Grace Upon… Grace?

The relationship between the Law and the New Covenant (and Christ followers) continues to be a source of debate and interest. This post will by no means address this large topic, but it’s important to note when translation choices seem to import theological frameworks and presuppositions. Take for example, John 1:16-17. Here are some translations that, in my opinion, do a poor job because they import a contrasting conjunction (“but”) that simply is not in the Greek text. (And yes, ignore all of the other interpretive liberties the NLT takes for now).

NLT: ¹⁶From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.
NET: ^1:16For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another. ^1:17For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ.

Both of these translations take the step of adding the “but,” which again, is not in the text. If the idea is that there is a material contrast between the Law and the Gospel of Christ, then this would be warranted. But is there? If there isn’t, then the translations inappropriately mar the Law, suggesting that it is something that isn’t of grace as well. Here is the ESV which uses a semi-colon (similarly to the NIV and the NASB, among others).

ESV: ¹⁶For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

In my opinion, this is an appropriate translation as it leaves open to interpretation whether there is some semblance of contrast, or rather, whether we are talking about a grace (in Christ) coming after a former grace (in the Law). In view of my reading of v. 16, this is the interpretive move I make.

Another option, though, lies in the CSB, which I think takes the cake here:

CSB: Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness, for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. — John 1:15-17

This translation more clearly connects the ideas between the two verses, and I feel that this clears up what is being talked about quite a bit. It’s just a nudge, but it’s a nudge in what I feel is the right direction. And it’s a perfectly defensible nudge, as the ὅτι (“for,” “because,” “since,” etc.) that begins v. 17 wants to give an explanation for the statement in v. 16. Reading this translation, it seems clear that the “grace upon grace” is the Gospel “upon” the Law, so to speak.

I will give “fair play” to the NET (which, for the record, I really appreciate as a translation), since they explain their translation choice in their notes and clear up the reality that the “but” is supplied:

“But” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the implied contrast between the Mosaic law and grace through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 seems to indicate clearly that the Old Covenant (Sinai) was being contrasted with the New. In Jewish sources the Law was regarded as a gift from God (Josephus, Ant. 3.8.10 [3.223]; Pirqe Avot 1.1; Sifre Deut 31:4 §305). Further information can be found in T. F. Glasson, Moses in the Fourth Gospel (SBT).
Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005).

It seems here that the committee was a little divided. The text itself implies a contrast, but the note explains that the Law should still be seen as “a gift,” which we might indeed call “grace.” I suppose they are simply giving credence to both translational moves, and for that I am appreciative.

Where does this leave us? It’s important to recognize that all translations make interpretive moves. Granted, some make a whole lot more than others, but there’s no such thing as a perfectly “literal” translation. (In fact, my personal view is that a little interpretive guidance within a translation is better for the average reader than more vague translations that leave open interpretive possibilities that clearly shouldn’t be there.)

The issue at stake in this example though is how Christians look at the Law, and whether they see it as bad, irrelevant, or as something that reveals sin while offering no grace. I find this to be an overly simplistic and reductionistic view of the Law. It doesn’t seem honest with the way scripture talks about itself. Christians should say with Paul, “in my inner being I delight in God’s law” (Ro 7:22, NIV). In this way, we see the Law as a grace as well.

Striving for Openness

Rather we renounce secrecies and the sense of shame, not walking about in deceit and thus corrupting the word of God, but in a spirit of disclosure to the truth, we are presenting ourselves to every person’s conscience in the sight of God. (2 Corinthians 4:2, my translation)

When the word of God came to me, how thankful I am that it did not come in secrecy or behind a veil! The people that disclosed the truth to me did it with a spirit of openness and honesty. A relationship with Jesus was not something behind closed doors to them. It was a ready and present reality presented as when introducing one person to another.

Why am I so thankful? Because when a message is hidden out of a sense of shame, it mars the perception of that message and its validity––even if the shame is misplaced in the first place. In this way, the messenger has a far greater impact on the message itself than we might like to realize. A message that appears to be a secret does not feel real. An unclear Gospel, an announcement without words, is not just a contradiction of terms but also something that feels suspect. If it’s true, it should be open. So if it’s obscured it gives an impression of falsehood. The messenger and their attitude are vital.

Christ did not always reveal his entire hand in his earthly life. The drama was still waiting to unfold. But the ministry he initiated was brutally clear: make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything he had commanded. Every messenger walking in this sense of transparency bears fruit, while the messengers cloaked in obscurity cannot.

Praise the Lord that a clear message came to you, that God used an open and honest person to share his love! Let’s strive for openness and commit to ridding ourselves of any misplaced shame that corrupts the message.

Death-Defying Thomas

So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Then Thomas (also known as Didymus ) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
‭‭John‬ ‭11:14-16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

For all of the flack Thomas receives for his doubting mind, I fear we fail to recognize his heart.

