​The Church: Making Sense of God Resting on the Seventh Day
By G. Ward Fenley
M.A. Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary
 
And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. (2) And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made. And He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. (3) And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He had rested from all His work which God created to make.—Gen 2:1-3 
 
There has been much debate over the Genesis account of creation, both among and between creationists and secularists, theists and atheists. The arguments generally surround a cosmological approach to and interpretation of the first three chapters in Genesis. The debate is usually over whether the universe and earth are very old or very young. And while the debate has caused many to delve deeply into the realm of science, origins, evolution etc., it hasn’t served the overall context of the Bible well. In fact, it seems to have distracted the theological/scientific community away from something far more beautiful and significant about the account of creation. 
 
In the late 1990s I began to question not only the literal six-day creation theory; I also began to question whether the creation account in Genesis was dealing with the physical creation at all. The mere observation that the sun was created on the fourth day (Gen 1:16-19), made it clear that whatever the first three days were (or represented), they could not be literal twenty-four-hour days without that sun. For our whole concept of twenty-four-hour days is based upon our relationship to the sun. Not only did that observation make me jettison the literal six-day young-earth interpretation, it was almost instantaneously obvious that it made no sense to interpret the passage to be referring to a literal old-earth creation either. With all due respect to theological liberals and conservatives who approach the text cosmologically, that observation for me thrust me into an area of interpretation that began to make sense of the whole Bible, not from a cosmological perspective but rather from a covenantal perspective. Now, while I grant that there is obvious allusion to the cosmological creation, such an allusion is simply a distant assumption to help explain a far greater and more meaningful purpose for the Genesis account. Certainly the idea of the cosmological creation/origin is a wonderful idea and worthy of pondering, there are plenty of intelligent scientists who will always be attempting to tackle that vast subject, especially with all the modern technology and techniques made available to us in this hyper-modern age. But, alas, the idea that the Genesis account is referring to the creation of a covenant rather than a cosmos might, to some, seem anticlimactic. However, if the material cosmos may now be presented as a beautiful and awesome representation of the spiritual nature of the covenants and kingdom of God, then we can begin to have a far deeper respect and appreciation for both the cosmos and the covenants, both old and new. 
 
For me, the light turned on. I now asked the basic question: What is the Bible about? It is the story of two covenants, old and new. When one reads the Bible cover to cover, they quickly realize that the mammoth book is essentially the history of Israel’s relationship to God. In fact, relatively speaking, references to the cosmos are very rare. Compared to the history contained in between Genesis and Revelation, references to the physical creation are miniscule. The Bible is about history, the history of Israel and her story of redemption. Gentiles (non-Israelites) are a part of that history, but wouldn’t come to be partakers of a covenant until after the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:1ff.) Even we have come to partition the Bible into two main parts: the Old and New Covenants (or Testaments. Testament and Covenant are synonymous). It made no sense to me to make the word Genesis (“beginning”) refer to the beginning of the physical cosmos, but rather the beginning of what the Bible is all about, namely, the history of God’s covenant relationship to His people. Genesis is exactly that: the beginning of God’s covenant relationship to His people, not the beginning of the physical universe (or multi¬-verse). The writers of the Bible assumed what was simply assumed among those reading it, that God created the physical heavens and the earth. In other words, the writer of Genesis did not need to prove that or defend it, or even refer to it. For a 21st century Transformers and Star Wars age, which, characteristically speaking, does not read the Bible, upon first approach to the Genesis text we would naturally read it literally. This is primarily because we live in a generation where the existence of God is regularly questioned. The existence of God was a given to historical Israel. That was their culture. There was no reason for them to question the existence of God, therefore there was no reason to prove the existence of God, and thus there was no reason to prove the creation of the physical cosmos and certainly no reason to give a written account of the physical cosmos. One only need to run across a talking and cunning snake, a tree of life, and a tree of the knowledge of good and evil to see that there is something vastly different about the language and genre of the creation account. And based upon the rest of the biblical story, the title, Genesis, appropriately, should mean the beginning of the history of God’s covenant relationship to His people, Israel.
 
Readers will be disappointed to find out that I will not be doing a verse-by-verse exegesis of the creation account. Some may consider this a cop-out. However, I am refraining from this because the “big picture” idea better serves the purpose of this article. I do, however, believe there is rich meaning from the creation account that can find glorious relationship to the rest of the Bible. However, there is so much there that it would detract from the main purpose of this article, which is to look at the big picture of God’s rest (or resting place, as we shall see). 
 
For those relatively acquainted with the Old Testament use of the word Sabbath, they understand that the term means rest. When the Bible says God “rested on the seventh day,” the word for rested is Shabath, where we get our word Sabbath. And from here I will immediately jump to the New Covenant concept of Christ as our Sabbath. Most Christians with a reasonable amount of theological understanding have come to see that Christ is now the rest for His people. Jesus said: “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take My yoke on you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls. (30) For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30) Christ was using a phrase to draw their attention to something that was not attained while under the bondage of the Old Covenant: 
 
Jer. 6:16 So says Jehovah, Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths where the good way is, and walk in it, and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk in it.
 
We now know Christ to be that “way” (John 14:6) and Isaiah prophesied of this way:
 
Isa 30:20-21 And Jehovah gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction; yet your teachers shall not be removed into a corner any more, but your eyes shall see your teachers. (21) And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.
 
Under the New Covenant, we now “walk in it,” that is, we walk in the light of Christ by grace, and we rest in Him. And the Jewish Christians in the first century were encouraged to walk in this way and this rest of Christ. The writer of Hebrews asserted that through faith they could rest and cease from their faulty works-based idea of salvation: “So then there remains a rest to the people of God. (10) For he who has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His.” (Heb 4:9-10). 
 
