Liturgy, Lectionary and Advent at Fairmount ARP Church

At Fairmount ARP Church we are now about to launch into our third year using the Revised Common Lectionary.  This Week, Nov. 25^th, is the last week in the “Cycle” C readings for the Lectionary.  In other words, we are about to start the “A” Cycle of readings, which start with four weeks leading to Christmas – called Advent. 

Since we’ve been at this a while, I thought it would be good to share with members and friends of Fairmount some of the rationale behind using the Revised Common Lectionary in our worship services.  I’ve appended an article (slightly edited) below which will repeat some of these ideas, so please excuse any redundancy.  You may ask, “Why is he telling us now, rather than before we got into this practice?”  Good question!  Jesus told us to “Do this in remembrance of me.”  Of course, that’s about the Lord’s Supper, isn’t it?  But, in matters having to do with worship it is the “doing” them that is the best teacher, not talking about doing them. This is true not only for Communion, but for the rest of the worship that makes up the whole Liturgy.  

Yet, Jesus also pulled his disciples aside and explained the  mysteries of the kingdom to them from time to time – for it is helpful to hear explanations for things that may even be a bit mysterious!  The worship of God’s people is a special time when we enter into the special presence of God through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. We come not just as individuals, but as a corporate body, the bride of Jesus Christ, to worship and adore and serve him, to renew our vows, and to allow Jesus to serve us.  Yes, the Lord’s Service is also His service to us.  Remember how Jesus washed the disciples’ feet?  Peter was going to forbid Him to do it, but Jesus made it clear that if Peter belonged to Jesus, then he had to let the Lord serve him!  And, so it is with us – we serve the Lord, but we can do nothing apart from Him first serving us.  So, the ministry of worship, the service of worship, is the Liturgy appointed by the Lord where He serves us, so we can serve Him, for he saves us for His service. 

You see, the Liturgy is the “service of the people” – In the Bible, Civil Magistrates are called ‘leitourgoi’ -λειτουργοὶ- (Romans 13:6).  Hebrews 8:2 refers to Jesus as a “A minister of the sanctuary,  and of the true tabernacle,  which  the Lord pitched,  and not man.”  Hebrews 1:7  calls the angels ministers; Epaphroditus was a minister to the apostle Paul (Philippians 2:25), and the apostle Paul called himself “the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles” (Romans 15:16).  In all these passages the term for minister is leitourgos, “a public servant, that is, a functionary in the Temple or Gospel, or a worshipper (of God) or benefactor, or minister (of man).”  So, the Liturgy is the ministry of the people of God in worship to God – worship service comes from this basic concept. 

The Lectionary is whatever we read in worship, from the Bible.  The Liturgy involves a movement of Five “Cs” – Calling, Confession, Consecration, Communion and Commissioning. 

God Calls us to worship by the mouth of his minister, using words from the Scriptures – “Come unto Me” Jesus said, “and learn of Me, for I am meek and humble in heart…my yoke is easy and my burden light” (Matthew 11:28).  Sometimes we open the service with the Doxology “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” which is part of the call to worship, and a preparation of our hearts for worship.   We may later sing a hymn or a psalm in response to God’s calling us to worship – a song of adoration such as “Holy, Holy, Holy,” or Psalm 100, “All People that on Earth Do Dwell.”  At Fairmount I usually employ one of the Lectionary readings as the call to worship.  Then we “invoke” or call upon God to bless the service.  A prayer of Invocation is not strictly necessary, for really the prayer is a prayer of acceptance of God’s call to us:   He invokes us to come to Him.  We respond.  Worship is a dialogue between God and His people.  Often the prayer of ‘invocation’ leads into one of the classical “collects for the day” – ancient English prayers which summarize the focus of that Sunday’s emphasis in worship, many written by Thomas Cranmer for the first English Book of Common Prayer in the late 1500s. 

