Biblical Typology

What is "Biblical Typology "and is it biblical to use it as a method for interpreting the Bible? Typology is defined as a "Branch of biblical interpretation in which an element found in the OT prefigures one found in the NT."^[1] Dr. Warren Gage makes the point that the primary task of theology is typology.[2] He shows that the New Testament writers along with Jesus himself understood the Old Testament to contain typology.[3] Jesus, speaking with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, showed them that the Old Testament spoke of his life and sufferings.[4] He also says to his disciples on another occasion "'These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.' Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, 'Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead...'"[5]

            So we have ample evidence pointing to the fact that the New Testament authors all saw typology as an acceptable method for understanding the Old Testament.
            Some of the merits of this method are, as already pointed out, that Jesus taught this along with Paul and other New Testament writers. See for example Paul's discussion of Hagar and Sarah in Galatians 4:21-31.
            This method of hermeneutics helps us to see God as being in control. He is pointing us to Christ throughout the Old Testament. One example given by Dr. Gage is found in Genesis chapter two with the creation of Eve. Dr. Gage shows us how Adam is a type of Christ and Eve is a type of the church.[6] When God was ready to make Eve, he has Adam sleep a sleep likened to death. This is before sin, so Adam is innocent. He wounds Adam in the side to give life to his bride. Adam awakes and is brought to a garden where he sees his wife and calls her Eve. Jesus is innocent and he sleeps the sleep of death on the cross. He is then wounded in the side and by his wounds the church is given life. He awakes in the garden where he meets Mary, the one who, symbolically, represents the church, and calls here woman.
             Here we see a picture of Christ and his bride at the very beginning of human history. That points to the fact that God is in control and Jesus' sacrifice is the pinnacle of all human history. I can see clearly that God is in control and not a passive watcher of history. The crucifixion was planned and purposed by God from eternity past and if we have eyes to see, we will see Christ and his suffering proclaimed all over the Old Testament.
            But, one of the problems with this method is that if we aren't careful we will find Jesus in even the most minute and remote places. Joshua E. Williams in a blog post says this, "One of the dangers to avoid is finding Christ under every rock or tree in the Old Testament. This type of mistake is often found in allegorical treatments of Old Testament passages."[7] An example of this is found in the classic hymn "Rose of Sharron"[8] where Jesus is said to be the rose of Sharron which is taken from the Song of Solomon 2:1. The problem is that the woman is called a "rose of Sharon" in that passage and not the husband. Another hymn that takes typology too far is "The lily of the valley"[9] that says "He's (speaking of Jesus) the lily of the valley...". Again the problem with that statement is that, that phrase "lily of the valley" comes from the Song of Solomon 2:1 and again is speaking of the woman. This kind of hermeneutic can lead to all kinds of wild speculative theology.
            Often what is taught in conservative circles today is the historical-grammatical method of biblical hermeneutics . This method "is a 'literal' method of interpretation. It seeks to understand what the original author intended to convey and how the original audience understood that message."[10] This method has many benefits, one is that it keeps the exegete grounded in the historical setting of the text. As was noted above, one of the dangers associated with the typological method of hermeneutics is that it can often lead to wild speculations. Simply saying "this reminds me of something in the New Testament" can be grounds for seeing typology by some.  
            While reading Dr. Gage's book "Joseph and Judah" I came across this statement "Our goal in this study is to help to recover something that has largely been lost, by learning to read the Bible not only as a scientist, but also as an art lover. We recognize, of course, that both the scientist and the art lover have much to offer us. The best artists are technically precise, and the best scientists must be gifted with an artist’s imagination."^[11] The point he is trying to make is that we have often read the bible from the point of view of the scientist (Historical-Grammatical-Literal method) while neglecting the art lover's view (Typological, Allegorical method). I completely agree with Dr. Gage's overall point that we need both aspects to more fully understand the scriptures.

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^[1] Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 2109.

[2] Dr. Gage. CC502, Lesson 38.

[3] Dr. Gage. OT602, Lesson 5.

[4] ESV. Luke 24:27

[5] ESV. Luke 24:44–47

[6] Dr. Gage. OT602, Lesson 5.

[7] Christ in the Old Testament. by Joshua E. Williams. Accessed on 4-4-14. The blog of Joshua E. Williams. http://joshuaewilliams.wordpress.com/2010/09/06/christ%c2%a0in%c2%a0old%c2%a0testament/

[8] Guirey, Ida A. Jesus, Rose of Sharon, 1921.

