Dr. John Hartmann

In this study Dr. Hartmann begins with 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, which deals with God’s work of reconciling the world to Himself through Christ and His Cross. Our teacher then deals with the enigmatic expression in 2 Corinthians 5:21, which states that the sinless Christ, in His death, became “sin” on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Throughout the Old Testament the Hebrew word chattat is translated primarily in one of two ways, depending on context: either as “sin” or “sin-offering”. A survey of several texts demonstrates how these two alternate translations appear throughout the Old Testament. Dr. Hartmann then discusses how the translators of the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament much in use in the time the New Testament was written) translated the Hebrew chattat into Greek, sometimes using only the Greek word hamartia (normally translated “sin” in English) in contexts where the obvious meaning was “sin-offering”. This leads to a suggested translation of 2 Corinthians 5:21: God made Christ, Who knew no sin, a “sin-offering” on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Our study closes with some practical applications drawn out of an overview of Hebrews 10:1-25. Jesus’ death fulfills the Old Testament sin-offering and opens the way for us to draw near to God, the veil into the Most Holy Place having been rent in the sacrifice of His body on the Cross. Our teacher then deals with how to draw near to God, through Jesus’ Blood, which is spelled out in Hebrews 10:22: 1) with a sincere heart, 2) with full assurance of faith, 3) having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, 4) having our bodies washed with pure water.

On a practical level this study offers insight into Jesus being the sin-offering, laying a foundation for faith that His Blood truly removes sin for every repentant person who will come to God through Him.

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In this study we look at the idea of God’s justice and what Scripture teaches concerning waiting for His justice.

In Jeremiah 12:1-4 the prophet discusses matters of justice with God and pleads his case before him, asking how long it would be that the wicked prosper before God acts to set things right. Psalm 89:14 states that justice and righteousness are the foundation of God’s throne, so that the execution of justice is a function of God’s government, something that He performs as the righteous moral governor of the universe. Deuteronomy 32:1-4 reveals that justice is central to God’s character, which informs how He acts in relation to His whole creation. Jeremiah 9:23-24 shows that God executes righteousness, justice, and lovingkindness in the earth because He delights in these things. Justice therefore is not just an attribute of God (which it is), but also an activity of God, something He does as the Sovereign ruler over all things. Scripture thus teaches that the Lord longs to have compassion on His suffering people, because He is a God of justice, proclaiming “how blessed are all those who long (wait for) Him” (Isaiah 30:18-19).

So there is no question that God is a God of justice and that He executes justice on the earth; in fact our response to injustice begins with this faith conviction that God is just and executes justice in the earth. From this we move on to the question of how and when God will do this and what we are to do in terms of co-operating with Him as we wait for His justice. We here need to be examined by the plumb line of the Word of God, which searches the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb 4:12). We need to be about doing the will of the heavenly Father (Matthew 7:21; 12:46-50), which really means hearing His Word and doing it (Luke 8:21).

James 1:19-22 is helpful here. James instructs us in verses 19-20 to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, because man’s anger does not produce the righteousness of God, which Dr. Hartmann defines as that faithful working of God in which He brings vindication to those who are in the right and straightens what is crooked. Proverbs 3:5-6 similarly promises that God will make our paths straight if we trust in Him with all of our heart, do not lean on our own understanding, and acknowledge Him in all of our ways, which means that we commit our way to Him and submit to Him with intent to honor and obey Him. James 1:21-22 follows with a command to put aside all filthiness and overflowing of malice (ill-will, evil intent in the heart) and to receive with meekness the implanted Word of God which is able to save our souls, being doers of the Word and not hearers only who delude themselves.

