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Food For Thought: R.C. Sproul On The Meaning Of “Draws” in John 6:44

Posted in Bible Study, Calvinism, doctrines of grace, Indian River Baptist Church, New Testament, reformed baptist, Sin, Theology, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 24, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

 John 6:44

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

In this clip, Dr. Sproul recounts the time he was asked to engage in a debate concerning this topic.  The word in question is ἑλκύω (helkuō).  It is found in the New Testament in the following verses:

John 12:32

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

John 18:10

Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

John 21:6

He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.

Acts 16:19

But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

Acts 21:30

Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.

James 2:6

But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?

Definitions of this word include:

a prim. vb.; to drag:—drag(1), dragged(2), draw(1), draws(1), drew(2), haul(1).  Thomas, R. L. (1998). New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek dictionaries : Updated edition. Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc.

ἑλκύω hĕlkuō, hel-koo´-o; or ἕλκω hĕlkō, hel´-ko; prob. akin to 138; to drag (lit. or fig.):—draw. comp. 1667.  Strong, J. (2009). Vol. 1: A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (27). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

ἑλκύω (helkuō): vb.; ≡ Str 1670; TDNT 2.503—an alternate lexical form based on the inflected form with an upsilon manifest, yet considered only a part of the inflection, MHT 2:236; see ἕλκω (helkō), just below ἕλκω (helkō): vb. [served by 1816]; ≡ Str 1670—1. LN 15.212 pull in, drag, draw, haul in (Jn 6:44; 12:32; 18:10; 21:6, 11+); 2. LN 15.178 lead by force (Ac 16:19; 21:30; Jas 2:6+)  Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

(impf εἷλκον, fut ἑλκύσω, aor εἵλκυσα, subj 3 sg ἑλκύσῃ)
a pull: 15.212
b lead by force: 15.178  Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 2: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (82). New York: United Bible Societies.

- Transliteration: Helkuo
- Phonetic: hel-koo’-o
- Definition:
1. to draw, drag off
2. metaph., to draw by inward power, lead, impel
- Origin: probably akin to G138
- TDNT entry: 10:23,2
- Part(s) of speech: Verb (Thayer)

tn Or “attracts him,” or “pulls him.” The word is used of pulling or dragging, often by force. It is even used once of magnetic attraction (A. Oepke, TDNT 2:503).
sn The Father who sent me draws him. The author never specifically explains what this “drawing” consists of. It is evidently some kind of attraction; whether it is binding and irresistible or not is not mentioned. But there does seem to be a parallel with 6:65, where Jesus says that no one is able to come to him unless the Father has allowed it. This apparently parallels the use of Isaiah by John to reflect the spiritual blindness of the Jewish leaders (see the quotations from Isaiah in John 9:41 and 12:39–40).  Biblical Studies Press. (2006). The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Jn 6:44). Biblical Studies Press.

Yes, before one objects, there could be other nuances in 6:44, so the dictionaries/lexicons are not absolutely definitive here.  One should, however, give theological thought to these definitions – they do present a rather compelling (no pun intended) argument for what Dr. Sproul says in this clip:

 

 

 

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Indian River Baptist Church Sunday School, September 9, 2012: Apologetics, Part 4 – The Myth of Neutrality

Posted in Indian River Baptist Church, presuppositional apologetics, reformed baptist, Sin, Truth, tagged , , , , on September 9, 2012 | Leave a Comment »


We also addressed this graphic which you may have seen floating around the Internet.  We only made it halfway through and will finish addressing the issues in the graphic next week.  There is also a long delay until about 1:25 at the beginning while a handout was distributed.

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God’s Statement On The Free Will Of The Unregenerate Person

Posted in Bible Study, Calvinism, Church History, Doctrine, Free Will, Indian River Baptist Church, reformed baptist, Sin, Theology, Truth, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 20, 2012 | 3 Comments »

Breathed-out through the Apostle Paul…..

Romans 8:7–8 (ESV)

7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  

Ripped out of context, you may say?  Not hardly.  Here’s the context:

 Romans 8:1–11 (ESV)

Life in the Spirit

8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.  

The passage addresses the contrast between the unregenerate person (whose mind is “set on the flesh”) and the regenerate person (whose mind is set on the Spirit), along with the contrast between the person who is dead and the person who has life.  Here, God says the unregenerate person not only does not obey God, he cannot obey God.  If he cannot obey God, he thus cannot – by a mere act of his “will” – do what God commands.  His will in that case is not “free,” but in bondage, as Jesus clearly stated to his audience in John 8.  That audience didn’t like hearing they didn’t have “free will” anymore than today’s person likes to hear it, eh?

