Spend money for God's glory

 

Spend money for God's glory 

Someone in the congregation asked me to give advice on how we should honour God with our finances, hence this writing. 

Everything we have comes from the Lord and is a gift from Him to be used for His glory. Therefore you should spend your money according to His will.

 

1. Unbiblical motivations 

Many people thoughtlessly spend their money on the things that are important to them. Many times even believers spend their money in unbiblical ways: 

a.Don't spend to create an identity 

Spending money to keep up with others (Keeping up with the Jones'); to boast; relieve your guilt; to give others a better impression of you; or to feel important or loved by others, this is not to the glory of God. You already have an identity in Christ. You have been adopted as God's child and are an heir of eternity, why would you spend money on a meaningless identity outside of that? Your spending of money should be in accordance with your identity in Christ. So you must honour God in how you spend your money. 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 

b.Don't spend to get security 

If you spend money to achieve financial independence or play the lottery or gamble you are not honouring God with your money. Your security should not be in money or possessions but in Christ. God will never leave you or forsake you and nothing will separate you from His love. 

However, you must spend your money with wisdom and insight because your money is one of the ways God takes care of you and ensures your safety. You need to manage your money wisely, save money and invest (more on this later). Your money is not yours to do with as you please, God has given it to you to use for His glory. James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." 

c. Don't spend to find joy 

Your joy should not be found in possessions, leisure or pleasure, but in the Lord. Holidays, cars, clothes, equipment are things that should not become a priority in your budget because while these things become necessary at times and need to be replaced, we should not become obsessed and draw more from them than they are intended for. Because the fullness of your joy should be in God. Psalm 16:11 "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” If your joy can be bought with money it is of little value, but if Christ is your joy, it is indescribable joy that is forever. 

Paul teaches in Philippians 4 that we must be content in all circumstances, and then says " Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (11-13).  In the present be satisfied with God, in the future trust God, He will satisfy our needs as we are called to serve Him in how we spend every penny.

 

2. Principles to regulate spending 

What are the principles the believer should regulate when spending money? 

a.Everything you have is a gift from God 

I have already referred to this but it is necessary to mention it here again, your money is not your own, it is God's gift to you to be used for His glory. This does not necessarily mean you have to sell everything and give everything to the poor or church. However, this means you should not hold on to your money as if it is your identity, security and joy. You must be willing to use it to honour God. You should not hold onto it, waste it or abuse it, but spend it wisely. 

b.Manage your spending 

None of us have unlimited income, so you should think before you spend any money. Remember: If you give R 100 to missions, you might have R 100 less for food. If you spend R 100 eating out, you have R 100 less to help a friend in need. The point is, whatever you spend money on, you have to be wise. A good cause is only good if it doesn't get in the way of a more important cause. If we are undisciplined in how we spend money it is not to the glory of God. 

That's why it's important to budget. By budgeting you can determine what is available for what and how much you have to spend on which things. A budget is a tool that should help you honour God with your finances. 

c. Pray before you spend 

I'm not saying you should stand in the aisle at the store and pray about whether you should buy something or not. I'm not saying you should ask the homeless person to wait so you can pray about how much you can give him, if anything. I mean prayer should be part of your whole management of your money. 

•     Thank God when your salary or income is paid
•     Pray for wisdom to budget according to His will
•     Pray for kindness and discernment to give where needed
•     Pray for self-control to stick to what honours God.
•     Acknowledge your deep dependence on God
•     Ask for mercy where you lack. 

d.Give according to God's will for you 

Not all of us have the same ability. Some just survive every month, others have enough or even more than enough. But God's expectation is not the same for all of us either. In Mark 10:17-31 we find the story of the rich young man. He desires eternal life and tells how he keeps the commandments. Jesus asks him to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor and then come to follow Jesus. In Luke 19:1-10 Zacchaeus, a very rich man, seeks the Lord and while he is willing to give much to the poor, Jesus does not require anything from him. In 1 Timothy 6:17-19 Paul asks without any requirement that the rich should be kind to the poor. What is clear is that God's expectation of us all is different and that your giving to others should be a matter of prayer. God's will for one person is not the same as his will for another. But Acts 5 teaches us that if our heart is set before God on a specific gift, that we will honour it.

 

3. Guidelines for spending 

a.Offering 

There are many opinions by different people of how much you should give to the work of the Lord. Paul teaches us in 2 Corinthians 9:7 " Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." At the same time, Paul praises the congregation in Macedonia "for they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means." This shows that some in the congregation gave 'according to their means' while others willingly gave 'beyond their means'. According to this, it seems clear that this is a matter that every believer must settle with God himself in prayer. The expectation is that we will give, at least according to our ability, without compulsion or sadness, but with joy, as an offering to God. 

b.Pleasure 

While our joy must be in the Lord and we must not seek our joy in other things, this does not mean we cannot spend money on pleasures. 

Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:17 "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” Pride should not drive us in what we spend on, nor should we put our hope in riches, but God has given us 'richly to enjoy'. This can be easily misunderstood, but it shows that God sometimes gives us more than what is necessary and then we may spend at least some of it on things we enjoy as long as they do not dishonour God. However, the first part of the verse indirectly warns against extravagance or recklessness. 

c. Insurance 

Proverbs 22:3 makes an interesting statement: "The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it." The principle is that a wise person sees the danger and protects himself from it, while the foolish person runs into the danger. In other words, anyone who lives in South Africa, and is able to afford it, should have insurance. It includes car; house; life insurances and medical aid. A good friend once said that not having insurance while you can afford it is not honouring God, because you have a responsibility to be a good steward of what God has given you. Of course, unfortunately not everyone can afford to have insurance, but where it is possible it should be a priority. 

d.Investments 

A Rand from my wallet today is a Rand less for tomorrow. And a Rand saved can multiply in the future. Every Rand you spend today means you don't have that Rand to spend tomorrow. What I mean by investments is any way to preserve money for future benefit. These include things like: Good education (for you or your children); Medical aid; Pension Fund; Funeral policy; House; Savings funds for something important. 

Investments as we know it is a modern concept that is not found in the Bible, but there are biblical principles that are applicable. In Mark 12, a farmer buys land, plants a vineyard, fences it, digs a seed and puts up a watchtower. So what does he do, he uses money to get a return in the future which means he increases his money for the future. In Proverbs 21:20 someone stores a precious treasure and oil in his house which can later be sold for a profit, this was a typical 'saving for your old age' among the Jews. 

Our trust must always remain in the Lord, but if we are to honour God in how we spend our money, we must also think about our old age in our spending and how we will honour God then. If God provides enough for you to make provisions for your old age you should, that's his provision for then.

  

In summary:

Money cannot buy us what we already have in Christ. We have our identity in Him, we have our security in Him, and we have our joy in Him. Every penny we have was given to us by God with the intention that we will honour Him in how we spend it (or not spend it). There are essential things on which we must spend money, there are important things on which we must spend money, and if there is anything left we must really consider how we can best honour God with what He has abundantly gifted us. While we should not place our hope in money or possessions, it is imperative that, as far as possible, we protect our property and provide for our future while always taking to heart our dependence on God.

 

ds. Leon Harmse

Pastor of Sunward Park Baptist Church

Spandeer geld vir God se eer

Spandeer geld vir God se eer 

Iemand in die gemeente het my gevra om raad te gee oor hoe ons God moet eer met ons finansies, daarom hierdie skrywe. 

Alles wat ons het kom van die Here en is ‘n geskenk van Hom om gebruik te word vir Sy eer.  Daarom behoort jy jou geld te spandeer volgens Sy wil. 

 

1. OnBybelse motiverings 

Baie mense spandeer onnadenkend hulle geld op die dinge wat vir hulle belangrik is.  Baie keer spandeer selfs gelowiges hulle geld op onBybelse maniere: 

a.Moenie spandeer om ‘n identiteit te skep nie 

Om geld te spandeer om tred te hou met ander (Keeping up with the Jones’); te spog; jou skuldgevoel te verlig; ander ‘n beter indruk van jou te gee; of belangrik of geliefd te voel, is nie tot eer van God nie.  Jy het reeds ‘n identiteit in Christus.  Jy is aangeneem as God se kind en is ‘n erfgenaam van die ewigheid, waarom sou jy geld spandeer op ‘n sinnelose identitiet buite dit? Jou spandering van geld moet ooreenkomstig jou identiteit in Christus wees. So jy moet God eer in hoe jy jou geld spandeer.  2 Korintiërs 5:17 “Daarom, as iemand in Christus is, is hy ‘n nuwe skepsel; die ou dinge het verbygegaan, kyk, dit het alles nuut geword.” 

b.Moenie spandeer om sekuriteit te bekom nie 

As jy geld spandeer om finansiele onafhanklikheid te bereik of die lotto te speel of te dobbel eer jy God nie met jou geld nie.  Jou sekuriteit moenie in geld of besitting wees nie maar in Christus.  God sal jou nooit begewe of verlaat nie en niks sal jou van Sy liefde skei nie. 

Jy moet egter jou geld met wysheid en insig spandeer want jou geld is een van die manier waarop God vir jou te sorg en jou veiligheid te verseker. Jy moet jou geld wys bestuur, geld spaar en belê (meer hieroor later).  Jou geld is nie jou eie om meë te maak wat jy wil nie, God het dit aan jou gegee om aan te wend vir Sy eer. Jakobus 1:17 “Elke goeie gif en elke volmaakte gawe daal van bo af neer, van die Vader van die ligte, by wie daar geen verandering of skaduwee van omkering is nie.” 

c. Moenie spandeer om vreugde te vind nie 

Jou blydskap moet nie gevind word in besittings, ontspanning of plesier nie, maar in die Here.  Vakansies, karre, klere, toerusting is dinge wat nie ‘n proriteit moet word in jou begroting nie want terwyl hierdie dinge met tye nodig word en vervang moet word, moet ons nie behep raak en meer daaruit put as waarvoor dit bedoel is nie.  Want die volheid van jou blydskap behoort in God te wees.  Psalm 16:11 “U sal my die pad van die lewe bekend maak; versadiging van vreugde is voor u aangesig, lieflikhede in u regterhand, vir ewig.”  As jou vreugde in blydskap gekoop kan word deur geld is dit van min waarde, maar as Christus jou blydskap is, is dit onbeskryflike vreugde wat vir ewig is.  

