Uth Chronicle 2011-II

8/6/2019 Uth Chronicle 2011-II

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Editors Foreword

GREETINGS! =D

Im not entirely sure what Elvins going with on

the front cover, but I hope its obvious to you by

now that the theme for this article is the

ONION.

No, nothing to do with the parody news service

that brings me so much entertainment. Instead, all

to do with appearance, hypocrisy and sanctimony,

and all the other allegorical spiritual significance

we could squeeze out of the onion. (Did I just

compare this issue to onion juice?! My apologies.

Its my first day on the job.)

Anyway, speaking of allegory, we head this issue

off with a hefty piece of Preacher Joshua Yong

regarding the hermeneutics of Biblical narrative.

If the deeper portions of scripture are described as

meat, then this article should serve as a Michelin

star chefs cookbook on how to turn meat into

juicy steaks. Getting to the Core of Biblical

Narrative is guaranteed to improve your study on

stories in the Bible, or your money back.

In the interest of a balanced spiritual diet, the Uth

committee has also procured three deeply

practical articles related to sincerity, sanctimony,

and how they relate to picking a life partner. Sis

Molly expounds on Yours Sincerely, How to be a

good friend in Christ, drawing Biblical principles

from Acts 2. Next, Preacher Ko Lingkang tells us

about The Pharisee Trap. It is an incredibly

devious trap, for if you can come up with a list of

people that might be in it,the trap has already

closed around you Lastly, Bro Henry holds up a

massive Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware) sign,and explains the Biblical manner of protecting


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oneself from being subject to a bait and switch

scam while choosing a life partner.

Following suit, we have not one but two

retrospect articles written by mature Christians,

already married, taking advantage of the Uth

Chronicles time machine and writing to

themselves when they were Uths. The subject

matter relates to their search for life partners, so if

you were looking for an example to emulate, we

have one for guys and one for the girls.

Last on our list of onion themed articles is the

result of a survey that you likely would have

participated in. Are the leaders of CPYF genuine?

Is CPYF in general genuine? Well, theres no

surefire way to tell from the results of the survey,

but hopefully the pretty info graphics and

accompanying statistical analysis captivate you

for long enough to contemplate the importance ofbeing genuine to each other.

Outside of the onion, we have an article from

Carolyn Ho providing practical tips to improve

our ministry at home. Yin Leng writes to tell us

what HOYJ is all about (just in case you

werent listening to William, or reading his

emails) and tells us how it has blessed her.

Lingting writes to us from Manchester in our

BLOO to tell us how she is, while Brian and Yeda

interview the 5 AGLs of CPYF to tell us more

about them.

Do check out our other routine featuresGet to

know some of our newer YFers in Personal

Points, which for some reason only features

people who want to be musical instruments or

comfortable chairs. Also, keep up to date with YF

affairs and happenings in Short and Broad, and

our calendar of events. If youve missed an

important event like the 30th anniversary or the

FCM combined meeting, Im sorry, we cant lend

you our time machine (strictly for retrospect

articles only) but we have published reports of

these events for your perusal!

Lastly, a short summary on the recent Doctrinal

Defense activity conducted. If you had any

questions from that evening, hopefully they are

answered in the article. If not, please feel free to

direct any further queries to your group members,

myself, or Rev Quek.

I pray that this issue will be a blessing to each and

every one of you! Genuinely!

Sincerely,

jQ


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Dear all,

This issue of Uth Chronicle might be the last one for

the foreseeable future. The problem facing the Uth

Chronicle is one of manpowerdue to extraordinary

circumstances, the majority of the current committee

has found themselves indisposed for one reason or

another and cannot help produce the next issue.

The Uth Chronicle needs helpwe require

everything down from chasers (to keep in touch with

the writers and make sure they submit before

deadline) to formatters to special ops to conduct

surveys and interviews. No prior experience required!

If you are willing to serve in this capacity, please

indicate your interest by leaving an email at

[email protected]. The first meeting if we have

sufficient numbers will be on

Saturday 16thApril

2011 at 1.30p.m. in church.

IMPORTANT

ANNOUNCEMENT


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Getting to the Core ofBiblical NarrativesBy Preacher Joshua Yong

The Bible is an open book. This means every

Christian can study and understand the Bible. As it

is important for Christians to feed on the Word of

God, it is equally important that Christians also

know how to feed on the Word of God. There are,

certainly, some portions of the Bible where the

teachings and principles taught are so clear and

incisive that we can simply open our mouths, put

the food in, chew and swallow. There are, however,

other portions of the Bible where there are some

things hard to be understood, which require more

diligence, effort and skill before they can be safely

partaken. Contrary to this are those who

areunlearned and unstable who would

wrest scripture unto their own destruction.

(2 Pet 3:16). While God has given us pastors and

teachers to guide us in our understanding of

Scripture, it is still our responsibility to have the

attitude of the Berean Christians as they

received the word with all readiness of mind,

and searched the scriptures daily, whether those

things were so (Acts 17:11). Learning how to

interpret and apply the Bible is therefore our duty

as we must study to shew thyself (ourselves)

approved unto God, a workman that needeth not

be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.

(2 Tim 2:15).

But you may ask: why is it important to study

these individual literary genres in the Bible

separately? Studying some of these genres is

important because different literary genres have

different characteristics and structures. When we

have a proper understanding of each of the

different genres, we will then be able to take into

account certain elements that are unique to

individual genres. For example, the books of

poetry have the distinct feature of parallelism;

epistles would take on the form of a logical

discourse with clear and distinct sections of

exposition and exhortation. This would help us to

understand the different passages of the Bible in

their proper context. This would also prevent us

from reading too much into a passage and from

missing things we should be observing.


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But you may ask: why is it important to study these

individual literary genres in the Bible separately?

Studying some of these genres is important because

different literary genres have different

characteristics and structures. When we have a

proper understanding of each of the different

genres, we will then be able to take into account

certain elements that are unique to individual

genres. For example, the books of poetry have the

distinct feature of parallelism; epistles would take

on the form of a logical discourse with clear and

distinct sections of exposition and exhortation. This

would help us to understand the different passages

of the Bible in their proper context. This would also

prevent us from reading too much into a passage

and from missing things we should be observing.

Of all the literary genres found in the Bible,

narrative is the most common. It makes up about

40% of the Bible including the Pentateuch

(Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and

Deuteronomy), the historical books (e.g. Joshua,

Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, and

Nehemiah), the book of Job, some of the prophetic

books (e.g. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel,

Jonah, and Haggai), as well as the four Gospel

books and the book of Acts. With so many books

written in narrative form, it is of great importance

that we know how to interpret and draw principles

from narratives passages in the Bible. Narratives

are not difficult to understand; on the contrary, the

story lines of narratives are often easy to follow.

But because narratives seem to be so easy to

understand, we would often go on and ask the

question: what does this passage mean to me?

This question is often asked in our attempt to make

the narrative passage relevant to us. Herein lies the

danger- for often in our haste to make a narrative

passage personal or relevant, we take an action of

the narrative out of its context and try to make

sense of it in application for today. Thus someone

reading the account of David and Goliath may

simply conclude that it is biblically acceptable to

hurl insults at ones opponent during a basketball

match as David did to Goliath during war. Of

course we know that this application of the biblical

account is wrong. But why is it wrong? How can

we then make the right application of a narrative

passage? This is the purpose of this study.

It must be stated on the onset that this study would

only serve to provide some principles and tools that

would help us better know how to understand

Biblical narratives. It is only an introduction to the

study Biblical narratives. It is not an attempt to

unravel all the intrinsic literary characteristics of

each and every sin le narrative passa e.


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This article will recommend some books at the end

that will aid us in the study of Biblical narratives.

This study would provide the skill, but the

workman must still practice and apply the skills

learned that he might be more proficient and skilful

in his study of Biblical narratives.

What are Biblical narratives?

