on polishing brass and rearranging deck chairs

I wrote this piece in April 2012 as a follow up to this parable, but decided not to post it because it was too controversial. But it's time. These are things that need to be said and need to be heard. So let's plunge right in . . .

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Titanic Sinking

The 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic got me thinking about some of the "pithy grabbers" about ships.

That's like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Why polish the brass on a sinking ship?


Both sayings are getting at the same idea. We shouldn't waste our energy on something that is doomed anyway.

Unfortunately, both of these have been applied by well-meaning Christians to the very planet on which we live. For them, this world is a sinking ship. The idea of heaven so captivates their imaginations that they see no real value in developing sustainable agriculture or environmentally-friendly standards of living. They see public education, politics, and even scientific research as a waste of time. The only thing that matters to these missions-minded and rapture-ready evangelicals is "getting souls saved."

Now, before you throw rotten tomatoes at your screen, let me explain. I consider myself a missions-minded evangelical. My most recent post should make that obvious. But I do not agree with the subset of evangelicals who see this world as a sinking ship from which we are being rescued. I do believe in heaven, but my impression from the Bible is that heaven is a temporary place. ("What?!" you ask.) Heaven is not our final destination. It's more of an interim hangout for all those who have been reconciled to God but have died. [2015: After reading Middleton, I'm less sure it's even that.] The final destination, the real goal of the story God is writing, is the new creation. At the end of John's book of Revelation, where he is granted a vision of spiritual realities, he sees the new creation (a cubic arboreal city) coming down out of heaven. According to John's vision, it will be the place where all the redeemed live and worship the true king. The new creation will be much like this one, with streets and rivers and trees, only it will last forever. If you want to call that new creation "heaven" I won't argue with you, as long as you realize that it's on terra firma, not up in the clouds somewhere.


So what does this have to do with a sinking ship?


The mandate given to Adam and Eve to cultivate and care for the garden (Genesis 2:15) is still in effect. God's intention was that they would continue to extend the boundaries of that garden until it filled the whole earth. Our care for the planet is part of the role God has given to us until that time when he renews it all for eternity. Rather than expecting to be caught up to another dimension of reality, we can anticipate God's transformation of this world. And until then, it's our job to take care of it. Environmental concern is not for its own sake, but is part of extending his just rule in every place.

The idea that "this world is not my home, I'm just a passin' through" can be dangerous. God is glorified when we give our best efforts to reducing pollution, cleaning our waterways, protecting endangered species, and anything else that ensures that our great-grandchildren will be able to enjoy God's beautiful and bountiful creation. In other words, keep on polishing that brass. This ship's gonna be around for a while!

If I've piqued your interest, here are a few resources you can check out for more on this subject:

• Greg Beale's, The Temple and the Church's Mission (a biblical theology of creation and God's plan for the world)

• this blog post and video on why some Christians believe in a rapture (you'll hear more about the ship analogy)

• Keeping God's Earth: The Global Environment in Biblical Perspective, edited by Toly and Block

• N. T. Wright's Following Jesus, which has a great chapter on heaven. I'm told that Wright was interviewed about heaven for the Easter edition of TIME magazine [2012] as well. This would be worth checking out. 

I've said some controversial things here, and no doubt some of you disagree. My hope is to get us all thinking about how our theology affects the way we care for the earth as well as how we share the good news about what Christ has done for us. Getting saved is not so much a ticket out of here as it is permission to stay for a really long time . . . uh . . . like forever!

rethinking heaven

What if most of what you've ever believed about heaven wasn't true? What then?

Three and a half years ago I wrote a blog post in which I suggested that this was the case. You've never seen that post, because I got cold feet, deciding it was too controversial and not worth the risk.

Since then, a growing chorus of evangelical scholars has been calling us back to a more biblical view of the afterlife (for example, Old Testament scholar C. J. H. Wright and New Testament Scholar N. T. Wright -- and how can you argue with someone who is always "Wright"?). And none has articulated it more clearly and thoroughly than biblical theologian J. Richard Middleton. In fact, his book won the Word Guild Award for the Best Book in Biblical Studies in 2014, and was selected as the Baker gift book of the year for the Institute for Biblical Research annual lecture.

