Month: <span>March 2016</span>

Hebrews 11

The author of Hebrews argued that his audience should look to Jesus—their High Priest—for help to make it through their time of testing. Just when they were tempted to let go of their distinctly Christian posture, they received this note of pastoral correspondence. In Hebrews 11, the author of Hebrews (again) looked back to the Old Testament, this time in search of heroes who could inspire his congregation to keep pressing on faithfully. His search was fruitful.

Yet Hebrews 11 is not just a list of the greats of the Old Testament; the chapter has a theological argument as well. Here the author argued that in faith Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and company endured greater struggles than those his readers had faced. And the Old Testament saints accomplished such feats in the days of preparation, before the time of Christ, before the age of a divine intercessor, before the age of perfection (Heb 2:14-18, 4:14-16, 10:14-18). These Old Testament saints thus did more, with less. The author listed the faithful of old in order to persuade his audience to endure their present difficulty—since they lived in the age of open access to the throne of God itself (Heb 9:11-28; 10:19-23). In three places, the author quoted the Old Testament to reinforce the need for his audience to endure in faith just as Enoch, Abraham, and Jacob did.

(1) In Heb 11:5, the author quoted Gen 5:24 to remind his readers that Enoch walked with God by faith and was approved for his faithfulness. After Cain murdered Abel, the Lord gave Adam and Eve another third son, Seth (Gen 4:25). Enoch descended from Seth. The author of Genesis gave few details of Enoch’s life, writing simply that Enoch walked with God and God took him. The author of Hebrews cited Enoch as a model of faith and one who experienced God’s faithfulness. He wanted his audience to know that God knew their faithful commitment to Him and would see to it that they, like Enoch, were rewarded because they labored in faith to please God.

(2) In Heb 11:18, the author cited Abraham’s faithful offer of Isaac as a model of faith because God had told Abraham that Isaac would carry on the covenant promises (Gen 21:12). After Isaac was born, Sarah became jealous for her son and felt that Isaac was threatened by Hagar’s son Ishmael (Gen 21:1-10). Sarah demanded that Abraham drive Ishmael away and the Lord told Abraham to heed Sarah’s word, saying, “Your offspring will be traced through Isaac” (Gen 21:12). When the Lord later called Abraham to sacrifice Isaac—after just receiving confirmation that in Isaac the promises would carry on—Abraham had to trust God. According to the author of Hebrews in Heb 11:19, Abraham knew that God could even raise someone from the dead, and figuratively Abraham saw Isaac raised when the angel of the Lord intervened to stop Abraham from sacrificing his son (Gen 22:12).

(3) In Heb 11:21, the author quoted Gen 47:31 to remind his audience of Jacob’s endurance even in his old age, even in Egypt. When Jacob and his family traveled to Egypt in Genesis 47, Joseph and Pharaoh welcomed them. Jacob and his family settled in the land of Goshen, the best land of Egypt, for seventeen years, and they became prosperous. As Jacob aged and knew that his days on earth were drawing to a close, he asked Joseph to swear to him that Joseph would not bury him in Egypt (Gen 47:29-30). When Joseph swore to his father, Jacob bowed his head in worship (Gen 47:31). The author of Hebrews wanted his audience to imitate Jacob’s enduring faith (Heb 11:21) “outside the camp” (Heb 13:13).

Commentary Hebrews New Testament

Hebrews 8-10

In Hebrews 5-7 the author set forth several ideas confirming the superiority of Christ’s high priesthood—and the implications this had for his readers. They could be assured that the perfection of their Priest offered them the unique benefit of unfettered access to God. In Hebrews 8-10, the author expanded his sphere of thought to include the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice over those offered in the old covenant. He wanted his audience to see Jesus’ superiority in the storyline of Scripture.

(1) In Heb 8:5, the author quoted Exod 25:40 to establish that the old covenant was organized according to a pattern, a copy and shadow that anticipated the reality of Jesus’ heavenly mediatorial ministry. When the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai in Exodus 19, He gave Moses the law and the plans Moses was to follow for constructing the tabernacle so that Israel could enjoy God’s presence as they traveled toward Canaan. The Lord commanded Moses, “Be careful to make everything according to the model of them you have been shown on the Mountain” (Exod 25:40). The author of Hebrews wrote that Jesus was unique as a High Priest because of His eternal nature and place of ministry at God’s right hand in heaven (Heb 8:1-2). What the Lord showed Moses was a copy of what Jesus would fulfill in His death, resurrection, and ascension.

(2) In Heb 8:8-12; 10:16-17 the author quoted Jer 31:31-34 to propose that Jesus fulfilled Jeremiah’s promise of a new covenant and permanent forgiveness for God’s people. Jeremiah repeatedly chastised the people of Judah because they did not heed the lesson God taught them when Israel was carried into exile by the Assyrians. Since Judah persisted in idolatry just as Israel had practiced, the Lord would bring the Babylonians against Judah and carry them from the land as well. The people needed a new heart and eternal forgiveness—they needed a new covenant. In Jer 31:31-34, the Lord promised to make this new covenant with His people and the author of Hebrews wrote that Jesus inaugurated it when He offered His own blood to atone for the sins of His followers. The use of Jer 31:31-34 in Heb 8:8-12; 10:16-17 frames Hebrews 8-10 as a unit in which the author described the efficacy of Jesus’ blood to atone for sins in a way that exceeded any sacrifice offered in the old covenant—including the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16; Heb 9:1-10).

