John MacArthur, who isn’t a stranger to controversy (which most of the time I agree with him), is answering yet another controversial and disturbing trend in many of Americas pulpits; un-contextual sermons on a healthy sex life. Below is his article.
(By John Macarhtur)
Apparently the shortest route to relevance in church ministry right now is for the pastor to talk about sex in garishly explicit terms during the Sunday morning service. If he can shock parishioners with crude words and sophomoric humor, so much the better. The defenders of this trend solemnly inform us that without such a strategy it is well-nigh impossible to connect with today’s “culture.” (In contemporary evangelicalism that term has become a convenient label for just about everything that is uncultured and uncouth.)
Sermons about sex have suddenly become a bigger fad in the evangelical world than the prayer of Jabez ever was. Everywhere, it seems, churches are featuring special series on the subject. Some of them advertise with suggestive billboards purposely designed to offend their communities’ conservative sensibilities.
Quite a few pastors have earned widespread media coverage by issuing “sex challenges” to church members. These are schemes that make daily sex obligatory for married couples over a specified time—usually between seven and forty days. (How people are made accountable for this is a question I’m afraid to raise.)
I would be the last to suggest that preachers should totally avoid the topic of sex. Scripture has quite a lot to say about the subject, starting with God’s first words to Adam and Eve (”Be fruitful and multiply”—Genesis 1:22). God’s law has numerous commands that govern sexual behavior, and the New Testament repeatedly reaffirms the Old Testament standard of sexual purity. Finally, in the closing chapters of Scripture we are told that sexually immoral people will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). So there’s simply no way to preach the whole counsel of God without mentioning sex.
But the language Scripture employs when dealing with the physical relationship between husband and wife is always careful—often plain, sometimes poetic, usually delicate, frequently muted by euphemisms, and never fully explicit. There is no hint of sophomoric lewdness in the Bible, even when the prophet’s clear purpose is to shock (such as when Ezekiel 23:20 likens Israel’s apostasy to an act of gross fornication motivated by the lust of bestiality). When an act of adultery is part of the narrative (such as David’s sin with Bathsheba), it is never described in way that would gratify a lascivious imagination or arouse lustful thoughts.
The message of Scripture regarding sex is simple and consistent throughout: total physical intimacy within marriage is pure and ought to be enjoyed (Hebrews 13:4); but remove the marriage covenant from the equation and all sexual activity (including that which occurs only in the imagination) is nothing but fornication, a serious sin that is especially defiling and shameful—so much so that merely talking about it inappropriately is a disgrace (Ephesians 5:12).
Above all, Scripture never stoops to the lurid level of contemporary sex education. The Bible has no counterpart to the Hindu Kama Sutra (an ancient Sanskrit sex manual supposedly transmitted by Hindu deities.) Nothing in Scripture gives any vivid how-to instructions regarding the physical relationship within marriage.
That includes the Song of Solomon.
In fact, Solomon’s love-poem epitomizes the exact opposite approach. It is, of course, a lengthy poem about courtship and marital love. It is filled with euphemisms and word pictures. Its whole point is gently, subtly, and elegantly to express the emotional and physical intimacy of marital love—in language suitable for any audience.
But it has become popular in certain circles to employ extremely graphic descriptions of physical intimacy as a way of expounding on the euphemisms in Solomon’s poem. As this trend develops, each new speaker seems to find something more shocking in the metaphors than any of his predecessors ever imagined.
Thus we are told that the Shulammite’s poetic language invoking the delights of an apple tree (Song 2:3) is a metaphor for oral sex. The comfort and delight of a simple embrace (2:6) is not what it seems to be at all. Apparently it’s impossible to describe what that verse really means without mentioning certain unmentionable body parts.
We’re assured moreover that the shocking hidden meanings of these texts aren’t merely descriptive; they are prescriptive. The secret gnosis of Solomon’s Song portray obligatory acts wives must do if this is what satisfies their husbands, regardless of the wife’s own desire or conscience. I was recently given a recording of one of these messages, where the speaker said, “Ladies, let me assure you of this: if you think you’re being dirty, he’s pretty happy.”
Such pronouncements are usually made amid raucous laughter, but evidently we are expected to take them seriously. When the laughter died away, that speaker added, “Jesus Christ commands you to do this.”
That approach is not exegesis; it is exploitation. It is contrary to the literary style of the book itself. It is spiritually tantamount to an act of rape. It tears the beautiful poetic dress off Song of Solomon, strips that portion of Scripture of its dignity, and holds it up to be laughed at and leered at in a carnal way.
Mark Driscoll has boldly led the parade down this carnal path. He is by far the best-known and most prolific popular proponent of handling the Song of Solomon that way. He has said repeatedly that this is his favorite passage of Scripture, and he has come back to it again and again in recent years, culminating in a highly publicized series released on video via the Internet last year.
I keep encountering young pastors who are now following that same example, and I’m rather surprised that the trend has been so well received in the church with practically no significant critics raising any serious objections. So we’re going to analyze and critique this approach to Song of Solomon over the next couple of days, including a look at some specific examples where the line of propriety has clearly been breached.
Ligonier Ministries Blog
Top 5 Commentaries on the Books of 1 & 2 Thessalonians
Posted: 07 Mar 2009 03:05 AM PST
The historical context of Paul’s epistles to the Thessalonians is found in Acts 17:1-10. This narrative recounts Paul’s work in the city of Thessalonica during his second missionary journey. While there he spoke in the synagogue, persuading some Jews and even more God-fearing Gentiles that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Some of the Jews, however, became envious and dragged a few of Paul’s converts before the city authorities, claiming that the Christians were being seditious (”saying that there is another king, Jesus”). Paul and Silas were forced to leave the city, so they made their way to Berea. Paul would soon afterward travel to Athens and then Corinth. Paul wrote the first epistle to the Thessalonians after being forced to leave the city. He was concerned for these new believers because of the persecution they were suffering. His first epistle to them was probably written while he was in the city of Corinth, sometime in the latter part of A.D. 50, or early 51. The second epistle was written not long afterward. There are a number of helpful commentaries on the Thessalonian epistles, and the following are five of the best.
