Notes on Islam: Jihad and Terrorism

Probably the one Islamic term more Americans know than any other is jihad. However, what this word means and its implications for Islam are often misunderstood. To many Americans, it means “holy war,” and it is the motto of Islamic terrorism. In this post we I will examine what the Quran actually says about jihad, warfare, and terrorism.

The Meaning of Jihad

Jihad comes from the Arabic root jahada, “putting forth a great effort to achieve a goal.” Those who practice jihad are called mujahidin. The word jihad actually occurs only four times in the Quran (9:24; 22:77-78; 25:48-52; 60:1), and in none of these instances is it explicitly about violence. For most Muslims, jihad refers to the spiritual struggle to live according to the teachings of God.

Warfare in the Quran

There are many references to literal warfare and combat in the Quran, and in Islamic tradition. But is it true that terrorists like Usama bin Laden are simply obeying the Quran?

According to some critics, the answer is yes. “Islam does in fact have an essential and indispensable tenet of militaristic conquest. The terrorists were not some fringe group that changed the Qur'an to suit political ends. They understood the Qur'an quite well and followed the teachings of jihad to the letter." (Unveiling Islam, p. 184).

It is especially common to find websites which isolate verses in the Quran that talk about making war against unbelievers, sometimes called the “sword verses.” The most widely quoted is Surah 9:5:

5 When the [four] forbidden months are over, wherever you encounter the idolaters, kill them, seize them, besiege them, wait for them at every lookout post…

Curiously, many critics of Islam fail to quote Surah 9:5 in its entirety. Here is the rest of the verse, along with the following verse:

Galatians 6:11-18 Notes

The conclusion of Galatians differs from the conclusion to Paul’s other letters in many respects:

• There is no mention of future travel plans.
• There is no request for prayers on Paul’s behalf.
• There are no greetings to individuals among the Galatians.
• There is no doxology (statement of praise to God).

This may simply be because this is Paul’s first letter, and therefore it is unfair to compare it to the others. But it could be due to the stark issues at stake in the letter. While this conclusion is different from that of his other letters, it does serve the important purpose of summarizing the key arguments in the letter, such as the ulterior motives of the Judaizers and the sufficiency of the cross.

Twenty-Five Years of Preaching - What I Wish I Had Done Differently

On May 14, 1989, I preached my first sermon as a “full-time” preacher. I can’t believe it has been 25 years! I have so many wonderful memories of my first work with the Oak Hill church outside of Mount Sterling, KY. And to be honest, I have been spoiled by the members everywhere I have preached. God has blessed me with wonderful relationships through the years in the various churches I have worked with.

Since this is a milestone year of sorts for me, I have been reflecting on what I would do differently if I was just now starting full time ministry in the word. Knowing what I know now, with a quarter century’s worth of hindsight, here are some random reflections. I hope that these thoughts can be of help to any younger men who are considering preaching or who have already begun to preach. And of course, I would love for those of you who have been preaching even longer than I have to share your thoughts as well.

Galatians 6:1-10 Notes

In this passage Paul continues to discuss walking by the Spirit rather than the flesh. Many commentators see these admonitions as random exhortations, but I believe they are tied into the overall context of the book. In 5:16-26 we noticed that Paul focused on issues of conflict within the community. The issues he raises here in 6:1-10 have the same theme: how those who walk by the Spirit should treat each other.

Galatians 5:16-26 Notes

Introduction
As is often the case in his letters, having established key doctrinal positions, Paul now turns to the practical implications of those doctrines for his readers. Gal. 5:16-6:18 contain the imperatives for how those who are free in Christ should live.

The key phrase in 5:16-26 is “walk by the Spirit,” which serves as an inclusio in 5:16 and 5:25. Often we minimize the mention of the Holy Spirit due the extreme positions taken by others. This robs us of valuable insight into God’s word. Just as the Old Testament promised the coming of a Messiah and a new covenant, it also promised the coming of the Holy Spirit (notice a few examples: Isa. 44:3; Ezek. 36:26-27; 39:29; Joel 2:28-29).Living by the Spirit is part of the total package of blessings the OT promised in the Messianic age. 

