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.

Love’s Rejoicing

November 17, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Corinthians 13:5

Introduction: Lost man is incurably moralistic. Even when men are immoral, they promote their immorality in the name of morality. Using just one example. When we think about the sexual revolution that our nation has seen over the past few decades —recognize that it has been done in the NAME OF MORALITY. “It is RIGHT,” they would say, “to celebrate sexual diversity, and if anyone disagrees, IT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE A BIGOT.” In fact, they are driven by irrational fear. Homophobia. Transphobia. This places the acceptance of all the various sexual sins in the category of virtue. Those who accept such things are more enlightened, more advanced, more educated, more reasonable, or just better people. It places the rightful hatred of these behaviors in the category of bigotry. THOSE WHO ACTUALLY OPPOSE GOD ARE NOW CLAIMED TO BE ON GOD’S SIDE. THOSE WHO ACTUALLY SIDE WITH GOD’S WORD ARE NOW CLAIMED TO BE AGAINST GOD. BUT IT ISN’T JUST A GENERAL MORALITY THAT IS CLAIMED FOR THESE CHOICES — IT IS THE SPECIFIC CLAIM OF LOVE. According to the moral climate of the age: To say that a person’s sexual orientation is sinful or abnormal is UNLOVING. To say that people of the same sex shouldn’t be able to marry is UNLOVING. To refuse to treat such behaviors as normal and acceptable — in the realm of a family, for example — is said to be UNLOVING. This is a tremendous crisis in our time. IT DEMONSTRATES HOW THE MEANING OF LOVE, THE MEASURE OF LOVE, AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF WHAT IS LOVELY — HAS BEEN DISTORTED. The quality of love that we consider tonight IS A GREAT REMEDY if we are willing to listen. What we see here challenges common lies and deceptions that exist in the MORAL REALM, the RELATIONAL REALM, the DOCTRINAL REALM, and the REALM OF MINISTRY. What do we see here? We will consider these two statements under THREE headings. I. LOVE’S DISCERNMENT These two statements are to be taken together. Each statement is true on its own, but when taken together we see the fulness of what is being described. What is being described is that fact that LOVE MAKES A CHOICE. Love does not exist in the gray zone of neutrality. LOVE IS NOT ACCEPTING OF EVERYTHING. On one side of the ledger, we are told what is incompatible with love. What love DOES NOT ACCORD WITH what it CANNOT COOPERATE WITH, and what it will not REJOICE IN. On the other side of the ledger, we are told what LOVE AGREES WITH — what it TAKES JOY IN. This means that LOVE MAKES DISTINCTIONS. And it makes distinctions that require discernment. A. LOVE RECOGNIZES UNRIGHTEOUSNESS For true love, godly love, there is such a thing as sin. THE WORD HERE SPEAKS OF INJUSTICE, INIQUITY, WRONGDOING, EVIL, AND UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. That is, anything that is contrary to the will of God in belief or practice. Anything contrary to God’s will, anything that would grieve the Holy Spirit, anything contrary to the Scriptures, is unrighteousness. 1. UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE REALM OF PHILOSOPHY The general way that men process the world. The realm of ideas, opinions, ambitions, standards, values, pleasures, theories, morals, etc. WHAT CHARACTERIZES SIN IN THIS REALM IS THAT IT IS A TRUTH SUPRESSOR. What is true, according to Scripture, is exchanged for lies. What would make God truly known is substituted for with lies about God.

Love Is Not Resentful

November 10, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Corinthians 13:5

Introduction: We never leave the gospel behind. Our life in Christ began with faith in the gospel, but our spiritual growth continues to be reliant on faith in the gospel. Sanctification is not moving BEYOND the gospel. Sanctification is living OUT OF THE DEPTHS of the gospel. Progressive sanctification is about know the heights and the depths and the lengths and the breadths of the love of God in Christ Jesus. ESV Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. What is love? 1. It is patient. 2. It is kind. 3. It does not envy 4. It does not boast 5. It is not arrogant 6. It is not rude 7. It does not insist on its own way (it is not selfish) 8. It is not irritable Tonight, we see that LOVE IS NOT RESENTFUL. I. THE MEANING OF RESENTMENT It is literally, “does not take account of evil.” He uses logizomai (which means to account something, to reckon something) and kakos (which means evil). The NASB has “does not take into account a wrong suffered.” The NIV rendered it, “it keeps no record of wrongs.” Gordon Fee, commenting on this, said: “Since in Paul this verb often means ‘to put to one’s account’, it seems probable that the nuance suggested by the NIV moves in the right direction.” The idea, then, is that when we are walking in the love of God, in the love taught by the Spirit of God, in the love of Jesus Christ, we will not be a people who take account of the wrongs done to us. Several things we need to consider here. A. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WRONGS We are talking about REAL EVIL. We are talking about things done to us that REALLY ARE WRONG. It would be one thing if what we were being taught is that we should let go of, forgive, IMAGINED WRONGS — if he was teaching that the love of God doesn’t carry a chip around on its shoulder over insignificant things. AND WE KNOW THAT WE CAN DO THAT. People carry around hurt feelings, grudges, that don’t even represent REALITY. There are people who are DECEIVED about their mistreatment. IN FACT, PEOPLE CAN BE SO DECEIVED ABOUT INJURIES THAT THE VICTIMIZER FEELS LIKE THE VICTIM. The one who feels like they have been wronged is IN THE WRONG. Example: There have been people fired from their job, who will tell everyone what a bad employer they had, when in truth they were a bad employee who deserved to be fired. I have personally known people who left their families, left their wife or husband, walked away from their children, and had built up in their mind that they WERE JUSTIFIED because somehow, they had been mistreated. But this verse isn’t calling us to simply clear the record of IMAGINARY HURTS. This verse tells us that the love of God doesn’t keep a record even when we have suffered REAL WRONGS. You really ARE mistreated. You really DO suffer wrong. You really ARE the victim of mistreatment. B. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT NO RECORDS He is telling us that where love is operating there is no record keeping of these real wrongs. Question: Are you a record keeper? Do you hold onto hurts? Do you hold grudges? Are you someone who says, “I can forgive, but I can’t forget” … which is just another way of saying, “I refuse to clear my record against you.”?

