A Testimony: Tough as Nails

I mentioned I have received several reports from people who have been helped by reading “Heaven on Earth.” Here is one I heard about just yesterday:

Elle is highly skilled architect and one of the few women in a field dominated by men. Her immediate boss is a woman with a type-A personality who has advanced into an executive position- a real rarity. She is tough as nails. Elle was presenting a report to the corporate big wigs, when Miss “Nails” cut her off in midstream and accused her in front of everyone for doing a poor job. It brought the presentation to an abrupt halt! 

Elle was devastated. She was ready to hand in her resignation the next day. That night as she read the “Heaven on Earth: Experiencing the Kingdom of God in the Here and Now,” she was emotionally overcome when she realized, “Jesus is my King. He is in charge of my universe, and not Miss Nails!” She knelt by her bed and prayed, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

The next morning at work, Nails summoned Elle to her office. Suspecting the worst, Elle didn’t want to face her boss or receive another tongue lashing. A colleague literally had to push her toward the office door. When Elle entered, Nails stood up immediately with outstretched arms and wholeheartedly asked for forgiveness. She was transformed overnight! As they hugged and were reconciled, Elle whispered to herself, “Jesus, you really are King. You have everything under control.”

ERNST KASEMANN'S STAND AGAINST HITLER

In 1937, Hitler called upon all German clergy and churches to support his vision for Germany and to give him full allegiance. NT scholar Ernst Kasemann defied Hitler and preached from Isaiah 26.13, “O Lord our God, other lords besides thee have ruled over us, but thy name alone we acknowledge.” Kasemann labeled Hitler’s demand as idolatry and called for German Christians to resist. As a result, the Gestapo arrested and imprisoned Kasemann. During his confinement, he wrote a biblical critique of Nazism that was published as “Hebrews: The Wandering People of God” in which he identified the church as a pilgrim community with no earthly fatherland. Rather than seeking peace with society, he contended that the church must be a community in conflict with society.

Book on Shelf at Mardel's

Dr. Gosnell Avoids Death

Today, Dr. Gosnell, abortionist and convicted murderer gave up his right of appeal that he might gain a life sentence and escape death. Unfortunately he didn’t give his unborn victims the same option. Instead of a life sentence, they got the death penalty.

BAPTISM WITH PERMANENT INK!

Baptism is the repentant believer’s pledge of allegiance to King Jesus and speaks of one’s submission to Jesus as Lord. As such, it should be taken seriously. Baptism is a call to count the cost before following Christ. Unfortunately, few approach baptism in this manner. In time, their commitment wanes and they fall by the wayside. I doubt many of these same persons would ever get baptized if they knew they were going be submerged in indelible ink instead of water, maybe a deep crimson ink that demonstratively marked them for life.

GEZA VERMES -- R.I.P.

GEZA VERMES passed away last week (1924-2013). I had one personal encounter with the renowned Oxford scholar. In 2011, he agreed to an interview with Criswell Theological Review (CTR), which I edited at the time, on the subject of the Jewish roots of the NT. I sent him twelve questions, dealing with a range of topics from the Dead Sea Scrolls to Jewish roots of the gospel. I opened with a question about his own spiritual journey from Judaism to Catholicism and back to Judaism. To my surprise Vermes responded with a scathing email cancelling the interview and charging that I was trying to trap him and make him look foolish. I fact, I had just completed reading his autobiography PROVIDENTIAL ACCIDENTS and thought our readers might be interested in his story. Despite my pleadings with him and assuring him I had the purist of motives, the venerable octogenarian stuck to his guns. As a result CTR subscribers were deprived of his insights.

An Earthly Kingdom Then and Now

The Book of Genesis tells how God creates humans . . .

out of the earth
for the earth
to fill the earth
to rule over the earth
to be sustained by the earth, and
to return to the earth.

Where did we ever get the idea that we are meant for Heaven? Or that salvation is an escape from earth?

Yet, if you visit your favorite bookstore or shop online you will find a rash of books on Heaven. Most tell a fantastic story of a person who dies, leaves the body, passes through a tunnel of pure light, and finds themselves in Heaven where they meet Jesus, angels, saints, and deceased relatives. Invariably they return to earth to write about their experiences. These accounts are fanciful and closer to mythology than to reality.

Both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures speak of eternal life in earthly terms. If Heaven were such a fabulous place, why do we take such heroic measures to avoid death and cling to life on earth? Intuitively we know that we were meant for earth.

