Encouragement

How Bright Is Your Light Today?

Light

The flame flickers,

Dancing with the wind.

Rising and falling,

Its light waxes and wanes with each gust.

 

The wind, the changing moments of our lives,

Is quite powerful,

Dictating how bright the light will be.

What will we do?

 

Some ignore the wind,

Denying that they have changed,

That their light has become dim.

“At least it is still burning,” they say.

 

Some give in to the wind,

Allowing it to toss them here and there,

Following the world while trying to cling to Christ.

“The flame may flicker, but it is still there,” they say.

 

But then there are some who face the wind

Because their flame has matured to a raging fire

Which cannot be snuffed out.

“Our confidence is in the One who has the power to calm the wind,” they say.

 

This light will continue to shine forth

When all other flames

Go out.

How bright is your light today?

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal

I Am Nobody Else But Me

I Am Nobody Else But Me (Originally written December 8, 2014)

I am nobody else,

and everyone else is not me.

I am who I was created to be,

unique in essence and beauty.

 

I am not you,

and you are not me.

There’s no need to be like each other.

We each have a different purpose, you see.

 

There is no standard of who I should be

except Christ alone.

There is no mold

for me.

 

There is no logic comparing myself

with someone

who is not

me.

 

I am only one,

and this one is enough.

I am enough for the One who has called me

to be me.

 

There is one me.

There is one you.

Let us rejoice in how we are created,

and live life anew.

 

©Lauren Heiligenthal

Thankfulness

Today is a day to celebrate the survival of this nation, but Thanksgiving has become more than that. There is the tradition of sharing what we’re thankful for in the present, not just the past. I couldn’t write my thanks better than Paul’s eloquent words to the Ephesians:

“(3) Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (4) just as He Himself chose us in Him before the foundation of the world in order that we may be holy and blameless before Him in love, (5) having predestined us into adoption through Jesus Christ to Him, according to the good pleasure of His will, (6) to the praise of the glory of His grace that He bestowed on us, in the beloved One. (7) In Him (Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the wealth of His (God the Father’s) grace (8) which He abounded to us, in all wisdom and understanding, (9) having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He Himself planned in Him (Christ) (10) in the administration of the fullness of the times, to bring together all things in Christ, things in heaven and things upon the earth in Him. (11) In Him we also were appointed [as God’s heritage/possession], having been predestined according to the purpose of the one who is working all things according to the counsel of His will (12) in order that we, the ones who have already hoped in Christ, may be to the praise of His glory. (13) In Him, you also having heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom you also having believed, were sealed by the Holy Spirit of the promise, (14) who is the first installment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the (God’s) possession to the praise of His glory.” (Eph. 1:3-14; my translation from the Greek )

Cutting the Context

“Why did I do that?”

What does this question mean? It’s hard to tell reading it without any context, right? We don’t know who wrote it and why. It could be written by a student who made a mistake on a test. An Alzheimer’s patient may not recollect why she went outside. A teenage girl may be regretting her decision to take her anger out on a best friend. There are endless possibilities of meaning, but without the context we can’t fully understand what someone is trying to communicate.

Without context there is no story. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a book or an e-mail, you’re going to provide the necessary details so that your message is properly communicated. Otherwise you’ll leave people scratching their heads in bewilderment. No one wants that (well, not most people).

With that being said, why do we cut the context of Scripture, taking a verse here and a verse there for our own purposes? We may be searching for encouragement. Maybe we’re debating a hot topic and need Scriptural support.  It could be we’re promoting a particular verse for a new series in church. Whether our intentions are for good or ill, cutting the context leaves out important details.

Alright, here’s an example that might make people shake their fists, but give me a chance to explain. Jeremiah 29:11 is a verse I’ve heard quoted countless times:

“‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’” (NASB)

Does the Lord know the plans He has for our lives? Yes. But who is the original subject of these words from God? Jeremiah 29:1-4 explains that these words are part of a letter written by the prophet Jeremiah, from the Lord, to the Israelite exiles in Babylon. In vv. 5-9 the Lord instructs His people to settle down in Babylon, to be fruitful and multiply (so to speak), and to beware of false prophets. What were these false prophets saying? Jeremiah 28:1-4 gives us a clue. Hananiah, the son of a prophet, spoke to the priests and the people remaining in Jerusalem that the Lord was going to break the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar and everything and everyone will return in two years’ time. If you continue to read the rest of that chapter you will find that Hananiah was not sent by the Lord (Read Jer. 27 for more insight).

Rather, in Jeremiah 29:10-14 the Lord sends a different message to the exiles:

“10 For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’” (Bold print added for emphasis)

The Lord is telling the exiles, whom He sent to Babylon, that He will fulfill His promise of bringing them back to Jerusalem…in seventy years, not two. It was God’s will for Israel to go there and for the nations to place themselves under Babylon’s yoke for a time (Jer. 27:6-8). The rest of Jeremiah 29 communicates the Lord’s severe punishment on the false prophets who have lied to the exiles and were not sent by God.

A good question to ask in all of this is why were the Israelites sent to Babylon in the first place? The entire OT, especially the monarchy period, demonstrates that Israel repeatedly committed adultery (metaphorically) against God. They sought after other gods, and even though they repented at times, they kept reverting to their sinful ways. They became a disobedient people, and God could not let it go any longer.

However, what is interesting is that the Lord tells the exiles in Jer. 29:7 to “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.” Even though they are in the enemy’s camp, the Lord tells them to ask for blessings. If Babylon is blessed, the Israelites will be blessed. This seems strange until we read that the Lord is going to keep the Israelites there for seventy years. This is a time for their families to grow and return to the Lord in their hearts so that when God calls them back to Jerusalem (Cyrus’ decree in the future) they will be ready. Even though everything seems to be going wrong for Israel, the Lord assures them that He has a plan, and it’s not the plan that the false prophets are spewing. It might be awhile before the Israelites return home, but they WILL return, and the Lord WILL prosper them.

Why? After all the disobedience, why? Because the Lord is faithful to keep His promises. Recall His promise to Abraham. Not only will his descendants multiply and be blessed, but all the families of the earth will be blessed because of him (Gen. 12:1-3). This includes the Gentiles. Also, remember God’s promise to David: “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever” (2 Sam. 7:16). How are these promises eventually fulfilled? Through the Messiah! But in order for the Messiah to come, there needs to be an Israel. Therefore, as promised in Jer. 29, the Lord will bless the Israelites as He promised Abraham, and He will bless all the families of the earth by sending His Son, the final and eternal descendant on David’s throne.

How marvelous! How much we have gained even through Israel’s disobedience! In Jer. 29:11, the Lord is giving His people hope so that they will turn to Him and seek Him. I believe this is what we can learn from this passage. Maybe some of us have turned from the Lord or haven’t been walking the way we should be. Maybe we find ourselves in an awful place with no hope. But we should remember that there is always hope. Christ is our eternal hope. Everything has been paid. The Lord does not reward disobedience, and there are consequences for such actions, but if we humble ourselves, pray, ask for forgiveness, trust that He is a God who sees and hears our supplications, and seek Him with all of our hearts, He will show us where to go. That path may not make sense. It may not seem prosperous according to the world’s understanding of prosperity, but we can have hope that He is by our side if we choose to keep walking with Him. There also may be false prophets or teachers in our lives telling us opposite of what the Lord says. It might sound really good, too. But we must be on guard and test everything. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. The Lord did not take the prophets’ lies lightly (Jer. 29:17-19), and we shouldn’t either (Matt. 7:15-23).

While I do not think it is wrong to cling to the hope of Jer. 29:11, it is necessary to understand the context. It is also important for each one of us to ask, “Lord, am I following You or my own plans?” Are we willing to follow the Lord no matter what, or do we have to face an exile of our own? As 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 instructs, let us learn from the Israelites’ decisions and choose to follow the Lord wholeheartedly with a firm foundation of His truth (in context).

© Lauren Heiligenthal

Denying Approval

My whole life I’ve sought approval, intentionally and unintentionally. I often place things in two categories: Failure or Accomplishment. My efforts in school have had a great impact on this mindset. I’ve always been determined to do my very best, and the reward of an “A” fell into the Accomplishment category. I based my success on my grades and teachers’ comments. I raised a high standard for myself, and I usually accomplished my goals. All of this sounds harmless enough, but I stressed out…A LOT. I always did my best and the results were usually high marks, but I still worried and stressed. You would think I would learn that stress was not necessary, but I just got into a routine of “how to do school work” (involving much stress) which transferred to undergraduate and graduate studies. I always wanted approval to know that I was doing everything right. It seemed like teachers and colleagues had more confidence in me than I did.

Because most of my life has been immersed in school, the idea of approval permeated other areas of my life: family, friendships, relationships, everyday tasks, etc. Any criticism from these and other areas I placed in the Failure category. If friendships or other relationships started to falter, I tried to make them work. I HAD to make them work. Failure (as I saw it) was not an option. You can probably guess that this didn’t work out too well for me. When God told me to make a big change in my life, I obeyed, but I still feared man. “How would my friends react?” “People won’t believe me.”  “They’re bringing accusations against me.” “My family doesn’t support me.” My focus has been on what people think rather than what God has asked me to do. Even in writing this blog, it becomes such a temptation to want tangible feedback. But God didn’t want me to start this blog for people’s approval, but rather to share His truth. So this is what I will share now.

Acts 3:1-4:31 is a profound example of what God requires from me and every other Christian who seeks to follow His will. I include the passage in full because sometimes a summary does not do Scripture justice:

3 “Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. 2 And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. 4 But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, ‘Look at us!’ 5 And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, ‘I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!’ 7 And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. 8 With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God; 10 and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

11 While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement. 12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, ‘Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. 14 But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. 16 And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all. 17 And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. 18 But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. 23 And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. 25 It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.’

