Special Powers for Apostles?

Watch out - I have super-powers. That line has been used a few times. It's taken various forms: Join our church or be damned; be baptized our way or be damned; repeat our creed or be damned; pay me money or risk having to pay for your own sins. It is sad that many scriptures have been used to reinforce the idea that man or men have the power to determine the eternal destiny of other people's souls.

Following Easter, I happened again on the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to his disciples.

John 20:19-23

"When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples therefore rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus therefore said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."

I read through the major commentaries to see what others have said about these verses. I saw everything from anti-papist rants to the Wesleyan view that Jesus was simply conferring upon the apostles the ability to authoritatively state that if a person didn't want to come to Christ, that such a person could pretty much assume he wasn't going to be saved.

Then I saw something else and it wasn't written in a commentary, but consider these thoughts, and comment back if you like.

Jesus always spoke to the needs that were in the hearts of his disciples and those he ministered to. Often, Jesus' words seem on first glance to be unrelated to the situations described in scripture, almost as if he had a penchant for changing the subject. But I don't think that was ever the case.

In John chapter 20, the disciples were holed up in a locked room. They were afraid. They were angry. They had just witnessed the murder of their leader and they must have been considering what their next step should be. What options may have been running through their minds and be foremost in their conversation?
- Flee to the hills of Judea?
- Recruit followers to launch a counter-attack against the corrupt priesthood?
- Storm Herod's seat of power?
- Launch a public relations campaign to expose the corruption of the Pharisees and Sadducees?  I just don't think that at this point, they were making plans for the spiritual growth of the Christian community.

Into this confused meeting Jesus makes his presence known. And he responds to their largest emotions and answers the questions foremost in their minds.

They are fearful -  "Peace be to you", he says.  Peace. Relax, I'm with you. You don't need to listen at the door for the footsteps of your enemies.  The sight of their Lord fills them with a sudden and joyous excitement. He's back! Now we can make some real plans! Now we can storm the palace, now we can de-throne the corrupt priesthood! Now we can.... but Jesus interupts their excited and joyful responses.  He says: "Peace. As the Father has sent me, I also send you."  No, we aren't going to storm the palace. We are not going to take over the temple. I was sent by the Father, from the very presence of His Glory, to walk humbly on the earth; not to condemn the world, but to communicate the Father's love for the world and his forgiveness of sin. Now I am sending you to walk humbly through this world. You are to suffer for righteousness' sake; you are to faithfully administer the grace of God.  Imagine the disciples listening to this with increasing anxiety. Going "out there" means going out there among the butchers and blasphemers that condemned their Lord to die on a cross. How can we relate to those people, they may wonder. Maybe they even put the question to Jesus verbally: What about those wicked men that incited the riotous crowd and presided over your murder? How shall we deal with them? Christ's response is in keeping with all his other teaching: "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."

That is the quote that I think has been so misconstrued and misused. Literally, "their sins have been forgiven" reads: "have previously been forgiven"*.  That's a reiteration of Jesus' words on the cross. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." He did forgive them. He's reminding the disciples of that fact. Did they think he wasn't serious, or was speaking irrationally when he was hanging there on the cross?  Look you guys, what have I been telling you since day-1? Forgive. Forgive. Owe no man but the debt to continue loving. You can forgive, they are already forgiven, but if you hold back your forgiveness, watch out. Who wants to walk through this life retaining (in their own hearts) the sins of all those who have ever hurt them? Presented with the two options: Forgive in confidence, or retain and carry it with you, which option do you wish to choose? I don't think Jesus was conferring a special authority to forgive people's sins, or deny forgiveness for anyone. Nor was he at that moment granting a special ability to the disciples that would enable them to discern whether any person was "saved" or not.

*according to margin notes in New American Standard Reference Edition Bible
Comments?

