Tag Archives: Jesus

We had rather You shoved off.

14 Thursday Apr 2016

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gerasene

Rabbi, we Gadarenes
Are not ascetics; we are fond of wealth and possessions.
Love, as You call it, we obviate by means
Of the planned release of aggressions.

We have deep faith in properity.
Soon, it is hoped, we will reach our full potential.
In the light of our gross product, the practice of charity
Is palpably non-essential.

It is true that we go insane;
That for no good reason we are possessed by devils;
That we suffer, despite the amenities which obtain
At all but the lowest levels.

We shall not, however, resign
Our trust in the high-heaped table and the full trough.
If You cannot cure us without destroying our swine,
We had rather You shoved off.

–Richard Wilbur, Matthew viii.28

Background. Wilbur is referring to the story of Jesus healing a demoniac. The demons leave the man and enter a herd of swine feeding nearby (Jews, of course, were forbidden to eat swine). The swine stampede into the lake and die. The people of the town seem to not care that a monster has returned to being a man. Instead, they are angry that they lost their pigs and blame Jesus.

Matthew 8:28–34 (ESV)

28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32 And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

What happens in John 15:2a?

25 Thursday Feb 2016

Posted by in Greek Translation, John, Uncategorized

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These are very rough draft notes on John 15:2. I just want to be able to find them again.

The question is whether the phrase “he takes away” can mean, God the Father sees a branch dragging on the ground. He picks it up (a perfectly possible translation), he raises it, so that he will be up off the ground and there the struggling branch will be able to bear fruit.

The word airei merely means to pick up and usually move. It translates the OT nasah bear and so it has a very broad range of meanings. Cicero made a joke about Augustus: “we need to Airei Augustus” which means we need to raise him: first raise him in political power and then raise him onto a cross to kill him.
πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν αἴρει αὐτό,
all branches in me not it is bearing fruit he raises [?] it

καὶ
and

πᾶν τὸ καρπὸν φέρον καθαίρει αὐτὸ ἵνα ⸂καρπὸν πλείονα⸃ φέρῃ.
each the fruit it is bearing he cleanses it for the purpose/with the result that fruit more it may bear

(The participle pheron mean that the action of bearing is subordinate to what God does about it.)

There are two clauses which are coordinated by “kai” (and). Kai coordinates two separate clauses which have the same value — neither is subordinate to the other. It tells us nothing about whether we should translate the language into English as “and” or “but”.

The question is whether there are three categories of branches or two in the passage: bearing/not bearing [because dead], or three: Living branches which bear and do not bearing, and non-bearing branches.

In the remainder of the passage he contrasts between living and dead branches only. That would lean toward the same two categories in this sentence.

Next point, the first clause (every branch that does not bear fruit) is missing the “in order that” (hina) and the conclusion

If a branch does not bear fruit, he picks it up [______________]
If a breach does not bear fruit, he cleans it off, hina it will bear more fruit.

What is the purpose that God airei the not bearing branch? It must be implied from the passage. It can’t be implied from the next clause: bear more fruit, because it has not given any fruit at all.
And, what is the difference between raising the branch and cleansing the branch? Wouldn’t cleansing include, if necessary, encouragement (which is what the Airei means lift up argument is)?

Another argument

If does not bear, then Raise (?)
If does bear, the cleanse.

If you are not in me, you will not bear.
If you remain in me, you will bear.
Those that remain are those that bear.
Those that do not remain, are those that do not bear.

Those that do not bear = those that do not remain.
They picked up and thrown out.

Those that do bear=those that do remain
They are cleansed and they will ask/glorify/bear

As I go through it, I can’t see how there can be this third category of branches — non-bearing, true branches. I think the appeal is that “prune” sounds wholly painful. But cleanse does not need to be negative. It can be mean to clean a wound, pull weeds, run off monsters, purify blood. Notice also that the cleansing takes place by means of the word I have spoken. Also in chapter 13, Jesus cleans the disciples by washing their feet.

