Post on 07-Apr-2018
transcript
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Editors Foreword
GREETINGS! =D
Im not entirely sure what Elvins going with on
the front cover, but I hope its obvious to you by
now that the theme for this article is the
ONION.
No, nothing to do with the parody news service
that brings me so much entertainment. Instead, all
to do with appearance, hypocrisy and sanctimony,
and all the other allegorical spiritual significance
we could squeeze out of the onion. (Did I just
compare this issue to onion juice?! My apologies.
Its my first day on the job.)
Anyway, speaking of allegory, we head this issue
off with a hefty piece of Preacher Joshua Yong
regarding the hermeneutics of Biblical narrative.
If the deeper portions of scripture are described as
meat, then this article should serve as a Michelin
star chefs cookbook on how to turn meat into
juicy steaks. Getting to the Core of Biblical
Narrative is guaranteed to improve your study on
stories in the Bible, or your money back.
In the interest of a balanced spiritual diet, the Uth
committee has also procured three deeply
practical articles related to sincerity, sanctimony,
and how they relate to picking a life partner. Sis
Molly expounds on Yours Sincerely, How to be a
good friend in Christ, drawing Biblical principles
from Acts 2. Next, Preacher Ko Lingkang tells us
about The Pharisee Trap. It is an incredibly
devious trap, for if you can come up with a list of
people that might be in it,the trap has already
closed around you Lastly, Bro Henry holds up a
massive Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware) sign,and explains the Biblical manner of protecting
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oneself from being subject to a bait and switch
scam while choosing a life partner.
Following suit, we have not one but two
retrospect articles written by mature Christians,
already married, taking advantage of the Uth
Chronicles time machine and writing to
themselves when they were Uths. The subject
matter relates to their search for life partners, so if
you were looking for an example to emulate, we
have one for guys and one for the girls.
Last on our list of onion themed articles is the
result of a survey that you likely would have
participated in. Are the leaders of CPYF genuine?
Is CPYF in general genuine? Well, theres no
surefire way to tell from the results of the survey,
but hopefully the pretty info graphics and
accompanying statistical analysis captivate you
for long enough to contemplate the importance ofbeing genuine to each other.
Outside of the onion, we have an article from
Carolyn Ho providing practical tips to improve
our ministry at home. Yin Leng writes to tell us
what HOYJ is all about (just in case you
werent listening to William, or reading his
emails) and tells us how it has blessed her.
Lingting writes to us from Manchester in our
BLOO to tell us how she is, while Brian and Yeda
interview the 5 AGLs of CPYF to tell us more
about them.
Do check out our other routine featuresGet to
know some of our newer YFers in Personal
Points, which for some reason only features
people who want to be musical instruments or
comfortable chairs. Also, keep up to date with YF
affairs and happenings in Short and Broad, and
our calendar of events. If youve missed an
important event like the 30th anniversary or the
FCM combined meeting, Im sorry, we cant lend
you our time machine (strictly for retrospect
articles only) but we have published reports of
these events for your perusal!
Lastly, a short summary on the recent Doctrinal
Defense activity conducted. If you had any
questions from that evening, hopefully they are
answered in the article. If not, please feel free to
direct any further queries to your group members,
myself, or Rev Quek.
I pray that this issue will be a blessing to each and
every one of you! Genuinely!
Sincerely,
jQ
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Dear all,
This issue of Uth Chronicle might be the last one for
the foreseeable future. The problem facing the Uth
Chronicle is one of manpowerdue to extraordinary
circumstances, the majority of the current committee
has found themselves indisposed for one reason or
another and cannot help produce the next issue.
The Uth Chronicle needs helpwe require
everything down from chasers (to keep in touch with
the writers and make sure they submit before
deadline) to formatters to special ops to conduct
surveys and interviews. No prior experience required!
If you are willing to serve in this capacity, please
indicate your interest by leaving an email at
reach.jq@gmail.com. The first meeting if we have
sufficient numbers will be on
Saturday 16thApril
2011 at 1.30p.m. in church.
IMPORTANT
ANNOUNCEMENT
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Getting to the Core ofBiblical NarrativesBy Preacher Joshua Yong
The Bible is an open book. This means every
Christian can study and understand the Bible. As it
is important for Christians to feed on the Word of
God, it is equally important that Christians also
know how to feed on the Word of God. There are,
certainly, some portions of the Bible where the
teachings and principles taught are so clear and
incisive that we can simply open our mouths, put
the food in, chew and swallow. There are, however,
other portions of the Bible where there are some
things hard to be understood, which require more
diligence, effort and skill before they can be safely
partaken. Contrary to this are those who
areunlearned and unstable who would
wrest scripture unto their own destruction.
(2 Pet 3:16). While God has given us pastors and
teachers to guide us in our understanding of
Scripture, it is still our responsibility to have the
attitude of the Berean Christians as they
received the word with all readiness of mind,
and searched the scriptures daily, whether those
things were so (Acts 17:11). Learning how to
interpret and apply the Bible is therefore our duty
as we must study to shew thyself (ourselves)
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not
be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.
(2 Tim 2:15).
But you may ask: why is it important to study
these individual literary genres in the Bible
separately? Studying some of these genres is
important because different literary genres have
different characteristics and structures. When we
have a proper understanding of each of the
different genres, we will then be able to take into
account certain elements that are unique to
individual genres. For example, the books of
poetry have the distinct feature of parallelism;
epistles would take on the form of a logical
discourse with clear and distinct sections of
exposition and exhortation. This would help us to
understand the different passages of the Bible in
their proper context. This would also prevent us
from reading too much into a passage and from
missing things we should be observing.
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But you may ask: why is it important to study these
individual literary genres in the Bible separately?
Studying some of these genres is important because
different literary genres have different
characteristics and structures. When we have a
proper understanding of each of the different
genres, we will then be able to take into account
certain elements that are unique to individual
genres. For example, the books of poetry have the
distinct feature of parallelism; epistles would take
on the form of a logical discourse with clear and
distinct sections of exposition and exhortation. This
would help us to understand the different passages
of the Bible in their proper context. This would also
prevent us from reading too much into a passage
and from missing things we should be observing.
Of all the literary genres found in the Bible,
narrative is the most common. It makes up about
40% of the Bible including the Pentateuch
(Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy), the historical books (e.g. Joshua,
Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, and
Nehemiah), the book of Job, some of the prophetic
books (e.g. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel,
Jonah, and Haggai), as well as the four Gospel
books and the book of Acts. With so many books
written in narrative form, it is of great importance
that we know how to interpret and draw principles
from narratives passages in the Bible. Narratives
are not difficult to understand; on the contrary, the
story lines of narratives are often easy to follow.
But because narratives seem to be so easy to
understand, we would often go on and ask the
question: what does this passage mean to me?
This question is often asked in our attempt to make
the narrative passage relevant to us. Herein lies the
danger- for often in our haste to make a narrative
passage personal or relevant, we take an action of
the narrative out of its context and try to make
sense of it in application for today. Thus someone
reading the account of David and Goliath may
simply conclude that it is biblically acceptable to
hurl insults at ones opponent during a basketball
match as David did to Goliath during war. Of
course we know that this application of the biblical
account is wrong. But why is it wrong? How can
we then make the right application of a narrative
passage? This is the purpose of this study.
It must be stated on the onset that this study would
only serve to provide some principles and tools that
would help us better know how to understand
Biblical narratives. It is only an introduction to the
study Biblical narratives. It is not an attempt to
unravel all the intrinsic literary characteristics of
each and every sin le narrative passa e.
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This article will recommend some books at the end
that will aid us in the study of Biblical narratives.
This study would provide the skill, but the
workman must still practice and apply the skills
learned that he might be more proficient and skilful
in his study of Biblical narratives.
What are Biblical narratives?
Narratives may generally be defined as stories or
accounts which convey messages through a series
of events revolving around people and their related
situations. Biblical narratives are historical in
nature; as such they are not fictional but recorded
events that really happened in order to show the
workings of God among His people.