Paulus leer in Filippense 4 dat ons tevrede moet wees in alle omstandighede, en sê dan “Nie dat ek dit uit gebrek sê nie, want ek het geleer om vergenoeg te wees met die omstandighede waarin ek is. Ek weet om verneder te word, ek weet ook om oorvloed te hê; in elke opsig en in alle dinge is ek onderrig: om versadig te word sowel as om honger te ly, om oorvloed te hê sowel as om gebrek te ly. Ek is tot alles in staat deur Christus wat my krag gee.” (11-13) In die hede wees tevrede met God, in die toekoms vertrou God, Hy sal ons behoeftes bevredig terwyl ons geroep word om Hom te dien in hoe ons elke sent spandeer.

 

2. Beginsels om spandering te reguleer 

Wat is die beginsels was die gelowige moet reguleer wanneer jy geld spandeer? 

a.Als wat jy het is ‘n gawe van God 

Ek het reeds hierna verwys maar dis nodig om dit hier weer te noem, jou geld is nie jou eie nie, dit is God se gawe aan jou om gebruik te word vir Sy eer.  Dit beteken nie noodwendig jy moet als verkoop en als vir die armes of kerk gee nie.  Dit beteken egter jy moenie vas hou aan jou geld asof dit jou identiteit, sekuriteit en vreugde is nie.  Jy moet bereid wees om dit te gebruik om God te eer.  Jy moet dit nie vashou, mors of misbruik nie, maar dit met wysheid spandeer.

b.Bestuur jou spandering 

Niemand van ons het onbeprekte inkomste nie en daarom moet jy dink voor jy enige geld spandeer.  Onthou: As jy R 100 vir sending gee, het jy miskien R 100 minder vir kos.  As jy R 100 spandeer om uit te eet, het jy R 100 minder om ‘n vriend in nood te help.  Die punt is, waarop jy ookal geld spandeer, jy moet wysheid aan die dag lê.  ‘n Goeie saak is net goed as dit nie ‘n belangriker saak in die wiele ry nie. As ons ongedissiplineerd is in hoe ons geld spandeer is dit nie tot eer van God nie. 

Daarom is dit belangrik om te begroot. Deur te begroot kan jy bepaal wat is waarvoor beskikbaar en hoeveel jy het om te spandeer op watter sake.  ‘n Begroting is ‘n instrument wat jou moet help om God te eer met jou finansies. 

c. Bid voor jy spandeer 

Ek sê nie jy moet in die gang by die winkel staan en bid oor of jy iets moet koop of nie.  Ek sê nie jy moet vir die boemelaar vra om eers te wag sodat jy kan bid oor hoeveel jy vir hom kan gee, indien enige iets nie.  Ek bedoel gebed behoort deel uit te maak van jou hele bestuur van jou geld. 

-    Dank die Here wanneer jou salaris of inkomste inbetaal word

-    Bid vir wysheid om volgens Sy wil te begroot

-    Bid vir goedhartigheid en onderskeidingsvermoë om te gee waar nodig

-    Bid vir selfbeheersing om te hou by dit wat God eer.

-    Erken jou diepe afhanklikheid van God

-    Vra vir genade waar jy tekort het. 

d.Gee volgens God se wil vir jou 

Nie almal van ons het dieselfde vermoë nie.  Sommige oorleef net elke maand, ander het genoeg of selfs meer as genoeg.  Maar God se verwagting is ook nie dieselfde van almal van ons nie.  In Markus 10:17-31 vind ons die verhaal van die ryk jongman.  Hy begeer die ewige lewe en vertel hoe hy die gebooie onderhou.  Jesus vra van hom al sy besittings te verkoop en die geld aan die armes te gee en dan te kom om Jesus te volg.  In Lukas 19:1-10 Soek Saggeus, ‘n baie ryk man, die Here en terwyl hy bereid is om baie te gee vir die armes, vereis Jesus niks van Hom nie.  In 1 Timoteus 6:17-19 vra Paulus sonder enige vereiste dat die rykes goedhartig teenoor die armes moet wees.  Wat duidelik is, is dat God se verwagting van ons almal verskillend is en dat jou gee aan ander ‘n saak van gebed behoort te wees.  God se wil vir een persoon is nie dieselfde as sy wil vir ‘n ander nie.  Maar Handelinge 5 leer ons dat as ons hart voor God voorgeneem het op ‘n bepaalde gawe, dat ons dit sal eer.