4 As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

5 On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; 6 and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. 7 When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, ‘By what power, or in what name, have you done this?’ 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.’

13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. 15 But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, 16 saying, ‘What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.’ 18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.’ 21 When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; 22 for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.

23 When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, ‘O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said,

‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
And the peoples devise futile things?
26 ‘The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His Christ.’

27 For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.29 And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, 30 while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.’ 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Bold words added for emphasis)

John and Peter performed the amazing miracle of healing a man lame from birth, but they don’t take the credit. Instead, they use this moment as an opportunity to share Christ with all the Jews who are in awe of them. How many of us would have dismissed the adoration of these people? These Apostles teach us that Christ gets all the glory all of the time. Then the religious leaders hear about what’s happened. That’s right, the religious leaders are upset that these men are teaching about Jesus (keep in mind that the Sadducees don’t believe in the resurrection). Even though John and Peter were put in prison, about five thousand men had already believed their testimony about Christ. The following day a number of the religious “big wigs” were present to question these followers of Jesus, and again, Peter, through the power of the Holy Spirit, shared the message of Christ (just like Jesus said they would; Matt. 10:16-20). What is notable to me is that this Council, which is supposed to represent the experts of the Scriptures, cannot deny that a miracle has taken place, but they don’t want people following Jesus, the true Messiah. They tell John and Peter to no longer teach about Jesus. These Apostles could have listened to these authoritative men, but instead, they appealed to a higher authority, God Himself. They not only stood firm in their beliefs and convictions, but they questioned the Council’s own godliness, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge” (Acts 4:19). I think another way of conveying the same message is “If you think we should accept your approval above God’s, you be the judge.” These men knew what they were called to do. They knew the cost and chose Christ. They stood their ground with God backing them up, and the Council could do nothing to them because all of the people were glorifying God. If they turned against these Apostles, the people would turn on them. After all these things, the Apostles returned to their companions, and they gave all the glory to God. And when they asked the Lord for confidence and boldness, He gave it to them.

What a powerful story! It’s one that I try to remember every time I get discouraged about people’s attitudes and responses when I know I’m following God’s will. I try to remember it when I begin to doubt myself and focus on negative things. Living the Christian life is not about me or about other people’s approval. It’s about God. If I lose sight of that, it’s all for naught.

Acts 5:12-42 is another great passage about denying approval (right after God strikes down Ananias and Sapphira…yikes!):

“12 At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico. 13 But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. 14 And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, 15 to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. 16 Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.

17 But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy. 18 They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, 20 ‘Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life.’ 21 Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach.

Now when the high priest and his associates came, they called the Council together, even all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison house for them to be brought. 22 But the officers who came did not find them in the prison; and they returned and reported back, 23 saying, ‘We found the prison house locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we had opened up, we found no one inside.’ 24 Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what would come of this. 25 But someone came and reported to them, ‘The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!’ 26 Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned).

27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, ‘We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.’

33 But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. 35 And he said to them, ‘Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.’

40 They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. 41 So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” (Bold print added for emphasis)

This story is very similar to the previous one, but this time it involves all of the Apostles. They’re performing miracles and teaching about Jesus as before, but this time we get some new information. The high priest and the Sadducees act out of jealousy. These followers of Jesus are doing what they cannot. More people are following the Apostles each day. So once again, they are thrown in jail. But God releases them with the command to continue teaching in the temple. And once again, while the Apostles could have acted out of fear of men, they feared God more and began to teach. The entire Council convenes to question these men and remind them that they have already been told to no longer teach in the name of Jesus. All of the Apostles respond: “We must obey God rather than men.” This could also read, “We seek God’s approval rather than man’s approval.” The Apostles then tell them about Christ…again. Do you realize how many chances these religious men have had to repent? How much patience God has with them? Even before Jesus’ death they are given plenty of opportunities to follow Christ. They’ve seen an abundance of miracles that demonstrate God’s power, and still they don’t give heed to the truth. While the Council is ready to kill the Apostles, Gamaliel, a Pharisee, appeases them with some wise advice. (It is important to note that this is the same Gamaliel who is believed to be Paul’s former teacher; Acts 22:3). He understands from history and reminds the Council that if plans are from men, they fail. But if they are from God, they cannot be overthrown. Even more seriously, those who fight against godly men may be found fighting against God Himself. While the high priest and the Sadducees only seem to adhere to their own authority, Gamaliel demonstrates his piety by not wanting to go against God’s will. In the end, the Apostles rejoice in their suffering for Christ’s sake and continue to do what the religious authorities told them not to.

I read these stories, and I have to ask myself a few questions: Am I as committed to Christ as the Apostles were? Am I willing to deny the approval of men when God tells me to do something? Instead of worrying, do I trust the Lord to give me the right words to say when I stand accused? Am I humble enough to give all the glory to God? Insert your own questions here.

My hope should be in Christ. My confidence should be in Him. My trust should be in the Lord who gives boldness when His children ask for it.

In Psalm 27, David’s beautiful writing shares these same thoughts:

“:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident.

4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple.
5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You,
‘Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.’
9 Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a level path
Because of my foes.
12 Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries,
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
13 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.”

All Scriptural passages are from the NASB.

© Lauren Heiligenthal

 

The Story Behind the Book

Polygamy.[1] This word often conjures up negative thoughts, images, and stories told throughout the years. The Western world most likely identifies polygamy with Mormonism and the tragedies therein. It seems as though these tragedies have defined what polygamy is all about, but is this generalization really fair? Before you misunderstand me, I am NOT (nor ever have been) a Mormon nor do I agree with the tenets of Mormonism. Rather, my interest in polygamy derives from my love of missions.

Because of the negativity surrounding polygamy in the Western world, people’s perceptions and feelings often get inserted into Scriptural depictions of polygamy. Growing up in the church, I was taught that God simply tolerated polygamy practiced by the biblical patriarchs. This “toleration” led me to believe that polygamy was indeed a sin, but for some reason God just let it go. The impression I got from this teaching was that these patriarchs were righteous men who happened to make mistakes along the way. But one question remained in my heart: Does God really tolerate sin to the point of not saying ANYTHING? It wasn’t until much later that I reevaluated this thought process.

I started participating in short-term mission trips around 11 years old. In the following years, my passion and heart grew for missions as I traveled to Hungary, Romania, Thailand, Peru, and South Africa. I met amazing people who had a heart and hunger for the truth. I pursued a degree in Intercultural Studies because it has been God’s desire for me to be a missionary. In learning how to approach another culture and teach the Gospel, the subject of polygamy would come up from time to time. I wrestled with the question, What would I do? Can I justify teaching people to split up their families because they’re in sin? On the flip side, can I live with teaching people how to live a Christian life while still living in sin? It seemed like there was no good outcome to either of these questions. As soon as I would ponder this dilemma, I pushed it off and moved onto something else. It wasn’t until I was sitting in a Cultural Anthropology class during my undergraduate studies that I was confronted with these same questions.

My professor must have been talking about different family structures one day (I don’t exactly remember), and he commented that he didn’t think Scripture teaches against polygamy. I had never heard anyone say this before. This went completely against what I had been taught, and I questioned him, What about this Scripture? What about that Scripture? He gave me some responses, but he didn’t have much to say. He mainly was just giving the class his opinion. Within this discussion he commented how polygamous families coming to America were often forced to divorce because of our laws, and my professor didn’t agree with that. He also shared one story in particular that caught my attention.

Years ago his parents were missionaries in Western Africa. His parents were planting a new church and needed funding for a new building. A polygamist offered to pay for the project (polygamists tend to have more wealth which they need to take care of their larger families), and apparently my professor’s parents agreed. However, when it came time for services to begin, the missionaries wouldn’t allow the polygamist to participate unless he was no longer a polygamist. As I listened, I could tell that my professor was not pleased with his parents’ decision, and I began to wonder a few things myself. Why did they offer to let the man pay the expenses if they didn’t agree with his lifestyle? Because they accepted his money, how could they justify excluding him from the body? What kind of message did this send to the rest of the village? How could they encourage divorce in order to participate in the body of Christ? At this point, I couldn’t let the polygamy dilemma go. There had to be a biblical course of action.

I decided to take a fresh look at Scripture again and found that there is, indeed, no prohibition of polygamy. There are regulations concerning polygamy in the Law, and there are a number of narratives involving polygamy, but there is no prohibition. On the contrary, there are a few passages that seem to indicate God’s involvement rather than a simple toleration. For example, in 2 Samuel 12 Nathan confronts David about his sins of adultery and murder. Pay attention to what the Lord says through Nathan in vv. 7-8, “Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!’” (Bold words added for emphasis). God Himself tells David that it was He who gave him Saul’s wives. If the things God had given David were too little (this includes wives), He would have given him more. If polygamy was contrary to God’s divine plan for marriage, it does not make sense for Him to offer more wives to David. Also, if you read through the rest of that passage (vv. 9-23), you will find that God’s punishment of David and his household had nothing to do with polygamy, but rather it was because David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband.

Another example is Genesis 29:31-30:24. It would take too long to discuss this passage in length (I discuss it in my book), but I bring it up to make you aware of how much God is involved in the growth of Jacob’s family. He opens Leah’s womb (Gen. 29:31), and she initially bears four sons. When she names them she praises the Lord for hearing and seeing her in her affliction. God is perceived as the One blessing her. When Rachel remains barren she gives her handmaid to Jacob, and the children that Bilhah bears become Rachel’s children. Leah also does the same thing when she stops childbearing and gives her handmaid, Zilpah, to Jacob. The wives themselves make this choice. Jacob does not simply take for himself (This is similar to Abraham’s story when Sarah gives Hagar to him). When Leah bears again in v. 17, she exclaims in v. 18, “God has given me my wages because I gave my maid to my husband.” Again, God is constantly perceived as being involved in childbearing. Then it’s Rachel’s turn. Verse 22 says, “Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb.” Some scholars argue that the language used to describe God’s involvement is just simply how the people viewed their situation. It’s not really what was going on. However, if we follow this kind of logic then we would have to doubt all of Scripture. With this same logic, every Christian perceives that he/she is saved because of Jesus’ sacrifice, but this is not necessarily true. This is just what we want to believe. Now, we would argue that such a conclusion is false. So why is it that people assume that the OT is only a perception of truth but not a representation of truth itself? I hold to the belief that when Scripture indicates God’s involvement, He was truly involved. You can make your own conclusions.