(3) In Heb 9:20, the author quoted Exod 24:8 to illustrate that only through the offering of blood does God forgive sins. After the Lord gave Israel the law through Moses (Exodus 19-23), Moses led the people in a ceremony to confirm their participation in the covenant. At the ceremony, Moses had young men from the various tribes offer sacrifices and he took some of the blood from the sacrifices and sprinkled it on the altar and the people (Exod 24:1-8). The author of Hebrews commented that the since the blood Moses sprinkled that day cleansed the earthly elements of the old covenant, so the blood of Jesus—offered at the consummation of the ages—has cleansed the heavenly tabernacle where Jesus ministers as the High Priest of the new covenant. There Jesus now appears in God’s presence for believers until He returns to provide eternal salvation for all who wait upon Him (Heb 9:23-28).

(4) In Heb 10:5-9, the author quoted Ps 40:6-8 as words Jesus spoke through His incarnation and substitutionary death to forgive the sins of His people. In Psalm 40, the psalmist cried out for deliverance and recounted his commitment to rely upon God from his heart. The psalmist recognized that God delights more in His people understanding His instruction and placing their confidence in Him than offering rote sacrifices. The author of Hebrews exploited the psalmist’s contrast between doing God’s will and offering sacrifices. Jesus fulfilled God’s will by offering Himself once for the forgiveness of sins, sanctifying His people forever.

(5) In Heb 10:30-31, the author quoted Deut 32:35-36 to warn his readers that God will punish all who turn from Christ. In Deuteronomy 32, Moses praised God for His covenant commitment to Israel and indicted the people for their failures. Moses reminded Israel that God would display His vengeance upon those who rebelled (Deut 32:35-36). According to the author of Hebrews, if God punished Israel for failing to adhere to their covenant commitments, how much more would He punish those who disregarded the blood of Jesus and spurned the Holy Spirit (Heb 10:30-31)? But the author of Hebrews was more optimistic than Moses. The author was confident that his audience would endure to receive what God had promised, recalling their earlier days of faithfulness to the confession of Christ and the ways they cared for the suffering community (Heb 10:32-39).

(6) In Heb 10:37-38, the author coordinated Isa 26:20 and Hab 2:3-4 to exhort his audience to confidently endure their trials in Christ. Isaiah exhorted Israel to wait upon the Lord during the rise of the Assyrian threat and Habakkuk likewise encourage Judah to wait on the Lord during the rise of the Babylonians. The words of the prophets offered a plural call for endurance, warning God’s people of the dangers of apostasy. The author of Hebrews quoted the prophets, saying, “For in yet a very little while, the coming One will come and not delay. But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him” (Heb 10:37-38). The author was confident that his audience would heed God’s word and endure. Placing himself amongst them he wrote, “But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life” (Heb 10:39).

Commentary Hebrews New Testament

Hebrews 5-7

By setting forth the superiority of Jesus’ high priesthood, the author of Hebrews sought to prove his thesis that during times of testing believers should look to Jesus for help. The flow of thought in Hebrews 5-7 would not be valid if both the author and the audience had not understood the Old Testament itself as a valid witness of God’s historical dealings with humanity. The author understood the Old Testament in light of Christ, and the storyline of redemptive history.

(1) In Heb 5:5, the author applied Ps 2:7 to Jesus in order to reinforce that God had addressed Jesus as His Son, authenticating the Son’s priestly ministry on earth. In Psalm 2, the psalmist portrayed Israel’s King as God’s representative on earth. God anointed the King and addressed the King as His Son (Ps 2:2, 7). From Mount Zion, God’s anointed King ruled with might (Ps 2:6-9). Thus, in vain the leaders of the earth took their stand against the Lord and His Son Who ruled as King (Ps 2:2). In Hebrews 1-2, the author compared Jesus to angels and argued that God’s revelatory work in Jesus surpassed what He had given through angels. The author cited Ps 2:7 in Heb 1:5 to accentuate his point. He wrote, “For to which of the angels did He ever say, ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.” In the author of Hebrews’ logic, Ps 2:7 was God’s word to Jesus seated at His right hand. The author of Hebrews also saw in Ps 2:7 God’s word confirming Jesus’ priestly authority. In Heb 5:1-4, the author noted that priests in the old covenant dealt mercifully with the people because the priests themselves also had sins for which they had to offer sacrifices. Serving as a priest was an honorable mediatorial task as the priest stood between God and man and lived to tell about it. No man took the priestly office for himself but had to be called by God to stand before God on behalf of sinners. Jesus too, the author of Hebrews wrote, did not of Himself become a high priest who would lay down His life for the sins of the people (Heb 2:17-18; 4:14-16). Instead, in accord with Ps 2:7, God said to Jesus, “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father” (Heb 5:5).

