Born Again (4) Incomplete Description

In his preaching, Jesus used various other expressions to describe the first step of dying to sin and self.

Change your thinking and trust the gospel (Mark 1:15).

Come follow me (Mark 1:16).

Take up your cross and follow me (Luke 14:27).

Any of you who does not give up everything you have cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:33).

You cannot serve God and unrighteous wealth (Luke 16:13).

Sell your unrighteous wealth and give it to the poor (Luke 18:22).

If these expressions are not part of our preaching of the gospel too, then our hearers will only get the wrong half of the stick.

Nicodemus discovered the full cost of loyalty to Jesus. When he defended Jesus before the pharisees and chief priests by demanding a fair hearing for Jesus before they condemned him, he was mocked and insulted by them (John 7:45-52). When Jesus had died on the cross, Nicodemus helped bury him in the garden tomb. Asking for the body of a man killed as a rebel identified him as a rebel against Rome, so any political privilege he had would be gone.

Nicodemus had to give up his position as a Jewish leader and as a Roman collaborator to follow Jesus and be born again. He had to die to his old life, before he could be born into the new Kingdom.

The phrase “born again” misses out on part of the process. It explains the new life we have in Jesus, but it does not explain that we need to die to our life with Jesus before we can enter into the new life. I wonder how many Christians believe that they have been “born again” because they prayed a prayer, but have never died to their old life, because they did not realise that was part of the process.

Paul used a slightly different expression when describing what happens when a person chooses to follow Jesus. He said that we died with Jesus and rose again with him to new life.

All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his... Now, if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him (Rom 6:3-8).

This passage is a fuller description of the process of becoming a follower of Jesus than the phrase “born again”. When we are united with Jesus by committing to follow him and trusting in his death and resurrection, we are raised with him to a new life. But that is the second step in the process. In the first step, we are united with him in his death. When we die with Jesus, we are dying to our old life controlled by sin and self. We cannot gain the new life without dying to our old life first.

Baptism is a good way of describing this two-pronged process. We go under the water, symbolising our death to our old life. We come out of the water, and the Holy Spirit comes down on us as an expression of the new life we have in Jesus.

Paul understood the current and future aspects of the new birth. He explained that those who trust Jesus died and rose with him. He also stressed that we must continue to put off the old life and put on the new life as we grow in Jesus and serve him in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature… since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator (Col 3:5,10).

We must keep on putting to death our sinful nature and continue to put on the life of Jesus as we grow in faith and obedience.

Born Again (3) Interesting Choice

Being born again is just one of the expressions used in the New Testament for accepting the gospel of Jesus. Various other expressions are used.

Take up the cross (Luke 14:27).

Accepted the word (Acts 2:41).

Obey the gospel (Romans 1:5, 1 Peter 4:17).

Come to the light (John 3:20-21)

Passed from death to life (John 5:24, 1 John 3:14)

Repent and turn to God (Acts 26:20)

Deny himself (Mark 8:34, Matthew 16:24, Luke 9:23)

Die daily (1 Corinthians 15:31)

Renounce all that he has (Luke 14:33)

Sell all and give to the poor (Mark 10:21)

Suffer with him (Romans 8:17)

These expressions suggest a whole range of labels that Christians could give to themselves that would be equally descriptive.

• Carrying the Cross Christian

• Obeying the Gospel Christian

• Repentant Christian

• Deny myself Christian

• Renounced all that I have Christian

• Sold all to give to the poor Christian

• Suffering with Jesus Christian.

I imagine that most Christians would choose not to use these labels, because they might be hard to live up to. People of the world might challenge us for failing to measure up to our name.

“Born again” is a more comfortable name to use, because its effect is invisible. Therefore, no one can accuse a Christian of not being born again, because there is no decisive way to observe them and be sure that they are not. The “new” birth is a work of the Holy Spirit. We cannot see him working because he is invisible to human eyes. Some people may have a deeply spiritual experience, but others might not. So if a person says that they are born again, we have no way of validating whether it is true. This means that using “born again” as the criteria for distinguishing true Christians from people who are not true Christians does not make sense.