From this last verse we see that we have entered into the rest of Christ, but equally significant is the reference to God resting. Hebrews is referring to the statement in Genesis:
 
“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made. And He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. (3) And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He had rested from all His work which God created to make.” (Gen 2:2-3). 
 
Based upon the references to this rest for believers in Christ, we should evaluate the meaning of God resting. For an omnipotent God (Rev. 19:6) there does not need to be a “break time” for God, as if He had worn Himself out or needed to take a breather. As we have already noted, Genesis is about the beginning of God’s covenant dealings with His people. Therefore I will make the sudden assumption based upon what we have seen in Hebrews that the six days of creation are referring to the creation of the Old Covenant and various historical periods throughout that Old Covenant period, but the seventh day is the day of salvation or the day of Christ (Christ said, “Abraham rejoiced to see My day”; or David’s “This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad *in* it.”). The Genesis account is prophesying of Christ. We already see a prophecy of Christ in Genesis 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He will bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” This was fulfilled through Christ’s sacrifice: 
 
Heb 2:14-15 Since then the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise partook of the same; that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death (that is, the Devil), (15) and deliver those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
 
But in particular, we need to examine this “rest” of God. How do we see this seventh-day rest for God?
 
Just as the Bible teaches that the Church is the Temple (2 Cor. 6:16), and that Christ is the Temple (21:22), and that just as we are in Christ (2 Cor 5:17), Christ is in us (Col 1:27), so also, we rest in Christ and God rests in us. Just as Christ is our Sabbath rest, likewise we are God’s Sabbath rest. Under the Old Covenant, God was angry with His people and the law worked wrath in God (Rom. 4:15). The purpose of Genesis was to speak of this future rest:
 
Heb 4:3-10 For we who have believed do enter into the rest, as He said, "I have sworn in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest;" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. (4) For He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested the seventh day from all His works." (5) And in this place again, "They shall not enter into My rest." (6) Since then it remains that some must enter into it, and since they to whom it was first preached did not enter in because of unbelief, (7) He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, "Today," (after so long a time). Even as it is said, "Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." (8) For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. (9) So then there remains a rest to the people of God. (10) For he who has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His.
 
According to Hebrews, this rest is inextricably related to the New Covenant. Zephaniah prophesied that this rest would come through Christ:
 
Zep 3:14-17 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. (15) The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. (16) In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. (17) The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
 
God here is said to “rest in His love.” Though the word for rest is different than Shabath and carries with it the meaning of quietness, the idea is the same. Rest = quietness. This New Covenant characteristic of quietness is assured elsewhere:
 
Isa 30:15 For so says the Lord Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, In returning and rest you shall be saved; and in quietness and hope shall be your strength. And you were not willing. 
Isa 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the service of righteousness shall be quietness and hope forever. 
 
God’s Dwelling Place
 
We must remember a very peculiar aspect about God’s dwelling place:
 
Psa_97:2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.
 
God is said to dwell in righteousness. Righteousness is His dwelling place. However, while under the Old Covenant law of sin, death, and cursing, God’s people were not righteous, therefore He could not dwell in them. “Habitation” signifies the resting place. After a day’s work, we return to our homes, or habitations, so that we may rest. The Israelites under the Old Testament were under law. Not that they were saved by law but that punishments were exacted for violations of that law. In Christ it is said, “We are not under the law but under grace.” (Rom. 6:14). But while they were under the law, they were transgressors and could not be the dwelling place or habitation of God. That is, they could not be His throne. For His throne is righteousness. Therefore, they had to be made the righteousness of God before they could be considered His dwelling place or habitation. We have now, through the finished work of Christ, become the righteousness of God:
 
2 Cor 5:21 For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
 
This great transaction took place by Christ become sin (becoming what we were) so that we would become what He is—righteousness. That is, we have become His dwelling place or place of rest. We are God’s Sabbath day. We are God’s seventh day. God has rested in the Church, His righteousness, His dwelling place, His habitation.
 
The Psalmist prophesied of this New Covenant phenomenon:
 
Psa 132:1-16 A Song of degrees. O Jehovah, remember David and all his afflictions, (2) how he swore to Jehovah; he vowed to the mighty One of Jacob. (3) Surely I will not come into the tent of my house, nor go up into my bed; (4) I will not give sleep to my eyes, nor slumber to my eyelids, (5) until I find out a place for Jehovah, a dwelling-place for the Mighty One of Jacob. (6) Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah; we found it in the fields of the wood. (7) We will go into His dwellings; we will worship at His footstool. (8) Arise, O Jehovah, into Your rest; You, and the ark of Your strength. (9) Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and Your saints shout for joy. (10) For Your servant David's sake, turn not away the face of Your anointed. (11) Jehovah has sworn to David in truth; He will not turn from it; Of the fruit of your body I will set on the throne for you. (12) If your sons will keep My covenant and My testimonies which I shall teach them, their sons shall also sit on your throne forever. (13) Jehovah has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling-place. (14) This is My rest forever; here I will dwell; for I have desired it. (15) I will greatly bless her food; I will satisfy her poor with bread. (16) I also will clothe her priests with salvation; and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
 
Christ is here portrayed as David (which is frequently done in the Psalms, as well as Ezekiel and Jeremiah). Christ says, “Surely I will not come into the tent of my House (the Church) nor go up into my bed (the Church); I will not give sleep (rest) to my eyes, nor slumber (rest) to my eyelids, until I find out a place (the Church) for Jehovah, a dwelling place (the Church), for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
 
Those familiar with this theme of rest as mentioned in Hebrews and Genesis, will immediately connect those contexts with this context in Psalm 132. In vs. 8 God is said to “Arise, Oh Jehovah, into Your rest (the Church). This rest is the Church, containing the priests clothed in righteousness, which righteousness is the righteousness of Christ. And it is because of the blood of Christ that we are made righteous and called priests:
 
Rev 1:5-6 even from Jesus Christ the faithful Witness, the First-born from the dead and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, (6) and made us kings and priests to God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Rev 5:9-10 And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book and to open its seals, for You were slain and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. (10) And You made us kings and priests to our God, and we will reign over the earth.
 
