Archive for category Theology
The rock that became a mountain
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Theology on January 31, 2024
Over recent times it is difficult for many people to see what is happening to Christianity and faith all around the world. For many it seems like Christianity is under attack.
We read of Christians being persecuted around the world. We read news of a Christian singer being told she could not sing Christian music in public. We read of controversy surrounding street preachers. We read of Churches closing, and we know of the difficulties that the Church of England is facing. It is quite probable that Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world.
So what on earth is going on?
The simple answer is that I believe God is doing a great work in our time.
I believe the Bible teaches that persecution often brings widespread apostasy and at the same time persecution is a sure sign that the Kingdom of Christ is growing.
In the book of Daniel 2: 35 we read a prophecy concerning the Kingdom of Christ and how a stone that smote an image “became a great mountain”. That rock that became a mountain is the Kingdom of Christ who promised He would build His Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16: 18)
When Jesus promised He would build His church He did not claim it would always be a towering structure. When He used the word build, He implied a continuing structure that can be extended. As a CofE minister said a while ago, ‘The Kingdom grows one soul at a time’.
I believe the Christian church in the uk has hit one of the most challenging times in the history of Christianity and I believe we will get through it.
As John Gill rightly stated in his commentary on Daniel 2: 35 “Christ’s kingdom, from small beginnings, has increased, and will more and more, until the whole earth is subject to it: this began to have its accomplishment in the first times of the Gospel, especially when the Roman empire, as Pagan, was destroyed by Constantine, and the kingdom of Christ was set up in it; and it received a further accomplishment at the time of the Reformation, when Rome Papal had a deadly blow given it, and the Gospel of Christ was spread in several nations and kingdoms; but it will receive its full accomplishment when both the eastern and western antichrists shall be destroyed, and the kingdoms of this world shall become the Lord’s and his Christ’s, Rev 11:15.”
In Isaiah 2: 2 the prophet wrote these words, “it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all the nations shall flow unto it.”
Be strong and the next time you see a tiny rock, turn around, lift up your eyes unto the hills and remember the rock that became a mountain. The implication is, it’s unmoveable.
William Tyndale’s military translation of Luke 2: 13
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Christmas, Church of England, The Bible, Theology on December 23, 2023
At this time of year it is a regular feature to hear passages from Luke’s gospel read aloud. Most of the time these days it is read from the NIV, ESV or some other modern translation. Yet with these translations we often miss so much.
For me personally, I’m traditional I like old Bible translations. For me, few modern translations read like authoritative Scripture. Tyndale’s 16th century translation however is a whole different ball game. It is one of the greatest English translations ever produced. No other translation has so impacted the English language as his.
And in his 1534 New Testament, Tyndale translates Luke 2: 8-13 this way,
“And there were in the same region shepherds abiding in the field and watching their flock by night. And lo: the angel of the Lord stood hard by them, and the brightness of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. But the angel said unto them: Be not afraid. For behold, I bring you tidings of great joy that shall come to all people: for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a saviour which is Christ the Lord. And take this for a sign: ye shall find the child swaddled and laid in a manger. And straightway there was with angel a multitude of heavenly soldiers, lauding God and saying: Glory to God on high, and peace on the earth: and unto men rejoicing.”
(TYNDALE’S NEW TESTAMENT, 1534. The Gospel of St Luke. Chapter Two. A modern-spelling edition by David Daniell)
Note here something very distinct. In verse 13 Tyndale employs a military translation of the word normally translated “host”. Tyndale uses the English word “soldiers”.
This word is also used in the 1599 Geneva Bible, no doubt borrowing the idea from Tyndale. This is very interesting because it can be verified by the Greek.
According to Strongs (G4756) the Greek word means “an army; from the base of G4766, as encamped”. This is intriguing since the angelic reference is figuratively used. According to John Gill, the size of the multitude could be “innumerable; there are thousands, ten thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand of them.”
It is quite spectacular to imagine thousands of soldiers declaring “peace on earth”, and good will.
