Reception and Application of Old Testament Themes in Worship - The Temple

          The Israelite nation held the exclusive title of the people of God for many years and there is nothing that signified this more than the ark and the temple. While the Hebrews did not have their Promised Land they were nomads, slaves, and wanderers. The precursor to the temple called the tabernacle still revealed the glory of God and His presence among the people but it was the establishment of the temple that brought stability and certainty. The ark of the Lord would find its resting place in the temple. Sacrifices and atonement took place in the temple. In short the temple truly symbolized the house of God.

            The Lord sent His servant Moses away

from the people to give him the law and instructions for the tabernacle, which is the precursor to the temple. “Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights” (Exodus 24:18, NIV). Jesus also was led by the Spirit away from the people to be prepared for forty days. This will be examined further as we progress. The point here is that there was a great deal of care and detail placed on the plans and function of the tabernacle/temple.

            This is for good reason as the temple was far more than a building to the Hebrews, it was the one place on the planet where heaven and earth met. “The temple, like its predecessor the tabernacle, was regarded as a meeting-point between heaven and earth, the place where the transcendent Lord of all was pleased to manifest his glory in the midst of his people Israel.”[1] Purification and the redemption from sin through the sacrifice of blood took place at the temple.

It contained elements of both humanity as well as divinity and it was through the temple that God was able to interact with His people.

            The temple was intended to bring in peoples from all nations as a refuge and place of prayer. This may come as a surprise for today’s believer but the temple was the starting point in fulfilling the

covenant of Abraham. The temple was to be a blessing to all the nations. “These I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:7, ESV). While the temple has changed from the First Covenant to the New, the promise that it will be a blessing to all the nations is still in effect.

            Jesus fulfills the First or Old Testament and in doing so also fulfills the function of the temple. Just like the Apostles after Jesus had to refute false teachings, the Lord also makes His stand against false theology concerning the temple as well.  ^“Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ^‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:12-13, NIV). A house of prayer for all peoples and yet those in leadership placed sacrifices of convenience in the same section dedicated to the foreigner for prayer.

            The temple was essentially robbed of its function. This was done by the same means that can nullify the Word of God. Tradition and even practicality acts as that little bit of yeast that can work its way through the entire batch of dough. As with anything the pendulum can swing dramatically. The temple itself was not to be worshipped but the One who dwells within the temple is the object of our praise.

Thus says the Lord: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.’ (Isaiah 66:1-2, ESV)

God reminds the people that while He may rest in the temple He is One who is greater than the temple.

            As Jesus prepares Himself to fulfill His mission we are allowed to hear the conversation Jesus has with the Samaritan woman. The Samaritan woman tells Jesus that the Jews tell her people they can only truly worship at the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus does not hesitate to get to the point and informs her that, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24, NIV). This should sound familiar to the Isaiah 66 passage referenced earlier. “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

            This is the most sacred of tasks as the temple required a holiness and seriousness in order to allow its proper function. If Jesus were to attempt to become the new temple He would need to be blameless and without sin. This is easily said and we are accustomed to reading these words but we must recall that Jesus is the Son of Man as well. “The tabernacle testifies in its structure and function to the holiness of God. Aaron bears the engraving on the diadem, ‘Holy to Yahweh’ (28:36). The priests are warned in the proper administration of their office ‘lest they die’ (30:21), and the death of Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10.1) made clear the seriousness of an offense which was deemed unholy to God.”[2] The statement that Jesus makes to the Samaritan woman literally put His life on the line.

            Jesus is the new temple. We will not be focusing on how His followers become the temple in Christ but rather just on His role as Lord and Messiah. As Jesus upholds His role as Lord we must also uphold our role as servant. The follower today cannot merely gather information and proclaim their righteousness by way of temple sanctuary. “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord’” (Jeremiah 7:3, ESV). While the temple was in place it performed its role but the temple did not save without sacrifice and the obedience of the worshipper.

            Jesus is both human and divine and therefore can provide that place where heaven and earth meet once more. The temple is in place to this day but the worshipper is still called to be of truth and spirit. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21, NIV). Both covenants make this clear concerning the temple, contrite in spirit and trembles at my word versus worshipping in spirit and in truth. This theme of worshippers being obedient to the will of God is nothing new. It stands as one of the foundational statutes in having a relationship with God.