Galatians 5:2-15 Notes

Paul now turns to the practical implications of the arguments he has made in Gal. 1-4. In particular, he focuses on how the Galatians should treat each other. The introduction of the teaching of the Judaizers was destabilizing and led to division (2:11; see Acts 15:2).The unity of the church was threatened, which may explain why Paul says so much about love and warns so much about factionalism in these two chapters (5:6; 5:13-15; 5:20; 5:22—23; 5:26; 6:1-2). In some respects 5:2-15 is a bridge between the arguments Paul made and the applications he intended to make.

Notes on Galatians 4:21-5:1

Paul concludes the middle section of the letter with an allegory. Allegories are extended metaphors, and they were an accepted form of argumentation in the rhetoric of the first century. Paul’s allegory revolves around the stories of Sarah and Hagar, and their sons, Isaac and Ishmael.

It is interesting that the first century Jewish writer, Philo, made an argument based on a similar allegory with regard to education. He compared Hagar to the elementary subjects we must learn, and Sarah to the deeper knowledge of virtue (The Preliminary Studies, I-V).

It may very well be that Paul is responding to an allegorical argument made by the Judaizers, who may have concluded that since Ishmael and even foreigners had to be circumcised (Gen. 17:23-27), that Gentiles even in the era of the gospel had to be as well. 

Galatians 4:8-20 Notes

Having laid out his sweeping argument based on God’s plan of salvation in history, Paul now turns to a more personal, emotional appeal.

8 Formerly, when you did not know God, 

See Eph. 2:12. God was in covenant relationship with Israel but not the other nations, and in fact they had degenerated into pagan idolatry and were not in covenant relationship with God.

you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.

“Those that by nature are not gods” is Paul’s way of describing idol worship (see 1 Cor. 8:4-6). However, while Paul did not believe the pagan gods were real gods, he did believe there were real powers at work in idolatry – demons (1 Cor. 10:19-20).

Galatians 4:1-7 Notes

Having said that we are “heirs according to promise,” Paul now makes an argument on the status of sons before and after they receive their inheritance.

James Dunn points out in his commentary that this section restates many of the same points in 3:23-29:

Galatians 3:22-29

Let’s review Paul’s argument so far:

In the first two chapters Paul distanced himself from the Judaizers in Jerusalem while at the same time showing that his understanding of the gospel came directly from God and was in agreement with the teaching (though sometimes not the practice) of the other apostles (Gal. 1-2).

In chapters 3-4 Paul sets forth several doctrinal arguments to refute the contentions of the Judaizers:

-The experience of the Galatians was that they received salvation and the Spirit by faith in Christ, not through the Law (3:1-5).

-The Scriptures taught that Abraham was justified by faith, long before he was circumcised (3:6-9).

-In fact, Israel has historically failed to keep the Law, receiving the curse that Jesus had to die to remove (3:10-14).

-The Law came 430 years after the promise to Abraham, and does not change the fundamental nature of God’s promise to make of Abraham one family (“offspring”), not multiple families (“offsprings”), a family identified by being in Christ not by keeping the Law (3:15-20).

-The Law had an important purpose, to define sin and lead Israel to Jesus (3:21-22).

The argument in 3:23-4:7 hinges on sonship. Notice the following contrasts:

-The contrast between being a slave and son.

-The contrast in pronouns: “we” (Jews) and “you” (Gentiles).

-The contrasts in past and present tenses.

Galatians 3:15-22

While working through the middle chapters of Galatians, it is important to keep in mind that Paul is speaking in terms of God’s covenant purposes. This means:

-The issue here is not so much “how can I be saved?” but “what are God’s covenant plans for Israel and the Gentiles in Christ?”

-And of course the basis for any discussion of God’s covenant promises is the promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-13).

While Paul was dealing with a specific challenge here in Galatians, there are many similarities between Gal. 3-4 and Rom. 4.

-Both emphasize the fundamental basis of the promise to Abraham in terms of faith.

-Both argue that Abraham is the father of both Jews and Gentiles.

This section hinges on the timing and scope of God’s promise to Abraham.

Galatians 3:10-14 Notes

Commentators agree on two things regarding this passage: it is crucial to Paul’s argument, and it is very difficult! Part of the difficulty of this passage is that Paul has a tendency to speak in very concise, densely-structured phrases, and we are left wondering how to fill in the gaps. 