A criterion is only useful for discerning between people if it can be observed. Describing what kind of Christian we are using a criterion that is invisible is a safe option, but is not very helpful.

Jesus had a different way of distinguishing those who are truly his followers. He said,

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:34-35).

The best way to identify the true followers of Jesus is to look for those who are loving each other as Jesus loved us. His followers will be implementing his new commandment to love one another.

The benefit of this criterion is that it is easy to observe. If people are loving each other in a sacrificial way, it will be obvious. They don’t need to call themselves “Loving One Another Christians”, because their love will be visible to everyone. Even people of the world will be able to discern who is real and who is not.

A modern problem is that many people who claim to be born again are not very good at loving one another. Unfortunately, the world has realised that and is ignoring Jesus because of it.

Born Again (2) Rare Expression

Jesus used the expression “born again” on one occasion only, but the modern church has built a theology around it. Being born again has become the standard by which Christians are judged. True Christians have been “born again”, but those who have not been “born again” are not true Christians. There are several problems with this phrase.

It was not used by the apostles when preaching in the book of Acts. Paul did not use the expression in any of his letters to the churches. Building a doctrine of Christian initiation on the basis of an image that is used only once in the New Testament is risky and unwise.

Born Again (1)

Many Christians prefer to describe themselves as “born again” Christians, as a way of distinguishing themselves from other Christians who are not quite as real. I find this practice odd, because I suspect that very few of these people could describe clearly what the expression actually means. I presume that most would be hard-pressed to explain what actually happens when a person is born again.

For many people it just means that they have raised their hand and prayed a “sinners’ prayer” at a church service or outreach meeting. But if I asked if everyone who has said a sinner’s prayer is actually born again, I imagine that most would say no.

Some will say that being born again means that they have become a new person, but in many ways, they are still the same person, so what really changed? We need a better understanding of what Jesus meant when he spoke of being born again.

Jesus used the expression “born again” when a pharisee called Nicodemus came to him with questions about the Kingdom of God. He told him that he needed to be “born again of the Spirit”. This was not a parable to make a complicated experience simple. It was a powerful image that Jesus used deliberately to jolt Nicodemus into a radical change of thinking.

Nicodemus was smart, but he struggled to understand what Jesus was saying, so it is not surprising that many Christians do not understand his meaning either.

What's in a Name? (8) Spiritual Prayer Language

The gift of a spiritual language in the church is different from the gift of a spiritual language in private prayer to God. The latter is a manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit with a person. Paul also describes how this works in 1 Corinthians 14. It can be distinguished because it edifies the individual praying and not the church.

For anyone who speaks in a language does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit (1 Cor 14:2).

Anyone who speaks in a language edifies themselves… (1 Cor 14:4)

I would like every one of you to speak in languages… (1 Cor 14:5).

... greater than the one who speaks in languages (1 Cor 14:5)

If I come to you and speak in a language, what good will I be to you (1 Cor 14:6)?

For if I pray in a language, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful… (1 Cor 14:14).

I will pray with my spirit… I will sing with my spirit (1 Cor 14:15)

Otherwise, when you are praising God in the Spirit… (1 Cor 14:16).

They do not know what you are saying. You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified. (v1 Cor 14:16-17).

I thank God that I speak in languages more than all of you (1 Cor 14:18).

The theme of all these verses is that a person speaking in a spiritual language is speaking to God inspired by the Holy Spirit. This edifies the person praying, but does not edify any person in the church who is listening. Paul wants all followers of Jesus to edify themselves by praying in a spiritual language.

However, in the church, he wants followers of Jesus to do things that will build the church.

Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church (1 Cor 14:12).

The roles listed in 1 Corinthians 12:28-30, Ephesians 4:11-12, and Romans 4-8 are roles that “God has placed in the Church” to build it up.

In contrast, what we call the gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 are manifestations of the Spirit in the lives of followers of Jesus in a way that he considers to be appropriate.