Love Is Not Provoked

November 3, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • 1 Corinthians 13:5

Introduction: One of the things that the late Martin Lloyd-Jones would warn about in his preaching was our tendency to read the Scriptures and miss their challenge. He talked about our tendency to assume that we have already experienced what they call for, or what they describe. So that, instead of being called to higher ground. Instead of being challenged to a real surrender of ourselves to the Lordship of Christ. Instead of recognizing our need to live and experience something only made possible by the new birth — only made possible by the indwelling Spirit — we SETTLE for what is natural. We settle for what we can produce. WE SUBSTITUTE what is OUR OWN BEST effort, instead of that which God produces. The quality of love that we consider tonight represents more than just self-control. It is more than self-mastery, self-discipline. It is an internal mildness that belongs to Christlikeness. IT IS A MILDNESS (patience and graciousness) THAT BELONGS TO A RECIPIENT OF THE LOVE AND GRACE OF GOD — A MILDNESS THAT MANIFESTS ITSELF IN HUMBLE AND PATIENT RESPONSES. It is the graciousness of love. It is the pliability that belongs to love. It is an aspect of the inner PEACE that knows the love of God. IT IS A RESPONSE THAT CAN ONLY BE FOUND WHERE PEOPLE DON’T MAKE TOO MUCH OF THEMSELVES. God’s love — true love — is not easily provoked. I. LOVE IS NOT IRRITABLE That statement is simple and straightforward, but we do well to meditate on it for a while, and honestly examine ourselves in light of it. I WOULD REMIND US THAT WHAT WE ARE REALLY EXAMINING IS WHETHER WE ARE WALKING IN LOVE. WHEN WE REMEMBER THAT LOVE IS THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, THEN WE ARE EXAMINING WHETHER WE ARE WALKING BY THE SPIRIT. WHEN WE REMEMBER THAT WALKING BY THE SPIRIT IS A LIFE OF SUBMISSION TO THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST, AND SUBMISSION TO THE WORD OF GOD, THEN WE ARE EXAMINING WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE MORTIFYING SIN AND HONORING JESUS AS LORD AT THE LEVEL OF OUR ATTITUDES AND RESPONSES TO PEOPLE AND CIRCUMSTANCES. The word itself means: BDAG — παροξύνω “to cause a state of inward arousal, urge on, stimulate, esp. provoke to wrath, irritate”#_ftn1 In the word is the idea of “sharpness — to sharpen.” Here it is in the passive voice, so it means to be irritated, to become provoked or indignant. It is used one other place in the NT, in Acts 17:16. ESV Acts 17:16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. As always, context is king. That verse (Acts 17:16) demonstrates that this word could be used in a positive way. It was Paul’s zeal for God’s glory, and his compassion for deceived souls, that moved him when he saw Athens full of idols. INDEED, SOMETHING IS WRONG WHEN WE ARE NOT PROVOKED BY THINGS THAT SHOULD MAKE US ANGRY. So, the teaching in our verses is NOT that true love is never bothered BY ANYTHING. But in 1 Corinthians 13 it is obviously being used in a different sense. I THINK IT IS INSTRUCTIVE THAT IT FOLLOWS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TEACHING THAT LOVE IS NOT SELFISH. HERE, PAUL IS DESCRIBING A KIND OF PROVOCATION, ANGER, SHARPNESS, IRRITABILITY, THAT IS SELF-SEEKING, OR SELF-INTERESTED — SELF-FOCUSED. This kind of agitation, irritability, anger, sharpness, comes because I feel you are infringing upon me. Or you are not being to me (in one or another) what I expect and deserve. Whatever the cause, in this kind of sharpness I am more concerned about myself than I am you. ONE TRANSLATION HAS “IT IS NOT EASILY ANGERED.” NET 1 Corinthians 13:5 It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. #_ftnref1 William Arndt et al., https://ref.ly/logosres/bdag?ref=page.p+780&off=1811&ctx=%3b+mel.%2c+p.+93%2c+699)+~to+cause+a+state+of+ (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 780.