What are Types and Shadows?

When reading through the pages of the Sacred Text, a student of God’s Word realizes very quickly there are repeated ideas, events, people, thoughts and phrases in almost every chapter in the Bible. These are not to be just read over quickly without much thought; they are there for a reason. They are what is commonly referred to as a type or a shadow. Types and shadows are intentional by inspiration through the authors of Scripture. A type will often be presented with a phrase along the lines of “in like manner”, “as”, or some other term of comparison. An example is found in John 3:14 which states, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up”. The Brazen Serpent was a type of Christ.

Ancient Christians understood the relationship between such comparisons and they welcomed them. They understood, as hopefully, today’s students of God Word do as well, that there are spiritual symbols in Old Testament text that foreshadow things having to do with the Christ. Paul wrote concerning practices of the Old Law, that they were “…a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s” (Col. 2:17). 

It is hard to come up with a hard and fast rule concerning what should and what should not be considered a type. This has caused some to reject identifying types in Scripture at all. This like many extremes in interpretation and exegesis are to be avoided. One must develop a healthy thirst for identifying God provided types and shadows and be cautious to not force comparisons the text does not make. Gerhard Hasel in his book New Testament Theology well writes: 

Some scholars reject the typological approach completely. However, the importance of the typological approach is not to be denied, if it is not developed into a hermeneutic method which is applied to all texts like a divining-rod. Typological correspondence must be rigidly controlled on the basis on the direct relationship between various OT elements and their NT counterparts in order that arbitrary and fortuitous personal views may not creep into exegesis. One should be cautious enough not to be trapped into applying typology as the single definite theological ground plan whereby the unity of the Testaments is established (Hasel 191).

One needs to exercise a great deal of caution when identifying a comparison as a type or a shadow. There are many intentional comparisons in scripture given by inspiration in the form of a type/antitype relationship, however, there have been those in the past that have forced types out of a text or made a comparison the Scriptures do not make. A great example of this sort of extreme false typological interpretation can be found in the Epistle of Barnabas where the writer sees the 318 men circumcised from Abraham’s house as a type of the crucified Christ. 

For the scripture saith; And Abraham circumcised of his household eighteen males and three hundred. What then was the knowledge given unto him? Understand ye that He saith the eighteen first, and then after an interval three hundred. In the eighteen 'I' stands for ten, 'H' for eight. Here thou hast JESUS (IHSOYS). And because the cross in the 'T' was to have grace, He saith also three hundred. So He revealeth Jesus in the two letters, and in the remaining one the cross (Epistle of Barnabas IX. 7-9).

This is a great example of what can happen when typological interpretation is taken to its extreme without being checked by specific statements of correspondence in Scripture.

Although an unwavering exegetical rule regarding types cannot be established, types and shadows are a vital part of the inspired Word. It would do the student of God’s Word well, to study the types revealed in Scripture as they help demonstrate how God has unfolded His predetermined plan throughout time.

By Cliff Sabroe

Does the Bible teach we should hate the sin not the sinner? Does God hate sinners?

The exact phrase “hate the sin not the sinner” is not found in the Bible (In fact, this phrase is usually attributed to Gandhi or possibly even Augustine) . This question can be confusing,  when approaching the Bible because one finds many passages that say that God loves all (including sinners), yet you also find passages that state that God “hates” certain sinners. In answering this question we will link to an article from our friends at Apologetics press as they have done a good job answering this important question as it relates to God supposedly “hating” sinners in the Old Testament,. Following the article we will offer a conclusion as well.

The Apologetics Press article reads:

Most religious people agree that God hates sin. Over and over, the Bible stresses the fact that God despises iniquity. God told the prophet Jeremiah to speak to the Israelites about their sin, saying: “Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I hate!” (44:4). The Proverbs writer listed seven sins the Lord hates (6:16-19). The prophet Zechariah declared that God hates a false oath and evil done to one’s neighbor (8:17). Jesus Himself said that He hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:6). The Bible emphasizes that the Lord hates sin.

Some have suggested that God takes His hatred one step further. They believe that God hates the sinner as well as the sin he or she commits. It has been suggested that God loves those who obey Him, and hates all who disobey. Those who teach this idea use various Bible verses to “prove” their case. For instance, Psalm 5:5 says that God hates “all workers of iniquity.” Proverbs 6:18-19 says that God hates “a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” Is it true that God hates sinners and their sin?

Any person who has read the Bible understands that one of its greatest themes is love. The Bible says that God is love (1 John 4:8). It also explains that God showed His love to us while we were still sinners:

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8).

An interesting aspect of this passage is that it stresses that lost sinners were not “righteous” or “good” when Christ demonstrated His love for them.

