Regeneration: A Narrative Portrait

INTRODUCTION

The Bible describes human salvation in a variety of ways. For example, justification refers to guilty human beings gaining an innocent legal standing in God’s sight, while adoption denotes a person’s entrance into the family of God. Each biblical description for salvation reveals something about the character of God and his ancient plan to restore his fallen creation to himself. This paper will examine God’s gracious salvation of human beings through the lens of regeneration, tracing this theme throughout the promise-fulfillment storyline of Scripture.

Regeneration can be defined as the sovereign act of God whereby he implants new spiritual life in a person, instantaneously and subconsciously changing the governing disposition of the sinner’s heart from sin unto holiness. Although this doctrine receives its fullest expression in the New Testament, salvation history as a whole describes regeneration under three distinct, yet overlapping, rubrics: resurrection, fulfillment of the Law, and new creation.

Resurrection

In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam that he could eat from all the trees except for one, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If Adam ate from that forbidden tree, God promised that he would “surely die” (Gen 2:17). Adam did eat, however, and all humanity has subsequently followed Adam along his path of sin, arriving at the same destination which Adam reached—death (Rom 5:12). Death, both spiritual and physical, has therefore become the perennial problem for humankind, and the only possible resolution to sin’s deadly effects must come through a regenerating act of God, a resurrection from the dead.

Israel, under the Old Covenant, found the dark principle of death at work among them as well. After God’s powerful deliverance of his enslaved people from Egypt in the Exodus, God brought the people into the land which he promised to give to Abraham. Although Israel had an abundance of provisions within the land, they nevertheless turned away from God and his Law, giving themselves over to idolatry. Just as God expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden for their rebellion, so also God expelled Israel from the promised land for their sin. In both cases, this casting away from the presence of God (i.e. “exile”) could be described as “death.”

As Israel languished in exile under the Babylonians, God’s people longed for the day when God would restore them as a nation again. One text which vividly portrays this hope is Ezekiel 37:1-14. The prophet Ezekiel knew well that Israel was riddled with spiritual corruption, and he metaphorically compared her present situation—dead in sin and exile—to dry bones. A decayed human carcass was among the most repulsive things a ceremonially clean Jew could ever encounter, making Ezekiel’s imagery especially shocking. Nevertheless, God would one day reverse this putrid state of affairs. In his vision, Ezekiel commanded muscles and skin to cover the dry bones, as well as breath to enter their newly-formed lungs (37:6). The result was that the metaphorical graves were opened and the people, now energized by the life-giving Spirit of the Lord, stood to their feet and marched back into the land (37:10-14).

This passage from Ezekiel illustrates the Jewish hope of a coming age in which, not only Israel, but also the entire human race would be resurrected from the dead (Dan 12:2-3). Jews of the first century expected God’s kingdom to come suddenly—on earth as it was in heaven—and the end-time resurrection to happen in one, dramatic, large-scale event. The early Christians, however, announced that the resurrection had happened “to one person in the middle of history in advance of its great, final occurrence, anticipating and guaranteeing the final resurrection of God’s people at the end of history.” With the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, God had thereby inaugurated his promised age-to-come in which his righteous ones would be raised from the dust in order to “shine brightly” (Dan 12:3).

Although the age of resurrection was inaugurated on Easter morning, it has not yet been consummated (1 Cor 15:20, 23). Believers are therefore caught in the overlap of the ages. The present evil age continues, but Christians are rescued from it by the cross and resurrection of Jesus (Gal 1:4), as well as by the transforming, regenerating power of the Spirit (Titus 3:5-7). A future, bodily resurrection still remains the penultimate hope for God’s people. Yet, God in his wisdom has decided to enact his plan of resurrection in a two-stage process. God works out this staggered fulfillment in the present life of the Christian by his Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 6:4; Eph 2:5-6; Col 3:1).

The apostle Peter makes explicit the connection between the new, regenerate life of the believer and the resurrection from the dead. Peter exults in the reality that the church has been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet 1:3). Peter’s words disclose his theological belief in inaugurated eschatology: An event has occurred in the past (the resurrection of Jesus) because of which believers are now spiritually regenerated (born again) leading to an earnest expectation of a glorious, future inheritance (a living hope). God’s Spirit actually applies the achievement of Jesus’ resurrection to the Christian’s heart by new birth. This regenerating act of God permanently links the believer with the future world-to-come so that he partakes of resurrection blessings in advance of the last day. Regeneration is therefore equivalent to spiritual resurrection from the dead.

Fulfillment of the Law

God’s sovereign act of human regeneration is described throughout the narrative of Scripture, not only as resurrection from the dead, but also as the fulfillment of the Law. To be precise, the Law’s fulfillment is a result of regeneration, but the cause and effect dynamic is so tightly knit that, it can be said, “The person who is regenerate, this person fulfills the Law.” Moses makes this close correlation evident in his sermon to Israel on the border of Canaan (Deut 30:1-14).

Before entering the promised land, Moses reiterated the covenant blessings and curses to the people of Israel (Deut 28), urging them to remain faithful to God. Knowing their rebellious nature, however, Moses predicted Israel’s future banishment from the land (Deut 30:1). In light of this certain future calamity, Moses promised the people that if “you return to the Lord your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul,” then God would restore them to the land and prosper them once again (Deut 30:2-5). Yet, Israel simply did not have the spiritual vitality to return and obey (evidenced by their perpetually disastrous wilderness wanderings). Hard-hearted Israel would remain in exile forever apart from a gracious intervention of God.

Israel needed a regenerate heart, and that’s exactly what God promised to them: “The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants . . .” (Deut 30:6). God would one day act for his people, even in their apostasy and exile, to change their inner disposition so that they would love and obey God fully (6-8). God would then richly bless his obedient people (9-10). In this context of God’s sovereign, regenerative activity, Moses proclaimed that the Law was indeed “not too difficult” (11), and that “the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it” (14). God’s regenerating grace would enable Israel to fulfill the Law.