The thesis of HEAVEN ON EARTH is that “God’s kingdom is for the earth. It is for today. It is for you.”

To purchase a copy of HEAVEN ON EARTH at a 48% discount, visit Barnes and Noble or Amazon online.

Back Cover of HEAVEN ON EARTH

Here is the finished back cover of HEAVEN ON EARTH, which is being released on April 1. Amazon is offering a pre-order discount of 48%, which is less than I can buy it for directly from the publisher. Please order a copy and urge your fiends and colleagues to do the same.

WORSHIP IN THE EARLY CHURCH

Oscar Cullmann wrote that the eating of the Lord’s Supper and the presence of the Holy Spirit were the two indispensable features of Christian worship in the early church. Both were manifestations of the exalted Jesus among his people. He served as host of the Supper and ministered through the Spirit. The church thus participated in the “already” aspect of salvation history as it anticipated the “not yet” eschaton. Likewise, when we join Christ in a festive meal and in ministry, worship is transformed into a transcendental experience. In these few hours each week heaven touches earth.

Second Peter, Anti-Imperial Meals, and Social Identity

I completed my chapter for the T & T Clark Handbook of Social Identity and the New Testament (eds, Brian Tucker and Baker Coleman), which will be released at the end of 2013 or the start of 2014. This book will be the "go-to" reference for scholarly discussion the topic. It will consist of 30+ chapters. I am happy to be part of the project.

Read pages from Heaven on Earth

At Amazon, you can now read the opening pages of my book HEAVEN ON EARTH. Many extra pages can be read also by selecting the "Surprise Me" icon. Amazon and Barnes & Noble are offering a 48% discount off retail.

Deeper Discount

Amazon is now offering Heaven on Earth at a whopping 45% discount on all pre-orders.

TRAGEDY IN NEW TOWN: AN OPPORTUNITY TO MINISTER

The tragedy at New Town, CT is a ministry opportunity for the church to minister to its extended community. Only the church can address the issues of life and death from a christian perspective. 

You might consider opening the doors of your church tomorrow or Sunday evening for a community meeting where people can voice their fears and concerns and express their heart-felt emotions. Then take a few minutes to teach them what the Bible says about the issue. 

What to teach:

1. We were created from earth, for the earth, and to rule over the earth eternally.

2. Evil entered this realm and death resulted.

3. The world is a chaotic and potentially dangerous place.

4. Jesus himself experienced a violent death.

5. God raised Jesus from the grave, breaking death's power.

6. All who die in Christ will likewise be raised and God's kingdom established on earth. This is the believer's hope.

7. Until then evil continues to stalk earth and seeks to motivate people to kill and live destructively. Hence, the massacre.

 

8. The church is called to minister to those who fear death and to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom, calling people to Christ.

* Note:  Talk about heaven is not especially helpful, since it carries the idea that salvation is nothing more than the soul's release from the body--a concept more in line with Greek philosophy than the Bible. This ultimately, if not immediately, leads to theological confusion rather than to clarity.

In light of the tragedy, many in your community will be offering advice. Won't you stand up and speak on behalf of God?

Healing and the Kingdom

God provided OT believers with many benefits, including divine health and healing when needed. Take Moses, for example, who “was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished” (Deuteronomy 34:7). This means, he didn’t need eyeglasses or Viagra. He had the strength of a young man!

To ancient Israel God promises, “I will take sickness away from the midst of you” (Exodus 23:26). Did he keep his promise? Ask Miriam how her leprosy was healed (Numbers 21:1-15); or Hannah how her barrenness was reversed (1 Samuel 1:9-20); or the two widows how their sons were raised from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-24; 2 Kings 4:18-37); or Naaman how the miracle waters cured his leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-14); or the dead man how his limp body came back to life when it touched Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13:21); or King Hezekiah how he was given fifteen more years of life after being at death’s door (2 Chronicles 32:24-26); or the multitudes how they were cured of venomous snake bites when they glanced up at a pole (Numbers 21:4-9).

The Psalmist writes:

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
     forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases (Psalm 103:2-3).

The Psalmist says that both forgiveness and healing are part of the benefit package for OT saints. Don't you wish we still lived under the old covenant??!!

[I devote an entire chapter to healing as a kingdom blessing in HEAVEN ON EARTH. It is a very provocative chapter! Pre-order today at Amazon at a 42% discount]

"WE'VE A STORY TO TELL TO THE NATIONS!"