            From the Law of Moses to the grace of Jesus the theme remains the same. Both should produce a worshipper who worships in truth and in spirt, who is contrite in spirit and trembles at His word. One of the easiest rhetorical devices used in the Scripture is repetition. “Although the basic unit of thought remains the individual line, the most recurring feature of Hebrew poetry is repetition.”[3] When we see warnings or sayings multiple times this is by design and demands our focus and attention. It calls to our most basic understandings of parenting and childhood. There is a reason for the frustration a parent feels when they say, “How many times have I told you…”

            Today’s contemporary follower of Jesus must worship in the temple. They must also recognize the temple is not a building any longer. The temple did not exist for man’s glory and even with all the effort and attention to detail placed in its construction man could never take credit for God being among them. “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands” (Acts 17:24, NIV). So why worship in the temple today? Jesus is the temple and He is both Spirit and truth and this is what the Father seeks.

            When we marvel at the wrong object we can be assured that the Lord will redirect us towards His Son the true temple and the true object of our worship and awe. “And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down’” (Mark 13:1-2, ESV). Jesus is the One who forgives our sins through His own eternal and everlasting sacrifice of blood. Jesus is the one place where heaven and earth meet through His own person being both human and divine. Jesus fulfills the covenant of Abraham and is the blessing to all the nations. In Him we become the house of God.  

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[1] Peterson, David. Engaging With God: A Biblical Theology of Worship. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992, 81.

[2] Deffinbaugh, Robert L. Exodus: The Birth of The Nation. May 17, 2004. https://bible.org/seriespage/32-tabernacle-dwelling-place-god-exodus-368-3943#P3537_1339631 (accessed March 7, 2017).

[3] Köstenberger, Andreas J. , and Richard Patterson. Invitation to Biblical Interpretation: Exploring the Hermeneutical Triad of History, Literature, and Theology. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2011.

Finding the Heart of a Passage

          Finding the heart of a passage or getting to the root of a matter has always been the most effective way to understand or deal with an issue. This is because the individual pursuing the heart of a matter is no longer dealing with symptoms but is instead at the core of an issue. This is much the same as when dealing with an illness. The individual can continue to fight off the sniffles or cough but until they recognize the problem is not the cough but the virus there will be no real progress made. The aim of this essay is to not focus on the symptoms or effects of the selected texts in Ephesians and Colossians but to hone in on the cause or heart of the passages.

            Although the goal is to reach the heart of the passage we will have perspectives added to both selections in order to understand these passages in the context of church and Christ. Ephesians 2:17-22 will carry the concept of the church while Colossians 1:15-20 will be our text as Paul describes Christ. These two concepts work in perfect unity as both rely on one another in order to maintain proper function, much like the wings of an airplane. This may come across as offensive to some as no believer would place anything on parallel with Christ and rightly so. This paper will not attempt to do that either but rather show their coexistence and intertwined dependence upon each other.

            The concept of the church is always being taught in the New Testament because it was in fact new. The Christ has come, now what? The church in Ephesus was no different and was in need of Paul’s direction on church life. The first two versus in text Ephesians 2:17-22 set the stage of what the church was supposed to represent. “He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

(Ephesians 2:17-18, NIV) Like many of the churches the Ephesians were attempting to pull rank over one another. Paul begins his teaching with the calling of Christ to those far and near.

            This concept is one of unity regardless of position or heritage. This can be stated boldly as Paul follows this thought with the fact that both have access to the Father by one Spirit. This theme of “one” presents itself over and over throughout Ephesians and is in reference to the church. Paul is communicating the ideals and representation of what the body of Christ, the church, should function as existentially. “The Ephesian Letter presents the basic structure which humanity needs for the true expression of communal life. That structure is the fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ, which constitutes the essence of what we call the Christian Church.”[1] For the church to function as a body it must unify under those same guidelines, i.e., the heart is not more important than the lungs.

            This understanding must produce something. “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” (Ephesians 2:19-20, NIV) Since Jesus has brought peace to those that are far as well as near both are members of his household. In a household there is no difference to the father, all his children are sacred and in this Paul demonstrates God’s justice and mercy. “The Church is the universal community designed by God to transcend and embrace all differences of race, station, and sex that divide mankind. It constitutes the pattern for all true community, so that the surest way to achieve human harmony in the secular order is to extend the bounds of the Christian community throughout the world.”[2] No ranking system, even for those who bore titles within the church.

