Context, Context, Context

On some days, Ogre just sits in awe wondering how undisciplined God’s creatures can be in the discernment of His Word.  The distraction and distortion of the Word is the favorite tool of the unholy one.  We hear the Words of the Lord from Scripture and rip them from context, applying new meaning to suit the ends of the perpetrator of lies.

A case in point follows.  We will look at two passages recently quoted.  Ogre will replace these passages in their proper context and demonstrate the value of context. The first passage is Ephesians 6:10-12.  The second is 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.  What is interesting to me is that we just studied both of these in Bible study last month.  In a room full of fairly learned men, a half dozen of whom are ordained, from backgrounds as diverse as orthodox reformed such as Ogre to Protestant Liberals such as Methodists and modern Anglicans, no one came up with the mysticism that I read recently concerning these passages.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Spiritual warfare.  What is it?  Although the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places is only one line item in this list, it was the one lifted from this passage.  Before we discuss the pertinent passage from the Old Testament, let’s go back through this whole passage, and the whole section of the epistle.  The Armor of God consists of three parts, according to Paul.  The model for his imagery is Roman armor.  There is a Breast plate, a Shield and a Weapon.  Notice the whole paragraph.   There is reference made in metaphoric terms to each of these parts.  The armor consists of truth, righteousness and faith.  The shield is faith and the weapon is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.  Therefore, knowledge of the Word of God is the cornerstone of this armor.  Truth, righteousness, faith, salvation and the Word of God are our weapons.

Who are we fighting with these weapons?  Let’s go back to the antecedent clause in the letter, Ephesians 4:11-16, but particularly verse 14.  So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.  So, it seems bad doctrine is the problem.  We need these weapons of truth, righteousness and faith, along with salvation and the Word of God to battle bad doctrine.  The irony is just crashing down around me.

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

This passage is about knowledge and arguments, reasoning.  In every interior reference of this passage, the weapons are, again, truth and the Word of God.  The power is in the Word of God, truth and righteousness.  And most importantly, these things are from the Triune God. 

Finally, some eschatology for a Lord’s Day.  Genesis 3:15; Psalm 41:9; John 13:18;Jeremiah 23:19, 30:23; Ezekiel 10:9; Habakkuk 3:13; Revelation 13:3 

Genesis 3:15 talks about the spiritual battle.  The head of the serpent will be bruised by the heel of the Son of Man.  But the heel of the Son of Man will in turn also be bruised.  This imagery is present throughout scripture.  I’ve highlighted a very few of the pertinent passages.  The bottom line is this: the outcome of the battle between good and evil has already been decided.  Jesus triumphed over death.  We live in the time between the Ascension and the Second Coming in Judgment.  This present evil age remains while the Age to Come is breaking in upon us in the Word and Sacraments, through which we receive God’s Grace.  The battle is over the Word.

With what does Satan tempt Jesus?  He twists scripture.  He knows that he can’t lie directly to Jesus.  His only hope is to twist scripture to suit his ends.  Of course, twisting scripture to its author is also hopeless.  But this is the nature of the Devil’s temptations.  The battle is over the Word.  Good Doctrine is the battle.  It says this in the scripture.  Do not deny the scripture or allow it to be twisted to evil.

--Ogre--