When Will the Rapture Occur?

A BRIEF REFLECTION ON KEY RAPTURE THEORIES

By Ezekiel Kimosop

No one can explicitly tell when the rapture would occur. We do not know the day or the hour of Christ's coming but we can tell the season. The Bible outlines for us a number of political, religious and cosmic signs associated with the season when the coming of Christ is believed to draw near (cf. Daniel 9; Matthew 24; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Christian traditions have developed a number of theories based on their interpretation of Scripture that they consider useful in determining when the rapture would take place. There are a number of rapture theories advanced by theological scholars that are embraced by separate Christian traditions. We shall briefly outline them below. 

1) PRE-TRIBULATION PREMILLENIALISM THEORY

This eschatological view, also described by some as the "pre-wrath rapture," teaches that the rapture of the church shall precede the seven years tribulation period contemplated in Daniel 9, Matthew 24 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. 

According to this theory, Christ will take away His church to heaven primarily to spare believers the horrific scenes described in the Book of Revelation. Christ will thereafter return with the saints at the close of the tribulation period and reign in Jerusalem for 1000 years (Revelation 19-20). 

This is perhaps one of the most popular rapture views in Biblical eschatology. It is largely embraced by most Evangelical Christian traditions. Its main criticism lies in the assumption that the Church shall not go through the tribulation period or even witness the reign of the Antichrist. Critics of this theory also argue that there is a residual possibility that the church will be present on earth for an undefined period of time during the reign of the Antichrist and prior to the coming of Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3). 

2) MID-TRIBULATION 

This theory teaches that the rapture shall take place in the middle of the seven years tribulation period (Daniel 9, Matthew 24, Rev 17-19). This theory assumes that believers who will be alive during the eschatological period that coincides with Christ's coming will undergo some degree of suffering under the Antichrist system.

According to the theory, Christ will suddenly appear at a point in time during which the Antichrist reign is identified with severe persecution of the church. Christ will take away His saints through the rapture. He will then return to earth with the saints after a given period and reign in Jerusalem for 1000 years.

Some scholars say that the first three and a half years of the great tribulation period relate to the "wrath of Satan" [Antichrist], a type of affliction that the church will suffer. They say that once the church is done with this affliction, God will snatch away the church in the rapture and the "wrath of God" is henceforth served on the wicked for the remaining portion of the tribulation period. 

Critics of this view say that God cannot permit His covenant people to persevere through the tribulation period because Christ took away their afflictions on the cross. 

A second criticism recognizes that the theory discounts the concept of the imminence of Christ's coming that is taught in several passages of the New Testament Scripture. One of the strengths of this theory relates to the acknowledgment of Christian suffering, a theme that was taught by Jesus in several passages of the Gospels (cf. Matthew 16:24, Luke 9:23, 14:27). Some say that the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:22 appear to point to the possibility that believers may suffer for a season under the great tribulation period. 

3) POST-TRIBULATION THEORY

This view states that the rapture comes at the end of the seven years tribulation period and that the millennium reign of Christ commences immediately or at the same time as the rapture. 

This theory does not distinguish between Christ's first and second coming, a distinction identified with the pre-tribulation view. 

The main criticism associated with the post-tribulation view is what some consider as a misplaced assumption that God will punish the saints through needless suffering yet Christ had paid their ransom at the cross. Other critics say that the theory ignores several passages of Scripture that reveal a concise period of God's wrath on the wicked that cannot contemplate the presence of the church on earth.

4) AMILLENIALISM VIEW [NO MILLENNIUM] THEORY. 

This school of thought rejects the idea of a physical millennium reign of Christ. They claim that the 1000 years period described in Revelation 19-20 is merely symbolic of a long dispensation of time generally. They say that Christ's reign commenced at Calvary and continues through the Church age, terminating terminate with the rapture. Other adherents say that Christ's reign is eternal and cannot be reduced to any particular theological dispensation or period under human civilization. They further claim that the events and figures described in Revelation 19-20 are merely symbolic and cannot be subject to literal interpretation.

Critics of this view disagree with the symbolism notion in the interpretation of prophetic literature. They argue that certain scenes described in a number of prophetic writings relate to actual historic and futuristic events, some of which are yet to be fulfilled. 

Accordingly, therefore, critics say that some of the scenes described in the Book of Revelation, including the millennium reign and the judgment (Revelation 17-20) must be subject to literal interpretation for theological consistency. 

5) THE PRETERISM VIEW

This theory holds that all the prophecies of the Bible are descriptive of events that have already been fulfilled in the past. Those who subscribe to this theory claim that ancient Israel found its fulfillment in the Christian Church during the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The church is therefore the new Israel! The term "Preterism" comes from the Greek word "praeter" which is a prefix denoting that something is "past" or "beyond". 

Those who subscribe to the view are known as preterists. Preterism teaches that either all (full preterism) or a majority (partial preterism) of the Olivet discourse had come to pass by AD 70. Critics of this view accuse the preterists of ignoring established methods of the interpretation of Scripture that distinctly point to past and futuristic fulfillment of prophecies. They consider the Preterist view as largely abstract and lacking in theological affirmation. 

CONCLUSION

The million dollar question then is thus: 

Which of these theories or eschatological views is closer to the teaching of Scripture?

This is a difficult question to answer because none of the theories perfectly presents a pristine Biblical positions that should be exclusively embraced. These theories are held by different Christian traditions who are passionate in defending their theological positions using sets of Scripture passages that they can collate. It is, however, important to appreciate that each of the above theories has its theological strengths and limitations when examined in the light of Scripture. None is therefore perfect. 

I would however doubt the validity of the preterist view. It appears, in my view, to fly in the face of faithful Bible hermeneutics. It flatly ignores the futuristic view of prophecy without articulating a convincing hermeneutical premise in its defense. I am strongly persuaded by the first two theories. Several passages of Scripture appear to affirm some of their arguments. 

The second question relates to whether the rapture will occur in secret or if it will be open to the world to witness. Given the implications of the teaching of 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, I am persuaded that the rapture will happen so fast that people will only notice that believers are missing from their midst long after they are gone! The second coming of Christ is however likely to be a public spectacle given the implications of Revelation 1:7 on Christ's return to earth. John reveals that Christ will come in the clouds and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. Besides, the writer of Scripture says that all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. 

Shalom

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2021

NEW TESTAMENT ILLUSTRATION ON THE AFTERLIFE - LESSONS FROM LAZARUS AND THE RICH MAN

 NEW TESTAMENT ILLUSTRATION ON THE AFTERLIFE – LAZARUS AND THE RICH MAN (LUKE 16:19-31). 

