The Gospel in Twenty Questions (9 page)

The Bible was
written in such a way to confound the wisdom of the so-called wise. It contains
scriptures that appear to contradict one another
confounding attempts
to reduce it to a rule-book or instruction manual. We may be tempted to ignore
bits we don’t like, but it’s better to read the whole book through the lens of
Jesus. We need to ask, “How does this scripture help me understand Jesus and
what he has done?”

The
cross is the key. Before the cross God related to the children of Israel
through the temporary law-keeping covenant. After the cross God introduced a
new covenant of grace that applies to everyone everywhere.

By calling this covenant “new,” he has
made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon
disappear. (Hebrews 8:13)

The cross marks the
crossroads of two covenants. Before he went to the cross Jesus said, “Every sin
and blasphemy will be forgiven” (Matthew 12:31). When was every sin and blasphemy
forgiven? At the cross.

The
cross changed everything. God hasn’t changed
—
he never changes. But the means by which
we relate to him and he to us has changed. Consider these contrasts:

—
   
Before the cross we
were blessed if we obeyed and cursed if we didn’t (Deuteronomy 11:26
–
28).
But after the cross we are blessed because Christ obeyed (Ephesians 1:3), and
through him we are redeemed from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13).

—
   
Before the cross
Adam’s sin meant condemnation for all (Romans 5:18). But on the cross our sins
were carried away, and there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ
Jesus (Romans 8:1).

—
   
Before the cross God
was distant and unapproachable (Exodus 19:12). But at the cross the veil was
torn, we were brought near to God, and now we can boldly approach the throne of
grace (Ephesians 2:13; Hebrews 4:16).

—
   
Before the cross it
was important to keep a record of sins (Leviticus 4
–
5).
But after the cross God chooses to remember our sins no more (Hebrews 8:12).

—
   
Before the cross God
said, “Thou shalt” (Exodus 20), but after the cross God says, “I will” (Hebrews
8:8
–
12).
In the old covenant,
God’s favor hinged on your faithfulness. But in the new, his favor comes to us
on account of Christ’s faithfulness.

—
   
Before the cross
righteousness was demanded of sinful men (Deuteronomy 6:25). But after the
cross righteousness is freely given to all who want it (Romans 1:17, 5:17).

—
   
Before the cross,
God’s presence came and went, causing people to hunger for his spirit (Psalm
51:11). But after the cross God makes his home with us and promises to never
leave us (John 14:23, Hebrews 13:5).

Read the bits of
the Bible that come before the cross and chances are you will be reading about
a covenant that never applied to you and no longer applies to the Israelites.
Why is this obsolete material in the Bible? Because it helps us appreciate who
Jesus is and what he has done. The law is the shadow, but Jesus is the reality.
The law is a warm-up act, but Jesus is the star of the show. The law is the
prosecuting attorney who condemns you as guilty, but Jesus is the great
advocate who sets you free.

When
reading the Bible we need to distinguish between the old law covenant, which
condemns sinners, and the new covenant of grace, which makes sinners righteous.
We need to ask, “Does this passage describe a world looking forward to Christ
and his redemptive work or a world looking back?” And once we have answered that
question, we need to ask this …

The second question
we must ask of any scripture is, “Who is the writer writing to or about?”
Specifically, is this passage directed to those under law or grace? Is it for
those who know Jesus or those who don’t? This isn’t about judging people, for
Jesus loves everyone. But not everyone loves him. People divide themselves by
their response to truth, which is why Jesus distinguishes sheep from goats.
Surely, Jesus loves the goats as much as he loves his sheep, but he has
different words for them.

Jesus
told the Pharisees, “Woe to you …” That’s a warning for Pharisees, but not for
you. Jesus told the Pharisees they belonged to their father the devil (John
8:44). Again, that’s for them, not you. You belong to your Father in heaven.

Everything
in the Bible is helpful, but not everything is helpful for you. This should be
obvious, but it’s not. I regularly hear from people who say things like, “The
New Testament epistles were written exclusively for churches, so we should do
everything in them.” This is not true. One of the epistles was addressed to
“the twelve tribes” of Israel (James 1:1). Others were addressed to
individuals. Is your name Philemon or Titus? Are you part of the twelve tribes?