In 1 Samuel 1 God blesses Hannah, one of Elkanah’s wives, with a son (Samuel) whom she dedicates to the Lord. This man becomes an important prophet in Israel’s history. In 2 Chronicles 24:3, Jehoiada (a righteous priest) takes two wives for young king Joash. Again, if a person is deemed righteous, it does not make sense to say that their actions are sinful unless they are noted as such.

One of the most eye-opening passages of Scripture in my study of polygamy is Ezekiel 23. In this passage, the Lord (through Ezekiel) allegorizes the sins that Judah and Samaria have committed against Him. Let’s take a look at vv. 1-4, “The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, ‘Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother;  and they played the harlot in Egypt. They played the harlot in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and there their virgin bosom was handled. Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. And they became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah’” (Bold print added for emphasis). Now, I am fully aware that this is NOT saying that the Lord is literally married to Judah and Samaria. The text is obviously allegorical to convey their abhorrent acts (continue reading the rest of the chapter). However, I am proposing that the Lord would not use a sinful depiction to describe Himself. The text explains how Oholah and Oholibah have committed adultery against the Lord. The only way for a woman to commit adultery against a man is if she’s married to him. In this context, it seems that God has depicted Himself as a polygamous husband to two women (Judah and Samaria) who eventually commit adultery against Him. Therefore, I have asked myself, If polygamy is sinful, why would God describe Himself in this manner? If God describes Himself as a polygamous husband in the OT, it does not make sense to say that polygamy is a sin in the OT. As such, since God is both omniscient and immutable, it stands to reason that polygamy is not a sin in the NT. If I choose to believe otherwise, I fear that I would be questioning God’s nature.

I understand that polygamy is a taboo topic, but the main question I have had to ask myself is: Does the Bible prohibit polygamy, or is it my culture’s prohibition of polygamy that gets inserted into biblical interpretation and the text itself? This question is not only relevant for polygamy, but for any topic. I am accountable for what I hear, read, teach, and believe. If I don’t take the time to understand what Scripture has to say about polygamy (or not say), my decisions (particularly on the mission field) and interpretations can continue to have a negative impact on cultures that practice polygamy. In many cases over the last 100+ years, missionaries have either suggested or demanded that polygamous husbands divorce all but their first wife if they want to be baptized or participate at all in the church. This has led to devastating results. Some wives have had no other option than to become prostitutes to take care of themselves. In a number of these cultures most men do not want to marry a divorced woman (divorce is often viewed as dishonorable), which is quite a foreign concept for Western societies. Divorce also has a negative impact on children who are either torn from their father and live with their poor mother (and possibly her extended family) or are torn from their mothers and live with their father. I’m not writing this to be condemning, but rather to illustrate that if we interpret Scripture based on our cultural values rather than biblically-founded values, there may be serious consequences. People have already interpreted Scripture in this way about divorce, abortion, homosexuality, promiscuity, etc. In this present age, Scripture has become whatever we want it to say, and this mindset carries many dangers.

I’ve done more research besides what I’ve discussed here, but I wanted to give you an inside look into some of my thoughts and questions. I also hope that I’ve challenged you somehow. Please feel free to ask a question or give a comment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’ll keep you updated on book news once I receive it from my publisher.

Feel free to check out http://www.lulu.com/shop/lauren-heiligenthal/evaluating-western-christianitys-interpretation-of-biblical-polygamy/paperback/product-21877418.html. It appears that you have to be registered with lulu.com to buy my book if you’re interested.

My publisher’s website is http://www.patriarchpublishinghouse.com/. My book should appear on this website soon. Also, they have many other books on polygamy and patriarchy if these topics interest you.

Footnote

[1] I am specifically referring to polygyny, which is one man having multiple wives. I focus on this form of polygamous marriage because it is demonstrated in Scripture and appears to be an acceptable form of marriage. Other forms of polygamy, such as polyandry (one woman with multiple husbands), polyamory (multiple relationships at the same time), and polygynandry (multiple husbands and wives in an intertwining of relationships), are not demonstrated in Scripture. I believe they are considered sinful because polyandry and polygynandry result in adultery. Polyamory could involve adultery, but it is also a demonstration of blatant sexual promiscuity.

© Lauren Heiligenthal

Critiquing “The Message” Bible

There’s no doubt that The Message Bible has been popular since the NT portion was released in 1993. The contemporary and poetic language has captured the attention of millions, but does it really convey the true Gospel message? While many have appreciated The Message, many others have denounced it as an accurate translation (or rather, a paraphrase of Scripture). Others even call it heretical. I have never really used this version for study or devotions, but I’ve seen it used by pastors and other Christians on Facebook, and I’ve even heard from some Seminary staff and students that they have used this version (at times) for sermons and lessons. It’s all about making Scripture easier to understand, or is it? I decided to do some research and find out what Eugene Peterson (the author of The Message) has to say about his version of Scripture.

Through my research I’ve discovered that Peterson has written many books and seems to be (or was at some point) a contributor to Christianity Today. He has also been the subject of a number of interviews concerning new books he’d written, including The Message, and his life as a pastor. The best way to find out Peterson’s views and intentions behind his writing is to hear/read it from the man himself. I’d like to share with you some of what he’s shared publicly. I will also include a list of the sources I read at the bottom of the post so you can verify what I’ve written here.

In one article entitled “The Joyful Environmentalists,” Eugene Peterson and Peter Harris were both interviewees who shared their convictions about conservationism. When Peterson was asked about Scriptures that teach about creation (besides Gen. 1-2 and Rom. 8:22), he responds with the plagues in Egypt:

“Those 10 plagues are all exorcisms of specific aspects of Pharaoh’s control over the world. For eight months, the whole country of Egypt was turned into a theater of exorcism, item by item by item. Pharaoh was unable to do what he had done to creation, and the evil was exorcised by the command of God…Then out of this highly technologized world of Egypt—the pyramids, the statuary, the temples—[the Hebrews] go into the wilderness, which is supposed to be empty. Yet they are all provided for, and they live by the providence of God in a most unlikely place. You can bet that they gained an appreciation for the fertility of the world they were living in—that they did not need all of Pharaoh’s technology to be provided for. That’s a great environmental text, even though I don’t think it’s ever been used that way.”[1]

I believe Peterson’s interpretation is a misrepresentation of the text for a couple of reasons. First, it wasn’t fertile in the wilderness. This is why God Himself had to provide for the Israelites in miraculous ways. They actually wanted to go back to Egypt, and their griping and complaining resulted in God’s wrath. Second, the plagues on Egypt had nothing to do with Pharaoh’s control in the world (in Egypt really), but rather because he would not adhere to God’s command. Peterson’s answer is a bit of a stretch (which he admits that he’s probably the only person to interpret the passage in this way), but this gives us a clue into how he interprets Scripture and how that interpretation gets inserted in his paraphrase of The Message.

While the previous article was written years after the completion of The Message, this next article was written by Peterson around the time when the NT portion of The Message was published (1993). In this article entitled “Spirit Quest,” Peterson asserts that the two essentials of human fullness are intimacy and transcendence.  He defines intimacy as “we want to experience human love and trust and joy” and transcendence as “we want to experience divine love and trust and joy.”[2] He explains that spirituality is a fusion of intimacy and transcendence, but North Americans usually don’t find these in the right places because we live in a secularized culture. As a result, Peterson writes, “Contemporary spirituality desperately needs focus, precision, and roots: focus on Christ, precision in the Scriptures, and roots in a healthy tradition. In these times of drift and dilettantism, evangelical Christians must once again serve the church by providing just such focus and precision and rootage.”[3] I pretty much agree with this statement; however, I’m confused that Peterson desires for the precision of Scriptures, but he himself writes an Americanized paraphrase of Scripture. He also provides “five items of counsel in matters of spirituality for all who hunger and thirst after intimacy and transcendence.”[4] I will only mention the first item since it applies to the discussion on The Message. This item of counsel is “Discover what Scripture says about spirituality and immerse yourself in it.” He provides an explanation of how to do this: “This is not a matter of hunting for a few texts, but of acquiring a biblical imagination—entering into the vast world of the Bible and getting a feel for the territory, and instinct for reality.”[5] The idea of acquiring a biblical imagination makes me pause. My hesitancy is also coupled with some of Peterson’s words in the introduction to the NT portion of The Message: “This version of the New Testament in a contemporary idiom keeps the language of the Message current and fresh and understandable in the same language in which we do our shopping, talk with our friends, worry about world affairs, and teach our children their table manners. The goal is not to render a word-for-word conversion of Greek into English, but rather to convert the tone, the rhythm, the events, the ideas, into the way we actually think and speak”(Bold print added for emphasis).[6]  So why the need for such contemporary language and biblical imagination? Peterson explains that too.

