Expedition 44

We are going to be uploading some of our sermons and messages periodically during the downtime between our YouTube/Podcast series'. This was a message by Matt at Mt. Zion Christian Church on 3/20/2022.

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Matthew 5:21-26

We bear God’s name by living out the heart of the Law. 

Exodus 20:7

Anger pushes us in the same direction as murder in that we make ourselves judge over others. 

The heart of someone living in the kingdom is empty of contempt towards others made in God’s image. 

Anger, bitterness, and contempt quench the Spirit’s work within our hearts. Ephesians 4:26-32

Break the vicious cycle of anger by doing all you can to make peace quickly. Matthew 18:20, Romans 12:18

Matthew 5:27-30

When we lust, we objectify others and fail to recognize them as God’s imagers. Song of Songs 8:6-7

Anger and lust in our hearts causes us to dehumanize others and ourselves.

Jesus is calling us to a new way of being human by letting Him change our hearts.

We are going to be uploading some of our sermons and messages periodically during the downtime between our YouTube/Podcast series'. This was a message by Dr. Ryan at Mt. Zion Christian Church on 3/7/2021.

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GEN 2:15 So the LORD God took the man [He had made] and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.

“Cultivate” is the Hebrew word “abad” meaning to work or serve.

“Keep” is the Hebrew word “shamar” meaning to watch or guard.

The duties of the Levitical priests are found in Numbers 3:6-8; 3:31, 36; 4:28; 8:25-26; & 18:1-7.

John 3:14-15 

The Israelites were told: “I am the only God you will worship” (Exodus 20:3), and “don’t worship any images whatsoever” (20:4-6).

Psalm 8:4-6

EXODUS 3:11-12

Exodus 19:1-6

“For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own portion or possession (segullah).” (Psalms 135:4 ESV)

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain”

I Peter 2:9 

HEBREWS 2:5-9

2 TIMOTHY 2:12

1 Corinthians 6:2-3

Many of us are entangled in the world.  (2Ti 2:4)

I Samuel 17:45-47 

 May we represent God in such a way that "the whole earth may know”

In this episode we had a conversation with Nick Quient about some biblical texts on marriage from and Egalitarian position.

Nick Quient is a PhD candidate in New Testament at Ridley College in Melbourne, AU. He also earned an MA in New Testament from Fuller Theological Seminary and a BA from Biola University. He has published in the Canadian-American Theological Review, Priscilla Papers, and the Evangelical Review of Theology and is the author of “The Perfection of Our Faithful Wills” (Wipf & Stock, 2019). He is an ordained Baptist pastor and resides in Southern California.

NIck’s YouTube and Podcast:

The New Testament Theologist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQsupQJMc69c_TmiUlP05PA

The Split Frame of Reference Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-split-frame-of-reference-podcast/id1176375687

1 Peter 2 and Romans 13 have some parallelisms. Yet in 1 Peter there’s no mention of 1) Taxes, 2) Wrath, 3) governing officials being God’s servants, and 4) the discussion of “fear” is in relation to God and not authorities in 1 Peter vs Romans.

The American/Western interpretation of Romans 13 (4 myths)

From Luther’s justification of the prince killing peasants in a revolt to Hitler and the holocaust to the apartheid in Africa, Romans 13 has been used to justify the “divine right of kings” and the goodness of the government. Recently Jeff Sessions used Rom 13 to justify splitting immigrant families up at the border because the government has the right to because it was ordained by God.

#1- Everyone should “obey” the government

#2- God chooses government leaders

#3- God approves of the government’s use of violence (bearing the sword)

#4- Christians can/should work in government

An Alternative Examination of Romans 13

The Context of Romans

A Deuteronomy 32 Worldview

Submit to Governing Authorities

Ordained by God

Bear the sword and avengers of wrath

Authorities are God’s servants and Ministers of God

Taxes

3 Options of interpretation

Western view

Anti-Imperial view

Neighborhood view

1 Peter Conclusions

·  Christoformity is the major theme of the letter. In mind and in behavior.

·  Christians should have the mindset of exile within the kingdoms of the world

·  Family identity permeates the letter. God is father and Jesus is our brother and example. The ethos of the family dictates what is honorable and not what society does. We bear God’s name.