 

3. Riglyne vir spandering

a.Offergawe

Daar is baie opinies deur verskillende mense van hoeveel jy vir die werk van die Here moet gee.  Paulus leer ons in 2 Korintiërs 9:7 “Laat elkeen gee soos hy hom in sy hart voorneem, nie met droefheid of uit dwang nie, want God het die blymoedige gewer lief.” Terselfdetyd prys Paulus die gemeente in Macedonië “Want hulle was na vermoë – ek betuig dit – ja, bo vermoë gewillig.” Wat blyk dat sommige in die gemeente gegee het ‘na vermoë’ terwyl ander gewillige ‘bo vermoë’ gegee het.  Hiervolgens blyk dit duidelik dat dit ‘n saak is wat elke gelowige met God self moet uitmaak in gebed.  Die verwagting is dat ons sal gee, tenminste volgens vermoë, sonder dwang of droefheid, maar met blydskap, as ‘n offer aan God. 

b.Plesier 

Terwyl ons vreugde in die Here moet wees en ons nie ons vreugde in ander dinge moet soek nie, beteken dit nie ons mag nie geld op plesiere spandeer nie. 

Paulus sê in 1 Timoteus 6:17 “Beveel die rykes in die teenwoordige wêreld om nie hoogmoedig te wees nie en ook nie hulle hoop te stel op die onsekerheid van die rykdom nie, maar op die lewende God wat ons alles ryklik verleen om te geniet.” Hoogmoed moet ons nie dryf in waarop ons spandeer nie, ook moet ons nie ons hoop in rykdom stel nie, maar God het aan ons ‘ryklik verleen om te geniet’.  Hierdie kan maklik misverstaan word, maar dit wys dat God soms vir ons meer as die noodsaaklike gee en dan mag ons, minstens van dit, spandeer op dinge wat ons geniet solank dit nie God oneer nie.  Die eerste deel van die vers waarsku egter indirek teen uitspattigheid of onverskilligheid. 

c. Versekering 

Spreuke 22:3 maak ‘n intersante stelling “‘n Skrander mens sien die onheil en verberg hom, maar die eenvoudiges gaan verder en word gestraf.” Die beginsel is dat ‘n wyse mens sien die gevaar en beskerm homself teen dit, terwyl die dwase mens in die gevaar inloop.  Met ander woorde, enige iemand wat in Suid Afrika bly, en instaat is om dit te bekostig, behoort versekering te hê.  Dit sluit kar; huis; lewens versekeringe en mediesefonds in.  ‘n Goeie vriend het eenmaal gesê om nie versekering te hê terwyl jy dit kan bekostige nie, is om God nie te eer nie, want jy het ‘n verantwoordelikheid om ‘n goeie rentmeester te wees van dit wat God jou gegee het.  Natuurlik is dit ongelukkig nie in almal se vermoë om versekering te hê nie, maar waar dit moontlik is behoort dit ‘n prioriteit te wees.

d.Beleggings 

‘n Rand uit my beursie vandag, is ‘n Rand minder vir more. En ‘n Rand gespaar kan in die toekoms vermenigvuldig.  Elke Rand wat jy vandag spandeer beteken jy het nie daardie Rand om more te spandeer nie.  Wat ek met beleggings bedoel is enige manier om geld te bewaar vir toekomstige voordeel.  Daaronder val dinge soos: Goeie opvoeding (vir jou of jou kinders); Mediesefonds; Pensioenfonds; Begrafnispolis; Huis; Spaarfonds vir iets belangrik. 

Beleggings soos ons dit ken is ‘n moderne konsep wat nie in die Bybel gevind word nie, maar daar is Bybelse beginsels wat toepaslik is.  In Markus 12, koop ‘n boer ‘n land, plant ‘n wingerd, omhein dit, grou ‘n pit en sit ‘n wagtoring op.  So wat maak hy, hy gebruik geld om in die toekoms ‘n opbrengs te kry wat beteken hy vermeeder sy geld vir die toekoms.  In Spreuke 21:20 bêre iemand ‘n kosbare skat en olie in sy huis wat later vir ‘n wins verkoop kan word, dit was ‘n tipiese ‘spaar vir jou oudag’ onder die Jode. 

Ons vertroue moet altyd in die Here bly, maar as ons God moet eer in hoe ons ons geld spandeer moet ons in ons spandering ook dink aan ons oudag en hoe ons God dan gaan eer.  As God genoeg voorsien dat jy voorsiening vir jou oudag kan maak moet jy, dis sy voorsiening vir dan. 

