72. The Added Doxology (Mt. 6:7-13) - Bible Lessons from Jeff Gulleson

REVIEW

FLIP CHART: SOM’S KEY VERSE, GOAL, MOTTO

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness ….” (Mt. 6:33a).

The law sends us to Christ for justification; Christ sends us back to the law for sanctification.

FLIP CHART: Show new “Perfect Righteousness” chart explaining steps to coming to Christ (As a worm, mourning, meek, spiritual hunger/thirst with the result of legal righteousness). Explain: moral righteousness, immediate moral change at conversion, gradual change through life’s challenges and speeding up moral change via CCRC (Concentration, Choice, Reflection and Confession/Thanksgiving). Key verse, “By one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Heb. 10:14).

FLIP CHART: John Stott’s outline of SOM.

This then is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:7-13)

REVIEW:

We are encouraged to call the Triune God our Father. To partner with Him so that His person will be held in awe and revered in the world, to participate with Him in the expansion of the Kingdom of His dear Son, to plead with Him so that His purposes will be accomplished in the world. We are to look to Him for our daily bread and for strength to earn that bread. Although we are His children we still need forgiveness for our many sins in order to maintain an intimate relationship with him. He is so concerned about our sense of community that he stubbornly refuses to forgive us and restore our relationship with Him until we forgive others. Our great desire must be to please Him so, as a child in great fear, we ask Him to protect us from the evil one who seeks to destroy us.

INTRODUCTION

TABLE ACTIVITY: List all of the doxologies you can think of, both in and out of the Bible.

OUTLINE FOR TODAY:

1. What is a Doxology

2. The Doxology in the Disciples Prayer

3. Doxologies in the Bible

THE “ADDED” DOXOLOGY

I. WHAT IS A DOXOLOGY?

QUESTION: What is a doxology?

“Doxology” comes from the Greek word “doxa” for glory and “logos” for word. So it literally means “ word of glory.”

One definition: A brief formula for expressing praise to God.

“A short hymn of praise to God often added at the end of Psalms and hymns. It is a tradition that was handed down and accepted into Christian worship from the Jewish synagogue.”

In a sense it is a triumphant finish to some wonderful truths or statements.

Doxologies are broken into two parts: (1) A statement or expression of God’s nature, blessings, gifts, promises; (2) An ascription or an assigning to God of some specific quality / qualities.

Ascription = Assigning to a person or a thing some quality or characteristic.

Often the Biblical doxology will contain a phrase that includes “to” and “be.” For example “to whom be” or “to him be” and then the ascription follows.

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (II Tim. 4:18)

In the Christian community we are most familiar with the “Gloria Patri” which is used by Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans and many Protestants including Lutherans, Methodists, and Reformed Baptists. It is called the “Lesser Doxology.”

THE LESSER DOXOLOGY (Gloria Patri): Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to he Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and always, to the ages of ages. Amen.

THE GREATER DOXOLOGY (Gloria in Excelsis Deo):

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you.
We bless you.
We adore you.
We glorify you.
We give thanks to you for your great glory.
Lord God, Heavenly King, God Almighty Father.
Lord Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
You who take away the sins of the world have mercy on us.
You who take away the sins of the world hear our prayer.
You who sit at the Father’s right hand, have mercy on us.
For you alone are holy.
You alone, Lord.
You alone the Most High, Jesus Christ.
With the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

When we contemplate the person of God, His gifts and kindness to our world, we should be left speechless. Are doxologies for the speechless? I find that I can’t say what is in my heart many times but a doxology is a great help just like the reading of a great Psalm is a great help, an assistant in praising God.

“O Lord you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought for the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You turn men back to dust, saying ‘Return to dust. O sons of men.’ For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by or like a watch in the night.” (Psalms 90:1-4)

Doxologies help the speechless, the tongue-tied to worship from the heart.

II. THE DOXOLOGY IN THE DISCIPLES PRAYER

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

THE DOXOLOGY IS NOT IN THE OLDEST MANUSCRIPTS

Did anyone notice when Rich gave his series of sermons on “The Disciples Prayer” several years ago he did not give any sermon on the doxology?

The best and oldest manuscripts do not include this doxology nor do the earliest commentaries on the Disciple’s Prayer. Also the parallel prayer in Luke 11:4 does not have it. Those manuscripts that do include the doxology have it in various forms, e.g. some have added “of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” at the end.

Tertullian (160-225), Origin (185-254) and Cyprian (258) do not know of this ascription.

The earliest reference to the doxology is in the Didache (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) which was written in the second century and was a book of instruction for Christian communities.

WHY WAS THE DOXOLOGY ADDED?

It seems the doxology was composed in order to adapt the prayer for the liturgical use in the early church.

Joachim Jeremias, an authority on the “Disciple’s Prayer,” thinks that it was unthinkable that such a prayer should end abruptly on the word “temptation” or “the evil one.” The liturgical way to end a prayer is with spontaneous praise that was cited from memory. It was a Jewish custom or tradition to end prayers with a doxology.

