word of God

Turning back

The Apostle Paul said at the end of his life that he had fought the good fight, he had finished his course (2 Timothy 4:7). Not all Christians make it to the end of their course. Jesus said in his explanation of the Parable of the Sower that when tribulation or persecution comes into a person’s life, some fall away (Matthew 13:21). The Israelites were notorious for wanting to turn back after they had been delivered from slavery in Egypt. Shortly before they crossed the Red Sea, it says in Exodus 14:10-12, “When Pharaoh drew near the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, ‘Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: “Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians”? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’” When they reached the Promised Land, the people rebelled again. It says in Numbers 14:1-4:

Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

God responded to the Israelites lack of faith by making them wander in the wilderness for forty years. The LORD said the people had rejected the land that he wanted to give them and would therefore be punished for their sin (Numbers 14:32, 34). God said, “And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness” (Numbers 14:33). Later, the Israelites were sent into captivity for seventy years because they were not willing to repent and turn to God for forgiveness (Jeremiah 25:1-14).

Hebrews 6:4-6 focuses on the problem of turning back after a person has made a profession of faith. It states:

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

“This much-debated passage likely discusses unbelievers who have ‘fallen away’ (v. 6) by consciously rejecting the spiritual enlightenment they have received (v. 4). They had experienced a taste of God’s goodness (v. 5) and may even have been part of the assembly. They had given intellectual assent to the truth of Christianity, but their apostasy demonstrated that their professed faith was not genuine. In turning away from the sacrifice of Christ, perhaps to return to the Judaism they previously espoused, they rejected the only means of salvation that God has provided. Their deliberate apostasy was so severe that they could not be ‘restored’ (anakainizein [344]) to repentance. Judas Iscariot is an example of one who, although outwardly associated with the things of the Lord, ultimately chose to turn away” (note on Hebrews 6:4-6).

Restoring someone to faith after they have turned back is impossible because unbelief is a conscious decision to reject the truth of God’s word. The person understands the gospel and knows that it is true, but doesn’t want to repent and seek God’s forgiveness. The person’s decision is made evident by their behavior such as when Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16). Hebrews 6:7-8 explains, “For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.”

The Apostle James warned believers against hearing the word of God and not doing what it tells us to. James said, “But be doers if the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For is anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:22-25). Perseverance is the ability to stay near to God even when he is disciplining us or testing our faith. Jesus said that we must abide in him if we want to be able to produce fruit and receive God’s blessing. He stated, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:4-8).

Preaching the gospel

Paul’s mission after he became a Christian was to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, the non-Jewish population in what was considered to be in Paul’s time the world at large. Paul explained in his letter to the Romans that it was necessary for people to hear the gospel in order for them to be saved. Paul asked:

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:14-17)

Peter was the first apostle to preach to the Gentiles (Acts 10:34-43). While Peter was preaching, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard his message. “And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles” (Acts 10:44-45).

Paul initially preached the gospel in the synagogues of the Jews (Acts 13:5), but a turning point in Paul’s ministry occurred when he and Barnabas were in Antioch. Paul’s first message in the synagogue of the Jews had such an impact on the people of Antioch that they urged him to preach the gospel to them the following week also. It says in Acts 13:44-46, “The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jewssaw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles’” (Acts 13:44-46).

“In the early portion of Paul’s second missionary journey, the Lord indicated that he wanted Paul to preach the gospel in Macedonia (Acts 16:9, 10). Apparently, there were no synagogues in the city because on the Sabbath, Paul went out of the city and down to the bank of the river where he found Lydia and a number of other women who accepted what he had to say (Acts 16:13, 14). After Lydia and her family had been baptized, she asked Paul and his companions to stay at her house (Acts 16:15). Later, Paul and Silas were imprisoned for casting the unclean spirit out of a slave girl (Acts 16:16-25). This led to the salvation of the jailor and his family (Acts 16:26-34). Paul may have visited them again when he journeyed from Ephesus to Macedonia because he spent the spring with them (Acts 20:1, 6; 2 Corinthians 2:12, 13). The church that Paul established there was probably the first in all of Europe” (Introduction to the Letter of Paul to the Philippians).

Paul is thought to have completed four main missionary journeys in approximately 14 years and to have traveled more than 9,000 miles, mostly on foot, to preach the gospel across Asia and Europe. Paul was arrested at the temple in Jerusalem when he returned to Israel after his third missionary journey. Paul is thought to have written his letter to the Philippians “during his first Roman imprisonment (ca. AD 60-62)” (Introduction to the Letter of Paul to the Philippians). In this letter, Paul talked about his mission of preaching the gospel and told the believers in Philippi:

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guardand to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the wordwithout fear.

Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (Philippians 1:12-18).

Paul was glad that everyone knew he had been imprisoned for preaching the gospel. Paul said that his imprisonment had served to advance the gospel (Philippians 1:12). During the time that Paul was in prison in Rome, he wrote four letters (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon) that contain key doctrine that his gospel message was based on. Ephesians and Colossians are very similar in that they “both stress doctrine and both give instruction in practical Christian duties” (Introduction to the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians). Paul’s concern during his imprisonment may have been that the gospel would cease to be preached if he was put to death in Rome. Paul gave others the ability to continue preaching the gospel after he was gone by recording key doctrine in the letters that he wrote to the churches he had established.

Paul knew from his own experience that preaching the gospel was hard work that it required many sacrifices in order to be successful. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul addressed many of the issues that Christians have to face when they decide to speak out about their faith, and also emphasized the rewards for doing so. Paul told the Philippians:

Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. (Philippians 1:18-26)

Paul expected to be put to death for preaching the gospel, but he was not concerned about dying. Paul said his circumstances would turn out for his deliverance (Philippians 1:19). The Greek word that is translated deliverance, soteria (so-tay-reeˊ-ah) comes from the Greek word soter (so-tareˊ) which means “to save. A savior, deliverer, preserver, one who saves from danger or destruction and brings into a state of prosperity and happiness.” Soter is spoken “of Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of men, who saves His people from the guilt and power of sin and from eternal death, from punishment and misery as the consequence of sin, and gives them eternal life and blessedness in His kingdom” (G4990). Soteria is used both particularly and generally to refer to “deliverance from danger, slavery, or imprisonment (Luke 1:69, 71; Acts 7:25; Philippians 1:19; Hebrews 11:7). By implication victory (Revelation 7:10, 12; 19:1),” but it is also used in the Christian sense to refer to deliverance from sin and its spiritual consequences and admission to eternal life with blessedness in the kingdom of Christ” (G4991).

Paul was confident that his salvation was going to result in him being blessed in the kingdom of Christ and that death was his doorway into that eternal blessed state. Paul said it was his eager expectation and hope that he would not be ashamed, but that Christ would be honored in his body whether by life or by death (Philippians 1:20). Paul concluded that it was God’s will for him to continue preaching the gospel and was convinced that in spite of being imprisoned in Rome, he would return to Philippi. Paul stated, “Convinced of this, I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again” (Philippians 1:25-26).

“It is clear from Acts 13:1-21:17 that Paul went on three missionary journeys. There is also reason to believe that he made a fourth journey after his release from the Roman imprisonment recorded in Acts 28. The conclusion that such a journey did indeed take place is based on : (1) Paul’s declared intention to go to Spain (Romans 15:24, 28), (2) Eusebius’ implication that Paul was released following his first Roman imprisonment (Ecclesiastical History, 2:22.2-3) and (3) statements in early Christian literature that he took the gospel as far as Spain (Clement of Rome, Epistle to the Corinthians, ch. 5; Actus Petri Vercellenses, chs. 1-3; Muratorian Canon, lines 34-39). The places Paul may have visited after his release from prison are indicated by statements of intention in his earlier writings and by subsequent mention in the Pastoral Epistles” (Paul’s Fourth Missionary Journey, KJSB, p. 1738). Based on Philippians 2:23-24 and 1 Timothy 1:3, it is believed that Paul returned to Philippi in AD 66, just a year or so before he was martyred in Rome.

The LORD’s Anointed

Old Testament references to Israel’s Messiah, Jesus Christ, are not always easily identifiable because the terminology that is used to distinguish him is sometimes applied to others. For instance, the Messiah is referred to as the king in Psalm 21, which was written by King David and could be applied to the writer also. Psalm 21 is one of the psalms referred to as Messianic (other examples of Messianic portions would include Psalm 34:20; 40:6-8; 41:9; 45:6, 7; 69:21; 72:8; and 118:22). Psalms are classified as Messianic based on one or more of the three following criteria. First, consider the testimony of the writers of the Old Testament. When other books, in the context of discussing the Messiah, contain quotes or wording very similar to lines from the psalms (e.g. Psalm 72:8, cf. Zechariah 9:10), it is a clear indication that a psalm is Messianic. Secondly, there are the citations from psalms that Christ applied to himself (e.g. Psalm 41:9, cf. John 13:18) or that New Testament writers identified as depicting Christ (e.g., Psalm 118:22, cf. Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7). Finally, there are statements in the psalms that, while never specifically identified as such in the Scriptures, clearly point to Jesus Christ, (e.g. Psalm 22:1, cf. Matthew 27:46). It should be noted that within the ‘Messianic’ portions of individual psalms, some passages refer exclusively to Christ while others seem to also address a situation faced by the human writer” (note on Psalm 22:1-31).

