A Journey of Triumph over TragedyBy Dr. R. Victor Gray
Just keep breathing is a theology in the key of grace. God isn’t distant, He is right there with you, literally residing in the core of your very being. God is love—and love is what holds it all together.
Sometimes we experience tragedy and it nearly kills us. In Chicago, Illinois, on April 10, 1899, Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech based upon his personal experiences, to which he argued that strenuous effort and overcoming hardship were ideals to be embraced by Americans for the betterment of the individual, the nation and the world in the 20th century.1
We would never invite tragedy, nor do the effects of such a thing ever look desirable; however, most would agree those that have weathered extreme tragedy, tribulation, and turmoil often emerge as more admirable spiritual people. It is a strange conundrum. You wouldn’t want this for yourself, your children, or really anyone, yet we all likely would agree that in an eschatological or redemptive sense – we would all be better people should we have to endure such a thing. We see this in many ways such as Christianity traditionally thriving during times of persecution.2 Theologically, (unless you’re an extreme Calvinist) no one believes that God did this to you. That clearly isn’t the character of God. Perhaps or maybe he simply “allowed” it to happen within a fallen broken world. We don’t have His eyes to see these or fully understand such events from the eyes of a sovereign God. But He asks us to trust Him and in our covenant faithfulness, through enduring faith He will walk with us and bear our burdens. My friend Paul Dazet points out that God works relentlessly to heal. Always. Not by force, but by love. Not from a distance, but from within. Healing is slow, stubborn, often unseen—but it’s always in motion.3
Suffering has a way of revealing what we truly believe. When life hurts, faith is tested, and character is refined. James 5:10–11 invites believers to look to the examples of the prophets and Job to understand endurance in hardship. These verses remind us that suffering is not meaningless and that the God of compassion and mercy always perseveres for us.
Today nearly everyone I know is facing challenges that can draw parallels from Victor’s experience. In a world where pain and uncertainty are prevalent, Victor’s story encourages believers to hold onto their faith even when answers seem elusive. It emphasizes that questioning and seeking understanding are natural parts of the faith journey. Faithful believers can apply Victor’s example by finding strength in their beliefs, seeking support from their faith communities, and allowing their experiences to deepen their spiritual lives. Victor’s resilience serves as a reminder that enduring hardships can ultimately reinforce one’s faith and provide a sense of purpose and hope deeply within the healing arms of the Savior.
I pray that this work inspires you to persevere, to deepen your faith and trust, and find and flourish in the destiny that Jesus has for you.
May you trust that love is working, even when you can’t see it. May you find courage to say yes to healing, one small moment at a time. And may you know that your story, every broken, beautiful piece of it. Is part of something larger than you can imagine. Amen!
This piece is a foreword by Dr. Will Ryan to “Just Keep Breathing, A Journey of Triumph over Tragedy” By Dr. R. Victor Gray is slated to be released by TKC Publishing in early 2026.
If you know anything about me, you know that I am going to tell you what the Bible says as transparently as possible, present the options and issues and let you come to your own conclusion. Nothing is spoon fed. So, I am not going to approach this very difficult issue slightly differently than I have in the past. I wrote a post of homosexuality years ago and I haven’t changed my perspective on that post, but I have come to also frame the same discussions a bit differently. You might want to read this post first.
What I think doesn’t really matter, it is what the Bible says. However, in any theology and interpretation we have to deduce things. When the Bible isn’t perfectly clear we use our God given minds guided by the Holy Spirit to arrive at truth. Sometimes we come to different results, and I would encourage you to honor and respect varied biblically based views.
Homosexuality is Biblically described as sin
The Bible introduces human sexuality within the context of God’s creative design. “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). This foundational premise establishes the binary nature of human sexuality as woven into God’s original creation. In Genesis 2:24, the union of man and woman is depicted as a one-flesh covenant: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” The emphasis on male-female pairing is the template for marriage, consistently referenced throughout Scripture.1
In describing the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, Genesis 19:4-11 recounts men of the city demanding sexual relations with Lot’s guests, who were angels in human form. The account highlights immoral behavior at multiple levels, which includes homosexual acts. While this passage also addresses other grave sins (Ezekiel 16:49-50 mentions pride, neglect of the poor, and abominable acts), the sexual violation in Genesis 19 is one of the clearest aspects of Sodom’s guilt. Homosexuality is clearly treated as sin.2
Leviticus 18:22 states, “You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination.” Likewise, Leviticus 20:13 addresses the same practice as forbidden. These prohibitions appear in a broader context that includes various other sexual sins (e.g., incest, bestiality, and adultery), demonstrating that Scripture draws boundaries around intimacy for Israel, reflecting God’s holiness and will for human sexuality.3
Although the Gospels do not record Jesus specifically saying the word “homosexuality,” in Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus refers to the “male and female” design for marriage reaffirming the OT Genesis covenant by a since of REMEZ which then would carry other OT connotation. Jesus also underscores sexual purity (Matthew 5:27-28; Mark 7:20-23). He does not offer a direct commentary on same-sex relationships in the recorded Gospels, but many will argue that He established framework for marriage, sexual purity, and upholding Scriptural commands providing the overarching context. Matthew 5:17-18 underscores that Jesus came to fulfill the Law, not dismantle it. Ethical instructions, including sexual conduct, gain deeper clarity in the New Covenant but remain consistent in reflecting God’s righteous nature. Within this framework, contexts like Leviticus remain relevant as a moral guidepost, interpreted in the light of Christ’s sacrificial redemption.4
Paul’s epistles also touch on the acts in Romans 1:26-27: “Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another…” This passage highlights a departure from God’s design, emphasizing that certain acts are not in line with His created order. Perhaps similar to how Jesus mentioned them. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral… nor homosexuals, nor thieves… will inherit the kingdom of God.” Here, Paul places homosexual behavior among a list of sins. Yet in the following verse, 1 Corinthians 6:11, he offers hope: “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed…” The emphasis is on transformation and redemption offered by God. This is a challenging interpretation. Finally, 1 Timothy 1:9-11 also categorizes homosexual acts with other sins that contradict “sound teaching,” reinforcing the broader biblical ethic on sexuality. In each instance, Paul addresses same-sex activity as one among various actions deemed inconsistent with the holy living God calls believers to pursue. It seems to treat homosexuality as any other “SINFUL” act.5 Those involved in these acts are missing the mark.
Why this is complicated and considerations of homosexuality
Well, the above probably sounds rather convincing. And I think if you are truly unbiased, it should. I would argue there is a strong biblical directive that homosexuality both NT and OT treat the act of homosexuality as a sin. But let’s also consider the other ramifications of the arguments. It seems that much of our evangelical Christian world continues to live in a sinful state. You might reconsider…
Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.” Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt. Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. “Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?” “No one, Master.” “Neither do I,” said Jesus. “Go on your way. From now on, don’t sin.”] Note: John 7:53–8:11 [the portion in brackets] is not found in the earliest handwritten copies. John 8:7-11
The OT is complicated. What do we take with us and what do we leave behind? Most Evangelical Christians I know no longer keep much if any of the law (starting with the most basic 10 commandments of honoring the sabbath – you probably don’t even know when that starts and ends let alone keep it!) What comes with us as Christians and what stays behind as antiquated law that can’t or no longer needs to be followed in the spirit of Romans 7:6? Perhaps the things Jesus restates come with, but then we have the issue that Jesus followed the law to a T (Levitical not Rabbinical law) and we are to follow His example.6
Let me give you a brief example of some of the other difficulties…
Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. Exodus 21:7 seems to say it is just to sell my daughter to slavery. Exodus 35:2 clearly states violators of the Sabbath may be put to death. Furthermore, homosexuality is often listed with other things that seem much more minor in the OT and could be viewed as premodern-world best practice for health. For instance, Lev. 11:10 says eating shellfish is an “abomination”, and using same words used to describe homosexuality in Lev. 18.7 The argument would then be that perhaps the law suggested things to an ancient world that would keep their nation pure and (sexually) disease free (circumcision, and various purification laws.) Once science caught up with a modern world are these no longer concerns? Do you want to get into a conversation of intention? You might have no issues eating shellfish today but speak up against homosexuality. Is that biased? Did Jesus truly state everything that was important to continue to keep in the law? Does your theology say if Jesus didn’t restate something then it doesn’t need to be followed? He was pretty vague on homosexuality. Some would say if His intention was to call it sin, He could have been much clearer on it. If he was a good teacher wouln’t he have been more clear if that was His intention? What about other simple issues like Lev. 11:6-8 says that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, did you ever consider a football is made of pigskin? Why do some Christians seem to so easily pick and choose what to condemn from the law and what to not even consider? Lev.19:19 indicates we shouldn’t plant two different crops in the same field, or wear garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). You could even argue Lev.24:10-16 makes a case to stone them or that Lev. 20:14 says to burn those caught in incestual relationships. Are you starting to see the complications that might come with being unbiased to the text, trying to decide what still should carry over to us? Why are women in the OT not upheld to the same sexual standards as men?8 What about miskebe issa?9 Do we want to get into that conversation?
