Learning about God and man from Irenaeus of Lyons

If...thou wilt not believe in Him, and wilt flee from His hands, the cause of imperfection shall be in thee who didst not obey, but not in Him who called [thee].  For He commissioned [messengers] to call people to the marriage, but they who did not obey Him deprived themselves of the royal supper.  The skill of God, therefore, is not defective, for He has power of the stones to raise up children to Abraham; but the man who does not obtain it is the cause to himself of his own imperfection.  Nor, [in like manner], does the light fail because of those who have blinded themselves; but while it remains the same as ever, those who are [thus] blinded are involved in darkness through their own fault. The light does never enslave any one by necessity; nor, again, does God exercise compulsion upon any one unwilling to accept the exercise of His skill.  Those persons, therefore, who have apostatized from the light given by the Father, and transgressed the law of liberty, have done so through their own fault, since they have been created free agents, and possessed of power over themselves. - Irenaeus of Lyons

Why post this quote?  I offer four reasons: (1) Irenaeus was a bishop. Bishops succeeded the Apostles and were defenders of the faith; responsible for its preservation within the Church.  (2) Irenaeus is a Church Father.  The Church Fathers were influential teachers of the early church. Many of them were bishops such as Irenaeus.  (3) The Apostles lived during the first century; Irenaeus during the second century.  This means he lived much closer to the time period of the Apostles than you, me, the Reformers, or Medieval Scholastics.  (4) When he was young, Irenaeus heard Polycarp at Smyrna.  Some even believe that he was a disciple of Polycarp.  What's significant about that?  Polycarp was a disciple of the Apostle John.  (5) Irenaeus wrote Against Heresies, a five-volume work defending the catholic faith against Gnosticism.  The above quote is taken from Book IV, chapter 39.  

Let's make some observations about the quote. 

First, notice what is stated about God.  

"The skill of God...is not defective, for He has power of the stones to raise up children to Abraham."  

God is powerful.  He has power of the stones.

Does he use that power to compel people to believe?  No.

"The light does never enslave any one by necessity; nor, again, does God exercise compulsion upon any one unwilling to accept the exercise of His skill."  

Secondly, notice what is stated about man.  

"Those persons, therefore, who have apostatized from the light given by the Father, and transgressed the law of liberty, have done so through their own fault, since they have been created free agents, and possessed of power over themselves."

Man is a free agent, possessed of power over himself.

Whose to blame if people do not believe in God?  

"If, however, thou wilt not believe in Him, and wilt flee from His hands, the cause of imperfection shall be in thee who didst not obey, but not in Him who call [thee]."

"those who are [thus] blinded are involved in darkness through their own fault." 

What do I learn about God and man from Irenaeus?  

(1) God is powerful, but he intentionally limits his power.  He does not force anyone to accept his invitation to the royal supper.  He invites all without compulsion.   

(2) God created man as a free agent and God continues to deal with man as such.  People who reject God, therefore, deprive themselves of the royal feast.     

Ash Wednesday Reflections (Part III)

Even the darkest moments of the liturgy are filled with joy.  And Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lent fast, is a day of happiness, a Christian feast. It cannot be otherwise, as it forms part of the great Easter cycle. – Thomas Merton 

Last Wednesday my family and I attended our first Ash Wednesday service.  My youngest son was fussy.  So I was not able to fully participate.  But I did receive ashes.  After the service I spoke with my priest, Fr. John.  I was excited to be there because earlier that day I took some time to read about Ash Wednesday.  What I learned created much anticipation for the service.       

I remember smiling as I talked with Fr. John.  As a matter of fact, earlier in the service, I was smiling too when he marked my forehead with ashes.  When I got home later that evening, I looked through the bulletin.  Guess what I found.  The last note on the last page read “All depart in prayerful silence.”  Ah, no wonder people had left the service without talking!  Well, everybody except one.  The observance of Ash Wednesday is a sobering and penitential act for the Church; hence leaving in prayerful silence.  But let me share with you what I learned about Ash Wednesday that created the excitement and anticipation for me.   

