Saturday, June 30, 2007

What was Jesus Doing in Hell?

Short answer: Reaching out to the people who needed him most.

Some of the standard texts connected to this doctrine are:

Job 38:17 (NIV)
17 Have the gates of death been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?

Psalm 16:9-10 (NIV)
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the grave…

Psalm 68:20 (NIV)
20 Our God is a God who saves;
from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.

Ephesians 4:9-10 (NIV)
9What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.

1 Peter 3:18-22 (NIV)
[Jesus] was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.

1 Peter 4:5-6 (NIV)
5But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

The Apostles' Creed
This is a creed (an encapsulation of beliefs), which developed between the second and the ninth centuries after Christ, which many people in traditional liturgical churches are familiar with. Nineteenth century Methodists removed the phrase which mentions the descent into hell from their recitation of this creed, claiming it was unbiblical.

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Harrowing of Hell
Sometimes Jesus' descent to hell is called the "harrowing of hell." In agriculture, a harrow is a tool for breaking up dirt. Harrowing is done in order to kill weeds and prepare a site to be seeded.

It seems inconceivable to me, having seen the relentless incursions of Jesus into the lives of the broken, that there might be some excluded from Jesus' fearless, fearsome love. I believe nothing – no darkness, no pain, no bereftness – is immune from his gracious presence. There is no place you can go, no darkness so deep that you are beyond the reach of God. He is willing to go to hell in order to bring home his harvest.

Where and what is Purgatory?

Purgatory is an idea rather than a place. In the Catholic tradition, purgatory is the state a person exists in while they are being prepared (purified or cleansed) for heaven. Protestants don't typically believe in this idea, but I find it deeply compelling.

Sin is that which bends away from God. We can get pretty bent out of shape over a lifetime. Sometimes we do the bending, sometimes we are bent by the forces around us. God-followers work to turn back to God, to unbend, but how often is it that a person dies with their lives "all straightened out"? Just because we die, does that mean God is finished with us?

I have hope that God's purpose in me will continue after my death. I am grateful to have a lifetime in which to grow straight and tall in God, but I have no illusions that I will be ready to face God in all his glory the instant I breathe my last. Like everyone else, I will rely on God to help me be ready for heaven in the next life, just as I have relied on God to help me be a part of heaven in this life.

Monday, June 25, 2007

The Hotter the Better

Here's a great online article on hell. It speaks to the deep desire we humans have for "fair play" and God's deep desire to offer grace. The author describes "hell on earth," and discusses churches who attempt to "reach out" using hell (remember the Halloween banners for Hell House you saw up in front of that big church on your row?), and also does a beautiful job of describing how he defines and why he believes in hell.

Here are some good quotes to get you going:

"Humanly, we don't like to think that someone will be able to do something 'bad' and not pay for it. We want to believe that no one will ever get away with anything."

"Chronic sinners who perpetuate unremitting evil are judged by God. No one 'gets away with' anything -- but that fact is not the cornerstone or foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

"Be careful that you don't get involved in some crusade that creates or assists hells on earth, even if what you are doing is called 'God's work.'"

"The path of God's kingdom of heaven does not require that Christians dangle the feet of the uncommitted over the flames of hell."

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Who Invented Hell?

Note: The scripture links may use the word "hell" but my references are going by the original words discussed in this post and not later translations.

1. The creation story does not depict our modern idea of hell.

According to the early OT (Genesis 2:7), we are made of two things: dirt and the breath of life. Death was what happened when the mysterious forces that made you alive were gone. It was not about judgment, it was not about heaven/hell; it was simply a fact for all creatures. However, the scripture wasn't written all at once, so this understanding of life and death and life after death evolved.

2. Hades
Hades was the ancient Greek notion of the underworld, where people (good and bad) went when they died. . Later, the mythology of the Greek Underworld of Hades began to evolve different regions: Elysian fields was a "good" place (later Dante used it for the Catholic conception of limbo), and Tartarus was a "bad" place, among others.