Lastly, aren’t we called to strive to live 100% towards the finished eschatological goal? Some have said that there will be no genders in heaven, however I would argue the Bible seems to lean the other way. There is nothing in the Bible that indicates people will lose or change their gender in heaven. On the contrary, the Bible implies that we will remain who we are in heaven, and gender is likely part of who we are. In paradise, Lazarus was still Lazurus, and Abraham was still Abraham (Luke 16:22–24). But make no mistake, the first two chapters and the last two chapters are God’s ideals and at the very least there is gender equality. But that still doesn’t address all the questions or issues eschatologically. Jesus says, “At the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.” – Matthew 22:30 The problem is Angels in Heaven had a distinctive Genesis 6 problem that had to do with all things sexual. What do you do with that? If you are going down this road, you might also consider the texts of Genesis 3:15, Genesis 6:2, Genesis 19:5-8, in comparison to Galations 3:26 and Mark 12:25.
CONCLUSIVE THOUGHTS
Each person may have a different interpretation of the scripture and be in a slightly different situation. I think we should walk in balance and peace but encourage better Biblical interpretation. Has modernity and science changed over time compared to the law as a stop gap for the coming of the messiah and possibly modern medicine? (Some will argue God uses modern medicine, some see modern medicine as opposite of the healing God offers.) There are several things that should come into your theological lens in terms of agreement within your theology on this matter.
On the one hand, if you are reading this, you most likely believe the Bible is God’s Word and we can’t with integrity deny that it teaches that sex outside the parameters of a monogamous, life-long, marriage covenant is sin, whether it is sex with a person of a different gender or sex with a person of the same gender. We find the arguments of those who try to argue that Rom.1:24-28-, I Cor. 6:9 and I Tim. 1:10 don’t apply to monogamous gay relationships simply aren’t very persuasive. On the other hand, we sense that something is “off” with the stance of the church throughout history, and the stance of most evangelical churches today, toward gay people. Jesus would have unequivocally loved them and invited them to repent and join His kingdom. The approach isn’t consistent or balanced.
As an example, many of us wonder why it is that the church (rightly) embraces without question people who have been divorced and remarried – several times, in some cases –but adamantly excludes committed gay couples – couples who sometimes have a love for one another that puts the love of many straight couples to shame. What makes this question especially important is that the New Testament’s teaching that divorce and remarriage involves sin is much more emphatic and clear than it’s teaching that gay unions involve sin (see e.g. Mt. 5:32; 19:9). In fact, while Jesus taught on the sin of divorce and remarriage several times, he never even mentioned homosexuality. I have said it many times over the years, but once you step away from God’s ideal of 1 man and 1 woman united as one before the LORD in ANY WAY… you are outside of His perfect will for you. In every other situation grace covers you equally. However, we are also told to not continue to live in sin. You might argue that remarriage isn’t necessarily sin but living in homosexuality is. We also have to consider not giving into the tendencies, urge or temptations. What about the one who has the sexual urges towards homosexuality but never gratifies those urges? Isn’t that essentially the same as not giving into any sinful temptation? I think if you are truly approaching this issue with an un-biased approach toward faithful hermeneutical interpretation this subject is going to be far more complicated than you may have ever considered.
Let me get back to grace. My point is not that the church should exclude divorced and remarried people. While divorce and remarriage “misses the mark” of God’s ideal, which is the Bible’s definition of sin (harmartia), I believe that, by God’s grace, this is sometimes the best option for people. My point is rather that there seems to be an inconsistency on the part of the church on this matter, and many of us wonder why.10
Scripture consistently presents homosexual practice, like adultery and various other sexual acts outside of a man-woman marriage covenant, as contrary to God’s design. So, let’s be consistent!
At the same time, the Bible declares the potential for repentance, transformation, and redemption for all people regardless of background or personal history. For many interpreters, this forms the unified, scriptural teaching on homosexuality. In summary, the biblical record reflects a consistent stance on the question at hand-rooted in God’s initial design, repeated in the ethical instructions of both Old and New Testaments, and ultimately encompassed by the message of grace and hope found in Christ.
Coogan 2010, p. 135: “Finally, the Hebrew Bible is silent about lesbian relationships, probably because they did not relate to patriarchy—or, for that matter, to paternity.” ↩︎
Alpert, Rebecca T. (2009). “Reconsidering Solitary Sex from a Jewish Perspective”. In Ruttenberg, Danya (ed.). The Passionate Torah: Sex and Judaism. NYU Press. p. 185. ISBN978-0-8147-7605-6. In the Hebrew Bible there is no same-gender sexuality for women and no allusion to female masturbation, whereas lying with a man as with a woman is prohibited at least twice in the Torah.↩︎
“Since illicit carnal relations are implied by the term miškĕbê ʾiššâ, it may be plausibly suggested that homosexuality is herewith forbidden for only the equivalent degree of forbidden heterosexual relations, namely, those enumerated in the preceding verses (D. Stewart). However, sexual liaisons occurring with males outside these relations would not be forbidden. And since the same term miškĕbê ʾiššâ is used in the list containing sanctions (20:13), it would mean that sexual liaisons with males, falling outside the control of the paterfamilias, would be neither condemnable nor punishable. Thus miskĕbê ʾiššâ, referring to illicit male—female relations, is applied to illicit male—male relations, and the literal meaning of our verse is: do not have sex with a male with whose widow sex is forbidden. In effect, this means that the homosexual prohibition applies to Ego with father, son, and brother (subsumed in v. 6) and to grandfather—grandson, uncle—nephew, and stepfather—stepson, but not to any other male.” – Jacob Milgrom, Leviticus 17-22: A New Translation With Introduction and Commentary, Anchor Yale Bible vol. 3, Yale University Press, 2007, page 1569 ↩︎
I had the honor of writing the foreword for this book. I have written the forewords for over a dozen books in the last few years, but this one was different. I was given a pre-release copy to read and make “theological suggestions” and ended up falling in love with it. It is the only book I have ever approached the author and “asked” for consideration to write the foreword for. I truly believe this book will profoundly change your life.
I write a good amount of book reviews, and I decided that I am simply going to be a cheerleader from the sidelines on this review. Not because I don’t want to dive into every discussion, but because I truly want to not determine the course of impact this book will have on you. I believe it touches everyone slightly differently. So rather than tell you precisely what I think is best about it, or how it impacted me or should impact you – I just want to convince you that you need to read it and leave it up to the Holy Spirit to determine the impact it will have on your life.
This is a masterpiece. Digestible and easily applicable, no matter what your situation is, or what stage of life you are in. It is a reflective and deeply personal journey. Have you wondered if your course is slightly off? Are you really living the meaningful fulfilling life that God desires and intended for you? Jon has a way of getting to the root of the most personal topics and providing concrete, approachable ways to address them. He also has a gift for framing things in ways you would never think of but draws the reader into the sacred places and beautiful moments of their lives. The very introspective, passionate, & compassionate author will give you much to reflect on in your physical and spiritual relationships and life perspectives. This is a very easy and enlightening book to read and extremely practical on how to hear the voice of God for the situations you are facing now and to seek God’s face for his plans for your future. One of the strengths of the book is its clarity and simplicity in presenting profound spiritual truths. Jon emphasizes that everyone has a purpose in life, which is ultimately found in a personal relationship with God that dives into practical and inspirational stories painting great mosaics of what it means and looks like to find the love, grace, compassion and mercy of the father in everyday interactions. Have you experienced God moving with you in real time?
The church needs this book. Buy a copy for yourself and a friend.
This Friday night at TOV we are having Eden to Eden back! One of the things they are known for is their psalming. Psalming has a rich past in devotional and spiritual meditation to Yahweh. Hebrew psalming is a type of cantillation1, the Hebrew term te’amim describes the manner of reciting or singing verses from the Bible and specifically in this case, the Psalms.2 It is becoming more popular in organic praise and worship settings and is often connected with inviting the Holy Spirit to indwell the natural spontaneity of devotional and meditational song.