The Church has a story to tell. It begins with creation, includes the call for humans to rule the earth under God, their yielding to another voice, which subverts their rule, God's reclamation of the world through a New Man who faithfully obeys the true Voice, is murdered and raised from the dead to form a new humanity that pledges allegiance to God and take s his message to the world. Unfortunately, God's people in America often and mistakenly seek to find their identity in the American story rather in God's story. God's story is older and bigger than the American story. It's timeline reaches back to the Garden of Eden and extends forward to God's kingdom on earth. Therefore, which story is more important? That's the one we must proclaim!

Peter Davids Review Endorsement of HEAVEN ON EARTH

Alan Streett has written a very readable theology of the kingdom of God. But it is more than a theology, for it is the grand narrative of God's relationship to the world and humanity told in a fascinating manner without any mincing of words when it comes to bringing out its practical implications. I can only hope that as many as can get their hands on it will indeed "Take up and read." At the end of the work one wants to stand and sing the "Hallelujah Chorus." Peter Davids, Ph.D. Visiting Professor of Christianity Houston Baptist University

Far-sighted Christians Wanted

Great quote from A. W. Tozer: "There is a glorious catholicity of the saints, a mystic brotherhood of the farsighted, who have long been straining their eyes to catch a glimpse of the King in His beauty in the land that is very far off. With great joy and deep humility I claim membership in that brotherhood. This is the oldest and largest church in the world; it is the church of the Cross-smitten, of the God-enamoured. "So as the years go on, I am coming to care less and less about any man's denominational ties. Let a man have a faraway look in his eyes, let him bow his head and whisper the ever-blessed name of Jesus, and he is my brother, whatever his name may be. And whether he will admit it or not. If by some bit of unfortunate education he may believe his church to be the only one, and consign me to perdition because I am not in it, I will still own him a member of the family of God if I find in his life the marks of the Cross and in his eyes the long look that reveals the man of faith."

Cover for SUBVERSIVE MEALS

READ TO LEARN

In a previous life I was not the nicest person. For example, I did not read books written by those of other persuasions that I might learn, grow, or get a new theological perspective on a subject. Rather, as a self-ordained “discerner of spirits” and “cult buster,” I read only to ferret out doctrinal error and to find fault. This seems opposite of Jesus’ admonition to treat others as I would want them to treat me. A few people have read my book “The Effective Invitation” with one object in mind—to criticize. It wasn’t fun. For the remainder of my time on earth, I am committed to being a life-long learner, not a life-long critic.

Galleys

I are busy reading the galleys for HEAVEN ON EARTH (Harvest House). Gene Skinner, my editor, has done an excellent job! He has improved immensely my sentence structure (which I thought was pretty good to start with), making my book highly readable for the masses. I am excited at the book's potential impact. I am glad also that Amazon is offering a deep discount on all pre-orders.

From Opening Chapter of HEAVEN ON EARTH

For over a decade, I have been consumed by the kingdom of God. It has become my passion. . . . In my opinion, there is nothing of more importance than correctly understanding the kingdom. It is the overarching theme of the entire Bible and the great umbrella under which all other subjects are subsumed. My goal is to introduce you to the kingdom of God in such a manner that you too will become captivated by it. If I succeed in my mission, you will never be the same. Are you ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime? The journey begins in a garden (Genesis 1:1) and ends in paradise (Revelation 22:21). Along the way, we will meet many interesting characters and discover great treasures. Be forewarned, however, the trip is not for the faint-of-heart. We will encounter various obstacles—potholes, detours, twist and turns—that have the potential of disrupting and slowing down our progress toward the goal. But, do not despair. The road signs are plentiful and our maps are reliable. If we take our time to navigate carefully, we can reach our destination. If we succeed, our knowledge of the kingdom of God will be crisp and clear. Best of all, we will discover how to tap into the kingdom’s riches and to enjoy them here and now.

According to the four Gospel writers, Jesus’ public ministry began with the appearance of John the Baptist, prophet extraordinaire, who called for Israel’s leaders and her people to turn from their self-centered ways and toward the God of their forefathers. John’s message was simple and direct: “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2). Notice, first John called upon his audience to do something: “Repent!” They were to obey this command then and there without delay. Thus the message was relevant for them. Second, John gave them a reason for this action: “for (because) the kingdom of God is at hand.” He did not say, “The Kingdom of God is 2,000 years away” or “The kingdom is being delayed indefinitely.” Yet, many popular Bible teachers and commentaries hold that the kingdom is entirely in the future. If that were the case, John missed the mark by a county mile and his message had no application for his audience. What do you think?

