Abortion: Slaughter of the Innocents

Abortion: Slaughter of the Innocents

Dr Alex Tang

Sermon statement

Abortion is never justified except to save the mother’s life

Introduction

Abortion is an important issue to discuss in churches today. I shall approach this topic by considering when human life begins. By identifying when human life begins and estimating the time when abortion is done, we shall come to an understanding on whether abortion is taking a human life or not. We shall also look at some Bible verses and derive some biblical principles that may help us to thinking about this subject. We shall end by discussing in what ways we shall deal with abortion and the people involved.

1. When does human life begins?

1.1. Conception, fertilisation, chromosome fusion

· The Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church and some of the Protestant denominations regard conception as the point when the spermatozoa penetrates the ovum and fertilises it. To them, conception is when human life begins. Conception is when the soul enters the cell or ensoulment has occurred.

· The philosopher Aristotle believed that at conception the future child is endowed with a principle of only vegetative life. This is exchanged after a few days for an animal soul. The animal soul is succeeded by a rational soul much later. His followers taught that a male child receives his rational soul on the (40) fortieth day. The female child receives her rational soul on the (80) eightieth day. This belief was widely accepted by the ancient world for many centuries.

· In the fourth century, Gregory of Nyssa, who was well educated in Greek teaching, advocated the view that at the time of conception, the embryo is given a life principle (soul) and begins to live a distinct individual life.

· Thomas Aquinas, the great Dominican theologian, reverted to Aristotle’s teaching that a male was given a soul after 40 days and the female after 80 days. This was accepted by the church and later became widely accepted as a church tradition until 1875.

· In 1875, the German embryologist, Oskar Hertwig, discovered the fusion of the spermatozoa and the ovum (egg) in fertilisation. That year, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith in Rome declared that a human being exists and becomes ‘ensouled’ the moment the spermatozoa enters the ovum.

· In 1987, it modified this view by declaring that human life begins not at the moment when the spermatozoa penetrates the ovum but at the moment of fusion between the male and female genetic materials (nuclei). Modern science has discovered that there is a time lapse of 22 hours between the moment the spermatozoa penetrates the ovum wall and the fusion of the genetic materials.

· The late Pope John Paul II reaffirmed the Roman Catholic tradition that life begins at conception when he wrote: “When a unique set of human genetic instruction is present, a person is present.” In his attempt to modernise church tradition, the late pope implied that the presence of a complete set of human DNA makes a cell a human person. To modern scientists, this may not make sense. They may retort that all our skin cells have complete sets of human DNA and we lose millions of skin cells a day! Is each cell then a person? Having a complete set of human DNA does not make a person as in the case of a teratoma. A teratoma is a fertilised ovum mutated into a tumour. There are differentiations of tissues in a teratoma though in a chaotic manner. When we cut open a teratoma, we may find hair, mixed with tooth and other organs but a human being is not formed. All the genetic information may be present but the development has gone haywire. Another point to be considered is that 40 to 70 percent of fertilised eggs die when they fail to implant in the womb. If the presence of a complete set of DNA defines a human person, then one would have to say that the majority of human beings were never born or lived no longer than a week.

· Professor John Guillebaud from the University of College, London, has suggested that conception is a process. He believes that conception has two components: fertilisation and implantation. Fertilisation without implantation has zero survival rate. With fertilisation and implantation, the foetus has about 80 percent chance of making it to term. Hence Professor Guillebaud considers conception to have taken place only when a fertilised ovum implants in a uterine wall. Conception, according to him, would not have taken place if a spermatozoa penetrated the ovum and fertilised it but was not implanted, as in spontaneous abortions or fertilisation in a test tube.

· Professor Ramsey, a noted Protestant ethicist, believes that a zygote is a human being i.e. human life begins at conception. Professor Ramsey did not go into the technical details.

1.2. Implantation (six days)

· The uterine lining must respond. If no response, the embryo will not develop.

1.3. Cell differentiation, individuation (14 days)

· Many in the scientific community believe that human life begins 14 days after conception. Implantation begins at day five and completes by day nine. By day 14, the cells of the embryo begin to specialise so that the embryo has a top, bottom, front and back. A primitive streak is formed which will develop into the spinal cord and nervous system. Other cells begin to separate into foetus, placenta and other supportive tissues.

· At 14 days, the possibility of twinning recedes. Twins are formed when the embryo splits into two, each with equal and identical genetic materials. They are identical twins because they are from one embryo. They share one placenta. Non-identical twins happen when two ova are fertilised and the two embryos are implanted at almost the same time. They develop independently of each other. Triplets, quadruplets and so forth are similarly formed. Some would regard this as an important fact. If one were thinking in terms of souls, then would an embryo that is destined to split and become twins be given two souls at conception? Could two souls coexist in one embryo? If at conception, one soul were given, what would happen when the embryo splits into two when twinning occurs? Another observation is that prior to 14 days, two embryos can fuse and subsequently develop normally but with four sets of genetic information. In the triplets, two embryos will have fused so that there is only one +2. If one male and one female embryo fused, we get hermaphrodite.

· In the United Kingdom, an ethics committee led by Dame Mary Warnock, a philosopher came to the conclusion that it is not unethical to create and experiment on embryos as long as it does not occur fourteen days after fertilisation. The Warnock Committee’s recommendation served as the basis of The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority Act passed in the United Kingdom in 1990. This Act governs IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) and the treatment of embryos. Experimentation of embryos was allowed under the Act up to fourteen days after fertilisation.

· The 14-day mark is the choice of the Embryo Research Panel of the National Institute of Health (1994) in the USA and of the Donaldson Report in the UK. Many other research institutes also follow similar definitions that human life begins at 14 days with the formation of the primitive streak and considering that the possibility of twinning recedes beyond that point.

1.4. Formed and unformed (28 days)

· The formation of all body systems and organs is complete after 28 days. The embryo is about two millimetres long. During subsequent growth, these organs will increase in size and functions. The embryo can now be considered ‘formed’. A human body or nephesh may be said to be present.

· In the early and medieval church, the consensus among theologians was that God would give a soul at the point when the body is fully ‘formed’ in the womb. This is known as soul creation.

· Another school of thought called traducianism taught that a soul is inherited from one’s parents and will be fully formed when there is a formed body. One can only be a human being if one has a body and a soul.

· This is obviously different from the beliefs of the Early Church Fathers that a life principle (soul) is given at conception. Both soul creation and traducianism reason that one needs to have a body to have a soul. The distinction is between ‘formed’ and ‘unformed’.

