Bible exposition

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Written by: Stephen Hale

Created: 01 March 2025

How to not be anxious, in an anxious age?

STEPHEN HALE

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

We’re all familiar with St Paul’s wonderful words in Philippians 4. Yet we all know the challenge of them becoming a reality for us. There is so much to be anxious about. In fact, the statistics on the rise of mental health challenges in a place like Australia are striking. As I understand it these are consistent with the numbers in other western nations.

The Australian Bureau Statistics reports that in 2024 • 1 in 5 adults will experience mental health problems throughout a year

• 1 in 4 adolescents have a mental health illness
• 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys suffer from an anxiety or disorder
• 1 in 7 primary school kids have a mental health illness

  Read more: How to not be anxious, in an anxious age?

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Written by: Christopher Porte

Created: 01 December 2024

 I must admit that I am somewhat of a fall tragic. Note I said fall, not autumn. That’s right I mean the northern hemisphere idea of autumn leaves falling as the days get shorter and shorter, and as gaudy Christmas lights get hoisted up street lamps, and in America at least pumpkin spice seems to be everywhere. Living in Australia each year we end up with a strange sort of dissonance, as so many of the cultural practices—and most of the cultural kitsch—that we have are derived from the Northern Hemisphere environment.

Perhaps it’s some sort of a tragic sentimentalism for something that I didn’t grow up with and yet somehow culturally is such a part of what we do at Christmas. Because a lot of the time it can be hard to differentiate the things that we do at Christmas which I found in the gospel in the Bible in our Christmas narratives from those which happen in and around Christmas. Indeed there are a whole bunch of secular Memes that come out at this time of year claiming regularly that all of the Christmas traditions are just adaptations of Saturnalia or some other form of Roman or pagan festival. So I thought perhaps as we consider that first Noel maybe it’s time for us to do a bit of myth busting.

In and amongst our Christmas celebrations it isn’t hard to find elements of the Advent narrative which have been adopted into our broader societal celebrations. Our practice of decorating houses with gaudy Christmas lights—and increasingly audio-visual extravaganzas—can remind us of the light coming into our world (John 1:9), and also the heavenly choir announcing this good news to shepherds outside Bethlehem (Luke 2:8-15). Similarly, each year we pop bon-bons to extract paper hats—of only the finest (read: thinnest) tissue paper—and wear them while telling terrible jokes and sharing in cheap toys or puzzles. Recently I was reminded that this tradition is apparently uniquely English, as an American friend struggled to understand its relationship to Christmas. However, even here we can see some vague resemblances to the biblical narrative: especially with intertextual engagement with kings bringing gifts, shepherds sharing in joy, and Mary treasuring these things in her heart (Luke 2:19).

Some things are a bit more head scratching, such as the oddities in our hymnody around this time. As the father of children I can guarantee that the idea of having a small child “Pah-rum-pah-rum-pum!”-ing to a newborn is not high on my list of ways to settle a baby. In a similar vein Away in a Manger pictures Jesus as a peaceful baby, without any crying at all. Indeed, a picture which would seem to remove much of Jesus’ humanity from the picture. If our picture of a baby Jesus never cries then one must wonder how much humanity that Jesus really shares (c.f. Heb2:14).

However, while some of these Christmas elements are more of head scratchers, some of them—as with Away in a Manger—can cause us to stop and ponder the reality of the Christmas story; and similarly some in a pernicious vein. If Away in a Manger questions the full humanity of Jesus, then we should consider other carols such as Mary Did You Know? Which—infamously—asks if Mary knew that “your baby boy is Lord of all creation” who would “one day rule the nations” as “heaven’s perfect Lamb”? Of course the answer to each of which is “Yes. Mary did know” for she was told by Gabriel and subsequently sang her own song about it (Luke 1). Although, even more subtly pernicious here is the perpetuation of ignoring the testimony of women.

