Jan. 2013 — Considering the First Testament

During the first month of 2013, we will devote many of our posts to subjects on Biblical studies in the First Testament. We will begin on New Year’s Day with my perspective on “The Purpose of the First Testament.”

My life was changed in the 1980’s when I took several classes from Dr. John Sailhamer at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. His grasp on grace, combined with a creative, thoughtful, imaginative approach to Scripture and a thoroughly winsome teaching style made him a favorite of mine and many of my fellow students as well. He opened the book of Genesis to me and gave me an understanding of and love for the OT canon that has continued to grow over the years. I am forever indebted to him.

I am dedicating this month of posts to Dr. Sailhamer. Unfortunately, he is in chronic ill health these days, and so this tribute goes out to him with prayers as well as gratitude.

* * *

I have had several other mentors over the years, mostly through books, who have helped me continue my discovery of these sacred Scriptures. Dr. Walter Kaiser was also a professor and mentor at Trinity. His focus on God’s promise helped me to appreciate the unity of the First Testament and its relation to the new. Bruce Waltke’s Genesis commentary and OT Theology have impressed me as solid and open-minded examples of evangelical scholarship. Commentaries by Cassuto on Genesis, Olson on Numbers and Deuteronomy, Campbell and Hubbard on Ruth, Oswalt on Isaiah, and Gowan on Habakkuk have challenged me intellectually, pastorally, and personally. Gerald Wilson’s groundbreaking work on the editing and final form of the Book of Psalms has been a revelation and continuing source of spiritual insight. Brevard Childs’ Introduction to the OT as Scripture likewise opened new vistas of understanding. John Walton has made an invaluable contribution to my concept of “creation” in his writings on the early chapters of Genesis. In their works of Biblical commentary and theological reflection, Terence Fretheim and Walter Brueggemann have provided deep reservoirs of spiritual truth and application. And teachers like Peter Enns are breaking new ground in helping evangelicals interact with critical studies and life in today’s world.

In January, I hope to introduce you to some of the words and thoughts that these remarkable scholars and pastors have passed on to me, as well as sharing my own perspectives and thoughts about the nature of the First Testament and its role in a Jesus-shaped life.

For starters, meditate on this quote:

The term “Old Testament” cannot be used if we see it as a word that puts down the Jewish faith. But it becomes valuable when we realize that it roots all that we say about Christ in the proper and original soil of Israel’s faith. Christians believe that God has spoken through Christ a new and a fuller word than the Old Testament alone contains. But this is so only because it adds a fuller dimension to the primary word that God had already spoken to Israel when he made them his people and his witnesses. …It is “Old Testament” in the wonderful sense of a parent to our new, young faith in Christ.

– Lawrence Boadt, Reading the Old Testament

I hope you’ll join our discussions in January!

When Jesus Grows Up

Jesus among the Doctors, Giotto

“Finding [Jesus], of course, will normally involve a surprise. Jesus doesn’t do or say what Mary and Joseph…were expecting. It will be like that with us too. Every time we relax and think we’ve really understood him, he will be up ahead, or perhaps staying behind while we go on without thinking. Discipleship always involves the unexpected.” (Tom Wright, Luke for Everyone)

* * *

In our culture, Christmas is over. The day of celebrating and feasting and exchanging gifts is past. We have moved on and in a few days we’ll be settled in to a new year. For Christians who keep the liturgical year, however, we are still in Christmastide. For us, Christmas is a season, not just a day. It’s an extended time for contemplating the Incarnation and worshiping Christ, the newborn King.

However, in today’s Gospel for the first Sunday in Christmastide, Christmas is over. Luke fast- forwards from Jesus’ birth to a time when he is twelve years old and gives us the only story in the New Testament about Jesus’ childhood. It is a story that challenges and stretches our faith.

Most of us love Christmas and hate to see it end. Apart from the traditions we enjoy, we especially love the revelation of God that it brings to us — Emmanuel, God with us. The Word becomes flesh. A baby in a manger. The Lord of heaven has come to dwell with us on earth and has taken on our frailty in the form of a helpless infant. Who among us doesn’t treasure a little baby? We love to embrace this Jesus, to hold him in our arms, to feel the comfort and joy he brings.

But… what happens when Jesus grows up? That’s what today’s story tells us.

