"Holiness: Heresy & Heritage"
"Holiness: Holy Mess, Batman!"
"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:20 (RSV)
Batman & Robin
Sticky, confusing predicaments would warrant "holy ‘’ Batman"
Any discussion of Holiness must by its very definition confront the issue of legalism
Legalism
Has plagued Christianity from the beginning; even affecting us today
-Without
-some fight against it’s rules; want Christianity out of public life
-Christian ethics are viewed as "narrow" or "closed minded" or "prudish"
-Within
-feuds, divisions
-homosexuals in church
in leadership
in marriage
-divorce
-abortion
-birth control
-role of women in ministry
"Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your hearing this day, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them." Deuteronomy 5:1 (RSV)
Arises out of confusion
-What commands do we follow?
-Which were for Israel only?
-Which were culturally based
-sacrifice of animals; today we would think of Satanism or Voodoo
-To what degree do we follow the commands?
In the face of so many questions we are left confused and overwhelmed. Like Robin we can only respond, "Holy Mess, Batman!"
-if only we had some gizmo from our utility belt to help us along
It’s been said that we should study history to learn from our mistakes. By observing the faults of the past we can secure a better future.
Pharisees
[Achtemieier, Paul, Gen Ed. Harpers Bible Dictionary. (HarperSanFrancisco, 1985). Pharisees, pp. 782-783.
Hauer, Christian & Young, William. An Introduction To The Bible: A Journey Into Three Worlds. (Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1990). pp. 191-213.
Reasoner, Vic. "How To Be A Pharisee". The Arminian Magazine, Spring 1994. Http://wesley.nnu.edu/arminian/12-1-94.htm.]
-our initial thoughts:
-evil
-Godless
-legalistic
-callous
-hypocrite
History
Alexander the Great
-Hellenist -all things Greek; all things to become Greek
-333 BC conquered Palestine
-established Greek culture
temples, theaters, gymnasia, stadia, libraries, dwellings
190 BC Rome takes control
Greek culture remains strong
NT, written 200 years later in Greek
Antiochus Epiphanes
-name means "God (Zeus) manifest"; our word Epiphany
-power hungry
-tries to take Egypt
-fails
-takes it out on Jews
-entered Temple
-slaughtered innocent people
-looted temple
-converts temple to Pagan worship
Matthew 24:15
-offered pig on the alter to Zeus
-outlaws customary Jewish practices
For over a century Hellenism has been taking over. Now it could no longer be
ignored.
Pharisees
-nationalistic spiritual fervor arose
-lay movement
-name means "separated ones"
-heroes of the faith
"centered on observance of the Torah...The keeping of Torah therefore was not a legalistic quest for the favor of a coldly demanding God, but a response to the goodness of a loving Father. To keep a commandment, the Pharisees taught, was a joy, not a burden." [Hauer, Christian & Young, William. An Introduction To The Bible: A Journey Into Three Worlds. (Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1990). p. 212.]
-in their zealousness they began to build a fence of protection around the Torah
-added 248 commandments and 365 prohibitions
-"you could bump the fence, but not violate a major commandment"
-became hypocrites who worshiped the letter of the law rather than express the law of love
Relevance Today
-In the face of an ever-changing society where the church has become marginalized, Christianity questioned, sensuality pursued, where pluralistic philosophies reign, and humanism and the human body are worshiped the church is crying out "Holiness" piety of faith. And if we are not careful our quest of holiness could result in heresy.
Three Key Points To Remember In Order To Avoid Being A Pharisee
1. Realize we are not justified by the Law (commands of the Bible)
"We ourselves, who are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, yet who know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified." Galatians 2:15-16 (RSV)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 (RSV)
"What then shall we say about Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Now to one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due. And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness." Romans 4:1-5 (RSV)
2. Understand that just because we are not justified by the Law does not make the Law void
"Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them." Matthew 5:17 (RSV)
"love is the fulfilling of the law." Romans 13:10 (RSV)
3. Know that the Law is good
"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb." Psalm 19:7-10 (RSV)
"What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means!...Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good." Romans 7:7,16 (RSV)
"Now we know that the law is good, if any one uses it lawfully" I Timothy 1:8 (RSV)
A. As Christians we are commanded to keep the commands (Law)
"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." I John 5:3 (RSV)
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments...He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." John 14:15,21 (RSV)
B. The liberation of the Law is love
"Then let us no more pass judgment on one another, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for any one who thinks it unclean. If your brother is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit; he who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for any one to make others fall by what he eats; it is right not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God; happy is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves. But he who has doubts is condemned, if he eats, because he does not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." Romans 14:13-23 (RSV)
Nazarene Special Rules (paragraph 34)
Movies
Gambling
Dancing
Drinking