We then Confess our Faith and Confess our Sins.  Sometimes we use the words of one of the Creeds, Apostles, Nicene, or some portion of Scripture to confess our faith.  (Lately at Fairmount we have been going through the Shorter Catechism.  Some parts of this are appropriate for the Confession of Faith, but usually they are part of the instruction, or consecration portion of the service.)  This follows the pattern of Isaiah Chapter 6, where he sees the Lord high and lifted up.  Again, we start with the vision of God.  When we see God for Who He Is, we also see ourselves for who we are – and that requires that we confess our sins.  We sometimes use a written Confession, sometimes the pastor simply includes this in one of his opening prayers.  If the Psalm selection for the week is a psalm of confession, we will often sing this and/or read it responsively at this time.  The Psalter is in the heart of the Bible, and gives us prayers of all sorts – praise, adoration, confession, thanksgiving, even imprecation (cursing God’s enemies).  As such, they may be appropriate at any given point in the service.  We then hear God’s Assurance of Pardon.  It is important that we know that we are worshipping as Priests!  The pattern of the five “Cs” follows the Old Testament pattern of worship, as the Priests approached the altar and sacrificed unto the Lord on behalf of the people of Israel.  As the new Israel of God the Church reflects this pattern, adjusted to fit with the New Covenant reality of Jesus as our Great High Priest who goes before us, and upon the basis of whose atoning sacrifice our worship is acceptable to God.  The priests of the Old Covenant had to sacrifice to prepare for worship – we are pardoned by the blood of Jesus, and so serve as his ministers in the sanctuary “made without hands”.  The sharing of prayer requests can come here or in the next portion of the service.

The service of Consecration is where we receive instruction from the Lord.  We hear his Law, we respond to His Word:  “All that the Lord has spoken we will hear and do.”  Part of this consecration is bringing all our requests before the throne of Grace.  We share our prayer requests, expressing our needs for daily bread, and giving God’s kingdom first priority.  We end our Pastoral prayer with the Lord’s Prayer, which is the perfect prayer involving the whole pattern of the covenant renewal – Adoration, Kingdom focus, aligning our wills with the Will of God; expressing our needs for Provision, of desire for Pardon and a petition for Protection, “for Thine is the Kingdom & the Power & the Glory Forever, Amen!”  This is the portion of the service where the Scriptures are explained and applied to our lives today.  The Choir Anthem is usually a part of this process – though it too might be appropriate to other parts of the service, depending on the words of the song the choir brings.  We normally hear the rest of the assigned readings at this time – it is a time of family gathering before the Lord to learn from our Heavenly Father what He wants to tell us.  The sharing of tithes and offerings usually comes during this time, as is a fitting expression of our consecration to be the Lord’s with all that we are and have.  The sermon leads into our time of

Communion in the Body and Blood of Christ.  Jesus was always feeding people.  He would speak to them, teaching them, shepherding them, even healing them.  But, he often ended with the feeding of the group which had gathered to hear Him.  He told the crowd in John chapter six, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of God and drink His blood, you have no life.”  Jesus is the life of the world.  As the Light of the world, He instructs and teaches us – and this helps to give us life; but as the Bread of Life, He feeds us.  So, we share a simple meal of bread and wine.  The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament of fellowship and strengthening.  Consecration instructs us for sanctification (holiness) but Communion feeds us to have the life of Jesus working in us as we walk in His power.  Just as we need instruction and admonition, so we need nurture (nutrition!) so that we can go out into the world to be the light of the world – taking Jesus’ light and life to others in our six-days work week.  Bringing Sabbath rest out into the world.  Sometimes it is appropriate to give a special offering, not so much our “tithes” as alms to help the poor and minister to the widow and orphan, as a response to the Communion service.

And so, having met with God, having heard his word and having been fed with His life, we are Commissioned, sent out as disciples of the master who promised to “be with us to the end of the age.”  The commissioning involves the benediction, “the Lord bless you and KEEP you.”  Go out and serve the Lord Christ.  Pass his peace and blessing to the nations, families, friends and co-workers you will see Monday through Saturday.  And, come back for renewal next Lord’s Day.

Well, that’s a summary of some of what we are doing.  Here is a bit more on the Revised Common Lectionary.