In the narrative of the rich young ruler, Jesus explained that the young man lacked something necessary to be pleasing to God. Yet even though the young man was lacking and lost, the Bible says that Jesus “loved him” (Mark 10:21). When Jesus mourned over lost Jerusalem, He cried:

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! (Matthew 23:37). 

Jesus said His affection for the lost inhabitants of Jerusalem was like a mother hen’s affection for her chicks. Such a statement obviously denotes love for the sinners in Jerusalem. 

In one of the most well-known “love” verses in the Bible, Jesus said: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God’s love for the lost world was shown before the lost believed in Jesus. John further explained this when he wrote: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). From these verses it is clear that God loves lost sinners, and proved that love by sending Jesus. 

How, then, can one reconcile the verses that seem to suggest that God hates sinners, but loves them at the same time? One of the most plausible solutions is that the Bible writers are using a figure of speech called metonymy when they write that God hates sinners. 

Metonymy is defined as: “A figure by which one name or noun is used instead of another, to which it stands in a certain relation” (Bullinger, 1898, p. 538). Bullinger further explains that metonymy can be “of cause,” when the person acting can be put in place of the thing that is done (p. 539). For instance, in Luke 16:29, the text says: “They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.” In reality, they did not have “Moses” or the “prophets,” but they did have their writings. The name Moses is a metonymy that stood for his writings, since he was the cause of the writings. In modern times, that would be like saying, “I hate Shakespeare.” Would the person who said that mean that he hated Shakespeare’s personality? No. We understand he would be saying he does not like the writings of Shakespeare, with no comment on the playwright’s personality. 

If we apply that same figure of speech to the passages about God “hating sinners,” we can see that the sinner is put in place of the sin. Thus, when God says He hates “a false witness who speaks lies” (Proverbs 6:19), if metonymy is being used, then God hates the lies, and the one who is doing the lying (the cause) is put in place of the lies (the effect). It is interesting to see how clear this feature can be in other contexts. For instance, Proverbs 6:17 says that God hates “a lying tongue.” Does that mean that God hates a physical tongue, made of muscle and body tissue? No. It means God hates the sin that a tongue can perform. In the same context, we learn that God hates “feet that are swift in running to evil” (6:18). Again, does that mean that God hates physical feet? No. It simply means that God hates the sin that those feet can perform. It is interesting that while few, if any, would suggest that God hates physical tongues or actual feet, they would insist that God hates actual sinners and not the sin done by them. 

When studying the Bible, it is very important to keep in mind that the Bible writers often used figures of speech. When we look at the idea that God hates sin, but loves sinners, the figure of speech known as metonymy clears up the confusion. Just as God does not hate physical feet or tongues, He does not hate sinners. These nouns are put in the place of the things they cause—sin. (Butt, Kyle, Does God Hate Sinners.http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=2035) (emp. mine)

As for the New Testament, you only find one person listed as being hated by God. That person is Esau (Romans 9:13). Most Greek lexicons inform the reader that the word “hate” means more of a "disowning" or "rejection". In English, when we "hate" we usually want evil to fall upon that person. However, God can hate/reject a person and still love them and want them to come to repentance.

Conclusion

I would conclude that it is accurate to say we should “hate the sin not the sinner”. This phrase is not mentioned in the Bible, however, it does seem to be a biblically accurate thought.

What is Jude 9 talking about? When did Michael argue with the Devil about the body of Moses?

What is the purpose of this verse?

In this section in the book of Jude, Jude informs the reader about ungodly individuals who “revile angelic majesties”. The whole book of Jude is about standing up to these ungodly influences by “contending earnestly for the faith” (3).

Jude wants these Christians to understand that there is no excuse for ungodliness, and that you should never “revile” another being. This point is illustrated in (Jude 9)

But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 9).

At times we try to justify our sinful actions by the particular situation that we are in. Jude presents an extreme example of an opportunity where we may be tempted to justify acting ungodly. The example he gives is Michael arguing with the Devil. Most would say you don’t need to guard your tongue if arguing with the Devil. We would assume that since the Devil is evil, he does not deserve our composure. Yet, even when arguing with the Devil, Michael stays composed. Instead of reviling him, speaking unkind words toward him, or being cruel to him, he just says “The Lord rebuke you”. The lesson for us is that when we are really angry or upset, or even if we are arguing with the Devil himself, there is no excuse for behaving in an ungodly way.

When and Why did Michael argue with the Devil about the body of Moses?

The Bible does not give an answer to this question. No where in the rest of the Scriptures is this disagreement mentioned. Did it happen? It must have if Jude recorded it, however, the details of this encounter are unknown to the reader. Curious minds would love an answer, however, the Bible does not give one. There are many theories (as a internet search will prove), but the Bible Answer Show tries to only give Bible Answers, and to this question, there is no Bible answer.