Paul draws upon Deuteronomy 30 in Romans 10:6-8. Just as Moses proclaimed a future exile and restoration, Paul used this same text to announce an eschatological fulfillment of those realities through the Christ-event. All those who now confess “Jesus as Lord” and believe that “God raised him from the dead” demonstrate the fact that that the “word” has been brought “near” to them (Rom 10:8-9) and their hearts have been circumcised, just as Moses promised. Paul employs this intertextual fulfillment motif in order to proclaim that the end of exile and the promised restoration have now occurred, carried out by Christ’s work and God’s regenerating Holy Spirit.

Paul has an explicit theology of the Law’s fulfillment through the agency of the Spirit’s regenerating work. He states that the “requirement of the Law” is “fulfilled” in those who walk according to the Spirit, rather than according to the flesh (Rom 8:4; cf. 2:7). Because of the sinful flesh of humans, the Law could only bring death to its adherents (Rom 7:9). The Law was weak therefore to grant the life it wanted to give (7:10), but what the Law could not do, God did (8:3): “The life the Torah intended, indeed longed, to give God’s people is now truly given by the Spirit” (8:4).

Paul’s theological perspective on this matter is surely derived, at least in part, from Ezekiel 36. The prophet Ezekiel, in the context of exile (once again), informs Israel that, although they have profaned the holiness of God’s name among the nations where they were scattered, God would act to re-gather them, vindicating his own holiness (36:22-24). In the midst of Israel’s exodus-style restoration, God would “sprinkle clean water” on the people to cleanse them from filthy idolatry (Ezek 36:25). God would also transplant their stony hearts with tender, teachable hearts, causing them to obey his good Law (26-27). This divine, regenerative activity, coinciding with the end of exile, would directly result in a new, obedient lifestyle—a fulfilling of the Law’s requirements. G.K. Beale suggested that Paul consciously alludes to Ezekiel’s prophesy in Romans 8:4. If Beale is correct, then Paul perceives the regenerating work of the Spirit as the eschatological sign that the exile has come to an end. Free from the bondage of sin and death, God’s people now keep God’s Law from their hearts.

The New Testament as a whole unanimously affirms the internalization of the Law through regeneration. James exhorts his audience to “receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls” (1:21). This command assumes the inauguration of the new covenant promised by Jeremiah (31:31-34) in which God’s Law is now written upon the heart of the believer, rather than upon tablets of stone. New Covenant Christians, by the Holy Spirit’s regenerating power, can now truly fulfill the Law.

New Creation

Intertwined with the themes of resurrection and fulfillment of the Law, the Bible also presents regeneration as new creation. Adam and Eve, God’s image-bearing creatures, were given dominion over God’s creation to rule over it (Gen 1:27-28). Rather than stewarding the earth under God’s good rule, man and woman usurped God’s authority by heeding the serpent’s evil words. This tragic choice led to God’s curse on the entire creation (Gen 3:17-19; Rom 8:20). Otherwise known as “the Fall,” this event brought about the cursed state of affairs (including sin, corruption, and death) which has been the due inheritance of all (but one) of Adam’s progeny.

Although the created order had fallen into disarray through Adam’s sin, and although Israel had failed at her commission to shine God’s light into the world as a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6), God still had plans for his broken and battered world. Isaiah prophesied concerning a day when God would restore the faithful remnant of Israel to a new Jerusalem and radically remake the entire universe (Isa 65:17-25; cf. 11:6-9, 43:18-21, 66:22). Isaiah paints a prophetic picture of a revitalized age of peace and harmony within God’s ultimate new creation.

Isaiah’s vision of God’s new creation actually began to emerge in the person and ministry of the Lord Jesus. Particularly in the healings of Jesus, the end-time kingdom of new creation was manifest “since the healings were a beginning reversal of the curse of the old fallen world.” Accordingly, Christ’s casting out of demons demonstrated his defeat of Satan, the defeat which Adam should have enacted by casting Satan out of the Garden. When John the Baptist asked about Jesus’ identity, Jesus replied that “the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up” (Matt 11:3)— all of which are signs of the Isaianic new-creational kingdom (Isa 29:18, 35:4-6, 42:7).

The ministry of Jesus indeed began to inaugurate God’s age of restoration, but the new creation dawned particularly in the rising of the Son of God from the dead. The first Adam brought corruption and death into the world by his sin (1 Cor 15:21-22). Through his resurrection, however, the last Adam brought imperishability and immortality to birth (15:42-45). Christ has now powerfully and decisively introduced the life-giving power of heaven to the dying, earthly sphere of existence, crushing death in the process (1 Cor 15:47-49, 54-55). C.S. Lewis is eloquent on this issue and is worthy to be heard at length:

The New Testament writers speak as if Christ's achievement in rising from the dead was the first event of its kind in the whole history of the universe. He is the "first fruits," the "pioneer of life." He has forced open a door that has been locked since the death of the first man. He has met, fought, and defeated the King of Death. Everything is different because He has done so. This is the beginning of the New Creation: a new chapter in cosmic history has opened. On the first Easter morning, Jesus Christ, the eschatological Adam, rose victoriously from the tomb as the foundation stone and the launching pad for God’s project of new creation.

Now that God has inaugurated his new-creational reign in the resurrection of Jesus, all men are summoned to participate. The gospel call goes out to every human indiscriminately, inviting them and commanding them to submit to and believe in Jesus as Lord, the King of new creation. When people respond to this good news in faith and repentance, Paul describes them in this way: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Cor 5:17).

In this verse, Paul is employing the theological category of union with Christ. Those who are outside of Christ remain firmly planted within the “old creation,” that is, they remain “in Adam.” Union with Adam implies an unbroken relationship with the present fallen age and all which is tainted by sin. Union with Christ, however, denotes a state of existence in which the old age of Adamic influence no longer has mastery over the believer: “old things passed away; new things have come.” Hence, a new, regenerate life of righteousness ensues.