Psalm 2 is one of the psalms that is identified as Messianic. In this psalm, Christ is referred to as the LORD’s Anointed, as well as, my Son. One of the well-known lines in this Psalm is found in verse 7, “The LORD said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you.’” The Apostle Paul quoted this verse in a message he delivered at Antioch. After reciting a brief history of the people of Israel (Acts 13:16-25), Paul stated:

“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,

“‘You are my Son,
today I have begotten you.’” (Acts 13:26-33)

Paul’s comment about the good news that was promised to the Israelites had to do with their Messiah not being recognized as the Son of God. Paul said the Jews living in Jerusalem and their rulers did not understand the utterances of the prophets, in particular that the verse he quoted from Psalm 2 was Messianic.

The title of Psalm 2, The Reign of the LORD’s Anointed, points to an event that was expected by the Jews at the time of Christ’s birth, but was largely misunderstood because it didn’t apply to the nation of Israel. The book of Revelation tells us that Christ’s reign will take place after a worldwide system of government is established that requires allegiance to one man, Antichrist who will rule over all the earth (Revelation 13:1-8). At the end of Antichrist’s 42 month reign, Christ will return to earth and will, “strike down the nations, and will rule them with a rod of iron” (Revelation 19:15). Psalm 2 begins with the question, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?” (Psalm 2:1), referring to the rebellion against God that elicits Christ’s return. The psalmist states, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us’” (Psalm 2:2-3).

People’s attitude toward God when Christ returns will be one of complete disdain, which is why it will be necessary for him to rule with a rod of iron. In response to the world’s antagonism toward him, Christ will appoint judges to rule with him over the people on earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4-5), but when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be given one last opportunity to oppose Christ’s authority (Revelation 20:7-9). It says in Revelation 20:9 that fire will come down from heaven and consume Satan’s army. God’s rationale for a swift and decisive defeat of Satan is conveyed in Psalm 2:4-7. It states:

He who sits in the heavens laughs;
    the Lord holds them in derision.
Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
    and terrify them in his fury, saying,
“As for me, I have set my King
    on Zion, my holy hill.”

I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
    today I have begotten you.

A decree is an official order issued by a legal authority. God’s decrees must be observed and by virtue of his divine authority, are like the laws of nature which cannot be broken. God’s statement, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” (Psalm 2:6) implies that a decision was made at a particular point in time that determined Christ’s sacrifice for our sins would result in him becoming the individual who was given the power and authority to rule over God’s kingdom forever (2 Samuel 7:4-16). Before Jesus was born, God said of the coming Messiah, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son” (2 Samuel 7:14).

The reign of the LORD’s Anointed is depicted as a period of harsh judgment. It says of the LORD’s Anointed in Psalm 2:9, “You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” “The ‘rod’ mentioned here is not an emblem of a royal office but a rod of correction in the hand of the King. The fact that it is made of iron indicates the severity and harshness of the judgment that will be meted out by Christ at his return (Revelation 19:15). This harsh judgment is not inconsistent with the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Meekness does not exclude anger but simply means that one is angry for the right reasons and at the right time (John 2:13-17). Jesus could truthfully claim to be gentle without contradicting his claim to be the Judge (Matthew 11:28-30; John 5:26-30)” (note on Psalm 2:9). The Hebrew word that is translated break in Psalm 2:9, raʿaʿ (raw-ahˊ) means “to spoil (literally, by breaking to pieces)…The root of the word indicates breaking, in contrast to the word tamam (8552), which means to be whole” (H7489). Tamam has to do with something being complete or finished, “to conclude. At its root, this word carries the connotation of finishing or bringing closure” (H8552).

