Peter Misselbrook's Blog

Dec 7 2020 - Introduction to the second and third Epistles of John

Introduction to the second and third Epistles of John

2 and 3 John, unlike 1 John, are personal letters, each the length of an ordinary private letter of the time and having the standard type of introduction and conclusion.

Howard Marshall writes, "Although 2 John is apparently written to an individual, the 'chosen lady' (2 Jn. 1), it is probable that it is in fact a way of personifying a community. By contrast 3 John is written to a specific person, Gaius, and it deals with ecclesiastical rather than theological problems. Its background appears to lie in the growth of a new type of church organisation. At first the various churches were to a considerable extent under the guidance and leadership of apostles and evangelists (like Paul, Timothy, and Titus) who travelled from place to place and maintained a general supervision over the churches placed under their care. In this type of situation the role and authority of the local leaders whom they appointed was correspondingly restricted. But as time passed and the churches increased in number, a new situation began to arise. The apostles and their colleagues were growing old, or had actually died. There was no universal system of succession, and it was natural that local churches should begin to develop a more powerful leadership of their own. At the same time there was a tendency toward the concentration of leadership … 'team ministry' was giving way to the idea of one man … who occupied a position of leadership over the other church officials. It looks as though Diotrephes was trying to encourage this process in his own church – naturally with himself as the appointed leader. He was seeking autonomy for his own church by trying to get rid of the influence of John and John's emissaries, and he was claiming authority for himself within the church."

These letters raise issues which are equally vital to the welfare and witness of the church in our day.

Apr 27 2020 - Philippians 4:2-23 – Learning to be content

Paul’s exhortation to “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4) is not the naïve optimism of one who has known little trouble. Paul is in prison, not knowing whether he will be executed or whether he will be released. Prisoners would normally have to find their own food – friends or family would need to supply it. There were times when he was hungry, times surely when he was cold. Yet Paul says that he has "learned to be content whatever the circumstances" (4:11). And just in case we missed the point, he repeats it, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want" (4:12).

What’s more, Paul is writing to the church at Philippi, a city in which he had been imprisoned and where his jailor had been wonderfully converted. The church would have known how Paul and Silas, having been beaten and thrown into the dark heart of the prison, sang hymns of praise to God while sitting in the dirt and in chains. Paul encourages the Christians at Philippi to have the same outlook – to rejoice in God’s goodness and care in all situations.

This is something Paul has learned. It did not necessarily come naturally; it was not an aspect of his natural temperament. In speaking of it as a "secret", Paul may be suggesting that it is something that few discover, but he wants it to be an open secret among Christians. And the secret is this, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (4:13). Paul has discovered the sufficiency of Christ. Having Christ he is content to suffer the loss of all other things.

Paul encourages the Christians in Philippi to discover a similar contentment; he wants them to learn the lessons he has learned (4:9). He writes, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (4:6-7). God knows what you need, says Paul. Take it all to him in prayer – with an outpouring of thanksgiving for all he has given you in Christ. Then, rest in his care for you. Christ is yours and with him you have all that you need: the peace of God will surround you like an impregnable wall around a castle. You do not need to be anxious about anything – in life or in death. Learn this secret of Christian contentment. Here is Paul’s challenge to us.

And in this spirit, says Paul, encourage and help one another. Help Euodia and Syntyche, two gospel workers at Philippi who seem to have fallen out with each other. Help them to see that they have a common treasure in Christ which is their shared source of joy and contentment. Don’t just stand by and allow their differences to fester into a breach of fellowship – perhaps Paul is remembering with sadness the division between himself and Barnabas that occurred shortly before his first visit to Philippi. Let the peace of God in Christ surround them both and bind them to each other.

Philippians 4:2-3 surely address many of the situations that trouble our churches, damage our witness and place stumbling blocks in the path of young Christians. We are not to stand by when Christians fall out, nor are we to fuel the dispute by taking sides. We are to do all we can to help those who have fallen out to be reconciled to each other as they have been reconciled to Christ.

Father God, may your Spirit teach us to be content in all situations, knowing that in Christ we possess all things. Help us to live well with our brothers and sisters in Christ – even when we may disagree. May the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Dec 9 2020 - Introduction to the Book of Revelation

Who wrote this book?

Revelation was written by someone who could be identified among the churches of Asia Minor simply by the name John. It could be argued that this fits none better than John the Apostle. However, Ben Witherington stresses that the author classifies himself as among the 'prophets' rather than the apostles. He concludes, "In short the author is John the seer... He does not identify himself as an apostle, nor does he call himself the Beloved Disciple or, for that matter, the Elder (see 2 and 3 John)... In my view John the seer is a prophet from the Johannine community operating at a time when there is apparently no apostolic presence left in the community." 

Date and Background

The book was probably written in the time of the Emperor Domitian (about 90-95 AD). Domitian regularly used a form of punishment involving deportation to an island where one enjoyed a degree of freedom. Ben Witherington comments, "It is very possible that John was suffering such a lifetime ban from the western coast of Asia Minor, hence the urgency to write to his converts. Note that he nowhere states that he hopes to come to them soon. Indeed he only speaks of Jesus coming quickly." 

Emperor-worship was becoming widespread at this time. This book was written to encourage embattled Christians to see that the last word is not with Satan or with the kingdoms of this world but with God and his Christ. The heavenly vision is to enable them to rise above the perplexity of their present experience and to trust God and remain faithful to Jesus Christ.

The strange language and style of this book

The book of Revelation is generally classed with Apocalyptic literature on account of its symbolism and its theme of the establishment of God's kingdom. However, it is unlike other apocalyptic literature in that it claims to be prophecy – to continue the prophetic tradition of the Old Testament. Ben Witherington calls it 'apocalyptic prophecy' and suggests that it reflects both Jewish prophetic and wisdom traditions arising out of the conviction that God's people were living at the dawn of or actually in the eschatological age. 