Or perhaps the swathe of nativity scenes and children’s bibles which depict the holy family alone in a barn alongside a menagerie of farmyard animals, often including pigs. Apart from the implausibility of porcine presence within a Jewish community—fostering a continued separation of Jesus from his Jewishness—the notion of the holy family being ostracised to a barn is highly improbable. As Kenneth Bailey and Stephen Carlson have demonstrated, the birth most likely took place in the main room of a family house, as Luke records the guest room (kataluma; 2:7) did not have enough space for the birth to take place. While there is an understandable desire to harmonise Luke’s birth narrative account with the theology of the Johannine prologue (John 1:11), the reality of Jesus’ birth actually serves to underscore the sheer degree to which he was brought into our human existence and reality.

What then do we do with these Christmas cultural artefacts? Should they be simply ignored, left to pile up by the wayside, or rejected as further proof of cultural depravity—as some seem to view the presence of red cups at Starbucks constituting a “War on Christmas.” Certainly for some of these interpretations I think an argument could, and perhaps should, be made for their discarding. However, at a broader level our cultural environment gives us a plethora of opportunities to return to the gospel narrative, of which I want to briefly highlight three—in good sermonic tradition.

First, these sort of engagements often display our cultural misunderstanding of the Christmas story. As we have seen, through the dissonance we feel when we see the odd co-option of Jesus’ birth, or elements of our culture which oddly parallel the biblical narrative, we can see the ways that our faith stands at odds with society. In addition, by highlighting aspects of the Christmas story separate to Jesus it actually gives us a great opportunity to reintroduce the biblical narrative to our cultural appropriations. As with my friend struggling to see the relevance of Christmas bon-bons and tissue paper hats, we are given the chance to demonstrate how these seemingly common items reflect the great gift given to us in the kingly Christ. True, some of these misappropriations or misunderstandings—such as the farmyard birth narrative—should probably be consigned to the dustbin. But even there these give us an opportunity to elaborate on the hope we have in Christ, and His coming as a full embodiment of our humanity. In short the dissonance between the biblical narrative and our cultural appropriations can be an opportunity to engage our broader world with the gospel.

Second, this engagement should drive us back to the actual Christmas narrative. One of the great blessings at this time of year is to be able to read the advent and nativity narratives within a context of our culture celebrating the themes—if not the content—of that narrative. In response to Mary Did You Know, we can read the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) and hear Mary’s own words about the extended mercies of God and the fulfilling of his promises. When we see an inflatable nativity scene at the local hardware store we can read of the announcement to the shepherds on that hillside outside Bethlehem, and the great company of angels praising God and singing “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” (Luke 2:14). The Christmas narratives found in our gospels should be our resonant sounding board throughout this season. Where instead of fearing the Whammageddon! of Last Christmas, we should gleefully remember the inauguration of the First Nowell.

Finally, however, reading and declaring the biblical narratives in counterpoint to our cultural narratives should also leave us with a sense of unease, for what is inaugurated has not yet been completed. As we read of God’s mercies to his servant Israel (Luke 1:54), and the guiding of feet in the way of peace (1:79), or the declaration of the Year of the Lord in Isaiah 61, we should have a constant reminder that all is not yet completed. While the inauguration of the end has begun, the final fulfilment often still feels a way off. Indeed, this is even more stark given the glitz and glam of this time of year. Even as our culture ratchets up the “joy” factor, deep down we often know that something is not quite right. Just as the wise men were warned of impending doom that first Epiphany, so too our own senses should indicate that all is not complete yet. This should lift our eyes and hearts towards the day when all will finally be put to rights, where the songs of Elizabeth, Mary, and Zechariah all come to their full fruition.

Christopher Porter is the Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Trinity College Theological School (UD) and a priest in the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. Apart from being a sentimental Advent tragic, he has been involved in church planting, passionate about training people for ministry and is interested in the intersection of culture, fictional worlds, and theology.