All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he wills (1 Cor 12:11)

Naming them "Manifestations of the Spirit" would give a better understanding of how they function. They dont belong to a person. They have not been given to a person as a permanent thing. They are signs that the Holy Spirit is active in the person's life.

This full series can be read at Whats in a Name?

What's in a Name? (7) Languages and Interpretation

There are two other roles/gifts that not everyone has.

Not all speak in languages. Not all interpret (1 Cor 12:30b).

At first glance, this does not make sense because further on in the letter, Paul writes that he wants everyone to speak in a spiritual language.

I would like every one of you to speak in a spiritual language (1 Cor 14:5).

So why would he say in 1 Corinthians 12:30 that only some do and most don’t?

The reason is that in this verse he is describing a role that functions in the church. This is why it is linked to a role described as interpretation/explanation.

One of the ways that God speaks to the church is by one person giving a message in an unknown language and a second person giving an interpretation. Paul describes how this works in 1 Corinthians 14.

If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church (1 Cor 14:27-28).

Several people might give a message in their spiritual language. Another person must interpret or explain.

If there is no one with the capability to interpret, the speakers should remain silent. They should know someone is there who can interpret before they begin to speak. They are not told to trust that the Holy Spirit will spontaneously give someone the ability to interpret their message, because they would not know that when they begin to speak. Rather, the assumption is that someone will be present who has developed a role in listening to the Holy Spirit and interpreting messages in unknown languages. People should know that such a person is there.

This is something that should happen in the church.

Try to excel in those that build up the church.  For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say (1 Cor 14:12-13).

If a person believes the Holy Spirit is giving them a message for the church in a spiritual language, and they don’t know that there is a person there who can give an interpretation, they should pray that they can interpret their own message. If they cannot do that, then they should remain silent.

Speaking a message in an unknown language and giving interpretations/explanations are two roles that should function in a healthy church. They go together, because one can function without the other. This is why Paul said that not everyone has these roles. They are activities that people need to learn to do and become proficient as the Holy Spirit manifests through them. They begin as a spontaneous manifestation (as per 1 Cor 12:10) and develop into a role (as per 1 Cor14:27). These giftings/roles are what Paul wants to see more of in the church.

Eagerly desire the greater gifts (charismata) (1 Cor 12:30).

Followers of Jesus should seek the greater gifts, which are prophecy and languages/interpretation. Paul goes on to explain how they work in 1 Corinthians 14. All three of these gifts are important because they build up the church. Having people who can exercise these roles strengthens a church.

Speaking a message in a spiritual language and having it interpreted by someone else is a good path into prophesying. The speaker has to speak, which is never easy for a beginner. But the interpreter does the heavy lifting for them by getting the message clear.

This full series can be read at Whats in a Name?

What's in a Name? (6) Not Everyone

Paul switches course in 1 Corinthians 12:27-31. He is still explaining the way that the body works, so he gives a different list of roles and gifts.

You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it (1 Cor 12:27).

Every follower of Jesus is part of the body and can make a contribution to it. He then explains how God has structured the body of Jesus.

God has placed in the church,
first of all apostles,
second prophets,
third teachers,
thereafter miracles,
thereafter gifts of healing,
helpers,
guidance (1 Cor 12:28).

These roles are “placed” in the church. The Greek word is “tithemi”. It describes an action in which something is passively put in a place. The placing of these roles is undertaken by God, not by the people being placed. People are placed, not manifestations of the Spirit.

The first three roles are numbered in order. They match with Ephesians 4 and Romans 12, although these dont give an order. Apostles are first, because they go out to establish a new church. Prophets are second, because a prophet always accompanies an apostle to ensure that the new church has a strong foundation. Teachers are third, because once the church has been established, pastor/teachers are needed to disciple the new believers.

The fourth role listed in Ephesians 4 is the evangelist. Their role is to grow the church by bringing people to faith in Jesus. They demonstrate the reality of God by doing miracles and healings in the power of the Spirit. That is why 1 Corinthians 12 has “miracles” and “gifts of healing” next on the list. They are essential for proclaiming the gospel in the world.

