the diversity. Men and women are not the same. They are different physiologically. They are different emotionally. And according to God’s design, they are to fulfill different roles within the family and the church. To lose sight of the fundamental unity that exists between men and women will lead to oppression. But to lose sight of what differentiates men and women will lead to disorder.
Disorder is what we are witnessing in our culture, in our families, and even in our churches, for many have rejected the distinctions that God himself has made at creation. When contemplating the human race, and when considering the unity and diversity of the male and female genders, nothing is more fundamental than this. In the beginning, “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27, ESV).
As I have said, Paul’s stated purpose in writing to Timothy was to promote good order within the church in Ephesus. It is not surprising, then, that he addresses men and women from the outset. As Paul considered the members of the church in Ephesus (members who stood before God and Christ as equals), he classified them as men and women, males and females, and rightly so. For though they are one, they are also diverse. Both men and women have a particular role to play in Christ’s church, and this is according to God’s design.
*****
First, Paul addresses the males within the congregation, saying in verse 8, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.”
The whole church has already been exhorted to pray. In verse 1 of this chapter we read, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…” (1 Timothy 2:1, ESV). But here the apostle addresses men in particular. The men of the church must pray. In fact, they are to lead in prayer. This is why Paul mentions them first. And this is why [aul explicitly urges them to pray, saying, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.”
Sadly, in many churches, it is the women who pray while the men remain silent or absent themselves from the prayer meetings of the church. Perhaps this has something to do with pride. To pray, one must be humble. For in prayer we acknowledge the One who is higher than us. In prayer, we admit that we are under his authority. In prayer, we admit that we are not in control. And in prayer, we confess that we are needy. If a man is prideful he will not pray. But if a man is humble before God, he will bow the knee before his Father in heaven. Undoubtedly, there are other reasons for prayerlessness, but pride will certainly keep us from prayer.
Notice that the apostle says that men are to pray “in every place”. Of course, men are to pray in private and with their families. But when the apostle says “in every place” he likely has in mind the various meeting places of the church. As we will see, the apostle has the church gathered in mind as he writes this passage. The men are to pray whenever and wherever the church assembles.
And when they pray they are to lift up holy hands to the Lord. No, this does not mean that when men pray they must lift up their hands. In fact, there are many postures for prayer mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. Men may pray with their faces bowed to the earth, they may kneel, they may look heavenward. There is not one posture appropriate for all prayer. But posture does matter, for it is an expression of the disposition of the heart. We should be mindful of our posture in prayer, brothers and sisters. To pray with hands lifted up expresses neediness and dependence. Christian men should not hesitate to express that they are needy and dependent upon our Father in heaven.
The apostle is not here demanding that we always pray with this posture, but he is demanding that we be holy. What kind of hands are we to lift up to the Lord? We are to lift up “holy hands”. Of course, this means that we are to come to the Father having been made holy through faith in Christ, having been washed in the blood of the Lamb. But more than this, it is also an exhortation to be holy. We engage in the activities of life with our hands. And we are to be sure that our hands are holy, meaning that our way of life is holy and our conduct pure. “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:14–16, ESV).
Brothers, pursue holiness in the whole of life. Live in obedience to the Lord in thought, word, and deed. When you sin against God, repent sincerely, knowing for sure that your prayers will be hindered should you go on living in unrepentant sin.
Peter speaks to this reality in 1 Peter 3:7, saying, “husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7, ESV). A man’s prayers will be hindered if he fails to live with his wife in an understanding way. A man’s prayers will be hindered if he fails to honor his wife as a co-heir of the grace of life. The same is true for other sins. It is appalling to God when a man lives in unrepentant sin and then lifts his filthy hands to him in prayer. Yes, the Father is merciful and kind. He is eager to embrace the prodigal son. But turn from your sins, brothers. Believe upon Christ. Pursue holiness. Pray, lifting holy hands to the Lord.
Specifically, the apostle insists that men put away “anger” and “quarreling”. Of course, men are to put away all sin. But why do you think the apostle highlights these sins — the sins of anger and quarreling? It is not difficult to see that these are sins that plague men more than women. There are indeed exceptions to the rule. But men do tend to struggle with anger and quarreling.
“Anger” might also be translated as “wrath”. “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without [wrath] or quarreling”. Certainly, this is what the apostle has in mind. He is forbidding wrath, or anger that has burned out of control.
