I have been reading with profit Derrick Olliff’s paper “The Eschatology of Being “Born Again”” in which he argues that in John 3, Jesus is saying that Israel corporately must be born again. Nicodemus, Israel’s teacher and a ruler of the Jews, is a representative figure and many of the “you”s are plural. Water and the Spirit language recall Isaiah 44 and Ezekiel 36-37. Israel’s exile death is over with the Jesus-event, she can be forgiven, raised to new life, transformed. The nations are gathered in, Israel’s restoration will be life for the world and there will be a new heavens and a new earth.
One quibble: I’m not sure I can agree that under the Old Covenant “the Spirit was not yet given in the Protestant born again sense to all those who trusted God” (p3). Surely Old Testament saints were regenerate by the Spirit even if they were not indwelt by the Spirit as New Testament believers are, but rather empowered for particular works of service. The saints under the Old Covenant were certainly spiritually alive whereas by nature mankind is dead in sin.
On the whole, though, Olliff’s thesis seems persuasive to me. If I’m convinced, how do our preach it and what are its applications? God has done what Jesus promised and prophesied here. You can be included in the international living people of God. Trust in Jesus and make sure you are part of the new transformed living people of God?
David Field and Alistair Roberts (to whom DF links) had made me agonize about this a couple of years ago just before I went off on a mission on which I was due to speak on John 3.
Of course, if you preach the corporate you get the individual thrown in but I do think an evangelical congregation might think it all sounds a bit strange and find it hard to get when they have always thought Jesus is saying "you must be personally regenerated".
As well as preaching on John 3 a week on Sunday I also have to come up with some Bible Study notes on it to be used with 11-14 year olds at camp next week...
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
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3 comments:
Hi Marc, I read Derrick's paper a year ago and was persuaded by his thesis. Just so happened that I was preaching through John 3 a month or so later and I emphasised the corporate aspect in my sermon. Well, our "evangelical congregation" definately thought that it all sounded a bit strange and found it hard to get, as well as, hard to take.
Tony Johnson
So, Tony, any tips? How did you explain and apply it? What would you say next time?
What did they find most tricky do you think?
Marc they are all good questions and I really don't have any good answers. My best tip would be, know your congregation well before you preach on something "so foreign". Next time I think that I will do a series of sermmons instead of the one 20 minute sermon that tries to cover everything. The most tricky thing for our people was the "you must be born again" bit. "You" must mean the individual person was the complaint from one of our people after the sermon.
In short, be sensitive and pastoral, but preach the truth and let the chips fall where they may.
Tony J
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