Spiritual union with Jesus Christ—the fountainhead of the new creation—is accomplished by God’s Holy Spirit through a sovereign act of regeneration. Just as Adam and the first creation were not asking to be made, so also the new creation (and the new humanity within it) are irresistibly begotten by God’s sovereign will and not by “autonomous human effort.” The God who regenerates is the same God who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness” at the great genesis of heaven and earth. Now, once again, God is the one “who has shone in our hearts . . .” to bring life and spiritual renovation to his image-bearers through a sovereign burst of new creation (2 Cor 4:6).

God’s regenerating act of new creation incorporates the Christian into the risen Christ, and produces in the believer the fruit of the eschatological age-to-come. The fruit of the Spirit is therefore the fruit of new creation (Gal 5:22-23; cf. 6:15). This new-creational “fruit” consists in attitudes and actions which reflect the realities of God’s new world, the new heavens and new earth described by Isaiah. Although the age-to-come has only been inaugurated and not yet consummated, believers are nonetheless called to bear this eschatological fruit in advance. In fact, fruit-bearing is the very purpose of regeneration: “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph 2:10; also cf. James 1:18). In Ephesians 2:10, union with Christ (“in Christ Jesus”) is the sphere of new creation (“His workmanship”) with the intention that Christians would produce fruit in their lives (“good works”). Regeneration is a blessing of the new creation in which believers are spiritually united to the resurrected Jesus and thereby equipped to bear the fruit of the age-to-come, anticipating the final day when all things will be made new (Rev 21:1).

CONCLUSION

Ever since the Fall, God has been working out his good purposes to reclaim and rescue his world from every power of darkness. This rescue operation includes, as the pinnacle of his creation, gathering a pure people for his own possession (Titus 2:14). In the person and work of Messiah Jesus, particularly in his death and resurrection, God has actualized these purposes in history. Humans can partake of God’s saving power through a divine act of regeneration. Joined to Jesus, Christians now experience spiritual resurrection, fulfillment of the Law through an obedient life, and an inner transformation consisting in new creation. God’s work of regenerating grace in every believer’s heart is the sure sign that each one ultimately belongs to Christ. The church, forever linked to God’s future world by the indwelling Holy Spirit, now eagerly awaits Christ’s return when he will finally consummate his ultimate work of universal rebirth (Rom 8:19-23).


BIBLIOGRAPHY
Beale, G.K. “The Eschatological Conception of New Testament Theology.” In Eschatology in Bible and Theology: Evangelical Essays at the Dawn of a New Millennium, edited by Kent E. Brower and Mark W. Elliott, 11-52. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1997.

———. A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011.

Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2005.

Culver, Robert Duncan. Systematic Theology: Biblical and Historical. Ross-shire, GB: Christian Focus, 2005.

Dumbrell, William. The Search for Order: Biblical Eschatology in Focus. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994.

Lewis, C.S. Miracles: How God Intervenes in Nature and Human Affairs. New York: Macmillian, 1960.

Meyer, Jason C. The End of the Law: Mosaic Covenant in Pauline Theology. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2009.

Pate, C. Marvin. The End of the Age Has Come: The Theology of Paul. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

Wright, N.T. The Resurrection of the Son of God. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2003.

———. “Romans.” In The New Interpreter’s Bible. Vol. 10. Nashville, TN: Abington Press, 2002.

———. Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. New York: HarperOne, 2008.

Book Review: The Saving Righteousness of God: Studies on Paul, Justification, and the New Perspective by Michael Bird

Michael Bird’s book The Saving Righteousness of God: Studies on Paul, Justification, and the New Perspective is a very helpful addition to Pauline scholarship. In the book, Bird approached the New Perspective on Paul (NPP) from the Reformed theological tradition and sought to establish a mediating position between the two schools of thought. The book mainly consists of Bird’s scholarly journal articles which have been brought together in this book because of their common themes—God’s righteousness and justification by faith.

Bird addressed such contentious topics as the imputed righteousness of Christ, justification as a forensic status verses justification as covenant membership, and final justification by works. Bird understands “the righteousness of God” as a subjective genitive in the Greek, that is, the righteousness which primarily resides in God and is revealed in the salvation of mankind through the gospel. “The righteousness of God” is not imputed to the believer, nor is it synonymous with justification. Instead, God’s righteousness, “at least in Rom. 1.17, introduces the entire package of salvation including justification, redemption, propitiatory sacrifice, forgiveness of sins, membership in the new covenant community, reconciliation, the gift of the Holy Spirit, power for a new obedience, union with Christ, freedom from sin, and eschatological vindication” (16).

Bird described justification as primarily a forensic declaration of righteousness by God. But the inescapable corollary to this juridical declaration is that believers are given a status within the new covenant community consisting of Jews and Gentiles. So covenant membership and declared forensic status can never be separated, even though the new legal status of "righteous" remains primary in Paul’s justification language. These two concepts fit snugly together in Paul’s theological repertoire because the apostle formulated his doctrine of justification within the context of heated Jew and Gentile first-century relations. In other words, faith in Jesus is the mechanism by which God forgives sins and faith in Jesus is the mechanism by which a person becomes a member of God’s people, Jew and Gentile alike.

One of the most helpful chapters in the book was entitled “Raised for our Justification.” Bird, building upon the work of others, proposed that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a foundational element in the justification of believers. This chapter demonstrated that through the nexus of 1 Timothy 3:16 and Romans 4:25, believers are justified because Jesus was justified. In short, God vindicated his Son by his Spirit at the resurrection, openly declaring to the entire world the faithfulness and innocence of Jesus (1 Tim 3:16). Through faith-union with the risen Christ, believers are vindicated (justified) because they participate in the justified Messiah (Rom 4:25). Bird retained the prominence of the cross in justification (as classic Reformed theology does), while explaining that the crucifixion can never be separated from the resurrection concerning justification.

The Saving Righteousness of God is, no doubt, a scholarly study. Some knowledge of Greek would be very helpful in following the arguments, although it may not be a necessity. Also, the footnotes are extensive, as well as the bibliography at the end of the book. These references are invaluable for those who want to follow up on the latest research or trace the arguments back to the primary sources. I, on the other hand, am glad Bird has condensed these multifaceted arguments into bite-sized pieces, interacted thoroughly and soberly with them, and drawn conclusions which seek to close the gap between traditional Reformed readings and the New Perspectives on Paul.

