"About the time we commit ourselves to working at our knowledge of Scripture rather than waiting for it to be spoon-fed to us, we think we can dispense with the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit in the work, depending instead on our own method and wisdom—specifically the principles of hermeneutics and exegesis as passed down to us by the members of the Evangelical Theological Society. How easily we allow them to convince us that the error of the Apostolic Fathers and the medieval mystics in their approach to Scripture was that they were looking for some hidden meaning of Scripture and were not content to stick with Scripture’s plain sense; that everyone from Origin to Bernard of Clairvaux made the mistake of engaging in that boogeyman of scientific exegetes, the allegorical interpretation of Scripture. That had they been alive today and had they studied at our evangelical seminaries, they would have learned how to read the Bible for all it’s worth and thus would never have strayed into...
such murky waters. Instead, they would have been content to limit themselves to the plain sense of the text, the meaning that the scientific discipline of the historical grammatical interpretation of Scripture would have yielded to them.
"But make no mistake about it: the Apostle Paul’s treatment of the Genesis 15 account of God’s promise of blessing given to Abraham does not fit into the strict confines of scientific Bible study, although it does fit perfectly into the wisdom of the Holy Spirit."
NOTE: This is number 19 in a series on Galatians. If this is your first time reading sermon notes here, please take time to read a helpful explanation at the bottom of this post...
From the Pulpit of Church of the Good Shepherd
August 15, 2004; AM
Galatians Series No. 19
Abraham Believed God
Sermon Text: Galatians 3:6-9
This Lord’s Day, we turn to our nineteenth in a series of sermons on the New Testament book of Galatians...
We are picking up our study of the book of Galatians in the middle of the Apostle Paul’s rebuke of the Galatian Christians for having turned aside from faith to works, and therefore their having turned away from the good gift of the foreign righteousness of Jesus Christ freely imputed as their only hope of salvation.
Instead, they turned toward their own righteous deeds, their own keeping of the Mosaic Law and all its requirements—including circumcision. Now it is these meritorious deeds that are the basis of the Galatians’ hope of salvation and sanctification.
So the Apostle Paul took them to task as follows:
You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? (Galatians 3:1-5)
Then, in the middle of his rebuke, the Apostle Paul pulls in an outside illustration or authority to strengthen his case—Abraham, who is the father of the Jewish nation. Paul maintains that Abraham supports his argument against salvation by works (or keeping the Law), and here’s how he makes his case:
Galatians 3:6-9 This is the Word of God, eternally true.
Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.”
According to the Apostle Paul, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” And if anyone were inclined to disagree with this statement, they would be reminded that this statement was not original with the Apostle Paul. Rather, in writing this Paul was quoting directly from the Old Testament, specifically the first book of the Pentateuch, Genesis, which reads:
Genesis 15:1-6 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” 2 Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Thus it is that, in our text this morning, Paul writes:
Galatians 3:6-9 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
“Abraham believed God.”
Was this what the Jews of Paul’s time believed about Abraham—that it was not Abraham’s righteousness but his faith that saved him? That God’s kindness to Abraham, and through Abraham to all the Jews down through the ages, was the result of Abraham’s believing God, and not His obeying God?
What did the Jews at the time Paul was writing the letter to the Galatians believe concerning Abraham’s good standing before the Holy God? Did they believe it was something he worked to deserve, and that God, recognizing what was fair in connection with Abraham, gave him the wages he deserved?
Well if we go back to the Jewish writings at the time Paul himself is writing, it’s very easy to see why it would be that Paul would have to speak to the Galatians so bluntly, telling them that no one is saved by works. For the fact was that the Jewish rabbis and scribes had, in fact, long been teaching that the good things Abraham and his descendants received from the hand of God were their just desserts; that they had earned these good things and God was rewarding Abraham and his descendants by giving them his blessings in this life, and salvation in the life to come.
So in the Jewish Apocryphal book, Sirach, 44:19-21 we read:
Abraham was a great father of many people: in glory was there none like unto him; Who kept the law of the most High, and was in covenant with him: he established the covenant in his flesh; and when he was proved, he was found faithful. Therefore he assured him by an oath, that he would bless the nations in his seed, and that he would multiply him as the dust of the earth, and exalt his seed as the stars, and cause them to inherit from sea to sea, and from the river unto the utmost part of the land. (Sir 44:19-21; NRSV)
This theme of Abraham’s obedience and faithfulness in resisting temptation is characteristic of the Jewish view of Abraham and the blessing he and his descendants received from the hand of God.