There is such a thing as righteous anger, brothers. For example, it is right for you to be angry about injustice in the world. But that righteous anger turns to sinful anger when it overflows its boundaries. Explosive anger is sinful. Anger that festers in the heart leading to bitterness is sinful. And anger that moves us to take vengeance against another is also sinful. “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (Romans 12:19, ESV). As I have said, there is such a thing as righteous anger. But men do sometimes struggle to control their passions. Instead of exercising self-control men do sometimes allow their emotions to drive them to wrath, bitterness, and vengeance.
The apostle also forbids quarreling or arguing. As with anger, there is nothing sinful about presenting an argument. One may argue a case in a righteous manner. If presenting an argument were inherently sinful, then Christ himself would be guilty of sin, and many of Paul’s letters would be filled with sin, for both of these men did argue for sound doctrine and confront others concerning sin. Clearly, Paul is not forbidding men from making an augment. Timothy would obviously need to do this very thing when he opposed the false teachers in the church in Ephesus. He would need to warn them to teach no other doctrine, and he would need to argue his case should they persist. Paul is not forbidding the art of argumentation, but rather an argumentative spirit. The word “quarreling” gets to the point, doesn’t it? There is a clear difference between presenting an argument and being argumentative. And the difference resides within the heart. The one who is quarrelsome makes little effort to understand the other, is reckless with his words, and cares more about winning the argument than promoting the truth. As is the case with the wrathful person, so it is with the quarrelsome person — both lack self-control. Both are driven by their passions. As James says, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel” (James 4:1–2, ESV).
Brothers, if we are to live lives of holiness before the Lord we must learn to control our passions.
God has made us in such a way that we have affections. As humans we perceive the world, we consider things to be either good or bad, and our affections move us to celebrate and draw near to that which is good and to grieve and reject that which is bad. The trouble is, now that we are fallen into sin our affections are often bent out of shape. We often consider what is bad to be good, and what is good to be bad. And even when we get things right in this regard, our affections often overflow their proper bounds. And when they do they are properly called passions. Fathers, it is right that you are angry with your son when he disrespects his mother. But it is wrong when this righteous anger drives you to rage. When you explode in anger, you are being driven by your passions. Passions are affections misdirected. Passions are affections overflowing their proper bounds. Brothers, we must learn to control our sinful passions. We must not be driven by them. We must develop self-control. We must be governed by the word of God and driven by his Spirit.
“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct…” (1 Peter 1:14–15, ESV). “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels” (2 Timothy 2:22–23, ESV). And remember that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit”(Galatians 5:22–24, ESV).
The wrathful and quarrelsome person is driven by his passions. But we must develop self-control in Christ Jesus. For the apostle has said, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.” The same applies to women, but Paul is here addressing besetting sins.
*****
Secondly, Paul addresses the females in the congregation, saying in verse 9, “likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.”
The word “likewise” at the beginning of verse 9 is important. It indicates that Paul’s command for the women is similar to his command for the men. Women are also to pray in every place. And women are also to lift up holy hands to the Lord. When Paul urged “that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…”, his desire was that both men and women pray within the Christian congregation. The word “likewise” links the instructions for man and the instructions for women together. Both are to lift up holy hands to the Lord in prayer.
This is because men and women are one in Christ Jesus. Both are united to Christ by faith. Both have been reconciled to God the Father through the Mediator, Christ Jesus. Men and women are heirs together of the grace of life, as Peter has said. Both have bold access, therefore, to the throne of grace. Women, like the men, are to pray, lifting holy hands up to the Lord.
Paul’s instructions for men and women differ in two ways. One, the men are addressed first. And concerning the men Paul explicitly says, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray” (1 Timothy 2:8, ESV). I think it is right, therefore, to urge the men to lead in prayer within the Christian congregation, while at the same time urging the women to pray also. Sadly, the opposite is often true, as I have already said.
Two, Paul’s instructions for men and women also differ in regard to the besetting sins that he identifies. Men are warned to cease from anger and quarreling. And the women are warned concerning vanity and immodesty. There are of course exceptions to this rule. Men may also be vain and immodest. But in general, women do care more about their physical appearance and outward beauty than do men. And throughout the history of the world cultures have pressured women to obsess over outward appearance. Ours is no different.
