As a new pastor to the state of Tennessee, I did not know exactly what to expect when I attended the Tennessee Baptist Convention that was held this week in Kingsport. It was refreshing to me to see that every candidate that was up for election in the convention was required to answer whether or not they affirmed the year 2000 revision of the Baptist Faith and Message (http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp). It also came as no surprise to me that some stood in opposition to this question concerning the BFM 2000. There were two separate motions made to change that question; both portraying the question itself as a "litmus test" for being able to be an officer in the convention or even a baptist in Tennessee. What this question actually provided was a guideline for messengers like me to know where a candidate stands on the issue of the BFM 2000. A person does not have to affirm the BFM 2000 to hold office in the Tennessee Baptist Convention, but a person does have to affirm the BFM 2000 to receive a majority vote from the messengers at the convention.
Some would say that this controversy is simply a fight over words, but it is rather a fight for God's Word, the Bible. This becomes very clear when one examines the revisions that were made between the 1963 version and the 2000 version of the Baptist Faith and Message. The Southern Baptist Covention website provides a side-by-side comparison of the 1925, 1963, and 2000 versions (http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfmcomparison.asp). Most of the content was left unchanged between the BFM 1963 and the BFM 2000, but the little that was changed and the little that was added has been the center of the controversy ever since the BFM 2000 was adopted.
The focal point of this controversy is found in the very first article of the BFM 2000, concerning the Scriptures. When comparing the BFM 1963 and BFM 2000, it is easy to see that the BFM 2000 more clearly states what the majority of baptists believe about the nature of God's Word. For example, the BFM 1963 says, "The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the record of God's revelation of Himself to man." This statement was changed in the BFM 2000 to say, "The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man." On the surface, the change appears to be insignificant, but by saying that the Bible "is God's revelation" rather than "the record of God's revelation," the BFM 2000 is confronting the view that the Bible contains the Word of God rather than that it is entirely the Word of God. In making this change, the BFM 2000 is clarifying and affirming that the entire Bible is God's revealed Word in a much better way than the BFM 1963.
The BFM 1963 does make an excellent statement concerning Scripture, saying, "It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter." The BFM 2000 added a new, and logical conclusion to that statement, saying, "Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy." This is a simple statement of belief in the inerrancy and infallibility of the entire Bible. Simply put, because the Bible is perfect, inspired by God, and free of error, all of the Bible is true and worthy of being trusted. But this small addition to the BFM has been one of its most attacked portions. That is because many of those who will not affirm the BFM 2000 are affiliated with a group of baptists called the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The CBF represents a group of Baptist Churches that have not entirely abandoned the Southern Baptist Convention, but oppose its current leadership and policies, especially the adoption of the BFM 2000. Why would they oppose the BFM 2000? Mainly because it stands in direct opposition to their view of Scripture. Concerning the Bible, the official website of the CBF says, "We want to be biblical – especially in our view of the Bible. That means we dare not claim less for the Bible than the Bible claims for itself. The Bible neither claims nor reveals inerrancy as a Christian teaching" (http://www.thefellowship.info/About-Us/FAQ). The Bible itself stands in opposition to this assertion by the CBF. For example, the Apostle Paul explained, saying, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God..." (2 Timothy 3:16a, NKJV), which means that it is entirely from Him. David also spoke of the inerrancy of the Bible, explaining God's ability and commitment to maintain the purity of Scripture, saying, "The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O LORD, You shall preserve them from this generation forever" (Psalm 12:6-7, NKJV).
There is yet another point of contention in comparing what the BFM 1963 and what the BFM 2000 have to say about Scripture. The BFM 1963 says, "The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ." On the other hand, the BFM 2000 has changed that statement to say, "All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation." Inexplicably, there were those who said from the floor of the convention this week that the BFM 2000 has taken Jesus out of His position of pre-eminence in the Baptist Faith and Message. On the contrary, the BFM 2000 has only made the position of Jesus more prominent there. The BFM 2000 does a good job of taking that vague and open-ended statement in the BFM 1963 and making it a strong statement concerning the purpose of Scripture, to point to and reveal Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus made a similar statement concerning the point of the Scriptures, saying, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39, NKJV). In other words, to miss the point of the Scriptures is to miss out on receiving Jesus Christ and His salvation.
