Aussie Big Things
Last time we started looking at the Big Difference between Adventism and the rest of Christianity, and indeed, the rest of religion. I want to continue this theme today and delineate the second big difference.
But first I thought I would show you a couple more “Big” things from Australia.
This eight-metre “Golden Gumboot” was erected in 2003 in Tully, North Queensland, which in 1950 clinched the record for the country's highest annual rainfall with 7.93 metres. My home town has an annual rainfall of just 0.4 of a metre (434mm)!
The golden gumboot was originally a rubber boot awarded to one of Australia's three wettest towns - Tully, Babinda or Innisfail - depending on which had the most yearly rainfall. According to legend it became a two-horse race when Innisfail's rainfall dropped out of contention around the time the rain gauge was moved from the vicinity of the public toilets! The judges suspected some foul play!
The $30,000 boot was built on the Atherton Tableland but the installation date was said to have been delayed by more than a month by heavy rain!
Over 18 metres tall, the Big Lobster is outlandish! It is faithfully rendered in likeness to a cooked lobster, eye-catching and colourful. The restaurant below serves all manner of seafood.
Recap – Unity of Man
You will remember that I proposed that the first big difference was the Unity of Man. That man, according to the Bible, is an indivisible unity. He does not have a soul, he is a soul. He is a creature, just like the animals, except that he has a spiritual nature – that is, he was created in the image of God – he is in some sense a little more like God than the animals. God created us physical/spiritual/mental and social creatures and placed us on a physical earth and in a physical universe governed by time.
You will also remember that there are many implications for other biblical teachings because of this understanding. Therefore, heaven is not home for mankind because Jesus said, “The meek shall inherit the earth.” The Earth was our original home, and a renewed earth will be the everlasting home of the saved. And because we are an indivisible unity, and because “The wages of sin is death,” we will not burn in hell for eternity (Rom 6:23). The wicked will “perish” as John 3:16 tells us. We will simply die and cease to exist. Our souls will not fly away to heaven or hell when we die. We must face the last judgement, and it is in terms of life or death. “If you have the son, you have life. If you do not have the Son of God, you do not have life.” (1 John 5) It's as simple and finite as that.
And the implications also flow over into our lives now, before the judgement. God created us sexual beings, which is one of the primary social aspects of mankind. God said it was good. And we were given the keys to a long healthy life, right in the early chapters of Genesis. And this teaching even has important implications for politics. “Love your enemies, and do good to those who hate you.” (Luke 6:27) Because mankind is a unity, a family. Difficult to put into practice, but that is the command.
When Russia walked into Crimea recently its soldiers were told by someone to fire on Ukrainian soldiers held up in their barracks, refusing to surrender. But a Russian general rushed out between them and said, “No, no, you can’t shoot these men, because these men are your brothers!” I wish Mr. Putin would understand this instead of sowing division between these brothers. In the centre of Kiev there is a huge statue of two men standing with their hands joined in triumph. These are a Ukrainian and a Russian man standing together in a symbol of brotherly unification. But the unity will be shattered if Putin continues on his present course.
So man is, or should be, a social unity. That’s the Unity of Man.
The Unity of Scripture
Now I want to turn to the second big difference for biblical Christianity, the Unity of Scripture. This is an interesting one because other Christians seem to be in two minds over scripture. Some Christians have a definite aversion to the Older Testament. They see it as outdated: superseded or sidelined by the New Testament (NT) in some way. Many other Christians, like Baptists, the Reformed tradition (like Presbyterians) and others, say, ‘Yes, of course the OT is equal with the New.” But in practice they treat it differently, or at least they separate some of its teachings from those of the NT. In one breath they say, ‘The commandments are still binding on Christians......... but they exclude the Sabbath ............ and a few other First Testament laws or teachings, which they say only apply to Jews, because they were given only to Israel!’
They say that the Old Covenant is replaced by the New; that Israel is rejected by God, and the Church takes its place; they spiritualise the Old Testament (OT) prophecies about Israel and apply some of them to Christians, and marginalise certain others because these obviously can only apply to Israel.
And having done this they must then apply Election, the teaching that God has elected one people to take his message and plan to humanity, to Christians. They then apply Predestination to individual Christians, which, as we shall see, does not apply in this way.
The Bible is one book, not two!
