12 Feb 2022

Jesus Our Advocate | The Voice 12.07: February 13, 2022

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The Voice

1 John 2:1-2: Jesus Our Advocate

My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).

In 1 John 1, John identifies the source of his message and the message which he brings– God is light, and in Him there is no darkness. He then establishes the need for all of us to walk in the light if we would follow Jesus. He demonstrates that we all have sin, both past and present, and if we deny such, we deceive ourselves. Nevertheless, if we confess our sins before God, He is faithful to forgive us.

John begins chapter 2 by addressing his “little children.” We ought not take this statement too literally here; he uses this same term of endearment another eight times in his short letter. John has great love for his fellow believers, like the love of a father for his children, and therefore we have his tender term of address for them.

John continues by making clear that he writes to the Christians so that they would not sin. Yet, in 1 John 1:8, John says that if Christians say presently that they do not sin, they deceive themselves. Is John contradicting himself?

By no means! We must remember that chapter divisions came much later than the original writing; there is no fixed division between 1 John 1:10 and 1 John 2:1. John is making clear that although the reality is that we all stumble, we are not justified in our stumbling. We have no right to infer from 1 John 1:8 that we have license or excuse to go and sin, and that somehow we cannot “help ourselves.” John here is providing the same type of clarification that Paul does in Romans 6:1-10: just because God’s grace abounds does not give us license to sin.

Christians must strive to avoid sin and to do that which is good (Romans 12:9). We never “have” to sin; there is always a way of escaping temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Christians should never be satisfied with removing only a few sins from their lives– they must keep striving to reflect Jesus in their lives, since they were crucified in Him (Galatians 2:20).

Yet, even though John writes so that Christians will not sin, he knows that Christians do stumble. Lest the believers lose hope, John reminds them that if Christians do sin, they have an Advocate– Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:1). The word “advocate” here is the Greek parakletos, which refers to a legal advocate, a helper, assistant, or comforter (cf. Thayer’s). If we were to imagine a heavenly courtroom, with the Father as Judge, Satan as the prosecutor, and the believer as a defendant, Jesus would be the advocate on behalf of the defendant, interceding on the defendant’s behalf before the judge. Paul indicates that Jesus is the Mediator between God and man, since He is both (1 Timothy 2:5), and the Hebrew author demonstrates that Jesus can sympathize with us on account of His sufferings (Hebrews 4:14-16). These are very comforting thoughts indeed!
Yet how is it that Jesus can be our Advocate? It is because He is the Righteous One, the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:1-2). As Peter indicated, Jesus committed no sin, and thus was entirely righteous (1 Peter 2:21-24). His death was not for Himself, but for us, that we could be cleansed from sin (Romans 5:6-11, Hebrews 9:11-15).

Jesus, as the Lamb of God, brought cleansing from sin for not just “us,” but for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2, cf. John 1:29). While many throughout time have taught that Jesus’ blood only cleanses the sins of believers, and are horrified at the thought that Jesus’ blood would be “wasted” on unbelievers, John is pretty clear about the universal efficacy of Jesus’ blood. John is not saying that everyone will have the cleansing through Jesus’ blood, but is teaching the same thing as the Hebrew author in Hebrews 9:12: Jesus made His sacrifice once, and it is able to atone for anyone. No one is hindered from receiving the redemption of their sin through the blood of Christ (cf. 1 Timothy 2:4).

Yet the blood of Jesus can only atone for those who will confess that Jesus is their Advocate (cf. 1 John 1:9). Those who reject Him or deny Him, either by word or deed, refuse their own atonement (cf. Matthew 10:32-33). Jesus’ blood is wasted on those who have heard the word of salvation and refuse it to continue in the darkness of sin (1 John 1:6, Hebrews 10:26-31, 2 Peter 2:20-22). It is indeed a horrifying thought that Jesus’ precious and righteous blood would be wasted. Claim Him as your Advocate today!

Ethan R. Longhenry

5 Feb 2022

Power in the World | The Voice 12.06: February 06, 2022

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The Voice

Power in the World

[Jesus] said to [His disciples], “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors’ (Luke 22:25).

There were many aspects of Jesus’ teaching and ministry which the disciples did not fully understand while He remained with them. Jesus proved patient with them, recognizing how all things would be fully revealed in time and through the Spirit. But when the disciples sought to jockey among themselves for position, Jesus worked immediately to nip their attitudes in the bud.

