From Then to Now
Devotions for Growing Christians
From Then to Now
Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Let's suppose we're preparing the lesson plan for a weekly Bible study with university students. This week we’re studying Romans 1. To include practical application for verse 16, we're trying to come up with an illustration for what "I am not ashamed of the gospel" means today. What's the best illustration we could use?
Three illustrations come to mind. The first one is not being ashamed to bow our heads and give thanks for our food in the college cafeteria or a restaurant. If we're not ashamed of the gospel, there's no need to use camouflaged prayer techniques! The second illustration involves standing in the university commons with a group of Christians and publicly sharing our Christian faith. If we're not ashamed of the gospel, we won't try to find excuses for avoiding these events. And the third illustration is an opportunity to share the Christian worldview in a philosophy class at a secular university. Because we know that the Christian worldview will "hold its own," we don't have to be ashamed of the gospel. Which example should we use to best illustrate how Romans 1:16 can be applied today? The Bible study time is limited, so we’ll only have time for one illustration.
The Best Illustration
You might think that it would be OK to use any one of those three illustrations, and that's true to a certain extent. But the third illustration is by far the best for a practical application of Romans 1:16. Why? Because it's the most hermeneutically sound application! But don't let that word scare you! "Hermeneutics" is the science of interpretation - determining what the author's words and phrases meant in their original setting. Selecting a "hermeneutically sound application" means determining what the author meant "then" - when it was written, and then deciding on the closest, most direct application for "now" - for today.
When we interpret Romans 1:16 carefully and in context, and determine what Paul was seeking to communicate to his 1st century audience, we see that the third illustration is a closer parallel to the situation "then.” While it wouldn't be wrong to use the other two illustrations, the third illustration is more hermeneutically sound because it flows more evenly from the "then" to the "now."
Determine the "Then"
Safe and prudent biblical interpretation always proceeds from then to now. We shouldn't just jump into a text of Scripture and make our own arbitrary decision on the meaning or application for the "now." First we must examine the text to see what was meant "then" - the historical time when it was written. Who were the original readers? What was the occasion (the purpose for which the book was written)? How is the situation today different from the situation when the book was written? What do the verses that surround the specific text have to say? Do those verses bear on the meaning to the readers then? Only after we've done our homework and determined what the text meant "then," can we draw out the best application for "now."
"Always proceed from then to now" as a principle of interpretation is not meant to limit the Holy Spirit. Its purpose is actually to limit us! Remembering this principle will guard us from "eisegesis” - reading a meaning into Scripture that the Holy Spirit did not intend. When the Holy Spirit inspired the biblical authors, He superintended their writings, so the Bible would apply to all kinds of situations today. But if we’re not careful, we could apply the wrong Scripture to the wrong situation. Unfortunately this happens far too often, primarily because people don't take the time to interpret the Word of God carefully.
The hermeneutical principle of "always proceed from then to now" guards and preserves us from forcing a "now" application out of a Scripture that was addressing a completely different "then" situation!
A Superior World View
Now let's go back to Romans 1:16 and see why not being ashamed to share the Christian worldview in a philosophy class is a better illustration than being ashamed to pray or preach in a public place.
We start with the question, "What was the occasion and purpose ‘then,’ when Paul wrote to the Roman believers in the 1st century AD?" Paul wanted to visit the Christians at Rome, but he was prevented for various reasons (Romans 1:11-15 & 15:20-22.) Although the church at Rome was well-known, and its faith was "reported all over the world" (1:8), Paul still had not been able to teach the Word with these believers. He was "eager to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome." When Paul used the phrase "preach the gospel" he had more in mind than just doing some evangelism in Rome. He wanted the Roman Christians to grow even stronger in their faith (1:11), as they learned more of the details of the "good news" of God. It is in the gospel that the righteousness of God is revealed, and the truth of justification by faith alone is made known (1:17).
Paul still intended to get to Rome (15:23-24), but in the meantime he decided to communicate the gospel by writing to the Roman believers. Thus the theme of the epistle to the Romans is "The Righteousness of God." Romans sets out the doctrine of justification by faith and its implications in a clear and systematic way.