How do we interpret this book?

Through the centuries the book of Revelation has been interpreted in a variety of ways. The main views can be summed up as follows:

The 'preterist' view – understands the writer to be wholly preoccupied with the church of his day. The book was full of meaning for the people to whom it was written, but has little direct relevance for us today.

The 'historicist' view – sees the book as an inspired forecast of the whole of human history. Such an approach to interpretation, with its wide variety of predictions, many of which have been proved false by history itself, exposes the danger and folly of such an approach.

The 'futurist' school – Apart from the first few chapters, the book is entirely concerned with what will happen at the end of the age. This view tends to rob the book of significance for all generations except the last.

The 'idealist' view – argues that the book is not concerned with particular events but with ideas and principles. Leon Morris comments, "This secures its relevance for all periods of the church's history. But its refusal to see a firm historical anchorage seems to most students dubious to say the least."

None of these traditional approaches to the interpretation of the book of Revelation is adequate. For all its peculiarity, the interpretation of Revelation requires the same disciplines that must be applied to any other New Testament book. It was written out of and into a particular historical context, a context which shapes the book and its message. Yet, at the same time it forms part of the larger story of the purposes of God in history, purposes set forth in the sweep of Scripture from its first page to its last and which centre in the Lord Jesus Christ: it therefore needs to be read in the context of the entire message of Scripture. Moreover, we who read this book are also embraced in the drama of the Scripture story: in this way, this book, as with every book of Scripture, speaks also to us.

Ben Witherington writes, "The text's meaning must be understood in terms of the plausibility structure that existed between the original author and audience of this work. On the one hand, what the text meant back then is what it still means today, though of course with multivalent images it can have ever new applications and fresh significance. On the other hand, what the original author and audience could not possibly have understood the text to mean (e.g., the Beast is the European Common Market, or the anti-Christ is the Pope, etc.) cannot be the meaning of the text today either, if one believes meaning is not in the eye of the beholder but rather resides in the text, encoded by the original author."

There are over 500 allusions to the Old Testament in the 404 verses in this book. Eugene Peterson therefore writes, "No one has any business reading the last book who has not read the previous sixty-five... Much mischief has been done by reading Revelation in isolation from its canonical context."

The Last Word

We will let Ben Witherington have the last word: "The book of Revelation has much to tell us about 'what was, and is, and is to come.' It is our job to have ears capable of hearing what John says on all of these matters. If we do so, we will learn that God's yes to life is louder than evil's and death's no to it, that justice and redemption will one day prevail on earth, and that this is Good News coming in the form of a 'revelation from Jesus Christ,' which is to say coming from one who has both experienced death and triumphed over it. It is Christ who knows what is above and beyond our present mundane historical concerns and situation. He alone is worthy and is able to reveal such profound truths. Bearing these things in mind, we must now take up the challenge of working through the text of Revelation itself, praying that the scales will fall from our eyes as the seals are opened and that we will understand something more about the vision glorious."

Apr 27 2019 - 1 Samuel 16 – Samuel anoints David

Saul has become a wilful ruler who wants to have absolute power and do things his own way. His disobedience has resulted in him being rejected by God. Samuel seems to have found this hard to accept. Had not God chosen this man to be Israel's king? Had he not seemed head-and-shoulders above all rival candidates for kingship? Maybe, despite his unruly character, Samuel continued to see Saul as his protégé, the hope for the future unity and prosperity of Israel. So he is grieved that the Lord has rejected him.

Samuel is rebuked by the Lord for hanging on to hopes regarding Saul and is sent off to the little town of Bethlehem to anoint a new king from among the sons of Jesse.

I'm not sure what reputation Samuel had gained for himself in Israel but when he arrives in Bethlehem the elders of the town trembled and asked, "Do you come in peace?" Maybe they knew that Saul no longer enjoyed the Lord's favour and feared that Samuel had come to seek out a replacement among the families of the town. This, they feared, would stir up Saul's wrath and bring trouble on the town. But Samuel tells them that he has come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. The townspeople are invited to consecrate themselves and join Samuel in offering the sacrifice.

The Lord had told Samuel that he should anoint one of Jesse's sons to succeed Saul. When Samuel saw Eliab, Jesse's eldest son, he immediately thought that this must be the one whom the Lord had chosen. But the Lord tells him that this is not the one for, "The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). Each of Jesse's sons is paraded before Samuel, but none of these is the one chosen by the Lord. There is only one son left, David, the youngest and least significant son who has been left in the fields to look after his father's sheep. When he is sent for and arrives before Samuel the Lord says, "Rise and anoint him; this is the one" (16:12).

On that day the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. But the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul who, instead, was tormented by an evil spirit – he is a man with a troubled mind. Saul's servants suggest that music may pacify him. David was already well known for his ability to play the lyre; one of the courtiers not only spoke of his musical ability but also described him as "a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him" (v.18). So David was summoned to play for Saul and was honoured with the title of Saul's armour-bearer. He has gained a place in the courts of the king.

God still looks upon the heart; he looks for a people who will reflect his own heart, who will be like his own beloved Son. What does the Lord see when he looks into your heart?

Lord, we are all too painfully aware of the many ways in which are hearts are prone to wander away from you and to be filled with thoughts that would make us ashamed if others knew of them. You know our hearts. You know that we love you and want to honour and serve you. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the power of your Holy Spirit within us, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
   and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
   or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Fill me with the joy of your salvation
   and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Peter Misselbrook