Continue reading “When Jesus Grows Up”

An iMonk Classic in Anticipation of 2013

 Just Beyond the 100th Time
by Michael Spencer, Dec. 2008

Dedicated to all of you on the same journey. Keep faith and keep going. You’re not alone.

It’s time for one of your favorite programs here at Internet Monk.com: “Secret, Terrible, Unspoken Thoughts…REVEALED!”

Today’s secret thought was uttered by a commenter in a recent discussion thread, but it’s the kind of terrible thought that lurks in the minds of many of you reading this post. What terrible, shameful, embarrassing secret thought am I referring to?

Frankly, I’m to the point where there isn’t that much a pastor/teacher is going to be able to say that I haven’t heard 100 times already.

I know, I know. Shameful. Can you believe there are people like that out there? Someone call the watchbloggers!

Well…..I’ve thought about his kind of statement a lot. I preach about 10-12 times a month, and have preached as often as 20 times a month at my current ministry. I’ve listened to thousands of hours of sermons on tape, mp3, cd. I’ve read sermons- thousands of them. I’m on both sides of the comment, both criminal and consumer.

Some of those preachers have been my very best teachers. I absolutely believe in the value of the right kind of repetition. Gospel proclamation calls for it. Biblical preaching calls for it. It’s commanded. I do it in the classroom.

But let’s have an honest go at, shall we? What is this commenter actually talking about? (Now the REAL shocking truth will be REVEALED!)

The commenter is correct, and he isn’t saying “tickle my ears with something new.” He’s saying that the model of Christian spiritual formation now extent in worship is one that sees the 40 minute information dump as the primary means of spiritual growth. The sermon, the sermon and the sermon from the preacher, the theologian and the teacher. Plus a daily quiet time. That’s evangelical spiritual formation in a nutshell.

It’s hit me like a ton of bricks this past year: the blogosphere is full of voices that think we are all a bunch of big brains, and nothing more. We need more information. More data. More sermons. More books. More facts. More lectures. We are what we think. We are what we hear, read and think. So open up those brains and pour it in…after an appropriate prayer.

Behind this is a view of humanness that needs to be called out. (More SHOCKING REVELATIONS!!)

Continue reading “An iMonk Classic in Anticipation of 2013”

Saturday Ramblings 12.29.12

Well, iMonks, we did it again. We made it through another year. Or at least almost. I guess there are a couple of days left in this one. Might as well use them up before we throw out the whole thing. So if you are ready, let’s saddle up one more time this year and ramble.

I didn’t know that Carl Henry once asked C.S. Lewis to write for a new, upstart magazine called Christianity Today. Lewis said no, and it’s an interesting read to see why.

Pope Paul VI, he of Vatican II fame, is one step closer to sainthood. And I’m sure that has some who think Vatican II was as necessary as Porkys II fuming.

Jesus, as we all know, was born in Bethlehem. But maybe not that Bethlehem, but this Bethlehem. Confused?

If so, this sure won’t make sense to you. Seems Peter Parker—aka Spiderman—is going to die. But before he does, he is going to pass on all of his powers and memories to his former enemy, Doc Ock. Then Doc Ock will become Spiderman. Why is this a story for Saturday Ramblings? Well, I could find a theological component in the righteous one dying and the bad guy inheriting all of the good guy’s power. I could do that. But to own the truth, it’s really a slow news week for the Rambler.

Continue reading “Saturday Ramblings 12.29.12”

2012 Most-Discussed Posts


JANUARY 2012
The always controversial Mark Driscoll and the buzz generated by reports of “church discipline” at Mars Hill Church and the release of his book, “Real Marriage,” stirred up conversation at the beginning of 2012. Then, there was an email I received in response to our Driscoll posts. It came from a young man named Donny B. and it moved us to talk about what life is like for “today’s young, lonely, suburban American men.” Powerful and challenging, it remains a topic we need to talk about.

1/6/12: Top of My “Don’t Read” List
296 Comments

1/10/12: Guest Post: Quiet Desperation (Donny B.)
229 Comments

1/25/12: MPT Posts on Church Discipline — And I Suggest a Better Way
286 Comments

FEBRUARY 2012
Our most discussed post in February was written in the form of an imaginary conversation between Chaplain Mike and a Concerned Christian. CM spoke about how he would not be interested in having a church that approached the faith by trying to control and manage people, but would rather simply and regularly invite them to Jesus. Everyone welcome. Some agreed and some did not, but it certainly stirred up a conversation!

