PARADIGM LOST

Paradigm lost

The title of this article and the new title of my blog probably causes the reader to hearken back to John Milton’s 17th century epic poem; “Paradise Lost”. While I will admit to riding the coattails of the inspiring nature of that wonderful work, the title “Paradigm Lost” is only slightly connected to Milton’s classic.

The word “Paradigm” is an interesting word and according to Dictionary.com, it means

1. One that serves as a pattern or model.
2. A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline.

It is from the Greek “paradeigma”, from paradeiknunai meaning; to compare : para-, alongside; see para-1 + deiknunai, to show.

(Even my cat "Moshie" has trouble "thinking outside the box"...see picture above).

In the study of the bible there are often times paradigms that we get used to. Patterns of interpreting the bible whether right or wrong with which we become comfortable and eventually inflexible, often to our own hurt. It has been my experience that many Christians who grow and learn are taken down a road in which their paradigms are challenged and often broken before their eyes. I believe that this is the nature of the day and age in which our savior Jesus Christ came. He arrived on the scene in the heyday of the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, the synagogue worship and the myriad of Jewish traditions and festivals. What Jesus did was both revolutionary and astonishing. His ministry was not a “live and let live” ministry, nor was it a passive wait and see. Jesus came with a “take no prisoners” approach. His words and deeds went so far in the destruction of the existing first century Jewish paradigm that they had no choice; they had to kill him for it.

A quick survey of the introductory book of the New Testament gives hints all along the way. Sixteen times the author tells us that; “This or that was done so that the words of this prophet or that prophet might be fulfilled.” (see Matthew 1;22, 2:15, 17,23, 4:14, 5:18,:8:17, 12:17, 13:14-15, 21:4, 24::34, 26:54-56,27:9,35) So right away we see that Jesus was preaching a day of fulfillment. This was disturbing to the Pharisees on many occasions. When John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness Matt 3:1-13a, and 17.

“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, saying, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camels’ hair, and a leather girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. BUT when he say many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves; We have Abraham to our Father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which brings forth not good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: whose fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. Then cometh Jesus…And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”


Here in this passage we see Introducing Jesus and what he is about to do and what is about to happen. “Repent”! Revolutionary to the Jewish leaders whose message was “Perform”. “The Kingdom is at hand” Here, the Jewish leaders present were under the delusion that they ruled in God’s kingdom of Israel. If you wanted standing or status with the Jewish society of that day, you went through the rabbis, Pharisees, Sadducees, etc. John was not an establishment type, his clothing and diet were odd and out of place with the accepted norms. His message as well was disturbing to the Jewish leadership. John went on to tell them that old relationships that you may have been counting on, count for nothing.

“Do not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”

The Jewish people were trained from birth to count on and even brag on their link to Abraham. Here John tells them that this link is meaningless…you must be linked to God by way of his Son Jesus Christ. John did not make too many friends with his comments where he addressed the Pharisees and Sadducees as “Generation of vipers”…telling them that there is wrath to come. And in verse ten he continues by saying that NOW-not some far distant time in the future, but NOW the axe is laid to the root of the trees, warning them that their fruit will be judged, and the fruitless will be cast into the fire. If it were not for the crowd and the cloud, they probably would have killed John right there and then. But he was protected because the people, hungry to hear a sincere message from God flocked to him in huge numbers and the leaders dared not touch him. Then after baptizing the one who he was witnessing of, the one and only important witness and stamp of approval came with a thundering voice. “This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”. If John’s testimony was not enough, they heard from Jehovah himself.

All this by way of introducing a drastic shift; an incredible upheaval; a world shattering paradigm change that was to come. Rendering obsolete the old covenant in which the Jewish leaders were placing their faith and the institution of the New Covenant in the blood of their messiah and our savior that will be revealed as the only way for a person to approach God. Jesus in the process fulfills all of the law and the prophets. He is the New Covenant high priest…no further need of Aaron. He is the New Covenant Prophet foretold in Deuteronomy 18…no further need of Moses. He is the New Covenant King eternally ascended and sitting on his throne…no further need for a David, or Solomon or any other earthly king. Jesus fulfilled it all. The Paradigm shift has happened…I ask you; are we going to embrace the newness of Christ in the New Covenant, or are we going to hold onto the forms and shadows of the Old Covenant?


More to come on this amazing Paradigm change…stay tuned.