Thursday, April 27, 2006
CAPERNAUM'S CONCEITEDNESS
Vv 23-24. "And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24. "Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you."
We now turn to the city of least excuse, Jesus primary location for ministry; Capernaum. S.L. Johnson (who worked portions of the NIV translation) renders this rhetorical question as such: “And as for you, Capernaum, you shall not be exalted to heaven, shall you?” The answer is an expected No! However, the Jews of this city expected full vindication because of their self-righteous acts of religion. Their expectations were to merit heaven by their “exaltedness” yet their realization would be just the opposite: you shall descend to Hades.
We draw parallel analogy between cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida with Tyre and Sidon and now between Capernaum and Sodom. Sodom was the city along with Gomorrah that was so wicked that God destroyed them with the raining of fire and brimstone (Gen. 19:24). Sodom is a synonym for moral depravity. The word sodomy is a word derived from this very city known for passionate homosexuality. This is a serious curse on Capernaum to think that this people deserved a worse fate than Sodom.
Jesus says, “If (a second time) the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you then it would have remained to this day. Here is another example of Christ’s kingdom suffering violence by the violence of indifference. And again we are confronted with degrees of punishment in verse 24. Nevertheless I say to you is a clear and definite proclamation elevating the sentence for the self-righteous city of Capernaum over that of Sodom. He says that Sodom will have a more tolerable punishment than Capernaum will in the day of judgment.
We are not quite through these passages until we look upon thorny little word, “if”. The question that begs to be asked is: If Tyre and Sidon along with Sodom would have repented had these miracles been done for them, then why were they withheld these blessings? Calvin slams the door on such questions when he says, “Lest any should raise thorny questions about the secret decrees of God, we must remember, that this discourse of our Lord is accommodated to the ordinary capacity of the human mind.” S.L. Johnson says, “in the final analysis one must admit that “The secret things belong unto that Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of the Law” (Deut. 29:29). And in this case the question is more embarrassing for the Arminian than for the Calvinist. Someone has said, “Arminianism is the religion of common sense, but Calvinism is the religion of St. Paul!” The question is very hard for human common sense, but for St. Paul it was somewhat easier (cf. Eph 1:11; Rom 9:6-29).” I will admit that these kinds of questions fascinate me because they go beyond what the human mind can grasp. I think that in this we can grasp another sliver of comprehension of God’s majesty and glory. Calvin writes, “Let us therefore aware of our own weakness, learn to contemplate this height and depth with reverence for it is intolerable fretfulness and pride that is manifested by those who cannot endure to ascribe praise to the righteousness of God, except so far as it comes within the reach of their senses, and who disdainfully reject those mysteries, which it was their duty to adore, simply because the reason of them is not fully evident.”
We now turn to the city of least excuse, Jesus primary location for ministry; Capernaum. S.L. Johnson (who worked portions of the NIV translation) renders this rhetorical question as such: “And as for you, Capernaum, you shall not be exalted to heaven, shall you?” The answer is an expected No! However, the Jews of this city expected full vindication because of their self-righteous acts of religion. Their expectations were to merit heaven by their “exaltedness” yet their realization would be just the opposite: you shall descend to Hades.
We draw parallel analogy between cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida with Tyre and Sidon and now between Capernaum and Sodom. Sodom was the city along with Gomorrah that was so wicked that God destroyed them with the raining of fire and brimstone (Gen. 19:24). Sodom is a synonym for moral depravity. The word sodomy is a word derived from this very city known for passionate homosexuality. This is a serious curse on Capernaum to think that this people deserved a worse fate than Sodom.
Jesus says, “If (a second time) the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you then it would have remained to this day. Here is another example of Christ’s kingdom suffering violence by the violence of indifference. And again we are confronted with degrees of punishment in verse 24. Nevertheless I say to you is a clear and definite proclamation elevating the sentence for the self-righteous city of Capernaum over that of Sodom. He says that Sodom will have a more tolerable punishment than Capernaum will in the day of judgment.
We are not quite through these passages until we look upon thorny little word, “if”. The question that begs to be asked is: If Tyre and Sidon along with Sodom would have repented had these miracles been done for them, then why were they withheld these blessings? Calvin slams the door on such questions when he says, “Lest any should raise thorny questions about the secret decrees of God, we must remember, that this discourse of our Lord is accommodated to the ordinary capacity of the human mind.” S.L. Johnson says, “in the final analysis one must admit that “The secret things belong unto that Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of the Law” (Deut. 29:29). And in this case the question is more embarrassing for the Arminian than for the Calvinist. Someone has said, “Arminianism is the religion of common sense, but Calvinism is the religion of St. Paul!” The question is very hard for human common sense, but for St. Paul it was somewhat easier (cf. Eph 1:11; Rom 9:6-29).” I will admit that these kinds of questions fascinate me because they go beyond what the human mind can grasp. I think that in this we can grasp another sliver of comprehension of God’s majesty and glory. Calvin writes, “Let us therefore aware of our own weakness, learn to contemplate this height and depth with reverence for it is intolerable fretfulness and pride that is manifested by those who cannot endure to ascribe praise to the righteousness of God, except so far as it comes within the reach of their senses, and who disdainfully reject those mysteries, which it was their duty to adore, simply because the reason of them is not fully evident.”
# posted by Castusfumus : 3:47 PM