Biblical narratives, as with all other narratives,
have three basic elements: the setting, characters,
and plot.(Elliott E. Johnson, Expository
Hermeneutics: An Introduction, p. 168) The setting
provides the historical and cultural framework for
the story to unfold. The characters and the plot
uniquely relate with each other to produce the story
line. The characters, which are the people in the
narrative, produce the actions. These actions or
series of events which unfold is the plot. At the
same time, the people are made known to us by
their actions.
Biblical narratives generally follow a pattern in its
plot development. It usually has a background or
introduction before a problem occurs with
increasing complications and progress. As the story
unfolds, it peaks in a dramatic climax where a
solution and resolution of the problem is reached.
While this is a general pattern, the plot
development may vary from account to account.
It is also of great importance that we bear in mind
that while the Bible has sixty six books, it is
actually one book which is further comprised ofmany books. The history of the Bible is in fact His-
storyi.e. Gods Story. The Bible essentially
unfolds a singular story. There is a unifying plot
that runs throughout the whole Bible. Graham
Scroggie calls this the unfolding drama of
redemption. He likens the central theme of Gods
redemption plan for the salvation of mankind
through Christ to a scarlet thread which runsthrough the whole Bible. Bearing this truth in mind,
we may say that
Biblical narratives are not only historical in nature,
but they are also very much theological. The
theological themes of Gods divine plan and
purposes in history are clearly evident throughout
the Bible.
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Interpreting Biblical Narratives
Because Biblical narratives are both historical and
theological in nature, these two characteristics must
be taken into account when trying to interpret
narrative passages.
A very important rule in interpretation is that we
should not impart to a passage any meaning that is
not intended by the author. This kind of
interpretation is commonly found in what is known
as the allegorical and spiritualisation mode of
interpreting the Bible. In allegorising a passage, the
interpreter reads meaning into every detail and
word that is found in a particular passage. The only
limitation in allegorising a text is ones
imagination. For example, in allegorising, one may
say that each of the five stones that David used had
various significanceseach stones represent the
various virtues of love, justice, truth, faithfulness
and courage and it is with love that the enemy is
conquered. This kind of interpretation must be
rejected as it denies the historical nature of the
Bible. Spiritualisation is similar to allegorisation in
that this method sees that there is a deeper, mystical
and spiritual meaning behind the physical words
(this is different from seeing the Bible as a spiritual
book which deals with spiritual thingsthis we
acknowledge). For example, they may say that the
fight between David and Goliath represents the
battle between good and evil. Another example I
heard recently is of a preacher who spoke of how
Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) represent grace and
law. This preacher then said that in the mixture ofgrace (represented by Ananias) and law (Sapphira)
there is death. As with the allegorical method, there
are simply no boundaries guiding this kind of
interpretation. We believe that the Bible only has
one meaning, and that is the literal sense which is
also the plain sense of the Bible.
We must remember that in studying the Bible, we
are interested in the divine intentGods intent
and not just the human intent of any particular
narrative passage. While this is our focus, we must
also keep in mind that God has also ordained the
means for His will to be revealed. Where narratives
are involved, God has chosen to convey it through
the historical settings, the characters involved and
development of plot. It is important to note also
that biblical narratives are not designed to give the
full details of every historical event. The writer,
under the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit
selects the details of an event to be included as
inspired Scripture.
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Historical-Cultural and Contextual Study
The first step in interpreting any narrative passage
is, therefore, to have a proper historical-cultural
understanding of the passage under consideration.
Having an understanding of the historical
circumstances surrounding the characters and the
plot is to have an understanding of the setting of
the narrative within the proper context of its time.
With a proper consideration of the historical setting
surrounding the narrative, we will be more precise
in our interpretation of the narratives. The
narratives in the Bible do not take place in avacuum. In looking at the historical context we are
considering the local surrounding of the narrative,
including the political, economical, social,
religious, geographical and domestic situation. The
historical circumstances of the days between
Abraham, Moses, David, and Jeroboam are all
different. Thus each passage must be studied in its
proper historical context (e.g. how is it that Rahab
was said to have her house on a wall [John 2:15];
what is the significance of certain people sitting at
the gate? [Ruth 4:1]). As the historical
circumstances of different narrative passages are
different, the cultural context would also be
different. A proper understanding would be crucial
in understanding the reason and meanings of
certain actions that may be unfamiliar to us (e.g.
The actions of Ruth in approach Boaz; How is it
that men seemed to wear skirts in the Bible - what
is the meaning of these skirts). A misunderstanding
of the historical settings and culture may lead to a
wrong interpretation of a passage.
So how can we determine the historical and cultural
circumstances of the narrative passage? First, one
has to read the narrative passage in its context (by
this I mean the context of the text) many times.
After reading the passage many times, you would
have gathered the main themes of the particular
book and would be able to see how the passage
under consideration adds to the development of the
book. Once you are very familiar with the passage,
identify the writer of the book (if there is one). See
if the audience of the book is identified. Recognise
the purpose of the particular book being written.
The purpose can be recognised when you are
familiar with the book through many careful
readings. Next, identify the characters in the
particular passage. Recognise which are the key
characters and those who are the supporting
casts. You can use encyclopedias, Bible
dictionaries, cultural dictionaries and Bible atlases
to help you better understand the historical and
cultural situation of that particular passage under
consideration.
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Having understood the historical context of a
narrative passage, we would then go on to study the
immediate context of the passage. When the
passage is considered in its immediate context, the
whole development and thrust of the book is taken
into account. This will prevent the error ofmisunderstanding a passage due to the neglect of
the context. Words and phrases will also be
properly understood when studied in its context.
When trying to understand the immediate context
of the passage, first, try to develop an outline of the
book under consideration. You can use books
which give a survey of the Bible to help you
develop this outline. The outline will help you see
how the passage you are studying fits into the
whole book as a whole. Next, see how the narrative
passage you are studying relates to the passages
immediately preceding and following it. The
surrounding context would shed more light on the
passage under consideration.
A proper understanding of the historical-cultural
context and the immediate context of the narrative
passage is a big stepping stone in understanding
how we should interpret narrative passages.
Theological Study
As narrative passages carry with them a theological
significance, it is important to know the theological
framework in which one understands narrative
passages. Ones theological system will inevitably
influence ones interpretation and application of a
narrative passage. A theological framework will
affect how we understand the covenants found in
narrative passages throughout the Old Testament,
how we relate the Old Testament and the New
Testament, how we understand the doctrine of
salvation throughout these narrative passages, and
the unity of the different portions of the Bible. This
will in turn affect how we understand many of the
promises that were promised to the patriarchs like
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to Israel. How we
understand the gospels and the 1st coming of Christ
and His ministry is also dependent on our
theological understanding of the Bible. For
example, without a clear understanding of that the
Old and New Testament (which are actually
different administration of the same covenant of
grace), one may think that the way of salvation in
the Old and New is different. We see in the Old
Testament the laws pertaining to the sacrifice of
bulls and goats for sins. If we do not have a proper
theological understanding of how these sacrifices
are a picture of Christ, we may wonder why we do
not obey the Old Testament instructions to still
practice these sacrifices today.
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Narratives must therefore be interpreted within a
proper theological framework. This article cannot
address all the theological issues and implications
involved, but the general theological system which
is Biblically consistent will be explained. This will
serve as a guide and defence as we seek to
understand biblical narratives.
We hold on to the theological system called
Covenant Theology or Reformed Theology.
Covenant theology may be defined as the system of
theology which sees the whole of Scripture as
being covered by two covenants: 1) the covenant of
works; and 2) the covenant of grace. The covenant
of works was where God promised eternal life to
Adam on the condition of perfect obedience. Adam
disobeyed God and by his fall, he had disqualified
himself from life through the covenant of works.
God then instituted a second covenant, the
covenant of grace, whereby salvation unto eternal
life is offered to believing sinners through Jesus
Christ.