And so the apostle says that “women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control…” “Respectable” may also be translated as “suitable” or “proper apparel”. Women are to dress in a manner that is proper. Proper for what? you might ask. Verse 10 will answer that question saying, “proper for women who profess godliness…” Christian women should dress in a way that fits their profession of faith. Their dress is to be modest, the text says. Their dress should correspond to a heart that loves God more than the things of this earth. In their dress women should be careful to not lead others to sin. And their moderation will be the result of their self-control — that is to say, of their good judgment and decency.
The positive command is that “women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control…” And the same command is stated negatively with the words, “not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire…” (1 Timothy 2:9, ESV).
No, this text is not forbidding Christian women from ever braiding their hair or wearing gold or pearls. Instead, this is text is forbidding extravagant dress and immodesty. As one commentator puts it, “it is the excess and sensuality that the items connote that Paul forbids… and not braids, gold, pearls, or even costly garments in and of themselves” (Knight, The Pastoral Epistles, 136). When Paul piled up these terms — “braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire” — the original audience would have thought of the way that the wealthy in society dressed, or even the dress of the harlot. Christian women should avoid this extravagant and sensual style. Instead, they should dress with modesty. Of course, the way that men and women dress will differ from culture to culture, but this word of warning can always be applied. “Women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control…” no matter what the cultural norms may be.
Instead of clothing themselves in an extravagant and sensual manner, Christian women should dress in a way that “is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works” (1 Timothy 2:10, ESV). Sisters, clothe yourselves with “godliness”. Clothe yourselves with “good works”. And teach the younger women to do the same. That is what the apostle is encouraging! He is urging you to see that true beauty is not external but internal.
This sounds a lot like something Peter wrote. To Christian wives, he said, “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:3–4, ESV). How important it is for women, and particularly young women, to learn this lesson. True beauty resides within. And the beauty within is beauty that is imperishable. It does not fade but increases with the passing of time as you grow in godliness.
So, both men and women are to pray within the Christian congregation. Both are to pray “lifting holy hands” to the Lord. Men and women are to live holy lives, being mindful of besetting sins, and being eager to develop self-control. Neither men nor women can be driven by the passions of the sinful flesh now that they are in Christ Jesus.
*****
Thirdly, as Paul considers the genders and seeks to bring order to the church of the living God, he commands that women learn while forbidding them to teach or to have authority over men within the church.
Verse 11 says, “Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.”
The command is “let a woman learn”. It is not only the men who are to be taught but the women also. In our modern age, this probably does not strike you as being all that impressive, but at certain times and in certain places throughout the history of the world women have been excluded from learning. Paul insists that the women are to learn alongside the men in the Christian congregation.
This certainly corresponds to what Jesus himself modeled in his earthly ministry. Not only did he teach his twelve disciples, who were all men, but he taught women also. In fact, it would seem that some of his closest friends were women. Think of his relationship with Mary and Martha, for example. This teaching also corresponds to the record of the book of Acts — women played a very important role in the expansion of the church in those early days. Women are to be given a place alongside men in the Christian congregation. They are to sit side by side under the ministry of the word. They are to learn together. They are to pray together. And they are to work together for the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom.
But notice that Paul commands women to learn “with all submissiveness”. So up to this point, the unity between men and women has been stressed. Both are to pray, lifting up holy hands to the Lord. Both have equal access to the Father as image-bearers redeemed and reconciled by the blood of the Lamb. But here the apostle acknowledges the differences between males and females and commands that the women learn quietly within the church with all submissiveness.
The positive command is “Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.” And the matter is stated negatively with the words, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.”
It is important to note what Paul does not say. One, he does not say that a woman is never to teach. Instead, Paul has the authoritative teaching ministry of the church in view. A woman is not to teach in an authoritative way when the congregation, consisting of men and women, is assembled. In that context, she is to remain quiet, the apostle says. But it may be that she speaks and teaches in other settings. Two, he does not say that females may never have authority over males. Again, Paul is addressing teaching and authority within Christ’s church. And three, Paul is not saying that women must remain absolutely quiet. In fact, they were just urged to pray! Again, he is clearly addressing authoritative teaching when the church is assembled. Remember, he wrote to Timothy so that he may “know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”
That women have an important role to play in the church, and may even be used of the Lord to teach in certain contexts, is illustrated by that story concerning Apollos found in Acts 18:24ff. In fact, the New Testament is filled with examples of women being used mightily by the Lord. But this story is most pertinent. “Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:24–26, ESV).