Translations such as the KJV, RSV, NIV, ESV, ASV, use the word “host” which I think is found wanting. Tyndale’s military imagery is much more profound and demonstrative of the conflict between man and God being resolved in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the heart of the Christmas story and although we often see the nativity story in a sweet fashion it is not so sweet. Jesus Christ was born to die and His enemies would one day take those hands and feet and pierce them with Roman nails.
What began with good news, of peace on earth and good will to all men concluded with Christ’s death making permanent satisfaction for sin and justification by His resurrection.
Recently while reflecting on the permanency of the gospel I was standing looking out at the vast open sky. The clouds, stars and the moon were all clearly visible. Down on earth people were going about there busy business and doing their thing, but the moon remained, unmoveable and unchanged. The gospel is like that, it does not and cannot change. It abides. The world changes, people change but the word of the Lord does not change. Likewise, the God who inspired it does not change either. He remains, He will not break His promises and regardless of the whims and babblings of this world, the Scripture cannot be broken.
This Christmas, remember the truth of the gospel and if you follow Christ remember that there is a multitude of heavenly soldiers on your side and if God is with you who can be against you?
I believe the Virgin Mary was not sinless
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Census of Luke, Christmas, Theology on December 4, 2023
Recently I went to see the new movie Journey to Bethlehem. A musical inspired by the events surrounding the birth of Jesus.
Mary does sing in Luke 1: 46-55.
While I found the movie entertaining and enjoyable to watch, I didn’t agree with it all but I came to notice the very distinct representation of Mary as human, not sinless. As some of you may know the Roman Catholic Church upholds a doctrine that claims Mary was not subject to original sin. Although I don’t particularly have a problem with believing that Mary did not practice sin, I do have a problem with the false claim that Mary was sinless.
While there are complexities within the doctrines upheld within Roman Catholicism, Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy, it should be stated that there is not a single verse in the Bible that claims Mary was “sinless”. In Luke 1: 47 Mary sings ‘my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour’.
If Mary was “sinless” she would not need a Saviour.
Many years ago I visited Ephesus and also the house of the virgin Mary. This house is way up in the mountains and was discovered in the 19th century and is believed to be the place where the Apostle John took Mary as instructed by Jesus in John 19: 25-27.
I like many people sat and pondered upon what the mother of Jesus may have been like. What did Mary look like, how did she talk, what stories could she tell?
Luke 2: 19 says that Mary cherished her memories and stored them in her heart, so I assume Luke’s gospel tells us all we need to know. That being said I understand the nativity texts in Luke contain feminine uses of Greek meaning that many verses could actually contain her own hand written testimony. Thus her own statement in Luke 1: 47 affirmed that Mary was not without original sin.
Likewise 1 John 1: 8 states that ‘if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us‘ and that verse does not exclude Mary. After all it was written by the man who Jesus gave instructions to take Mary into his own home so Mary may have even read the letter when John wrote it. After all, John is believed to have been an older man when he wrote his letter, so Mary would have still been present with him as instructed by Christ.
I believe this point and Luke 1: 47 disproves the false claims of Roman Catholicism.
Why are false teachers “twice dead” in Jude?
Posted by simon peter sutherland in "Calvinism", Church of England, Theology on November 16, 2023
The Epistle of Jude is one of the most important New Testament letters to read during times of great apostasy. Jude gives a strong message to believers that we are compelled to contend for the faith. When false teachers usurp their own authority and the Spirit of truth is attacked, never fear, the Epistle of Jude will always be there to help you out.
The Epistle was traditionally written by Jude the half brother of Jesus, who found himself in a situation where men were professing the faith but their lifestyles were not measuring up with scriptural morals. As a result Jude labels these men as ungodly because they were abusing the grace of God as a licence to sin. Jude became a sharp opponent even though they descended from the same religious tradition as he.
In his introduction the Jude refers to himself as a brother of James, and swiftly presents Old Testament examples of men who had fallen from grace. Jude does not want his readers to be deceived by these men so he informs the readers that they were ordained to condemnation long ago (verse 4). In verses 7-16 he writes about sin and judgment as a reminder that actions have consequences.
It is here in verse 12 where the words “twice dead” become intriguing. But what does it mean to be twice dead?