· Those who taught this include Lactanius, Jerome, Augustine, Cyril of Alexandria and Thomas Aquinas.

1.5. Ensoulment (40-90 days)

· Aristotle wrote that the male embryo develops a human soul about 40 days after conception, whereas a female embryo acquires its soul 80 days after conception. One author has suggested that the early church was influenced by this ‘delayed ensoulment’ principle and allowed abortion up to 90 days.

· At 40 days, primitive undeveloped brain waves can be detected. High resolution ultrasound done on the foetus at this stage shows incredible details—the foetus begins to look like a baby.

· In the Jewish rabbinic understanding of the Talmud and subsequent teachings, a developing foetus before 40 days is ‘like water’. It is only worthy of consideration after 40 days.

1.6. Human appearance (10 weeks)

1.7. Quickening (16 weeks)

1.8. sensitivity to pain, nervous system (18 weeks)

1.9. viability (24-28 weeks)

· About 24 weeks, the foetus becomes viable. This means that if it was delivered prematurely, it can survive with the help of modern medical care.

· The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines abortion as any product of conception delivered before 28 weeks. However, nowadays, it is routine to be able to save babies born prematurely at 24 weeks.

· Some medical ethicists use viability as a measure of being human.

· At 26 weeks, the foetus has greater viability and is more developed. Brain wave patterns show waking and sleeping stages. To some people, this self-awareness is what makes a human being.

· Self-awareness is an important criterion of personhood. Carl Sagan believed that the ability to think is what makes us human.

1.10. Birth (nine months)

· The Jewish rabbinic commentary regards the foetus to be part of the mother’s body and it is only at the moment when the head or the greater part of the breech is delivered that the foetus becomes an individual.

· But it continues to be regarded as a non-souled entity until after 30 days.

· Roman and Stoic stress that there is no soul until birth

1.11. Naming after birth (Greeks, Romans, Yoruba e,g, eight days)

· Jewish children are not named or admitted to the community until after the eighth day and for those who die in the perinatal period (30 days), the rituals of death are not necessary.

1.12. Self consciousness, cortical development (? 2 years)

For 1900 years the early conceptus was not seen as a person. Significantly, there were no funerals for miscarriages. The Holy Office in 1713 forbade baptism of a fetus not well formed.

2. Biblical considerations

· The Bible does not give an answer to the question, “When does human life begin?” Attempts have been made by various scholars to cite evidence that God considers the foetus to be fully human by referring to Psalm 139, Job 3:11, Jeremiah 1:5 and Luke 1:39-44.

· John Stott made an ingenious argument by using Psalm 139. Firstly, using verse 14, ‘for you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb’, he concluded that the psalmist is already aware at his conception i.e. creation. Secondly, he noted that there is continuity between the verses: verse 1 “you have searched me” (the past), verses 2-3, “you know when I sit and when I rise” (the present) and verse 10, “your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast” (the future). Thirdly, the whole Psalm 139 speaks of communion between God and the psalmist. John Stott concluded that these three words (creation, continuity, communion) give us the perspective that the foetus is already a human life, though not yet mature, has the potential of growing into the fullness of humanity. The point he made was that the beginning of human life is found in the pre-natal period and there is continuity from life before and life after birth.

· “Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?” Job 3:11 (NIV). This verse sheds no light whatsoever on the status of the foetus Job. It provides a retro perspective view as it is the adult Job contemplating his circumstances.

· “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV). The focus of this verse is more on Jeremiah’s calling to be a prophet than it is a statement about when he became a human being.

· Luke 1:39-44 relates the meeting between Mary and Elizabeth, both of whom were pregnant. Elizabeth’s baby (John the Baptist) “leaped in her womb” in response to Mary’s greeting. The case is made here that Luke uses the same word brephos for an unborn child (1:41,44) as a newborn baby (2:12,16) and little children brought to Jesus to be blessed by him (18:15). It is difficult to derive an ethical principle on the basis of one Greek word. Nevertheless, Luke who was often careful with his words classifies all of them as children. Being a medical doctor, he must have been aware of ‘quickening’ or when the unborn child makes his or her first movement in the womb. The emphasis in this passage is on the reaction of the unborn John the Baptist to the unborn Jesus.

These often quoted passages do not address the question, “When does human life begin?” With proper exegesis, one can only conclude that the emphasis is on the sovereignty of God and his interactions with human beings.

3. Abortion

A medical dictionary defined abortion ‘as the premature expulsion from the uterus of the products of conception- of the embryo or of a non-viable foetus’. Embryo refers to the first eight weeks of gestation after fertilisation of the ovum by the sperm. Foetus refers to the embryo after eight weeks until birth. Abortion can be a naturally occurring process. It was estimated that 50% of all conception occurs in abortion because for some reasons, the embryo was non-viable.

Abortion on demand is not available in Malaysia. Abortion can only be performed for medical reasons as provided in section 312 of the Penal Code and its has to be certified by at least two doctors.

In Singapore abortion is available on demand. It even allows teenage girls to procure abortions without their parents’ knowledge. In Britain, abortion was illegal until the Infant Life (preservation) Act of 1929 provided that abortion was admissible if it is to save the life of the mother. This was further liberalised in the 1967 Abortion Act. By 1983 over 2 million legal abortions had been performed since the 1967 Act was passed and by 1995 over 4.5 million.

In the United States, in January 1973 in Roe v. Wade case[1], the United Supreme Court declared by seven votes to two that it is constitutional for a woman to choose to have an abortion done on her during the first three months (first trimester) of her pregnancy and during the second and third trimester if the pregnancy affects her physical or mental health. This ruling opened a floodgate for abortions to be performed in the United States. The premise behind the ruling is that a woman has a right to decide what is to be done to her body and that includes an ‘unwanted’ foetus. This is usually described a ‘pro-choice’. ‘Pro-choice’ means a woman has total rights to decide what is done to her body.

4. Techniques of abortion

Most abortions are done during the first three months of pregnancy. There are a number of ways a fetus can be aborted. I have not included the herbal or other manipulations done by traditional healers and back-street abortionists.

4.1. Vacuum aspiration

This is used for pregnancies up to 12-14 weeks. In this technique, the cervix is dilated and a tube connected to a suction apparatus was inserted. The fetus was sucked out into a jar. The foetal body parts were examined to ensure totally removal.

4.2. ‘D & C’-Dilation and Curettage

This is the most popular technique. The cervix was dilated and a ‘curette’ was inserted. The walls of the womb were scraped until the foetus was cut into pieces and removed.