The other important non-eldership role is the deacon, who cares for the poor. In 1 Corinthians 12, the role is represented by “helpers” and “guidance”. Deacons give food to the poor, but they also teach them how to manage their finances.

All these roles are given to particular people. These are not roles that are given to everyone. That is why Paul goes on to say,

Not all (are) apostles. Not all prophets. Not all teachers. Not all work miracles. Not all have gifts of healing (1 Cor 12:29-30a).

Only some people have these roles in the church. This is the opposite of what is described in 1 Corinthians 12:7, where each person is given a manifestation of the Spirit in some way. The first part of the chapter describes manifestations of the Spirit that any believer can experience. The final part describes roles that are given to people who are placed in a position in the body of Jesus. These are the different roles of elders and deacons that the church needs.

Every believer can experience the manifestation of healing by the power of the Spirit. They can pray for people and have the healing of the Spirit flow through them. However, only some believers “have gifts of healing” (1Cor 12:30a) that they carry and know how to release healing in any situation that they encounter. These are people who have learned how to minister healing as the Holy Spirit leads.

What's in a Name? (5) Manifestation

In some ways, I believe that the word “manifestation” would be a better description for what Paul is describing in 1 Corinthians. That would make it clear that they are not talents that we have or roles that we have learned to act in. They are a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He can manifest in any of the ways described in any believer as he chooses. These manifestations are given (didomi) according to his will. They are something that the Holy Spirit gives, not something that the believer has.

A “manifestation” of the Spirit would be a better description of what he is doing, but that change is probably a step too far for most Christians. I think we prefer to call them gifts, because that gives us a sense that it is something that we have, and we like that idea, even though it is not correct. In contrast, calling them manifestations would eliminate a great deal of understanding.

Whats in a Name? (4) Gifts of Healing

The gift of healing is interesting because in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul uses the word “charismata”.

To another gifts (charismata) of healing by that one Spirit (1 Cor 12:9).

This is unique because he does not use the word “charismata, in the description of any of the other eight so-called spiritual gifts. Unlike the others, this one is described as plural “gifts of healing”.

I suspect that the reason for this is that healing is a gift that people need to learn how to use. Those who pray for the sick need to know how the spiritual world functions. So, although any believer can be a channel for healing, God will need people who have learned how to facilitate the gift of healing if the church is to reach its full potential.

So, although the Spirit can give the gift of healing to any follower of Jesus, there will be people who carry “gifts of healing”. This will be a bit like the gifts in Ephesians 4, which elders are called into. In a similar way, some people will be called into "gifts of healing". They will be confident to release the healing of the Spirit in various situations.

None of the other so-called gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 are described in this way. They are gifts that the Holy Spirit can give to any believer when he chooses, because they do not need experience to use them effectively. In contrast, experience with the gift of healing for learning how the Holy Spirit works to restore sick people to health.

Likewise, people who are called to serve as an evangelist will frequently carry gifts of healing, because healing the sick and casting out demons is integral to New Testament evangelism. People who undertake this role will need heaps of boldness and compassion, so they need to have been given an appropriate personality by God.

What's in a Name? (3) Romans 12

In his letter to the Romans, Paul begins by explaining that he is speaking with authority that is part of his calling as an apostle (Rom 12:3).

By the grace (charis) given (didomi) to me, I say to every one of you (Rom 12:3).

He then explains to the Roman Christians that different members of the body of Jesus have different functions (Rom 12:4). They have each received a calling in a similar way to those described in Ephesians 4. The wording is similar.

We have different gifts (charismata), according to the grace (charis) given (didomi) to each of us; whether prophesying… (Rom 12:6).

Many English translations use the word gifts twice, but charismata is only in the Greek text once. I presume Paul uses the word “charismata” in Romans because these gifts are similar to those in Ephesians 4. The lists overlap, but we miss the parallels because Ephesians names the eldership roles, whereas Romans describes what they do.