Book Review: From Eden to the New Jerusalem by T. Desmond Alexander

SUMMARY

From Eden to the New Jerusalem by T. Desmond Alexander is a broad-brush survey of the entire biblical narrative. Alexander’s contention throughout the book was that the Garden of Eden in Genesis, and the New Jerusalem in Revelation, frame the overarching story which God has planned for his creation. Beginning in the book of Revelation, Alexander told the meta-story of the Bible through the lens of its final fulfillment at the Lord’s return. Alexander answered two questions in this book which are fundamental for all human beings: “Why does the earth exist?” and “What is the reason for human existence?”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

T. Desmond Alexander’s purpose for writing From Eden to the New Jerusalem was to introduce the discipline of biblical theology by surveying the meta-narrative of the Bible. Although each chapter dealt with a different biblical motif, Alexander was careful to continuously summarize his progress in each section. The first several paragraphs of every chapter gave a synopsis of the big picture: God’s originally intended design for the creation, the problem of man’s sin to God’s program, and the solution God is enacting to establish his purposes on the earth. This teaching tool is helpful for the reader, especially when the author is covering so much material. Alexander’s repetition of the Bible’s overarching scheme helped me to follow his argument through a logical progression.

Another positive aspect of From Eden to the New Jerusalem was Alexander’s highly annotated research. In such a short book, it would be impossible for the author to make a developed case for every point. Alexander used a plethora of footnotes to give backing for his assertions and to show that his investigation concerning the subject at hand was thorough. I appreciated this quality of the book, not only because it made the author’s argument more trustworthy, but also because these references gave me direction for further study. An extensive bibliography at the end of the book contains journal articles and other reference materials which can be used by the beginner student of biblical theology as fuel for research.

The large number of footnotes in the book could, however, limit the readership to more scholarly types of students. These numerous references can be intimidating, as well as distracting. I myself feel the need to read every footnote, and many of them contained lengthy explanations. This detracted from the flow of the presentation. Readers who are looking for a smooth arrangement of ideas would need to skip over the explanatory footnotes since they break one’s stream of thought. The amount of footnotes is both a great help and a possible detriment.

As far as the content of the book is concerned, I only had a few minor disagreements. Alexander, for the most part, remained closely attentive to the text of Scripture, and he derived his theology from the Bible instead of reading a scheme of theology into the text. Several points did appear to me, however, to be unverifiable.

The first of Alexander’s statements with which I disagreed came in chapter three: “When we move to the New Testament, the theocracy of Israel is replaced by the kingdom of God, which is inaugurated through the coming of Jesus” (89). I agree that the kingdom of God is a major theme, if not the major theme, in the Gospel accounts of Jesus. Alexander acknowledged this fact, but gave no further explanation of his “replacement theology.” This statement is like dropping a bombshell on your readers and then running to take cover. I would concur that some kind of replacement theology is present with the inauguration of the New Covenant, whether that be a brand of supersessionism, or just a fresh view of Trinitarian theology. But Alexander left his readers to wonder about the inter-testamental discontinuity to which he was referring. This fact was surprising, especially because this book is about a panoramic view of redemption.

Another statement by Alexander which I questioned in regard to its biblical basis came in chapter five: “The New Testament writers present sanctification not as a process that occurs after justification but as something that coincides with justification” (135). Alexander defines sanctification as “being made holy.” I agree with this definition. Sanctification is the setting apart of an article, individual, or group for the purpose of holiness. To deny, however, that sanctification is explained in the New Testament as a process is to contradict several clear passages of Scripture. Alexander gave support for this view by citing David Peterson’s book Possessed by God: A New Testament Theology of Sanctification and Holiness (Apollos, 1995). Although Peterson may have made a detailed argument in his book, this alone is not sufficient to support Alexander’s categorical denial of progressive sanctification.

Several New Testament verses written by the apostle Paul demonstrate that holiness in the Christian life is a developing process. In 2 Corinthians 7:1, Paul exhorts the church: “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (emphasis mine). Paul directs this statement to the “beloved,” a title reserved for Christians. These Christians are to “cleanse” themselves, a post-justification activity. Grammatically speaking, the participial phrase “perfecting holiness” is set in apposition to the imperative “cleanse.” This verse demonstrates that holiness can be perfected over a period of time in the life of a Christian, just as cleansing must take place whenever defilement is present. Hence, holiness is sometimes described by Paul as progressive in nature.

More evidence for progressive sanctification is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (emphasis mine). God’s Holy Spirit actually changes a believer in a progressive fashion to be more like Jesus Christ. This transformation is internal, as Paul points out later in the same letter: “Though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor 4:16, emphasis mine). Although Paul does teach in some places a doctrine of initial sanctification (1 Cor 1:2), he does not limit the believer’s growth in holiness to a onetime event. Alexander’s failure to recognize this fact was a weakness of the book.

Alexander’s explanations of the presence of God were fascinating, especially the fresh manifestation of God’s presence in the ministry of Jesus. “In the Gospels the life-restoring activities of Jesus and the exorcisms of unclean or evil spirits are both associated with the coming of God’s presence to earth,” wrote Alexander (155). This statement gives me new insight into what salvation actually is. Because we are physical as well as spiritual people, God is concerned with a holistic salvation of his image-bearers. Jesus’ acts of healing the sick and raising the dead point forward to the final resurrection from the dead on the last day. The Christian hope is not a ghost-like, disembodied existence in heaven with God for all eternity. We shall have new bodies which are free from the curse of sin and death. As Alexander pointed out, “Jesus’ actions anticipate what will happen when the New Jerusalem is eventually established on earth. Here we have a glimpse of what the coming age will be like” (155).