Narratives may generally be defined as stories or

accounts which convey messages through a series

of events revolving around people and their related

situations. Biblical narratives are historical in

nature; as such they are not fictional but recorded

events that really happened in order to show the

workings of God among His people.

Biblical narratives, as with all other narratives,

have three basic elements: the setting, characters,

and plot.(Elliott E. Johnson, Expository

Hermeneutics: An Introduction, p. 168) The setting

provides the historical and cultural framework for

the story to unfold. The characters and the plot

uniquely relate with each other to produce the story

line. The characters, which are the people in the

narrative, produce the actions. These actions or

series of events which unfold is the plot. At the

same time, the people are made known to us by

their actions.

Biblical narratives generally follow a pattern in its

plot development. It usually has a background or

introduction before a problem occurs with

increasing complications and progress. As the story

unfolds, it peaks in a dramatic climax where a

solution and resolution of the problem is reached.

While this is a general pattern, the plot

development may vary from account to account.

It is also of great importance that we bear in mind

that while the Bible has sixty six books, it is

actually one book which is further comprised ofmany books. The history of the Bible is in fact His-

storyi.e. Gods Story. The Bible essentially

unfolds a singular story. There is a unifying plot

that runs throughout the whole Bible. Graham

Scroggie calls this the unfolding drama of

redemption. He likens the central theme of Gods

redemption plan for the salvation of mankind

through Christ to a scarlet thread which runsthrough the whole Bible. Bearing this truth in mind,

we may say that

Biblical narratives are not only historical in nature,

but they are also very much theological. The

theological themes of Gods divine plan and

purposes in history are clearly evident throughout

the Bible.


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Interpreting Biblical Narratives

Because Biblical narratives are both historical and

theological in nature, these two characteristics must

be taken into account when trying to interpret

narrative passages.

A very important rule in interpretation is that we

should not impart to a passage any meaning that is

not intended by the author. This kind of

interpretation is commonly found in what is known

as the allegorical and spiritualisation mode of

interpreting the Bible. In allegorising a passage, the

interpreter reads meaning into every detail and

word that is found in a particular passage. The only

limitation in allegorising a text is ones

imagination. For example, in allegorising, one may

say that each of the five stones that David used had

various significanceseach stones represent the

various virtues of love, justice, truth, faithfulness

and courage and it is with love that the enemy is

conquered. This kind of interpretation must be

rejected as it denies the historical nature of the

Bible. Spiritualisation is similar to allegorisation in

that this method sees that there is a deeper, mystical

and spiritual meaning behind the physical words

(this is different from seeing the Bible as a spiritual

book which deals with spiritual thingsthis we

acknowledge). For example, they may say that the

fight between David and Goliath represents the

battle between good and evil. Another example I

heard recently is of a preacher who spoke of how

Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) represent grace and

law. This preacher then said that in the mixture ofgrace (represented by Ananias) and law (Sapphira)

there is death. As with the allegorical method, there

are simply no boundaries guiding this kind of

interpretation. We believe that the Bible only has

one meaning, and that is the literal sense which is

also the plain sense of the Bible.

We must remember that in studying the Bible, we

are interested in the divine intentGods intent

and not just the human intent of any particular

narrative passage. While this is our focus, we must

also keep in mind that God has also ordained the

means for His will to be revealed. Where narratives

are involved, God has chosen to convey it through

the historical settings, the characters involved and

development of plot. It is important to note also

that biblical narratives are not designed to give the

full details of every historical event. The writer,

under the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit

selects the details of an event to be included as

inspired Scripture.


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Historical-Cultural and Contextual Study

The first step in interpreting any narrative passage

is, therefore, to have a proper historical-cultural

understanding of the passage under consideration.

Having an understanding of the historical

circumstances surrounding the characters and the

plot is to have an understanding of the setting of

the narrative within the proper context of its time.

With a proper consideration of the historical setting

surrounding the narrative, we will be more precise

in our interpretation of the narratives. The

narratives in the Bible do not take place in avacuum. In looking at the historical context we are

considering the local surrounding of the narrative,

including the political, economical, social,

religious, geographical and domestic situation. The

historical circumstances of the days between

Abraham, Moses, David, and Jeroboam are all

different. Thus each passage must be studied in its

proper historical context (e.g. how is it that Rahab

was said to have her house on a wall [John 2:15];

what is the significance of certain people sitting at

the gate? [Ruth 4:1]). As the historical

circumstances of different narrative passages are

different, the cultural context would also be

different. A proper understanding would be crucial

in understanding the reason and meanings of

certain actions that may be unfamiliar to us (e.g.

The actions of Ruth in approach Boaz; How is it

that men seemed to wear skirts in the Bible - what

is the meaning of these skirts). A misunderstanding

of the historical settings and culture may lead to a

wrong interpretation of a passage.

So how can we determine the historical and cultural

circumstances of the narrative passage? First, one

has to read the narrative passage in its context (by

this I mean the context of the text) many times.

After reading the passage many times, you would

have gathered the main themes of the particular

book and would be able to see how the passage

under consideration adds to the development of the

book. Once you are very familiar with the passage,

identify the writer of the book (if there is one). See

if the audience of the book is identified. Recognise

the purpose of the particular book being written.

The purpose can be recognised when you are

familiar with the book through many careful

readings. Next, identify the characters in the

particular passage. Recognise which are the key

characters and those who are the supporting

casts. You can use encyclopedias, Bible

dictionaries, cultural dictionaries and Bible atlases

to help you better understand the historical and

cultural situation of that particular passage under

consideration.


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Having understood the historical context of a

narrative passage, we would then go on to study the

immediate context of the passage. When the

passage is considered in its immediate context, the

whole development and thrust of the book is taken

into account. This will prevent the error ofmisunderstanding a passage due to the neglect of

the context. Words and phrases will also be

properly understood when studied in its context.

When trying to understand the immediate context

of the passage, first, try to develop an outline of the

book under consideration. You can use books

which give a survey of the Bible to help you

develop this outline. The outline will help you see

how the passage you are studying fits into the

whole book as a whole. Next, see how the narrative

passage you are studying relates to the passages

immediately preceding and following it. The

surrounding context would shed more light on the

passage under consideration.

A proper understanding of the historical-cultural

context and the immediate context of the narrative

passage is a big stepping stone in understanding

how we should interpret narrative passages.

Theological Study

As narrative passages carry with them a theological

significance, it is important to know the theological

framework in which one understands narrative

passages. Ones theological system will inevitably

influence ones interpretation and application of a

narrative passage. A theological framework will

affect how we understand the covenants found in

narrative passages throughout the Old Testament,

how we relate the Old Testament and the New

Testament, how we understand the doctrine of

salvation throughout these narrative passages, and

the unity of the different portions of the Bible. This

will in turn affect how we understand many of the

promises that were promised to the patriarchs like

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to Israel. How we

understand the gospels and the 1st coming of Christ

and His ministry is also dependent on our

theological understanding of the Bible. For

example, without a clear understanding of that the

Old and New Testament (which are actually

different administration of the same covenant of

grace), one may think that the way of salvation in

the Old and New is different. We see in the Old

Testament the laws pertaining to the sacrifice of

bulls and goats for sins. If we do not have a proper

theological understanding of how these sacrifices

are a picture of Christ, we may wonder why we do

not obey the Old Testament instructions to still

practice these sacrifices today.


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Narratives must therefore be interpreted within a

proper theological framework. This article cannot

address all the theological issues and implications

involved, but the general theological system which

is Biblically consistent will be explained. This will

serve as a guide and defence as we seek to

understand biblical narratives.

We hold on to the theological system called

Covenant Theology or Reformed Theology.

Covenant theology may be defined as the system of

theology which sees the whole of Scripture as

being covered by two covenants: 1) the covenant of

works; and 2) the covenant of grace. The covenant

of works was where God promised eternal life to

Adam on the condition of perfect obedience. Adam

disobeyed God and by his fall, he had disqualified

himself from life through the covenant of works.

God then instituted a second covenant, the

covenant of grace, whereby salvation unto eternal

life is offered to believing sinners through Jesus

Christ.