In understanding the covenant of grace, two
different aspects must be considered: 1) Regarding
Gods part; and 2) Regarding Mans part.
Regarding Gods part, the content of the covenant
relates to the promises of God expressed in the oft-
repeated words, I will be a God unto thee, and to
thy seed after thee. (Gen 17:7). This describes the
covenantal relationship God has with man. In this
main promise of God, all other promises of God
such as temporal blessings, the promise of
justification, sanctification and glorification are
included. Gods promises in relation to the
covenants He has established with man are
important factors in ones understanding of how
biblical narratives are unfolded.
Regarding mans part, the content of the covenant
relates to the duties that are required of man. The
duties which are required of man are reflected in
thisthey shall be my people. This is a
reflection of the relationship established between
God and man in the covenant.
Since a response from man is required in a
covenant relationship, the question one has to deal
with is whether the covenant of grace is conditional
or unconditional. There seems to be many promises
found in the Old Testament which are conditional.
If they are conditional, does that mean we have to
understand that Old Testament believers are savedby means of works?
In the covenant established with Abraham, God
confirmed His promises to Abraham in a special
way. Genesis 15:8-18 describes how God alone
passed through the animals which have been cut in
half, thus declaring that He would take upon
Himself the guilt and curse should the covenant be
broken. It is significant that the promise in focus
here is with regard to the land.
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This account was Gods response to Abraham
when he asked God how he knew he was going to
possess the land (v. 8). God then confirmed His
promise by passing through these animals alone.
The covenant with Abraham cannot then be
conditional. Yet, when we read Genesis 17:9, God
told Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant
The warning was with regard to the ordinance of
circumcision, whereby should one not circumcise
his foreskin, it is regarded as the breaking of Gods
covenant, which would result in a cutting off (Gen
17:10-14). These features cannot be regarded as
conditions of the covenant since God has taken
upon Himself the responsibility to fulfil the
demands of the covenant. If that is the case, how
does one understand Gods expectation of Abraham
in Genesis 17? These conditions are not to be
understood as conditions of the covenant
relationship. These conditions instead are to be
regarded as conditions for the enjoyment of the
relationship that has already been established. What
this simply means is that the relationship that has
been established is unconditional, but the
enjoyment of this relationship, i.e. the fellowship is
conditional upon obedience.
Similarly, in the covenant established with Moses,
what seems to be some conditional features
whereby God demands obedience to the law in
order that Israel will be blessed (Exod 19:5), arenot conditions of the covenant. Notice that Exodus
19:5 does not require obedience in order that God
might establish His covenant with them; instead
what is said is If ye will obey my voice indeed,
and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar
treasure unto me. This means that it is not the
covenant that is conditioned upon obedience; again,
it is the enjoyment of the blessings that are
conditional. Therefore Old Testament Believers are
not saved by works, but they are also saved by the
same covenant of grace which is in Christ.
The next question that comes to mind is, why are
we not fulfilling the laws of sacrifice and
circumcision found in the Old Testament? The
answer lies with the different administration of the
same covenant of grace. The Westminster
Confession of Faith explains: This covenant (the
covenant of grace) was differently administered in
the time of the law, and in the time of the gospel:
under the law it was administered by promises,
prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal
lamb, types and ordinances delivered to the people
of the Jews, all fore-signifying Christ to come,
which were for that time sufficient and efficacious,
through the operation of the Spirit, to instruct and
build up the elect in faith in the Promised Messiah,
by whom they had full remission of sins, and
eternal salvation; and is called the Old Testament.
(Westminster Confession of Faith 7:5).
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Under the gospel, when Christ the substance was
exhibited, the ordinances in which the covenant is
dispensed are, the preaching of the Word, and the
administration of the sacraments of Baptism and
Lords Supper; which, though fewer in number,
and administered with more simplicity and less
outward glory, yet in them it is held forth in more
fullness, evidence, and spiritual efficacy to all
nations, both Jews and Gentiles; and is called the
New Testament. There are not, therefore, two
covenants of grace differing in substance, but one
and the same under various dispensation.
(Westminster Confession of Faith 7:6).
It can be observed from the statements quoted that
the Westminster theologians believed that the Old
and New Testament are distinct administrations of
the same covenant of grace. There is still such a
unity in these different administrations that they
can still be considered as one covenant of grace.
Understanding the different administrations of the
same covenant of grace will guide us in drawing
principles from different portions of the Bible. We
may not enforce certain laws (for example the
ceremonial laws or civil laws of Israel) that are no
longer relevant today, but the principles that govern
these rules will still be relevant.
Our theology must guide our interpretation. The
more one has a better grasp of systematic
theology, the more one will be informed as he
interprets narrative passages.
A proper theological framework coupled with a
right understanding of the historical-cultural and
contextual understanding of the passage will give
us the building blocks to the applying of biblical
narratives.
Principles of Principling
Having understood how to interpret narratives, we
will now consider some guidelines to help us draw
principles from narrative passages for our learning.
Biblical Narratives are not written to illustratemoral lessons. They are not illustrations a preacher
would use in his sermons to illustrate a point that
he has been explaining. They are historical records
of Gods dealing with certain people in certain
situations. The gleaning of principles from Biblical
narratives must be from a complete passage within
its context. This means that we should not try to
find a moral lesson from every passage or detailwithout considering the divine intent of the passage
under consideration. This does not mean that these
passages do not have principles for our learning.
But what this means is that we must first
understand the divine intent of a particular passage
and then determine what lessons can be drawn from
the proper interpretation of the Word of God in its
proper context.
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We must be careful to not ask the question: What
does this passage mean to me? We should rather
be asking: What does this passage mean in its
proper historical and cultural context? Having
understood the meaning of the passage, we then
mayproceed to ask: How does the understanding
of this passage now apply to me? Applications
must stem from the proper interpretation of a text.
It is important to note that narrative passages are
primarily descriptive and not prescriptive in nature.
A prescriptive passage is where there are clear
instructions on how you should live or conduct
yourselfthings commanded which you should
obey. Narratives are not prescriptive. There are
words which are spoken in narratives by wicked
and evil men; this does not mean that what these
wicked men have said are to be followed. God used
Eiljah to raise a young man from the dead; this
does not mean that Christians must start raising
people from the dead. These are descriptive
passages that describe events that took place in
history. When drawing a principle from a
descriptive passage we must see if the principle or
doctrine taught is also taught elsewhere in the
Bible. We must make sure that a principle drawn
does not contradict a clear prescriptive portion of
the Bible. We must, however, also be careful to not
think that just because a doctrine is taught
somewhere else in the Bible, it is therefore the
same doctrine taught in that particular narrative
passage. There are other guidelines that must be
observed.
Not every detail that has been included in the
narrative conveys a particular lesson or moral
teaching. Sometimes there are some details that
have been added in as embellishment to tell a
complete story. If we take every detail of every
account out of its context and read some ideas into
each passage as it relates to every one of us, then
we will arrive at very strange doctrine. For example
someone may try to find some meaning to the
material of the sling David used to swing his stone
at Goliath; or some may read into each of the
colours of the multi-coloured coat of Joseph.
Ridiculous as it may sound, these kinds of
interpretation will arise when one has a wrong
interpretation of Biblical narratives.
OT narratives record what happened, not
necessarily what should have happened or what
ought to happen every time. Therefore, not every
narrative has an individual identifiable moral
application. What people do in narratives is not
necessarily a good example for us. Sometimes we
are not told at the end of a narrative passage
whether what was done was good or bad. We are
expected to judge this on the basis of what God has
taught us directly elsewhere in Scripture (Adapted
from: Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart,How to
Read the Bible for All Its Worth, p. 83-84).
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Therefore, just because God did not condemn
David for having more than one wife, it does not
mean that polygamy is an acceptable pattern for us
to follow.
