3 P’s (Speaking Woman)

The 3 P’s (Speaking Woman)

I have been asked the following very important question on many occasions: Can a woman in an assembly of the Church answer a question if she is asked one by the preacher?  The thrust of this question revolves around whether or not a woman can speak during an assembly of the Church.

Woman

Can a Woman Speak in an Assembly of the Church?

The short and simple answer to this is “Yes!” But how is this exercised?

The primary guidelines for the participation of women in God’s kingdom are established in I Tim. 2:9-15. Below I have listed the guiding principles:

1) Woman is not to usurp/exercise authority over a man.
2) She is to receive instruction with submissiveness.
3) Her remaining quiet is tied to her not teaching or usurping.

The concept of silence from I Tim. 2 is not silence. Rather, it is the attitude of quietness or submissiveness if you will. It is an understanding that the woman is not in control or the authority of a scriptural setting involving males.

We know how and to whom authority has been given in the church and Bible (I Corinthians 11:3, Ephesians 5:22, Titus 2:4-5, 2 Timothy 4:1-2, Titus 2:15) but again, how is it exercised in person?

It is my belief that an individual can attempt to exercise authority in at least 3 ways – The Three P’s.:

1) By Pitch – There is a clear distinction in someone speaking for clarification and speaking to establish their point. This is one of the problems of sin I believe that is rampant among many churches. Women in and out of classes take tones that are most certainly not of submission. Abigail approaching David would be a good example to follow.

2) By position – Standing up in front of the congregation and addressing them to make a point. Leading singing. Leading a prayer. Leading the Lord’s supper. Making the announcements. All of these require the person to be a leader. In the setting of women and children, this is acceptable in the eyes of God. In a setting involving males, this is not acceptable.

3) By presence – One can establish presence without saying a word. This can be accomplished by body language, by proximity, or by volume or duration of interaction. In other words, attention can be focused upon you as having the higher ground or stance.

If a woman is asked to read a verse in any context of the Church – husband and wife, meeting of Christians in a home, Wednesday night study, Sunday Morning Bible Class, or Sunday Worship and she establishes by pitch, position, or presence an authority that she does not have, it is sin.

I say directly, that any verbal output that does not take the form of above is acceptable. That would make “amen’s” ok. Quiet repetition of the words being spoken/read (as I have seen in many congregations) would be acceptable. Reading of scripture when in the pews. Answering questions that are not requiring her to establish her teaching or interpretation of scripture. It is my contention that none of these are taking any authority from any man. Only if one of these actions is a disruption to the service, would there be an infraction upon the word of God (See I Cor. 14 in regard to organization).

Having said all this, in answer to my question, a woman can answer a question given to her in the church and assembly. She may indeed speak. However, she may not speak in areas or in a way which would allow her to exert improper authority.

Here is my rule of thumb in regard to this subject. This personally goes for men and women. If you do not have to speak, don’t do it. If you do speak keep your commentary brief. Men for organization, women so that you do not assume authority by presence. I have seen women in classes (the church) talk for 35 min of a 45 min. class. I believe this is completely inexcusable. Questions can always be asked after services, class, etc.

By being aware of female behavior in regard to the 3 P’s, a woman can help guard her soul and others from inappropriate behavior. This will ensure her continued example of feminine holiness.

 

Posted in Travis Main | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 3 P’s (Speaking Woman)

Golden Thoughts

The “Golden Rule” & The Narrow Gate

Jesus’ divinely summarized and simplified synopsis of the entire Old Testament, as delivered in His famed “Sermon on the Mount” and recorded by the Apostle Matthew, is recorded as follows: Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12). This is what we today often refer to as “the golden rule.” In its immediate context in Matthew seven, it is then instantly followed up by Jesus’ admonition and warning to, Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it (verses 13-14). The conclusion should be obvious to all but the most oblivious: If we want to enter the “pearly gates” and walk the “golden streets” (Revelation 21:21) – then we must enter through the “narrow gate” by living the “golden rule!” This means doing unto others exactly as we would want them to do unto us under similar circumstances. But do we really and truly live like that?

