Hermeneutics: Problem Passages Flashcards
Was Jesus a false prophet for predicting the end of the world in a generation?
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days” ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
Matt 24:34-35
34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
STOP
Situation
Jesus is sitting on the mount of olives (which is a graveyard) with his disciples overlooking Jerusalem, looking at the buildings and the temple, saying that no stone will be left standing on one another, then his disciples asks him when these things will happen. Jesus then proceeds with the Olivet discourse
Type:
Autobiographical Narrative
Prophesy
Uses a lot of Apocalyptic language
Object:
Disciples and that generation, it also has implications for us. The book of Matthew was also specifically written to the Jews
Prescriptive or Descriptive?
Jesus is describing what will happen, but there is also some descriptive advice
Transitions
Quotes and notes
Isaiah 13:10 (judgement of Babylon)
“The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.”
Isaiah 34:4 (judgment of the nations
‘All the stars in the sky will be
dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.
‘
This illustrates that the language used in Matt is apocalyptic language which is not to be taken literally, but which is a way of saying that it will be “a great and terrible time”. By Jesus Alluding to Isaiah, He is saying that the destruction of the temple will be a great and terrible time, just like it was in babylon when God destroyed it.
Other Passages/ parallel passages
Mark 13:14
14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’[a] standing where it[b] does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Scholars generally agree that the first reference of these prophecies is the Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes IV, who ruled Palestine from 175-64 B.C. Antiochus treated Israel with such violence and contempt that they rebelled against him. When he came to suppress the rebellion, his forces entered the temple, stopped the regular sacrifices, set up an idol of or altar for Zeus, and apparently offered swine there as a sacrifice. This is an abomination because it is idolatry, and it brings desolation because it defiles the holy place at the heart of Israel. This act was the abomination “of” desolation, the abomination “causing” desolation.
Jesus predicts that another abomination of desolation, like Antiochus Epiphanes of Daniel, is coming. Indeed that abomination did come in Roman form in AD 70. The Roman armies were always an abomination because they carried with them idolatrous images of the emperor, whom they worshiped. And those armies brought desolation because their commander leveled the city and entered the holy of holies, defiling it.
The line “let the reader understand” (24:15) means that those who read Matthew—which would have been written before AD 70—must be ready to flee when they see Roman armies besieging Jerusalem. Indeed, the parallel account in Luke 21 makes this point explicit: “when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies . . . flee to the mountains” (Luke 21:10-24). In fact, many Christians did flee, sparing their lives, when they saw Rome’s armies coming. Eusebius, the first great historian of the church, says that when the Romans fell upon Jerusalem, “the church at Jerusalem . . . left the city, and moved to a town called Pella.”[1] So Jesus, ever the Good Shepherd, told the first Christians how to survive those most harrowing years of the church’s infancy
Translation differences
Conclusion
Jesus prophesied the destruction of the temple through rome, within a generation, as judgement by God, partially due to the Jews killing christ, and gave his followers a way out, by running to the mountains. Was the prophecy fulfilled? Yes. Rome destroyed the temple in 70 AD, exactly within a generation after Christ made the prophecy (40 years). It was a great and terrible time for those Jews who did not heed the prophecy and did not flee Jerusalem. It was also the event that lead to the capture of Josephus (Jewish Historian) who then later became a Historian for Rome.
Is god’s election unjust?
Paul, in romans, seems to say that God has already decide whom he is going to save, and whom he is going to condemn, and that this choice is arbitrary, and if that is true, then why should anyone be held accountable?
Romans 9: 10-14
10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”[d] 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[e]
14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses,
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”[f]
16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. 17 For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”[g] 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
19 One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’”[h] 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?
22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25 As he says in Hosea:
“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people;
and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”[i]
26 and,
“In the very place where it was said to them,
‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”[j]
27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:
“Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea,
only the remnant will be saved.
28 For the Lord will carry out
his sentence on earth with speed and finality.”[k]
29 It is just as Isaiah said previously:
“Unless the Lord Almighty
had left us descendants,
we would have become like Sodom,
we would have been like Gomorrah.”[l]
And yet in Timothy, the author says that God want’s all people to be saved
1 Timothy 2:1-4
2 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
And in Matthew, Jesus, says that he called all the jews but they were unwilling
matt 23:37
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
So how then do we solve this seeming contradiction? Well the passage paul quotes in romans is not from Genesis, it is from Malachi, and what Malachi is talking about is not the election for salvation, but the election of the nation of Israel for the fulfillment of the promise.