3. Sheol
Sheol was the OT biblical parallel for Hades. Even though originally death was death and that was it, soon the notion of an actual place came into play. Dead people in Sheol were thought to be separated from God (Proverbs 9:18).

4. Gehenna
There was an actual place recorded in the OT called Gehenna. The name means "Valley of Hinnom" (sometimes Ben Hinnom) southwest of Jerusalem. Some of the kings of Judah engaged in some rather hideous practices in that valley. They built altars and practiced the sacrifice by fire of their children (2 Chronicles 28:3 and 33:6, Jeremiah 7:31)

This valley of Gehenna later became a landfill. Trash was heaped there, and periodically the trash would be burned down. In extracanonical Jewish literature (First Enoch, for example), Gehenna began to be used to describe a final place and state of firey torment of the wicked.

Then the NT starts to use Gehenna as the final place of firey torment, although sometimes in scripture it is a "final" place, and sometimes not, which shows that the idea is still being formed. Nothing is set in stone yet.

Mark 9 (NIV)
47And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, [Gehenna] 48where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

5. Scripture isn't the only influence of our modern understanding of hell.
1300's: Dante Alighieri – epic poetry, The Divine Comedy
1500's: Hieronymus Bosch – paintings, The Garden of Earthly Delights
1600's: John Milton – epic poetry, Paradise Lost

Our Old and New Testaments were written in several different languages. When the much-loved, much-debated KJV came out, it translated all the different words into one: hell.

Take aways:

1. It's messy: Live in the tension
Before you throw out the idea of hell as something that tradition just invented, remember that we have invented a lot of things. The church's job is to interpret things that are not expressly clear in scripture, and to reinterpret things that are. Consider slavery, which is clearly supported in scripture, and was supported and practiced in the church until recently, when we reinterpreted that.

2. It's true: Alienation from God is a terrible thing
Here's a good working definition of hell, and it's the same as the definition of sin:
That which is separated from God.

3. It's heartbreaking: Let the world's pain injure your heart the way it injures God's
It's just like Matt said last week: to take any sort of satisfaction or pleasure in the hellish alienation of any of God's creatures is a grave and horrible thing.


A benediction for you:

People of God,

You are traveling a complicated spiritual landscape every day.
Stay in good spiritual shape.
Keep your tools and maps handy, and share them with others who have need.
Listen to your guides, the ones who are strong in God and experienced on the journey.
Don't be discouraged by the complexity of the trail.
Return regularly to base camp (this is one of many), to rest, replenish, and reconnect.
Stay close with your traveling companions, and in touch with your God.
Look for and rescue those who have been separated from the rest.
May your hearts be soft, and broken on behalf of those who stray away.

Your God goes with you.

Jesus and Evangelism

In this teaching series we've ended up with at least three main styles of evangelism. We checked in with Jesus to see what his style was like.

Jesus the friend:
Luke 7:36-50 (Jesus anointed by a sinful woman)
Matthew 9:9-13 (the calling of Matthew -- who is the evangelist here? Matthew is holding the dinner.)

Jesus the door-knocker:
John 8:3-11 (woman caught in adultery)
Matthew 5:19-20 (the law)

Jesus the bullhorn guy:
Mark 9:43-48 (cut off your hand if it causes you to sin)
Luke 11:37-53 (woe to Pharisees)

Some observations that came out of our conversation:

1. There's a difference between judging whether someone is "worthy" of heaven or hell, and judging how we should live each day in the here and now. The first is God's job, and the second is more ours.

2. Jesus tended to show more grace toward outsiders, and was harsher toward errant church leaders. Interestingly, he tends to be the Bullhorn guy mostly to the church! Does this mean we should have more "bullhorn" in church?

3. With people outside the church, very often they come to us (as they did to Jesus). Within the church, it is more important that we go to one another.

4. Bringing people to Jesus is a process that can take several years. I know many people who have been damaged by the church and are slowly recovering from that. Unfortunately many of the Pharisaical types of Jesus’ day have come into the church and are very busy turning people off to the message of Christ. To say it is sad is an understatement.