Essentially the context is that these false teachers were once dead in sin but had (at some point) been made alive in Christ, but now because they have fallen away and apostatised, they are dead again, thus “twice dead“. Essentially, these people fell away from the faith, abandoned good doctrine and became dead in sin again. Jude 12 is a proof text that affirms people can indeed walk away from their salvation, abandon the truth and be eternally lost.
According to Strongs (G1364) the Greek word translated twice means ‘again‘. It speaks of a repeated occurance.
Reading Luther’s commentary here can be useful since he rightly understood this passage to symbolically refer to false teachers as fruitless trees, “they make the claim and show as if they were Christian bishops, while neither the word nor the work of Christian bishops is there, but all dead at the root.”
Very fitting to our present age!
Adam Clarke’s commentary is also useful since he understood this term to refer to believers who had apostatised and lost the grace they had received and became fruitless and twice dead,
“First, naturally and practically dead in sin, from which they had been revived by the preaching and grace of the Gospel. Secondly, dead by backsliding or apostasy from the true faith, by which they lost the grace they had before received; and now likely to continue in that death, because plucked up from the roots, their roots of faith and love being no longer fixed in Christ Jesus.”
Again, very fitting!
As John Wesley rightly stated, “These are spots – Blemishes. In your feasts of love – Anciently observed in all the churches. Feeding themselves without fear – Without any fear of God, or jealousy over themselves. Twice dead – In sin, first by nature, and afterwards by apostasy. Plucked up by the roots – And so incapable of ever reviving.”
The lesson is this, if like me you are a Christian who is devastated by the level of widespread apostasy that we are all having to face, don’t lose heart and don’t waste your time talking to dead people who won’t listen to the things that you are saying, they can’t hear you. They may be twice dead.
Instead listen to the Word of God and let the Text speak to you. Remember, if a sermoniser or bishop says anything that is contrary to the Bible those words have no authority whatsoever. The bishop, or priest is merely echo chambering his own words into the air.
The wrecking ball of Premillennialism
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Eschatology, Theology on October 17, 2023
In 2020 I published an article concerning my moving toward the eschatological challenge and in my previous article I mentioned that I am a “free thinking Amillennialist”. For some that statement may leave some unanswered questions in mind? So I thought I’d give a little backstory.
When I was a boy, growing up in church, we didn’t hear much about the end times. I knew about the book of Revelation but I left it alone. Often images would provoke fear and I would see publications of Billy Graham and other preachers saying the end is nigh.
Growing up in the Salvation Army there was no mention of eschatology until my family went to an evangelical church and were suddenly presented with premillennialism. We were told about the rapture and the Antichrist and often fearful things would escape any pause for freedom of thought. Preachers would say Antichrist is going to come and sign a peace treaty in Israel and a great tribulation would begin. We will all be raptured they would say.
There was never any explanation of the complexities of interpreting Scripture or any reference to different views, it was all presented as though all Christian’s are obligated to believe this.
Some years later I read the book of Revelation for myself and I began to enquire what it was all about. Who were the seven churches John was writing to? Where was Patmos? Where is Ephesus? In 2004 I visited Ephesus for myself and by that time I had already begun to see that the seven churches of Revelation were actual historic 1st century churches. None of which exist today. Then I asked myself, why would a man on Patmos write to people in seven churches 2000 years ago about events that were to happen thousands of years later after they were all dead?
Revelation 1: 1 was a wrecking ball for me and here John already lays the foundation, “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him, to show His servants things which must shortly come to pass;”
Note how he says “things which must shortly come to pass” a clear reference to the 1st century when Revelation was first written.
Then I read Revelation 1: 19, “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and things which will take place after this.”
To me, these verses were a wrecking ball for all I had been taught and showed me that John was not writing to 1st century people about events that would take place thousands of years off in the future but about events that would ‘shortly take place’ at the time of writing.
John was writing to 1st century Christian’s warning them about events that they would have to face in their own lifetime.
Imagine if you were in a war and writing to fellow Christians to warn them about events that were about to shortly come to pass, would you want them to think you were writing about future events that would occur thousands of years later? What would be the point of that? The warning would make no sense.