(2) In Heb 5:6; 6:20; 7:17, 21 the author applied Ps 110:4 to Jesus in order to portray God’s oath that Jesus is an eternal priest. The author of Psalm 110 recorded God’s oath which established Israel’s king in a place of political and religious authority over the nation. The king is seated at God’s right hand (Ps 110:1) and God is at his right hand (Ps 110:5). God promised that the king would rule with power over his enemies, crushing foreign kings when God expressed His wrath against them through the king He placed over Israel (Ps 110:2-3, 5-6). The Lord swore to the king that he would serve not only as Israel’s ruler but Israel’s priest forever, in accord with Melchizedek’s eternal priesthood (Ps 110:4). In Gen 14:17-24, Melchizedek served as the priest to God Most High in Salem. Melchizedek blessed Abraham when the patriarch returned from rescuing Lot from a cohort of kings that attacked the region of Sodom and Gomorrah. Melchizedek was recognized as a priest even before the Lord established Aaron and the Levites as priests. Melchizedek had no genealogy and was thus an eternal priest. In Heb 5:6, the author of Hebrews appended Ps 110:4, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek,” to his citation of Ps 2:7 in order to underscore that God Himself swore Jesus into His office as an eternal High Priest. The author of Hebrews quoted Ps 110:4 in Heb 7:21 to reinforce his point: God swore an oath that Jesus is an eternal High Priest. Jesus performed His priestly ministry on earth at the cross but because He is an eternal priest, He yet serves as an advocate for believers in heaven (Heb 6:20). Melchizedek was an eternal priest because he had no genealogy and the author of Genesis recorded no date of birth or death; Jesus serves as an eternal priest because He has an indestructible life (Heb 7:16-17).

(3) In Heb 6:14, the author quoted Gen 22:17 to encourage his audience in God’s faithfulness to His promise of blessing. In Genesis 22, the Lord told Abraham to go to Mount Moriah and there offer the sacrifice of his son, his only son, Isaac. Abraham obeyed God, willing to sacrifice the child of promise. When Abraham raised his hand to slay his son on the altar, the angel of the Lord intervened and stopped Abraham from completing the sacrifice. Abraham had passed the test of faith. The Lord swore an oath that He would bless the patriarch with many offspring because Abraham feared the Lord and obeyed His word when tested (Gen 22:17-18). The author of Hebrews was concerned that his friends endure to inherit the promises they had received in the new covenant (Heb 12:25-29; 13:10-14). In order to explain the stability of God’s promises—and encourage the congregation’s perseverance—he described God’s faithfulness to Abraham when He swore that He would bless and multiply Abraham’s descendants (Heb 6:14).

Commentary Hebrews New Testament

Hebrews 3-4

The author of Hebrews wrote to encourage his audience in Christ lest they falter from their faith. The heroes of Israel were examples of faithfulness despite greater opposition than what the audience of Hebrews or Jesus endured (Heb 11:1-12:2). The author of Hebrews encouraged his audience to look out for one another (Heb 3:12-14; 10:19-25; 12:14-17) that they might endure the persecution that had come upon them (Heb 10:32-34). Israel’s failure to enter God’s rest provided an example of what the author of Hebrews wanted his audience to avoid. He surveyed the storyline of the Old Testament from Genesis-Psalms to remind his audience of their special place in God’s plan of redemption, in Christ.

(1) In Heb 3:5, the author noted Moses’ faithfulness to God in the old covenant. When Moses led Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, the Lord confirmed Moses as the leader of Israel. After Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry ground and Pharaoh’s army drowned in the returning waters, the Israelites feared the Lord and believed in Him and His servant Moses (Exod 14:31). When Miriam and Aaron rebelled against Moses, the Lord spoke to them in a pillar of cloud at the entrance of the tabernacle and reaffirmed that Moses was His special servant, the one with whom He spoke directly (Num 12:7-8). In Deut 18:15, Moses told Israel that one day the Lord would raise up a prophet like him and they should listen to the one the Lord would send them. The author of Hebrews affirmed that Moses was faithful as a servant in God’s household but said that Christ was faithful as the Son over God’s household (Heb 3:6a). The author identified believers as those belonging to Christ’s household provided that they would confidently maintain their hope in Him unto the end (Heb 3:6b).

(2) In Heb 3:8-11, 13, 15; 4:3, 7, the author quoted from Psalm 95 to warn his audience concerning the dangers of apostasy. David wrote Psalm 95 to exhort Israel to worship the Lord faithfully—lest they resemble the wilderness generation that failed to persevere in faith and were prevented from entering the Promised Land. David noted that as early as Exodus 17, just after the exodus, the wilderness generation complained against God for lack of water. And they complained when the spies sent to scout out Canaan returned with an unfaithful report about the prospects of taking the land (Numbers 12-14). Because of the latter failure, David noted, the Lord forbade Israel from entering His rest in the Promised Land. In applying Psalm 95 to his audience, the author of Hebrews said, “Watch out, brothers, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God” (Heb 3:12). To accomplish this, the believers—companions of the Messiah (Heb 3:14)—needed to encourage each other daily and be reminded that none of the rebellious in the wilderness generation survived (Heb 3:16-19).