“Paul,
are you saying these epistles are irrelevant?” Not at all. They are very useful,
and we can learn much from them. I am saying we need to filter everything we
read through Jesus, and we also need to consider who is being addressed. James,
for instance, says this:

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail
because of the misery that is coming on you. (James 5:1)

That sounds like
bad news for rich people. What will you do with it? How will you divide this
word? You may say, “I’m not rich, so this isn’t for me.” But if you’re reading
this on a Kindle or if you bought this book with a credit card, then by global
standards you are rich indeed. Even if you’re not rich you should wonder about
Abraham, who was. Is James condemning Abraham? Surely not. So how do we account
for James’ harsh words?

We
need to ask the second question: “Who is being addressed?” Read these words in
context and you will see that James is not describing Christians, but the rich
and powerful who infiltrate our meetings, exploit their workers, murder the
innocent, and slander the name of Jesus. He’s talking about corrupt businessmen
and officials who trust in money instead of God. And yes, people like that
should weep and wail because money can’t save you.
[22]

Another
passage which may trip you up comes from Peter’s second letter. This letter is
addressed to believers and opens with a heartening “grace and peace be yours in
abundance” (2 Peter 1:2). But in the second chapter, Peter goes ballistic. He
condemns those who “never stop sinning,” cites proverbs about dogs returning to
their vomit, and warns of divine retribution.

You
may wonder,
What happened to the grace and peace? Why is Peter getting on my
back?
But he isn’t. He’s not talking about you but false prophets and false
teachers
—
those who deny the Lord, are slaves of depravity, and go
after the way of Balaam (2 Peter 2:1, 15, 19).

Balaam
was an Old Testament goose who knew about God but didn’t follow him. Similarly,
those Peter writes about are acquainted with the “way of righteousness” (they
have heard the gospel) but have turned their backs on it and remain under
condemnation (2 Peter 2:3, 21). Since these people are saying Jesus is not
Lord, they are definitely not saved. Where are these false prophets and teachers
found? They are “among you,” says Peter (2 Peter 2:1). They’re in your
gatherings and on your deacon boards, so beware of them and their anti-Christ
talk. 

Having
warned us about these wolves in sheep’s clothing, Peter turns his attention
back to us, his “dear friends,” in chapter 3. Do you see? You are Christ’s
beloved and Peter’s dear friend. You are not a slave of depravity, so Peter’s
condemnation of them is not for you. There is no condemnation to those in
Christ Jesus.

The
only way we can get this wrong is if we confuse the “dear friends” of chapter 3
with the “slaves of depravity” of chapter 2. But we can avoid this mistake by
asking, “Who is Peter writing about?” And the answer, in chapter 2, is “not
us.”

Like
Peter, Jude also draws a line between “godless men” who deny Jesus and his
“dear friends,” who are saved (see Jude 1:3
–
4). The godless men are not you but are
“among you.” They’re in your meetings and at your “love feasts, eating with
you” (Jude 1:12). Some are posing as teachers and prophets. Others are even
pretending to be shepherds (Jude 1:12).

We
need to wise up to the fact that there are wolves among the sheep. Jude knew this
and so should you it. If you don’t, you will confuse warnings meant for
them
as warnings meant for
you
.

Jude
was not confused. His message is “woe to them” not “woe to you” (Jude 1:11).
His rebuke is for the fakers, not the faithful. His message to you is
completely different: “Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance” (Jude 1:2).
This isn’t rocket surgery. Wolves get warnings; sheep get mercy, peace, and
love in abundance. As long as you know who you are in Christ, you shouldn’t be
confused.

When
reading the scriptures it is essential to ask, “Who was this written for or
about?” Failing to ask this question is like taking someone else’s medicine.
Medicine is good, but it might not be good for you.

With these two
questions in our tool box, we can now begin to reconcile scriptures that seem
to contradict each other. Let’s start with the example I mentioned earlier
:

Jesus:   If you forgive other people when
they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do
not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew
6:14–15)

Paul:    God made you alive with Christ.
He forgave us all our sins … Forgive one another if any of you has a grievance
against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 2:13b, 3:13)

Jesus says God’s forgiveness is
conditional on our forgiveness; Paul says it’s not. Jesus says God will forgive
you; Paul says he already has. Who’s right? Answer: Jesus was, but Paul is.