To a large extent, how this section is interpreted depends on what presuppositions we bring to the text. Since the time of Martin Luther, this passage has been interpreted in very individualistic terms to mean that no one can keep the Law perfectly, and therefore justification is by faith. However, I don’t think that is Paul’s point in this passage. Let me be clear - the Bible plainly teaches that we are saved by grace and through faith, not as a result of works (Ephesians 2:8-9). There is no amount of merit any sinner can accumulate to earn God’s favor.

But that is not what Galatians 3:10-14 is about, in my opinion. The typical Lutheran approach to the passage fails in two ways. First, the Mosaic covenant was not a system based on perfect lawkeeping. The Jews very well understood that God’s election was a matter of grace (Deut. 7:6-9). Further, the Law contained provisions for dealing with human imperfection in the form of the sacrificial system. Israelites were not required to be sinlessly perfect. They could make offerings for sins and be forgiven, as Leviticus 1-6 repeatedly states.

Notes on Galatians 3:1-9

This section is one of the richest sections of Paul’s writings, and consists of two basic moves:

-The argument from experience (3:1-5). Paul will argue from what the Galatians experienced at their conversion and afterwards to argue for the sufficiency of Christ.

-The argument from Scripture (3:6-14). Paul will argue that it was always God’s intention to save Jew and Gentile alike through faith by the work of Jesus.

In many respects Paul’s arguments in this chapter are similar to those made at the Jerusalem Conference in Acts 15.

-Paul and Barnabas argued from experience, the signs and wonders performed among the Gentiles (Acts 15:12). Peter also argued from what was experienced by Cornelius and his household (Acts 15:7).

-Peter also argued that it was God’s will that both Jew and Gentile be saved by faith (15:9, 11), and that the Jews had historically failed to keep the Law (15:10).

-James argued that the prophets had foreseen the day when the Gentiles would come in to the family of God (15:15-17).

Notes on Galatians 2:11-21

11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, 

It isn’t clear when this happened, but Acts 12:17 says that Peter had to leave Jerusalem and go to “another place.”

I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 

Paul’s language expresses a “depth of feeling and outrage” (Dunn 117).

Notes on Galatians 2:1-10

This section continues Paul’s delicate effort to pay respect to the apostles in Jerusalem while at the same time distancing himself from any perceived submission to Jerusalem (the source of the agitators).

1 Then after fourteen years

This could refer to 14 years from the first trip to Jerusalem mentioned at the end of chapter 1, or it could be 14 years from his conversion. I prefer the former.

Notes on Galatians 1:11-24

The first two chapters of Galatians consist of a review of Paul’s own life story, especially his past as a Jew, his conversion, and the early years of his apostleship. But why does Paul begin with such a personal argument?

• Some have suggested that Paul’s opponents were attacking his apostleship. And while it is true that he did have many personal critics, I am not sure that is the point in Galatians.
• It could also be that Paul is simply defending his understanding of the gospel versus that of the Judaizers, and in order to do so he must begin with the origin of his understanding of the gospel message.
• If anything, Paul’s critics would have argued that he is not a true apostle because he does not preach a true gospel, rather than the reverse. It was his practice that created this controversy (Acts 15:1).

Notes on Galatians 1:6-10

In these first two chapters Paul makes it clear that his gospel is independent from:

• Man (1:6-17)
• The churches of Judea (1:18-24)
• The pillars in Jerusalem (2:1-10)
• Peter (2:11-21)

Normal conventions of letter writing in the first century included a prayer for the readers (as in nearly all of Paul's other letters). Paul departs from that in striking fashion.

Notes on Galatians 1:1-5

In these first two chapters Paul makes it clear that his gospel is independent from:

• Man (1:6-17)
• The churches of Judea (1:18-24)
• The pillars in Jerusalem (2:1-10)
• Peter (2:11-21)

1 Paul, an apostle—

How to Study the Bible #2 - The Big Picture

How to Study the Bible

Lesson 2: The Story of the Bible

The Proper Use of Scripture

A.  The Bible is a collection of books that tell a single, unifying story.

-The Bible contains 66 books, each with a unique purpose and context, but all of which weave together a single story.

-Every story has a main character, and the central character in Bible story is God. -Ultimately, the Bible is the revelation of God (Genesis 1:1).

How to Study the Bible - Lesson 1 - The Importance of Bible Study

I.  The Problem

There is clear evidence that professed Christians are not reading and studying the Bible on a regular basis.