In understanding the covenant of grace, two

different aspects must be considered: 1) Regarding

Gods part; and 2) Regarding Mans part.

Regarding Gods part, the content of the covenant

relates to the promises of God expressed in the oft-

repeated words, I will be a God unto thee, and to

thy seed after thee. (Gen 17:7). This describes the

covenantal relationship God has with man. In this

main promise of God, all other promises of God

such as temporal blessings, the promise of

justification, sanctification and glorification are

included. Gods promises in relation to the

covenants He has established with man are

important factors in ones understanding of how

biblical narratives are unfolded.

Regarding mans part, the content of the covenant

relates to the duties that are required of man. The

duties which are required of man are reflected in

thisthey shall be my people. This is a

reflection of the relationship established between

God and man in the covenant.

Since a response from man is required in a

covenant relationship, the question one has to deal

with is whether the covenant of grace is conditional

or unconditional. There seems to be many promises

found in the Old Testament which are conditional.

If they are conditional, does that mean we have to

understand that Old Testament believers are savedby means of works?

In the covenant established with Abraham, God

confirmed His promises to Abraham in a special

way. Genesis 15:8-18 describes how God alone

passed through the animals which have been cut in

half, thus declaring that He would take upon

Himself the guilt and curse should the covenant be

broken. It is significant that the promise in focus

here is with regard to the land.


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This account was Gods response to Abraham

when he asked God how he knew he was going to

possess the land (v. 8). God then confirmed His

promise by passing through these animals alone.

The covenant with Abraham cannot then be

conditional. Yet, when we read Genesis 17:9, God

told Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant

The warning was with regard to the ordinance of

circumcision, whereby should one not circumcise

his foreskin, it is regarded as the breaking of Gods

covenant, which would result in a cutting off (Gen

17:10-14). These features cannot be regarded as

conditions of the covenant since God has taken

upon Himself the responsibility to fulfil the

demands of the covenant. If that is the case, how

does one understand Gods expectation of Abraham

in Genesis 17? These conditions are not to be

understood as conditions of the covenant

relationship. These conditions instead are to be

regarded as conditions for the enjoyment of the

relationship that has already been established. What

this simply means is that the relationship that has

been established is unconditional, but the

enjoyment of this relationship, i.e. the fellowship is

conditional upon obedience.

Similarly, in the covenant established with Moses,

what seems to be some conditional features

whereby God demands obedience to the law in

order that Israel will be blessed (Exod 19:5), arenot conditions of the covenant. Notice that Exodus

19:5 does not require obedience in order that God

might establish His covenant with them; instead

what is said is If ye will obey my voice indeed,

and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar

treasure unto me. This means that it is not the

covenant that is conditioned upon obedience; again,

it is the enjoyment of the blessings that are

conditional. Therefore Old Testament Believers are

not saved by works, but they are also saved by the

same covenant of grace which is in Christ.

The next question that comes to mind is, why are

we not fulfilling the laws of sacrifice and

circumcision found in the Old Testament? The

answer lies with the different administration of the

same covenant of grace. The Westminster

Confession of Faith explains: This covenant (the

covenant of grace) was differently administered in

the time of the law, and in the time of the gospel:

under the law it was administered by promises,

prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal

lamb, types and ordinances delivered to the people

of the Jews, all fore-signifying Christ to come,

which were for that time sufficient and efficacious,

through the operation of the Spirit, to instruct and

build up the elect in faith in the Promised Messiah,

by whom they had full remission of sins, and

eternal salvation; and is called the Old Testament.

(Westminster Confession of Faith 7:5).


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Under the gospel, when Christ the substance was

exhibited, the ordinances in which the covenant is

dispensed are, the preaching of the Word, and the

administration of the sacraments of Baptism and

Lords Supper; which, though fewer in number,

and administered with more simplicity and less

outward glory, yet in them it is held forth in more

fullness, evidence, and spiritual efficacy to all

nations, both Jews and Gentiles; and is called the

New Testament. There are not, therefore, two

covenants of grace differing in substance, but one

and the same under various dispensation.

(Westminster Confession of Faith 7:6).

It can be observed from the statements quoted that

the Westminster theologians believed that the Old

and New Testament are distinct administrations of

the same covenant of grace. There is still such a

unity in these different administrations that they

can still be considered as one covenant of grace.

Understanding the different administrations of the

same covenant of grace will guide us in drawing

principles from different portions of the Bible. We

may not enforce certain laws (for example the

ceremonial laws or civil laws of Israel) that are no

longer relevant today, but the principles that govern

these rules will still be relevant.

Our theology must guide our interpretation. The

more one has a better grasp of systematic

theology, the more one will be informed as he

interprets narrative passages.

A proper theological framework coupled with a

right understanding of the historical-cultural and

contextual understanding of the passage will give

us the building blocks to the applying of biblical

narratives.

Principles of Principling

Having understood how to interpret narratives, we

will now consider some guidelines to help us draw

principles from narrative passages for our learning.

Biblical Narratives are not written to illustratemoral lessons. They are not illustrations a preacher

would use in his sermons to illustrate a point that

he has been explaining. They are historical records

of Gods dealing with certain people in certain

situations. The gleaning of principles from Biblical

narratives must be from a complete passage within

its context. This means that we should not try to

find a moral lesson from every passage or detailwithout considering the divine intent of the passage

under consideration. This does not mean that these

passages do not have principles for our learning.

But what this means is that we must first

understand the divine intent of a particular passage

and then determine what lessons can be drawn from

the proper interpretation of the Word of God in its

proper context.


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We must be careful to not ask the question: What

does this passage mean to me? We should rather

be asking: What does this passage mean in its

proper historical and cultural context? Having

understood the meaning of the passage, we then

mayproceed to ask: How does the understanding

of this passage now apply to me? Applications

must stem from the proper interpretation of a text.

It is important to note that narrative passages are

primarily descriptive and not prescriptive in nature.

A prescriptive passage is where there are clear

instructions on how you should live or conduct

yourselfthings commanded which you should

obey. Narratives are not prescriptive. There are

words which are spoken in narratives by wicked

and evil men; this does not mean that what these

wicked men have said are to be followed. God used

Eiljah to raise a young man from the dead; this

does not mean that Christians must start raising

people from the dead. These are descriptive

passages that describe events that took place in

history. When drawing a principle from a

descriptive passage we must see if the principle or

doctrine taught is also taught elsewhere in the

Bible. We must make sure that a principle drawn

does not contradict a clear prescriptive portion of

the Bible. We must, however, also be careful to not

think that just because a doctrine is taught

somewhere else in the Bible, it is therefore the

same doctrine taught in that particular narrative

passage. There are other guidelines that must be

observed.

Not every detail that has been included in the

narrative conveys a particular lesson or moral

teaching. Sometimes there are some details that

have been added in as embellishment to tell a

complete story. If we take every detail of every

account out of its context and read some ideas into

each passage as it relates to every one of us, then

we will arrive at very strange doctrine. For example

someone may try to find some meaning to the

material of the sling David used to swing his stone

at Goliath; or some may read into each of the

colours of the multi-coloured coat of Joseph.

Ridiculous as it may sound, these kinds of

interpretation will arise when one has a wrong

interpretation of Biblical narratives.

OT narratives record what happened, not

necessarily what should have happened or what

ought to happen every time. Therefore, not every

narrative has an individual identifiable moral

application. What people do in narratives is not

necessarily a good example for us. Sometimes we

are not told at the end of a narrative passage

whether what was done was good or bad. We are

expected to judge this on the basis of what God has

taught us directly elsewhere in Scripture (Adapted

from: Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart,How to

Read the Bible for All Its Worth, p. 83-84).


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Therefore, just because God did not condemn

David for having more than one wife, it does not

mean that polygamy is an acceptable pattern for us

to follow.