Jesus told his disciples before he was crucified that he was going to prepare a place for them (John 14:2). Jesus said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3). In his Parable of the Ten Minas, Jesus explained that it was necessary for the LORD’s Anointed to go away in order for him to receive his kingdom. Luke tells us, “As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately: (Luke 19:11). Luke 19:12-27 states:

He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”

Jesus indicated the citizens of the kingdom hated the LORD’s Anointed and did not want him to reign over them. At the end of the parable, Jesus spoke as though he was the one who was hated and said to those who were listening, “I tell you that everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me” (Luke 19:26-27). A couple of days later, in his Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Luke 20:9-18), Jesus revealed the people’s motive for being hostile toward the LORD’s Anointed. Jesus stated:

Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” (Luke 20:13-18)

When Jesus returns, he intends to judge those who have rejected him as the LORD’s Anointed. Jesus told his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28). The Greek word that is translated new world, paliggenesia (pal-ing-ghen-es-eeˊ-ah) refers specifically to Messianic restoration. “In the sense of renovation, restoration, restitution to a former state; spoken of complete eternal manifestation of the Messiah’s kingdom when all things are to be delivered from the present corruption and restored to spiritual purity and splendor (Matthew 19:28)” (G3824).

God’s restoration of the world will be similar to the spiritual rebirth that believers experience when they are born again. Paul explained in his letter to Titus, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration (paliggenesia) and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7). Paul used the phrase washing of regeneration to describe the cleansing that takes place at salvation (G3067). This cleansing is done through Jesus Christ, the Word of God. Revelation 19:12-16 tells us that when Jesus, the LORD’s Anointed returns, “His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which his is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” The nineteenth chapter of Revelation concludes with the beast and the false prophet being captured and “thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur” and the rest who made war against the LORD’s Anointed, “were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged on their flesh” (Revelation 19:20-21).

Psalm 2 concludes with a warning to the rulers of the earth to not contest the supremacy of the LORD’s Anointed. Psalm 2:10-12 states:

Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
    be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
    and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son,
    lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
    for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

The Hebrew word that is translated blessed, ʾesher (ehˊ-sher) is “used to describe a person or nation who enjoys a relationship with God (Deuteronomy 33:29; Job 5:17; Psalm 33:12; 146:5)” (H835). Having a relationship with God means that you have access to him on a continuous basis. After he told his disciples he was going to prepare a place for them (John 14:3), Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus referred to himself as the way, “the way of access, e.g., into the direct presence of God (Hebrews 9:8)” (G3598). Christ’s sacrifice opened the way for everyone to enter into God’s presence. Because of this, all who take refuge in him will be blessed and Jesus will rule over God’s kingdom forever (2 Samuel 7:4-16)

good guys vs. bad guys

Not long after he established the Covenant of Circumcision with Abraham, God appeared to Abraham and promised to give him a son with his wife Sarah (Genesis 18:10). During this visit, God decided to reveal to Abraham his plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. God told Abraham, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know” (Genesis 18:20-21). Abraham was concerned about God’s decision to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because his nephew Lot lived there, and Lot was Abraham’s only living male relative at the time. It says in Genesis 18:22-26:

So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

Abraham identified two different types of people that would be affected by God’s decision to wipe out Sodom and Gomorrah, the righteous and the wicked. Abraham didn’t think God should treat these people the same because he expected him as the Judge of all the earth to do what is just. In response, the LORD told Abraham that he would spare the whole place for the sake of fifty righteous people (Genesis 18:26).

The Hebrew word tsaddiyq (tsad-deckˊ), which means just or innocent, is “often applied to God, who is the ultimate standard used to define justice and righteousness (Exodus 9:27; Ezra 9:15; Psalm 7:11[12]). As a substantive, the righteous is used to convey the ideal concept of those who follow God’s standards (Malachi 5:18). In this way, it is often in antithetic parallelism with the wicked, rashaˊ (H7563) the epitome of those who reject God and His standards (Proverbs 29:7)” (H6662). Rasha “indicates people who are enemies of God and His people…Those described by this word are evil and do not learn righteousness. Instead they pursue their wicked ways among the righteous (Isaiah 26:10)…the wicked are those who do not serve God and are as a result wicked and guilty before him (Malachi 3:18). If wicked people continue in their ways toward God or others, they will die in their sins (Ezekiel 3:18)” (H7563).

Abraham’s argument that God should spare the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of the righteous that were living in those places was based on the assumption that there were righteous people living there. Abraham may have thought that Lot and his family had continued to live according to God’s standard after they had parted company, and perhaps Lot had even convinced others to do so, but his confidence seemed to wane as he negotiated on their behalf. Lot continued to ask God, what if there are forty-five righteous, or thirty, or only ten righteous, will you still spare Sodom and Gomorrah from destruction (Genesis 18:27-32). The LORD answered, “’For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.’ And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place” (Genesis 18:32-33). When the two angels who were sent by God to destroy the city came to Sodom, Lot met them at the city gate and invited them to spend the night at his house. Genesis 19:4-10 states:

But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!”

So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing. Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.”