The apostle Paul was anxious that the Roman believers be firmly established in the Christian faith and Christian worldview, because they were surrounded by the pagan worldviews of Greek and Roman philosophies. He wanted to make sure they understood that there are no intellectual weaknesses in the Christian worldview. It answers all the hard questions, and it can hold its own against any pagan worldview. In fact, the Christian faith and worldview is overwhelmingly superior to any other worldview, not only because it was the truth, but because it works - universally! It is the power of God! It can save and transform the life of anyone - Jew or Gentile.
Because of its truth and power, Paul was not ashamed of the gospel, and he wanted the Roman believers to know that they didn’t have to be ashamed of the gospel. The Christian worldview, when compared to the philosophies and supposedly sophisticated world views of the day, was superior!
So we see that Paul's primary thought in not being ashamed was that there was no need to be intellectually ashamed. The Christian faith doesn’t require a "blind leap" of faith into an intellectually unsound and inferior philosophical system of thought. There’s no need to shrink back from the gospel, thinking that it can’t hold its own in the academic arena. Far from it! Paul, the scholarly intellectual, was absolutely confident that the Christian worldview, that is intrinsic to the gospel of God, was philosophically superior to any other worldview!
Applying It "Now"
By now it should be obvious why the example of not being ashamed to present the Christian worldview in a philosophy class at a secular university is the best of the three contemporary illustrations for Romans 1:16. Having the courage to pray in a restaurant or preach in public is not exactly parallel to what Paul had in mind when he wrote “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” But knowing that we don't need to be ashamed because the Christian world view is philosophically superior to any contemporary world view more closely parallels the situation Paul was addressing in verse 16.
Whether that opposing world view is naturalism, existentialism or New Age philosophy, we don’t have to be ashamed. You don’t have to kiss your brains goodbye to believe in God's good news, because it's a worldview that can go head-to-head with any other system of philosophical thought. So Christians never have to hang their heads in shame, thinking that the Christian faith is somehow intellectually inferior or doesn't have the answers.
A Biblical Principle
"Always proceed from then to now" is a hermeneutical principle that is not only logical - it's biblical. It wasn't dreamed up by early Christians, or Protestant reformers, or 20th century seminary professors. It's a principle of biblical interpretation that’s taught in the Bible itself! When a New Testament author quoted Old Testament Scripture and applied it to his contemporary audience, he always proceeded "from then to now." His "now" application to the New Testament reader always, in some way, paralleled the "then" situation of the Old Testament passage. The New Testament author didn't just jump in and force an application from an Old Testament text without thoroughly knowing the Old Testament context. Their "now" applications always flow in a smooth transition from the "then" situation.
The apostle Paul proceeded "from then to now" with an Old Testament Scripture in Romans 10:15. There Paul made an application of Isaiah 52:7, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation and says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" The context of Isaiah 52:7 is the return of the Jewish captives to Jerusalem from Babylon. Isaiah predicted that although the people of Judah would be taken away into captivity because of their sins, God in His grace would bring them back to their homeland. That is the "good news" of Isaiah's message.
In Romans 10:15 Paul applied Isaiah's text to the “good news” of salvation in Jesus Christ. At first glance it might seem that this was a forced application of Isaiah's prophecy. But look more closely! There is actually a smooth transition from "then" to "now" because of the parallel conditions. In Isaiah the people were captives in Babylon because of their sins. In Romans the people are captives in Satan's world system because of their sins. In Isaiah, freedom was to come because of God's grace. In Romans, salvation is available because of God's grace alone. In Isaiah, a blessing was pronounced on the one who would bring the message of liberty and peace to the captives. In Romans a blessing is pronounced upon the preacher of the good news of liberty and peace in Jesus Christ.
Clearly, Paul followed the "from then to now" hermeneutical principle when he applied this Scripture to his readers. In fact, Paul consistently followed this principle whenever he applied Old Testament texts to his New Testament audience, and the other New Testament writers did the same. Whether they drew a precept or a principle from the "then" and applied it to the "now," there was always a smooth and parallel transition and application.
Thus the Bible itself teaches the hermeneutical principle of "always proceed from then to now." In order to make proper application of the Scriptures today, let’s remember to carefully follow this important principle of interpretation. As we study and proclaim the Word of God, let’s always proceed from then to now.
- Dave Reid