In 1991 (Pre-The Message), Peterson wrote an article called “Listen, Yahweh,” which explains his desire to pray the prayers of Psalms. However, from his perspective, the way most English translations relay the messages of the Psalms is not quite right. He explains,

“In English translation, the Psalms sound smooth and polished. Elizabethan rhythms and diction dominate. And as literature, they are beyond compare. But as prayer, as the utterances of men and women passionate for God in instants of anger and praise and lament, these English translations miss something. Grammatically they are accurate. The scholarship undergirding the translations is superb and devout. But as prayers they are not quite right: The Psalms in Hebrew are earthy and rough. They are not genteel. They are not prayers of nice people, couched in cultured language. And so in my pastoral work of teaching people to pray, I have for a long time wanted to translate the Psalms into what I think of as ‘American.’”[7]  (Bold print added for emphasis)

I don’t know about you, but when I read the Psalms (I choose to read the NASB, which I’ll explain later), I understand that the writers had reverence for God, and yet were also quite open with Him. Do their prayers not reflect our own when we feel like God is not around? Do we not express our disbelief as to what is allowed to happen in this world? Do we not hold onto hope that God is still sovereign and the Rock upon we which stand? I think it’s a common misconception that the Israelites (or even in the Greek-speaking world of the NT) were some sort of ancient hillbillies who couldn’t communicate with beautiful and elegant speech. How can various scholars’ translations with the Psalms be grammatically accurate, superb, and devout, yet still miss the “real” meaning and sound of the Psalms? To me, that accusation seems quite arrogant. To give you an understanding of where I’m coming from, let’s compare The Message version of Psalm 2 with the NASB version:

“1-6 Why the big noise, nations?
Why the mean plots, peoples?
Earth-leaders push for position,
Demagogues and delegates meet for summit talks,
The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers:
‘Let’s get free of God!
Cast loose from Messiah!’
Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing.
At first he’s amused at their presumption;
Then he gets good and angry.
Furiously, he shuts them up:
‘Don’t you know there’s a King in Zion? A coronation banquet
Is spread for him on the holy summit.’

7-9 Let me tell you what God said next.
He said, ‘You’re my son,
And today is your birthday.
What do you want? Name it:
Nations as a present? continents as a prize?
You can command them all to dance for you,
Or throw them out with tomorrow’s trash.’

10-12 So, rebel-kings, use your heads;
Upstart-judges, learn your lesson:
Worship God in adoring embrace,
Celebrate in trembling awe. Kiss Messiah!
Your very lives are in danger, you know;
His anger is about to explode,
But if you make a run for God—you won’t regret it!” (Psalm 2 MSG)

1 “Why are the nations in an uproar
And the peoples devising a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
3 ‘Let us tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!’

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs,
The Lord scoffs at them.
5 Then He will speak to them in His anger
And terrify them in His fury, saying,
6 ‘But as for Me, I have installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain.’

7 ‘I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”

10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
Take warning, O judges of the earth.
11 Worship the Lord with reverence
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” (Psalm 2 NASB)

From what I can tell, Psalm 2 is in reference to Christ and His authority on the earth. Acts 13:33 and Hebrews 1:5 both attest to this. Acts 13:32-33 says, “And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son; today I have begotten You.’” Hebrews 1:1-5 speaks reverently about Christ: “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You’? And again, ‘I will be a Father to Him And He shall be a Son to Me’?” (Bold print added to emphasize the Psalm 2 reference). Scripture itself testifies to the meaning of Psalm 2, and I believe reverence is lacking in the MSG version. But you can make that decision for yourself. One reviewer (Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr.) of Peterson’s The Psalms at Prayer comments:

“Is bringing the language of Holy Scripture down to the level of common American discourse a worthy goal to begin with? Lovers of the Hebrew Psalter will agree with C.S. Lewis’s observation that the Psalms evoke both raw emotional intensity and high liturgical sublimity. They conjure up in our imaginations not only the cries of elemental human passion but also the voices of an Anglican boys’ choir…The Hebrew Psalter is intense but not pedestrian…Being earthy and rough may feel psychologically authentic to us modern people, but Bible translators should risk sounding remote when biblical beauty demands it. It then becomes the responsibility of pastors to lift modern people up to the level of Scripture, so that they can love higher and grander things than modernity has conditioned them to expect or even desire.”[8]

This same reviewer also asks a challenging question that relates to our current culture:

“At a time when American Christianity is rapidly adjusting to popular culture, when just about the only thing left that might rescue us from its banalities is the Bible, is it helpful to put a spin on the biblical text that accommodates popular culture even further? The problem with our more formal versions of the Psalms is not that they cannot help us to pray, but that they call us to a depth of prayer that our modern superficiality has habituated us not to identify with.”[9]

This statement was written 19 years ago, but I think it is even truer today. What is also interesting is that Peterson claims that trying to be relevant is really irrelevant. He supposedly doesn’t agree with relevancy. Let’s see what he said in his interview with Mark Galli (“Spirituality for All the Wrong Reasons”) about his book series on spiritual theology. In response to a question about the church, Peterson replies,

“What other church is there besides institutional? There’s nobody who doesn’t have problems with the church, because there’s sin in the church. But there’s no other place to be a Christian except the church. There’s sin in the local bank. There’s sin in the grocery stores. I really don’t understand the naïve criticism of the institution. I really don’t get it. Frederick von Hugel said that the institution of the church is like the bark on the tree. There’s no life in the bark. It’s dead wood. But it protects the life of the tree within. And the tree grows and grows and grows and grows. If you take the bark off, it’s prone to disease, dehydration, death. So, yes, the church is dead but it protects something alive. And when you try to have a church without bark, it doesn’t last long. It disappears, gets sick, and it’s prone to all kinds of disease, heresy, and narcissism. In my writing, I hope to recover a sense of the reality of congregation—what it is. It’s a gift of the Holy Spirit. Why are we idealizing what the Holy Spirit doesn’t idealize? There’s no idealization of the church in the Bible—none. We’ve got two thousand years of history now. Why are we so dumb?”[10] (Bold print added for emphasis)

All I can say is “Wow!” The church is dead? The church is not supposed to be an institution, but rather the body of Christ. While we are all sinners, sin is supposed to be confronted and rebuked in love within the church. The comparison to being the bark of a tree makes no sense. Is the body of Christ dead? Surely Christ was raised, so why is His body compared to death? If the church is the bark (dead) what are we keeping alive? What is the tree? The Scriptures? The same Scriptures that say we are alive in Christ and we should have the utmost joy for what He’s done for us? Peterson says that there’s no idealization of the church in the Bible, but Paul and other apostles and disciples provide a number of instructions so that the church can be holy and set apart. We live in a sinful world, but that doesn’t mean we let sin thrive within us individually and in the church.

Within this same interview, Galli asks Peterson, “Many Christians hope to speak to generation X or Y or postmoderns, or some sub-group, like cowboys or bikers—people for whom the typical church seems irrelevant.” Peterson responds, “When you start tailoring the gospel to the culture, whether it’s a youth culture, a generation culture or any other kind of culture, you have taken the guts out of the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not the kingdom of this world. It’s a different kingdom.”[11]

I agree with Peterson’s response. The gospel shouldn’t be tailored to culture. So how does The Message, which strives to accomplish the very task that Peterson is against, fit with his philosophy?

Another interview demonstrates that his views about relevancy seem to be contradictory. In this interview, “Letter from a Roman Jail,” in which Peterson’s paraphrase of Philippians is copied, Peterson answers some questions about his paraphrase. When asked “Whom is The Message for?” he replies,

“People like Tom, the trucker and furniture mover who transported our belongings across the country. He left parochial school in the eighth grade and hasn’t been back to church since. But his ears pricked up when he heard about this. I wrote for people like him who don’t think they can understand the Bible or ‘churchy’ language. I also hope it helps Christians who are tired of the world, of the biblical phrases. They’re not bored when they talk to their friends and gossip over the back fence. I tried to use the same vernacular. I hope they’ll pick this up and be surprised.”[12]

So instead of helping people understand Scripture in its original context, Peterson chooses to make it relevant to people in the current culture partly because they’re bored of the usual. Does this not seem inconsistent with previous interview? As another clear demonstration of being relevant, Peterson is asked, “The Word ‘dwelt among us’ in John 1 became ‘moved into the neighborhood.’ Why did you overhaul such metaphors?” His response was that “‘Dwelt among us’ was likely something people said in the first century. But I’ve never heard anybody say that except when they’re quoting the Bible. ‘Moved into the neighborhood’ is something we would say. I wanted to use a phrase that came out of people’s experience. Jesus was a master at doing this. His listeners didn’t have to read a commentary to figure out what he was saying.”[13]

Actually, even Jesus’ disciples were often confused with the meaning of Jesus’ parables. They usually needed to be explained even to His closest followers. Yes, Jesus used metaphors that related to the people of the day, but it was all to convey spiritual truth. It is our job to understand those metaphors, not make up our own (for translation). The concept of Jesus, the Son of God Himself, coming to earth to dwell among us is quite an amazing thought. He chose to leave His throne to be with His creation, a creation He knew He would die for. The idea of “moving into the neighborhood” does not convey that same idea. At least, not to me. Peterson also admits that he made ambiguous language in Scripture less ambiguous. His reason is that the original message wouldn’t have been ambiguous and wasn’t with Paul and Jesus; therefore, Peterson “felt liberty to be as clear as I could within the bounds of evangelical theology.”[14] That means that Peterson’s paraphrase is written through a particular lens, that of evangelical theology. While other scholars and translators feel the need to leave ambiguous passages as they are, Peterson seems to believe he has more insight into their meaning.

The interviewer also asks Peterson “How did your interest in poetry help your translating?” Peterson responds,

“When you love words, you want them to sound fresh. When a word becomes a cliché, it’s not working anymore; so you tend not to use it. Philosopher Martin Heidegger said that poets are the shepherds of words. As a shepherd, you’re not just trying to get the sheep to the market and get the best price for them. You’re taking care of them along the way. I’m trying to reach disaffected outsiders and bored insiders. I hope The Message becomes a means by which a lot of people who’ve never read the Bible read it. And the means by which many who’ve stopped reading will start again.”[15]

Again, it seems that the focus of The Message is to cure boredom or one’s disconnect with Scripture through an overhaul of fresh words. Yes, such an approach has led many to read The Message like any other book, but have they gained spiritual understanding? Or have they found just another “cool” way to say something that was supposedly outdated?

