Gollum and his 'Precious'

Introduction


The sad and pitiful figure of Gollum of Tolkien fame provides an excellent example of a life lived under the power of sin.  I will try to draw out some lessons from the life of Gollum.

From Smeagol to Gollum

"What do you mean?" said Frodo.  "Surely the Ring was his precious and the only thing he cared for?  But if he hated it, why didn't he get rid of it, or go away and leave it?"
"You ought to begin to understand, Frodo, after all you have heard," said Gandalf.  He hated it and loved it, as he hated and loved himself.  He could not get rid of it.  He had no will left in the matter."
 

 The 'precious' that consumed Gollum is that idolatry that seeks to get life in ways contrary to God's will.  To borrow from a completely different movie reference, Gollum got caught in the Matrix.  As with Israel's sin, Gollum was cursed and "driven away" because of his transgressions.  Jesus puts the  matter starkly in Mark 8:34-37 (Mt. 16:24-26//Lk. 9:23-25):

If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.  For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?  Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?
 

When we don't follow God's will we become deformed and ugly, a sad caricature of what we ought to be.  We all at times cling to our own 'precious'.  Our 'precious' can be anything that we get life from other than from God.  We all have caused untold damage to those around us and to ourselves by ruthlessly guarding and protecting our 'precious'.    When we don't trust God we die, just like Gollum.

Romans 7

In chapter 7 of Romans, Paul describes a person much like Gollum.  I think this chapter has often been used by Christians to justify the sin in their life (Gollum too blames: "the precious made us do it").  But Paul is, I think (and see my commentary on Romans on my website), referring not to Christians but a typical Jew before Jesus.  The Christian now has the power to be free from sin: Jesus has rescued us from the power of sin, not just forgiven us our sins--"but thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (7:25). 

Conclusion

We don't have to be like Gollum.  Let us give up our 'precious' so we can have that which is truly precious! 

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding on pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.  ---Mt. 13:45-46

 

Resurrection as Theme of Old Testament

Preamble

In 1 Corinthians 15:4, Paul says that Jesus was buried and that he has been raised according to the scriptures.  The Gospel of John, too, is clear that Jesus' resurrection is to be understood in reference to scripture (John 20:9; cf. Luke 24:46).  It is true that there are passages in the Old Testament that refer to resurrection (Psalm 16:8-11, 49, 73; Hosea 6:2, 13:4; Ezekiel 37; Isaiah 26:19; 53; Daniel 12:2), but the references are rare.  It may seem strange then to claim that resurrection is a main theme in the Old Testament.  However, I want to argue that if one pays attention to the overall story-line of the Old Testament, then it make good sense in the end to claim that resurrection is a main theme.  It is not the quantity of verses but their location and their relative importance that make the case.

The Story-line of the Old Testament

David Noel Freedman has written that the Hebrew Bible is a product of the exile.  This claim ought not to be passed over.  The primary history of Israel (from Genesis to 2 Kings) ends in exile and was compiled by learned Israelites while in exile in Babylon.  The last paragraph of 2 Kings discusses the release of King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison while in exile.  Robert Alter has pointed out that the exile theme is even in the book of Genesis (Adam is exiled from the Garden of Eden and Cain is exiled from the soil).  The theme of exile is also a preoccupation of the three great prophets (Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Isaiah).  The stories in the book of Daniel, a key for Jesus and the early Christian church, is set in the exile.  This is important because even when the exile was "over", Israel was in some sense still in exile because ruled by foreigners (in Daniel's case by the Greeks, especially Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and in Jesus' case by the Romans).  Freedman argues too that at the time of the exile, at least the first nine of the minor prophets had been written.

Cause of Exile

I'm not sure what most evangelicals would say is/are the main theme(s) of the Old Testament, but I'm sure Israel's sinfulness would be on any shortlist.  I think there is a truth here, even if it is commonly misunderstood.  The whole drift of the Old Testament is that the exile is the result of sin and disobedience.  In this sense, there is a kinship between exile and death, both are the result of sin.