In conclusion, I would like to say this: I am glad that it can be known where the potential leadership of the TBC stands on this crucial issue concerning the BFM 2000. Although there are many areas of dispute over the revisions and additions that were made in the BFM 2000, the most important one by far is the area of Scripture. If a candidate could not affirm the BFM 2000 for at least its stronger stance on Scripture, I would personally never vote for that person to be in a position of leadership within the Tennessee Baptist Convention. To be perfectly honest, if I did not affirm the BFM 2000, then I would hope that no baptist would even consider me for a leadership position, pastor or otherwise. It was a privilege for me to stand for the Word of God by defending the 2000 version of the Baptist Faith and Message at the 2007 session of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Some would say that I and others were being divisive for doing so, but I pray that most would say that we were being faithful to the Lord and His Holy Word. We can only stand together as baptists and be effective for the glory of God, when we stand in agreement on God's Word. The majority of Tennessee Baptists stand in agreement on God's Word, as stated in the BFM 2000. That is why the Baptists in this state have great potential to have an impact on this culture, through reaching people with the life-changing, soul-saving Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Jesus and the Thanksgiving Feast
In the seventh chapter of John, the Lord Jesus is seen interacting with the multitudes who have gathered to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, or Feast of Booths. God had commanded the people to keep this feast, saying, "On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the LORD. On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. For seven days you shall present food offerings to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. ...that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God" (Leviticus 23:34-36, 43, ESV). The Expositor's Bible Commentary says of this feast, "In contrast to the fast and repentance of the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Booths was an occasion of joy - a thanksgiving day" (TEBC: AE, vol. 1,159).
The Feast of Booths was a national holiday that served to remind the Children of Israel that God had personally led them out of Egypt and provided for them in the wilderness, before ultimately establishing them in the promised land. But more importantly in the seventh chapter of John, this national holiday served to illustrate the offer that Jesus was making to those who would accept Him by faith, as well as to allude to the Old Testament prophecies that would ultimately be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Jesus laid the foundation for both of these points, when, as John records, "On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:37-39, ESV). Concerning the significance of Jesus referring to "living water" during this feast, The Expositor's Bible Commentary says, "The celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles included a daily procession of priests from the temple to the Pool of Siloam, from which they drew water that was poured out as a libation at the altar, accompanied by a recitation of Isaiah 12:3: 'With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.' This offering of water memorialized God's provision for the thirsty people in the wilderness, but the water had been poured out and had left them unsatisfied" (TEBC: AE, vol. 2, 321). It was on the eighth and final day of the feast, after the priests had stopped pouring out this offering of water, that Jesus stood to announce His offer of "living water" that truly satisfies the thirst of those who drink it.
This traditional ceremony of offering water, and what it signified, provided a wonderful illustration for Jesus to explain what He was offering those who would simply believe in Him. John Phillips writes, "As Israel in the Old Testament drank from that life-giving stream flowing from the riven rock, so Christ offers those who believe in Him an ever flowing, never failing, soul satisfying, thirst quenching inner supply of living water... As Moses smote the rock, so it was that our Lord was smitten. He returned at length to His home on high and sent the Holy Spirit to take His place on Earth. The Holy Spirit filled the disciples. On the day of Pentecost the rivers began to flow" (Exploring the Gospel of John, 152). Therefore, the Feast of Booths clearly illustrates the promise of the Holy Spirit, which was a promise that Jesus alone could make and fulfill. When a person chooses to believe in Jesus by faith, the Lord's promise is immediately fulfilled, through the presence of the Holy Spirit and the satisfaction that He brings to the life of the believer; much like what water brings to the body of a desperately thirsty man.
This traditional ceremony of offering water also makes a clear allusion to Old Testament prophecy concerning both the Messiah and the Feast of Booths. Zechariah spoke of the future time when God's enemies have been ultimately defeated, saying, "On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and His name one... Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths." (Zechariah 14:8-9, 16 ESV). Though this flow of "living waters" from Jerusalem is not directly linked with the Feast of Booths in this passage, when this prophecy has come to pass, the "living waters" will be an ever present reminder of the offer that was made by Jesus so long ago during the Feast of Booths.
When all is said and done, Jesus has fulfilled what the Feast of Booths illustrated, through providing the Holy Spirit to all who choose to believe in Him. As for its allusion to the future celebration of the Feast of Booths by all nations, Jesus will fulfill that when He returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords! In light of what the Feast of Booths signified before Jesus came, and what it has signified since, one could truly call the Feast of Booths the ultimate Thanksgiving Feast.