Principles drawn must be implicit in the text. This
means that the principles draw from the narratives
must be those which applicable across all time and
culture. The details of the narrative may vary, but it
will not affect the principles. For example, when
God sent the ravens to feed Elijah, it does not mean
that God will use birds to provide for the needs of
his children, but that God sometimes would meet
our needs through unusual means.
Having drawn the principles from the narrative we
can then apply the principles to ourselves. We
should remember that a text may have only one
meaning (this does not mean that it has only one
teaching, but one literal and plain meaningDavid
means David; etc.) it may have many applications.
Summary: General Steps to interpreting narratives
(Adapted from Rev Queks Course notes on
Hermeneutics)It is important to note that these
steps are flexible and not rigid. They are not rules
but a guide to help you understand and apply
Biblical narratives.
1. Pray continuously for the Holy Spiritsguidance and illumination
2. Read the book in which the narrative passageis found. Gain a good general flow of the
book. Gain a general understanding of the
book. Who was the writer? To whom was he
speaking or writing (e.g. believers,
unbelievers, apostates, believers who are in
danger of becoming apostates, etc.)? What
was/were the writer's purpose/s in writing this
particular book?
3. Find the context of the Narrative. Thecontext is determined from the immediate
context, before and after the said Narrative.
4. If you are teaching or preparing a passage forSunday school, make sure the passage you
have chosen is a complete passage.
5. Read the narrative passage many timesthrough until you have a good knowledge of
the whole Narrative in your mind.
6. Check from other related books of the Bibleif there is a parallel text or related text that
will help shed more light on the Narrative.
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7. Understand the historical and culturalbackground. Refer to books which provide
information on biblical customs, characters
of the Bible, and the historical context, in
which the narrative account took place. Use
a Bible Atlas to help you understand the
geography of the narrative.
8. Examine and meditate from Gods Word andthen separate the essentials from the
embellishments.
9. Do not go to the commentaries to help youyet;
10. Summarize the entire Narrative into oneprinciple statement; Make it as focus as
possible. This is the drawing of principle
from the text.
11. Restate the summarized statement into atitle for your teaching lesson. It has tocapture the attention of the hearers. Do not
overstate the title such that the expectations
cannot be fulfilled.
12. Find out how many MAIN points there are inthe whole miracle;
13. Find out how many sub-points there are ineach of the main points;
14. Restate the main and sub-points to ensurethat they cohere with the title of the lesson.
They must all be related to one another. The
guide is your title of lesson.
15. The sermon or lesson should have -- aTitle; a Proposition Statement which is your
summarized statement; Main and sub-points;
Illustrations; Applications and Conclusions.
16. Check a conservative Commentary for newthoughts or lessons or points that you might
have missed or not able to discover. Retain
your OWN thoughts and do not change it
just to fit the commentaries without a very
good biblical reason.
17. Learn to be God-confident in yourunderstanding of Gods Word and never
allow the commentaries to become your
crutch as if without heir confirmation you
cannot understand Gods Word.
18. Let your focus be on knowing andunderstanding the Word of God.
19. Do not be too quick to apply the text. Theremust be an application. But it must be
drawn from the text at hand. Do not apply
everything about a particular doctrine into one
single text. Let the application we make be
drawn from the text.
20.The point to ALWAYS bear in mind is that ALL applications must HONOUR GOD ANDEXALT THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!
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Example
(Rev Queks Example from FEBC Hermeneutics Course notes)
Text: Leviticus 8
Theme: Consecration must be initiated by God and
has to be done according to God'
stipulations.
Topic: THE CONSECRATION OF A
CHRISTIAN
1. Historical Background
* First national religious act after they
left Egypt.
* How long have they travelled in the
wilderness after they left Egypt?
* The Tabernacle was just completed.
* In OT -- the tribe of Levi and
particularly the lineage of Aaron
designated role of priests and high
priests were the only ones allowed to
minister as priests.
* Leviticus 8 describes the act of
consecrating the high priests and priestsfor this particular function -- as
mediators between God and man.
2. Observe the places, things, and
characters involved
God, Moses, Aaron and his sons, the people
of Israel, the Tabernacle, the animals for the
offerings, anointing oil, unleavened bread,
3. Key words or Phrases* As the LORD commanded Moses
-- vs. 9, 31, 34, 36.
* Sequence of steps -- vs. 1-4, 5-13, 14-17,
18-21, 22-30, 31-36.
* Different types of sacrifices offered.
4. Outline
Use own words to summarize your
observations of the main sections.
I. CONSECRATION -- A VERY
SOLEMN ACT FROM GOD TO MAN
(8:1-13)
A. God Initiates the Acti) Man cannot consecrate himself -- ever
though Aaron and his sons were already
told by God that they were to be the
high priests and priests respectively
(Exod. 29).
ii) God consecrates the priests throughMoses who represents God -- not a
personal affair it needs recognition and
acceptance by God (vv. 1, 5, 9, 13, 21,
29, 31, 34). Priests here regarded as
ones who present the offerings rather
than the executors of the offerings.
Moses was regarded ads God. That was
why he did not have to offer any sin or
burnt offering for his own sins before he
could sacrifice the offerings on behalf
of Aaron and his sons.
iii) Not a private act but a public one.
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B. A Very Solemn Act
i. as seen in the presence of the wholecongregation (v.3)
ii. as seen in the elaborate attire of Aaron(vv. 7-9)
iii. as seen in the act of sanctification(vv. 10-13)
II. CONSECRATION -- A TOTAL AND
COMPLETE DEDICATION (8:14-30)
A. Altar Cleansed from the pollution caused
by sins of priests -- Sin Offering
(vv. 14-17)
i) Sin-offering done first to purify the altar
before the rest of the offerings can begin.
ii) Presence of God at sacrifices demands that
the sins of the priests do not mar and defile the altar
in which the offerings are made (v. 15).
iii) Sins of the priests transferred onto the
bullock by act of laying hands upon head of bullock.
Then bullock is killed and parts of it burnt upon the
altar which had just been sanctified by the blood of
the bullock. The unsavory part of the bullock like
his skin, dung and flesh burnt outside the camp. The
burning of the former upon the altar symbolizes
God's acceptance and the burning of the latter
outside the camp symbolizes the separation of sin
from that which is holy.
B. Priests Atone for their sins -- Burnt
Offering (vv. 18-21)
i) Burnt-offerings offered by Moses on behalf
of the priests to have their sins atoned for. Sins of
priests "transferred" onto the ram by the pressing of
their hands onto the animal (v. 18).
ii) The ram is killed and the blood sprinkled
around the altar -- to symbolize the shedding of
blood for the remission of sin (v. 19).
iii) Entire animal was burnt with certain parts
washed first with water -- symbolizes acceptance
and a propitiation of God's wrath against sin. Thus
the "sweet savor" came forth from the fire of the
burnt-offering to God (vv. 20-21).
C. Priest Sanctifies from his sins -- Peace
Offering (vv. 22-30)
i) Peace-offerings, again offered by Moses on
behalf of the priests. The priests pressed their hands
upon the head of the ram and it was then killed by
Moses (v.22).
ii) Before blood was sprinkled upon the altar it
was put upon the tip of the priests' right ear, thumb
of right hand and great toe of right foot. Right side
symbolizes more important and favored side (Gen.
48:17ff.) Consecrated ears -- to listen to God's holy
voice; consecrated hands -- to do holy deeds at all
times; and consecrated feet -- to walk holy ways at
all times (vv. 23-25).
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iii) This is followed by the
thanksgiving-offering made by the priests --
symbolized by the waving of the unleavened, oiled
bread, the fat and the right shoulder. Moses then
took them and burnt them on the altar as a sweetsmelling sacrifice to God--symbolizes acceptance by
God
(vv.26-29 cf. 7:12ff.)
iv) Sanctifying the priests and their garments by
both oil and blood--symbolizes their new state of
holiness and are now ready to do the work of priests
and mediators for God and man (v. 30).