Exile is not the Last Word

The Old Testament is clear that the exile is not the last word concerning Israel.  After exile there is the new age.  Joseph Blenkinsopp writes that the road from Babylon to Judah in Isaiah 40:3 (a passage of some importance for Christianity) has been eschatologized in Isaiah 35:8-10 and is now a metaphor for passage to the new age.  But it is precisely at this juncture that the Old Testament verses on resurrection raise their head.  For example, in Ezekiel 37, the great passage on resurrection is about the rebirth of the nation of Israel with reference to their end of exile and passage to the land of Israel.  The Old Testament describes the end of exile as the second Exodus.  Daniel, whose prayer which mentions exile (9:7), ends with the great deliverance of chapter 12 (12:2 being a classic resurrection passage.)  The earlier stories in Daniel have hinted at resurrection.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego are saved from death in the furnace and Daniel is saved from death in the Lion's den by the same sort of divine intervention that resurrection requires.  Obedience pays off.  In Ezekiel and Jeremiah, the obedience that brings life is a God-given new heart.

N.T. Wright has noted that the forgiveness of Israel's sins, the ushering in of the new age, the renewing of the covenant, the restoration of creation, and resurrection are all of the same piece.  In Jesus' resurrection, the new age has broken in.  This is why those passages from the Old Testament, especially Jeremiah (31), Ezekiel (36) and Isaiah (40-66) are so important for Christianity.  The new heart for obedience is available.  The real exile is from sin/death.

Paul

I have argued Paul interprets Habakkuk 2:4 and Leviticus 18:5 Christologically and that the reference to "live" in both verses refers to Jesus' (and our) resurrection.  This is huge because Habakkuk 2:4 is truly one the the most famous Old Testament passages.  It is by faithfulness that we gain eternal life.  That is exactly the lesson of the Old Testament.

Theological Upshot

Resurrection is huge.  It is huge in the Old Testament and it is huge in the New Testament.  It is about the new age and its availability in the here and now (Paul!).  We have no excuse to be sinners.  We are called to be "resurrected" saints and that is exactly the lesson of the New Testament.        

Resurrection and Apostleship

Preamble

It is interesting that in the New Testament apostleship is in some way associated with the resurrection of Jesus.  This is yet another clue as to the significance of the resurrection for the early church.

Acts 1:21-22

When the replacement for Judas was sought it is stated that the candidate is to have "accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us--one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection."  This might not be that significant since the reference might be just to the entirety of Jesus ministry from beginning to end (ascension).  However, the resurrection is explicitly mentioned and since the ascension is known by Luke (Lk. 24:51, Acts 1:9), the evidence points to the conclusion that the resurrection is not to be just a marker for the end of Jesus' earthly ministry.  Anyway, to see the ascension of Jesus is to have seen the resurrected Jesus.  Notice also that the death of Jesus is not mentioned.  Of course this can be explained by the simple fact that not many actually saw Jesus' crucifixion.  But, Luke tends to summarize Jesus' earthly sojourn using the word "suffering", which though includes his death, is not restricted to his death (see especially 18:31-33).  Therefore, the death of Jesus is not singled out as an event which qualifies for apostleship.

1 Corinthians 9:1

Paul defends himself by asking, "Am I not free?  Am I not an apostle?  Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?"  It has been pointed out that "Jesus our Lord" is really a t.t. for the risen Jesus.  The implication is that since Paul has seen the risen Jesus he can claim a special status in the Christian community.  This is brought out clearly in the next passage.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Paul summarizes the gospel and then lists all the witnesses to the resurrection:

• Cephas
• the twelve
• over 500 brothers
• James
• all the apostles
• Paul

Paul states that he is the last one to see the risen Jesus and is therefore the least of the apostles.  The implication is that seeing the risen Jesus is part of what it means to be an apostle.

Theological Upshot

It is important that apostleship is connected to being a witness of Jesus' resurrection.  I think the reason for this is a clue to the importance of the resurrection in early Christianity.  Being a witness to the resurrected Jesus is important because the resurrection of Jesus is part and parcel to the gospel message!  This is proven in Acts and in the letters of Paul.

The Meaning of "Faith" in Hebrews

Preamble

The Book of Hebrews is a favorite for evangelicals in part because of its use of sacrificial language.  However, the rest of the book does not sit well within the standard evangelical story.  I want to highlight one aspect that does not fit well and that is the examples of faith in chapter 11.