4.3. Toxic solution

In this technique, a hyperosmolar solution, usually saline was introduced into the womb by means of a needle. The saline kills the foetus that will then be expelled naturally through the vagina. This is usually used in pregnancies of 12-16 weeks.

4.4. Hysterectomy

This is similar to Caesarean section by which the foetus is removed through an incision in the womb. Unlike Caesarean section, the foetus is left to die.

4.5. ‘D and X’ – Dilation and Extraction/ Partial birth abortion

This is done in late stage pregnancies when the foetus is fully formed and is too strong for dismemberment by the above mentioned techniques. Here the foetus was manipulated into a breech position and labour induced by a drug, prostaglandin. The baby was partially delivered feet first until the head remains in the womb. Then the doctor creates an incision at the base of the skull and a suction catheter inserted. The brain is then sucked out through the catheter, causing the skull to collapse and then the now dead baby was removed from the womb by pulling on the feet. Many women who opt for "partial-birth" abortions do so because their foetuses have severe or fatal anomalies or because the pregnancy endangers their lives or health. Opponents of this method of abortion argue that the procedure is really a form of infanticide.

4.6. RU 486 with prostaglandin

In 1991, it was licensed for use in the United Kingdom and in USA, 2000. It is not available in Malaysia. RU 486 can be used during all three trimesters. It produces an abortion by destroying the lining of the womb. It is often used with prostaglandin, a drug that facilitate labour and the evacuation of the abortus from the womb.

4.7. ‘Morning after’ pill

This pill contains a high dose of oestrogen, which makes the lining of the womb unsuitable for implantation of the fertilised ovum. It is effective if take within 72 hours after sexual intercourse.

There are many techniques to abort an embryo or a foetus. Some techniques are relatively safe while others have certain dangers. What is important to note is that these techniques are readily available and can be done by any competent doctor. Hence there are demands from pregnant women for abortion for whatever reasons because of the easy availability and the safety of the procedures. Virginia Mollenkott wrote, “Every time a woman gives birth, she undergoes the equivalent of a major operation, whereas getting a legal abortion is seven times safer than giving birth.” [i] A pregnant lady can check into a hospital or a clinic in the morning, have an abortion done and be home in the afternoon in time for tea.

5. What does the Bible say about Abortion?

The Bible has surprisingly made no reference to abortion. It does not given an answer to the most crucial aspect of the abortion issue- when is the fetus considered a human being? Attempts has been made to cite evidence that God consider the fetus to be fully human by referring to Psalm 139, Job 3:11, Jeremiah 1:5 and Luke 1:39-44.

The Scriptural passage to which both proponents and opponents appeal to in the current debate, is Exodus 21:22-25.

"If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.” (NIV)

This passage can be understood in different ways. Firstly, the passage may imply that the Bible makes a distinction between a fully human life (the mother) and the life of a foetus. This verse can be taken to mean a foetus is not considered to be a fully human person and is therefore of less inherent value than an already born person. Thus the death of a fetus merit a fine while the death or injury to the mother called for the application of lex talionis (life for life, eye for eye,… etc). However, it must be noted that the foetus does have value, even though it is less than that of the mother.[ii]

Secondly, the passage may be interpreted the way as Jack Cottrell has done. He concludes that verse 22 does not refer to a miscarriage but to a premature birth. Thus causing a premature birth will merit a fine but death of injury to the premature baby or the mother will merit the lex talionis. Thus he concludes,’..the life of the fetus is valued just as highly as the mother, and the lex taliois principle applied to both..’[iii] R.C.Sproul has came to the same conclusion.[iv]

To support this view, R.C.Sproul quoted the work of:

“Dr. Frame also examines the verb yatza, found in Exodus 21:22. The term means ‘go out’ or ‘depart’. Yatza is normally used to describe ordinary births (Gen 25:26, 38:28-30, Job 10:18; Jeremiah 1:5, 20:18). The only possible exception is the use of yatza in Numbers 12:12; Again, the Hebrew has a more accurate term for miscarriage and spontaneous abortion: shakol (Gen 31:38, Exodus 23:26, Job 2:10, Hosea 9:14, Malachi 3:11). The proper interpretation, then of the phrase weyatze’u yeladheyla in Exodus 21:22 would not be an induced miscarriage nor the death of an unborn child but an induced premature birth of a living child.

Finally Dr. Frame examines the term ason (injury) in verses 22 and 23. Had the writer intended to refer only to the woman, lah meaning ‘to her’ would have been added. The harm then refers to the woman, to her prematurely born child, or to both’”[v]

Regarding the various interpretation of the passage, Gareth Jones wrote,

“I regard this as slender basis on which to build a whole theology of the foetus. The biblical writer was dealing with the regulations within a covenant community, and his primary concern at this junction was with the nature of the punishment to be inflicted for injury following accidents or fighting. He was not dealing with the status of the foetus as such, nor with its importance relative to that of an adult human life. This passage deals with unintentional abortion brought about by personal conflict.

There are even greater difficulties in applying this passage to the status of the embryo and early foetus. The miscarriage at the heart of Exodus 21:22-25 must have been of a relatively well-developed foetus, perhaps six months or older. Had the miscarriage been that of an embryo of just a few days’ or a few weeks’ gestation, the woman would probably not have been aware of her pregnancy, let alone of her miscarriage. To extrapolate from the miscarriage of an older foetus to the status of an embryo a few days old involves a major leap, which has to be justified on grounds of legitimate biblical interpretation. I do not consider that such justification exists.”[vi]

The Bible, while silent on abortion, teaches about man and woman being created in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27). Man bears the image of God (imago dei) because God blew his breath or nephesh into man and that man has a role as co-creator. It also implies a foetus bears the image of God. Donald Lake wrote,

“ While I maintain that the image of God is present in the fetus (as is nephresh), it is not something static. Rather, it is dynamic. It develops through one’s life. The image of God refers to the total human being, shape and form as well as his role in creation. Consequently, the image of God is something that a human being grows into rather than simply is.”[vii]

What is implied is that the foetus has the image of God (imago dei) and yet also it is in the process of becoming. A New Testament analogy is that we are to ‘conform’ into the image of Christ (Rom 8:29-30). It is present at spiritual birth yet also takes a life long process of growing into maturity. Donald Lake concludes, “Consequently, abortion is wrong not just because the killing of the foetus is destroying the image of God, but rather because abortion prevents the image of God from being fully manifested!”[viii]

6. Biblical Reasons Against Abortion : The Sanctity of human life

6.1. Human Dignity comes from God.

Human life reflects the very life of God. We are created in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27), so our dignity and God’s are closely related. “Whosoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed: for God made man in his own image” (Gen 9:6). Human life is a gift from God. In response, we should approach this life with gratitude, thanksgiving and deep responsibility.

