Nothing is Better than Something??

Have you ever heard the expression, “It’ll feel better when it quits hurting”? It is a silly way of saying that the absence of pain is better than pain. I know, it’s a kind of an “Oh, duh” thing.

If you’ve kept up with this blog in recent weeks, you’ve noticed a common theme: odd statements from Ecclesiastes. If you’ve read the past four blog entries, you should have noticed something else: All of these strange statements are understandable when viewed from Solomon’s perspective.

Solomon intentionally, and wisely, limited his search for meaning to the material universe. After all, he too was a part of the material universe. So, he could not speak about anything or anyone beyond the physical universe. He could not speak for God unless he was given God’s words to speak.

Solomon’s search for meaning ended poorly; he found no meaning within the limitations of the material universe. He also observed the activities of mankind “under the sun,” that is, man’s activities carried out on this earth. That too had a rather negative outcome as expressed in another startling statement in Ecclesiastes in which he compared the living and the dead:

But better than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun. 

—Ecclesiastes 4:3

The fourth chapter began with Solomon writing, “Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun.” This is one of many injustices that Solomon observed and reported. Yet, it sounds worse than simply saying that there are many injustices in life. It sounds as if life was full of injustices in Solomon’s day.

Solomon considered all the injustices, the acts of oppression of man, and then “congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living.” (v. 2) Do you understand Solomon’s reasoning; his point of view?

Solomon was saying that death resolved the pain experienced by those who were being oppressed. Death felt better because the oppression of life quit hurting. If a person cannot look beyond the material universe, then Solomon’s reasoning makes logical sense.

Solomon reasoned a step further. The one who has never existed is better off still. His simple reasoning is that the non-existent one will have never had to endure any kind of oppression in life on the earth.

Even admitting that his reasoning makes sense, it sounds defeating. And yet, that is what we are supposed to think. We are supposed to be dissatisfied with Solomon’s observations even though they are reasonable. That is the whole point of the book. When man looks at life in the material universe and cannot find answers and cannot find meaning, he ought to despair of life...but not give up! Rather, he should ask, “Is there something beyond this universe?” Solomon explained that God “so worked,” that is, made the universe the way He did, SO THAT, man would come to this conclusion about his existence within the material universe. (3:14) Man would then be forced by his own reasoning to look beyond the universe to his Creator. In humble awe and reverence created man would then be ready to listen to the Creator’s revelation from beyond. All of the negative things written in Ecclesiastes are meant to drive man, not to despair, but in reverent awe to his God.


Mark Stinnett

August 13, 2023

What Did Jesus Mean by the 'Gates of Hell'?

Getting the Text Right

The passage of Scripture in which Jesus used the phrase Gates of Hell is problematic. Some translations of the Bible have Gates of Hell while others have Gates of Hades. Refraining from speculation as to the reason for this difference, the Greek text of Matthew 16:18 is unmistakable. It reads, Gates of Hades. So, let's rephrase the question, “What Did Jesus mean by the Gates of Hades?”

The Occasion

Jesus asked His disciples how other people had identified Him. Then, Peter spoke up with his well-known confession: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” To that declaration of faith Jesus responded, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”

The Meaning of ‘Gates of Hades’

In my recent article on Hades I concluded that the Greek term for Hades referred to the temporary place of torment for the souls of the ungodly after death. Simple reasoning would suggest, then, that the Gates of Hades, that is, the entryway into Hades, is a figurative reference to death. In other words, only through death does a person enter into Hades. So, again, by simple reasoning...

Gates of Hades = death.

Of course, there are times in which a phrase takes on a cultural meaning somewhat different than the simple combination of words forming the phrase. Since this phrase, Gates of Hades, is used only once in the Bible, it would be interesting to know if it was used elsewhere in Greek literature. And the answer is, “Yes, it was.”

Going back as far as Homer (800 B.C.) and as recent as apocryphal literature (150 B.C.), the phrase Gates of Hades was used consistently as a figure of speech for death.

The Meaning of Matthew 16:18

Based on the usage in ancient Greek literature, we could substitute the word death for the phrase Gates of Hades without loss of meaning. Unfortunately, the speculation of some scholars over the meaning of this phrase has led to confusion, and perhaps even influenced the way translators have rendered this passage.