In Hebrew there are special signs or marks printed in the Masoretic Text of the Bible, to complement the letters and vowel points. These marks are known in English as ‘accents’ (diacritics), ‘notes’ or trope symbols3. The musical motifs associated with the signs are known in Hebrew as niggun or neginot.4
There are multiple traditions of cantillation. Within each tradition, there are multiple tropes, typically for different books of the Bible and often for different occasions. For example, different chants may be used for Torah readings on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur than for the same text on a normal Shabbat.
In Evangelical Christianity cantillation is known mostly when Bible verses are restated in modern praise and worship music and are simply referred to as praise and worship songs. However, when these songs literally reiterate scripture, they certainly should be considered te’amim.
Phonetics
Most cantillation signs are written on the consonant of the stressed syllable of a word. This also shows where the most important note of the musical motif should go.5
A few signs always go on the first or last consonant of a word. This may have been for musical reasons, or it may be to distinguish them from other accents of similar shape. For example, pashta, which goes on the last consonant, otherwise looks like kadma, which goes on the stressed syllable.6
Music
Cantillation signs guide the reader in applying a chant to Biblical readings. This chant is technically regarded as a ritualized form of speech intonation rather than as a musical exercise like the singing of metrical hymns: for this reason, Jews always speak of saying or reading a passage rather than of singing it. However, most people observing for the first time would understand it to be no different to a scripturally based praise and worship song.
Psalms, Proverbs and Job
The system of cantillation signs used throughout the Tanakh is replaced by a very different system for these three poetic books. Many of the signs may appear the same or similar at first glance, but most of them serve entirely different functions in these three books. The short narratives at the beginning and end of Job use the “regular” system, but the bulk of the book (the poetry) uses the special system. For this reason, these three books are referred to as sifrei emet (Books of Truth), the word emet meaning “truth”, but also being an acronym (אמ״ת) for the first letters of the three books (Iyov, Mishle, Tehillim).7
In Christian missionary uses
The Jewish-born Christian convert Ezekiel Margoliouth translated the New Testament to Hebrew in 1865 with cantillation marks added. It is the only completely cantillated translation of the New Testament. The translation was published by the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews.8
Understanding the Psalms as Music
The Book of Psalms also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called Ketuvim (‘Writings’), and a book of the Old Testament.9
The book is an anthology of Hebrew religious hymns. In the Jewish and Western Christian traditions, there are 150 psalms, and several more in the Eastern Christian churches.10 The book is divided into five sections, each ending with a doxology, a hymn of praise. There are several types of psalms, including hymns or songs of praise, communal and individual laments, royal psalms, imprecation, and individual thanksgivings. The book also includes psalms of communal thanksgiving, wisdom, pilgrimage, and other categories.
Many of the psalms contain attributions to the name of King David and other Biblical figures, including Asaph, the sons of Korah, Moses, and Solomon. Davidic authorship of the Psalms is not accepted as a historical fact by modern scholars, who view it as a way to link biblical writings to well-known figures; while the dating of the Psalms is “notoriously difficult”, some are considered preexilic and others postexilic.11 The English-language title of the book derives from the Greek word psalmoi (ψαλμοί), meaning ‘instrumental music’, and by extension referring to “the words accompanying the music”.12
In Christian prayer and worship
New Testament references show that the earliest Christians used the Psalms in worship, Paul the Apostle quotes Psalms (specifically Psalms 14 and 53, which are nearly identical). Several conservative Protestant denominations sing only the Psalms (some churches also sing the small number of hymns found elsewhere in the Bible) in worship.
Psalming in modern praise and worship
There are some challenges to modern day Western Church psalming. Psalms don’t rhyme, they use forms such as acrostics that are foreign to pop music, and they certainly don’t fit neatly into the verse/chorus/bridge patterns used in pop. This may mean that the composer of modern psalm songs needs to stretch both biblical text and musical idiom so they can meet. In this way, they may not be word for word, that really wasn’t the intention of the text to the original audience any way. As some more traditional or Rabbinic forms may take offense to modern evangelical psalming, there isn’t necessarily a right or wrong cantillation; in fact, quite the opposite – most modern musicians would say, let the Holy Spirit move and abound. In this way gifts of tongues may often be part of the utterance.
Jeffrey Burns, The Music of Psalms, Proverbs and Job in the Hebrew Bible (Jüdische Musik 9), Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, 2011, ISBN344706191X. ↩︎
Jacobson, Joshua (2017). “CHAPTER ONE CANTILLATION.” Chanting the Hebrew Bible (Second, Expanded ed.). Web: The Jewish Publication Society. p. 2. ↩︎
The article on “Cantillation” in the Jewish Encyclopedia shows tunes for “Prophets (other readings)” for both the Western Sephardi and the Baghdadi traditions. ↩︎
Lier, Gudrun, “The Revia in the Context of Decoding Masoretic Accents”, Journal of Semitics, 2011, Vol 21/1, pp. 28-51. ↩︎
For a full study see Israel Yeivin, Cantillation of the Oral Law. Leshonenu 24 (1960), pp. 47-231 (Hebrew). ↩︎
Mazor, Lea (2011). “Book of Psalms”. In Berlin, Adele; Grossman, Maxine (eds.). The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion. Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-973004-9. ↩︎
Kselman, John S. (2007). “Psalms”. In Coogan, Michael David; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Newsom, Carol Ann (eds.). The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-528880-3. ↩︎
Murphy, Roland E. (1993). “Psalms”. In Coogan, Michael D.; Metzger, Bruce (eds.). The Oxford Companion to the Bible. Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-974391-9. ↩︎
Q: I have a question regarding Israel. Would Israelites still be considered God’s chosen people or would that have changed with Jesus’s atoning works?
Yes, Israel was (and is) called God’s chosen people in Scripture—but what that means and how we understand it after Jesus is really important to clarify.
When God called Israel His “chosen people” in the Old Testament, it wasn’t primarily a statement about salvation. Rather, Israel was chosen (commissioned) for a vocation—to be a light to the nations (see Exodus 19:5–6; Deuteronomy 7:6; Isaiah 49:6). (You might see this as a regaining of the nations if you follow a Deuteronomy 32 worldview.) God gave them the Law (Torah), the covenants, and the promises, not as an end in themselves, but so that through them, the nations of the world would come to know and worship Yahweh. Paul puts it like this in Romans 3:2—that the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. In a sense, this was the calling of Adam and Eve and when they fall short, God commissions Israel in the same calling, nation that would be called commissioned as a holy royal priesthood to represent Yahweh to the rest of the fallen world.
But Israel consistently struggled to live out this calling. From nearly the beginning of the story the nation failed to honor Yahweh (golden calf incident) and instead of the entire nation (all 12 tribes) representing the Lord as priests, God adapted the plan and then called just the Levites to be His representatives as priests first to Israel in hopes of then commissioning the entire nation of Israel to the original plan and act as ambassadors of Yahweh. The Old Testament tells a story of covenant, failure, judgment, and hope for restoration. Israel continued to falter. They gave up their theocracy of one God – Yahweh to choose to be led by an earthly king. They drifted farther and farther from the plan until God finally hands them over to their own demise, the exile was a key turning point. Even after the return of the exile to Jerusalem, most scholars believe Israel never returned to the LORD. God longed for Israel to return to the true redemption and the coming of God’s kingdom. Unfortunately, Israel continued to fall short and not seem to live out their calling or commissioning.
Jesus enters the narrative with a similar mission. He doesn’t reject Israel’s story—He steps into it. He comes first to “the lost sheep of Israel” (Matt. 15:24), calling them back to their original vocation. He chooses twelve disciples, clearly symbolizing a reconstitution of the twelve tribes of Israel. This is not incidental—it’s Jesus claiming to be the one who restores and redefines Israel around Himself.
And here’s the key: Jesus is the faithful Israelite. He does what Israel failed to do. He keeps the covenant perfectly, walks in radical obedience, and fulfills Israel’s mission. He is the true Israel (see Matthew 2:15 where Hosea’s words originally spoken about Israel—”out of Egypt I called my son”—are applied to Jesus).
This is why Paul will later say in Galatians 3:16 that the promises were given not to “seeds” (plural) but to one “seed,” who is Christ. In other words, the inheritance of Israel is fulfilled in Jesus—and only those who are “in Him” share in that inheritance. That phrase—”in Christ”—is the dominant identity marker for believers in the New Testament. If Jesus is the true Israel, then those united to Him (Jew or Gentile) are the true people of God.