[9] Fry, Charles W. Lily of the valley, 1881.

[10] Examining The Grammatical-Historical Hermeneutic. September 7, 2011. Accessed on 4-4-14. http://www.armchair-theology.net/bible-study/examining-the-grammatical-historical-hermeneutic/

^[11] Warren Austin Gage and Christopher D. Barber, The Story of Joseph and Judah (Ft. Lauderdale, FL: St. Andrews House, 2005), 8.

Jesus: the "Beginning" of God's Creation

            In Revelation 3:14 we are introduced to a great truth concerning Jesus Christ. The text says, “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.".^[1] As I have read and reread this text in its larger context over the years I have become intrigued by how Jesus is described. He is said to be the "Amen, the faithful and true witness" as well as "the beginning of God's creation".^[2]
            This text is one that comes up when talking to Jehovah's Witnesses. They see in this text a proof that Jesus was the first creation of God. In order to properly understand who Jesus is according to this text we must understand the words in context. To do this we must do what is called a "word study". This means we look at the underlying Greek (or Hebrew) text and work to discover the proper translation based on lexical, contextual, and cultural considerations.
      William Mounce lays out the process for doing proper word studies in Chapter 24 of his book (Greek for the rest of us). He says, "Sometimes a verse will 'hang' on a word. It is a word that is central to the meaning of the verse...".[3] Mounce also says, "As you compare translations, you may find a significant word that is translated differently among the different translations.".[4] If we compare multiple translations, we will find that the word "beginning" is indeed translated differently at times. For example the ESV, as noted above, says "beginning" while the NIV 1984 version says "ruler"^[5] and the NET bible says, "originator". ^[6]              
            The underlying Greek word is "ἀρχή". If we search the ESV reverse interlinear we will find that the ESV translates this word sometimes as "rulers, beginning, basic, authority" and a few other ways. This helps us see the semantic range. If we also consult the Louw and Nida Lexicon we find out that this word can mean "one who or that which constitutes an initial cause—‘first cause, origin.’ ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ θεοῦ ‘the origin of what God has created’ Re 3:14. It is also possible to understand ἀρχή in Re 3:14 as meaning ‘ruler’ (see 37.56)".^[7] Reviewing the immediate context as well as the context of the book of Revelation we find that this word is used two other times (Revelation 21:6; 22:13) which helps to shed light on how John uses "ἀρχή". It seems clear that this text is teaching that Jesus is the source of the creation (John 1:1-3).
            If a person doesn't use the immediate context as well as understand the way an author uses a word in their writings, they might make the mistake of seeing this verse teach that Jesus was the "first created thing" by God, instead of seeing that Jesus is the originator.

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^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Re 3:14.

^[2] Ibid

[3] William Mounce, Greek for the rest of us (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003), 201.

[4] Ibid

^[5] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Re 3:14–15.

^[6] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Re 3:14.

^[7] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 778.

Water and the Spirit: Baptism prefigured in the Old Testament

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. John 3:5

 

       When a person desires to follow Christ and to be reconciled to God, we know and understand that they must be baptized, they must be "born of water and the Spirit". Water baptism, for God's own purpose and pleasure, is how one comes into contact with the blood of Jesus and that blood is what cleanses us from all our sins (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:7). But many don't realize that God has used water and the Spirit throughout the Old Testament to bring about life, renewal, and salvation. Many Old Testament events are types or shadows of what was to come in Jesus Christ.