Before you read it, I'll add the note that the Lord's Day (called "the Christian Sabbath" in the Westminster Confession of Faith) is the real holy day (Holiday) of the Christian Week.  So, we have 52 Holy days, and, according to Romans, it is okay for Christians to say that we have 365 Holy Days per year.  In the Presbyterian tradition there has been a long held view that only the Lord's Day, or Sabbath is a valid Holy Day.  While Synods and Presbyteries and Session and Kings and Presidents may appoint special days of fasting and thanksgiving, the Puritans and Presbyterians - on the whole - rejected the "Christian Year." 

I agree with them thus far:  The "Christian Year" is not mandatory, nor necessary.  The Lord's Day is more important.  It is not a sign of Christian maturity to "make sure" to "get to Church" for Christmas and Easter, while neglecting the regular Lord's Day assemblies. 

And, I'll go a step further, and say that the Christian Year has been abused.  While not going as far as the later English Puritans, Calvin and the Continental (Dutch/German/Swiss/French) Reformed Churches reduced the number of special holidays, retaining only Easter, Pentecost and Christmas.  However, this was something allowed, not promoted, at least by Calvin and Luther.  I believe it was a necessary reform to get people off the habit of sanctifying secular days and secularizing the Lord's Day. 

The main thing that I find useful about the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) is that it covers most of the Bible over the period of three years, and so can have a positive influence.  And, if you use all four readings:  Epistle, Gospel, Old Testament and Psalm, you read a LOT of Scripture - always a good thing, as long as you can digest it!  However, the reformers also moved away from the traditional lectionaries and used a continuous expository method, reading through a book.  They had at least one old testament and one new testament reading.  They sang the Psalms, almost exclusively, so the Psalter was not neglected.  But, another positive benefit of using the lectionary, as it goes through the Christian year, is that we learn the pattern employed by the Church for over a thousand years.  As long as it does not become a new legalism of itself, it can be a healthy practice. 

Finally, this year we will follow the RCL as it builds up through Advent to Christmas, and then on to Epiphany, through Easter and Pentecost.  But, in the years to follow, I intend to return to continuous expositiory preaching - though I'll keep track of the RCL, and use it as a reference point in selecting Scripture readings to go along with whatever book is being expounded. 

Have a blessed week!

Pastor Cowley

The Christian Year (slightly edited from Hymnsite.com by Tony Cowley)

In a world where years have been almost universally designated "B.C." for Before Christ and "A.D." for anno domini (the Year of Our Lord), it is almost surprising that the Christian calendar is different from this Christ-centered system of dates, but it is. An understanding of Christian traditions and holy days is important to understand how the Christian calendar works. The following is a very abbreviated discussion.

The first holy day observed by Christians was Easter, which is the celebration of Christ's resurrection and His victory over sin and death. The resurrection happened on the Sunday following the Hebrew Passover. The Passover is determined by reference to the Hebrew calendar, a lunar calendar that you can learn more about by visiting Project Genesis, a Jewish learning site on the web.

Easter is still observed on the Sunday following the Hebrew Passover in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The "Western Church" (Rome and the Protestant denominations that split from the Roman Catholic Church) observe Easter on "the Sunday following the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere." Unless you are adept in using lunar calendars, calculating cycles of the moon, and coordinating them against the solar equinox, it is usually easier to look up the date in a calendar or table.

A time of preparation for celebrating Easter, known today as "Lent," was incorporated into the Christian calendar. It is forty days long excluding Sundays, and begins on a day commonly called "Ash Wednesday."

After a few centuries, the church began to observe a holy day for the birth of Christ--Christmas. Over time, December 25 became the universally accepted date for this observance. As with Easter, a time of preparation, known today as "Advent," developed. Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day.

