The Expression of our Unity Pt. 2

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The Expression of our Unity Pt. 2

Ephesians 4:8-10

October 15, 2023 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • Ephesians 4:8–10

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Introduction:

We come this evening to three verses of Scripture that are not hard to understand but that make use of a Psalm in a way THAT IS hard to understand.

Paul makes a point about Jesus referring to Psalm 68:18.

Paul makes use of that verse in a way that doesn’t easily seem to fit its original context.

In fact, not only is he applying the Psalmist’s words to Christ (when in the original context they would refer to God, and THE OCCASION FOR THE PSALM would be either David’s triumph in Jerusalem over the Jebusites, or the transportation of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5-6)— the words have been changed.

ESV Psalm 68:18 You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men

ESV Ephesians 4:8 Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men."

How do we explain what Paul is doing?

Obviously, he does it under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Even if we are not able to know exactly what is going on in Paul’s mind, the fruit of his mind is on display in Ephesians 4:8-10, and what he writes is the Word of God. What he writes is not that hard to understand.

But is there an explanation for what he is doing with this Old Testament verse?

Is this an example of ancient Jewish exegesis (midrash) that is found in rabbinical writings outside of Scripture?

Does this represent a use of Old Testament Scripture that is completely divorced from its original context?

Does Paul see this as Messianic prophecy so that he now sees Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecy and fills the OT verse up with the NT fulfillment (pesher)?

Does Paul’s change of the verse reflect textual variants that perhaps existed in a textual tradition other than the Masoretic text or the Septuagint. A tradition reflected in some documents that DO have a giving of gifts in Psalm 68:18?

Peter O’Brien summarizes some of these views:

“A much more serious attempt to solve the dilemma takes its starting point from a variant form of the Old Testament textual tradition. The Syriac Peshitta rendering of Psalm 68:18 is ‘you have given gifts’, and although there is difference of scholarly opinion as to its value as evidence, it may reflect a textual tradition different from that represented by the MT and the LXX. Furthermore, the paraphrase of Psalm 68:18 in the Aramaic Targum is remarkable, for like the Peshitta it reads ‘you gave’ rather than ‘you received’ (as in the MT). It is unlikely that the New Testament wording of the passage has influenced the Targum, and although the Targum on the Psalms is late, it reflects a tradition and text form that are much earlier.68 M. Wilcox has cautiously concluded that the author of Ephesians ‘was here quoting either from, or in the light of, an Old Testament textual tradition resembling that of the Targum, but disagreeing with the tradition preserved in the LXX and MT at this point’.

Accordingly, it has been claimed that Paul has taken over the textual tradition as reflected in the Targum (‘you gave’), and employed a common technique of early Jewish hermeneutics, known as midrash pesher, in which his exposition of the text in the light of its fulfilment in Christ is integrated into the actual quotation”[1]

Or is there a way to understand Psalm 68:18 that fits with a historical-grammatical approach to interpretation?

Charles Smith believed that Psalm 68 is an example of intertextuality, and that the Psalmist was echoing something from Numbers 8 and 18 when God took the Levites from among the people of Israel and gave them as gifts to the people for service in the tabernacle.

ESV Numbers 8:6 "Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them.

ESV Numbers 8:18 and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel.

ESV Numbers 18:6 And behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the LORD, to do the service of the tent of meeting.

O’Brien — “Smith claims that Psalm 68 is itself referring to earlier Scripture; it ‘echoes’ the language of Numbers 8 and 18, where the Levites are mentioned as being taken by the Lord from among the people of Israel (8:6, 14) since they belong to him in a special way (‘the Levites shall be mine’, v. 14; cf. 3:45). But having taken them for himself, he then gives them back as gifts to the people so as to serve the congregation. Thus, Numbers 18:6, ‘I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel; to you they are given as a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation’. If Psalm 68 is read in this light, then the captives taken in Yahweh’s train as he enters his sanctuary are not his foes, but ministers whom he has taken and then given to his people to serve them on his behalf (cf. Isa. 66:20–21).