All of the encouragement which is sought with the attractive “he lifts up to help” interpretation of verse 2 is already present in “he cleans” in verse 2.

Final argument: I have never grown grapes, but I am willing to bet that grapes will still fruit if the vine is on the ground. I am thinking about tomatoes which grow best — for human consumption — when the branches are kept off the ground, but the tomato will still fruit even if the branches are on the ground.

Book Review: Shepherds After My Own Heart, Timothy S. Laniak

02 Wednesday Dec 2015

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Short version: If you are a pastor, buy and read this book

Long version:

Laniak has written a biblical theology of the Shepherd-Motif which begins in the Pentateuch and ends in Revelation. While the book does create a basis for understanding the work of a pastor in daily church work and does make occasional “practical” comments, this book is not a how-to of the pastor’s office.

It is precisely this lack of detailed “practical” information which I think makes this book particularly useful and necessary. Too many pastoral books and blogs are written without a sufficient grounding in theology. Pastors are trained to be pragmatists, not pastors, and thus have done a better job at filling building, selling things and moving people around than they have in leading people safely to Christ.

Lanai rightly explains, “Biblically, leadership can only be understood in terms of a fully integrated theological vision of God and his work on work” (249). This is where his book is so needed:

Our theology of leadership is informed by this breathtaking choice of God to grant royal prerogatives to his creatures. To be made in his image is rule with him and for him….Every shepherd leader is first and always a sheep who relates to god as ‘my Shepherd.’ (248).

Shepherding is a profoundly theological task — and thus the theology must be rightly understood.

Christ is the True God-Man Shepherd:

Laniak reads the Scripture as one of progressive revelation (thus working out biblical theology in the lines set out by Vos), showing out the pastoral imagery is made complete in Christ.

He begins the work with a useful discussion of metaphor. He explains not merely the how of metaphor, but also the why: metaphors teach us and affect us: “It is precisely in the combining of cognitive content with affective associations that metaphor gains its power” (39). Metaphors help us to understand by both explaining to us and changing us. It is one thing to say that God is in control for our good; it is better to say that God cares for us like a shepherd.

That leads to the second chapter: If we will understand the metaphor, we must understand the original. Most of the readers will be like me — I am not a shepherd from the ANE and I have never been shepherd. My sheep time amounted to a few minutes in a petting zoo at the fair.

Thus, Laniak gives a detailed treatment of the shepherd’s work and the shepherd’s economy. He also shows how the shepherd image was a common one throughout the ANE.

Having provided a background, Laniak begins his analysis of God as the shepherd of Israel in the wilderness during the Exodus. This theme of God as the wilderness shepherd is a strand which Laniak traces throughout the Scripture, tying the understanding of the wilderness shepherd to Jesus as the Shepherd of the Church. The Scripture has an organic whole where the first elements culminate in the last:

The Shepherd of Israel was, through Israel, seeking a remnant from all the nations (cf. Amos 9:12), i.e., ‘sheep which are not of this fold’ (John 10:16 NASB). (93)

Next comes the Davidic King as the development of God as the Kingly Shepherd over the people of God. Unfortunately, the actual kings of God’s people were corrupt and not fit undershepherds of Israel’s God. Therefore, God sent prophets who rebuked the false shepherds and promised the new — true Shepherd — who lead God’s people in a second Exodus.

Interestingly, in the prophetic development of the Shepherd there are human and divine elements. First, It is God who is the true shepherd of Israel (115). Human authority is secondary:
“Isaiah describes God’s rule over his people and the world as unmeditated. The human king, occasionally mentioned, has delegated authority and thus can never claim to be more than a servant of the Lord” (131). Thus, the prophets regularly condemn the false shepherds who fail to recognize God as the true sovereign — these false shepherds use the sheep for their own ends.

Second, God promises to send a new Davidic King to shepherd the people:
Ezekiel 34:23–24 (ESV)
23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.

These two strands: God as the true shepherd and the servant David as the shepherd come together in Christ who is the true shepherd. This culminates in the Jesus Christ of Revelation is God, King, Shepherd and Lamb.