There are other important dates such as Epiphany (when we observe the visit of the Magi) and Pentecost (when the Holy Spirit filled the Apostles in Jerusalem), but the Christian calendar revolves primarily around the dates for Christmas and Easter. They serve as the focal events for the two "cycles" in the Christian year, the "Christmas cycle," and the "Easter cycle." Each cycle begins with a season of preparation leading up to the high holy days, and concludes with a series of weeks which are sometimes called "ordinary time." The Easter cycle also includes "Holy Week," which is Monday through Saturday leading up to Easter. The seasons of the Christmas cycle usually observed today are Advent, Christmas, Ephiphany, and the Sundays after Epiphany. The Easter cycle includes Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost, and the Sundays after Pentecost.

The Revised Common Lectionary

A lectionary is a set of scriptures or a list of scriptures selected for use during worship. A "common lectionary" is a lectionary that is used by more than one congregation. The use of a common lectionary promotes a level of corporate worship that connects many congregations.

The Revised Common Lectionary, published in 1992 and based in large part on ancient and modern Roman and Protestant Lectionaries, is the most widely used lectionary among protestants today. It often overlaps with the Roman Catholic Lectionary.  Imagine all Christians around the world (or at least all of them in the same time zone!) worshiping God simultaneously. It happens all of the time, but we sometimes forget how far and how deep the love of God has reached. When we use a common lectionary, we are not only worshiping at the same time, but are studying and discussing some of the very same scripture passages. The next time that the lectionary is being read in your church, think about the thousands and thousands of other Christians who are hearing the same Word, and the message that God is sharing with His universal church.

The Revised Common Lectionary is prepared in a three-year cycle, with years A, B, and C. The scriptures for each year are different, and should provide a good coverage of the Bible by the end of the three years. A different synoptic Gospel is featured each year, with Matthew in Year A, Mark in Year B, and Luke in Year C. The Gospel of John is used during each of the years, especially near special holy days.

There are three scriptures for each week, usually an Old Testament reading, a New Testament reading, and a Gospel reading. A passage from Acts is sometimes used in place of the Old Testament reading. There is also a Psalm, which is intended as a congregational response and meditation on the first reading, rather than being a separate reading.

Currently Reading The Desire of the Nations: Rediscovering the Roots of Political Theology By Oliver O'Donovan see related

Wedding - Love & Marriage

I won't send lots of Pictures here on Xanga, but will invite y'all to check out wedding pictures here:

http://aacowley.blogspot.com/

and Here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/AACowley/SarahCowleyJoshLuperWedding

It was a great time and full of real joy!    Those of you who didn't / couldn't make the Wedding in Wichita  (and are friends who actually know Sarah!) I hope you can come to the "Eastern Reception" on Nov. 24th at the Fairmount Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA. Message me, or call me if you can make it!

Currently Reading The Desire of the Nations: Rediscovering the Roots of Political Theology By Oliver O'Donovan see related

Wedding - Love & Marriage

I won't send lots of Pictures here on Xanga, but will invite y'all to check out wedding pictures here:

http://aacowley.blogspot.com/

and Here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/AACowley/SarahCowleyJoshLuperWedding

It was a great time and full of real joy!    Those of you who didn't / couldn't make the Wedding in Wichita  (and are friends who actually know Sarah!) I hope you can come to the "Eastern Reception" on Nov. 24th at the Fairmount Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA. Message me, or call me if you can make it!

More Questions on Imputation of Active Obedience

IN REPLY TO http://deregnochristi.org/2007/09/29/subscription-freedom/#comment-2285

This may clarify my longer post below...

Dr. Hart:

While I have preached and supported I-AOC in the past, and am still not against it, I did a long post (see below Xanga folks) from lots of Bible passages that gave two or three issues about which I wonder with respect to  the Imputation of the Active Obedience:

1.  Is there not something odd about going back to the pre-resurrection righteous acts of Christ for something to impute to post resurrection Christians (see: 2 Cor. 5:16, Knowing Christ after the Flesh)

2.  In Hebrews there are a number of passages that refer to the present ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, especially in his priestly role as the new Melchizedek.  It contrasts the "days of his flesh" with him "living ever to make intercession for us."

