The One Thing Needed (5)
In response, Jesus offers Martha a rather gentle correction. His criticism is twofold. First, she is "worried and upset." Her agitated state of mind prevents her from maintaining correct judgments and priorities, and to assume the position of a disciple of Christ. Second, she is worried and upset "about many things." Thus she errs both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Martha's condition prevents her from obtaining the spiritual benefits that is readily available because of Christ's presence, and from focusing on the one thing that is needed. In contrast, Mary is sitting at the Lord's feet, in the position of a disciple, to hear his teachings.7 She has chosen rightly, and Jesus defends and protects this choice, saying, "it will not be taken away from her."
From a "history of redemption" perspective – that is, from Luke's own broader concern about how this episode fits into the rest of his Gospel and then also the rest of Scripture, and its significance in the progressive unveiling of God's plan, in which the work of Christ is a climax (Hebrews 1:1-2) – this passage is concerned not only with showing us the priority of the contemplative over the active and the spiritual over the social, or even the fact that women as well as men are to become the disciples of Christ and to receive doctrinal instructions. It teaches us all these things and more.
Christ is the highest revelation of God, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). His coming is a personal manifestation of God's kingdom, and for one to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness is to become his disciple, to give him the priority, and to hear and obey his teachings (Matthew 7:24-29). To become his disciple means more than to make him one minor aspect of our lives, but it means to let his teachings invade every area of our thought and conduct. This in turn transforms our beliefs, agendas, expectations, and relationships.
7 "According to the rabbis, learning Torah is better than any other activity," Craig A. Evans, Luke (Hendrickson Publishers, 1990), p. 179.
(to be continued)
The One Thing Needed (4)
Lenski thinks that Martha's complaint exhibits no irreverence or faultfinding against Jesus. He writes, "But this would have been open impoliteness and rudeness, and Jesus' reply indicates nothing of this kind."5 However, this argument begs the question, as it is based only on Lenski's speculation as to what Jesus' reply would have been if Martha's statement had exhibited "open impoliteness and rudeness." In fact, one may more naturally say that her statement indeed exhibits "open impoliteness and rudeness," only that Jesus' reply demonstrates his patience toward her.
Lenski continues: "Some have found open disrespect in the words, 'carest thou not' but forget Martha's address, 'Lord,' and the obvious reply that Jesus would have had to make, namely promptly to withdraw."6 In other words, he thinks that it is impossible to address Jesus as "Lord" and show disrespect at the same time.
But this is a naïve interpretation, and it is Lenski who has forgotten all the biblical examples in which, even the prophets who addressed him as the Sovereign and Almighty in the same breath, have sometimes expressed frustration against God. Of course, any complaint that is more than an expression of personal need and distress, but that amounts to finding fault with God, is illegitimate and sinful. At times, they were patiently encouraged; at other times, they were sternly rebuked.
Lenski's argument implies that one must always speak as a thoroughgoing atheist or non-Christian when one exhibits irreverence, but this is false. One mode of irreverent behavior is precisely to recognize who God is and then speak as if he is not who he is, or to acknowledge his wisdom, power, and justice, and then speak in a way that questions his wisdom, power, and justice.
To call Jesus "Lord" and then criticize or contradict him only makes one's irreverence all the more sinful. By Lenski's reasoning, Matthew 16:16 would neutralize any irreverence in Matthew 16:22. But to "rebuke" Jesus, as if to correct him about his own mission on earth, and after one has just called him "Christ, the Son of the Living God," only makes Peter's irreverence all the more glaring and inexcusable. Thus the response, "Get behind me, Satan!" (v. 23), is altogether appropriate.
So, let us qualify and soften our criticisms against Martha in whatever way that is appropriate – let us say that she errs out of frustration and ignorance, but not malice – but we must not dismiss what she says altogether. Her statement is indeed impolite and irreverent.