III. CONSECRATION -- ACCOMPLISHED
ACCORDING TO GOD'S COMMANDS
(8:31-36)
A. Consecration is a Lengthy Process
i) The priests must eat the meat of the
sacrifices in the holy place. There is no stipulation
where the ordinary offerers were to eat theirs. The
priests are no consecrated and have been accepted
by God to do their distinct and privilege work of
intercessors so they must begin with eating their
own sacrifices inside the holy place. This is the place
they are to eat all the sacrifices offered by the people
as well. Any balance is to be burnt and cannot be
kept (vv. 31-32).
ii) Defilement can occur instantaneously but
cleansing takes seven days. This process of
consecrating the priests for holy service lasted seven
days (v. 33). Other events which occasioned a
seven-day break are: after healing from a serious
skin disease (14:8ff; 15:13-14; 28-29); birth (Lev.
12; cf. Gen. 17); marriage (Gen. 29:27); and
mourning (Gen. 50:10).
iii) They are to repeat this act of atonement.
There is no once for all act of cleansing in the OT
even for the priests, the holiest of all the people of
God (v.34).
B. Obedience is Key
i) The sequence of command is clear in the
chapter: God to Moses to the priests. Moses obeys
God and the priests obey Moses. The acceptance of
the offerings of the priests results from their
obedience to God's word.
ii) Every detail has to be adhered to closely.
There is no short cut to obedience. Both the means
and the ends must be accepted by God.
iii) The punishment for breaking what God has
stipulated as the only right way of consecration is
death. Chapter 8 of Leviticus is not merely a list of
mundane optional steps to be followed as the priests
pleased. They are mandatory steps/commands to be
strictly followed for them to be considered holy and
acceptable by God (vv. 35-36).
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Application:
* No man who is serving God is
excused from consecration. In NT
times the only way is through the
blood of Christ who once for all
offered Himself as our sin-offering,
burnt-offering and peace-offering.
* There is no seven-day break for
cleansing because Jesus paid it all
completely and to the full. When we
accept Christ as Lord and Savior, we
become holy positionally making us
acceptable to God. We are not sinless
because we sin daily. Therefore we
need to go and confess our sins daily.
* Obedience is still the key today for
holiness. As a holy priesthood of
believers, we must live holy lives and
serve God in ways that will reflect our
new positions as priests of the mostHigh God.
QUESTIONS TO NOTE AS YOU STUDY
AND INTERPRET THE TEXT.
a) What is the main theme or themes of
the passage?
b) What is the historical setting? Name the
places involved? Briefly mention
something significant about the places
and people involved, if any?
c) Who are the main characters in the
text? Who is doing most of the
talking?
d) Use own words to summarize the main
points. Provide as many sub-points as
possible under the various main points.
e) What is the doctrine this particular textis teaching us? Man? God? Christ?
The Holy Spirit? Sin? etc.
f) Confine the applications to those
derived from the text only.
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Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and
Background of the Old Testament, editors, William
Sanford LA So, David Allan Hubbard, Frederic William
Bush, Leslie C. Allen,
Eerdmans Publishing, 1996.
Concise Old Testament Survey:
http://bible.org/series/concise-old-testament-survey
Biblical customs:Ralph Gower, The New Manners & Customs of Bible
Times, Revised and Updated, Moody Publishers, 2005Encyclopedia:The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. In 5
Volumes. General Editor, Merrill C. Tenney. Grand
Rapids: Regency Reference Library, 1975-6.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,General Editor,
Geoffrey Bromiley, Eerdmans, 1994.
Dictionaries:The Eerdman's Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1987;
Holman Bible Dictionary. Nashville, Tennessee: Holman
Bible Publishers, 1991.
Bible Atlas:Barry J. Beitzel, The Moody Atlas of Bible Lands.
Chicago: Moody Press, 1985.
Resources UsedHenry A. Virkler,Hermeneutics: Principles and
Processes of Biblical Interpretation
Roy B. Zuck,Basic Bible Interpretation: A Practical
Guide to Discovering Biblical Truth
Milton S. Terry,Biblical Hermeneutics: A Treatise on
the Interpretation of the Old and NewTestamentBernard Ramm, Protestant Biblical Interpretation
Elliotte. Johnson,Expository Hermeneutics: An Introduction
Berkeley Mickelsen,Interpreting the Bible
Richard Mayhue,How to Interpret the Bible for Yourself
Recommended Resources
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Yours Sincerely:How to help and be a good friend in Christ
Therefore let all the house of Israel know
assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus,
whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in
their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of
the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise
is unto you, and to your children, and to all that
are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God
shall call. And with many other words did he
testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from
this untoward generation. Then they that gladly
received his word were baptized: and the same
day there were added unto them about three
thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in
the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in
breaking of bread, and in breaking of bread, and
in prayers.
And fear came upon every soul: and many
wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
And all that believed were together, and had all
things common; And sold their possessions and
goods, and parted them to all men, as every man
had need. (Acts 2:36-45)(my emphases)
Learning from Peter!Peter preached about salvation in Christ to the
early believers and exhorted them to put their
faith and trust only in Christ. They had heard the
gospel, responded to the gospel,
repented and believed. Their lives radically
changed and what characterised them was this
indwelling of the Holy Spirit, for they belonged
only to the Lord Jesus Christ. Their lives were
characterised and marked as recipients of the
grace of God and the saving work of Christ.
By Sister Molly
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Just as an asideThink about this for a moment and what Scripture
says when people are saved. Scripture does not
simply say that when people are saved, they
change their minds, stop believing that which is
false and henceforth believe that is true. That
certainly is true, but that is not the entire story.
Nor does Scripture say that salvation is just a
moral reformation in peoples lives. When you
examine these peoples lives in the light of
Scripture, should their lives not be more moral
than an unbeliever? Absolutely! However,
salvation is not simply just about being moral or
more moral. Some commentators use the
metaphor of broken vessels and say that salvation
is how God has taken us, broken vessels, and
fixed or repaired the cracks in us; other
commentators use metaphors of unclean vessels
and say that salvation is how God has taken us,
unclean vessels, and cleanse us. These metaphors
are familiar to us and there is a vestige of truth in
such descriptions of what transpires in people
when they come to know Christ; but it only
scratches the truth of what Scripture says.
Scripture says that when people are made
Christians, they become new creatures in Christ
Jesus. They were not what they once were, as we
read in 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Indeed, when you think about your own life, are
you not thankful to the Lord for making you new
and that you are no more what you once were,
before you were saved?
And back to the main topic!These early believers that Peter preached to were
religious Jews- they had an intellectual awareness
of God and a mental understanding of what other
men, namely the Scribes and Pharisees, thought
God had expected from them, although those were
not Gods expectations. This was because the
Scribes and Pharisees had added oral traditions to
the written Word of God. Nevertheless, these
early believers had lives that were transformed
and what characterised them were not religious
rituals, but lives bearing fruit that they belong to
Christ. It is shown in their devotion, as we read in
verse 42, And they continued stedfastly in the
apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking
of bread, and in prayers. Further, we also learn in
verses 44 and 45, what these believers did in
relation to one another, when others in their circle
(the other believers), had physical needs that
needed to be met. In short, we learn from verses
44 and 45, how other Christians were
ministering to other Christians.
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The Principles ofMinistering to OthersThe principles behind ministering to other
Christians that is set forth in these two verses are
as follows. Firstly, once we are saved, we need to
look at our existing resources differently. In verse
44, we read that the early believers came to see
that the things that they had, whether it be land,
personal possessions and food, were not simply to
be used for their own selves. This verse does not
teach an early form of communism, socialism nor
does it imply that these early believers sold their
houses and lived together in some commune.
Instead, these people believed that what they had
could be used for the common good. In verse 45,
we read that when the early believers found out
that other believers had needs, they would sell
their possessions, things God had given them, for
cash and minister to them. Take note that only
when the need arose, would they take what they
had and sell it to meet those needs. Hence, the
first principle tells us to have a biblical view of
our possessions. That is, God is the Creator and
Owner of everything. David wrote in Psalms 24:1,
The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness
thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
The earth and all that it contains are the Lords.
sees fit.
