In-Depth Studies

Triumph of the Lamb by Dennis Johnson, published by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 2001, clothbound, 384 pages.

It has been a while since I have enjoyed a commentary like this one. Dennis Johnson, who teaches at Westminster Theological Seminary in California, has written a commentary on the book of Revelation from an amillennial point of view. This commentary is not difficult to read or to follow. Dennis does an excellent job in showing how the book of Revelation reveals God’s plan for the end in the form of visions. These visions, by there very nature, are not to be taken literally. He shows how the apostle John took imagery from Ezekiel, Zechariah, Daniel and the plagues of Egypt to teach us about the fulfillment of history from Pentecost to the 2nd Coming, the New Covenant era. It is true that Johnson, who is an advocate of Covenant Theology, is at times a bit handicapped in his understanding of how the Old relates to the New and especially the role of Israel in the plan of God. It would be better if he understood Israel as a temporary unbelieving picture of the people of God. But, do not let this criticism deter you from this quality commentary. 

One of the great strengths of Triumph of the Lamb is its handling of the book of Revelation as literature. Once you grasp that Revelation is a series of visions that are not meant to be taken literally and there order of appearance is not necessarily chronological you will begin to see the wonders of the unfolding plan of God.

I see the book of Revelation as first and foremost a devotional book. We live as it were in the “cheap seats.” Our ability to see the big picture is handicapped by our point of view. The book of Revelation gives us a glimpse behind the scenes. What we see is that our God has all of history under his control and that his plan is infolding right on schedule, a German train schedule. The children of God are protected and only experience what their Father in heaven, in his love, has determined for them. The wicked, contrary to what we typically see, do not get away with their sin. There eternal judgment is guaranteed and none get away.

Category : Author: Geoff Volker, Book Reviews, Eschatology, In-Depth Studies Blog

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BOOK REVIEW

The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller, published by Dutton, 2008, 139 pages, clothbound.

I am not a big fan of writing a negative book review, but in this instance I am making an exception. The book Prodigal God is very popular in Calvinistic circles. And since I live in those circles I feel compelled to say a few words about the book. Tim Keller is a PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in downtown New York city. He is an excellent writer who is easy to read. He is a good communicator. He understands the necessity of the new heart in the life of a real believer. But having said all this I must now share my thoughts regarding his book

Prodigal God is a short book about the parable of the lost son or “prodigal son” in Luke 15:11-32. Tim Keller misses the point of the parable and spends the rest of the book addressing issues that have nothing to do with the parable. Let’s first discuss his handling of the parable. Parables are folksy stories from everyday life that all of Jesus’ hearers would understand. Every parable teaches something about the kingdom of God. In response to a question from his disciples as to why he taught in parables Jesus says that he taught in parables to hide these truths about the kingdom from the Israelites and fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9-10. It was God’s plan that Israel not believe (except for a remnant) and parables had a role to play in fulfilling that prophecy. Parables tell us something about the kingdom. The details of the parable are not relevant except that they do tell a story. Each parable has something to say about the kingdom. Unless Jesus interprets the details, as he does in two of the parables (sower and weeds) we cannot read into the details for we would only be guessing as what they might mean for us today. Scripture interprets itself, or to say it another way, God is his own interpreter.

The parable of the prodigal son is all about God rejoicing over one sinner who repents. In Luke 15 we have three parables that follow the criticism of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law regarding the time Jesus spent with tax collectors and “sinners.” Jesus response is to give three parables, the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Each of these parables says the same thing through three different stories. The point of the parables is that the repentance of one sinner causes all of heaven to rejoice and therefore that would explain why Jesus spent his time with those who knew that they were in great need. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law did not see their need.

Tim Keller seeks to show that the parable of the lost son is all about two different types of unbelievers, and he spends the bulk of this time on the “religious” unbeliever as represented by the elder brother. He then seeks to find signifcance from all of the various details of the parable. To try to get something from the details of the parable is to guess as to what the parable might be trying to say. There is no way to verify his conclusions. They are just guesses. He then goes on discuss various issues regarding the church that have no relevance to the parable of the lost son.