This is, therefore, a warning to us about the frustration that can arise when we are anxious over doing what we think is appropriate and necessary, instead of following God's program of discipleship. And this frustration can lead to a false judgment against our brothers and sisters in Christ, and an outburst of irreverence against the very God that we claim to promote and worship by our distracted condition.
5 R. C. H. Lenski, Commentary on the New Testament: The Interpretation of St. Luke's Gospel (Hendrickson Publishers), p. 614.
6 Ibid. Lenski again refers to "the obvious reply that Jesus would have had to make." But this is nothing more than speculation, and it is not obvious at all. It is illegitimate to speculate about what Jesus would have done unless Lenski can demonstrate that it is a necessary implication of something that is in the text, or in some other parts of the Bible.
(to be continued)
The One Thing Needed (3)
Martha, on the other hand, is so distracted by all the things she does to welcome her guest that she fails to pay attention to his teachings. Her behavior is not obviously wrong. She is the hostess and a woman, and she is acting according to social propriety and expectation. But man or woman, then or now, it is never socially proper or expected for one to become a true disciple of Christ – to hear and obey his teachings will always entail defiance against the world's standards and expectations.
Finally, Martha bursts out in frustration, not directly at Mary, but at Jesus: "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" She could have said, "Lord, I would like to be a good host and give you and your disciples a warm welcome, and usually I would be expected to perform all that I am doing. However, instead of helping me, my sister Mary is sitting at your feet listening to your teachings. Should she be helping me, or should I sit down with her and listen to you?"
Instead, without asking what Jesus prefers, and more than assuming that Jesus would side with her, Martha assumes that he should side with her, and she is annoyed at him that he has not already done something about the situation. Her frustration has led her to falsely judge Mary's behavior, and then also the Lord's tolerance of what she perceives to be Mary's negligence.
(to be continued)
The One Thing Needed (2)
While Martha welcomes Jesus as an honored guest, Mary welcomes him as a spiritual Teacher. One welcomes him from a social perspective, and the other from a spiritual perspective. The two are not in inherent conflict, but one cannot act in a manner that gives equal emphasis to both. So the question remains: Is Jesus a Teacher who happens to be a guest, or is he a guest who happens to be a Teacher?
Luke writes that Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to hear his words. At this point, Luke refers to Jesus as "the Lord," and this is to be repeated before this episode is over. That she "sat at the Lord's feet" indicates more than her physical posture, or even a submissive attitude, but the expression identifies her as a disciple. Paul was "brought up…at the feet of Gamaliel" (Acts 22:3, KJV).
The idea of discipleship is reinforced when Luke writes that Mary has assumed this posture to hear the teachings of Jesus. This directly connects this episode to the "hearing" motif so evident throughout this Gospel. Consider Luke 6:473 and 11:28,4 and of course, the parable of the sower (8:4-15), too long to reproduce here.
What Luke describes here is unusual not only because a woman has taken a disciple's position under first-century Judaism, but also because Jesus permits and then even defends her decision to be his disciple. We will say more about this later.
3 "I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice."
4 "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
(to be continued)
The One Thing Needed (1)
LUKE 10:38-42
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
A full exposition of our passage should explain how it fits into the broader concerns of the Gospel, noting the Lukan motifs of hearing, service, hospitality, journey, and so forth.1 For our modest purpose, however, a brief and narrow treatment will have to suffice.
Although the episode begins with "Jesus and his disciples" traveling together, it immediately narrows its focus on Jesus.2 Then, for the rest of this narrative unit, we read only about his relation to Martha and Mary, and perhaps also a little about the relation between these sisters (v. 40), while the disciples fall to the background.
Luke does not identify the "village," but he mentions that Martha and Mary had their "home" there. John also mentions these sisters, and there he writes that they lived in Bethany (John 11:1), about two miles from Jerusalem (John 11:18).
The verse says that "a woman named Martha opened her home." Martha seems to be the one who takes the initiative in the biblical narratives (v. 38; also John 11:20), who is responsible for the affairs of the household, and who is more socially active and aggressive. Probably for this reason, it is often assumed that she is the elder sister.