Then, it stands to reason that all we can do is to be
stewards of what belongs to the Lord, including
what we deem as our possessions. That is how we
should use our possessions to help others in a
biblical way.
The second principle is to be good stewards of
what belongs to the Lord, both the material gifts
(possessions) and spiritual gifts (honesty, meekness,
kindness, goodness, diligence, ); and we are to use
these gifts or resources to His glory. In Luke 16:1-
13, we read of the many parables that Christ has
taught us, which illustrate this principle of being
good stewards of what God puts in our disposal. In
1Cor 10:31, Paul also exhorts us to eat, or drink, or
whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. So the
question you have to ask yourself is: when you say
you are the Lords steward, are you acting
responsibly to the things that God has given you?
Are you truly using them to His glory and His
honour?
The third principle is to use what God given to
you to the benefit of others. You have to look
beyond yourself, see what resources God has given
you, and to use them to the benefit of others. And
you are not to use them in a reluctant or begrudging
way. Remember what Paul exhorts in 2 Corinthians
9:7, Every man according as he purposeth in his
heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of
necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
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Fourth principle- do not be selfish and hoard
possessions. God gives an abundance to those for
the purpose of helping others. In Luke 12: 13-21,
Jesus told a parable of a man who was not
satisfied with his wealth and wanted more; and
the more he got, the more he hoarded. In this
parable, Jesus taught us of the danger of
covetousness. Later on in the chapter, He goes on
to teach that when we are given more, we are
expected to be generous and to help others in
need. In verse 48, He said that for unto
whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much
required.
Fifth principle- be sensitive to others in need.
Do not turn a blind eye or deaf ear to a legitimate
need of your brothers and sisters in Christ. Be
especially sensitive to those genuine needs which
arise that are of no fault of their own. Further, we
must also not develop a critical nor condemning
attitude towards those who are in need. Be
prepared to go beyond just addressing their
immediate needs, as you may be called to give of
your time to teach or train them to be in a better
position to meet their own future needs. Yes, it is
the old saying of Give a man a fish and you feed
him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed
him for a lifetime.
Biblical Friendship, Love and UnityIn my discussion of ministering to fellow brethren, I
have hinted how our relationship to
them also needs to operate from this love that we
have for Christ. In 1 John 4:20-21, we read, If a
man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a
liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath
seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
And this commandment have we from him, That he
who loveth God love his brother also. We know this
and have heard it preached from the pulpit many
times. Yet, why do we find our friendships with
fellow brethren difficult and challenging at times?
The world tells us that each of us is so different from
the other. Christians included. However, I dare say
that there are more similarities than differences
among us and the reason for that is Christ, from
whom we all share the name Christian.. In
Ecclesiastes 4:12, we read And if one prevail
against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold
cord is not quickly broken.
Definitions of Christian friendships can be traced in
Scripture, starting with Deuteronomy. In chapter 13
verse 6, we read thy friend, which is as thine own
soul. In the Book of Proverbs, we read A friend
loveth at all times, and a brother is born for
adversity (17:17). A friend is someone who does
not forsake you, is loyal and steadfast, and one that
you do not forsake as well.
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A true friend is one who cares about your spiritual
condition, not about your wealth (Pr 19:6). That
friend may be somebody who has to rebuke us
(Pr 27:5-6), for Open rebuke is better than secret
love; Faithful are the wounds of a friend. This
differs from worldly friendships where very often
people sit on their resentments, nurse grudges and
not sort things out in the way that was pleasing to
the Lord.David and JonathanIn the classic example of godly friendships, we
often read about Jonathan and David, and the
deep affection they had for each other, a deep
devotion and a very sacrificial covenant between
them. In 1 Samuel 18:1, we read, And it came to
pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto
Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the
soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own
soul. This reminds us of what we read in
Deuteronomy 13:6, where thy friend, which is as
thine own soul. Then Jonathan and David madea covenant, because he loved him as his own
soul (1 Sam 18:3). One of the things we note in
Jonathan is that he was risking his own life to be a
friend of David (1Sam 19:1-6). That does not
happen to most of us; we are not heirs to earthly
thrones or business empires, we do not have this
lofty role in life. However, I want us to think of
what Jonathan had to give up to keep David alive,as his father, King Saul, wanted David dead.
Yes, Jonathan had to surrender the crown and the
kingdom. Not many of us will be called by the Lord
to give up such a magnitude of a sacrifice; but
perhaps, in some small way, we are tested on our
willingness to give up certain creature-comforts for
our friends. What creature-comforts? Our time,
convenience, staying up a little later or not being
able to do something that we were planning to do, to
name but a few. Perhaps when we think of what
Jonathan had to sacrifice, we might be able to do
these things a little easier!Should Opposites Repel?Besides self-sacrifice, what can get in the way of ourgodly friendships? One of the factors is what I would
call cross-cultural issues: personality differences,
preferences, education, generation gaps, what we
like to eat All this can keep us from having the
friendships that the Lord wants us to have with other
God-fearing brethren. Many things that are different
among us may not always be sinful differences. They
are just different, and we need to sort out thedifference between matters of sin and what I
would call, just a matter of taste. A fool does not
want to know this; a fool takes no pleasure in
understanding but only in expressing his own
opinion (Pr 18:2; 12:15). To me, this is how the
world foolishly looks for friends. Typically, when a
person looks for friends, he or she looks for similar
educational backgrounds, socio-economic statuses,similar tastes in food, lifestyles in short, people
tend to like people who are like themselves.
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There is nothing wrong in sharing similar interests
with people you consider as friends; however, it is
another matter to exclude others from your
fellowship because they differ from your
preferences. This comes easily when we belong to
a church with a sizeable membership, where
people split up into their little groups and before
you know it, you start to wonder who is that
person at the other corner because that person is
unfamiliar to you. Birds of a feather do tend to
flock together. But keeping fellowship with
mainly people fairly similar to you is not what
Christ has called us to do.
Let us think for a moment whether our
assumptions of others are wise or do we need
to learn to be a bit more open-minded in some
situations. Take politeness as an example. I think
many of us can offend each other unnecessarily
just because we have different ideas of what is
polite or not polite. Say you visit someone at
home: is it more polite to bring something (snacks
or fruits) with you on your visit or not? What if
you were visiting your best friend? Sister?
Brother? Friends friend? Ideas of politeness
depend on the situation and where you are from.
Is it more polite to bring fruits or flowers? Kueh
or cake? Say you like flowers and bring them to a
host who not only does not appreciate flowers but
also associates them with death and funerals. Yes,
you have a problem.
True, it may sound trivial but it may also cause
misunderstandings that result in the person not being
invited ever again. What about humour? How many
times have you been the butt of someones jokes
when you did not appreciate? Or you try to be funny
and the joke fell completely flat, with everyone
staring at you thinking you are a clod? People have
different ideas about whether teasing others is okay.
Some cultures find teasing appropriate, while others
would cringe with embarrassment. Quite often,
humour is used to show solidarity. People typically
kid with one another when they are familiar with
each other. Some think showing respect is
addressing people as Auntie or Uncle, while
others think that it is being too intimate, or a form of
ageism; addressing them by their first names would
suffice. So, which way is right or wrong? Both
ways are right, as long as everyone understands each
other. Some people think that a neat and tidy house
shows care and affection for a family, while others
think that a messy house shows a home that is lived
in by real people. Others like communicating with
others who have more or different education than
themselves, while some do not like talking to others
with different education than themselves, for fear of
saying something wrong or stupid. As you can see,
the list of differing opinions is endless. The purpose
with these few examples is to jolt you to the different
ways people can have in thinking about things, and
how when you stick them right next to each other,
they all appear quite arbitrary. They are just peoples
ideas and different expectations.