As I mentioned in my previous posts, the ashes imposed signify two things.  For one, they signify your frailty and the certainty of death.  Secondly, they signify true sorrow for sin; both personal and social sins.  When you receive the ashes, they should be to you a sign of your mortality and penitence.  In essence, you acknowledge sin and its consequences.  As a matter of fact, when the priest marks your forehead with ashes you are reminded that death is God’s judgment against sin.  The following words are spoken, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  Those words come from Genesis 3:19.  Now what’s significant about them?  For one, they are spoken by God.  And two, they are words of judgment against Adam for he broke God’s commandment.  And we learn from Romans 5:12 that death has spread to humanity because of Adam’s sin.  Therefore, when you receive the ashes you acknowledge that God’s judgment against sin extends even to you.  So yes, Ash Wednesday is meant to be a sobering and penitential act for the Church.  But please note the prayer the officiating priest prays before the imposition of ashes:

"Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Savior.  Amen."

The ashes are meant to signify our mortality and sorrow for sin so that we may remember!!  Remember what?  That it is only by God’s gracious gift that we are given everlasting life!  The ashes signify to me that I am certain to die.  I am dust, and to dust I shall return.  God’s judgment against sin extends to me.  Do I grieve over sin and its consequences?  Who is not sorrowful when they bury a loved one?  Sin is to blame!  Why do we murder each other?  Slaughter innocent children?  Sin is to blame!  Why do we manipulate the poor and oppress the weak?  Speak harshly to our spouses and create divisions in the Church?  Sin is to blame!  Sin breaks down relationships, separates us from one another, and creates sadness and despair.  Most of all, sin separates us from God; from the One who is compassionate, merciful, gracious, and slow to anger.  Sin separates us from He who is love.  The ashes tell me all of this!  They speak to me of death and sin!  How could I ever save myself from this body of death?  How could you deliver yourself from this wretched condition?  How could anyone?  But the ashes tell me all of this so that I might remember that it’s only by God’s gracious gift that I am given everlasting life.  Therefore, Ash Wednesday should culminate with a sense of peace and joy in the grace of God.        

I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. 

– Psalm 13:5 –        

Ash Wednesday Reflections (Part II)

Photo Credit: Matt Detrich, The Indianapolis Star

The Reformation did not establish everything new for Protestants.   To a certain extent Martin Luther valued his liturgical and theological inheritance from Rome.  Obviously there were disagreements.  But Luther did not throw out the baby with the bath water so to speak.  He called for reform not a renewal of the Roman Catholic Church.  As a result, he retained for Lutherans what he considered to be beneficial to their spiritual growth.  The same can be said for Richard Hooker in the Church of England.  Contrary to the extreme reform efforts of the Puritans, Hooker wanted to preserve what was good out of the liturgical and theological inheritance received from Rome.  If the liturgy and worship was not clearly prohibited by the Bible, but deemed beneficial to the spiritual growth of God’s people, then it should be kept.  This is one of the reasons why Lutherans and Anglicans follow the Church Calendar and observe Ash Wednesday.  Again, the goal was reform not renewal.        

My previous post considered how the observance of Ash Wednesday could assist God’s people in their spiritual formation.  I approached the topic from this angle because many conservative evangelical Protestants look at Ash Wednesday with suspicious, anti-Roman Catholic eyes.  I used to be one of them.  But if we look at it the way Luther and Hooker looked at it, as well as many other Reformers, then hopefully we can see how it can help our growth in Christ rather than hinder it.

During the service, before the ashes are applied, the officiating priest will pray, “Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Savior.  Amen.”  This prayer helps the church member understand the good purpose behind the odd practice of receiving ashes on the forehead in the shape of a cross.   

First, the ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality.  The priest imposes the ashes quoting Genesis 3:19 “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  In receiving the ashes we are called to remember that life is transient and death is inevitable.  By contemplating on this sobering reality, the worshiper has an opportunity to gain wisdom (cf. Ps 90:10-12).