Mary, on the other hand, appears more passive (v. 39; John 11:20, 28-29), but nevertheless thoughtful and passionate (John 12:3). In fact, she appears more spiritually advanced than some of the others in her grasp of Christ's significance and in the way that he ought to be treated (see John 12:1-8).
1 Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997), p. 433.
2 Even if it is possible, contrary to one interpretation, it is not probable that the disciples have temporarily parted ways with Jesus by the time he arrives at the village.
(to be continued)
New PDF: "The Noble Bereans"
"The Noble Bereans" is now available as a PDF at:
The Noble Bereans (6)
Just as we should follow their example as hearers, we should not be satisfied with anything less from our audience as preachers. And this means that Christian ministers must strive to be the same kind of preachers that the Bereans heard, so that like Paul, we should preach and reason "from the Scriptures, explaining and proving" Christ to our hearers.
Still, because of the imbalanced way that many people have applied our verse, we must again remind ourselves of its main point, and the main reason why the Bereans were called noble. They were not commended because they were suspicious and hostile, but because they were eager to hear the gospel.
Their attitude was, "You have brought us a good message from God, let us also see it from the Scriptures," rather than, "Don't take us for stupid and gullible people. We are not going to let you get away with anything, and we won't believe anything that you say unless you prove it to us from the Scriptures." Now, the first attitude does not reflect any gullibility either, but it is characterized by a noble character, an openness to God's revelation.
God is not pleased when discernment becomes resistance and hard-heartedness in disguise. As Scripture says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 4:7). Christians of "noble" character are not maliciously suspicious, but they are intelligently teachable. They respect God's messengers; they are eager to hear God's word; and they are quick to believe and quick to obey.
So if we are going to emulate the noble Bereans, then we will readily receive God's word from faithful ministers, and we will be so eager to affirm and practice the truth they proclaim that we will examine the Scripture "every day" (v. 11), so that we will construct our right belief and worship on the sure rock of revelation also.
Let us continue to teach believers to "test everything," but when we speak about the Bereans, let us also accurately relate the nature of their noble character, that they were eager to hear and receive the word of God. And we must not lose this simple devotion to the word of God even if we think that we have gained much knowledge and discernment; rather, let us stay humble, teachable – and noble.
(end of series)
The Noble Bereans (5)
However, this "open-mindedness" is at the same time specific and restricted. It is at this point that we should proceed to the latter part of the verse, which tells us that, although the Bereans were eager to hear from God, they were not at all foolish or gullible people. And because we have already considered the main point of the verse, which is to say that they were teachable and receptive to the gospel, we are now ready to consider how this openness is qualified.
They were nothing like the people of Athens, who "spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas" (v. 21). They were not eager to hear the apostles out of mere curiosity or for intellectual stimulation and entertainment, and they were not open to just any new theory or doctrine that sought their attention. Rather, they were interested in learning the truth, in whether "those things were so" (KJV), and not just in hearing something that sounds interesting or unusual. And to determine whether "those things were so" that Paul preached, they "examined the Scriptures."
Thus they showed that they were "open-minded" not in the sense that they were foolish or gullible, and still less were they relativistic or pluralistic. They were not open to just anything or anyone. But by striving for truth, they showed that their openness was rational, and by searching the Scripture, they showed that their openness was biblical, such that all non-biblical theories and doctrines were excluded from the start. This is also part of their noble character, and this is also what believers today must emulate.
Moreover, since it is in this manner and on this basis that "many of them believed," it also showed that theirs "was no mere emotional response to the gospel, but one based on intellectual conviction."5 Theirs was a genuine faith, an intellectual conviction about revealed truth, and a spiritual life founded on this biblical and rational conviction can survive the tests of persecution and temptation.