The book Prodigal God is a book that seems to be a forum for Tim Keller to share his views and is looking for a text to justify his conclusions. I cannot recommend the book. Tim Keller is a very good guy but his handling of Scripture is not very good. As I close I would encourage you to let God be his own interpreter and to resist the temptation to guess as to what a particular Scripture is saying. The parable of the lost son is a wonderful parable to remind us of that most important truth, that of entering the kingdom of God by saving faith, and this is what causes all in heaven to rejoice. That is why it says, For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. (Luke 19:10)

Category : Author: Geoff Volker, Book Reviews, In-Depth Studies Blog, Interpreting Scripture

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In these days of economic uncertainty and suffering it is good for the believer to have a biblical perspective on what is happening to him. What we are talking about is having a biblical attitude about all of life. What does Scripture say about how we are to view what is happening to us?  Well…. I am glad that you asked that question for Scripture is quite clear on this issue. In Romans 8:28 we are told that everything will work out for our good if we are a believer.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 NIV)

The reason that everything works out for our good is because our Father in heaven is controlling everything that happens to us and he is motivated in what he does to us by this love for us and his perfect wisdom. Now it is important to understand that when we sin we and we alone are responsible for our sin (Acts 4:27-28). We are never allowed to blame our God for our sin even though in some way he is the first cause of all that we experience in our life (1 John 1:5). Therefore in light of all this we must come to the conclusion that whatever we experience in our life is the result of the work of a loving Father. If this is true, and it is, then we must conclude that whatever we experience in our life is exactly what our Father wants us to experience. That means that everything that has happened is an essential part of God’s plan for our life. His love for us has determined that we must experience what we have experienced. Nothing else will do. 

This means that our only biblical response which glorifies our Lord is one of true thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18, Ephesians 5:20). To give thanks is to embrace what our Father has done and to acknowledge that WHATEVER HE DOES IS RIGHT and we love him for doing it that way. We are acknowledging his perfect wisdom in what he is doing in our life. This truth is very freeing to the believer. It means that we are never the victim and there is absolutely no room for any self-pity. To indulge in self-pity is to indulge in unbelief. To look at life from a biblical point of view transforms our attitude and enables us to have true joy in all of life (1 Thessalonians 5:16). This is my confidence, this is my certainty, that whatever my God does in my life is motivated by his love for me and his perfect wisdom. Knowing this means that the only response that glorifies him is one of truly giving thanks for all that he has done. Whatever my God does is right!

Category : Author: Geoff Volker, In-Depth Studies Blog, Theology Applied

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I was doing some reading in Scripture and I came across Numbers 28. This is the chapter that describes the various offerings that must be done in the nation of Israel. There are the daily offerings, the Sabbath offerings, the monthly offerings, etc. Now, to be honest I normally do not find this portion of Scripture very stimulating. I typically race through it to get to something that it is more interesting or relevant. The detailed descriptions of the various offerings that were to be done by Israelites seem not only to be tedious reading but also a tedious way to live. So… how do we make sense of this section of Scripture. It is the word of God and therefore it is profitable for us to study (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The challenge is to find out how we are to view this passage so that we can find a proper application for our lives.I believe that the answer lies in the concept of offering or sacrifice in both an Old Covenant and New Covenant sense. From an Old Covenant point of view the sacrifices of the Mosaic Law were required by God yet from a New Covenant perspective they did not take away any sin.

