The Divine Agenda

Throughout the ages, God has been moving mankind toward an intended end, one with an eschatological hope. Ever since the Fall of mankind (Gen. 3), the story of mankind has been one of God revealing himself to man, with the intention to reconcile them back to himself (2 Cor. 5:19). What he (God) has, is a divine agenda (Howell, p.300). The Fall necessitated a rescue plan (Gen. 3:16), predetermined before time began and realized in the sacrifice of God’s Son for mankind (Jn. 3:16), a once for all sacrifice (Heb. 10:1-18) that would grant mankind the gift of eternal life and justification for the stain of sin.

With this in mind, leaders who are servants of the King, embrace the high calling to proclaim the saving truth of the Gospel (1 Cor. 15) and with a willing heart, seek to fulfill the Great Commission mandate to reach, teach and make disciples (Mat. 28:19-20). This is the praxis of theology and leadership realized. Howell (2016) uses Paul as an example leader who, having internalized the divine agenda of God for his people regularly “reaffirmed the mission’s core value and message, and contextualized the message” in order to avoid “mission ambiguity, mission drift, and mission confusion” (p. 301). Paul’s modus operandi is a reminder of whose mission it is – God’s. It is his mission, his people, and while there may be benefits along the way for his under-shepherds, the mission remains one of self-sacrifice, with seasons of suffering.

What the Bible says about Marriage, Divorce & Singleness

 

           Divorce & Remarriage

Both Jesus and the Apostle Paul spoke about marriage and divorce in the Bible. They would often speak about both topics interchangeably.  Jesus was concerned about the state of relationships, and was the reason he of ten spoke about “the kingdom of God.” In this kingdom, the motive behind an action was of great concern; more than the emotions. As humans, we often react based on the subjective, rather than the objective. At the same time, one may see an outward act and not know the motive (subjective) behind the act. To make his point, he taught the Sermon on the Mount (Mat. 5-7).

Divorce was rampant

Here’s the thing, the divorce culture of this time accommodated their sinful lives and ushered in a period of rampant divorce. Macarthur states that Rabbi Hilel allowed divorce for any reason:

“For any reason, unload that woman.” The men were the leaders in this divorce and you could divorce your wife for burning your dinner, for spinning around so that somebody saw her ankles. For letting her hair down, not metaphorically, but literally, for speaking to a man, for making a negative comment about your mother, or for finding someone else that you preferred. And you were obligated to divorce her if she was infertile. That was the reigning view.”[1]

On his way to Jerusalem, the religious leaders accosted him with a question about divorce. It was their intent to discredit him. They wished for him to condemn all divorcees, seeing that it was the common practice of the day. Up till now, men could divorce their wives for any reason. This would be quite the confrontation.

Marriage & Divorce

Divorce & Remarriage – 1 Corinthians 7

During the First Century, there was immense appreciation for ascetic practices that included celibacy. In response to a letter from the churches, the Apostle Paul writes to address prevailing  concerns. He will make the case that while there is good to celibacy, not all people are “called to it.” Celibacy would not be the normative practice; marriage is, as with marriage comes a greater degree of wholeness (not good for man to be alone, cf. Gen. 2:18). Paul prefers celibacy (singleness) in light of the present environment , but it is not something he can impose upon everyone, as celibacy/singleness is a gift from God

²⁶ I think then that this is good in view of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is.”

Christian Maturity

A believer has been given wisdom by God so that they may know the things of God and apply it to their lives (1 Cor. 2:10, 13). But even though they (believers who have been given God’s wisdom) are called to maturity, at times they act worldly, under the control of the world and the flesh (cf. the Corinthian believers whose actions were antithetical to those given God’s wisdom; 1 Cor. 3:3-4). Keep in mind, “while all believers are alive in the spirit, not all believers’ actions and attitudes conform to the status of being alive in the Spirit (Samra, p. 66). Seeing that believers are no longer slaves to sin and are now “sons’” because “God sent his Spirit within our hearts” (Gal. 4:6), it is expected that they should live in freedom, to walk in their new status, not enslavement to the law, the world, nor the enemy.

Concerning Marriage & Divorce

Do we live by the Facts or Do we live by Principles (God’s Principles)

Corinth was a key Greek urban center under Roman rule that eclipsed Athens in size and importance by the time of the great fire in 146 BC. It was rebuilt in 46 BC by Julius Caesar as a Roman colony and inhabited with approximately 100, 000 persons. By the time of Paul, it had become the wealthiest city in Greece (Blomberg). The city of Corinth was famous for a huge stone mountain called the Acrocorinth, with the temple of Aphrodite on top. This was the ultimate symbol of the dominance of pagan religions. Before Christ, these temples employed thousands of priests and priestesses who “doubled as prostitutes”. In addition to this, there were more prostitutes available on the ground level for interested parties. It is from this culture that the word “Corinthianize” (“play the harlot”) and “Corinthian girl” (whore) became a slang (Blomberg).