5 I. Howard Marshall, Acts (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980), p. 280.
(to be continued)
The Noble Bereans (4)
Many commentaries fail to acknowledge this primary emphasis or to give it the proper place in their expositions, and at this moment I cannot recall hearing even one minister who made this the main point in his sermon when he preached on verse 11. I do not doubt that some ministers have recognized the primary thrust of the verse and have preached accordingly, but these instances seem to be too few. Instead, the verse is most often used to teach discernment, and in a way that obscures the positive characteristic of the eager acceptance of God's word.
Along with several others, Matthew Henry is one notable exception to this neglect. For a commentary that has to cover much ground, he nevertheless devotes a significant section to how the Bereans were eager to receive the gospel. The section that immediate follows on discernment is only slightly longer. He writes:
They neither prejudged the cause, nor were moved with envy at the managers of it, as the Jews at Thessalonica were, but very generously gave both it and them a fair hearing…They did not pick quarrels with the word, nor find fault, nor seek occasion against the preachers of it; but bade it welcome, and put a candid construction upon everything that was said. Herein they were more noble than the Jews in Thessalonica…3
It is only with this in mind that we can properly understand verse 11, and to understand with what attitude the Bereans "examined the Scriptures." The Bereans were noble in character not because they were suspicious or hard to convince, but because they were teachable and receptive to the gospel. For this reason, some translations and commentaries suggest translating "noble" as "liberal," "generous," "fair-minded," or "open-minded."4
3 Matthew Henry's Commentary, Vol. 6: Acts to Revelation (Hendrickson Publishers), p. 179.
4 Although these translations are consistent with the intended meaning of the verse, it is better to retain "noble," since the original word refers to something of high quality, whether in terms of birth or character. The context suffices in telling us in what sense and in what way the Bereans were noble, and something like "open-minded" seems too interpretive, losing some of the verse's original meaning.
(to be continued)
The Noble Bereans (3)
Out of a jealous resistance to the gospel message, these Jews incited a riot in the city against the apostles. They manipulated the situation against these preachers of the gospel by leveling misleading accusations against them. Verse 10 shows how the Christians helped Paul and Silas escape to Berea.
Religious politics is a hideous evil, and it is rampant in our day. Even in the best Christian circles, theological conflicts are often not carried out by only rational discourse, but also by inciting the crowd, and by applying social and political pressure. One side of the issue is often preferred by the crowd and by the institutions, and thus biblical arguments and reasoned appeals are often suppressed and drowned out.
Sometimes a semblance of a refutation might appear, but even then, the often unbiblical and irrational position is still supported more by its popularity with the people and the institutions than by biblical revelation. But those who stand firm on Scripture and Reason2 have nothing to fear, that is, except for the very souls of those who persecute them.
In any case, it is in contrast with these Thessalonians that verse 11 praises the noble character of the Bereans. Accordingly, we should expect the virtue of the Bereans to be the opposite of the vice of the Thessalonians. Right away, we realize that this virtue cannot be that they checked up on the preaching of the apostles; otherwise, it would imply that the vice of the Thessalonians was that they were too quick to believe the gospel, but verses 5-9 tell us the opposite.
The virtue of the Bereans was the opposite of the vice of the Thessalonians in that the Bereans "received the message with great eagerness." Unlike some of the Jews at Thessalonica, the Bereans did not doubt or resist the gospel message, and they did not persecute the preachers or give them a hard time. This is Scripture's main emphasis in verse 11, and when seeking to imitate the Bereans, it is this characteristic that we must first recognize and consider.
2 Scripture is a revelation of Christ the Reason, or Logos, and only what is scriptural is rational. In this sense, I equate the two.
(to be continued)
The Noble Bereans (2)
The main emphasis of verse 11 is easy to grasp if we will just read the whole verse, and then the verse in the context of the first half of Acts 17.