Bringing Every Thought Captive To Christ

2 Corinthians 10:5
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

"And bringing into captivity ... - The figure here is evidently taken from military conquests. The idea is, that all the strongholds of paganism, and pride, and sin would be demolished; and that when this was done, like throwing down the walls of a city or making a breach, all the plans and purposes of the soul, the reason, the imagination, and all the powers of the mind would be subdued or led in triumph by the gospel, like the inhabitants of a captured city. Christ was the great Captain in this warfare. In his name the battle was waged, and by his power the victory was won. The captives were made for him and under his authority; and all were to be subject to his control. Every power of thought in the pagan world; all the systems of philosophy and all forms of opinion among people; all the purposes of the soul; all the powers of reason, memory, judgment, fancy in an individual, were all to come under the laws of Christ, All doctrines were to be in accordance with his will; philosophy should no longer control them, but they should be subject to the will of Christ. All the plans of life should be controlled by the will of Christ, and formed and executed under his control - as captives are led by a conqueror. All the emotions and feelings of the heart should be controlled by him, and led by him as a captive is led by a victor. The sense is, that it was the aim and purpose of Paul to accomplish this, and that it would certainly be done. The strongholds of philosophy, paganism, and sin should be demolished, and all the opinions, plans, and purposes of the world should become subject to the all-conquering Redeemer." ....Barnes Notes On The Bible

Really?

You mean Paul was describing himself and his fellow apostles as "Thought Police" and was ready to drag behind him the unwilling victims of a conquest, to be humiliated as he enters triumphantly through the gates of the eternal city?

Why would Jesus want such an illustration to be used? He came to "set the prisoner free" to "proclaim liberty for the captives". When he rose from the grave, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Verse 1 sets some background... "By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you--I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away!"  Whoever heard of a Roman General being described as meek, or gentle?

Verse 3 also sheds some light: "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does."  The Christian War, the spiritual war, is not a war waged against others. It is a matter of walking the extra mile, turning the other cheek, submitting one to another, being last instead of first, least instead of most, the servant of all. Why?  Because the kingdom of God is a different kind of kingdom. It is not intended to be expanded by the sword, or threats against infidels and heretics. It gains ground by the laying down of our lives; not the demolition or subjugation of other peoples.

Then what did Paul mean in verse 5 ?

Maybe this....  he is bringing his own thoughts captive to Christ. He isn't waging war like the world: One look at the backstabbing, self-promoting world of politics (which often creeps into the church) should convince anyone that the world's ways of promoting doctrine are not Christ's way.

If it is true that as Christians, we make Jesus our Lord, why do we want Him to be Lord of our Lives, while we concurrently wish ourselves to be lord of everyone elses' life? Ordering others, telling them how to think, insisting on their demonstrated obedience to our interpretation of scripture....?

How much further the kingdom of God would really expand if we as Christians willingly sought to bring our own thoughts captive to Christ?

Spirit of eternal love,

Guide me, or I blindly rove;

Set my heart on things above,

Draw me after thee.

Earthly things are paltry show,

Phantom charms, they come and go;

Give me constantly to know

Fellowship with thee.

Come, O Spirit, take control

Where the fires of passion roll;

Let the yearnings of my soul

Center all in thee.

Call into thy fold of peace

Thoughts that seek forbidden ways;

Calm and order all my days,

Hide my life in thee.

Thus supported, even I,

Knowing thee forever nigh,

Shall attain that deepest joy,

Living unto thee.

No distracting thoughts within,

No surviving hidden sin,

Thus shall Heaven indeed begin

Here and now in me.

                    Albert Orsborn

Not dead yet....

A common theme on blogs.....  "I haven't written anything for awhile". Yup, I fall into that category. But I can also say no one has complained.  I guess there are certainly more people who like to write, than the number of those persons who like to read. Not much new under the sun.
Well, just for the sake of keeping track of my own thoughts, I may, just may, write again. Now and then. If you don't agree with what I say, COMMENT !   I love comments. Perhaps because I like debate even more than I like writing.