Chapter 11

The following is a list of the examples of faith in Hebrews and the verb used to flesh out the meaning of faith in each case:

• 4  Abel  offered a greater sacrifice than Cain
• 5 Enoch [no verb is given, but we are told he pleased (perhaps a reference to Hab. 2:2-3) God and Genesis 5:22 famously states he "walked with God".]
• 7 Noah  having been reverent, built the ark
• 8 Abraham obeyed...he went out
• 9 Abraham migrated
• 11 Abraham/Sarah? considered faithful the one having promised
• 17 Abraham offered Issac
• 20 Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau
• 21 Jacob blessed each of the sons of Joseph
• 22 Joseph gave orders concerning his bones
• 23 [Moses' parents] hid [Moses]
• 24 Moses refused to be called son of Pharaoh's daughter...having chosen to be mistreated...
• 27 Moses left Egypt
• 28 Moses instituted the passover
• 29 Israelites went through the Red Sea
• 30 [Joshua et al] having encircled for seven days
• 31 Rahab having welcomed the spies

Most of the examples use action verbs to flesh out the meaning of faith.  This is at odds with the emphasis of faith as mere belief in evangelical thought.  But it is clear that Hebrews has action in mind.  One way of parsing Hebrews 6:1-2 is as follows:

 Therefore, having left the basic teaching about Christ, let us move on to maturity, not laying again
the foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God [which is]
teachings concerning: baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and the eternal judgment.
 

  On this reading, repentance from dead works and faith toward God are in parallel and are summed up in the same things.  Also, in 3:18-19, "unbelief" and "disobedience" are treated as synonymous.

Faith and Resurrection

In a previous blog, I argued that the book of Hebrews interprets Habakkuk 2:4 as a claim that life follows obedience.  Much of the faith in Hebrews is oriented to the future promise or hope of the resurrection age.  Many of the examples in the list in chapter 11 allude to resurrection (see for example vs. 12, 19).  The foundation of this is Jesus' resurrection.  In 5:7-10, we are told that Jesus prayed to the one who is able to save him from death, and his prayers were heard because of his obedience.  This no doubt refers to his resurrection.  He was made perfect (through his suffering obedience leading to an exalted resurrection) and so because of his faithfulness (5:7) he became a source of eternal salvation for those who obey him (5:9). It is clear from this that obedience is a condition for salvation (see also 3:6, 14).

Theological Upshot

The standard evangelical story starts to crumble when pressure is applied on what is meant in Biblical texts by "faith".  "Faith" in the Bible is more akin to "fidelity" than it is to mere mental assent.    

An Argument for the Resurrection's Importance

Preamble

I will present an argument that we can gain insight into the importance of Jesus' resurrection for the early church by the mere fact that the early Christians chose Sunday as their special day of celebration.  This is significant for evangelicals since we tend to think of Jesus' crucifixion as the Christ event par excellence.  However, it wasn't Friday that early Christians honored as we would expect if we adhered to the evangelical emphasis.

New Testament Evidence

In Revelation 1:10 there is mention of the "Lord's Day".  This probably refers to Sunday.  Since it refers to "the Lord" it is meant to recall events in Jesus' life, that is, the resurrection.  It's true that we are not told that this was Sunday or the first day of the week, but one would probably expect the author to have mentioned the "Sabbath" if that was the day.  Later Christian writings are explicit on this point (see below).

In Corinthians 16:1-2, Paul mentions the first day of the week as a time when he would gather the individual's contributions.  Paul mentions the Galatian churches in this regard so at least something is special about Sunday.  It's likely that this was the day Christian met which would make Paul's task of collection easier.

Acts 20:7 is also put forward int his regard.  Here, we are told that on the first day of the week (see Mt. 28:1; Lk. 24:1) the Christians met and broke bread.  There are references to a meal Jesus had with his followers after his resurrection (presumably on a Sunday) which use language associated with the Eucharist: Luke 24:, 30, 35 (breaking bread); 24:43 (taking the fish); John 20:19-29 and 21:13 (taking and giving bread. fish also); see Mark 16:14 and Acts 10:41.  It could be argued that the Eucharist practice was instituted by Jesus in these episodes and that is why the church does it Sunday and not Thursday as we would expect from the Last Supper.

Other Evidence

 Here is a list of some of the key reference to Sunday and its association with the resurrection of Jesus.