The Psalmist is declaring that the Church is God’s dwelling place consisting of priests. Peter also confirms that we are God’s priesthood. Just as Old Testament priests ministered in the physical tabernacle or temple, so we are now priests ministering in (or to) the spiritual Temple/Tabernacle, which is the Church:
 
1 Pet 2:5-9 you also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (6) Therefore also it is contained in the Scripture: "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner Stone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him shall never be ashamed." (7) Therefore to you who believe is the honor. But to those who are disobedient, He is the Stone which the builders rejected; this One came to be the Head of the corner, (8) and a Stone-of-stumbling and a Rock-of-offense to those disobeying, who stumble at the Word, to which they also were appointed. (9) But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that you might speak of the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
 
A fundamental aspect of this ministry of priests is not just to comfort the people of God; it is also to show forth God’s praises because of Him making us His dwelling place by making us righteous through the blood of Christ. Turning back to Psalm 132, we see this unfold:
 
Psa 132:9-11 Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and Your saints shout for joy. (10) For Your servant David's sake, turn not away the face of Your anointed. (11) Jehovah has sworn to David in truth; He will not turn from it; Of the fruit of your body I will set on the throne for you.
 
We shout for joy as a result of becoming the resting place of God. Christ was the promised King (Psalm 89) that would sit on the throne of David. 
 
Psa 132:13-16 Jehovah has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling-place. (14) This is My rest forever; here I will dwell; for I have desired it. (15) I will greatly bless her food; I will satisfy her poor with bread. (16) I also will clothe her priests with salvation; and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
 
Whenever Zion is made a reference in Old Testament prophecies, it is always referring to the Church. Hebrews testifies of this:
 
Heb 12:22-24 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, (23) to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are written in Heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, (24) and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
 
There is no mistaking it. Hebrews teaches that in the New Covenant, through the blood of Christ, we are Zion, the City of the living God (The Lamb’s wife of Revelation 21, and so also the Heavenly, or “New”, Jerusalem), and that we have come to the angels (that is, we are in, or have come to, and actually *are* heaven). We have come to God Himself, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. We have come to those spirits made perfect because He has made us perfect by His blood. We are the dwelling place of God just as the spirits of others made perfect are the dwelling place of God. We are heaven itself. Heaven is God’s throne, just as righteousness is His throne. We are His righteousness. God dwells in righteousness. He dwells in us. God dwells in heaven. We are the heavens. He dwells in us. The heavens 
are said to declare the glory of God:
 
Psa 19:1-5 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the expanse proclaims His handiwork. (2) Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. (3) There is no speech nor are there words; their voice is not heard. (4) Their line has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, (5) and he comes forth as a bridegroom from his canopy; he rejoices as a strong man to run a race,
 
Paul confirms that “their words” is the Church preaching the Gospel (Romans 10:17-18). Such passages as the passage in Psalm 19 confirm the purpose of the physical cosmos. But Paul concludes that they represent the Church. That is, they testify to us of God and the kingdom. So when we look at the stars, those represent God’s people: 
 
Dan 12:3 And those who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the sky; and those who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever.
 
Mat 13:43 Then the righteous shall shine out like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
 
The Church is the heavens and the stars, and now, with the light of Christ has given us through the Scriptures, we can look at the heavens and the stars and understand what we are. We are the dwelling place of God (the “Sun of Righteousness” out of Malachi 4:2), or as the Psalmist describes Him, the “Bridegroom.”
 
Here we get to the crux of our study:
 
Psa 132:13-16 Jehovah has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling-place. (14) This is My rest forever; here I will dwell; for I have desired it. (15) I will greatly bless her food; I will satisfy her poor with bread. (16) I also will clothe her priests with salvation; and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
 
So then, God chose this Zion (Heb. 12:22) and throughout the Old Testament He longed (or desired) for it to be His “dwelling-place.” Notice what He says next:
 
“This is My rest forever; here I will dwell; for I have desired it.” We are God’s desire. We are God’s rest. We are God’s Sabbath and seventh day. The Old Covenant period (six days), is past and we are now in the eternal seventh day. As we are now in Christ, who is our rest, so also we have become God’s rest or Sabbath. We are His desired habitation and dwelling place, His home. Jesus said:
 
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, If a man loves Me, he will keep My Word. And My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.
 
The Greek word for “abode” means “dwelling place.” It is the Greek word “mone” which is also used here:
 
Joh 14:2-3 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, you may be also.
 
The word “mone” is translated “mansions.” This has been a sad translation, for it has convinced many that when they die they receive a physical mansion. This is a carnal and self-serving interpretation. What Jesus is conveying is this: We are the House. We are called the house of God in the New Testament:
 
1 Pet 2:5 you also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
 
In this House are many “mansions” or “dwelling places.” We as believers are the dwelling places or mansions in whom God dwells and rests. The place Christ was preparing was the Church or the House of God. It is now built and more and more people continue to enter into this House (Or city: cf Isa 60:11; Rev 21:25-26) They enter because Christ has cleansed and entered them. They become dwelling places, or mansions. Ephesians is very clear about this dwelling place of God:
 
Eph 2:18-22 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. (19) Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, (20) and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, (21) in whom every building having been fitly framed together, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord; (22) in whom you also are built together for a dwelling place of God through the Spirit.
 
Many well-meaning Christians continue to say that we are strangers and foreigners. But Paul says we are “no longer strangers and foreigners…” And that we are the “household of God….a holy sanctuary in the Lord…a dwelling place of God through the Spirit.”
 