Ephesians 4	Romans 12
Prophet	Prophesying
Pastor/Teacher	Teaching/Encouraging
Apostle	Leading/Steering
Evangelist

The other gifts link to the ministry of the deacon. It is not an eldership role, but can become one.

Deacon	Service
	Giving
	Showing Mercy

If we understand that many deacons become evangelists (Stephen is the first), the last three gifts in Romans 12 link to the role of the evangelist. This structuring explains that the gifts in Romans 12 parallel those in Ephesians 4.

Because the callings are similar, using the expression “gracious gift” as the primary name of the phenomena described in 1 Corinthians 12 is misleading. Paul uses the word “charismata” in that passage to explain that these gifts are given graciously to people who don’t deserve them. In contrast, for the gifts in Ephesians 4 and Romans 12, people have to have done enough to deserve the trust required.

What's in a Name? (2) Ephesians 4

The problem with using the word “gift” is that it is used in other ways within the New Testament. The most important is in Ephesians 4:8-11. Paul writes of Jesus that,

When he ascended on high...
he gave gifts to men (Eph 4:8).

The Greek verb and noun for “gave gifts” are “didomi” and “doma”. These are the common words for “give” and “gift”. In Ephesians 4:11, Paul describes the gifts that were given.

He himself gave (didomi)
some to be apostles,
some prophets,
some evangelists,
some pastors and teachers (Eph 4:11).

There were roles in the church that Jesus called people to based on their personality. An Apostle needs a particular type of personality. A pastor/teacher needs a different kind of personality. They were not manifestations of the Spirit that come and go. They were a gift that was given to a person, that existed in them, even if they abused it.

I have explained in an article called Ascension Gifts that these are abilities/callings that God gives for leadership in the church. This is very different from the phenomenon that Paul described in his letter to the Corinthians. Calling the latter gifts will lead to confusion with the former, so it should be avoided. Likewise, “gracious gift (charismata)” is a confusing term, because Paul uses it in a different way in his letter to the Romans.

What's in a Name? (1)

A popular New Testament passage for Christians who have been touched by the Charismatic Renewal is 1 Corinthians 12. In most modern translations, the chapter carries the heading “Spiritual Gifts”, but I wonder if that is not misleading. The passage uses a variety of Greek words to describe what Paul is explaining.

1 Corinthians 12:1 seems to refer to spiritual gifts.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware.

The problem with this is the Greek word "pneumatikon", which means “spiritual”. The Greek word “pneuma” means “wind”, “breath,” or “spirit”. The suffix “tikos” shifts the focus from the object itself to its characteristics. So the word "pneumatikon" means “pertaining to the spirit”.

The word “gift” is not in the Greek text (most English bibles indicate this by putting the word in italics). A more accurate translation would be, “Now concerning spirituals...” The verse does not justify the name spiritual gifts.

Verses 4-6 give a trinitarian, threefold, naming of what Paul is describing.

4 Now there are varieties of graces, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are varieties of services, and the same Lord.
6 There are varieties of effects/operations, but the same God
     who works all things in all persons.

They come from the Spirit, the Lord (Jesus) and God (the Father). The fullness of the Trinity is active.

Three different Greek words describe what God has given through the Spirit.

• Graces     —     —     charismata
• Services   —     —   diakonos
• Effects/operations — energema

Each of these words brings an important insight to the description. The each need to be understood.

• The Greek word “charis” means "favour," "grace," "kindness," or "good will". The suffix “ma” (μα) typically indicates the result of these. Therefore, “charisma” is a gift that results from grace or favour, and “charismata” is the plural of “charisma”. It refers to benefits that are the result of grace and kindness. It is not a gift that I own.

• The Greek word “diakonia” means “attendance as a servant”. Most English bibles translate the word as “ministry”, but this is misleading, because it loads a lot of baggage onto a word that cannot carry it. Paul is simply saying these gifts are for the service of other people, not the individual who receives them.

• The Greek word “energema” simply means “effect”. It is derived from the verb “energo”, which means “to be active”. So Paul is saying that there are varieties of effects when the Holy Spirit is active.