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Written by: Kym Smith

Created: 01 September 2024

The Transfiguration: Have We Missed the Point?
(MATTHEW 17:1-8; MARK 9:2-8; LUKE 9:28-36)

How wonderful was the transfiguration; in view of three of his disciples, Peter, James and John, Jesus was transfigured and met with two, similarly glorified giants of the faith, Moses and Elijah. The two men spoke with Jesus about his ‘exodus’, his departure via crucifixion which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem, to which he had set his face (Lk 9:51). The disciples had the added witness of the Father’s voice confirming that Jesus was, indeed, his beloved Son. That is how we have always understood the transfiguration, but have we missed something? This article suggests that we have missed something, and not just something; if correct, we have missed the main point of that amazing event.^[i]

The proposition here is that the reason for Moses and Elijah’s appearance was not primarily to encourage Jesus towards the cross. They may have done that but given that darkest of deeds that he was facing, even those great men could not provide the level of encouragement he needed. The task given to Moses and Elijah was to greet Jesus and, perhaps, to open up the topic (of which Jesus was already aware – e.g. Mt 16:21; Mk 8:31; Lk 9:21-22). Without negating all that those men represented in the Law and the Prophets, however, they were, essentially, the welcoming committee; their task was to usher Jesus in to the only One who could encourage him sufficiently, the One who from all eternity planned that he should go to the cross, his heavenly Father.

Jesus invited his inner three disciples to witness what was designed for them to see. What they did see – not only Jesus glorified but Moses and Elijah glorified with him – and what they heard, the voice of the Father, would have buoyed their witness and carried them through much suffering in their lives and ministries (2 Pet 1:16-18).

Being transfigured and tasting something of the glory which he had with the Father before the foundation of the world (cf. Jn 17:5) certainly would have been a help but, again, that was not the primary purpose for Jesus being glorified. Rather, he was transfigured to clothe him appropriately to go before his Father “…who dwells in unapproachable light’ (1 Tim 6:16).

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

If we understand Eden, the garden of God (Ez 28:13), not just as a productive plot but the sanctuary of the Lord, the place he provided so that those he made in his own image could meet and fellowship with him, then it must have been a holy place, radiating with the glory (i.e., the holiness} of God (cf. the tabernacle [Ex 40:34-38] and Solomon’s temple [1 Ki 8:10-11]). In that case, Adam had to be sanctified before he could dwell in the garden/ sanctuary. Made outside of the garden (i.e., to the west of it – Gen 2:8), Adam was clean (in the biblical sense – Lev 10:10) and without sin or fault. However, clean was not sufficient to dwell with the Lord, he needed to be holy, but only God is holy. To enable him to enter Eden, then, the Lord breathed into him the breath of life (Gen 2:7; cf. Jn 20:22). This was not just air, if it was that at all, but the Holy Spirit (Heb. And Gk., Spirit=breath=wind.^[ii] Receiving the Spirit, Adam was sanctified and the suggestion here is that he was clothed with glory (as per the transfiguration). Only after this was he placed in the garden (Gen 2:8).^[iii]

When Moses asked to see the glory of the Lord, the Lord – no doubt the pre-incarnate Son – told Moses that no one could see his face and live (Ex 33:18-20). No one could look on the fullness of his glory, his holiness made visible, and survive it. We know that after Moses was allowed to see the tail end of the Lord’s glory, his skin shone (Ex 34:29). It may be that something of the Lord’s glory flowed over to the prophet; it is more likely, however, that Moses was granted the glory he needed so that he could safely see what he did of the Lord’s glory, receding as it was (Ex 33:21-23).

For the faithful who remain to see the Lord when he returns in glory (Mk 13:26), they will need to be glorified to meet him. To be confronted with the Lord in glory and not share his glory would be terrifying (Rev 6:12-17). In his first letter, John says that when the Lord appears, those who are children of the Father will see him (the Son) ‘as he is’ (i.e., in glory). How is it that they will be able to do that? They will be able to do that because they ‘shall be like him’ (1 Jn 3:2); they, too, will be glorified, ‘in the twinkling of an eye’ (1 Cor 15:51-53; Phil 3:20-21).

They will continue in that glory into eternity as they dwell with the glorified Son (Rev 1:12-16) and ‘the Father of lights’ (Jas 1:17).

The point of this is that to come into the presence of the Holy One, one has to be holy (Heb 12:14) and, as creatures, we need the God who is holy to provide that.^[iv] If we return to the transfiguration, even the Son of God could not be presented to the Father without being clothed in glory. He may have been without sin but he came ‘in the likeness of sinful flesh’ (Rom 8:3) and the likeness of sinful flesh was not appropriate to go before the Father (cf. the man lacking the wedding garment – Mt 22:11-14).