Isn’t that interesting? First of all, this event transpired in Ephesus, which is where Timothy ministered when Paul wrote to him. But more to the point, both Priscilla and her husband Aquila were used of the Lord to teach Apollos, who was an “eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. Both he and she explained to him “the way of God more accurately”. In no way does this passage suggest that it was improper for Priscilla to be involved with this. But pay careful attention — “they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” Do you see that Priscilla did not hold the office of pastor/teacher but was used of the Lord to teach others, even this gifted leader within the church named Apollos?
Now, it goes without saying that this teaching which distinguishes between male and female and commands that women take a place of submission within the church, being forbidden to teach or to exercise authority over a man (which means that women cannot hold the office of elder or deacon), is countercultural. Our modern and progressive culture scoffs at this. They consider it to be oppressive towards women. In fact, certain factions within our culture are even more radicle than this. They scoff at the way in which the scriptures distinguish between the genders.
So here is the question: is the church permitted to go with the flow of the culture by dismissing this teaching from Paul as belonging to a bygone era? It the church permitted to ignore this text claiming that these were the cultural norms in Paul’s day, but we have progressed beyond them?
Indeed, there are some things described in the scriptures that are not timeless but belonged to a particular era or culture, and we are right to move on from them. For example, we do not sacrifice animals at the temple in Jerusalem, and rightly so. But there is a reason for this. Temple worship was instituted, not at creation, but under Moses. Furthermore, it foreshadowed Christ who is the true temple and the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. When the Christ came he fulfilled the Old Covenant and established the New Covenant, and temple worship was rightly taken away.
But what about this teaching concerning males and females within the church. And though it is not our focus today, we might ask the same thing concerning the biblical teaching regarding the roles of husbands and wives within the family (you would do well to notice that they mirror one another). May we dismiss these teachings as old fashioned and out dated? The answer is no, for Paul roots this teaching, not in the Old Covenant, in culture or custom, but in creation. Men and women are to be considered equal, and yet women and wives are called to take posture of submission in the church and family because this was God’s design from the beginnig.
Look at verse 13: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve…”, the apostle says. The word “for” is important. It indicates that Paul is about to explain why things are to be this way. Women are to take this posture of submission within the church and are forbidden from teaching and having authority over the men in the congregation “for Adam was formed first, then Eve…”.
Not only is Paul drawing our attention to the order of creation — first the man was made, then the women. But he is reminding us of the whole creation narrative. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” And what did he do with the earthly realm that was at first “without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep”? He brought it into order. Our God is a God of order. And the order of the natural world was established by him at the time of creation. And that includes the order that is to exists between husband and wife within the home and males and females within the church of the living God.
Adam was formed first, remember. But he found no one suitable for companionship. All of the animals were living creatures, but they were not human. They were not image-bearers. So God created women. She was taken from Adam’s flesh, meaning that she shares his nature. She is human. She is an image-bearer. And furthermore, she was not taken from his feet so as to be his slave, nor was she taken from his head so as to be his superior, but she was taken from his side to be his companion. God made the woman to be a helper fit for him. And what was Adam’s response when he first saw her? “Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (Genesis 2:23, ESV).
And so this order that was established at creation will remain for all time. Men and women are of equal dignity and worth. They stand side by side on an equal plane as image-bearers of God. And they stand side by side as co-heirs in Christ Jesus. But they are not the same. They were made different so that they might correspond to one another, thanks be to God.
When men and women rebel against God’s design disorder and wickedness prevail. In verse 14 Paul reminds us, not of creation, but of man’s fall into sin when says, “and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.” Adam fell into sin because he failed to be the head that God had called him to be. The covenant was transacted with Adam. He was the one responsible. He was forbidden from eating of the tree of the knowledge of God and evil. He was commissioned to keep and expand the garden temple. When he ate of that forbidden fruit, he ate willfully and defiantly. But the woman was deceived. She failed to be the helper that God had called her to be.
When Paul reminds of the order of creation he is urging us to live according to God’s design.
When Paul reminds of man’s fall into sin he is reminding us of where a disregard of God’s design will inevitably lead — to sin, to disorder, and death.
Before we conclude let us very briefly consider this little remark found in verse 15. Concerning the women Paul says, “Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.”