6.2. All Human Life has Equal Dignity

In Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Men and women bear the same dignity and this applies to all of mankind of all ages, sex, race and conditions. However incapacitated, mentally retarded, chronically ill, physically dependent or in a persistent vegetative state, they bear that dignity and has equal claims on us.

6.3. “Thou shalt not kill”

The sixth commandment “Thou shalt not kill” (Ex 20:13; Dt 5:17) has its roots in the Creation’s narrative:- “Let us make man in our own image”(Gen 1:26) and in the Noahic Convenant’s “Whosoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed”(Gen 9:6). Man, being made in the image of God, is not to be intentionally killed. Ratsach is the Hebrew word translated as ‘kill’ in the commandment. It is similar to the Greek phoneuo, which means ‘murder’. Hence the sixth commandment forbids murder or ‘unauthorised, intentional or hostile killing of one human being by another’. It is because of this that many Christians will allow exceptions to this commandment such as martyrdom, war and capital punishment. Such exceptions can also be inferred from the Scriptures.

6.4. Love your Neighbour.

Jesus summarised the Commandments as ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’. (Mk 12:30-31). Christians are called to love their neighbours. And this included taking care of each other and looking out for each other. It does not include helping each other to die, though Biblical Christian ‘situation ethicists’ may argue otherwise in the name of a new metaphysically contentless definition of ‘love’ when that neighbour is in great suffering.

7. Positional Response to Abortion

There are many confused responses to abortion. Many people look to their spiritual leaders for guidance. Unfortunately many spiritual leaders themselves do not have the answer. The theologians’ stand may be different from that of the doctors who profess evangelical faith. A rape victim may think differently from a busy female executive.

The responses of various people to the emotive issue of abortion can be categorises into four basic stands:

7.1. Abortion is never justified.

There are people who believe that abortion is never justified whatever the circumstances. Proponent of this stand believes that the foetus is a human being and there is no justification whatsoever in allowing the killing of a human being. The Roman Catholic Church has denied allowing any abortions to be done, even those to save the mother’s life. Some conservative Christians also held to this view. The consideration here is of the sanctity of human life.

7.2. Therapeutic abortions.

The second group of people believe that only in one special circumstance is abortion allowed. That is if the abortion will save the mother’s life. This group also held to the view that the foetus is a human being, but a potential human being. When weighed against the life of the mother, who is a realised human being, can be sacrificed. Many conservative Christians have this view.[ix] The abortion done here is called therapeutic abortion because it is used to saves lives. Consideration here is of the value of an individual.

The Catholic doctrine of double effect allows two exceptions: ectopic pregnancy and uterine cancer. The foetus and uterus must be removed together.

Doctrine of double effect in that an action will cause two effects, one good and one evil is morally allowable under the following circumstances

• If the action is good in itself or not evil
• If the good follows as immediately from the cause as from the evil effect
• If only the good is intended
• If there is a proportionally grave cause for performing the action as for allowed in the evil effect.

7.3. Justifiable or ‘hard cases’ abortions.

The third group also held the view of the second group concerning the value of the foetus and the mother. However they have extended the justification to include victims of rape, incest or congenital abnormalities in the fetus. They consider these circumstances as ‘hard cases’. The consideration here is of compassion.

• The General Board of the American Baptist churches, USA (1981)-decision for abortion may be made when “all possible alternatives will lead to greater destruction of human life and spirit.”
• The American Friends Service Committee (1970)-“it is better to end an unwanted pregnancy than to encourage the evils resulting from forced pregnancy and childbirth.”
• The General Convention of the Episcopal Church (1982)-permissible in serious threats to mental or physical health of woman, deformation of fetus, rape and incest.
• The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (1983) affirmed Roe vs Wade decision and ‘the principle of inviolability can be applied” if the fetus is viable
• The General Synod of the Church of Christ – “every woman must have the freedom of choice to follow her personal religious and moral convictions concerning the completion or termination of her pregnancy.”
• The United Methodist Church General Conferences (1976, 1984)- listed a number of cases when “the path of a mature Christian judgment may indicate the advisability of abortion.”
• The Lutheran Church in America (1970)-“on the basis of the evangelical ethic, a woman or couple may decide responsibly to seek an abortion.” Daniel Maguire, On Moral Medicine.p.587

Some difficult cases

Cases where there is a serious medical problem:

• the pregnancy endangers the life or health of the mother
• there are too many foetuses in the womb for them all to survive
• the foetus is so defective that it will die later in the pregnancy
• the foetus is so defective that it will not live after the birth

Cases where the child will not be 'normal':

• the child will suffer from some mental or physical abnormality that the parents (correctly?) think will very seriously damage its quality of life

Cases where the pregnancy is entirely unintentional

• pregnancy caused by rape
• pregnancy caused by failure of contraception where the potential parents are not to blame
• pregnancy caused by a badly done vasectomy
• pregnancy caused by the parties not knowing that sexual intercourse causes pregnancy
• such cases would include persons who are not mentally capable of understanding this

Cases where the pregnancy is unintentional but where a risk was taken:

• pregnancy caused by failure of contraception within the known risk that contraceptive method
• pregnancy caused by carelessness in the use of contraception
• pregnancy caused by failure to use contraception

Cases where the pregnancy has lifestyle consequences:

• having a child would prevent the mother achieving some life objective
• the mother is incapable of looking after a child
• the mother is incapable of looking after another child
• another child would lower the family's standard of living
• there is not enough food to support the child
• having another child would result in criminal proceedings against the parent
• the child is not of the preferred sex
• coping with the child's disability would damage the family's lifestyle
• coping with the child's disability would disadvantage existing family children

7.4. Pro-choice view of abortion.

This group feels that the mother has the right to choose and that society, government and religious authorities have no right to interfere. The foetus is considered a part of her body and she has a right to decide what is to be done to her body. While some recognise the foetus as a potential human being; others regard it a lump of cells, equivalent to a tumour. As doctors remove tumours from her body, abortion is likened to be removal of a tumour. The consideration here is of the rights of an individual to choose.

The first three groups are often called ‘pro-life’ and most evangelical Christians and Catholics will be included into this group. The last group and by far the largest group are called ‘pro-choice’. Unfortunately dialogues and attempts to understand each other’s views has not been successful. This have lead to ‘pro-life’ protests who often ends with violence with ‘pro-choice’ groups, fire bombing of abortion clinics and even murder of a doctor who performs abortion.