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Free Will Friday: Martin Luther

Posted in Bible Study, Calvinism, Church History, Doctrine, doctrines of grace, Free Will, Indian River Baptist Church, reformed baptist, Sin, Sovereignty, Theology, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on July 13, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

From The Bondage of the Will – Section 26.

Over and over in his diatribe against Erasmus, Luther makes the point that for man’s will to be truly “free,” as Erasmus (and many today) wish to define it, then by necessity the only way it could be such is to fall into a Pelagian definition of “free will,” which has been denounced as heretical going back to the times of Augustine.

You describe the power of free-will as small, and wholly ineffective apart from the grace of God.

Agreed? Now then, I ask you: If God’s grace is wanting, if it is taken away from that small power, what can it do? It is ineffective, you say, and can do nothing good. So it will not do what God or His grace wills. Why? Because we have now taken God’s grace away from it, and what the grace of God does not do is not good. Hence it follows that free-will without God’s grace is not free at all, but is the permanent prisoner and bondslave of evil, since it cannot turn itself to good. This being so, I give you full permission to enlarge the power of free-will as much as you like; make it angelic, make it divine, if you can! – but when you add this doleful postscript, that it is ineffective apart from God’s grace, straightway you rob it of all its power. What is ineffective power but (in plain language) no power? So to say that free-will exists and has power, albeit ineffective power, is, in the Sophists’ phrase, a contradiction in terms. It is like saying ‘free-will’ is something which is not free - as if you said that fire is cold and earth hot. Fire certainly has power to heat; but if hell-fire (even) was cold and chilling instead of burning and scorching, I would not call it fire, let alone hot (unless you meant to refer to an imaginary fire, or a painted one). Note, however, that if we meant by the power of free-will the power which makes human beings fit subjects to be caught up by the Spirit and touched by God’s grace, as creatures made for eternal life or eternal death, we should have a proper definition.  And I certainly acknowledge the existence of this power, this fitness, or dispositional quality and passive aptitude (as the Sophists call it), which, as everyone knows, is not given to plants or animals. As the proverb says, God did not make heaven for geese!

It is a settled truth, then, even on the basis of your own testimony, that we do everything of necessity, and nothing by free-will; for the power of free-will is nil, and it does no good, nor can do, without grace. It follows, therefore, that free-will is obviously a term applicable only to Divine Majesty; for only He can do, and does (as the Psalmist sings) whatever he wills in heaven and earth [Psalms 135:6]. If free-will is ascribed to men, it is ascribed with no more propriety than divinity itself would be – and no blasphemy could exceed that! So it befits theologians to refrain from using the term when they want to speak of human ability, and to leave it to be applied to God only. They would do well also to take the term out of men’s mouths and speech, and to claim it for their God, as if it were His own holy and awful Name. If they must at all hazards assign some power to men, let them teach that it be denoted by some other term than free-will; especially since we know from our own observation that the mass of men are sadly deceived and misled by this phrase. The meaning which it conveys to their minds is far removed from anything that theologians believe and discuss. The term free-will is too grandiose and comprehensive and fulsome. People think it means what the natural force of the phrase would require, namely, a power of freely turning in any direction, yielding to none and subject to none. If they knew that this was not so, and that the term signifies only a tiny spark of power, and that utterly ineffective in itself, since it is the devil’s prisoner and slave, it would be a wonder if they did not stone us as mockers and deceivers, who say one thing and mean another – indeed, who have not yet decided what we do mean!

Since, therefore, we have lost the meaning and the real reference of this glorious term, or, rather, have never grasped them (as was claimed by the Pelagians, who themselves mistook the phrase) why do we cling so tenaciously to an empty word, and endanger and delude faithful people in consequence? There is no more wisdom in so doing then there is in the modern foible of kings and potentates, who retain, or lay claim to, empty titles of kingdoms and countries, and flaunt them, while all the time they are really paupers, and anything but the possessors of those kingdoms and countries. We can tolerate their antics, for they fool nobody, but just feed themselves up – unprofitably enough – on their own vainglory. But this false idea of free-will is a real threat to salvation, and a delusion fraught with the most perilous consequences.