But this is in contradiction to what Paul here writes; and according to what Paul here writes, this Jewish view of Abraham’s righteousness is also contrary to what the first book of the Bible, Genesis, says about Abraham’s standing with God. Whereas the Jewish rabbis and scribes claimed that Abraham obeyed God and that his obedience led to God’s blessing, the book of Genesis and the Apostle Paul say the opposite—namely, that Abraham believed God, that Abraham trusted God, that Abraham had faith in God, and that that belief, that trust, that faith was counted or reckoned or imputed to him as righteousness.
In making this case, the Apostle Paul is reemphasizing the very thing he wrote in the verses just preceding our text. In verses 1-5 he reminded the Galatians of their own experience of the blessing of God through the work of the Holy Spirit:
Galatians 3:1,2 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
But now the Apostle Paul engages directly the arguments of his Jewish opponents who were telling the Galatian Christians that they, being Gentiles, could not be true “sons of Abraham” until they marked their bodies as Abraham had marked his—through circumcision. In other words the Jewish one-upmanship Paul was opposing claimed that faith in God’s provision of salvation through the death of Jesus Christ was good, but not good enough. That just as Abraham had believed God’s promise, but also obeyed God in being circumcised and circumcising his children, so they as new Gentile believers had made a good start through faith in Jesus Christ, but now they must perfect that faith through this same obedience of circumcision.
Paul responds saying “No! It was not anything Abraham did, any act of obedience he performed that produced God’s blessing, but rather Abraham’s faith in God’s promise alone. And just so you also are saved, you also are made holy solely by faith in God’s promise and provision.”
Now allow me to take a moment to speak, not about the argument itself, but the way this argument is being made; a moment to address the method rather than the substance of the argument.
The debate we are here reading and studying is typical of many passages of Scripture in its resting its case in the New Testament on an appeal to the Old Testament, claiming that the opponents of God’s Truth are not properly understanding or applying what God has revealed in the Old Testament, and therefore have fallen into error.
Let’s look at a few examples of this method of argument found in the New Testament.
As we enter this section of the book of Galatians, we will see a number of occurrences of the Apostle Paul quoting from, and using, the Old Testament in his arguments in ways that seem quite foreign to anything that could have been in the minds of the human authors of the Old Testament text he’s quoting—Moses, for instance, when the Apostle Paul quotes from Genesis. Take the statement Paul makes in Galatians 3:8 as an example:
Galatians 3:8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.”
Many Bible scholars argue that Moses could not have been writing this text in the sense that Paul uses it here in Galatians.
Or again, when we get to the fourth chapter and read the Apostle Paul’s use of the history of Isaac and Ishmael, scholars are quite incredulous that Paul could be said to be faithful to the plain sense of the text of what Moses wrote in his use of this story as a basis for his argument here in Galatians.
In Galatians 4:21-31 we have what F. F. Bruce refers to as “a typological application of (Moses’) narrative of Isaac and Ishmael.” (You should understand that when the literal sense of a text is left behind and students of Scripture or preachers start off into typological applications, Bible scholars get very nervous.)
So, returning to our text this morning, we see the Apostle Paul is making an argument centered on the proper interpretation of Scripture: whether the Judaizers were properly interpreting the description of God’s dealing with Abraham contained in the book of Genesis, or whether the Judaizers were wrong and the Apostle Paul’s interpretation was correct.
Large doors swing on small hinges. Few at the time would have had the audacity to call into question the proper interpretation of this Genesis passage when all the Jewish biblical scholars of the time were united in saying what it meant—namely, that Abraham was blessed by God because he earned that blessing through his obedience. But the Apostle Paul did call into question that interpretation, directly contradicting it and saying that it was his own reading of the text that was correct.
We are lazy today, wanting to get our religion out of a drinking fountain, as it were. We see the fountain, walk over to it, press a button, and drink fresh and pure water. That’s how simple it ought to be to drink in the truths of God’s Word.