When Jesus
uttered those words in Matthew 6, he was preaching law to those born under law.
(How do we know it’s a law? The word
If
is a clu
e.)
On the cross Jesus fulfilled the law, and after the cross he changed his
message. On the night he rose from the dead, Jesus began preaching
unconditional forgiveness (see Luke 24:47). It’s important that you see this.

Before
the cross Jesus described forgiveness as a verb, but after the cross he
described it as a noun. Under law, forgiveness was something God
does
,
but under grace, forgiveness is something God
gives
. Forgiveness is a
gift, and in Christ you have it.
[23]

The
cross changed the message. Before the cross it was “God will” but after the
cross it became “God has.” God dealt with all your sins
—
past,
present, and future
—
on the cross. You have been eternally
forgiven through the blood of the Lamb. So why should we forgive those who sin
against us? Not to earn forgiveness (that’s law) but to share what we have
freely received (that’s grace).

Here is
another example of two scriptures that seem to contradict each other:

Jesus:   For God said, “Honor your father
and mother” and “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to
death.” (Matthew 15:4)

Paul:    “Honor your father and
mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—“so that it may go well
with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:2–3)

Both Jesus and Paul are quoting
the same law, but they are only quoting half the law. And they’re each quoting
a different half. Here is the full version of the law:

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may
live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you … Anyone who curses their
father or mother is to be put to death. (Exodus 20:12, 21:17)

This law comes with a big
carrot (long life) and a big stick (a swift death). Paul mentions the carrot
but not the stick; Jesus mentions the stick but not the carrot. Does it matter?
I guess that depends on how well you have treated your parents!

Some
Christians read the words of Jesus and worry, “I’ve not honored my parents.
According to Jesus I’m in big trouble.” Okay, but what about the Ephesian Christians?
They never heard Jesus mention the big stick and they didn’t have Bibles to
tell them. Their only exposure to this law probably came from Paul, who only
mentions the carrot.

See the
problem? Jesus and Paul are using the same law to send different messages. This
leads some to conclude, “Paul missed it. We should follow Jesus
.” But filter both messages through the lens of the cross and
you will see that this would be a mistake. Following Jesus in this instance
would actually be dishonoring Jesus and his finished work. It would be like
saying Jesus had not fulfilled the law on our behalf and therefore we must.

Recall the
second question: “Who is being addressed?” Jesus is talking to Pharisees and
scribes (see Matthew 15:1). Are you a Pharisee or scribe? Jesus is speaking on
the far side of the cross to those born under law. Were you born under law? No.
Then his harsh words for them are not meant for you.

The Pharisees
and scribes were law teachers who did not submit to the law. When they
condemned the disciples for breaking the tradition of elders, Jesus laid into
them for breaking the commands of God.

The
heavy yoke of the law is God’s gift for the
hypocrite. It’s for religious pretenders who think they are rich towards God.
It is not for you. You have more in common with the saints of Ephesus than the
phonies among the Pharisees.

So
why does Paul quote the law to the Ephesians who were not under the law? What
relevance does this law have for us who are under grace? From a legal
perspective, it has no relevance at all. God doesn’t reward us for honoring our
parents. Paul has just told the Ephesians that all the blessings of God come to
us through grace alone (Ephesians 1:3). Nor does God punish us for dishonoring
our parents. Paul doesn’t mention the big stick because Christ has redeemed us
from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13)
.

Paul is
simply saying that honoring our parents is always a good idea. Whether you’re
under grace or law, it’s a good thing to do. We are not righteous because we
honor our parents; we honor our parents because we are righteous. In Christ you
are righteous, so act righteous.

Jesus and
Paul are speaking complementary messages. They are using the same words for
different purposes for different people. There’s a wonderful symmetry here. One
is using the law to silence the self-righteous, while the other is using it to
illustrate a timeless truth. Both are handling the scriptures correctly in
their
respective situations.