Jesus is looking to show his love and reveal his power—a strength greater than even death. His hope is that the glory of the God will shine through the raising of Lazarus, so that they might believe.

And indeed it is necessary: Thomas clearly lacks belief. It’s his expectation that not only will Lazarus remain dead, but that they are all going to die! It is so remarkably faithless, especially before this Jesus who has shown him again and again his power and divinity. We should rightly examine our hearts for similar doubts: do we doubt the power of the Gospel today? Do we struggle to have expectation that God will be at work in our ministry? Do we cast doubt on the promises he’s made to us?

Surely we do. We fall into the errors of Thomas daily. But I think there is something positive to acknowledge in Thomas all the same: his death-defying commitment to his Lord.

Even when the statements of Jesus don’t seem to add up in his head, his commitment to the person of Jesus is steadfast. He is ready to die for his Jesus. That is the powerful commitment to him we gain when we spend time with him. Even when we aren’t full of faith, may we have the connection to Jesus and the committed love for him that keeps us moving forward into even where doubt prevails.

At Home in God

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
1 John 4:15-16

What does it mean to abide in love? What does it mean to abide in God?

It means that you discover in the Gospel a home for your soul. It means that you find in God a home for you spirit. In other words, you are welcome when you come to God.

When you go home, it’s your place. It’s for you to arrive to. You do not knock. You do not ring the bell. You walk in, sit on the couch, you can sit in your underwear if you want to. It’s no problem––it’s your home. You are always welcome there.

So it is in God. You are always welcome to come to him. That’s what it means to abide in him. It’s recognizing that you are at home when you are with God.

When you visit someone else, it is customary to knock. You wait outside, seeing if they will let you in. This is rather normative when you visit someone else’s home, but it is completely ridiculous if you were to knock on your own door. And yet so many people stand outside, knocking away, thinking that they have to request permission to enter the throne room of God.

Others avoid knocking altogether. The simple reason for this is that they are afraid of rejection. Fear of unworthiness pushes them away from God. So they seek out worthiness elsewhere.

One way to “feel worthy” is through obedience. Some Christians wait to pray until they have amassed and collected a number of “good deeds.” After feeling rather obedient for a time, they will feel comfortable to come before God in prayer. But this is anti-Gospel behavior. Obedience is downstream from love. And we love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). Therefore, it is God’s love for us in the Gospel that leads us to obey. We cannot obey in order to be loved by him––we cannot become worthy.

So, the Gospel does not say that you can come in your brokenness and sin. It says that you must come in your brokenness and sin. It does not give you the option.

Praise God! He has given humanity a home––in the Gospel and in his love. What a joy to be able to approach God on the merit of Christ. To be able to kick off our shoes in the house of God and dwell there, completely welcomed because of Jesus. A glorious sight, a soul at home in God.

Laboring for the King

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God
Romans 1:1 (ESV)

Any menial task, when given by the king of heaven, becomes a heavenly trust.

Paul opens his most significant letter with a most insignificant title: servant. In any circumstance, most of us would be hesitant to proudly proclaim such a title. It is of the humblest of positions. The lowliest of all posts. To be the servant is to have the least agency, the least freedom, the least opportunity for creativity, the least honor, the least recognition, the least chance of promotion, the least, the least, the least.

It is curious, that in a society such as Rome, a society that placed such value on position and honor, that Paul would begin his letter by taking on a title of shame. He is immediately subverting the cultural mores.

Why? Because for Paul, to be a servant of Christ Jesus supersedes any earthly title or post. Later, he makes it explicit: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel,” he says (Romans 1:16). In Paul’s mind, even the lowest place in Christ’s kingdom eclipses the highest throne on earth (compare to Psalm 84:10).

What are your tasks today? What is your obligation? Whatever your job, Jesus calls you not to just do it on behalf of you or your organization, but to do it on behalf of his kingdom. In any and every position, our ultimate work is to be done unto the Lord and in his service. To do it with excellence and to do it for his glory (Colossians 3:23).

This trust is a sweet gift in a world of tiring toil. Our labor is not for ourselves, but for the King. What could be better than that?

As You Loved Us

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
John 15:12 (ESV)

Oh Lord, how heavy I find the weight of this statement! You do not ask for little––you ask for it all. To love as you have loved me, that is to lift a skyscraper. To pull down a mountain. To brush away an ocean.

For your love is sublime. Yes, Lord, you gave it all. How could I ever match your passion and sacrifice? How might I follow you to the cross? You gave it all, how could I manage the same?

But on the other hand, how could I offer anything less?

In honest view of your compassion, what could I ever keep back for myself? To hide away even a trinket, like a morsel of self-interest, seems utterly foolish in light of your bounty given at the cross. The blood of the God-man was spilled for sin. All the Universe’s riches poured into the deep wouldn’t compare to even the first ounce of heavenly blood spilled from your side. What could I keep in comparison to what I have already gained?