By Ezekiel Kimosop

INTRODUCTION

We shall begin with the caveat that some scholars have cast doubt on the authority of this parable as an illustration of the Biblical afterlife. As Graig Blomberg notes, this school of thought considers the passage as a ‘fictitious narrative” by reason that Jesus was using it to illustrate deeper truths rather than to describe the afterlife. This assertion is partly true. The description of the afterlife experience in the parable is itself a basis for outlining kingdom truth and this can be attested in other sections of Scripture including the previous parables of Luke 14-15. However, the illustration of the afterlife experience is unmistakable and is consistent with the Jewish thought that was examined earlier in this paper. 

In disputing the afterlife portrayal in the parable, Earle Ellis notes that the description of Hades in the parable is radically different from the conditions revealed in other passages of Scripture.  Eduard Schweizer on his part observes that Hades, as described in the parable, is not synonymous with hell but was simply a holding place of the dead as they awaited judgment. These observations perhaps rest on the premise that since the brothers of the rich man were still alive on earth, it was not possible that God’s judgment could have taken place at this point and this places the validity of the afterlife experience into doubt.

This writer reckons that whereas the above observations have some merit, they cannot discount the validity of the afterlife experience as corroborated in Scripture and by none other Christ. The rich man was undoubtedly not in hell and neither were Abraham and Lazarus in heaven. However, it is undeniable that the two parties were eternally separated from each other as they awaited the final judgment. This therefore is an affirmation of the afterlife. 

The parable confirms a number of important truths taught elsewhere in Scripture. First, the dead do not ordinarily return to life (2 Sam. 12:22-23; Heb. 9:27). The incident described in 1 Samuel 28:3-25 which was earlier examined in this paper is therefore among a number of exceptions outlined in Scripture. Secondly, God will judge all men according to their deeds on earth (Jer. 17:9; Rev. 20:11-15). Thirdly, there is a separation between the souls of the righteous and those of the wicked after death (John 11:25; Rom.3:23, 6:23; 2 Tim. 4:7-8).

In the African worldview, there appears to be no distinct theology on the judgment of the wicked in the afterlife or a separation facility for them. There is however evidence that the wicked were punished on earth and, depending on the gravity of their moral transgression, the punishment could extend to generations of their offspring. David Westerlund notes that a descendant was believed to suffer for the sins or transgressions attributed to an African ancestor.  

This belief is also identified with the Kalenjin, a Nilotic group from which this writer hails. The idea of an eschatological progression of history towards judgment is in fact an alien notion in African thought. Time and history are equally alien concepts. As John Mbiti observes, “In African traditional thought, there is no concept of history moving forward towards a future climax, or towards an end of the world.”  Mbiti adds that “the notion of a messianic hope, or a final destruction of the world, has no place in traditional concept of history.” 

It is the view of this writer that the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is significant in portraying the afterlife on the following premises. First, one of the characters mentioned is a Hebrew patriarch who is described in the Bible as the father of the Christian faith (Matthew 3:8-9). Secondly, Jesus affirms that God is the God of the living rather than the dead (Matt. 22:29-32). The mention of Abraham in the above parable is therefore instructive of his afterlife experience (Luke 16:31). Thirdly, Abraham’s reference to Moses and the prophets in Luke 16:29 is perhaps evidence of the validity of his patriarchal authority recognized in Jewish theology. Romans 4:3 proclaims that Abraham’s was declared righteous on account of his faith. He is therefore the father of both the Jew and the Gentile in Christ (Rom. 4:16). 

Fourthly, Jesus himself gave the parable as part of his kingdom series that runs through Luke 14-16. It is inconceivable that the faith system associated with the kingdom life and the moral principles outlined in the parable could be fictitious as claimed by some. Nothing in the passage suggests that the narrative was false or fictitious. There is a convergence of the author-text context in this parable. Jesus authoritatively conveyed divine truth to his hearers on the afterlife. 

PASSAGE ANALYSIS

Passage Analysis on the Parable or the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)

This parable is exclusive to Luke. From the study of the passage, we learn that the two characters are portrayed on two paradigms: a description of their earthly life and their afterlife. As Lois Malcolm rightly observes, this Lazarus is obviously different from the one described in John 11:1-44.  The afterlife is apparently given a wider treatment in the parable (16:22-31) as compared with the earthly experience (16:19-21). This is perhaps indicative that the focus of the parable lay on the projection of the afterlife being consequent upon the earthly experience. 

On the earthly experience, the rich man is introduced to the reader as an extremely rich and privileged man. He was a man of novelty who was “clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.” (16:19, NKJV). John Nolland observes a key irony in this parable that defies common Jewish tradition where poverty is assigned anonymity and wealth is acknowledged. In this case, Lazarus, a poor man, is mentioned by name even as the rich man is unidentified.  It is instructive that Lazarus is translated El-azar (God has helped). 

Lazarus is described as a beggar who was full of sores. He was possibly a leper (cf. Job 2:7-8) or a cripple.  The fact that he was laid at the rich man’s gate suggests that he was unable to walk unaided and was possibly homeless. Jesus did not accuse the rich man of any particular violation. There is no evidence that he acquired his wealth by ungodly means. He simply never cared for the poor in his community of context (16:21). Warren Prestidge suggests that the parable was more about warning the godless wealthy rather than an illustration of the afterlife.  This parable however appears to address both spectrums. It conveys the moral authority of the narrator while visualizing the world to come. 

Both men eventually die. There is no mention of a burial in Lazarus’s case. Could this perhaps be by reason of the narrator’s design or a confirmation of Lazarus’ modesty? Lazarus is escorted by angels into an afterlife of comfort, being joined with Abraham a righteous man (16:22). This appears to affirm that even though Lazarus was poor he led a godly life on earth. This is consistent with Jesus’ statements in Matthew 6:19-21 and Luke 12:21. Again, nothing in the passage remotely suggests that the third character was a different person from the Abraham contemplated in other sections of Scripture. This further complicates the “fictitious” label that some have assigned this passage. 

The rich man is buried and his soul is taken to Hades, a place reserved for the wicked under Hebrew theology (16:22-23). It is elsewhere identified with weeping and gnashing of teeth (cf. Matt. 8:12, 13:42, 13:50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30; Luke 13:28).  

In his affliction, the rich man requests Abraham to send Lazarus to help him cool his pain. Some say that that the rich man was used to ordering the poor around and this attitude was sharply confronted in the afterlife! Simon Perry notes that the rich man assumed that Lazarus was now Abraham’s servant.  Ironically, the rich man was seeking the help that he denied the needy during his earthly life! The fact that the rich man identifies Lazarus by name is perhaps evidence that he was familiar with him.

Another paradox is presented in Luke 16:25 – the rich man, now reduced to a beggar, sought the mercy of the man that he had shunned on earth even as Lazarus is comforted in his new world. Given the overarching moral in this parable, the experiences of the two men in the afterlife are not by sheer coincidence. They are inextricably intertwined. Choices have consequences.