Alexander’s discussion of ecological transformation was also quite enlightening. Because the ground was cursed on account of Adam’s sin, the earth does not bring forth the abundance of which God originally intended. Alexander begins in the prophets with “various passages that anticipate a time when the natural order will be wonderfully transformed” (158). Vegetation and animal life will be renewed to a state of harmony. Although some Christians disagree on how to apply such truth, I believe these verses teach that proper stewardship of the earth is pleasing to God. If God’s original design for the earth was a garden in which he walked with his people, and God’s final act of redemption will be to free the earth from its corruption to decay, then the logical application is to wisely steward the ecological resources with which we have been entrusted now. Some of the church has the mentality, “God is going to destroy the earth one day, so why not exploit every resource we can find?” Working for a clean and healthy environment puts on display more clearly God’s attributes which are imprinted in his creation, as well as gives an opportunity to share the gospel which includes resurrection bodies on a resurrected planet.

One final area of study in which Alexander excelled was the “kingship” of man that was restored by Jesus Christ. God originally commissioned mankind to subdue the earth and rule over it. Because of man’s rebellion, however, this stewardship was severely marred. In order for human beings to regain their status as a kingdom of priests, a perfect “king-priest” was needed. Alexander noted that “by becoming a perfect human vicegerent in the present, Jesus Christ is able to re-establish the vicegerent status of other human beings in the future” (94). Although the theological connections are complex to draw out, Paul simply states that “those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (5:17, emphasis mine). Through union with Christ, the believer will share in Christ’s kingly rule over the earth. This future kingly dominion will finally restore God’s charge for man to subdue the earth and rule over it. I was glad to see Alexander develop this topic which is so often neglected in Christian preaching.

CONCLUSION

While reading From Eden to the New Jerusalem, T. Desmond Alexander’s deep research into the subject of biblical theology became apparent. Citations were abundantly provided, giving amateur theologians such as myself direction for future study. This book is a rare jewel, however, because of its scholarly yet accessible content and format. Both pastors and biblically informed laymen could profit tremendously from this small book which is filled with a wealth of knowledge. Alexander has given the church an outline from which all of Holy Scripture can be better understood, as well as a platform to encourage further meditation on God’s grand narrative from beginning to end—from Eden to the New Jerusalem.

Book Review: The End of the Age Has Come by C. Marvin Pate

C. Marvin Pate wrote The End of the Age Has Come as an examination of Paul’s theology through the interpretive lens of inaugurated eschatology. Pate inspected the major systematic categories of Paul’s thought (Christology, soteriology, anthropology, pneumatology, ecclesiology, etc.), giving each branch of systematic theology a chapter’s worth of discussion. Pate drew heavily from Jewish apocalypticism as well, in order to demonstrate the two-age structure which deeply influenced Paul’s theological thought.

Pate explained that with the coming, dying, and rising of Israel’s Messiah, the long awaited “age to come” has burst on the scene, fulfilling the promises of salvation and deliverance. Yet, at the same time, “this age” (the age of sin, death, and oppression) remains basically intact. Salvation has been unveiled “already,” but salvation has “not yet” been fully consummated by God. This “overlapping of the ages” results in a dialectic tension wherein the blessings of God’s future world are manifest right now, even within our currently sin-cursed environment.

In each chapter, Pate worked through the exegesis of pertinent Pauline texts, demonstrating the reality of the “already/not yet” tension at work within Paul’s theological psyche. Pate also engaged with theologians of the past who have contributed fresh insights concerning Paul’s eschatological schema (e.g., Kasemann, Dodd, Cullmann, Beker, etc.). Theological conclusions were then drawn by Pate from the exegesis and historical interaction, always pointing toward his thesis that the age to come has in fact been inaugurated, but has yet to be consummated in its fullness.

I only had several disagreements with Pate concerning the style and content of the book. Because the chapter discussions were so exegetically based, many scripture references were given. Lots of scripture--so far, so good. Yet rarely were any of the main texts which Pate discussed written out fully for the reader to examine. From my perspective, it seems unlikely that someone will take the time to look every biblical reference they encounter. I am fairly well acquainted with my Bible, so most of the references at least rang a bell, but I am nowhere close to committing Paul’s letters to memory. Even with the added page space which would be required, I think it would greatly enhance a book of this kind to quote verbatim at least the main texts under discussion.

Secondly, Pate is a progressive dispensationalist. I would have never realized this fact, however, from the first five chapters of the book, making this disagreement an extremely minor one. Pate (I believe rightly) views the church as the eschatological temple, the kingdom as an already/not yet reality, and believes that “For Paul, [Israel’s] hope of deliverance is spiritualized and now realized in Christ” (84). Amen to that. His dispensational colors bleed through, however, in his discussion of Romans 9-11. Although his exegesis remains tight in this section, I still must humbly disagree with his overall conclusions of a future ingathering of ethnic Israelites.

In the final analysis, though, the pros of this book far out weight the cons. The format of the book lends itself to being a useful reference tool. A teacher who is studying a certain Pauline text could easily access Pate’s systematic categories, read the exegetical discussion on his particular text, and glean theological insights concerning inaugurated eschatology. Pate’s work is basically a mini-systematic theology book approached from an apocalyptic paradigm. And if you’re not sure what apocalyptic theology is, Pate will walk you through that as well.

Our churches need to know the wonderful truth that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the subsequent pouring out of the Spirit, God has brought his new world to birth. This is not over-realized eschatology (health-and-wealth prosperity gospel), but nor is it under-realized eschatology (pessimistic, legalistic defeatism). Pate has given the church a balanced, full-orbed presentation of Paul’s teaching that upon us, “the ends of the ages have come” (1 Cor 10:11).

Why Pray? - Three Reasons

A friend and I were having a cup of coffee the other night, and he asked me a seemingly simple question: “Why do we pray?” The only reason I could think of at the time was “Because God commands it.” I realize now, retrospectively, that however true that response may have been, it was insufficient. As Christians who are seeking to know God more each day and walk with Jesus steadfastly, prayer is not merely an arbitrary command given by God to inconvenience our daily lives. The Bible gives theologically compelling reasons why Christians ought to cultivate the discipline (and delight?) of prayer in our daily lives.