If we do not want to drop this term altogether – which would really be the safest and most Christian thing to do – we may still in good faith teach people to use it to credit man with free-will in respect, not of what is above him, but of what is below him. That is to say, man should realize that in regard to his money and possessions he has a right to use them, to do or to leave undone, according to his own free-will – though that very free-will is overruled by the free-will of God alone, according to His own pleasure. However, with regard to God, and in all that bears on salvation or damnation, he has no free-will, but is a captive, prisoner and bondslave, either to the will of God, or to the will of Satan.

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Indian River Baptist Church Sunday School, July 1, 2012: The Doctrine of Sanctification

Posted in Bible Study, Doctrine, Indian River Baptist Church, reformed baptist, Sin, tagged , , , , , , on July 1, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

(Poor audio quality until 1:50)

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Indian River Baptist Church, June 24, 2012, AM Sermon – Jeff Peterson: Isaiah 10:5-19

Posted in Calvinism, Free Will, Indian River Baptist Church, Old Testament, Sin, Sovereignty, Theology, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 24, 2012 | Leave a Comment »


Isaiah 10:5–19 (ESV)

Judgment on Arrogant Assyria

5  Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger;

the staff in their hands is my fury!

6  Against a godless nation I send him,

and against the people of my wrath I command him,

to take spoil and seize plunder,

and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

7  But he does not so intend,

and his heart does not so think;

but it is in his heart to destroy,

and to cut off nations not a few;

8  for he says:

“Are not my commanders all kings?

9  Is not Calno like Carchemish?

Is not Hamath like Arpad?

Is not Samaria like Damascus?

10  As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols,

whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

11  shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols

as I have done to Samaria and her images?”

12 When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. 13 For he says:

“By the strength of my hand I have done it,

and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;

I remove the boundaries of peoples,

and plunder their treasures;

like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.

14  My hand has found like a nest

the wealth of the peoples;

and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken,

so I have gathered all the earth;

and there was none that moved a wing

or opened the mouth or chirped.”

15  Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it,

or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?

As if a rod should wield him who lifts it,

or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!

16  Therefore the Lord God of hosts

will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors,

and under his glory a burning will be kindled,

like the burning of fire.

17  The light of Israel will become a fire,

and his Holy One a flame,

and it will burn and devour

his thorns and briers in one day.

18  The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land

the Lord will destroy, both soul and body,

and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.

19  The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few

that a child can write them down.  

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Ten Years Ago, Part 14: A Wiccan High Priest, Your Son’s Death, A Forgiveness Service, Providence And A Surprise The Next Day

Posted in Forgiveness, Indian River Baptist Church, Prison Ministry, Sin, Sovereignty, Truth, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 21, 2012 | 1 Comment »

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. (1 Samuel 15:23, KJV)

During one of the Keryx ministry weekends at Chippewa Correctional Facility, leadership had assigned me the Saturday night forgiveness service, a service I had Chippewa Correctional Facility-Eastdone many times prior.  While preparing for this service the day before the weekend began, which was a Wednesday, I inserted a brief discourse about rebellion and how we are commanded to forgive – and if we as believers fail to forgive, we are rebelling against God and thus sinning.  For the first time, I also planned to use the above Scripture reference – little did I know how God’s providence would once again blow our socks off.

At that prison, 24 prisoners are permitted to attend the weekend.  Every prisoner in the prison is eligible to attend, as long as he is not under sanctions restricting his movement within the prison.  Prisoners need not be Christian to attend and thus we have prisoners from many belief (and non-belief) systems appear.  This was made manifest when early on in the weekend we discovered that three of the 24 were Wiccans.  They were all relatively young men, most likely in their 20′s and one was clearly more of a leader than the others.  We also found out (from these men themselves) that the one prisoner was the local High Priest.  What exactly is entailed in Wicca can be rather vague, but Wicca.com will give some answers.  Suffice it to say for our purposes here this it is a form of witchcraft.

Saturday night rolled around and it was time for the forgiveness service – and these three men were still Wiccans and everyone knew it.  As mentioned in earlier posts, this service at this prison is conducted in a rather small classroom.  Quarters become rather tight when 60-70 volunteers and prisoners are wedged in there.  When you stand in front of the prisoners conducting the service, you literally have to watch yourself to keep from stepping on the toes of the men in the front row.

Once all were assembled and it came my time to speak, I stood in front of them and who is in the middle of the front row – the one guy with whom I have to be most careful to not step on his feet?  The Wiccan High Priest.  He was a very pleasant, congenial young man who paid close attention as I spoke on forgiveness after Jon’s death.  There came the time when I cited 1 Samuel 15:23 and stated that “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.”  I can’t tell you if I made an effort to look down at the High Priest as I said it.  What I can tell you is what happened afterward.