The African worldview recognizes that those who ignore their moral obligations on earth will be bring suffering upon themselves and their offspring. As Joseph Healey points out, African ancestors must have lived exemplary lives that touched the heart of the community.  Africans consider it a bad omen and a curse to neglect the poor. They consider it a moral obligation to extend support to the disadvantaged in society. In some African societies, not all who die qualify for reverence as ancestors. They must have earned their honor. In this context, the conduct of the Rich Man in the parable is appalling. Some African ancestors are quickly forgotten by society because they did not exemplify quintessential communal support for their people. In other African communities, guests or strangers are an embodiment of ancestors and are served the portion that was due to the ancestors. Gregory Olikenyi observes that among the Bulsa of Northern Ghana, it was believed that ancestors visited the living in the form of beggars and lepers.  It was therefore the duty of the host to show them hospitality in keeping with this theology. The rich man in the above parable therefore acted in an abominable way by failing to reach out to the needy in his society. 

The rich man’s plea for Abraham’s help in sending Lazarus to warn his five brothers on earth is instructive of the fact that he had thrown all caution to the wind during his privileged earthly life. His brothers were probably no different from him, morally speaking. They possibly reeled in ravenousness in the manner that he himself had done. Again, it was impossible [and perhaps needless] to send anyone from the place of the dead to warn the living. They ought to listen to their prophets and teachers. Abraham’s statement is significant in that once a person dies, there is no opportunity to make amends with God. This is affirmed in Hebrews 9:27. 

Some Bible scholars quoted by H.M Bardstad suggest that the idea of Sheol was not a quintessential Hebrew concept but was instead borrowed from some Middle Eastern death deities. They base their conclusion on the fact that this concept only appears in latter Biblical Hebrew and “when understood anthropomorphically, fits into semantic complex of the other ancient Near Eastern death deities such as Nergal, Ereshkigal or Mot”  

Roman Catholics teach that the soul of the believer undergoes purification in purgatory to achieve the perfection for entry into heaven.  Meanwhile, the dead are preserved in Hades awaiting the resurrection. The Roman Catholic doctrine on purification appears to be inconsistent with the teaching of the above passage. John Henry Hobert observes that Hades is a Greek reference to the underworld of the dead without any distinction of the righteous and the unrighteous and is the equivalent of the Jewish Sheol and the Latin Infernum. It is a term commonly employed in Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Methodist theology. 

The New Testament Scripture however presents an eschatological progression in the afterlife. When the rapture of the church finally takes place, the saints shall be transformed at the twinkling of an eye and shall take on new glorified bodies (1Cor. 15:42-54). 2Timothy 4:7-8; Rev. 6:9-11 teach or imply that the souls of the dead in Christ are preserved in the presence of God awaiting the resurrection. The wicked too are preserved for the final resurrection recorded in Rev. 20:7-15 where they shall be raised for their final condemnation and consignment into the lake of fire where “…the worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:48). This place is metaphorically described in Matthew 22:13 as “…outer darkness; [where] there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  It is elsewhere identified as “a furnace of fire” into which the wicked shall be cast (Matthew 13:50). It is also described as “the outer darkness” (Matt. 25:30) and this underscores the eternal separation of the wicked from the presence of God.  

REGENERATION AND FAITH - WHOSOEVER WILL CONFERENCE 2021

 

WHOSOEVER WILL CONFERENCE - 29^TH -30^TH JANUARY 2021 – RUIRU CBC CHURCH, NAIROBI, KENYA

VENUE: RUIRU CBC CHURCH

TOPIC: FAITH AND REGENERATION

By Ezekiel Kimosop

INTRODUCTION

Good Morning Delegates!

First, I wish to thank the organizers of this conference for inviting me to be one of the presenters at this conference. I wish to particularly thank Pastor Charles Irungu, Bros Lusui Masinde and Sherman Ouko who engaged me online and chose to invite me even before we had met. Pastor Charles and Bro Lusui came to visit me at my office on Tuesday and we had a great fellowship moment as we got to know one another and shared our ministry experiences.

This presentation is based on my Christian convictions arising from my study of Scripture. This paper is not intended to be a formal critique on TULIP Calvinism or any other deterministic soteriological systematic. I am aware that most of the delegates in this conference are predominantly young people who are eager to learn about what the Bible teaches in the context of the questions assigned to me in this conference. I will as a much as possible attempt to simplify my explanations through a careful choice of language devoid of theological jargon or technical language. This is however not an easy approach given that the kind of engagement contemplated by the topic is as deeply theological. I am informed that there will be a Q & A session at the close of the presentations and this will be a welcome opportunity for deeper interaction.  

Allow me now to turn to the two questions that are the subject of my presentation.

PART ONE

A – DID MAN’S FALLEN NATURE IMPLY TOTAL INABILITY TO BELIEVE?

About a decade ago, I joined seminary and later got into an online Christian website group where discussions on various doctrines were the order of the day. When I was just about to graduate from my first seminary program at ILU where I majored in Biblical and Theological studies, I took a keen interest in Christian apologetics and Christian doctrine and I found myself robustly engaging in online debates. It soon dawned on me that some of the doctrines that I held close to my heart were inconsistent with the teaching of the Bible. I began to examine these doctrines with renewed interest as I searched the Scriptures. I finally arrived at the conclusion that even though some of the proponents of deterministic soteriology are passionate in advancing the truths of the Gospel, the philosophical and theological foundation of their doctrines did not appear to be consistent with the holistic teaching of Scripture. I will be presenting a theological examination of one of the doctrines embraced by Calvinism - the T of the TULIP. Calvinism is anchored on five doctrines - Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Preservation of Saints.  Time will not permit me to examine all the five TULIP doctrines. 

Now, please permit me for the sake of time to return to the question that informs my submission in this conference.

Does man’s fallen nature imply total inability to believe?

Put differently, this question can be rephrased as follows: Does man’s fallenness in Adam imply that the sinner is totally unable to believe the gospel when it is presented to him in truth? Does the fall of man necessitate that God must first enable the sinner to believe before the sinner can exercise faith in Christ? Does the Bible teach that regeneration or rebirth of a believer precedes faith? Is faith a necessary tool for accessing God’s grace? Does God conduct a spiritual surgery on the chosen sinner in order to awaken him from his sinful depravity? Is the sinner so dead in sin that he is totally unable to hear the voice of God in the gospel?

The Calvinist will readily respond to all the above questions in the affirmative. He will quickly take the reader through a number of Scripture texts that, in my view, have been carefully selected in response to valid objections from readers who wrestle with the doctrines taught under Calvinism.

In answering these questions, one critical step should be taken. We need to examine the question in the light of the teaching of Scripture. The Bible is the final arbiter on all matters touching on Christian faith and practice. The Bereans were famed for turning to the word of God in an effort to affirm if Paul and his missionary associates were faithful to the Old Testament text - the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament Scriptures. This is a practice that should be regularly embraced by Bible believing Christians.