As I explored I learned that the ancient world loved puzzles and used a lot of symbolism and references to the Old Testament. Then I learned that there are different interpretations of the book of Revelation but I had only been presented with one view. Every Christian I knew was a Premillennialist and they all told me that there would be a rapture and one person would be taken and the other left. Yet as I began to explore I found that the very idea of a premillennial rapture was an 18th-19th century invention and the passages used to justify these rapture theories are more contextually related to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 rather than the end of the world. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18 was writing about an entirely different subject than Jesus was communicating in Matthew 24: 40. When Jesus said “Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.” He was talking about Jews being taken into Roman captivity in AD70 and not individuals being raptured up into heaven thousands of years later. The reason many people fail to recognise that is because the preachers already read the rapture into it.
In my opinion, Premillennialism is not a solid contextually verifiable interpretation of the Bible passages it claims to represent. It often takes scriptures way out of context and assumes an interpretation of them as the passages are being read. It ignores the basic meaning of Scripture and fails to reconsider what those passages would have meant to the original writers and 1st century readers.
For this and numerous historic and contextual reasons I have, over this lengthy journey, decided that the A-millennial position is the most reliable and historically correct interpretation of the book of Revelation. The title isn’t perfect and doesn’t perfectly communicate my understanding 100% but unlike premillennialism it realises the implications of Acts 2: 32-36 correctly and does not assume the reign of Christ to begin after His glorious return, but realises that He is reigning from heaven now and has been since His incarnation on earth. Peters sermon in Acts 2 is explicitly clear on that and his words leave nowhere for the premillennial to go.
Though I respect that many godly Christians believe wholeheartedly in premillennialism, I am content to say that I do not. I am happy to know that after such a long and often conflicting journey, I am content to say that I have arrived at my destination and am in good company.
There will be peace in Israel, someday
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Eschatology, Theology on October 14, 2023
Over these last few days the Middle East has been weighing heavy on many minds. The holy lands are literally the very landscape of the Bible, so as a Christian, Jerusalem and Galilee are very dear to me. Yet I have never been there.
I have wanted to visit the holy lands for many years, but somehow it has never happened for me. Nevertheless, I have nearly taken that adventurous journey a number of times.
When I was in Cyprus and filming for the Apostles at Paphos, I had no idea if my film project would ever be completed. It was my first documentary and Jerusalem was weighing continuously on my mind. I was very close to taking a voyage over to Israel but I decided I would rather continue filming. So I sat in Paphos and wrote down how Jerusalem holds me captive, and I am in chains to her.
Continuously visiting the site of St Paul’s Pillar was a series of wonderful experiences and as I sat in Agia Kyriaki church, I was met by an elderly lady who was sweeping the floor. She was full of character and was very kind to me and while sweeping the lady began quoting “Our Father, who is in heaven…” and was clearly troubled by world events and said that the Lord’s Prayer means “we have a father, that God is our Father, and people say there is only One God, and yet everyone is fighting and killing one another. If there is One God, why do people fight?”
“Religion” she said “Religion, that’s the problem!”
It was one of those moments that can be remembered for a lifetime.
Someday I know there will be peace in Jerusalem, someday they will lay down their arms and there will be no more wars, no more trouble, no more killings. I know this is true because I am a Christian and it is in the Bible.
In the Book of Revelation John was on the Isle of Patmos and wrote to seven churches in Asia Minor, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. All of these congregations were 1st century churches and no longer exist. But John wrote to them during a time of Roman persecution and in chapter 21 mentions his vision of the New Jerusalem. It was a very striking and hopeful thing to do.
As a free thinking Amillennialist I believe the millennial reign of Christ began at the Life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ and continued on through the church age. There may be golden eras of Christianity in the future and therein peace may be found. However, I believe there will never be absolute universal peace on this earth until Christ returns when the last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Corinthians 15: 20-28) Meanwhile peace can be attained individually for those who believe in Jesus Christ and outside of Him no true peace can be found.
