While Saul was Jonathan’s father, these two men were not alike. By way of example, toward the end of Saul’s life he had been seeking to murder David (cf. 1 Sam 26:2, 18, 21), then he sought after a medium instead of the Lord (cf. 1 Sam 28:7), and finally, he committed suicide (cf. 1 Sam 31:4). With Jonathan, the last accounts that we have with him before his death, he strengthened David in the Lord (cf. 1 Sam 23:16), and he cut a covenant with David in the sight of the Almighty (cf. 1 Sam 23:18). 

Nevertheless, consider David’s funeral lament over Saul and Jonathan. In verse 19, David exclaims, “Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen!” Verse 23, reads, “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their life, And in their death they were not separated; They were swifter than eagles, They were mightier than lions.” The lament closes in verse 27, “How have the mighty fallen, And the weapons of war perished!” 

Saul and Jonathan were not the same. The expression like father like son, did not apply here. However, upon reflecting upon their lives, David draws the best of these men to the forefront. They were the beauty of Israel, they were beloved and pleasant. Yet, in spite of that, they were dead. The mighty had fallen. It didn’t matter that Saul was the king, or that he was wealthy. It didn’t matter that Saul was well known or that he was well regarded. It didn’t matter that he was well educated or that he had access to the best healthcare in Israel. The mighty have fallen. With Jonathan, it didn’t matter that he was the son of the king, that he was a friend of David, or even that he was a friend of God. The mighty have fallen. That is not good, but it is right. But in what sense is that the case?

By the time 2 Sam 1 occurs, we are thousands of years removed from the creation account. Millions upon millions of people have already returned to dust. But as God formed the first man from the dust, He made everything good. Everything was good, and everything was right. 

In six days, God completed the heavens and the earth. Six times in Gen 1, we read that what God made was “good.” God’s creation was good. Verse 26 says, “ Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, so that they will have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God’s good creation included man and woman. Then, we read that what He made, as a summary statement in verse 31, was “very good.” The world is functioning as God designed. 

So what happened? How do things go from “it was good,” to the “mighty have fallen?” After God commanded man to enjoy all the produce of the garden, with one exception… We see the first example of the mighty falling. Where Adam is distinct from Saul, though both were rulers and had dominion… Adam had not sinned, Adam had a direct, uninhibited relationship with the Lord, and Adam represented mankind at large. This was the greatest fall of them all. 

In Gen 3:6, the Serpent deceived the woman, and Adam listened to the voice of his wife above the voice of God. “Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, so she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” At this moment, everything changed. 

Man’s relationship with God was fractured. Dwelling with God, thinking about Him, approaching Him… the connection with Him, was changed. God had told Adam, “... For in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Death, which was unnatural, was now natural in the fall. All those you love who have died, it comes back to this: a spouse, parents and grandparents, children, brothers and sisters, other family members and friends. Man’s relationship with man was fractured. Every war, every tension between the nations today, every strife… all of it comes because of Adam and Eve, and it occurs among their descendants of which we all are. That includes Cain murdering Abel, Israel fighting among herself, her wars with the Philistines, Amalekites, Babylonians, and so on and so forth. Every sickness and disease is a fallout: heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, liver disease, pneumonia. Every trial and tribulation, every stress and every fear we experience today is because the mighty have fallen. It is also true that ever since, where the mighty do arise, they too will inevitably fall, and that’s always been true… until One didn’t. 

Just under a thousand years after King David lived, the Son of David was born. Of whom, Isaiah wrote in Is 9:6–7, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this.” This child, while a man in David’s line, was no mere man. 

Before His birth, as the Holy Spirit had already come upon Mary, the Lord sent an angel to Joseph to tell him what took place––so that he wouldn’t send her away. In Matt 1:20–21, Matthew wrote, “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the One who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’” This child, Jesus, was coming to save His people from sin. 

Sin is what was introduced in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve betrayed God. Sin is that which opposes God’s will and design. It is a baited hook, that lures in, and won’t let you go. Thomas Watson once said, “Sin hath the devil for its father, shame for its companion, and death for its wages.” Sin is seen in the mighty fallen… in the righteous and the unrighteous, fallen. A Savior is exactly what man needs. It is a good thing that’s exactly who Jesus is.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He demonstrated He is a Savior. He would pull back the curtain on the fall. He would forgive sin and demonstrate that He had the ability to do so, as with the paralyzed man in Mark 2:1–12, by miraculously healing Him. Jesus showed that He came to seek and save the lost, and He proved it through His actions. 

The saving that fallen humanity needs is tied to forgiveness that would be granted through the death of the Savior. That speaks to two great realities, the costliness of sin and the love of God. Sin’s cost is great. It demands death. That is why all men die and deservedly so. We have earned death for ourselves. The only way for us to pay for our sins, because we are already legally guilty in God’s sight, for breaking His law, would be to be punished forever (that is, without any outside intervention). 

The other reality is that God’s love is great. We deserve death. We have committed treason against the King of Glory. We have all fallen. Isaiah puts it this way at the beginning of Is 53:6, “All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way.” From the child to the senior citizen, we have all rebelled against the Lord. But, in God’s marvelous mercy and grace, it so pleases Him to save His enemies that we would become His friends. 

But, to fully understand God’s love, we have to circle back to sin’s cost. Is 53:6 continues, “But Yahweh has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.” How do we get from “It was good,” to “The mighty have fallen,” to “It is finished?” Jesus. In John 1:18, John says of Jesus, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” The One who was ever in the bosom of the Father… the One in whom the Father was “well-pleased,” the One who always obeyed His Father in the incarnation, the One who is always loved by His Father… He’s the cost. 

One man, in an act of love, can die in the place of another to save him physically, but that speaks nothing of his spiritual state. We are corrupted ourselves. There’s no way for us to save another in the eyes of the Almighty. It would take God’s own Son for that. Paul explains it this way, in 2 Cor 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” On the cross, the Father made His perfect Son, to be sin on our behalf. What does that mean? The spotless Lamb was punished in the place of others. Speaking of Jesus, Peter said in 1 Pet 2:24, “Who Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that having died to sin, we might live to righteousness; by His wounds you were healed.” Jesus willingly bore… and took upon Himself the penalty of our sins, though He committed none of them, bearing the just judgment we deserved, in our place. That means, if you’ve believed in Jesus, then He was judged for your lies, your anger, your lust, your boasting, your slander, your greed, your idolatry, your impatience, your thefts… and every other sin you’ve ever committed. Jesus took the penalty we could never pay, and He paid it in full. 

The weight of the cross cannot be understated or overstated. God the Father, poured out upon His Son, wrath, the full force of it. In Matt 27:45–46, Matthew said, “Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” From noon to 3 PM, darkness swept over Jerusalem as Jesus suffered that which we cannot begin to comprehend, in our place. To pull upon Paul’s language, “He became a curse for us.” 

It’s in John 19:28–30 that we read, “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been finished, in order to finish the Scripture, said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” It is finished. Those are some of the sweetest words to ever grace man's ears. 

It is unfathomable love. It’s incomparable love. It’s love so great that you could only dream of it, but your dreams would stop short of how great this love is. It’s love that you sing about forever, because you can’t begin to understand it. How could the Father punish His Beloved Son… in the place of me… a wretched sinner?

Paul put it this way in Rom 5:8–9, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” Hallelujah, what a Savior! At the cross, God saved us from His wrath, from our sin, for Himself. And that grave, it could not keep the Lord of Glory. As Jesus said He would, on the third day, He rose victoriously. He is alive! 

Just in case you have not done so, know that this same Jesus welcomes sinners like you to Himself. If you believe in Him for the salvation of your soul, He will take your filthy garments, and clothe you in His own righteousness. Your sins will be removed from you as far as the east is from the west, and you will be given “life, life, eternal life!” 

While things began with “it was good,” because of the fall, all the mighty have fallen since, and what we needed… what we all needed was, “It is finished.” Adam fell, Eve fell, Noah fell, Abraham fell, Isaac fell, Jacob fell, Moses fell, David fell, Solomon fell, Elijah fell, Isaiah fell… John the Baptist fell, but Jesus did not. Jesus stands where all others have fallen, and He is the Savior of fallen men because “It is finished.” 

At present, we long for the day when all things are made “good” again when King Jesus rules and reigns over the earth. But until that day, even at present, on Good Friday, may your thoughts soar high, in consideration of how low your Savior condescended, so that you would be “seated… with Him in the heavenly places,” not just now, but forevermore. 

My wife and I got a Basset Hound shortly after we got married, around nine years ago. He was a floppy-eared, droopy-eyed, ball of joy. When looking at the litter, we chose the most rambunctious, outgoing little puppy. We named him… Maverick. Not only did the meaning of the name suit him at first glance, but he grew into and filled out that name more than we could ever have expected. 

Maverick lived with us in three different apartment complexes, in two different states, and in our present home, in Austin, Texas. Almost all of our marriage, we had Maverick. He was around when all four of our children were born. We have been through trials with Maverick, I have wept on his back, and he, in some ways, was a bulwark through it all. 

Last Friday, out of the blue, Maverick wasn't doing well. Something was noticeably off. Without saying anything, my wife and I thought he was dying. When we woke up on Friday, we didn't know that only a short number of hours later, Maverick would be gone forever, though he left an indelible mark.  

Losing a pet is heartbreaking. It’s a reminder of the effects of the fall––in death and mourning. Several people in the church family have lost pets within the past six months, and I didn’t know that we would be added to that number. There’s been a lot of sadness attended with the loss of these pets, and additional ministry, in seeking to care for those going through such a trial. While pets aren’t people, they do live with you and add life to your family. When they aren't around anymore, there is a void. Even a full home can feel empty for a season. 

One of the most common questions I get asked is, ‘Will my dog be in heaven?’ Not to make light of such a sensitive topic, but most people aren’t asking if the cow they got their burger from will be in heaven, or as a congregant observed to me a few days ago, people aren’t asking if mosquitos will be in heaven. There are unstated limits established within the question itself. 

There’s no verse that says pets will be in heaven. In fact, I think it’s quite unlikely they will be, but I do think they serve a great purpose (which I’ll get to in a few moments). Solomon writes in Ecc 3:21, “Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?” The beast dies and returns to dust, as a man, but, the distinction is the spirit of a believer goes to be with God. Ecc 12:6–7 reads, “Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the spring is broken and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.” It is a clear distinction that’s made in the Bible. The destinations of men and animals are distinct.  

You might argue that creation groans for its renewal, so in the restoration of all things, our pets will come back, ‘Jesus is on a horse at the Second Coming!’ It’s true, but even if there are animals after the Millennial Kingdom in the eternal state, which I don’t have a chapter and verse for (though it’s possible given the state of Eden), nevertheless, even if animals are with us forevermore, it doesn’t mean they are our resurrected pets. I do think it’s more of a long shot of an argument. We never want to derive our theology from our emotions. You may want to see your dog or your cat again so badly… but emotions can easily lead us astray. We have to anchor our hope to what God says in His word.

That begs the question, what is a pet––speaking not in its essence, but instead, its purpose. There are different ways to answer that question, but there’s only one response I want to speak to here. A pet is a gift from God. If that answer is valid, and we carry it through to its logical end, if a pet is from God, then that means God has given the pet, so that we would worship the Giver. Put plainly, pets are designed to point us to the Lord––as other aspects of creation are. 

In the book of James, in a larger section speaking about how Christians are to endure the trials that God brings, with joy, know what’s produced through them, in verse 17, we read, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” Pets are gifts from the Lord that are meant to teach us something about Him. Not all pets are created equal, admittedly, but from the mountain peaks to the valleys, if you have a pet, in God’s providence… There's a reason He’s given it to you. It’s for your good and His glory. We are to give thanks, as Paul says, in all circumstances. His statement would include taking care of pets. 

Everything you love about your pet––in interpreting his or her actions, every positive and redeeming quality: being affectionate, comforting, caring, devoted, funny, outgoing… all of these things should remind us of the goodness of God. Yes, pets are affected by the fall as all things are, but God gives good gifts to His children, and for some, that includes a pet. I also think most of the best aspects of our pets are shadows of the care and love of our unfailing God. 

And that, exactly that… is what makes losing a pet so tough. There are shadows that point us to our Creator. When our pet is gone, we miss that. 

While the thought of not seeing Maverick again is difficult (I think it is for most pet owners to grapple with, not seeing their pet again)… Who will we see and be with forevermore? The God who made Maverick and all pets for that matter. Every great thing that you love about your pet now, points to a God who is greater still. 

If you have a pet, be reminded that your pet is a gift, and worship the Giver of that gift. If you have recently lost a pet… not only did God take your pet at His appointed time, but He did so for a particular reason. Praise the Lord for His kindness, in giving you an undeserved gift. As Job said, “Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be the name of Yahweh.” Also, be reminded in this season, that God is the God of all comfort, and this time should grow you in your nearness to Him. Ps 34:18, “Yahweh is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.” 

While there’s much to say about this legislation from it not defining what antisemitism is in a law that pertains to antisemitism, to its overriding of the constitution itself concerning the freedom of speech (even though section 6b states otherwise), to its outsourcing of control to a non-governmental agency, in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) which is a conglomeration of members of foreign nations… there’s a lot that can be talked about. But, the greatest issue and concern of them all, is the assault that this bill appears to make upon the Scriptures. 

But just before we get there, this law, if passed, will apply to federally funded organizations. The education system is highlighted in the bill. It will not apply to local churches since they are not funded by the government. But, if this bill passes, which looks to undermine  and even alter the truth, Christians will almost certainly be affected. 

How so? First and foremost, the IHRA defines antisemitism as follows: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” There’s a lot there, so to help us understand what is meant by the words that are used, the IHRA provides examples of antisemitism. In their examples, they list: “Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.” 

There are two ways of interpreting this statement from the IHRA which have been spoken about as of late. The first, is that it is antisemitic to speak about what happened in the past to Jesus because of the effect that it bears on the present in people being offended. That is the way I have understood the statement. The second, is that it is antisemitic to charge people who are Jewish today, with the murder of Jesus in the past. The reality that there has been debate as to the interpretation of this example at least reveals that the example is unclear. 

In the second and more narrow sense of understanding the wording, it is certainly wrong to charge the sons with the sins of their fathers––if they are not guilty of those sins (cf. Ezek 18:19–23). In the broader sense of understanding, it is certainly wrong to change or avoid history in order to tickle ears. 

According to the IHRA, claiming that the Jewish people killed Jesus is antisemitism––it is hatred toward Jewish people. So, if passed, federally funded institutions could be prohibited from reading or referencing certain sections of Scripture. Religion classes could be altered, and history, yet again, could be disguised and conveniently reconfigured to meet the desired ends. H. R. 6090 might be another example of what happens when people's feelings are prioritized over truth. 

Now, I do recognize as much as the next person that as of late there have been evils committed against the Jewish people. I understand that. But, the solution simply cannot be to gloss over history. I also realize the Romans nailed Jesus to the cross, but who was held responsible? In one sense, both, but there’s a group of people who are repeatedly highlighted in the Bible. 

In Acts 2:22–23, Peter boldly preaches outside of the temple at Pentecost,

“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God did through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put Him to death.”

Who was accountable for Jesus’ death? In Peter’s mind, the people of Israel were accountable. 

After Peter and John were arrested, in Acts 4:8–10 we read,

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are being examined today for a good deed done to a sick man, as to how this man has been saved from his sickness, 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.”

Again, Peter charged the Jewish religious leaders with being responsible for Jesus’ death. Was Peter being antisemitic or was he telling the truth? 

Peter goes on in the next verse to quote from the Old Testament in appealing to Ps 118:22. “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone.” It was prophesied hundreds of years earlier that the builders, the religious leaders of Israel, would reject the Messiah. That was expected. Jesus even used the same verse in a parable before He was crucified to reveal what the religious leaders would do to Him (cf. Luke 20:17).

Who was it that shouted out “Release for us Barabbas, we have no king but Caesar, and away with Him… away with Him… crucify Him?” It was a large group of Jewish people. That truth cannot be missed. H. R. 6090, by its definition and examples of antisemitism per section 4, coming from the IHRA, doesn’t only give the impression of condemning what the New Testament teaches, but it condemns any reference to such truth at present as "classic antisemitism." The truth, according to the IHRA is antisemitic. 

Based on the IHRA's wording, Jesus is antisemitic. After all, on top of what was referenced above, Jesus had no problem speaking against the Jewish people when they were in abject rebellion against the Father’s will. He told unbelieving Jewish people in the temple in John 8 that Abraham isn’t actually their father, but instead, that the devil is. He called the Jewish religious leaders hypocrites, fools, blind men, and a brood of vipers publicly in Matt 23. Jesus was critical of the Jewish people when they were in sin. He exposed where the people were so that they would see their plight––their sin against a holy God.

To be clear, God has a plan for the Jewish people. God saves and delivers Jewish people today from the power of darkness in revealing the risen Christ to them––as He does with people from all different backgrounds. On top of that, God will save a remnant of Jewish people in the future at the Lord Jesus’ return, and it will be glorious. We rejoice in those realities. But, those truths in no way invalidate or change what the Bible teaches about who Jesus is and what the Jewish people did to Him. 

At which point, you might say, “This is just one law, you’re getting a bit ahead of yourself.” That might be so. “It only applies to federally funded institutions.” I recognize that. “It hasn’t even passed yet!” That’s completely true. But, if this bill sailed through the House made up of Republicans and Democrats, it seems likely that it’s a foreshadowing of future attacks that will come––which may not be restricted only to certain locations and institutions. 

Even still, for us as Christians, nothing changes. The world might change in its approach to us, but our call remains the same. We follow our Savior who said in John 18:37, “... For this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth.” We bear the same precious mantle, to speak in line with reality amid a world that wants to distort reality. Most in our nation call murdering children in the womb a choice. To many, gender is a social construction wherein you can defy how God made you whenever it seems right in your own eyes. And we find ourselves in a place where our government may impose a law wherein it seems that it can no longer be said that the unbelieving Jewish people killed the Messiah. Why? Simply because saying the truth is considered discriminatory and offensive. 

In saying all of this, if God does allow this bill to pass, or others like it in the future, we can be confident that He has a reason for it. It might just be a test for Christians at present in these environments, to be tested even as Israel was in the days of old. In Deut 8:1–2 the Lord says,

“The entire commandment that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which Yahweh swore to give to your fathers. And you shall remember all the way which Yahweh your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”

The wilderness may be coming… but remember, God leads His people in the wilderness. As God led Israel of old, He will lead His church at present, of which many saints are scattered throughout federally funded institutions. 

For all of us, as a broader reminder, we must continue to be faithful to the Lord and not bow our knees to the god of nation or state, if they call us to forsake what is written––if they call us to depart from the truth. Instead of toeing the line, we must be in line with our Savior in John 7:7 who in response to the world’s sin bore, “... witness about it, that its deeds are evil.”

Pray to the Lord that His will will be done in this matter. Pray for our elected representatives in the same way (cf. 1 Tim 2:1–4). God can harden rulers like Pharoah, but He does turn the king’s heart wherever He pleases, and sometimes that looks like a massive change as with the king of Nineveh (cf. Ex 7:3; Prov 21:1; Jonah 3:6–10). Our God is in the heavens, He does whatever He pleases (cf. Ps 115:3). We can rest comfortably knowing that regardless of the outcome, the Lord of all the earth will do right (cf. Gen 18:25).

Contrary to how some view the church today, leaving a local church is no small matter. It’s a family where you’ve invested in others and others have invested in you. It’s a community united to Jesus Christ, gifted in a manifold of different ways for service, for the purpose of displaying Christ to others and becoming more like Him (cf. 1 Cor 12). 

We live in a day and age where church hopping is relatively normal and accepted. According to a Barna study from 2020, nearly 30% of practicing Christians claim to be attending multiple churches. It seems more and more rare for a family to commit to a church for years and years of ministry, baring exceptions in the Lord calling someone away for work in job relocation, a need to be closer to one’s parents later in life, or another circumstance that’s quite out of one’s control. I once heard a pastor ask, “What happens when you re-pot a plant over and over again?” For the gardening experts out there, you know that it won’t grow as well as if it stays in the same place. 

The church in the days of Corinth wasn’t plagued by church hopping. They didn’t have the means of transportation that we do today or the technology that so easily shows us where churches are. Given where things stand today, a question arises, what makes a church “leave worthy?” When should you church shop, hop… and should you stop? 

–A quick Public Service Announcement: Not everything you’ll find below has a chapter and verse that can be attached to it. Some of what you’ll see is what I’ll call Scripture-deduced counsel. If you don’t see the concept from God’s word, don’t listen, but if you can’t refute it, please consider it.–

A “Leave Worthy” Church: What is a “leave worthy” church? Well, before we answer that question, let’s address what is a church. That will help us define what makes one worth leaving. The primary way the Greek word for church is used in the New Testament refers to those who are Spirit-filled believers who are in union with the Lord Jesus Christ. What that means is that just because a building has the name “church” written on it, and there are many here in the South, it doesn’t mean that it truly is one. A name doesn’t make a Christian, God makes a Christian. 

So… Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Back in 2005, Al Mohler preached a sermon entitled “A Call of Theological Triage and Christian Maturity.” After visiting a hospital emergency room, Mohler said, “Given the chaos of an Emergency Room reception area, someone must be armed with the medical expertise to make an immediate determination of medical priority.” The word triage refers to sorting, in this case, who was in the most danger and needed the most help medically. 

Doctrine

For over a millennia, all the way back to the Scriptures, then proceeding to the earliest church councils, the need has arisen to articulate the truth over and against error. Paul did it with the churches of Galatia, the early church did it time and time again. Different statements have been made, and at present, when it comes to doctrine, most will settle on three lenses of urgency: primary, secondary, and tertiary doctrines.

Primary doctrines pertain to the heart and kernel of the Christian faith. If you deny these, you show that you are not in union with Christ at all. These doctrines include but are not limited to:

• Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (cf. John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Rom 4–5; Eph 2:8–9)
• The reality of man’s sin, that Jesus is God who became man, to die on the cross to pay for our sins, and then rise bodily on the third day (cf. Rom 10:9–10; 1 Cor 15:1–3)
• The return of Jesus to judge the living and the dead (cf. Acts 1:11; 2 Tim 2:16–19)
• The nature of the Trinity (cf. Is 44:6; John 1:1; Acts 5:4–5)

If you find yourself in a church where one or more of these truths are not believed then you are not in a church at all. While you might be in a building with the name “church,” you are not in a place that holds to Biblical truth concerning the things of first importance. It would be prudent to not only pray for the leadership, that they would turn to the Lord but also to show them their error and call them to repent. 

These aren’t peripheral matters. They identify the Christian faith. Jude says in Jude 1:2–3, “May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you exhorting that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” God’s people must know the truth, love the truth, contend for the truth, and gather with the people of the truth. Heb 10:24–25, “And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” This is a “leave worthy” situation because you are not in a church. 

Secondary doctrines pertain to church worship and function. These reveal whether or not a church is healthy or how healthy it is. As I say that, I recognize that there has been variance in belief concerning these doctrines not only historically, but at present as well, among those who truly love Jesus. Augustine once said, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” This quotation is correct, but it does beg the question, “If I am in a church where there are secondary doctrines which I believe are incorrect, then what should I do about it?” 

While some may view Augustine’s statement “in non-essentials liberty,” to be regarding secondary doctrines, it would seem it deals more with matters of conscience and preferences. Charity is in view toward different matters on these types of doctrines. Maybe the local church you belong to changed its stance on a position, or you did personally. What now? Before we approach answering the question, what are some of these doctrines?

Secondary doctrines include but are not limited to:

• The nature of the millennial kingdom
• Mode of baptism (immersion versus sprinkling/credobaptism versus paedobaptism)
• The nature of communion practice
• Church polity
• Nature of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit
• The age of the earth (days of creation)
• Covenantalism and Dispensationalism

In Christianity and Liberalism, J Gresham Machen said, “Indifferentism about doctrine makes no heroes of the faith.” He said it in the context of Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli’s debates about the practice of communion, with regard to how Luther didn’t back down from his convictions. This quote is often used in conversations pertaining to secondary matters, and it brings about a necessary word of caution. Do not mistake secondary doctrines as being “unimportant.” They are quite significant––ultimately because of God who speaks about such topics (cf. 2 Tim 3:16–17; 2 Pet 1:19–21). They affect church structure, practice, and future hope. In many ways, the gospel is the fountainhead out of which these topics flow (remembering the Lord’s death, the sending of His Spirit after the resurrection, the hope we have, knit to the gospel, of what the future holds). 

So… should someone leave a church over these matters? It depends. In some ways, this will be on a case-by-case basis. Some of these have a greater effect on church life and worship. The age of the earth, for example, isn’t as forefront as having individuals standing up at each service claiming to speak in tongues and then having those who claim to be interpreters present who later declare what was said.

Regardless of which doctrine is in question, if you believe that the Scriptures present a particular view on one of these teachings (or one that I haven’t listed), but the church that you belong to doesn’t hold to the same view, before getting out of Dodge, talk with your elders. It’s the most loving thing that you can do. If you believe that a brother or sister is in error, go and show them. It might not be the most comfortable thing to do at the moment, but how would you like it if someone knew that you were in error but they never told you about it, only to find out ten years later that you’re in error and no one loved you enough to tell you? What’s paramount isn’t our comfort in sin in this life, but walking in Christlikeness. You should desire to be like Jesus so much that having someone confront you isn’t seen as a curse, but a blessing because there’s more of Christ to know and treasure in this life.

Go to your leaders who are going to give an account for your soul and speak with them. Heb 13:7 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them—for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account—so that they will do this with joy and not with groaning, for this would be unprofitable for you.” It is a joy when shepherds don’t have to chase sheep down who departed without letting anyone know (or without sharing the real reason for leaving). 

Just to be clear, at this juncture, we aren’t speaking about correcting preferences here or matters of conscience, but secondary doctrines. These matters have various implications that affect church life and practice. We should absolutely show charity, speak with one another with a spirit of gentleness as brothers and sisters (don’t leave out the last part), and stand firmly in what is written. God is able to change the hearts, even of those who have held positions for years.  

This category I view as sometimes “leave worthy.” Speak with the leadership, get counsel from those who love Jesus in the church family and outside of it, and pray. Don’t make a flippant decision. 

I would also add one final consideration here. In 1 Cor 1, in spite of all the problems found within the church of Corinth, before Paul ever got to their sins… Paul spoke about their status. More than that though, he rejoiced at God’s word in them. In fact, it’s because Paul loved the church of Corinth that he wrote the letter that he did. He cared about their relationship with the Lord. 

Not once in that letter does Paul tell them to find another church. Admittedly, to circle back to where we began, you couldn’t just find loads of churches around Corinth. In saying that, however, Paul’s expectation was that they would seek to trust in the Lord and work through these matters as a church family. The standard off which they would work, were his writings which were Scripture. That should be the primary objective in these matters––to work through them. 

The final section on doctrine refers to tertiary matters. These are the furthest ring away from the bullseye if you want to think of it that way. These matters, I don’t view as preferences, but as matters of conscience. Tertiary doctrines include but are not limited to:

• The celebration of holidays (eg. Christmas)
• Type of worship (acapella, instruments, liturgy form)
• Who the author of Hebrews is
• When certain books were written in the Bible
• Should Sunday school classes be interactive versus monologues
• Children’s ministry or not

These matters aren’t unimportant. But, in terms of degrees of importance, they are less vital than other matters. You don’t need to go to the Emergency Room for these, but they are fine discussions to have. It is not worth leaving a church, in itself over tertiary matters. These do not make a church “leave-worthy.”

Many Christians each year leave churches over doctrinal matters. Some of these moves are justified. We don’t live in the days of Corinth where there’s only one local church and it’s sink or swim (cf. Rev 2–3)¹. There may be many churches in your area who love the Lord, are preaching the true gospel, are discipling believers, and are engaging with the lost. 

But… my concern is that there are also a number of Christians who appear to be leaving churches prematurely either in making a mountain out of a molehill, or possibly over a misunderstanding over what the church believes or teaches. That’s a tragedy. If you are in a congregation and have been there for years or decades, make no mistake about it, God has you there for a reason and it might just be to turn the ship in the right direction.

On the back of Banner of Truth’s publication of John Bunyan’s work, Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, it reads, “This work could be said to have given rise indirectly to the modern missionary movement, since it strongly influenced Andrew Fuller, the first secretary of the pioneering Baptist Missionary Society, and helped him to set his denomination free from the grip of hyper-Calvinism.” That’s wonderful. The point in quoting it, there’s no telling what God can do with one saint who is faithful to Him, and how many people will be saved by the glorious gospel of our Lord in the process or even are just corrected.

Ethical Matters

But sadly, doctrine isn’t the only reason that people leave churches. The story does not nor can it stop there. There are also moral reasons why people leave churches, particularly concerning moral failures with those who are serving as elders. 

The Scriptures are clear about what a man’s lifestyle practice must look like if he is to be an overseer (cf. 1 Tim 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9). The man must be marked by a love for Jesus––seen in his godly conduct. When moral failures happen, the question is, should I leave the church right away? 

Possibly (please hold your stones). Sometimes churches will split or immediately dissolve when a tragedy like this takes place and all of the congregation is forced to go looking for another church family. Other times, church discipline is practiced and the elder who is walking in continued sin is removed. While at times, the inability to see sin, or non-confrontation of it in the past might teach something about the elders who have served alongside the individual in sin, other times, it might have been completely unforeseen (no red flags).

My encouragement in this situation before jumping overboard right away if there has been a moral compromise is to look to the remaining elders. How do they handle the situation going forward? How do they speak to the congregation, what do they say, and what is the plan and direction as they are seeking to shepherd the congregation through an extreme trial? If the elder who teaches during your main service is the one walking in sin, be reminded that he isn't your only pastor. The elders (plural) are your shepherds. Look to them. And I would be remiss for not adding that you should pray, pray for the leaders, pray for the church family, pray for the elder who was removed. This is a case-by-case “leave-worthy” situation.

Preferences

Lastly, we arrive in the arena of preferences. They aren’t on the target at all. They aren’t directly pertaining to the doctrine that Christians believe but sometimes are treated at the same level or even higher. Preferences include, but are not limited to:

• Do they play the songs/hymns I like?
• Is the temperature too hot or cold?
• Does the preacher talk too little or too much?
• Does the church have a coffee shop AND donuts?
• How many ministries does the church have?
• Does it have all the ministries I want?
• Is the building old or new?
• Is it more than 10 minutes away?
• Public versus homeschool kids?
• Pro or anti-vaxers?

Now… some of those may have made you smile, but these are real preferences that determine where many go to church. To be clear, while preferences may be a distant peripheral matter to consider in choosing a church, I don’t believe that preferences are a reason to leave a church at present that you are serving in. There’s certainly no Bible verse that can be used to justify such a conclusion.

The purpose of the local church isn’t to make you comfortable or meet all of your preferences, and quite frankly, that’s a good thing. Because in life what matters most isn’t what you or I want, it’s what does God want? I am not saying that the Bible speaks to all matters of preference, but it should inform how we approach such matters. We should leave our preferences on the altar, they aren’t what matters most. What matters most is what a church believes about God, seen in what’s taught, and then how the truth of God’s word is lived out and applied through hearts that adore Him. These are not “leave worthy matters.”

With all that has been said, church shopping, hopping, and should it be stopping? Some people go from church to church and never plant. Others get to a church and are regularly looking for the next best thing. The grass always appears greener on the other side. We certainly live in an “I want it now culture,” but my encouragement is to be patient in matters that aren’t primary. You may need to leave over a secondary matter, but please be in prayer about it and talk with the under-shepherds who have discipled you in the faith. Change in a local church takes time. It might just be that God has you in a season of change or trial so that He will accomplish a work in you and in those around you.

If you’re in a local church that loves the Lord and is living out His word, don’t leave readily. Again, leaving a church is no insignificant matter. You’re leaving behind family that’s closer than blood, brothers and sisters who love the Lord, your shepherds who care for your soul, those who you’re investing in personally in discipleship, and those who have invested in you and your family. My encouragement is that if you leave, please make sure that you do so for the right reasons and in the right way. “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” 

What if you do need to find another church home? Consider some of the above principles and I encourage you to please consider reading Eric Davis’ article that is related entitled, “How to Recognize a Spirit-Filled Church.”

¹ By the time Paul writes Rom 16, it does appear that there are other house churches in and around Corinth. We see Phoebe served in Cenchrea. Prisca and Aquila had a church in their home. 

When we think of Good Friday, we consider the agonies of the cross, which were twofold. We dwell upon the ferocity and bloodlust of fallen men who hated the Light, lest their deeds be exposed, and sought to murder the very One who came to save what was His own. We consider their lies, blatant false testimonies, manipulation, and the torture that followed. 

But then there’s that which we cannot begin to even comprehend––not in the slightest. Is 53:10 begins, “But Yahweh was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief.” It pleased the Father to crush the Son. Verse 5 says, “He was crushed for our iniquities,” which is the reason for the Father’s action. 

Jesus said to Peter in John 18:10, “The cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” Jesus came to drink the cup of Yahweh, the crushing cup of wrath, bearing in His body the impartial judgment for all sins for all time for those who would come to Him by faith. The effect of this is both seen and described in Is 52:14, “Just as many were appalled at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men.” Jesus’ appearance in His suffering, made Him unrecognizable. 

In Jesus’ death, we see the cost of sin. Sin isn’t some small inconvenience, it isn’t just a whoopsie that can be simply forgotten. It cost the life of God’s beloved, only begotten Son. And it wasn’t a peaceful death, walking down the primrose path. He suffered beyond what even the most tortured martyr in church history can ever begin to comprehend. 

When we think of Good Friday, we think of the scourging, the thorns, the nails, the blood, the cross, and rightfully so. So when did the adjective “good” start to be used concerning this day? 

Since the term Good Friday isn't used in Scripture, we are off on a journey looking through the annals of historical records, and surprisingly, there’s less to be found there than I would have expected. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be found. First, we will consider the establishment of the practice, second, we will consider the name Good Friday itself, and finally, we will consider the reason for its celebration. 

According to Encyclopedia Britannica¹, the eleventh edition, which was published in 1910, “Prior to the 4th century there is no evidence of non-celebration of the eucharist² on Good Friday; but after that date the prohibition of communion became common. In Spain, indeed, it became customary to close the churches altogether as a sight of mourning; but this practice was condemned by the council of Toledo (633).” This quote is helpful, in as much as, we can see that there was a time of remembrance that was established in the church that goes back to the 200s AD, where the Lord’s Table was partaken by local churches in remembrance of what Jesus accomplished on Good Friday. 

Also worth mentioning, T.P. Gilmartin³ references how both Irenaeus and Tertullian noted the church gathering on Friday with reference to a feast. The feast is interpreted by some as a fast. But you can understand the celebration of communion on such a day. 

One could argue that it was the normative practice of the early church to celebrate Good Friday. In the Encyclopedia Britannica¹, there’s a connection that’s made between the church gathering on Good Friday with the practice of the Passover.

That’s not difficult to understand or far-fetched. In John 19:14, we read, “Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, ‘Behold, your King!’” Jesus was crucified on the day when the Passover was prepared and celebrated by the Jewish people. The connection is right there. Such that Paul would write to a primarily Gentile church in 1 Cor 5:7–8, “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, also was sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Christ is the Passover Lamb, not only for the Jewish people who were accustomed to celebrating the Passover. No, He is the Passover for all who place their faith in Him regardless of their ethnic background, social status, job title, educational accolades, or any of that. 

In Ex 12, we are first introduced to the Passover, though it has already been foreshadowed even back in the garden with God sacrificing an animal to cover Adam and Eve. The Passover is associated with the final plague that would be poured out upon the land of Egypt, which was also the most severe. It was the death of the firstborn sons of the families who did not celebrate the Passover. 

Moses and Aaron commanded the Israelites who were slaves in Egypt to take a year-old lamb and after slaughtering it at twilight, they were to spread its blood on their doorposts and on the lintel of their houses. Their houses would be covered and marked out by blood. In verses 12–13, the Lord says, “And I will go through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am Yahweh. And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and I will see the blood, and I will pass over you, and there shall be no plague among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”

The lamb that each family would take would be slain in their place. The death of the lamb meant that God’s wrath would pass over the homes that listened to His word. And that’s exactly what took place. Verses 29–30, “Now it happened at midnight that Yahweh struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle. Then Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead.”

And of course, understanding this background allows John the Baptist's words to burst with significance. John 1:29 reads, “On the next day, he saw Jesus coming to him and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'" Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away sins. The blessed ramification of which, all who take refuge in Him, trusting in God’s provision, as Israel did in the past, wrath and punishment will pass over them. Christ is our Passover. 

It’s not at all difficult to see how the early church would continue to celebrate on the day of the Passover, but not looking back to the day that God delivered His people physically from Egypt, as monumental as that event was, but instead, looking back to the day when God delivered His people forevermore from His righteous wrath, through the sufficient sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, in our place. As the church went out and boldly preached the gospel in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the end of the earth, it isn’t difficult to see this practice and celebration being passed on over time.  

While there’s no command to celebrate this day, Good Friday, in Scripture, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to do so. The church celebrated this day in the 200s AD, but it may have done so since its inception. 

Now, to the name itself, Good Friday. Good Friday might not even be the original name––in fact, I don’t believe it is. It’s helpful to note at the outset here that there are different languages involved as well as different time periods in this conversation. Some argue that the name is originally German, others appeal to Latin, and still others, English. Gilmartin³ spoke about how the Romance Languages historically refer to the day as "Holy Friday." Some, as he goes on, have referred to it as "God’s Friday," which appears less likely and still others, "the Long Friday." That’s not exhaustive. To some it’s known as "Black Friday" or "Mourning Friday," particularly in present-day Germany. 

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “The earliest known use of the noun Good Friday is in the Middle English period (1150—1500). OED's earliest evidence for Good Friday is from around 1300, in St. John Evangelist.” Good Friday could have been used earlier than that, but that’s as far as the record goes at present. The word good itself, in this context, appears to have originally meant holy. That would give precedent to many languages referring to the day as “Holy Friday,” which does seem to me to be the origin.

Having said that, even if it is the case, that Good Friday is really "Holy Friday," it does not change what I think about the day, nor do I think that it should for you. It is a holy day. It is a good day. While holiness and goodness are not one and the same, they are inextricably linked in this case. 

And that brings us to the why. Why is Good Friday… good? Well, I alluded to the reason already, but we’ve been circling in a bit of a holding pattern––no longer. Regardless of when Good Friday began to be celebrated as such, Good Friday became Good Friday, when Jesus laid down His life as He said that He would in John 10:17–18. It was the Friday when the Son of God, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross. And Jesus, on the cross, suffered as a substitute, that which we deserved to bear eternally for breaking the standard of our perfectly holy, Triune God. Jesus was forsaken in time so that we will not be forsaken forevermore. And it is because of the death of death, in the death of Christ, as Owen puts it, that we have, as Bunyan declares, “life, life, eternal life!” 

Paul explains in Rom 5:6–8 why Good Friday is Good Friday without ever using those exact words. He writes “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” 

Good Friday is Good Friday, because of the effect of what took place on that day. Without Jesus’ death on the cross, without God’s love… There is no hope for anybody. If God did not show forth His love toward mankind, if He didn’t show forth His mercy and His grace, then our ever-present expectation would be judgment and sentencing. 

Paul says it’s while we were weak, that Christ died. That word is used in the Bible to speak of sickness, physical weakness, and by the false apostles to speak of Paul’s unimpressive presence in person. Yet, none of those are the way the word is used here. Weakness here speaks to inability. The inability isn’t concerning physical matters, but spiritual ones. Left unto ourselves, we are unable to be the people God has called us to be, and this forms the backdrop that will give way to the glories of this day in history. 

In case there’s any question about the way Paul is using this word, consider the beginning of Rom 5:8, where Paul says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners.” While we were weak and while we were sinners are related. While we were Eph 2:1, unable in our deadness in sin, at the predetermined time in God’s plan, that’s when Good Friday occurred. It happened not a day too early and not a day too late. 

And this verse is unthinkable. Were it not written, we would never believe it. God is holy, holy, holy… His perfection is incalculable, His wisdom is unsearchable, and His righteousness is incomprehensible. And, the King, Yahweh of hosts… whose eyes are too pure to see evil, looked down and had mercy, such mercy on such great sinners. 

Paul says that Christ, God’s own Son, died for the ungodly. He died for that which rejected Him and opposed Him. When there was nothing we could do, we were unable, ungodly, and His opposite… Jesus died for us. For the saint, that reality is stunning, it’s mind-boggling, it’s overwhelming, as David says, “My cup overflows.” For all the days of eternity, we will revel in and marvel at the wonders of this statement. We'll never outgrow it or move past it.

It's after considering what Christ did in a moment in time that Paul continues the line of thought in expounding upon the sheer compelling nature of what Jesus has done. Verse 7, “For one will hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.” 

In 1 Sam 18–20, we see an example of this love. Jonathan loved David as his own soul. Because of this, Jonathan spoke up for David before his father, Saul, and put his life on the line. Saul sought to murder his son in a rage about David not being at dinner, seeing that his son had aligned himself with David. Jonathan survived due to Saul’s bad aim, but he would have been willing to die for David. He demonstrated it.

In a related, more recent direction, many heroic individuals have jumped on grenades in battle to save those around them, most have lost their lives. But, they did it to save others. Even Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” 

It is so rare, extremely rare, that one will lay down his or her life for another. It does happen, but it doesn’t happen often. And it happens in one direction. People don’t go out of their way to die for those who are evil. Those who were oppressed severely in the 20th century by evil dictators, Hitler, Stalin, and Mao… weren’t seeking to die for those men, instead, they wanted them gone.

And that’s when we have the whiplash of verse 8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And the heart breaks in awe. How is that possible? We were Jesus’ enemies! Paul says in verse 10, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” It’s simply unfathomable. As Charles Wesley considered and rejoiced, “And can it be that I should gain An int'rest in the Savior's blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! how can it be That Thou, my God, should die for me?” 

We weren’t neutral toward God. We were ungodly. We weren’t innocent. We were sinners. We were rebels against the One who made us. We were the causes of the cross. We were sinners like Judas, who betrayed the One who showed benevolence toward us. We were sinners like Gehazi, who preferred what this world has to offer over the One who made the world. We’re sinners like Pilate, who feared and loved men more than God. We were condemned and rightfully so. But Christ died for sinners. 

When you think of the cross, and you think of all that occurred, all that Jesus suffered… He went through it for you. And see God’s love break forth over the horizon. He didn’t die for you with your Sunday's best on, with your hair done up, with your shoes polished, no. He died for you when you were dead as a doornail, in vile, abject rebellion against Him. 

When Jesus was on that cross, He died for you, knowing that in just under 2000 years you would be born, knowing all the ways you would sin against Him and deny Him, knowing all the ways you would serve the god of this world… and knowing all that He knows, He died for you. Oh friend, be filled with amazement when you consider the cross. Be brought low by the God who loves the undeserving, the unworthy, the dregs of this earth so much, that He sent that which is most costly and precious, to succumb to the consequence of the fall, that you might be made part of His family, and seated at His table forevermore. 

And if you aren’t part of God’s family, don’t believe that God’s arm is too short to save. You’ve seen it here, Jesus came to save sinners. Charles Spurgeon pleaded, “You will say, ‘Oh, I am one of the worst in the world.’ Christ died for the worst in the world. ‘Oh, but I have no power to be better.’ Christ died for those that were without strength. ‘Oh, but my case condemns itself.’ Christ died for those that legally are condemned. ‘Ay, but my case is hopeless.’ Christ died for the hopeless. He is the hope of the hopeless. He is the Savior not of those partly lost, but of the wholly lost.”  

So… why is it called Good Friday? It’s because of what the Lord Jesus Christ did on the cross for sinners. It is such a good day. It is a holy day. It is a solemn day. It’s a day of worship and marveling at the love of God. It’s good because as Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend wrote, “... On that cross as Jesus died The wrath of God was satisfied For every sin on Him was laid Here in the death of Christ I live, I live.”

¹ “Good Friday.” The Encyclopaedia Britannica: Gichtel-Harmonium. Vol. 11. New York: University Press, 1910, 237–238.

² Eucharist, which speaks of giving thanks, was a term used regularly in the early church. In the context here, it is defined as communion in the latter portion of the sentence. For more information on the views of the early church concerning the Lord’s table, please read “Did the Early Church Teach Transubstantiation?”

³ Gilmartin, Thomas. "Good Friday." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 

First, let’s begin with the main argument in a nutshell. The reason that women should not be teaching theology to other women is that women assume a “spiritual authority that does not rightfully belong to them. They take on the role of guiding the wives, daughters, and parishioners of husbands, fathers, and pastors who alone bear the responsibility for their spiritual and moral well-being.” The key word there is “alone.” That is a digestible summary of the justification for why women should refrain from teaching theology to other ladies––it’s not their responsibility. 

To clarify, what isn’t being argued is that women can’t learn theology or speak about theology with other women in informal conversation. In addition, the position isn’t that women can’t learn about Biblical womanhood from other ladies. But, here’s the distinction, women really shouldn’t be actively seeking to learn theology from other women or be seeking to teach it in Women’s Bible Studies, podcasts, and courses taught by women for women, or in training formats. “By focusing on developing strong male leaders within the Church, we can create an environment where the desire of women to seek other women for theological guidance can be reduced and where they can flourish under the loving guidance and protection of their fathers, husbands, and pastors.” To be clear at this point, there is variance in the aforementioned position, but that’s the kernel of what is held to. 

Now, to show you where this can go. In Matt 23:15, Jesus says this to the Pharisees, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” There’s a principle here that’s worth considering. Oftentimes when someone is trained under someone else, they amplify certain teachings and beliefs, even beyond the original proponent. That doesn’t always happen, to be clear, but, in this instance, it does seem like many have gone “to infinity and beyond” (old school Buzz Lightyear). 

A fruit that’s come from the movement described says that women teaching other women should remain solely within the realm of homemaking skills. What this can look like is women in the church organizing a space for homemaking lessons: making/mending clothes, canning, gardening, decorating, and things of the sort. And that’s not a bad thing at all. But… it is at times proposed not in addition to, but in place of, women teaching other women theology. 

Of course, all of this begs the question, what do the Scriptures teach about the topic of women teaching others theology? Are there particular restrictions and should the practice happen at all? It does seem that in an effort to move away from women teaching men, the pendulum has swung all the way to the other side of the spectrum where women shouldn’t teach women about the Scriptures at all (at least in some people’s minds). So, what does God say?

 First, women know theology. This goes without stating, but it builds a foundation for where we are going. Godly women know Biblical doctrine, which is teaching that pertains to God, and are wise in applying what they know. Paul tells the church of Ephesus in Eph 4 that the church family is to be equipped (men and women) “for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ.” One purpose is that the church family wouldn’t be “tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.” So, how are women to avoid being carried away? The solution is seen in verse 15, “speaking the truth in love.” What is the truth? It’s sound doctrine. It’s Biblical theology. Women who love Jesus know theology and are to speak about it (cf. Rom 15:2; 1 Thess 4:18; 5:11; Heb 3:13; 10:23–25).

Second, women are to teach theology. It is expected from the Scriptures that women will teach, but not all will teach doctrine in the same spheres. In Prov 6:20–23 we read Solomon saying Prov 6:20–23, “My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not abandon the law of your mother; Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep watch over you; And when you awake, they will speak to you. For the commandment is a lamp and the law is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life.” What are the father and the mother teaching? Theology. They’re to instruct in the law according to verse 23. Yes, the primary responsibility rests upon the father according to Jewish tradition, but as the mother lived out the law she was to guide her children as well (cf. Prov 1:8; 31:1). Building upon this, in 2 Tim 1:3–5 we discover that Timothy had the same unhypocritical faith of his mother and grandmother. Who taught Timothy about the truth growing up? His mother did. What did she teach him about? We don’t need to wonder, in 2 Tim 3:14–15, we read, “But you, continue in the things you learned and became convinced of, knowing from whom you learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Timothy’s mom taught him theology. Was that only because his father was an unbeliever? Based on what's seen in the Proverbs, I would argue no. The mother is ideally to complement the father in her life and instruction. 

But women aren’t only to teach children. They are to proclaim and herald the gospel to unbelievers. In Acts 18:25–26, we read, “This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” There Priscilla and Aquila are teaching doctrine, the gospel, to Apollos. That’s evangelism right there. As a caveat, yes, narrative isn’t normative, but keep in mind that Priscilla here isn’t holding authority over men in the context of the church family in the gathered assembly (cf. 1 Tim 2:9–15). 

Third, particular women are instructed to teach other women theology. Titus 2:3–5 reads, “Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may instruct the young women in sensibility: to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be slandered.” While many passages emphasize the need for men to teach women, this passage teaches and expresses something different. Paul speaks of women instructing women as a form of blessing for the church. 

The expectation is that within healthy local churches, older women are instructing younger women. The context does not suggest this is only teaching for one’s children, or that it’s restricted to one-on-one discourse (unless you can prove the same with the older men from verse 2). The restriction is that it’s women to women. This could be one-on-one, or… it could be a Bible study for ladies, a discussion group, training ladies how to counsel other women, or a class for women. The way this takes shape and the format simply must be guided by the restrictions of the text itself. 

Ladies who have walked with the Lord longer are teaching the younger generation how to be godly women in the season God has placed them in. The qualifications are clear, not any older woman qualifies, it must be one who loves and is pursuing the Lord. The woman who teaches is holy in conduct, not speaking evil about others behind their backs, not a drunkard, and she’s known for teaching what is good. 

In addition, the teaching is inextricably linked by what follows with the conjunction “so that.” There is a purpose and scope of this teaching. We know what, who, and why. What are they teaching? They teach that which is good. Who are they teaching? They teach younger women. Why are they teaching? They teach in order to equip these women to excel in the spheres that God has placed them in. The teaching in view here pertains to how to live and walk as a Christian. It goes beyond how to make meals, clothing, and art. The older women are to teach the ladies to love their husbands. God, theoretically, could have given this mantle solely to husbands to teach their wives how to love them, but He doesn’t. The older women are to teach the younger women. 

That brings up a litany of questions. Can this teaching be done without speaking about respect and submission from Eph 5? Can you properly build and undergird a foundation for what it means to be a wife with respect to your husband without Gen 2:18–25? How can you speak about submission without speaking about theology proper and Christology in Jesus’ submission to the Father in His incarnation from Luke 22:42? Can you speak about loving your children without speaking about Jesus’ love for children from Mark 10:14, or instructions from the Proverbs or the book of Ephesians about raising children which would include hamartiology and anthropology? The older women are to instruct the younger women to be in control of themselves. There’s no restraint for the flesh that comes outside of the Spirit of God working in concert with the word of God––pneumatology and Bibliology. They are to teach how to maintain the home. How can that be done without walking through Prov 31 and the excellent wife in a study of Biblical womanhood? If you will teach on the subject of kindness, is that restricted merely to moral platitudes, or through looking and gazing upon the person of Christ in the Scriptures? Kindness is connected to ecclesiology as well as it characterizes the church (cf. Col 3:12; 1 Pet 2:1–3). The purpose of teaching good is so that God would be honored, even in the family. 

The cherry on top is at the end of the verse, “so that the word of God will not be slandered.” In order for God’s word to be upheld, women must know theology and must instruct others in theology as a hedge of protection for God’s honor. It’s not optional. It’s not because of sin that women are teaching women theology. It’s not because of a lack of godly men that women should teach other women theology. No, God upholds this for the good of His people. 

Circling back to the foundational argument quoting from the linked article above, “Can a woman learn theology from another woman? Certainly, women are capable. But I’m asking whether a woman should learn theology from other women. That is, does the Bible thematically and theologically push for women to teach other women theology? Is that the biblical ideal? … This is the fundamental issue I have with women teaching theology to other women. By doing so, these women assume a spiritual authority that does not rightfully belong to them.” Furthermore, “there is no passage in Holy Scripture that says… ‘Women shall teach theology to other women.’” I hope you can see that the Bible does present that not only can women teach theology to other women but that they should. If that’s not happening, Titus 2:3–5 isn’t being followed, and that’s a problem.

There are many helpful statements that surround this position, including clarifying to a generation of men who have set aside their position and calling from God to be leaders and protectors. The church certainly does need men to be men. The world over needs that. There is also a helpful pastoral word shared about how some women, unfortunately, are predominantly and even exclusively seeking women for shepherding in lieu of the church or their family. But, the primary concern with this position is that it seems to displace women from a role that God has called them to fulfill, not as a replacement of God’s calling for men, but as something that would further aid men in their own callings as husbands and fathers (the aim of Titus 2:3–5).

When someone views sin too highly and too regularly… sin, not Christ, becomes the focus. The consequences of such can be devastating. At that moment a person’s gaze isn’t fixed on Jesus in line with Heb 12:2, and whenever our primary gaze is on introspection that will lead to depression, anxiety, concern, and all sorts of doubt. Why? We were never made to hope in or meditate upon ourselves. We are to, as Paul says in Col 3:2, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” 

The flip side of the coin is what I want to focus on here. It’s seen in viewing sin too lowly. While some teach the doctrine of sinless perfectionism, there’s something much more subtle that can occur even in those that wouldn’t appeal to perfectionist teaching (cf. 1 John 1:8–10). There’s a sinister temptation that swirls around in the church whereby we can begin to believe ourselves to be more holy and righteous than we are, and proportionally, we begin to view ourselves as less sinful than we truly are. How dangerous it is to go from the heart that says, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” to, “God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” 

The moment when we adopt any view of ourselves other than God’s view, we are pridefully saying that we know better than God. It’s a lie that's origin is traced all the way back to the garden. Whenever we think of ourselves more highly than we are, Paul’s words are designed to swoop down from heaven above like manna to an undeserving arrogant soul, “... let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” 

While we certainly do not want to live in sin, that for which our glorious Savior died, make no mistake about it, you and I sin even when we don’t realize our sin. When we don’t call a spade a spade, we continue to live in sin (in denying the presence of sin) and go against the Lord in the process. There’s no shame in admitting you're a sinner, that’s a grand confession. You should cry out not just in the moment of salvation, but regularly cry out, “O God! Be merciful to me—I am a sinner through and through! My only hope of righteousness is not in me, but only You.”¹ That is a glorious, Spirit-wrought confession. There’s no shame there. But, there is in covering up sins like Adam and Eve did. We don’t relish or delight in our sin, may it never be. At the same time, we recognize it and side with God against ourselves, we then turn to walk in God’s ways. Rinse and repeat, for His glory. 

The most mature saint is the most humble saint. It is the person who not only rests in and delights in Jesus Christ supremely but the one who recognizes his or her own failings so readily. The pride that lies behind selfish desires in choices made during the day, the ungratefulness toward God in the circumstances He’s presented to you, and the lack of patience shown at work or in the home. And the example that I want to put before you today is that of the apostle Paul from three seasons of his life. As Paul walked with the Lord more and more, it seems he understood his condition more and more clearly. 

The first text is found in 1 Cor 15. Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthian church around the year 56 AD. At this point, he had been a Christian for approximately 22 years. Paul begins in verses 3–5 by speaking of the Anchor of our hope. “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” That is the fount from which Paul draws as he goes on in verses 7–9, “After that, He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” Paul says that he was the least of the apostles. 

The word Paul uses, “ἐλάχιστος,” is a superlative. It communicates that he was the least, dead last. It’s a strong way of conveying his place. So why does he say it? It was because of his sin. He knew that he “persecuted this Way to the death.” His recognition is beautiful. He wasn’t like the Pharisee he once was or like the one in Luke 18. He didn’t think of himself as better or more highly than the guys he was around. That’s how he thought before he was saved (cf. Phil 3:3–6). Now, Paul was just thankful to be on the team in light of his sin. What a great mentality to adorn. 

If you then fast forward to the book of Ephesians, Paul builds upon his statement in 1 Cor 15:9. Paul wrote this letter five or six years later while in prison to the church family in Ephesus. At this point, Paul had been a believer for approximately 27 years. And Paul was writing to the body to let them know that in Christ, the Jewish and Gentile believers had been united. They were one new man, in Christ. Before their ethnic identification, they were Christians. Then Paul goes on to say in Eph 3:8–10, “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the good news of the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for all what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.” Do you see the progression? Paul previously said that he was the least of the apostles. Now what does he say? He says that he’s the “very least of all the saints.” There are a lot of saints out there. Paul knows exactly what he’s saying. He writes to the church family and says, I am less than all of you. 

Paul uses the same root word here for least but with a distinction. Paul uses the comparative form here, “ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ.” As opposed to just saying the “least of all,” we see the words “very least of all,” in the LSB. Since it’s comparative, we would think in English of “less than,” but here the word remains a superlative as well. It isn’t “less,” it’s the highest degree, but “least than” isn’t a concept in English. The phrase “very least” is the best translators can do and it does convey the thought as closely as English can. Paul was saying he’s at the bottom of the barrel of all Christians, and then even less than the bottom––if that were possible. Why?

Our third stop is found at 1 Tim 1:15. This is now around two years later. It’s approximately 62 AD. Paul has now been a believer for around 29 years. Paul writes this to Timothy, “It is a trustworthy saying and deserving full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost.” Why was Paul the least of the apostles? Why was he less than the least saint? Well, it’s because he viewed himself as the chief of sinners. He doesn’t say “I was the chief of sinners,” or “I stopped being the chief of sinners and now don’t sin anymore.” No, he says “I am the chief of sinners.” It’s present tense. He owns that. 

The word for chief is “πρῶτος.” A transliteration is “protos.” If you’ve heard of the word prototype before, a first type or model, then you have the idea already based on the prefix. The word is usually translated as first. It can be used to speak of one person in front of another spatially. It’s also used for time and chronology, of being first in sequence. But it could also be used to speak of prominence. The last usage is in view. Paul was the first and foremost sinner, the greatest sinner. Paul says, that’s me. Is that how you think of the apostle Paul? He’s probably not on your top 10 chief sinners list. He’s probably on your top 10 most holy list. Nevertheless, that’s how he thought of himself. 

Paul could say he’s the chief of sinners because he knew himself better than anyone else, besides the Lord Almighty. He knew the corruptions of his motives and desires and he knew and saw his sin more than anyone else's. Before the Righteous Lord, he believed and saw himself to be the very chief and leader of sinners––at present. Something worth reiterating here is that Paul wasn’t just saved. At this point, he’s been saved for almost three decades. It’s as though his view of himself has become more tuned over time, he sees himself more and more clearly in light of God’s holy light. 

Robert Robertson knew Paul’s words all too well when he wrote, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, oh take and seal it seal it for Thy courts above.” Paul knew he was a sinner. He wasn’t perfect. He says so in Phil 3:12. He needed the grace of God as much in his sixties as when he was first saved. In fact, over time it appears he recognized how much more he needed it than he ever first believed. 

John Calvin said at this point in 1 Tim 1:15, “Our mind is always impelled to look at our worthiness; and as soon as our unworthiness is seen, our confidence sinks. Accordingly, the more any one is oppressed by his sins, let him the more courageously betake himself to Christ, relying on this doctrine, that he came to bring salvation not to the righteous, but to ‘sinners.’” A.W. Tozer said, “We must hide our unholiness in the wounds of Christ as Moses hid himself in the cleft of the rock while the glory of God passed by.” 

In salvation, there are often many sins that fall by the wayside that are noticeable right away. Because you have new longings and affections you spend your time differently, your energy, your life. You don’t do things you once did because you have a new Master. But at the same time, what also happens? As we see even with Paul, as you grow closer to Jesus, you realize that you are a far greater sinner than you ever knew you were before. While there might be sins with alcohol, lust, language, covetousness, anger, and things of that nature that are cut down, you see the root of pride that is connected to these goes all the way down to the heart. What was forsaken was the tip of the iceberg, the 10% above the surface. And as you see more of Christ you see what’s beneath the surface that still must be mortified.  

Thomas Watson put it this way, “The more the Spirit shines in the heart, the more evil it discovers. A Christian thinks it worse with him than it was, whereas his grace may not grow less, but his light greater.” It is a good thing if you recognize that you’re a sinner. It is a good thing when you adorn God’s view of yourself. When you feel the sweet sting of conviction from the Spirit, don’t run away from it or try to shove it back down. Instead, praise God for His kindness toward you in pointing you in the right direction, back toward Himself. Praise God that He hasn’t given up on you, though you continue to sin. Then make a beeline for the cross. Look to Jesus who forgives the chief of sinners, like you and me, and follow Him. 

At this point, I will issue a concluding word of caution. You don’t want to see sin where it isn’t or excuse sin where it is. Again, our gaze is to be fixed on the Lord who helps us in this regard when we come before Him with a sensitive heart desiring to learn and grow from His word and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our job and goal isn’t to be lost in morbid introspection, I have seen many there. As has been discussed, we also don’t want to look past sin where it exists to feign a false righteousness. Robert Murray McCheyne summarizes this principle beautifully. He said, “For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ. He is altogether lovely. Such infinite majesty, and yet such meekness and grace, and all for sinners, even the chief! Live much in the smiles of God.” 

Press on dear brothers and sisters. 

 ¹ "Not in Me" by Sovereign Grace Music

And on the precipice of the crucifixion, on the day of Jesus’ betrayal… a question arises. What is Jesus worth? It’s such a simple, yet profound question. What is Jesus worth? Make no mistake about it, it’s one that you have already answered in your mind and you display it with your life. In a moment of honest reflection, what is your answer? 

Here’s one of the proposed answers in the Bible… thirty pieces of silver (cf. Zech 11:12–13; Matt 26:15; 27:9). Let that sink in for a moment afresh this season. What is King Jesus worth? The price of one male or female slave according to Ex 21:32. Thirty pieces of silver. That price, that number rings down throughout history, as marred as it is as the price of betrayal, it is also a reminder of the absolute sovereignty and meticulous plan of the Lord. That’s what I want us to briefly consider. 

So as to remove all ambiguity about the death of Jesus, so no one could say it was an accident, a mistake, or just bad luck… Peter boldly declared on Pentecost to a group of unrepentant Jewish people, “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God did through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know⁠—this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” Everything that happened in Jesus’ passion week was directly in line with God’s predetermined plan. In fact, when you get to Rev 13:8, which concerns the worship of the antichrist, “And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” The last portion is of particular interest. Before the world was made, there was a book entitled, “the book of life of that Lamb…” paying particular focus to the last four words, “who has been slain.” So sure and certain was this book that Jesus would die as a substitute for His people, that this was constructed before the earth was. The cross was the only plan from the beginning. 

Based on the playing out of God’s decree, without betrayal, everyone would still be in their sins. Without betrayal, you would have no hope before you of heaven. Without someone like Judas… there isn’t Good Friday or Resurrection Sunday. God ordained it this way. It was through what Judas meant for evil and selfish gain, that God would use it for good to give many people eternal life. To be clear, while we shouldn’t be thankful for Judas’ evil any more than we are thankful for Joseph’s brother’s evil, we are thankful to the Good God who used and orchestrated these circumstances to bring about His choice ends. 

Just a couple of days before the Passover, we read in Matt 26:14–16, “Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you willing to give me to deliver Him to you?’ And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. And from then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.” Is He, Jesus, worthy of thirty pieces of silver? Judas’ answer: yes. 

There are certain names in the world that evoke strong negative emotions. There are some that undoubtedly come to mind from the past century. But outside of Satan himself, there might be none stronger than that of Judas. There was no higher betrayal and treason than that against the Lord of Glory. Yet again, it was no mistake. In John 6:70–71, Jesus makes it clear that He chose Judas and knew that he was “a devil.” Jesus chose “a devil,” to bring about His demise in order to fulfill the will of the Father (cf. John 17:4–5). The other disciples were oblivious to Judas’ true colors. On the night of Jesus’ betrayal, not one of them suggested Judas (cf. Matt 26:20–24). After all, they probably thought, he’s our trusted treasurer. Only later was it found out that he was a thief (cf. John 12:6). 

From the outside, Judas looked like a sheep, he talked with other sheep, he ministered with and to them, and He even walked with the Shepherd, but he was never a sheep (cf. John 10:26–28). Judas went directly to those who had put out a standing order for Jesus to be reported (cf. John 11:57). The order was placed precisely because the Sanhedrin had decided as a collective that Jesus must die (cf. John 11:53). Judas knows what he is doing. He comes to the elite and directly asks them what sum of money they would give him if he were to betray Jesus.

There’s so much that’s wrong here. In Judas’ heart, he believed Jesus was worth an earthly price. We might expect to read here, they measured out ten thousand pieces of silver, or ten million. But no… thirty. Judas doesn’t haggle with them. He doesn’t try to raise things a bit. No. The price alone reveals how low Judas thought of Jesus. He’s worth one slave (cf. Ex 21:32). The Shepherd who taught, provided for, and watched over Judas… who empowered him to heal and teach, and who washed his feet is worth thirty pieces of silver (cf. Matt 10:1–2; John 13:5). Judas loved money, not Jesus. 

The price not only shows what Judas thought of Jesus. It shows what the religious leaders thought of Jesus. I imagine they thought they were being generous given their desire to murder Him. The chief priests believed that the Messiah they claimed to be waiting for was worth thirty pieces of silver. A piece or shekel of silver would have been worth around four denarii. A denarius was around a day's wages. So this price is around one-third of a year's work. That’s what the Christ is worth to them… in order to put Him to death. And all of this works to fulfill prophecy, again, not by those who love the Lord and want to see prophecy fulfilled but, ironically, by His enemies. 

The price, the people, the setting, all of it happened in accordance with the Scriptures. In Zech 11:12–13, we read, “And I said to them, ‘If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!’ So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. Then Yahweh said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter, that valuable price at which I was valued by them.’ So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of Yahweh.” 

At this point, we see the background for what took place in Matt 26, in Zechariah. Zech 11 presents a picture of the ministry of the Messiah. The scope is focused on the first advent of Jesus as a shepherd, in shepherding a flock devoted to destruction (cf. Zech 11:4; John 1:11–13; 3:19–21). The destruction would come as a form of judgment for not heeding the word of the Lord and accepting His Messiah. While there were some who were poor in spirit who recognized the season, they were the minority (cf. Zech 11:11). 

In verses 12–13, we see a picture of the flock devoted to destruction as seen in rebellious Israel, showing what they think of the Shepherd. When Zechariah says, in speaking as the Messiah, “If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind.” It further highlights how the people did not esteem this Shepherd. That there would be any possibility of no value seen or given to Him for his shepherding is crushing. Of course, it becomes more devastating as we see that the thirty pieces of silver are given in order to kill Him. 

Zechariah records, “They weighed out thirty shekels of silver.” Matt 26:15b reads, “And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him.” A shekel is a unit of weight. They weigh out thirty pieces of silver exactly as expected. Jesus was valued at the price of a slave (cf. Ex 21:32). Even that detail is not without Biblical connection and precedent. While it was meant as an insult, Paul says in Phil 2:5–7, “Have this way of thinking in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of men.” Paul glories in the reality of Jesus’ humility because he knew that through it, he was set free. Jesus took on the form of a slave, and He was valued as such in the eyes of fallen men. But what was used as a mean offense in valuing Him as a slave, only reveals His true worth. The infinite and worthy Son of God condescended to become a slave to redeem those who were slaves of sin that they might become slaves of righteousness (cf. Rom 6:17–18). It is a most undeserved and lovely reality.  

After this valuing and weighing takes Yahweh tells Zechariah to throw the shekels of silver to the Potter in the house of Yahweh, which is the temple. In Jer 18:5–6, we read about who the Potter is. “Then the word of Yahweh came to me saying, ‘Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?’ declares Yahweh. ‘Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.’” The Lord is the Potter. We see that the Potter says to Zechariah that the silver that “I,” which is a reference to the Messiah, was valued at, was to be thrown to the Potter in His house. There the Messiah is shown to be Yahweh, God. The money was to go into the temple. 

While Israel rejected the Lord in Zechariah’s day, this is drawn upon and shown to be fulfilled even in Matt 27. After Jesus was betrayed by Judas for thirty pieces of silver, Judas became overcome with the weightiness of his actions. Matt 27:3–8 reads, “Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ But they said, ‘What is that to us? See to that yourself!’ And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, ‘It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood.’ And taking counsel together, they bought with the money the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers. For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.’” 

Judas went to the house of Yahweh and threw the silver into the Potter’s sanctuary. The price the Messiah was valued at for His shepherding of Israel, the thirty pieces were delivered into the temple sanctuary as it was stated it would be. Judas did this not because he wanted to see Zechariah’s word come to pass, but rather because of the immeasurable weight of guilt that plagued his conscience.  

As the Lord judged Israel and Judah during the days of Zechariah, the greatest point of judgment came at the rejection of the Messiah. In 1 Pet 2:6–8, Peter writes, “For this is contained in Scripture: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes upon Him will not be put to shame.’ This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone,’ and, ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.’ They stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this stumbling they were also appointed.” Israel, on the whole, rejected the Messiah who was sent to them. For Judas, thirty pieces of silver were what Jesus was worth. For the multitudes who followed the blind guides, no price was necessary. For the chief priests, they would pay to kill the Stone of Israel. 

It brings to the surface the same question that was asked at the beginning of this article. What is Jesus worth? Is Jesus worth up to a certain sum of money? If someone offered you a million, a billion, a trillion dollars, mountains of gold, the whole world… would that be enough to sway you from Him? Is He worth comfort and complacency? If you had security and comfort offered to you for the rest of your life–seemingly no strings attached, is Jesus worth more than that? What about your life? Is Jesus worth more than your life? If you had the opportunity to lay down your life for Jesus… would you, or would you deny Him to preserve it in this world? What is Jesus worth?

In 1922, Rhea Miller gave a clear and definitive answer to these questions. She wrote, “I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold; I'd rather be His than have riches untold; I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands. I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.” The second stanza reads, “I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause; I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause; I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame. I'd rather be true to His holy name.” That bridges into the chorus, “Than to be the king of a vast domain Or be held in sin's dread sway. I'd rather have Jesus than anything This world affords today.” The hymn, as the chorus reveals, is entitled, “I’d Rather Have Jesus.” That’s the cry of the heart of the Christian because the Christian knows that Jesus is worth everything. 

During this time of year when we spend a concentrated amount of time on the sufferings of Jesus, be reminded that Jesus is worth far more than thirty pieces of silver. He’s worth far more than the world or anything that you could offer or gain. He is worth absolutely everything. 

I imagine that everyone would agree here, that it should. ‘Yes, since death is coming, that should inform how I live at present.’ Sadly, I think at times unbelievers do a better job here (in a negative way) than we do––in living in light of the future. What I mean is this, since death is coming, unbelievers seek to enjoy their fill of the world to the full, indulging in sins and all sorts of evils, throwing caution to the wind with their souls. For the unbeliever, death often motivates unholy living at present, it fuels the fire, so to speak. 

If that is the case, how much more so should Christians be sold out to live for the Lord at present, particularly in light of what death brings? If death motivates unholiness for the unbeliever, how much more should it motivate holy living for the believer, out of a love for the Lord? In Phil 1:21, Paul writes, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” That verse is a spiritual thermometer of sorts, it shows how you’re doing. The way you live your life at present testifies to what you believe about what is to come in the future. 

I know we are well on our way into 2023. It’s a bit late for new years resolutions. I am generally not one for new years resolutions, given the world’s flippant commitments. However, I am for them in the Jonathan Edward’s sense. Edwards composed 70 resolutions for his life in being a follower of Christ. The first of his resolutions is undergirded with Paul’s words in Phil 1:21. Edwards wrote, 

“Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.” 

That is a grand statement. Our aim and practice as believers should be to live to glorify the God who saves, with all that we are, all the time. As I write that, which I firmly believe, I recognize that I do not live up to that statement perfectly, and I imagine that you do not either. Our God is awesome, in the truest sense of the word, because of what the future holds, we should live fully for Him at present… but we don’t. Despite how great our God is we can forget our purpose and call in life, at least in practice.

Again, Paul writes, clear, unambiguous teaching that summarizes the life of a Christian. He says, “for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” At first glance, it might be easy for someone to assume that Paul writes a statement like this one when everything’s going his way in life. That’s not the setting. Paul makes that statement while imprisoned, not from the Ritz. He wrote in verses 7, 13, 14, and 17 of the chains that he wore. But the reality that he was imprisoned did not change or alter his perspective on his purpose in life. In fact, he wrote in Phil 4:11–13, “Not that I speak from want, for I learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in abundance; in any and all things I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” At which point, we can see that “going Paul’s way in life” wasn’t what mattered most to him. 

So here Paul is, this man who is heavenly-minded and therefore of the most earthly good, and he says to the Philippian church that his desire is for Christ to always be magnified in him. He says in verses 18–20, “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that this will turn out for my salvation through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.” This is Paul’s focus in life. When Paul wakes up, his day is about Christ being magnified. When he goes to bed, the same is true. This is what he breathes, eats, drinks, and dreams. His life isn’t like a shotgun with many different pellets in a general direction, but rather like a rifle with a single bullet and precise aim. His focus is clear. He knows his purpose in life.

At this point, Paul has likely been walking with the Lord for around 26 years or so. If anything, he has only become more crystalized in his focus and resolve to live for Christ. Shortly after he was saved by the Lord Jesus, in Acts 9:19b–20 we read, “Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’” Upon being saved, Paul knew he was to proclaim Jesus Christ. He knew that he was to live for Him, and he continued to grow in this knowledge over time.

As we read on in Acts and in learning about Paul through his letters, around 16 years later we see a fuller picture of Paul’s heart for the Lord. We read him say in Gal 2:20, a statement that is so direct concerning the Christian life, that it only amplifies Phil 1:21. “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Paul’s life aim is that Jesus would be magnified in him and that he would not detract from the Lord with the way he conducts his life. He wanted people to see Jesus when they saw him.

Paul didn’t view his life, the moments of the day, the possessions he had, the people he met, or the messages he taught as his own, per se. He viewed them as being from the Lord and for Him. Jesus Christ was the lens through which He viewed His life. Jesus gave perspective and defined the moments of his life. Paul taught in 1 Cor 10:31, “whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” If that was Paul’s desire, it should be ours as well. Practically, it means that we send emails to the glory of God; we meet with people to the glory of God; we change diapers to the glory of God; we eat food to the glory of God; we drive to the glory of God; we watch sunsets to the glory of God. We live for the glory of God. In Col 3:17, he writes, “and whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Everything that we do is to be for the Lord. 

That presupposes something, doesn’t it? It presupposes that we are fixed upon the Lord with our minds. In the same chapter in verses 1–4, Paul states, “Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you died and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory.” In Heb 12:1–2 we read, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” As the hymn by Helen Lemmel begins, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus Look full in His wonderful face.” That’s the idea. The mind that is focused on honoring Christ will be the one that lives most closely to Him. 

After speaking about Christ being magnified in his body Paul says “for me to live, Christ and to die, gain.” The verbs are infinitives. The helping verb “is” is not there in Greek, which makes the statement even stronger. Life equals Christ. Death equals gain. This is our calling in life. 

Paul’s words in Phil 1:21 are antithetical to the world. Most people would say, “to live is for me, and to die is the greatest loss.” Again, that’s how the future informs their present in pursuing sin. That’s how the world lives, but it’s not how we were designed to live. Paul gives us the proper formula. 

For the Christian, living life is Christ. Christ defines and orients everything that we do. Our ambition should be to have Christ magnified in everything. As Kate Wilkinson says, “May the mind of Christ, my Savior, live in me from day to day, by his love and pow'r controlling, all I do and say.” That’s what we want. That’s what we desire. Having said that, as has been stated, it isn’t always the case. So why not? 

Of course, sin is the short answer. So then how do we battle against sin in this area? The antidote is found in remembering. It’s that simple. It’s found in remembering the Lord Jesus, the One we are to be dwelling upon. How do we do that? We call to mind His word. We dwell upon the Scriptures. 