Brian McLaren Endorses HEAVEN ON EARTH

R. Alan Streett has come upon a discovery that is revolutionizing his understanding of the Bible, the gospel, and the Christian life. You feel his exhilaration in every chapter as he grapples deeply with Jesus' core message - not simply about how to get your soul to heaven when you die, but how God's dreams for planet earth can come true, beginning with you, and catching all of us up in God's transforming mission. This is a courageous work that will stimulate needed conversations about the Bible and the gospel, especially in Baptist and Evangelical circles. Highly recommended. Brian D. McLaren Author and speaker brianmclaren.net

John H. Armstrong Endorses "Heaven on Earth"

"Good biblical scholarship always needs clear-headed and careful writers who can help the church as a whole grasp the 'core essentials' of the gospel of the kingdom. Alan Streett has written a rare book, combining good scholarship with a compelling and clear style that allows him to speak powerfully to a wide audience. There is gold in this hill–search and find. I am quite sure your efforts will be rewarded." John H. Armstrong, President, Act 3

MORE ENDORSEMENTS FOR "HEAVEN ON EARTH'

Among those who have already agreed to endorse my book “Heaven on Earth: Experiencing the Kingdom of God in the Here and Now” are NT scholar Peter Davids (HBU), Christian thinker John Armstrong, and church plant expert Ed Stetzer. Those presently reading the manuscript include theologian Stanley Hauerwas (Duke), religious historian Randall Balmer (Dartmouth), and popular writer Shane Claiborne.

Research and Publications

The Baker Dictionary of Cults, Sects, and World Religions, Wayne House, General Editor (Baker Books, forthcoming 2014). I am contributing 55 entries on various cults and cult personalities (50,000 words, approximately 150 pages). The T&T Clark Handbook of Social Identity and the New Testament, Brian Tucker and Coleman Baker, eds. (T & T Clark, forthcoming 2014). I am writing major chapter: “Agapé Feasts as a means of forming Christian Social Identity in Second Peter.” The B & H Worldview Study Bible, David Dockery, General Editor (Broadman & Holman, forthcoming 2014). I am writing three article-length essays on worldview-related topics. Heaven on Earth. Experiencing the Kingdom of God—Here and Now! Harvest House, Eugene, OR (forthcoming, April 2013). Length: 304 pages. Subversive Meals: Eating the Lord’s Supper under Roman Domination during the First Century, Wipf & Stock (forthcoming, January 2013). Length: 356 pages.

First Endorsement for HEAVEN ON EARTH

When Dr. Alan Streett writes a book it has a long life because of the way he reveals Biblical truth in such a practical and applicable manner. In a day when world events lead believers to focus so much on Christ's second coming that they forget to appropriate all the first coming provides, HEAVEN ON EARTH is a welcome addition. Streett reminds us that we do not have to wait for our Lord's millennial reign to be blessed. Christ is ruling already from the Father’s right hand. This reminder should move every believer to get this book...read it and reap! O.S. Hawkins President/CEO GuideStone Financial Resources

Back Cover and Endorsements

The back cover of HEAVEN ON EARTH will include the following copy, plus endorsements from several well-known Christians, including Peter Davids and John Armstrong: The future hope of heaven is pulled into the here-and-now in this illuminating description of the kingdom of God. Popular teacher and author R. Alan Streett exposes half-truths about the kingdom that many believers have unwittingly accepted. He contrasts these with the testimony of Scripture: * Jesus inaugurated the kingdom of God on the earth--it has already begun. As ambassadors of the kingdom, we are to fulfill our responsibilities and enjoy its benefits here and now. * Salvation does not culminate with the soul escaping the body and living forever in heaven. Our bodies will eventually be transformed, and we will live with God on a restored earth. * The church is like an embassy of heaven in a foreign country. In their life together, believers demonstrate kingdom realities to the world. Readers will find hope and direction in this fresh presentation of the historic teaching on the kingdom. “Heaven on Earth” can be pre-ordered: http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Earth-Experiencing-Kingdom-Here/dp/0736949143/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349569888&sr=8-1&keywords=heaven+streett

Book Moves to New Phase

My manuscript HEAVEN ON EARTH has moved from the editing stage to the gallery stage. This means it is being formatted and printed. I will then read through it, make necessary corrections, and give my approval for final publication. Amazon lists the book as 256 pages, but it is actually 304 pages. You can pre-order book at: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=heaven+streett

ISBN # for SUBVERSIVE MEALS

ISBN 978-1-62032-018-1 has been assigned to my book "Subversive Meals: An Analysis of the Lord’s Supper under Roman Domination during the First Century" (Wipf and Stock). It is tentatively scheduled to be published by mid-January 2013 -- just in time for Spring semester.