In Revelation 21: 1-4 John wrote:
“I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
Those who do not believe in Jesus Christ have no hope in anything but themselves. Kings, rulers, politicians, cannot effect global world peace. All of us who know and trust in Jesus Christ recognise our human limitations and know that someday, somehow, by the power of God, there will be absolute peace on earth. But until that day comes, we strive for peace, we hope for peace, we work for peace, we live for peace, we pray for peace and we say as did John “Amen. Come Lord, Jesus” (Revelation 22: 20)
Hymn stories: Here is Love Vast as the Ocean
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Hymns, The Welsh Bible, Theology on August 22, 2023
Here is Love Vast as the Ocean is undoubtedly one of the greatest hymns ever written. For many Christians it communicates the essence of Christianity perfectly.
But what’s the story behind the hymn? And when was it written? Let’s look at some of the lyrics and explore. The hymn begins with these words;
“Here is love, vast as the ocean,
loving kindness as the flood:
when the Prince of Life, our Ransom,
shed for us His precious blood.
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
throughout heav’n’s eternal days.”
The above lyrics are an English translation by William Edwards. The original hymn was written by welsh poet, and minister William Rees of Llansannan. Rees was born in 1802 and today a memorial stands near the village church.
In his hometown William Rees was raised a Calvinistic Methodist and as a boy he worked as a shepherd on a farm. He was educated at the local village school during the winter months and he would also educated himself. Later he became involved in a local independent chapel and began preaching and was appointed minister at Mostyn in 1831 and Swan Lane in 1837. He became quite famous for his preaching, and in 1847 his hymn “Dyma gariad fel y moroed” (Here is Love) and was first published. Amidst growing popularity Rees moved to Liverpool and eventually to Chester where he died on 8 November, 1883.
Rees was not only a preacher but a very influential person in welsh politics. He was also the publisher of Yr Amserau (“The Times”) a journal printed in Liverpool. Rees was also in favour of the disestablishment of the church in Wales, views which no doubt contributed to the popularity of his hymn in during the welsh revivals of 1904-1905.
I have visited Llansannan many times and I find it a pleasant yet unsophisticated rural area. I also filmed in the area for my documentary on William Salesbury. Both Salesbury and Rees have Llansannan in common and for this reason I included my instrumental version of the hymn among the opening scenes of my film. For me, the lyrical depths of his hymn demonstrate how accurately he understood the message of Christianity. God is love and His love is vast as the ocean. Yet it cannot be ignored, his use of the ocean as a metaphor has many implications to it. To describe the love of God as being vast as the ocean, is to imply there is something to be feared. As great and vast as the ocean is many have perished in its waves. I have spent many days and hours of years in Wales and it is dominated by its glorious coastline. As a singer-songwriter I am aware how composers interpret the world they live into a lyrical art flow of poetic splendour. I believe the North Wales coast served as the source of illustration for this great hymn and have no doubt that Rees sat along the seafront and reimagined what it all means in light of the love of God. As vast as the ocean is, to journey upon it has been the destruction of many. Yet at the same time, it provides great pleasure, and food for all and helps nation meet nation.
Back in the Biblical times the ocean was one of main ways St Paul reached the gentiles. Yet like so many in the ancient Greco Roman world, he too faced shipwreck. He suffered a great deal for the cause of the gospel. There is no escaping it, life in Christ is both a joy and a conflict at the same time. Rather like the ocean, I admire its breathtaking eternity, yet I do not deny its power. I do not deny that many have taken a voyage upon the ocean, only to find themselves shipwrecked and lifeless at the bottom of the abyss.
I wonder if you think that love vast as the ocean means that because God loves us all, life is all smooth sailing from now on? In his hymn Rees makes a number of references to the “flood” and “fountains open deep and wide”, “floodgates” and “mighty rivers” all of which reflect North Wales in some sense. Likewise he also mentions the pain God in Christ endured to save us “on the mount of crucifixion”. Probably the most horrific and torturous method of execution in the Roman world.
These lyrics reflect the mystery of suffering. Of which some take the viewpoint that if God exists and cares for us, why does suffering exist? I would respond that it is because suffering exists God exists. We cannot have joy without pain. We cannot have goodness without evil. We cannot have light without darkness. As the sea exists so shipwrecks must exist. Suffering is love vast as the ocean, and I say this because God demonstrated His love by sending Christ to suffer and die for us, in our place. As the hymn says,
“Here is love, vast as the ocean,
loving kindness as the flood:
when the Prince of Life, our Ransom,
shed for us His precious blood.”
