Sermon Tone Analysis

Synopsis

The misuse a person’s freedom of action in order to exploit, oppress or treat other people in a way that is not for their good.

Warnings against the abuse of authority

By employers over employees

(NIV) — 9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way.

Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

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(NIV) — 43 Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God.

(NIV) — 14 Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.

By fathers over children

(NIV) — 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

By husbands over wives

(NIV) — 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

By elders over the church

(NIV) — 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

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(NIV) — 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves!

Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.

4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured.

You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost.

You have ruled them harshly and brutally.

5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.

6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill.

They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.

7 “ ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:

By those mistreating foreigners

(NIV) — 21 “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.

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(NIV) — 9 “Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.

By leaders over those who are led

(NIV) — 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.

26 Not so with you.

Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—

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(NIV) — 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.

26 But you are not to be like that.

Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.

By those taking advantage of the helpless or poor

(NIV) — 22 “Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless.

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(NIV) — 22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court,

(NIV) — 29 The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice.

(NIV) — 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.

Do not plot evil against each other.’

By those who oppress others

(NIV) — 17 “But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion.”

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(NIV) — 8 They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.

(NIV) — 134 Redeem me from human oppression, that I may obey your precepts.

(NIV) — 7 In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed the foreigner and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.

Examples of the abuse of authority

(NIV) — 6 “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said.

“Do with her whatever you think best.”

Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

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(NIV) — 11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

(NIV) — 14 he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier.

My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.”

(NIV) — 6 But you have dishonored the poor.

Is it not the rich who are exploiting you?

Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?

The Spirit inspired the writers of the OT

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The NT recognises OT writings as inspired by the Holy Spirit

“God-breathed” means “breathed out by God” rather than “inspired”;

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The Spirit inspired the writers of the NT

This revelation by the Spirit probably includes the apostles’ understanding of the gospel and their preaching as well as the writings of the NT.

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The Holy Spirit illumines the meaning of Scripture

“what God has freely given” refers to “God’s secret wisdom” (verse 7), the “deep things of God” (verse 10) and the “thoughts of God” (verse 11).

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The relationship between the word and the Holy Spirit

The association of God’s Spirit and breath with his word(s)

; ; ; ; “word” here probably means “the gospel” rather than Scripture as a whole.

The Spirit is essential for obeying God’s law

Reliance on the letter of the law alone is useless.

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The Spirit enables believers to fulfil the law

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