Principles drawn must be implicit in the text. This

means that the principles draw from the narratives

must be those which applicable across all time and

culture. The details of the narrative may vary, but it

will not affect the principles. For example, when

God sent the ravens to feed Elijah, it does not mean

that God will use birds to provide for the needs of

his children, but that God sometimes would meet

our needs through unusual means.

Having drawn the principles from the narrative we

can then apply the principles to ourselves. We

should remember that a text may have only one

meaning (this does not mean that it has only one

teaching, but one literal and plain meaningDavid

means David; etc.) it may have many applications.

Summary: General Steps to interpreting narratives

(Adapted from Rev Queks Course notes on

Hermeneutics)It is important to note that these

steps are flexible and not rigid. They are not rules

but a guide to help you understand and apply

Biblical narratives.

1. Pray continuously for the Holy Spiritsguidance and illumination

2. Read the book in which the narrative passageis found. Gain a good general flow of the

book. Gain a general understanding of the

book. Who was the writer? To whom was he

speaking or writing (e.g. believers,

unbelievers, apostates, believers who are in

danger of becoming apostates, etc.)? What

was/were the writer's purpose/s in writing this

particular book?

3. Find the context of the Narrative. Thecontext is determined from the immediate

context, before and after the said Narrative.

4. If you are teaching or preparing a passage forSunday school, make sure the passage you

have chosen is a complete passage.

5. Read the narrative passage many timesthrough until you have a good knowledge of

the whole Narrative in your mind.

6. Check from other related books of the Bibleif there is a parallel text or related text that

will help shed more light on the Narrative.


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7. Understand the historical and culturalbackground. Refer to books which provide

information on biblical customs, characters

of the Bible, and the historical context, in

which the narrative account took place. Use

a Bible Atlas to help you understand the

geography of the narrative.

8. Examine and meditate from Gods Word andthen separate the essentials from the

embellishments.

9. Do not go to the commentaries to help youyet;

10. Summarize the entire Narrative into oneprinciple statement; Make it as focus as

possible. This is the drawing of principle

from the text.

11. Restate the summarized statement into atitle for your teaching lesson. It has tocapture the attention of the hearers. Do not

overstate the title such that the expectations

cannot be fulfilled.

12. Find out how many MAIN points there are inthe whole miracle;

13. Find out how many sub-points there are ineach of the main points;

14. Restate the main and sub-points to ensurethat they cohere with the title of the lesson.

They must all be related to one another. The

guide is your title of lesson.

15. The sermon or lesson should have -- aTitle; a Proposition Statement which is your

summarized statement; Main and sub-points;

Illustrations; Applications and Conclusions.

16. Check a conservative Commentary for newthoughts or lessons or points that you might

have missed or not able to discover. Retain

your OWN thoughts and do not change it

just to fit the commentaries without a very

good biblical reason.

17. Learn to be God-confident in yourunderstanding of Gods Word and never

allow the commentaries to become your

crutch as if without heir confirmation you

cannot understand Gods Word.

18. Let your focus be on knowing andunderstanding the Word of God.

19. Do not be too quick to apply the text. Theremust be an application. But it must be

drawn from the text at hand. Do not apply

everything about a particular doctrine into one

single text. Let the application we make be

drawn from the text.

20.The point to ALWAYS bear in mind is that ALL applications must HONOUR GOD ANDEXALT THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!


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Example

(Rev Queks Example from FEBC Hermeneutics Course notes)

Text: Leviticus 8

Theme: Consecration must be initiated by God and

has to be done according to God'

stipulations.

Topic: THE CONSECRATION OF A

CHRISTIAN

1. Historical Background

* First national religious act after they

left Egypt.

* How long have they travelled in the

wilderness after they left Egypt?

* The Tabernacle was just completed.

* In OT -- the tribe of Levi and

particularly the lineage of Aaron

designated role of priests and high

priests were the only ones allowed to

minister as priests.

* Leviticus 8 describes the act of

consecrating the high priests and priestsfor this particular function -- as

mediators between God and man.

2. Observe the places, things, and

characters involved

God, Moses, Aaron and his sons, the people

of Israel, the Tabernacle, the animals for the

offerings, anointing oil, unleavened bread,

3. Key words or Phrases* As the LORD commanded Moses

-- vs. 9, 31, 34, 36.

* Sequence of steps -- vs. 1-4, 5-13, 14-17,

18-21, 22-30, 31-36.

* Different types of sacrifices offered.

4. Outline

Use own words to summarize your

observations of the main sections.

I. CONSECRATION -- A VERY

SOLEMN ACT FROM GOD TO MAN

(8:1-13)

A. God Initiates the Acti) Man cannot consecrate himself -- ever

though Aaron and his sons were already

told by God that they were to be the

high priests and priests respectively

(Exod. 29).

ii) God consecrates the priests throughMoses who represents God -- not a

personal affair it needs recognition and

acceptance by God (vv. 1, 5, 9, 13, 21,

29, 31, 34). Priests here regarded as

ones who present the offerings rather

than the executors of the offerings.

Moses was regarded ads God. That was

why he did not have to offer any sin or

burnt offering for his own sins before he

could sacrifice the offerings on behalf

of Aaron and his sons.

iii) Not a private act but a public one.


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B. A Very Solemn Act

i. as seen in the presence of the wholecongregation (v.3)

ii. as seen in the elaborate attire of Aaron(vv. 7-9)

iii. as seen in the act of sanctification(vv. 10-13)

II. CONSECRATION -- A TOTAL AND

COMPLETE DEDICATION (8:14-30)

A. Altar Cleansed from the pollution caused

by sins of priests -- Sin Offering

(vv. 14-17)

i) Sin-offering done first to purify the altar

before the rest of the offerings can begin.

ii) Presence of God at sacrifices demands that

the sins of the priests do not mar and defile the altar

in which the offerings are made (v. 15).

iii) Sins of the priests transferred onto the

bullock by act of laying hands upon head of bullock.

Then bullock is killed and parts of it burnt upon the

altar which had just been sanctified by the blood of

the bullock. The unsavory part of the bullock like

his skin, dung and flesh burnt outside the camp. The

burning of the former upon the altar symbolizes

God's acceptance and the burning of the latter

outside the camp symbolizes the separation of sin

from that which is holy.

B. Priests Atone for their sins -- Burnt

Offering (vv. 18-21)

i) Burnt-offerings offered by Moses on behalf

of the priests to have their sins atoned for. Sins of

priests "transferred" onto the ram by the pressing of

their hands onto the animal (v. 18).

ii) The ram is killed and the blood sprinkled

around the altar -- to symbolize the shedding of

blood for the remission of sin (v. 19).

iii) Entire animal was burnt with certain parts

washed first with water -- symbolizes acceptance

and a propitiation of God's wrath against sin. Thus

the "sweet savor" came forth from the fire of the

burnt-offering to God (vv. 20-21).

C. Priest Sanctifies from his sins -- Peace

Offering (vv. 22-30)

i) Peace-offerings, again offered by Moses on

behalf of the priests. The priests pressed their hands

upon the head of the ram and it was then killed by

Moses (v.22).

ii) Before blood was sprinkled upon the altar it

was put upon the tip of the priests' right ear, thumb

of right hand and great toe of right foot. Right side

symbolizes more important and favored side (Gen.

48:17ff.) Consecrated ears -- to listen to God's holy

voice; consecrated hands -- to do holy deeds at all

times; and consecrated feet -- to walk holy ways at

all times (vv. 23-25).


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iii) This is followed by the

thanksgiving-offering made by the priests --

symbolized by the waving of the unleavened, oiled

bread, the fat and the right shoulder. Moses then

took them and burnt them on the altar as a sweetsmelling sacrifice to God--symbolizes acceptance by

God

(vv.26-29 cf. 7:12ff.)

iv) Sanctifying the priests and their garments by

both oil and blood--symbolizes their new state of

holiness and are now ready to do the work of priests

and mediators for God and man (v. 30).