We are God’s rest, His desired habitation, His righteousness, and His Sabbath. 
 
Jesus prayed about this home:
 
Joh 17:20-26 And I do not pray for these alone, but for those also who shall believe on Me through their word, (21) that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. (22) And I have given them the glory which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one, (23) I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me. (24) Father, I desire that those whom You have given Me, that they may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me, for You have loved Me before the foundation of the world. (25) O righteous Father, indeed the world has not known You; but I have known You, and these have known that You have sent me. (26) And I made known to them Your name, and will make it known, so that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
 
Hopefully we are enjoying our rest in Him and His rest in us.
 
G. Ward Fenley
 
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 There is a common practice of trendy evangelical theology and evidentialist apologetic methods among preterists to continue propagating the idea that Gnosticism is the heretical motif confronted by John’s epistles and even in the Gospel of John, as well as in some of Paul’s epistles. This idea has garnished continued momentum by virtue of leading “apologists” who are incessantly bent on trying to prove God’s existence, Christ’s resurrection, and win over those involved in “gnostic” cults who have aberrant views on the divinity of Christ. Of course we applaud efforts to dissuade others from any view which attempts to reduce Christ’s position as God and Creator of all things. However, when we broad brush the New Testament with an unrelated movement (Gnosticism) simply because we want to confront a cult, we have to be careful of decontextualizing the intent of the inspired author.
 
The repudiation of the idea that New Testament authors were addressing Gnosticism is simple. The entire New Testament context addresses two general problems/aberrations which were also addressed by Christ, namely, the rejection of Christ’s divinity as God/High Priest and the rejection that Christ alone was the means, provision, and cause of eternal life and salvation to all who trust in Him.
 
The Bible is a book about how God would use Israel as a guinea pig to show what humanity does when given the law of God. Throughout the history of Israel’s idolatry, rebellion, abuse of the law, and sinfulness, the Gentiles are inconspicuously included in the glorious hope that awaited Israel through the revelation of Christ/Messiah. When Messiah came and the Spirit was given at Pentecost, Paul revealed that all the promises made to Israel were fulfilled and that through faith alone the Gentiles would partake of those promises (Ephesians 3:6). But the unbelieving Israelites would be filled with envy, attempting to dissuade Gentiles by bringing in truth mixed with the error that Christ and circumcision were necessary for salvation. This is one of the two fundamental heresies. The Israelites rejected Christ as Messiah, but they were trying to slowly turn the believing Gentiles and Israelites away from Christ. These heretical Israelites fundamentally denied Christ as divine High Priest and Messiah (anointed One). In the Old Testament, the high priest was always anointed as such:
 
"And you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him; and you shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve Me as priests.” (Exod. 28:41 NAS)
 
The Hebrew word for anointed is Mashach, and for anointed one is Masheach or Messiah. The Greek word is Christos or Christ. It is a term of priesthood, and specifically, Israelite priesthood. There is nothing in the Old Testament biblical accounts that takes priesthood out of the Israelite parameter. It is always associated with the Israelites and all who were in covenant relationship to God. There are little to no lexical references outside of the scriptural usage of the Greek and Hebrew terms for “anointed” or Messiah/Christ. The reason for this is because the terms are exclusively related to the high priesthood. If any such lexical information exists, it is with the early Church Fathers who almost always use it within the context of scripture. With this in mind, Paul’s defense of Messiah and his warning to “beware,” is manifestly pointing to apostate Judaism. The chief text used by apologists to assume Paul was confronting Gnosticism is found in Colossians:
 
“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form,” (Col. 2:8-9 NAS)
 
One such apologist, William Barclay, comments on this passage:
 
“It is a philosophy which has been handed down by human tradition. The Gnostics were in the habit of claiming that their special teaching was teaching which had been told by word of mouth by Jesus, sometimes to Mary, sometimes to Matthew, and sometimes to Peter.” (Barclay Study Bible)
 
Ellicot’s commentary on vv.1-7 reads: “The reason of that anxiety is found in the “beguiling and enticing words” of an incipient Gnosticism.”
 
The problem is, there is nothing contextually or historically that indicates this. In fact, the very context displays that Paul is confronting Jewish Christians who were retreating to apostate Judaism and trusting in the law of Moses:
 
“having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. 16 Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day”-- (Col. 2:14-16 NAS)
 
Sabbaths, festivals, dietary laws, and new moons were Israelite devotions and mandates under Moses. But even Isaiah chides the Israelites for their abuse of Moses inasmuch as professing Jewish Christians under Paul’s ministry were chastised for going back to Moses. Isaiah writes:
 
"Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies-- I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. 14 "I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me. I am weary of bearing them.” (Isa. 1:13-14 NAS)
 
Gnosticism was not a problem to Isaiah nor was it to Paul. They were concerned with the true worship of God, which, upon the Messiah’s once-for-all offering, took place in the new kingdom through the finished work of Christ (Christos-anointed). To deny Christ was to deny Emmanuel, that is, God with us. Christ was the eternal High Priest who offered Himself without sin and who remains a High Priest:
 
“Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. 13 For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. 15 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.” (Heb. 7:11-16 NAS)
 
The reference to Melchizedek is important and is in direct reference to the divinity of Christ. Christ said to the Pharisees, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58). This is a statement of divinity as it not only displays His Messianic eternality; it also equates Him with the I AM (a statement of eternal being) of Exodus, having neither beginning nor ending of days:
 
“And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’; and He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’'" (Exod. 3:14 NAS)
 