(3) In Heb 4:4, the author quoted Gen 2:2 as the basis of his observation that a Sabbath rest remained for those in the household of Christ. Though the wilderness generation failed to enter God’s rest, that did not mean that the promise of entering God’s rest was nullified. The author of Hebrews noted that after completing His work of creation, God rested (Gen 2:2). God instituted the Sabbath as a day in which Israel could experience His rest every week (Exod 16:23; 20:8-11; Exod 35:1-3; Deut 5:12-15) and promised to drive out Israel’s enemies in Canaan so that the Promised Land could be a place of rest for His people (Exod 33:14; Josh 21:43-45). The author of Hebrews observed that: (a) since the promise of a Sabbath rest with God had never been repealed, and (b) the wilderness generation did not enter that rest even under Joshua’s leadership—verified by David’s statement in Ps 95:11 that Israel did not enter God’s rest in the Promised Land (Heb 3:11; 4:3, 5), then (c) a promised Sabbath rest was available perpetually and eternally for his audience as they obeyed Christ. The author urged his readers to labor that they might enter God’s rest (Heb 4:11) because, “the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart” (Heb 4:12). Since God’s rest could be found in Christ, the High Priest of the new covenant, the author urged his readers, saying, “Let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time” (Heb 4:16).

Commentary Hebrews New Testament

Hebrews 1-2

The audience of Hebrews was tempted to set themselves again under the umbrella of the synagogue—a religious community accepted by the Roman Empire. Such a move would provide these believers the benefits of their earthly citizenship and allow them to live in peace with their neighbors. The author argued that, as Christians, his audience enjoyed a better priest than any that existed in Israel (Heb 5:1-8:6), a better covenant than the old (Heb 8:7-9:10), and a better sacrifice than any offered since the inception of the law (Heb 9:11-10:18). The Epistle of Hebrews is thus a call to maintain a distinctly Christian posture, and—in light of future security (Heb 12:25-29; 13:10-15)—endure whatever consequences might arise. These believers needed to live as a tightly knit community if they were to endure the trials that had come upon them (Heb 3:12-14; 10:19-35; 13:1-7). The author wanted his readers to know of their special place as the people of Christ and thus explained the Old Testament in light of Jesus.

(1) In Heb 1:5-6, the author applied Ps 2:7; 2 Sam 7:14; and Ps 97:7 to portray Jesus’ superiority over angels. In Psalm 2, the author reflected on the powerful position of Israel’s king. God established the king as His Son to rule in the midst of His enemies. Though the leaders of the earth would conspire against God and the Son He anointed as king, they would fail. When David wanted to build a temple for the Lord, the Lord told David that his son would build the temple. God said, “I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me” (2 Sam 7:14). In Psalm 97, the psalmist described the Lord as the King of His people and the ruler of creation. All the idols and all the nations were thus to worship Israel’s God (Ps 97:7). The author of Hebrews quoted Ps 97:7 to describe the angels worshipping Jesus at His incarnation.

(2) In Heb 1:7, the author described angels as transient ministering spirits, in light of Ps 104:4. In Psalm 104, the psalmist noted God’s greatness as the Creator of the universe. And God created winds as His messengers and flames of fire as His servants. Angels, the author of Hebrews noted, were like that. God sent them to serve those who would be saved (Heb 1:14) but they were not saviors.

(3) In Heb 1:8-13, the author quoted Pss 45:6-7; 102:25-27; and 110:1 to reinforce Jesus’ superiority over angels. In Psalm 45, the psalmist described the glory of Israel’s king on his wedding day. The psalmist noted God’s special covenant with the king, reminding those in attendance at the wedding that God rules forever and anointed the king because the king loved righteousness and justice (Ps 45:6-7). The author of Hebrews quoted all of Ps 45:6-7 as a reference to Jesus, placing Jesus not only in the place of Israel’s king but also in the place of God, the One ruling His kingdom forever and ever. In Heb 1:10-12, the author again took a psalm that described the greatness of Israel’s God and cited it as a reference to Jesus. In the midst of suffering, the psalmist that wrote Psalm 102 cried out to God and reminded his readers that God created the world and would never change. The author of Hebrews read Ps 102:25-27 as a description of Jesus’ superiority over transient angels. And Ps 110:1 concluded the author’s portrayal of Jesus’ greatness over angels (Heb 1:13). God never invited an angel to sit at His right hand.