III. CONSECRATION -- ACCOMPLISHED

ACCORDING TO GOD'S COMMANDS

(8:31-36)

A. Consecration is a Lengthy Process

i) The priests must eat the meat of the

sacrifices in the holy place. There is no stipulation

where the ordinary offerers were to eat theirs. The

priests are no consecrated and have been accepted

by God to do their distinct and privilege work of

intercessors so they must begin with eating their

own sacrifices inside the holy place. This is the place

they are to eat all the sacrifices offered by the people

as well. Any balance is to be burnt and cannot be

kept (vv. 31-32).

ii) Defilement can occur instantaneously but

cleansing takes seven days. This process of

consecrating the priests for holy service lasted seven

days (v. 33). Other events which occasioned a

seven-day break are: after healing from a serious

skin disease (14:8ff; 15:13-14; 28-29); birth (Lev.

12; cf. Gen. 17); marriage (Gen. 29:27); and

mourning (Gen. 50:10).

iii) They are to repeat this act of atonement.

There is no once for all act of cleansing in the OT

even for the priests, the holiest of all the people of

God (v.34).

B. Obedience is Key

i) The sequence of command is clear in the

chapter: God to Moses to the priests. Moses obeys

God and the priests obey Moses. The acceptance of

the offerings of the priests results from their

obedience to God's word.

ii) Every detail has to be adhered to closely.

There is no short cut to obedience. Both the means

and the ends must be accepted by God.

iii) The punishment for breaking what God has

stipulated as the only right way of consecration is

death. Chapter 8 of Leviticus is not merely a list of

mundane optional steps to be followed as the priests

pleased. They are mandatory steps/commands to be

strictly followed for them to be considered holy and

acceptable by God (vv. 35-36).


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Application:

* No man who is serving God is

excused from consecration. In NT

times the only way is through the

blood of Christ who once for all

offered Himself as our sin-offering,

burnt-offering and peace-offering.

* There is no seven-day break for

cleansing because Jesus paid it all

completely and to the full. When we

accept Christ as Lord and Savior, we

become holy positionally making us

acceptable to God. We are not sinless

because we sin daily. Therefore we

need to go and confess our sins daily.

* Obedience is still the key today for

holiness. As a holy priesthood of

believers, we must live holy lives and

serve God in ways that will reflect our

new positions as priests of the mostHigh God.

QUESTIONS TO NOTE AS YOU STUDY

AND INTERPRET THE TEXT.

a) What is the main theme or themes of

the passage?

b) What is the historical setting? Name the

places involved? Briefly mention

something significant about the places

and people involved, if any?

c) Who are the main characters in the

text? Who is doing most of the

talking?

d) Use own words to summarize the main

points. Provide as many sub-points as

possible under the various main points.

e) What is the doctrine this particular textis teaching us? Man? God? Christ?

The Holy Spirit? Sin? etc.

f) Confine the applications to those

derived from the text only.


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Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and

Background of the Old Testament, editors, William

Sanford LA So, David Allan Hubbard, Frederic William

Bush, Leslie C. Allen,

Eerdmans Publishing, 1996.

Concise Old Testament Survey:

http://bible.org/series/concise-old-testament-survey

Biblical customs:Ralph Gower, The New Manners & Customs of Bible

Times, Revised and Updated, Moody Publishers, 2005Encyclopedia:The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. In 5

Volumes. General Editor, Merrill C. Tenney. Grand

Rapids: Regency Reference Library, 1975-6.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,General Editor,

Geoffrey Bromiley, Eerdmans, 1994.

Dictionaries:The Eerdman's Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,

1987;

Holman Bible Dictionary. Nashville, Tennessee: Holman

Bible Publishers, 1991.

Bible Atlas:Barry J. Beitzel, The Moody Atlas of Bible Lands.

Chicago: Moody Press, 1985.

Resources UsedHenry A. Virkler,Hermeneutics: Principles and

Processes of Biblical Interpretation

Roy B. Zuck,Basic Bible Interpretation: A Practical

Guide to Discovering Biblical Truth

Milton S. Terry,Biblical Hermeneutics: A Treatise on

the Interpretation of the Old and NewTestamentBernard Ramm, Protestant Biblical Interpretation

Elliotte. Johnson,Expository Hermeneutics: An Introduction

Berkeley Mickelsen,Interpreting the Bible

Richard Mayhue,How to Interpret the Bible for Yourself

Recommended Resources


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Yours Sincerely:How to help and be a good friend in Christ

Therefore let all the house of Israel know

assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus,

whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in

their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of

the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be

baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus

Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall

receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise

is unto you, and to your children, and to all that

are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God

shall call. And with many other words did he

testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from

this untoward generation. Then they that gladly

received his word were baptized: and the same

day there were added unto them about three

thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in

the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in

breaking of bread, and in breaking of bread, and

in prayers.

And fear came upon every soul: and many

wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

And all that believed were together, and had all

things common; And sold their possessions and

goods, and parted them to all men, as every man

had need. (Acts 2:36-45)(my emphases)

Learning from Peter!Peter preached about salvation in Christ to the

early believers and exhorted them to put their

faith and trust only in Christ. They had heard the

gospel, responded to the gospel,

repented and believed. Their lives radically

changed and what characterised them was this

indwelling of the Holy Spirit, for they belonged

only to the Lord Jesus Christ. Their lives were

characterised and marked as recipients of the

grace of God and the saving work of Christ.

By Sister Molly


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Just as an asideThink about this for a moment and what Scripture

says when people are saved. Scripture does not

simply say that when people are saved, they

change their minds, stop believing that which is

false and henceforth believe that is true. That

certainly is true, but that is not the entire story.

Nor does Scripture say that salvation is just a

moral reformation in peoples lives. When you

examine these peoples lives in the light of

Scripture, should their lives not be more moral

than an unbeliever? Absolutely! However,

salvation is not simply just about being moral or

more moral. Some commentators use the

metaphor of broken vessels and say that salvation

is how God has taken us, broken vessels, and

fixed or repaired the cracks in us; other

commentators use metaphors of unclean vessels

and say that salvation is how God has taken us,

unclean vessels, and cleanse us. These metaphors

are familiar to us and there is a vestige of truth in

such descriptions of what transpires in people

when they come to know Christ; but it only

scratches the truth of what Scripture says.

Scripture says that when people are made

Christians, they become new creatures in Christ

Jesus. They were not what they once were, as we

read in 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if any man

be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are

passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Indeed, when you think about your own life, are

you not thankful to the Lord for making you new

and that you are no more what you once were,

before you were saved?

And back to the main topic!These early believers that Peter preached to were

religious Jews- they had an intellectual awareness

of God and a mental understanding of what other

men, namely the Scribes and Pharisees, thought

God had expected from them, although those were

not Gods expectations. This was because the

Scribes and Pharisees had added oral traditions to

the written Word of God. Nevertheless, these

early believers had lives that were transformed

and what characterised them were not religious

rituals, but lives bearing fruit that they belong to

Christ. It is shown in their devotion, as we read in

verse 42, And they continued stedfastly in the

apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking

of bread, and in prayers. Further, we also learn in

verses 44 and 45, what these believers did in

relation to one another, when others in their circle

(the other believers), had physical needs that

needed to be met. In short, we learn from verses

44 and 45, how other Christians were

ministering to other Christians.


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The Principles ofMinistering to OthersThe principles behind ministering to other

Christians that is set forth in these two verses are

as follows. Firstly, once we are saved, we need to

look at our existing resources differently. In verse

44, we read that the early believers came to see

that the things that they had, whether it be land,

personal possessions and food, were not simply to

be used for their own selves. This verse does not

teach an early form of communism, socialism nor

does it imply that these early believers sold their

houses and lived together in some commune.

Instead, these people believed that what they had

could be used for the common good. In verse 45,

we read that when the early believers found out

that other believers had needs, they would sell

their possessions, things God had given them, for

cash and minister to them. Take note that only

when the need arose, would they take what they

had and sell it to meet those needs. Hence, the

first principle tells us to have a biblical view of

our possessions. That is, God is the Creator and

Owner of everything. David wrote in Psalms 24:1,

The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness

thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

The earth and all that it contains are the Lords.

sees fit.