This would naturally provoke the Pharisees to attempt to stone him (John 8:59ff). They knew Christ was claiming to be Messiah (anointed) and Emmanuel (God with us), and therefore they rejected His claims as blasphemy and considered Him worthy of death. This problem is evident throughout the book of Acts as well as the New Testament epistles. 1 John takes no different approach. He uses the Israelite high priestly term to convey the essence of Jesus: He is the Christ. To deny this is anti-Christ or anti-High Priest. John first commences his epistle with affirmations of communion with the Father through the Son:
 
“what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” (1 Jn. 1:3 NAS)
 
This is another transparent reference to the mercy seat through which God promised to commune with Aaron:
 
"And there I will meet ( with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.” (Exod. 25:22 NAS)
 
Paul also affirms that Christ became our mercy seat in order for us to commune with the Father:
 
“[Jesus Christ] whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;” (Rom. 3:25 NAS)
 
It was sin that prohibited the people of God from entering the earthly tabernacle, a shadow of the heavenly holy of holies into which God would bring all His children by the blood of Jesus:
 
“Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. 19 Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb. 10:18-22 NAS)
 
The “great priest” or high priest is none other than Messiah/Christ (anointed one) whom the unbelieving Israelites denied. It was in this context that John, a minister to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, wrote his epistles, not to an unrelated Greek audience given to Gnosticism. While Barclay regretfully assigns Paul’s warning against Gnosticism, at least he conjoins it with the glaring revelation that Paul is referring to the elements of Judaism:
 
“It can be seen that [in Colossians 2:18] there is a mixture of Gnosticism and Judaism,” yet nowhere does Barclay show how this passage is addressing this unfounded “mixture.” Paul is strictly referring to Judaism. So likewise, John writes in his epistle concerning the rejection of the anointed one:
 
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.” (1 Jn. 4:1-3 NAS)
 
Once again, Gnosticism pertains nothing to John’s urgent subject, specifically, the rejection of Christ as High Priest, which is also the rejection of His deity:
 
“Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.” (1 Jn. 2:22-23 NAS)
 
John, surrounded by the Jewish world (kosmos), capitalizes on this theme with his enunciation of Christ’s words about Himself and His union with the Father:
 
“in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” (Jn. 5:23 NAS)
 
And again in what theologians commonly (and rightly) call the “High Priestly prayer”:
 
“These things Jesus spoke; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee,” (Jn. 17:1 NAS)
 
It is anti-Christ (Gr. “antichristos”), or that spirit of antichrist which was opposed to Christ, and this is none other than the wicked system of the scribes and Pharisees which exalted themselves against Christ, and Paul shows this spirit of antichrist to be directly connected to the Jewish Temple which was still standing at that time:
 
“Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” (2 Thess. 2:3-4 NAS)
 
John points to no different antichrist as they were approaching the last hour of the Temple, and it serves us well to observe the contrast between communion/anointing and antichrist:
 
“Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. 26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. 27 And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” (1 Jn. 2:18-27 NAS)
 
John did not wander beyond the scope of Israelites. That would be Paul’s domain in terms of his primary evangelical outlook, yet even Paul, as we have noted, had to address the heresy of law/grace justification as it was ill-affecting the Gentiles. However, John is exclusively Jewish.
 
This is where we turn to an overarching biblical theme, namely that of the genesis of God’s covenant people and the Logos of God. John refers to Christ as the Logos or Word or Power of God. Paul calls Him, “Christ the Wisdom and Power of God.” The Logos of God was in the beginning, that is, the beginning of the creation of the covenant people of God. Out of God was spoken “Let there be light.” and thus flows John’s renowned introduction:
 
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” (Jn. 1:1-3 NAS)
 
This is clearly an allusion to the Genesis commencement, with Logos having no relationship to Gnosticism whatsoever. The Word/Logos became flesh, i.e. incarnated under law to perform and finish the high priestly work of transferring earthly Old Covenant things into heavenly New Covenant things. Though a rather lengthy text, one must read the following in light of the purpose and work of Christ as High Priest. Close attention must be given to the use of “Christ” or “anointed one.” In order to elucidate this truth, “Christ” in the following context will be translated as “the Anointed One” as well as all pronouns referring to Him:
 
“But when the Anointed One appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, the Anointed One entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through the Anointed One’s own blood, the Anointed One entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of the Anointed One, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason the Anointed One is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. 18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you." 21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. 22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For the Anointed One did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear {the first appearance) in the presence of God for us; 25 nor was it that the Anointed One should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood not his own. 26 Otherwise, the Anointed One would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages the Anointed One has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, 28 so the Anointed One also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await the Anointed One. (Heb. 9:11-28 NAS)
 
His first appearance was not becoming flesh, as many suppose. Rather, the first appearance is clear: “when the Anointed One *appeared* as High Priest of good things to come, the Anointed One entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle.” The appearance, therefore, is when Christ ascended as High Priest, not when He was incarnated. This seemingly small, but very significant difference must be appreciated. Because of the Christmas story and the identification of the Anointed One as having made a “first advent” as a baby, a great theological disservice to the High Priestly work has been done. In fact, ascribing the “first appearing” to the newborn Anointed One steals from the profoundly important role of His High Priestly appearance before God after the sacrifice of Himself. Thus, just as most of Christendom has ‘decovenantalized’ Genesis (the beginning of God’s covenant with a people) and turned it into a cosmological thread and overarching doctrine which would inevitably demand a cosmological end, so also they have disregarded the purpose of Christ’s high priestly “appearance” at his ascension after His sacrifice and have created a micro-cosmological monument in the birth of Christ restricting it from Christ’s high priestly role. In doing so, Christendom has forged a non-covenantal high priestly work, dismissing the true meaning of His first appearing. If one sees the first appearing as a high priestly work, they will then see His second appearing as a high priestly work as well and be able to see its fulfillment in the first century at AD 70 and the destruction of the Temple, the outward sign to the unbelieving Jews that the sacrifice of Christ was accepted and that they were now being judged (Heb. 9:8-11).
 
