Phil. 3:7-17, Beholding the Mark! Scopus, Inc.

Today we have one of my favorites.  We have an organization called “Scopus Inc.”  The goal is that people’s attention will be focused more clearly on Christ.  There is a story we often share that gives an illustration of “scopus.”  Mt. Scopus was the point at which pilgrims could first see the temple if coming from the north of Israel.  In 70AD the Romans camped there in their campaign that destroyed the temple and Jerusalem.  Over the centuries it remained the place where Jews, even if denied entrance into the city, could view the city from the north. 

The word “scopus” literally means “lookout.”  The only use of the noun (Greek skopos) is in Phil. 3:14: I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  Paul’s aim in Phil. 3 was to know Christ, and thereby to have a righteousness not his own but a righteousness of faith.  Thus he fixed his attention on Christ, knowing that this would result in conformity to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29).  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18). 

The verb appears again in the passage, in 3:17: The definition is to look at, observe, contemplate. to mark.  It speaks of a dedicated and concentrated eyeing of a target or mark, which if we hit it we will have accomplished our goal.  Scopus is the mark.  Scopeō is the intense gaze.  It is not surprise that our term “scope” (as on a rifle, that magnifies the target) comes from this term.  We are left with five additional uses of the verb in the NT.  Consider more about the “gaze” that will fix our attention on Christ.

·       Lk 11:35: "See to it" (take heed in NKJV) that the light within you is not darkness.  How appropriate to start here.  We cannot see the target if it is in the darkness, hard if it is shaded.  By the Holy Spirit the light is turned on when we receive the gospel (2 Cor. 4:1-6).  Note in that passage that when the light is turned on the word of God is preached.  The word of God reveals the Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the mark!

·       Ro 16:17: "Watch out" for those who cause divisions or stumbling-blocks.  Again, these stumbling blocks would make a vision of Christ difficult.  Religion (e.g. Catholicism) does this: dims our view of Christ.

·       2Co 4:18: "Fix your eyes" on what is unseen, not on what is seen.  Amen!  What we need to see, as Peter put it, is Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory (1 Pt. 1:8).

·       Gal 6:1: In restoring someone "watch" yourself lest you be tempted.  Again, we must be careful lest we dim the target!

·       Phil 2:4: "Look" not only to your own interests but to the interests of others.  Yes, yet another hindrance to our dedicated beholding of Christ.

Psalm 117 (Romans 15:8-12)

It’s the shortest of all the Psalms, a call to the Gentiles to give God praise.  Enough said, right?  No.  Not so fast.  For one thing, remember that this one of the Hillel Psalms, celebrated in Israel.  It begins and ends with Praise the Lord.  While directed toward the Nations it is special to Israel.

Also, notice the beautiful and simple poetical form.  Each verse is two couplets, with parallel thoughts.  In v1 the Gentiles (nations) and all you peoples are called to praise (shine a light on) and laud (commend, boast of) the God of Israel.  In v2 the cause for praise is His merciful kindness (checed) and enduring truth (emeth).  These attributes of God that appear together so often in the Psalms that cause Israel to praise the Lord is what also evokes praise from the Gentiles.

There’s more.  Don’t miss the “us”: His merciful kindness is great toward says, towards Israel.  Why should Gentiles praise God for mercy and truth to Israel?

·         First, remember that in the Abrahamic Covenant God promises to bless ALL the families of the earth (Gen. 12:2-3).  So of course, God’s mercy to Abraham (who with his descendants would need God’s mercy) and enduring truth (the fulfillment of the promise would depend on God’s faithfulness) would result in the Messiah, the Savior, the Son of God, who would come to earth in the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and David.

·         Second, note from Romans 15:8-12 all the quotes Paul takes from the OT to support his own call to the Gentiles to be obedient to the faith.

o   15:9 from Psalm 18:49, the Psalm of David sung when God delivered him from all his enemies.  So it will be with the Son of David, when He comes in victory over His enemies.  He will rule on David’s throne in Zion; i.e. God’s mercy and truth to Israel will be accomplished through the Messiah.

o   15:10 from Deuteronomy 32:43.  The source is the end of the Song of Moses wherein it was foretold how Israel would stray from God and be judged but in the end would be saved for the glory of His Name.  It concludes with this call to Gentiles to praise God.  As Ezekiel said, the Gentiles would know once the whole story of Israel was complete, the story of God’s furious wrath and His abundant mercy (Ezek. 39:21-29).

o   15:11 from Psalm 117:1 where God’s mercy and truth to Israel is the basis for the Gentiles to be called to praise.