Then, it stands to reason that all we can do is to be

stewards of what belongs to the Lord, including

what we deem as our possessions. That is how we

should use our possessions to help others in a

biblical way.

The second principle is to be good stewards of

what belongs to the Lord, both the material gifts

(possessions) and spiritual gifts (honesty, meekness,

kindness, goodness, diligence, ); and we are to use

these gifts or resources to His glory. In Luke 16:1-

13, we read of the many parables that Christ has

taught us, which illustrate this principle of being

good stewards of what God puts in our disposal. In

1Cor 10:31, Paul also exhorts us to eat, or drink, or

whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. So the

question you have to ask yourself is: when you say

you are the Lords steward, are you acting

responsibly to the things that God has given you?

Are you truly using them to His glory and His

honour?

The third principle is to use what God given to

you to the benefit of others. You have to look

beyond yourself, see what resources God has given

you, and to use them to the benefit of others. And

you are not to use them in a reluctant or begrudging

way. Remember what Paul exhorts in 2 Corinthians

9:7, Every man according as he purposeth in his

heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of

necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.


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Fourth principle- do not be selfish and hoard

possessions. God gives an abundance to those for

the purpose of helping others. In Luke 12: 13-21,

Jesus told a parable of a man who was not

satisfied with his wealth and wanted more; and

the more he got, the more he hoarded. In this

parable, Jesus taught us of the danger of

covetousness. Later on in the chapter, He goes on

to teach that when we are given more, we are

expected to be generous and to help others in

need. In verse 48, He said that for unto

whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much

required.

Fifth principle- be sensitive to others in need.

Do not turn a blind eye or deaf ear to a legitimate

need of your brothers and sisters in Christ. Be

especially sensitive to those genuine needs which

arise that are of no fault of their own. Further, we

must also not develop a critical nor condemning

attitude towards those who are in need. Be

prepared to go beyond just addressing their

immediate needs, as you may be called to give of

your time to teach or train them to be in a better

position to meet their own future needs. Yes, it is

the old saying of Give a man a fish and you feed

him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed

him for a lifetime.

Biblical Friendship, Love and UnityIn my discussion of ministering to fellow brethren, I

have hinted how our relationship to

them also needs to operate from this love that we

have for Christ. In 1 John 4:20-21, we read, If a

man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a

liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath

seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

And this commandment have we from him, That he

who loveth God love his brother also. We know this

and have heard it preached from the pulpit many

times. Yet, why do we find our friendships with

fellow brethren difficult and challenging at times?

The world tells us that each of us is so different from

the other. Christians included. However, I dare say

that there are more similarities than differences

among us and the reason for that is Christ, from

whom we all share the name Christian.. In

Ecclesiastes 4:12, we read And if one prevail

against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold

cord is not quickly broken.

Definitions of Christian friendships can be traced in

Scripture, starting with Deuteronomy. In chapter 13

verse 6, we read thy friend, which is as thine own

soul. In the Book of Proverbs, we read A friend

loveth at all times, and a brother is born for

adversity (17:17). A friend is someone who does

not forsake you, is loyal and steadfast, and one that

you do not forsake as well.


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A true friend is one who cares about your spiritual

condition, not about your wealth (Pr 19:6). That

friend may be somebody who has to rebuke us

(Pr 27:5-6), for Open rebuke is better than secret

love; Faithful are the wounds of a friend. This

differs from worldly friendships where very often

people sit on their resentments, nurse grudges and

not sort things out in the way that was pleasing to

the Lord.David and JonathanIn the classic example of godly friendships, we

often read about Jonathan and David, and the

deep affection they had for each other, a deep

devotion and a very sacrificial covenant between

them. In 1 Samuel 18:1, we read, And it came to

pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto

Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the

soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own

soul. This reminds us of what we read in

Deuteronomy 13:6, where thy friend, which is as

thine own soul. Then Jonathan and David madea covenant, because he loved him as his own

soul (1 Sam 18:3). One of the things we note in

Jonathan is that he was risking his own life to be a

friend of David (1Sam 19:1-6). That does not

happen to most of us; we are not heirs to earthly

thrones or business empires, we do not have this

lofty role in life. However, I want us to think of

what Jonathan had to give up to keep David alive,as his father, King Saul, wanted David dead.

Yes, Jonathan had to surrender the crown and the

kingdom. Not many of us will be called by the Lord

to give up such a magnitude of a sacrifice; but

perhaps, in some small way, we are tested on our

willingness to give up certain creature-comforts for

our friends. What creature-comforts? Our time,

convenience, staying up a little later or not being

able to do something that we were planning to do, to

name but a few. Perhaps when we think of what

Jonathan had to sacrifice, we might be able to do

these things a little easier!Should Opposites Repel?Besides self-sacrifice, what can get in the way of ourgodly friendships? One of the factors is what I would

call cross-cultural issues: personality differences,

preferences, education, generation gaps, what we

like to eat All this can keep us from having the

friendships that the Lord wants us to have with other

God-fearing brethren. Many things that are different

among us may not always be sinful differences. They

are just different, and we need to sort out thedifference between matters of sin and what I

would call, just a matter of taste. A fool does not

want to know this; a fool takes no pleasure in

understanding but only in expressing his own

opinion (Pr 18:2; 12:15). To me, this is how the

world foolishly looks for friends. Typically, when a

person looks for friends, he or she looks for similar

educational backgrounds, socio-economic statuses,similar tastes in food, lifestyles in short, people

tend to like people who are like themselves.


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There is nothing wrong in sharing similar interests

with people you consider as friends; however, it is

another matter to exclude others from your

fellowship because they differ from your

preferences. This comes easily when we belong to

a church with a sizeable membership, where

people split up into their little groups and before

you know it, you start to wonder who is that

person at the other corner because that person is

unfamiliar to you. Birds of a feather do tend to

flock together. But keeping fellowship with

mainly people fairly similar to you is not what

Christ has called us to do.

Let us think for a moment whether our

assumptions of others are wise or do we need

to learn to be a bit more open-minded in some

situations. Take politeness as an example. I think

many of us can offend each other unnecessarily

just because we have different ideas of what is

polite or not polite. Say you visit someone at

home: is it more polite to bring something (snacks

or fruits) with you on your visit or not? What if

you were visiting your best friend? Sister?

Brother? Friends friend? Ideas of politeness

depend on the situation and where you are from.

Is it more polite to bring fruits or flowers? Kueh

or cake? Say you like flowers and bring them to a

host who not only does not appreciate flowers but

also associates them with death and funerals. Yes,

you have a problem.

True, it may sound trivial but it may also cause

misunderstandings that result in the person not being

invited ever again. What about humour? How many

times have you been the butt of someones jokes

when you did not appreciate? Or you try to be funny

and the joke fell completely flat, with everyone

staring at you thinking you are a clod? People have

different ideas about whether teasing others is okay.

Some cultures find teasing appropriate, while others

would cringe with embarrassment. Quite often,

humour is used to show solidarity. People typically

kid with one another when they are familiar with

each other. Some think showing respect is

addressing people as Auntie or Uncle, while

others think that it is being too intimate, or a form of

ageism; addressing them by their first names would

suffice. So, which way is right or wrong? Both

ways are right, as long as everyone understands each

other. Some people think that a neat and tidy house

shows care and affection for a family, while others

think that a messy house shows a home that is lived

in by real people. Others like communicating with

others who have more or different education than

themselves, while some do not like talking to others

with different education than themselves, for fear of

saying something wrong or stupid. As you can see,

the list of differing opinions is endless. The purpose

with these few examples is to jolt you to the different

ways people can have in thinking about things, and

how when you stick them right next to each other,

they all appear quite arbitrary. They are just peoples

ideas and different expectations.