The transfiguration, then, as wonderful an experience as it was for the disciples to witness, as useful as a reminder of his glory that it was for Jesus and as encouraging as those two giants of the faith may have been, the occasion was not primarily for those purposes. It was to make Jesus presentable so that, facing the horror of the cross, he could go in to the Father and receive the encouragement he needed to face it unflinchingly,^[v] encouragement only the Father could provide.^[vi]

EVIDENCE FROM THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

The sequence of events must have been something like the following.

Jesus took Peter, James and John to the top of a hill to witness what he knew was about to take place. Having reached the summit, Jesus was praying alone in anticipation of the imminent encounter and, as he did so, he was transfigured (Mt 17:2; Mk 9:2-3; Lk 9:29). With the disciples watching on, Moses and Elijah ‘appeared to them’ (Mt 17:3; Mk 9:4; Lk 9:30-31). The two men materialised; they stepped from the heavenly realms into this physical world^[vii].  The disciples were terrified as they were confronted with the radiant holiness of God but, wanting to be useful, Peter offered their services to assemble some makeshift dwellings (Mt 17:4; Mk 9:5-6; Lk 9:33).

We must note here that it was as Jesus, Moses and Elijah were conversing together that the bright cloud appeared; not until after they had been speaking did it come and overshadow them (Mt 17:3-5; Mk 9:4-7; Lk 9:31-34).

That much was amazing and could have provided some encouragement before the ancient pair stepped back into the unseen spheres and Jesus’ glory faded. But the cloud which was apparently unnecessary for the appearing of Moses and Elijah and, surely, unnecessary for their disappearing (cf. Lk 24:30-31), came and embraced the whole party. The cloud represented the coming of the fourth (or seventh if we include the disciples) and main character, the Father.^[viii]  The voice from the cloud (Mt 17:5; Mk 9:7; Lk 9:35) did not necessarily mean that the Father was only meters away but it certainly revealed whom Jesus had entered the cloud to see. 

Luke indicates that they all entered the cloud (Lk 9:34) but if that were so, the three disciples would have remained at its outer edges. Again, in Luke, just before the cloud arrived, we are told, ‘…the men were parting from him’ (Lk 9:33). Was that the three men parting from Peter (and the others) or Moses and Elijah parting from Jesus? If it was the former, the Old Testament saints were escorting Jesus into the cloud and so, to the Father. If the latter, the two were either preceding Jesus, perhaps to ‘announce’ him to his Father (not that the Father would have needed any introduction) or leaving him as he went before the Father alone.

At that moment, to the disciples at the fringes of the cloud, the Father spoke from the cloud, “This is my Son, my Chosen One, listen to him” (Lk 9:35). From this point, after falling on their faces terrified, the disciples slept (Mt 17:6); no doubt it was a God-induced slumber (cf. the guards of Mt 28:2-4; Acts 5:17-23 and 12:5-19).

How long they slept they would not have known. What was happening in the heavenlies was according to a different time scheme but the disciples dozed for as long as it took for Jesus to complete his audience with the Father, to return to the mountain top (possibly escorted), for the cloud to be withdrawn, for Moses and Elijah to exit and for Jesus’ glory to fade.

When it was appropriate (he may have spent more time in prayer), Jesus woke the disciples (Mt 17:7). Because it was a divinely induced sleep it seemed to them to have taken no time at all and so they were surprised when they looked up and all was as it had been before Jesus was transfigured (Mt 17:8; Mk 9:8; Lk 9:36).

SUPPORT FROM EYEWITNESSES (2 PET 1:16-18)

In his second letter, Peter reported that ‘…we were eyewitnesses of this (Jesus’) majesty’ (2 Pet 1:16). The use of ‘we’ here is significant. By the time he wrote (probably mid to late 64), Peter knew his own time was short (2 Pet 1:14) and James was long dead, he was executed by Herod Agrippa in AD44 (Acts 12:1-2). The ‘we’, then, must have meant him (Peter) and John. Were the two apostles working in collaboration at that time? If so, it was known to his readers.