            “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the

Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:21-22, NIV) Paul gives another example of unity in the Spirit by describing how all of this far and near, no longer strangers, and household concepts come together. In him we are joined together in order to become a holy temple but only as a community of believers can we represent this temple. Paul closes this text with a powerful reminder that when we are unified God lives with us through His Spirit.

            The Ephesian church had to be addressed in this manner as they were competing for prominence and concerned with only their own well-being. This is common in the world and perhaps this is the exact dividing line Paul was attempting to draw for the church. “It is addressed to Christians who were tempted to be unloving, divisive, selfish, arrogant, and overly concerned about their own rights. The congregation was ‘in danger of disintegration because of a competitive spirit creeping in among the members.’”[3] The heart of the passage concerning the church is that there is no difference between the members because Christ has called them all regardless of worldly position or ambitions.

            Colossians is a letter that reminds the church why it must live the way it does. It is one thing to make all the rules for a church and have a list of expectations but without a purpose or direction the church would fade into no more than a social club. It was not uncommon for the Apostles to give direction to the church by way of their doctrine or code of ethics. However, this was not a legalistic routine by any means as each would share in the context of the specific church in need. “The core words and ideas are the same (submission), the same groups are addressed (slaves, husbands/wives), the "Christian living" context is the same. It is evident however, that Peter, while using the same basic source, edited his material for the situations he faced.”[4] The Colossian church also had its own situation that needed to be addressed.

            We see a different theme in the Colossians letter from the Ephesians in that Christ was not at the center of the church. It can be difficult to separate the ends from the means at times especially when the leaf is green so to speak. The letter to the Colossians is not so much concerned with the function of the church but rather the direction. False teachers had slipped in and were spreading fine sounding ideals throughout the church. “In 2:8, Paul says that the Colossian believers are being taken captive by a false philosophy, by empty deceit, and this is ‘according to human tradition, according to the elemental beings of the world (στοιχεία του κόσμου) and not according to Christ.’”[5] Regardless of the logic or philosophy there is but one foundation for the church.

            Colossians 1:15-20 reminds the church that Christ is supreme and that all things are under Him. This is said in direct response to the issues facing the church. Both concepts of church and Christ are being brought together here. The church does not operate outside of Christ but rather under Him as the head of the body. Therefore, no other teaching can be accepted for church life outside of Christ. These letters or the bible for that matter were not written to express some theological ideals. The theology is already expressed in Christ, what is left is living the teaching of Jesus within the body, showing ourselves to be His.

The Ephesians are given a lesson about how the church lives because of Christ, while the Colossians are shown how the church operates under the authority of Christ. “The theological ideas of Scripture do not arise from systematic theology but from the interplay of ancient texts and ideas with current events and problems (all happening within the passage itself!). The Bible is a process of recording events and interpreting them for the community of faith.”[6] Christ has the supremacy of all and He has called all into peace, therefore the church must respond in accordance with the grace given to it.

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[1] Mackay, John Alexander. "Church order, its meaning and implications: a study in the Epistle to the Ephesians." Theology Today 9, no. 4, 1953: 450-466, 450. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed January 23, 2017).

[2] Mackay, John Alexander. "Church order, its meaning and implications: a study in the Epistle to the Ephesians." Theology Today 9, no. 4, 1953: 450-466, 450-451. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed January 23, 2017).

[3] MacLeod, David J. "Imitating the incarnation of Christ: an exposition of Philippians 2:5-8." Bibliotheca Sacra 158, no. 631, 2001: 308-330. 310. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed January 25, 2017).

[4] GCU, Lecture 5. "BIB-621 New Testament Exegesis: Epistles and Revelation." Grand Canyon University. Phoenix, AZ, 2016.

[5] Blackwell, Benjamin C. "You are filled in him: theosis and Colossians 2-3." Journal of Theological Interpretation 8, no. 1, 2014: 103-123, 105. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed January 24, 2017).

[6] GCU, Lecture 5. "BIB-621 New Testament Exegesis: Epistles and Revelation." Grand Canyon University. Phoenix, AZ, 2016.