THE IMPACT OF THE FALL IN ADAM

Genesis 1-3 provides the foundational evidence of the creation, Fall and judgment of Adam. It reveals to us that man was created sinless and innocent but with the capacity to choose obedience or disobedience. He had the capacity to exercise his free will. God’s warning in Genesis 2:16-17 is evidence that Adam was granted this liberty by God. He was not under robotic control or manipulation by God, as some appear to teach. My view is that Adam, like us, had a conscience, emotion, and free will.  Adam therefore exercised his God given free will in his disobedience. He ate of the forbidden fruit despite God’s express warning to him on the consequences of his disobedience.  This is the reason that sin came to the world. Diane Kelsey McColley in her paper titled “Free Will and Obedience in the Separation Scene of Paradise Lost” rightly opines that Adam was “seduced from obedience without least impulse or shadow of fate”. She adds that God “made him [Adam] just and right, sufficient to have stood though free to fall” This assertion is consistent with the teaching of Scripture. 

CONDITION OF THE SINNER: AN ANALYSIS OF EPHESIANS 2:1-10

In Genesis 3, the Bible reveals that Adam was condemned for his disobedience and this resulted in his expulsion from the Garden of Eden. His condemnation precipitated his physical and spiritual separation from the holy and righteous God of Scripture. Even though Adam and his offspring continued to worship God (cf. Genesis 4:1-5), the consequences of his fall could not be reversed by the blood of animals. The spiritual condition of the sinner is described in greater detail in the New Testament Scriptures where the atonement of Christ is revealed. The impact of Adam’s fall is the subject of theological and philosophical debates.

So what happened to man when Adam fell?

Non-Calvinistic theologians say Adam's fall only served to isolate the sinner from his fellowship with God and that it did not impair his moral consciousness. Accordingly, therefore, their view is that the sinner is able to hear and discern the gospel when proclaimed in truth.

Calvinists on the other hand argue that the fall resulted in the total or utter depravity of the sinner and hence the sinner’s inability to hear the voice of God unaided. To circumvent this shortcoming, Calvinism teaches that God must of essence first regenerate the sinner and give him new life in order for him to hear and believe the gospel. This is further embedded in the presupposition that God must have chosen the sinner in advance for eternal life. Calvinists insist that Adam’s fall was irretrievably resounding on his offspring such that nothing short of God’s action of spiritual regeneration could restore the sinner to the position where his exercise of faith could occur. Charles H Spurgeon, a leading Calvinist, once said “Faith in the living God and his Son Jesus Christ is always the result of the new birth, and can never exist except in the regenerate. Whoever has faith is a saved man." Spurgeon is persuaded that only the chosen or elect sinner can come to faith!

Calvinism relies on a set of Scripture passages that they consider to support their Total Depravity doctrine. One of the key passages advanced by Calvinism is Ephesians 2:1-10 which we shall shortly examine in part.

Does the assertion by Spurgeon represent the position of Scripture? John Allen, quoting, Boris Hennig, holds a contrary view. He says “It is not exegetically possible to find “regeneration before faith” in John 1:12-13, temporally or logically.”[1]

My preliminary submission is that the passage of Ephesians 2:1-10 contains a series of figures of speech that should be interpreted in its context. I will proceed to argue my position based on my discernment of Scripture.

Paul first speaks about the sinner being dead in sin or dead in trespasses (Ephesians 2:1,5). In both instances, Paul’s focus is on salvation being accessed by grace through faith which is clearly pronounced in Ephesians 2:8-9 where he states: “For by grace you have been saved through faith…” (NKJV). Salvation is here described as a gift of God that is not earned by works. 

My view is that Paul employs these metaphors or figures of speech to illustrate that the sinner outside Christ is spiritually lost, helpless, and alienated from God. Four figures of speech can be identified in Ephesians 2:1-10. They describe the condition of the sinner before and after redemption and what Christ has accomplished in them. We shall now examine them in turns below.

1)      Dead in Sin or Dead in trespasses (2:5). My view is that this is a metaphorical reference to the impact of sin on mankind. Sin completely isolated us from a holy and righteous God such that without the atonement in Christ, we could not be reconciled back to God. The blood of bulls could not atone this kind of trespass. The Bible elsewhere teaches that in Adam, all die but in Christ all are made alive (1 Cor. 15:22). My view is that the all in the first instance is in reference to the entire human race apart from Christ (cf. Romans 5:12-19). I am persuaded that those who are made alive are those who willingly and freely respond to the gospel by faith in accordance with the teaching of John 3:16-17 and Romans 3:23. Being dead in sin does not, in my view, imply that the sinner is morally depraved to the point where they are unable to respond to God in the gospel. Nothing in Scripture upholds such a supposition. According to Edwin H Palmer, the phrase dead in sin is understood by Calvinism to imply total inability.[2] As pointed earlier, this treatment of the phrase is, in my view, inconsistent with the context of its usage in the Scripture text and is not in harmony with the wider revelation of Scripture. There is no evidence from the text that Paul ever intended to convey the deterministic view in his writing. According to the Benson Commentary, the phrase dead in sin implies that the sinner is “destitute of all union with God, and in a state of separation from him, and alienation from his life.”[3] I concur with this interpretation. The death [Greek: nekros] in Adam arose from the transgressions παραπτωμα. Jamieson-Fausset considers the death to lie in the context of the trespass. It is consequent upon God’s judgment for the sin in Adam.

While Calvinists argue that the sinner in his depravity cannot do anything good, I submit to this conference that there is one thing that God requires and desires of every sinner: repentance from sin. This is pleasing in the sight of God. He will never turn away a sinner who positively responds to the gospel. He desires that no sinner should perish in sin. The sinner is therefore able to turn to God in his sinful state and find his freedom in Christ when the gospel is proclaimed to him. 2 Peter 3:9 says “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (NKJV). 

2)     Made alive together with Christ (2:6). What does it mean to be made alive together with Christ? Under this second metaphor or figure of speech, we are introduced to the power and efficacy of Christ’s redemption works. By His atoning death, believers are united with Christ by faith and by His grace. We are quickened to vitality of spiritual life by the transforming power of Christ’s resurrection. Colossians 3:4 speaks of “Christ who is our life”.

3)      Raised us up together in heavenly places (2:6). The YLT says “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus"(KJV). The "raising up" presupposes previous quickening of Jesus in the tomb, and of us in the grave of our sins.[4] The three verbs in 2:6 made alive, raised up and seated are instructive of God’s working in the believers in the manner that he previously did for Christ. The mention of "heavenly places" is a metaphorical reference to places or positions of influence. This is in reference to the privilege that the believer accesses in Christ. It speaks of the power of Christ’s resurrection which Paul here uses in a futuristic sense in reference to the spiritual authority that God will bestow on believers who will reign in Christ (2 Timothy 2:12) and with Christ (Rev 20:4-6). It also alludes to the priestly privilege that we have in Christ in that we can intercede before the presence of God (cf. Ephesians 6:10-17, Hebrews 4:16, 1 Peter 2:9

4)      Workmanship created in Christ (2:10). The Bible says “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (KJV). Another literal translation, the YLT, says, "For of Him we are workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God did before prepare, that in them we may walk.”