… According to Smith, ‘Paul wants his readers to understand that throughout history God has chosen special men as leaders of the community of believers’. The grace given to fulfil these different responsibilities may vary (cf. v. 7). The apostle’s exegesis of Psalm 68, then, is not that of midrash pesher, ‘but a remoulding of the thought of Psalm 68:18 on the basis of the Scriptural commentary in Numbers 8:6–19; 18:6 which the Psalmist used.… [T]he controlling factor [is that] of a grammatical-historical understanding of the text’.”[2]

WHAT MAKES THE WHOLE SITUATION EVEN MORE DIFFICULT (as Smith’s position indicates) IS THAT THE CONTEXT FOR PSALM 68 ISN’T ENTIRELY CLEAR.

[1] Peter Thomas O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999), 290.

[2] Peter Thomas O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999), 292–293.

The Lord’s Church - It’s Importance Part 2

September 1, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Timothy 3:14–15

Introduction: The importance of the church is on display in Paul’s life and ministry. We saw it in Paul’s passion for the church. We saw it in Paul’s patience with the church. We saw it in the urgency and authority of the message committed to the Lord’s church. We saw it in the detailed instructions given to the Lord’s church. We saw it in the problems faced by the Lord’s church. BUT NOW WE SEE IT IN YET ANOTHER WAY. The importance of the church is seen in its GOD-GIVEN IDENTITY. What is the church? How are we to understand ourselves? Why are we here and what are we to be about? I. THE CHURCH IS THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD (The church considered as a family) When the church is described as a household — the FAMILY OF GOD — it communicates several truths. This speaks of HONOR — His name is upon us. This speaks of AMBITION — We desire to please our Father. This speaks of UNION — We belong to a family so that we have been brought into a union with our God in Christ and are members of each other (brothers and sisters). This speaks of AUTHORITY — We are under His headship — His rule (Christ is the head of His church). This speaks of NEW BIRTH — We are God’s by means of adoption, but also by means of new nature. There are two families in the earth. Those who have God as their Father, and those who are of their father the devil. This speaks of RESPONSIBILITY — We have care for each other that has been assigned to us. ESV 1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler-- not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you." II. THE CHURCH IS THE ASSEMBLY OF THE LIVING GOD (The church considered as an assembly) ἐκκλησία ekklesia Meaning: an assembly, a (religious) congregation We are not just God’s family, we are, at the same time, His assembly. A. THIS SPEAKS OF ORGANIZATION As we said earlier, there is a proper way to conduct ourselves in the Lord’s church. There is a leadership structure. There is an organization God has set forth. ESV 1 Corinthians 14:37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. ESV 1 Corinthians 12:28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. So, the church is the family of God, organized in accordance with the Word of God, for the purpose of carrying out the ministry of the local church that has been assigned by God. B. THIS SPEAKS OF REPRESENTATION The church of the LIVING (the God who really exists) God. In a sea of paganism and multiplied false gods, the church belongs to the true and living God. This is a test of a healthy church — do they represent God in the FULLNESS of His character? Do they preach the whole counsel of God about EVERYTHING, including what God has revealed about His own NATURE and ATTRIBUTES? C. THIS SPEAKS OF PROTECTION The church is cared for by its OWNER. ESV Matthew 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The Lord’s Church - It’s Importance Part 1

September 1, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Timothy 3:14–15

Introduction: To love the Lord Jesus is love what He loves. It is to be devoted to all that He would have us be devoted to. And if you love what Jesus loves, then you must love the local church. If you are devoted to what He would have you be devoted to, then you must be devoted to the local church. He loved the church and gave Himself for her, and He has promised to build His church, and He has, and He is. But we are living in times when there is a gross misunderstanding of the local church. We don’t know who we are, and we don’t know why we are here. And what is sad and amazing about that is that God has given us His Word for the very purpose that we would never find ourselves in that position. As the title of one book about elders reads, “When all else fails, read the directions.” Well, here in the word of God, and specifically, in the Pastoral Epistles, we have the directions. What do they teach us? I. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CHURCH This is perhaps the first thing that we have forgotten, just how important the Lord’s church is. There is error on both ends of the spectrum when it comes to this issue. **There are those who treat the church as if it isn’t important to God, or to genuine Christianity. -Some place the church on the same level with any Christian teaching organization. -Some place the church on the same level with Christian television or radio -Some see the church as a tragic failure and abandon it altogether -Some give the church their time and their attendance as it fits into their schedule *If it doesn’t interfere with their work, or their pleasures *If it gives them what they want *If it can be fit into their retirement plans and travel plans **There are others who treat the church as important, but they don’t really understand why it is important. They see the church not through the eyes of the New Testament, but through the eyes of their own ideas. They see the church as important, but not for the reasons that they should and what they really desire is not at all what the Lord intended His church to be. Indeed, it is a sad reality that with many professing Christians the more the church becomes what it was intended to be, the less they desire it. A. SEEN IN PAUL’S PASSION FOR THE CHURCH 1. RECENTLY RELEASED FROM ROMAN IMPRISONMENT 2. VISITING CITIES WHERE HE HAD MINISTERED, LEAVING TIMOTHY IN EPHESUS TO SET CERTAIN THINGS IN ORDER 3. HOPING TO COME TO THEM PERSONALLY IN A SHORT TIME 4. GIVING THEM CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS UNTIL HE CAN BE PRESENT Why did Paul have such a passion for these assemblies? HE CARRIED THESE CHURCHES IN HIS HEART. ESV 2 Corinthians 11:23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one-- I am talking like a madman-- with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. BECAUSE OF HIS LORD’S LOVE FOR THE CHURCHES ESV Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, To love the Lord Jesus is to love what He loves.