Middleton says we're not going to heaven for eternity. The Bible doesn't teach that. He is not even sure that we go to heaven in the meantime, while we're waiting for Christ's return. His careful reading of passages demonstrates why.

The future that awaits us is not a disembodied existence, with mainly harps and clouds. It includes food and drink, culture and government, creativity and fulfillment. It is in fact much like Spirit-filled life today, minus the sorrow. When Jesus returns we'll walk with him right here on this earth, transformed as part of the (re)new(ed) creation. Jesus' resurrected body is the "firstfruits" of this new creation, affirming the inherent value of the created earth and giving us hope that it can be re-made to overcome the effects of sin and death.

An idea like "heaven" isn't going to die overnight, especially given its well-entrenched history stretching all the way back to Plato. We can hardly talk about salvation without talking about heaven. Middleton's book aims to change that.

Middleton boldly says,

"Not only is the term 'heaven' never used in Scripture for the eternal destiny of the redeemed, but also continued use of 'heaven' to name the Christian eschatological hope may well divert our attention from the legitimate expectation for the present transformation of our earthly life to conform to God's purposes. Indeed, to focus our expectation on an otherworldly salvation has the potential to dissipate our resistance to societal evil and the dedication needed to work for the redemptive transformation of this world. Therefore, for reasons exegetical, theological, and ethical, I have come to repent of using the term 'heaven' to describe the future God has in store for the faithful. It is my hope that readers of this book would, after thoughtful consideration, join me in this repentance." (237, emphasis mine)

Now that's worth pondering. For a long time.

Middleton also says,

"In the present, as the church lives between the times, those being renewed in the imago Dei are called to instantiate an embodied culture or social reality alternative to the violent and deathly formations and practices that dominate the world. By this conformity to Christ—the paradigm image of God—the church manifests God's rule and participates in God's mission to flood the world with the divine presence. In its concrete communal life the church as the body of Christ is called to witness to the promised future of a new heaven and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13)." (175, emphasis mine)

It is striking how often this same point is now being made by respected evangelical scholars. It is a truth whose time has come, and which requires us to re-think carefully how we articulate the gospel. If Jesus didn't die for us "so that we can go to heaven when we die," then why did he die?

Watch out, church. If our generation can truly grasp this, the transforming power of the gospel will be released in profound ways, right here in our midst.

Biblical Theology made accessible

I just finished reading a good book: T. Desmond Alexander's From Eden to the New Jerusalem. Alexander traces the story of Scripture from beginning to end, showing God's plan for creation and our place in it. Though the book is very accessible (i.e. you don't need a seminary degree to understand it), it offers helpful insights to those who have had years of formal study of the Bible (i.e. I learned a few things!). It reminded me a lot of Greg Beale's Temple and the Church's Mission, but Alexander's book is more suitable for a wider audience. He includes scripture references in full to help make his points, and still manages to keep the book under 200 pages.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to better understand the Big Story that the Bible is telling, how the Old Testament and New Testament fit together, and what role the people of God play in the unfolding of God's plan.

a long story with a happy ending

In the fall of 2006, more than four years ago, I started an MA in Biblical Studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC.  During that first semester I spoke with several professors about PhD programs, asking for their recommendations.  Ray Lubeck, one of my mentors from Multnomah Bible College, suggested that I keep an eye on Wheaton.  While their PhD program was quite new, with a unique focus on Biblical Theology, it looked like it was going to be a strong one.

Twenty-one months ago I first sat down face-to-face with a professor from Wheaton to talk about their PhD program.  Dr. Greg Beale said that if I wanted to be a competetive applicant I would need to come in swinging; having only one MA was like fighting with one hand tied behind my back.  Since he was leaving Wheaton to take a position at Westminster, he recommended that I correspond with Dr. Daniel Block, professor of OT.  Ironically, our discipleship pastor had just driven up to Wheaton to meet with Dr. Block, and he spoke very highly of him. 

Within a month Multnomah (our alma mater) announced that they had hired their first woman Bible teacher, Dr. Becky Josberger, who had written her dissertation under the supervision of none other than Daniel Block.  I contacted Becky right away to ask her about her expereince working under Dr. Block. She responded enthusiastically, saying that studying with him had been one of the chief highlights of her life.  I quickly checked out a book from the library, The Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament Book-by-Book, so that I could read what he had to say about Deuteronomy. It was outstanding.