In 1 Corinthians 12:7, Paul uses another name to describe the phenomenon he is teaching about.

But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (1 Cor 12:7).

The Greek word translated as “manifestation” is “phanerosis”. It is derived from a verb “phaneroo”, which means “to render apparent”. So what Paul is describing is a “manifestation or outward, visible disclosure or expression” of the Spirit's presence. It makes the presence of the Spirit apparent to people watching. The Spirit makes himself evident through a believer, for the sake of the gathered community.

In this passage, Paul uses five different words to describe the phenomena that he is teaching about. We have tended to use the first “spiritual gift”, even though the word “gift” is not in the text. We could just have easily chosen to describe them as “graces, services, effects or manifestations”. It is worth thinking about why we made that choice.

Islamic Revival

The secular news media realise now that the attack by the United States and Israel on Iran was a disastrous military mistake. They are beginning to realise that the destruction of American bases in Kuwait, Jordan, UAE and Qatar is changing the security structure of the entire region. It is unlikely that the US will want to rebuild bases that are vulnerable to Iranian missiles and drones and have to be re-supplied through the Persian Gulf. The Gulf states are coming to realise that they cannot rely on the United States for their defence, because it has proved to be more loyal to Israel than to its other allies.

These changes will cause a massive shake-up for the security of West Asia (the middle east). It will affect the supplies of oil and other chemicals around the world well into the future. However, another change is taking place at the same time, but western commentators have not even begun to notice it. A massive Islamic revival is now underway, currently centred on Iran, but it will spread across the entire region. This will have an enormous effect on West Asia going into the future.

See Islamic Revival or Substack for a full explanation and background information.

Three-agent Universe

I have come to a particular understanding about how the universe operates. I have set it out in Spiritual Realms and Three-agent Universe. I am fairly sure that my understanding is correct, but it is hard to prove it using proof texts.

The reason is that the Old Testament authors lived in a two-agent universe: everything was the work of God or man. They reflected that understanding in the way they wrote about their experiences. The Holy Spirit usually did not make them write things that they did not believe or understand, so the Hebrew text reflects their world view, even if it was incomplete.

The New Testament explains that we live in a three-agent universe. Humans are caught up in a struggle between God and the spiritual powers of evil. Because God does not want to glorify the powers of evil, the scriptures don’t tell us much about how their power structures are organised in various seasons. The truth is that we don’t need to know. We just need to know that Jesus defeated them on the cross.

I believe the scriptures (Old and New Testament) do give hints about the way that the powers of evil are organised (some of the hints are clearer than others). What I have tried to do is to pull all these hints together and organised them to understand something of how the powers of evil are organsied in various seasons. This is not a complete revelation, so I will never be certain that I have got it absolutely right.

I have shared all that I have discovered, but I realise that it is not enough to persuade everyone. Therefore, I don’t see any point in arguing about particular scriptures, because that will never resolve the much bigger and more important issue. To understand the world we live, we need the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

For my first years as a Chrisitan, I lived in a two-agent universe. I believed every thing happened was an act of God. However, it did not make sense with the reality of my life. After struggling with this conundrum, I came to see that we live in a three-agent universe. That enable me to make sense of things that happen in life. I believe that this understanding was a revelation of the Holy Spirit, but I could be wrong.

When I first chose to follow Jesus, I had a two-agent view of salvation. Now I have a three-agent view of salvation. That has changed my understanding of the gospel to one that honours God more.

Arguing

When I was young, I enjoyed arguing and debating about the meaning of particular scriptures, but I gradually came to realise that it was fruitless effort. People are not persuaded, and the arguments harden disagreements into hostility, which is not helpful to the body of Jesus.

If people are asking questions about my teaching with a genuine desire to increase their understanding of what I am trying to say, I am quite happy to endeavour to answer them. But if people are just trying to prove me wrong, I mostly don’t respond because it does not achieve anything.