Opsommend:

Geld kan nie vir ons koop wat ons reeds in Christus het nie.  Ons het ons identiteit in Hom, ons het ons sekuriteit in Hom, ons het ons vreugde in Hom.  Elke sent wat ons het is deur God aan ons gegee met die doel dat ons Hom sal eer in hoe ons dit spandeer (of nie spandeer nie).  Daar is noodsaaklike dinge waarop ons moet geld spandeer, daar is belangrike dinge waarop ons geld moet spandeer, en as daar enige iets oorbly moet ons werklik besin hoe kan ons God die beste eer met dit wat Hy ons oorvloedig geskenk het.  Terwyl ons nie ons hoop in geld of besittings moet plaas nie, is dit noodsaaklik dat ons, so ver dit moontlik is, ons eiendom sal beskerm en vir ons toekoms sal sorg terwyl ons altyddeur ons afhanklikheid van God ter harte neem.

 

ds. Leon Harmse

Leraar van Sunwardpark Baptistekerk

Misunderstandings surrounding the events at the empty tomb.

 

Misunderstandings surrounding the events at the empty tomb. 

With Easter having recently passed, I would like, at someone's request, to write something about the apparent contradictions brought up by some regarding the resurrection events at the tomb. I'm sure others have also heard of these apparent contradictions, as I have, or perhaps some of you have wondered about these things yourself. I want to assure you that there is in fact no reason to doubt the truth of any of the resurrection versions and that there is a logical explanation for everything that seems to be contradictory. It is my attempt to clear up some of those apparent contradictions through this writing.  

The following are the three questions showing the apparent contradictions mentioned regarding the resurrection events:

 

1. How many women were at Jesus' tomb? 

With a simple reading of the different gospels' versions of the women at Jesus' tomb after his resurrection, some ask about exactly how many women arrived at the tomb that morning. Here is a summary of what the four gospels say: 

•  John 20:1 – Mary Magdalene

•  Matthew 28:1 – Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (referring to James' mother)

•  Mark 16:1 – Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome

•  Luke 24:1 & 10 - Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women.

 

Was there one women, two women, three women or more than three? 

John mentions only Mary Magdalene and no other women's name. However, if you read the next verse carefully, you see that John knew that there were others with Mary Magdalene. John 20:2 says "So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’”  Notice that Mary Magdalene says to Peter "and we do not know where they laid Him." She says 'we' don't know... So clearly she wasn't alone, there were others with her. Although John does not mention their names, they were there. 

Luke mentions three names, Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary the mother of James. But Luke tells us that there were other women too. Among these women was also Salome of we Mark speaks. Why do we assume that the gospel writers would give a complete list of all the women's names? None of them specifically say that the women they list were the only ones there. Luke makes it clear that there were more than four there. So there was more than any of the gospels mention by name. 

If I say, 'My sister and I saw someone we know in the store last night' it does not mean that it was just me and my sister who went to the store. It is entirely possible that all five of my sister's children were there with us, or some of them were there. It is possible that they all saw the person, that they all knew the person, or that my sister and I knew the person, but none of the children. But the fact that I don't mention them specifically doesn't mean they weren't there. We know that according to Luke there must have been at least five women there, but there could have been even more, their names just weren't mentioned. 

There is no contradiction here. We know that certain women were there, namely, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome and Joanna. We also know that there was at least one other woman, there could have been even more than that. Their names are not mentioned, but that does not mean they were not there. 

A possible explanation is that the immediate readers of the respective gospel writers were familiar with some of these women but not with others. This could be a possible explanation why the different authors mentioned different names. If we examine these differences with honest intentions, we find that despite the apparent differences, there is no contradiction.

 

2. Did the women find the tomb open or closed when they arrived? 

The gospels of Mark, Luke and John say that the women found the tomb open when they arrived. In Matthew 28, however, it appears as if the tomb was still closed when the women got there. 

I want to start by saying that Matthew 28:1 does not tell us whether the tomb was open or closed when the women got there. The inference that the tomb was still closed is made based on what verse 2 says. Verse 2 says that there was an earthquake because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled away the stone. How do we explain this difference between Matthew's gospel and the others? 

We usually assume that verses that follow each other in Biblical order also follow in chronological order, but that is not always the case, and is not the case here either. Verses 2-4 happen before verse 1. When Mary Magdalene and the others came to the tomb the events of verses 2-4 had already happened. 

In verse 2 it says 'FOR an angel of the Lord descended from heaven' (ESV).  The word 'for' is a primary past participle in the Greek. This means that verses 2-4 provide the preceding events that explain what the women found at the tomb. In other words, they came to an open tomb, because there had been an earthquake because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled away the stone from the opening. In order to read Matthew's version chronologically, we must place verses 2-4 before verse 1 and then the contradiction is cleared up. Like all the other gospels, Matthew also tells us that the tomb was open when the women got there. Matthew just explains to us how the grave was opened. 

This perhaps leaves another question: How did Matthew know that the guards 'trembled and became like dead men' or that the angel of the Lord was there or of the earthquake? While we cannot know for sure who told Matthew, these guards would certainly not have kept quiet about this. The guards may have told Matthew about this themselves or they told others from whom Matthew heard it, we do not know. But the fact is, the women, as all the other gospels also say, came to an open grave and Matthew's version also says this. There is no contradiction here.