What does this mean? In fact, there are about five different interpretations of this verse. I will give you the one that I agree with. Given that Paul has just mentioned man’s fall into sin through the deception of the woman, here in verse 15, he reminds us of the gospel that through the offspring of the woman a Savior would come into the world. Eve was deceived leading to Adam’s sin. But she — that is Eve along with those women who would descend from her — would be saved through the process of childbearing. Eve and the Virgin Mary, along with every woman that bridged the gap between them would be used of the Lord to bring the Savior into the world. And through that process of childbearning all women (and men) will be saved “– if they continue in faith [in the gospel] and love and holiness, with self-control” (1 Timothy 2:15, ESV).
The word “yet” at the beginning of verse 15 is important, I think. It clues us in to the irony. Through the woman, Eve temptation was brought to Adam, and through him, sin and death came to the human race. But in though the woman Mary the second Adam — the Christ — was brought in the world and through him salvation to men and women from every tongue, tribe, and nation.
*****
You know, one thing I am a bit tired of is Christians in this culture acting as if they are ashamed because they hold to these old, traditional views concerning men and women in the family and church. Brothers and sisters, why would you be ashamed of living according to God’s design? His design is clearly revealed in the pages of Holy Scripture, but it is also revealed in nature. An unbiased consideration of marriage and the family clearly reveals that this is how things are meant to be. Do not be ashamed of this, brothers and sisters. Instead, put the beauty of God’s design on full display! Men, do your part in the church and home. Women, do your part in the church and home. Love one another. Honor one another. Thrive together so that the world may see the glory of God and the image of God in his creation.
Oct
25
Q. 41. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the Resurrection?
A. At the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity. (Phil. 3:20,21; 1 Cor. 15:42,43; Matt. 10:32; 1 John 3:2; 1 Thess. 4:17)
“But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?’ You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”(1 Corinthians 15:35–49, ESV)
*****
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Have you ever wondered what the tree of life signified for Adam in the garden of Eden? We know what the tree of the knowledge of good and evil signified. That forbidden tree signified rebellion against God. God commanded Adam not to eat of it and threatened that in the day that he ate of it he would surely die. Eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would lead to death, and conversely, eating from the tree of life would bring life, just as the name implies. But wasn’t Adam already alive? Indeed he was! And not only was he alive, he was alive in paradise. He stood in right relation to God! What more could he ask for?
Well, the presence of the tree of testing and the tree of life suggest that God had more for Adam. The one tree was a threat to him, but the other held forth the promise of life — presumably a higher form of life than at that time possessed should he pass the test that was before him by keeping the covenant of works.
As you know, Adam failed. He ate of the forbidden tree and entered immediately into the state of death, which is eternal separation from and enmity with God. Never did he eat of the tree of life, therefore. He was barred from that tree. God “drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24, ESV).
What was it that Adam forfeited? What kind of life was it that was offered to him through that tree of obedience?
If the only scripture we had was Genesis 1-3 then I suppose we could only speculate. But the rest of scripture answers this question with great clarity. The tree of life held out to Adam the offer of life eternal; consummate life; spiritual life; life in glory. This is what the scriptures mean when they say, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” In sin Adam, and all who are in him, fail to enter into this state of glory.
For the sake of time I will put it this way. If you wish to know the kind of life and the kind of body that Adam would have been given would he have abstained from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and eaten from the tree of life instead, then consider Christ in his resurrection.
Christ, the second Adam, obeyed God. He earned the right to eat of that tree of life. And he did enter into the glory of the Father. His earthly body went into the grave, but from there it was raised by the power of the Holy Spirit. To use Paul’s metaphor, the body of Christ was, like a seed, sown perishable but raised imperishable. It was sown in dishonor; it was raised in glory. Christ, the God man, died according to the flesh, but he was raised in the flesh never to die again. He completed the circuit that the first Adam failed to complete.
But listen carefully to this: when Christ entered into glory, he entered as a forerunner. He entered into glory so that he might in due time bring others into glory also. As Paul says elsewhere: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power” (1 Corinthians 15:20–24, ESV).
Last week we learned that when the believer dies their body goes into the grave and their souls do immediately pass into glory. That will be a great blessing to pass into the presence of God himself. But this week we learn that that is not the end for the believer. Instead, at the resurrection — that is is to say, when Christ returns to bring everything to a conclusion — believers will be raised up in glory, openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity.”
*****
Some have wondered what kind of body we will have in the resurrection. As I have already said, the short answer is that our resurrection bodies will be like the one that Christ has.