Secondly, the ashes may be to us a sign of our penitence.  We learn from the Bible that ashes were used to symbolize repentance; true sorrow for sin (Job 2:8; 42:6; Is 58:5; Jer 6:26; 25:34; Dan 9:3; Jon 3:6; Mt 11:21; also cf. 1 Macc 3:46; 4:39).  Individuals who were genuinely grieved by sin expressed their sorrow by fasting and sitting in ashes or placing them on their head.  It must be admitted that substituting justice for ritual has always been a danger for God’s people (Is 1:10-20; 58:1-10; cf. Mt 6:1-18).  But the solution is not justice minus ritual.  God does not condemn ritual for the purpose of eliminating it altogether.  He rejects it only when it is combined with disobedience (cf. Is 1:13).  Ultimately a change of heart concerning sin should be revealed by a change of behavior (Mt 3:8).  But to express our true sorrow for sin by receiving ashes on our forehead is not contrary to the will of God.  And so we pray with the priest, “Almighty God, grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our penitence.” 

The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. – Psalm 51:17

Ash Wednesday Reflections (Part 1)

For many Western Christians, yesterday was the first day of the Lenten Season.  It is commonly referred to as Ash Wednesday; also known as the Day of Ashes.  On this day Christians have their foreheads marked with ashes in the shape of a cross.  In the Anglican Church, before the imposition of ashes, the officiating priest says the following prayer: “Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Savior.  Amen.”  This prayer helps us to understand how the observance of Ash Wednesday can benefit the spiritual formation of God’s people.

First of all, as the prayer notes, the ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality. When the priest dips his thumb into the ashes and marks our forehead with them, the following words are spoken, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Serious words indeed. For one, they call us to remember that life is transient; we are dust. Secondly, they call us to remember that death is inevitable; to dust we shall return. Anyone who has attended a funeral has been reminded of these things. But afterwards, who has not hugged their spouse more affectionately, spoken to their children more lovingly, or given thought to ways they can better their life? Considering the shortness of life can be an opportunity for us to gain wisdom. As Scripture says, 

“The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away…So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” - Psalm 90:10, 12

Marking the forehead with ashes in the shape of a cross may sound like an odd practice. But the observance of Ash Wednesday can be an opportunity for God’s people to grow in wisdom as they contemplate their mortality and brevity of life.

LORD, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. - Psalm 39:4

The Bible: The Only Source of Authority for Christians?

John Gill, an English Baptist minister, preached at a baptismal service on November 2, 1750. His text - Jeremiah 6:16; his sermon - "The Scriptures: The Only Guide in Matters of Faith." Gill warned his audience against “unwritten traditions” that would hijack the authority of the Bible. He said, “Only the word of God is the rule of our faith and practice.” By that he meant, “Only the Bible is the rule of our faith and practice.” Consider with me the phrase “the word of God” as it appears in the Bible. Every time the Bible uses that phrase does it mean the written word of God, the Old and New Testament scriptures that we evangelical Protestants recognize as being the Canon of Scripture? In other words, can we legitimately and consistently interpret that phrase to mean the Bible we read from today? Obviously we cannot from the standpoint of the Old Testament. But what about the New Testament?

Here is a list of of NT verses where I put the words "the Bible" in the place of the phrase "the word of God."

Acts 4:31 the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and “they spoke the Bible with boldness.”

Acts 6:7 “the Bible spread.”

Acts 8:14 Samaria “received the Bible.”

Acts 12:24 “the Bible increased and multiplied.”

Acts 13:5 “When they (Paul and Barnabas) arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the Bible in the synagogues of the Jews.”

Acts 13:46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, "It was necessary that the Bible be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.”

1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the Bible which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Bible, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Bible.”

2 Peter 3:5 “For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the Bible.”

Some fundamentalists may agree with my translations, but the translations are not only humorous but impossible. One of the major reasons why is that no church earlier than the fourth century provided us with a list of our accepted New Testament Canon.

Consider Adam, Eve, Cain, Able, Seth, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Did they live solely by God's written word? Did they live by God's written word at all? And what about the nation of Israel? Was the people of God subject only to God's written word? Could they ignore what was spoken to them through the prophets of God? That is to say, could they ignore the oral word of God?

Jeremiah 7:22-28 “For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.' But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward."

Zechariah 7:7-12 “Were not these the words that the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited? And the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts.”

And what about Jesus? Did he write down his words and give them to the Apostles? If not, were they and others accountable to what he spoke?

In John 12:48 Jesus said, “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.”

And what about the oral word of the Apostles? Were others accountable to what they said?

In Luke 10:16 Jesus said to his Apostles, "The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me."

Therefore, does the Bible teach that God's written word is the only source of authority for God's people? No!