2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
18 ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν καθάπερ ἀπὸ κυρίου πνεύματος.
This is the end of an argument Paul makes as he contrasts Jews and believers. He discusses how Moses kept a veil on his face to hide his loss of glory. He also talks about how the Jews cannot believe because their hearts are hardened and the same veil remains. And then he talks about how this veil is only lifted by Christ.
This is another one of those times where being a 21st century American Gentile can get in the way of really grasping the depth of a biblical truth. Keep in mind that the New Testament was written in a Jewish context. The whole question about the Judaizers in Acts 15 and the book of Galatians came about because the Jews considered it absolutely vital to be a Jew if one was to have access to God.
Now Paul comes along and destroys all of that. Not only do we have access to God, but we have it with ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ. This was unbelievable to the Jews. Moses couldn't even look at God directly and now you're saying that we can behold His glory with unveiled face?
The answer is a resounding yes. And as we continue to behold His glory we are transformed by the experience. We end up looking more like Him as we spend more time beholding His glory. This is something that can only come to us through the power of the Spirit.
Where are you with this? Are you beholding His glory regularly? Do you have an unveiled face? If you do, pray that you would continue to seek His glory. If your heart is still hard and your face veiled what stops you from repenting and turning to Christ?
Showing posts with label glory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label glory. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
The Coming King
Revelation 1:14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.
14 ἡ δὲ κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ αἱ τρίχες λευκαὶ ὡς ἔριον λευκόν ὡς χιὼν καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ὡς φλὸξ πυρὸς 15 καὶ οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ ὅμοιοι χαλκολιβάνῳ ὡς ἐν καμίνῳ πεπυρωμένης καὶ ἡ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ ὡς φωνὴ ὑδάτων πολλῶν,
In case you're wondering, I'm trying to follow the Johannine thread as I go through John, 1,2,3 John, and Revelation. It's kind of interesting to see John's train of thought, though of course Revelation gets a little scattered. This way it is easier to see the language that he uses and how it all fits together. We'll get back to Paul in a few weeks.
When I read this I was struck by the phrase ἡ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ ὡς φωνὴ ὑδάτων πολλῶν. First of all, I find it a bit interesting to see the same word translated two different ways in the same phrase. The word ἡ φωνὴ has the glosses sound, noise, or voice. Since it has the possessive αὐτοῦ it does not make much sense to call it "his sound" or "his noise." The translation makes perfect sense, but it could throw you off if you were not paying attention to the possessive. I've been there.
When I read this I think of the innumerable trips my family took to Niagara Falls in my youth. Even a relatively small waterfall makes a fair amount of noise. A tour of the waterfalls in western North Carolina will make that clear. But there is something different about Niagara. There is so much water going over two very high cliffs that the sound of the waterfalls pretty much overwhelm everything else. You can't hear much else besides the water when you're there, particularly if you are near the falls.
Think of that sound when you think of Christ. Anyone who focuses on "Jesus, meek and mild" has clearly never read Revelation. He is no hippie. He is coming back as a conquering king and there will be no question about who He is when He returns. This is the all-powerful alpha and omega. Are you ready for His return?
When I read this I was struck by the phrase ἡ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ ὡς φωνὴ ὑδάτων πολλῶν. First of all, I find it a bit interesting to see the same word translated two different ways in the same phrase. The word ἡ φωνὴ has the glosses sound, noise, or voice. Since it has the possessive αὐτοῦ it does not make much sense to call it "his sound" or "his noise." The translation makes perfect sense, but it could throw you off if you were not paying attention to the possessive. I've been there.
When I read this I think of the innumerable trips my family took to Niagara Falls in my youth. Even a relatively small waterfall makes a fair amount of noise. A tour of the waterfalls in western North Carolina will make that clear. But there is something different about Niagara. There is so much water going over two very high cliffs that the sound of the waterfalls pretty much overwhelm everything else. You can't hear much else besides the water when you're there, particularly if you are near the falls.
Think of that sound when you think of Christ. Anyone who focuses on "Jesus, meek and mild" has clearly never read Revelation. He is no hippie. He is coming back as a conquering king and there will be no question about who He is when He returns. This is the all-powerful alpha and omega. Are you ready for His return?