Golden Rule

Are you golden in your behavior? Be nice!

Let’s suppose you are young and have small children. They are noisy and active. They run and play in the nursery. How would you prefer that your beloved brothers and sisters in Christ respond to that on any given Sunday morning or Wednesday evening prior to services? By looking disdainfully and disapprovingly at one another out of the corner of their eye? By talking about you and your children later on amongst themselves when they’re together in a ridiculing manner? Or by perhaps a kind word and some loving interaction with your precious children that helps occupy and direct them towards a slightly quieter and less active activity – knowing children will be children, remembering their own, and just being grateful that you and your precious children are there (Matthew 19:13-14)? “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”

Or, let’s imagine that you are in bible study and despite your best efforts, are really having a problem processing what the teacher is saying. It simply doesn’t make sense to you in light of what you’ve previously learned and you need some help understanding and applying it. Based on your questions and interaction in the class, it is obvious to all that you are struggling. What would you want from your beloved brethren in Christ at that point if this were you? For them to just pass you off as ignorant or unlearned? To get up after class and filter out into the foyer as fast as they can like you don’t exist? Or, to perhaps get up, make their way over to you after class, and humbly and patiently seek to help you better understand the scripture you’re so severely struggling with (2 Timothy 2:24-25)? “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”

Perhaps it might be more productive at this point, to picture yourself as a slightly more senior, middle-aged saint for a moment; one who has worked and worshipped within the same congregation for several decades now. You know how the congregation works and are both comfortable and familiar, with and within, its programs, processes, procedures and outreaches. All of the sudden some “newcomer” comes along with a new program or approach that, although not unbiblical at all, is still unfamiliar to all. How would you want your brethren to react to your hesitation about its implementation if that were you? Would you prefer that they sought to bully it through without any consideration for you? Would you want them to impatiently and impetuously talk about your old, “fuddy-duddy traditionalism,” secretly and sarcastically behind you back? Or, would you want them to repeatedly set down and patiently explain the benefits of this new idea to you, until you could personally examine and get comfortable with all its intricacies, and thereby endorse, get excited, and get behind it? “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”

And then, what if you were one of the more elderly, hard of hearing, or slower moving saints of the assembly? You’ve lived and served the Lord faithfully for many a decade now. You’ve raised a faithful and God-fearing family, and served and supported the congregation in more ways than anyone can count or remember except for the Lord God Himself. And now, through no fault of your own and totally beyond your control, your hearing is hampered, your breathing is belabored, and your footsteps are faltered. How do you wish those you worship with would treat you? Making fun or sport of your hearing or eyesight fading? Speeding by you in the building as if you were merely another obstacle in the aisle to be avoided and circumvented? Or, with compassion and concern, lovingly taking your arm and gently assisting you to your seat, while speaking loudly and clearly so you can hear their love and encouragement in Christ? “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”

What if you were one of the elders, the preacher, a deacon, or one of the Bible class teachers? Would you want criticism from every corner of the congregation when you had put hours of effort, prayer, and research into a project, decision or lesson – and absolutely done the best you could – even though you might have done it a bit differently than someone else would have (if they’d even have actually done it at all)? Or, would you want people to at least take into consideration the massive amount of effort you had exhausted in order to serve them and their children instead, before sighting their uncaring, caustic, and corrosive volley of criticism in on you? “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”

The “golden rule.” After Luke recalled and recorded Jesus’ statement of it in Luke 6:31, He went on to explain and expand upon this golden truth, following it up with phrases like, “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful” (verse 36); and, “For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (verse 38). We supply God with the measuring tape (or rule) with which He will judge us on the last day, by the way we treat others each day we have down here. And that measuring tape, or “rule,” is by all means the “golden” one. “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”

The “golden rule.” Paul restated what Jesus had referred to as the complete fulfillment of the Old Testament Law and prophets this way in some of his epistles:

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another (Galatians 5:13-15); Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2); and, Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself (Philippians 2:1-3).