What is particularly significant in Peter’s account is that he did not mention Moses and Elijah. If the main reason for the transfiguration was for Jesus to meet and be encouraged by those two men, the apostle was strangely silent about it. Not mentioning them suggests that their appearance was not what the event was about. Peter may not have recorded that Jesus was taken in to see the Father but he does – to the exclusion of Moses and Elijah – mention that Jesus ‘…received honour and glory from God the Father’ and that the Father audibly bore witness to his Son. Peter’s silence must be accounted for.

Clearly, the transfiguration was primarily about Jesus and his Father.

CONCLUSION

As encouraging as our understanding of the transfiguration has been with Jesus encountering Moses and Elijah, what he required was more than a conversation with those great men. Only the Father could give him the love, the comfort and the resolve that was necessary. Having received all that he needed from the Father, Jesus, laying aside his glory again (cf. Phil 2:5-8), descended from the mountain, strengthened and emboldened to continue to the cross.

Kym Smith has worked in Adelaide as a parish priest and as chaplain in both school and hospital settings. Now retired, he is enjoying more time investigating a variety of biblical and theological issues and publishing his findings.

 Footnotes

^[i] If what I am suggesting that we have missed is correct, then from the earliest times we have missed what the transfiguration was all about. Because it is such a major matter and makes so much sense of the event, the fact that the commentaries (at least the ones I have looked at) are silent on it can only mean that we have not seen it

^[ii] Humanity was made to be in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit; it is part of what it is to be made in the image of God.

^[iii] Eve, having been sanctified in Adam, was also clothed in glory (i.e., our primal parents’ nakedness in the garden/sanctuary was not the nakedness they later experienced, as have all who followed – Gen 2:25; cf. 2 Cor 5:1-5). The truth of this ‘garment’ of glory is reinforced by the fact that when Adam and Eve rejected the holiness given to them, when they listened to another voice and embraced evil (Gen 3:1-6), God withdrew from them his Holy Spirit and, with that, stripped away the glory. Now, in their dread-full nakedness, they tried to cover themselves but fig leaves were no substitute for the glory of God (Gen 3:7). Without that glory, without holiness, they could not remain in the garden/sanctuary and were expelled (Gen 3:22-24).

^[iv] By God’s grace, we who are in Christ have already been sanctified but what we are speaking about here is not where we stand by faith but actually standing in the visible presence of the God of glory.

^[v] It is often said that Jesus did ‘flinch’ in Gethsemane, that he was hoping for some way other than the cross when he asked his Father to ‘remove this cup from me’ (Lk 22:42). But not so; in the garden his soul was “…very sorrowful, even to death” (Mk 14:34). With the weight of the sin of the world crushing him, his concern was that he would die in the garden and not reach the cross; it was that ‘cup’ (‘hour’ in Mk 14:35) that Jesus wanted removed. His prayer was answered, the agony was not reduced but an angel was sent from heaven to strengthen him through it (Lk 22:43-44, see also Heb 5:7).

^[vi] Was the Lord’s caution to Moses (Ex 33:20) applicable for the Lord himself appearing un-glorified before the Father?

^[vii] Not that the spiritual/heavenly realms are not substantial for those who dwell there: note in 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 the ‘buildings’ they inhabit compared with the ‘tents’ in which we of this age dwell (see also 2 Cor 12:2-3). Though not yet ascended and glorified, Jesus would also step from the unseen realms into the seen in his post-resurrection appearances (e.g. Jn 20:19, 26).

^[viii] The bright cloud must have been hiding the Father or, at least, an open entrance into the realms of glory and so, to the Father. A cloud often revealed as it concealed the glory of the Lord, declaring that the Lord was present (e.g. Ex 34:5; 40:34-38; 1 Ki 8:10-11; Acts 1:9).

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Written by: Mark Simon

Created: 01 March 2024

 The main feature of the opening to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is praise. Verses 3–14 are described by commentators as a thanksgiving, a eulogy, a hymn of praise or an extended blessing (a berakah in Hebrew, declaration of blessing, such as found in Psalm 103). The tone is exuberantly thankful and the content is theologically rich. As such, it represents a model for sung worship in the gathered church. In this study, we’ll explore the variety of ways in which Eph 1:3–14 informs and models how we might praise God in corporate song.