1) Jesus Christ gave his life so that we could pray. Our intimate communion with the living God did not come cheap. Christ willingly laid down his life so that “through Him we both [Jew and Gentile] have our access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph 2:18). Prayer is actual access to God—a fellowship made possible only because Jesus satisfied the righteous wrath we deserve. Our requests, intercessions, and praises are eagerly accepted by the God who desires to commune with his blood-bought children. In fact, the church has a sympathetic High Priest—Jesus Christ— who intercedes on our behalf. Not to cultivate a life of prayer would be to dismiss the invitation to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16). Bowing our knees before the Father is always an expression of thankfulness to Jesus for his reconciling cross-work on our behalf.

2) Prayer is practice for God’s new world. The communion with God which Christians have in the present is only a foretaste of the “face-to-face,” divine intimacy we will have in the world to come (Rev 22:4). We can experience in advance that “joy inexpressible” which all God’s children will one day partake of in all its fullness. The sinfulness of the flesh, however, clouds our concentration in this evil age, making focused prayer difficult and demanding. But the struggle is well worth it, and mature Christians down through the centuries would certainly testify to that fact. Seeking God in private prayer, even if it means the crucifixion of our restless flesh, will bear the fruit of resurrection life: peace, joy, and the power to obey God with a sincere heart. As we groan in the hard-won discipline of prayer, the Holy Spirit even groans with us, as we long for the resurrection of the body on the new earth in the presence of God forever. Prayer connects us with that future reality, and it keeps us in close contact with the God who has begun his new creation in our hearts already.

3) God has issued the command to pray. The first two reasons perhaps give some theological foundation for the command to cultivate prayer. God did not give this command in order to insert one more item into our religious to-do list. On the contrary, God is shaping a people who will be useful to fulfill his good purposes in his world for his glory. The exhortation to “pray at all times in the Spirit” (Eph 6:18) is a command given for our good. God knows that if we don’t remain alert with an attitude of Spirit-led prayer, we are prone to wander from the path of godliness. When we pray according to the will of God (that is, biblically), God promises to answer and respond with favor to all our requests. The command to pray is given to God’s people only in accordance with the power he has already provided. That doesn’t mean we will always feel like praying. It means that the Spirit of grace will enable us as we obey this commandto pray—the praises and petitions of the saints rising to heaven as a pleasing aroma before the throne of God.

N.T. Wright: New Creation in Advance

The works of N.T. Wright, both written and in audio format, have had a major influence on my biblical and theological reflections over the last several years. Even the title and subtitle of this blog are indicative of insights gleaned from his teaching. Although many teachers of the past have emphasized such things as inaugurated eschatology, a redemptive-historical outlook on Scripture, and a grammatical-historical hermeneutic, few have done so with the clarity and grace of Tom Wright. This affirmation is not an unmitigated recommendation of every word which proceeds from his mouth, but, nevertheless, I am a fan.

These lectures are basically a summary of his book After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters. The first two audio recordings (at the bottom of the linked page) are the actual lectures; the third recording is a Sunday sermon; and the fourth one is a Q&A session in which the recording quality is very poor. Wright’s thesis throughout the lectures is that all of Christian character formation falls under the rubric of “new creation in advance.” That is, God has begun his plan of rescuing and renewing his creation in and through the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. This new creative activity is now being applied to the church by God’s Spirit, the down-payment of the resurrection life we will have in fullness at the eschaton. The Christian’s responsibility, therefore, is to cultivate certain habits of the heart in the power of God’s Spirit by which we are transformed.

In the first lecture, Wright lays out his basic New Testament framework for character transformation, comparing and contrasting that framework with other first century models. The virtues and vices which were proposed by Aristotle, for example, have similarities, as well as dissimilarities with biblical ethics. Wright concludes the first lecture with a discussion of the royal priesthood, and demonstrates that Christians with transformed characters are fulfilling this vocation. The second lecture is mainly an exposition of the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5, with a special emphasis on the ministerial habits of the heart.

The lectures can be found here: http://edod.org/

The Gospel of the Kingdom - Book Review

George Eldon Ladd was born in 1911 and converted to Christianity when he was eighteen years old. He earned several bachelor degrees in biblical studies before finally receiving his PhD in Biblical and Patristic Greek in 1949. As an evangelical scholar, Ladd worked as Professor of New Testament exegesis and theology at Fuller Theological Seminary for thirty years. He finally published his magnum-opus in 1974: A Theology of the New Testament.

The Gospel of the Kingdom is a survey of the Kingdom of God as taught in the New Testament. The book is a more abbreviated presentation than Ladd’s other works on this same topic. In this book, Ladd examined the concept of the Kingdom of God from the perspective of Jesus, Paul, and the other New Testament writers, and then applied that message to the lives of his readers.

SUMMARY

George Ladd’s contention throughout the book was that “the Kingdom of God was the central message of our Lord’s ministry” (7). From text after text, Ladd demonstrated that the Kingdom of God and the good news of Jesus Christ are one and the same thing. In essence, The Gospel of the Kingdom was Ladd’s proclamation of the gospel, as well as an exhortation to the church of God to respond properly to the kingship of God’s Messiah.

Ladd began in chapter one by presenting his definition of the Kingdom of God. When the Bible speaks of “God’s Kingdom, it always refers to His reign, His rule, His sovereignty” (20). The Kingdom of God is not (primarily) the realm or domain in which God’s authority is exercised. Nor is the Kingdom equal to God’s people who live under his authority. Ladd noted that although the Kingdom of God can be defined from some biblical texts as “a realm” or “a people,” the definition of the Kingdom of God is “fundamentally . . . God’s sovereign reign” (22).

After giving a basic description of the Kingdom, Ladd moved into chapter two in order to describe the future aspect of the Kingdom. Ladd pointed out that “this age is evil; The age to come will witness the fullness of God’s kingdom, the perfection of His reign” (34). Even though the sovereign reign of God exists in the present, the New Testament emphasizes the culmination of God’s Kingdom in the future. Ladd also drew out charts demonstrating that God will partially fulfill His Kingdom promises in the millennium, but will bring them to full fruition in the eternal state.