Rulers and Justice

Romans 13:3-5 relates back to Proverbs 21:15. I presume that Paul recalled this verse when he was thinking and writing about Rulers and justice. A literal translation of the verse is as follows.

Joy to the righteous is the doing of justice, but ruin to doers of evil (Prov 21:15).

The proverb explains that good people are glad when a ruler executes justice correctly, regardless of whether the ruler is good or evil. On the other hand, well executed justice brings down people who are prone to wickedness. The quality of justice is more important than the quality of character of the ruler.

More at Understanding Romans 13.

Birthday Bash

While playing around with AI tools, I asked two different tools to give me a picture of the birthday bash.

I am not sure which I like best.

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Blood (6) Pleading and Covering

A common practice amongst evangelical Christians is "pleading the blood". I am ambivalent about this practice, as it does not seem to be biblical. The phrase "pleading the blood" is not used in the New Testament. Claiming the covering of the blood" (or being "under the blood") is closely related to "pleading the blood", but "claiming the blood" is not mentioned in the New Testament either.

These phrases are mostly used in spiritual warfare. Modern Christians frequently "declare the blood" or claim the "covering of the blood" as a defence against demonic influence or temptation. Since spiritual warfare is serious, I believe that we should base our defensive posture on the clear teaching of the scripture (see Personal Protection).

Paul gave clear teaching about spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6. The main protections against spiritual attack are the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). Our spiritual protection comes from declaring the word of God and standing in faith.

1 Peter 5:9 and James 4:7 confirm that we defeat the powers of evil by resisting them in faith. This is not something we just do as individuals; it is something we do with a body of believers. Strong protection comes together by standing together with other followers of Jesus who are committed to loving us in him (see Spiritual Protection).

Words are not magic. Using words that we do not understand to resist evil is a risky game. Pleading the blood is a fairly vague way of resisting the powers of evil and standing on faith. When resisting the enemy with prayer, we should be more precise about what we are doing.

This full series can be found at Blood or Substack.

Blood (5) Lord's Supper and Covenant Renewal

Many of the references to blood in the New Testament refer to the Lord's Supper. When Jesus celebrated his Last Supper with his disciples, he referred to his blood. Mark, Matthew and Hebrews describe the wine that Jesus shared as the "blood of the covenant".

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many (Mark 14:24, Mat 26:28).

This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep (Hebrews 9:20).

Luke and Paul referred to the "new covenant in my blood".

In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:20).

In the same way, after supper, he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me" (1 Cor 11:25).

In the book of Hebrews, it is described as the "blood of the eternal covenant".

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus (Heb 13:20).

The relationship between blood and the new covenant is explained in Hebrews.

This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people (Heb 9:18).

In Old Testament times, a covenant was established by an action involving blood, usually the blood of an animal. When God established his covenant with the children of Israel, Moses sprinkled the blood of a calf on the document recording the covenant and on the people themselves. Allowing themselves to be sprinkled with blood, the people committed to obey the law that God had announced to them (Ex 24:6-8, Deut 29:25).

Jesus established a new covenant by dying on the cross, but his blood was not sprinkled on his followers. Instead, before he died, he established a shared meal for his followers in which a cup of wine would be shared, representing the blood he shared on the cross. The "blood of the covenant" that we drink together is the equivalent of the blood that was sprinkled to establish the old covenant. The new covenant had a better symbolism to mark its fulfilment.

The cup shared at the Lord's Supper is a "cup of thanksgiving".

Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ (1 Cor 10:16).

The cup is filled with wine. There is no blood in the cup. Thanksgiving looks back to something that has happened in the past. The benefits gained by the shedding of Jesus blood were achieved when he died. He does not repeat the suffering in the present. Rather, he encourages us to look back on what he did for us with thanksgiving.

The other important word in this verse is "participation". When we drink from the cup of wine during the Lord's supper, we are declaring our participation in what Jesus achieved on our behalf. We died with Jesus so we will can live with him. This was confirmed in John 6:53-58.