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Great Inheritance
Ephesians 1:11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
11 Ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἐκληρώθημεν προορισθέντες κατὰ πρόθεσιν τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ 12 εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ.
Ephesians is one of those books where it is hard for me to pick just a single short passage and write about it. This book has been transformational in my thinking about God. Any idea of a God who doesn't know the future goes right out the window. Any idea of a God who is beholden to man's "free will" is also destroyed by this book.
First of all, we see ἐκληρώθημεν, which is an aorist passive first person plural verb. The fact that it is passive shows that the inheritance is something we receive rather than obtain. There is a big difference there. Man is not the actor, but has the action done to him. We have obtained this incredible inheritance of eternal life through Christ. Many stories have been written where a long-lost uncle or aunt dies and leaves some ridiculous inheritance. (This is one of my favorites.) We have something even better. We have the God of the universe telling us that we have an inheritance in Him.
Unlike hapless Brewster, we have assurance that this will work out. Why? We know it is true because τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ. He works all things according to the counsel of His will. In other words, anything that happens is according to the counsel of His will. Katrina? That cannot happen apart from the counsel of His will. The 9/11 attacks? He certainly could have prevented them, but He didn't. I don't want to get into the arguments about theodicy here, but the text certainly seems to say that everything has a reason behind it. We just don't know what that reason is.
Finally, we see why God would bother with sinners like us. He does this for the praise of His glory. It's all about His glory. If God were on earth and subject to psychologists He would be called narcissistic. But the thing is that He is God. Therefore, He alone deserves to have that kind of praise and glory heaped upon Him. And in fact we are most satisfied when we feed that by focusing our attention on bringing Him glory.
This whole book is just amazing. It shows us that God is really big, we are really small, and that this infinite God is also incredibly loving and merciful. I hope that you enjoy contemplating the greatness and glory of this God, whether things are going well for you or poorly. It's a reminder I definitely need.
11 Ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἐκληρώθημεν προορισθέντες κατὰ πρόθεσιν τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ 12 εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ.
Ephesians is one of those books where it is hard for me to pick just a single short passage and write about it. This book has been transformational in my thinking about God. Any idea of a God who doesn't know the future goes right out the window. Any idea of a God who is beholden to man's "free will" is also destroyed by this book.
First of all, we see ἐκληρώθημεν, which is an aorist passive first person plural verb. The fact that it is passive shows that the inheritance is something we receive rather than obtain. There is a big difference there. Man is not the actor, but has the action done to him. We have obtained this incredible inheritance of eternal life through Christ. Many stories have been written where a long-lost uncle or aunt dies and leaves some ridiculous inheritance. (This is one of my favorites.) We have something even better. We have the God of the universe telling us that we have an inheritance in Him.
Unlike hapless Brewster, we have assurance that this will work out. Why? We know it is true because τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ. He works all things according to the counsel of His will. In other words, anything that happens is according to the counsel of His will. Katrina? That cannot happen apart from the counsel of His will. The 9/11 attacks? He certainly could have prevented them, but He didn't. I don't want to get into the arguments about theodicy here, but the text certainly seems to say that everything has a reason behind it. We just don't know what that reason is.
Finally, we see why God would bother with sinners like us. He does this for the praise of His glory. It's all about His glory. If God were on earth and subject to psychologists He would be called narcissistic. But the thing is that He is God. Therefore, He alone deserves to have that kind of praise and glory heaped upon Him. And in fact we are most satisfied when we feed that by focusing our attention on bringing Him glory.
This whole book is just amazing. It shows us that God is really big, we are really small, and that this infinite God is also incredibly loving and merciful. I hope that you enjoy contemplating the greatness and glory of this God, whether things are going well for you or poorly. It's a reminder I definitely need.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Power in Weakness
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
9 καὶ εἴρηκέν μοι· ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου, ἡ γὰρ δύναμις ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελεῖται. ἥδιστα οὖν μᾶλλον καυχήσομαι ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις μου, ἵνα ἐπισκηνώσῃ ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
This comes at the end of Paul talking about how he has a "thorn in the flesh" that he asked God to remove. He asked three times and this was God's response. I think any of us who have struggled with besetting sin have used this verse as a crutch. I eat a lot and that is my "thorn in the flesh." Or I look at porn because it is my "thorn in the flesh." Although I am free from porn I still find myself getting too close to it sometimes. That happened last night, which was frustrating to me. While I didn't see anything that you couldn't see on broadcast TV I knew where my heart was. That frustrates me.