 

3. Did the women see one man, two men or two angels at the tomb? 

The number of persons the women saw at the tomb, and whether they were men or angels, is another area where there seem to be differences between the various gospels. Let's look again at each gospel's version: 

•  Mark 16:5-6 " And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.’”

•  Matthew 28:5 "But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.’”

•  Luke 24:4 “While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.”

•  John 20:11-13 “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’”

 

Angels appeared to people on numerous occasions in the Bible. Some of these appearances tell us something that is helpful to us to understand our apparent problem in what happened at the open tomb. 

Genesis 18:1-2 “And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth.” Here the text says it was three men, but in Genesis 19:1 it becomes clear that it was not men, but angels.

Genesis 32:22-32 is the story where Jacob wrestled with a man. However, from Hosea 12:4 it becomes clear that it was not a man, but an angel.

Joshua 5:13-15 Joshua calls the 'commander of the army of the Lord' a man, but it is of course an angel.

Judges 13:9-10 here the same person is first called 'angel of God' and then a 'man'.

Daniel 10:16-18 describes an angel who appeared to him as 'one having the appearance of a man'

Hebrews 13:2 teaches us to show hospitality to 'strangers' because some have thus 'entertained angels unawares'.

 

When one looks at these texts it is clear that many people have mistaken angels as people because it appears that angels, contrary to the popular view, appear from the Bible to look just like ordinary men when they appear. This then solves the problem of whether they were men or angels, they were angels but they appeared to look like men. 

This leaves us with the question of whether there were one or two angels. It is interesting that both Matthew and Mark focus on the words spoken by the angel and they refer to only one angel. Luke and John referring to two focus not on what the angel said, but their presence there. The fact that Matthew and Mark do not refer to the another angel does not mean that he was not there, he just did not say anything and that is what they wrote about, the angel's words. 

 

There are no hopeless contradictions in the narrative of the resurrection events in the Bible. There is an explainable answer to what seems to be contradictory. The simplest Bible student should be able to clarify most of these ambiguities and the Lord has not left us without the help of fellow believers with more understanding.  

Believers shouldn’t and do not need to look at Scripture with critical eyes because what is written in it is true. For what appears to be contradictory there is an explainable and realistic answer. The Bible has stood the test of time, it is more than two thousand years old and still stands true. However, if you are unsure or unclear about something, it is important to ask because for anything that appears to be contradictory in Scripture, there is a logical explanation.

 

ds. Leon Harmse

Pastor of Sunward Park Baptist Church

Misverstande rondom die gebeure by die leë graf.

 

Misverstande rondom die gebeure by die leë graf.

Met Paastyd wat onlangs verby is wil ek graag, op versoek van iemand, iets skryf oor die skynbare teenstrydighede wat deur sommige opgebring word oor die opstandigsgebeure by die graf.  Ek is seker dat ander ook al van hierdie skynbare teenstrydighede gehoor het, soos ek het, of dat sommige van julle miskien ook al self oor hierdie dinge gewonder het.  Ek wil julle verseker dat daar in werklikheid geen rede is om oor die waarheid van enige van die opstandings weergawes te twyfel nie en dat daar ‘n logiese verklaring vir alles is wat blyk om teenstrydig is.  Dit is my pooging om deur hierdie skrywe daardie skynbare teenstrydighede op te klaar.  

Die volgende is die drie vrae toon die skynbare teenstrydighede wat genoem word aangaande die opstandingsgebeure:

 

1. Hoeveel vrouens was by Jesus se graf? 

Met ‘n eenvoudige lees van die verskillene evangelies se weergawes van die vrouens by Jesus se graf na sy opstanding vra sommige oor presies hoeveel vrouens daardie oggend by die graf aangekom het.  Hier is ‘n opsomming van wat die vier evangelies sê: 

·   Johannes 20:1 – Maria Magdalena

·   Mattheus 28:1 – Maria Magdalena en die ander Maria (verwysend na Jakobus se moeder)

·   Markus 16:1 – Maria Magdalena, Maria die moeder van Jakobus en Salome

·   Lukas 24:1 & 10 - Maria Magdalena, Johanna, Maria die moeder van Jakobus, en ander vroue. 

 

Was daar een vrou, twee vrouens, drie vrouens of meer as drie? 

Johannes noem net Maria Magdalena en geen ander vroue se name nie.  As jy egter die volgende vers versigtig lees, sien jy dat Johannes geweet het dat daar ander saam met Maria Magdalena was.  Johannes 20:2 sê “Sy hardloop toe en kom by Simon Petrus en by die ander dissipel vir wie Jesus liefgehad het, en sê vir hulle: Hulle het die Here uit die graf weggeneem, en ons weet nie waar hulle Hom neergelê het nie.” Let op dat Maria Magdalena vir Petrus sê “en ons weet nie waar hulle Hom neergelê het nie.”   Sy sê ‘ons’ weet nie… So duidelik was sy nie alleen nie, daar was ander saam met haar.  Al noem Johannes nie hulle name nie, was hulle daar. 