We think a good God would not play games with us, but rather that He would make our spiritual growth easy, not requiring close study of His Word; that He would not allow his Word and Truth to be so obscure that we would need the the power of the Holy Spirit to illuminate that Word so we could see clearly understand the truth on all matters needful to living a godly life.
We expect to be spoon fed by God and to find His Word easily yielding its precious truth to any soul who sincerely looks to it to be fed.
But if the presence of contradictory interpretations of God’s Word among religious leaders is a scandal to us, causing us to become cynical toward preachers, how much more might the recipients of the New Testament epistles have been justified in cynicism? All the scribes and rabbis on one side and the Apostle Paul alone on the other side, all of them claiming they had the proper interpretation of Genesis 15:6, “Then (Abraham) believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.”
And hanging in the balance was the true doctrine of salvation—either by faith and works, or by faith alone.
That is the center of this book of Galatians we are studying and to enter into the argument we must apply ourselves, rightly judging between competing interpretations of the book of Genesis…
Some purportedly scientific method of biblical exegesis is no surefire answer to our desire for spiritual knowledge—no more than waiting to be spoon-fed is.
* Donald E. Curtis on Sensus Plenior:
The Example of Matthew 1:22,23
Compare Matthew’s quotation of Isaiah 7:14 and the extended quote from Isaiah which follows:
Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:22,23)
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken. The LORD will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house such days as have never come since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah, the king of Assyria. In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is in the remotest part of the rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. (Isaiah 7:14-18)
Isaiah’s prophecy really outlines a timetable for the destruction of two troublesome foreign kings named Rezin and Pekah. Isaiah says to Judah’s king Ahaz, in effect, that by the time a particular maiden marries, has a son, and sees him through his “Bar Mitzvah”, these two kings will be gone. Some commentators try to say that Isaiah is not speaking to Ahaz, but to the whole “House of David.” They take this mental handle and try to stretch the meaning to make it fit the true virgin birth to come. But verse 16 ties the prophecy to the two kings and verse 18 calls upon Egypt and Assyria to be the instruments of their destruction. What have Egypt and Assyria to do with the conception and birth of Jesus?
Note how the New English Translation phrases Isaiah 7:14:
For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, the young lady over there is about to conceive and will give birth to a son. You, young lady, will name him Immanuel[1]. (Isaiah 7:14)
The NET Bible completely captures Isaiah’s original sense. So what was Matthew thinking when he so boldly proclaimed the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14?
The Example of Matthew 2:15
Now compare Matthew 2:15 and Hosea 11:1
He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Matthew 2:15)
When Israel was a youth I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son. (Hosea 11:1)
Hosea’s prophecy specifically refers to the nation of Israel and the Exodus from Egypt. Whereas, Isaiah 7:14 has some interesting handles to grab and stretch, Hosea 11:1 just doesn’t! His words are what they are and cannot possibly be said to predict that a future Messiah would spend any time in Egypt. Why would Matthew say that Hosea’s words were fulfilled?
The Example of Matthew 2:17,18
Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be comforted, because they were no more.” (Matthew 2:17,18)
Thus says the Lord, “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” Thus says the Lord, “Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord, “And they will return from the land of the enemy. There is hope for your future,” declares the Lord, “And your children will return to their own territory.” (Jeremiah 31:15-17)
Jeremiah refers to the land weeping for the Israelites who have been dispersed to foreign lands. Following the verse about weeping, Jeremiah says, “‘Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for your work will be rewarded,’ declares the Lord, ‘And they will return from the land of the enemy.’” There is nothing about a king slaughtering children because of the birth of Messiah. Rather the tears are a precursor to joy; not the hopeless despair of the young mothers whose children Herod destroyed.
The Example of John 13:18
Even Jesus abandoned strict grammatical-historical usage when He quoted Psalm 41.
“I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’” (John 13:18)
Note the broader context of Psalm 41:
As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.” My enemies speak evil against me, “When will he die, and his name perish?” And when he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood; His heart gathers wickedness to itself; when he goes outside, he tells it. All who hate me whisper together against me; against me they devise my hurt, saying, “A wicked thing is poured out upon him, That when he lies down, he will not rise up again.” Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me. (Psalm 41:4-9)
It is difficult to conclude that this Psalm’s author intended it to refer to Jesus the Messiah, because verse 4 reads, “As for me, I said, ‘O Lord, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.’” Did Jesus have some secret sin in His life? To ask the question is to answer it. Of course, He didn’t.