15:12 from Isaiah 11:1,10 where the Messiah is clearly tied to Israel as the root of Jesse who will rise to reign over the Gentiles.  And this brings us back to where we started with Abraham: the blessing of all the nations is dependent on God’s mercy and faithfulness in keeping His promise to Abraham.  Paul, who established this fact in Romans 9-11 (11:26: so all Israel will be saved), is here applying it to the Gentiles.  There is no reason to wait until Christ returns in triumph.  NOW is the time of salvation.  Now is the time for all peoples to heed the call of Psalm 117!

1 Timothy 1:11-20, The Lord’s “In-Strengthening”

A long time ago we studied this word so as to contrast it with other NT terms for strength and power.  Today I want us to consider this in the context of 1 Tim. 1.  Paul says that “sound doctrine” is the equivalent of the “glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.”  Paul was a man of faith, a faithful brother, and God entrusted him with the glorious gospel.  But what mattered was not the great “faith” of Paul but the fact that being a man of faith, God was able to enable Paul.  “Enable” is literally to “power inside,” much as Paul prayed for in Eph. 3:15, that the Father would strengthen them by the Holy Spirit in the inner man.  This term, you will see today, is only used 8x but is found in some of your favorite NT passages. 

This verb is either in the “active” voice when the passage emphasizes the fact that the Lord did this, or in the “passive” voice when it emphasizes that this happened to someone.  In other words, it is ALWAYS the work of God.  We simply receive, which is why we must be people of faith.  Faith receives!  Faith is the absence of works in our own strength!

One final thought.  The word can be used in a sinful way, meaning to be “head-strong,” although it is never used like this in the NT.  So again, Paul was “steadfast” (faithful), not headstrong.  Since he was faithful, God in-powered him.

·       Ac 9:22: Paul kept increasing in strength.  In 9:19 Paul was “in-strengthened” with food but this is a different term, referring usually to physical strength.  Our term refers more to “ability.”

·       Rom. 4:20: Abraham didn't waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith (passive).  The story of Abram/Abraham shows how God, from Gen. 12-14 was at work strengthening his faith for that moment in Gen. 15 when Abram believed and it was accounted to him as righteousness.  Then in Gen. 16-21 God continued to strengthen Abraham’s faith for the test in Gen. 22 on a mount in Moriah.

·       Heb. 11:34: All the people of faith in the OT were, by definition, in-powered in their faith.  I say by definition because there is no faith apart from this.  And yet, faith opens the door for this in-powering to come.

·       Thus, in Eph 6:10: (be strong in the Lord, passive) and 2 Tim. 2:1 (be strong in grace that is in Christ Jesus, passive) all believers, and specifically Timothy, are encouraged in this.  We must continue to walk in faith.

And now, three reference where the term is “active” voice because it is being done by Someone outside the person who receives it.

·       Phil 4:13: I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me.

·       1Ti 1:12: Paul thanks Christ Jesus who strengthened him.

·       2 Tim 4:17: the Lord strengthened Paul when he appeared before the emperor so that he might again, at the end of his life, declare the gospel.

Hebrews 13:15-25, Well Pleasing to God!

As we said yesterday, we now have the same three Greek words except with a prefix that increases the “pleasure.”  Think about this as you look at these passages.  They are almost entirely dealing with our relationship with God.  Yesterday’s terms spoke of pleasing all manner of people.  Also, of these 13 passages, 4 are in Hebrews (the letter that exalts Christ for His once-for-all sacrifice), and a couple others speak of NT types of “sacrifices.”  This word is fit for a life that is a sweet smell to the Lord!  The added emphasis makes “well pleasing” a good translation, but often it is translated as “acceptable.”  Certainly don’t think of it as “acceptable” in the sense that this will do in a pinch, as we sometimes use that term.  Without this you and/or your behavior is not acceptable to God.  The verb is in Hb. 11:5-6; 13:16; the adverb in Hb. 12:28; and the rest are the adjective.

·       Rom. 12:1: Present your bodies a holy, acceptable sacrifice to God.  Here you can see the depth of the word “acceptable.”  The offerings of the priests in Malachi were a sham, displeasing God, giving Him what was lame or defective.  The body we offer to God must be acceptable, well-pleasing.

·       Rom. 12:2: Be transformed so you can prove God’s good, acceptable, perfect will.  Again, God’s will is always well-pleasing, that which pleases Him.  So our desire must be to understand it with renewed minds.

·       Rom. 14:18: In questionable things, whoever serves Christ is acceptable to God, approved or men.  I.e. this is God’s will.