“Stand back!” they shouted. “This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our judge! We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!” And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door.

But the two angelsreached out, pulled Lot into the house, and bolted the door. (NLT)

Lot used the Hebrew word ʾach to refer to the men who wanted to have sex with his guests. The Hebrew word ʾach (awkh) means “a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance [like 1])” (H251). Lots identification with the men of Sodom suggests that he had become like one of them and agreed with their lifestyle choices. Lot’s offer to bring out his two virgin daughters so that the men could do with them as they wished indicated that he was just as corrupt as the wicked men of Sodom and deserved to be killed along with them when God destroyed their city, but the angels brought Lot out of the city and told him, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away” (Genesis 19:17).

It says in Genesis 19:16 that the LORD was merciful to Lot. The Hebrew word that is translated merciful is chemlah (khem-lawˊ). “A feminine noun meaning compassion, mercy. It describes the act of the angelic beings who led Lot and his family out of Sodom (Gen 19:16). It is also used in Isaiah 63:9 when retelling God’s deeds in the past. In light of his angel saving the people in Egypt, the text refers to God showing mercy on them. Therefore in its two uses, it denotes God’s compassion which spares one from destruction or similar dismal fates” (H2551). God’s decision to destroy Sodom was just because there was no one righteous living there, including Lot. It was only because of God’s mercy that Lot was able to be saved from destruction. Likewise, when the people of Israel were delivered out of slavery in Egypt, it was God showing mercy on them.

The mistake that the Israelites made was thinking of themselves as the good guys and everyone else as the bad guys. The people of Israel thought that God would not or maybe even could not destroy them because they were righteous as a result of following his commandments. King David wrote in Psalm 53:1-3:

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
    there is none who does good.

God looks down from heaven
    on the children of man
to see if there are any who understand,
    who seek after God.

They have all fallen away;
    together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
    not even one.

David said that all have fallen away, there is none who does good, not even one, including himself. The Apostle Paul echoed David’s sentiment in his letter to the Romans. Paul asked, “What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no not one; no one understands, no one seeks God’” (Romans 3:9-11). Paul went on to conclude that any righteousness we have is a manifestation of God’s presence in us (Romans 3:21-22), “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by grace as a gift, through redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by blood, to be received by faith” (Romans 3:23-24).

During the reigns of the kings of Judah, the manifestation of God’s presence in Israel slowly deteriorated. After Jehoshaphat’s reforms (2 Chronicles 19), the influence of the wicked kings in the north began to affect the southern kingdom of Judah. A marriage alliance between King Jehoshaphat and Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri (2 Chronicles 22:2-4) resulted in the reign of Ahaziah whose downfall ushered in the final phase of Judah’s inevitable deportation to Babylon. After Ahaziah was killed by Jehu, it says in 2 Chronicles 22:9, “the house of Ahaziah had no one able to rule the kingdom.” Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, took advantage of the situation and reigned over the land in place of her son (2 Kings 11:3). 2 Chronicles 22:10-12 tells us:

Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family of the house of Judah. But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were about to be put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of Jehoiada the priest, because she was a sister of Ahaziah, hid him from Athaliah, so that she did not put him to death. And he remained with them six years, hidden in the house of God, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Jehoshabeath’s resucue of her brother Joash from death was a part of God’s plan to keep the royal line of David intact until the birth of Christ. It says in 2 Chronicles 21:7 that “the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant that he had made with David, and since he had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.”

The Word of God is referred to as a lamp in Psalm 119. The psalmist said, “Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens…Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:89, 105). The Apostle John referred to Jesus as the Word and said, “The Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 3:1). Jesus referred to himself as the light of the world and said, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Walking in darkness is “spoken figuratively of persons in a state of moral darkness, wicked men under the influence of Satan (Luke 22:53; Ephesians 5:8; 6:12; Colossians 1:13)” (G4655). From that standpoint, the distinction between the wicked and the righteous depends on who is influencing them. The good guys are considered to be the ones who are being influenced by God and the bad guys are under the influence of Satan.

“The book of James is a simple, yet organized and logical treatise on the ethical aspects of Christian life…The major theme of the book is James’ appeal to the believer that true faith results in outward acts of obedience and righteousness (James 1:22)” (Introduction to the letter of James). James warned believers against worldliness, the tendency we have to follow the patterns of the wicked people around us rather than living according to the Word of God. James asked:

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:1-10)

James said that we must resist the devil, and if we do, that he will flee from us (James 4:7). The Greek word that is translated resist, anthistemi (anth-isˊ-tay-mee) means “to stand against, i.e. oppose” (G436). Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians about spiritual warfare and said that believers must, “take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand (anthistemi) in the evil day and and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13).