Around this time I was offered a job as a TA for Greek or Hebrew at Gordon-Conwell.  Danny told me that if I felt like I could handle that much work, then I should take an extra class instead so that I could graduate sooner.  We had no idea then how important that would be...

Eighteen months ago I wrote to Dr. Block for the first time, introducing myself, asking several questions, and exploring whether our research interests were a good match.  He wrote back right away with great information about Wheaton's program and a responded favorably to my research idea. We met for the first time three months later at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in New Orleans, Louisiana (Nov 2009). The hour we spent talking literally flew by.  I had one big question for Dr. Block that day: Should I take my time to finish my current degree and add extra experience to my resume? Or should I press ahead full-speed so that I can apply next year (to begin in 2011)? He did not hesitate.  "Hurry and finish," he told me. "I am nearing retirement and I may only accept one more batch of students." Three months earlier that would have been nearly impossible, but becuase of Danny's wisdom in encouraging me to take two classes at once, I would just be able to finish in time.

Dr. Block and I corresponded throughout 2010, discussing possible research ideas.  I kept him abreast of what I was doing to strengthen my application (reading certain books, learning German, visiting the campus, etc).  I began to focus my research assignments towards a possible dissertation topic.  In September of last year I was taken aback when I learned that Dr. Block would only be accepting ONE student this year.  We began to research other schools in earnest, seeking a good backup option in case I wasn't accepted.  Each time I found one I liked, Danny would ask, "What if they say 'no,' too? Will you wish you had applied elsewhere?" After 4-6 weeks of complete preoccupation with this we had decided on four other schools: Fuller Theological Seminary, Asbury Theological Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Princeton Theological Seminary.  Completing my applications to all five schools took another month. Twenty-five transcripts, seventeen essays, twenty-two recommendations from seven professors and mentors, and countless emails later, my applications were complete. 

I had an opportunity to meet doctoral supervisors from all five schools in Atlanta in November, at the annual meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Biblical Literature.  I came away feeling like it would be a privilege to work with any one of them, but my heart was still at Wheaton. We were encouraged to learn that Dr. Block was going to be able to accept two students after all, but sobered to hear that he was in conversation with 30 other applicants for those positions.  Aside from a strong focus on Biblical Theology and integration between disciplines (OT, NT, Sytematic and Historical Theology), an all-star list of faculty, and a stellar reputation, Wheaton offers a full scholarship to each student in their PhD program, plus a generous stipend in exchange for working as a TA. This makes for a competetive application process.

I was notified one month ago that I had made the first "cut" and was being invited to interview on campus. In the interim period I received offers from two other schools (Fuller and Trinity). I've spent a number of hours talking with professors and former students from Fuller, trying to get a sense for the ethos of the school and whether we could afford to make the move to Southern California.  I tried to make good use of my time in the Chicago area by visiting Trinity's campus and checking things out around Wheaton: a house for sale, an elementary school, a preschool, a church, as well as the local public library.  I took lots of pictures for the family, wanting to give them a sense for what life in Wheaton would be like.  I felt relaxed at the interview, and enjoyed the opportunity to share more about how God has led us in this direction.  There were a couple of questions, though, for which I was totally unprepared.  I hoped that my eagerness to be formed as a Christian scholar would outweigh my ignorance of the current state of Old Testament theology.  Apparently it did.

It's amazing how God works.  I didn't want to put the house on the market until after I had received an offer of acceptance, and after our pear trees were in bloom and the grass was green.  Danny felt like it was important to put it on the market by March 1st, but wanted to have all the home improvements completed by then.  Well, guess what?  My parents arrived a week ago to help us get the house ready to sell. We now have a new deck, new kitchen floor and sink, and lots of other improvements to make the house "turn-key ready." Yesterday the trees bloomed, the grass turned green, the renovations were complete, and I got the happy phone call from Dr. Block at Wheaton.  The sign is in the yard and we're all in awe of God's timing.  My parents left this morning, but were here just long enough to hear the good news and celebrate with us.  And, while Fuller, Trinity, and Asbury are all great schools, with great professors and unique communities, it's clear to us all that Wheaton is the place for which God has been preparing us. We have lost count of the number of times we have been told by mentors and friends, "Wheaton would be the perfect place for you!" And so with joy we embark on this next phase of our journey.  To God be the glory!

living in the 'last days'

How will we know when we're living in the end times?  There have been 'wars and rumors of wars' for a long time now.  Will something on tomorrow's evening news tip the scales and usher in the apocalypse?