Here are some suggestions for you to this end. Have the Scriptures throughout your home and talk about them with your family (cf. Deut 6:4–9; 11:18–20). Be intentional about regularly looking at and speaking about the Scriptures. As you eat your daily bread, have a scheduled time or times where you are spending time in God’s word yourself (cf. Matt 4:4). Have Scripture in your workspace, in your car, and even on your phone (stickers and wallpapers available). Be a Ps 119:11 person. “Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.” The time that you spend reading God’s word, listening to it, praying it back to Him, and singing it, is proportionate to the amount of time you will be dwelling on the reality that your life is Christ. 

The non-believer, Benjamin Franklin, once said, “a failure to plan is a plan to fail.” Paul didn’t live as Christ by being passive. No, his ambition was to know Christ. He went on in Phil 3:8–11 to say, “More than that, I count all things to be loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own which is from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God upon faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Paul’s objective was to know Christ more and more. That was his longing in life, to know Jesus and live for Him.

Paul wasn’t trying to write his own story in life, he was seeking to have the Lord write His story through his life. The people of the world are so bent on leaving their mark on society as displayed through accolades, their name on a building, or at least their name spoken of highly by others. Paul didn’t want that. He didn’t care about that. He wanted people to talk about and think about Jesus, that’s the mark he wanted to leave, a mark for Christ. His heart was for the Philippian church to see how glorious a calling this was for them and how it should affect everything that they do. 

And of course, Paul takes it one step further. Since we live for Christ, the King of Kings, and we are His representatives on the earth with the highest of callings, when it is our time to go to be with the Lord, our death is gain. That truth is liberating. Our highest aim isn’t preserving our life in the world, it’s living faithfully for Jesus. When we die, things only get better than they are now. “Better” has a context. In this life, we have suffering, hardship, loss, and external and internal hindrance from sin (cf. John 16:33; Gal 5:17). All the while, we have joy in Christ (cf. John 15:11). We are becoming more like Him, and in turn, enjoy Him more (cf. 2 Cor 3:18; Rom 8:29–30; Phil 1:6). 

For the world, death only means your life ending, and with it, your friendships, family relationships, work, possessions, awards, and money. The idols of one’s heart and life are gone and that’s terrifying. But for the Christian, when you die, you get Christ forevermore. Paul says in 2 Cor 5:8 that “to be absent from the body [is] to be at home with the Lord.”* Death is gain for the Christian because you get to be with your Savior without sin. You will see the hands that bled for you. You will see the face that dawned the crown of thorns for you. You’ll see the One who has risen from the dead and secured your salvation. You’ll do all of this with no more pain or suffering, instead, filled to the brim and overflowing with joy and happiness. Death is gain, hallelujah! That motivates how we live at present. Since our death is gain, since we have been freed up to live for Jesus… we should do so unashamedly.  

Phil 1:21 isn’t just a 2023 verse. It’s a life verse. It’s a verse that describes the Christian life. My hope and my prayer for you, and for me, is that we would live in it well. There is no higher calling in this world than to live for Christ. When you wake up tomorrow morning, using this verse or others, actively seek to dawn this mentality. Live for Jesus, display Jesus to others, tell others about Jesus, being reminded that this life is a vapor that is here and then vanishes. Make the most of the time God has granted us on earth. As CT Studd once said, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be, If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.”

*In Greek “and” is there, but I have substituted it with “is” simply for cohesion.

I don’t claim to be an expert on all that took place in Wilmore, Kentucky. That’s not the purpose of this post. If you would like to know my views on the event, please see Jordan Standridge’s excellent article. 

What I thought would be helpful wouldn’t be to rewrite Jordan’s article, he did far better than I ever could, or write and comment on what so many others have already done well. I thought it might be beneficial to pause to look at a genuine revival in the Scriptures. There are various places we could go to, but I wanted to make a few comments from Acts 13 that I think will help give us some additional perspective not only on the Asbury revival but on others like it. 

To start off, the word revival is not a Biblical word. So when I say a revival in the Scriptures, I am drawing from a particular definition that I am mapping on to what I think we see in the Bible. No translators use the word in any major, minor, or paraphrase English translations that I could find (which is a good thing since it wouldn’t be the best translation). The word revival is based on the Latin word “revivere,” meaning “again,” based on the prefix “re,” and “to live,” based on the suffix, “vivere.” At which point, you can understand the word choice, for happenings like these. It means “to live again.”

While revival isn’t found in the Scripture, the word revive is. It’s used in various ways in different contexts. For example, it’s used for one’s spirit reviving after receiving good news or even food (cf. Gen 45:27; 1 Sam 30:12). At times the psalmist will plea for the Lord to revive him with His word (cf. Ps 119:25, 93, 154). It’s used to speak of restoration. 

To a degree, when someone speaks of a revival be it during the time of the great awakening or even up to a few days ago when Asbury University decided to end the revival services that were taking place, a combination of the definitions above seems to be in view. There is an emphasis on spiritual awakening and restoration, both new birth, and spiritual growth through sanctification (or at least there should be if you’re seeking to stick to definitions).

This will be a highlights tour through Acts 13. I do not believe everything in it is prescriptive for the local church or normative. Having said that, there are principles we can learn and characteristics that will inform how we understand the Lord when He is at work in the salvation of many people. As an additional caveat and PSA, I realize there are other passages we could go to, and they do not all flow in this particular fashion. We’ll consider revival in Acts 13 under five headings. 

The Church

Before we get to swaths of Gentiles believing in Jesus for salvation, seen in repenting of their sins and turning by faith to the risen Lord, we see the church. In Acts 13:1–3, we read, “Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” Behind what takes place in the salvation of many peoples is the church in Syrian Antioch. Leaders in the church came together and commissioned Paul and Barnabas for ministry. The ministry they were commissioned to, as we will see, was in proclaiming the gospel. 

Intentional Ministry

Revivals don’t happen by accident. To clarify, you don’t plan them, but they happen through intentional ministry. There will not be a revival where you do not have sons and daughters of the Lord out faithfully proclaiming truth about the Lord. In this case, Paul and Barnabas were sent out from the church in Antioch to teach about Jesus. 

In verses 4–5, we read, “So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus. And when they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and they also had John as their helper.” We saw the first Gentile church send out Paul and Barnabas, here we see that the Holy Spirit sent them. Both are true. The Lord used the church to accomplish His purposes. And when they reached Salamis on the island of Cyprus, we see they were heralding the word of God. They weren’t just sitting around. They weren’t just praying for revival and not acting in obedience to their commission. They were actively engaged in the ministry of the word.

The Gospel

As they arrive in Pisidian Antioch, which is in the southern portion of modern-day Turkey, it becomes even clearer what the heart of their ministry centers around… the ministry of the gospel. Paul went into the synagogue and after recounting a history of Israel stated in verses 26–31, “Brothers, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the word of this salvation was sent. For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning Him. And though they found no ground for death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. And when they had finished all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead; and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people.” Paul goes on to say, “Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and that in Him, everyone who believes is justified from all things which you could not be justified from through the Law of Moses.” That is clear and direct preaching. 

In order for people to live again, pulling on the meaning of revival, you have to have the gospel. I recognize that Paul is speaking of Israel’s salvation in Rom 10:14–17, but there is an extended application for us. In verse 17 Paul says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” People become new creatures in Christ through hearing the gospel. The gospel must be there. 

God Saves

While God uses human means and instruments, as unworthy as we are, to proclaim glorious truth, it is He alone who saves. In Iain Murray’s work, Revival and Revivalism, he does a helpful job of distinguishing between the work of God versus the works of men. It’s a bit beyond the scope of this article, but there have been times in history when men have sought to replicate a work of God. At times, this occurs through a setting aside of preaching the gospel and replacing the pure word with a substitute, emotionalism. It has happened, it happens, and it will continue to happen where people will try to pass off a counterfeit as a work of the Lord. That’s precisely what we don’t see in Acts 13. We see a genuine work of God. In Titus 3:5–7, Paul writes, “He saved us, not by works which we did in righteousness, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” It is the mercy of God seen on display in the salvation of sinners.

We see a response that was not worked up by Paul and Barnabas, of themselves. We read in verses 42–43, “And as Paul and Barnabas were leaving, the people kept pleading that these words might be spoken to them the next Sabbath. Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.” The people were hungry. They wanted to hear more of, “these words.” The referent is to the gospel that was just proclaimed. Paul and Barnabas encouraged them to continue in the grace of God. True salvation isn’t just something that lasts for a few hours or days and then fades. It continues. 

Then we see in verse 44, “And the next Sabbath, nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord.” There are more people at the synagogue than before. Those who heard the gospel told others. Almost the entire city of Pisidian Antioch came to hear the gospel. Think for a moment of the city that you live in, nearly everyone gathering together to hear the gospel. It’s the power of God on display. 

Afterward, some Jewish people started to contradict and seemingly heckle Paul. Paul and Barnabas offered a public rebuke and then said in verse 47, “For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, that You may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’” The response to this is seen in verse 48, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” That’s beautiful. Many Gentiles, as many as set apart by the Lord, believed in Jesus and had eternal life. But it’s more than that, right? They are worshiping. They are rejoicing. They have true change. This, anachronistically speaking, is revival.  

God Sanctifies

But it doesn’t stop there. Verse 49 says, “And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.” After many people are saved, we see that God is at work in them. Their lives are changed. Where these people once did not love God, now they are out and about proclaiming the word of the Lord. Those that God saves, He changes. Paul says in Phil 2:12–13, “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” We are called to live in a certain way, and we do because we love the Lord and want to honor Him. We also recognize that that new desire in us, and the good that we walk in, is fueled by the Lord Himself, the Spirit. 

Finally, in verse 52, we read, “And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” These disciples, who came to be such through the ministry of Paul and Barnabas proclaiming the gospel, continued in the way. They were filled with joy and the Spirit of God. They are becoming like the One they love. It’s spectacular. 

Here are some concluding observations. First, when true revival breaks out, God does it. God changes hearts. God changes lives. People are convicted of sin, they turn from it, and that’s demonstrated not over the next week or month only, but until death. There’s no such thing as someone falling in love with Jesus who doesn’t also fall in line with the call of His word to follow Him. Jesus makes that clear in John 14:15 when He says, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

Second, while God is the one that orchestrates revival, He does so through human instruments being faithful to Him in preaching the gospel. I am convinced that there is no revival where there is no gospel. Where the gospel is absent you may have emotions, you may have crying, you may have all sorts of things… but where the good news of Jesus Christ coming to die for sinful men and rising from the grave is missing, you do not have by-definition, “again,” “to live.” You do not have dead men coming to life in Christ (cf. Eph 2:1–10). 

While the design of this post isn’t to be a direct commentary on Asbury, it is meant to help us consider what the Bible says as a lens through which we can view events like Asbury. 

Given all that’s been said, how should we respond to the Asbury revival and events like it? Pray. Pray for those who are ministering that they would proclaim the gospel. Reach out to them if you can and know them. Pray that hearts and lives would be changed by beholding the glory of Christ. Pray that those who are there would bear fruit in keeping with repentance, and join faithful Bible-preaching local churches where they can serve and exercise the spiritual gifts God has given them. And if you’ve read this far, it’s worth stating, revival or no revival, don’t just be a spectator yourself, be faithful in preaching Christ crucified that men, women, and children might truly live.