In chapter three, Ladd added more biblical data to his basic two stage model—“This Age” and “The Age to Come”—by explaining the overlap of the ages. “The powers of the Age to Come have penetrated This Age,” wrote Ladd (41). In a very real sense, Satan has been bound and defeated through the cross and resurrection of Jesus. Ladd explained that “this is what the Kingdom of God means: the defeat of the enemies of God” (44). With the dawning of the Messianic era, the people of God can enjoy the blessings of The Age to Come even during this present evil age.

The Kingdom of God contains a certain element of mystery, and Ladd discussed this mystery in chapter four. The mystery of the Kingdom is “a new truth about the Kingdom of God which was not revealed in the Old Testament but which is at last disclosed in the earthly ministry of our Lord” (52). Ladd examined the parables of Jesus and came to the conclusion that instead of a glorious, political kingdom as most people expected, the Kingdom of God invaded the world through the servanthood of Christ—“humbly, unobtrusively” (64).

Ladd explained in chapter five that those which enter the Kingdom of God must have the life of the Kingdom. God’s reign in a person’s life is called, particularly in the Gospels, eternal life. According to Ladd, eternal life consists of two main concepts: knowledge of God, and the life of God’s Spirit indwelling a believer. “The future has already begun,” wrote Ladd, and these two elements of eternal life are just a taste of the blessings of The Age to Come (78).

In chapter six, Ladd gave an exposition of the Sermon on the Mount and explained the righteousness of the Kingdom. He showed that the scribes and Pharisees did not have the righteousness that was required to enter the Kingdom because the redemptive reign of God was not active in their lives. Ladd called the church to obey Jesus’ commands concerning anger, honesty, purity, and love, but concluded that this righteousness “must be of grace or [he would be] lost” (93).

If the Kingdom of God is the sovereign and redemptive rule of God through Christ, every man is confronted with a decision. Ladd called his readers to make a resolute and radical decision in chapter seven: “The Kingdom demands a response so radical that it may be described in terms of violence and force” (99). The cross is a place of death, and Ladd explained that only a complete self surrender, a “death-to-self,” is an adequate response to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

In chapter eight, Ladd expounded on the relationship between Israel, the Church, and the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom was taken away from ethnic Israel when they refused to acknowledge Jesus as God’s Messiah. They rejected Jesus because he “appeared neither as a conquering Davidic King nor as a heavenly glorious Son of Man” (110). Ladd explained that, instead, God would create a new people who would bear the fruit of the Kingdom. Even though God has only one people, Ladd pointed out that ethnic Israel will indeed be grafted back into the olive tree of God’s believing church.

Ladd wrote his final chapter in order to answer the question, “When will the Kingdom come?” He answered that question using Matthew 24: When the entire world has been evangelized. The church must fulfill its mission of carrying the message of the Kingdom to every nation, and then the Lord Jesus will return. Ladd rebuked the church for being disobedient to the Great Commission, and he reminded God’s people that the motivation for evangelism should be a desire to see Christ return to earth in glory. Although sin will increase before the Lord returns, Ladd reminded the church that God’s sovereign plan will prevail and his Kingdom will be fully consummated.

CRITICAL EVALUATION

George Ladd’s purpose for writing The Gospel of the Kingdom was to give a panoramic, New Testament exposition of the Kingdom of God. The concept of the Kingdom remained the central theme of instruction throughout the book, even though the concept was approached from many different angles. This method is an extremely helpful teaching tool. Each progressive chapter held up the jewel of the Kingdom of God, slowly turning it to allow light to reflect on every contour. Ladd started with a definition of the Kingdom in chapter one, and then he added layer upon layer of teaching as the book progressed in a logical fashion.

Ladd derived the material for the book from his own public speaking engagements. As he noted, “These studies were originally delivered as addresses in the pulpit and in Bible conferences and have been recorded and adapted for publication” (7). This adaptation shines through as a positive aspect of the book. Each chapter reads like a short sermonette, complete with life application at the end of each one. Paragraphs at the beginning and end of every chapter summarize what came before and what was to be discussed next. Ladd’s constant reiteration of the thesis of the book—that God’s sovereign redemptive reign has broken into the present through the person of Jesus—keeps the reader grounded in the topic at hand. Overall, the book had a logical flow and was structured like a series of systematic teaching lessons.

The Gospel of the Kingdom could be considered a primer on “living between the times” (42). Reading this book gave me a fresh appreciation, not only of the Kingdom of God, but of the already-not yet tension which exists for those who have entered that Kingdom. A healthy understanding of this doctrine makes reading the New Testament a whole new experience. Ladd repeatedly emphasized the fact that the arrival of the Kingdom of God in the present means the defeat of God’s enemies. “The Kingdom of God has invaded this evil Age that men may know something of its blessings even while the evil Age goes on” (42).

The enemies of God and his people, according to Ladd, are threefold: sin, Satan, and death. Through the cross and resurrection of Christ, God “has already broken the power of death, defeated Satan, and overthrown the rule of sin” (130). This is extremely encouraging in my Christian walk. I can live in the present in light of the future, knowing that God’s victory is secure because of the earthly ministry of Jesus.

The manner in which God will defeat Satan, however, happens in three different phases according to Ladd. “Now we have these three stages in the defeat of Satan: at the end of the Millennium, the lake of fire; at the beginning of the Millennium, the abyss; and at the cross the initial defeat” (46). His presupposition of historic pre-millennialism, therefore, guided his discussion throughout the entire book. I would have liked to see a fuller engagement with the relevant texts on the millennium, but Ladd quickly dismissed all amillennial interpretations as “unlikely” (49).

Nevertheless, Ladd’s exposition of Matthew 12:29 is outstanding. He admits that Christ truly has entered the “strong man’s house” and bound him. “What sort of bond will hold him? Will a rope due? Is a straight-jacket adequate? Is iron strong enough, or forged steel, or perhaps titanium?” (48). At the end of his explanation, Ladd was forced to conclude that, in fact, “Satan is bound” in a metaphorical sense (48). Yet, in spite of his confession that the binding of Satan always uses symbolic and figurative language, Ladd refused to connect Revelation 20:2 with Matthew 12:29 in any sense. He said that “these two verses refer to two entirely different events” (49). Revelation 20:1-2 reads, “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years” (Rev 20:1-2). I would simply ask Ladd this question: Could not “a great chain” and a “bottomless pit” (Rev 20:2) be figurative language, just as the binding of a “strong man” (Matt 12:29) is figurative language? Ladd gave essentially no defense of his millennial position, and I was forced to disagree with him at this level.