My question to you for this upcoming Thanksgiving is: Do you have the "living water" to be thankful for? Will you be one who gathers before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to give thanks for what He has provided to save you and change your life? Don't forget the price that He paid to purchase that gift for you. It was for you that He died and it was for you that the Holy Spirit was given. Satisfaction for life's deepest, spiritual thirst is just a prayer away. Trust me, that is what my thanksgiving to God is mostly about! So when you partake of your own Thanksgiving Feast, don't neglect to drink from the "living water" that Jesus offered you at His.
"Dear Lord God, my soul once thirsted for that which I did not understand, nor could find. Thank-you for giving to me that which I needed most. My life is still overflowing with the blessing of having the 'living water' of Your Holy Spirit. I thank-you, my God and King. Amen."
The Feast of Booths was a national holiday that served to remind the Children of Israel that God had personally led them out of Egypt and provided for them in the wilderness, before ultimately establishing them in the promised land. But more importantly in the seventh chapter of John, this national holiday served to illustrate the offer that Jesus was making to those who would accept Him by faith, as well as to allude to the Old Testament prophecies that would ultimately be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Jesus laid the foundation for both of these points, when, as John records, "On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:37-39, ESV). Concerning the significance of Jesus referring to "living water" during this feast, The Expositor's Bible Commentary says, "The celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles included a daily procession of priests from the temple to the Pool of Siloam, from which they drew water that was poured out as a libation at the altar, accompanied by a recitation of Isaiah 12:3: 'With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.' This offering of water memorialized God's provision for the thirsty people in the wilderness, but the water had been poured out and had left them unsatisfied" (TEBC: AE, vol. 2, 321). It was on the eighth and final day of the feast, after the priests had stopped pouring out this offering of water, that Jesus stood to announce His offer of "living water" that truly satisfies the thirst of those who drink it.
This traditional ceremony of offering water, and what it signified, provided a wonderful illustration for Jesus to explain what He was offering those who would simply believe in Him. John Phillips writes, "As Israel in the Old Testament drank from that life-giving stream flowing from the riven rock, so Christ offers those who believe in Him an ever flowing, never failing, soul satisfying, thirst quenching inner supply of living water... As Moses smote the rock, so it was that our Lord was smitten. He returned at length to His home on high and sent the Holy Spirit to take His place on Earth. The Holy Spirit filled the disciples. On the day of Pentecost the rivers began to flow" (Exploring the Gospel of John, 152). Therefore, the Feast of Booths clearly illustrates the promise of the Holy Spirit, which was a promise that Jesus alone could make and fulfill. When a person chooses to believe in Jesus by faith, the Lord's promise is immediately fulfilled, through the presence of the Holy Spirit and the satisfaction that He brings to the life of the believer; much like what water brings to the body of a desperately thirsty man.
This traditional ceremony of offering water also makes a clear allusion to Old Testament prophecy concerning both the Messiah and the Feast of Booths. Zechariah spoke of the future time when God's enemies have been ultimately defeated, saying, "On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and His name one... Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths." (Zechariah 14:8-9, 16 ESV). Though this flow of "living waters" from Jerusalem is not directly linked with the Feast of Booths in this passage, when this prophecy has come to pass, the "living waters" will be an ever present reminder of the offer that was made by Jesus so long ago during the Feast of Booths.
When all is said and done, Jesus has fulfilled what the Feast of Booths illustrated, through providing the Holy Spirit to all who choose to believe in Him. As for its allusion to the future celebration of the Feast of Booths by all nations, Jesus will fulfill that when He returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords! In light of what the Feast of Booths signified before Jesus came, and what it has signified since, one could truly call the Feast of Booths the ultimate Thanksgiving Feast.
My question to you for this upcoming Thanksgiving is: Do you have the "living water" to be thankful for? Will you be one who gathers before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to give thanks for what He has provided to save you and change your life? Don't forget the price that He paid to purchase that gift for you. It was for you that He died and it was for you that the Holy Spirit was given. Satisfaction for life's deepest, spiritual thirst is just a prayer away. Trust me, that is what my thanksgiving to God is mostly about! So when you partake of your own Thanksgiving Feast, don't neglect to drink from the "living water" that Jesus offered you at His.
"Dear Lord God, my soul once thirsted for that which I did not understand, nor could find. Thank-you for giving to me that which I needed most. My life is still overflowing with the blessing of having the 'living water' of Your Holy Spirit. I thank-you, my God and King. Amen."
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