Some scholars explain that the Gates of Hades “is an orientalism for the court, throne, power, and dignity of the infernal kingdom. Hades is contemplated as a mighty city, with formidable, frowning portals….” (Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament) Some go on to explain that Satan rules over the Hadean realm striving to overcome the kingdom of God. However, these conclusions lack support in Scripture.

Look at the simplicity of Jesus’ statement to Peter: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades (death) shall not overcome it.”

Why Jesus chose to use a figure of speech for death is unclear. Yet, His meaning was clear. Jesus was not talking about a city or kingdom called Hades, but simply death. He said that death would not overcome His church.

The writer of Hebrews stated: “...it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment….” (9:27) We probably do not need a verse of Scripture to tell us that we will all die someday. However, there is a question about the power of death. Will death have the final say, or is there hope for something more?

The words of Jesus in Matthew 16:18 provide brilliant hope for those who are a part of His church, the kingdom of God. Death will not overcome! 

Jesus has promised life after death to those in His church!


Mark Stinnett

July 17, 2022

What Does the Bible Say about Sheol?

This is the second of several entries to accompany my current Judgment series of sermons. My aim is to provide detail concerning terms and ideas related to Judgment that will not be covered in detail in the sermons.

Sheol:
Depending on the Bible translation you use, you may have run into the term Sheol in the Old Testament (OT). Sheol occurs 65 times in the Hebrew text and generally refers to a place. For that reason, many translators have decided to keep the Hebrew term and bring its sound into English (transliteration). Others have chosen to give an approximate meaning based on the context. The latter translations use terms, such as, realm of the dead, the grave, depths, death and the pit. Hell is found in the King James Version for half the occurrences of the Hebrew Sheol. Starting with the American Standard Version of 1901 this unfortunate rendering was corrected except in the NKJV which still retains Hell for Sheol 19 times.

As for its meaning, one Hebrew lexicographer* insisted that Sheol was a spelling variation of a word for a hollow or a subterranean place. That would describe what we might otherwise call a pit, sink hole or cave. Of course, our interest is in the way the term was used in the OT.

In most cases Sheol was used as a place name for the place where souls go after death.

After Jacob was deceived into thinking that his favored son Joseph had been killed, he said, “Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” (Genesis 37:35) The entire phrase, go down to Sheol, refers to death.

Fearing for the safety of his youngest son, Jacob used a curious expression to describe death saying, “If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.” (Genesis 42:38)

The Psalmist wrote: “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.” (Psalm 16:10) The Apostle Peter quoted this verse using Hades in place of Sheol. He said the Psalm referred to Jesus.

Job answered the words of his friends who had come to console him: “So, he who goes down to Sheol does not come up.” (Job 7:9)

Solomon used expressive Hebrew poetry to warn his son about the seductive woman: “Her house is the way to Sheol, Descending to the chambers of death.” (Proverbs 7:27)

Solomon also observed that “there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

Using parallelism, in which two statements have equivalent meanings, the Psalmist may have used Sheol for death itself: 

The cords of death encompassed me 

And the terrors of Sheol came upon me….

--Psalm 116:3

The Psalmist also wrote, “But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me.” (Psalm 49:15)

So, phrases in which the Hebrew word Sheol appear always refer to death while the word Sheol itself most often indicates the place where souls go after death. It is consistently used with a downward direction, such as, going down to Sheol. God has the power to bring someone up from Sheol, or as was written in reference to Jesus, God did not abandon Him in Sheol. Unlike Hades, Sheol is not a place of torment, but merely refers to the place where all souls go after physical death. So, the grave is adequate, but not best. Yet, the word Hell should never be used to render the OT Hebrew term Sheol.

Mark Stinnett

June 12, 2022

*Gesenius’ Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament.

Descent into Death

Solomon is quite vivid as he warns his son about the adulterous woman in Proverbs 7. 

He also refers to her as a 'foreign' woman and as a 'strange' woman. She is called a foreign woman, not because she is from a different country, but because she does not belong in the life of the young man. We use similar terminology to describe a substance that does not belong. Poison in a drink is a foreign substance; an infection is caused by a foreign matter.

The adulterous woman is already married. So to the young man, she is foreign; she does not belong with him. If the young man is to keep himself pure before God, the foreign woman must be avoided.