John the Baptist and the Apostle Peter

John the Baptist and the Apostle Peter preached the same message except for one distinction. John preached “a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:4). Peter added the Holy Spirit to the mix: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39). Both baptized in water, but only Peter promised the Holy Spirit in addition to forgiveness of sins! The Holy Spirit’s presence was the sign that the kingdom had already arrived. It was God’s eschatological gift to his people. Just as God sent the Holy Spirit upon Jesus at his baptism, so he pours out the Spirit on Jesus’ disciples when they are baptized. As James Dunn writes, “Wherever the Spirit is there is the Kingdom of God.” The question remains, if Peter promised the Holy Spirit to all who were baptized in Jesus’ name, should we do the same?

The Kingdom has Arrived Already

Jesus concludes his sermon in the Nazareth synagogue with the words, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). This verse offers a clue as to the manner of the kingdom’s arrival. The words, “This scripture is fulfilled" is a reference to Isaiah’s prophecy about the kingdom coming to earth. The specific time of its fulfillment is “Today.” Not tomorrow or next year or in two millennia (as some evangelicals believe). A geographic indicator is given: “in your hearing.” Right there in the midst of the synagogue crowd at Nazareth. When we put the pieces together we see that the kingdom arrived with Jesus as he launched his public ministry. The kingdom of God was no longer a future hope only, but a present reality. As missionary strategist Lesslie Newbigin remarked of the kingdom: “It now had a name and a face—-the name and face of the man from Nazareth.” The waiting period was over. God was initiating his work of salvation on earth.

Is our Gospel Relevant?

If the gospel’s goal is simply about getting people into heaven, as many believe, where is its relevance? Most people who hear the gospel will not die for years. Therefore, they will have little incentive to respond immediately. With little or no relevance for the here and now, the logic for evangelism is weakened. It would be like me trying to sell you a front row seat to a New York Yankees game for a date yet to be determined by the ball club between now and 2080! You would not likely purchase ticket. It may be a good deal, but where’s the urgency? Waiting would seem to be more prudent.

Chapter Titles: "Heaven on Earth"

HEAVEN ON EARTH Table of Contents Dedication Acknowledgements 1. Discovering the Kingdom 2. In the Beginning was the Kingdom 3. The Kingdom in the Old Testament Era 4. Rome: The Final Empire 5. God’s Appointed and Anointed King 6. Exorcism: Sign of the Kingdom’s Arrival 7. Kingdom Healings and Miracles 8. AM and FM Christians 9. The Church and Its Worldwide Mission 10. The Final Week 11. The Present Reign of the Exalted Christ 12. I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb 13. The Church as a Colony and Embassy 14. The Kingdom-Focused Church

The Nature of the Ekklesia

I have spent my time this week writing that the first-century church (ekklesia) should be viewed as a voluntary association. In particular, it is a messianic association. I believe the church/voluntary association linkage is critical to understanding correctly the instructions and descriptions contained in the Epistles to the churches. Once the connection is made, things get much clearer. I also believe this will become the scholarly consensus among NT scholars within the next decade.

Endorsements of Subversive Meals

Here are the four blurbs that will appear on the back cover of my upcoming book Subversive Meals, due out in August 2012:

“Worship is politics. Alan Streett sets the Lord’s Supper in the context of Passover and Jesus’ mealtime teaching to argue astutely that it was an anti-imperial praxis. It contested Roman rule, ideology, and stratified social practice with theological and Christological counter-assertions, and egalitarian social practices. Streett’s insightful argument makes a significant contribution in recasting understandings of the Lord’s Supper.”

Warren Carter, Professor of New Testament,
Brite Divinity School, TCU (Fort Worth, TX)

“The concept behind this book is brilliant, and Streett has given it a thorough and judicious study. This book will serve as a benchmark for future scholarly debates about early Christian meals and anti-imperial rhetoric.”