This point becomes even clearer when we revisit God’s original promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” This statement is often lifted out of its covenantal context and applied to modern nations or political support for Israel. However, the Hebrew grammar and narrative context show that the promise was made to Abram himself (the singular “you” in Hebrew, ʾotkha), not to a future geopolitical nation. God’s intention was not to privilege one ethnic group above all others but to initiate a redemptive mission through one man and his descendants—a mission that would culminate in Christ. The blessing is vocational, not nationalistic. Abram is chosen in order to be a blessing, that through him “all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
The apostle Paul interprets this precisely in Galatians 3:16, identifying the “seed” (zeraʿ) of Abraham as Christ Himself. This means that the covenant promise—“I will bless those who bless you”—finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. The “you” now applies to Abraham’s true heir, the Messiah. Those who bless Him—who honor, trust, and align themselves with Jesus—receive the blessing of God; those who reject Him cut themselves off from that blessing. In this way, the Abrahamic covenant points forward to Christ as the locus of divine favor. To bless Abraham’s seed is to embrace the redemptive mission of God revealed in Jesus, and through faith in Him, we become participants in that same blessing.
Paul says Abraham was justified before circumcision (Rom. 4), showing that faith, not ethnicity, is the marker of God’s covenant people. He adds in Romans 2:28–29 that a true Jew is one inwardly, whose heart is circumcised by the Spirit. And in Galatians 3:28 he writes: “There is neither Jew nor Greek… you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2 expands this beautifully. Paul says that Jesus has broken down the dividing wall and made one new humanity—no longer Jew and Gentile, but one body. Peter echoes this in 1 Peter 2, where he applies all the covenant titles once reserved for Israel (royal priesthood, holy nation, people of God) to the church made up of both Jews and Gentiles.
Paul also uses the metaphor of an olive tree in Romans 11: some natural branches (ethnic Israelites) were broken off because of unbelief, and wild branches (Gentiles) were grafted in. But it’s one tree. There aren’t two peoples of God. There is one new covenant community—those who are in Christ. It’s not about replacing Israel, but about fulfillment—where Jews and Gentiles together form the one people of God in Christ.
This helps clarify what Paul means in Romans 11:26 when he says, “all Israel will be saved.” We don’t believe he’s referring to a future mass conversion of ethnic Jews or suggesting two separate salvation paths. Rather, he’s speaking of the fullness of God’s people: both believing Jews and Gentiles who are part of the one tree through faith in the Messiah. This fits with Paul’s logic throughout Romans and with his statement in Galatians 6:16 that the church is “the Israel of God.”
God has always worked through covenants—and those covenants are centered on trust and faithfulness, not ethnicity alone. From the beginning, covenant relationship with God required loyal love. Even under the Mosaic covenant, Israel’s inclusion was contingent on obedience and faithfulness to Yahweh (Deut 28). Being born into Israel didn’t guarantee blessing—relationship and trust did. (Israelites were never automatically “saved.”) If there was any sense of salvation in the Old Testament it would be under the same “qualifications” as in the New Testament. What God was asking and promising for the faithful doesn’t change from the Old Covenants to the New Covenant.
The New Testament affirms this. While many modern Jews are physical descendants of Abraham, Paul is clear that physical descent is not enough. In Romans 9:6–8, he writes:
“For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants… it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise.”
Paul emphasizes that covenant identity is now grounded in faith—just as it was with Abraham. As he puts it in Galatians 3:7:
“Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.”
So when we speak of the “people of God” today, we are not referring to a physical nation-state or ethnic group. We are speaking of those “in Christ”—those joined to the faithful Israelite, Jesus.
The modern nation-state of Israel is not the covenant people of the Bible. -If this is a new consideration for you, you might consider reading this article. Most of its citizens do not follow the Mosaic covenant, and the majority have rejected Jesus as Messiah. According to the New Testament, that places them outside of the renewed covenant family—not because of their ancestry, but because God’s covenant has always been about faith.
This doesn’t mean God has abandoned ethnic Jews. Paul says in Romans 11 that he hopes some of his fellow Jews will be provoked to faith. And many Messianic Jews (Jewish believers in Jesus) are part of the body of Christ. But the boundary marker is no longer ethnicity or Torah observance—it is faith in Jesus.
All of this leads us to say: the true Israel (or Israelite) is Jesus. And those “in Him,” whether Jew or Gentile, are heirs to the promises, the calling, and the covenant. God is not partial (and never has been, even with Israel as many gentiles were welcome to join them, a mixed multitude – Hebrew and gentile – left Egypt in the Exodus becoming “Israel”, and some even found themselves in the lineage of Christ Himself) —He welcomes all who come to Him through Christ.
We also need to think about our family in Christ as those that are allegiant to the New Covenant calling rather than those that are nationalistically / inter-nationalistically aligned with groups that subtly “claim to be allied with God” but are not living out the Way of Jesus or bearing fruit for the Kingdom of Christ. There is only one kingdom of Christ, and you can’t serve two masters. For generations many have claimed to be part of Israel or want to be somehow grafted into salvation but haven’t followed the devotion that God has desired and look nothing like Jesus or act in a way worthy of bearing His image. Jesus seemed to paint this picture vividly and make this very clear in the sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).
This is not replacement theology.1 God has not rejected Israel and replaced her with or even outside of the church. Rather, the church is the fulfillment of Israel’s story (and Adam and Eve’s story for that matter) —expanded to include all nations through union with Jesus, the faithful Israelite, this was the plan of redemption that “all nations”, or everyone was offerred from the beginning.The promises of God have not been scrapped or reassigned; they find their “yes and amen” in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). The covenant people of God have always been marked by faith and loyalty to Him—and in the new covenant, that means allegiance and devotion to Yahweh through Jesus accepting and claiming that victory and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit as a sign of the holy royal priesthood. Jew and Gentile together form the one new man, the reconstituted people of God.
written by Will Ryan Th.D. and Matt Mouzakis Th.D.
Replacement theology, doctrine holding that Christians have replaced the Jewish people as the chosen people of God or as the heirs of the divine-human covenant described in the Hebrew Bible. The theology is also referred to as supersessionism, in which Christianity is thought to have superseded Judaism. It is closely related to fulfillment theology, which holds that Christianity has fulfilled the divine promises signaled in the Hebrew Bible. These ideas appear to be suggested in some of the earliest Christian texts, such as writings of St. Paul the Apostle, and subsequent Christian theologians have strengthened the opposition of Judaism and Christianity in ways that have informed relations between Christians and Jews. In the 20th century many Christian theologians and even church doctrines replaced replacement theology with more-nuanced or inclusive models that support more-amicable interreligious relations.
The Magen David or Star of David (מָגֵן דָּוִד, lit. ’Shield of David‘) is a symbol generally recognized as representing both Jewish identity and Judaism.1 It may surprise you to learn that it has no Biblical roots. The earliest the hexagram can be found in a religious context is in the Leningrad Codex, a manuscript of the Hebrew Bible from 11th-century Cairo.2 It became representative of Zionism after it was chosen as the central symbol for a Jewish national flag at the First Zionist Congress in 1897.3 By the end of World War I, it was an internationally accepted symbol for the Jewish people, used on the gravestones of fallen Jewish soldiers. 4 Today, the star is the central symbol on the national flag of the State of Israel.
Unlike the menorah, the Lion of Judah, the shofar and the lulav, the hexagram was not originally a uniquely Jewish symbol.5 There are some early signs of the symbol, in Israel, there is a stone bearing a hexagram from the arch of the 3rd–4th century Khirbet Shura synagogue in Galilee.6 It also appears on a temple on Bar Kokhba Revolt coinage which dates from 135 CE.7 You can also find a hexagram on the ancient synagogue at Capernaum.8
A hexagram has been noted on a Jewish tombstone in Italy and another arguably in Egypt 9 (that I viewed in person earlier this year), which both may date as early as the third century.10 The Jews of Apulia were noted for their scholarship in Kabbalah, which doesn’t sit well in most traditional and Messianic Jewish circles.11
Medieval Kabbalistic grimoires show hexagrams among the tables of segulot, but without identifying them as “Shield of David”.12
REMPHAN
In the New Testament, Stephen condemns Jewish idolatry in Acts 7:3: “Ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.” Stephen is quoting word-for-word from Septuagint version of Amos 5:26-27.