I have one more article to discuss, and I think this one needs the most attention. This is another interview with Peterson, but it focuses entirely on his work with The Message. It initially explains that Peterson wrote a paraphrase of Galatians for his congregation because they didn’t seem to be connecting with Scripture. NavPress saw this paraphrase and approached Peterson about writing the entire NT this way. The interviewer (Doug LeBlanc) asks, “Was there a breakthrough moment when you became convinced that you should expand your work from Galatians to the rest of the New Testament?” Peterson replies,

“I was a reluctant participant in this. I really didn’t think that I could do it or that it could be done. But I agreed with my editor, John, that I would. In some ways Paul is easy. There’s a lot of challenge to Paul, but the gospels are something quite different. There’s a kind of clean, lucid clarity to them, and I just didn’t think I could do that. But I agreed to do 10 chapters of Matthew and then let John decide whether he thought we could do this. And so it was just as bad as I thought it would be. It was very wooden, and it just wasn’t working. I just kind of let go and became playful. And that was when the Sermon on the Mount started. I remember I was down in my basement study, and I did the Beatitudes in about 10 minutes. And all of a sudden I realized this could work.”[16] (Bold print added for emphasis)

I don’t quite think “playful” is the right kind of attitude to have when translating or paraphrasing Scripture. The next question is quite thought-provoking for anyone who reads or teaches from The Message. LeBlanc asks, “Do you sometimes use The Message for your own devotional reading?” Peterson surprisingly responds, “My wife does, but I don’t. Actually, I don’t want this to sound wrong, but for most of my adult life I have read the Bible in Greek and Hebrew. I still do that. When I finished the New Testament, I really couldn’t read The Message. It was like I lived in that world, and I didn’t know if it was going to be accepted. I just put it away. But occasionally now I’ll pick it up and remember what I was doing.”[17] I am wary to read or use a Bible translation/paraphrase that even the author himself doesn’t use. In Peterson’s interview with Timothy Jones (“Letter from a Roman Jail”), he says that “While we are calling what I’ve done a paraphrase, I’ve also often had the feeling that it is a true translation. I sometimes made wild jumps in terms of word order or metaphor, but I was still trying to work out of the original setting and speech.”[18] If that is the case, why does he have trouble reading his own translation? Something to think about.

Continuing on with his interview with LeBlanc, Peterson is asked what the challenges are when translating Scripture into street language. Here’s another important response:

“It’s very different than trying to give a literal translation. With a conventional translation you’re trying to be as close to the original culture and grammar and Greek syntax and Hebrew syntax as you can be, and invite the reader to enter that world and understand it in those terms. When you’re doing a paraphrase translation like I’ve done, the demand is not on your demonstrating that world, although you kind of do that, but there’s more of an imagination and poetic aspect to it, because you’re trying to recreate those rhythms or those images and metaphors in this culture. I don’t think I could have done this if I wasn’t a pastor.”[19] (Bold print added for emphasis)

Again, there’s mention of imagination and poetry as well as the lack of intention to help people understand the Bible in its original context. Even though he supposedly tries to recreate those rhythms, images, and metaphors in our current culture, I think the original intent is often lost in translation.

When asked what advice Peterson would give to anyone who attempts a paraphrase, Peterson says, “I think if there’s any counsel for this kind of translation work, you just have to be immersed in the everyday. You don’t go off to an ivory tower someplace and surround yourself with dictionaries and grammars. Although you’ve got to know those things, those are a presupposition; that’s not the world you immerse yourself in.”[20] So even though it’s necessary to have knowledge of Greek and Hebrew and the ancient cultures, it’s more important to be immersed in the everyday. It’s becoming clear that this paraphrase (even though previously Peterson called his work a true translation) was not intended to communicate the original context. While I believe Scripture can and should be applied to our modern context, I don’t think it should be translated as if the events took place in our modern context.

But wait, there’s more! LeBlanc asks Peterson, “Do you think The Message will be well suited for reading in worship?” We would think Peterson would be on board with pastors and leaders using his translation at the pulpit. After all, isn’t it written for those who have become disconnected with Scripture? But Peterson replies with the opposite response, “When I’m in a congregation where somebody uses it in the Scripture reading, it makes me a little uneasy. I would never recommend it be used as saying, ‘Hear the Word of God from The Message.’ But it surprises me how many do. You can’t tell people they can’t do it. But I guess I’m a traditionalist, and I like to hear those more formal languages in the pulpit.”[21] Why would he want to hear the more formal languages when his translation communicates the meaning behind the Scriptural text? The next response is just as contradictory as this one.

The interviewer asks, “You have said that if you dig your wells deep enough, relevancy is pretty much irrelevant. What sorts of hazards await a translator who focuses on relevance?” Here’s that relevance topic again. Let’s take a look at what Peterson says:

“The hazard is just triviality. Relevance is relevant for about 10 minutes in the kind of culture we’re in. I never thought of relevance. I was thinking of my congregation. I was thinking of these people, the lives they lived. I didn’t want to be cute; I didn’t want to just get people’s attention. So I was always working very closely with those Greek and Hebrew texts, trying to get underneath them and get into them, and then let it come out as the kind of language that we’re using. And I wasn’t trying to make it easy. I was astounded when I learned about some of the new versions of the Bible that are being published by companies that spend thousands of dollars trying to find the vocabulary level of the average person and exclude all the words that don’t fit into that grid. I think you do the best you can with the language you have. The fact is, the Bible is hard. It’s not an easy book. I don’t think we should compromise accuracy of the Bible just for the ease of reading.”[22] (Bold print added for emphasis)

Ok let’s break this down. Peterson says he wasn’t trying to be relevant, but he was thinking about the people and the lives they lived. He already admits in other interviews that his congregation seemed to be bored or disengaged from Scripture so he wrote a paraphrase of Galatians to make Scripture more real and understandable to them. To apply to them. That is being relevant. Also, he mentions how he was always working very closely to the Greek and Hebrew texts, yet he encourages people who want to write a paraphrase to not surround themselves with grammars and dictionaries, but to be immersed in the everyday. The idea of trying to get underneath these ancient texts seems to indicate that the intended meaning was not on the surface, that it needs to be drawn out. This is where interpretation can become dangerous. Peterson is trying to get the feel behind the text (something that is supposedly hidden) and somehow translate into our modern language with all of its (unrelated) idioms. Peterson then mentions how the Bible is hard, and it shouldn’t be made easy to read just for the sake of ease. Why is the Bible so hard?? I think he and others think this because they’ve lost the focus on the original context. They have their own preconceived notions about who God is and if the God of the original context does not fit their notions then something is amiss. Rather than blaming themselves for their own misunderstanding, they blame the text. In the ancient Israelite culture and in the first century, God is a no-nonsense God. Christ was and remains to be the greatest gift we could ever receive because He took the Father’s wrath upon Himself. But that doesn’t change the nature of God. Our culture wants a fluffy, warm God who just loves, loves, loves in a way that we think of love. Scripture presents a different picture. God hates sin. Period. Every human needs to be made right with God because we all sin. The story of God’s redemption of mankind is no longer a mystery. The Messiah came as the OT Scriptures prophesied, and Christ will come again as the NT testifies. If the Bible is hard, we made it that way. I think Peterson completely contradicts himself when he says “I don’t think we should compromise accuracy of the Bible just for the ease of reading.” Isn’t that exactly what he did with The Message? He himself says it was written for people like Tom the trucker because he dropped out of school in the eighth grade. If you take a brief look at comments on Amazon you’ll see that many people like The Message in all its forms because it reads with ease.

There’s one final question and response that I’d like to add this discussion. LeBlanc asks, “Do you consider it one of the unique qualities of Scripture that it can be translated into so many forms and still retain such spiritual power?” Peterson responds,

“An African theologian, [Kwame] Bediako [author of Christianity in Africa: The Renewal of Non-Western Religion], says that every time the Bible is translated it releases new meanings. And he was talking about African languages and African dialects. Every time the Bible is translated, you enter a culture and a language system that is unique. And the Bible is true and gets into those rhythms and those idioms and there’s more truth there. So the truth is kind of endless, and each culture, dialect, and language gives a new chance to express something nobody has ever quite done this way before. The comments of appreciation that mean the most to me are from Wycliffe translators. They’re doing this, and they understand immediately what I’m doing, and they love it.”[23]

I’m all for translating the Bible into different languages, and I love languages myself. However, I have a problem with the idea that Bible translation leads to additional new meanings of Scripture. This leaves room for any interpretation to be inserted into the text. I believe the Bible is for all people in all cultures, but we cannot neglect the original cultures involved. How can we fully understand the necessity of Christ’s death if we have no knowledge of the Israelites’ command to offer sacrifices for their sins? There’s a reason why God chose Israel initially, but then He extended salvation for all people. Scriptural truths are immutable; however, application of Scriptural truths is endless. There is a difference. If truths multiply and change with every culture, how can we be rooted in these same Scriptures? The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and we are able to grasp the truths in English. Why do we think that other cultures and languages can’t understand these same principles without compromising the original context? The same Scriptural truths should be gleaned from the text, and then these truths can be applied differently to various cultures, including our own. All that to say, if someone proclaims that they’ve discovered a new meaning in Scripture which has never been found before, be wary of such a person. It is quite arrogant to assume that over thousands of years no one else understood such a truth.