Once this is understood and the role of Christ/Anointed One is established, Logos then returns to His important role, not merely as a Greek talking point of relevance for the koine Jewish/Greek context in which the Apostles wrote and audience to whom they wrote, but also as a covenantal commencement seen in both the Old and New Covenants. Christ as the “firstborn of all creation” no longer is seen as the firstborn of the cosmological creation (i.e. rocks, trees, humans, animals etc.) but instead He is seen as the firstborn of the creation of the covenant people of God out of the earthly Old Covenant of death, i.e. guilt). He is the Logos and Alpha and Omega. This does not diminish His eternality from past to future throughout the chronos, but it rightly places His eternal power and Godhead into that which raises the dead to life by the power of His own eternal (without beginning or ending of days) high priestly life. Just as the Gospel of John is filled with statements of the power of Logos to speak light and life into existence, so also the epistles of John confirm that the Logos calls those things which are nothing as though they were, or as Paul says:
 
“(as it is written, "A father of many nations have I made you") in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. 18 In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, "So shall your descendants be." (Rom. 4:17-18 NAS)
 
It is about the creation of a people by the Logos/High Priest, who would bring all into the high priestly anointing of the holy nation and new creation of God’s people:
 
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” (1 Pet. 2:9 NAS)
 
John speaks of this priesthood without restriction to the Levitical line:
 
“and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, 6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”(Rev. 1:5-6 NAS)
 
“And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 "And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." (Rev. 5:9-10 NAS)
 
The eternal Logos/High Priest/Anointed One has also anointed the eternal people of God as the new creation in Christ Jesus. We commune with God, as Aaron did temporarily. Yet we, through Christ’s power of an endless life, are anointed and dwelling in unity with the people of God, even by the command of God for all eternity:
 
“ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron's beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- life forever.” (Ps. 133:1-3 NAS)
 
There is nothing historically or biblically which supports the idea of a Gnostic problem the Apostles had to confront. This historic and grossly elongated fabrication has done great harm to the interpretation of the more ancient context, theme, and person of Christ as the everlasting Logos, the Power and Wisdom of God, yea, God Himself, our eternal High Priest and Anointed One by whom we too have received the anointing.
​

​Throughout scripture there are multiple indictments against self-righteousness and self-righteousness’ exaltation of personal morality over true mercy and justice. One of the chief complaints of Jesus against the religious elite of His day, the Pharisees and Sadducees is the following:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” (Matt. 23:23 NAS)

Outwardly speaking, the Pharisees were the most “righteous” of anyone:

"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:20 NAS)

Paul acknowledged his blamelessness while he was a Pharisee:

“although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.” (Phil. 3:4-6 NAS)

While riches do not determine one’s godliness (or lack thereof), in first-century Judaism, riches went hand in hand with morality and self-righteousness:

“And a certain ruler questioned Him, saying, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ 19 And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 "You know the commandments, 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.'" 21 And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth." 22 And when Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 23 But when he had heard these things, he became very sad; for he was extremely rich. 24 And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! 25 "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26 And they who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" 27 But He said, "The things impossible with men are possible with God." (Lk. 18:18-27 NAS)

James, whose epistle includes a severe chastisement of the Pharisees, confirmed the link between financial wealth and self-righteousness:

“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! 4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.” (Jas. 5:1-6 NAS)

Christ, again, notes this connection between the Pharisees’ riches and self-righteousness:

“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things, and do not do them. 4 "And they tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. 5 "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries, and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 "And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called by men, Rabbi.” (Matt. 23:1-7 NAS)

It is not the goal of this article to address riches and their connection to the self-righteousness. The above passages are addressed to point out that this was a condition which existed in first-century apostate Judaism. It is the goal of this article to demonstrate that in stark contrast to outward morality and self-righteousness,  the over-arching character traits of justice and mercy were and are present in the true people of God. Monetary riches simply accompanied the self-righteous and the self-righteous condemned the poor or humble in spirit (under the Old Testament, this was characterized by the broken spirit over sin before the holy God). This was true throughout the history of Israel and of course at the time of Christ. Christ linked the self-righteousness of the Pharisees with their lack of mercy/compassion as they condemned God’s people:

"But if you had known what this means, 'I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.” (Matt. 12:7 NAS)

There is a distinct connection between mercy and justice. But identifying what true justice is can be difficult if we approach the word “justice” with the traditional mentality of “justice must be served.” In the modern evangelical world  high priority is placed upon meting out justice. That is, many in the right wing evangelical world pride themselves on being strong on making sure criminals get what they deserve. The intention here is not to prove that criminals should not get what they deserve. Rather, it is to show that the word “justice,” as used in scripture can often have the meaning of equality. Too often we distort the meaning of justice to actually refer to the opposite of the Bible’s definition depending on the context. Therefore we must demonstrate how the Bible uses the word “justice” in order to grasp why Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for not applying justice. After all, if any group of people wanted to apply strict punishment to law breakers, it was the Pharisees. As modern evangelicals typically use the word “justice,” the Pharisees applied it well, whether it was the stone the adulterous woman (John 8:5), or to point out the sinfulness of others while vindicating themselves (John 8:41; Luk 18:11). That is, they were strong on “justice,” according to the modern evangelical definition/application of the word. Therefore, it would not make sense to apply the modern definition of “justice” to Christ’s meaning here as he criticizes the Pharisees for neglecting justice:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” (Matt. 23:23 NAS)