            The Old Testament is full of types and shadows that find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ and his church. Consider what Paul says about those who ate the manna and drank the water that came from the rock: "...and did all eat the same spiritual food; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them: and the rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:3–4). Paul is commenting on events found in Exodus 16:15 and Exodus 17:6 in which he states that those events, in a real way, point us to Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said that he was the bread (manna) from heaven (John 6:31–35). Again, the Old testament is full of types and shadows and one of those types has to do with water baptism.
            In Genesis one we see God creating the heavens and the earth. In verse two the Spirit is found hovering or brooding over the waters of the deep like a bird over its nest. On day three God brings dry land out of the water and only then is life created. Life begins on earth when dry land is created and so out of water God brings life. In the creation account we have water and the Spirit.
            In Genesis chapters six through nine we have the account of Noah's flood. The world at that time had become so wicked that the earth was overflowing with sin. It was so bad that God was grieved that he had created man and planned to wipe out every living thing off the face of the earth. The only bright spot was Noah, a righteous man. God told Noah to build an ark. Once the Ark was built he and his family, enter it and then God brought a huge, worldwide flood upon the earth. The Earth was one again "without form and void", it was back to the way it was in Genesis one, a watery mass of chaos. We should be seeing the echoes of Genesis one in this text. God in a very real way "uncreates" the world and prepares to recreate it. After the rains cease Noah finally sends out a dove and the dove hovers over the surface of the deep, finding no place to rest (Genesis 8:8–9). In a symbolic way this event pictures the Holy Spirit who was hovering over the waters in Genesis one. God, once again, is about to bring dry land out of the water and life will again be possible. God has cleansed the earth of wickedness and sin through water. God brings about a renewed creation by water and the Spirit.
            After the flood we are told about a man named Abraham, who has a son named Isaac. Isaac in turn has a son named Jacob and he has twelve sons. From these twelve sons, God creates the nation of Israel. The Israelites eventually find themselves in Egyptian slavery where they work in bitterness and heartache for years. After a long period of time God leads them out of that slavery. He uses ten plagues to force Pharaoh to let his people go, but once they leave, Pharaoh has a change of heart. He goes out with his army in order to kill the Israelites, but God through Moses opens the Red Sea and the Israelites walk through on dry ground. The Egyptian army that follows them are, in the end, drowned in the sea (Exodus 14:15–31). The Israelites are finally free/ saved from Egyptian slavery when they reach the other side of the Red Sea. God baptized the Israelites in the sea and in the cloud. They were saved through water and guided by God (Exodus 13:21–22).[1]
            Let us now connect the Old Testament with the New and consider two of those New Testament texts that speak about the Spirit and water. In Matthew three Jesus goes out to John and is baptized by him in the Jordan River. As he comes out of the water, the Spirit descends in the form of a dove (Matthew 3:16–17). Do you hear the echoes in this text? Genesis one should come to mind where the Spirit was hovering over the waters as well as the symbolic image of the Spirit seen in the dove after Noah's flood? Genesis one describes the creation. Genesis six through nine describes the renewed creation and here, Jesus represents the new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17–18).
            In the book of Acts we hear a message preached by Peter that ends with him saying "Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."^[2] Again we find water and the Spirit. Of course, there are plenty of other New Testament texts that discuss water baptism, but my main focus in this article was to present some of those Old Testament texts that prefigure New Testament baptism.
             It is clear when we examine the scriptures that the Old Testament pictures and points us to many things that find their ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament, and one of those things is water baptism. Water and the Spirit have had a long and rich history that began back in Genesis and continues to this day. Through water God brought about life, cleansing from sin, and renewal - from creation to new creation.

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[1] See 1 Peter 3:20-22 and 1 Corinthians 10:1-2.

^[2] American Standard Version (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995), Ac 2:38.

The possibility of misusing the Subjunctive mood

 In Greek the subjunctive mood is the mood of possibility or probability.^[1] This mood tells us that something might take place or that it is very likely to take place and so is often translated with the word "if,  might, or could".^[2]

            If we take a look at Ephesians 2:4-7 we will find the use of the subjunctive mood. In this passage Paul is discussing the Christian's hope in Christ and the changed status. Paul says that because of God's great love for us, he made us alive in Christ and seated us in the heavenly places in Christ. This is a part of our changed status, but in verse 7 he goes on to speak about why God made us alive and raised us with Christ. He says, "so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."^[3] In this verse we come across the phrase "he might show" which is actually only one word in Greek and it is in the subjunctive mood.

            Because the subjunctive is said to be the mood of possibility one might find it interesting that this verse contains one. If a person doesn't understand that the subjunctive can be used in other ways, such as that of purpose,[4] then they might come away with the idea that there is some doubt about whether or not God will show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ in the ages to come. This might be one of those places a little Greek can be dangerous or as Mounce says, "It's a little bit of pride that proves dangerous".[5]

            In this verse, it seems clear to me that Paul is using the subjunctive to state the purpose.[6] A further clue that this is what's going on here is the inclusion of the conjunction ἵνα which indicates purpose.[7] It is not that God might or might not show the riches of his grace, he will. Why did God forgive us in Christ and seat us in the heavenly realms? So that in the ages to come he could display his grace and kindness.

 

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^[1] Samuel Lamerson, English Grammar to Ace New Testament Greek (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004), 86.

^[2] Ibid.

^[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Eph 2:7.

[4] William Mounce, Greek for the rest of us (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003), 187.

[5] Ibid, xvii.

[6] Ibid, 187.

[7] ^[7] William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 475.