Ladd made it clear, however, that one’s view on the millennium is not a point of doctrine at which fellowship should be broken. He was correct when he wrote, “It is unfortunate that the discussion has often been attended by more heat than light” (35). This remains true even today. Many theologians and church leaders seem to be arguing right past one another in regard to theological systems. I can discern in my own heart an unwillingness (and laziness) to listen patiently to the positions of other Christians. I appreciated Ladd’s humble stance when he wrote concerning the millennial issue, “This question . . . should be discussed within the household of faith in a spirit of Christian liberty and charity” (35).

Another weakness of the book is Ladd’s view of the future of ethnic Israel in the redemptive plan of God. He did, however, preface his discussion with the statement that “the most difficult aspect of the Biblical teaching of the Kingdom of God is its relationship to Israel and the Church” (107). I agree wholeheartedly, and for the same reason which Ladd gave: “This relationship is not explicitly set forth in Scripture but must be inferred” (107). It is not that Ladd’s overall conclusions were unwarranted, but individually they were less convincing. For example, Ladd contended that the olive tree in Romans 11 refers to the one people of God: “There is one olive tree; it is the people of God. . . . However, because of unbelief, some of the natural branches were broken off and no longer belong to the tree (v.16)” (118). Ladd claimed that the true people of God are represented by the tree itself, but the analogy of the tree does not seem to work if you interpret it that way.

It seems to me that the tree itself is the same as “the rich root of the olive tree,” (Rom 11:17) and this symbol should be interpreted as the promises given to the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The branches are what represent God’s true people. Believing Gentiles are, after all, now called true sons of Abraham, “heirs according to promise” (Gal 3:29). All people who possess true faith in the Messiah are grafted in to receive the promises of God which are all fulfilled in Jesus Christ (2 Cor 1:20). Ladd did not disagree with my general conclusions, but his insistence on a future ingathering of ethnic Israelites is an unnecessary conclusion from Romans 11 (in my humble opinion).

One of the richest and most important contributions of the book is Ladd’s chapter on “The Life of the Kingdom” (66). He began by looking at Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, focusing on Jesus’ statement: “I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Ladd wrote that “frequently we disassociate eternal life from the truth of the Kingdom of God [but] . . . they are in fact inseparable” (66). This point is enormously important for any discussion on eschatology and Christian ethics. What God plans to do to the entire cosmos at the end of the age, namely new creation, he has already begun in the hearts and lives of his people through the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 5:17).

Ladd tapped into Old Testament prophesies from Isaiah to show what God’s plans are for the whole universe: “When the Kingdom of God comes, it will effect also a transformation of the very physical order (Isa. 11:6-9)” (67). The Scriptures of Israel looked forward to a time when God would remake the world, delivering his people from bondage and defeating all their enemies. The Jews expected God to bring in his Kingdom all at once with a burst of new creation, but Ladd pointed out that “the Kingdom which will one day change the entire external order has entered into This Age in advance to bring the blessings of God’s Kingdom to men and women without transforming the old order” (67). God has officially inaugurated, through the work of Jesus and the gift of the Spirit, the Kingdom which he will one day return to consummate.

The evidence of inaugurated eschatology is the indwelling Spirit. “The indwelling of the Spirit is the down-payment of that life which we shall one day experience in its fullness. The new birth is the beginning, partial but real, of the life of The Age to Come,” wrote Ladd (76). The Spirit gives the life of the Kingdom, and Jesus is its rightful King. The resurrection of Christ distinctively points toward what God will do to the creation in the future: “Some day the life which flows from Christ’s resurrection will renovate the whole structure of human existence” (77). This has huge implications for my daily life as a disciple of Jesus. If new creation is truly the goal toward which history is headed, a time in which God’s love and justice will completely fill the earth, then I should give my full effort to “keep in step with the Spirit,” who is the guarantee of my future inheritance (Gal 5:25).

Since the gift of the Spirit is mainly an eschatological promise associated with the God’s New Covenant (Jer 24:7; 31:33; Ezek 11:19-20; 36:26-27; 2 Cor 3:6), I was perplexed with Ladd’s application of the New Covenant. Specifically speaking about Jeremiah’s predictions, Ladd wrote that the New Covenant “properly belongs to The Age to Come, to that day when God’s will is perfectly consummated upon the earth. This is the vision of Jeremiah 31” (73).

It seems that Ladd integrated his understanding of prophesies concerning the New Covenant with his belief in a future mass ingathering of ethnic Israel. He does not make this integration explicit, but this seems to be the only way to make the New Covenant a completely future event. Our Lord, in his last Passover meal with his disciples, took the cup and said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me" (1 Cor 11:25, emphasis mine). The apostles of the Lord considered themselves to be “servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:6). The Holy Spirit is the salient confirmation that God has inaugurated the New Covenant, taking out hearts of stone and giving hearts of flesh in their place. In Ladd’s chapter on the Spirit’s role in the Kingdom of God, I was disappointed that he did not recognize the present fulfillment of Jeremiah’s words. It is clear from Hebrews that Christians have already “come . . . to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant” (12:24-26).

CONCLUSION

The Gospel of the Kingdom has been in print since 1959, and after reading this book I understand why. George Ladd has left the church of Jesus Christ a rich, yet concise, study of the Kingdom of God. Despite some minor objections I had on peripheral issues, I would recommend this book to pastors, teachers, and laymen as a solid introductory manual for living in the “overlap of the ages.” All Christians should understand the biblical gospel—the good news that God is exercising his redemptive rule in and through Jesus Christ. Even after fifty years since its first publication, The Gospel of the Kingdom is still worthy of a wide readership because Ladd accurately defines the gospel according to the Lord Jesus and makes it accessible and applicable to all of God’s people.