Cliff Sabroe - NASB95 Bible

Does (1 Peter 3:18-20) teach that Jesus went to hell and preached to dead people?

Answer: No. Please read the following points that expound upon this difficult passage in 1st Peter.

The Passage:

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine long-suffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. (1 Peter 3:18-20)

Background of the Passage:

There were many people at this time who were slandering Christians. Christians should not be “troubled” by this (3:14). Instead we should use it as an opportunity to teach about Christ in a gentile, godly way (3:15-16). This does not mean that we will not “suffer”(17), but instead, we can use our suffering for good. In the later part of chapter 3, Peter emphasizes that God is a caring God, and He even cares about those who are persecuting His followers. In (3:18) we read that Christ died for the “unjust”, He “preached” to the unjust (3:19) and that God will provide salvation to those who follow Him (3:20).

Three Important Questions from this Passage:

• What does it mean that Christ was “alive in the Spirit”?
• Who are these “spirits in prison”?
• When did Christ “preach to them”?

What does it mean that Christ was “alive in/by the Spirit”?

Jesus’ flesh was dead at the cross. His dead body was placed in the tomb. His spirit, however, was very much alive. Jesus, as spirit, has always existed (John 1:1). The Holy Spirit was also involved in resurrection of Christ (Romans 8:11). So Peter is saying that either Jesus as an eternal Spirit has always been alive or that He was made to live post death through of the Holy Spirit. Both thoughts reflect the same idea; Jesus, as an eternal being was not killed.

Who are the “spirits in prison”?

In a similar way to Jesus being alive in the Spirit while dead in the flesh, Jesus preached to those spirits “now in prison”. “Now in prison” is assumed to be a synonym with “in the grave”. The people that Jesus preached to in the Spirit, during the time of the writing of this letter were dead. These would be those who died during the flood (vs. 20).

When did Christ “preach to them”?

Keeping the context in mind, Jesus “in His spirit” preached to those spirits who are now in prison (dead). He did not do this during His time in the tomb, but through Noah, during the time of Noah (1 Peter 1:11). Jesus pre-existed and was working in the world prior to coming to earth in the flesh. The pre-incarnate Jesus preached to people (who died in the flood) through the preaching of Noah on Earth.

Conclusion:

We as Christians are special people who are partakers of a special salvation. God wants all to be partakers of this salvation. In fact God has always offered salvation to the lost. Through the preaching of Christ through Noah, or Christ’s death on the cross, God wants all to be saved.

By Cliff Sabroe - Quotes from NASB95

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Does the Bible teach that Sex before marriage is a sin?

Yes, sex is gift given by God to be enjoyed within a heterosexual marriage. Sexual activity outside of the marriage relationship is often called fornication, sexual immorality and adultery. These actions plus others are referred to as sins in the Bible. Please read the following passages.

• But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. (1 Corinthians 7:2).
• Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18)
• But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. (Ephesians 5:3)
• Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. (Hebrews 13:4)

Conclusion: Sexual activity before marriage or sexual activity with someone besides your spouse while married is sinful. Like any sin, it can be forgiven if the Christian repents and asks for forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Our current society demonstrates a complete lack of self-control when it comes to sexual desires, Christians, however, must learn to control their desires and not allow the desires to control them.

(Further Reading:  “Purpose of Sex within Marriage”)

Cliff Sabroe - Quotes from NASB95 and ESV Bible

Does a Christian have to obey all laws at all times?

Yes, Christians are supposed to subject themselves to those in positions of authority at all times. The only exception to this rule is when those in authority are requiring a Christian to do something that violates God’s will. God’s will trumps all. 

Christian citizens are to submit to the laws of the land (Romans 13). This means that even though as a citizen we might disagree with a particular law (like a posted speed limit) we still must obey. (In most societies, a citizen has legal ways to express displeasure with a law). The only time we have the Biblical right to disobey the government is when the government is commanding that we break God’s law. To this very point the Bible speaks. (Note: Acts 5:27-32)

When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

The same principle applies to parental law. A child is to obey a parent as long as a parent’s command does not violate God’s will. (Note: Ephesians 6:1) “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right”. This same thought also applies to the relationship of a slave to a master or employer to an employee. If one is in authority over us, we obey up to the point when we are asked to do something against God’s will. (Ephesians 6:5 - Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh).

Conclusion: Christians need to be law-abiding obedient people. Christians should work on being submissive to those in authority, with the understanding that we should never submit to an ungodly request or law.

By Cliff Sabroe (Quotes from NASB95 Bible)