The “ golden rule.” What a God-send! It is the rule of life that will guide us through the narrow gate, up the narrow path, through the ‘pearly gates,’ and onto the ‘ golden streets,’ sending us to live with God forever if we will but follow it. It is the “ golden gate” bridge to eternity. “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you,” today and every day, in every circumstance until judgment day, in order to live an eternal day, in the golden light of God’s glorious presence!

 

 

Posted in Doug Dingley | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Golden Thoughts

Kingdom Come?

Has the Kingdom Come?

One of the most prevalent false doctrines in a general religious sense relating to the theme of eschatology, or “The End Times,” is the doctrine of premillennialism. Many religious people believe that when Christ returns, it will not terminate our earthly state, but will begin another dispensation of time in which Christ will begin to reign in an earthly, physical kingdom for a thousand years. This popular false doctrine leaves the concerned Bible student ask­ing the question “Has the kingdom come?” In other words, are we in a church-age looking for the com­ing kingdom-age? Of course, the Bible speaks of the reality of the kingdom of God. Luke records, “But when [the Samaritans] believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12). The apostle Paul also preached the kingdom of God (Acts 20:25). In fact, the closing words of Luke in Acts declare,

“And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house [in Rome], and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbid­ding him” (Acts 28:30-31).

Thus, let us answer the question “Has the kingdom come?”

Yes, the kingdom has already come, because the Old Testament prophecies point to its fulfillment in Acts 2. For the sake of space, let us notice just one among many Old Testament prophecies relating to the kingdom. In Daniel 2, Daniel reveals and interprets a dream that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon dreamed. His dream serves as a prophecy for “a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed” (2:44), which sounds much like what Jesus said concerning the church, “…and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about an image made with four metals that represented four world empires that ruled from the days of Daniel in Babylon to the days of Jesus Christ. As he described the image from head to toe, we see the digressive qualities of the metals to represent the digression of authority and strength that would follow. The head of gold represented the Babylonian Empire—Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar, “Thou art this head of gold” (2:38). Historians have recorded the greatness and grandeur of this kingdom. Historians think that Nebuchadnezzar built the Hang­ing Gardens of Babylon for his wife because she was homesick for the beautiful green and flowery hills of her childhood. The silver arms and breast represented the Mede and Persian Empire—in his interpretation to Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel said, “And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee” (2:39). Daniel told the last ruler of the Babylonian Empire, King Belshazzar, “Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians” (5:28). The brass belly and thighs represented the Macedonian and Greek Empire, about which Daniel would prophesy later in Daniel 8:21 concerning “the king of Greece.” The iron legs and feet of clay and iron represented the Roman Empire. While Rome ruled with an iron fist, its division between the Caesar and the Senate led to the weakest form of au­thority and government. Then, Nebuchadnezzar sees a stone “cut out without hands (denoting its divine origin), which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and break them to pieces” (2:34). Then, after destroying this image, the stone “became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” (2:35). This stone represents Jesus Christ Himself. On one occasion, Jesus quoted the psalmist and declared, “Did ye never read in the scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?’” (Matt. 21:42). The apostle Peter declared to the Jews concerning Jesus in Acts 4:11, “This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.” In addition, he wrote in his first epistle, “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner” (1 Pet. 2:7). In his in­terpretation of this dream while describing the fourth kingdom, Daniel proclaims, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (2:44). Therefore, we must take one of the following conclusions: God failed in delivering His prophecy, Daniel lied and was not a true prophet of God or God established His kingdom during the Roman Empire as we find recorded in Acts 2. I submit to you that the Bible clearly teaches the latter.

