Paul and the Danger of Parallelomania

There is a very common Bible study practice out there today called Parallelomania. What is it exactly? It's a type of Biblical interpretation that finds hidden meanings in the Biblical text using historical details and cultural practices (usually from rabbinic traditions like the Mishnah or Greek and Roman culture). Let me give you an example from a recent book I read. Here's what the book described:

During the Jewish Passover, each Jewish family would put the family name around the neck of their lamb they were taking to the Temple to be sacrificed. Well, when Jesus, the Lamb of God, was on the cross, a sign was hung over his head that read, "Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews." Interestingly, in paintings of Jesus' crucifixion you will find the initials 'INRI'. These are the first letters of each of the nouns in the inscription in Latin ("Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum"). When this phrase is translated into Biblical Hebrew the inscription would read: "Y'Shua HaNatzri V'Melech HaYehudim." When you take the first letter of each of these words you get "YHVH", the name of God! Jesus is the Son of God!

Sounds pretty amazing doesn't it! But really all it amounts to is a Biblical fallacy. Why? First, the New Testament authors don't translate this phrase into Biblical Hebrew to make this point. They easily could have done this but they didn't! In fact, most of the Biblical authors give an abbreviated version of what the sign on Jesus' cross read: King of the Jews. And Mark even makes it clear that this inscription described the charge against Jesus (not a hidden reference to the name of God).

Second, notice that the Latin translation does not include any definite articles ("the") or conjunctions ("and"). It literally reads, "Jesus Nazareth King Jews." But the supposed Hebrew translation given here literally reads, "Jesus THE Nazarene AND King of THE Jews." "Ha" is a definite article in Hebrew that is not always needed and the "V" is a conjunction ("and") that isn't even in the Biblical greek phrase to begin with. If you want to compare apples to apples (that is, Latin to Hebrew) then the Hebrew phrase (without the definite articles or conjunction) would be "Y'Shua Natzri Melech Yehudim." And this translation doesn't register the name of God using the first letter of each of these nouns! This is Parallelomania in action! And it is thoughtlessly embraced by many.

THE HIDDEN DANGER OF PARALLELOMANIA
Why am I making such a big deal of this errant Bible study method? Here's why. Parallelomania adds uninspired meaning to the text that the inspired authors (and by extension God) never intended to communicate! As D.A. Carson bluntly puts it in his book Exegetical Fallacies,

Conceptual parallelomania is particularly inviting to those who have taken advanced training in a specialized field (psychology, sociology, some area of history, philosophy, education) but who have no more than a serious Sunday-school knowledge of the Scriptures. Many of the specialists who fall into these fallacies are devout believers who want to relate the Bible to their discipline. They think they have a much firmer grasp of Scripture than they do; and the result is frequently appalling nonsense.  

Adding historical details to unearth new or hidden meaning in the Bible is an abuse to God's inspired Word (sorry if that sounds harsh!). Historical backgrounds should only be used to help clarify the details already in the text (not used to add new details!).

Let me give you another example to help clarify further what I mean. I recently read a book on the Jewish Feasts in Leviticus. Here are the details and hidden meaning given regarding the manner in which the Paschal lamb for the Passover Feast was prepared:

The Paschal lamb was roasted upright on a pomegranate pole with a crossbar through its shoulders. This would obviously bring to mind the cross of Jesus. But not only this, the entrails were tied around the head so everything could be roasted evenly without boiling (which was prohibited). This, of course, resembled Jesus' crown of thorns. Jesus was truly our Paschal Lamb who died on the cross and wore a crown of thorns!

Wow! This is an exciting teaching! Jesus' crucifixion was predicted (or at least pictured) in the Passover Feast! But wait. There is a problem here. Even though lots of details are given in the inspired book of Exodus regarding the protocol for preparing the Passover lamb, none of these "historical," Jesus-esce details or practices are mentioned. NO. Rather, this information is based on debatable historical "facts" from Justin Martyr (a person who was alive in the 2nd century, well after the time of Jesus and the destruction of the Temple and its sacrificial system). Parallelomania is certainly capable of jumpstarting a person's interest in the Bible but the irony is that it is grounded in extra-Biblical sources (that is, its information comes from outside of the Bible). This violates the principle of sola scriptura (Scripture alone).

PAUL'S LETTERS
So how does Parallelomania relate to where we are at in the Eat this Book Challenge? SIMPLE. There have been some Parallelomania trends surfacing regarding Paul's letters to the Philippians and Colossians. These parallels have centered around the prominence of the imperial cult (that is, the worship of Caesar) during the time of Paul. Paul certainly uses some political terms in his letter to the Philippians in verses 1:27 (politeuesthe; "exercise your citizenship") and 3:20 (politeuma). Paul also describes Jesus as Savior (2:5-11) even though this is not one of his common titles for Jesus.