Lukas noem drie name, Maria Magdalena, Johanna en Maria die moeder van Jakobus.  Maar Lukas vertel ons dat daar ander vroue ook was.  Onder hierdie vroue was onder andere ook Salome van we Markus praat.  Waarom neem ons aan dat die evangelieskrywers ‘n voledige lys van al die vrouens se name sou gee?  Nie een van hulle sê spesifiek dat die vrouens wat hulle lys die enigstes was daar was nie.  Lukas maak dit duidelik dat daar meer as vier daar was.  Daar was dus meer as wat enige van die evangelies by name noem. 

As ek sê, ‘Ek en my suster het gisteraand iemand wat ons ken in die winkel gesien’ beteken dit nie dat dit net ek en my suster was wat winkel toe gegaan het nie.  Dit is heeltemal moontlik dat al vyf my suster se kinders saam was, of sommige van hulle saam was.  Dis moontlik dat hulle almal die persoon gesien het, dat hulle almal die persoon geken het, of dat ek en my suster die persoon geken het, maar geen van die kinders nie. Maar die feit dat ek hulle nie spesifiek noem nie, beteken nie dat hulle nie daar was nie.  Ons weet dat daar volgens Lukas minstens vyf vroue daar moes wees, maar daar kon selfs meer gewees het, hulle name is net nie genoem nie. 

Daar is geen teenstrydigheid hier nie.  Ons weet dat sekere vroue daar was, naamlik, Maria Magdalena, Maria die moeder van Jakobus, Salome en Johanna.  Ons weet ook dat daar minstens nog een ander vrou was, daar kon selfs meer as dit gewees het.  Hulle name word nie genoem nie, maar dit beteken nie hulle was nie daar nie.  

‘n Moontlike verklaring is dat die onmiddelike lesers van die onderskeie evangelieskrywers bekend was met van hierdie vroue maar nie met ander nie.  Dit kan ‘n moontlike verduideliking wees hoekom die verskillende skrywers verskillende name genoem het. As ons met eerlike intensies hierdie verskille ondersoek vind ons dat tenspyte van die skynbare verskille daar geen teenstrydigheid bestaan nie.

 

2. Het die vroue die graf oop of toe gevind toe hulle daar aankom? 

Die evangelies van Markus, Lukas en Johannes sê dat die vrouens die graf oop gevind het toe hulle daar aankom.  In Mattheus 28 blyk dit egter asof die graf nog toe was toe die vrouens daar kom.  

Ek wil begin deur te sê dat Mattheus 28:1 nie vir ons sê of die graf oop of toe was toe die vrouens daar gekom het nie.  Die afleiding dat die graf nog toe was word gemaak opgrond van dit wat vers 2 sê.  Vers twee sê dat daar ‘n aardbeding was omdat ‘n engel van die Here uit die hemel neergedaal het en die steen kom wegrol het.  Hoe verduidelik ons hierdie verskil tussen Mattheus se evangelie en die ander? 

Ons neem gewoonlik aan dat verse wat op mekaar volg ook in kronologiese volgorde volg maar dis nie altyd die geval nie, en is ook nie hier die geval nie.  Vers 2-4 gebeur voor vers 1.  Toe Maria Magdalena en die ander by die graf kom het die gebeure van vers 2-4 reeds gebeur.  

In vers 2 sê dit ‘WANT ‘n engel van die Here het uit die hemel neergedaal’  Daardie woord ‘want’ is ‘n hoofdeelwoord in verlede tyd in die Grieks.  Dit beteken dat verse 2-4 die vooraf gebeure bied wat dit wat die vroue by die graf gevind het verduidelik.  Met ander woorde, hulle het by ‘n oop graf gekom, want daar was ‘n aardbewing omdat ‘n engel van die Here uit die hemel neergedaal het en die steen van die opening weggerol het. Om Mattheus se weergawe dus kronologies te lees moet ons vers 2-4 voor vers 1 plaas en dan is die teenstrydigheid opgeklaar. Soos al die ander evangelies sê Mattheus ook vir ons dat die graf oop was toe die vroue daar gekom het.  Mattheus verduidelik net vir ons hoe die graf oopgemaak is. 

Dit laat miskien nog ‘n vraag: Hoe het Mattheus geweet dat die wagte ‘uit vrees…gebewe en soos dooies geword’ het of dat die engel van die Here daar was of van die aardbewing? Terwyl ons nie met sekerheid kan weet wie vir Mattheus vertel het nie, sou hierdie wagte verseker nie hieroor stilgebly het nie.  Die wagte het moontlik self vir Mattheus hiervan vertel of hulle het ander vertel by wie Mattheus dit gehoor het, ons weet nie.  Maar die feit is, die vrouens het, soos al die ander evangelies ook sê by ‘n oop graf gekom en Mattheus se weergawe sê dit ook.  Daar is geen teenstrydigheid hieroor nie.