Conclusion

As I stated above, this is a theology book — it is not a how-to blog post with tweet-able quotes. The book is hard work. Laniak sets out and develops a thesis across the entire scope of Scripture. There are footnotes and references to original languages (those always transliterated and always defined). This might scare off some readers.

But if a reader is scared off from a theology book, perhaps that man should not be a pastor.

1 Peter 1:17, God our Father, cont’d

05 Saturday Sep 2015

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1 Peter 1:13–21 (ESV)

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Jesus, the God of Glory

19 Tuesday May 2015

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Hebrews 1:1–4 (ESV)

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

The Inheritance of Jesus

17 Sunday May 2015

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Hebrews 1:1–4 (ESV)

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

As you ran like mad. Thinking about The Stranger

09 Saturday May 2015

Posted by in Culture, Literature

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At the end of Camus’ The Stranger Meursault finds himself sentenced to death after an almost comically painful trial (when sat down in the room and saw how everyone had their place, he has “the strange impression … of being odd man out, a kind of intruder”. A reporter cheerfully explains to the defendant, “You know, we’ve blown up your case a little. Summer is the slow season for news. And your story and the parricide were the only ones worth bothering about” (84)).

He sits in his cell, awaiting his execution, thinking, “All I care about now is escaping the machinery of justice, seeing if there’s any way out of the inevitable.” (108).

In the midst of his life was the verdict. Before it were the seeming unconnected, certainly unplanned events — as Celeste explains it, “The way I see it, it’s bad luck. Everybody knows what bad luck is. It leaves you defenseless. And there it is!” (92). Afterwards the absurdity of waiting to die.

[Note on the version. I used Matthew Ward’s translation which is excellent throughout. It reads as if were written originally in a laconic and quite distinctive English. It is quite a feat to write a translation which reads effortlessly. He has without question succeeded.]

What hope is there in such a circumstance? He learned to kill time in prison — in less pleasant way than he did before prison, but it was all just doing this and then that. “What really counted was the possibility of escape, a leap to freedom, out of the implacable ritual, a wild run for it that would whatever chance for hope there was. Of course, hope, meant being cut down on some street corner, as you ran like mad, by a random bullet.” (109).

I read this as a Christian, and all I can do is agree with Camus: What matters is escape. We are bore into a world in which the sentence has been cast, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). It is the litany of “and he died” in Genesis 5. It is absurdity of human suffering, and the pain we seem unable to not heap upon one-another.

We oddly also know, that another judgment is coming, “It is appointed for a man once to die, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). We all know this. Why would the threat of judgment, calling a thing “sin” drive people mad. I suffer through all sorts of propositions (often imposed upon me by those with more power) which don’t raise my anger.

Isn’t it odd that we can easily believe the threat of judgment; it bothers us. As a friend once said to when I asked, “You don’t believe any of this, do you?” “No,” he said, “but maybe you’re right.”

We feel the weight of the need to escape; the desire for escape. We desire to escape time and place — and sometimes even our own skin. But we know it can’t really work.

The world is far too rigged to ever escape. That is why the world needs to be undone, redone. The horror of life must be turned to joy; the sorrow of this world must be transferred to glory for any escape to ever really work”

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13.

I read Camus and wanted to tell him, there is an escape. Not the insane magistrate who waved a crucifix about and blubbered at Meusault — he had no escape to offer. Not the chaplain, whom Meursault refused to meet. Meursault wanted an escape, but the chaplain was apparently not in the rescue business.

The great offer of Christ is that escape, “I am the way, the truth, the life” (John 14:6).

Camus is utterly correct, with the one caveat of Jesus: there is no escape; our judgment is ineluctable; the waiting is interminable:

20  But the eyes of the wicked will fail;
all way of escape will be lost to them,
and their hope is to breathe their last. Job 11:20 (ESV)

Yet, Jesus made a way of escape. He went through the grave, defeated death and came out the other side:

Psalm 124:7 (ESV)
7  We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped!