The Holy Spirit & the Disciple, Part 2

The Holy Spirit and the Disciple, Part 2

Here I continue my reflections on Ephesians 1 and the Spirit as prayed for by Paul. Part 1 of Holy Spirit & the Disciple is located HERE on my blog ...

In bringing his thanksgiving to a close Paul informs the “Ephesians” of his continued prayers on their behalf. This prayer text is one of two in Ephesians (the other being in 3.14-21 and should be read carefully as well). The text itself is another long, single sentence with only a minor break in v.21. The main verb, “I do not stop giving thanks,” comes in v.16; vv. 17-19a give the content of the prayer on behalf of the those who read the letter, and vv. 19b-21 are an extended circumstantial clause modifying “the exceeding greatness of his power” (of v.19a).

The Meaning of “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation”

It is not just any thing that Paul prays for. He prays explicitly and specifically that God “give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation . . .” The “Spirit” is the object of the verb “give/grant” so it does not take long to recognize the crucial role of the Holy Spirit in this prayer (as he does in 3.14-21 too). The prayer is for God to grant the Spirit, characterized by the terms “wisdom and revelation.” Through the Spirit’s wisdom and revelation they will come to have a deeper knowledge of God and through the Spirit’s enlightenment of the heart Christians can have insight into their eschatological hope and God’s power for in their/our behalf.

This seems pretty straightforward to me. BUT there a few “word only” brethren who want to deny that “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation” refers to the Holy Spirit. They often give a potpourri of reasons why this cannot be: 1) the Spirit only indwells through the word; 2) they claim that because there is no article in front of “pneuma” that this simply means “a wise spirit.”

My response to this is:

#1) denying the indwelling, or claiming only through the word, flies in the face of what has been said in 1.13-14. Paul has already made a factual statement that Christians are “sealed” in the Holy Spirit and that he is deposited in us as a first installment on our inheritance (cf. 4.30 where Paul makes this statement again).

#2) My response to number the article argument is that those who make it know nothing about Greek syntax. Syntactically the absence of the article is not a valid objection to this being a reference to the Holy Spirit. There are in fact number of cases where the Spirit is anarthrous (i.e. with no article). Here are a some: Mt. 12.28; Mk. 1.8; Lk. 1.15, 35, 41, 67; Rom. 1.4; 1 Pet. 1.2. Further, there is a grammatical reason for the absence of the article and that is its absence from the two nouns in the genitive as well. Paul would ordinarily write either “THE Spirit of THE wisdom and THE revelation” or “Spirit of wisdom and revelation,” both of which mean the same exactly the same thing. That is, in these kinds of constructions Paul almost always uses the article with both the accusative and its qualifying genitive, or he uses it with neither.

Further the phrase “Spirit of wisdom and revelation” is a semitism derived from Isaiah 11.2. Here the Spirit that rests upon the Messiah is described as “pneuma sophias kai suneseus” (= the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.” One should note also the anarthrous usage in Isa. 11.2, LXX too).

The alternative understanding of this phrase is, to me, pure nonsense. I’ll grant the possibility that one could make sense out of “a wise spirit” or “a wise disposition.” But to speak that way about revelation is pure nonsense. What, one wonders, can “a spirit of revelation” possibly mean in ANY sense in English?

What is the Spirit to Do?

Paul prays for God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to “grant you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.” Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is not that they simply be indwelled by the Holy Spirit but that he be ACTIVE in their/our lives. Paul asks that God grant the Spirit “so that you may know him better.”

What? These people have already heard the gospel and obeyed the message being sealed in the Spirit -- surely they know God!! And why not just tell them to read and reread the Letter? Paul’s use of the word “epignosis” (“know,” see BDAG, p. 369) here does not refer to more facts or doctrinal knowledge. Paul prays that they “epignosis” HIM (that is God himself).

One of our great Restoration fathers, Robert Richardson, wrote that we do not have a relationship with a book but with a God who longs for relationship with his creation -- he was right. That is what Paul is discussing here. It is not enough to have memorized Ephesians (though there is nothing wrong with that).

Paul appeals to the God who has granted all spiritual blessings to us in Christ to act again through his Spirit to enable us to KNOW HIM. Paul has this idea in mind in Philippians 3.15 where he writes “All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too, God will make clear [literally, “will reveal”] to you.”

Only a person who has been walking with God, getting to know him through his Spirit, will grasp certain truths Paul says. Paul has already spoken of God grace being “lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding” (1.8), now he prays that God, through the Holy Spirit, will make this a living reality. The Today’s English Bible captures well the meaning of Paul:

“I remember you in my prayers and ask God . . . to give you the Spirit, who will make you wise and reveal God to you, so that you will know him.”

Though the NIV makes it appear as though Paul is making a separate petition, v. 18 (cf. RSV, ESV) tells us how the Spirit will enable us to know God -- by “enlightening the eyes.” Paul uses “photismos” here that means to “illuminate.” What specifically will the Spirit grant us insight or illuminate our heart in regard to (in this text):

#1) to understand the goal of our salvation that is the “hope to which he has called us.” This, as many other things in this prayer, relates back to the great thanksgiving in 3-14. Paul has told the Ephesians (and us) that God “chose” them in 1.4. We are not to simply see the fact of election in Christ but the significance of that calling into hope. Can we imagine the change that would take place in our churches today if Christians suddenly had their hearts ILLUMINED and grasped the significance of the hope into which they were called. We would live our lives in the shadow of the Second Coming. Not in arrogant smugness but in confident and joyful EXPECTATION of his appearing. Paul prays that the Spirit enlighten their hearts to understand this: he did not simply suggest rereading v.18 a million times -- this type of knowledge needs the work of God’s Spirit and that is why Paul prays for it.

#2) to see the glorious riches of God’s inheritance among the saints. This is especially important in light of the unity theme in Ephesians (see part 1). How many Christians do not see the glory of God’s inheritance in the saints? The Jewish Christians didn’t see it in the Gentiles and the Gentiles failed to see it in the Jews. It is a spiritual (i.e. of the Spirit) insight from the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to one who has grasped the necessity of unity in the Body, who will not tolerate division over petty matters for the glory of God’s inheritance is to precious to that person for that.

#3) Paul also prays that the Spirit enlighten the eyes of the heart/mind to grasp the incredible resources given to live the Christian life. In particular Christians need to grasp the great “POWER” that is available to us. The power that created the universe, the power that raised Jesus from the dead (v.v. 19-20) is IN Christians. That power, that great “seal” is none other than the Spirit himself. You will recall the social context of magic and demonology in Ephesus. How are these Christians going to live in a manner that is worthy of the calling in face of the great Artemis? and Fate? and Hecate? How can they face the “powers” and principalities and thrones (all of which refer to spiritual realities and not city council persons). How will they be able to defeat their own selfish attitudes? How will they overcome the intense racial hatred between Jews and Gentiles? (blacks and whites?) Paul says God has given them/us more power than was necessary to raise the dead! The Spirit works in us “like a mighty strength.” In ch.3 Paul makes it even more explicit “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with POWER in your INNER BEING . . .”(3.16).

It seems pretty plain to me that Paul teaches in Ephesians the following about the Holy Spirit:

1) we are sealed by the Spirit as an act of ownership and protection

2) God, by giving the Spirit, has made a down-payment on our eternal future guaranteeing our inheritance in his Presence

3) the Spirit of wisdom and revelation is given so we may know GOD -- so that we can “experience” God and have spiritual insight that we would not otherwise have

4) about the hope to which we were called

5) about the glorious inheritance God has among the saints from all walks of life

6) about the power God makes available to us in our inner being through the Spirit.

The Spirit is acting in Ephesians 1 outside of the written word. Paul is praying for him to do just that. We cannot make Ephesians 1 mean something it could not mean to them so we must admit that Paul does not tell them to go read the Bible -- they are already reading it (at least part of it in the form of Ephesians) but that is not enough. They need spiritual power that comes from the Holy Spirit.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

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The Holy Spirit & the Disciple in Ephesians, Pt 1

The Holy Spirit and the Disciple in Ephesians, Part 1

I am dismayed from time to time how easily some dismiss the testimony of the "word" they seek to uphold ... especially about the Holy Spirit.

I will attempt to offer a more detailed study of Ephesians to show what Paul says about the Spirit. According to Paul, the Spirit actually works in the life of a Christian and that Spirit is not limited to, or chained, the written word.

I realize this will be a lengthy post so I beg your indulgence. Many offer all kinds of arguments devoid of serious exegetical study to cast aside the plain teaching of the NT that the Spirit lives and works in the lives of disciples. He does so in multiple ways, through the word and without. It is my prayer that my series of studies will encourage and bless you.

The Spirit and Prayer in Ephesians 1.15-23

“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in all my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you teh Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, for above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come . . .” (Ephesians 1.15-21, NIV).

Ephesians is surely the crown jewel in Paul's halo. Romans is often seen as the greatest of Paul’s letters but Ephesians certainly cannot be far behind. From a purely human point of view I actually enjoy reading Ephesians more than Romans. The Letter’s emphasis on Grace is great, its call to unity is needed as ever and its concern for the sanctified life is certainly something the church needs to pay more attention to. Ephesians has long complicated sentences that are pregnant with meaning.

THE PURPOSE OF EPHESIANS (i.e. Why was Ephesians Written)?

There is general agreement among scholars that the destination of “Ephesians” was the Roman province of Asia (“Ephesus” is a textual variant and is missing in p46, Origen, Sinaiticus and others). Ephesus was the principle city of Roman Asia and exerted great influence on the lives of both non-Christians and Christians in that area. Its social environment will help explain some key phrases regarding the Holy Spirit in Ephesians (though some, unbelievably, have denigrated the importance of historical context we believe it is of the utmost importance in hearing the apostle’s words).

When we spend more than a casual amount of time with Ephesians, with an eye to its first century setting, three distinct concerns (or themes) of Paul become evident and seem to dominate the Letter. FIRST, is the passion of Paul’s life, the Gentile mission. How God has reconciled and brought together, by his grace, both Jews and Gentiles into a NEW HUMANITY is a key concern of Paul’s -- this is the ultimate expression of God’s redeeming work in Christ. SECOND has to do with Christ’s victory over the “powers” for the sake of the Church, with the Holy Spirit playing a key role in our participation in that victory. The THIRD finds expression in the last half of the book (4-6 and reflects his concern with #1: the “Ephesians” are to maintain the “unity of the Spirit” by the way they “walk” with God.

Spirit language abounds in Ephesians for the Spirit in the Christian is the sine qua non of Christian existence.

The Significance of the “seal of the promised Holy Spirit” (1.13-14)

Paul announces at the close of a great thanksgiving (this is a single long sentence, vv. 3-14). that God is at work! God has done great work on our behalf. God continues to do great work on our behalf. That in a nutshell is what the thanksgiving is all about: We are here because of God’s choice, action, and grace and not our own (there is not one single solitary human action in vv. 3-14 indeed there is none in the entire first half of the book through 4.1 with the exception of 2.10). At the conclusion Paul makes one last and very significant comment we -- Christians -- have been “marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.”

The image of a “seal” is very important. “Seals” were very significant in the ancient world for a variety of reasons. Seals “authenticate,” “certify,” “mark.” Seals were also for “protection.” Most generally readily grasp the significance of the “seal” as a mark of certification or authentication (See Baur-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich [=BDAG, 3rd Edition], p.980). These concepts are in our word but do not exhaust the meaning, nor the primary reason Paul chose the word “sphragis.” The choosing of this word relates back to the second major theme of Paul in the Letter -- concern for Christ’s victory over the “powers.” “Seals” in the common populace of the first century had a far more important function (to them) then business and that was their association with protection from the spirit world, fate, and magic. Ephesus was a hot-bed of magic, exorcistic, and superstition. We see this in Acts 19. 11-16, 19, 23-41.

Archeologists and historians have taught us a great deal about the common religion among those in Ephesus. The proverbial “Ephesian Letters” were magical letters that girded the crown, the girdle and the feet of the image of Artemis/Diana. These letters were often spoken or copied onto an “amulet” or “seal” and carried around by a person seeking to ward of the demonic powers [Everett Ferguson’s Backgrounds of Early Christianity, pp. 177-183 has a nice section on magic and fate highlighting Ephesus. See also Rodney Thomas’s “The Seal of the Spirit and the Religious Climate of Ephesus” Restoration Quarterly 43 (2001): 155-166 makes extensive use of archeological information to inform our understanding of Eph. 1.13-14].

Here is the situation. You have a group of predominantly Gentle Christians (though magic was by no means limited to the Gentiles as Acts 19’s story of the sons of Sceva amply demonstrates) who live in a world pervaded with fear of the supernatural world. The world was not a friendly place in the eyes of common ordinary folk. It is no accident that Paul uses the word “SEAL” -- a word that meant certify in business transactions or mark authentic and declared ownership -- but to the ordinary folk it meant PROTECTION! Paul is saying that the Ephesians, and you and I, do not have to go through the magical arts to seek defense against the spiritual war going on around us: God has given his seal to protect us. Christians are PROTECTED by the Spirit -- in Christ we have no fear of the “powers.” This dual role of authentication and protection is a cardinal teaching of Paul on the Spirit who lives with in us.

Next Paul says that the Spirit is an “arrabon” (“deposit” or “earnest” or “first installment” or “pledge”) of our inheritance. “Arrabon” is a commercial term meaning “payment of part of purchase price in advance . . . which secures the legal claim to the article in question . . . arrabon is a payment that obligates the contracting party to make further payments.” (BDAG, p.134).

This again is important both for the Ephesians, us, and current discussions. The Holy Spirit himself is given by God the Father as a “pledge” to Christians. It is not some representative or gift the Spirit bestows rather the Spirit of God himself -- the Spirit who was promised has been given to Gentile Christians -- indeed all Christians. Indeed in modern Greek “arrabon” has come to mean something like an engagement ring. For Gentile readers this is very important because it shows that the promise of the Spirit in the Hebrew Bible included them. The Spirit is given to us in anticipation of the greater intimacy of the eschaton.

E. J. Goodspeed’s The New Testament: An American Translation captures well the meaning of Paul:

“you have been marked with the seal of the holy Spirit that was promised, which is the advance installment of our inheritance, so that we may get full possession of it; and praise his glory for it” (Eph. 1.13-14, Goodspeed).

Paul’s pastoral concern for his readers leads him to use terminology they are very familiar with and could easily comprehend. They know the symbolism of sealing so the apostle begins his instruction on the Spirit by using a potent symbol of the Holy Spirit himself. We have been SEALED in the Holy Spirit. God DEPOSITED his Spirit IN US as a guarantee of our inheritance. He did this to bring glory to his name.

What a fitting conclusion to a thanksgiving (or “berakah”) that glorifies the Father for his work. He not only chose us, adopted us, predestined us, redeemed us, he also has given us a the Holy Spirit as our seal of ownership and protection and as a pledge that we will have our full inheritance. Now that is something to give “praise to his glory” about! The opening of v. 15 links back to vv. 3-14 so it was important to look at this section “briefly.”

In the next installment we will continue our reflection on Ephesians 1 and make some concrete observations of what the text says about the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of disciples. I thank God for the "Christmas" present of the indwelling and active Spirit.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

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Alexander Campbell's Christmas Musing, 1843

Alexander Campbell's Christmas Musings, 1843

It is Christmas morning here in the land of beer, cheese, Packers and snow. Several years ago I came across some "Musings on Christmas Morning" by Alexander Campbell and have always enjoyed them. Campbell was far more gracious and poetic than some admit. I share these with you as we celebrate the birth of the Messiah.

"THIS morning being Christmas, and, as the Roman superstition would have it, the nativity of man's Redeemer; assuming it as true, my thoughts naturally lead me to Bethlehem, Calvary, and the sepulchre of Joseph. And what mysterious, sublime, and animating associations cluster around those three places! How near the point of distance! Eight short miles measured the whole space from the manger to the cross! And how short the interval of time between the first birth from Mary, and the second birth from Joseph's tomb, of Arimathea! Not quite the half of three-score-years-and-ten completes the labors and the life of Heaven's and Earth's First Born! And yet what scenes and transactions crowd this narrow space of earth, and this short interval of time! ...

And how was all this accomplished! Born in a stable-circumcised the eighth day-- dedicated on the fortieth, at Jerusalem, in the Temple--persecuted into Egypt--nursed in the land of Ham--brought back to Bethlehem--removed to Nazareth, wehre he lived subject to his parents till he completed his thirtieth year, living so obscurely, too, as not to be mentioned but once after his return till about the time of his immersion; and at that time he is found in the Temple amongst the teachers, listening to their discourses and propounding to them questions... (excerpts from January 1844 of the Millennial Harbinger).

The Incarnation of the Word of God is worthy of celebration. The world has never been the same since Jesus came from God.

Merry Christmas and may it be filled with God's Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

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Thursday Nite at Lambeau Field

Thursday Night at Lambeau Field

It was cold. It was raining. It was Thursday rather than Sunday. The tickets were on the visitors side but they were row 7 on the 45 yard line ... and it was Lambeau Field Baby!

Jim Nichols, his two sons (Adam and Aaron) and myself headed north to watch the Green Bay Packers take on the Vikings. We got there and tried to grill some brats on a less than sizzling grill (cold and rain make heat hard to come by). We eventually got one ... but it was Lambeau Field.

The Vikings were not exactly like the vaunted Purple People Eaters of days gone by. The Packers dominated the game in every area (t.o.p., offense, defense) but they could not finish the job of putting the ball in the end zone. The final was 9 to 7 ... Green Bay. No thanks to Bubba.

But it was Lambeau.

We ran over a bolt in the rear driver's side tire. Little jack. Little tire. Means the little old lady passed us on the way back to Milwaukee.

Got home about 2:15ish am. Had a great time ... it was Lambeau and Favre.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

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The House

The House

Way COOL! The Transiberian Orchestra is one of the more talented groups around. I really like this light show. Merry Christmas.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

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Jewish Traditions & Hebrews 11: A Lesson in Authorial Givens

In light of an insightful comment made by Kevin Burt on my Jesus the Jew and Hanukkah post, I have decided to expand upon his insight in Hebrews 11. Most students realize that the Hebrews' Writer mined the Septuagint for framing his exhortation. But some do not realize that the Writer mines more than the canonical text but also uses Jewish traditions preserved in what we today call the Apocryphal or Deuterocanonical books. These allusions are often missed by today's student because of an unfamiliarity with these traditions but the early church did recognize them.

What follows below is a sampling of those traditions. I have cited the tradition that is in the text and then a source for it.

The Traditions of Hebrews 11

1) Song of our Faithful Ancestors by Ben Sira provides the form and basic structure mined by the Hebrews' Writer (Sirach 44-50).

2) The Akedah (Heb 11.17-19) or “Binding” of Isaac was an important part of Jewish liturgies especially New Year’s. Pre-Hebrews allusions to the story are in Wis. Of Sol. 10.5; Sirach 44.20f; 4 Macc. 13.12; 16.20; etc.

3) “Quenched the fury of fire” (Heb 11.34). This refers to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel 3.13ff (of the LXX). Specifically what is now called “the Prayer of Azariah.” In this we read:

“Now the king’s servants who threw them in kept stoking the furnace with napththa, pitch, tow, and brushwood. And the flames poured out above the furnace forty-nine cubits, and spread out and burned those Chaldeans who were caught near the furnace. But the angel of the Lord came down into the furnace to be with Azariah and his companions, and drove the fiery flame out of the furnace . . .” (Azariah vv. 23-26).

4) Tortured and refused to be released (Heb 11.35). The Seven Brothers of 4 Maccabees 5-16; especially 15.12-15, 20; 16.14.

“Nevertheless, though so many factors influenced the mother to suffer with them out of love for her children, in the case of none of them were the various tortures strong enough to pervert her reason. But each child separately and all of them together the mother urged on to death for religion’s sake. . . This mother, who saw them tortured and burned one by one, because of religion did not change her attitude. She watched the flesh of her children being consumed by fire, their toes and fingers scattered on the ground, and the flesh of the head to the chin exposed like masks. . . When you saw the flesh of children burned upon the flesh of other children, severed hands upon hands, scalped heads upon heads, and corpses fallen on other corpses, and when you saw the place filled with many spectators of the torturings, you did not shed tears . . . because of her faith in God . . .

O mother, soldier of God in the cause of religion, elder and woman! By steadfastness you have conquered even a tyrant, and in word and deed you have proved more powerful than a man. . .

5) Sawn in two (Heb 11.37). The Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah 5.11-14:

“And they seized Isaiah the son of Amoz and sawed him in half with a wood saw. And Manasseh, and Belkira, and the false prophets, and the princes and the people, and all stood by looking on. And to the prophets who we were with him he said before he was sawed in half, ‘Go to the district of Tyre and Sidon, because for me alone the LORD has mixed the cup . . . Beliar did this to Isaiah through Belkira and through Manasseh, for Sammael was very angry with Isaiah from the days of Hezekiah . . . And he did as Satan wished.”

6) They went around as animals and hid in caves (Heb 11.37-38). The Maccabean martyrs in 2 Maccabees:

“But Judas Maccabeus, with about nine others, got away to the wilderness, and kept himself and his companions alive in the mountains as wild animals do; they continued to live on what grew wild, so they might not share in defilement” (2 Macc 5.27)

“Others who had assembled in the caves nearby, in order to observe the seventh day secretly, were betrayed to Philip and were all burned together, because their piety kept them from defending themselves in view of their regard for that most holy day.” (2 Macc 6.11)

“during the festival of booths, they had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild animals” (2 Macc 10.6).

Regardless of how one feels about the canonicity of these sources, a knowledge of them can certainly help us see the NT text clearer than before.

I have a whole series that I have done in the past on the Apocrypha and recommend a deep study of them for any one who seeks to understand NT Christianity or the early church.

Another lesson that is driven home through such study is that even such a writer as the one to the Hebrews' was Jewish and thought like a Jew. Even as he contrasts the new and older covenant he does so using distinctly Jewish ideas ... rather than repudiating his heritage he lives and breathes that heritage. We Gentile Christians have much to learn from him.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

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Jesus the Jew & Hanukkah

The 25th of Kislev ...

Today is the 25th day of the month known as Kislev in the Jewish calendar. That means today is the first day of Hanukkah . . . the Festival of Lights. This is a wonderful time of the year that has deep meaning for all the descendants of Abraham. It is a shame that modern, conservative Christians are not as familiar with this holiday. It is my purpose to share a few thoughts on this holiday.

As the student of the Gospel of John knows, the Jewish festivals form an integral part of the story the Evangelist tells about Jesus. In 10.22ff we read about one of those festivals that is missed by those unfamiliar with the Apocrypha: Hanukkah.This short study will attempt three things at once: 1) emphasize the Jewishness of Jesus; 2) help us understand our Jewish "brethren" better; 3) show how the author of John used a "non-biblical" feast to teach about the nature of the Son. I will give a short overview of what Hanukkah is about and then look at John 10.

The “History” of Hannukkah
Hanukkah is observed for eight days, beginning on the 25th of the Hebrew month Kislev which usually falls in December. Hanukkah means “feast of dedication” (cf. John 10.22) and commemorates the victory of a small band of devotees of Yahweh against overwhelming odds in the person of Antiochus Ephiphanes in 165 B.C. Antiochus had tried to impose paganism upon Palestinian Jews, many of whom were happy to comply. The High Priest Joshua (i.e. “Jesus”) changed his name to “Jason” to show his assimilation into the pagan Greek culture.

Antiochus imposed a number of restrictions on the People of God. He placed a pagan altar in the Temple of God for the worship of Zeus and offered swine upon it (the “abomination of desolation”). The Jews were forbidden the mark of the covenant - circumcision. The penalty for violating this law was death for the surgeon, the mother and the child. The Torah was banned and burned in large numbers. Young men were forced to have their circumcision “reversed” through a painful procedure and participate in the Greek gymnasium (which was done in the nude). The very survival of Judaism was at stake in this crises.

A small band led by an old priest by the name of Mattathias and his five sons revolted. Their struggle lasted three years and culminated on the 25th day of Kislev with the recapture and dedication of the Temple. The Jews cleansed and purified the defiled temple. The celebration culminated in the relighting of the menorah for eight days as was supposed to have been done in Solomon’s day. That is why the festival is celebrated for “eight” days. The festival has even been called “the Sukkot of the month of Kislev” (2 Maccabees 1.9; 10.6-8). It is appropriate here to quote from the writings themselves on how this wonderful event transpired:

“Then Judas and his brothers said, “See, our enemies are crushed; let us go up to cleanse the sanctuary and dedicate it.” So all the army assembled and went up to Mount Zion. There they saw the sanctuary desolate, the altar profaned, and the gates burned. In the courts they saw bushes sprung up as in a thicket, or as on one of the mountains. They saw also the chambers of the priests in ruins. Then they tore their clothes and mourned with great lamentation; they sprinkled themselves with ashes and fell face down on the ground. And when the signal was given with the trumpets, they cried out to Heaven. Then Judas detailed men to fight against those in the citadel until he had cleansed the sanctuary.” (1 Maccabees 4.36-41)

Later in the same chapter we read:

“Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month of Chislev, in the one hundred forty-eighth year, they rose and offered sacrifice, as the law directs, on the new altar of burnt offering that they had built. At the very season and on the very day that the Gentiles had profaned it, it was dedicated with songs and harps and lutes and cymbals. All the people fell on their faces and worshiped and blessed Heaven, who had prospered them. So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days, and joyfully offered burnt offerings; they offered a sacrifice of well-being and a thanksgiving offering. They decorated the front of the temple with golden crowns and small shields; they restored the gates and the chambers for the priests, and fitted them with doors. There was very great joy among the people, and the disgrace brought by the Gentiles was removed. Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev.” (1 Maccabees 4.52-59).

The Rabbis explained where the tradition of the eight days and the menorah comes from. The Talmud states:

“What is Hanukkah? Our rabbis stated: ‘Commencing on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev, there are eight days during with mourning and fasting are forbidden. When the Greeks entered the Temple, they defiled all the oils therein, and when the Hasmonean dynasty prevailed against them and defeated them, they made search and found only one cruse of oil, sufficient for but one day’s lighting, which lay with the seal of the High Priest. Yet a miracle was wrought therein and with it they lit the lamp therewith for eight days. The following year these days were appointed a Festival with the recital of Hallel and thanksgiving.’” (Babylonian Talmud, Shab. 21b).

Through the years Hanukkah has celebrated the faith of a few in the power of God to work wonders through powerless and weak. Thus the Festival celebrates God’s yeshua (“salvation” . . . also the name of “Jesus”). This faith was not only on the part of men but of the incredible sacrifice of women. This is especially evident in the book of Second Maccabees which relates the story of Hannah, a Jewish mother. I must summarize this great story.

The king tried to force Hannah, and her seven sons, to transgress the Torah and forfeit her faith in Yahweh. Rather than transgress (by eating pig meat). Rather than cave in she exhorted her sons to endure through gruesome torture and death. All seven sons died as Hannah watched and finally she herself was killed by the king. But as Hannah put it she gave her sons and her own life in “sanctification of God’s name” (2 Macc. 7.1-41).

The authors of the books of Maccabees believe that Mattathias, his sons, Hannah and her sons, could never have “witnessed” without the “hidden miracle” of God. God was present, God was active, it was who God delivered. For God is the God of the Covenant of Love. Thus during the celebration of Hanukkah, a Jew has often read the story of Judith and meditated on the passage in Zechariah . . . “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit [shall you prevail], says the Lord of hosts” (4.6). Not a bad passage to associate with the Festival of Lights.

There are other traditions associated with the Festival like the dreidel but detailing them all will make this “short” summary . . . way to long.

Jesus and Hanukkah

Since most Christians in the Churches of Christ often have little knowledge of the Feast of Lights or where it came from the above summary was necessary background for this part of my blog. This festival, though it has no “authority” as such in the Hebrew Bible, it was important not only in the life of Jesus but also to the apostle John as he tells his story in the Gospel of John.

John explicitly roots the encounter of Jesus with some Jewish leaders against the background of Hanukkah in 10.22-39. He even notes it was “winter.” As G. R. Beasley-Murray writes, "In the festival that celebrated the deliverance of Israel from a destroyer of true religion and the consecration of the temple for true worship, Jesus affirmed that God had consecrated him as the true Redeemer, whose deliverance issues in the kingdom of God and with it the worship of God under the new covenant." Indeed, Jesus is the "fulfillment of the Festival of Dedication." (Word Biblical Themes: John, pp. 84-85). Commentators of such stature as B.F. Westcott, F.F. Bruce and Leon Morris say much the same thing. Jesus is not only observing the feast but fulfills its meaning in his life (in John's argument).

Against the backdrop of a burning menorah, the illuminated testimony to the “miracles” or “signs” of God’s “salvation” of Israel, John tells us the living Yeshua was standing in front of the Jewish leaders . . . who did not “believe” his “miracles” (John 10.38). God is continuing to deliver his people. Not simply through the Maccabees but through the Son. Jesus is truly the “light of the world.” He is God’s shining “menorah.”

The only person who casts a different perspective on this text is, almost predictably, one of "our own." B.W. Johnson in both his "People's New Testament" and his "Commentary on John" (p. 164) says "Nay!" Johnson's argument is surely not rooted in the Greek text of John rather it seems to be rooted in a prior assumption -- Jesus would not observe a festival that "lacked biblical authority." He writes, "The feast of Dedication was not one of the divinely appointed festivals, and there is nothing in the Savior's ministry to create the idea that he would observe it . . ."

Westcott clearly blows that perspective out of the water. John wants to link what Jesus says with the Festival -- purposefully. Anyway Johnson demonstrates what a prior commitment to an assumption can do to a rather obvious intention in the text -- blind it. Jesus is a Jew and he thought giving God the credit for the deliverance through the Maccabees was a good thing. He did not have a problem endorsing this tradition just as he did not have one with the synagogue. And the Apostle thought it provided a "brilliant" opportunity to say something deep about who Jesus is and what he has done.

John 10 is a gem of a text that allows us to deal with many things at once. And since Hanukkah is being observed this time of year it also creates a sense of understanding of our Jewish roots -- that are all too often buried and forgotten.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
Milwaukee, WI

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