Was the doxology omitted by Jesus in the spoken prayer or by Matthew in the written text because it was self-evident that it should follow? Remember that Jesus is teaching Jewish believers who knew that the tradition of the synagogue was to end all prayers with a doxology.

It is unique because it does not begin with the “to … whom … be” of most doxologies.

THE DOXOLOGY IS SCRIPTURAL

It seems to have been taken from I Chronicles 29:11. David has just received gifts for the building of the temple that will be built by Solomon. David offers a prayer of praise to God for the gifts received an includes: Praise be to you, O Lord God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor for everything in heaven and earth is yours.”

We see a similar doxology in Rev. 5:13: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb e praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

SHOULD WE USE THE DOXOLOGY?

QUESTION: Since the doxology is not in the original prayer should we include it when we pray this prayer?

We need to keep in mind that this doxology is not in the original prayer.

Remember that the prayer is a “model” for prayer and not so much just for memorization. Remember that rote memorization / repetition can put us in the same class as pagans who just babbled their prayers. We should focus on praying the six prayer requests listed in the prayer.

But repetition by memory of the prayer is not wrong and adding the doxology is not wrong, since the doxology is also scriptural. The doxology is simply a short hymn of praise to God at the end of the prayer.

The doxology is just the model of the heart’s response when we truly enter into praying this prayer.

SHOULD THIS ADDITION TO GOD’S WORD CAUSE US TO QUESTION THE ACCURACY OF THE WORD OF GOD?

It changes no basic doctrine.

The reason we know it was added is because there is an on-going comparison by scholars of all the ancient manuscripts.

There are several passages in the Bible that are not in the original manuscripts. All scholars agree that these are not in the original and they are generally clearly marked as such in all Bible translations. What footnote does your Bible add at the end of the “Disciple’s Prayer?”

Look also at Mark 16:9-20. What does the footnote or insert say about these verses?

Also look at John 7:53-8:11. What does the footnote say? Or what is inserted in the text?

These are the outstanding cases. Nothing in either addition changes any basic theology.

Can we trust the text of the Bible? “When a comparison of the variant readings of the New Testament is made with those of other books which have survived from antiquity, the results are a little short of astounding. The evidence for the integrity of the New Testament is beyond questions.” (Norman Geisler, the author or editor of more than fifty books explaining and defending Christianity) (The Search for the Real Jesus, page 98-99)

III. DOXOLOGIES IN THE BIBLE

When analyzing a doxology there are two questions a person can ask:

(1) What statement or expression of God’s nature, blessings, gifts, promises is generating the ascription of praise?

(2) What specific quality or qualities are assigned or ascribed to God?

ROMANS 11:33-36

Outline of Romans:

1. The Need for Redemption – Sin (1:18-3:20). Gentile sin, Jewish sin, universal sin and guilt.

2. God’s Provision of Redemption – Justification by Faith. (3:21-5:21). Fact of justification, illustrated in Abraham and the result of justification.

3. The Effect of Redemption (6:1-8:39) – Victory over the flesh (6), Liberty (7), Security (8).

4. The Scope of Redemption (9:1-11:32) – Israel’s past, present and future.

QUESTION/FLIP CHART: (1) What expression of God’s nature, blessing, gifts, promises are generating the ascription? (2) What quality is being ascribed / assigned to God? (Write the quality – glory – on the flip chart.

HEBREWS 13:20-21

EPHESIANS 3:20-21

I PETER 4:10-11

REVELATION 1:5b-6

REVELATION 5:13b

JUDE 24-25

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

DOXOLOGY WRITTEN BY THOMAS KEN

Ken wrote this hymn at a time when the established church believed only Scripture should be sung as hymns—with an emphasis on the Psalms. Some considered it sinful and blasphemous to write new lyrics for church music, akin to adding to the Scriptures. In that atmosphere, Ken wrote this and several other hymns for the boys at Winchester College, with strict instructions that they use them only in their rooms, for private devotions. Ironically, the last stanza has come into widespread use as the Doxology, perhaps the most frequently used piece of music in public worship. At Ken’s request, the hymn was sung at his funeral, fittingly held at sunrise.

Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise,
To pay thy morning sacrifice.

Wake, and lift up thyself, my heart,
And with the angels bear thy part,
Who all night long unwearied sing
High praise to the eternal King.

All praise to Thee, who safe has kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake
I may of endless life partake.

Lord, I my vows to Thee renew.
Disperse my sins as morning dew.
Guard my first springs of thought and will,
And with Thyself my spirit fill.

Direct, control, suggest, this day,
All I design, or do, or say,
That all my powers, with all their might,
In Thy sole glory may unite.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

SO WHAT???

1. The best defense against temptation is a life focused on loving God.

2. Being aware of our inherent weakness, our fleshly desires should drive us to put on the whole armor of God living a life of dependent prayer.

3. We must know the Word and use the Word when resisting the devil.

4. We need to flee and sometimes we flee by turning our attention to something that will take our mind off of the temptation.

5. Remember, it is Christ who is investing in our life with a goal of presenting us faultless before the Father.