(4) In Heb 2:6-9, the author quoted Ps 8:4-6 to portray Jesus’ humanity and deity. Psalm 8 begins and ends with the same line: “LORD, our Lord, how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth!” The psalmist praised God for His creative acts and the place the Lord gave to humanity as those who would rule creation. The psalmist knew God’s supremacy and rejoiced that God made humanity a little lower than the angels, crowning mankind with glory and honor (Ps 8:4-6). The author of Hebrews saw in Ps 8:4-6 themes that would help his audience understand Jesus’ lowliness as a man and His exaltation as God’s Son. Jesus took up human flesh, lowering Himself in comparison with angels, so that through death He would be exalted above them, having accomplished redemption that angelic mediators could never secure.

(5) In Heb 2:12-13, the author cited Ps 22:22 and Isa 8:17-18 as statements Jesus spoke in His incarnation. In Psalm 22, the psalmist endured physical, spiritual, and social hardships. He began the psalm saying, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Ps 22:1). While previous generations had cried out to God and received help in times of trouble, the psalmist felt that God had turned from him (Ps 22:4-5). Despite the psalmist’s present moment of grief, he committed himself to trust God and praise Him among His people when the deliverance came (Ps 22:22-31). The author of Hebrews noted that Jesus was lower than the angels in one aspect: He took up human flesh. The author of Hebrews explained Jesus’ incarnation as His confession of Ps 22:22. Jesus was not ashamed to call humanity His kin and thus effectively said, “I will proclaim Your name to My brothers; I will sing hymns to You in the congregation” (Heb 2:12). In Isaiah 7, King Ahaz rebuffed the Lord’s offer of aid when Israel and Syria tried to overtake Judah so as to form a united front against the Assyrians. Instead of trusting God, Ahaz made an alliance with the king of Assyria (2 Kgs 16:1-9). The Lord told Isaiah to endure the king’s foolishness and Isaiah replied that he would gather the prophets he was leading, and they would trust God’s care for them (Isa 8:17-18). The author of Hebrews saw Isaiah’s bold identification with the prophets under his care as a foreshadowing of Jesus’ identification with God and humanity in His incarnation. Jesus boldly sang His identification with the human race. The author of Hebrews wrote, “He had to be like His brothers in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Heb 2:17).

Commentary Hebrews New Testament

Titus

First Timothy and Titus have several points of correspondence, such as concerns for healthy church leadership (1 Tim 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9); the necessity of opposing false teaching (1 Tim 4:1-4, 6:3-12 and Titus 1:10-16, 3:8-11); and relational norms for the church (1 Tim 5:1-2, 6:1-2 and Titus 2:1-14). Even so, there is much that is unique to each letter. Paul wrote to Timothy regarding the needs in Ephesus (1 Tim 1:3); his letter to Titus was specific to the situation on the isle of Crete (Titus 1:5). Paul’s concern for Timothy was to fight heresy in the church (1 Tim 1:3-11; 4:6-10; 6:3-16); his concern for Titus was that Titus help the church in Crete to get off on the right foot. Paul encouraged Titus to instruct the believers of Crete concerning the obligations that accompany the blessings of the gospel. Paul’s exhortations to Titus reflected his understanding that in Christ and the coming of the Spirit, God fulfilled Old Testament prophesies concerning the last days.

(1) In Titus 2:13, Paul described the glorious appearing of Christ in language the prophets used to describe God’s glory on the day of judgement. Isaiah announced the day of the Lord’s servant, when He would appear to gather His people (Isa 49:5). Isaiah prophesied that the Lord would appear with glory and power on the day of judgement (Isa 66:14-15). In Daniel 7, the prophet received a vision of the kingdoms that would rule the earth. At an appointed time, One like a son of man approached to receive authority from the Most High and rule for Him. Daniel noted the glory of the appearing of the son of man, stating that He came with the clouds of heaven to approach God’s throne (Dan 7:13-14). Paul wrote that the believers on the isle of Crete were to practice the good works of the gospel because of what Christ had done for them and because they looked forward to the day of His return. Paul portrayed Jesus in light of Old Testament descriptions of God on the day He would judge the earth but also directly stated Jesus’ deity by calling Him God and Savior (Titus 2:13).

(2) In Titus 1:16; 2:14; 3:8, 14, Paul noted the importance of good works that would be visible to the world, reflecting the imagery of Deut 4:1-8. Moses spoke to Israel on the plains of Moab, as the people prepared for the conquest of Canaan. He reminded Israel that God had chosen them and established them as His people to do the good works of the law in the Promised Land so that all nations would see His glory and want Him as their God (Deut 4:1-8). All of this was based upon the Exodus event—when God had redeemed His people from Egypt. The new community under Titus’s care was founded upon Jesus Christ’s act of self-sacrifice and the promise of His glorious return. Paul commanded the redeemed people of Christ to devote themselves to do good works that would testify of God’s greatness to the watching world.