Did Christ Descend into Hell? In his 1549 sermon before King Edward sixth, Hugh Latimer says He did.
Posted by simon peter sutherland in "Calvinism", The Bible, Theology on April 18, 2023
Hugh Latimer (1487-1555) was one of the truly great reformers. He was a Cambridge scholar and Bishop of Worcester and during the English reformation he was Church of England chaplain to King Edward sixth. He became one of the Oxford martyrs and during the reign of Mary Tudor, he was burned at the stake in Oxford in 1555.
Previously, in Latimer’s sermon before King Edward sixth, the reformer preached concerning a doctrine known as the Harrowing of Hell or the Descent of Christ into Hell. In Christian theology there is a belief that the soul of Christ went down into hell (or hades) during the three days between His death and resurrection.
I agree with this teaching. However, today many reformed and Calvinistic theologians and ministers have differences of opinions concerning the Harrowing of Hell. For some, the idea is unscriptural and even heresy. While others interpreted the belief to mean that Christ went only to the place of the dead, he did not go to hell. This is the view that many American reformers present to the younger generation who are new to reformed theology. The Scriptures however do not give us a great amount of detail, so it is not an open and shut case. Matthew 12: 40, Acts 2: 24, 31. Ephesians 4: 9, Colossians 1: 18, 1 Peter 3: 18, 4: 6, are all believed by some to affirm the Harrowing of Hell while others disagree. I however do believe that Christ did in fact go down to hell and I am not ashamed of that. The earliest creeds can be understood to communicate something quite different to the number of modern revisions.
For example the Apostles Creed, believed by some to be as early as 2nd century, affirms Christ’s descent into hell. Early English versions read that way. However the present Church of England version reads “he descended to the dead.” which is quite a significant variation. The place of the dead or hades can imply a place of waiting or a place where certain souls descended after death. Whereas hell implies the place of torment where the souls of unrepentant sinners will go.
The 39 Articles of Religion, 1562, (Article 111) affirms Christ’s descent into hell. However, for many people, the idea of this contradicts the finished work of Christ on the cross (John 19: 30). However I don’t agree with that claim.
There are however differences of opinion throughout Christianity concerning this matter and I am not going to cover all of them in this article. However what I do present is a view defended by Hugh Latimer before King Edward sixth in 1549. In this sermon Latimer affirms his agreement with the Harrowing of Hell in the face of the disagreements of his day.
In his own words Latimer says thus:
“There be some great clerks that take my part, and I perceive not what evil can come of it, in saying, that our Saviour Christ did not only in soul descend into hell, but also that he suffered in hell such pains as the damned spirits did suffer there. Surely, I believe verily, for my part, that he suffered the pains of hell proportionably, as it corresponds and answers to the whole sin of the world. He would not suffer only bodily in the garden and upon the cross, but also in his soul when it was from the body; which was a pain due for our sin.”
Latimer also stated the following,
“I see no inconvenience to say, that Christ suffered in soul in hell. I singularly commend the exceeding great charity of Christ, that for our sakes would suffer in hell in his soul. It sets out the unspeakable hatred that God hath to sin. I perceive not that it doth derogate anything from the dignity of Christ’s death; as in the garden, when he suffered, it derogates nothing from that he suffered on the cross.”
(Sermons by Hugh Latimer. The Seventh Sermon of M. Latimer preached before King Edward, April Nineteenth, (1549) P. 234-235. The Parker Society, Cambridge. M. DCCC.XLIV)
A person can disagree with the interpretations of the Scriptures I have presented here, but let it be not said that the Harrowing of Hell is not true reformed doctrine. It is difficult to find a truer reformer than Hugh Latimer. He was a brilliant 1st generation beacon light of the reformation.
Whatever your belief, I do believe that hell exists and is a very real place where unrepentant souls will go for eternity (Revelation 20: 10). I do not believe in universalism or annihilationism. I do however believe it makes sense Biblically to say that Christ went to hell in the place of those who would follow Him and believe.