Yes, the kingdom has already come, because the gospel predictions point to its fulfillment in Acts 2. As we come to the gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we find that the events they recorded oc­curred during the Roman Empire (Luke 2:1; 3:1). John the Immerser comes onto the scene first by “preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matt. 3:1-2). Do not be alarmed at the usage of the phrase “kingdom of heaven” versus the phrase “kingdom of God” in other passages. Matthew uses this phrase in an attempt to teach his Jewish audience about the spiritual nature of this kingdom, as opposed to a physical nature about which they only knew. Even the apostles misunder­stood the nature of the kingdom before Jesus ascended into heaven: “When they therefore were come to­gether, they asked of him, saying, ‘Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?’” (Acts 1:6). Jesus soon followed thereafter “preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15; Matt. 4:17-23). He instructed His apostles, “Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and as ye go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matt. 10:5-7). He even taught them to pray, “After this manner therefore pray ye… Thy kingdom come” (Matt. 6:9-10). Nevertheless, He made a very important promise: “Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power” (Mark 9:1). After His death, He promised His apostles, “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49), which He says would occur in just a few days (Acts 1:8). This is exactly what took place in Acts 2:1-4.

Yes, the kingdom has already come, because the New Testament epistles point to its existence after Acts 2. While the Old Testament and the gospel accounts point to the future coming of the kingdom, the New Testament epistles all state that the kingdom is cur­rently in existence, referring to it in its present state (cf. Col. 1:9-13). The Hebrew writer wrote, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Heb. 12:28). John declared, “I John, who also am your brother, and com­panion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9). Therefore, Christ is now reigning in His kingdom until the time shall come when He will deliver it to His Father (1 Cor. 15:23-25).

Yes, the kingdom has already come, because the Bible uses the terms “kingdom” and “church” inter­changeably. The church is the house of God (Isa. 2:2-4; cf. 1 Tim. 3:15). The church is the tabernacle of God (Amos 9:11; cf. Acts 15:13-18). The church is the flock of God (Ezek. 34, 37; cf. Acts 20:28). The church is the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12). In like manner, the church is the kingdom of God (Matt. 16:18-19).

Yes, the kingdom has already come, because all the necessary components of a kingdom exist now. The first component of a kingdom is a territory. The territory of this promised kingdom is universal—it comprises the whole world, every nation within it. “and all nations shall flow unto it” (Isa. 2:2). “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” (Matt. 28:19). “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15; cf. Rom. 16:25-26). The sec­ond component to a kingdom is subjects. The subjects for this promised kingdom are whoever will receive the grace that God has offered through redemption and will comply with the terms of citizenship. The apostle Peter proclaimed to Cornelius, “But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:35). Paul penned, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13). John hears and records, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that heareth say, Come, and let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17). The third component of a king­dom is a king. The King for this promised kingdom is Jesus Christ, our Lord, who is now reigning on His throne (cf. Isa. 9:6-7). Jeremiah declared,

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and pros­per, and shall execute judgment and jus­tice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUS­NESS. (Jer. 23:5-6)

Perhaps the greatest passage on this matter is Zechariah 6:12-13—if Christ is serving as High Priest (which the book of Hebrews states that He is), then He is also serving simultaneously as our King! The wise men came with the question, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him” (Matt. 2:2). The angel announced to Mary,

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33; cf. Acts 2:22-36)

Paul penned, “Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15). The fourth component to a kingdom is a law. The law for this promised kingdom is the perfect and all-sufficient word of God. Jesus announced, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). Paul wrote, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). James declared, “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed” (James 1:25), and later stated, “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:12). Thus, all four components exist presently, because the kingdom of God is in existence now—it has already come!

In conclusion, Timothy Dwight was the President of the prestigious Yale University in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, and yet, he knew more about the kingdom of God than many do today when he wrote the beloved lyrics, “I love thy kingdom, Lord, the house of thine abode; the church our blest Redeemer saved with his own precious blood.” It is this kingdom that exists now and has already come, to which Jesus provides entrance (John 3:3-5).