Greg Beale would say 'no!'  From his perspective, Christians misread the Bible when they think that predictions about the 'last days' are exclusively future.  He goes to great lengths to show that the 'end times' started a long, long time ago.  It was a mere 40 days after Jesus' ascension that Peter announced to those witnessing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that they were seeing the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy about the "last days" (Acts 2:17).  Paul announced to the Corinthian church that they were those "upon whom the ends of the ages have come" (1 Cor 10:11).  The New Testament writers clearly saw themselves as already living in the last days. From their perspective the coming of Christ was the great hinge of history that ushered in the kingdom of God.  Beale points to 2 Corinthians 1:20 as one example of this line of thinking: "no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ" (NIV).  Theologians have a fancy term for this - inaugurated eschatology.  That simply means that because of Jesus the last days (eschaton in Greek) have already begun, but they are not yet complete.  If we look around we can see evidence of all sorts of things that were expected at the end of time: wars, persecution, deception, people turning from the faith.  There will be more to come, but it won't be substantially different from what we are already seeing.

So what difference does this make?  If we understand ourselves to be living in the end-time kingdom of God our behavior takes on new significance.  How we choose to live will determine how quickly His reign will extend to all nations!  If these are the last days, then we need to be careful not to be deceived by doctrines that are attractive but dangerously false.  The 'lawless one' predicted by Daniel was already at work in Paul's day (see 2 Thess 2:7), and we can be sure that those who want to undermine God's authority are operating in our own day as well.

This is just a taste of what I've learned in Dr. Beale's New Testament Theology course this semester (available for distance study through Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's Semlink program).  It's been a tremendously helpful class for me, providing a thoroughly biblical framework by which to understand the whole Bible.  I highly recommend it!  If you'd like to dive further into this subject without taking the course, I'd recommend the following two books: The Temple and the Church's Mission (Greg Beale, which I reviewed here) and The End of the Age Has Come (Marvin Pate).  Both are very readable and together provide a great overview of biblical theology.

the New Testament in 3-D

I've been reading some GREAT books on the New Testament lately, and I honestly feel like I've been handed a pair of 3-D glasses with which to read (and understand!) the Bible more profoundly than ever before.  What used to be flat, bland, or even puzzling has come alive and started to pop off of the page. Rather than keep this treasure for myself, I wanted to pass it on to you!

If you can image a pair of 3-D glasses (at least the ones from long ago), there was a red lens and a blue lens.  With these working together, an image that was specially produced for viewing with those glasses comes to life.  Without them, the same image is rather blurry, and if you stare at it too long you get a headache.  So too the Bible for many people!  A growing number of scholars are beginning to pick up on major themes in the New Testament that were missed in recent centuries.  For some reason the lenses most scholars were wearing just didn't allow them to see what was there all along.  If the NT was written with these twin ideas giving shape to everything, then we'd better put on our 3-D glasses so we can figure out what it means!

So are you ready?  Here are the 2 major keys that have breathed life back into the pages of Scripture for me this month.  They are distinct from each other (like the blue and red lenses), but when taken together they form a startlingly clear picture.

Lens #1 - Jesus is the 'true Israel.'  A lot of what Jesus says and does makes perfect sense when viewed through this lens.  Israel was called 'God's son' in the Old Testament (Ex 4:22), but they failed to do what God designed them to do (Deut 32:5).  They were supposed to obey him fully and in that way become a light to the nations (Isa 42:1-9).  But because they rebelled and were carried off into exile, they, too were in need of salvation (Isa 49:5-7). 

When Jesus is called God's Son it should be a flashing red light that he is the one who will do and be what Israel was to do and be.  His perfect obedience is patterned after Israel's failures.  One of the most poignant examples is the temptation account (Matt 4:1-11).  There Jesus spends 40 days in the wilderness being tested by satan.  He resists those temptations by using scriptures from Deuteronomy which described Israel's time of testing in the wilderness.  There could not be a more intentional parallel.  Jesus does perfectly what Israel should have done, and that qualifies him to be the light to the nations that they should have been.  Now, through faith in Jesus (the true Israelite) we become spiritual Israelites as well.  The promises made to them are fulfilled in us.  Obviously much more could be said.  But on to the next one.