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As brothers and sisters in Christ, I thinkwe must
be able to distinguish between peoples
preferences and ungodly choices. So when I
prefer to bring edible snacks in my visits, it does
not necessarily mean that everyone should bring
snacks when they visit me. I can still love that
person in Christ even when he or she brings me
flowers instead. There are many different ways of
looking at things, and we can still love each other
in spite of differences in backgrounds,
preferences, education, whether you like a neat-
tidy home or a messy one! However, if this
brother or sister in Christ encourages us to
participate in worldly entertainment, lifestyles or
engages in conversational topics that are ungodly,
then we must pray for godly wisdom to exercise
gentle rebuke (Pr 27:5-6, Gal 6:1, 2Th 3:15). That
would be the first recourse; the next step would be
to seek an elder brother or sister for further
assistance (Matt 18:15-17).
Its not you, itss me!The remedy to the impediments of our
friendships begins with us: we are not to find
fault with others but to take the beam out of
our own eyes (Matt 7:5). We need to consider
our personalities- are we a bit extreme? Are we a
burden to others by our behaviour? Think for a
second- if nobody ever calls you up or people do
not invite you over, it may be because you havesome behaviour you need to reflect upon: Are you
a drag to be around?
Are you Singapores undisputed Complain King or
Queen? Sure, life is not a bed of roses and there are
lots of things that you can complain about. But do
you have to complain about them ALL the time?
And do you have to go into Nitty-Gritty details? Do
you tell embarrassing jokes? Do you know when to
quit? What are your conversation topics? Do they
focus on you and what you want to talk about? Do
you have this grasshopper-habit of changing
conversation topics and at a speed that people cannot
keep up with? [Editors note: grasshoppers change
topics quickly?!] I have a relative who does this so
well that half the time the people around her smile
with silence when she is talking, because she
converses about so many different things at
Roadrunner speed! Do you over-react with the
Oh-my-goodness-that-is-so-horrible-drama-rama
that makes the other person feel worse off for telling
you? Do you listen well? Even before the speaker
has finished relating all the facts, are you ready with
the next topic, jumping in with a solution and/or
making mental to-do lists? Are you a let-down? Do
you promise to do something and when the deadline
approaches you say you cannot do it without a good
reason? Are you a no-show? Do you call five
minutes before you were supposed to show up and
say you cannot come, without a good reason? Or do
you show up too early and grumble when others
arrive late? Do you show up early for an event and
then leave early so that you are not much of a help?
When you borrow something, do you forget to give
it back? Or when you do, is it in pieces?
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I think we do some of the above from time to time
and we must recognise that these are impedimentsto friendships, for us untrustworthy. Some may
argue that this is just-the-way-I-am-and-others-
are-not-perfect; well, may be it is time for you to
start changing some of these behaviour instead of
blaming others and writing them off as not worth
knowing. Remember: first cast out the beam out
of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly
to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye(Matt7:5). In other words, before judging another,
you should reflect upon your own behaviour and
be sure that such behaviour can stand up to your
own judgment. Otherwise, you are not only a
hypocrite but a fool as well.
As believers we are called to be faithful and
diligent in storing up treasures in heaven. When
we leave this earth, we will leave it the same the
way we came- empty-handed. But as long as we
live on earth, it is a joy knowing that what God
has given you-the ability, some more than others-
to reach out to your brothers and sisters in Christ,
and to be a great blessing to them, to help them, in
their times of need. Those early Christians were
characterised by that. Are you characterised by
that too?
DID YOU KNOW ONIONS WEREMENTIONED IN THE BIBLE?This product is mentioned only in (Numbers
11:5) as one of the good things of Egypt ofwhich the Israel regretted the loss. Onions
have been from time immemorial a favorite
article of food among the Egyptians, Theonions of Egypt are much milder in flavor
and less pungent than those of this country.
5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in
Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and
the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:
http://www.christnotes.org/bible.php?q=Numbers+11%3A5http://www.christnotes.org/bible.php?q=Numbers+11%3A5http://www.christnotes.org/bible.php?q=Numbers+11%3A5http://www.christnotes.org/bible.php?q=Numbers+11%3A5http://www.christnotes.org/bible.php?q=Numbers+11%3A5http://www.christnotes.org/bible.php?q=Numbers+11%3A58/6/2019 Uth Chronicle 2011-II
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The Pharisee Trap:You can be in it without knowing it
IntroductionThe word Pharisee today invokes all sorts of
negative responses. It is often used to describe one
who is a religious hypocrite, who adopts a
holier-than-thou attitude and is self-righteously
critical of those who do not meet up to his standard
of spirituality. Surely, no one would like such a
label on himself. Yet, we do realize that especially
within fundamental Christian circles, it is quite easy
to fall into the Pharisee trap to adopt the attitude
and mind set of a Pharisee without realizing it.
Who were the Pharisees?The Pharisees were a strict sect of Judaism that
existed during the time of Christ. Despite this, they
had strong influence amongst the Jewish community,
and received widespread popular support and respect
from the people. They prided themselves in their
knowledge and seemingly high level of moral
standards and piety.
Another distinctive of the Pharisees was their strict
observance of the Law of Moses, which consisted of
the first five books of the Bible. On top of that, they
also abided by additional religious texts written by
Rabbis, a compilation of Jewish traditions and oral
laws called the Mishna. In this contained teachings
that were supposed to be an explanation and
interpretation of the written law of Moses. However,
these teachings were extremely legalistic, to the point
of being absurd. Yet the Pharisees upheld it as truth,
and taught it as equal, if not superseding the Mosaic
Law.
By Preacher Ko Lingkang
ITS A TRAP!
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In their day, they were viewed as the yardstick of
morality and spirituality, and if anyone could earn
their way to heaven, it would be the Pharisees.
They also acted as the moral police, rebuking all
who did not meet their standards of holiness.
However, a quick glance through the gospels
would reveal that the teachings of Christ were
completely antagonistic towards the way of the
Pharisees. They were often seen questioning him
(Matt 9:11, 12:2), rebuking him (Luke 15:2,
7:39), and later on, plotting to kill him (Matt
12:14, John 11:47). In turn, they were also harshly
rebuked by Jesus, repeatedly denounced, and
often portrayed as the stumbling block that is
keeping people from accepting the message of
Christ (Matt 23, Luke 11:39-44).
One estimate has calculated that roughly one third
of the gospels are taken up with Jesus
interactions and rebuke of the Pharisees. If the
Bible places such a large emphasis on the errors
of the Pharisees, surely we ought to take a deeper
look, and ask if we too have in some way or other
fallen into the same Pharisee trap?
How Can We Be Like A Pharisee?To be like a Pharisee is a subtle thing, often found in
our churches, but seldom pointed out. Jesus
description and denunciation of them in Matt 23
would be a useful starting point for us to outline
some characteristics of Pharisees, and see how we
have become like them.
Do not practice what you preach (Matt 23:3)
Set extremely high standards of morality and impose
it upon the masses, but do not have the same
standards for yourself. Be quick to sound a stern
rebuke the moment you see a brother or sister err in a
certain small way, or preach a little sermonette
during discussions to make sure everyone knows
about your knowledge and piety. However, your
conduct is often opposite of what you preach, giving
no example of any practical application of your high
standards. Be like the Pharisees for they say, and do
not. Basically, be a hypocrite.
Impose high standards on others (Matt 23:4)
Often take scripture out of context, or apply it to an
extreme, and then impose them upon the people
around you as the standard for spirituality. Assume
that since you deem something to be sinful, then it is
sinful for everyone. If you feel that a certain standard
of dressing must be met, then it has to be so for
everyone.
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If you think that being involved in this amount of
service, and attending this number of church
activities a week is the minimum standard for a
good Christian, then go about ensuring that
everyone around you meets that standard. Makesure that your standards are so high that they
become heavy burdens and grievous to be borne,
such that they no longer have joy in worship, but
instead feel guilty every time they see you, for they
would feel unworthy and that they are not as
spiritual as you. Basically, be judgmental.