After the service, those prisoners attending the weekend returned to their housing units for the night.  We volunteers and our prisoner helpers adjourned to a classroom for a brief meeting.  At the meeting, someone raised their hand and said they had heard that the High Priest was “upset by what was said during the service.”  Much concern was then expressed by some that what had been said offended the High Priest and that we should be careful not to offend when speaking.  This went on for a few minutes and I remember sitting in the corner, listening, thinking to myself that we have bigger things to worry about than offending a Wiccan by merely quoting Scripture.  Then one volunteer raised his hand and I still remember it as clear as day.  What did he say?  He said he didn’t know why everyone was upset because “I believe ___________ (High priest) needed to hear that.  He needed to hear Jeff say that.”  Praise God for a man who was willing to stand up for the Word of the Lord.

Concern had already been expressed that perhaps the High Priest was so offended that he may not return in the morning.  In our closing prayer, someone did indeed pray that he would return – did he?

Yes, he did.

The next morning as we were waiting to begin the day with another service, a tap came upon my shoulder.  I turn around.  It’s the High Priest.  What does he say?  ”Can I talk to you for a minute?”  ”Sure,” I responded, and out in the hallway we went.

At this point a book becomes relevant – what is known as the “Book of Shadows.”  This is the book a Wiccan uses which contains his/her spells, rituals, etc.  The High Priest had mentioned his Book of Shadows to volunteers in more than one conversation over the course of the weekend to this point.

We go to the hallway.  I said, “Yes, sir.”

He responds, “I hear that you heard that I was upset about what you said last night in the chapel.”

“Yeah, I heard that.”

“Well, I want you to know something and I wanted to tell you first.”

“OK.”

“What you said last night didn’t bother me.  Actually, when I went back to the unit last night I threw my Book of Shadows and all my Wiccan literature in the garbage can.”

We talked briefly and then were called in for the service to begin.

Subsequent to the weekend, this young man attended all the Christian services and even was a prisoner helper on the weekend six months later.  Where is he today – physically and spiritually?  I don’t know.

Herein lies the power of the Word of God.  Augustine was converted by reading Romans 13:13 – a passage that cut directly to his conscience as it related to his licentious lifestyle:

Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.

Philip explained Isaiah 53 to the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 and the eunuch was converted.  Great is the power of the Word of God.

There is another issue to address here: confronting people with the Word of God in evangelism as it directly relates to their own sin.  Popular opinion within the Christian community today seems to say that we cannot directly address the sin(s) of a pagan because “it’ll turn them off” or “they won’t listen to us if we do that.”  The Apostles knew no such strategy.  In Acts 2″22-23, Peter directly addresses the sin of the Jews who desired the crucifixion of Christ when he said,

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

Peter says “you crucified and killed” “this Jesus.”  In another example in Acts, Paul directly addresses the sin of Felix in chapter 24.

Felix had enticed Druscilla away from her first husband and Druscilla appeared to have not divorced her first husband so they were living in sexual sin.  In Paul’s discourse, what does he say?  The Scripture says Paul reasoned about “righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment (v. 25).”  The word behind “self-control” has special connotations addressing controlling one’s sexual desires.  Thayer says the word (“egkrateia”) has the meaning of “the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites.”  Paul directly addressed sexual sin with a man – and a woman – who were committing sexual sin.  Paul was cutting straight to their consciences and we see that at least Felix was affected – Felix became “alarmed” (“trembled,” KJV).

Praise God for the power in His Word.

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Ten Years Ago, Part 13: A Prisoner’s 40-Year Long Battle With Unforgiveness Comes To A Head – LOUDLY

Posted in Forgiveness, Indian River Baptist Church, Prison Ministry, Sin, Truth, tagged , , , , , , on June 14, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

It is interesting the requests that are made after the story of forgiveness after Jon’s death is presented – the issues that prisoners wish to talk to me about – somehow, they must feel I can relate and conversely, they say they can identify with me in some manner.  One such incident follows.

A Christian prisoner who had been attending our weekly bible study at what was the Straits Correctional Facility signed up for the Keryx weekend.  He was a very mild-mannered man – quiet, peaceful-appearing.  As we know from Alice In Wonderland, though, things are not always as they appear.  Such was the case with this man.