We can easily understand why the disciples were acting the way they were. They had come to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God: and to them, that meant Jesus was going to inaugurate a great Kingdom, one that would overcome the might of Rome. As Jesus’ closest associates they stood to gain positions of great influence, prominence, and above all, power. But who would stand to gain the most and have the greatest power among them? Even though James and John already enjoyed great intimacy in their standing before Jesus, they did not want to risk anything. They asked their mother to speak to Jesus and to ask for them to stand at His right and left hand, to have the two highest positions of power beneath Jesus, when He entered into His Kingdom (Matthew 20:20-23, Mark 10:35-40). Jesus knew they did not really understand what they were asking to receive; He humored them, yet let them know that it was for the Father to decide who would stand at Jesus’ right and left hand. The other ten disciples proved indignant at James and John: not because in their greater piety or spirituality they understood how foolish the request was, but more likely because they themselves had not made the request first, and were concerned that they would have inferior positions of power when Jesus entered His Kingdom (Matthew 20:24, Mark 10:41, Luke 22:24)!

Jesus was well aware of what His disciples had assumed regarding how His Kingdom would work: as if it was just another power in the world. The ruler had great power over others which he would use to aggrandize himself and his associates (Matthew 20:25). He would act as if his rule provided all kinds of benefits to his subjects (Luke 22:25). Competitors might try to unseat him so they could enjoy the resources that would come from maintaining such power.

Such is the way of power in the world. The means by which rulers obtain power may differ over time and place; some may be elected, while others inherit their position or overthrow previous rulers. Once in power, though, we tend to see a similar story play out: the ruler uses power to benefit himself and his associates, however broadly defined. Sure, the ruler will likely make grandiose proclamations about all the ways that his rule has benefitted all the people. There might be some infrastructure projects built, and you will definitely be able to tell who was responsible for building them. The world is littered with statues and other forms of art commissioned by said rulers to memorialize, glorify, and highlight all of their achievements; as propaganda they seek to justify the rule in the sight of those subjected to him.

For those who receive the benefits and advantages of that ruler’s power, everything seems well and good. They share, to some degree, in economic benefits. They have reasonable confidence they will be heard and their concerns taken seriously. They have reason to feel loyal to the ruler and to support and reinforce his regime.

Yet, almost invariably, there will be many other groups and people who will not share in such advantages. In fact, they will suffer disadvantage on account of the way the ruler exercises his power. They will be made to suffer in various ways. They may have to pay undue taxes and suffer the loss of property. They may even be harassed, persecuted, or even killed. Even in less severe circumstances they are made to understand that the rulers that be have no desire to support or benefit them in many meaningful ways. They have no confidence they will be heard or that their concerns would be taken seriously. They suffer under the oppression of the regime and feel no loyalty towards them.

What will the oppressed groups do? Sometimes oppressed groups rise up in revolt and overthrow the current regime. When this happens, a ruler comes out of the oppressed group, and very often will simply reverse the situation. Now those once oppressed become the oppressors and gain great advantage; those who once oppressed now suffer the disadvantages once experienced by others.

At other times oppressed groups find ways to make their voice heard, and their oppressors repent to some degree. We do not find that groups with power and privilege welcome others to share in that power or privilege without such provocation. Even so, those who had enjoyed the advantage and privilege of authority are always concerned that it will be done to them as they did, however consciously or unconsciously, to others. Truly indeed, to those used to inequality, greater equality feels like loss and oppression.

The Scriptures attest to such an understanding of power in the world from beginning to end. Pharaoh oppresses the Israelites; only after a series of plagues and the demonstration of the power of YHWH would he relent and let them go (cf. Exodus 1-15). In the days of the Judges we find local nation after local nation oppressing the Israelites, and God providing deliverance through the judges, who become continually more corrupt over time (cf. Judges, 1 Samuel 1-8). David and Solomon rule over all Israel and a large empire; the nations of the empire would have experienced this as oppression, and even the Israelites themselves found maintaining a king oppressive in and of itself (cf. 2 Samuel 1-1 Kings 11). Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Macedon, and Rome develop empires, oppress others, and are defeated and become part of the empires of others in turn.

For the two thousand years since Jesus lived, died, and was raised in power, this story of the use of power has continued unabated. Power provides advantages and benefits to some but not to all. The desire to exercise said power is always tied up with the desire to obtain and/or enjoy such benefits, even if it comes at the harm of others. And perhaps worse are those who have so much power and advantage that they cannot see it, for everything works for them the way they think things ought to work, and in their blissful ignorance they presume it should likewise work for others for whom the rulers and systems have not provided such advantages. Many times we do not recognize how much we have come to love and appreciate power until we are faced with the prospect of losing it.

Such is the way power works in the world; such is the way power will continue to work in the world until the Lord Jesus returns. Yet, as Jesus wanted to make abundantly clear to His disciples, it should not be so among the people of God (Matthew 20:26, Mark 10:43, Luke 22:26). The people of God instead consider Jesus their example of how power ought to be used: to serve and to suffer on behalf of others (Matthew 20:26-28, Mark 10:43-45, Luke 22:26-27). May we not prove blind or naïve regarding how power works in the world, and may we diligently strive instead to exercise power according to the way of Jesus the Christ!