According to Paul, the battle that believers should expect and need to engage in does not involve the righteous and the wicked. It is not the good guys vs. bad guys. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Peter instructed believers in his first epistle to be sober and be watchful because, “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). When Athaliah took her son’s place ruling over Judah, Jehoshabeath didn’t oppose her, she “took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were about to be put to death…And he remained with them six years, hidden in the house of God, while Athaliah reigned over the land” (2 Chronicles 22:11, 12). In the seventh year, Jehoiada the priest took courage and arranged for Joash to become king. He made a covenant with the commanders of the army and with the Levites from all the cities of Judah, And Jehoiada said to them, “Behold the king’s son! Let him reign, as the LORD spoke concerning the sons of David” (2 Chronicles 23:1-3). Jehoiada instructed the Levites to not let anyone enter the house of the LORD except the priests and ministering Levites (2 Chronicles 23:6). “Then, they brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony. And they proclaimed him king…When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she went into the house of the LORD to the people…So they laid hands on her, and she went into the entrance of the horse gate of the king’s house, and they put her to death there” (2 Chronicles 23:11-12, 15).

An internal kingdom

Jesus told his followers parables about the kingdom of God so that they would be convinced of its existence, even though there was no physical evidence to verify that it was real. When he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or “There!’ for behold the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke 17:20-21). The Greek word that is translated in the midst, entos (en-tosˊ) means “inside” (G1787). One of the primary parables that Jesus used to explain the internal workings of God’s kingdom was the parable of the sower. Jesus said, “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold” (Luke 8:5-8). When Jesus’ disciples asked him what the parable meant, Jesus told them, “To you has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so they may not believe and be saved” (Luke 8:10-12).

Jesus identified the seed in his parable of the sower as the word of God and said that its intended location was people’s hearts, where it would enable them to believe and be saved. From this we can conclude that the kingdom of God being inside us has to do with God ruling and reigning over people’s hearts. The heart is “the seat and center of circulation, and therefore human life” In the New Testament of the Bible, the term heart is used only figuratively: “As the seat of desires, feelings, affections, passions, impulses, i.e. the heart or mind” (G2588). Jesus described the things that come out of our hearts as fruit and said, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit” (Matthew 13:33). Paul talked about circumcision of the heart in his letter to the Romans and said, “For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, not is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter” (Romans 2:28-29). Paul went on to explain that circumcision was a seal of righteousness that was first received by Abraham as a sign of his faith in God. Paul said, “The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised” (Romans 4:11-12).

Walking in the footsteps of faith means that we are responding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Grace is defined as “the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life” (G5485). Paul indicated in his letter to the Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit, which the reflection in the life of the divine influence upon the heart, is the result of believers crucifying their flesh with its passions and desires. Paul said:

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Paul contrasted the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit so that it would be clear to us what God’s kingdom on earth should look like. The fruit of the Spirit is not something that can be seen, but it is a physical manifestation of what is taking place in our hearts and therefore, evidence of the existence of God’s kingdom inside of us. When the divine influence upon the heart is reflected in the life of believers, it is obvious because it is very different from what we typically see in the world around us.

The closer we get to the time of Jesus Christ’s return, the more difficult it will be to see any evidence of God’s divine influence upon people’s hearts. Jesus said, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26-30). Christ’s sudden appearing from heaven will be an unexpected shock to most people. Jesus said, “For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day” (Luke 17:24). Jesus’ return will be like a bolt of lightning that jolts everyone into a keen awareness of the immediate danger. As noted in the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), there will be no time for believers to refresh their supply of the anointing of the Holy Spirit when the announcement of Christ’s arrival goes out.

We are told in the book of Revelation that the internal kingdom of God will eventually become an external kingdom that will encompass both heaven and earth (Revelation 12:10). The resurrection of the dead is a key element in the transition from an internal kingdom to an external kingdom that is ruled by Jesus Christ. Paul said, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For God has put all things in subjection under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:20-27). The end that Paul was speaking of, when Christ delivers the kingdom to God the Father, is not an ending in the sense that there is nothing afterwards. The Greek word telos (telˊ-os) refers to “the conclusion of an act or state.” It is “a noun meaning an end, a term, a termination, completion. Particularly only in respect to time” (G5056). Paul went on to explain, “For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’” (1 Corinthians 15:53-54).