2/13/12: Why Gays, Republicans, and Other Notorious Sinners Are Welcome at My Church
231 Comments

MARCH 2012
When “the weather outside is frightful,” Pastor John Piper has had a habit of sticking a smelly theological foot in his mouth. We called him on it in March. Chaplain Mike said Piper’s response was more akin to Islam than Christianity, as well as “inappropriate, not helpful, pastoral, or loving,” with inexcusable timing; an approach that disrespects God and hurting people. CM got worked up about this, and you obviously wanted to talk about it.

3/6/12: OTD: Obsessed with Tornadoes Disorder
256 Comments

APRIL 2012
Must be something about spring. Chaplain Mike went on another rant in April — this time in response to the gifted but often clueless Doug Wilson. Wilson wrote a misguided and mean-spirited post about “effeminate worship” — another Neo-Reformed effort at promoting “masculine Christianity” — and bullying those who think differently. CM just couldn’t let that go, and we had a vibrant discussion as a result.

4/23/12: “Esau Christianity?” Doug Wilson Needs a Bible Study
258 Comments

MAY 2012
In May, with fear and trembling we waded into the turbulent waters of the biggest culture war issue of our day: homosexuality. First, Jeff asked us to think about lines and where we think we should draw them — not based on principles of morality or our culture war stances, but according to what Jesus would do. That led to a great conversation. A few days later, Chaplain Mike took on the six passages of Scripture which directly address the subject of homosexual behavior. He led us on a tour of these texts and tried to keep us on topic as we discussed them.

5/17/12: Drawing a Line in the Sand (Jeff Dunn)
245 Comments

5/21/12: What Does the Bible Actually Say about Homosexuality?
252 Comments

JUNE 2012
Weren’t there some things that happened in politics in 2012? As much as we tried to avoid getting involved, at certain points we chimed in on political themes. When the Affordable Care Act (which Chaplain Mike absolutely refuses to call “Obamacare”) was declared legal, we talked about it. After all, CM is a health care worker, and this affects his vocation as well as his faith. It affects a lot of you too, as the discussion showed.

6/29/12: A Few Thoughts on the Affordable Care Act Decision and Health Care in the U.S.
200 Comments

Continue reading “2012 Most-Discussed Posts”

Looking For A Few Good Books

It’s the silly season here at the iMonastery. We’re still cleaning up from Christmas, and waiting for the calendar to turn. As I look forward to the new year (it can’t be any harder than 2012 has been, can it?), I’m looking at my bookshelves and not seeing anything that jumps out at me to read. Oh, I still have two or three Robert Capon books given me by Denise Spencer that I haven’t read yet. And there are the books on the Apollo space mission I promised myself I would read, but haven’t … yet. But I will. Just not now.

So, what to read next? I’ve been reading some Nero Wolfe mysteries (written by Rex Stout) again lately. They are like good friends, and always fun to revisit. I’d like to find another author like Stout I could follow all the way through a series. And I’ve read all of the Brother Cadfael’s two or three times. I like a good mystery, but I don’t want a bunch of garbage (i.e., a ton of profanity or gratuitous sex) in it. John LeCarre’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley’s People are among my favorite books of all time, but his others are really dark and devoid of hope.

And I like non-fiction about history, such as Timothy Eagan’s wonderful The Worst Hard Time. I never truly understood the dust bowl era until I read that. I’m looking for a used copy of The Peace To End All Peace, but haven’t found one yet. (I love to buy used books. Makes me feel all thrifty inside.) I also enjoy books on the history of flight and the space program, though I have a lot on my shelves yet to be read, as I mentioned.

Science fiction comes and goes with me. I love Douglas Adams, but he’s still dead and not writing much these days.

Baseball books are always great this time of year, as I count the days until Spring Training. I love stories from the days when baseball was baseball and hot dogs were hot dogs. I don’t really care about the business end of baseball, but I do love to read about the strategies and about the crazy things done on the field.

I should read more of the classics than I do, but I know I won’t. My favorite work of fiction ever is Jonathan Strange And Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke, who may or may not ever release another novel. Until then, what do I read?

Ok, iMonks, I’m open to your suggestions. Lay it on me. I’m not saying I’ll read them all, or any, but I am looking, and I have a Kindle that I’m not afraid to use. And I have a mailbox if you have a book you want to send me. My reading light is on. Now, what should I read?