1. Gene L. Green — The Letters to the Thessalonians (Pillar New Testament Commentary, 2002).
Because the epistles to the Thessalonians contain one of the most difficult and debated texts in the entire New Testament (2 Thess. 2:1-12), it is next to impossible to find a commentary with an interpretation of this text with which there are no unresolved problems. Green’s outstanding commentary is not without its own problems on this text, but all things considered, this is probably the best commentary on these letters currently available. It contains much helpful background information and very helpful theological insight.
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2. Charles A. Wanamaker — The Epistles to the Thessalonians (New International Greek Testament Commentary, 1990).
Wanamaker attempts to resolve some of the difficulties related to these letters by arguing that 2 Thessalonians was actually written before 1 Thessalonians. I am not persuaded, but my disagreement on this point does not mean that I do not appreciate this commentary. Like all of the commentaries in the NIGTC series, it is technical and requires some knowledge of Greek. A very useful work for those doing in-depth study.
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3. F.F. Bruce — 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Word Biblical Commentary, 1982).
F.F. Bruce’s commentaries are always worth consulting, and his commentary on the Thessalonian letters is no exception. The fruits of a lifetime of New Testament study shine through on every page. Highly recommended.
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4. G.K. Beale — 1-2 Thessalonians (IVP New Testament Commentary, 2003).
Beale has written what many consider to be a definitive commentary on the book of Revelation, and now we have the results of his research into the Thessalonian epistles. Whether one agrees or disagrees with all of his conclusions, Beale always has interesting food for thought.
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5. Ben Witherington — 1 and 2 Thessalonians (Eerdmans, 2006).
Ben Witherington has written a series of “socio-rhetorical” commentaries on a good number of New Testament books. Some are better than others, and his volume on the Thessalonian letters is one of the better ones. The primary benefit of reading Witherington’s commentaries is the wealth of contextual background information he provides.
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Runners Up: There are a number of other helpful commentaries on the Thessalonian epistles. Leon Morris has contributed an introductory level commentary to the Tyndale series and a more in-depth commentary to the NICNT series. Other helpful commentaries on these epistles are those by Michael W. Holmes, Ernest Best, I. Howard Marshall, John R. W. Stott, D. Michael Martin, Andrew W. Young, Richard Mayhue, and Philip Arthur.
*****
Previous “Top 5 Commentaries” blog posts:
OLD TESTAMENT: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra & Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah
NEW TESTAMENT: The Gospel of Matthew, The Gospel of Mark, The Gospel of Luke, The Gospel of John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians & Philemon
Omaha Bible Church just finished their annual High School Retreat to Copper Mountain ski resort to enjoy fellowship and biblical encouragement to start thinking about what their next step may be, and what challenges may lie ahead of them.
If your like me you left high school and the only think that you though of was sleeping in and not having anymore homework. Our goal was to highlight the need to plan the next step in life that could lead to a life that will glorify Christ or one that might lead to hardship and unreal expectations. So if your a senior (adults not excluded), have you considered the following questions regarding your future?
How do you pick a good college?
How do you prepare yourself for a compatible roomate?
What are some of the differences you may encounter with your professors?
How can making new friends be difficult?
To date or not to date. Is that a question?
How do I study the bible?
The battle of sanctification – attacked on all sides
Freedom to choose? Sunday morning preparation on Saturday.
Convictions predetermined and planned.
Time management. What’s that?
Thinking biblically – employing biblical discernment
How does preparation promote Christ? One thing that we know is that we live in a world that is hostile to Christ. And the Christian life is not to be a life that is expected to be in peacful harmony with the world. Christ would remind the Apostles as us when he said that there is a natural hatred of the world and it is directed at Christ and those that are His.
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you (John 15:18).”
And…
If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you (John 15:19).”
This is why one of the most important preparatory principles is persecution and alientation with the world. The college enviornment or workplace is not a place absent of these difficulties. Prepare to battle the world and the desire to please it. This is not only unwise, but should also be planned for.
I had the blessed privilege of reminded our youth this weekend on our ski trip to Colorado concerning the supremacy and Excellency of Christ. John the Apostle would remind us in Revelation on who Christ is and Who He has always been (lest we become idolatrous, making Him in our own image). 
Our speech and mind should always be set on His glory as even the Father reminds us. When ever He gets a hold of His massive far reaching megaphone, He can do nothing but declare the greatness of His son, Matt 3:17, Matt 17:5, Mark 9:7.
John Piper said it well in his book, “Spectacular Sins” when commenting on Colossians 1:9-10:
“For by Him all things were created…all things were created through Him and for Him.’ So Paul teaches us that Jesus Christ created all that is. They were created through Him. And all things were created for Him.”
What does this then demand?
“All that came into being exists for Christ-that is, everything exists to display the greatness of Christ. Nothing – nothing! – in the universe exists for its own sake.
Everything – from the bottom of the oceans to the top of the mountains, from the smallest particle to the biggest star, from the ugliest cockroach to the most beautiful human, from the greatest saint to the most wicked genocidal dictator – everything exists to make the greatness of Christ more fully known – including you…”
I would hope that your minds and heart are reengaged (and mine) to just who Christ is. He is everything.