 

3. Het die vroue een man, twee mans of twee engele by die graf gesien?

Die hoeveelheid persone wat die vroue by die graf gesien het, en of hulle mans of engele was is nog ‘n area waar dit blyk asof daar verskille tussen die onderskeie evangelies te wees.  Kom ons kyk weereens na elke evangelie se weergawe: 

·   Markus 16:5-6 “En toe hulle in die graf ingegaan het, sien hulle ‘n jongman, met ‘n lang wit kleed om, aan die regterkant sit, en hulle het baie geskrik. En hy sê vir hulle: Moenie verskrik wees nie. Julle soek Jesus die Nasaréner wat gekruisig is. Hy het opgestaan. Hy is nie hier nie. Dáár is die plek waar hulle Hom neergelê het.”

·   Mattheus 28:5 “Maar die engel antwoord en sê vir die vroue: Moenie vrees nie, want ek weet julle soek Jesus wat gekruisig is.”

·   Lukas 24:4 “En terwyl hulle hieroor in verleentheid was, staan daar twee manne by hulle in blink klere.”

·   Johannes 20:11-13 “Maar Maria het buitekant by die graf gestaan en ween; en terwyl sy ween, buk sy na die graf toe en sien twee engele daar sit met wit klere aan, een by die hoof en een by die voete waar die liggaam van Jesus gelê het. En hulle sê vir haar: Vrou, waarom ween jy? Sy antwoord hulle: Omdat hulle my Here weggeneem het, en ek weet nie waar hulle Hom neergelê het nie.”

 

Engele het by talle geleenthede in die Bybel aan mense verskyn.  Sommige van hierdie verskynings vertel ons iets wat behulpsaam is vir die verstaan van ons blykbare probleem in wat by die oop graf gebeur het. 

Genesis 18:1-2 “Daarna het die HERE aan hom verskyn by die terpentynbome van Mamre terwyl hy by die ingang van die tent sit op die warmste van die dag. Toe hy sy oë opslaan en kyk, staan daar drie manne voor hom. En toe hy hulle sien, loop hy hulle tegemoet van die ingang van die tent af en buig hom na die aarde toe.”  Hier sê die teks dit was 3 manne, maar in Genesis 19:1 word dit duidelik dat dit nie manne was nie, maar engele. 

Genesis 32:22-32 is die verhaal waar Jakob met ‘n man gestoei het.  Uit Hosea 12:4 word dit egter duidelik dit was nie ‘n man nie, maar ‘n engel.

Josua 5:13-15 Josua noem die ‘leerowerste van die Here’ hier ‘n man, maar dit is natuurlik ‘n engel.

Rigters 13:9-10 hier word dieselfde persoon eers ‘engel van die Here’ en dan ‘n ‘man’ genoem.

Daniel 10:16-18 beskryf ‘n engel wat aan hom verskyn het as ‘een wat soos ‘n mens lyk’

Hebreërs 13:2 leer ons om gasvryheid teenoor ‘vreemdelinge’ te betoon omdat sommige sodoende ‘engele as gaste geherberg’ het. 

Wanneer ‘n mens na hierdie tekste kyk is dit duidelik dat talle persone engele as mense misken het omdat dit voorkom dat engele, anders as die populêre siening, uit die Bybel blyk om net soos gewone mense te lyk as hulle verskyn.  Dit los dan die probleem op of dit mans of engele was, dit was engele, maar hulle het verskyn om te lyk soos mans.

Dit laat ons met die vraag of daar een of twee engele was.  Dis interesant dat beide Mattheus en Markus fokus op die woorde wat deur die engel gesê is en dis hulle wat verwys na net een engel. Lukas en Johannes wat verwys na twee fokus nie op wat die engel gesê het nie, maar hulle teenwoordigheid daar.  Die feit dat Mattheus en Markus nie verwys na die ander engel nie, beteken nie dat hy nie daar was nie, hy het net niks gesê nie en dis waaroor hulle skryf, die engel se woorde. 

  

Daar is geen hopelose teenstrydighede in die vertelling van die opstandingsgebeure in die Bybel nie.  Daar is ‘n verklaarbare antwoord op dit wat skynbaar teenstrydig is.  Die mees eenvoudige Bybelstudent behoort meeste van hierdie onduidelikhede te kan opklaar en die Here het on sook nie sonder die hulp van mede gelowiges met meer begrip gelaat nie.  

Gelowiges behoort en hoef nie met kritiese oë na die Skrif te kyk nie want dit wat daarin staan is waar.  Vir dit wat blyk om teenstrydig te wees is daar ‘n verklaarbare en realistiese antwoord.  Die Bybel het die toets van tyd deurstaan, dit is meer as tweeduisend jaar oud en staan nogsteeds vas as waar.  As jy egter onseker of onduidelik oor iets is, is dit belangrik om egter te vra want vir enige iets wat blyk om teenstrydig in die Skrif te wees, is daar ‘n logiese verduideliking. 

ds. Leon Harmse

Leraar van Sunwardpark Baptistekerk