Psalm 94 provides an example of a suffering saint who waits for God’s justice. Here the psalmist asks the Lord, the God of vengeance (avenging acts) to shine forth, to take action as the Judge of the earth, to render recompense to the proud, who arrogantly abuse power and oppressively crush His people. The wicked oppressors speak arrogant words and vaunt themselves, crushing and afflicting God’s people, slaying the widow, the orphan, and the sojourner, and saying that the Lord does not see or pay heed to what they are doing. God rebukes this foolish and senseless stupidity, which displays deep ignorance of His ways, all of which comes from hardness of heart. Vile, arrogant, and wicked men think God does not see or take account of what they are doing, that their wickedness will go on unchecked, that God does not notice their lies, robbery, murder, oppression and blasphemies, that He will never arise to confront them and act to vindicate those who suffer at their hand. But it is not so. God does notice and God will judge, which means He will act in judgment to vindicate the weak and humble the proud. He is the God of avenging acts and He will shine forth.

“Vengeance is mine, I will repay”, says the Lord (Romans 12:19; Heb 10:30; Deuteronomy 32:35), which means that vengeance belongs to God, is something holy, set apart to Him, His prerogative, and not to be touched by man. The Lord is a God of knowledge (Whose eyes are in every place, beholding good and evil), and with Him actions are weighed (1 Samuel 2:3; Proverbs 15:3). Paul instructs us to leave vengeance in the hands of God, because it is His prerogative to bring it about, and we do well not to touch it lest we be burned by it. Scripture thus instructs us in Psalm 37 to cease from anger and forsake wrath, because it will only lead to evil-doing, adding that evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land (Psalm 37:8-9). Indeed, the whole of Psalm 37 is full of instruction concerning things we are to do and be about as we wait for God to execute justice.

Returning to Romans 12:19-21, Paul gives this instruction: “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Thus, if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” The apostle is guiding us in the path by which we leave room for God to work His vengeance toward evildoers and set things right for those in the right. He here cites Proverbs 25:21-22a, leaving out 22b, which states that “the Lord will reward you” or “repay you with good”

The reference to heaping burning coals on the head of an enemy through undeserved acts of charity is subject to some interpretation. The original text in Proverbs leaves the impression that the good deeds of charity performed by the righteous serve to highlight the wickedness of the enemy, thus rendering him liable to a greater degree of punishment at God’s hands. Support for this is found in Psalm 120:4 and 140:10 where “glowing coals” refer to punishment of evildoers, while in Joel 3:4 the phrase “on your head” refers to God’s recompense of evildoers for their evil deeds of plunder and oppression. Chrysostom and other Greek Fathers understood Paul’s citation of Proverbs 25:21-22 in this punitive sense: by doing good to one’s enemies one intensifies their punishment in the eschaton. Other Church Fathers (Origen, Augustine, Pelagius, and Jerome) understood this text in terms of a more positive outcome, that “heaping coals of fire” on the head refers to one’s enemy being brought to a sense of shame and remorse that will lead to a change of heart, i.e. conversion. I Peter 2:12 could support such an interpretation in the thought that as unbelievers behold the good deeds and excellent behavior of believers, they will glorify God in the day of visitation. In terms of extra-biblical support, there is now evidence of an Egyptian ritual in which a pannier of blazing coals was carried upon the head as a sign of repentance. If applied to Romans 12:20, Paul would be saying that the charitable deeds of the righteous in relation to their enemies will lead to conversion for the latter. Dr. Hartmann suggests that both interpretations could apply, depending of course on the response of the enemy to one’s good deeds.

In this matter of the Christian not taking their own revenge, i.e. not returning evil for evil, we have also the witness of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:43-48 and Luke 6:27-38. Jesus teaches that His disciples are to love their enemies, pray for their persecutors and mistreaters, do good to those who hate them, bless those who curse them, etc., and promises great reward if they do so, connecting these acts to their sonship with God. Further witness is found in 1 Peter 2:18-25; 3:8-13, and in 1 Thessalonians 5:15, which states: “See that no one repays another evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men”.

Zephaniah 3:8ff gives a picture of the righteous awaiting God’s avenging acts in the eschaton. The Lord says “wait for Me” and then speaks of His acts of judgment and salvation that will occur at the end of the age, when He establishes His kingdom on earth. This ultimate “waiting for justice” in central to the faith and perseverance of the saints.