This is the fourth and final metaphor employed by Paul in this passage. The Greek word ποίημα (poiēma) for workmanship is employed in a metaphoric or symbolic sense to underscore our valued relationship in Christ. We are (possessively) of God and being God’s workmanship implies that we are work in progress in God’s hands. God is working on our spiritual sanctification so that He may ultimately conform us to the image of Christ. We are to be molded into a special community of God’s people who will serve His divine purposes on earth and in the world to come (cf. 1 Peter 2:9, Titus 2:11-14). There is the “now” of our faith and the “yet to come”. This has nothing to do with predestination by prior election or regeneration preceding faith but conformity with God’s purposes.

SUMMARY/CONCLUSION

It is important to appreciate the role of imagery and metaphors in communicating biblical truths and to allow this type of writing or genre to be interpreted in their passage contexts so that the truths of Scripture are communicated with clarity. The literal interpretation of the figures of speech in Ephesians 2:1,5 by Calvinism is, in my view, inconsistent with the passage context and results in proof texting. I SUBMIT to this conference that MAN’S FALLEN NATURE DOES NOT IMPLY TOTAL INABILITY TO BELIEVE. If anything, the gospel opens the door for the sinner’s exercise of faith upon his conviction of sin. No group of sinners have been guaranteed heaven at the expense (or to the exclusion) of other sinners. God has made available to all sinners His way of salvation in Christ Jesus and it is to this way of the cross that all sinners in all ages since Calvary are invited. This is the way of God in Christ.

PART TWO.

B – DOES SPIRITUAL REGENERATION PRECEDE FAITH?

Having examined the metaphorical language in the passage of Ephesians 2:1-10, we now turn our attention to the second part of my presentation. In this part, we respond to the question touching on the order of salvation that Calvinists popularly refer to in Classical Latin as Ordo Salutis or the order of Salvation as revealed in Scripture.

Does Spiritual Regeneration Precede Faith? 

Does Scripture teach that spiritual regeneration of the sinner comes before his exercise of faith in Christ? In other words, does a sinner come to Christ by faith in accordance with the assurance in John 3:16 and by the grace of God as taught in Ephesians 2:8-9 or does God first regenerate the "elect" or chosen sinner and enable him to believe the Gospel?

As earlier indicated in the first part of my presentation, Scripture authoritatively speaks to the redemption work, including the manner in which the sinner comes to faith. This is what we shall now examine in greater detail.

The Total Depravity Doctrine

The above question cannot be comprehensively addressed without first examining the Calvinistic doctrine of Total Depravity that lies at the foundation of the notion that regeneration precedes faith. Again, I have merely chosen to evaluate this doctrine purely in my attempt at illustrating the alternative view that has been advanced by the Reformed tradition. I must caution that this analysis does not constitute a comprehensive theological critique of Calvinistic doctrines per se.

According to Calvinism, the fall in Adam resulted in the total depravity of the sinner, also known as totally inability or utter inability. This condition is described in different ways by sections of the Reformed Calvinistic tradition depending on the degree of their conformity to the TULIP doctrines. Some Calvinists reject the T of the TULIP while others do not embrace the U of unconditional election or the L of Limited Atonement.  This is the reason that we have Four Point and even Three Point Calvinism.

Those who subscribe to the T insist that the spiritual condition of the sinner contemplated in Scripture, and specifically in Ephesians 2:1-10, rendered the sinner so dead in sin that he is incapable of hearing or discerning the voice of God in the Gospel. This is based on a literal reading of the metaphors we earlier examined. To address this inability, this section of Calvinism claims that God must first resuscitate the “dead sinner” (corpse) into life and grant him the means by which to exercise faith in Christ. As stated earlier in the first question that we addressed, the Calvinist presupposes that the sinner must be among those that God had chosen or elected and predestined to eternal life even before they were born! This presupposition underlies the doctrine of unconditional election in the TULIP systematic. They prop up a number of Scripture texts such as Acts 13:48 on the sinners being, in their view, preselected under divine election ahead of their coming to faith. Acts 16:14 touching on Lydia’s experience and Romans 9:13 on God loving Jacob and hating or despising Esau.

Divine Election: The Theological Determinism Concept of the Elect or Chosen Few

Those who subscribe to theological determinism say that “everything that happens has been predestined to happen by an omniscient, omnipotent divinity"[5] In this context, Calvinism teaches that God has decreed all things whatsoever that come to pass, including the choice of those who will receive eternal life. Does this doctrine find the support of Scripture? My answer is in the negative.

In other words, Calvinism teaches that not all sinners have a free or open opportunity to come to faith except the Elect. This teaching is supported by the Limited Atonement doctrine that teaches that Christ died only for the Elect and His atonement is exclusively intended for and applied to this special group of sinners.

The Reprobate or Unchosen Many

What happens to the sinners that are not part of the Elect?

According to Calvinism, the rest of the unlucky sinners [also known as Reprobates] who were not chosen by God, will never come to faith. They are instead hardened by God for damnation in the lake of fire! Does that shock you? Calvinism is unmoved by that statement. To explain away this shocking irony, Calvinists claim that God was under no obligation to save any sinner in the first place and that the fact that a few will ultimately be saved or redeemed is an act of extreme grace. They insist that the destruction of the reprobate in hell is in furtherance of God’s justice and that this is intended for His glory!

This doctrine is inconsistent with God’s dealing with the wicked during the flood of Noah in Genesis 7 and the destruction of the twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19.  In Both instances, God reached out to the wicked, warning them of the coming judgment but they rejected God’s plea. The gospel is God’s plea to sinners to repent and turn from their evil ways. Those who reject the gospel will perish in the end unless they repent.

 Does the Double Predestination doctrine agree with the teaching of Scripture?

The double predestination doctrine held by five point Calvinism teaches that God had predestined those who will be saved from the foundation of the world. This essentially implies that some lucky sinners were chosen before their conception or birth and ahead of Calvary! They further argue that those who are not chosen by God will be hardened and will never come to faith. They will be slated for destruction in the lake of fire. They insist that these sinners were "doomed from the womb!"

Does this doctrine find the support of Scripture?

Calvinists say it does. They will usually prop up a number of template proof texts in support of their TULIP doctrines. Some of the most commonly quoted texts are John 3:3, 6:40-45, Acts 16:13, Romans 9:13, among others. My considered view is that none of these proof texts anchor Calvinistic soteriology in the Bible. I submit to this conference that spiritual regeneration or rebirth does NOT precede the exercise of faith by the sinner in response to God's grace. Regeneration is consequent upon faith being exercised by the sinner in response to the preaching of the gospel.

 Here is why…

1.      No sinner was ever guaranteed redemption from sin and eternal life in Christ outside the work of the cross. There is no evidence from Scripture that God chose a group of sinners for redemption ahead of Calvary. If this did happen, then the atoning works of Christ were merely a divine rubber stamp and of no effect in the salvation process! This puts into question the proclamation of the gospel. 