I wonder, does that include you?
Did the Resurrected Body of Jesus have scars?
Posted by simon peter sutherland in The Bible, Theology on July 4, 2022
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the singularly most important event that has ever taken place since time began. It is such a powerful event that many people have no idea what to make of it. On the one hand some choose to ignore it, while on the other theologians, historians, lecturers, intellectuals, and artists want to explore it.
Artistic representations of the resurrection differ throughout the centuries. The earliest images are believed to be in Rome while later more westernised images appear around the world. Some of these images depict the resurrection in various ways. For many, the resurrected body is presented as clean, and free of scars, yet still containing the nail holes in His hands and feet and the spear hole in His side. While others may present a slightly more rugged body bearing the marks of a crucified man.
In many ways, these artistic representations have conditioned our minds. In the days before film and photography, paintings and stained glass windows served as the earliest cinemas. They presented Biblical stories for artists and Church goers who could not read. In our time Church buildings are not the only representatives of the Bible, movies and television programs have projected Biblical stories into our vision and in many ways have come to dominate how we see the resurrected Jesus. Biblically inspired films often depict the resurrected Christ as One who has suffered the pains of the cross yet risen as a new body with all the scars, wounds, and potential disfigurements airbrushed out. In many depictions the only damage to remain on the resurrected body of Jesus are the nail holes in His hands and feet. Many representations show nothing of the scars left from the crown of thorns, or the scourging, or the damage made to His face and body when He was hit and beaten (Matthew 26: 67, Mark 14: 65, Luke 22: 63-65, John 18: 22. Matthew 27: 27-30, Mark 15: 16-20, John 19: 1-3).
Although the gospels do not give us any graphic details about the passion, Josephus offers insight into how cruel Roman scourging could be and in one incident a man was so severely beaten that his bones were laid bare (Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book 6, chapter 5.3).
In my opinion, it is possible that the resurrected body of Jesus still retained the scars inflicted during His passion. Likewise, the whole point of the resurrection is lost if a person assumes Jesus’ resurrected body was not the same body that was crucified. The point of the resurrection is that Jesus rose again in the same body that was crucified and in the same body that died. None of this is denied in the gospels and yet the texts read as though there was something different about the resurrected body. For example, in Mark 16: 12 Jesus appears to two disciples in “another form”. In Luke 24: 13-31 the two people on the road to Emmaus didn’t recognise Him. Luke claims “their eyes were restrained” until He broke the bread and their “eyes were opened” and suddenly He vanished from their sight. In John 20: 14-15 Mary Magdalene saw Jesus but did not know it was Him and supposed He was the gardener, yet in verse 16 when she turned, she knew it was Him. Yet in John 21: 7 Peter recognises Him.
Clearly there was something different about the resurrected body of Jesus and this is also affirmed in Philippians 3: 21 where Paul describes His resurrected body as “glorious“.
Yet in John 20: 24-29, Thomas will not believe until Jesus shows Him the nail holes in His hands and the spear hole in His side. On this occasion the doors were shut and suddenly Jesus appeared. Thomas sees the wounds with his own eyes and believes, so clearly the physical resurrected body of Jesus still bore the wounds of His crucifixion.
This begs the question: if His body retained the nail and spear holes, could it have also retained the scourge marks and other scars from His beating? It would seem logical to assume if the body retained the nail and spear holes it would retain other scars also, including the marks made by the crown of thorns.
Isaiah 53: 5 does not write about the stripes as though they are going to disappear, but as though by their very existence, we are healed. It is therefore possible that His body bears the marks of His passion as a witness to His death and resurrection.
In conclusion, I believe it certainly is possible that the physical resurrected body of Jesus Christ bore the marks made by the wounds inflicted upon Him when he was beaten, scourged, and crucified. It could help explain why some of the disciples did not recognise Him. Isaiah 52: 14 says “His visage was marred more than any man” so we can agree that after such a horrific beating, His appearance would have dramatically changed from His usual appearance. Also, He would have had a new robe on which would not have been the same garment and tunic He wore normally. His original clothing was destroyed at the crucifixion (John 23-24) This may have also made His appearance appear a little different to the disciples.
