Why Jesus Rebuked Doubting Thomas
In short, Thomas’s demand that he first poke his fingers in Jesus’ wounds before believing was a bit much. His friends’ report should have been adequate evidence, ergo the scold. Our insight clears up another confusion regarding “seeing” and faith. Paul tells the Corinthians, “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). Once again, Paul is not using “seeing” as a metaphor to downplay evidence. He’s speaking literally.
I’ve warned before about the habit of reducing biblical accounts to mere spiritual metaphors—a popular sermon practice nowadays, unfortunately.
David slaying Goliath is not a lesson about facing the “giants” in our lives. Jesus silencing the stormy sea is not an invitation to consider the storms he could hush in our own lives. Those are not the reasons those accounts are in the Bible.
Of course, biblical writers do use metaphors, and all figurative speech is meant to communicate some literal truth. Occasionally, though, readers search for a literal truth behind a metaphor that isn’t actually a metaphor at all.
Consider Jesus’ dressing down of doubting Thomas after the resurrection: “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed” (John 20:29). To many readers, Jesus’ reference to “seeing” is obviously a figurative reference to evidence—e.g., “Blessed are those who trust in Christ without demanding proof.”
I cringe every time I hear this take on that text coming from the pulpit, and I’ve heard it too often. According to that view, Jesus was faulting Thomas for seeking evidence to buttress his belief instead of taking the “blessed” path of blind faith.
There are two problems with reading Jesus this way. The first one is obvious if you follow the STR dictum “Never read a Bible verse” and read the entire context. The second problem, though, is not so apparent. It occurred to me only recently as a possibility, and then a Gospel cross-reference confirmed my thinking.
First, the blessed-are-those-of-blind-faith interpretation completely contradicts something John writes in the very next verse. In John 20:30–31—the verses immediately following Jesus’ reprimand of Thomas—John reveals his precise reason for writing a Gospel filled with reports of Jesus’ miracles.
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Slavery to the Fear of Death
If we continue to be enslaved by this fear, it isn’t for lack of concern on God’s part, nor for lack of effort or weakness of strategy. Freeing you from this fear was in His mind when Christ came to earth taking on humanity, living out the war against sin victoriously, dying triumphantly over its grip.
This fear rests over mankind like a heavy wet blanket. It fills the lungs of man with its acrid particles; coats the landscape. Regardless of the bravado of some, it is a dreadful enemy, striking every man, woman, boy or girl. Industries are built upon it. Depression arises from it like a mist. The entertainment world levitates its viewers from it, then plunges them into it again because it remains the greatest of all shocks. We all will die and we all know it.
It must be the happiest news possible to hear that Jesus Christ did something about death in order to remove this fear. Read and be amazed:
“Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” (Heb 2:14-15)
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Limited Atonement
Written by Ryan M. McGraw |
Thursday, December 21, 2023
Gospel ministry should mirror the Spirit’s ministry. He calls people to Christ generally and particularly, externally and internally. He calls sinners through preaching, even though some resist His call (Acts 7:51). Yet He calls the elect also through this general call, ensuring that they will answer it by extending to the elect the internal call as well. The Spirit opened Paul’s mouth to preach Christ, but He opened Lydia’s heart to receive Christ (16:14). Maybe our hang-up is that while we tell people, “Jesus died for you,” the Bible says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).I am a strange Calvinist. The idea that atonement is limited to the elect is the last stumbling block for many, but it was one of my first steps into Reformed theology. While many people readily accept that we are totally depraved, that God chose us unconditionally and eternally in Christ, that we believe in Christ only by the Spirit’s irresistible grace, and that the triune God preserves us to persevere to the end, they find it harder to swallow that Christ died for the sins of the elect only. I came to Christ by understanding that God counted our sin to His Son in order to count His incarnate Son’s righteousness to us (2 Cor. 5:21). As soon as someone pointed out that all people must be saved if Christ did these things for all people, I was sold on limited atonement.
As a children’s catechism says, “Christ died for all who were given to Him by the Father.” The issue is the triune God’s design or intent in the atonement. We can best understand the fact that Christ came to save His people, and them only, from their sins (Matt. 1:21) by rooting Christ’s death in the saving work of the whole Trinity, and by answering two common questions.
The united work of the Trinity shows clearly why Christ died for the elect only. The Father chose believers in Christ before time began (Eph. 1:4–5). The Holy Spirit is the Father’s seal of ownership on the elect (vv. 13–14). No one receives the things of God or confesses that Jesus is Lord except by the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10–16; 12:3). The Father calls His elect to Christ by His Word and Spirit (2 Cor. 3:16–18; James 1:18). The Trinity is undivided and indivisible. Christ’s death extends as far as the Father’s electing purpose (Acts 2:23) and the Spirit’s effecting power (13:48). It is not that the Father chose some and the Spirit changes some while Christ died for all. The Father saves by particular election, the Son by particular redemption, and the Spirit by particular calling. The Son will not be the broken link in the chain. Neither is Christ’s work divided.
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What are We Here for? Sproul and Worship
Moses and the Burning Bush (Ligonier Ministries, 2018), it of course deals with what we find in Exodus 3. And it appears to be a reworking of some of his earlier material, and those who are familiar with his work will find much recognisable material here. But still, for Sproul fans, it is worth adding this little book to your collection, even if it will take most folks an hour or less to read.
The noted American theologian and pastor R. C. Sproul passed away late in December 2017 (aged 78). I have often written about him and quoted from him. A quick search of my website reveals over 170 articles that mention him or discuss him.
I have reviewed some of his books on my site and quoted from plenty others. I even reviewed the 2021 biography of him by Stephen Nichols: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2021/03/30/a-review-of-r-c-sproul-a-life-by-stephen-nichols/
Here I want to look at one quite brief work of his that was published shortly after he passed away. It is: Moses and the Burning Bush (Ligonier Ministries, 2018). It of course deals with what we find in Exodus 3. And it appears to be a reworking of some of his earlier material, and those who are familiar with his work will find much recognisable material here.
But still, for Sproul fans, it is worth adding this little book to your collection, even if it will take most folks an hour or less to read. Since I like to make folks aware of good books by good authors, and good quotes from those books, that is what I am going to do here.
Four portions of the book stood out to me, so that is what I will highlight. Early on he sets the scene by reminding us of some basic Christian truths:
One of the church’s biggest problems is that we don’t understand who God is. But in that one revelation—the theophany in which God appeared to Moses—the transcendent majesty of God was partially unveiled. What had been invisible became visible through the theophany. Part of our problem is that when something is out of sight, it’s out of mind. But from time to time throughout biblical history, God manifests Himself to human eyes. God manifested Himself at the burning bush, and it was earth-shattering. p. 2
Other biblical characters of course experienced this incredible divine disclosure. The prophet Isaiah was one of these figures. Says Sproul:
Isaiah realized who he truly was as soon as he realized who God is. He realized he was unclean. Be we all, Isaiah realized, are filthy as well. And so to purify Isaiah for his mission, God dispatched a seraph to bring a burning coal from the altar and place it on Isaiah’s lips. It wasn’t for punishment; it was for purging. It was to make the unclean clean.
Just like Moses at the burning bush, Isaiah must have been terrified by his experience.
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