But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Hebrews 10:3)

First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you please with them” (although the law required them to be made). Then he said, ” Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:8-10)

The author of Hebrews is making the point that the offerings and sacrifices were required by God in the Old Covenant era yet they did not secure the forgiveness of sins. What then was the purpose of those sacrifices? When we repeatedly read in Leviticus that the doing of the proper sacrifice or will bring about forgiveness (Leviticus 4:26) what are we make of this? It would seem that in light of the teaching passages in the New Covenant era on the subject of Old Covenant sacrifices and offerings we are to understand that the sacrifices and offerings never paid for the sin of the one who was offering the sacrifice. It did give them a right standing in the nation of Israel but not acceptance by the God of Israel. Only the death of Jesus Christ on the cross can accomplish the forgiveness of sins.  So, the sacrifices and offerings of the Old Covenant era functioned only as a picture of something that the death of Jesus on the cross would accomplish. If you only read the Old Testament that truth would not be very clear. Therefore we must read the Old through the lens of the New.

In the New Covenant era the subject of sacrifice is dealt with in a very different way. Jesus did offer himself as our sacrifice on the cross to pay for our sins. Yet we are told to offer our bodies as living sacrifices.

Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. (Romans 12:1)

The believer in the New Covenant era is not burdened with the tedious sacrifices and offerings that were the responsibility of the Israelites under the Old Covenant. Our Savior has made the perfect sacrifice for us and as a result of that we are unconditionally accepted by the Father. But there is a sense in which our lives are characterized by sacrifices. We are to be a living sacrifice to our Lord. All of life must be lived for Him. This is what we will desire to do if we have a new heart, and all those who have their sins forgiven will also have a new heart (Hebrews 10:14). So, in the New Covenant era sacrifice still dominates the people of God just as it dominated the lives of the picture of the people of God in the Old Covenant era. Only in this era the sacrifice that is required is a life that is motivated to do all things for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). 

So as you read the Scriptures please take the time to understand the significance of each portion. It all has meaning for us. All we need to do is to understand why it is there and our boredom will be extinguished.

Category : Author: Geoff Volker, In-Depth Studies Blog, New Covenant Theology, The Bible, Theology Applied

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In Romans 9:22-29 the apostle Paul seems to be giving an explanation to the question of why did God make the non-elect if he had no intention of saving them. His answer is that the non-elect have a part to play in the salvation of the elect. When their role is over then hell will begin. As tough as this answer is my concern is not with Paul’s anwer but with his use of Old Testament scripture to make his point. He quotes Hosea 2:23 and Hosea 1:10 to show that God’s plan has all along been to populate the real people of God with mostly Gentiles. When one looks at the context of both passages from Hosea it is easy to see that the prophet is only talking about ethnic Israel. The Gentiles are not mentioned in the book. But, Paul seems, at least on the surface, to disregard the original context and give the passages a whole new meaning. How are we to understand Paul’s use of the Old Testament?It does seem to me that the book of Hosea is only talking about Israel. In fact, it is a history of the rebellion of the people of Israel in spite of their being the recipients of amazing love from the God of Israel. So… what is really going on? First of all, Paul is writing under the controlling influence of the Holy Spirit. His writings were described as being equally authoritative as the Old Testament scriptures (2 Peter 3:15-16). We cannot say that Paul read something into the passages that was not there by the design of the God of scripture. Paul clearly states that the passages in Hosea were talking about the Gentiles coming to saving faith in the new covenant era. 

Romans 9:24-26 9 (NIV)                                                                                                                                even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? As he says in Hosea:         I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people: and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved       one, and, It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they         will be be called ’sons of the living God.’

Paul is stating that the promise to Israel of future restoration is fulfilled by the coming of the New Covenant era and the establishing of the real people of God who are made up of mostly Gentiles. He is speaking of New Covenant fulfillment in Old Covenant language. Another way of saying this is that the only way that you would be able to understand the true fulfillment of these passages is interpret the old through the lens of the new. God is his own interpreter and he gives us the true meaning of his scripture.                                