(3) In Titus 3:5-6, Paul described the role of the Holy Spirit in salvation with the language of Ezek 36:24-37:14. In Ezekiel 36-37, the prophet foretold the day of God’s grace upon His people, when He would awaken them by His Spirit. Ezekiel noted that the Lord would sprinkle Israel and Judah with pure water so that they would be pure (Ezek 36:25). He said that the Lord would put His Spirit within His people so that they would obey Him (Ezek 36:26-27). Paul wrote that though rulers and authorities may have been thought “foolish, disobedient, deceived, captives of various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another” (Titus 3:3), the Cretan believers themselves had once walked the same path. Nonetheless, God’s goodness and love were poured out on them in Christ and by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:3-7). God saved the Cretans by the washing and regeneration from the Spirit. Paul wrote, “This Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:6-7).

Commentary New Testament Titus

2 Timothy

Paul’s literary style in 2 Timothy distinguishes it not only from the general Pauline Epistles but from the other Pastorals as well. Paul was writing to Timothy from prison, sure that he would not be free again (quite different from the situation of Acts 28:30-31 and Phil 1:21-26). Paul longed for Timothy to bring him a cloak and the books and parchments containing the Old Testament (2 Tim 4:13). Even though Paul did not have copies of the Scriptures when he wrote 2 Timothy, his mind was so steeped in them that he weaved them through the course of his exhortation for Timothy to remain faithful to the end.

(1) In 2 Tim 1:7-2:2, Paul portrayed God’s call on him and Timothy in language that was used to describe God’s call on Joshua. In Joshua 1, the author recorded the Lord’s exhortation to Joshua as Moses’ apprentice prepared to lead Israel into the Promised Land. The Lord promised Joshua that He would be with Joshua just as He was with Moses (Josh 1:3-5, 9). Joshua was thus to be strong and courageous and give attention to the law that the Lord had given Moses (Josh 1:6-8). Paul called Timothy to endure the difficulties that would come upon him as he guarded the deposit of the gospel (2 Tim 1:1-2:13). Paul exhorted Timothy to zealously use his gifts (2 Tim 1:6), reminding Timothy that God had given them a spirit of courage and strength (2 Tim 1:7). Yet, reflecting the framework of Josh 1:6-9, Paul exhorted Timothy not to be ashamed of the testimony about Jesus as Lord (2 Tim 1:8). God Himself had entrusted that message to Paul (2 Tim 1:12) and to Timothy (2 Tim 1:13-14). Paul urged Timothy to pass along the entrustment to faithful men who would guard God’s word generation after generation (2 Tim 2:2).

(2) In 2 Tim 2:19, Paul referenced Num 16:5 to encourage Timothy to be confident in the Lord despite opposition. In Numbers 16, Korah led a group of more than 250 leaders to rebel against Moses (Num 16:1-3). They accused Moses and Aaron of lording their authority over the people. Korah and his league claimed that the entire Israelite community was holy and therefore everyone should have equal input into future decisions. Moses replied, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to Him, who is set apart, and the one He will let come near Him. He will let the one He chooses come near to Him” (Num 16:5). Like Moses, Paul knew that the Lord would vindicate him, and Timothy, from the attacks of unbelieving opponents. Paul urged Timothy to be diligent as a servant of God, correctly handling His word (2 Tim 2:15). Timothy’s speech was to be reverent and God-centered (2 Tim 2:15-16). Some of Timothy’s opponents had proposed that the resurrection of believers had already taken place (2 Tim 2:17-18) and Paul told Timothy to avoid engaging these false teachers lest their heretical messages gain a wider audience. Paul’s warning for Timothy to avoid debating those in error had a theological foundation. Quoting Num 16:5, Paul encouraged Timothy, saying, “The Lord knows those who are His” (2 Tim 2:19a). As Timothy and company avoided the rebellious ones of their own day, they showed themselves set apart to the Lord. Abstaining from the passions of argumentation, disputes and quarrels (2 Tim 2:22-23)—while displaying gentleness, intelligence, and patience (2 Tim 2:24)—they would show themselves to be holy to the Lord.

2 Timothy Commentary New Testament

1 Timothy 4-6

In 1 Timothy, Paul wrote his young friend to encourage him to remain in Ephesus and establish the church in good doctrine. Those opposing the church perverted the gospel of grace—which Paul had experienced and in turn entrusted to Timothy (1 Tim 1:12-19). Paul reminded his readers that the gracious gospel of Christ was to be the foundation of prayer, relationships, and leadership in the church (1 Tim 2:1-3:6). He wanted his audience to view the Old Testament in light of God’s revelation in Christ, as part of the storyline of God’s redemptive purposes.

(1) In 1 Tim 4:1-5, Paul argued against those who proposed that Christians needed to observe the Old Testament food laws. In Lev 11:1-23, 41-47, Moses commanded Israel to abstain from specific species of animals, marking these animals as unclean for God’s people. Moses repeated these commands in Deut 14:1-21. By marking certain foods as unclean, Israel would be marked as God’s holy people when they refused to eat what other nations freely consumed. Peter was thus shocked when the Lord told him in a dream to take up and eat foods that Moses forbade Israel to eat (Acts 10:9-16). Paul confronted Peter for promoting food laws when Peter came from Jerusalem to Antioch (Gal 2:11-14). In Paul’s mind, those in the church in Ephesus who were promoting food laws were under a demonic influence (1 Tim 4:1-3). As a servant of Christ Jesus, Timothy was to point out that marriage and food were to be viewed as holy, sanctified by the word of God and prayer (1 Tim 4:4-6).