·  Suffering is not something we should look for, but it is something we should be willing to do for Christ. It shows our participation in Christ and trials form our faith. Christ suffered at the hands of the world and his followers likely will too.

·  Upside-down kingdom identity- Peter uses many phrases that are derogatory in the culture to describe Christians as honorable

o  Elect/beloved exile- Basically loved or chosen homeless person

o  Christian- Identifying with someone crucified as your leader

o  Spirit of humility- having the mind of a slave

Peter offers hope to persecuted Christians and guides them with practical instruction on following Jesus.

Topics in 1 Peter 4:12-19

 Fiery Ordeal 

•      Christians should not see suffering as strange because of the backwards way of their kingdom Suffer for the Name 

o   Christians should not be surprised at their suffering since they are in participation with Christ who suffered at the hands of the world. 

 o   Reproaches should be seen as a test of allegiance 

o   Suffering is bearing witness for Christ and a cause to rejoice 

o   Suffering looks like shame to the world, but it is actually glory  

o   Those who suffer innocently can with confidence put themselves in God’s hands who will make all things right 

Judgement in the Household of God 

•      Judgement beginning in the household of the Lord is an OT concept (Ez 9:6, Amos 3:2, Mal 3:1-5).  

•      Judgement does not necessarily equal punishment for the believers. It is connected to the testing/fiery ordeal   

Topics in 1 Peter 5:1-7 

Witness 

•      The early followers of Jesus weren’t just ordinary witnesses who could be called upon to give their testimony in a court setting. By bearing witness or sharing their experience with the risen Jesus, they ran the risk of persecution and even death. What’s interesting is that the Greek word for witness, μάρτυς (mártus) began over time to carry the connotation of martyr—someone who is willing to suffer or even die for bearing witness to King Jesus. In the New Testament, we begin to see this association with witnesses and martyrdom.   

Elders, Shepherds, Flocks 

•      Considering the sufferings of Christ Peter exhorts church leaders in their responsibility towards God’s flock. They are not merely caretakers for a time, but they are to equip the church to persevere.   

Young, Old, and Humility 

o   The Greek word for humility here was a derogatory word meaning “the mindset of a slave/servant”. But for the Christians this was the way of Christ (Phil 2:1-11= Kenosis). 

Topics in 1 Peter 5:8-14 

The Devil and resistance 

o   Peter is seeing the persecution connected to the deceiver the one who is behind the false gods, idols, and empire.  

Stand firm 

•      Jesus is the example. He humbled himself in submission to God even to death on the cross. The cross in the world POV looks like a loss, not a victory, but it was actually the greatest victory of all. Christians are called to do likewise.   

Perfection (in Christ) 

•      Perfection is better thought of as wholeness or completeness, not in a strictly moral sense.  

•      Peter uses Paul’s favorite phrase for Christianity- “In Christ”

 •      This indicates the importance of location. Either in Christ or in the world 

•      God in Christ will bring about all the things in this verse, but we must be connected to him through submission, humility, and allegiance.  

 If you have questions on 1 Peter please email [email protected] or [email protected] and we’ll try to address them in the series conclusion episode

1 Peter 3:8-4:11

Empire/rulers, Slavery/Masters, Patriarchy/Pagan Husbands.

Sermon on the mount

• Tapeinophron Psalm 34

Earlier Peter uses Psalm 34 (LXX)

1 Peter 3:13-17

Suffering for Righteousness

Be prepared to give an account

Honor and Shame

1 Peter 3:18-22

Died for sins

o Peri/Dia- because of.

o Huper- For a benefit

Put to death/Made alive in Spirit

Proclamations to Spirits in prison

o 1 Enoch12:4-13:2 Baptism

1 Peter 4:1-6

The Purpose of Christ

Separate from the world

Gospel preached to the dead?

1 Peter 4:7-11

End of all things?

Love and Hospitality

Stewards of Grace

Aliens and strangers

Evangelism by behavior/christoformity

• “Submission

Authorities and Freedom

1st Century Slavery

Treatment

Suffering

Favor with God

Hypogrammos is the word for example here. It has a meaning of discipleship, a pattern to follow. Literally it means to follow in the footsteps.