3.  If there is righteousness granted to believers (imputed) based upon his ONE ACT of OBEDIENCE, which seems to reference the Cross, then do we need his pre-crucifixion righteousness and merits to be imputed to us in some distinct fashion? 

4.  I also went through each instance of the Greek word for imputation, and found nothing that would imply the imputation of the pre-resurrection/pre-crucifixion righteous acts of Jesus, OTHER THAN his piety being the basis upon which God granted him what he requested in his prayers (this part was all in Hebrews).  So, in one sense, Christ's own piety and obedience was a basis upon which God granted HIS prayers.  If there is any imputation there it is to Jesus himself(?).  In looking through the instances of logizomai, I stumbled upon 2 Cor. 5:16, in the context of us being New Creation, in Jesus, and wondered at the statement, that some people who knew christ 'after the flesh' were now to know him thus no longer.  Now, if that has any connection to the Hebrews usage of "in the days of his flesh" - wouldn't this imply that what we get from Jesus by way of imputation is:

(A) the effect(s) of his one act of Righteousness (which appears not to be his whole life's righteousness, but the obedience of/unto the cross)-

Rom 5:16-19  "And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17  For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.  18  Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.  19  For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous."  Not that the pre-cross righteousness of Christ is insignificant - it is pre-requisite to his 'one act' of obedience.  He gained maturity through what he suffered, up to and through the Cross.

(B) His present vindication - Rom 4:25  who was delivered up for our trespasses and *raised* for our justification. 

(C) His on-going priestly intercession. 

(D) Our union with him, not only covenantally in 'organic' terms by way of the indewlling of the Spirit, but also forensically:  Rom 6:9  We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10  For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

(E) Our Death to the Law (of Sin and Death), even the Covenant of Works inso far as it was re-published in the Mosaic law - Rom 7:4  "Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5  For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.  6  But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code."  Note here that, of course, the Active Obedience of Christ is, in effect, 'imputed' to us, in that through his active obedience, His death could fulfill the Law's penalty on our behalf.  But, the continual focus of the Epistles is upon his Crucifixion as the basis of our justification, and not directly upon his law keeping. Of course, Rom. 7 is notoriously disputed.  But, I note that "living in the flesh" and beng bound by "the old way of the written code" not only may apply to us / or to Paul in some pre-conversion way, but applies to Jesus living under the law (though as the immaculate second Adam - though the first Adam was immaculate until he sinned!).  Whatever Rom 7 is really about, the power to change from under the law and in the flesh to alive and in the Spirit, comes from Christ's law fulfillment and his subsstituionary sacrifice for us.

Of course, this is no exhaustive list, just some ideas that spring to mind.

So, what I don't really understand is what do you brothers mean when you speak of the imputation of the Active Obedience of Jesus Christ?  Even if you spell it out in terms of Merit, there does not appear to be any direct imputation of Christ's pre-cross actions to his post-resurrection disciples (or to Abraham or David, who are the given examples of imputation in Romans 4).

Wondering in Sewickley...

The Imputation of the Active Obedience of Christ

Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.

I am putting this here, even though it is also being posted, hopefully on http://deregnochristi.org/ .  This has to do with the discussion of the Active Obedience of Christ being Imputed to believers.  If you have no idea about that, and my post leaves you confused, you can google it up and see what you get, or leave a comment below.  This is all part of the Federal Vision discussion.  I try not to assume too much familiarity with the ongoing FV discussion there.  See shawn's xanga for other comments (Shawn4God)  Enjoy.  TC.

I have three things to say:

1.  The Cross

2.  The Flesh

3.  The Priesthood

 But, first an -

INTRODUCTION

This post has to do with the IMPUTATION of the Active Obedience of Christ (IAOC).  By way of explanation, I have preached this doctrine a number of times.  It was a regular feature of expositions I did on Psalm 32 in Covenanter Communion services.  While I didn't often use the technical jargon of IAOC (at least not more than twice), I did cite the story of the Machen Telegram, having been very moved when I read the Banner of Truth issue on the life of John Murray.  I emphasized the grace of God in not merely forgiving us, and leaving us with a blank slate, but he adopted us and regenerated us (I've preached this out of 1 John too!) and IMPUTED to us the positive Righteousness of Christ.  We are new creatures.  I STILL PREACH THIS.  And, in preaching this heretofore I thought I was preaching the I-AOC.  And, structurally, I was.  Like Doug Wilson, I think I believe it - but maybe I'm being converted from it due to the discussion here, for  I now see what Meyers and Jordan and others (Lusk is not here, and I didn't get it when I read him, to be honest) have been saying.  While I didn't see the problem the way the RCUS, OPC or PCA study committees have framed things (it didn't ring true to what I heard the FV guys as saying), I sympathized with their concerns about the I-AOC question.  For, Bill - I am a Marrow man, a free offer man.  I love aBrakel and I also love to steal Thomas Boston's Human Nature in Its Fourfold State  paradigm:  posse/non posse peccare; non-posse non peccare; posse peccare/posse non peccare; non posse peccare.  I look forward to, and rejoice in the coming inability to sin.  But, I mostly rejoice in what Jesus has given us, his own righteousness.  But, here is what I wonder about: 

1. THE CROSS –

The work of Christ as centered upon the Cross-through Resurrection complex of events.  Jesus said that the new age was breaking in ever since John the Baptizer’s ministry.  The Law and the Prophets were to and through John the Baptist.  Jesus came not to destroy the Law & Prophets, but to fulfill them.  His active obedience to his father was the fulfillment of the Law.  He established the Lord’s Supper in the Last Supper, proleptically, the night he was betrayed, giving his body and blood to his disciples and setting up the framework for the new kingdom that was being born.  (Just a Moses was given Passover the night of Passover, so the very event to be commemorated thereafter was first celebrated the night it happened). 

The work of Christ is sandwiched in the Synoptic Gospels with his baptism/ordination on the one side, then the wilderness temptation in the desert – then the Garden temptation in the city after the Last Supper, but before the Death/Burial/Resurrection.  Jesus threw down the gauntlet to Satan in the Wilderness, but Satan was too chicken to take it up again until the Garden, when like the Trojan Horse, Jesus gave Satan what he thought he wanted, and so crushed his head and crashed the gates of hell.  Though He was a Son, He learned obedience through the things He suffered.  God gave him the victory.

When we speak of the IMPUTATION of the Active Obedience of Christ, we are speaking at least of it as the pre-requisite of his substitutionary, vicarious atonement.  If he had not been obedient, he could not have given his life in our stead.  But, the concerns of those who are against FV because of the I-AOC are more than this.  They believe it necessary that the righteousness of Jesus in his work as our Mediator up to the cross – his righteous deeds, good works, positive holiness and law-keeping – be imputed to us. 

 But, is there not a sense in which the Pre-Cross/Resurrection work of Jesus differs qualitatively from his Post Resurrection work?  Does anything go through the death of the cross and come out the other side Untransformed?  The Covenant of Works and the Mosaic Covenant were both fulfilled and set aside, abrogated-by-way-of fulfillment through the crowning achievement of the Cross.  Grace upon grace is given us in Christ. The work of the Law and Moses was different than the work of Christ, who fulfilled the Law and brought a new Covenant – a new Creation.  Certainly the law-keeping work of Jesus is pre-requisite to the Cross-work of Jesus.  But, does his pre-cross life get transferred over the crisis of the Cross?  This brings me to the second point:

2. THE FLESH –

As I looked over the use of the word for imputation I found 40 verses and 41 hits for logizomai (to count, reckon, impute, think, consider).  I was looking for the most direct support for the I-AOC I could find.  In fact, I would be interested in Bill, or anyone else (on De Regno Christi, or Xanga), giving us the exegetical foundation for the I-AOC.  I’m a learner and not a partisan on this issue. 