Help your servants give of their lives and love each other––as you loved us.

To Rule Justly

The God of Israel has spoken;
the Rock of Israel has said to me:
When one rules justly over men,
ruling in the fear of God,
he dawns on them like the morning light,
like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning,
like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.
2 Samuel 23:3-4 (ESV)

Who do you lead? Who is under your influence? Might they be in your workplace? In your family? In your church, or even among your friends? Everyone is given opportunities for leadership in life. What is yours?

David’s last words recorded in 2 Samuel 23 reflect on his own life, career, and the value of godly leadership. He hears a word from the Lord about ruling “justly;” that is, ruling with righteous dealings with people. In short, applying law with just and fair leadership.

When David considers the history of his own house (2 Sam 23:5), he sees a living example of God’s favor and faithfulness to just ruling. He feels as if he is living in the morning light of God’s blessing.

And so are we. While King David ruled with justice, King Jesus is ruling now with justice all the more. On his throne, Jesus offers to blameworthy man a path of cleansing and restoration. Life springs forth from the rule of Jesus. Grass sprouts from the earth as sinners rise to repentance and freedom. The downtrodden and ashamed lift their gaze with radiant faces. They are living in the bright of a cloudless dawn.

Extend the just rule of Jesus throughout your life. Offer grace, forgiveness, and justice to those under your leadership. May his light shine.

Be Just to Yourself

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (ESV)

How many saints struggle to forgive themselves when the forgiveness of the Father is already upon them! The statement in 1 John 1:9 is airtight and sure. If this, then that. If you have come to to the precious Christ who not only knows your sin but even died for it, and if you make it known and proclaim it to him, then nothing else you could do has a bearing on your spiritual condition. The trustworthiness and the fairness of God takes over at this point. He is faithful and just.

He is faithful in that he can be trusted. If the Lamb of God came to take away the sins of the world, then there is nothing more to atone for. His blood is sufficient. The promise of the propitiation of sins stands strong.

He is just in that he is fair. It would not be fair for Christ to die for an incomplete prize. He did not come to wash away even nine tenths of our sin, but he came for the whole. It would not be fair to Christ to give him any less that what he is fully due. Rejoice, believer, for the promise of your forgiveness and your cleansing is sure.

This has ramifications for your self-concept. Do you toil inwardly with regret? Can you not live within the status of one who has been cleansed and forgiven? Be just to yourself, as God has been just to you. Breathe in a deep and peaceful breath; you are cleansed and you are forgiven.

Exchanging Fear for Fear

If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
Psalm 130:3-4

Are you still undone by the thought of your forgiveness? Do you fall on your face in amazement on account of his grace?

You certainly still should!

Think, not too long but just long enough, on your many shortcomings and sins. The times in which you’ve failed others or broken good faith with them. The times in which you’ve even dealt unrighteously, even with God. “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities… who could stand?”

We could not stand, not for a moment. Frightful realizations fill the minds of those who brave such a meditation.

But the psalmist is quick to say, “but with you there is forgiveness.” When the danger is accurately apprehended, the salvation feels all the sweeter. While we cannot appreciate something which we ignore (indeed, the truth that Jesus dies for sins is a mockery to those who reject sin itself), we appreciate and savor all the more that which we reflect on.

Your sins are very great. And you could never stand before God. And yet with him is forgiveness and pardon.

Curiously, the psalmist suggests that a result of this is fear, but how could the solution to the fear of being cast down in God’s presence be fear again? The solution is that this use of fear speaks of worship and awe.* Consider Deuteronomy 10:12-13,

¹²“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ¹³and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?

Mentally walk through the thoughts of this psalm and exchange your fear for fear. Let the great grace that has come upon you in forgiveness move you to a new kind of fear––to walk in God’s ways, love him, serve him, and keep his commands. Indeed, his burden is comparatively light.

* Willem VanGemeren, ed., New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997), 529.

Faith in the Waiting Place

The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
Genesis 40:23 (NIV)

On the verge of breakthrough, Joseph must have been bubbling with excitement. Finally, his wrongful imprisonment might end. Finally, he might be free. Finally, he might be able to pursue the vision for his life that God had given.

Except it didn’t happen. The chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

Letdown of letdowns, Joseph is stuck again––waiting.

Where is God in the waiting? Isn’t he there? Can’t he clearly see that all this waiting amounts to nothing? Can’t he clearly see that it is pointless?

Except it isn’t.

There is purpose in the waiting, and usually we don’t understand why. Those familiar with the story know why God kept Joseph in prison for two additional years, but Joseph didn’t know.

Keeping faith in in the waiting place feels exhausting yet proves essential in time. What was accomplished inwardly while waiting could not have grown otherwise, and its fruit is precious.