8. Christian response

If the Church can made a stand against abortion, but it must be ready to help those to whom abortion seems to be the solution to their problem. The biblical mandate of helping our neighbours and protecting the weak and the defenceless are never so important as in the abortion issue. Our neighbours are often the frightened pregnant mothers seeking a way out of their quandary. The weak and the defenceless are the foetuses. No other group of individuals are as weak and defenceless as the foetuses.

(a) Sex Education

The Church must be in the forefront of education concerning sexual education. There must be continual emphasis of avoiding pre-marital sexual relationships especially amongst the teenagers. There must be teaching on the type of contraceptive methods used.

(b) Contraceptives

The use of contraceptives will prevent unwanted pregnancy.

(c) Adoption

For unwanted babies done out of wedlock, rape, incest or other reasons, adoption is an option for carrying the baby to term. There are many couples who are unable to have children and the Church has a role to help them.

(d) Love and Compassion

(e) Victims of incest and rape

(f) Teen pregnancy

Counselling, love and compassion should be given to those who are seeking abortion or have had abortion. There are many Christians who have deep wounded because of a performed abortion. These wounds need to be healed.

The issue of abortion is a good opportunity for the Church to be engaged with society and

the State. There are many frightened pregnant women seeking help. The Church should be there to meet this need.

Bibliography

Hunt, Geoffrey. "Abortion: Why Bioethics Can Have No Answer - a Personal Perspective." Nursing Ethics 6, no. 1 (1999): 47-57.

Lazareth, William H., ed. Persons in Community: Theological Voices from the Pastorate. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2004.

Singer, Peter. Rethinking Life and Death: The Collapse of Our Traditional Ethics. New York: St. Marthin's Griffin, 1994.

Warren, Mary Ann. "On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion." In Biomedical Ethics, ed. T.A. Mappes and D. DeGrazia, 434-440. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc, 1996.

Waters, Brent, and Ronald Cole-Turner. God and the Embryo: Religious Voices on Stem Cells and Cloning. Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2003.

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[1] Jane Roe (real name Norma McCorvey) and Henry Wade, district attorney of Dallas County. Norma McCorvey wanted a safe, legal abortion and challenged Texas law. The Supreme Court decision allows women to decide the right to remain pregnant or not. This is weighed against the rights of the foetus-age of viability which is between 22-28 weeks.

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[i] David K. Clark, & Robert V. Rakestraw, Eds, Readings in Christian Ethics, Vol 2 (Grand Rapids. MI: Baker Books, 1996) p. 31

[ii] James K. Hoffmeier, “Abortion and the Old Testament Law”, James K. Hoffmeier, ed., Abortion: A Christian Understanding and Response (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1987) p. 58.

[iii] Jack W. Cottrell, “Abortion and the Mosaic Law” Clark, David K. & Rakestraw, Robert V. Eds, Readings in Christian Ethics, Vol 2 (Grand Rapids. MI: Baker Books, 1996) p. 32-35.

[iv] RC. Sproul, Abortion: A Rational Look at an Emotional Issue (Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress, 1990)

[v] Ibid., quoted the work of Dr. John M. Frame on this exegesis. p.197-198.

[vi] Gareth Jones, Valuing People (Carliste, Cumbria: Paternoster Press, 1999) p. 70-71

[vii] Donald Lake, “A Theological Perspective on Abortion”, James K. Hoffmeier, ed., Abortion: A Christian Understanding and Response (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1987) p. 90.

[viii] Ibid., p. 91

[ix] John Stott, “Reverence for Human Life”, Christianity Today, 9 June 1972, p. 12

Practice Resurrection

Practice Resurrection:
God’s Calling; Our Living

Sermon Statement

When God’s calling and our living fits, we are growing up in Christ: God’s calling; our living. We can only appreciate fully the wonderful gifts of God if we are living our lives in a worthy manner.

Text: Ephesians 4:1

EPH 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (NIV)

Introduction

The Sakura or Cherry Blossoms is held in special significance for the Japanese people. The cherry blossom season arrives in the early spring and signifies new life and new beginnings. After a hard cold winter, cherry blossoms indicate the beginning of spring. The winter is over. New life will be springing from the soil. It also signifies new beginnings. This is the season when school begins and when young men and women begin their new jobs and hence their new lives in Japanese society. What is more significant is that the cherry blossoms period is short. The flower buds, blossom and drops within 7-10 days. It reminds the Japanese people that life is short and should be lived in a worthy manner. During the cherry blossom season, families and friends will picnic under the cherry trees and enjoy the blossoms.

Easter is also a time of remembrance. Easter recalls us to remember God who became man to suffer and die for us. The key to Easter is the resurrection. Because of the cross and resurrection, we are now able to live a brand new life. The apostle Paul is very conscious of this. Practice resurrection is living life in the power of the resurrection. In our text today Ephesians 4:1, he wrote “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (NIV). There are two components to this sentence.

(1) the calling we have received

(2) living a life worthy of this calling

(3) why bother?

(1) What Calling?

Paul explains that in Eph. 4: 7, 8.

EPH 4:7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says:

"When he ascended on high,

he led captives in his train

and gave gifts to men."

Most think it quotes Psalm 68:18 (a psalm of David) with five minor and two major changes.

PS 68:18 When you ascended on high,

you led captives in your train;

you received gifts from men,

even from the rebellious--

that you, O LORD God, might dwell there.

The two major variations are the change from the second to the third person, and the change of direction from having received gifts from men to the giving of gifts to men. However, it is better to think that Paul was not quoting one particular verse of the psalm but rather that he was summarizing all of Psalm 68, which has many words similar to those in Psalm 68:18[1]. The essence of the psalm is that a military victor has the right to give gifts to those who are identified with him. Christ, having captivated sinful people by redeeming them, is Victor and gives them as gifts to the church. The battle is Easter and Christ has emerged the victor by his resurrection from defeating death.

What are these gifts or graces that Christ gives to us? Paul have mentioned this in the longest sentence in the New Testament – all 201 words in Greek of it (278 in NIV, depending on your translation) in Eph. 1:3-14

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

EPH 1:11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.

Now we shall read this and note down what are the things God has done for us (God verbs):

(1) blessed us with every spiritual blessings (v.3)

(2) chose us to be holy and blameless (v.4)

(3) predestined us –adoptions as children (v.5)

(4) redemption – forgiveness of sin (v.7)

(5) lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding (v.8)

(6) made known to us the mystery of his will –salvation for Jews and Gentiles (v.9-10)

(7) included in Christ – sealed with the Holy Spirit (v. 13,14)

We already received all these gifts from God. So why is there the need to live a life worthy of these gifts? It’s already ours. God would not take them back. Why should we live a life worthy of these gifts?