·       2 Cor. 5:9: We aim to be acceptable to God, whether we are still here on earth or in heaven.

·       Eph. 5:10: Walk right, trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.  Note: as children of light (v9) we seek to please God.  As those who are wise we seek to understand His will.

·       Phil. 4:18: The offering of the Philippians to Paul for his ministry was a sacrifice, well pleasing to God.  A sweet smell!

·       Col. 3:10: Children obey their parents because this is well pleasing to God.  We obey parents so as to please God.

·       Titus 2:9: Servants are to be submissive to masters, well-pleasing.

·       Heb. 11:5,6: Enoch pleased God. Without faith it is impossible to please God.  Not hard but impossible.

·       Heb. 12:28: May we serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.  We please Him with out attitudes as well as actions.

·       Heb. 13:16: Christians are to be doing good and sharing for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.  Again, a sweet smell.

·       Hb. 13:21: prayer to be equipped to do His will, working in us what is pleasing in His sight.  Such emphasis on God’s will so as to please Him.

Romans 15:1-7, Unto All Pleasing

The desire to please God is fundamental to the Christian life.  As Paul said, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him (2 Cor. 5:9). But we are also to be pleasing to others as we seek to please the Lord.  We have three words: the noun (desire to please, Col. 1:10), the adjective (pleasing, with an *), and the verb (to strive to please).  In the next post we will go deeper by adding a prefix to these same words so “pleasing” becomes “well pleasing.”

·       Mt 14:6: Daughter of Herodius pleased crowd, Herod (Mk 6:22)

·       *Jn 8:29: Christ, "I always do things to please the Father." To begin with, think about these first two passages that tell us the difference between the natural man and the spiritual man is seen in who it is you desire to please.

·       Ac 6:2*,5: The apostles said it was not good (pleasing, to God, it did not fit God’s plan for the apostles) for them to take care of feeding of the widows.  The crowd was pleased with the plan to elect deacons.

·       *Ac 12:3: Herod saw death of James pleased Jews so he took Peter too.

·       Ro 8:8: Those in flesh can't please God.  He is speaking of Christians who seek to live by the law, to do the best they can rather than being filled with the Spirit.

·       Ro 15:1-3: We ought to bear infirmities of weak, not to please ourselves; to please your neighbor for his edification -- even as Christ pleased not Himself.

·       1Co 7:32-34: An unmarried person seeks only to please Lord; the married man must seek to please wife; the married woman must seek to please her husband.  This is often confusing or objectionable, but in the context Paul is correct.  He is talking about service for the Lord.  Of course, it pleases God when married persons please their spouses, but being single frees the person up to serve God!

·       1Co 10:33: I (Paul) please all men in everything, I seek not my own.  Again, don’t be confused.  Paul did not please all men the way Herod’s daughter pleased the crowd.  Rather it is in the sense of pleasing your neighbor or bearing the infirmities of the weak. 

·       Gal 1:10: with harsh words Paul asks, "Did I seek to please men."  The issue is Paul’s ministry: did he serve so as to make men happy or to please the Lord?

·       Col 1:10: Walk worthy of the Lord unto all "pleasing."

·       1Th 2:4: Paul preached to please God, not men

·       1Th 2:15: The Jews who killed the prophets did not please God, though they might have tried to convince you that they were serving God.

·       1Th 4:1: You ought to walk and please God as we taught you.

·       2Tim 2:4: Soldiers seek to please one who enlisted him.  Thus, we ought to please our commander, Jesus.

·       *1Jn 3:22: Answered prayer is based on obedience, doing things pleasing in His sight.

Ephesians 6:10-20, The Devil (2)

We now consider the work of “diabolos” in the rest of the NT.

·       Mt 13:39: The enemy who sows tares is the devil.  He is seeking to destroy the work of Christ who is “building His Church” in this age.

·       Mt 25:41: The goats (those who refuse to help Jesus’ “brethren,” national Israel) are destined to the eternal fire prepared for devil and his angels.  He seeks to keep Christ from His place as Messiah, the King who rules from Zion.  These first two passages speak of the preeminent roles of Jesus: Head of the Church and King of Israel.  Now in all the following passages, consider, “what is the devil seeking to destroy that belongs to Jesus?”

·       Lk 8:12: The seed falls by roadside; the devil takes it away so they won't believe.

·       Jn 6:70: Jesus chose the Twelve, but one was a devil (Judas, of course).  Jn 13:2: In the upper room the devil put in Judas' heart to betray Jesus.  Jn 13:27: After the bread was passed "Satan" entered Judas.