It is surprising what issues people are hiding.  People may appear very content, at peace, with no issues that are percolating, over either the short-term or over a period of many years.  Our church culture, to some degree, can be so that a person can have the sense that to express these issues to anyone would be a matter of shame.  We don’t do a very good job of enabling and encouraging people to deal openly with topics such as arise here, and going further, allowing people to obey James 5:16.

The Saturday session arrived and nothing seemed different with my friend.  After I made my presentation which included the story of Jon’s death and forgiveness, my friend requested some time and we were granted some time and place to talk.  The Keryx weekends at that prison are conducted in the prison gymnasium, with tarps stretched across the gym at various places to serve as ‘walls” of sorts, dividing the gym into “rooms.”  In the center is the room used as a chapel and around the edge of the room are some metal bleachers.  We sat on one of the metal bleachers.

The conversation was very generic and he didn’t appear to have any real issues, until he became very quiet.  He started to squirm – literally.  Beads of sweat popped up on his forehead and this was all within 30 seconds.  I said nothing.  The bleacher started to rock a little as he squirmed.  Then all of a sudden, “POW!!”  He punched the metal bleacher with everything he had and it made this very loud noise – VERY loud – a noise that rang through the gym.  The chaplain popped his head around the corner of the trap and said, “Everything OK?”  I said “Yes,” as the man got up and started to pace around the room.  I walked over to him and he just wanted to be alone.  I asked the chaplain if we could go into another room where we would be behind a closed door and he said he would take care of it, which we did after a few minutes.

This man was in his late 40′s.  The issue?  he had been hiding it for 40 years.  When he was about eight years old he and his friend of the same age were invited to a bible camp by a man.  They got permission, signed up and went.  They became friends with this man who took great interest in their lives.  Too much interest.  The interest quickly turned sexual.  The man molested my friend and his friend for two years.  At bible camp.  At Christian gatherings.  The shame and fear turned to anger as my friend grew up.  The anger bubbled for 40 years and finally came out in the furious punching of the bleacher.

 By the time the day ended, after our service focusing on forgiveness, my friend had forgiven the man.  The next day, when he returned, I asked him how he had slept.  He had told me the day before he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in 40 years.  He said, “I slept straight through the whole night.  It was great.”  Praise God.

The power unforgiveness holds over a person is incredible, even for the Christian.  Praise God for the grace given to this man, even after 40 years of torment.  Praise God.

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Indian River Baptist Church Sunday School, June 10, 2012: The Doctrine Of Hell, Part 3

Posted in Bible Study, Doctrine, Hell, Indian River Baptist Church, reformed baptist, Sin, Sovereignty, Theology, Truth, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 11, 2012 | Leave a Comment »


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Ten Years Ago, Part 9: “Through Death The Gospel Came Alive” – A Prisoner’s Perspective On Your Son’s Death And Unexpected Subsequent Developments

Posted in Forgiveness, Grief, Indian River Baptist Church, Sin, Truth, tagged , , , , , , , on June 5, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

In Part 3, we gave an account of a visit to Kinross Correctional Facility (KCF), where prisoners surrounded me physically and in prayer, with one particular prisoner’s prayer being quite touching.

Back in 2002, the prisoners at KCF were publishing a monthly newsletter entitled, “The Keryx Journal,” an eight-page assemblage of essays, poems and other items written/submitted by prisoners.  The prisoner who prayed that night in the cafeteria the night after Jon died wrote a brief essay about what had happened and it appeared in The Journal a couple of months later.  We were unaware that he was going to do this and were quite surprised when we were handed our copy of The Journal upon publication.

What happened subsequent to this was more surprising.

Late in 2002, upon arriving at KCF, the prisoner in question was very excited.  Why?  He had sent out the essay he had written for publication and had received a response from Mennonite Publishing in Pennsylvania.  They had agreed to publish his essay in their monthly Sunday School bulletin (and pay him about $30 in addition, which is a lot of money for a prisoner).  It was our understanding that around 12,000 copies are distributed monthly.   It was published early in 2003.

Someone somewhere read it, because not too long afterward the prisoner received a letter from Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, asking if they could republish the essay.  The prisoner agreed and received another small stipend for the essay.  They published it early in 2004.

A couple of years later, I was at a church about 100 miles from El Rancho Reformado in casual conversation with a small group of people and one who knew us mentioned Jon’s death and the prisoner having written about i and the others inquired further, so I elaborated.  When I did and mentioned the Mennonite publication, one lady blurted out, “That was real?!?!?  I read that and thought it was just another story somebody had made up!”  I said, “Yeah, it’s real.  That guy was me.”  ”Really?  I really thought it was a made-up story.”  ”No, ma’am.  It’s all real, just like he wrote.”