5. One of the special challenges of our culture is that many sins have been “de-sinned.” So sometimes it is not just about accepting a person, but educating people about the nature of God. We need to be frank and open about the sin problem. However, we also need humility. We come to Jesus just as broken and screwed up as anyone else.

6. When we get pleasure from condemning "bad" people it's akin to saying to the parent of a child who committed suicide, "What a load off you -- that kid was bad news." When sin creates a breach in someone's life, God is the first whose heart breaks. We need to be people of soft, breakable hearts.

7. Regarding the work of salvation (earlier post): When we repent of sin, God gives pardons. But a pardon is only in effect if the person who has been pardoned accepts the gift. The work of repenting and the work of accepting are ours. The work of pardoning is God's.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Response to Bullhorn

1. Are all the different styles of evangelism equally helpful in all situations?
No. There have been at least three styles in our videos: a) Bullhorn/Damnation; b) Door Knocking; and c) Friendship. While all seem to have a place, and Jesus seemed to practice them all to some extent, it seems that the Door Knocking (or 5 minute street corner conversation, a la Todd Friel) style is self-centered, if you're talking about reaching people completely outside the church. The evangelist is looking for immediate gratification, another notch on the belt, or as Matt put it, Minute Rice. It's very rules-based, quick and easy. Interestingly, Jesus mostly used this approach on leaders in the church! It seems that what our culture needs more today is a serious departure from the "quick fix." Broken people need a radical investment of time from Jesus people; a lengthy, potentially messy and complex investment in becoming friends. Deep-rooted faith requires deep-rooted friendship.

2. How do we know which style to use when?
There may be some answers in knowledge that farmers have. They spend a lot of time preparing a field, and they pick the crop to sow based on the soil and climate conditions. Seeds thrown on the side of the highway may take root, or they may not. Perhaps some of the young men Todd spoke to on the street will take the conversation another step someday.

3. Should everybody be able to knock on doors?
Perhaps not. God gives us different spiritual gifts, but all Jesus-people are called to share what we know. So a teacher may share differently than a musician. Building the Kingdom is a family business, and we need all the members of the family. Do you suppose Rob Bell and Todd Friel feel like they are members of the same family?

4. Who names your sin?
Who do you know, love, and trust enough to hear them when they call you away from sin and toward God? For whom do you serve this role?

5. What's God's role in salvation, and how much are we responsible for?
Wow, big question. Check back later in the week!

Sunday, June 3, 2007

Bullhorn

Below you will see some of the questions and comments that came out of this Sunday's discussion of Rob Bell's Bullhorn video. There are some interesting comments, and a few unanswered questions here that we will take up again next week.

1. What does it mean to love someone with an agenda?
Having an evangelical agenda is certainly not anti-gospel. The problem occurs when our agenda contradicts the love of Christ. It is incredibly easy to respond to “bullhorn preachers out of frustration and anger, even retaliation. Instantly these people become enemies to us. But Matthew 5:44-45 teaches Christians to embrace our enemies lovingly and prayerfully.

2. Is trying to convert someone to your religious beliefs an agenda?
Sometimes we get so preoccupied with “trying to convert people” that we lose sight of what matters most. So what exactly does matter most? Jesus said what matters most is loving God and neighbor. But doesn't that include sharing what we know about sin and repentance?

3. Do you think it's possible to scare people into loving God?
Lots of energy around this one; the consensus was that yes, it certainly is possible. However, it may be that (as my Dad says) you can draw more flies with sugar than you can with vinegar. The bible says love "drives out" fear. One person pointed out the fact that fear fades while love endures. Love seems to be a better motivator than fear.

Another comment came from a former State student, who said that she felt that every seeking person who encountered the bullhorn preacher in the brickyard was turned away from God for good. Scary thought, that.