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As brothers and sisters in Christ, I thinkwe must

be able to distinguish between peoples

preferences and ungodly choices. So when I

prefer to bring edible snacks in my visits, it does

not necessarily mean that everyone should bring

snacks when they visit me. I can still love that

person in Christ even when he or she brings me

flowers instead. There are many different ways of

looking at things, and we can still love each other

in spite of differences in backgrounds,

preferences, education, whether you like a neat-

tidy home or a messy one! However, if this

brother or sister in Christ encourages us to

participate in worldly entertainment, lifestyles or

engages in conversational topics that are ungodly,

then we must pray for godly wisdom to exercise

gentle rebuke (Pr 27:5-6, Gal 6:1, 2Th 3:15). That

would be the first recourse; the next step would be

to seek an elder brother or sister for further

assistance (Matt 18:15-17).

Its not you, itss me!The remedy to the impediments of our

friendships begins with us: we are not to find

fault with others but to take the beam out of

our own eyes (Matt 7:5). We need to consider

our personalities- are we a bit extreme? Are we a

burden to others by our behaviour? Think for a

second- if nobody ever calls you up or people do

not invite you over, it may be because you havesome behaviour you need to reflect upon: Are you

a drag to be around?

Are you Singapores undisputed Complain King or

Queen? Sure, life is not a bed of roses and there are

lots of things that you can complain about. But do

you have to complain about them ALL the time?

And do you have to go into Nitty-Gritty details? Do

you tell embarrassing jokes? Do you know when to

quit? What are your conversation topics? Do they

focus on you and what you want to talk about? Do

you have this grasshopper-habit of changing

conversation topics and at a speed that people cannot

keep up with? [Editors note: grasshoppers change

topics quickly?!] I have a relative who does this so

well that half the time the people around her smile

with silence when she is talking, because she

converses about so many different things at

Roadrunner speed! Do you over-react with the

Oh-my-goodness-that-is-so-horrible-drama-rama

that makes the other person feel worse off for telling

you? Do you listen well? Even before the speaker

has finished relating all the facts, are you ready with

the next topic, jumping in with a solution and/or

making mental to-do lists? Are you a let-down? Do

you promise to do something and when the deadline

approaches you say you cannot do it without a good

reason? Are you a no-show? Do you call five

minutes before you were supposed to show up and

say you cannot come, without a good reason? Or do

you show up too early and grumble when others

arrive late? Do you show up early for an event and

then leave early so that you are not much of a help?

When you borrow something, do you forget to give

it back? Or when you do, is it in pieces?


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I think we do some of the above from time to time

and we must recognise that these are impedimentsto friendships, for us untrustworthy. Some may

argue that this is just-the-way-I-am-and-others-

are-not-perfect; well, may be it is time for you to

start changing some of these behaviour instead of

blaming others and writing them off as not worth

knowing. Remember: first cast out the beam out

of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly

to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye(Matt7:5). In other words, before judging another,

you should reflect upon your own behaviour and

be sure that such behaviour can stand up to your

own judgment. Otherwise, you are not only a

hypocrite but a fool as well.

As believers we are called to be faithful and

diligent in storing up treasures in heaven. When

we leave this earth, we will leave it the same the

way we came- empty-handed. But as long as we

live on earth, it is a joy knowing that what God

has given you-the ability, some more than others-

to reach out to your brothers and sisters in Christ,

and to be a great blessing to them, to help them, in

their times of need. Those early Christians were

characterised by that. Are you characterised by

that too?

DID YOU KNOW ONIONS WEREMENTIONED IN THE BIBLE?This product is mentioned only in (Numbers

11:5) as one of the good things of Egypt ofwhich the Israel regretted the loss. Onions

have been from time immemorial a favorite

article of food among the Egyptians, Theonions of Egypt are much milder in flavor

and less pungent than those of this country.

5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in

Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and

the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:
http://www.christnotes.org/bible.php?q=Numbers+11%3A5http://www.christnotes.org/bible.php?q=Numbers+11%3A5http://www.christnotes.org/bible.php?q=Numbers+11%3A5http://www.christnotes.org/bible.php?q=Numbers+11%3A5http://www.christnotes.org/bible.php?q=Numbers+11%3A5http://www.christnotes.org/bible.php?q=Numbers+11%3A5


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The Pharisee Trap:You can be in it without knowing it

IntroductionThe word Pharisee today invokes all sorts of

negative responses. It is often used to describe one

who is a religious hypocrite, who adopts a

holier-than-thou attitude and is self-righteously

critical of those who do not meet up to his standard

of spirituality. Surely, no one would like such a

label on himself. Yet, we do realize that especially

within fundamental Christian circles, it is quite easy

to fall into the Pharisee trap to adopt the attitude

and mind set of a Pharisee without realizing it.

Who were the Pharisees?The Pharisees were a strict sect of Judaism that

existed during the time of Christ. Despite this, they

had strong influence amongst the Jewish community,

and received widespread popular support and respect

from the people. They prided themselves in their

knowledge and seemingly high level of moral

standards and piety.

Another distinctive of the Pharisees was their strict

observance of the Law of Moses, which consisted of

the first five books of the Bible. On top of that, they

also abided by additional religious texts written by

Rabbis, a compilation of Jewish traditions and oral

laws called the Mishna. In this contained teachings

that were supposed to be an explanation and

interpretation of the written law of Moses. However,

these teachings were extremely legalistic, to the point

of being absurd. Yet the Pharisees upheld it as truth,

and taught it as equal, if not superseding the Mosaic

Law.

By Preacher Ko Lingkang

ITS A TRAP!


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In their day, they were viewed as the yardstick of

morality and spirituality, and if anyone could earn

their way to heaven, it would be the Pharisees.

They also acted as the moral police, rebuking all

who did not meet their standards of holiness.

However, a quick glance through the gospels

would reveal that the teachings of Christ were

completely antagonistic towards the way of the

Pharisees. They were often seen questioning him

(Matt 9:11, 12:2), rebuking him (Luke 15:2,

7:39), and later on, plotting to kill him (Matt

12:14, John 11:47). In turn, they were also harshly

rebuked by Jesus, repeatedly denounced, and

often portrayed as the stumbling block that is

keeping people from accepting the message of

Christ (Matt 23, Luke 11:39-44).

One estimate has calculated that roughly one third

of the gospels are taken up with Jesus

interactions and rebuke of the Pharisees. If the

Bible places such a large emphasis on the errors

of the Pharisees, surely we ought to take a deeper

look, and ask if we too have in some way or other

fallen into the same Pharisee trap?

How Can We Be Like A Pharisee?To be like a Pharisee is a subtle thing, often found in

our churches, but seldom pointed out. Jesus

description and denunciation of them in Matt 23

would be a useful starting point for us to outline

some characteristics of Pharisees, and see how we

have become like them.

Do not practice what you preach (Matt 23:3)

Set extremely high standards of morality and impose

it upon the masses, but do not have the same

standards for yourself. Be quick to sound a stern

rebuke the moment you see a brother or sister err in a

certain small way, or preach a little sermonette

during discussions to make sure everyone knows

about your knowledge and piety. However, your

conduct is often opposite of what you preach, giving

no example of any practical application of your high

standards. Be like the Pharisees for they say, and do

not. Basically, be a hypocrite.

Impose high standards on others (Matt 23:4)

Often take scripture out of context, or apply it to an

extreme, and then impose them upon the people

around you as the standard for spirituality. Assume

that since you deem something to be sinful, then it is

sinful for everyone. If you feel that a certain standard

of dressing must be met, then it has to be so for

everyone.


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If you think that being involved in this amount of

service, and attending this number of church

activities a week is the minimum standard for a

good Christian, then go about ensuring that

everyone around you meets that standard. Makesure that your standards are so high that they

become heavy burdens and grievous to be borne,

such that they no longer have joy in worship, but

instead feel guilty every time they see you, for they

would feel unworthy and that they are not as

spiritual as you. Basically, be judgmental.