Why would God give to Old Covenant Israel only part of the picture? It would seem to me that since Israel was only a temporary, unbelieving picture of the people of God they only needed to understand the passage as speaking of Israel as a picture of what God was going to do through the real people of God, even though they did not grasp the role of Israel as a picture of the people of God. We, on the other hand, who are believers this side of Pentecost in the New Covenant era need to grasp the full meaning of the promise. Therefore we are given the meaning of its true fulfillment. Paul was carefully handling the passages from the book of Hosea. He used these passages in a context that conveyed their true meaning in the New Covenant era.                                                                                                                                       

As we read God’s word we need to be careful to let God interpret his own word. We need to set aside our presuppositions and observe how the biblical writers handled Old Testament passages when they are quoted in the New. To say that since God gave the promise to Israel of its restoration the fulfillment of that promise must of necessity require a literal restoration of ethnic Israel is to impose on that scripture a requirement that God does not impose. God is his own interpreter.

Category : Author: Geoff Volker, In-Depth Studies Blog, New Covenant Theology

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At the end of the 6th day of creation God made the statement that Moses recorded, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31 NIV) The goodness of our God’s creation is under attack and it is necessary that we understand our Father’s creation from the point of view of the new covenant era and the law of Christ. We were created with an sense of taste and an appreciation of beauty and texture. This is said to be “very good.” Yet, this truth has constantly been under attack throughout church history by the teaching of asceticism. This teaching seeks to pursue holiness through the denial of earthly and physical pleasures. This teaching is answered in the New Covenant era by the apostle Paul.

“Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do your submit to its rules: Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” (Colossians 2:20-23 NIV) 

Holiness comes from the work of the Spirit in the life of the believer (Romans 8:5-14). The Spirit causes the believer to be discontented with those things that are displeasing to him (Titus 2:11-12). Whatever we do that is not done for the glory of God must not be done. There was a time in my early walk with the Lord that I could not play tennis to the glory of God since I was so competitive. There was nothing wrong with the game of tennis. I just could not manage to play it with a God-honoring attitude. This applies to the television, movies, etc. There are no foods that are off limits to us today. It would do no good to quote 1 Corinthians 6:20 (NIV) where it is said that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and therefore we should honor God with our bodies, the context is about avoiding the sin of sexual immorality, not certain foods. 

It is true that during the Old Covenant era under the Mosaic Law there were holiness laws that restricted what you could eat (Leviticus 11). It was sin to eat something that was forbidden under the Mosaic Law. But this era was the time of the picture. Our God was illustrating through physical forms spiritual truths (Colossians 2:16-17). Now that we live this side of Pentecost in the New Covenant era we are no longer under the Mosaic law but under the law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:19-21). In the Law of Christ there are no longer any restrictions regarding what we should eat or what we should wear. Now, we are to do all things in such a way as to bring glory to our God. To bring glory is to do everything in a manner that does not go against the law of Christ (Romans 12:2). 

Our Father in heaven has given to his children an amazing world that is to be enjoyed as long as we recognize our obligation to do all things for the glory of God. And in closing is should be noted that all believers have this work of the Spirit working in them that causes them to keep on loving their Lord which results in their having an ever increasing desire to do all things for his glory.

So enjoy certain foods and certain colors and appreciate the beauty that is around you, for you were created this way by the God of heaven and earth and he described his creation as VERY GOOD!

Category : Author: Geoff Volker, In-Depth Studies Blog, Theology Applied

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I left Phoenix on Thursday morning, March 6 and arrived in Minsk, Belarus on Friday at about 1:00 pm. This portion of the trip I was not accompanied by anyone. I haven’t traveled alone overseas for quite some time. The weekend of my arrival was greeted with unusually warm weather, but then it turned to its customary cold ways. On Saturday afternoon I met with Slava Viazovsky and we had lunch together and talked about his ideas for a Doctoral Dissertation at a school in Scotland where he hopes to work on his degree. In the evening I went to the New Covenant Reformed Baptist Church in Gatava (about 30 minutes south of Minsk) to teach the youth of the church. It was a full house and we discussed the new heart. Oleg leads the group and he is in his early 20’s and definitely has a new heart.