Observing the structure of the passage, we note the prominence given to each person of the Trinity. There is specific mention of “God our Father” (v. 2), “the God and Father” of Jesus (v. 3); Jesus/Jesus Christ/Christ (vv. 2, 3, 5, 6 ‘the Beloved One’, 10, 12); and the Holy Spirit (vv. 13–14). The qualities of God’s triune character particularly emphasized in this passage are: his sovereign election of a people who are made holy through redemption, adoption, and sealing with the Spirit (vv.5, 7, 13–14); God’s gracious initiative in this plan for salvation (vv. 4, 6, 7); and God’s love as the motivator of his actions (vv.4–5). Paul highlights in turn God the Father as sovereign over salvation history (vv. 4, 5, 10, 11), Christ as agent of redemption (v.7), and the Spirit as eschatological seal in this rich passage (vv.13–14). The trinitarian nature of Paul’s hymn of praise should encourage us to sing songs to Father, Son and Spirit – celebrating their comprehensive work that secures salvation, not neglecting any person of the Trinity as the object of our worship.

Read more: Bible Study: Ephesians 1:3–14

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Written by: Chris Porter

Created: 01 December 2023

In the vibrant narrative of early Christian communities found in the book of Acts, Luke introduces us to Apollos in Acts 18:24-26, an evidently eloquent and fervent disciple whose story gives us some insight into education and mentoring in the early church. Apollos, hailing from Alexandria, enters Ephesus, equipped with a fervent spirit and a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. However, Luke draws out a crucial revelation for us: “he knew only the baptism of John." Despite his evident zeal and scriptural competence, Apollos stands at the threshold of deeper understanding, highlighting the significance of ongoing theological education and the community of faith.

This is particularly shown in the teaching intervention orchestrated by Aquila and Priscilla, a couple known for tent making ministry and association with the Apostle Paul. Recognising what was lacking in Apollos' knowledge, they take him aside and "explain to him the way of God more accurately." Aquila and Priscilla here exemplify the vital role of teaching, and spiritual mentoring, within the Christian community. Their act of taking Apollos aside signifies a deliberate and personal investment in his theological education underscoring that knowledge—even substantial knowledge—can benefit from the guidance of seasoned mentors.

We can also see here the communal nature of theological education. The act of taking Apollos aside implies an intimate, one-on-one setting where the complexities of faith are unpacked through dialogue, explanation, and patient instruction, emphasising the importance of personal engagement in the process of nurturing theological understanding. But from our knowledge of ancient education the home environment is also strongly communal, and if we have any doubt we see in verse 27 that the “brothers and sisters encouraged [Apollos] and wrote to the disciples [in Achaia]” to commend him.

Indeed, Apollos goes on to Corinth where Paul describes him as nurturing (watering) the faith of the church (1 Cor 3:6).

This relationship of learner and teacher deepens the understanding of the church, and challenges the common perception that teaching is a one-sided endeavour of “chalk and talk.”

In reflecting on this early Christian community, we should be prompted to evaluate our own roles in the teaching and learning dynamics within our churches and communities. Do we actively seek opportunities to teach and be taught? Are we fostering an environment where theological study and instruction is approached with humility and a desire for mutual growth?

The narrative of Apollos' encounter with Aquila and Priscilla in Acts still serves as a pattern for believers today—a call to engage in intentional, personal teaching that nurtures the growth of theological understanding and relationship. Luke encourages us to view teaching as a collaborative and transformative act, fostering a community where knowledge is shared, humility is cultivated, and the journey of faith is enriched through intentional, personalised instruction.

Chris Porter (PhD, Ridley College) is the Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Trinity College Theological School (Melbourne). His research interests are in the social-identities of the early church, the sociology of schism, the Gospel of John, and is currently writing a commentary on Acts. He serves on several Christian for-purpose boards, and is a regular co-host on the Two Cities Podcast.

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Written by: Gavin Perkins

Created: 01 September 2023

Luke declares at the beginning of his gospel that he writes of “the things that have been fulfilled among us” (Luke 1:1). In Luke and then Acts he then makes it clear that the people of God’s evangelistic task of global mission is a crucial fulfilment of the Old Testament hope, particularly as expressed in the prophecy of Isaiah. In Isa. 42:6 it is promised that the Servant of the Lord will be a light to the nations. This is expanded upon in Isa. 49:6 where the Servant is to be a light to the Gentiles “that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” With Jesus in his arms, Simeon proclaims that in seeing Christ, God has brought about this salvation long-prepared (Luke 2:30–32). Accordingly, in Luke’s schema the proclamation of forgiveness in the name of the resurrected Christ to the ends of the earth is as much the goal of prophetic hope as the death and resurrection of the Christ.