She is called a 'strange' woman in Proverbs 2:16. The same Hebrew word described the 'non-Levite' or layman (non-priest) in Leviticus 22:10, 12, 13). The layman is not odd, but strange with respect to the duties and privileges of the priests. God assigned the priesthood to the Levites. So, all others were strangers and forbidden.

The adulterous woman is a stranger with respect to the young man. She does not belong in his life. He is forbidden from having her.

Proverbs chapter seven paints a terrible picture of the young man who is captivated by the beauty and flattery of the married woman. We would prefer not to read the final verse. We want the young man to come to his senses like the Prodigal Son in Jesus’ parable (Luke 15). We want wisdom to triumph in the life of the young fool who has gone one step too far. We want to see insight; we expect redemption.

Reality is cruel and sobering!

That is not to say that there is no hope. Rather, Solomon takes our minds to the natural end of the foolish man who has no discretion. He wants us to see the terrible conclusion of someone who turns from God and scoffs at His wisdom. He wants us to come to terms with the reality of foolish sexual desires. The final verse:

Her house is the way to Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death.
--Proverbs 7:27

Have you ever seen a woman who is physically attractive, yet something about her is distasteful? She really is beautiful, but something about her makes her seem ugly to you. For me it is the beautiful young lady dressed in inviting clothing...with a beer in one hand and the other hand holding a cigarette to her lips. Ugly! Perhaps for you it is excessive makeup; a certain kind of clothing; the way she carries herself when she walks; an odor that repulses you; use of profanity.

Any time an adulterous woman enters into your life superimpose your 'ugly' image onto her. She is foreign to you, strange; she is forbidden.

Whether she appears on the Internet, or catches your eye while on a business trip, alone at the park, on vacation, at the store, or at your work place, mark her with your repulsive image. The image YOU conceive in your mind is a more accurate picture of her than the seduction and flattery that you see on the outside.

Don't deceive yourself saying, “I can resist temptation.” "It's OK, no one will know." "I'm not developing a relationship, I'm only looking." You are only teasing yourself, drawing yourself into your own deception. Envision the strange woman as she really is.

Do not start down the path to death.

Don't be a fool.

Mark Stinnett

A Shady Deal

   Ill-gotten gains do not profit, 
   But righteousness delivers from death.
   --Proverbs 10:2

Some translations read, “Treasures gained by wickedness,” or something similar. So, what exactly is Solomon talking about?

The term ‘gains’ or ‘treasures’ is not referring to a hidden treasure or a gold mine. It is literally, ‘that which you store up.’ So, you might think about your savings account, your retirement account, your Swiss bank account. (You get the point.) Your ‘gains’ might also be material possessions that you have collected and stored up.

The Hebrew term for ‘ill-gotten’ is rooted in the idea of ‘wickedness.’ So, the idea is that of possessing money or things which you have accumulated through dishonest means. Perhaps it was a white lie, fudging some numbers on your income taxes, taking supplies from your workplace, withholding information on the sale of a house or car (a shady deal); perhaps something more serious.

On the surface it would appear that you beat the system. You may have even eased your conscience by rationalizing that you were not caught; or it was so small it really did not matter; or other people do it all the time, or ________ (fill in the blank with your favorite rationalization).

It would appear that you have benefited from your gain, but consider the contrast found in the proverb: Profit is set in contrast with . . . death.

The brutal reality is that while there ‘appears’ to be a profit (benefit), there is death.

In stark contrast: Righteousness (doing what is right in God’s eyes) delivers from death.

We know the opposites: life and death. We would never choose death over life. However, Solomon sets things in a more practical language:
There is life and there is wealth gained through dishonesty.

Be wise.
Choose life.
Do right.

Flatter . . . Splatter!

Flattery gets you everywhere!

We have been taught to believe it, and it is basically true. Flattery offers loads of benefits. However, in back of flattery, you will often find lies.

Solomon warned his son about the immoral woman. She was a flatterer and she was bold.

   So she seizes him and kisses him, 
      And with a brazen face she says to him:
   “I was due to offer peace offerings; 
      Today I have paid my vows.
   Therefore I have come out to meet you, 
      To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you.”
   --Proverbs 7:13-15

The ‘brazen face’ is a serious face, seemingly truthful. It is with this brazen face that she sells her empty flattery.