The word translated "noble" can refer to either noble birth or noble character. It is clearly used in the latter sense in our verse. As for in what way the Bereans were noble, the verse applies the word to them in contrast with the character of "the Thessalonians." Therefore, to understand the Bereans' noble character, we should first return to the beginning of Acts 17 and read about the Thessalonians:
When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. (v. 1-4)
Whenever Paul arrived at a new location in his missionary journeys, it was his custom to first visit the local synagogues so that he could preach to the Jews (see v. 10, 17).1 The Jews professed faith in the Scripture, and it should have been natural for them to eagerly embrace a message declaring the perfect fulfillment of scriptural promises. Thus Paul "reasoned with them from the Scriptures," and it was on the basis of Scripture that he preached the gospel, and this means "explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead."
As a result, a number of people (both Jews and Greeks) believed and were saved. But these were not "the Thessalonians" that verse 11 is talking about. Rather, the problems appear starting from verse 5:
But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go. (v. 5-9)
1 For a detailed exposition on the second half of Acts 17, in which Paul deals with a non-Jewish audience, including some Greek philosophers, please see my Presuppositional Confrontations, chapter 2.
(to be continued)
The Noble Bereans (1)
ACTS 17:11
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
When Christian ministers and believers mention the Bereans, they usually have in mind a group of individuals who had discernment, and who were not easily fooled by just any new message that came along, because they were careful to check up on everything that a preacher said with Scripture. These were not gullible people, and they were not about to accept anything someone taught unless it came right out of Scripture. And since Scripture calls these people "noble," it is appropriate to imitate their example.
This in itself is a sound biblical teaching, and other parts of Scripture also confirm it. For example, 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, "Test everything. Hold on to the good," and 1 John 4:1 warns, "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
However, in directing most of their attention to the latter portion of Acts 17:11, which says that the Bereans "examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true," many people have failed to recognize the main thrust of the verse, and one of the main points of the first half of Acts 17.
The real virtue of the Bereans is asserted by the main emphasis of the verse, and not in the explanation or qualification to the main emphasis of the verse. Since the Bereans are so often presented as models worthy of our imitation, a distorted or partial view of their virtue would result in a distorted or partial imitation, and thus a flawed character in precisely the area in which we wish to learn from them.
(to be continued)
New Book: "Doctrine and Obedience"
This is to announce the publication of Doctrine and Obedience. It is a collection of short articles on various aspects of Christian doctrine and practice. Also included is "Kingdom First," previously released as an independent article.
The downloadable version is available right now at:
http://www.vincentcheung.com/books/docobedience.pdf
Note that, from now on, the downloadable (PDF) version of the book represents the official, current, and "final" version of the articles that originally appeared on this blog. All future modifications to these articles will be made to the PDF, and not on this blog.
I plan to release the paperbacks for the three recently released books within two weeks. I will announce it here when that happens.
— // —
Meanwhile, I would like to start working on new writing projects right away. These include several standalone articles and a number of short series that I have been planning. As mentioned earlier, if I will make myself post new materials here at least three or four times a week, if not every day, this will help keep these writing projects from getting too complicated and lengthy, so that I will not get stuck working on any of them for too long before moving on to the next one.
In a sense, what I have in mind is to allow all of you to regularly look over my shoulder as I produce the first draft of every new piece of writing. This will give you all something to read, and it will keep me moving. Anyway, we’ll see what happens. I think it will work well.
Keeping Track of Different Editions
There is a question about how to keep track of the different editions of my books, since they are available on different formats, and some have undergone major revisions. The person also asked about the meaning of the "last modified" dates listed under all the books and articles at the RMI site where they are distributed.
This is how it works:
Using my Systematic Theology as an example, the last major revision of the book is listed on the copyright page, and also in the file name. So if the copyright says only "2001" and the file name is without a year (theology.pdf), this means that the book was first published in 2001 and has received no major revision since then.
But in this case, the copyright page says "2001, 2003" and the file name is "theology2003," which means that a major revision occurred in 2003.
I have made it a policy to never make more than one major revision to a book within the same year, so that the final year number listed on the copyright page will always accurately function as the version number of the book.
Now, the "last modified" date says "02/28/2005," which is way after 2003. This date indicates the last time that I made a minor change to the text, such as correcting a typo.