Immortality is the opposite of death, the extinction of life (G110). In order for us to be able to participate in the eternal kingdom of God, Paul said our perishable body must put on the imperishable, and our mortal body must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53). Paul used similar language in his letter to the Ephesians where he instructed believers to “put off your old self which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). The Greek word that is translated corrupt, phtheiro (fthiˊ-ro) means to corrupt in the sense of “to make depraved” (G5351), in other words, to be in a state of moral depravity, exhibiting perversion as shown by a capacity for extreme and wanton physical cruelty. Paul said believers need to put off their old selves (heart desires) because they belong to our former manner of life and are corrupt through deceitful desires (Ephesians 4:22). The only way this can be done is “to be renewed in the spirit of your minds” (Ephesians 4:23). The Greek word that is translated renewed, ananeoo (an-an-neh-oˊ) means “to renovate, i.e. reform” (G365). The internal workings of believers’ hearts have to undergo a transformative change, going from a corrupted way of thinking to a godly way of thinking and behaving.

Jesus warned his disciples to not be concerned about their physical possessions when they become aware of his imminent return. Jesus said, “’On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.’ And they said to him, ‘Where, Lord?’ He said to them, ‘Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather’” (Luke 17:31-37). The disciples’ question, “Where, Lord?” had to do with their misunderstanding of the internal nature of God’s present kingdom. Jesus’ disciples did not believe that the kingdom of God could exist on earth unless it was in a physical form. Jesus’ response was a reference to the apostate church that will be present on the earth at his second coming. At that time, the physical churches that most people think are filled will born again Christians will actually be filled with unbelievers. There will be no evidence of divine influence upon those people’s hearts. The body of Christ will be perceived to be a corpse that has been overtaken by satanic influence, as evidenced by the corrupt behavior of all its members. The actual body of Christ, true believers, will still be present on the earth when Christ returns, they are the ones that will be taken, raptured in that night (Luke 17:34-35; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-5:11).

The harvest

Jesus often described the kingdom of heaven using terms that are usually associated with work and productivity. When he instructed his disciples to take up their cross and follow him, Jesus compared their effort to work and the result of the disciples’ effort to profit and loss. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:23-24). The Greek word that is translated profit opheleo (o-fel-ehˊ-o) is derived from the word ophelos (ofˊ-el-os) which means “(to heap up, i.e. accumulate or benefit); gain” (G3786). The reason why Jesus compared gaining the whole world to losing ourselves is likely because we typically think of ourselves in terms of our possessions, the house we own or the car we drive. The point that Jesus was making was that our possessions don’t define us, but they could determine where we will spend eternity if we allow them take precedence over our relationship with God.

After Jesus appointed seventy-two others besides his twelve apostles, he sent them ahead of him two by two to the towns where he intended to minister (Luke 10:1). Jesus told them:

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages.” (Luke 10:2-7)

The Greek word that is translated laborers, ergates (er-gatˊ-ace) means “a toiler” but is being used figuratively to refer to “a teacher” (G2040). Ergates comes from the word ergon (erˊ-gon) which speaks of “toil (as an effort or occupation)” but in simple terms, ergon represents “something to be done” and generally, “of the work which Jesus was sent to fulfill on earth (John 5:20, 36; 10:38; 17:4); that which one has been called or ordained to accomplish (John 4:34; 6:28, 29; 9:4; 17:4; Acts 13:2; 14:26; 15:38; 16:10; Philippians 1:22; 2:30; Revelation 2:26)” (G2041).

Jesus told the seventy-two others that “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Luke 10:2). Jesus’ parables of the sower, the seed growing, and the weeds provide us with some insight into what Jesus meant by this statement. Jesus said of parable of the sower, “The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard: then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved” (Luke 8:11-12). Jesus’ explanation of the parable of the sower has led some people to believe that the harvest is about people getting saved, but that may not be the harvest’s intended purpose. Jesus said in his parable of the seed growing, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle because the harvest has come” (Mark 4:25-29). Thinking about the word of God growing and maturing into grain that ripens and then, needs to be harvested has the implication of God’s word being alive and/or changing in form. The writer of Hebrews describes the word of God as living and active, “sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The Greek word that is translated word in the phrase word of God is logos (logˊos). John used the word logos when he said of Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Jesus’ identification as the word of God and his role in the harvest is further clarified in his parable of the weeds. Jesus said:

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weedsamong the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servantsof the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” (Matthew 13:24-30)

Jesus’ parable of the weeds indicated that the grain was going to be left to grow in the field together with the weeds until the harvest. In his explanation of the parable of the weeds, Jesus made it clear that the wheat represented those who would be entering the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear” (Matthew 13:37-43).