One, know that our resurrected bodies will be physical. Remember how Christ ate and drank in the presence of his disciples to prove that he was not a phantom, but that he had been raised physically.
Two, know that our resurrected bodies will correspond to the ones we have now. Though Christ looked different in some ways, he still had the marks in his hand and feet from the nails. Now, I am not saying that we will bear our scars for all eternity (maybe we will). Certainly the marks on Christ’s hands and feet serve a special purpose. They remain to function as an eternal memorial to the sacrifice that he made on our behalf. But the point is this, Jesus was recognizable. His resurrection body corresponds to the same body that was put in the grave nearly 2,000 years ago. And so it will be for all who have faith in Christ.
And three, know that our resurrected bodies will be spiritual, just as Christ’s body is spiritual. Now, that might seem like a contradiction to you. We tend to think of things as being either being physical or spiritual, but not both simultaneously. But this is exactly how Paul uses the term “spiritual” in that 1 Corinthains 15 passage that was read at the start of this sermon. In verse 44 he say that resurrection bodies are “sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.” So, in the resurrection we will have a body — a physical body like Christ’s physical body — but this physical body will be “spiritual”. What is meant by that? Paul means that our resurrected bodies will be glorified, perfected, empowered, and forever sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit of God. This is what it means to be raised in glory. This is what it means to have life everlasting.
Paul’s metaphor of the relationship between the body of a seed and the body of the plant that springs from that seed is brilliant. Both the seed and the plant are physical. Both bodies correspond to one another. The body of the plant that springs from the earth is more glorious than the body of the seed that was placed into the earth. But God has designed both the body of the seed and the body of the plant. And so is the relationship between our earthly bodies and the body that will be ours in the resurrection. The risen Christ is the forerunner, the firstfruits, the prototype. “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust [Adam], we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven [Jesus]” (1 Corinthians 15:49).
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This is precisely what our catechism teaches, among other things.
Q. 41. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the Resurrection?
A. At the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity.
Notice a few things about this answer.
One, we are talking about believers here, and not those outside of Christ. Those outside of Christ will be our focus in the following question.
Two, the language of glory is used here. Christ suffered in the flesh to bring many sons to glory, to quote Hebrews 2:10.
Three, notice the connection between the resurrection and the day of judgment. Again, “at the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment.” According to dispensational premillennialists there will be a long gap between the resurrection and the day of judgement, but the scriptures nowhere teach this. In fact, the scriptures teach that on the last day Christ will return to raise the day, to judge, and to usher in the new heavens and earth. There will be many things that happen on that last deay (including the resurrection), but this will be one event with many components, and not many isolated events spread over a long period of time. This is what Paul so clearly teaches in 1 Corinthians 15:22ff: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power” (1 Corinthians 15:22–24, ESV). The premillennial dispensationalists see gaps of time in the scriptures where there are no gaps of time to make room for what many have called Protestant version of purgatory. When Christ returns he will raise the dead, judge the world, and make all things new.
Four, those in Christ will be “shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment.” Believers will be acknowledged as children of God, for they were adopted in Christ. And believers will be acquitted (a legal term), for they were justified through faith in Christ. What a terrible thought to be judged by God in Christ. But what a wonderful hope we have. We will not be judged, but will be openly acknowledged and acquitted instead, thanks be to God.
Five, believers will be made “perfectly blessed” at the resurrection. We will be blessed at the moment of death when our souls are brought into the presence of God. But at the resurrection we will be perfectly blessed.
This is because, six, we will in that moment be glorified “both in soul and body” as whole persons. As I explained last week, those with faith in Christ will be blessed in soul when they die, but their bodies will go into the grave. For this time we will be blessed, but incomplete. At the resurrection we will be whole persons against,”made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body.”
Seven, notice that the thing that will make heaven heavenly is the “full enjoyment of God to all eternity.” Stated differently, God is the blessing. His presence is what makes heaven heavenly. King David knew this. And Christ knows this. Listen to Psalm 16:8-11: “I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. 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 16:8–11, ESV)
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Q. 41. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the Resurrection?
A. At the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity. (Phil. 3:20,21; 1 Cor. 15:42,43; Matt. 10:32; 1 John 3:2; 1 Thess. 4:17)
"Him we proclaim,
warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone mature in Christ."
(Colossians 1:28, ESV)