On Sunday morning I taught the church and we spent the afternoon with Vladimir and Luda Bukanov (the pastor and his wife) at their flat enjoying a typical delicious meal that Luda provided. It is a real privilege to work with Vladimir. His heart for the Lord is remarkable and his grasp of how the bible fits together is outstanding. The Lord has given us a friendship that will last for eternity and a working relationship that will last for many years to come.

From Monday through Wednesday I taught a conference in Gatava on the subject of “Israel” to various church leaders and some other folks. We examined Israel from every possible biblical point of view. It was a rich time of learning and fellowship. The ladies of the church provided a cooked lunch each day and it was quite good. One highlight of our time at the conference was the visit of two policemen to the church building. They wanted to see me and my passport. We do not know exactly why they were there but I do know that Belarus is cracking down on allowing Americans into the country.

On Wednesday evening I had an open forum for the church in Gatava and was encouraged by the obvious spiritual growth that was evident in their questions and discussion. The spiritual leadership of Vladimir and the other leaders in the church is very evident and it is remarkable what they are doing in this part of the world. At this point I should also point out that the church is seeking to enlarge their church building and they are in need of some funds. Vladimir is also in the midst of trying to finish the building of his home in a nearby village. He also is in need of some funds to finish the job. If you should have any desire to help out with these needs then contact IDS.

On Thursday I spend the afternoon with Anatoly Chukhalyonak, one of two pastors of a church in Minsk that is made up of university students and singles in their 20’s. Anatoly and I spent much time sorting through biblical and pastoral issues. He is a remarkable believer who has a maturity that is far beyond his years. I am looking forward to working with him in the years ahead. That evening I met with a flat full of Anatoly’s students (he teaches English at the Linguistic University in Minsk) and gave them an opportunity to talk with an American in English. I was able to work in an explanation of the gospel and it was a very special evening.

Early Friday morning I was picked up at the hotel at 3:30 am and taken to the airport to get a 5:30 am flight to Vienna and then on to Bucharest, Romania. At the Bucharest airport I met up with Buff Powers, the pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Sussex, WI. Buff arrived from Milwaukee and we took a 6 hour train ride to Comanesti, Romania which is located at north of Bucharest and at the foot of the Carpathian mountains.

Buff and I met up with Adrian Barzu, who is the pastor of the Baptist church in Comanesti, and we took part in a 3 day conference with Romanian and Gypsy pastors and taught them on the subject of New Covenant Theology. We stayed in the newly built dorm portion of the church and the ladies of the church provided all of our meals. Needless to say, I did put on a few pounds. The food was wonderful and seemed to never end. Our time of fellowship with the men was very special. Each morning at 7:30 we had a devotional  time and I thoroughly enjoyed the singing even though I could not understand the Romanian language. Adrian is desiring to establish a teaching center in his portion of Romania and ground folks in the Doctrines of Grace and New Covenant Theology.

On Friday Adrian drove Buff and me to Oradia, Romania which is located on the western border with Hungary. The trip took 9 hours and we drove through the mountains of Transylvania. It was a beautiful trip and his son Andy joined us for this excursion. We went to this portion of Romania to visit a missionary to the gypsy children and women who is supported by Buff’s church. Buff needed to see her ministry. Her name is Kim and she is 32 years old and has a terrific grasp of the Romanian language and easily adapts to its culture. She was our host while we were there. Our trip came to a close with a 3 hours trip to Budapest, Hungary to get the plane to come home.

Upon reflection I would say that both portions of the trip were very successful. It remains to be seen what the future holds regarding my getting into Belarus. But, that being said, I would also say that my commitment to the men there remains as strong as ever, though we may have to be a bit more creative in our approach in the future.  The future possibilities of teaching for Adrian in Romania do seem to be limitless and I do want to be a part of grounding leaders in that part of the world. Thank you for your prayers and financial help to make this trip possible. It is amazing to see how this portion of my ministry has grown since that first trip to Minsk in February of 1996. It is amazing to be a part of his unfolding plan. Bye for now, Geoff

Category : Author: Geoff Volker, In-Depth Studies Blog, Misc

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