Malachi 1
1 This is a divine revelation. The Lord spoke his word to Israel through Malachi.
2 “I loved you,” says the Lord.
“But you ask, ‘How did you love us?’
“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “I loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I hated. I turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the jackals in the desert.
4 “The descendants of Esau may say, ‘We have been beaten down, but we will rebuild the ruins.’
“Yet, this is what the Lord of Armies says: They may rebuild, but I will tear it down. They will be called ‘the Wicked Land’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is always angry.’ 5 You will see these things with your own eyes and say, ‘Even outside the borders of Israel the Lord is great.’
Also before God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, Pharaoh through his unwillingness hardened his own heart first, and God simply completed the process
The election spoken about in these passages is not the election for salvation, in romans 11, Paul bifurcates between salvation and election
Romans 11:28-29
28 The Good News made the Jewish people enemies because of you. But by God’s choice they are loved because of their ancestors. 29 God never changes his mind when he gives gifts or when he calls someone.
Basically Pauls point is that if we harden our hearts, by suppressing the truth for long enough, God will give us over to our desires, and we will become futile in our thinking ultimately leading to us not only down the path of depravity, but we will also be cheering others on when they act depraved
essentially, if we harden our hearts, God will complete the process
Another way to look at it is that God already know who will choose Him and who won’t, and therefore when God elects someone, it is not against their will, but in accordance with their will. God is electing the outcomes, but not against anyone’s free will.
Is baptism necessary for salvation
Acts 2:36-38
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”
STOP
The book of Acts covers the growth of the church from Jesus’ ascension to about 62 AD, It is about the History of the church, this means that it is mostly descriptive not prescriptive
Other passages:
The following passages tells us that water baptism and salvation are two different things, and that baptism is not essential for salvation, but that faith is.
The thief on the cross was not baptized, but yet found salvation.
In 1 Cor 1:13-17, Paul says he didn’t come to Baptize, but to preach the Gospel.
13 Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. 16 (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) 17 For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.
In 1 Romans 16-17, Paul says, that it is the Gospel that saves, not baptism.
16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.[a] 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”[b]
It becomes apparent that the reason Peter called the jews to be baptized is that he knew that only the sincere believers would do it, as it was not only a public display of faith, but also a public rejection of Judaism, which would put a target on their backs and get them kicked out of the temple. Peter was basically saying “put your faith where your mouth is, you say you are sorry for crucifying Jesus, ….so prove it!”
In fact, As Peter Continues in Acts 3:17-19, He doesn’t mention baptism, but only repentance as necessary for salvation
“17 “Friends,[a] I realize that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance. 18 But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah—that he must suffer these things. 19 Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.”
Didn’t james say works are required for salvation?
No, James is not describing the requirements for salvation, but the proof of salvation, in other words, the fruit, not the root. A saving faith, leads to good works,
Saved by Grace, not works
Rom 3:23-24 Eph 2:8 Gal 2:21 John 3:16 Paul's Benedictions
John Lennox CookBook example
The Theme of the book of james is “Don’t be double minded” (Don’t be a hypocrite) If you are going to talk the talk, then walk the walk, James was not saying that you are saved by good works, but that a saving faith is illustrated through good works.
James 2:14-18
Faith without Good Deeds is Dead
14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
In other words, Jesus, Pauls and the other apostles are talking about the means of salvation (Grace), James is talking about the evidence of justification “I will how you my faith by my works.”
Faith = salvation + Works (works is something that others can see and confirms to others that your faith is genuine.)
Isn’t faith suppose to be blind?
NO
Faith Biblically defined is not blind faith.
Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.”
How can we be “sure” of what we hope for or convinced of what we do not see, if we do not have good reasons to believe?
1 Peter 3:15 tells us that we Should have good reasons to believe, in other words, we should not just know what we believe, but also why we believe it so that we can answer the sceptics
15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
The bible also tells us in Matthew 22:37 that our minds and capacity for reason are an integral part of loving God.
“Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”
Isaiah 1:18 God says to the Israelites “Come let us reason together”
John 20:23-31 Tells us why the book of John was written, and provides us a with a good model of biblical faith.
”
30 The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe[a] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.
“
John is not asking you to have blind faith, but is providing us with the evidence for believing that Christ is the messiah, so that once we believe he is the messiah, we can put our trust in him for salvation.
The Bible doesn’t call for blind faith, but for us to carefully examine the evidence before we believe anything.
Doesn’t the Bible imply that the earth rises and sets and that the sun revolves around the earth?
Joshua 10:12-13
12 On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said,
“Let the sun stand still over Gibeon,
and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.”