Lens #2 - Jesus is Yahweh.  Much of Jesus' ministry was an acting out of what the Jews expected Yahweh (God) to come and do for them after the return from exile. The miracles, the victory over satan, the calming of the sea, the regathering of (true) Israel, and the establishment of His kingdom were all things that the OT predicted Yahweh Himself doing (Isa 52:7-10).  Jesus' deliberate journey to Jerusalem at the climax of his ministry was actually the promised return of Yahweh to fill Jerusalem with His presence (Matt 21).  But because of the failure of the Jews to recognize and believe in Him his coming was marked by judgement. 

I've only just begun to watch for the ways in which Jesus dramatizes OT prophecies or fulfills them through his actions, and my list is growing.  What excites me about this is that it is an entirely different angle from which to demonstrate His deity!  My Jehovah's Witness friends have already heard all the usual 'proof texts' about Jesus being God and they have answers for them.  But this cuts underneath all that debate to reveal the profound truth about who He is.  If we truly believe the OT prophecies, and then we see how Jesus does what Yahweh was supposed to do we have only two options.  We can suppose that God changed his mind and settled for an ambassador instead of coming Himself as He promised (NO!), or we can recognize that Jesus was Himself Almighty God.  Why didn't He just say it plainly?  Because a direct announcement would have resulted in a premature crucifixion.  All along the way He acted out His message boldly and let those actions speak for themselves.  Those who had eyes to see and ears to hear figured it out and gave Him their full allegiance.

If you want more about how to read the NT in 3-D, I recommend the following great books:

N.T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God (he has many other books which touch on similar themes)
G.K. Beale, The Temple and the Church's Mission (reviewed in more detail below)
G.K. Beale and D.A. Carson (eds), Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (This commentary is worth its weight in gold.  If you can only afford one NT commentary, make this the one!)

a good book about an even better book!

I just finished reading this excellent book by Greg Beale, entitled The Temple and the Church's Mission: A biblical theology of the dwelling place of God.  It is quite profound and spans the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation.  I highly recommend it if you want to get the big picture of the message of Scripture. 

This book has been so helpful in giving me an overall framework for understanding Scripture and explaining it to the JW's who are meeting with me. I wanted to give you a taste of what I've learned in the book.  We serve an indescribable God and His Word is just amazing!

As the title suggests, Beale focuses on the concept of the temple, or dwelling place of God.  God was first present to Adam and Eve in Eden, but Beale demonstrates that God intended for Adam and Eve to extend the boundaries of the garden paradise until His presence filled the whole earth.  (A world-wide garden of Eden!) Because they failed to do this, they lost their role as 'priests' in the garden temple.  Later, God chose to make his presence most tangible in the tabernacle, and then the temple, which was also intended to grow until it filled Jerusalem and then the whole earth (see Isaiah 4:5-6; 65:17-18 and Jeremiah 3:16-17).  Israel failed at her mandate to mediate God's presence to the world.  They were exiled and the temple destroyed.  When they returned home to rebuild, they were deeply disappointed with the results.  It was not glorious, and we're never told that God's glory descended to fill it.  But John tells us that Jesus came and "tabernacled among us, and we beheld His glory" (John 1:14).  He announces that He is the new temple (Matt 12:6; John 2:19-22).  And by faith in Him we become part of the temple, the place where God's glory dwells (Eph 2:19-22; 1 Pet 2:4-10).  The grand finale is found in Rev 21-22 where all of creation becomes a temple, and there is no place where God's glory is not tangible.  Have you ever wondered why the New Jerusalem in Rev 21 is cubic?  The only other structure in the Bible which is said to have a cubic shape is the Holy of Holies, the most sacred part of the temple where God's glory dwells.  Only the high priest is allowed inside, and only once a year to make intercession for God's people.  But in John's vision the "new heavens and new earth" (i.e. the entire new creation) is a cubic garden-city where God is fully present.  The veil has been torn and now all believers live in the light of God's unhindered presence.  The Holy of Holies is all there is!