Granted, July’s blog entry is anything but timely—it is already August 27th and I am just now getting around to writing it! Nevertheless, the subject matter is well worth the effort to recall the events that follow.
I believe it was around mid-July when I received a call from a couple who attend Christ Community Church (CCC) here in Idaho Falls. They had been meeting with three LDS missionaries and asked me to join them for support and insight. Before long the dialog broached the topic of truth and how we can know it. I listened intently while the CCC couple and one missionary in particular (hereafter referred to as “Elder Jones”) carried the conversation. Knowing the truth of Joseph Smith, the LDS Church and the Book of Mormon eventually became the focus, but only after a philosophical foray, with Elder Jones not surprisingly taking the subjective stance and the CCC couple the more evidential position. (See Rock #4 and Rock #5 for testing and exposing false prophets.)
In an unusual display of methodological insight, Elder Jones marshaled biblical Scripture to strengthen his argument, namely, that God’s truths are essentially made known to us through prayerful meditation to the exclusion of evidence. Not unusual, however, was the passage Elder Jones selected to paraphrase; LDS missionaries often adduce Matthew 16:13-17 in the context of similar discussions.
The exchange between Jesus and Peter is as follows:
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.” (Mt. 16:13-17 NIV)
In case it is not at once apparent, Elder Jones’ defense goes something like this: It was the “Father” (arguably by His Spirit) who revealed the truth of Christ’s exalted identity, and NOT “man” (by his evidence and reason); therefore, the ultimate test for ultimate truth transcends objective measures. Before I respond, it is important to note that I remained silent throughout the 90-minute discussion until the very end when I was asked a fairly benign question by one of the other LDS missionaries. It wasn’t until after the Elders left that I addressed this issue during my debriefing with the CCC couple. Furthermore, I humbly agree (at least in part) with Elder Jones, whose argument is corroborated by no less an authority than the apostle Paul (see 1 Cor. 2:14). But the quintessential question remains: Was Peter’s confession devoid of evidence and reason because it was revealed to him by the Father and NOT by man, or were evidence and reason catalysts to the confession that was revealed by the Father and NOT by man?
A cursory glance at some of the seminal events leading up to Matthew 16 inform us that Peter’s pump had been amply primed with objective evidence prior to Jesus popping the question: “‘Who do you say I am?’”
Chapter 4
Matthew 4:23-25 NIV
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.
25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
Chapters 5-7 (The Sermon on the Mount)
Matthew 7:28-29 NIV
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Chapter 8
Matthew 8:1-3 NIV
1 When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him.
2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
Matthew 8:13 NIV
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
Matthew 8:14-17 NIV
14 When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.
15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."
Matthew 8:23-27 NIV
23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.
24 Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
26 He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27 The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
Matthew 8:28-33 NIV
28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.
29 "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding.
31 The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs."
32 He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.
33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
Chapter 9
Matthew 9:1-8 NIV
1 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.
2 Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!"
4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?
5 Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?
6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home."
7 And the man got up and went home.
8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.
Matthew 9:18-33 NIV
18 While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live."
19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.
20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.
21 She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."
22 Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.
23 When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd,
24 he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him.
25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
26 News of this spread through all that region.
27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"
28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied.
29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you";
30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this."
31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.
32 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus.
33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."
Chapter 10
Matthew 10:1-2 NIV
1 He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Chapter 14
Matthew 14:15-21 NIV
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."
16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
17 "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.
18 "Bring them here to me," he said.
19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Matthew 14:25-36 NIV
25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.
26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
29 "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret.
35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him
36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.
Did Peter’s confession occur in a vacuum of faith? It seems not. Rather, the Father’s revelation to Peter came by way of fulfilled prophecy and numerous sign-miracles, which Jesus performed as prima facie proof of His being Israel’s divine Messiah. No less significant were the miracles that Peter experienced and performed himself at the hands and by the authority of Jesus. Evidence and reason need not be mutually exclusive to the spiritual revelation of God’s truths—the Father and Son are, in fact, revealed in the midst of them. Jesus offered these words of comfort to His disciples: “‘Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves’” (Jn. 14:11 NIV; italics mine).
Charis kai eirene (Grace and peace), Mike
