I finished N. T. Wright’s Paul and the Faithfulness of God! Part 4

Perhaps the central teaching of Paul and the Faithfulness of God is that Paul was essentially a Second Temple period Jewish thinker, steeped in the Scriptures, and absolutely persuaded that Jesus is the Messiah promised by the prophets and that the new age promised by the prophets had dawned, although it was still in the process of being fully realized.

Let me explain how I understand it. You see, this seems almost trivial until we run an experiment or two. For example, I asked my Sunday school class what it means for us to confess that “Jesus is the Christ.” They correctly told me that “Christ” means “Messiah.”

When I asked what “Messiah” means, most did not know — and they are nearly all lifelong church attenders and very highly educated people. A few said “Anointed” or “King,” but only a few.

I then asked what Peter meant when he confessed Jesus to be the “Son of the Living God.” The class responded “divine,” thinking in terms of the Nicene Creed. And he is divine and a part of the Triune God in some mysterious sense. But “Son of God” in the confession is taken from Psalm 2, where it refers to the Anointed (“Messiah”) of God as king. “Son of God” parallels “Christ” or “Messiah.”

The point is that Jesus is the king promised by the prophets who will rule the nations — indeed, the world — from a throne now found in heaven. And he has already been anointed king. Therefore, Jesus calls us to him as subjects to grant him our allegiance (or loyalty or faithfulness or faith).

We were saved, not to be firmly convinced that Jesus is a part of the Holy Triune God (although he certainly is). We were saved to become servants of the King, busy about his mission on earth.

Which brings us to “Living God.” Why confess “Living God”?

Ray Vander Laan notes that Peter voiced his confession in Caesarea Philippi, a prominent center of the worship of Pan (Greek goat god whose worship involved bestiality). Peter was likely emphasizing that God lives, in contrast to the pagans’ dead  (and disgusting) idols. And that makes sense.

But I think it’s also true that Peter was declaring, by the Spirit, that God is alive and therefore powerful and active enough to bring about the truth of his confession. This is no mere abstraction. Rather, as we serve the King, we do so confident that our God lives! And our God will be there to make it happen.

God’s mission is God’s mission, but it’s also a mission in which we participate because he has chosen to accomplish his goals in part through his church and his children. He does not leave us as orphans.

(Joh 14:18-21 ESV) ¹⁸ “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹ Whoever 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.”

(Mat 28:19-20 ESV) ¹⁹ “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.“

In short, in the confession we’ve all made, there is a promise that God will be with us as we live the confession.

(Isa 52:7-8 ESV) ⁷ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” ⁸ The voice of your watchmen — they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion.

Isaiah promised the return of YHWH to Zion; and this was accomplished by Jesus of Nazareth. The “good news” is that God reigns — through the resurrected Jesus.

The gospel is not, first and foremost, about being baptized so you can go to heaven because you believe Jesus is part of the Trinity. It’s about the reign of God — accomplished on the cross and by the resurrection. It’s about who will ultimately prevail in the cosmic battle against the powers that stand arrayed against God.

Part of understanding is to spend some time in the prophets — which we rarely do. I mean, just savor each word and then imagine what the world would be like if you believed this promise was in the process of coming true as assured by the word of God the Creator.

(Isa 40:9-14 NET) ⁹ Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion! Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem! Shout, don’t be afraid! Say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” ¹⁰ Look, the sovereign LORD comes as a victorious warrior; his military power establishes his rule. Look, his reward is with him; his prize goes before him. ¹¹ Like a shepherd he tends his flock; he gathers up the lambs with his arm; he carries them close to his heart; he leads the ewes along.

¹² Who has measured out the waters in the hollow of his hand, or carefully measured the sky, or carefully weighed the soil of the earth, or weighed the mountains in a balance, or the hills on scales? ¹³ Who comprehends the mind of the LORD, or gives him instruction as his counselor? ¹⁴ From whom does he receive directions? Who teaches him the correct way to do things, or imparts knowledge to him, or instructs him in skillful design?

(Isa 40:21-23 NET) ²¹ Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told to you since the very beginning? Have you not understood from the time the earth’s foundations were made? ²² He is the one who sits on the earth’s horizon; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers before him. He is the one who stretches out the sky like a thin curtain, and spreads it out like a pitched tent. ²³ He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing; he makes the earth’s leaders insignificant.

(Isa 40:28-41:1 NET) ²⁸ Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is an eternal God, the creator of the whole earth. He does not get tired or weary; there is no limit to his wisdom. ²⁹ He gives strength to those who are tired; to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy. ³⁰ Even youths get tired and weary; even strong young men clumsily stumble. ³¹ But those who wait for the LORD’s help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired.

Our God lives! And he is taking charge of his planet. We were saved, not to die and go to heaven, but to be on mission with the Lord who will prevail.

Our forgiveness qualifies us to be in his presence. Only the clean can be with God. It allows the Spirit to live within us and empower us to serve him all the better.

And as we serve, he changes us — restores us — to his image. He re-establishes his purposes in Creation through us. It’s a resonance thing. As we serve, he transforms more and more into servants. As we act like Jesus, he helps us become like Jesus.

And all that prepares us not only for mission, it somehow accomplishes God’s mission. By the church becoming the church — the true church, God’s intended church — the world is changed. By taking communion in remembrance of God’s Son, the world is changed. By becoming salt and light, the world is changed. And so are we.

And this prepares us to live forever with God and Jesus and the Spirit in the renewed, restored heavens and earth. I mean, it won’t be much fun unless we enjoy being around God and each other — and that requires that the coming of a change.