Choosing a Translation

I’m not writing all of this to shame anyone who reads The Message. Rather, I think this version has been encouraged by many Christians (even well-known leaders and writers), but I don’t think it should be. I’m writing this post to not only make you aware of Peterson’s intentions, inconsistencies, and beliefs, but also to challenge everyone to research a Bible translation before they use it for personal study or teaching. If you are seeking to understand Scriptural truth, I highly recommend not choosing a paraphrase because the goal of a paraphrase is not to explain the original context. I will also say that no translation is perfect. As much as we want to have an exact translation, the number of Bible versions out there indicate that an exact translation is impossible. Why is this? Well, whenever we translate from one language to another (especially ancient languages), an amount of interpretation is involved. Sometimes cultural concepts or idioms are incomprehensible unless we do adequate research. Even then, some phrases may get lost in translation. Also, whenever interpretation is involved, subjectivity goes along with it. As much as we try to remain objective when reading (or translating) Scripture, we’re still impacted by our own cultures, languages, morals, church traditions, theological positions, etc. This is why having a group of editors and translators is important for writing a new Bible translation. A group of people can keep each other in check whereas one person has little to no accountability. A group can debate on more “difficult” passages whereas one person can only offer his/her opinion and interpretation on a given passage. While Peterson admits to having five scholars check his work for doctrinal integrity[24], I think it’s safe to say that he was mostly left to his own creativity.

I mentioned above that I personally choose to read the New American Standard Bible (not to say that others aren’t adequate). I read this version because it’s the closest translation I’ve found to the original languages (although I admit that I’ve only studied Greek, and plan to study Hebrew someday). Also, it was written by a group of editors and translators beginning in 1960 and has been through many revisions, the latest revision published in 1995. The Foreword to the NASB conveys, “The purpose of the Editorial Board in making this translation was to adhere as closely as possible to the original languages of the Holy Scriptures, and to make the translation in a fluent and readable style according to current English usage.”[25] The Lockman Foundation, the original publisher for this version, also provides its fourfold aim with its translation: 1) These publications shall be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek; 2) They shall be grammatically correct; 3) They shall be understandable; and 4) They shall give the Lord Jesus Christ His proper place, the place the Word gives Him; therefore, no work will ever be personalized.[26] This version provides introductory notes that explain what the NASB is based on (both the ASV and KJV), who was involved in the process, why they used some English idioms for clarity in certain passages, and how they indicate these changes within the textual notes. I currently use the Study Bible version of the NASB which is published by Zondervan, but I’m not inclined to use the commentaries very much. Actually, I encourage everyone to be careful when reading commentaries (whether those in your Bibles or those independent of a specific translation). Commentaries can be useful, and they’re often encouraged in higher education; however, it is important to remember that they are written by men and women who all have their own biases and interpretations. Scripture itself provides the context you need to understand it. Commentaries can help fill in the gaps where culture and history are concerned.

Challenge: Compare Translations

There might be some people reading this who are saying, “Hey, I love The Message!” However, I challenge everyone who has an interest in this version (or even if you don’t) to do a translation comparison (www.biblegateway.com is helpful with this) and determine if the message is really the same. I’ve included a few comparisons below, beginning with the Lord’s Prayer. I’ll give you the NASB version and then The Message (MSG):

“Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]” (Matthew 6:9-13 NASB)

“Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—
as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.” (Matthew 6:9-13 MSG)

I believe much is missed with the second version, and it seems quite Westernized with the idea of “three square meals.” What do you think? Now let’s take a look at Galatians 6:1-2:

“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:1-2 NASB)

“Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law.” (Galatians 6:1-2 MSG)

I think there are two different messages going on here. In the NASB translation, I believe Paul is telling people to restore a person who has fallen into a sin that he/she can’t seem to get out of. That means that their sin is known, but believers are to help them with a gentle spirit. However, those who are helping this person need to be cautious so that they don’t get caught up in the same sin. When Paul is telling the Galatians to bear each other’s burdens, he’s speaking to the church. In the MSG translation, I have no idea where “Live creatively, friends” comes from (not from the Greek). It also seems to suggest that people should just forgive the person in sin, but nothing else should be said. This is not the message in the NT. The church is called to rebuke as well as encourage and forgive. I’m not suggesting that we should rub people’s sin in their faces, but rebuking in love is necessary. The MSG also adds that we should share the burdens of the oppressed and fulfill Christ’s law. This is not the message Paul is saying. He’s talking to the Galatian church specifically here. The church is supposed to carry one another’s burdens because we are all one body (1 Cor. 12). We are not commanded to share everyone’s burdens. Again, I believe the real message is lost in the paraphrase (MSG).

Here’s another example. This one is really important especially because of the rise of homosexuality and homosexual marriage in Western culture. Let’s compare 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. See if you can note the differences:

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:9-11 NASB)

“Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I’m talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.” (1 Cor. 6:9-11 MSG)

There are so many differences I’m not even sure where to start. While the NASB (and Greek) translation lists specific sins (not that these are the only sins that keep people from God, but I think they are listed specifically for the Corinthians and the cultural influences of their day), the MSG conveniently leaves them out. It also adds the idea of using and abusing the earth. This is something not mentioned in the Greek language but represents a modern concern. In my opinion, the MSG version does not want to cause offense by calling out certain sins, but rather desires to present God as warm and fuzzy. Here’s a final comparison that represents this version of God:

“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus…” (Romans 15:4-5 NASB)

“Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all.” (Romans 15:4-5 MSG)

I’ll let you wrestle with the differences there.

For anyone who has taken the time to read this post to the end, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. My desire is for truth to be known and understood. Part of this call for truth is calling out people who I think lead people away from it. Even with the best of intentions, if someone (like Peterson) does not teach the truth of Scripture, he is not doing God’s work.

Bibliography (sources used in this post or consulted)

Burns, Ann and Barbara J. Kenney. “The Message: The New Testament (Book).” Library Journal 128 no. 18 (Nov. 2003): 140.

Crouch, Andy (Interviewer), Eugene Peterson (Interviewee) and Peter Harris (Interviewee). “The Joyful Environmentalists.” Christianity Today 55 no. 6 (June 2011): 30-32.

Galli, Mark (Interviewer) and Eugene Peterson (Interviewee). “Spirituality for All Wrong Reasons: Eugene Peterson talks about lies and illusions that destroy the church.” Christianity Today 49 no. 3 (March 2005): 42-48.

LeBlanc, Doug (Interviewer) and Eugene H. Peterson (Interviewee). “I Didn’t Want to Be Cute.” Christianity Today 46 no. 11 (Oct. 2002): 107-109.

Ortlund Jr., Raymond C. “The Psalms at Prayer.” Christianity Today 39 no. 1 (Jan. 1995): 64-65.

Peterson, Eugene H. “Letter from a Roman Jail: Words of liberation from a prisoner of conscience. A new paraphrase of Philippians by Eugene Peterson.” Christianity Today 37 no. 15 (Dec. 1993): 38-42.

—–. “‘Listen, Yahweh.’” Christianity Today 35 no. 1 (Jan. 1991): 23-25.

—–. “Spirit Quest.” Christianity Today 37 no. 13 (Nov. 1993): 26-30.

Wood, David (Interviewer) and Eugene H. Peterson (Interviewee). “‘The Best Life’: Eugene Peterson on pastoral ministry.” Christian Century 119 no. 6 (Mar. 2002): 18-26.

Additional Internet Sources:

http://www.gotquestions.org/The-Message-MSG.html

http://www.bible-researcher.com/themessage.html

http://www.crossroad.to/Bible_studies/Message.html

[1] Andy Crouch (Interviewer), Eugene Peterson (Interviewee) and Peter Harris (Interviewee), “The Joyful Environmentalists,” Christianity Today 55 no. 6 (June 2011): 31.

[2] Eugene H. Peterson, “Spirit Quest,” Christianity Today 37 no. 13 (Nov. 1993): 28.

[3] Peterson, “Spirit Quest,” 29.

[4] Peterson, “Spirit Quest,” 29.

[5] Peterson, “Spirit Quest,” 29.

[6] Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: The New Testament in Contemporary Language (Colorado Spring, CO: NavPress, 1993), 8.

[7] Eugene H. Peterson, “‘Listen, Yahweh,’” Christianity Today 35 no.1 (Jan. 1991): 23.

[8] Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr., “The Psalms at Prayer,” Christianity Today 39 no.1 (Jan. 1995): 65.

[9] Ortlund, “The Psalms at Prayer,” 65.

[10] Mark Galli (Interviewer) and Eugene Peterson (Interviewee), “Spirituality for All the Wrong Reasons: Eugene Peterson talks about lies and illusions that destroy the church,” Christianity Today 49 no. 3 (March 2005): 45-46.

[11] Galli and Peterson, “Spirituality for All the Wrong Reasons,” 47.

[12] Timothy Jones (Interviewer) and Eugene H. Peterson (Interviewee), “Letter from a Roman Jail: Words of liberation from a prisoner of conscience. A new paraphrase of Philippians by Eugene Peterson,” Christianity Today 37 no. 15 (Dec. 1993): 41.

[13] Jones and Peterson, “Letter from a Roman Jail,” 41.

[14] Jones and Peterson, “Letter from a Roman Jail,” 41.

[15] Jones and Peterson, “Letter from a Roman Jail,” 41.

[16] Doug LeBlanc (Interviewer) and Eugene H. Peterson (Interviewee), “I Didn’t Want to Be Cute,” Christianity Today 46 no. 11 (Oct. 2002): 107.

[17] LeBlanc and Peterson, “I Didn’t Want to Be Cute,” 107.

[18] Jones and Peterson, “Letter from a Roman Jail,” 41.

[19] LeBlanc and Peterson, “I Didn’t Want to Be Cute,” 107-108.

[20] LeBlanc and Peterson, “I Didn’t Want to Be Cute,” 108.

[21] LeBlanc and Peterson, “I Didn’t Want to Be Cute,” 108.

[22] LeBlanc and Peterson, “I Didn’t Want to Be Cute,” 108-109.

[23] LeBlanc and Peterson, “I Didn’t Want to Be Cute,” 109.

[24] Jones and Peterson, “Letter from a Roman Jail,” 41.

[25] New American Standard Bible (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), vii.

[26] New American Standard Bible, vii.