What is going on?
Matthew, Paul, the writer to the Hebrews, Jesus, and the other New Testament authors often quote scriptures out of grammatical and historical context. Note the troubling word “fulfilled” in the four verses above. In what way can anyone say that a verse quoted out of context is “fulfilled?”
About the time we commit ourselves to working at our knowledge of Scripture, rather than waiting for it to be spoon-fed to us, we think we can dispose of the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit in the work, depending instead solely on our own (man’s) method and wisdom—specifically the principles of hermeneutics and exegesis as passed down to us by the members of the Evangelical Theological Society. Specifically, we easily are convinced that the error of the Apostolic Fathers and the medieval mystics in their approach to Scripture was that they were looking for some hidden meaning of Scripture and were not content to stick with Scripture’s plain sense; that everyone from Origin to Bernard of Clairvaux made the mistake of engaging in that boogeyman of scientific exegetes, the allegorical interpretation of Scripture. That had they been alive today, and had they studied at our evangelical seminaries, they would have learned how to read the Bible for all it’s worth and never strayed into such murky waters. Rather they would have been content to limit themselves to the plain sense of the text, the meaning that the scientific discipline of the historical grammatical interpretation of Scripture would have yielded to them.
But make no mistake about it: the Apostle Paul’s treatment of the Genesis 15 account of God’s promise of blessing given to Abraham does not fit into the strict confines of scientific Bible study, although it does fit perfectly into the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
In fact, listen to what might well be taken to be an admission of defeat by a prominent proponent of scientific exegesis as he studies our text this morning, beginning with Galatians chapter six:
* Richard Longenecker on Paul’s Extraordinary Exegetical Method:
…the obvous must be said: Paul’s exegesis of Scripture in these verses (and throughout the rest of chapters 3 and 4) goes far beyond the rules of historico-grammatical exegesis as followed by biblical scholars today. That is a fact that everyone recognizes, though it is not explained by everyone in the same way.
-Richard Longenecker, Galatians (Word Biblical Commentary); comments on Galatians 3:6-14, p. 110.
So what is going on here if everyone agrees that the Apostle Paul’s method of explaining and applying the Genesis 15 passage does not follow the rules of modern biblical interpretation and exegesis?
* Doug Wilson on Sensus Plenior and “Enlightenment Exegesis”:
…Christ was a Rock that followed the Jews in the wilderness. The flood in Noah's time was a typological representation of Christian baptism. The bronze serpent in the wilderness was a type of the crucifixion. Sarah and Hagar were representative types of two covenants. Melchizedek was a type of Christ, and the etymological history of his city—Salem, meaning "peace"—was also typologically significant. The writers of the New Testament saw Christ in the Old when He was expressly predicted ("A virgin will conceive"), but it has to be said that they also saw Him everywhere else. And Jesus was the one who taught them this hermeneutic.
So then the question becomes whether we the uninspired are to learn from their handling of the Scripture: How is it to be done? Is this a don't-try-this-at-home kind of thing? If the latter, then how and where does Scripture teach us our hermeneutic? If the former, then we have to learn how uninspired men can learn from inspired men how to handle the Scriptures. In his book on this subject, Richard Longenecker allows that various forms of typological exegesis are very common in the New Testament but wants to say that we should not attempt this apart from special revelation. For him, literal exegesis is safe—staying close to the shore.
The problem here is that when Jesus teaches His two disciples on the road to Emmaus about these things, He rebukes them for not having read the Old Testament in this way already—apart from special revelation. In other words, we do not abstain from this method of exegesis (rightly performed) because we are concerned for exegetical prudence, but rather because we are slow of heart to believe everything the prophets have spoken.
The question immediately arises—where are the brakes on this thing? Why is the erotic rabbis' interpretation wrong? A detailed answer will have to wait until another time, but a few comments can be made here in conclusion. First, the concern is in principle correct—given the sin and folly still resident in any interpreter, we do need to know where the brakes are. The full answer is that Christ is Lord. And, as an afterthought, we need to remember that every hermeneutic needs brakes, and not just the typological. And the Enlightenment hermeneutic is a 350-year-old runaway train.