Bible Study Roundup

This quarter I am teaching a class on How to Study the Bible, and from time to time I'd like to share some links relevant to the class. Here are a few from this week:

• Three Tips for Better Bible Reading (HT: Steve Wolfgang). I especially like suggestions 2 and 3 (read books through at one sitting and read with editions that do not use chapter and verse divisions).
• The Most (and Least) Bible Minded Cities. The American Bible Society and Barna did a survey of 100 US cities to gauge "Bible-mindedness" - a combination of how often the respondents read the word and how much the respondents claim to take the Bible as the source of truth. Most Bible-minded? Chattanooga TN. Least? Providence RI/New Bedford MA. Tampa/St Pete/Sarasota is #63.
• New Edition of NASB. The Dutch Bible manufacturer Schuyler is producing a luxurious new edition of the NASB, available for purchase any day now. 

Let My Restless Heart Remain Untamed

Yesterday while grabbing a bite I heard these lyrics on the restaurant radio:

I like to be a little wild

I like to raise a little cane

I wanna keep it on the edge 

And let my restless heart remain untamed 

I'm gonna live the way I love 

And love the way I live 

Walk the highest wire 

And stay out on the limb 

Away from any fences 

Free of any chains 

Unbound, untied, untamed 

I only want what I've got comin' 

I'll take the credit and the blame 

Even when I'm bent and broken 

I pray my spirit always stays untamed 

I'm gonna live the way I love 

And love the way I live 

Walk the highest wire 

And stay out on the limb 

Away from any fences 

Free of any chains 

Unbound, untied, untamed

Not being a country music fan, I was curious who sang this song - turns out that it is a Trace Adkins' tune. When I heard these lyrics, my mind went immediately to the story Jesus told in Luke 15 about the "prodigal son." If someone ever made a musical version of that parable, wouldn't these lyrics be perfect for the young man to sing as he collected his inheritance and set on his way?

All sin boils down to the desire to be autonomous, to call our own shots, whether it is eating fruit marked off limits by the Father, leaving the father's house to go to a far country,  or walking "the highest wire" "unbound, untied, untamed." But this journey always leads to disaster. When the prodigal was "bent and broken" the last thing he wanted was to remain "untamed." He wanted to be a slave in his father's house.

I don't know much about Trace Adkins. Ironically, I heard the words of his anthem to autonomy just a few days after he entered rehab for alcohol addiction. My heart goes out to him, as it does to any addict. The cruelest form of bondage is that which happens when we live as if we can be free of any restraint. 

Absolute autonomy is an illusion, just as the prodigal discovered when he left the father's house. But in the Father's house there is love, grace, dignity, and even a party, as long as we let our restless hearts find rest in Him.

The Big Picture

Remembering The Big Picture

Introduction

Over the last couple of weeks Kristi and I have been looking at some houses online that are for sale. A former student of mine is a realtor in Tampa, so he’s been sending us links to homes with a description and pictures. We decided to pick our five favorites, and compare lists and then narrow it down to what we had in common. This quickly turned into me putting my list away and just agreeing to look at the homes on Kristi’s list! Hey, you’ve seen my apartments and her house, so I think I’m making the right move.

We’ve also been looking the homes up on Google Maps (for those of you who are not into computers, it is a program that allows you to locate specific residences and even to see pictures). You can even determine the scale of the map, from as wide as the entire country, to as narrow as a street. You can even click something called “street level” and look around at the houses in the neighborhood. And as you can imagine, homes that look good in their individual descriptions don’t always look as inviting when you expand the picture to include the entire neighborhood.

Over the last few weeks we studied together about the birth of Jesus from the opening chapters of Matthew, a “street-level” view. I want to use the story of Jesus’ birth to illustrate the difference that expanding out to see the big picture can make.

Dealing with Discouragement During the Holidays

Dealing with Discouragement During the Holidays

If my Facebook feed was any indication of how the past year went, lots of people really struggled in 2013-

• Loss of loved ones
• Personal loneliness
• Illness or financial setback

Complicating things is the time of year:

• Dark, cold, gloomy weather has an impact on some worse than others
• Seeing others enjoy lots of presents if you are short financially, or dealing with the reality of spending more than you had
• Looking at happy family photos can really make loneliness more acute
• This is a naturally reflective time of the year, easy to rehash mistakes and setbacks of the previous year

So I want to offer a word of encouragement, just some basic exhortations from Scripture that I hope can help.