2.       No sinner who repents of their sin upon hearing the gospel proclaimed will be rejected by God on account of not being among the philosophical elect that, in the view of deterministic groups, were exclusively predestined to eternal life before Calvary.

3.       The Bible reveals that God’s atonement in Christ Jesus is unlimited. The blood of Jesus is sufficient to cover the sins of the whole world, if peradventure, all sinners would respond to the gospel. Any sinner that hears the gospel proclaimed and rejects its appeal is responsible for their decision and will suffer for their willful choice to reject God's grace.

4.       There is no single passage of Scripture that supports the deterministic soteriological doctrine on the total depravity of sinners. I had earlier demonstrated from my analysis of Ephesians 2:1-10 that the phrase “dead in sin” or “dead in trespasses” does not imply that God has a set of preferred sinners who were chosen ahead of Calvary. My concluding view is that the Total Depravity doctrine [in so far as it teaches total inability or utter inability] is contrary to the revelation and authority of Scripture.

5.      Every sinner has the innate capacity to hear the gospel and the free will choice to accept or reject the gospel. John 3:16-17 teaches that whosoever believes in Jesus shall be saved. This presupposes that some would indeed reject the gospel. Salvation is conditional upon the sinner responding to God by faith. God never forcibly saves sinners. He can never save any sinner against their will or knowledge.

7.     Predestination is not about sinners being chosen by God ahead of Calvary but about sinners who turn to Christ being predestined to redemption and adoption in Christ. Ephesians 1:5 speaks of God "having predestinated us unto adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will." (KJV).  The adoption of believers by Christ cannot bypass the works of the cross! 

HOW DO SINNERS COME TO CHRIST?

The Bible provides a clear answer to this question in a number of passages. God’s invitation to sinners is openly outlined in Scripture. It should not even be the subject of unending theological debates.

John 3:16-17 clearly sets the tone. It proclaims “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (NKJV). This text reveals that God does not have a list of reprobate sinners who will be denied His saving grace. God never sought to condemn sinners but to save sinners. This truth lies at the heart of the any authentic gospel preaching in all church ages.

When the jailor asked Paul what he should do to be saved, Paul’s response was plain and in consonance with God’s word outlined above. Acts 16:31 says “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved…” this is the Bible way, God’s way. It is that simple. Any other proposition that stands contrary to this truth is man’s way. Notice that this answer contradicts the Calvinistic interpretation of Lydia’s experience in Acts 16:14 which is a standard Calvinistic proof text. Notice further that the truths conveyed in Acts 16:14 and Acts 16:31 are in the same passage of the same Book, and are identified with the same character (Paul)! It is incomprehensible that Calvinists choose to ignore Paul’s answer in Acts 16:31 while attempting to twist the meaning of Acts 16:14!

The Bible contemplates that the sinner should hear the gospel proclaimed and this affords him the opportunity to make an informed decision. In Romans 10:14, the writer of Scripture outlines three rhetorical questions, saying: “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” It is instructive that this is the same writer who wrote the Letter to the Ephesians. 

These three rhetorical questions lie at the heart of Macedonian call to which every Bible-centered Christian community is invited to respond. We should take the gospel to the lost and dying and present the word of God to all men in truth. No sinner was chosen in advance. All sinners are on equal footing, irrespective of their generation, race, ethnicity, or gender. The notion of the "Elect of God" being a special group of sinners chosen ahead of Calvary is a philosophical paradox that lies outside the revelation of Scripture.

When the gathering on the Day of Pentecost heard the preaching of Peter, the Bible says  they were cut to the heart under the conviction of sin and asked the all-important question saying, “…Men and brethren, what shall we do?”. This is the question that strikes every convicted sinner today and for which God seeks a positive response - the repentance from sin. 

Peter’s answer was again plainly clear: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”(Acts 2:37-39). God’s calling is through and by the gospel of Jesus Christ. The journey to our reconciliation with God begins with the act of repentance. It is not the subject of philosophical bravado. The sinner’s decision matters. A convicted sinner may decide to walk away from God, perhaps awaiting another opportunity, if any. No sinner is excluded from God’s grace.  No sinner can be regenerated or reborn without first repenting of his sin. Regeneration is the work of the Spirit on a broken sinner who has submitted to Christ and has been justified by the blood of Jesus. It is not a prior work of God on selected unrepentant sinners as taught under deterministic theology.

DOES ROMANS 9 SUPPORT CALVINISM?

Romans 9 is one of the most popular passages which is extensively cited by Calvinism in support of their doctrine of Double Predestination. This doctrine explains the fate of sinners as two-pronged - that the elect or chosen sinners are predestined to eternal life from the foundation of the world. These privileged lot will irresistibly turn to Christ on hearing the gospel and while the rest are consigned to eternal damnation. 

Does Romans 9 affirm Calvinism? 

My view is that the passage of Romans 9 when read through its passage context of Romans 9-11 does not support Calvinism. It is a passage that Calvinists quote out of its passage context. It is part of a long treatise that Paul presents through Romans 9-11 concerning Israel’s rejection of the gospel and God’s purposes for both Jews and Gentiles. The analogy of Romans 9:10-13 which mentions Jacob being preferred over Esau has nothing to do with God’s dealing with sinners in Christ!

Here's why…

The mention of Jacob is a reference to corporate Israel just as Esau stands for the Edomites. The two nations are historically related because Jacob was the father of the Jewish nation. He was the covenant bearer through whom God would seal his promise to Abraham concerning a great nation coming from his offspring (Genesis 13:14-17). Esau was the first-born son of Isaac. Internal evidence from the study of Genesis 25:29-33 reveals that Esau sold his birth-right to Jacob in circumstances that demonstrated that he was not God’s choice for the making of the great nation promised to Abraham.

Romans 9:10-13 says “And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac ¹¹ (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), ¹² it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” ¹³ As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” (NKJV).

This passage of Scripture does not demonstrate God’s dealing with sinners in the dispensation of grace. As earlier observed, God does not and will not overlook any sinner or show favoritism to some without any objective basis outlined in Scripture. He does not choose sinners in the manner taught under TULIP Calvinism.

Secondly, all sinners are equal in the eyes of God. No sinner takes preeminence over another in God’s redemption plan in Christ. They all stood condemned in Adam and can only find freedom in the justification obtained in Christ's shed blood. For a detailed exposition of Romans 9, please visit my website blog ezekielkimosop.blogspot.com.

DOES ACTS 16:14 TEACH OR IMPLY THAT LYDIA WAS REGENERATED BY GOD BEFORE SHE COULD BELIEVE THE GOSPEL?

Acts 16:14 says “Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.” (NKJV). 