So while I do not use this verse as an excuse, it does encourage me a little bit. It seems every time I get a little too far away from the cross I start to move closer to porn. And when that happens I think of this verse. I am reminded that it is only by grace that I can walk in freedom. And I am also reminded that I cannot do this on my own. I need God's grace for my daily life. The cross is not a "one and done" experience.
I have been set free from some things and that is the basis of my testimony. This way I can καυχήσομαι ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις μου. Why do I do this? ἵνα ἐπισκηνώσῃ ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ. There is no mystery in the Greek here. It means what it looks like in English.
Such a simple, beautiful truth. I want nothing more than to see Christ magnified and exalted in my life. I do not want to sin to make this happen (may it never be!) but when I am tempted I want to turn that into a way to bring Him glory. The fact that I am not who I was just amazes me.
9 καὶ εἴρηκέν μοι· ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου, ἡ γὰρ δύναμις ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελεῖται. ἥδιστα οὖν μᾶλλον καυχήσομαι ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις μου, ἵνα ἐπισκηνώσῃ ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
This comes at the end of Paul talking about how he has a "thorn in the flesh" that he asked God to remove. He asked three times and this was God's response. I think any of us who have struggled with besetting sin have used this verse as a crutch. I eat a lot and that is my "thorn in the flesh." Or I look at porn because it is my "thorn in the flesh." Although I am free from porn I still find myself getting too close to it sometimes. That happened last night, which was frustrating to me. While I didn't see anything that you couldn't see on broadcast TV I knew where my heart was. That frustrates me.
So while I do not use this verse as an excuse, it does encourage me a little bit. It seems every time I get a little too far away from the cross I start to move closer to porn. And when that happens I think of this verse. I am reminded that it is only by grace that I can walk in freedom. And I am also reminded that I cannot do this on my own. I need God's grace for my daily life. The cross is not a "one and done" experience.
I have been set free from some things and that is the basis of my testimony. This way I can καυχήσομαι ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις μου. Why do I do this? ἵνα ἐπισκηνώσῃ ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ. There is no mystery in the Greek here. It means what it looks like in English.
Such a simple, beautiful truth. I want nothing more than to see Christ magnified and exalted in my life. I do not want to sin to make this happen (may it never be!) but when I am tempted I want to turn that into a way to bring Him glory. The fact that I am not who I was just amazes me.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Why the Healing?
Matthew 15:30-31
(30) And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them,
(31) so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.
(30) καὶ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοὶ ἔχοντες μεθ' ἑαυτῶν χωλούς, τυφλούς, κυλλούς, κωφούς, καὶ ἑτέρους πολλούς, καὶ ἔρριψαν αὐτοὺς παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτούς·
(31) ὥστε τὸν ὄχλον θαυμάσαι βλέποντας κωφοὺς λαλοῦντας, κυλλοὺς ὑγιεῖς, καὶ χωλοὺς περιπατοῦντας καὶ τυφλοὺς βλέποντας· καὶ ἐδόξασαν τὸν θεὸν Ἰσραήλ.
The word ὥστε introduces result. It answers the question "what was the result of what was just written?" Here we see that the crowds brought people who needed Jesus' healing touch and put them at His feet. He did what Jesus does -- He healed them.
What was the result of this? The crowd marveled at this. Ultimately it led to them giving glory to the God of Israel.
We need to remember this when we look at what Jesus does in lives today. Jesus died to set the sinner free. I am living proof of that right now. We need to remember the goal in this salvation is God's glory. Christianity is not just about what "works" for people. It is not just about having "your best life now" for your own sake. It is for God's glory. Ultimately justification and sanctification are so that God may be glorified.
This is why I am not bashful about sharing my story. I want God to be glorified in my changed life. I want Him to be glorified when I love and desire my wife instead of porn. I want Him to be glorified when I put my family ahead of my own needs. I want Him to be glorified when I go running or lift weights. The reason He can be glorified is that I could not have done those things apart from His grace. Sure, I could have sometimes got it right, but my heart would have been held back by my own selfishness and sin. Instead, I can be part of bringing Him glory by showing the world how He changed my life.