Living a life worthy of this calling

What does living a life worthy of this calling means? What are the practices or components of this life? This life is practice resurrection.

(1) Be humble, gentle and patient (Eph 4:2)

EPH 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

• Arrogance is a common problem when we gain in experience.

(2) Keep unity in faith (Eph. 4:3-6)

EPH 4:3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

• Personality differences
• Ego problems

(3) Put on new self- true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4: 22-32)

EPH 4:22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

EPH 4:25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 "In your anger do not sin" : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

EPH 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

• Temptation of the old self
• Go back to the old ways
• Temptations of old environments

a. Truthfulness (no lying) – tell people what they want to hear

b. Anger control

c. No stealing

d. No gossip

e. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit

f. No unwholesome emotions (bitterness, rage, anger, slander, malice)

g. Kind and compassionate

h. Forgiveness

(4) Be Children of Light (Eph 5:8-17)

EPH 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:

"Wake up, O sleeper,

rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you."

EPH 5:15 Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

· Expose evil

· Save the lost

· Break bondage – addiction ( sex, power, money, drugs, porno)

(5) Be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18-20)

18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(6) Submit to one another (Eph 5:21)

EPH 5:21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

(7) Be strong in the Lord (Eph. 6: 10-18)

EPH 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Taking up Our Cross

I will suggest that living in a way worthy of our calling or God’s gift is what Jesus means when he calls to us take up our cross.

MT 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Our cross is then to live in a worthy manner:

(1) Be humble, gentle and patient (Eph 4:2)

(2) Keep unity in faith (Eph. 4:3-6)

(3) Put on new self- true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4: 22-32)

(4) Be Children of Light (Eph 5:8-14)

(5) Be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:15-20)

(6) Submit to one another (Eph 5:21)

(7) Be strong in the Lord (Eph. 6: 10-18)

These are the practices of those who receive the benefits of Jesus’ resurrection. They can be considered practices of resurrection or as Eugene Peterson terms them “practice resurrection.”

(3) Why Bother?

The fact that Paul has to urge us means that we have a choice.

The appeal to live worthily of God’s calling presupposes that God’s gracious initiative requires a continuous human response and that his call bestows both high privilege and high responsibility. Believers have been called into all the blessings of salvation and into experience of the power of the God who raised Christ from the dead and who brought them from death to life and to a share in Christ’s reign in the heavenly realms. They have been called into the new humanity out of Jews and Gentiles, into the new temple, the one body (cf. Col 3:15, “called in the one body”) of the Church, and thus called to be part of God’s purposes for cosmic unity.[2]

Eugene Peterson in the last book of his Conversations on Spiritual Theology (2010) Practice Resurrection offers an interesting perspective. The Greek word for worthy is axios, which is offers a metaphor of a balance. The balancing scales, the axios, centers the Ephesian letter. The letter is designed to keep God’s calling (chapter 1-3) with our living (chapter 4-6).

“When our walking and God’s calling are in balance, we are whole; we are living maturely, living responsively to God’s calling, living congruently with the way God calls us into being.” (Peterson 2010, 32).

Eugene Peterson, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology in Regent College, Vancouver, Canada one of my favourite spiritual teacher. He has influenced me greatly in my thinking and teaching in spirituality. He is a prolific writing. Peterson is 78 years old and his magnum opus is his 5 book series on Conversations in Spiritual Theology: Christ’s Play in Ten Thousand Places (2005), Eat This Book (2006), The Jesus Way (2007), Tell It Slant (2008), and Practice Resurrection (2010).

Where are we on our spiritual journey? Are we living a life worthy of our calling?

• Some never started on living a worthy life
• Some started but stopped because it is hard
• Some started but compromised
• Some started but backslided into their old nature
• Some continued in carrying their cross daily

Where are you? (time for meditation)

Lessons for us:

We can only appreciate fully the wonderful gifts of God if we are living our lives in a worthy manner; God’s calling; our living. We are not talking about salvation here but spiritual growth.

Living in a worthy manner:

(1) Be humble, gentle and patient (Eph 4:2)

(2) Keep unity in faith (Eph. 4:3-6)

(3) Put on new self- true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4: 22-32)

(4) Be Children of Light (Eph 5:8-14)

(5) Be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:15-20)

(6) Submit to one another (Eph 5:21)

(7) Be strong in the Lord (Eph. 6: 10-18)

Soli Deo Gloria

11 April 2010

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[1] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (634). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

[2] Lincoln, A. T. (2002). Vol. 42: Word Biblical Commentary : Ephesians. Word Biblical Commentary (235). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

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A Transfiguration of Love

A Transfiguration of Love

Text: Luke 9:28-36

Sermon Statement

The transfiguration of Jesus Christ is a God-event which affirms who Jesus is and encourages him to the cross. We can draw encouragement from a God who loves us that he plans for our redemption through his son, Jesus Christ.

Today is 14 February 2010, an auspicious day because

• First day of the Chinese Lunar New Year- the Year of the Metal/Gold Tiger. The Zodiac tiger is often associated with wood so metal is a rare year. The last metal tiger is in 1950.

• Valentine Day for lovers and romance. No panties day for Malaysia where women are encouraged not to wear panties for valentine day to show their love!

Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae). Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred about AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. His relics are at the Church of Saint Praxed in Rome, and at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland.

The Early Medieval acta of either Saint Valentine were expounded briefly in Legenda Aurea. According to that version, St Valentine was persecuted as a Christian and interrogated by Roman Emperor Claudius II in person. Claudius was impressed by Valentine and had a discussion with him, attempting to get him to convert to Roman paganism in order to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Because of this, he was executed. Before his execution, he is reported to have performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day

• Transfiguration day

Text: Luke 9:28-36

LK 9:28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, 31 appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.) 34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.

The account of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ as recorded here in Mark 9:1-10; Matthew 17:1-3 and Luke 9:28-36.

The significance of the transfiguration event is that

(1) Jesus Christ reveals his divine nature

The transfiguration of Jesus Christ is a demonstration to three witnesses that Jesus Christ was who He claimed to be.

v.18-20 Peter’s confession of Christ

LK 9:18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?" 19 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life." 20 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

v.21ff Jesus told that he will suffer, die, raised to life

21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." 23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

v.28-36 The Transfiguration

v.41 Healing of boy with evil spirit

v.42 Jesus tells of his betrayal

In all three accounts of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ, we are given the names of the three disciples who accompanied Jesus and who stood as human witnesses to the glory that was Christ's.