In Luke 24:45–47, the resurrected Lord Jesus gives his disciples the essence of Old Testament scriptural hope as fulfilled through his ministry. The necessity of prophetic hope created a necessity that shaped his own ministry—it was “everything that must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (Luke 24:44). The suffering of the Messiah and the resurrection of the Messiah both took place just as had been prophesied as a fulfilment of Old Testament hope (Luke 24:46). However, Jesus adds a next step of necessary fulfilment, one which still lies in the future as he speaks to his disciples: “repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Just as much a part of the prophetic hope as his own death and resurrection, just as vital to God’s plan, and just as certain to be fulfilled, is the proclamation to the ends of the earth of the gospel of repentance and forgiveness in the name of Jesus.

Furthermore, Jesus promises empowerment by his Holy Spirit for the work (Luke 24:49). In this promise Jesus links the ongoing proclamation mission of the church with his own preaching ministry. Isa. 61:1–2 had promised the Spirit would be on the Servant of the Lord, anointing him to “proclaim the gospel to the poor.” This gospel proclamation would bring spiritual comfort, freedom, sight, and a season of favour and blessing from the Lord. Jesus began his public ministry at the synagogue in Nazareth by preaching these verses from Isaiah, declaring those words to be fulfilled in his ministry (Luke 4:21). Jesus is the Spirit-empowered gospel preacher bringing freedom and spiritual sight as he breaks the chains of oppression. Accordingly, the promise in Luke 24:49 of divine empowerment for mission links Jesus’ evangelistic mission with that of his people. In Acts 2:1– 12 Luke makes it clear that this empowerment is the Holy Spirit, and that power drives forth the church in mission, not just to the nation Israel but to all the tribes and tongues of the earth.

As Luke follows the growth of the gospel word in the book of Acts, he continues to draw on the prophesy of Isaiah as central in shaping the essential and necessary nature of the church’s ongoing mission. Luke recounts a crucial turning point in Paul’s ministry during which he defends his evangelistic strategy by quoting Isa. 49:6 (Acts 13:47). Paul and Barnabas’ heightened focus on Gentile mission was driven by theological and not just strategic or pragmatic considerations. In quoting from Isa. 49:6 Paul declares, “For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth’” (Acts 13:47; emphasis added). In Isaiah 49 the “you” refers to the Suffering Servant, but in Acts 13 Paul and Barnabas take it as directly referring to them. It is “what the Lord has commanded us” (Acts 13:47; emphasis added)—that is, Paul and his missionary co-workers. The commission to the Servant has become for them a command to engage in Gentile mission. As he and Barnabas are engaged in that ministry of the Servant as they plant Gentile churches, Paul unequivocally sees them as fulfilling the ministry of the Suffering Servant to be a light for the nations and bring salvation to the ends of the earth. In his commission God set Paul apart to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth, and he does the work of the Servant, so he will also bear the stripes of the Servant (Acts 9:15–16). Furthermore, he includes in that commission those who partner with him in the work.

An examination of two key passages in Paul’s letters confirm this link. Paul retells the story of his own calling in Galatians writing, “God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles,” and in so doing recalls the words from Isaiah, “the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name” (Isa. 49:1). The commission Paul received to preach the Son among the Gentiles (Gal. 1:16) is in fulfilment of the promise in Isaiah that God would bring saving light to the Gentiles. Also, in Romans 15:19 Paul could boldly claim, “from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the gospel of Christ.” Paul continues in Romans 15 by quoting another of Isaiah’s Suffering Servant songs: “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. Rather, as it is written: ‘Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.’” (Rom. 15:20–21, quoting Isa. 52:15). Once again Isaiah provides Paul with a self-understanding that informs his missionary strategy. The Suffering Servant has come and was pierced for the transgressions of the whole world, and so Paul will go to those who have not heard. In this sense Paul is completing the work of Christ as he carries on the work of the Suffering Servant in bringing light to the nations. In all of this, Paul is clear that it is Christ the Suffering Servant who works through him in his own suffering and ministry; it is all “what Christ has accomplished through me” (Rom. 15:18). Strengthened by Christ, and with Christ speaking through him, Paul proclaims light to the nations.