© Lauren Heiligenthal

Speaking in Tongues: What the Bible Actually Teaches

I believe that spiritual gifts are as useful for this present age as they were for the first century church. The church is still in need of edification, and the world needs to know the Savior. Spiritual gifts are a way in which these two needs can be fulfilled. However, I advocate the proper use of spiritual gifts, a number of which have become distorted through misguided interpretation.  One of these misused gifts is speaking in tongues. Before I delve into Scripture for an explanation, I would like to briefly explain why this topic is important to me.

When I was ten years old, I was convinced that I had received the gift of speaking in tongues. Prior to receiving it, I had learned about it in church (I grew up Pentecostal). Even in a Missionettes class (a Bible study for girls) I was taught to start saying syllables and hopefully the heavenly language would just flow out. Over the years I observed others with the “gift” and was taught that speaking in tongues was a heavenly language that was between God and me. Even though I couldn’t understand what I was saying, it was supposedly a powerful prayer tool, and I even heard from the pulpit that the enemy can’t understand what I’m saying to God when I speak in tongues. I was taught that it couldn’t be controlled, like the Spirit just takes over. I believed most of these things for quite a few years. I’ve even been in services when people were encouraged to raise their voices in their heavenly languages, and a chorus of “unknown languages” rang out. But then I noticed my “language” started to change. It began to sound like languages I’ve learned or heard before. Questions began forming in my mind about the validity of this gift, but I pushed them aside for a few more years. It wasn’t until I was confronted about it with Scripture that I realized what I had learned in church and what Scripture teaches about speaking in tongues (which I will address below) were at odds with one another. I no longer “speak in tongues,” but my prayer life has been the better for it. However, I do believe that there is a spiritual gift of speaking in tongues, but it’s different from the Pentecostal view.

First, I would like to discuss the end of Luke 24 and Acts 1-2. In Luke 24 Jesus is about to ascend to heaven, but before this event, He tells His disciples something important in vv. 46-49: “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” In Acts 1 Luke reiterates these events. It is important to note in Acts 1:2-8 that Jesus is speaking specifically to the Apostles about the Holy Spirit coming upon them.  He makes it clear that they (the Apostles) will receive power from the Holy Spirit, they will be His witnesses, and they will proclaim the Gospel in all of the earth, beginning in Jerusalem. Again, vv. 12-13 also mention that it is the eleven Apostles who are given these instructions. Luke’s account continues with how the Apostles and others gather together to devote themselves to prayer. On one occasion, when there are about 120 people gathered (v. 15), Peter speaks up and says that another man should take Judas’ place among the Apostles. This event ends with Matthias being chosen. When Acts 2 begins, Luke is writing about the day of Pentecost, a different day than when the 120 were gathered together. I think many people assume that all of these people were filled with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost; however, Scripture does not indicate this. Let’s take a look at what happened.

Acts 2:1 opens with “When the day of Pentecost had come.” This indicates that this day is different from the previous event. It continues by saying that “they were all together in one place.” The closest reference to “they” is the Apostles, but I also think that Acts 2:14 affirms this claim. We’ll get to that in a moment. In vv. 2-3, we read about a noise from heaven “like a violent rushing wind” that fills the house and about tongues like fire which were being distributed and resting on each person present. Then v. 4 says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.”  If we stop here, the Pentecostal view of an unknown, heavenly language still seems to fit, but the actual meaning of “tongues” is further explained in the following verses. Verse 5 is a parenthetical note, but it’s important for this passage. It states that there were Jews living in Jerusalem from “every nation under heaven.” This indicates that they didn’t all speak the same language, which v. 6 affirms: “And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.” In v. 7 these same men are astonished because they know that the men speaking in tongues are from Galilee, meaning that they shouldn’t be able to speak all of the languages being spoken. Scripture provides even more clarification about this manifestation of the Spirit. The Jews say again in v. 8, “And how is it that we each hear them in our language to which we were born?” These men have been living in Jerusalem, yet they hear their native tongue, obviously a known language. Verses 9-11 make this point even more clearly by listing all the nations and regions where these Jews are from. If you look at a map that many Bibles provide, you’ll notice that there’s no way that these Galileans would have known all of these languages. Verse 11 also adds the Jews’ remark, “we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” Two major points to grasp so far is that this first example of speaking in tongues involves speaking known languages, and it is meant to testify about God’s greatness. Let’s continue.

While some people remain perplexed (v. 12), others mock the Apostles by basically saying they are drunk (v. 13). Verse 14 is the beginning of Peter’s defense: “But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: ‘Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words.’” In my opinion, this verse affirms that this specific filling of the Holy Spirit was given to the Apostles because of what Jesus said in Luke 24:47 and Acts 1:8. The Gospel will be preached in Jerusalem first. Also, Peter is still addressing the same men, which means that he is still speaking in tongues here because the Jews understand him. As you can read for yourself, Peter not only defends their speaking in tongues through Joel’s prophecy (vv. 17-21), but more importantly, he shares the Gospel (vv. 22-36). When the Jews hear what Peter has to say “they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’” (v. 37). They are told to repent and be baptized (v. 38). After these things they will receive the Holy Spirit (v. 38). Verse 41 testifies that about 3,000 people received Peter’s message and were baptized that day. The Holy Spirit enabled the Apostles to preach the Gospel in many languages at once and many were saved.

This moment in Acts marked the beginning of the church. Consider the magnitude of this situation. Literally thousands of people are hearing about Christ in their own language, and they become saved. These people could then share this good news with people in their native tongue. How quickly the Gospel would have spread! Jesus gave specific instructions to His Apostles to wait in Jerusalem so that the Holy Spirit would empower them to preach the Gospel to these people. Some Christians argue that the sign of being baptized in the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues, and they use Acts 1 and 2 as proof texts. However, as I’ve repeated, the fact that Jesus told His Apostles that they (specifically) would be baptized with the Holy Spirit is important. Also, when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoke other languages, it wasn’t something between just them and God. Additionally, they understood what they were saying because they were speaking in their own native tongue while others heard them differently. Ultimately, speaking in tongues was God’s way of using the Apostles to preach the Gospel to unbelievers. I’m not saying that the Apostles were the only people to receive this gift. Acts 10:46; 19:6 and 1 Corinthians 12-14 say otherwise, but I believe the reason why the Spirit empowered the Apostles in such a magnificent way was to usher in the beginning of the church. Their example in Acts is important to keep in mind when reading 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 because Scripture does not contradict itself. Also, the Apostles were the leaders of the church who were empowered by God, and this manifestation of the Holy Spirit demonstrated their authority. With Acts 1 and 2 fresh in our minds, let’s take a brief look at 1 Cor. 12 and discuss 1 Cor. 14.

Paul writes in 1 Cor. 12:4-7, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” He continues by listing all the different gifts and says in v. 11, “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” Speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues are listed among the gifts, but there is no indication that these particular gifts are what define someone as being baptized in the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, not everyone receives the same gifts. This is one reason why the body of Christ needs to be unified, both the honorable and less honorable parts (vv. 12-26). Also notice in v. 28 that the gift of “various kinds of tongues” is listed last. Then, in 1 Cor. 13 Paul explains how love is the greatest of all gifts. Without it, other gifts are useless, including prophecy and speaking in tongues. I believe he specifically mentions these two gifts in order to discuss them further in 1 Cor. 14. (Keep in mind that chapter breaks are man-made so all of these chapters are meant to be read together.)

In 1 Cor. 14, Paul seems to be addressing speaking in tongues because it had become important to the Corinthians; however, he encourages them to desire the gift of prophecy because it edifies the whole church body. Let’s take a look at what he tells the church in vv. 1-19:

“Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit (or by the Spirit) he speaks mysteries. But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church. Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying. But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching? Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning. If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me. So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church. Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the ‘Amen’ at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified. I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.” (Bold words added for emphasis)

As you may have noticed, Paul talks quite a bit about edifying the church. The function of any spiritual gift is to edify the church and bring others into the kingdom, which we read about in Acts. One of the differences between Acts and 1 Cor. 14 is the addition of interpretation of tongues. In Acts 2 there was no need for interpretation because both the speakers and hearers understood what was being said. I believe that speaking in tongues can manifest itself in such a way today. I have heard a couple of testimonies relaying experiences like this. Acts 2 also refers to a situation where there were men who spoke many different languages. Imagine how long it would take for a person to interpret what was being said into every language. In Corinthians, Paul is talking about a setting in which the church is gathered together. It is most likely that many of them speak the same language, but not all, since speaking in tongues is still encouraged. Paul explains that the one who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues because he can edify the entire church. The only time a person who speaks in tongues edifies the church is if he or someone else can interpret. The need for interpretation means that the language he is speaking is not understood by everyone. There is no discussion about it being a heavenly, unknown language. Instead, Paul says that one’s speech should be clear like musical instruments which play a distinct tone. If an instrument produces an indistinct sound, its meaning is unknown, which could be detrimental in important situations like calling men to battle. Likewise, if a person has the gift of speaking in tongues, it has to be made clear for those who hear; otherwise it is confusing and worthless. Paul plainly states that there are many languages (or sounds) in the world, and none is without meaning. The whole point Paul is driving at in this first part of 1 Cor. 14 is that believers should strive to edify the church. He encourages people to desire prophecy, but if they speak in tongues, they should pray to interpret what is being said. The second part of this chapter further explains the purpose of speaking in tongues and how to maintain order within the church. Let’s read 1 Cor. 14: 20-40:

“Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. In the Law it is written, ‘By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me,’ says the Lord. So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only? If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.”