•  Didache 14.1 "on the Lord's Day we meet and break bread."
• Ignatuis of Antioch, Letter to the Magnesian Christians 9.1 "no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord's Day, on which our life arose through him and his death." Also from this letter: "let every friend of Christ keep the Lord's day as a festival, the resurrection-day, the queen and chief of all days." 
• Melito of Sardis wrote a treatise titled Concerning the Lord's Day
• Chrysostom, Psalms 119 "it was called the Lord's day because the Lord rose on that day."
• Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, III, 27 Referring to a group of Ebionites who "celebrate the Lord's days very much like us in commemoration of his resurrection."  It has been argued that the Ebionites (a Jewish Christian sect) would not have observed Sunday in this way if the custom had originated outside of Palestine, which is further evidence of its antiquity.
• Epistle of Barnabas, 15.9 "we joyfully celebrate the eighth day, on which Jesus rose from the dead and, after being disclosed to us, ascended into the heavens." [see Lk. 24:51]
• Justin Martyr, Apology 1.67 Christians meet together on Sunday because "it is the first day, on which God...created the world, and the same day on which Jesus rose from the dead."
• Pliny the Younger, Book 10, letter 96 mentions that the Christians meet regularly before dawn on a fixed day.

It would be difficult to imagine a change from the Jewish Sabbath (see Col. 2:16) without a really good alternative.  The resurrection of Jesus provides such an alternative, which argues for its importance in the early church.

Theological Upshot

The resurrection of Jesus was of utmost importance to the early church.  Good Friday was good, but Easter Sunday is better!  We Christians worship on Sunday and not Friday, which is a clue to the importance of the resurrection!

Power and Resurrection in Paul

Preamble

A study of the use of the word "power" in Paul's letters shows how important real transformation and/or resurrection is for Paul.  I will even argue that when Paul refers to Jesus' crucifixion he has in mind his resurrection too.  For example, in 1 Corinthians Paul proclaims Christ crucified (1:23) and that he decided to know nothing among the Corinthians except Christ crucified (2:2).  I claim these statements utilize metonymy in which the mention of crucifixion has in mind the whole crucifixion-resurrection event.  Paul does so I will argue because he wants to say something about his own ministry.

"Power" in Paul

The thesis-like statement in Romans is that the gospel is the power of God for salvation (1:16).  This already hints of the crucifixion-resurrection event.  It's possible the crucifixion is hinted at because Paul prefaces this statement with the claim that he is not ashamed of the gospel.  This could very well point to Jesus' death as a shameful outcome for a Messiah.  The resurrection is hinted at by the mention of salvation.  For Paul, salvation and resurrection are sister concepts.  Romans begins with the claim that Jesus was designated Son-of-God-in-power according to a Spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead (1:4).  We see here the close association of power with resurrection.  Other verses prove the association:

• 1 Corinthians 6:14 And God raised the Lord and will raise us by his power.
• 1 Corinthians 15:43 sown in dishonor it is raised in glory; sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
• 2 Corinthians 13:4 for indeed he was crucified in weakness but he lives by the power of God.  For we are weak in him but we will live with him by the power of God toward you. 
• Philippians 3:10 to know him and the power of the resurrection of him.

The power that Jesus acquired by his resurrection (Rom. 1:4) is demonstrated by his life giving ability:

Thus it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. [1 Corinthians 15:45]
 

Romans puts it this way:

 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. [Romans 8:10]
 

Note the role of the Holy Spirit in all this.  The Spirit is also wedded to resurrection.  It is for this reason that Paul ties both power and spirit to his own ministry:  "My speech and proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power." [1 Corinthians 2:4).

Paul's use of the crucifixion

I claim that Paul based his ministry on the pattern of Jesus' death and resurrection.  He apologized for his weakness by pointing to the example set by Jesus.  For Paul, the cross was weakness, not power; see the above quote where is says that Jesus was crucified in weakness.  Paul came in weakness but power follows just as Jesus' powerful resurrection followed his shameful crucifixion.  This is why I claim that when Paul mentions the crucifixion he has the power of the resurrection tied to it (see 1 Cor. 1:17-18).  He highlights Jesus crucifixion because Paul's own ministry mimicked the Jesus death-resurrection event.  The crucifixion in and of itself was weakness and shame, but because it demontrated Jesus' obedience it was followed by the power of the resurrection.

Theological upshot

We Christians ought to imitate both Jesus and Paul by embracing obedience, even obedience unto death (Phil. 2:8).  Though the world will see our lifestyle as weak and counter-cultural, we can be assured that true power is found in weakness.  As Paul says, "when I am weak, then I am strong."  Amen.