Posted in Sam Willcut | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Kingdom Come?

Believe, Teach, & Practice Jesus

They Have Been with Jesus

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled.  And they realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13)

Vast numbers of people in the world claim Jesus as their Lord.  But honestly, what evidence proves that they are His.  Is a mere verbal confession all it takes?  To be sure, “with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). However, since the Bible reveals that saving faith is an obedient/working faith (Jas. 2:14-26; Heb. 11; Acts 10:35), and that confessing Christ is not just talking the talk, but walking the walk (i.e., we confess or deny Christ by the conduct of our lives – Jn. 3:21; Tit. 1:16), it is apparent that not everyone who claims Jesus as their Lord is actually “with” Jesus (spiritually speaking).

What identified Peter and John as men who had been with Jesus was not a mere confession that they were His disciples, but rather, it was what they taught and how they taught it.  These men were obeying the command of Christ to “(teach) them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20). They were keenly aware that the only ones whom Jesus claims as His true disciples are those who serve and worship God in spirit (implying a genuine, sincere heart) and truth (God’s inspired Word) – (Jn. 4:23-24).

So how do we know whether or not someone has “been with Jesus”?  It won’t be merely because they say, “I’m a Christian,” but by what they believe, teach and practice (1 Jn 4:6), and by how they conduct their lives (Rom 12:1-2).  Friends, have you been with Jesus?  If not, why not come to Him today?

Posted in Aaron Veyon | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Believe, Teach, & Practice Jesus

The Crucifixion Clothes

Bible Inspiration: The Crucifixion Clothes

The Old Testament book of Psalms constituted the hymnal of the Jewish nation, containing a collection of 150 songs, laments, and praises by various authors. Since the Old Testament canon was very likely completed no later than 400 B.C. (Leupold, 1969, p. 8; cf. Archer, 1974, p. 440), and since the Septuagint is known to have been produced circa 250 B.C., the pronouncements in the Psalms predated the arrival of Jesus on the planet by centuries. Yet, within the sacred pages of the Psalms, scores of very detailed allusions pinpoint specific incidents that occurred in the life of Christ on Earth. These allusions constitute proof positive of the inspiration of the Bible.

For example, composed by David in the 10th century B.C. (Barnes, 1847, pp. 193ff.), Psalm 22 is unquestionably a messianic psalm—literally packed with minute details that forecast the death of the Messiah. In verse 18, the psalmist quotes Him as making the simple statement: “They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” All four of the inspired New Testament evangelists of the first century A.D. allude to these incidental details that they report in connection with Jesus hanging on the cross (Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24).

While commentators typically report that Roman law awarded the victim’s clothes as spoils for the Roman executioners (e.g., Erdman, 1922, p.161; McGarvey, n.d., p. 725), others question the historicity of such a claim (e.g., Edersheim, 1915, 2:591-592). In any case, the soldiers that attended the cross consisted of a quaternion—four soldiers (Davis, 1870, 3:2651). Matthew and Luke state very simply that these soldiers divided His clothes and cast lots for them, with Luke adding “to determine what every man should take.” These “garments” (merei) likely included a head-dress, sandals, girdle, and outer garment (Robertson, 1916, p. 147). Apparently, according to John 19:23, the soldiers were able to decide ownership of these four clothing articles without gambling. If they were able to agree on consignment of the four articles—one clothes item for each soldier—why did they also cast lots? It is John who provides the added clarification:

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things (John 19:23-24).

The tunic was indivisible and unique from the other clothes, and very likely more valuable. It stood alone as seamless and would need to be awarded to a single soldier only, rather than being ripped into four pieces. Hence, they agreed to gamble in order to decide ownership of the tunic.

