This morning I was riding my exercise bike and reading an ordination paper (and also a college assignment paper) by my associate pastor, Ryan Lee.
I was blown away. I should be getting used to it. Last week his sermon on Luke 11 mined some thoughts that I have not heard explained anywhere else.
This article is on the church. Ryan uses the Greek of the original Biblical text, he searches the early church and relates to our current Canadian situation. Then he comes to the end of his paper. He tells us the church is not a group of lapdogs but a gathering of wolves! Here I will quote some of his thoughts – hopefully you will catch where he is going!
The origins of the assembly of Christ in Canada could not be described by anything resembling a lapdog. The explorers, pioneers, and settlers of our wild Nation, boldly relied on God and his calling.
Not lapdogs, but wolves. Majestic animals that work together in a pack, an assembly even, they work together in perfect unison to accomplish their goal to maintain their survival. Wolves cry out, with an eerily beautiful call, to the great light in the darkness, joined by the song of brothers and sisters, chilling the very blood of their enemies.
The assembly of Christ in Canada needs to be wolves once again. Crying out with the Gospel [of] Jesus, the great light in the darkness, a cry which gathers the voices of all the brothers and sisters of His assembly. It is that chorus of howls which will shake the very gates of Hell to dust in our Nation.
I don’t think we need to cry out like wolves, but we should be crying out with the loving voice of Jesus, drawing people to HIM not scaring them away .
I’m not convinced “wolves” is the right word to use. In fact, with the amount of wolves that can be found in the church (globally – all denominations) today who are disparaging the Word of God, wolves in that vein that Ryan uses is very dangerous. We have wolves in churches and they are destroying the flock. The bible does not hold wolves in a positive light; as a matter of fact Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:16 that persecution is coming and says “behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. In John 10, Jesus refers to us as sheep and says wolves come to divide. Paul tells us in Acts 20:28-30, 31: Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore, be alert.
So, we know that wolves devour and we know that our enemy roams about seeking whom he can devour. Not sure wolves is the right descriptor to use!
I think the best example of boldness -if that’s what Ryan is alluding to – are the apostles and fellow workers who boldly proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ because they were not ashamed of the gospel, were willing to die and in fact did!!
What we need most in todays market driven, mystic driven, easy peasy believism church is to return to sola scriptura and the great commission. Enough nonsense and get back to preaching the gospel – all of it. Sin, repentance, the redemptive work of Christ on the cross and His return!!
Although I shudder with the use of the word “wolves”, I’m sure Ryan has a deep love and passion for our Lord.
Blessings!
Conni
As I read the excerpt from Ryan’s words, I believe he is saying that it is the darkness and all its forces we wolves are supposed to be howling at. That is what I take away from Ryan’s paper. Real wolves are not evil beings and do not deserve to be vilified, There are many powerful comparative phrases in scripture that are not to be taken in literal form. We do need to work together better to strengthen the body of Christ so that the forces of darkness lose their present foothold in many areas of Christian life. To me, the way wolves work together toward a common goal is a good example not a frightening one. Sola scriptura is a great goal, but there are many interpretations of scripture and what constitutes the basics is not so easily determined. Thanks Ron for sharing Ryan’s excellent words. It is always such fun to read how people read and interpret the written word and what they take away from it. Really enjoying reading the various comments.
When I read this, my spirit jumped for I love the idea that is presented. Whenever I hear the cries of a wolf – I can not help but notice how the sound carries, how everything stands up and takes notice. I know that is the way those in darkness ought to hear the message of a loving Lord – loud, clear, drawing, and shaking the world of darkness. Wolves move in packs – a sign of unity…Children of God need to reveal they are also one family. I love the depth of insight captured in my soul….now to work in out in my own life. Unfortunately, there are times when instead of standing out for what is pure what is perfect, what is agape love, we sometimes reveal to a dark world the sound of an angry wolf as we disagree with each other. God and all of His love and mercy and grace is working hard to ensure that the way we reveal HIM in a dark world is like the sound of a wolf pack – that resounding call of the Lord drawing all to Himself.
Animal Metaphors in Scripture: Should Christians be more like wolves or snakes?
In the Word of God (as in all good writing) metaphors and analogies serve the intention of the author related to the topic at hand. Metaphors “work” only because there are both similarities and differences in the things compared. (If every feature in an analogy is identical you don’t have a metaphor but merely a tautology: a repetition which adds no significance). I’m sure the Lord anticipated that Biblical metaphors needed to be properly understood in order to communicate. Sometimes one aspect of a thing makes a metaphor work, but sometimes a nearly opposite aspect makes it work. For example water symbolizes both life and death. The place where life is formed, but conversely an element destructive of life. (2 Peter 3:5-6; Ps 1:3; Ps 69:14) The fascinating thing is that both (opposite significances) contribute to the symbolism of water in baptism which is seen both as a death and a rebirth ( Romans 6:4).
Regarding the appropriateness of particular animal metaphors: If you see a lion, is it Jesus? or the devil? Both are possible according to scripture (1 Pet 5:8, Rev 5:2). So the appropriateness of a metaphor does not depend on the animal chosen, or on its previous usage, but rather on the particular characteristic that the metaphor intends to communicate. Jesus himself is portrayed as both lion and lamb. There is no sense arguing which one is the better metaphor, but rather which aspects of each both apply. It was Jesus who specifically suggested that when his disciples are threatened (as by wolves), they should be more like snakes! (Matt 10:16) Of course there is nothing wrong with the dove metaphor but Jesus knew he needed contrasting metaphors to communicate that faithful discipleship is not one dimensional. If we are not happy with the wolf metaphor, how happy will we be when we realize Jesus exhorts us to be like snakes?
I could write a lot more about the appropriateness of the wolf-pack /church metaphor, but other contributors (above) have ready begun unpacking the applicable and not so applicable aspects of that analogy. After we think about the ways we should be like wolves, how about discussing the ways Jesus wants us to be like snakes!