According to some Biblical scholars, the name refers to the Hebrew Kiyyun or Chiun (Hebrew: כִּיּוּן), However, the words “Kiyyun” (“Chiun”) and “Remphan” are each hapax legomena,13 and the text is unclear as to whether they are common or proper nouns and could be a reference to the planet Saturn (which was also connected to Remphan.) The Masoretic Text reads Kiyyun (Chiun), while the Septuagint renders that name as Rephan. Acts 7:42 quotes the Greek form, showing how the prophetic word moved into the early church. Comparative linguistics links Kiyyun to the Assyrian Kayvân, a name for planet saturn. Ancient peoples called planets “wandering stars” and often built cults around a star god. In more modern history you will recognize these terms from Zoroastrianism.14
To be clear the Bible just mentions a star, not 5 or 6 points or anything else. The context is about rebellion to the Lord, but a large part of this discussion would have involved symbols of idolatry which is Exodus 20:3-4 language. Furthermore, as I alluded to earlier, there are some Hebrew issues in the text that you may need to be work through. The Hebrew Kiyyun to the Assyrian Kayvân / Chuin or Kewan, was rendered in the Septuagint, as Ῥαιφάν [Raiphan]. Some try to argue that there was no ancient god named Remphan, but I don’t see merit in that argument.
Others may say that the reference is the Star of Ninurta, which has eight points, not six points.15 But the truth of the matter is there are plenty of stars to be found in ancient culture and they didn’t seem to differentiate between 5,6,7 or 8 points; they all held the similar celestial imagery. For instance, I will remind you that in John’s vision of Revelation, Jesus has seven stars in his right hand. Jesus reveals the mystery: “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches” (Rev 1:20). Thus, there are seven stars or seven angels (messengers) to God’s redeemed people. In this sense it is important to point out that star imagery itself should not necessarily be condemned, it can be viewed in scripture in both positive and negative light. Jesus is called the Morning Star in Revelation 22:26 but Satan is also referenced with a similar term in Isaiah 14:12.
Moloch, Chiun and Remphan are all associated with the star god, Saturn, whose symbol is most commonly viewed as a six pointed star formed by two triangles, but sometimes as an 8 sided star. Saturn was the supreme god of the Chaldeans. Mo, Chiun, Rephan, or Remphan, and Remphis, all are likely the same with the Serapis of the Egyptians, and the calf of the Israelites; and which idolatry was introduced on account of Joseph, who interpreted the dream of Pharaoh’s kine, and provided for the Egyptians in the years of plenty against the years of famine, and was worshipped under the ox with a bushel on his head.
There is also may be a D32 nephalim connection. Giants, with the Hebrews, were called “Rephaim”; and so Mo, who is here meant, is called “Rephan”, and with an epenthesis “Remphan”, because of his gigantic form; which some have concluded from the massy crown on his head, which, with the precious stones, weighed a talent of gold, which David took from thence, 2 Samuel 12:30 for not the then reigning king of the Ammonites, but Molech, or Milchom, their idol, is meant: this is generally thought to be the same with Chiun in Amos; but it does not stand in a place to answer to that; besides, that should not be left untranslated, it not being a proper name of an idol, but signifies a type or form; and the whole may be rendered thus, “but ye have borne the tabernacle of your king, and the type, or form of your images, the star of your god”; which version agrees with Stephens’s, who, from the Septuagint, adds the name of this their king, and their god Rephan, or Remphan.16 Early Hebrew writing easily could have interpreted Rephaim as Rephan. We see these slight textual subtleties all over early ancient transcripts.17 Rephan, very well could point directly to a connection with fallen spiritual beings revered in the ancient world as gods in a Genesis 6 context.
THE SEAL OF SOLOMON
The Seal of Solomon or Ring of Solomon (חותם שלמה, Ḥotam Shlomo) is the legendary signet ring attributed to king Solomon in medieval mystical traditions, from which it developed in parallel within Jewish mysticism, Islamic mysticism and Western occultism. This story comes from the ancient non-canonical writing sometimes referred to as the “Testament of Solomon.” It is often depicted in the shape of either a hexagram or a pentagram. In mystic Jewish lore, the ring is variously described as having given Solomon the power to command the supernatural, including shedim and jinn, and also the ability to speak with animals. Most scholars would say that this is the predecessor to the Star of David.18
While several Biblical passages emphasize Solomon’s supernatural endowment of wisdom, they do not mention him receiving a ring to control demons. Instead, Scripture highlights Solomon’s extensive knowledge of natural phenomena (1 Kings 4:33) and the building of the Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 6). No biblical text describes him subjugating evil spirits via an object or talisman. The extra-biblical work called the “Testament of Solomon” is thought to have been compiled between the 1st and 5th centuries AD (well after the Old Testament period). This document is categorized by scholars as pseudepigraphical, meaning it circulates under Solomon’s name but is not recognized as authentic Scripture. In this story, Solomon purportedly receives a ring from an angel, which bears the name or seal of God and grants him authority over demons, enabling him to command them to assist in building the Temple.19
A legend of a magic ring with which the possessor could command demons was already current in the 1st century Josephus as well as the Tractate Gittin (fol. 68) of the Talmud which also has a story involving Solomon, Asmodeus, and a ring with the divine name engraved: Solomon gives the ring and a chain to one Benaiahu son of Jehoiada to catch the demon Ashmedai, to obtain the demon’s help to build the temple; Ashmedai later tricks Solomon into giving him the ring and swallows it.20
There is also a subtle connection by symbolism to the Magi. The Magi are popularly referred to as wise men and kings. The word magi is used in the original Greek text of the Gospel of Matthew. Magi will later be seen in the etymology of the English term magic. Daniel 2:48 will connect with the same words when describing “Elymas the sorcerer” in Acts 13:6–11. Biblically all of these things fall under divination. The image to the right became part of the Alphabet of the Magi much later in history.
Scripture consistently condemns divination. Deuteronomy 18:10-11 states, “Let no one be found among you…who practices divination, conjury, interprets omens, or sorcery.” This prohibition underscores that seeking information from sources other than God is forbidden. The Israelites were called to be distinct from other nations, which frequently turned to occult rituals for guidance.
Leviticus 19:26 also prohibits divination, reinforcing that God’s people must avoid methods used by pagan cultures. King Manasseh’s downfall exemplifies the tragic consequences of defying these commands: “He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft…” (2 Chronicles 33:6). Through such narratives, the Bible highlights the spiritual dangers and moral corruption that accompany attempts to manipulate or predict the future by occult means.
STARBUCKS ANOLOGY
Some may not like this analogy, but of late, it was a popular “western world” analogy to this conversation so I will mention it. You might consider the question, “Is the star of David rooted in idolatry and divination which was/is rival to Yahweh?” There is certainly an argument for that view. But many symbols both in and out of the Bible can go both ways. Foundationally, evil has always sought to take what is good and turn it to be a symbol of Evil. The Bible doesn’t really give us the whole story here, as that isn’t it’s primary intention. At least with the “taking back of the Rainbow”, there is a clear mention in the Bible. The roots of the rainbow representing something good and of God is not arguable. But with the 6-sided star we don’t necessarily have that. To most people if something has occult type of roots or even some strain of a negative connotation, we aren’t going to use the same symbol for our entity of good intention. When people and organizations do things like this it raises red flags, but it doesn’t make it wrong per se.
A good example is the Starbucks logo. The way it is used most recently seems simple. But when you dig into the history you scratch your head wondering why would a corporate coffee company “go there.” You have probably heard this, but most Christians would call the Starbucks logo downright “DEMONIC.” The image in the center of the Starbucks logo is not a mermaid. She’s actually a mythological Siren, a female creature that lured mariners to destruction by her sex appeal. Since coffee beans typically traveled overseas on large container ships, the founders decided to use a “seductive siren” logo that would lure coffee lovers to its stores. The original Starbucks logo was X rated, a bare-breasted, female Siren with two serpentine tails spread apart (a legs spread open sense.)
In an article published by Revealing Truth, it was claimedthat the Starbucks logo also has sinister roots. By turning the original Starbucks logo upside down, you can see the image of satan. In 2014, Starbucks got into trouble after its employees were drawing satanic pentagrams and the number “666” in the foam of coffee.
However, it is quite possible you visit Starbucks every day and look at the logo and can’t see anything evil in it anymore, and care very little about its dark history. As a Christian should you not support the organization because of its roots? I am not sure we should hold the organizations themselves and the people that represent them accountable for choices they specifically didn’t make. Isn’t that a Biblical theme? God isn’t judging you for the actions of others, just you. (I realize there are views within reformed theology that might see this differently.) There is an argument along these same lines with MONSTER energy Drink. I won’t get into that here. If you drink Monster or Starbucks, you shouldn’t have an issue with the Star of David, if you don’t – well than you might have an issue with the Star of David; but they are all slightly different to this analogy.