The peace offering was an animal sacrifice that was divided between God, the priest, and the worshipper. The portion received by the worshipper was to be eaten on the day that the offering was made. So, the woman declared that ‘on that day’ she had paid (fulfilled) her vow of an offering that had to eaten that same day.

I have come out to meet you.
(YOU are the object of my desire.)

To seek your presence earnestly.
(I have made a strong effort to find you.)

I have found you.
(My quest is over, my dream fulfilled...in you.)

The young man was seduced by her flattery. Yet, the only reason her flattery worked was because of his inflated ego, inexperience in life, and his own desires. Through flattery she offered him what he wanted.
But could she deliver on her promises?

It was true, she had sacrificed that day, but it was a setup. Her sacrifice provided her the opportunity to satisfy her selfish desire. She wasn’t looking specifically for ‘him.’ She was looking for any two-legged ‘him.’ She was looking for the first ‘him’ that she could draw into her clutches. She would be satisfied with the first naïve fool who passed by.

Her flattery painted a picture of lies, making it seem as if ‘he’ was the very one she desired.

She flattered . . . and he fell greatly, splattering himself spiritually into ‘the chambers of death.’ (v. 27)

Still today, men (especially young men and men in mid-life crisis) are drawn in by the illusion created by flattery. Yet, through humility and knowledge of God's word, a young man can avoid the sexually immoral woman, and therefore avoid spiritual death. Verse 26 reveals the outcome...

   For many are the victims she has cast down,
   And numerous are all her slain.

Men, beware; be wise; be pure.

A New Year's Reflection: Laundry, Ends and the Ellipsis...

Laundry and the Calendar

My wife has commented over the years, “I would have a Master’s Degree in laundry, but I just can’t seem to finish my thesis.” I’m sure you understand. As soon as she gets near the end, more laundry piles up; a never-ending task.

Odd as it may seem, laundry is what came to mind as I looked at the last page of my calendar: December, 2016. Why laundry? Because it seems to be more descriptive of the passage of time than the printed calendar. The calendar actually has a last page, then a new and different calendar goes up for the *new* year. Life, like laundry, really doesn’t work that way. There always seems to be, just another day.

I think we like the idea of a ‘new year’ because it makes us think:

• New (a good thing);
• Better (is...well...you know...better);
• Different (is fun; stimulating);
• Positive future (hopeful);
• Difficulties past (relief); and so on.

In reality, New Year’s Day comes right after New Year’s Eve...every year. On one calendar it is New Year’s Tuesday after New Year’s Eve Monday. This year it is Sunday after Saturday. (Do squirrels really know the difference? What do the cows know about Sunday or New Year’s Day?) One day follows another; more laundry.

I can remember more than 50 ‘new years,’ though they mostly blur together. It is like Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” Take down last year’s calendar and put up a ‘new’ calendar, and do another load of laundry...nothing really new at all.

  

The End and the Ellipsis...

I wanted you to think about the realistic ‘laundry life’ for a moment in order to introduce a ‘real’ question: What about the end?

Some people live as wanderers, never knowing quite what they are doing or where they are going. They end life with a question mark. Huh?

Others live in perpetual motion. They pursue, chase, claw, climb and attain. They end life with an exclamation point. POW!

Most people, I think, simply live life trying to get through the day. They do a lot of laundry and their life ends with a simple period. Dot.

________________________________

My wish for you as we close the book on 2016; and as we start a new chapter, 2017; and as we continue the 'laundry of life’ is to…

Truly enjoy the times of joy and happiness with genuine thankfulness in your heart. These are a gift from God. But know that there will be difficulties in life. (Read Ecclesiastes)

Persevere through the aching trials of life while holding fast to your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Trials are the testing ground that God uses to make us spiritually mature. (Read James)

Maintain purity and holiness toward God and maintain your love for your fellow Christians and your fellow man. That is how you will be most like God. (Remember the Great Commands.)

I think about my end sometimes (such as, when I take down a calendar) and I am not really interested in the Huh? POW! or Dot. I am expecting an ellipsis...dot dot dot...continuation...for I have a promise from my God that when I die I will live again… resurrection...a truly 'new' day…

F-O-R-E-V-E-R...

(Read 1 Corinthians 15…

Happy New Year, 

Mark Stinnett...