    

Enoch, Faithfulness and Eternal Life

Preamble

The figure of Enoch in the Old Testament is a mysterious character.  I will take a closer look at the passage in Genesis where he is mentioned.  I will argue that Enoch is a classic example of Habakkuk 2:4 as I interpret that verse.  I will find excellent confirmation in the book of Hebrews in the New Testament, the only other Biblical passage where he is mentioned.  This is crucial evidence for my Gospel Beyond Belief because a certain interpretation of Habakkuk 2:4 lies at its heart, whereas its misinterpretation lies at the heart of the Standard Evangelical Story, a story that I think is a perversion of the Gospel.

The Life-Death Theme in Genesis

Since I claim that the heart of the Gospel message is Jesus' obedient death and resurrection/ascension/exaltation, and not his death as an animal-like sacrifice, it would make sense to find hints of the Gospel in the founding stories of Genesis.  That is exactly what we find.  The loss of eternal life is a major theme in Genesis.  After the disobedience in the garden, God did not want humans to attain eternal life by eating from the tree of life, so he guarded that tree with cherubim and a fiery, twirling sword (Gen. 3).  Therefore, God exiled Adam from the garden.  It is against this backdrop that we read about Adam's descendants in chapter 5.

List in Genesis 5

The descendants of Adam are listed following a set pattern: (1) A was x years old when he begot B; (2) A lived x years after begetting B and had other sons and daughters; (3) the entire lifetime of A was x years, then he died.  The list is as follows:

1. Adam
2. Seth
3. Enosh
4. Kenan
5. Mahalalel
6. Jared
7. Enoch
8. Methuselah
9. Lamech
10. Noah

What is remarkable is the addition of "then he died".  It seems added for emphasis, since one would think that that information is already given by how long A lived.  Therefore, this emphasis is telling because it was Adam's disobedience that led to death (Gen. 2:16-17; 3:19).  However, Enoch is an exception to this pattern in two ways: (1) instead of pattern 2's "A lived x years after begetting B", we read that Enoch "walked with God" (Gen. 5:22), (2) instead of patter 3's "then he died" we read that Enoch walked with God and that "he was no more, because God took him" (Gen. 5:24).

Implications

A strong case can be made that the reason we don't read "then he died" for Enoch is because he walked with God.  To walk with God is in part to be obedient.  This is why we are told that Noah walked with God (Gen. 6:9) who was "righteous" and "blameless", and why we are told Abraham walked with God (Gen 17:1) who was "blameless".  The conclusion is that Enoch was rewarded with life because he was faithful.

Habakkuk 2:4

On my website I argue that Paul and the Book of Hebrews quote Habakkuk 2:4 to mean that the righteous by faith[fulness] (obedience) will (be rewarded with eternal) live/life.  The verse is not saying that the righteous will live by faith as opposed to live by works or by anything else.  However, this is how the Standard Evangelical Story interprets Hab. 2:4.

Confirmation in Hebrews

On my website (Gospel Beyond Belief) I argue that Hebrews understands Habakkuk 2:4 as I do.  It is interesting to note that the great chapter on Faith[fulness] (chapter 11) is preceded by the quote of Habakkuk 2:4 in 10:38.  This is significant.  In 11:5, we are told that Enoch "had pleased God" and that is why he did not experience death.  The author of Hebrews is most likely using the LXX because the LXX uses "pleases God" instead of "walks with God" in Genesis 5:22, 24.  This sheds light on the famous next verse: without faithfulness is impossible to please him (God).  One must also believe he rewards faithfulness.  The next verse talks about Noah who also walked with God!  Both Enoch and Noah were rewarded with kinds of life because they were obedient.  Therefore, chapter 11 mutually reinforces the meaning of Habakkuk 2:4 in 10:38.  Life is a reward for obedience.

Jesus as Prime Example of Habakkuk 2:4

On my website I claim that Paul uses Jesus as the quintessential example of Habakkuk 2:4.  Jesus was righteous (obedient unto death) and was rewarded with eternal life (resurrection).  This is also the way Paul envisions his ministry and the Christian path in general.  This has monstrous consequence for how we interpret Paul and hence the Gospel, since the Standard Evangelical Story is wedded to a particular misinterpretation of Paul.

Resurrection as Primary

If I'm right about Habakkuk 2:4, then the resurrection of Jesus ought to be accorded the importance that it deserves, and as I argue, the New Testament proves.  Eternal life and the victory over death is the GOOD NEWS!