SEEING THE GOOD
I do believe there is a perspective of seeing the good in things despite their dark past. Isn’t that the restorative nature of scripture? You can choose to let ancient bygones be bygones and see the beauty and peace that the star of David a new meaning and we can see it for what it has come to represent. Shouldn’t we all be hopeful that a dark symbol could find There may even be an element of interpretation not specifically declared in the Bible but theologically deduced. The Star of David and the pomegranate are deeply intertwined in Jewish tradition. The pomegranate is one of the seven species mentioned in Deuteronomy 8:8, symbolizing God’s blessings and the good deeds of the people. It is also associated with the Temple and High Priestly garments and is used during the Feasts of Shavuot and Sukkot.21 The pomegranate’s six petals form the Star of David, and its significance extends to kingship and the Messiah Those who see the Star of David as Biblical, see the pomegranate’s deep red color and the presence of seeds that symbolize blood pointing to Jesus. Together, these symbols can be seen as representative to the holiness of God, the good deeds of the people, and point towards Jesus.
CONCLUSION
Going back to the Star of David. Knowing the History of how a 6-sided star has been used in Ancient Near Eastern history as connected to gods against Yahweh and divination, it seems “off” that Israel and Zionism would then adopt it as their logo claiming to be a God-fearing Nation. Yet there are also some beautiful connections to the pomegranate and seeing the hope that the symbol has come to represent many years before they adopted it.
WORKS CITED:
Jacob Newman; Gabriel Sivan; Avner Tomaschoff (1980). Judaism A–Z. World Zionist Organization. p. 116. ↩︎
Kittel, Rud; Alt, A; Eissfeldt, Otto; Kahle, Paul; Weil, Gerard E; Schenker, Adrian (1977). Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. ISBN9783438052186. (in Foreword by Gérard E. Weil). ↩︎
“The Flag and the Emblem” (MFA). “The Star of David became the emblem of Zionist Jews everywhere. Non-Jews regarded it as representing not only the Zionist current in Judaism, but Jewry as a whole.” ↩︎
“The Flag and the Emblem” (MFA). “Unlike the menora (candelabrum), the Lion of Judah, the shofar (ram’s horn) and the lulav (palm frond), the Star of David was never a uniquely Jewish symbol.” ↩︎
Plaut, W. Gunther (1991). The Magen David: How the six-pointed Star became an emblem for the Jewish People. Washington, D.C.: B’nai B’rith Books. pp. 26, 61–62. ISBN0-910250-17-0. ↩︎
The Egyptian officials accused the delegation of German archaeologists that has been working on the site’s reconstruction of engraving the Stars of David into the Shrine’s stone. The engravings are found on a 3rd century B.C, temple located in Elephantine Island in Aswan. ↩︎
Herbert M. Adler, JQR, vol. 14:111. Cited in “Magen David”, Jewish Encyclopedia, retrieved May 28, 2010. ↩︎
Amar Annus, The God Ninurta in the Mythology and Royal Ideology of Ancient Mesopotamia, State Archives of Assyria Studies, Volume XIV Helsinki 2002. Pg. 104 ↩︎
When you harmonize the gospels, you likely come to the conclusion that Jesus called the disciples 3x. The last time He gets very specific and asks them to leave everything on the beach, don’t look back, stay with Me completely and “walk” completely with Me. In our modern Western world this first century calling to discipleship seems almost impossible. I have spent my whole life challenging myself and other people to this level of discipleship, and I am just about convinced that in modern America people just aren’t willing. I have found one exception… seminary training. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with all seminary experiences but at The King’s Commission (TKC) we believe that this is the closest pathway to what first century discipleship under Jesus would have looked like. Study daily, be mentored, read, listen, discuss, dive deep into a community that is likeminded to experience the full breadth (completeness) of Jesus and the Church.
What a time it must have been, when Jesus shared his words and heart with his disciples (students) for the three years of his earthly ministry! They saw his compassionate healings, marveled at his miraculous power, listened to his word, saw his glory (Matt. 17:1-13), were humbled by his servant-leadership (Matt. 20:25-28, John 13:1-20). We believe you can still experience that same feeling with Jesus through TKC.
Seminary is something similar to those three years with Jesus. In many ways, of course, it is different. Jesus didn’t need to teach his disciples how to read Hebrew and Greek. He didn’t need to teach them post-canonical church history, because at the time there wasn’t any. And although he didn’t give letter grades, he regularly evaluated their progress. TKC has sought to stay as true to this dynamic model as possible.
Discipleship is about commitment, not to a program or a pattern but to the person of Jesus Christ.
Perhaps one of the Western world modern challenges we face is to see seminary throughout the context of discipleship rather than simply education. Seminary is more than academic training; it is a spiritual journey. The Latin “seminarium” or “seedbed”—captures the deeper purpose: cultivating hearts that bear spiritual fruit. Seminary, properly pursued, fosters a “taproot” in believers—vertical depth before horizontal spread—so lives become steadier, more rooted, and more fruit-bearing.
A testimony from one of the students that Dr. Ryan has discipled and now is regularly involved with in local church ministry, Paul Lazzaroni:
My own seminary experience (Paul) shifted my perspective. The draw to a deeper understanding of the scriptures came simply from a hunger to know Christ more. After a previous failed attempt at a well-known Bible College, 7 years later I was invited to apply at seminary. It wasn’t until I handed in some of my first course work that my understanding of seminary began to shift from simply retaining information to spiritual transformation. My advisor challenged me not just to retain facts but to articulate why I believed what I believed. That invitation to integrate intellect and devotion opened a deeper adoration for Christ. Many Western educational systems emphasize information retention; seminary (like Hebraic Torah study) invites transformation, not mere accumulation of facts.
For me, this wasn’t just a different way of seeing education, this was a journey down a path that the early disciples took with Jesus.
Hebraic culture treated study as a spiritual discipline linked to life and covenant faithfulness. Torah study functioned as devotion and formation, shaping how people lived before the LORD. From Eden through Sinai to Jesus, Scripture consistently calls for faithful allegiance expressed in obedience and transformed hearts. The word seminary itself is not nearly as old as the scriptures, but the heart behind the journey through seminary ties directly into the first and greatest commandment of Jesus “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ Mat 22:37
The word seminary (seminarium) means “seed bed”. Even our word semen finds its origins here. Semen without an egg to fertilize is a source of life that is seeking a host. Humankind is designed to replicate the source of life that heals, that restores, and that multiplies that which gives life, but the spirit of God needs a seed bed and Jesus himself consistently goes back to talking about the heart of the matter as though this is the seed bed of the human being.
Paul’s example in the New Testament reinforces this same type of spiritual journey. Despite his rigorous education as Saul, his encounter with Christ began a multi-year (14) process of spiritual formation (Acts 9; Galatians 1). Conversion was a beginning that required unlearning, relearning, and sustained growth. Seminary can be that structured season of deepening, where encounter and study mature into faithful living.
Over centuries, what ought to be a life-changing journey of spiritual study has sometimes become a path to prestige, income, or institutional advancement. From the establishment of the early church, there has been a slow evolution away from this type of devotion towards educational advancement. In the 15th and 16thcentury, the church experienced a large pivot deeper into the intellectual moving further away from the spiritual journey. This pivot began with a bold, spirit led move by Martin Luther to stand up against the hierarchical system that the Catholic Church had established, however much of what we still experience today is a war of the minds. The downfall of humanity began when we attempted to reason through all the things of life without the spirit of God. In doing so, we give up is the divine journey with Jesus himself as the teacher. When theological training serves personal gain rather than formation, the church loses its capacity to cultivate compassionate, faithful leaders—gardeners rather than dictators. Seminary must resist reducing theology to a résumé item; it should invite humility, compassion, and a lifelong devotion to learning and obedience.
For those of us who have had simply one encounter with Jesus, we know that it was a profound spiritual moment. My prayer would be that there was a flame that was lit. If you have yet to do so, seek out the fan that ignites that flame. Over the centuries, what was meant to be the most incredible journey of our lives by means of study, has transformed into hierarchical astuteness for the advancement of primarily worldly pursuits. This transformation of higher education has led to the creation of many learning systems that operate without spiritual context and in my opinion simultaneously void the presence and power of the spirit of God.
