Martin Downes concludes his thoughts on Matthew 2:
He [Matthew] is saying that Jesus, God’s Son, is Israel, the true Israel. And that Jesus will retrace Israel’s steps. They went down to Egypt and so will He. They were tested in the wilderness and so will He be (Matt. 4:1-11). But where the nation of Israel failed, Jesus the true Israel, the obedient Son, will prevail. This is the biblical background to the doctrine of the active obedience of Christ. He was born under the law to redeem those who were under the law. Whereas Adam and Israel were law-breakers, Christ was the true law-keeper and this not for His own sake but for ours.
Read all of Downes’ The Great Escape: Matthew 2 as the Remake of a Classic Story.
HT: The Heidelblog
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Tagged as // Active Obedience, Biblical Theology, Martin Downes
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Comments [8]
Wow–why didn’t I realize this before? Simple and true, yet mind-boggling. Time to get down on my knees.
We’ve been assaulted with the distortions of dispensationalism for years on many fronts. It is MOST refreshing to read and hear honest, Christ exalting interpretation of Scripture.
Manfred, I don’t know which dispensationalist proponent you have been reading. But this is an oft recognized truth in that camp (since I went to DTS, I will chime in). Chirst is the the Obedient Son, the true Israel, if you will, born under law, perfecting both faith and godliness, and redeeming us, the lawless. I can’t think of any dispensationalist who would argue against that. That is solid biblical teaching. Rather some/most dispensationalist see a seperate future for the nation of Israel. Of course, these two issues are not the same. So there is no need to attack the poor dispensationalists on this issue.
JJ – As a Southern Baptist, most of the pastors I’ve known over the past 25 years have been dispenstationalists. Those that have been open about their theology have ALL proudly pointed out that the church is a parenthetical after-thought to occupy time until the entire nation of Israel (oft equated with the geo-political mid-east country of the same name) is redeemed. They await the recreation of the Jewish sacrificial system, denying that Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient for the Jews. This is rubbish.
I don’t disire to continue the discussion, but setting up straw men does not help the cause of those of us that believe fervently in the doctrines of grace. While, I am sure that there are pastors who believe ANYTHING AT ALL this is not the way we should evaluate anyone else’s position (in our camp as well! Geesh, Compare MacArthur to Westminster’s Michael Horton http://www.wscal.edu/faculty/bios/horton.php. Quite a difference), it is less than wise to use what some preachers say vs. what schooled theologians maintain about a doctrine. Again, having attended DTS, I have never heard anyone maintain that the church was merely a “parenthetical after-thought to occupy time.” And then to maintain that any reasonable dispensationalist denies “that Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient for the Jews” really stretches credulity. There are distinct differences between classic reformed doctrine and dispensationalism (whether progressive or not). These are not among them.
JJ – If you don’t wish to continue to discussion, don’t throw out accusations. Here’s a link to a chart of eschatological systems with which a firmly bigoted (unwilling to discuss possibility of being wrong) dispensational friend of mine agreed – except for the alleged “dangers” for dispenstianalism. http://home.att.net/~nathan.wilson/eschtlgy.htmThat you haven’t run across dispensationalists who hold to these views doesn’t mean they don’t exist. And since you brought him up, MacArthur famously proclaimed that reformed Christians who are not dispensationalists may not be Christians at all.
Ha! Manfred, it is not hard for me to believe that MacArthur said that! That is so funny (if not a bit sad, for him). At least, we can agree to that!
Thanks for the feedback. Have a great week!JJ
JJ – thanks for your kind reply. May the Lord bless you with wisdom and peace in Christ today and every day.In His grip because mine is palsied.