It should be noted that all the disciples forsook Him at the crucifixion apart from John, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus. Peter witnessed moments of trial. Both Mary Magdalene and Peter recognised Him, which could mean they knew how much He had been beaten.
Although the gospels make no direct mention of it, I believe it is possible, though I cannot prove it, that the resurrected body of our Lord Jesus Christ retained the scars and marks of the physical damage that was inflicted upon Him as He bled to death for us and our salvation.
It is a picture and a reality of hope, that no matter what life throws at you and how horrible people can be at times, those who believe in Jesus Christ will rise up and follow Him. We too will win in the end.
Believe in Jesus today. He died for you.
Are independent Churches in the New Testament?
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Church of England, The Bible, Theology, William Tyndale on June 12, 2021
The English word ‘Church’ has come to mean a lot of things to a lot of people. The most common is a building, a place of worship, of bricks and mortar, history, structures and things. The original English word however is derived from the Greek adjective Kyriakos meaning ‘the Lord’s House’.
Church in the New Testament however is from the Greek Ekklesia, meaning Congregation. Tyndale’s 1526 and 1534 Translations immediately spring to mind here. For Tyndale, the Christian Church was never a building or a hierarchy of bishops, popes and prelates, but a collective of equal souls, united in faith and bound together through the Bible. This concept is entirely Biblical, and even though the early New Testament Church did not have the entire Canon of Scripture, they had the Apostles teaching.
For them, the Ekklesia, was not merely a gentile thing, but was known and lived among the Jews.
While there certainly were many ‘Churches’ scattered throughout the cities of the New Testament, most, if not all of them were house Churches. I have visited many ancient sites throughout the Biblical lands and a majority of early ‘Church’ buildings were constructed centuries later. Despite this, the New Testament recognises there is only one Church. The modern ideas of pulling out of one Church and setting up your own is alien to the New Testament. Likewise, the idea of popery and one man leadership is unknown. What we see is a plurality of elders and deacons and a collective of equal souls.
In the New Testament, whether a Church be in Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, Philippi, Ephesus or Rome, it saw itself as one body. It was a heavenly reality, being built in this world and on this earth, where Jesus Christ is exalted at the right hand of the Father and in the midst of the Church (Hebrews 2: 12) and is head over her (Ephesians 1: 20-23)
Today however, because of false teachers and false doctrine, divisions are as common as muck. Because of circumstances, historic divisions, tribalism, the idea of one Church (in a context) simply does not work. I say this because no person who actually believes the Bible and knows that truth, can abide with a fake unity that excludes truth. As though right doctrine can be set aside, and categorised as unimportant in the cause of unifying people. It really doesn’t work!
But in Acts 21: 20, when they heard they glorified the Lord and many thousands of people believed. Other Churches grew and when Peter wrote his epistles, Churches had scattered to the south coast of Black Sea, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia (1 Peter 1: 1) and this is in the context of persecution.
Thankfully, in England, we do not have any set persecution. Individuals may seek to undermine the faith and push down conservative values, but that will get them nowhere in the long run. A democratic society must be founded on freedom of conscience, belief and speech, otherwise we are not a democracy. So long as Christians do not attempt to force their beliefs on others, we are free to maintain them. If anyone seeks to force their beliefs and ethics upon us, they are guilty of doing what they condemn others of. Simply let them do their worst and their own extremist mindsets will expose their deeds.
This is actually quite a picture of the Church in the New Testament. Believers lived their lives, had families, met together, and the world did what the world always does. The New Testament Church never persecuted anyone, but visa versa. When read in this context, Romans 13: 1-7 makes perfect sense. The Church influences society, and works with the governments, but does not not rule them.
This is where todays independent Churches have got it right. However, I have come to understand that the idea of independent churches is unknown to the New Testament. Christ did not say I will build my churches but “I will build My Church…” (Matthew 16: 18). New Testament Churches may well have been established in various cities, but they were still part of one Church.
Thus, to answer my question, are independent Churches in the New Testament? My answer is no. But again, that is just my opinion.
-
You are currently browsing the archives for the Theology category.
Simon Peter Sutherland
-
Simon Peter Sutherland 