The opening of Lydia’s heart reveals that God drew her attention to the gospel message proclaimed by Paul. It cannot be interpreted differently from what the passage context reveals. The statement cannot be understood to imply that God declined to open the hearts of the other women who were with Lydia at the river. My view is that Luke mentions Lydia in connection with her subsequent role as host to Paul’s missionary team. Notice that Lydia is mentioned as a worshipper of God. She was a devout Jew even before she received the gospel from Paul. This is what practically happens when the gospel is proclaimed in truth. The Holy Spirit draws sinners into conviction of sin when the revelation of the gospel illuminates their hearts. Not every sinner that is convicted of sin will repent. Some would turn to Christ while others choose to walk away.

CLOSING STATEMENT

A Scripture text read in context and in harmony with the broader revelation of the truths collated in other sections of Scripture should reveal Christ and His works of the cross. These texts should stand out in consistency. None should manifestly contradict or oust another in conveying the mind of God. No human philosophy or religious creed can oust the authority of Scripture on matters biblical soteriology. The authority of Scripture is sacrosanct, eternal, and infallible. It is binding upon believers in all human civilizations, past, present, and future, even as Christ shall tarry. It is the theological lens by which any Bible-believing Christian community should distill the revelation of God and by which they may discover true doctrine. Any doctrine that manifestly distorts the truths of God's revelation in Scripture should be revised or discarded. 

 

[This article was distilled from a presentation paper delivered by the writer at the WHOSOEVER WILL Conference hosted by Ruiru Community Baptist Chapel, Nairobi, on 29/01/2021.]

 

REFERENCES

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[1] David Allen, Does Regeneration Precede Faith? https://drdavidlallen.com/does-regeneration-precede-faith/, Quoting Boris Hennig, “The Four Causes.” In Journal of Philosophy 106(3), (2009), 137–60.

[2] Edwin Palmer, The Five Points of Calvinism, A Study Guide, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, pp.16-17.

[3] Benson Commentary on “dead in sin”, Ephesians 2:1

[4] Jamieson-Faussets – Brown Bible Commentary on Ephesians 2:6

[5] A. Pabl Lannone "Determinism" in Dictionary of World Philosophy. Taylor & Francis. 2001. p.194. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theological_determinism#cite_note-Iannone2001-2

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2021

Are You Part of God's Remnant?

 ARE YOU PART OF GOD'S REMNANT? 

By Ezekiel Kimosop

This morning I was studying Zephaniah 2:4-15.

This passage conveys God's coming judgment upon the enemies of Israel and proclaims the preservation of a remnant of God's faithful people in Judah. 

The people listed for destruction are the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites and Assyrians. These are traditional enemies of Israel that surrounded them and who often attacked them.

It is interesting to note that the Moabites and Ammonites were related to the people of Israel. We learn from Genesis 19 that the two societies were descendants of Lot, Abraham's nephew who he adopted after the death of his father in the land of Ur (see Genesis 11:27-32).

Abraham separated from Lot in Genesis 13. Lot moved on to settle in the Jordan valley and was later rescued by the angels of God even as Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed under God's judgment.

Lot later sired two sons Moab and Ammon by his daughters under a strange incident recorded in Genesis 19:30-38. 

These two sons of Lot soon drifted away from the God of Israel and sunk into idolatry, after the manner of the Canaanite people around them. They were one time noted as the chief enemies of God's people!

How times change as generations advance! 

One lesson I learned from the passage of Zephaniah 2:4-15 is that people can drift away from God if they are not careful to learn from God's dealing with people in the past and if they fail observe God's decrees in His word in their generation.

I have also learned that God punishes wickedness and rebellion against Him. 

Finally, God always preserves a remnant of faithful people in every human civilization. This is mentioned in Zephaniah 2:6-7.

The story of God's preservation of a remnant runs through the Bible.

God preserved a remnant during the time of the Jezebel apostasy in 1 Kings 17-22, preserving 7,000 souls until He destroyed Ahab and his family. 

He had done the same centuries earlier in the twin city of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) when He preserved Lot and His family.

He will do it again in our generation even as Christ shall tarry. He will preserve those who take refuge in Christ Jesus and who desire a new city whose builder is God.

Hebrews 11:15-16 says "And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them" (NKJV). 

Are you part of God's remnant?

Is the Doctrine of Limited Atonement Biblical?

 IS THE DOCTRINE OF LIMITED ATONEMENT BIBLICAL?

By Ezekiel Kimosop

The doctrine of limited atonement as advanced by Calvinism is part of the five doctrines under their TULIP systematic. The foundational doctrine is the Total Depravity doctrine that teaches that following the fall in Adam, all men in all ages since Adam suffered spiritual death and fell into total sinful depravity and are dead in sin, unable to hear the gospel and come to God without first being regenerated by God. Calvinism teaches that since God determined from the foundation of the world on who among sinners will be elected, the salvation plan was already predestined and Christ's atonement was merely provided to fulfill God's eternal plan for His Elect. Those who are not chosen by God will be damned in hell to His glory.

Having set out the philosophical concept underpinning Calvinistic soteriology, we now return to examine the doctrine of limited atonement. It is important to appreciate that none of the doctrines can be understood in isolation, philosophically speaking, because they all lie on a systematic taught by John Calvin and Augustine of Hippo. 

The limited atonement doctrine teaches that God provided atonement that exclusively targeted a specific group of sinners whose election was predestined by God from the foundation of the world. It teaches that the atonement was only actuated for and is efficacious to the Elect alone. While this articulation is partly true, the problem lies with the philosophical foundation which assigns election to God alone and extinguishes the sinner's free will choice in accepting or rejecting God's grace in the gospel yet this is plainly taught in the Bible. 

If God determined that a given number or set of sinners were specifically chosen ahead of Calvary for redemption, this should be affirmed in Scripture. There are several passages of Scripture that clearly teach or reveal that God's grace is primarily available to all sinners but only those who respond to the gospel will be saved. 

Calvinism teaches the opposite. It states that only those sinners who had been predestined to Election will be enabled by God to believe the gospel and those who are outside God's prior list will be hardened to damnation in hell. To this extent, my view is that the limited atonement doctrine is inconsistent with biblical truth and misrepresents the revelation of Scripture concerning God's offer of salvation. 

Several passages of Scripture, including John 3:16-17, explicitly proclaim that the sinner has a free will choice to make in response to the gospel. Calvinism denies this truth by asserting that salvation is exclusively God's choosing. 

The doctrine of irresistible grace again supports the limited atonement doctrine to the extent that it affirms God's explicit control of salvation to the exclusion of the sinner's free will choice. This is also true of the unconditional election doctrine which teaches that the sinner need not make any contribution or action to his salvation.

For this reason, my view is that the limited atonement doctrine as outlined by TULIP Calvinism is largely unbiblical. I believe that salvation is available to all sinners since Calvary and that any sinner who hears and respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ will be saved. I further believe that God did not predetermine that a given set of sinners shall be saved to the exclusion of others. God never hardens and prevents some sinners from responding to the gospel. 