There were also three heavenly witnesses, Moses, Elijah, and the voice of God from heaven. Therefore, the Old Testament law of three witnesses required to attest to any fact (Deuteronomy 19:15) was satisfied both in earth and in heaven.

There are many features about the account which derive significance from the OT.

• Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets witnessing to the Messiah and being fulfilled and superseded by him.
• Each of them had had a vision of the glory of God on a mountain, Moses on Sinai (Ex. 24:15) and Elijah on Horeb (1 Ki. 19:8).
• Each of them left no known grave (Dt. 34:6; 2 Ki. 2:11).
• The law of Moses and the coming of Elijah are mentioned together in the last verses of the OT (Mal. 4:4-6).
• The two men at the empty tomb (Lk. 24:4; Jn. 20:12) and
• The two men at the ascension (Acts 1:10)
• the ‘two witnesses’ (Rev. 11:3) are sometimes also identified with Moses and Elijah.

The word "transfigured" is a very interesting word. The Greek word is "metamorpho" and it means to transform, literally or figuratively to metamorphose, or to change. The word is a verb that means to change into another form. It also means to change the outside to match the inside. The prefix "meta" means to change and the "morphe" means form.

In the case of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ it means to match the outside with the reality of the inside. To change the outward so that it matches the inward reality. Jesus' divine nature was "veiled" (Hebrews 10:20) in human form and the transfiguration was a glimpse of that glory. Therefore, the transfiguration of Jesus Christ displayed the Shekinah glory of God incarnate in the Son.

Therefore, the transfiguration of Jesus Christ was a unique display of His divine character and a glimpse of the glory, which Jesus had before He came to earth in human form.

2 Peter 1:16-18

2PE 1:16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

Jesus Christ Affirmed- Sonship and Authority

35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him."

The voice of God attesting to the truth of Jesus' Sonship was the second time God's voice was heard. The first time was at Jesus' baptism into His public ministry by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:7; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22).

2 Peter 1:19

2PE 1:19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

(2) Jesus Christ receives encouragement

In light of the self-revelation Jesus had just made six days earlier about his own suffering and death, and in light of the parallel with the heavenly voice at his baptism being followed by a major trial, it seems likely that the transfiguration would be equally an encouragement for Jesus. The presence of Elijah and Moses with him in the cloud would affirm his path to the cross and remind him of its necessity, for as Paul says, “the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ… whom God publicly displayed as a mercy seat for sins…” (Rom 3:21-22, 25).

The cloud symbolizes

• the covering of the divine presence (Ex. 24:15-18; Ps. 97:2).
• There is a cloud to receive Christ out of his disciples’ sight at the ascension (Acts 1:9).
• The return of Christ will be with clouds (Rev. 1:7).

(3) God is with us and will helps us because he loves us

The key to understanding the transfiguration is love. It is love that God sends his Son to suffer for our sake. It is love that Jesus undertakes the suffering. And it is love that God will see us through the coming years.

Lessons for us

• Jesus is who he says it is

• The transfiguration is also for the encouragement of Jesus to face his coming suffering

• God is with us and will help us because he loves us

Notes

• v.28. said this. This refers to Luke 9:18-27 (Peter’s Confession of Christ)
• 9:28-31. About eight days later Jesus . . . took three of His apostles up onto a mountain to pray. But Mark wrote that the event occurred after six days (Mark 9:2). The two accounts are not contradictory if one understands Mark as speaking of the intervening days and Luke as including the days of Jesus’ teaching as well as the day on which the transfiguration took place. The transfiguration may have occurred on Mount Hermon near Caesarea Philippi (cf. Mark 8:27), though some say it was Mount Tabor. At the transfiguration three events occurred:

1. Jesus’ face and clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. This would have immediately reminded those present of Moses’ face shining with a bright light when he received the tablets of the Law (Ex. 34:29-35).

2. Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with Jesus. The bodies of Moses and Elijah were never found. God buried Moses’ body (Deut. 34:5-6), and Elijah did not die but was taken up to heaven (2 Kings 2:11-12, 15-18). These two men represent the beginning and the end of Israel, for Moses, as the Lawgiver, founded the nation, and Elijah is to come back before the great and terrible day of the Lord (Mal. 4:5-6).

3. Moses and Elijah spoke about His departure (exodon, “going out or away”) which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. “Departure” referred to Jesus’ leaving the world through which He would bring salvation—much as Yahweh had brought deliverance to Israel in its Exodus (departure) from Egypt. This departure was to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. From this point on, Jesus indicated several times that He was headed toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51, 53; 13:33; 17:11; 18:31). Jesus did not want His miracles widely publicized at that time, for the fulfillment had to be at Jerusalem. This was confirmed by Elijah’s and Moses’ words.

9:32-33. Three disciples were with Jesus. This number is reminiscent of Moses’ three companions—Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu—who saw God (Ex. 24:9-11). Peter, James, and John were very sleepy at the beginning of the transfiguration. Later these three and the others fell asleep while Jesus was praying in the garden (Luke 22:45). As the disciples woke up, they were overwhelmed with the glory of the situation. They realized they were in a kingdom setting which triggered Peter’s idea that they build three shelters. Peter may have been thinking of the Feast of Booths, a feast of ingathering long associated with the coming kingdom (cf. Zech. 14:16-21). Peter seemed to have assumed that the kingdom had arrived.

Luke editorially inserted that Peter did not know what he was saying. The thought is not that Peter misunderstood the significance of the kingdom setting—he was correct in that. The problem was that he forgot Jesus’ prediction that He would suffer (Luke 9:23-24).

9:34-36. While Peter was speaking, a cloud . . . enveloped them. Grammatically the word “them” could refer to the three disciples or to all six people (Jesus, Moses, Elijah, and the three disciples). But more likely it refers to Jesus and the heavenly visitors, with the disciples being those who were afraid. A cloud was often a symbol of God’s divine presence (Ex. 13:21-22; 40:38). Perhaps the disciples thought Jesus was being taken away from them, and they would never see Him again. As was the case at Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:22), so here a voice spoke to those witnessing the event: This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him. Those familiar with the Old Testament, as the disciples were, doubtless immediately recognized the reference (in the words “listen to Him”) to Deuteronomy 18:15 with its messianic prediction of a Prophet greater than Moses. The people were to listen to (i.e., obey) the Prophet. Suddenly the disciples saw that Jesus was alone. At that time they did not tell anyone what they had seen. The experience at the transfiguration fulfilled Jesus’ prediction (Luke 9:27). Three of the disciples did see a manifestation of the kingdom of God before they died (cf. 2 Peter 1:16-19).