Peter’s use of Isaiah 53

Heb 9:28 uses the same word as 1 Peter 2:24, anaphero (bare/bore)

Isaiah 53 and Atonement

Conclusions

Slaves (and all believers) are to be like Jesus displaying an attitude in suffering that does not fight back, knowing that through their suffering they may bring healing to the ones causing the suffering. And when one suffers unjustly, we know that God is a just judge who will do righteousness because he is the protector of our souls.

1 Peter 3:1-6- Believing wives and unbelieving husbands

Unbelieving husbands and submission

Adornment

Abraham and Sarah

Conclusion

o A major take away is that all 3 of these examples (empire, slaves, and patriarchal household codes) were structures of human making. None of them are ordained by God. Christians might be called to endure this as they lived in these societies, but these structures were never said to be set forth by God in the Bible.

o The Christian response to all of these structures were to live as witnesses and let the power of the Spirit change those who were in power. If these witnesses won over their governors, masters, husbands then we’d see the transforming power of God take place in the systems. God is not interested in “baptized” versions of these systems.

1 Peter 3:7- Believing husbands and wives

Weaker body, vessel, person

o Skeuos- does it mean body, vessel, or person?

Fellow Heirs in Grace

Your Prayers will not be hindered

1 Peter 1:13-2:10

Prepare your minds

Future grace

Obedient children

Conformed

Holiness and Sanctification

• Watch Bible Project: Holiness

• The root of holy (hagios) is the same word for saint. But a better term is to be a “holy one”

Judgement based on works

• Ransom: Lutron in Greek. Means the price of release or manumission (release from slavery). In its primary usage, the lutron/kōpher referred to neither a sacrifice for sin nor a punishment for transgression, but a price of release or a price of return.

• Luke uses Lutrosin (from Lutron) to describe the Exodus in Luke 1:68 and 2:38, and the verb form in 24:21, and the compound in 21:28. Luke, Mark, and Matthew all use this word to talk about slaves being set free, specifically in an Exodus motif.

• This is the ransom atonement theory which is often conflated with substitution.

• To answer the age-old question- “who was the ransom paid to?” (God, the Devil, Death?) we need to look at the exodus because Peter is connecting this word ransom/redemption to Jesus’ blood.

Blood and Exodus

A few things to notice…

• In this there is no one getting paid off. Not debts are getting collected. The gods are getting their butts kicked and slaves are being set free.

• The blood represents life as we see in Leviticus. So, the blood/life of the lamb gives life to those in the house. Death does not touch them.

• The blood has nothing to do with sin or forgiveness in Exodus. It’s about protection in a cosmic battle. It marks out God’s people from God’s enemies.

Jesus as foreknown (Corporate election and participation)

Last times?

Obedience and Love

Born again and seed

Babies and Milk

Jesus the living stone & the Church as living stones

Priesthood and sacrifices

Stumbling stone and offense at Jesus

Chosen Race

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation, & God’s Possession

Darkness, Light, and Mercy

1 Peter 1:1-12  

Topics in 1 Peter 1:1-2 

Aliens/Exiles 

Elect/Chosen 

Dispersed/Diaspora 

Foreknown 

Trinitarian action in sanctification  

In his introduction Peter exhorts his audience to view themselves as exiles in society, to be defined as set apart for obedience to Jesus and displaying him.    

Topics in 1 Peter 1:3-12 

Born Again 

Family language in 1 Peter 

Salvation, inheritance, & resurrection 

Faith and testing/trials

 Prophecy  

Application  

We are primarily Gentiles living in a post-Christian nation, though still with less persecution than Peter or his audience, our “suffering” and social pressures may or may not be as intense as the author and audience. We do still face trials and share in the same hope as the author and audience and submit to the same authority of God and the same Spirit inspired texts.   

We belong to a new family because of God. We should understand the magnitude of the inheritance.    

Jesus is the hope of all ancient and modern eschatological expectations.  

Sufferings in the present have a purpose, as they always have. The goal of our sufferings is to give honor, glory, and praise to God. Likewise, sufferings prove to be part of our sanctification: to be formed into the image of Christ. Christ suffered so we should be willing to suffer.   

The sweep of human history points us to Christ. The testimony of the Spirit from the Old Testament to the present is Christ-centered, and so should we be Christoform too.