giving an answer with kevin morris

Why Did God Test Abraham?

Scripture testifies that God by direct result of His being is all-knowing of events that have not yet come to pass: "Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose'" (English Standard Version, Isaiah 46.8-10). This passage not only teaches the omniscience of God, but the sovereignty and aseity of God; that He does not only know about all things as a spectator, but knows them because they are part of His counsel and purpose. This can only be true of a God who exists in and of Himself and thus, One who is outside of time, not bound by it in power or in knowledge. In the full scope of Scripture, this proposition can be traced as a whole and identified in individual passages.

If this is true of God, it should be able to be upheld regardless of the passage being examined. In the case of Genesis 22, there is certainly a point of tension, since God seems to plainly indicate that an event has occurred to enlighten Him in some way: "for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me" (Gen. 22.12). A closer look at the text however will reveal that the point of the test is not to enlighten God, but to enlighten Abraham. When analyzing Genesis 22, it can be demonstrated that God holds the pieces in every aspect: He provides the timing of the test (v.1), as well as the place (v.2). That is to say, the test in not something experienced by God as it is something designed by God. God is not a spectator here, He is the architect.

Second, the chapter makes it a point to emphasize on God's provision by capturing Abraham's words of assurance to Isaac (22.8). This theme is also presented as the conclusion of the test by Abraham's response to God's provision: "So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide (or will see"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided (or he will be seen)" (Gen. 22.14).

In this way, Scripture clearly shows the reader what the 'take away' point of the text is: a demonstration of God's providing and seeing. This seems to indicate an oversight on God's part: His purposes playing out in time and reality. This particular test was conceived by God, while He also provided time (v.1), place (v.2), and sacrifice (v.8,13-14). All of these point to a position of authority and knowledge, not guesswork. In addition to the summary of the event itself, it is clear that in God's appointing of Abraham to go through this trial, He taught Abraham to see whether his own assurance is grounded in the benefits of God's promise (Abraham's long-awaited son Isaac) or in the God who made the promise. That is to say, is Abraham's faith in his own faculties, or in God? The 17th century theologian John Owen speaks in this way:

"He sends instruments of trial into the bowels and inmost parts of the soul, and lets man see what is in him, of what metal he is constituted. Thus he tempted Abraham to show him his faith. Abraham knew now what faith he had (I mean, what power and vigor was in his faith) until God drew it out by that great trial and temptation. When God says he knew it (Gen. 22.12), he made Abraham to know it." (John Owen: Overcoming Sin and Temptation, 153).

It seems then that the context of the passage points to a lesson to be learned by Abraham. This is the point of a trial and a test. The test-giver is God and the student is Abraham. The point is for a student to lear

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The debate between Protestants and Roman Catholics about justification is normally between Paul and James' teaching on justification. It is argued by Protestants that Paul teaches justification by faith alone, while Roman Catholics argue that James teaches a mixture of faith and works as the recipe for justification. Do these men agree? This is Giving an Answer, an edition of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris 

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Today on Giving an Answer: What does it mean to be all things to all people? 

The apostle Paul speaks of what it means to become “all things to all people” in this passage. This is a well-known mantra within Christianity, but a brief survey of the text is in order. The context of this passage comes in the preceding chapter of 1st Corinthians in which Paul establishes what it means to live within the ebb and flow of Christian freedom and Christian responsibility. Paul sets up his rationale of verses 19-23 of chapter 9 in the twelfth verse: “Nevertheless we have not made is of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the Gospel of Christ” (English Standard Version, 1 Cor. 9:12b). This verse parallels that of verse 19 where the apostle says, “I have become all things to all people that by all means I might save some”.

The historical context of writing such a rationale of ministry comes in the wake of the Corinthian's struggle with partiality. This is evidenced throughout the epistle, where Paul repeatedly touches on aspects of the Corinthian’s problem with partiality, related to leadership (1:10-12), wisdom (3:1-4), and celibacy (7:1-2) to name a few. This resurfaces in our text in chapter 9 specifically in readdressing their partiality of leadership. Paul provides to the Corinthian’s his own ministry model, unimpressive as it may have been to them, in order to demonstrate that all freedoms taken as entitlements become obstacles in the way of the Gospel of Christ.

From a contemporary standpoint, this sets Christianity as an antithesis to the secular structure, where the highest positions experience the highest privileges. There are no white collars in Christianity, but only servant’s bonds, and Paul means to stress to our culture that Christians must never be willing to compromise the glory of Christ for comforts. Being “a servant to all” (i.e. enduring whatever trials necessary cf. 9:12) is not found in the contemporary prosperity gospel, where the message is to follow Jesus- so that the health wealth and prosperous privilege becomes the goal of the hearers and the model of the heralds. This is out of touch with the Paul who became all things to all people- even the weak, the Jew, and the Greek. Rather, authentic servanthood is the authentic standard of Christian leadership, with the end goal of winning all peoples and all varieties of persons to Christ.

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