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In this timely message Dr. Hartmann offers strong encouragement to the saints “not to lose heart”. Jesus in Luke 18:1-8 teaches a parable that men ought always to pray and not “lose heart”, a word in Greek that connotes “despair”. The parable tells the story of an unrighteous judge, who did not fear God, nor respect man, and of a persistent widow, who comes again and again asking the judge for legal protection from her opponent. At first the judge refuses to act, but afterwards grants the widow her request, lest by her continual coming “she wear me out”, a Greek word that was used to speak of striking one in the eye or giving one a black eye.

Jesus says: “Hear what the unrighteous judge said”. It is here a case of “how much more”. If the unrighteous judge, who has no fear of God, no concern for justice, and no pity toward the afflicted, grants the request of a persistent petitioner, then how much more will not God, Who does hear the cry of the afflicted, bring justice to His elect people, who cry out to Him day and night for the coming of His kingdom on earth. He will answer them speedily, Jesus say, though He delays long over them. Jesus is saying that God will answer with swift justice when the time comes for the kingdom of the world to become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ. The parable builds on the immediately preceding context (Luke 17:20-37), in which Jesus speaks about conditions on earth at the time of His return. The eschatological context to which the parable of Luke 18:1-8 applies thus becomes quite apparent at its end, in Jesus’ question: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? ” Jesus is talking about the kind of faith displayed by the widow woman, who 1) knew her cause was just, and 2) knew she had no other recourse but to appeal to the judge for justice. God calls His elect to cry to Him day and night for the coming of His kingdom, and in this parable encourages them not to lose heart as they do so. Justice is on its way.

Our study closes with discussion of 4 important matters in which we must not lose heart.

 We must not lose heart ….

1. In offering petitions to God. Passages such as Matthew 7:7-11, Ephesians 6:18, James 4:1-3, and 1 John 5:14-15 apply here. We must incessantly petition God not for what we want but for what He has revealed to be His will
2. In seeking God about situations and personal matters of the soul in which one needs His deliverance. Psalm 40:1-3 and Psalm 107:10-16 apply here.
3. In doing good. Galatians 6:6-10 and Hebrews 6:11-12 apply here.
4. In remaining faithful to the ministry to which the Lord has called each one, individually and collectively. Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:1-5:11 speaks of not losing heart in his ministry as Christ’s apostle, a ministry in which he shares in the fellowship of Christ’s suffering to such a degree that he can say to the church “death works in us, but life in you”. As he carries about in his mortal body the dying of Jesus, the resurrection life of Jesus is ministered to the church, and the powers of darkness defeated. Philippians 3:9-10 and Colossians 1:24-29 apply here as well.

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Dr. Hartmann outlines the contours of Biblical discipleship.  He exhorts the listeners to apply authentic discipline to be what God intends followers of Jesus to be.

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Amos 2:9-12 states that God raises up prophets to speak to His redeemed people. Taking this assumption as a point of departure, Dr. Hartmann proceeds to look at the call of John the Baptist, as it is laid out by the angel Gabriel in his annunciation to Zacharias in Luke 1:14-17.

4 points stand out in relation to the calling of John the Baptist:
1) He as consecrated to God as a Nazarite from birth
2) He was filled with the Spirit from his mother’s womb
3) He paved the way for the work of the Messiah
4) He ministered in the spirit and power of Elijah

Dr. Hartmann discusses the what is meant by “the spirit and power of Elijah”, relating it to the why in which the prophetic order relates to Israel’s position in God’s plan as a theocratic covenant nation that was called to be a kingdom of priests and His light and witness to the world. The prophet functions as God’s covenant spokesperson. The removal of the authentic prophetic ministry is viewed in Isaiah 29:10-13 as a judgment of God, leading to blindness and spiritual “illiteracy” among the apostate covenant people.

Coming back to John the Baptist, Dr. Hartmann defines the spirit of Elijah as the intent and purpose that God had placed within the prophet, that which drives and motivates him in terms of the end game of his ministry. In Elijah’s case it was the drive to see the apostate covenant people repent and return to God, so that He might in turn heal them and restore them to His full purpose for them within the covenant. The power of Elijah has to do with the unique working of the power of God through him to accomplish that task which drove him, what we sometimes refer to as the “anointing”.