Dennis E. Smith, LaDonna Kramer Meinders Professor of New Testament,
Phillips Theological Seminary (Tulsa, OK)

“The Passover meal was a celebration of liberation from the ancient Egyptian Empire. So if the Lord's Supper continued the tradition of the Passover celebration, as Streett contends, wasn't it a celebration of liberation from the Roman Empire? Alan Streett has ‘connected the dots’ in a careful step by step analysis and argument. For those loyal to a Lord who transcended Caesar as Lord, the Supper quickly became the central ceremony of their cohesive communities, which collectively formed an alternative, anti-imperial society.”

Richard A. Horsley, Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and Religion,
University of Massachusetts (Boston, MA)

“Working especially with the New Testament writings of Luke and Paul, Streett demonstrates the surprisingly political significance of the early church’s Lord’s Supper. That is, the Supper had not only to do with the church’s internal life but spoke profoundly of the church’s rejection of Roman imperial ideology and the practices by which it was propagated. The consequences of this study are both historically important and theologically challenging, since Streett’s work participates in the ongoing destruction of the walls that separate theology and practice, and worship and politics.”

Joel B. Green, Professor of New Testament Interpretation,
Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena, CA)

PreachingToday.Com

Brian Larson, publisher of PreachingToday.com, contacted me and requested to put my FBC Jax Pastor’s Conference message “Applying the Word” on their website. One of his colleagues attended the session and thought it should be made available to a wider audience. It should be up soon. Preaching Today is part of the Christianity Today network.

New Writing Project

I just agreed to write a chapter for the "T & T Clark Handbook to Social Identity and the New Testament" edited by Brian Tucker and Coleman Baker. My topic will be the Agage Feast in 2 Peter/Jude as a means for shaping social identity. The goal is for the book is to be the "go to" guide for social identity discussions for NT scholars. It will be published in late 2013 in time for the national SBL meeting.

Peace on Earth

The angelic choir sang the first song of Christmas: "Glory to God / in the highest / and on earth peace /among those of [God's] favor" (2:14).

Its theme was peace. But what made this heralded peace different than the Roman peace (Pax Romana) that already filled the world at Jesus’ birth? Or as John Dominic Crossan asks, “If the Roman Augustus had already established peace on earth, what was left for the Jewish Jesus to accomplish?” He goes on to say, “The difference was not in the that of peace but in its how, not in the purpose and intention of peace but in the mode and method of its accomplishment . . . . For Rome the mode and method was: religion, war, victory, peace . . . . But the messianic vision of the Jewish Jesus proclaimed a different program: religion, non-violence, justice, peace. Its mantra was peace through justice.”

He adds, “Victory's violence establishes not peace but lull -- until the next and always more violent round of war. The Christian challenge of Christmas is this: justice is what happens when all receive a fair share of God's world and only such distributive justice can establish peace on earth.”

While Crossan is correct in his analysis, he erroneously believes justice can be achieved here and now when governments distribute wealth equally to all. In reality, it will be achieved only when God establishes his kingdom on earth under the rule of Messiah. Until then, the church in submission to Christ is called to practice egalitarian justice, and thus demonstrate in part what the future kingdom will be like. In doing so, the church serves as an attractive alternative to the kingdoms of this world.

Supernatural Conception

Matthew 1:16 declares, "Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary of whom was born Jesus Christ." From this verse we see two things: 1) Joseph did not begat Jesus, 2) yet, Jesus was born of Mary. How did this event occur? What transpired? Rudolf Schnackenburg says the explanation is found in Matthew 1:18-25, which serves an extended footnote to verse 16. Verse 18 opens with these words: "Now the birth of Jesus was as follows." The remainder of the section fills in the details, telling how at first Joseph suspects Mary of adultery, only to change his mind after having a God-inspired dream in which an angel reveals that the pregnancy is of supernatural origin. One interesting tidbit in the account is that the angel says that Mary will have "a son." Here is a case where the gender of an unborn child is revealed two millennia before the invention of the sonogram!

Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization

Got home to find discover the Blackwell Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization (Wiley Blackwell, Oxford, UK) had finally arrived. What a surprise! This is a monumental work, taking several years to publish. I contributed ten articles to the 4 volume set, including entries on Peter Marshall, Charles E. Fuller, Aimee Semple McPherson, among others.