Ezekiel Kimosop 2021

What Does it Mean to Follow Paul's Example as He Follows the Example of Christ?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO IMITATE PAUL AS HE IMITATES CHRIST? 

By Ezekiel Kimosop

INTRODUCTION

This question is significant for every member of a Christian community. It is important to observe that Paul was not referring to what he was about to teach in 1 Corinthians 11. Instead, he was concluding his long exhortation that commenced in 1 Corinthians 8-10.

In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul outlined moral principles for Christian conduct regarding dealing with idolatry. 

1 Corinthians 9 reveals Paul's sacrificial approach to ministry. He forfeited several apostolic privileges enjoyed by his contemporaries in order to serve God with a clear conscience. Some of the Jerusalem apostles were married, Paul wasn't. Others received regular financial support from their churches. Paul voluntarily forfeited this privilege, not wishing to burden the growing churches in his Gentile see. ary 

Instead, Paul chose to engage his tentmaking skills to raise his financial support (Acts 18:1-4).  His principal focus in life was to faithfully and sacrificially serve God as a Christian missionary. He longed for the crown of righteousness that is reserved for the faithful in heaven (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Paul was careful to watch his moral standing even as he served God in the apostolic office. 

This article will now focus on the illustrations conveyed in 1 Corinthians 10.

The Old Testament illustrations that Paul outlined in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 are warnings to the Christian community on the dangers of spiritual rebellion, a situation where God's covenant people walk away from His paths and into open disobedience. A disobedient people are oblivious of God's divine standards for them.

We live in a world today where modernism and secularism have invaded our church pews and pulpits alike. Relativism, rather than the authority of Scripture, is the lens by which many Christians view the passing evil world. This has resulted in endless debates on what constitutes authentic Christian response to the emerging lifestyle issues.   

Despite walking with God for decades through the wilderness and witnessing His power and glory in their midst, the children of Israel rebelled against God. They learnt little from their experiences under God's leading.

At one point in their wilderness journey, the people thirsted for water. They confronted Moses at the wilderness of Meriba seeking water (Exodus 17:1-7). At that point, some murmured, wishing that they could return to Egypt, the place of bondage from which God rescued them!

They were guilty of unbelief, a grevous transgression in the eyes of God. God was sorely displeased with their murmuring and vowed to wipe them out from the face of the earth! Were it not for the faithfulness of Moses and his plea to God, things would perhaps have been disastrous.

Paul outlines a number of evils identified with this rebellious covenant community in the passage of 1 Corinthians 10. Scripture considers them as examples of our spiritual red lines, a set of warning signs for Christians. 

We shall briefly examine these transgressions below:

1) EVIL LUST. Some among the children of Israel rebelled against God and murmured against Him. They did not honor God and God destroyed them. Why? They lusted after evil things that polluted their covenant with God (1 Corinthians 10:1-6). 

2) IDOLATRY - When Moses took long in the mountain, the children of Israel demanded from Aaron that he makes for them a golden calf and they settled down to worship it. The incident is recorded in Exodus 32. This was in violation of God's express command in Exodus 20:3-6 which says "You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."

3) SEXUAL IMMORALITY. Some among them committed sexual immorality. This transgression is listed in 1 Corinthians 10:8. Twenty three thousand of them were struck dead in a single day under God's holy wrath! 

Our contemporary society treats sexual immorality as a lifestyle issue. It is not a big deal to them. In some countries, the age of consent has been lowered to as low as 16 years. However, a Christian community must uphold the authority of Scripture in shaping their worldview on sexual morality. 

4) TEMPTING GOD. The Bible reveals that some among the people tempted God. By this they put the LORD God to the test by taking His name in vain in violation of God's commandment. Exodus 20:7 says "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain."

During His temptation in the wilderness, Jesus reminded Satan that it was a sinful thing to tempt or test God (Matthew 4:7; Luke 4:12). Satan had asked Jesus to throw himself down from the highest point to prove that God would rescue Him!

5) MURMURING. The children of Israel murmured against God. This violation is conveyed in 1 Corinthians 10:10. Again the consequences were dire; God destroyed the people who were party to these violations. 

The concluding statement in 1 Corinthians 10:11 is instructive. Scripture proclaims "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." Whatever happened to God's covenant people in the Old Testament should serve to warn us to apply utmost diligence in walk with God.

In 1 Corinthians 10:14-22, Paul warns the Corinthians to flee from idolatry. In 1st century Europe, idolatry was so rampant that some the Christian communities had considerable difficulty breaking from this pagan culture. Paul draws practical examples touching on idolatry. One of the controversial grey areas in Corinth was knowingly eating food offered to idols. This was understood to border on open participation in the pagan rituals for which the meat was intended.

Paul warns believers to stay away from anything that could defile their Christian conscience and hinder their witness.  He appeals for spiritual wisdom in navigating circumstances that border on idolatry so that the believer does not offend others who are weak in faith or bring disrepute to the body of Christ.

In our contemporary society, idolatry comes with subtlety. It may have nothing to do with shrines and idols as some would imagine. It has everything to do with any activities or preoccupations that manifestly hinder our devotion to God. The love of money and the graving for material things is one such snare for which Scripture serves a strong warning. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 says "6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (NKJV). 

CONCLUSION

When we no longer have time and commitment to the things of God, idolatry inescapably creeps in. Satan gleefully finds a cleavage through which he drives our attention away from God and His word. We soon lose our spiritual compass and fall into moral ruin. We need to learn from the warnings in Scripture and keep away from entanglements from Satan. 

This is what befell the Church of Pergamos in Revelation 2:12-17. They looked the other way as idolatry creeped into their congregation! It took the stern rebuke of the Master Himself to cause them to come back to their senses and change their ways!

Paul's concluding statement in 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 serves as his closing exhortation. 

He states "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."

This exhortation is amplified in 1 Corinthians 11:1 where the apostles concludes "Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ." We can only set and leave a godly example to others of we are motivated by two primary concerns - seeking to please God and to be our brother's keeper. We please God when we are passionate about proclaiming His glory among men and practically living out the principles of God's word in our Christian communities of context. 

In following the example of Christ, we are careful to place the things of God above our own and to learn from Christ's humility, patience, and forbearance even in the face of persecution and suffering. 

Yes, we should only emulate or imitate others if they consistently manifest the very principles that Scripture outlines for practical Christian living. On the converse, we should keep away from people who purport to speak the mind of God while openly misrepresenting the moral principles outlined in Scripture. These are the proverbial wolves in sheepskin. 

Jesus warned His disciples saying "15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them." (Matthew 7:15-20, NKJV). 

Whose example are you following? Do they truly follow the example of Christ? Do not be deceived by self appointed "apostles" or "prophets" in our contemporary religious space who masquerade as God's divine agents but manipulate, brainwash, and devour their unsuspecting followers! 

Beware of ravenous wolves in sheepskin!

Keep it Christ.

Shalom 

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2021