(2) In 1 Tim 5:4, Paul wrote that children of a needy widow should practice their religion and care for her, echoing the fifth commandment. In Exod 20:12 and Deut 5:16, the Lord commanded His people to honor their parents. In Leviticus 19, Moses commanded Israel to be holy before the Lord and one another, loving God and their neighbor. In Lev 19:2-3, the Lord told Moses, “Speak to the entire Israelite community and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. Each of you is to respect his mother and father. You are to keep My Sabbaths; I am the LORD your God.” As believers in the church looked out for the needs of their parents, they would alleviate the church from bearing the burden of financially supporting widows with resources that could be used to advance the gospel through missionary endeavors.

(3) In 1 Tim 5:18, Paul quoted Deut 25:4 to reinforce his argument that church elders should be paid for their labor. In Deut 25:1-4, Moses wrote commands regarding justice and mercy in the community of Israel. His stipulations applied to humans at court and animals in the pasture. Moses wrote, “Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain” (Deut 25:4). Paul saw in Moses’ command a basis for churches paying elders who labored in the word (1 Tim 5:17-18). Paul cited Deut 25:4 in 1 Cor 9:9, arguing that churches should support the apostles, even though he gave up the right of support from the Corinthians.

(4) In 1 Tim 5:19-21, Paul reflected Deut 19:15 when describing the process for correcting a sinful elder. In Deut 19:15-21, Moses wrote procedures that would ensure a fair trial when an Israelite was accused of wrongdoing: “A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deut 19:15). Jesus cited Deut 19:15 in Matt 18:16 when He established the practice of confronting a brother in sin so as to win the brother back to the community of the church. Paul wrote that elders who were accused of sin needed to be treated with the same due process that Jesus established for the church at large. No elder was to be condemned by a single witness.

(5) In 1 Tim 6:15-16, Paul employed the language of Deut 10:17 to describe God’s sovereign plan to send Christ back to earth at the time He has appointed. In Deuteronomy 10, Israel renewed their covenant with the Lord and Moses exhorted the people to keep their covenant commitment by obeying the law. Moses reminded the people that the Lord is the Lord of all lords and the God of all gods, acting with perfect justice in all that He did (Deut 10:17). Paul echoed Moses’ language in 1 Tim 6:15, reminding Timothy and the church in Ephesus that God had already appointed the day when Christ would return for them.

1 Timothy Commentary New Testament

1 Timothy 1-3

While 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus, were personal correspondence, their contents were directed toward the church communities in Ephesus and Crete. These new assemblies, and their leaders, were forced to deal with issues of both Christian doctrine and Christian practice. Paul was concerned that his readers understand the law in light of Christ (1 Tim 1:3-11, Tit 3:9-11). He urged the churches to distribute money justly (1 Tim 5:3-18), endure the battles of ministry (1 Tim 4:1-5:2; 2 Tim 4:1-8), and choose church leaders who would demonstrate and teach the message of Christ (1 Tim 3:1-13; Tit 1:5-9). In the Pastoral Epistles, Paul wrote that Christian doctrine was to form the beliefs and behavior of an orderly church. He advanced his argument by referencing Old Testament individuals and texts in light of God’s revelation in Christ.

(1) In 1 Tim 1:3-5, Paul contrasted the truthfulness of his ministry with the deceptive patterns of his opponents, reflecting Jeremiah’s statements about his own ministry situation. Repeatedly in Jeremiah, the prophet lamented that he spoke God’s truth while the other prophets of Judah proclaimed lies to the people. In Jeremiah 7, Jeremiah stood in the temple and exhorted the people to repent. He confronted those who proclaimed deceptive words and urged the people that they were secure because they could yet go to the Lord’s temple (Jer 7:4). The false prophets deceived the people by urging them to trust in their national status rather than God. These false prophets spoke lies in God’s name (Jer 14:14). Jeremiah wrote, “They keep on saying to those who despise Me: The LORD has said: you will have peace, To everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his heart they have said, No harm will come to you” (Jer 23:17). Paul’s opponents operated from the same frame of thought, promoting salvation through myths and Jewish genealogical records rather than faith (1 Tim 1:3-4). Like the false prophets in Jeremiah’s day, those who opposed Paul and Timothy engaged in fruitless discussion of the law and gave their audiences a sense of false security (1 Tim 1:4-7). Paul countered that the law could not provide any greater security than what God provided His people in Christ (1 Tim 1:8-11).