One of the lessons I have learned about scripture is to take notice not only of what scripture actually says, but also what it does not say! What do I mean? When God gave the commandments, he wrote them in stone, with his own finger. This is the only place in the Bible where it says God wrote something with his own finger, chiselling it stone! This should tell us that these commandments seem to be very important to God.
Again, the only commandment that starts with ‘remember,’ the commandment about the Sabbath, is the very one people choose to ‘forget!’ Isn’t that astounding? If God were to change this commandment – after having written it in stone with his own finger and prefaced it with the word “remember” – wouldn’t you think he would make an announcement, even a small comment, to the effect that it would undergo some change for his followers after the Cross? But there is silence on one of the most important teachings of Judaism!
Jesus disciples seem to keep observing it. Certainly the Jews of NT times are unaware that there has been such a big change in policy by this Jewish sect called Christians. The fact that Christians question the necessity of circumcision becomes a huge issue of debate amongst Jews, and Paul spends a great deal of space and time to make this teaching clear, that circumcision has been supplanted by baptism. The change with regard to circumcision is one of the major debates in the NT.
If there were an attempt to change the Sabbath or drop it altogether, there would have been unbelievable outrage in Judaism. But we see nothing at all on this.
Jumping to conclusions when there is missing information can be very misleading. It’s like the man who came home late one night from a business trip to find his two young children sleeping in his bed with their mother. The father decided to sleep in the guest room, but next morning he explained to his children it was alright to sleep with Mommy sometimes, but when he came home from a long business trip it was better if they didn’t.
When he arrived home from his next business trip his family met him at the airport. As the father entered the crowded waiting area, his son saw him and came running. As he ran he shouted, “Hey Daddy! I’ve got some good news!” The father waved to his son and shouted back, “What’s the good news son?” “Nobody slept with Mommy while you were away this time!” The noisy airport suddenly became very quiet, while all eyes looked first at the father, and then to the poor embarrassed mother.
What I wanted to do firstly was to see what Jesus’ attitude to Scripture was. You will notice I have a note on my diagram labelling the Older Testament variously as Jesus Bible, The First Testament (FT), or the Hebrew Bible. I do this to make it plain that it is not old in the sense of finished or outdated. The surprising thing is that Christians don’t seem to see that Jesus only Bible was the First Testament. The same is true for Paul and all New Testament writers.
Jesus went to it for all his doctrine and it is the basis of his practical principles for life; he quoted it over and over again as his authority; he said it would never pass away. He quoted from or alluded to nearly every book in the Older Testament. In fact, the first NT book written, 1 Thessalonians (or possibly Galatians), was not written until around 51 A.D., twenty years after Jesus death. The last book of the NT was written sixty years after Jesus death and the complete NT was not compiled together with the FT into one Bible until much later.
So whenever you see NT writers quoting “scripture,” it is the First Testament they are referring to.
2 Timothy 3:14–17 (NRSV) — 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, 15 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
Paul has in mind here the First Testament. There was no other at this time. We call the NT books “scripture”, but Paul is focussing on Scripture in his day.
Jesus did not come to start a new religion called Christianity
Jesus came as a Jew to the Jewish nation. After all, he was the Messiah, a strictly Jewish concept. He never set foot outside of Israel. His message was to Israel, and he left it to his disciples to take the message to the gentiles. He kept the Ten Commandments and taught his followers to do the same. And yet so many Christians want to separate Jesus from his Jewish roots and throw many of the teachings of the First Testament out.
Let me emphasise this by saying it again, Jesus was a Jew, and espoused Jewish principles and teachings! Christianity was once, and should still be, a Jewish denomination! Jesus didn’t come to start a new religion! He came to re-invigorate the original religion, to take it back to its roots!
Let me be pedantic and state that again, Christianity was once, and should still be, a Jewish denomination! Jesus didn’t come to start a new religion! He came to revive and reform Judaism, to take it back to its roots!
Matthew 4:4 (NRSV) [Deut. 8:3, 6] 4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Jesus is quoting here from Deuteronomy. Jesus quotes what is “written” not only to Satan here, but to all of his opponents and to his followers. The written word of God is paramount for Jesus.