·       Jn 8:44: To the Jews Jesus said, you are of your father, the devil.  Their slander of Jesus made them little devils!

·       Ac 13:10: Paul calls Elymas a "son of the devil."  He resisted Paul’s preaching of the gospel.

·       Eph 4:27: Don't give devil opportunity.  One way we do this is by harboring anger when we go to bed at night.

·       Eph 6:11: Put on armor to stand against wiles of devil.  He is seeking to keep us from our Christ-exalting service.

·       1Ti 3:7: A pastor must have a good reputation so as not to fall into snare of the devil.  2Tim. 2:26: A disobedient Christian may repent and thus escape snare of the devil.  Psalm 124 is a great passage in dealing with the “snares of the fowler.” Again, practical resistance to the Church.

·       1Ti 3:11: Women are not to be malicious gossips.  2Ti 3:3: in last days men will be malicious gossips.  Tit 2:3: older women not to be malicious gossips.  NKJV calls this “slander.”  You could say that to gossip is to be a devil, or in link with the devil.  This is what he does.

·       Hb 2:14: Christ took part of flesh and blood to render devil powerless, to “break the snare” (Ps. 124:7).  1Jn 3:8abc: Those who sin are of the devil, because the devil sinned from the beginning.  But Christ was manifested (i.e. sent from heaven to earth, came to dwell among us) to destroy the works of the devil.  (In the context, cf. v9 which says we have the ‘seed,’ the new nature.  And 3:10: We know the children of God and the devil.

·       Jas 4:7: Resist devil and he will flee from you. 1Pt 5:8: be sober, alert ... devil as lion seeks to devour, “whom resist steadfast in the faith.”  “Resist” is to stand against and is the role of the Christian soldier (same word in Eph. 6:10,13,14).

Luke 4:1-13, The Devil (1)

The “evil one” goes most frequently by two names, Satan and Devil.  Satan means “adversary” and is found in the OT (Hebrew “satan,” 27X).  It is translated “to withstand,” as in Num. 22:22,32 where the Angel of the Lord withstood Balaam.   It is translated “adversary” and so-used of people several times in the Samuels and Kings.  E.g. the Philistines were afraid David might become their adversary and thus would not allow him to fight with them (1 Sam. 29:4).  In 1 Chron. 29:1 it is translated “Satan” and then the same 14x in Job 1-2, in Ps. 109:6, and twice in Zech. 3:1-2.  There is a verb form used 6x including in Ps. 109:4,20,29 as “adversaries” in Zech. 3:1 as “to resist.” 

All the above is preface to the other name, Devil, which we want to consider.  “Devil” is not used in the OT NKJV, though there are words for slander.  That is the meaning of the Greek “diabolos:” slanderous, slanderer, devil.  The connection between the two words is clear.  In the temptations of Jesus Matthew and Luke speak of the devil while Mark, in his summary account calls him Satan (Mk. 1:12).  In addition, Luke says that Jesus calls him Satan when He addresses him directly. 

diabolos: slanderous, slanderer, devil

·       Mt 4:1,5,8,11; Lk. 4:2,3,6,13 (Mk. 1:12): Jesus led into wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  The devil took him up on the pinnacle of temple, then on a high mountain.  In Luke the devil said, “if You are hungry, turn these stones into bread” and “I will give all You see if you worship me.”  Eventually the devil left Jesus and angels ministered to Him.

Let’s pause for a moment now and consider, in what sense did the evil one engage in “slander?”  If we go back to the first temptations of the devil in Gen. 3 we find that he slandered the word of God: “did God say.”  In the Gospels we see the same type of slander, calling into question God’s word, even though the devil even used God’s word when on the pinnacle of the temple.  Jesus’ answers, all from the Bible (Deuteronomy), speak of God’s word as certain and exalted. 

A second “slander” by the devil is calling into question who Jesus was as the Son of God as well as slandering the relationship between the Father and the Son.  He says, “If you are the Son of God” (Mt. 4:3,6), the same slanderous words that the Jews will use at the cross.  Again, he slanders God by inciting Jesus to worship him, Satan, as “God.” 

This initial NT passage is so valuable for us.  First, it identifies the object of Satan’s evil work.  He is still claiming deity for himself.  While he slanders us, he is doing this to get at the Godhead.  Second, Jesus perfectly shows us how to resist the evil one.  There is no other “offensive” weapon in our panoply (Eph. 6:10-20) than the sword of the Spirit, the word of God!