From Confusion to Clarity

As I was soaking today, thinking about writing another blog, it seemed to me that the Lord wanted me to write about confusion. Why write on confusion? That was confusing to me.

So I got out Logos and started looking at the word confusion in the Bible. This is the result of a rather quick word study and some reflections on it.

Understanding Confusion

The first time we find the world “confusion” in the English Bible is in Genesis 11:7-9, when God comes to confuse the languages of the people so that they would fill the earth (Genesis 1:28; 9:1), as God had originally intended. Interestingly, the same word translated confusion here (Hebrew: בלל - balal), is also used in some of the “recipes” in Leviticus (Lev. 2:4, for example) where the oil is poured in and mixed with flour to make different kinds of breads.

The first time we find the word “confusion” in the English New Testament varies by translation (sometimes synonyms are used), but in Acts 2:6 we read about the crowd at Pentecost that came together in "confusion" (NRSV) or "bewilderment" (NIV) (Greek: συγχέω - suncheo). In this case as well the term originally meant to pour together, to mix. (It would be really interesting to explore the reversal of the role of confusion in both the Babel and Pentecost stories – in the first confusion disperses them, in the second confusion brings them together – but that would be a whole other blog post.)

Interestingly the English word “confusion” comes to us from French, where it is derived from the past participle of the Latin word “confundere” (from where we also get the word “confound”), which means to pour together. Sometimes in English when we are confused we might say that we are “mixed up.” The connection between mixing and confusion is common to all three languages!

Confusion happens when things are poured together and mixed. Generally speaking, confusion happens not when we don’t have enough information, but when we have information we can’t sort out properly.

What Confusion Looks Like

In Galatians 1:7 and 5:10 Paul addresses a problem in the churches in the province of Galatia saying that some were throwing them into confusion by trying to stir into the mix what didn’t belong. They were trying to mix Christianity with traditional Jewish practices, which was based on a traditional Jewish way of understanding how our relationship with God works.

Paul has a very strong term for describing this enemy of Christianity. He calls it the basic principles of this world (NIV84), or the elemental spiritual forces of the world (NIV11). [The Greek term is stoichea (στοιχεῖα).] According to Paul what’s going on is that unchristian spirits are bringing in foreign spiritual principles, and trying to mix them with the Gospel.

In Colossians he names some of these things these elemental spirits are trying to do. They bring in judgment about what people eat, religious festivals, new moon celebrations and Sabbath observance (Col.2:16) – all of which were Jewish religious practices. More specifically, he describes these elemental spirits as enforcing rules about what people should hold, or taste, or even touch. Apparently these things were being taught there and in the Galatian churches as ways to restrain the flesh. Paul knows it doesn’t work that way (Col. 2:23, see also Romans 7:7-25).

Out of Confusion

Paul’s remedy for this confusion is to remind us of who we are, and how we are supposed to live.

We are God’s sons and daughters (Gal. 3:26-27; 4:6-7). Specifically, we are not God’s slaves (see also Romans 8:15-16). That means that God is more like a Father to us than a task master. As a Father, He is a good Father who gives good gifts to His children (for example, see Matt.7:11). Our heavenly Father loves those people who are His enemies (Matt.5:44-45). He gives good and perfect gifts to His children (James 1:17). Our relationship with Him is not to be governed by fear of punishment (Rom. 8:15; 1John 4:18).

If we already are God’s children, His very own sons and daughters, we do not have to position ourselves for blessing by doing certain things in a certain way, probably using certain words, accompanied by certain gestures. Those who suggest that we can only approach God that way, are promoting a false Christianity. That is what Paul is saying in Galatians and Colossians. Through Jesus, the unapproachable God becomes approachable; we can approach the throne of grace with confidence and boldness, without a need to hide anything of who we are (Heb 4:16).

But what about behavior? Aren’t Christians supposed to do certain things and not do others?

  

How are Christians supposed to live, if we aren’t afraid of being punished for doing something wrong? The answer is simple: love God; love people. I don’t mean that as a parody of an answer. That really is the answer. It's simple, but it's not easy.

In Romans 13:8-10 Paul says three times in three verses that living in a way that loves others, is actually what the Old Testament law was really all about. In fact, he says something astounding: “Love does no harm to its neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom. 13:10). In Galatians he says something that is just as shocking: “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Gal. 5:6).

To follow Jesus means we know who we are, as He did (two of the three temptations by the devil had to do with his identity: “If you are the Son of God…”), and love people as He loved them (John 13:34).

As long as we don’t allow anything to be added to these two things, as long as we don’t let anything get mixed in with our identity as sons and daughters, and the simple call to love God and people, we at least won’t be confused about what it means to be a Christian. Yes, working that all out takes time and there is a maturing process that goes on. For example, loving people living a life of sin, while not enabling them in their sin, isn’t always a simple thing for us to figure out. We can get it wrong from time to time and probably will, but if we know who we are, and if we’re following Jesus in applying that, what else is there?

Our identity is sons and daughters, our assignment is: love God and people.

Empowered for Freedom

Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit to help us remember who we are, and empower us to love as Jesus loved. We couldn’t do it without Him, and aren’t even supposed to try. Only legalists and those live by other forms of religiosity believe it’s really all up to them to “get right with God.” Christians know that Jesus already made us right with God, and as Paul said, the only thing that counts now is faith expressing itself in love.