-Credenda Agenda, Vol. 14, No. 1; “Presbyterion” by Doug Wilson.
Let us remember, first, that God is the Author of all Scripture, and as such He Himself is the proper interpreter of the Old Testament and the New Testament. In connection with the Old Testament quotes in the New Testament, this means however He uses His Word in His Word is perfect. There could be no better interpretation of Scripture than Scripture itself; no better interpreter of a book than that book’s author; no one better qualified to say what Genesis 15:6 means than the author of Genesis 15:6 Himself—namely, God the Holy Spirit. Remember,
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God…
Also,
2 Peter 1:20, 21 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
Let us remember, also, that Jesus rebuked His disciples for not seeing the deeper sense of the Old Testament prophecies that pointed forward to Him—His life, death, and resurrection.
Luke 24:25-27 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
Finally, let us remember that it is the Holy Spirit Who teaches us through His Word, and we are always safest when we place ourselves in His hands. We are not to give our safety up to any man, whether through some purportedly scientific method of exegesis or by swallowing every word and thought that comes from the silvery tongue of a mighty pulpiteer. This does not mean that we reject discipine—even scientific discipline—in our study of Scripture, nor that we refuse to be taught by pastors and elders and deacons and older women in the church; but we examine every technique of Scripture study and every teaching we hear or read by the words of God’s Word, asking His Spirit to lead us into His wisdom.
Psalms 119:18-36 Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. 19 I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me. 20 My soul is crushed with longing After Your ordinances at all times. 21 You rebuke the arrogant, the cursed, Who wander from Your commandments. 22 Take away reproach and contempt from me, For I observe Your testimonies. 23 Even though princes sit and talk against me, Your servant meditates on Your statutes. 24 Your testimonies also are my delight; They are my counselors. 25 Daleth. My soul cleaves to the dust; Revive me according to Your word. 26 I have told of my ways, and You have answered me; Teach me Your statutes. 27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts, So I will meditate on Your wonders. 28 My soul weeps because of grief; Strengthen me according to Your word. 29 Remove the false way from me, And graciously grant me Your law. 30 I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Your ordinances before me. 31 I cling to Your testimonies; O LORD, do not put me to shame! 32 I shall run the way of Your commandments, For You will enlarge my heart. 33 He. Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall observe it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law And keep it with all my heart. 35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain.
Let us remember the high commendation given the Bereans in Acts 17:
Acts 17:11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
And let us remember that the illumination of the Holy Spirit is the absolute necessary first thing when we seek to study and understand and believe and apply and obey God’s Word. Without the Holy Spirit we can never know ourselves, God, or God’s Word:
1 Corinthians 2:12-14 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
1 Corinthians 2:6-16 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” 10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.
[1] The New English Translation (Biblical Studies Press, 1996) [On-line]. Available: http://www.bible.org/netbible
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WORD TO THE READER: Sermons are pastoral, and therefore of only limited value to those who are not present when a pastor feeds the flock God called him to serve. Yet, knowing even notes may be of some value to others, I'm posting past sermon notes here on Baylyblog. Because the notes weren't written for publication, no editor has cleaned them up for reproduction on the web. So, for instance, although the notes I take into the pulpit have formatting that highlights quotes, I haven't taken the time to reproduce that formatting here. Please keep in mind these are only notes and not a transcription of the sermon that was preached.
Bible quotes are from the New American Standard Bible (Updated '95 Edition). This is the best Bible available in the English language, having by far the closest correspondence of any English Bible in common use today between the original Hebrew and Greek and the English translation. Here are the NASB Bibles that will read easily and hold together best for twenty years. Their paper is opaque, their type is clean, their binding is superb, and I have no hesitation saying you would do well to spend one or two hundred dollars on one for yourself, your wife, and each of your children.
If the reader has good eyes, buy the Pitt Minion. It's very small and light and will last for decades. If the reader has fading or poor eyesight, buy the Clarion Reference. It has the larger typeface, and again, will last for decades. If the reader likes writing notes in the margin, buy the Wide-Margin Reference. It's big and heavy and you will be able to write to your heart's content.
May God bless you, dear brother and sister, as you study the Word of God and, only by faith, find it sweeter than honey.
Tim serves Clearnote Church, Bloomington, Indiana. He and Mary Lee have five children and big lots of grandchildren.
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