Ethan R. Longhenry

30 Nov 2014

The Voice 4.48: November 30, 2014

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The Voice

Divorce and Adultery

And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication [Gk porneia], and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her when she is put away committeth adultery (Matthew 19:9).

God clearly revealed His will for marriage in the words of the Lord Jesus: what God has joined man is not to separate (Matthew 19:8). Divorce, as the separation of what God has joined, is never what God intends for any marriage; it is a sin in and of itself, or it is the result of the sin of the sexually deviant behavior of the spouse being put away (Matthew 19:9). Throughout the pages of Scripture divorce is never commended; far too many have learned the suffering, misery, and pain that comes from the violations of the marriage covenant, either as spouses or as children or, in many sad situations, both.

As a result of the explosion of divorces in America, various permutations of false teachings on marriage, divorce, and remarriage among the Lord’s people have multiplied. One set of such teachings focus on how “divorce” and the roles of its participants are understood. Some are now suggesting that divorces for reasons other than for porneia, sexually deviant behavior, are not recognized as divorces by God; the state may recognize them but God does not. In such a view, if a man divorces his wife for any reason other than porneia, and goes and marries another person, his wife could now “divorce” him for his porneia and be free to go and marry another. This view is frequently called “mental divorce” since the wife’s divorce has no legal or civil basis but was an action done in the mind. Is this what Jesus had in mind in Matthew 19:3-9?

It is difficult to understand why Jesus would speak as He did if He had the “mental divorce” view in mind. Matthew provides the “exception clause” in Matthew 19:9; in Mark 10:11-12 and Luke 16:18 no such exception clause is recorded. This is not an attempt to undermine the integrity of the “exception clause” or to suggest that even divorces for the porneia of the offending spouse are inappropriate, but it does show us that for Jesus, the rule was that whoever divorces his spouse and marries another commits adultery. To use the “language of Ashdod” here, what are deemed “unscriptural” divorces are the rule, while “scriptural” divorces are the exception. By virtue of the language He uses Jesus recognizes that people divorce for all sorts of reasons which God does not legitimate; that is why the consequence of remarriage is that such ones commit adultery against their spouse (esp. Mark 10:11). Thus Jesus does perceive that such people divorce their spouses, that they have separated what God has joined; in doing so they have sinned. That sin has further consequences if they marry another. Nevertheless, once two such people are divorced, they are divorced. Jesus never says, “and once he has married another, she who had been put away can go and remarry”; such revelation is entirely lacking. All Jesus has said about the one having been put away is that any who marry him or her commits adultery (Matthew 5:32). That is equally true of the one having been put away for any reason as for the one who committed porneia.

Yet many wonder why Jesus would then say that the one who marries another “commits adultery” if they really are divorced and thus no longer married (Matthew 19:9). But we do well to remember what Jesus said in Matthew 19:8: what God has joined man is not to separate (and note well that Jesus uses an infinitive there: man is not to separate, not, man cannot separate). What happens once man separates what God has joined? We get no impression from the text that God considers them no longer joined. He recognizes that they have separated; they will suffer consequences for that. If they go and marry another a civil authority may deem them joined, and God sees that they are joining together, but considers it adultery, for they are having sex with someone other than the one to whom God joined them. God’s will for divorced people is to remain unmarried or to reconcile (1 Corinthians 7:10-11); reconciliation was in many cases condemned as abominable under the Law in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 but in the new covenant proves necessary precisely because God has only ever joined a person to one spouse. The only time when a person can marry another is if he or she divorced their spouse for the latter’s porneia (Matthew 19:9). This is not a “re-divorce” or a “mental divorce” after a first divorce; the text provides no such declarations. Once a divorce happens, once man has separated what God has joined, the two are divorced; if they marry others, they are charged with committing adultery. The text of the New Testament provides no basis upon which to justify later revisions of the purpose of the divorce or any later attempt to “divorce the divorcer.” If Jesus wanted to provide such revelation, He had ample opportunity to provide such clarification in the context of Matthew 19. None was forthcoming.

Jesus has spoken plainly on marriage and divorce in Matthew 5:31-32 and 19:3-9. Unbelievers, people interested in learning the truth, and young Christians almost always immediately understand exactly what Jesus means in those passages. Yes, those truths are hard; Jesus Himself confesses as much (Matthew 19:10-12). Let us not go beyond what is written, justifying what has no textual basis, but instead hold firm to God’s teachings on marriage and divorce!

Ethan R. Longhenry