Another Look: Those Who Dance Are Considered To Be Insane By Those Who Can’t Hear The Music

And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. (1 Samuel 3:1, ESV)

For so many of my almost 37 years following the Lord, there has been no frequent vision, at least not for me. My “words from the Lord” have come through sermons and books I read. Even Scripture as I read it did not seem to be “alive” to me. My life was directed by what I saw others doing and what others “suggested” that I should be doing. You know, good Christian suggestions like, “You are going to go to a Christian college, aren’t you?” “Don’t date her—I don’t think she is Spirit-filled.” “All real Christians do ____/never do ____.” There always seemed to be someone within a stone’s throw willing to give me his personal advice on where I was failing to live up to the moniker of “good Christian.” With friends like this, who needed to hear God’s voice himself?

But three years ago this month God began to do something completely different in me. I remember the day, the hour, the location when in July of 2007 God began messing in my heart in a new way. He let me taste of him and I saw that it was good. It was like I was given beef tenderloin after eating “meat” hot dogs all my life. I never wanted to go back to hearing God third-hand. I only wanted to experience him through him. But it was a skill I was sadly lacking.

Hearing God’s voice seems to come so naturally to some. Still others speak a lot about hearing God, but the way they repeat what he “said” to them and the way they act it out leads one to believe the voice they heard may have come from just a little lower than Heaven. Then there are the multitudes who never experience God for themselves and seem to be ok with that.

I was one to whom God came in person, tapped me on the shoulder, and then ran off, expecting me to chase after him. I have been running after him for the past three years, dancing a crazy, wild dance with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Merton says, “It is not we who choose to awaken ourselves, but God Who chooses to awaken us.” God chose to awaken me, and I have not slept since.

Continue reading “Another Look: Those Who Dance Are Considered To Be Insane By Those Who Can’t Hear The Music”

Christmas Eve 2012

“Luke is interested in the symbolism of the manger, and the lack of room in the lodgings may be no more than a vague surmise in order to explain the mention of a manger. This manger is not a sign of poverty but is probably meant to evoke God’s complaint against Israel in Isaiah 1:3: “The ox knows its owner and the donkey knows the manger of its lord; but Israel has not known me, and my people have not understood me.” Luke is proclaiming that the Isaian dictum has been repealed. Now, when the good news of the birth of their Lord is proclaimed to the shepherds, they go to find the baby in the manger and begin to praise God. In other words, God’s people have begun to know the manger of their Lord.”

– Raymond E. Brown, An Adult Christ at Christmas

* * *

The manger. On Christmas Eve, Luke’s deceptively simple birth narrative sets the rustic story of a baby’s birth within huge historical contexts. First, as Raymond Brown says above, the Gospel writer is weaving a tale that completes another square in the quilt of salvation history, as told by the storytellers and prophets of the Hebrew Bible. Second, Luke evokes images of Caesar Augustus, the “son of god,” the “savior,” and “lord” of the world, who was acclaimed for bringing “peace on earth” through Roman power.

The contrast magnifies the strange, upside-down ways of God’s grace. As Luke Timothy Johnson says, “Nothing very glorious is suggested by the circumstances of the Messiah’s birth. But that is Luke’s manner, to show how God’s fidelity is worked out in human events even when appearances seem to deny his presence or power” (The Gospel of Luke: Sacra Pagina). Humble people in simple settings bring about monumental events.

The shepherds. This observation applies to Luke’s inclusion of the shepherds in this narrative as well. His mention of “shepherds” evokes a remarkably complex set of Biblical reflections, from the patriarchal stories and poems in the Torah to the adventures of David, to the promises given by the prophets, such as Micah 4-5, which foretold that Judah’s salvation would be announced near Bethlehem, at Migdal Eder — the “tower of the flock” (Micah 4:8).

As you look at your creche on this Christmas Eve, as you delight in watching children in their bathrobes with shepherds’ crooks in their hands, as you think about the birth of a baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a feeding trough, thank God that he depends not upon grand political power, the exercise of power and domination, grand strategies and machinations.

No, it’s just about a couple having a baby.

In strange circumstances.

Changing the course of history.

Bringing down great rulers from their thrones.

Attracting the faithful of the land.

Bringing peace on earth.

A blessed nativity to you and yours.