Matthew 5:17–19 (NRSV) — 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Notice Jesus starts with the “Law and the Prophets,” the classic way of saying “the Bible.” Then he drills down into it and mentions the “Law,” which strictly speaking is the first five books of the OT, the books of Moses. He then drills down deeper still, to the centre of the “Law,” the “Commandments.” He certainly includes the Ten Commandments because he goes on to cite many of them, but he also includes other FT laws and principles, like the divorce law, and tithing. This is perhaps Jesus strongest statement on the centrality of the First Testament for doctrine and practice.
Israel, the Covenant and the Terms
Let’s look at some of the themes that the Unity of Scripture affects. When Israel was chosen by God for a special evangelistic purpose in this world, they were chosen as a people and placed in the middle of the nations to glorify God’s name (Ezek 5:5). They were called as a people, and at Sinai God wrote a Covenant with them. This was like a one-sided agreement written by a conquering king over a vassal nation. It contained stipulations they were to follow, to govern their social and political life and for their protection. In this case the stipulations were the Ten Commandments and the many other laws of the OT were derived from the Ten.
Of course the principles of the Ten Commandments existed from the beginning, but here they were put in codified form for the people of Israel. And this is why some say they no longer apply to Christians because Israel was rejected by God when Jesus came. But this is not so. The Bible never says God rejects Israel as a people. Through much of their history they disappointed God and wandered away from him, but he kept faith with them and kept pursuing them. When we come to the NT we find Jesus giving various messages to the effect that he is rejecting certain people from Israel because they refuse to believe he is God’s Messiah and Son. But we never find that he rejects Israel as a people. On the contrary, Israel continues as God’s people right through the NT even to the last book, Revelation. Look at:
Romans 11:1–5 (NRSV) — 1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” 4 But what is the divine reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.
You can’t get a plainer text to support the continued existence of Israel as God’s people!
Romans 2:28–29 (NRSV) — 28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. 29 Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart—it is spiritual and not literal.
Membership in God’s people, Israel, is by “inward” conversion, it is a spiritual thing.
Jeremiah 31:31–33 (NRSV) — 31 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt... 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
You see, this new covenant was to be ratified with Israel! And although God says it will not be like the one he made with their ancestors, it has the same formula and the same terms, the law – the difference being that the law was to be internalised. Jeremiah calls it a new covenant because it must be a new start for the house of Israel. In effect it was a re-newed covenant. There is no thought of it being a totally new version of covenant, or a covenant with a new people called Christians. It is still about an innocent lamb who was to die for the sins of the people.
Matthew 26:28 (NRSV) (Mark 14:24) — 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Matthew and Mark have “the blood of the Covenant.” There is only one Covenant he could be referring to – the one given to Abraham, and re-iterated to Israel down through the centuries.
Luke has “this cup is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22:20) It is new because it is the old covenant re-newed in Jesus blood. It is the same basic covenant but with new life breathed into it by Jesus death.
The whole book of Hebrews makes it clear that it is the same covenant that applied to Israel except that it was fulfilled by the incomparably better sacrifice of Jesus. (Heb. 9:20-21) That’s what made it powerful and effective! That’s what the whole book of Hebrews is saying. The “old” covenant is ineffective because it was written with the blood of goats and calves!
A wise adage says, the New Testament is in the Old concealed, and the Old is in the New revealed. You cannot have the one without the other. The New Testament is unintelligible without the history and teaching of the First, and the FT is not complete without the fulfilment of its themes in Jesus Christ. This is what my diagram tries to demonstrate, that one is contained within the other. One came before the other in time and is the basis for the New Testament, but the New interprets and enhances the Older Testament in the light of Jesus coming and sacrifice.
And if there is only one Covenant, then its stipulations, its terms, the Ten Commandments, still apply to God’s people. If Israel remains God’s people, then of course the Ten Commandments still apply to them – and of course, this includes the Sabbath because it is not only a part of the Terms of the Covenant, it is also a sign of the covenant. (Text)
The Meta-narrative of the Bible
This story of Israel is what I refer to as the meta-narrative of the Bible. It is the really big story of the Bible. The Bible is the story of mankind. It starts with the individuals Adam and Eve, the parents of the human family, but quickly moves to nations. And the nations join together to challenge the authority of God, so he confuses their language and disperses them. The downward spiral continues and as they move further away from God he reluctantly brings the destruction of the flood on mankind. There is a huge amount of pre-history jammed into the first eleven chapters of Genesis.