The Davidic Focus of Jesus' Genealogy

The genealogy of Jesus begins with King David, not Abraham, which seems unusual since Abraham preceded David by 800 years (v 1). Why the reversal? Most likely because David is the pivotal figure in the genealogy, which is divided into three sections. Section I covers the time from Abraham to David’s ascent to the throne (vv 2-6). Section 2 covers the time between David’s rule to the exile in Babylon (vv 7-11). Section 3 cover the years between the return from exile to the restoration of David’s dynasty through the Messiah Jesus (vv 8-16).

Matthew says each section consists of 14 generations (v 17). Yet, only sections 1 and 2 have 14 generations; section 3 has 13 generations. Why the discrepancy? Can’t Matthew add? Matthew must have something else in mind. Especially since section 1 covers 800 years, while sections 2 and 3 cover 400 and 575 years, respectively. Based on the time difference alone, the number of generations cannot be the same for each section. So what is Matthew’s point?

Most likely, Matthew is using a code system known as gematria (which assigns value to Hebrew letters) to say that each section is about David. Since the Hebrew alphabet is devoid of vowels, David’s name is D-V-D. Its value is D = 4, V = 6, D = 4, for a total of 14. Therefore, Matthew likely means each section is equivalent to 14 or is about D-V-D.

While the genealogy focuses on David, it ends with Jesus. It is his lineage (vv 1, 17). He is the Royal Messiah who ushers in the Kingdom of God. All the promises and hopes of Israel find their fulfillment in Jesus.

God's Gals

Jesus' genealogy includes several women, a rarity among Jewish genealogies. These women are Gentiles--Tamar and Rahab (both Canaanites), Ruth (Moabite), and Bathsheba (Hittite)-- all of whom had had illicit or questionable sexual relationships with Jewish men, which resulted in the birth of children. Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and seduced Judah, her father-in-law, producing twins. Rahab, a prostitute who plied her trade on the wall at Jericho, had a child (Boaz) with Salmon, whether through marriage or not we don't know. Ruth, a widower, crawled under the covers of Boaz, and Obed was born. These women are king David's ancestors.

Then David had an affair with Bathsheba, a married woman, and sent her husband Uriah to the frontlines of battle to be killed. David and Bathsheba wed and had Solomon who became Israel's new king.

Why does Matthew lists these women in Jesus' genealogy? First, to show that despite mistakes and moral indiscretions, God works providentially to bring about his will. Second, to show that God loves, forgives, and uses people on the margins to fulfill his plans. Third, to show his plan of redemption includes Gentiles. Fourth, to ease the scandal surrounding Mary's pregnancy, who stands in the line of these women.

From a human perspective Mary was a tainted woman because she became pregnant prior to marriage. Joseph, to whom she was espoused, knew Jesus was not his child. Although he learned through a vision the truth about Mary, her neighbors did not. They all looked on her as an immoral woman and Jesus as her illegitimate child (John 8:41).

Finally, for Matthew's audience living decades after Jesus, this genealogy offers them hope and encouragement because they, too, have been marginalized. Rejected by non-messianic Jewish family members and friends for following Jesus and rubbing shoulders with Gentile Christ followers, they have been kicked out of synagogues and declared dead. But God accepts them and will use them to do great things just as he used the women in Jesus' genealogy, despite public opposition.

Jesus is the savior of those on the margins. They may be rejected by man, but they are accepted by God!

Christmas: God with Us

Warren Carter says the Gospel of Matthew was written to people on the margins. These were Jewish and Gentiles believers who were members of house churches in Antioch, Syria around 80/90 AD. After the destruction of the Temple and burning of Jerusalem, these believers faced estrangement and even persecution. Matthew's Gospel is a pastoral letter intended to encourage them in the faith. It opens with Jesus being called Immanuel, i.e. "God is with us." It closes with Jesus saying, "I am with you always." What comfort to know that when forsaken by friends and family, Jesus is with us!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a holiday that predates the founding of the United States. The Pilgrims gave thanks to God for surviving their first year in the new world. Thereafter, the settlers gave thanks yearly for a good harvest. It became more politicized in 1863, when President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day in an effort to promote unity between the northern and southern states. It became a federal holiday in 1941 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. People celebrate Thanksgiving today for various reasons. More often than not, it is viewed as a day to eat heartily, watch the Macy’s Day parade and/or innumerable football games, recognize the start of Christmas shopping season, and thank God for our nation. So, its meaning has changed over the years.

During New Testament times thanksgiving (small “s”) was an anti-imperial practice that recognized God, not Rome, as the source of supply. In a very real sense, prayer is a subversive action and a threat to every totalitarian government that seeks to control the lives of their citizens.