^[1]

• The sign of the Tiger is associated with money. So, it's always nice to know that you can relax and keep your money safe (especially when the tiger's looking after it!) http://www.squidoo.com/2010YearOfTheTiger#module34586372

• We conclude with notes on some of the theological significance of the transfiguration. The following comments are only preliminary; frankly, it would take years, perhaps a lifetime, to explore the depths of the meaning of the transfiguration. (a) It symbolized and foreshadowed both the resurrection and parousia. (b) It was a temporary unveiling of the Son of God’s eternal glory. (c) That this glory was seen and not just expounded on was so that “the disciples could taste in part what could not be fully comprehended” (Calvin). That is, as the old Chinese proverb says, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” (d) Moses and Elijah were a part of the picture to show both continuity with the OT in the ministry of Jesus and his own uniqueness and absolute authority (hence he alone wore the brilliant clothing, and he alone is identified from heaven as the one to be obeyed). (e) The cloud was a continuation of the Shekinah glory: the presence of God has returned fully in the person of Jesus Christ. And Moses and Elijah are there, silently endorsing him as the one in whom men meet God. Our final two points are taken largely from 2 Peter rather than from Mark; they represent Peter’s own reflections on the theological significance of the transfiguration. (f) The certainty of Christ’s glory is transferred to believers: they too will glorified and this fact should give them confidence as they face death (cf. 2 Peter 1:16-18; 1 John 3:2). (g) The certainty of Christ’s glory also gives believers confidence in him as a prophet and those whom he authorizes as prophets (2 Peter 1:16-21). In sum, the transfiguration is a part of the heavenly glory that even the apostle Paul could allude to when he wrote, Logivzomai gaVr o{ti oujk a[xia taV paqhvmata tou' nu'n kairou' proV" thVn mevllousan dovxan ajpokalufqh'nai eij" hJma'" (Rom 8:18). http://bible.org/article/transfiguration-jesus-mark-91-10-some-biblico-theological-reflections

• The upper part The Transfiguration of Jesus by Raphael is an event reported by three of the Gospels in which Jesus is transfigured upon a mountain (one is Matthew 17: 1-9). Jesus became radiant, spoke with Moses and Elijah, and was called "Son" by God. Peter, James and John were with Jesus upon the mountain. The transfiguration put Jesus above Moses and Elijah, the two preeminent figures of Judaism. The lower part is a different scene from the Bible, in which the disciples fail to cure a sick boy.

• Half-Finished Painting

A. C. Dixon tells us that when the great artist Raphael died at the early age of 37, some of his friends and relatives carried his marvelous painting “The Transfiguration” in the funeral procession. It was only partially finished, and they felt that because of his youth and the limited time he was allotted to use his creative genius, it was a symbol of life’s shortness. But the completed picture has a deeper meaning—a message that should impress itself upon all of us: life’s sojourn is fleeting and death sometimes terminates even our best efforts.

—Henry G. Bosch

^[2]

• TRANSFIGURATION. The transfiguration is recorded in Mt. 17:1-8; Mk. 9:2-8; Lk. 9:28-36. Its absence from John is usually accounted for on the ground that the whole of Christ’s life was a manifestation of the divine glory (Jn. 1:14; 2:1l, etc.). There is also a reference to it in 2 Pet. 1:16-18.

In the Synoptic Gospels the event takes place about a week after Peter’s confession of the Messiahship of Jesus. He took his three closest disciples, Peter, James and John, up to a mountain (probably Hermon, which rises to a height of 2,814 m above sea-level). There he was transformed (rather than changed in appearance) and his garments shone with heavenly brightness. Moses and Elijah then appeared and talked to him, and Peter suggested making three tents for them. A voice then came from a cloud declaring Christ’s Sonship and his authority, after which the vision ended. The narrative suggests that the whole event was objective, though many modern scholars have sought to describe it in terms of a subjective experience of Jesus or of Peter.

The transfiguration marks an important stage in the revelation of Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God. It is an experience similar to his baptism (Mt. 3:13-17; Mk. 1:9-11; Lk. 3:21f.). Here his glory is revealed not just through his deeds, but in a more personal way. The glory denotes the royal presence, for the kingdom of God is in the midst of his people.

There are many features about the account which derive significance from the OT. Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets witnessing to the Messiah and being fulfilled and superseded by him. Each of them had had a vision of the glory of God on a mountain, Moses on Sinai (Ex. 24:15) and Elijah on Horeb (1 Ki. 19:8). Each of them left no known grave (Dt. 34:6; 2 Ki. 2:11). The law of Moses and the coming of Elijah are mentioned together in the last verses of the OT (Mal. 4:4-6). The two men at the empty tomb (Lk. 24:4; Jn. 20:12) and at the ascension (Acts 1:10) and the ‘two witnesses’ (Rev. 11:3) are sometimes also identified with Moses and Elijah. The heavenly voice, ‘This is my beloved Son; listen to him’ (Mk. 9:7), marks Jesus out not only as the Messiah but also as the Prophet of Dt. 18:15ff.

The cloud symbolizes the covering of the divine presence (Ex. 24:15-18; Ps. 97:2). There is a cloud to receive Christ out of his disciples’ sight at the ascension (Acts 1:9). The return of Christ will be with clouds (Rev. 1:7).

In Luke we are told that the subject of their conversation was the exodos which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. This seems to mean not simply his death but the great facts of his death and resurrection as the means of redemption of his people typified by the OT Exodus from Egypt.

The transfiguration is therefore a focal point in the revelation of the kingdom of God, for it looks back to the OT and shows how Christ fulfils it, and it looks on to the great events of the cross, resurrection, ascension and parousia. Peter was wrong in trying to make the experience permanent. What was needed was the presence of Jesus alone and attention to his voice.

^[3]

Soli Deo Gloria

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OT Old Testament

cf. confer, compare

i.e. id est, that is

^[1]Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (230). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

^[2]Tan, P. L. (1979; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1997). Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : A treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers (electronic ed.). Garland TX: Bible Communications.

f. and the following (verse, etc.)

OT Old Testament

ff. and the following (verses, etc.)

^[3]Douglas, J. (1982; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996). New Bible Dictionary. Includes index. (electronic ed. of 2nd ed.) (1212). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.