If seminary is understood as a seedbed for spiritual formation, it belongs to any disciple who wants to deepen devotion, understanding, and faithful practice—not only to those who pursue clerical office. It equips Christians to study Scripture faithfully (hermeneutics and exegesis), to integrate head and heart, and to live a long-haul obedience that reflects covenant faithfulness. This is the direct invitation from Jesus, the ancient of days, the word become flesh, the author and perfecter of life. Let us not waste our eternal invitation to follow in the dust of him. I pray the path of Yahweh draws many into this kind of lifelong study and devotion.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV
Whenever I read Ecclesiastes, I can’t help but to start humming “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)”, a song written by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s. The lyrics are adapted nearly word-for-word from the English King James Version of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. In the U.S., the song holds distinction as the number one hit with the oldest lyrics. I sometimes Joke that Seeger got more people to memorize scripture than any pastor in history. However, you remember it, at some point you have likely contemplated the questions it raises. Although I am sure you have hummed the tune, too many people go through life without ever stopping to “really” ponder a very simple question, “what connection do you have to Jesus and His kingdom and what should that mean to you in this life?” That is the question Ecclesiastes raises to their audience and is as relevant 2500 years later, today – as it was the day it was written.
I am often perplexed by busy western culture people. There seems to be a conundrum of life that might have us too busy to simply stop and think through life or perhaps enable those thoughts into life-change. Those that have learned to stop and smell the roses have often been met with innumerable blessing. Different people react to different things and perhaps for you it is a song, or a movie, a passing of a loved one, or tragedy that has challenged you to stop and consider some of the more philosophical questions of life and reconsider what means most to us.
Mircea Eliade was a Romanian philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago who became one of the most influential scholars of religion of the 20th century and interpreter of religious experience, he established paradigms in religious studies that persist to this day. He helped us recognize the “myth of eternal return” in the ancient world. The idea that every culture has had some kind of circle of life (as Disney later adopted it). From the Aztecs 27,000 year cycle, to the Hebraic 50 years of Jubilee year, including every seven years a sabbatical year, most cultures have recognized some cycle of life. In our culture New Years is a day of rethinking the past and taking on a resolution to do better in the coming year. In some way shape or form, I think everyone has considered the notion of re-examining their life cycles with the hopes to take action to a better way of life.
There is a relational connection of words in the New Testament that are translated as belief, faith, and hope, and what they all have in common is the notion of reliance, confidence, and trust. It is trust that puts you in contact with God so you can draw upon his unlimited and inexhaustible character. Unfortunately, many folks have their faith lined up in such a way that they do not need to rely on God. They do not need to trust God. They have a proper faith in terms of what they need to believe to go to heaven when they die, but they hope that God is never going to put them in a position of needing to actually trust him before they go there. It is this sort of “grappling” or “wrestling” in our faith that often brings us to a better sense of life.
Jon Gibson has uncovered something beautifully for us. As we reflect, remember, resolve and contemplate things more significant in this life, I am betting that we have seen seasons and have hopefully travelled to a better place of life through these journeys. But perhaps the best is yet to come for you. Perhaps there is something more going on in this life. Maybe there is a sense of orchestration in the ordinary that has led us to beautiful places even in the messiness or busyness of our modern life cycles. Most of us wouldn’t choose the courses of our past but we also wouldn’t choose to remove them from our lives. That seems to be an ontological fact of existence that we have in common. We are on a sentient journey. Jon tells story after story that you will find yourself not only deeply engaged with, but then turning your thoughts inward to consider your own journey and be shepherded to a better understanding of God’s majestic and far-reaching love, grace, and compassion.
What about you? Have you ever wondered about the greater questions of your faith? What about relationship dynamics and how they are influenced by God? Have you thought about legacy and the little things that point to the greater aspects of your spiritual person? What about taking the time to work through some if these thoughts, a mind retreat that engages action. In the big picture, if you are part of God’s family, we are all part of a return to Eden. But maybe that is less about heaven and more about your choices today. There is still time for God to being Heaven to earth through you. I think you will find that this book might be just what you need to start moving towards these feelings in your life.
I pray that in the pages of this masterful piece that you will find peace, comfort, and a sense of direction in the fact that somehow God is working out His plan within the pages of your life journey. Behind it all is His invisible hand. That’s comforting. Perhaps in the tears and fears, joy and grief, success and failure, helping and hurting; we will understand the immense love that Jon has so beautifully given us through his connections to Jesus. I pray that on this journey you may be captivated by these seasons and find a sense of peace but also action.
“The more beauty of God you capture today in your heart today, the greater the beauty you will find in your next season.” Don’t cast your seasons to the wind until you have grabbed hold of its beauty and set it in your heart for eternity.
Dr. Will Ryan
President of the King’s Commission School of Divinity
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This article is intended to be a catalyst to Jon Gibson’s book “HERE AND NOW” to be released in 2026.
For the more “scholarly “academic” version of this article CLICK HERE.
Sometimes we know things are going to get crazy and knowing that we still decide to jump right in. We all know that sometimes the hardest things bring the biggest “rewards” or that sometimes with tribulation comes beauty. Years ago our family made a covenant to not let ourselves get into the crazy cycle. We aren’t going to allow time to master us, we aren’t going to let sleep deprivation be an excuse, and frankly, we aren’t going to put ourselves into a situation that makes us so weary that it becomes a controlling factor over us. Most of the year we do really well with this but we just know that the beginning and end of the school year calendar is going to be difficult. Yet, rather than change the calendar, we mostly change our heart and mindset. We know it is only a short season and we gear up. We know the storm is coming and that it is only a short season, how do we walk it well?
For us the fall means 2-3 hours of soccer practice every morning for two weeks before school starts then every evening. It means long days of not seeing our kids. It means the boys have homework every night on top of working at school all day. It means going from a schedule of total summer freedom without a care in the world to be busy literally every minute of the day 7 days a week. As hard as this is, fall is also still our all time favorite season. It gives us a fresh launch for new relationships and goals, it brings bow hunting season which is one of our favorite endeavors in life, it ushers in soccer which will always be one of our greatest family dynamics, and so much more. We know that this season also is going to breed hardship. that there will be defeat, blood, tears, and everything in between that isn’t always fun. If we aren’t in the right kingdom dynamic, there will be some backlash. How do we live out theses chaos monsters of life well? Here are some life dynamics that might help:
BE A TEAM
Your family is your God given team, start truly working like one. Often times we have been exposed to great team management skills somewhere on a team, work, or other places; but we haven’t ever transferred that kind of thinking of intentionality and spiritual dynamics to our family. What does it look like to take a day before the storm and prepare? Perhaps a retreat before the storm, talk openly about what is coming and the effects that it will have. Talk about what you are challenged by in these seasons and how people can best come along side you. What is everyone’s strengths and weakness in the chaos? Help each other identify tools to work through things. Maybe you also need some emergency language? Do you have a code for when someone from the family is at a hurt or breaking point? When this happen do you have emergency plans? How do you exhibit grace on grace? Lastly, this shouldn’t just fall on dad, as the front shield (head) of the family or even a co-parenting dynamic, everyone needs to own it.
Philippians 2:2
1 Corinthians 1:10
Ephesians 4:3
Romans 12:16
GRACE AND LOVE MUST REMAIN
Establish a mandate that you aren’t going to lower your families bar of Grace and love during the coming storm. Too often it is easy to not be a Christian is turmoil. Be committed to not lowering the bar but actually raining it. Be resilient and committed to help your brothers and sisters better. Maybe there is a simple word to use as a quick course alignment. If you see the family or a person is getting off track or might be stumbling perhaps a gentle kiss, or some other action that shows family support, rea-aligns, goals, and brings people back to your kingdom mission can help. I have found that for this to work everyone has to be regularly reminded of your family’s mission and value of edification over everything. Sometimes this is very difficult. When people aren’t in great places, they often don’t accept good-willed gesture’s, it is something as a family that is going to take some training in. The first time you implement this may not be easy, but as it becomes the muscle memory of your family, I am confident it will show covenant relational success.
2 Corinthians 12:9
Hebrews 4:16
Matthew 22:37-39
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM UNIFICATION AND GIFTS
It starts individually before the Lord. Each person needs to commit to Jesus first and over everything. Devotions, surrounding yourself with kingdom things, walking with people that share the same dynamics, being of the same mission and heartset. If each person is personally moving in this direction and your family is on the same page, the stars align even during turmoil. When some people are low and feeling defeated, there are some that are willing to lead, be the cheerleaders, encourage, motivate, and restore. That is the great thing about different giftings in a team dynamic. God can use each person individually in huge ways. What are your best gifts? How can you contribute best in the difficult times?