Jesus said that the harvest would take place at the end of the age, and yet he sent out the seventy-two others as laborers into the harvest. This seems to suggest that the harvest has both temporal and eternal features. It could be that what we do in the temporal aspect of our lives with regard to the harvest won’t be manifested until the end of the age or in eternity. Paul talked about this in connection with the resurrection of the dead. Paul said:

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:35-44)

Paul made an important distinction about the harvest when he said, “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies” (1 Corinthians 15:36), and then, Paul linked the harvest to an eternal event that he was anxiously anticipating, the resurrection of the dead. Paul said, “What is sown is perishable; what is raised in imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:42). Paul also indicated that a change is going to take place that is connected with the harvest of believers when Jesus Christ returns (Matthew 24:30-31). Paul said:

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)

Paul concluded his discussion of the resurrection of the dead by encouraging believers that “our labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). This seems to relate back to Jesus’ statement, “The laborer deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7). The reward for participating in the harvest was described by Jesus as wages. This seems to suggest that those who teach the word of God should be paid for their service, but I don’t think that was what Jesus intended to convey or what Paul had in mind when he talked about our labor not being in vain.

One of the events of Jesus’ ministry that is only recorded in John’s gospel is when Jesus and the woman of Samaria met at Jacob’s well. After Jesus revealed the woman’s sin to her, “the woman said to him, ‘Sir I perceive that you are a prophet’” (John 4:19). Jesus then proceeded to tell the woman about how she could have a relationship with God. Jesus concluded with the statement, “’God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am he’” (John 4:24-26). Jesus’ interaction with the woman of Samaria was interrupted by his disciples returning from going into the city to buy food. John tells us, “Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, ‘Rabbi, eat.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ So the disciples said to one another, ‘Has anyone brought him something to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, “There are yet four months, then comes the harvest”? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor’” (John 4:31-38). Jesus indicated that there are both temporal and eternal rewards for harvesting God’s crop. He said, “Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life” (John 4:36). The wages that Jesus was referring to could be anything from financial blessing from God to increased spiritual discernment. In his illustration of the laborers in the vineyard, Jesus said that the master of the house paid everyone the same wage regardless of when they started working. This was attributed to the master’s generosity. When the workers who had started first grumbled at the master of the house, he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity. So the last will be first and the first last” (Matthew 20:13-16).

Gaining traction

Paul’s ministry began to gain traction after he arrived at Corinth. One of the factors that seemed to fuel the growth of his ministry was Paul’s conviction that he had been specifically called to preach the gospel to the non-Jewish populations around the world. A turning point occurred when Paul let go of his assumed obligation to preach to the Jews that were dispersed throughout the Roman Empire. It says in Acts 18:6, “And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.”

While he was in Corinth, Paul received a prophetic message from Jesus. Luke tells us, “Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them” (Acts 18:9-11). Jesus’ command to not be afraid suggests that Paul was experiencing anxiety because of the antagonism he was getting from the Jews (Acts 17:5, 13). The bravery he demonstrated in continuing to preach the gospel reflected Paul’s belief that Jesus was with him because he was fulfilling the purpose of his ministry, to spread the gospel around the world.

Paul’s extended stay in Corinth probably enabled him to develop closer relationships and deeper feelings for the Corinthians than he did at any of the other churches he established. The two lengthy letters (1 Corinthians & 2 Corinthians) Paul wrote a few years after his first visit to Corinth show that he had a great deal of concern for the Corinthians spiritual well-being. The city of Corinth which was “perched like a one-eyed Titan astride the narrow isthmus connecting the Greek mainland with the Peloponnese, was one of the dominant commercial centers of the Hellenic world as early as the eighth century B.C. No city in Greece was more favorably situated for land and sea trade. With a high, strong citadel at its back, it lay between the Saronic Gulf and the Ionian Sea and ports of Lachaion and Cenchrea” (Corinth in the Time of Paul, p.1641).

The Lord’s selection of Corinth as Paul’s temporary home base was likely due to its ideal location and culture. “It has been estimated that in Paul’s day Corinth had a population of about 250,000 free persons, plus as many as 400,000 slaves. In a number of ways it was the chief city of Greece…it was a crossroads for travelers and traders” (Introduction to The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, p.1640). In many ways, the Corinthians were similar to believers today. “Most of the questions and problems that confronted the church at Corinth are still very much with us — problems like immaturity, instability, divisions, jealousy and envy, lawsuits, marital difficulties, sexual immorality and misuse of spiritual gifts.”