Do things to be seen of men (Matt 23:5-7)Adopt the motivation of a Pharisee, all their works

they do for to be seen of men, and to receive their

praise. Apply this principle to every area of your

life, whether it be at work or school, at home, or

even when serving in church. All you want is for

people to notice the things that you do, and thus

think highly of you. Especially so in church, you

want to be known as Mr Zealous, Mr Holy, Mr

Righteous and Mr Spiritual. You want to be the one

everyone comes to when they have any questions

about the Bible; you want to be involved in every

activity that happens in church that involves the

pastors and leaders of the church. You yearn for the

praise of men, to be given a pat on the back, and a

commendation for the many things that you have

done. Basically, be motivated by a desire to please

man, and not to please God.

Be quick to boast about your spiritual

accomplishments (Matt 23:14, Luke 18:11-12)

Be very eager to let people know about how you are

so firm on avoiding certain sins, and how much you

are doing for the Lord. In fact, publicly thank God

for your apparent piety. One favourite time of yours

would be during prayer meeting, where you can

boast openly under the pretext of pray for me. You

would gladly list all the many things you are doing

for God, and then proceed to for a pretence make

long prayer. Of course you never had any desire to

ask the Lord for help about all these things, because

in your mind, it is all your effort and hard work that

is accomplishing so much for God. Basically, be

proud.

Nit-pick on the inconsequential matters while

missing the big picture(Matt 23:23-24)

You love to major on the minor things, to spend

hours debating on the most minor and obscure points

of scripture. You are careful to observe certain pet

verses that few people know about. You hold

strongly to your convictions about these minor points

of doctrine and are very quick to point out these

errors when you hear preachers stumble at that point.

However, you show little concern about the larger

and more important points of Christian teachings, for

you have omitted the weightier matters of the law,

especially those that involve in your personal

conduct and relationship with God. Basically, be an

armchair theologian.


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Spend great effort to put up a faade of spiritualty

(Matt 23:25-30)

Be very careful about the image that you project to

the people around you. Seek to be flawless and

blameless, and appear to be white as snow on the

outside. Give the impression that you are the

perfect Christian, and the role model that everyone

should look up to. However, inside you are engage

wilfully and unrepentantly in all manner of sins,

such that you appear beautiful outward, but are

within full of dead mens bones, and of all

uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear

righteous unto men, but within ye are full of

hypocrisy and iniquity.Conclusion

In some way or another, we do at times fall into the

Pharisee trap without realizing it. As we look

through this list before us, it is important that we

take a moment to honestly search our hearts, and ask

if we have somehow become somewhat proud or

hypocritical in certain ways. If that is the case may

we be quick to repent, and seek the Lords

forgiveness. What we most certainly shouldnt do, is

to look through this passage and the list before us,

and start to point fingers at the people around you,

and deem them to be pharisaical, for that would

straightaway make you one as well! Jesus gave very

stern warnings with regards to the Pharisees, and

pronounced woe upon them for their behaviour. May

we all take heed, and take active measures to ensure

that we do not fall into the Pharisee trap!


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Onions in BGRBy Bro HenryIn the church I attended as a youth was this longtime

friend lets call him N. N was tall, dark and

handsome. He was a youth leader, in a top secondary

school, and had the gift of the gab. He was also

humorous and you can imagine he was a popular guyin church. Back then, N seemed like a nice guy to

have as a potential boyfriend.

N married a few years after I did and also had 2 kids.

But after a few episodes of undisputed marital

infidelity, N divorced in 2008. He just remarried in

Feb 2011 to another divorcee with kids. He surprised

his old friends with what we now know of hisphilandering ways, his ill discipline with money, his

late nights, and his raw ambition to climb the

corporate ladder.

Are there youths in Pandan who mayturn out to be like N?


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As we see divorce escalating, marriage seems to be

outdated. Many have given up on it, preferring

single-hood or cohabitation. Some choose

annulment, an easier way out of failed marriages

than divorce. It is a cleaner cut, a term less harshthan divorce. But even divorce has lost its stigma

for many openly proclaim theyre divorcees.

Talk to a divorcee or someone in a pained marriage

and almost inevitably, their complaint would be

that their partners have changed. Or worse, that

they did not know their partners could descend to

the level theyre deemed to be in.

Do people change or it is just that we do not see

through the layers they camouflage themselves

under? How about us do we not change? Or

worse - do we camouflage? Are we like onions,

with layer after layer before the core is reached?

Why open this discussion with so ominous a topicas divorce? Because a wrong turn in BGR can

result in thoughts or reality of divorce.

To be wise in BGR is to see through any

camouflage and to refrain from putting on any

camouflage. Dear YFer, in BGR, choose wisely. A

wrong choice will land you into woes untold; a

right choice will bring blessings incalculable.

So what criteria should we consider?

Be careful of people who are sanctimonious. These

remind us of the Pharisees of the past outwardly

holy but inwardly unchanged. But many of us may

fall into this at times as well. How often do we adopt

the habit of using Christian terminology without

meaning it? We use the word sharing when we

mean talking. We say Ill pray for you without

committing that person to the Lord. Phrases such as

God bless and The Lord will provide may also

be bandied around. Perhaps in a fundamental church

likes ours, the danger of us falling into this sin is

greater. Watch out.

Be genuine; seek someone who is genuine. My old

friend N, if I may still call him a friend after all that

he has done, was perhaps not genuine. As a youth, he

used the right vocabulary, the correct terms, the

expected phrases. Are you like that? Am I like that?

The worst thing you want in a future boyfriend or

girlfriend is not to know who they really are. That is

a scary thought. But that may come true, if you

choose a partner who is not genuine.

Seek someone who loves the Lord. One who loves

God loves Him outside of Sundays too. If there is

reason to believe a chap is different in church and

outside church, there is reason to be wary. This does

not mean he is to be perfect. But this does mean he

tries to be an imitator of Christ in and out of church,

with or without church friends.


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Seek someone who treats others well, especially

the weak & old. Its scary to see two-faced people

in the world. Many snub the poor and unimportant;

many fawn on the powerful and connected. Make

sure your future partner is not in this category. And

one way that may throw light on this is how they

treat those serving them, those in a position lower

than theirs.

Choose someone who is real. Someone who

acknowledges he is like all of us mere sinners

saved by grace. And still needing a lot of that on a

daily basis. The most perfect chap may seem too

good to be true, and indeed may be. You could

sense when one is putting on a front or pretending

to be who he or she is not. One churchgoer I know

pretended to live in an expensive district when he

came from a more modest background.

As you consider a boyfriend or girlfriend, pray for

a life partner. Transcend the trend to need to have a

boyfriend or girlfriend. Perhaps its not the Lords

will for you to have one. Or perhaps not yet.

Nonetheless, know we are all weak. We all need

the Lord and in looking and weighing the points

above, dont ever be judgmental and be a self-

anointed and self-appointed censor.

Peeling an onion brings tears to ones eyes. Be

wise to spot and avoid one.


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My Dear Dreamer,

Its been some time since I wrote a letter. The last time I did was in the States circa 1989-90. How the years

have flown. I praise and thank the LORD for being so very good to me and my family. I thank Him for my

three wonderful children and my husband of 25 1\2 years. Our prayer is that God will send to our children

godly spouses in His own perfect timing.

This brings me back to when you uttered a similar prayer.

As you were growing up, did you not watch too many so-called romantic TV shows and read Mills and

Boons books? Yes, you did. And your silly, unregenerate heart was misled as to what a boyfriend should

be. Before the LORD opened your spiritual eyes and you received the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, you were,

as the song goes, looking for love in all the wrong places. The silly notions of a knight in shining armour,

or in the modern day context, a handsome Korean man in a sports car, and romance, were part of your criteria

for a husband. You thought a boyfriend should be able to provide a comfortable lifestyle, a home and a car -

normal things. Just thinking about it now makes me smile at how much of a dreamer you were.

When you were born again, an

Documents

Uth Chronicle 2011-II