Because of this, many believe that the profession "Jesus is Lord" is in response to the proclamation "Caesar is Lord" that Roman citizens were expected to make. Based on this interpretation, Paul wants believers to worship Jesus and not the Roman Caesar. The problem surfaces when this Roman background is generalized to the point that Paul is understood as ONLY confronting the influence of the imperial cult in the lives of Christian believers in his letter to the Philippians. While there might be a hint of truth to this interpretation, the term politeuesthe can also be traced to Jewish sources where it means "following the Jewish way of life." And Paul does, in fact, show in his letter to the Philippians that he is primarily concerned about wayward Jewish influences that have surfaced in the church. We see this when he mentions "the circumcision" in Philippians 3:3. And so Paul is NOT writing primarily to confront the imperial cult (and the same is true in Paul's letter to the Colossians)! But Parallelomania would have you believe otherwise (just check out the book Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire)!

THE BOTTOM LINE
Many people embrace Parallelomania (in my opinion) because they have become bored with the Bible and therefore want something "deeper," something "new," something "novel." In other words, they've heard all of the same Bible stories before (that is, they've been over-churched) and want something "new" to spice up their Christianity. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing bad with wanting to gain a deeper understanding of Scripture! But what people often fail to realize is that maybe they've grown bored because they are not living out what they already know from the Bible. And so they don't need to learn more. NO. They just need to put what they already know into action and transition from being primarily "takers" to becoming "givers", from "disciples" to "disciple-makers." This doesn't mean that you completely stop "taking." NO. But it does mean that you begin passing on what you have come to know about following Jesus to the next generation. This includes both "head" knowledge and knowledge in "action." And so my prayer is that you would resist the allure of Parallelomania and find excitement Jesus' way (the old fashioned way!): By being a disciple of Jesus and making disciples for Jesus!

Romans and Paul's Confrontation With Disunity (Part 2)

In the first half of Paul's letter to the Romans (chapters 1-11), Paul establishes the fact that there is no room for BOASTING in the gospel. Why?

1.) All humans are GUILTY SINNERS, not just the unclean Gentiles or the rebellious Israelites (1:18-3:20).
2.) God's RIGHTEOUSNESS doesn't come through Jewish birthright or works of the Law but rather through Jesus' death on the cross (3:21-5:21).
3.) Life transformation is the work of the HOLY SPIRIT and not manufactured through human effort (6:1-8:39).
4.) God's PROMISE of salvation is available to ALL humanity, not just an elite few (9:1-11:36).

So how does Paul APPLY the gospel message to confront the disunity that exists within the church at Rome? Here's how...

POINT #2: WHEN WE TRULY UNDERSTAND THE GOSPEL, WE STOP BOASTING AND START SERVING AND SUBMITTING!

According to Paul, the gospel message promotes a life of humility which creates unity among believers. And so in the second half of his letter to the Romans [the imperative section], Paul calls the church to a life of humility. Check out these verses...

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship. (12:1)

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (12:3)

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor...contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. (12:9, 13)

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. (12:16)

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. (13:1)

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. (13:8)

As for the weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. (14:1)

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer [on matters of food or drink etc.], but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. (14:13)

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. (14:19)

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up...May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus that you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (15:2, 5-7) 

THE BOTTOM LINE
The gospel message (when understood correctly) leaves no room for self-promotion. And when we stop promoting ourselves, we can begin building others up through sincere acts of encouragement. This was Paul's hope in his letter to the Romans: That unity would be restored as people more accurately understood themselves in light of the gospel.

And so may a bond of unity be established and grow between you and others as you better understand yourself in light of the gospel message. And as a result, may you find yourself loving others extravagantly!

Romans and Paul's Confrontation With Disunity (Part 1)

In the last blog, it was claimed that Romans is NOT a theological treatise and that Paul's purpose for writing is very practical: He is setting out to confront disunity within the church at Rome. However, there is no doubt that Paul clearly lays out the theological message of the gospel in the first half of his letter to the Romans. So how does Paul use the gospel message (in a practical, non-academic way) to confront the disunity within the church at Rome? Let's find out...

POINT #1: THE GOSPEL MESSAGE DOES NOT ALLOW FOR BOASTING [Romans 1-11]
Romans 1:18-3:20
From the get-go, Paul makes it clear that he is going to lay out the gospel message when he says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." And then in Romans 1:18-3:20, Paul makes the case that ALL of mankind (both Jew and Gentile) has SINNED against God and will be judged accordingly (see especially 2:9-11).

Now, many Jews assumed that they had acquired God's favor simply because they were circumcised according to the LAW, but Paul dispels this Jewish myth by making it clear that ALL Jews are GUILTY because they have broken the LAW (2:17-29). They are not as LAW-abiding as they think. In a similar vein, non-Jewish people might argue that they are not GUILTY of sin because they were not given the LAW and therefore are ignorant of God's requirements. But Paul reveals to them that God still has grounds to find them GUILTY of sin: a person's God-given conscience (2:12-16). And therefore, ALL non-Jews are GUILTY of breaking the LAW. What is Paul's point?

ALL humanity has SINNED against God and is in need of forgiveness. And so the gospel message doesn't allow for BOASTING!