Do things to be seen of men (Matt 23:5-7)Adopt the motivation of a Pharisee, all their works
they do for to be seen of men, and to receive their
praise. Apply this principle to every area of your
life, whether it be at work or school, at home, or
even when serving in church. All you want is for
people to notice the things that you do, and thus
think highly of you. Especially so in church, you
want to be known as Mr Zealous, Mr Holy, Mr
Righteous and Mr Spiritual. You want to be the one
everyone comes to when they have any questions
about the Bible; you want to be involved in every
activity that happens in church that involves the
pastors and leaders of the church. You yearn for the
praise of men, to be given a pat on the back, and a
commendation for the many things that you have
done. Basically, be motivated by a desire to please
man, and not to please God.
Be quick to boast about your spiritual
accomplishments (Matt 23:14, Luke 18:11-12)
Be very eager to let people know about how you are
so firm on avoiding certain sins, and how much you
are doing for the Lord. In fact, publicly thank God
for your apparent piety. One favourite time of yours
would be during prayer meeting, where you can
boast openly under the pretext of pray for me. You
would gladly list all the many things you are doing
for God, and then proceed to for a pretence make
long prayer. Of course you never had any desire to
ask the Lord for help about all these things, because
in your mind, it is all your effort and hard work that
is accomplishing so much for God. Basically, be
proud.
Nit-pick on the inconsequential matters while
missing the big picture(Matt 23:23-24)
You love to major on the minor things, to spend
hours debating on the most minor and obscure points
of scripture. You are careful to observe certain pet
verses that few people know about. You hold
strongly to your convictions about these minor points
of doctrine and are very quick to point out these
errors when you hear preachers stumble at that point.
However, you show little concern about the larger
and more important points of Christian teachings, for
you have omitted the weightier matters of the law,
especially those that involve in your personal
conduct and relationship with God. Basically, be an
armchair theologian.
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Spend great effort to put up a faade of spiritualty
(Matt 23:25-30)
Be very careful about the image that you project to
the people around you. Seek to be flawless and
blameless, and appear to be white as snow on the
outside. Give the impression that you are the
perfect Christian, and the role model that everyone
should look up to. However, inside you are engage
wilfully and unrepentantly in all manner of sins,
such that you appear beautiful outward, but are
within full of dead mens bones, and of all
uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear
righteous unto men, but within ye are full of
hypocrisy and iniquity.Conclusion
In some way or another, we do at times fall into the
Pharisee trap without realizing it. As we look
through this list before us, it is important that we
take a moment to honestly search our hearts, and ask
if we have somehow become somewhat proud or
hypocritical in certain ways. If that is the case may
we be quick to repent, and seek the Lords
forgiveness. What we most certainly shouldnt do, is
to look through this passage and the list before us,
and start to point fingers at the people around you,
and deem them to be pharisaical, for that would
straightaway make you one as well! Jesus gave very
stern warnings with regards to the Pharisees, and
pronounced woe upon them for their behaviour. May
we all take heed, and take active measures to ensure
that we do not fall into the Pharisee trap!
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Onions in BGRBy Bro HenryIn the church I attended as a youth was this longtime
friend lets call him N. N was tall, dark and
handsome. He was a youth leader, in a top secondary
school, and had the gift of the gab. He was also
humorous and you can imagine he was a popular guyin church. Back then, N seemed like a nice guy to
have as a potential boyfriend.
N married a few years after I did and also had 2 kids.
But after a few episodes of undisputed marital
infidelity, N divorced in 2008. He just remarried in
Feb 2011 to another divorcee with kids. He surprised
his old friends with what we now know of hisphilandering ways, his ill discipline with money, his
late nights, and his raw ambition to climb the
corporate ladder.
Are there youths in Pandan who mayturn out to be like N?
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As we see divorce escalating, marriage seems to be
outdated. Many have given up on it, preferring
single-hood or cohabitation. Some choose
annulment, an easier way out of failed marriages
than divorce. It is a cleaner cut, a term less harshthan divorce. But even divorce has lost its stigma
for many openly proclaim theyre divorcees.
Talk to a divorcee or someone in a pained marriage
and almost inevitably, their complaint would be
that their partners have changed. Or worse, that
they did not know their partners could descend to
the level theyre deemed to be in.
Do people change or it is just that we do not see
through the layers they camouflage themselves
under? How about us do we not change? Or
worse - do we camouflage? Are we like onions,
with layer after layer before the core is reached?
Why open this discussion with so ominous a topicas divorce? Because a wrong turn in BGR can
result in thoughts or reality of divorce.
To be wise in BGR is to see through any
camouflage and to refrain from putting on any
camouflage. Dear YFer, in BGR, choose wisely. A
wrong choice will land you into woes untold; a
right choice will bring blessings incalculable.
So what criteria should we consider?
Be careful of people who are sanctimonious. These
remind us of the Pharisees of the past outwardly
holy but inwardly unchanged. But many of us may
fall into this at times as well. How often do we adopt
the habit of using Christian terminology without
meaning it? We use the word sharing when we
mean talking. We say Ill pray for you without
committing that person to the Lord. Phrases such as
God bless and The Lord will provide may also
be bandied around. Perhaps in a fundamental church
likes ours, the danger of us falling into this sin is
greater. Watch out.
Be genuine; seek someone who is genuine. My old
friend N, if I may still call him a friend after all that
he has done, was perhaps not genuine. As a youth, he
used the right vocabulary, the correct terms, the
expected phrases. Are you like that? Am I like that?
The worst thing you want in a future boyfriend or
girlfriend is not to know who they really are. That is
a scary thought. But that may come true, if you
choose a partner who is not genuine.
Seek someone who loves the Lord. One who loves
God loves Him outside of Sundays too. If there is
reason to believe a chap is different in church and
outside church, there is reason to be wary. This does
not mean he is to be perfect. But this does mean he
tries to be an imitator of Christ in and out of church,
with or without church friends.
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Seek someone who treats others well, especially
the weak & old. Its scary to see two-faced people
in the world. Many snub the poor and unimportant;
many fawn on the powerful and connected. Make
sure your future partner is not in this category. And
one way that may throw light on this is how they
treat those serving them, those in a position lower
than theirs.
Choose someone who is real. Someone who
acknowledges he is like all of us mere sinners
saved by grace. And still needing a lot of that on a
daily basis. The most perfect chap may seem too
good to be true, and indeed may be. You could
sense when one is putting on a front or pretending
to be who he or she is not. One churchgoer I know
pretended to live in an expensive district when he
came from a more modest background.
As you consider a boyfriend or girlfriend, pray for
a life partner. Transcend the trend to need to have a
boyfriend or girlfriend. Perhaps its not the Lords
will for you to have one. Or perhaps not yet.
Nonetheless, know we are all weak. We all need
the Lord and in looking and weighing the points
above, dont ever be judgmental and be a self-
anointed and self-appointed censor.
Peeling an onion brings tears to ones eyes. Be
wise to spot and avoid one.
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My Dear Dreamer,
Its been some time since I wrote a letter. The last time I did was in the States circa 1989-90. How the years
have flown. I praise and thank the LORD for being so very good to me and my family. I thank Him for my
three wonderful children and my husband of 25 1\2 years. Our prayer is that God will send to our children
godly spouses in His own perfect timing.
This brings me back to when you uttered a similar prayer.
As you were growing up, did you not watch too many so-called romantic TV shows and read Mills and
Boons books? Yes, you did. And your silly, unregenerate heart was misled as to what a boyfriend should
be. Before the LORD opened your spiritual eyes and you received the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, you were,
as the song goes, looking for love in all the wrong places. The silly notions of a knight in shining armour,
or in the modern day context, a handsome Korean man in a sports car, and romance, were part of your criteria
for a husband. You thought a boyfriend should be able to provide a comfortable lifestyle, a home and a car -
normal things. Just thinking about it now makes me smile at how much of a dreamer you were.
When you were born again, an