In the second half of the book of Acts (read alongside Paul’s letters) it is clear that the Spirit-empowered proclamation of salvation in Christ becomes not just the task of the apostolic eyewitnesses but also of the churches established through their ministry. The mission strategy of the Apostle Paul is to plant key churches as training and mission centres to further the evangelisation of a wider region, and so has built within that strategic plan an expectation that local church members would follow his lead in using their gifts and opportunities to proclaim Christ to their family, friends, and acquaintances. His aim was to firmly plant the gospel in the key cities of each region through ceaseless work in evangelism and faithful nurturing of the emerging churches into an established maturity. His pattern was then to return to those churches, appointing and training leaders, and envisioning for sustained faithfulness and mission (cf. Acts 20:28ff.). As Paul writes his letter to Rome, he can look out over that great area from Jerusalem to Illyricum and can say, ‘my work here is done’ (Romans 15:19). For Paul, at this point, the gospel has been fulfilled amongst the Gentiles of the East and they are now able to continue the task themselves. He aims to leave churches mature enough to get on with the task of preaching the gospel and furthering the mission without Paul’s ongoing direct support.

In Paul’s ministry as recorded by Luke there is an expected and normal link between proclaiming Christ and enduring hardship. This is important for the church in every age to grasp as they continue on mission. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul writes strikingly, “I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church” (Col. 1:24). The sufferings of the Apostle for the Gentiles are in continuity with the sufferings of the Christ, not in terms of atonement but in terms of mission. Christ suffered as the source of the gospel message, Paul (and those who follow him) suffer in the proclamation of that gospel message. The suffering that is the source of grace is that of Jesus and is perfect and complete, however, the suffering that is the necessary accompaniment to the proclamation of the gospel is incomplete. Both sufferings were anticipated by Isaiah, and so the figure of the Servant finds fulfilment not solely in Christ’s sufferings for the church, but also in the sufferings of those who proclaim the light of the gospel to the nations. In the era of salvation history between the resurrection and the return, the gospel must be proclaimed to the nations, however this proclamation is not done by the Suffering Servant himself (as Isaiah 49 seemed to indicate) but is through the church acting by his commission and power. Christ will proclaim light to the Gentiles as Isaiah anticipated, but it is through his church. As Paul conducts a mission to Gentiles he fills up in his “flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions” (Col. 1:29) as his toil, struggle and suffering for the Gentile church become a necessary part of his continuation of the ministry of the Suffering Servant, whose energy works within him. In continuing the ministry of the Suffering Servant, Paul was the pioneer, but others joined him in the task. Barnabas was designated as one who alongside Paul fulfilled the song of the Suffering Servant, and as Paul taught and trained others he made it clear that the link between suffering and mission was not unique to him. In writing to his young protégé Timothy, Paul reminds him of his teaching and the persecution and suffering that it produced, “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured” (2 Tim. 3:10–11). Having seen Paul’s ministry up close, there is no doubt that Timothy understood what Paul meant when he writes, “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). The faithful ministry of the word of God involves persecution and suffering. As Paul stands at the finish line exhausted, but victorious in Christ, he calls back to Timothy, “keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Tim. 3:5). Timothy was part of the fruit of Paul’s pioneering mission, and now he is called to share both its joys and its trials as he carries on that same mission. Paul planted churches in the Gentile world, but having laid a foundation in Christ, he handed over responsibility for the development of that mission to those young churches. Believers today are recipients of the gospel to the nations and stand in this line of responsibility as the present generation to whom the mission has been entrusted.

As Luke writes his two-volume work to show what has been fulfilled through the ministry of Jesus he also displays what is continuing to be fulfilled by Christ through his church, empowered by his Spirit. Evangelism is at the heart of the life and purpose of the church, even as it leads believers directly into the types of hardship that Paul and his apostolic band endured.