Romans 3:21-5:21
After establishing the fact that ALL of mankind is guilty of rebellion against God, Paul makes the case that ALL of mankind can receive RIGHTEOUSNESS through faith in Jesus alone. What is RIGHTEOUSNESS? It is a legal term that means to declare someone NOT guilty of an offense or sin. And so people are found to be RIGHTEOUS when the courts rule in their favor and exonerate them.

But according to Romans 3:27-31, God doesn't declare us RIGHTEOUS based on our good religious works (especially works of the law like circumcision). God's RIGHTEOUSNESS is a gift (3:21-25) that we receive by demonstrating Abraham-like faith toward God (4:1-3)! But Abraham was very much law-abiding. So how do we know that he was saved by faith and not by his law-abiding works? Well, Paul points out that he was declared RIGHTEOUS through his faith before he was circumcised (4:9-25). And so circumcision [and by extension being a law-abiding Jew] does not make someone RIGHTEOUS in God's eyes. What is Paul's point?

RIGHTEOUSNESS is a FREE gift from God that declares a person forgiven (5:15). And so the gospel message doesn't allow for BOASTING!

Romans 6:1-8:39
But righteousness (a.k.a. justification) is only half of the gospel message! The other half of the gospel message is that "the law of the SPIRIT of life has set us free in Christ Jesus" (8:2). Sure we receive forgiveness from our sin through God's righteousness but the gospel also promises to produce life transformation (a.k.a. sanctification) in us through God's grace of the HOLY SPIRIT (that is, God's presence in our lives). According to Paul, we can consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (6:11) because we are no longer "under the law" but rather "under grace" (6:14).

But what does it mean to be "under grace"? Romans 7:6 gives us some insight when it says, "But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the SPIRIT and not in the old way of the written code." Being "under grace" means living under the power and influence of the SPIRIT (not under the old way of the written code)! Paul proves to us in Romans 7 that life under the LAW is self-defeating. But now God offers us a new way to live, under the grace of His SPIRIT (Romans 8)! And so the SPIRIT is a manifestation of God's grace just as much as Jesus' death on the cross. One brings forgiveness and the other brings life transformation. And both are undeserved gifts (that is, graces) from God. So what is Paul's point?

The SPIRIT is a FREE gift from God that produces life transformation. And so the gospel message doesn't allow for BOASTING!

Romans 9:1-11:36
Paul then concludes [the indicative section] by reinforcing the fact that BOTH Jews and Gentiles have equal access to God's Old Testament promises (which all culminated in the person of Jesus; 10:4). In Romans 11:13-24, Paul makes his point by using the illustration of an olive tree:

A wild olive shoot (that is, the Gentile people) has been grafted into the olive tree (the Jewish people) and now is able to share in its nourishing root (the promises made to the Old Testament patriarchs) of the olive tree. At the same time, some of the branches (Jewish people) have been broken off of the olive tree because of their unbelief (11:19-22) but can be grafted back in if they do not continue in their rebellion (11:23). And so both Jew and Gentile have access to the 'root' BUT access is only available through belief in Jesus.

So what does this illustration tell us? The Jewish people have not been completely replaced by the church (as many Covenantal theologians teach) but neither are Gentiles seen as completely distinct from the Jewish people (as Classic Dispensationalists in the spirit of Charles Ryrie teach). NO. Both Jews and Gentiles have been UNIFIED under God's Old Testament promises (which culminated in the person of Jesus). So what is Paul's point?

God's promises and salvation are available to BOTH Jews and non-Jews. And so the gospel message doesn't allow for BOASTING!

So how does Paul apply the theological message of the gospel to the situation in the church at Rome? We'll find out in the next blog...

Romans: Introductory Thoughts

Pride and boasting. These are certainly trademarks of the American culture today. But they are nothing new! Pride and boasting also existed in the culture of the early church. And they created the same results that they do today: disunity and division. And we all know that a house divided cannot stand. This is why we find Paul so intentional about confronting disunity within the church in most of his letters. And his letter to the Romans is no exception. It is a letter written with this very practical purpose in mind.

WHAT ROMANS IS NOT
But many people today believe that the book of Romans is a theological treatise where Paul lays out his understanding of the gospel of Jesus to gain the approval of the church in Rome (so that they would support his missionary endeavors to Spain). But Romans (if understood in its entirety) does not read like this. It is not a theology textbook.

How do I know this? Well, just like most of Paul's other letters, Romans is divided into two parts, often referred to by scholars as Paul's indicative-imperative structure. What does this mean? Paul usually begins his letters with a grouping of statements of fact [in the indicative mood]. He then instructs the church by applying these facts to the life of the church [in the imperative mood]. This is the nuts and bolts of the indicative-imperative structure. And it reveals to us that Paul desires for the church to not only uphold good theology BUT also (and more importantly) to put good theology into real-life practice. This is the essence of a Bible-believing church according to Paul and this is at the heart of ALL of Paul's letters!

While Romans may not be a theological treatise, there is no doubt that Paul clearly lays out the theological message of the gospel in the first half of his letter to the Romans. So how does Paul use the gospel message (in a practical, non-academic way) to confront the disunity within the church at Rome? We'll look into this in the next blog...