Practical Applications of the Shepherd & Slavery Motifs

Believers have been liberated from the bondage/spiritual slavery of sin and now belong to Christ (slaves of) who is their Shepherd (1 Pet. 2:25). Using the pericopae of 1 Peter 5, the reader will find useful instructions for leaders within the body of Christ. Christian leaders are under-shepherds of God’s called people,  charged with “exercising oversight” of His flock (1 Pet. 5:2). The Greek word for ‘shepherd/tend’ here is “poimanate,” which describes the task of  tending to, rule, govern, (serve as shepherd/pastor)[Gruden 2009, p.194]. Although Christian leaders are slaves of Christ, the call to shepherd God’s flock is to be done of free will (not under constraints), ungrudgingly, according to God’s will (5:2-3).  The church belongs To God (Acts 20:28), and under-shepherds in carrying out their oversight responsibilities guard the flock (from threats, false doctrine), administer edification, watch over their souls (Heb. 13:17), and be careful not to be overbearing, prejudicial, uncaring, nor “lords over God’s people” (5:3). The reader will note here the stark contrast between those who serve the Good Shepherd versus the power-hungry false shepherds of the world’s system who Jesus called hypocrites (Jn. 10; Mat. 20:25). Leaders are called to humility and a sacrificial spirit.

Use of the Slavery & Shepherd Motifs in Scripture

         

                                                            Slavery

Historically, the metaphor of slavery “was capable of multiple connotations.”[1] It is sometimes used as “servants of God” (δούλους – Acts 2:18), “fellow servants” (σύνδουλοι – Rev. 6:11), in the singular “slave” (doulē – Luke 1:38), “slaves of Christ” (douloi Christou – Eph. 6:6) and “fellow- slave” (syndoulou – Col. 1:7).  It is defined as “someone whose person and service belongs wholly to another,”[2] resulting in “the total subjection of the slave and the absence of the slave’s freedom  to choose his action or movement.”

The two types of slavery concerned with this discussion are: (1) physical/literal – the actual imposition over a person; and (2) metaphorical/spiritual – “an inward relationship in which a person is under the influence of another.”[3] Keep in mind that first century Christianity was primarily influenced by Judaism; therefore any use of the slave motif would have first a Jewish bent, then the historical Greek/Gentile meaning. However, Harris contends that the reader should consider the slave motif within the framework of Jewish, Greek and Roman conceptual backgrounds.[4]

Based on the historical use of the slavery motif, we can therefore conclude that the New Testament (N.T.) neither endorses nor reject slavery, and draws both positive and negative images from it.[5]

Growth Within The Body Of Christ

God's missional plan is the salvation and sanctification of the world (Eph. 1:9-10). This mission is best achieved when the Body of Christ operates as a fully functional ecosystem. Christ, is the head of the church, and believers are being fitted together with an expectation of a harmonious and interconnected togetherness. Ernest Best describes the way this spiritual ecosystem should function:

  "If one member fails to exercise his gift, that hinders both the growth of the whole and the individual growth of each member (no member can grow apart from the whole). The growth of each member is involved in the growth of the whole and the growth of the whole in the behavior of each member."[1]

The Goal Of Christianity

"Christianity in essence is concerned with the transformation of character and conduct

rather than with the reformation of societal structures. Its primary focus is on the individual ethics within the Christian community rather than on corporate ethics within society at large; on interpersonal relationships rather than on societal reformation through institutional change. The principal change sought is in the individual, and the secondary in society, through transformed individuals."

Murray J. Harris, Slave of Christ, (Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1999), 67-8. 

Saving The Lost: Jesus Raises The Status Of An Accused Adulterer

 The Mission – Confronting Sin With An Aim To Elevate        (Jn. 4:16-18)

The stage is set for further revelation of Christ’s identity and mission. Keep in mind the betrothal theme, the reader will notice a shift in the story. With the awareness of  “Jesus’ identity

as the covenantal husband of Israel and the biblical typology of the well as the meeting place for a betrothal, we can understand the statement by Jesus, “Go call your husband?” (4:16) as the primary purpose of this encounter.”[1] Jesus’ aim here “is not so much to discuss ethics or the woman’s lifestyle as it is to show his revelatory knowledge, so that the woman would begin to recognize his identity.”[2]