Here is what I found out of those 41 that were  pretty obviously verses having to do with IMPUTATION in the more technical sense (it is not really that long of a list):

 THE GOSPELS

And the Scripture was fulfilled,  which saith,  And he was numbered3049 with the transgressors.  (Mar 15:28)

For I say unto you,  that  this that is written must yet be accomplished in me,  And he was reckoned3049 among the transgressors:  for the things concerning me have an end.  (Luk 22:37)

ROMANS

Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law,  shall not his uncircumcision be counted3049 for circumcision?  (Rom 2:26)

Therefore we conclude3049 that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Rom 3:28)

For what saith the Scripture?  Abraham believed God, and it was counted3049 unto him for righteousness. (Rom 4:3) Now to him that worketh is the reward  not reckoned3049 of grace, but of debt. (Rom 4:4) But to him that worketh not,  but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted3049 for righteousness.(Rom 4:5) Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man,  unto whom God imputeth3049 righteousness without works,  "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; (Rom 4:6-7)  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute3049 sin. (Rom 4:8) Cometh this blessedness then upon the  circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? For we say that  faith was reckoned3049 to Abraham for righteousness. (Rom 4:9) How was it then reckoned?3049 when he was in  circumcision,  or in uncircumcision? Not  in circumcision,  but in uncircumcision.  (Rom 4:10) And he received the sign of circumcision,  a seal of the righteousness of the faith  which  he had yet being uncircumcised: that ,  he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed3049 unto them also: (Rom 4:11)

And therefore it was imputed3049 to him for righteousness.  (Rom 4:22) Now it was not written for his sake   alone, that it was imputed3049 to him (Rom 4:23) But for  us  also, to whom it shall  be imputed,3049 if we believe on him that raised up  Jesus our  Lord from the dead; (Rom 4:24)

Likewise reckon3049 ye also yourselves  to be dead indeed unto sin, but  alive  unto God  through  Jesus  Christ our Lord.(Rom 6:11)

As it is written,  For thy sake ,  we are killed all the day long; we are accounted3049 as sheep for the slaughter.  (Rom 8:36)

That is, They which are the children of the flesh,  these are not the children of God:  but the children of the promise are counted3049 for the seed. (Rom 9:8)

2 CORINTHIANS

To wit, that  God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing3049 their trespasses unto them; and hath committed  unto us the word of reconciliation. (2Co 5:19)

GALATIANS

Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted3049 to him  for righteousness. (Gal 3:6)

HEBREWS

Accounting3049 that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. (Heb 11:19)

JAMES

And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed  God, and it was imputed3049 unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. (Jas 2:23)

 The big emphasis is first upon the non-imputation of sin to the believer.  There is a switch from one to the other in Rom 4, where my uninformed take is that Paul carried the concept of imputation not only from the non-imputation of sin (negative imputation?) to the term “Sins are covered,” into “covered with what? – the Righteousness of Christ.  A positive imputation of righteousness.  But, note a couple of things.  1.  It is FAITH that is counted for righteousness.  We rightly see behind this the fact that faith does something, is instrumental in a transactional atonement.  Faith, as it were, stands in for righteousness.  2.  It’s all talking about Abraham and David.  He’s talking about how all this imputation is going on not just PRE-Christ, but PRE-Circumcision!  Whatever we may say about God’s work above time, historically there was not yet a perfectly mature and righteous and sinless Christ.  God was imputing back, we may say, the righteousness of Christ.  Okay – the Lamb Slain before the foundation of the world.  What about time?

 Here is the ESV of Luke 22:37  For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors.' For what is written about me has its fulfillment."

Fulfillment, end, here is TELOS.  We cannot avoid thinking historically as well as covenantally about this fulfillment.  The Law had its TELOS in Christ.  The preceding context is the Passover Jesus Celebrated with the disciples: “And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.   For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." “ (Luke 22:15-16)

Here is Jesus, in the “days of his flesh” (Heb. 5:7) speaking about the fulfillment in the coming, near-future, “kingdom of God.”  Some sort of major transition is on its way.  Now, one of the more powerful passages about imputation is found in the following passage:

2Co 5:14-21  For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;  15  and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.  16  From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.  17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  18  All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;  19  that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  20  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  21  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