A Sure & Steadfast Hope

July 14, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • Lamentations 3:19–24

Introduction: The sorrow expressed in the book of Lamentations is something foreign to us. There are different kinds of sorrow. In some respects, a broken heart is a broken heart, but there are some things that will be unique to each one of us in our particular sorrow. There are tears that we will shed, at some point in our life, that no one but our Great High Priest will ever be able to fully understand. We do our best to comfort one another in the love of Christ, but we sense, even as we desire to be ministers of mercy, our great limitations. We sense our own limitations in trying to help those who are hurting, and we sense the limitations of others when WE are hurting. And when you have tried to pour your heart to another human being who hasn’t faced your particular trial, you can appreciate their love toward you, but there is also a loneliness felt in knowing that they really don’t completely understand. What the prophet Jeremiah describes in this book, we read, and we benefit from, but in a sense, we can only sit in silence and listen as he tells us what he feels, and as he tells us what he has seen. For we have never seen anything like what he saw. For over 40 years this prophet gave to his people the warnings from God. He told them that destruction was coming. They despised him for it. They mocked him, they persecuted him, and they rejected him. But what he was given to proclaim — arrived. Everything that God said, through the prophet Jeremiah, one day came. And what came was horrific. Jeremiah writes this sometime between the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., and when he was forced to depart to Egypt in 583 B.C. (Jeremiah 43:1-7) Throughout the book he tells us of his sorrow in 5 poems. You get a taste of the entire book and a context for our verses by paying attention to his 3rd lament which is found here in this 3rd chapter. In chapter 3 he is the afflicted man. He is telling us of his overwhelming grief. *He is in absolute darkness with the hand of God turned against him again and again all day long. (vs.1-3) *His flesh and skin waste away, and God has broken his bones, and enveloped him with bitterness and tribulation and made him to dwell in darkness like the dead. (vs.4-6) *He is a man who is walled in without escape, and his chains are heavy. He calls and cries out for help but God shuts out his prayers and his ways are blocked, and his paths are crooked. (vs.7-9) *His despair makes him feel like God has become like his enemy. Like a bear that has ripped him to pieces, or a lion. He has been reduced to desolation. He is the target for the bow and the arrows of God and the arrows have gone right to his innermost parts. (vs.10-13) *He is a laughingstock. He is taunted. (vs.14) *His life feels like nothing but unending bitterness and misery (vs.15-16) *He is so sorrowful that he can find no peace, and he can’t remember goodness, he has forgotten what happiness is. (vs.17) *His mindset is that he cannot endure anymore and he has no hope. All he can think about and remember are his afflictions. (vs.18) And before you think Jeremiah to be a bit dramatic, realize what he has seen. His people, God’s people, have been conquered by Babylon. The city walls are broken down. The walls, the towers, the homes, the palace, and the temple have all been destroyed. It was in mid-July when the city fell and it was in mid-August when the temple was burned. (MacArthur Commentary – 883) It is the HEAT OF THE YEAR time in Jerusalem. So conditions would have been miserable. The enemies of God have triumphed, and they are gloating. The children of Zion are treated like trash. Many, many have been slain by the sword, and in fact their bodies lie in the dust. Many have been carried away captive, and those who live and remain are in misery.