Confusion

The danger in tending to worshipping "the blood" or turning it into something magical is that it minimises what Jesus did. We were rescued by Jesus. His blood did not rescue us. Jesus' blood did not feel any pain when he was beaten by the Romans and hung on the cross. The pain of his beating and death was registered in his mind. He paid the price by experiencing this pain. His blood did not feel it. Jesus felt it. Jesus is the one we should worship. His Holy Spirit is the one who can empower us.

Blood (4) What Jesus Blood Achieves

New Testament verses that describe what the blood of Jesus achieved cover four main themes.

1. Redemption
The achievement that is described most frequently in the New Testament is "redemption". This is an economic term. In the Old Testament, a person who fell into poverty and was sold into slavery could be redeemed by someone in their family. The family member would pay a fee to the person who owned the slave to set them free from their enslavement.

The New Testament explains that we were redeemed, or bought back, by Jesus' blood. To realise the significance of this achievement, we need to understand whose power we were redeemed from.

A redemption fee is paid to someone who has the power to keep the people under their control from being freed. When humans rejected God's way and fell into sin, they did not just oppose God. They fell under the control of the spiritual powers of evil, who refused to set them free again unless a redemption fee was paid to them. The fee that they demanded was blood. Jesus shed his blood to redeem us (set us free) from the control of the spiritual powers of evil.

Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood (Acts 20:28).

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace (Eph 1:7).

He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption (Heb 9:12).

You were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect (1 Peter 1:18-19).

You were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation (Rev 5:9).

This redemption blood payment was partially fulfilled during the first Passover when the destroyer (one of the spiritual powers of evil) was prevented from killing the firstborn of Israel by the blood of the lamb on a doorpost. It seems that the spiritual powers of evil accepted the blood of the lamb as a down payment on Jesus' blood.

By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel (Heb 11:28).

The book of Revelation confirms that the saints defeated the dragon (representing the spiritual powers of evil) by the blood of Jesus.

They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony (Rev 12:11).

The redemption fee paid by Jesus destroyed the authority of the spiritual powers of evil because they lost their right to control humans under their power.

The letter to the Romans says something similar.

Much more then, having now been put right by His blood, we shall be rescued from Wrath through Him (Rom 5:9)?

Wrath is a powerful cosmos dominator spirit that dominated the world during the season prior to the cross. Jesus' death rescued humans from his power.

I explained how blood works for redemption in Why Blood?

The spiritual powers of evil demand blood, partly because they like the grisliness of bloodshed, but mostly because they want the death of all humans to remove the people whom God gave authority on earth. The death of God, who had became man, fully satisfied their demands.

2. Reconciliation
Human sin created enmity between humans and God. It also created enmity between humans.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Eph 2:13>).

Through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross (Col 1:20).

Jesus' death made peace between us and God. I think these verses are using the expression blood to refer Jesus' death'. It was his death that reconciled us with God, not his blood. One thing is clear. God does not demand Blood.

3. Cleansing
One of the effects of human sin is that it contaminates us in a way that gives the spiritual powers of evil the power to attack us. I described how this works in Pure and Impure. Cleansing the tabernacle was the purpose of the Day of Cleansing. The contamination of sin causes humans to feel guilty and fearful of God. Jesus shed his blood to set us free from this impurity.

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God (Heb 9:14).

The blood of Jesus, his Son cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people pure through his own blood (Heb 13:12).

Jesus' blood cleanses us from the contamination of sin and makes us pure.

This is the message of Romans 3:25, although it is not well understood.

God presented Christ as a mercy seat, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith (Rom 3:25).

The mercy seat was the lid of the covenant box in the tabernacle where God dwelt. Blood was not offered on it. On the Day of Cleansing, blood was sprinkled on the gold altar beside it. This was done to cleanse the Holy of Holies from any contamination due to the sins of the people.

Jesus death on the cross purifies us from the contamination of sin and allows us to become the temple of the Holy Spirit. Sin empowers the spiritual powers of evil, because it gives them access to human lives. Blood is the redemption fee that they demanded. Jesus death satisfied their demands, which disempowered them.