(2) In 1 Tim 2:5, Paul’s theological paradigm reflected Israel’s confessional statement in Deut 6:4. After Moses reviewed Israel’s travels from Mount Sinai to their settlement on the far side of the Jordan river (Deuteronomy 1-4), he reviewed for Israel the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5. Moses then said, “Listen, Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is One” (Deut 6:4). As long as Israel recognized the unity and singularity and holiness of the Lord, and loved Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deut 6:5), they would enjoy success in the Promised Land. In 1 Tim 2:1-7, Paul wrote that the church was to be devoted to prayer in its public gatherings, interceding especially for kings and those in authority so that the church would be an evangelistic and peaceful community. Paul grounded his instructions regarding prayer in the theology of Deut 6:4, writing, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time” (2 Tim 2:5-6).

(3) In 1 Tim 2:13-15, Paul wrote that church order was to reflect the roles of Adam and Eve described in Gen 2:18-3:16. In the record of Genesis, the Lord formed Eve from Adam and set them in the garden to work it together in fellowship with Him. When the serpent tempted Eve, she ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—disobeying God’s command. Then, Adam took and ate, entering into the same sinful state Eve had entered when she ate. The Lord judged the serpent, Eve, and Adam, telling Eve that she would have to endure pain in childbearing. Paul wrote that when the church gathered for prayer, it was to be led by temperate men (1 Tim 2:8) and modestly adorned women (1 Tim 2:9-11). Paul’s instructions reflected the gender curses the Lord issued to Eve and Adam in the garden. He wrote that when the church gathered, women were not to usurp the authority of their husband. Though women would have to endure the pain of childbirth, they would yet be saved by faith and its fruit in the community of the church (1 Tim 2:13-15).

1 Timothy Commentary New Testament

2 Thessalonians

After Paul and Silas endured a great conflict in Philippi, their second missionary journey took them to the nearby Macedonian city of Thessalonica (Acts 16:11-17:9). They ministered in Thessalonica for just three weeks. The brevity of their service there was not indicative of an ineffective ministry or an unresponsive people. The Thessalonians proved the genuineness of their conversion by enduring hardship and persecution for the gospel (1 Thess 1:5-8; 3:3-5). After Timothy returned from Thessalonica, he met Paul in Corinth with news that the Thessalonians remained strong despite their Christian hardships (Acts 18:5; 1 Thess 3:6-10). The news from Timothy prompted Paul to write 1 Thessalonians. Paul followed up with 2 Thessalonians to reemphasize the glory of the church’s sufferings, the certain judgment of their opponents, and the fact that the Lord’s return was yet in the future. To portray God’s judgement at the return of Christ, Paul used language the Old Testament prophets used when they described the Day of the Lord.

(1) In 2 Thess 1:8, Paul described fire as the means of God’s wrath, echoing Israel’s prophets. In the final chapter of his prophecy, Isaiah sketched a framework of the final judgement when God would save His faithful ones and destroy the wicked. “Look, the LORD will come with fire,” Isaiah said, “His chariots are like the whirlwind—to execute his anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire” (Isa 66:15). In Jeremiah 10, the prophet confronted the people of Judah for their idolatry and lamented that pagan nations had consumed God’s people. Jeremiah beseeched God to change course and pour out His wrath on those who made the land desolate rather than chastising His people yet again (Jer 10:25). Paul told the Thessalonians that their endurance of persecution authenticated their participation in God’s kingdom (2 Thess 1:3-5). He went on to encourage the church that in His wrath God would repay their opponents with a fiery affliction. What Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesied concerning the judgement, Paul interpreted in light of God’s glorious revelation in Christ. Those who rejected Christ would suffer God’s wrath.

(2) In 2 Thess 1:9-10, Paul noted that at the judgement, the wicked would be spatially separated from the righteous, reflecting imagery found in Isaiah 2. Isaiah prophesied that on the Day of the Lord, the Lord would exhibit His wrath toward Israel for their idolatry and divination. Isaiah exhorted the people to flee to the rocks and take refuge in the dusty caves away from the terror of the Lord and His glorious presence (Isa 2:10, 21). The prophet condemned the people for their pride and prophesied that they would be brought low before the Lord when He came to judge those who rejected His instruction. Paul wrote that when the Lord Jesus and His powerful angels were revealed from heaven (2 Thess 1:7), those who opposed the Thessalonians would be sentenced to everlasting destruction “away from the Lord’s presence and from His glorious strength” (2 Thess 1:9).

(3) In 2 Thess 1:7, 12, Paul described the glory of Jesus in accord with the prophets’ statements about the glory of the Lord on the day of judgement. In Isaiah 49, the prophet addressed the nations surrounding Israel and urged them to understand that Israel was the Lord’s servant, the people through whom He would glorify Himself (Isa 49:3). Malachi also prophesied that the Lord was jealous for His name to be recognized as glorious among the nations (Mal 1:11). Isaiah prophesied that at the judgement, some will mock, saying, “Let the LORD be glorified, so that we can see your joy!” (Isa 66:5). The prophet noted that the Lord would speak from His temple to repay those who spoke mocking words (Isa 66:6). Paul encouraged the Thessalonians that on the day of Christ’s return, His name would be glorified among them and they would be recognized by the Lord as His people—despite what their opponents had done to them (2 Thess 1:7, 12).

2 Thessalonians Commentary New Testament