People do read those little publications and those who read need not think they are fictional accounts.  Ours is decidedly real.

The story of what happened in a remote prison, in a cafeteria with three volunteers and 40-45 prisoners ended up being spread around the world.  Was that my intent when I called and asked if I could go to the prison with those other two men that night?  No.  I just knew I needed to be with some men who loved me and my wife and who were going to be hurting from what they had heard the day before.  The words of a hurting dad, spoken to men who reside in contemporary society’s version of a leper colony, saw the light of day far beyond that old cafeteria and perhaps ministered in some small way to a hurting soul whom we would never see this side of heaven.

God’s providence shines forth again.  Praise God.

The prisoner’s essay is shown below, for ease of reading.  The links can be clicked to see the original publications.  The Mennonite publication is Copyright 2003 by Faith and Like Resources.  The Nazarene publication is Copyright 2004 by WordAction Publishing Company (the photo accompanying that version is not the prisoner who wrote it).  The prisoner’s name has been redacted for reasons of security and confidentiality.

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Through Death The Gospel Came Alive

Last night my son was killed by a hit-and-run driver,” said Jeff Peterson in a voice cracked raw with emotion. Before a room instantly quiet, Jeff continued, “Today has been the hardest day of my life. I know many of you have been praying for my son, and have heard my wife and me talk about our difficulties with him over the last year and a half. I’m here tonight because I felt I needed to tell you in person about his death.

“A lot of people feel finding out who was responsible and making them pay is what is important,” said Jeff, opening his heart even deeper. “I’m here to tell you, I don’t care about that. Knowing who did this won’t change what happened, and punishing the person responsible won’t bring my son back to life. All I know is that my son is dead and nothing will change that.”  Strong words—words made even stronger because they were spoken to a room full of convicted felons. Words spoken to men who themselves had committed acts of violence and caused the kind of pain they heard and saw in Jeff’s trembling voice and shuddering shoulders. Yet, because a man standing fast in his faith at such an emotional time spoke them, they were also words of great healing. They were words that shook a fist in the face of intense emotional pain and shone forth triumphant.

As a volunteer involved in prison ministry since the mid ‘90s, at the Kinross Correctional facility in Kincheloe, Michigan, Jeff knows that prisons are filled with men and women deeply hurt over the crimes they have committed and the subsequent pain they realize their crimes have caused to others. Understanding this, Jeff went into a prison on the hardest day of his life, not to face men in anger, men onto whom he could project the face of the perpetrator who had taken his son’s life. But rather he entered the prison knowing his pain would be understood and he, himself, could be ministered to through his own act of spiritual kindness.

“Jeff really needed you guys last week,” said his wife Cheryl, a week later during another gathering at the prison. “He knew you guys would help him to get through his crisis. You guys sure didn’t fail him there. For that we will always be grateful.”

The pain of losing a loved one is a devastating, life-threatening experience.  As your soul cried out questions no one can answer, solace can only be found in acceptance that God, who is at work, will one day explain why all our pain was necessary. However, this acceptance cannot he passive. Jeff knew that, and he also knew that for his healing to begin he had to look his son’s death in the eye. He did this by seeking comfort from men whom most would consider the least prepared to give it. Through this simple act of faith, seeking solace from men who had caused the kind of pain he was feeling, not only was Jeff’s healing process begun, but the men who ministered to him felt their healing begin too!

“What has been slowly pressed upon my spirit as this day has worn on,” said Jeff, as he sought to put his son’s death into perspective, “is how much God loves me. Loves us. To willingly send forth his son to die. That was an act of love so deep. Until today I guess I always knew that, but I never really understood it. However, after experiencing what it actually feels like to lose a son, well, all I can say is, my eyes have been opened, and I see that God’s love for me—for us—is an amazing, humbling reality.”

Drawn irresistibly by the Spirit to surround Jeff and lay hands upon him, the men humbled themselves before God and sought his in mercy in prayer. As these prayers were spoken the gospel was brought to life, and once again, death was conquered by hope.  Proving without question that all of Iife—even the hard, incomprehensible stuff—is surely worth living, and that healing can come even when it is sought where it normally isn’t found. For it’s not the physical places where we seek healing that matter, it’s the source. And when the source is God, he is bound only by the limitations we place upon him.

PURPOSE:  Purpose cover, Purpose essay page 1, Purpose essay page 2

STANDARD: Standard cover, Standard essay

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