13 So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies.
Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar[a]? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day.[b]
This passage is not saying that the sun rotates around the earth, it uses observational language, in the same way that today we say that “the sun sets” or “the sun rises”, even though we know that it is the earth that rotates around the sun. A meteorologist, might say “tomorrow sun rise will be at 6:45” He is not going to say “Earth rotation is going to become apparent”
Prolegomena
Prolegomena: The things that we need to know before we can interpret the bible.
COLUMNS (are like pillars or columns that support our understanding of the bible, without which we understanding or the bible is impossible)
Creation: Romans 1 teaches that you don’t need the bible to know that God exists, you can infer it from creation Psalm 19:1-4 tells us the the heavens declare the glory of God. If we knew nothing about creation, then the first verse of the Bible wouldn’t make much sense to us, the Bible assumes that we already know something about creation
Order: The Universe has order. there is an order to the design of creation, and the consistent laws of nature. A person cannot even conceive of randomness, if they don’t first know what order is. If there is order in the universe, then there is an Orderer, We not only need order in the natural world, bu twe need order in language so that we can understand what God is saying to us in His Word.
Logic: If you are going to be good at theology, you have to be good at logic. Everything we know requires it . The laws of Logic are self-evident, but most of us have not been taught them in any formal way. Our ability to reason depends on them and they are necessary to understand the Bible or any other book.
Uniformity: Causes in the past are like Causes in the present. How are we supposed to know what caused a past event, say , the inscriptions on the Rosetta Stone? Did anyone alive today see those inscriptions made? No. then how do we know how they were made? We use the Principle of Uniformity which assumes that causes in the past were like those in the present. If cause and effect worked completely differently in the past then today, then it would be difficult or impossible for us to draw conclusions about the past.
Morality: The bible asserts that people know basic right form wrong in romans 2:14-15. Our conscience is written on our hearts and points to God. We know right and wrong best by our reactions rather than our actions. For example, I know stealing is wrong not so much when I steal from you, but when you steal from me. Some aspects of morality are assumed by the Bible, including the idea that if God exists you ought to obey Him.
Natures (Universals, Forms, Essences ): A nature is what something is. In the picture here, there are several natures shown. There is treeness, ox-ness, human-ness, child-ness, etc. Natures are something called universals. Every persons with a properly functioning intellect has a good idea of what you mean when you say tree, ox, human, child, sun, chair, etc. These are universally understood natures. We would have no way to communicate with one another if we didn’t understand natures. Likewise, we couldn’t understand the Bible without an understanding of natures.
Senses: W know about the real world through our sense. Our five senses allow us to make sense of the world and the Bible. Without them, we couldn’t understand the world around us or God’s revelation o us. But are our sense always reliable?
Can we get the principles for interpreting the bible from within the bible itself?
No. You can’t get the principles for interpreting the bible from within the bible, otherwise you would never be able to interpret any of the bible
It would be like having your keys locked in the car, you wouldn’t be able to get into the car
Just like most of the Truth we know does not come from the bible but from natural revelation, like Math, or Physics, in the same way, without natural revelation, apologetics and hermeneutics would be impossible.
You couldn’t do apologetics, without evidence from outside of the bible to show that it is true
In order to do hermeneutics you need principles that exists independent of the Bible, in order to know what the bible says, just like you need the keys outside of a car, to get into a car.
Don’t trust man’s reason, trust ONLY God’s word
While this sounds pious, it is false
First, there is no such thing as ‘man’s reason’. Reason is not invented by man, but discovered. It exists independent from man.
Secondly, we could not understand a newspaper without reason, let alone God’s word. Everything we do involves thinking or reasoning. It is Prolegomena.
Also the statement “Don’t Trust Mans Reason, Trust God’s Word” Is itself a reason Given by man and therefore a self defeating statement.
Why can’t all religions be true
Because for something to be true it can’t be a contradiction: A is not Non-A.
Religions contradict each other.
Islam says we are good in nature; Christianity says we are born in sin.
Islam says jesus was just a man/ Christianity says He is more than a man, He also has a divine nature
Islam says Jesus never Died / Christianity says he died and rose form the Dead.
Therefore, all religions cannot be true, however they can all be wrong.
Fundamental Laws of Logic
- The Law of Identity: A is A (A Man is a Man, It’s the truth)
- The law of noncontradiction: A is not non-A (A man is not woman, The truth is not non-Truth)
- The law of the excluded middle: Either A or non-A (Either He is a man, or He isn’t, Either it is the Truth, or it Isn’t)