Interestingly, the word justice is sometimes translated as “judgment” (e.g. the KJV’s translation of Matt 23:23). The New American Standard Version uses the word “justice” 9 times in the New Testament. However, the Greek word used in Matthew 23 occurs 43 times in various forms. It the word “krisin” or “krisis” from where we get the cognate, “crisis,” which essentially means a decisive stage or period where change happens, that is, what a judgment yields. The contexts in which God implores His people to exercise justice have to do with making changes through fairness or equality, and as such, those contexts implore humility and mercy as the fruit and/or cause of justice. Just as the Pharisees were obsessed with tithes and offerings and Jesus chided them by telling them they should place more weight on justice and mercy, so Isaiah and Micah makes similar contrasts. The Israelites were consumed with offerings and animal sacrifices, and both Isaiah and Micah contrast such a spirit with admonitions to have justice and mercy:

"Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies-- I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. 14 "I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me. I am weary of bearing them. 15 "So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you, Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16 "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless; Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.” (Isa. 1:13-17 NAS)

“With what shall I come to the LORD And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? 7 Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my first-born for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic. 6:6-8 NAS)

Justice, cannot therefore, be referring to meting out punishment for wrongdoing but rather is in reference to fairness. The people of God are to see one another as equal before God, needing humility and mercy, and exercising the same before one another. Jesus’ words harmonize perfectly with Isaiah and Micah and He address the same issues and makes the same contrast. That is, for Jesus and the prophets, the exercise of justice coming from the people of God must result in equality of spiritual status before God rather than the exaltation of self-righteousness above another sinner. Paul and Barnabas applied this:

“…and saying, ‘Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you in order that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them.’” (Acts 14:15 NAS)

They acknowledged that their “nature” was the same as those in Lystra who were worshipping false gods. 

In Psalms:

“And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity. (Ps. 9:8 NAS)

Peter expressed similar sentiment after having healed a lame man:

“But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, ‘Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?’ ” (Acts 3:12 NAS)

There was no comparison or self-exaltation, but instead there was a complete disavowingof  any power or personal morality which others might assume with the accomplishment of such a miracle. 

Again, Peter makes certain those around him know his humanity:

“And when it came about that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am just a man." (Acts 10:25-26 NAS)

However, the self-righteous make separations between them and others. Isaiah demonstrates the character traits of those committed to false religion:

"I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts, 3 A people who continually provoke Me to My face, Offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on bricks; 4 Who sit among graves, and spend the night in secret places; Who eat swine's flesh, And the broth of unclean meat is in their pots. 5 "Who say, 'Keep to yourself, do not come near me, For I am holier than you!' These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day.” (Isa. 65:2-5 NAS)

This separation is a manifest characteristic of those without mercy. Jesus, who, as God incarnate having every right to claim His divinity, took upon Him the form of a servant (Phil 2:5-11) and exercised justice by eating and spending time with sinners, which the Pharisees rebuked:

“And it happened that as He was reclining at the table in the house, behold many tax-gatherers and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax-gatherers and sinners?" 12 But when He heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. 13 "But go and learn what this means, 'I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matt. 9:10-13 NAS)

Micah, who told the people to “love mercy” (6:8) speaks of God’s love for mercy:

“Who is a God like Thee, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love. 19 He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, Thou wilt cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. 20 Thou wilt give truth to Jacob And unchanging love to Abraham, Which Thou didst swear to our forefathers From the days of old.” (Mic. 7:18-20 NAS)

Jesus, as God incarnate, demonstrated that He indeed “delights in unchanging love.” He displayed this without partiality. Partiality is the character trait of the self-righteous, or those who “deal treacherously” a practice which God sternly rebukes through Malachi:

"Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? 11 "Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 "As for the man who does this, may the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers, or who presents an offering to the LORD of hosts. 13 "And this is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 "Yet you say, 'For what reason?' Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 "But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then, to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. 16 "For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with wrong," says the LORD of hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously." (Mal. 2:10-16 NAS)

James also condemns this practice of partiality and the bringing of sinners to the presence of all in order to judge them:

“My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? 5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? 7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? 8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law, according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 11 For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.” (Jas. 2:1-13 NAS)

They were quick to exercise the meting out of justice punitively rather than mercifully, which is why Christ uttered the well-known, “judge not lest ye be judged.” In context:

"Do not judge lest you be judged. 2 "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 "And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matt. 7:1-5 NAS)

Likewise:

“And He was saying to them, "Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it shall be measured to you; and more shall be given you besides.” (Mk. 4:24 NAS)

This type of justice connected with mercy is the character trait of the dwelling place of God:

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Thy throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before Thee.” (Ps. 89:14 NAS)

If righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne, and the Church has not only been commissioned as the ministers of truth and justice (equal standing before God) but also She has become the righteousness of God, then the Church has become the foundation of God’s throne, that is, the place where He dwells. 

“His foundation is in the holy mountains. 2 The LORD loves the gates of Zion More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah.” (Ps. 87:1-3 NAS)

The dwelling place of God is the Church, that is, the righteousness and justice of God. We are God’s righteousness and justice in position as the dwelling place of God as well as the application of righteousness and justice of God among God’s people. Justice for Jesus does not equal judgment. Consider:

"Do not judge lest you be judged. (Matt. 7:1 NAS)
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” (Matt. 23:23 NAS)

The same Greek root is used here, krino (crisis), aforementioned. Therefore, we must be certain of each individual context. Jesus is not contradicting Himself. When Jesus commands to “judge not,” and yet chides the Pharisees for omitting the weightier matter of justice, there is an obvious distinction which must be made, depending on the context, as the words are used interchangeably to refer to something that has a punitive connotation as well as something that has the connotation of fairness. Each context makes these things apparent. For example, here is a punitive context:

“And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.” (Jude 1:6 NAS)

But the following seems to be in keeping with the themes of mercy and gentleness, and thus justice would likely refer to fairness:

"A battered reed He will not break off, And a smoldering wick He will not put out, Until He leads justice to victory. 21 And in His name the Gentiles will hope." (Matt. 12:20-21 NAS)

The Septuagint renders the following using κρίσιν twice in this context:

“κάλαμον τεθλασμένον οὐ συντρίψει καὶ λίνον καπνιζόμενον οὐ σβέσει ἀλλὰ εἰς ἀλήθειαν ἐξοίσει κρίσιν 4 ἀναλάμψει καὶ οὐ θραυσθήσεται ἕως ἂν θῇ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κρίσιν καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν.” (Isa. 42:3-4 LXT)

The English translation conveys a deep sense of fairness and not punitive measures in this prophecy of that which was fulfilled in Matthew:

"A bruised reed He will not break, And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 "He will not be disheartened or crushed, Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law." (Isa. 42:3-4 NAS)

“His law” is the royal law of love and restoration, as Paul notes:

Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal. 6:1-2 NAS)

The “law of Christ” is mercy, and this is evident throughout the Gospels and the application of this mercy is the fulfillment of the law of Christ. 

When we speak of judging and Christ judging people, the contexts must be properly evaluated so as to not make the mistake of assuming it is punitive when it should be fairness. 

The self-righteous latch onto the punitive contexts and seem to thrive on jots and tittles by misapplying those contexts. Those who understand the broken and contrite heart and the application of the Gospel and mercy of Christ latch onto the proper understanding of mercy/fairness contexts. Our standing is before God. The children of God must see each other as God sees us. We do not “judge” according to what we see or hear but we judge righteous judgment as Christ judged:

“And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity. 9 The LORD also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble,” (Ps. 9:8-9 NAS)
“And the strength of the King loves justice; Thou hast established equity; Thou hast executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.” (Ps. 99:4 NAS)

Of the King it is said that He “loves justice.” Micah writes:

“Who is a God like Thee, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love. 19 He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, Thou wilt cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. 20 Thou wilt give truth to Jacob And unchanging love to Abraham, Which Thou didst swear to our forefathers From the days of old.” (Mic. 7:18-20 NAS)

God delights in unchanging love and implores the same of us:

“He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic. 6:8 NAS)

Doing justice goes hand in hand with loving kindness (mercy) and walking humbly. There is no humility in exercising punitive judgment, for it is rooted in self-righteousness and ultimately condemns itself:

“Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have set for me, And from the snares of those who do iniquity. 10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, While I pass by safely.” (Ps. 141:9-10 NAS)

This refers to the judgmental words of the self-righteous with the intent of harming the people of God through judgment:

"And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. 37 "For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned." (Matt. 12:36-37 NAS)

The punitive judgment which comes upon the self-righteous is their own words. The trap they set for others traps the self-righteous. This is precisely why Paul urged withholding self-righteous and punitive judgment:

“Therefore you are without excuse, every man of you who passes judgment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” (Rom. 2:1 NAS)

Jesus preceded Paul with the exact same idea:

"For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 "And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matt. 7:2-5 NAS)

Upon the merciless there would be no mercy:

“For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.” (Jas. 2:13 NAS)

But for the people of God who have been given mercy by God, they show mercy:

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matt. 5:7 NAS)

The Pharisees were devoted to strife and division, and mercilessness is antithetical to unity and communion. Mercy is restorative. Law and self-righteousness judgment work wrath and disunity. James wrote that “mercy triumphs over judgment.” It should be no surprise that the mercy seat sat atop the ark (Ex. 25:21-22; 26:34; 30:6; 40:20; Lev 16:2,13,15; Num 7:89) which contained the law, showing its triumph over the judgments of the law. Of Christ it is said:

“whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;” (Rom. 3:25 NAS)

The King James Version translates “propitiation” as “mercy-seat.” 

The same Greek word, ἱλαστήριον (hilasterion), is where we get our word, “hilarious” or to make happy. The New American Standard Bible translates the same word which is used in Romans 3:25 as “propitiation,” while in Hebrews the same version translates it the following way:

“And above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail.” (Heb. 9:5 NAS)

The word is translated as “propitiation” four times in the New Testament:

“whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;” (Rom. 3:25 NAS)
“Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” (Heb. 2:17 NAS)
“and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” (1 Jn. 2:2 NAS)
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 Jn. 4:10 NAS)

It is curious that the word “propitiation” is never used in the English translations within the Old Testament. It is always translated “mercy seat,” and in the Septuagint it is always some form of ἱλαστήριον (hilasterion).

This point is elaborated because it was through the mercy seat that God would meet (“commune” KJV) with the High Priest:

"And the cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the mercy seat. 21 "And you shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I shall give to you. 22 "And there I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.” (Exod. 25:20-22 NAS)

It was at the mercy seat where God would meet (Septuagint “ginosko”) with Aaron. Notice the positioning: the angels peering into the mercy seat which symbolized God’s presence; it was through the mercy seat that God’s presence would come “from above the mercy seat.” Through the mercy seat, heaven would come to earth, and in Christ, we have the reality of this. Mercy (the mercy seat, i.e. Christ) brought heaven to earth reconciling (restoring) God and His people) and it is through mercy that His people are restored one to another. This mercy seat (propitiation or hilasmos, i.e. sacrifice that makes God happy) has turned God’s face toward His people so that there is no breach. Amos speaks of this breach being restored, and James confirms that through Christ the breach between Jew and Gentile was eliminated. Just as the law left a breach between the Israelites and God, so also there was a breach between Jew and Gentile. Christ’s blood eliminated both breaches, and the two (Jew and Gentile) are one with God and one with each other. So it follows that we are the eternal Church applying mercy continually one toward another through the blood of Christ, the ultimate reconciler of all things:

“And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. 21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach” (Col. 1:17-22 NAS)

Ward Fenley

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