The phrase “strange tongues” in the citation from the Law is referring to foreign languages, not unknown languages. Paul uses this OT passage to teach that tongues are a sign for unbelievers, which we read about in Acts 2. The Holy Spirit didn’t empower the Apostles so that they could speak in tongues to each other or just to God. Rather, He empowered them to speak to the unbelieving Jews who needed to hear the Gospel message. Also, in Acts 10:46, I believe the Holy Spirit enabled the believing Gentiles to speak in tongues as a testimony to the believing Jews that the Gentiles, too, can receive the Holy Spirit (since this was debated). However, in Corinthians, Paul explains that if everyone in the church speaks in tongues and an unbeliever or ungifted person walks in, they will think everyone is crazy. There needs to be interpretation and order. Prophecy, on the other hand, is a sign for believers, not unbelievers. It is used to edify the body. However, prophecy can also convict an unbelieving person. Paul writes that if everyone in the church prophesies, an unbelieving or ungifted person is convicted in his heart. All of his secrets are revealed, and he will worship God, understanding that God is among these people.

After this, Paul further instructs that when the church meets together, each person may have something to offer, whether it’s a psalm, a revelation, a tongue, an interpretation, etc.; however, everything must be done for the edification of the church. He provides specific instructions for tongues. When the church meets, only two or three at most should speak (in turn) and a person must interpret. If there is no interpreter, then a person should keep quiet and speak only to God. The idea of an entire assembly speaking in tongues at once (often without interpretation) seems to contradict Scripture. The idea of praying for someone in tongues without interpretation doesn’t fit either. Remember from the first part of 1 Cor. 14, if people cannot understand what is being said in tongues, it is like speaking to the air: worthless. The instructions for prophecy are somewhat similar. Two or three prophets should speak, but others should pass judgment. This means that the assembly should discern whether their words are from God or not. They still are to speak in an orderly fashion. As many of us have heard before, “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (v. 33). In v. 37 Paul makes it clear that his instructions are the Lord’s commandment (yes, even the one about women keeping silent in church and asking their husbands at home. This is a topic for another post). He affirms this statement in v. 38 by saying that if someone does not recognize these teachings as being from the Lord, that person is not recognized. Paul encourages the spiritual gifts of prophecy and speaking in tongues, but everything should be done in the proper manner (vv. 39-40) and for the edification of the church.

After reviewing Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 14, I believe we can come to a few conclusions about speaking in tongues. First, it involves known languages. There is no evidence that people receive a special, heavenly, unknown language that no one on earth understands but God. This also means that the enemy can understand what a person is saying. The enemy knows our innermost thoughts. That’s how he can trap and tempt us. He knows more about us than we do, and no language is going to stop that. That’s why we need to guard our hearts and minds. Second, there needs to be an interpreter. I believe there are situations when tongues can be understood by the hearer(s) like in Acts. God can work that way; however, that was to a group of unbelievers, people who needed to hear the Gospel. That is why speaking in tongues is a sign for unbelievers as Paul mentions. In a church setting, there needs to be an interpreter, whether it’s the person speaking in tongues or someone else with the interpretation gift. People need to understand what is being said, or there’s no point speaking at all. Third, all gifts should be used for the edification of the church. If a person wants to continue speaking in tongues without an interpretation then he or she needs to stay silent and speak to God. This means that a person can control speaking in tongues. Also, if someone wants to pray for another person, he should pray in his own language. That way both the speaker and the one receiving prayer understand what is being said, and the latter can be edified and encouraged. Fourth, speaking in tongues is to be conducted in an orderly manner. Two or three people at the most can speak and only with an interpreter present. Everyone should be edified. Spiritual gifts are given to us by the Spirit, not to be directed back to God, but rather to encourage others in the Lord and bring people to the knowledge of Christ.

Speaking in tongues in the biblical sense can be useful. Paul says that he speaks in tongues more than all of the Corinthians, and he’s thankful for it. It makes sense when we consider that Paul traveled quite a bit planting churches in many different regions. Having the gift of tongues would have been beneficial in spreading the Gospel. It can also be beneficial if we minister in areas where no one speaks our language. Speaking in tongues is not a selfish gift meant to stay between a person and God. It is also not a secret weapon against the enemy. It is for unbelievers who need to come to the knowledge of Christ and for the edification of believers when an interpretation is given.

I realize that many people I know will be offended or put off by this post, but I believe all of this to be the truth. I, too, have gone through the experience of what I thought was speaking in tongues. Instead, I believe it was more of a suggestive experience. I was constantly exposed to the Pentecostal experience of speaking in tongues and desired to receive it in this same way. I have also talked about all of these things with a close person in my life who had the same speaking in tongues experience. At first this person did not agree with what I had to say but took time to search the Scriptures and pray about it. After some time, she conceded that Scripture taught something different than her experience, and she realized that she got more out of praying with understanding. Experiences are difficult to contend with, but everything must be tested against the truth of Scripture. Sometimes preachers’ teachings and Scripture are not in sync, and this needs to be corrected. We all need to grow and be edified by the body of Christ. Let us do it with truth and understanding.

If anyone has any questions or comments I would be happy to respond. Know that all of this has been written with love and after much prayer and consideration.

© Lauren Heiligenthal

Holding Innocence

Children are quite an amazing gift. I mentioned in my first post (“Faith Like a Child”) that my best friends have twins. They are 19 months old now and as exploratory as ever. Sometimes they can try my patience, but then there are those serene moments that I don’t want to end. A couple of times this week I had the joy of holding each boy after he woke up from his nap. One twin one day, the other twin another day. After waking up, each one discovered that he was still tired. So I rocked him back to sleep. It was such a wonderful feeling knowing that he wanted me to hold him, that he felt comfortable in my arms. I loved looking at his little face and seeing him at peace. I enjoyed feeling his breathing (and sometimes hearing a snore or two). No matter what has been going on in my life lately, it didn’t matter at that moment. With everything going in the world—ISIS, Ebola, Russia and Ukraine, the moral depravity of our nation—this was a moment to remember the beauty of innocence.

I feel so blessed to hold these children when I know the innocence of children around the world is being shattered. How can humanity justify slaughtering such a precious gift, whether it’s abortion, decapitation by a terrorist, or indoctrinating them to fight for evil? Such people are certainly not justified before God (unless they ask for forgiveness). Consider what Jesus says in Luke 18:15-17,

“And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. But Jesus called for them, saying, ‘Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.’”

In Matthew 18:1-7, 10 Jesus teaches His disciples a similar, but more detailed, message:

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, ‘Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes! …See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.’”

As you can read, children are important to God, and Christ uses them as examples of how we should live.

It is also the responsibility of parents and/or guardians to train their children in the wisdom of God and teach them about His wondrous works. Psalm 78:5-8 says,

“For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers that they should teach them to their children, that the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments,  and not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not prepare its heart and whose spirit was not faithful to God.”

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Additionally, Solomon gives his son a great piece of advice in Proverbs 3:11-12, “My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord or loathe His reproof, for whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.”

Discipline is not only important for children, but for Christians of all ages. This citation from Proverbs is repeated in Hebrews 12:5-6. Paul (this is who I believe wrote Hebrews) continues to explain the necessity of discipline in vv. 7-11. He not only provides insight into how children ought to be disciplined (particularly by their fathers in this context), but how we should receive discipline from the Lord:

“It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.  All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

As most parents/guardians will attest, disciplining a child is never fun. But we know it’s necessary in order to instill obedience and shape godly character. Our intentions are for good as are the Father’s intentions for our lives. The need for discipline is even more critical as immorality is increasingly becoming the norm in society. Yet even amidst such depravity, we can still have hope in the Lord and experience joy in His children who bring the light of innocence into this dark world.

Children teach us to have humility and complete trust before the Father. They demonstrate the importance of discipline in our lives. And, important for me, they teach us how to slow down and appreciate just being with one another.

As I slowly rock a baby to sleep, I can experience peace in a world of chaos.

~~~

Innocence (Originally written October 1-2, 2014)

As you lay your head upon my chest

and gently fall asleep,

I can’t help but hold you tight

and feel a sense of peace.

 

Such tiny features

so beautifully created,

I can’t fathom how your life

could ever be debated.

 

You bring immense joy

into a world full of pain—

a shining light,

growing brighter every day.

 

A gift from God,

you bring hope into my life,

teaching me how to have faith

and to let go of strife.

 

In this depraved world

you outshine the rest,

possessing what most have lost:

God’s blessing of pure innocence.

© Lauren Heiligenthal

 

 

Truth

We all have struggles. Sometimes the same struggles resurface repeatedly. We think we’ve got our minds fixed, and then it hits us all over again. Something I’ve been trying to learn these last few years is determining truth from lies. The enemy will keep coming at us where we’re weak. Our minds are a good place to start, and the world tends to reinforce those thoughts. But we must remember to have a mind like Christ, to think what God thinks of us. That’s what this next poem is about.

Truth (originally written March 7, 2014)

It is hard to look in the mirror

when I see an unpainted face

full of imperfections.

I am not beautiful enough.

Lie.

 

When I sing, I compare myself to others

who amaze people with their gift,

who are not afraid to share it with the world.

God does not want my praise.

Lie.

 

I look at my body and think,

“I will never get to where I want to be,”

pushing myself to be better,

but always feeling like I am not thin enough.

Lie.

 

Working hard at school

I still lack confidence despite the results,

thinking I will never be like them,

that I cannot make a difference.

Lie.

 

One lie after another finds a corner in my mind

until the light of Christ permeates the darkness.

The Father asks, “Do you not know that I have made you?

That I created you with a purpose?”

 

My purpose is not about me,

but about Him.

The world says I need to look and sound a certain way,

but God’s kingdom is not of this world.

 

Jesus came to declare truth to all men,

to be a sacrifice of love and forgiveness.

He did not care about the outside of a person

but the heart.

Truth.

 

A Christian concerns herself with God,

not the praises of men.

She stands against heresies

and proclaims the gospel.

Truth.

 

When I look in the mirror, what do I see?

When I sing to the Lord, what do I sing?

When I work hard, what is my goal?

When I clothe myself, what do I wear?

Truth.

© Lauren Heiligenthal