Then from chapter 12 onwards is the story of the calling of Abraham and the Election of Israel. From here on the story, the meta-narrative, is all about Israel, right down to the end of Revelation.
You might ask, indeed you should ask, “How can it be that so many Christians seemingly get it wrong on these subjects?” The short answer is that we should not be worried about the majority; we should be concerned about what the Bible teaches. The majority follow the coattails of others, uncritically.
The self-evident truth is that most humans are followers. They do not seek answers for themselves. And more than this, they don’t seem to even want to take a position that is going to set themselves apart from the majority, especially their particular group.
Older Testament Prophecies applying to Israel
I want to touch on the OT prophecies regarding Israel. If Israel remains God’s chosen people then the prophecies still apply to them. Dispensationalists understand that there are many prophecies applying to Israel, and they deal with them by claiming they will be fulfilled literally to Israel as a nation during the millennium, after the Church has been whisked away at the Secret Rapture. But there is no need for this if Israel remains God’s chosen people. The prophecies apply to us, as Israel, by faith.
The Principle of Unity in Scripture – What is retained and what is left behind
I want to suggest to you a principle regarding the unity of scripture this morning. I have been thinking about the working of this principle for a long while, and it has become stronger in my mind as time passes.
Many, many people have wondered down through the Christian era how to tell what is to be preserved from the Older Testament and what is to be left behind. Some say we should only keep the principles of the FT and let all else fade into history. But the principles are not enough.
Some say we must keep it for the prophecies about Jesus. But this is not enough either. Some say we can leave behind the Law, meaning the Ten Commandments, but they fail to see that Jesus does not leave them behind, and Paul does not leave them behind. Many point to the barbarity and bloody warfare of the First Testament and want to reject this as a lower level of religion, and even of a sub-Christian portrayal of God, which has been super-ceded by the self-sacrificing love of Jesus. But Jesus teaches that he and the Father are one, and that the OT is his Scripture and is where he gets all his teachings.
So how do we know what is abrogated from the First Testament and what is retained? What does the NT reject from the FT? And almost as importantly, what does it retain? Should we be keeping all the Jewish calendar of feasts in the NT era? The feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, and those of the Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Sabbath rest year and the Jubilee? If not, why not? Sabbatarians like The World-wide Church of God kept them, but we don’t. How do we know they are no longer binding?
I want to suggest the principle that we leave behind what Jesus and the NT tells us is finished. All the rest we keep. The NT tells us clearly what is abrogated and the rest endures. We don’t have to guess.
For instance, the book of Hebrews tells us the sacrificial system is dead. Jesus blew the whole thing out of the water. And the Temple changes – the physical Temple becomes a temple of people. And what of the Jewish calendar of feasts? The book of Colossians tells us the answer to that question – but all these are longer stories for a different day.
But the people of the covenant remain. Israel remain the subjects of the Kingdom. And the terms of the covenant, the ten commandments, remain, as does the entire law of Moses, which is the expansion and commentary on the central terms of the Covenant. And the prophets and wisdom books remain authoritative because they are the outworking and application of the covenant in the lives of the covenant people, Israel.
Conclusion
The first big difference between biblical Christianity and the rest is the Unity of Man, and the second is the Unity of Scripture.
Your understanding here will affect so many other truths that it is mind altering and life changing.
In the end popular Christianity is united on a platform that has very shaky foundations, because it dissects the Word of God along lines that are convenient to it, not according to the plain reading of Scripture. Firstly, it dissects man and sends his spirit immediately at death to either heaven or hell, for a timeless eternity. And it does this because it brings to the reading of scripture a foreign philosophy – a Platonic philosophy.
Secondly, much of Christianity dissects scripture into an Old Testament that it assigns to Judaism and a New Testament which it says is the Bible of Christianity, and in this way rips the foundations of Christianity from under it. In doing this it creates two or more covenants where there is only one, and it tries to do away with the moral law that God intended to apply to mankind for all time.
But we must understand all scripture as inspired, and that it has a unified message – just like Jesus did. We must understand that God called (or elected) Israel, and never abandoned his people. For as believers we are Israel by faith. We must understand that Jesus is the bridge between the Testaments. We must focus on following him and his truth, as Hebrews tells us:
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:2)
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