1 Corinthians 1:10
Philippians 2:2
Colossians 3:14
Ephesians 4:3
REGULAR HEART TO HEARTS
Mom and Dad (hopefully but there is also a conversation point for single parenting here) you need regular heart to heart checkups with your kids that are grounded in Jesus. Prayer is a great way to do this. Perhaps before the kids leave every day it is a devotional and prayer. Perhaps you text them a prayer every day. Maybe it is a sticky note in their lunch, or a checking at the end of school. Maybe at pickup it is a trip to a park for a 5-minute walk. We trick ourselves into thinking we don’t have time for these things, but the truth is we NEED to make or create the time, and we can and should do it. Maybe we do this with their friends too. I start every soccer practice off with a devotional.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Hebrews 10:24-25
Galatians 6:2
Romans 14:19
SHARE THE LOAD
What are the hard times for each person? Identify this. How can you minister to someone in their chaos or hardship if you don’t know when this is or will be? How do you see it coming? How can each person communicate when they are hurting, exasperated, need time, or space, or just needs help? What can you do to help, to share the load, to ease the burden? Parents, you will never believe how transparency when you are having a hard day helps with your kids, transparency and asking for prayer or help functions as a healthy reset button. It identifies that you need to function as a covenant team and invites peoples help. Sometimes people aren’t in a place to describe how they can be helped? As a family and individuals how do you identify and work through this? How do you keep your communications edifying and acting to build up each other? Sometimes in transitional moments you have time to talk through this. Start planning for intentionality and slow down times strategically built into hectic schedules.
Philippians 1:3-4
1 Timothy 2:1
Romans 12:15
Romans 15:1
STAY IN THE WORD
Often times when we get busy, we want to cut our time with Jesus short. That is exactly the opposite of what we should do. Think the other way, create times in adversity and busyness to invite Jesus to the storm. Don’t compromise the word because your life gets busy. Think with a backwards kingdom dynamic. Be committed to being the person that does this in your family.
1 Timothy 4:6-16
Colossians 2:7
1 Corinthians 15:58
Colossians 4:2
THE SEASON -Biblically and philosophically
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven
– Ecclesiastes 3:1
This might surprise you, but the context of this verse has nothing to do with things being predetermined or preordained. From a Hebrew perspective life is filled with moments when certain actions and responses are called for. Life isn’t set before you get here. Your responses, your choices, your actions – and the actions of all the rest of the created order – shape what happens next as we go along. What you do has eternal consequences. You weren’t born into a responsibility for other people’s actions (the idea of original sin) – God desires you to make regular strategic choices to live for him in every decision.
There is a careful distinction between sovereignty and immutability. Sovereignty means that God is finally (at the end of it all) in charge. Nothing usurps His final authority. But the creation of other moral free agents means that God has purposefully limited His potential total control in order to allow other free agents to choose. In the end, He will act, but in the meanwhile, we act either with Him or against Him – and our actions change things. Augustine’s proposal that God simply knows exactly what we will do (our future free will “choices”) from all eternity is wrong. It is logical Greek philosophy, but it isn’t biblical.
What we do now changes the course of the universe. The weight of the world rests on our shoulders. Your choices affect everything else. They affect you, they affect your family and they affect everyone around you. Because the “plan” isn’t fixed, your choices alter consequences which affect other choices which alter other consequences, and so on.
Let’s walk this well together! Let’s think strategically about even in the harder times of life we glorify God to our utmost. Let’s consider what that means in covenant together.
The Women’s weekend verse is from 1 John 4:12: “No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us”.
The Men’s weekend verse is from 2 Timothy 2:22: “Now flee youthful lusts, and pursue after righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart.”
How can you pursue something if you don’t know where it is? That’s pretty much the core directive in spiritual discipline today. We want to follow Paul’s exhortation. We want to pursue righteousness. But when we look for the goal, we have no idea where it is, so we just keep kicking the ball down the road. I coach soccer and that is my greatest issue, players kicking the ball with no strategic direction. They don’t understand that sometimes the best plan is a back pass, or the need for a triangle pass, to get rid of the ball so you get it back in a better place.1 It doesn’t work for one person to dribble the ball 120 yards and shoot. You can have all the energy, skill, and desire in the world and that plan isn’t going to work.2
Have you ever paused to formulate your spiritual game plan? Anyone feel like my soccer players sometimes or perhaps the onlooking frustrated coach? Can you see this spiritually? Perhaps you have been part of it…
People that look exhausted when there are others standing right there with the desire and tools to help carry the weight?
People trying to accomplish things they don’t have the gifting for when there are others waiting right there that do?
Perhaps people getting way to sidetracked focusing on stuff that doesn’t matter because they don’t have the eyes to see, they need a friend’s eyes.
You ever watch someone that doesn’t know where the goal is? Maybe they just need a simple hand gesture. There it is – This is the way!
That is why we are a community, defined by what we are united for. This is and should be defined out of communion to God and mission with each other.
The Bible says here to Pursue after it. Spiritual discipline defines the identity of God is us.
Youthful lusts may not mean exactly what you think it means here, the Greek word is epithymias, or violent forces of compulsion. It is the strongest of Greek words. That is how young soccer players score goals. Older players want precisely calculate plans; young players crash in half out of control and might make an amazing dangerous play but it isn’t really what coaches are desirous of. The play may be wild and uncalculated but it also has won a game or two. Perhaps there is a season for both in the Christian life, but here the emphasis is on focus, determination and strategically assessing and calculating your spiritual plans. Yes God uses the wild plays but desires and wants us to also have a better plan of cultivation.
In Hebraic thought this is referred to as the yetzer ha’ra vs yetzer ha’tov – The inclinations of the heart, the decisive choices between what is good and what is of the world with both of them pulling at you. Ra can mean evil but it is usually more of desire for the world; Tov is good, or what God created for us, but often incomplete. He offers what is of Him and asks us then to partner with him which makes it complete.3
This is the energy of life, the passion to change your world, the reason for doing anything at all. In Christ. These things cannot be erased as long as you are breathing. In fact, we might even suggest that both the yetzer ha’ra and the yetzer ha’tov is a gift from God, the essential motivating power of His Spirit breathed into you. The problem is not the forceful energy. The problem is direction.4
I was an ADD kid. You wouldn’t know it today unless you know me really well. I have never been medicated for it, but I have learned to control that spirit. I am still in process. (I am certainly not saying I am not an advocate of medication in this area though, I certainly am in some situations.) Has anyone ever picked up on this with me? Can I apologize to you for it… I am constantly busy. I can’t focus on one thing I need to have 44 different interactions going on at once. If you have ever tried to have more than a 2 minute focused conversation with me, you will know I can hardly do it. This has been my biggest blessing and biggest curse in life. What I have found is that it has been needed to be given to God 44 times a day. For me that was what it meant to take on the cross daily. Strategic thought every day. My ADD has caused some problems but it has also allowed me to accomplish great things when I make God the center. God uses me to move mountains and then my ADD looks more like a gift than a curse.
“Pursue after” is the Greek verb dioko. Amazingly, it is just as strong as epithymeo. It is translated “to impel, to persecute, to expel, to accuse, to follow zealously.” You see God gives us the passion that we can’t understand.
My favorite thing in life today is to wake up at 4am and spend 3 hours deeply meditating on the things of the Lord, writing, pondering, discussing, arguing with myself, pushing pulling. Sometimes I give in and just spend all day doing this! Thise are my favorite days.
I haven’t always been wired that way. Remember that ADD problem. There was a time where it seemed impossible to be in the word for 5 minutes! But I gave it to God and God turned my curses into blessings. I hated 9th grade grammar. Thats what my wife teaches BTW! How ironic. That was my least favorite class ever. The diagramming, the relationship of one word to another. I remember shouting out in the middle of class, WHO CARES at the top of my lungs one day and then was sent to the principal’s office. Well, I know God has a sense of humor because today one of my greatest joys is parsing words in Hebrew which isn’t a whole lot different than 9th grade English class. How can that be? And the love of my life teaches 9th grade grammar!
How do we get from where you are to where you want to be?
ONE STEP AT A TIME, ONE FOOT AFTER THE OTHER, STAY FOCUSED and 5 minutes becomes 10, then 20, then an hour, then a day or even three days… you get the point!
This is called DEVOTION.
Our life is the playing field of both the epithymeo and the dioko, the Yetzer ha’ ra and the tov. We are in the image of and God passionately creates, He brings His will into being, He fights for righteousness, He forcefully hunts down the faithful, He uses us to strive for the good? Isn’t God filled with desire? How could His breath in you be anything less? The difference is in the direction.5
Don’t destroy your passion! Don’t try to erase what the Spirit loaned to you. My life verse, Psalm 37:4 Why do you think God promises to give you the desires of your heart? So that you can live pabulum lives? He wants to put His desires into your heart so that all that rage for life will be directed toward His ends.
It is time to get focused on the ways of the Lord and what you’re going to find is that 5 minutes turns into three hours and becomes the greatest desire of your heart. That is what it means to be made complete in Christ.
EXPEDITION 44 