What does that interesting turn of phrase, “Even though we once regarded (know-ginomai) Christ according to the flesh” saying?  I’m not sure.  But it comes in the context of NEW CREATION.  Because we are in New Creation in Christ, and the OLD has passed away – might not knowing Christ “according to the flesh” be speaking of how the disciples knew Jesus prior to the resurrection?  Would the pre-resurrection works of righteousness of Christ not be part of the package of the OLD creation (though it was the beginning of the breaking-in of the new thing Jesus was doing?  This takes us to the third consideration -

3. THE PRIESTHOOD

Hebrews emphasizes the transition from the Old Covenant to the New.  It has a lot to say about Melchizedek, and Jesus as the New Melchizedek Great High Priest – he liveth ever to make intercession for us --

Heb 5:6  as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek."  7  In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.  8  Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.  9  And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,  10  being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Notice what it says:  “And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation.”  There is a special sense, in which Jesus was learning obedience and was being made perfect.  He was not, in this sense, perfect.  When did he get ‘made perfect’?

The author to the Hebrews (why not Paul?) returns to his theme of Melchizedek after warning the Hebrews of the great dangers of apostacy.  He writes, citing Psalm 110- Heb 6:17  So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18  so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.  19  We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,  20  where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

And,  in Chapter 7 it is all about Melchizedek.  Read the whole, but here are selections:

Heb 7:1  For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham … 2  and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, *king of righteousness*, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of *peace*. … Heb 7:11  Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?  12  For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.  13  For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.  14  For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.  15  This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek,  16  who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.

Pause and note this power of indestructible Life.  Didn’t Jesus die “after the flesh.”  Is not his circumcision his death, putting off the flesh?  And, note too Jesus / Melchizedek is the King of RIGHTEOUSNESS – so if we are talking about the imputation involved in Justificaiton, we are talking about King Melc/Jesus!  But, going on…

Heb 7:17  For it is witnessed of him, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek."  18  For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness  19  (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.  20  And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath,  21  but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever.'"  22  This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.  23  The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office,  24  but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.

He Continues FOREVER. It is Christ PRESENT ministry as High Priest of Righteousness and Peace that counts most!

Heb 7:25  Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.  26  For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.  27  He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.  28  For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Again, back to the PERFECTION of Jesus as our Priest.  The Priest who is the Sacrifice and the one who gives us righteousess and brings us to maturity as well.

Heb 8:1  Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,  2  a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. … 6  But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.  7  For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.  8  For he finds fault with them when he says: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,  9  not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.  10  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  11  And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.  12  For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."  13  In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Here were are back to 2 Cor. 5 – the OLD has passed away.  The New has come.  It is present in the reigning King, Jesus.

Heb 9:24  For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.  25  Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,  26  for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.  27  And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,  28  so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Well, I have to conclude, but cannot leave out the following:

Heb 10:7  Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'"  8  When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law),  9  then he added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He does away with the first in order to establish the second.

Here is that transition again!  Here also is the ACTIVE OBEDIENCE of Christ in its proper place – but it’s crowing achievement was his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice!

Heb 10:10  And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  11  And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.  12  But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,  13  waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.  14  For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

NOTE, by a SINGLE SACRIFICE.  It was the crowning achievement of his works.  God raised him triumphant, because of his piety and righteousness.  Death could not hold him.  Jesus triumphed over death, and did much more – his ONCE for all offering PERFECTED for all time those who are being SANCTIFIED.  Where is the NECESSITY of the pre-cross work of Jesus to be somehow abstracted and transferred to us in some separate and unique imputation?

Heb 10:15  And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,  16  "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,"  17  then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."  18  Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.  19  Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,  20  by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,  21  and since we have a great priest over the house of God,  22  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

The cleansing is complete.  We have the New Creation in Messiah Jesus. 

Do we really NEED a distinct imputation of his pre-resurrection righteousness?  If we are in him, by faith, his current holiness ought to do the job.

We don’t need to turn back to knowing Christ according to the flesh.  We have the risen Savior, his present perfection.

What say you?