At the level of application Dr. Hartmann calls the church to pray for the raising up of true prophets as a gift to the church and the culture in which the church is set, in accordance with Jesus’ command to pray that God would send laborers into the harvest (Matthew 9:37-38). He calls the church to seek out its calling to be a prophetic people and a prophetic witness to the culture, in accordance with Acts 2:16-21 and Revelation 19:10.

Our study closes with 10 characteristics of the true prophet of God, all of which are listed and expounded at the end of this invigorating sermon.

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In this brief exhortation Dr. Hartmann speaks about two absolutes in God’s purpose, relating them to the present state of affairs in the political climate of the United States of America.

The first absolute is found in Daniel 4:34-35 and Isaiah 40:12-26. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, was humbled by God and brought to understand that the God of Israel was the “Most High” (El-Elyon), whose dominion is everlasting, and whose kingdom endures to all generations. He proclaimed that El-Elyon does according to His will in both the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. None can ward off His hand or say to Him “why have you done this”? This agrees with Isaiah 40:12-36, which views the inhabitants of the earth and all of its kings and rulers as nothing before God. In the end, no purpose God has can be thwarted. He is the Most High, over and above all.

The second absolute is found in Psalm 2:8-9, Revelation 5:9-10 and Isaiah 53:10-12. God has decreed that He will give Jesus the nations as His inheritance. Jesus died to purchase a people from every nation, tribe and tongue, and God will see to it that He receives this people as the reward of His sufferings. Having given Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His seed and prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.

With this in view, Dr. Hartmann exhorts the saints to pray in accordance with Paul’s instruction in 1 Timothy 2:1-8. We are to pray for kings and all who are in authority, with a view to us living a tranquil and peaceful life in all godliness and dignity, this providing the context of common grace within which God may execute His plan of redemption through the gospel.

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In this study Dr. Hartmann begins with a re-statement of the truth that believers have been justified by faith, on the basis of Christ’s death as the Sin-bearer, in which He substitutionally bore all the punishment, guilt, and shame of our iniquities. Our teacher stresses once again that this foundation gives us confidence that if God is for us, nothing can be against us, since God Himself is the One Who justifies.

Moving on from this Dr. Hartmann begins to discuss the notion of sanctification, based on the truth that Christ’s death was not just a death for sins, but a death to the power of sin (Rom 6:10). Christ in both death and resurrection acted as the collective representative of those He had come to redeem, so that His death to sin is their death to sin, and His resurrection into New Life their resurrection into New Life. This union with Christ in both death and resurrection thus becomes the foundation for the life of sanctification to which those who are “in Christ” have been called.

Paul in Ephesians 4:17-5:2 lays out his vision for sanctification in what might be called “an Old Man-New Man theology”. Those who are in Christ must not be as the unredeemed, who, “in the futility of their mind” pursue sensuality as that which brings meaning to their existence, which in turn results in blindness and hardness of heart that is “past feeling”, and, in the end, the endless pursuit of more and more impurity “with greediness”. Those who are in Christ must turn from this and be renewed in the spirit of their mind, to know who they are in Christ and what kind of life they are to live in accordance with what pleases God.

The basic paradigm is laid out in Ephesians 4:22-24. Those who are in Christ must “put away” or “lay aside” the former manner of life that was lived in accordance with the “lusts of deceit” that characterized the old man who was crucified together with Christ (v 22). They are to be “renewed in the spirit of their mind” (v 23), and “put on” the New Man that has been created in the image of God, in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (v 24).

Building on this basic paradigm of “laying aside” the old, and “putting on” the new, Paul in Ephesians 4:25-5:2 makes this paradigm very concrete in terms of its application to daily living. Those who are in Christ are to:

1) Lay aside lying and deceitfulness and put on truth-telling as a way of life, recognizing that they are “members of one another” (4:25)

2) Be done with anger that becomes sin. They must bring all anger under the control of the Spirit and not let the sun go down on their anger, which gives Satan opportunity to wreak havoc on their relationships (4:26-27).