Observe carefully that these four unnamed Roman military men, who just happened to be assigned crucifixion duty that day, and just happened to have charge of the condemned Jesus of Nazareth (who happened that day to wear a seamless tunic), were operating solely out of their own impulses. They were not Jews. They undoubtedly had no familiarity whatsoever with Jewish Scripture. They were not controlled by any external source. No unseen or mysterious force took charge of their minds, no disciple whispered in their ears to cause them to robotically or artificially fulfill a prophecy. Yet, with uncanny precision, words written by King David a millennium earlier came to stunning fruition—words that on the surface might seem to contradict each other: the clothes were to be divided into separate parts, yet lots would be cast over the clothes. Roman soldiers unwittingly fulfilled the predictions of ancient Scripture in what to them were no more than mere casual, insignificant actions associated with the execution of their military duty, in tandem with their covetous desire to profit from their victim by acquiring His material goods.

But that’s not all. The layers of complexity and sophistication of the doctrine of inspiration, like the layers of an onion, can be peeled back to reveal additional marvels. John informs us that the item of clothing, which necessitated the Roman soldiers need to resort to gambling to decide ownership, was “without seam, woven from the top in one piece.” Why mention this piece of minutia? What significance could possibly be associated with such a seemingly trivial detail? To gain insight into a possible explanation, one must dig deeper into Bible teaching. Since the Bible was authored by Deity, it naturally possesses a depth uncharacteristic of human writers. It reflects indication that its Author was unhampered by the passing of time or the inability to foresee or orchestrate future events. Such qualities are commensurate with the nature of divinity.

In 1500 B.C., God imparted the Law of Moses to the Israelites as the covenant requirements that would guide the nation of Israel through its national existence. This law included provision for the High Priest, the first being Aaron, the brother of Moses, commissioned by God Himself (Exodus 28). On the Day of Atonement (yom kippur), he alone entered the Holy of Holies within the Tabernacle/Temple to make atonement for himself and all the people (Leviticus 16). Bible typology—another bona fide proof of Bible inspiration—portrays Jesus as our High Priest (Hebrews 3:1; 4:14; 9:11; et al.). Very uniquely and critically, Jesus performs for Christians parallel functions to the High Priest that absolutely must be performed if we are to be permitted to be saved to live eternally with Deity in heaven.

Among the articles of clothing stipulated by God for the High Priest was the skillfully woven “tunic of fine linen thread” (Exodus 28:39). According to Josephus, this clothing item was seamless:

Now this vesture was not composed of two pieces, nor was it sewed together upon the shoulders and the sides, but it was one long vestment so woven as to have an aperture for the neck; not an oblique one, but parted all along the breast and the back (3.7.4:203).

Coincidental? Perhaps. Nevertheless, John went out of his way to flag the point. And the Roman soldiers gambled for the seamless tunic of the Messiah—a tunic that subtly signaled His redemptive role as the one to make atonement for the world in the very act of dying on the cross. The handling of the clothes of Jesus Christ on the occasion of His crucifixion demonstrates the inspiration of the Bible and the divine origin of the Christian religion.

REFERENCES

Archer, Gleason (1974), A Survey of Old Testament Introduction (Chicago, IL: Moody Press).

Barnes, Albert (1847), Notes on the Old Testament: Psalms (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2005 reprint).

Davis, William (1870), Dictionary of the Bible, ed. H.B. Hackett (New York: Hurd & Houghton).

Edersheim, Alfred (1915), The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (New York: Longmans, Green, & Co.).

Erdman, Charles (1922), The Gospel of John (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press).

Josephus, Flavius (1974 reprint), The Works of Flavius Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews, trans. by William Whiston (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).

Leupold, H.C. (1969 reprint), Exposition of the Psalms (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).

McGarvey, J.W. (no date), The Fourfold Gospel (Cincinnati, OH: Standard).

Robertson, A.T. (1916), The Divinity of Christ (New York: Fleming H. Revel).

Dave Miller – http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=1744

Posted in Guest Authors | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Crucifixion Clothes