Christians worldwide should adopt Jesus’ prayer as our model: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, they kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread . . . .”

When Nations go to War

The church of Jesus Christ is larger than any one nation. It's members live in every country of the world and are called upon to represent the kingdom of God to those nations. Like an embassy that supports only the agenda of its homeland, so the church supports God's agenda alone and not a nationalistic agenda of the country where it is located.

When nations wreck havoc and engage in mass destruction, such actions serve the purposes of Satan, the god of this world.

Therefore, when one nation declares war against another nation, the church cannot support that action. Nor should it encourage its members to fight in the war, since that would involve Christians from one nation killing Christians from the opposing nation. The church must not place loyalty to a nation above loyalty to the kingdom of God.

What should the church do? First, call upon its governmental leaders to seek non-violent solutions. Second, if war is declared, it must state publicly and unequivocally that it opposes the war. Third, it should weep for the victims of war and minister to them and their families. Fourth, it should preach the gospel of the kingdom and call the nation to repent and submit to Jesus as Lord.

The church must demonstrate what it is like to live under the reign of God. In presenting an alternative path to peace, the church reflects in part what the rule of God will look like when the kingdom arrives in it's fulness.

When the church embraces the ethics of a nation, it loses it's prophetic voice and it's identity as an embassy of the kingdom within that nation. It becomes just another organization that supports nationalistic causes, rather than a vehicle that calls people to align with the kingdom of God.

The Kingdom has Arrived!

Some biblical scholars hold that the kingdom of God is a future reality only and does not have a present manifestation. Yet Jesus, like John the Baptist before him, called upon his hearers to repent and announced that “the kingdom of God is at hand.” Was he mistaken? Was it at hand as he claimed or was it to arrive in the distant future?

A clue may be found in the wording of the Lord’s Prayer. When his disciples ask for instructions on how to pray, Jesus answers, “When you pray, say: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come’” (Luke 11:1-2). Were they to pray expecting God to answer speedily? This seems to be the case. After all, the remainder of the instructions deals with immediate expectations: “Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation” (vv 3-4).

It seems they were expecting the prayer to be answered without delay. Hence they were expecting the kingdom of God to arrive likewise.

Only 10 verses later, Luke tells how one of Jesus’ opponents accuses him of casting out demons by Beelzebub, which he denies (Luke 11-14-19). Then he answers, “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you” (v 20).

The context of these two events in the same chapter should settle the issue once for all. Jesus tells the disciples to pray “Your kingdom come” (v 2) and then says a few verses later, “The kingdom has come” (v 20).

The evidence that the kingdom has arrived is found in Jesus’ victory over demons which he accomplishes by God’s power.

The Kingdom of God and the Church

John the Baptist, Jesus, the Twelve, the Seventy, Peter, Stephen, Philip and Paul preached the Gospel of the kingdom.

The Gospel of the kingdom declares that in the person of Christ, the kingdom of God arrived, accompanied by signs and wonders. By virtue of Christ's obedience in death, God raised him from the dead and placed him on the throne of David to rule over God's creation. Christ is now enthroned as Lord of the universe. While he reigns over earth, he reigns in the church. While others may not recognize his rule, the church does. It is charged with declaring the reign of God in Christ and inviting all men and women to come under his reign. This is our mission.

New book contract

I just got word that Harvest House will publish my book on the kingdom of God. A contract is in the mail. Looks like I will be very busy this summer.

Baptism and the Eternal Covenant

When Jesus was baptized by John in the waters of the Jordan, what was actually transpiring? According to Barth, Christ through his baptism publicly acknowledged and committed himself to carrying out his unique role as Messiah and Savior. As such he took up the task of living wholly for God and wholly for man. This was the first step in fulfilling “the covenant which God resolved upon from all eternity, which He set up with Israel (yet already with a view to all mankind) and which, in virtue of His great love, in spite of man’s unfaithfulness, He willed to bring to its goal in Him, the Son of God as true Son of Man. God for man and man for God is the fulfilled covenant, the accomplished reconciliation, the ministry of Jesus Christ.”

In baptism, Christ stood in “solidarity with men” and placed himself “unconditionally at God’s disposal.” Thus, baptism became the initial public act whereby Jesus accepted his role as mediator between humankind and God. It was an eschatological event that led to the cross, and would culminate in the kingdom of God on earth.