4. Rob says, "Bullhorn guy, I don' t think it's working. I don't think this is what Jesus had in mind." Is the "bullhorn" style every appropriate or useful? Did Jesus use it? Did Jesus ever use carrots or sticks to "get people into heaven"? **Interesting note: Rob is talking about a guy with a bullhorn yelling at people; Todd Friel is not talking about OR doing this. Seems like Friel slightly missed Rob's point here.
Several people felt that the bullhorn style was in fact useful, and we can point to Jesus using a similar approach in scripture (to the church leaders in the infamous "you brood of vipers" speech, and to the general public in his "repent, for the Kingdom of God is near" sermons, perhaps). However, we don't see Jesus using Heaven or Hell as a carrot or a stick.

It was noted that parents do use a bullhorn approach in parenting: "Don't run out in the street; a car might hit you."

5. Why is the bullhorn approach attractive to anyone?
Perhaps because a list of black and white rules seems simpler and easier.

6. Is our loudest testimony our life?
Todd Friel will challenge us here. Do we avoid seeking and holding "street level" conversations about God, sin, and repentance because we are squeamish or scared to talk about serious God-stuff? Should "street level" conversations like this be a part of our life?

Has it ever happened to you that a seeker has asked you to reveal the "hope that you have" because of your lifestyle was so compelling to them? Has a seeker ever asked you, because of your lifestyle, to tell them about Jesus (or sin, redemption, grace, hell, or anything else)?

7. Should the church engage in judgment?
The bullhorn guy is judgmental. Christians quote the bible and say all the time "It's not my place to judge anyone." Does this mean that the church should not name anyone's sin? Is that what this oft-quoted text actually teaches? And what about John 12:47, in which Jesus says "I came not to judge the world, but to save it"?

Friday, June 1, 2007

Doubting Faith

1. Faith is lived in tension
If your hope was to use faith in order to rid yourself of tension and worry, you may be disappointed to hear that faith is lived in tension. The focus text is Matthew 28:16, right after the greatest crisis the world has ever known: the crucifixion of the Messiah.

Matthew 28:16-20 (New Living Translation)
16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw [Jesus], they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

Another story from Mark 9 illuminates this struggle to live your faith in the middle of tension. A dad wants Jesus to heal his son, and Jesus asks him if he really believes he (Jesus) can do it. The dad's response? "I believe! Help my unbelief."

2. Your Teeny Bit of Faith: Mustard Seeds and Children
In Matthew 17 Jesus explains to the disciples that they just need a teeny bit of faith, mustard seed-sized. So many times Christians say, "Here's a list of all of these things you must believe in (OR) can't believe in if you want to be a Christian." But the One Thing that puts the power to your mustard seed is Jesus Christ. Then faith takes root in you, and grows to become much larger and complex and beautiful. So if you're sitting there thinking that you don't have much faith, it doesn't take much.

Jesus also talked about childlike faith (Luke 18:17). Kids have this faith that they can do anything, change the world. When you ask them what they're gonna be, kids never tell you, "Ah, I'll probably just, I don't know, enter data." They have passion!

Moses' had a pretty cool epitaph in Deuteronomy 34:7: "Moses was 120 years old when he died, and his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone." Moses was a guy who lived a tense life. He was nearly murdered at birth by the very family who later (unknowingly) adopted him; he was a convicted murderer, on the run for many years; AND, not co-incidentally, the first leader of God's people (over 2 million of them before the church got big). At 120 years old, he still had a passionate faith in God.

3. Exercise for Teeny Faith
Here's a very counter-intuitive fact about living well in the tension with your mustard seed-sized faith. In order to physically exercise, I use resistance to my advantage. In the world of spirituality resistance is called doubt.

Most people are missing an experience of God because their spiritual life is so atrophied. I'm spiritually stronger at 41 than I was at 21 because I've worked through a LOT of doubts. How do you exercise your faith? You can question (hang out on The Voice of Friends!), you can serve, you can do lots of things. And more than anything else, it helps to hang out with a community of faith. It's just like with motorcyclists: one may not get noticed, but not only will every driver will see a group of forty bikes on the highway, but they'll hear them coming a long way off!