3) Be done with stealing (if that in any way characterized the way they once lived) and become diligent in work, in which God will bless the labor of their hands. The motive for production and gain is never to be selfish but with a view to giving to those who are in need (4:28).

4) The tongue must be reined in and become an instrument of the new man (4:29). This is absolutely critical to walking in the grace and goodness of God. The standard is quite clear: no unwholesome words are to come out of our mouths. Our words, rather, are to be filled with grace, to bring edification and grace to the hearers.

Building on Paul’s instruction to bridle the tongue, Dr. Hartmann closes with a look at Psalm 34:8-14, which begins with an invitation to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (34:8). God promises favor and blessing to those who take refuge in Him and fear Him. The psalmist teaches us “the fear of the Lord” in verses 11-14, and follows with the promise that those who practice righteousness (in the way he has outlined it in verses 11-14) will live in the blessing of answered prayer (34:15-19). The path which is here called “the fear of the Lord” begins with a simple exhortation to keep one’s tongue from evil and deceit, which makes a nice connection back to Paul’s instruction in Ephesians 4:29. Those who bridle the tongue actually can control their whole body (James 3: 1-12).

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In this study, Dr. Hartmann begins with a re-statement of the glorious truth of justification by faith, presenting evidence that Paul’s teaching on justification was based on insights he had gained from Isaiah 53, in which a connection is drawn between the Servant “justifying the many” and Him “bearing their iniquities”. This connection was not lost upon the apostle Paul, who developed these ideas at length in the argument of Romans 1-5. Simply put, Paul teaches that Christ bore our iniquities in His Cross and that we as a result are justified before the Divine Court. This wonderful truth of justification based on Christ’s death as the Sin-bearer is found in both Rom 5:1-11 and 8:31-39, thus functioning as “bookends” for Paul’s in depth exposition of the full grace of the gospel in Romans 5-8.

Justification by faith thus constitutes the entry point onto the road that leads to final salvation for those who endure in faith and the pursuit of holiness. Justification will also be important at the end. All must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, to be recompensed for the deeds done in the body, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10). The judgment will determine two things: 1) the reward (or, as the case may be, loss of reward) of the justified; 2) the final ratification of God’s verdict of justification based on Christ’s death.

The “end game” of God’s purpose in the plan of redemption is found in texts like Hebrews 2:10 and Romans 8:29-30. God is bringing many sons to glory. Paul’s thought is that those whom God justifies, He also glorifies. This does not mean that sanctification is unimportant; to the contrary it seems to indicate that in Paul’s thought sanctification necessarily follows for those who truly have been justified by faith, this being based on Paul’s understanding of our union with Christ and the gift of the Spirit we receive as the first fruits of the coming full inheritance as sons of God. These ideas are again developed in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, which indicates that God calls us through the gospel to the end that we might “gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Colossians 3:4 indicates that the justified, at Christ’s return, will be revealed together with Him in glory. Paul more fully unpacks this idea of our “co-revelation” as sons of God together with Christ in Romans 8:14-30, where we find the true message of “Liberation Theology”: the whole creation groans and travails in anxious longing and eager expectation as it awaits the revelation of the sons of God together with Christ in all of His glory, at which point the whole creation will be set free from futility and bondage in association with the emergence of the new collective Adam in Christ.

All of this behooves us, the redeemed, to live lives that are “pleasing to the Lord”, “holy and blameless” and “worthy of the God Who calls us to His kingdom and glory”. Our teacher exhorts us to renew our absolute devotion to the Lord with daily prayer, meditation in the Word, and the cultivation of faithfulness in the use of our gifts, so that the Lord at the end will not call us “wicked and slothful bond-slaves”, but “good, faithful, and sensible” ones, who then enter the joy of their Lord.

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Dr. Hartmann exhorts the saints to wak in the new life that has been purchased by Jesus death and resurrection.

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Dr. Hartmann opens the scriptures to reveal that faith and works are inseparable, and exhorts the listener to action.

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