(30) And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them,
(31) so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.
(30) καὶ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοὶ ἔχοντες μεθ' ἑαυτῶν χωλούς, τυφλούς, κυλλούς, κωφούς, καὶ ἑτέρους πολλούς, καὶ ἔρριψαν αὐτοὺς παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτούς·
(31) ὥστε τὸν ὄχλον θαυμάσαι βλέποντας κωφοὺς λαλοῦντας, κυλλοὺς ὑγιεῖς, καὶ χωλοὺς περιπατοῦντας καὶ τυφλοὺς βλέποντας· καὶ ἐδόξασαν τὸν θεὸν Ἰσραήλ.
The word ὥστε introduces result. It answers the question "what was the result of what was just written?" Here we see that the crowds brought people who needed Jesus' healing touch and put them at His feet. He did what Jesus does -- He healed them.
What was the result of this? The crowd marveled at this. Ultimately it led to them giving glory to the God of Israel.
We need to remember this when we look at what Jesus does in lives today. Jesus died to set the sinner free. I am living proof of that right now. We need to remember the goal in this salvation is God's glory. Christianity is not just about what "works" for people. It is not just about having "your best life now" for your own sake. It is for God's glory. Ultimately justification and sanctification are so that God may be glorified.
This is why I am not bashful about sharing my story. I want God to be glorified in my changed life. I want Him to be glorified when I love and desire my wife instead of porn. I want Him to be glorified when I put my family ahead of my own needs. I want Him to be glorified when I go running or lift weights. The reason He can be glorified is that I could not have done those things apart from His grace. Sure, I could have sometimes got it right, but my heart would have been held back by my own selfishness and sin. Instead, I can be part of bringing Him glory by showing the world how He changed my life.
Monday, August 24, 2009
The Throne of the Lord
Ezekiel 1:25-28
(25) And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.
(26) And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance.
(27) And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.
(28) Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
I have long used a joke I picked up from a coworker a long time ago. When a decision has to be made I will tell my immediate manager "that's why you get the big chair." This is always a joke because the person just above me has the same office furniture I have. It's a sarcastic way of making the point that he gets more responsibility with few extra perks.
Conversely, God really does get the big chair. Ezekiel 1 is a description of it. It's pretty wild with living creatures that have four different faces, feet like calves' hooves, and wheels that propel them in any direction without turning. I'm not sure how it works, but it is pretty incredible. As the ESV Study Bible points out, Ezekiel frequently uses the Hebrew word "ki," which is translated as "like, as." In other words, he is groping for language to describe this vision.
It's easy to gloss over this chapter in pursuit of the meat of Ezekiel's visions. However, I think doing that robs us of a chance to learn something really important. I love the Third Day song "Show Me Your Glory." Well, here we have a sense of what God's glory is really like and it is awesome.
I know that this is something I need to consider a bit more. Our age tends to throw the word "awesome" around quite a bit. This description of God is truly worthy of awe.
(25) And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.
(26) And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance.
(27) And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.
(28) Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
I have long used a joke I picked up from a coworker a long time ago. When a decision has to be made I will tell my immediate manager "that's why you get the big chair." This is always a joke because the person just above me has the same office furniture I have. It's a sarcastic way of making the point that he gets more responsibility with few extra perks.
Conversely, God really does get the big chair. Ezekiel 1 is a description of it. It's pretty wild with living creatures that have four different faces, feet like calves' hooves, and wheels that propel them in any direction without turning. I'm not sure how it works, but it is pretty incredible. As the ESV Study Bible points out, Ezekiel frequently uses the Hebrew word "ki," which is translated as "like, as." In other words, he is groping for language to describe this vision.
It's easy to gloss over this chapter in pursuit of the meat of Ezekiel's visions. However, I think doing that robs us of a chance to learn something really important. I love the Third Day song "Show Me Your Glory." Well, here we have a sense of what God's glory is really like and it is awesome.
I know that this is something I need to consider a bit more. Our age tends to throw the word "awesome" around quite a bit. This description of God is truly worthy of awe.
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