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Soichi Watanabe, The Coming of the Holy Spirit
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However, it’s possible there could be a broader Babel
dynamic at play in the early chapters of Acts. We see that the earliest Christian
believers did all they could to live out the meaning of the gospel message in
their lives (e.g. Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35)—in
Jerusalem. There doesn’t seem to be any attempt to move from the city; the
apostles seem content to stay where they are and welcome people to them,
including people from outside Jerusalem (cf. Acts 5:36). The apostles and
believers are doing good things, for sure; but there’s apparently no intention
to move from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth in accordance with Jesus’s
command (or is it a promise?) in Acts 1:8. It’s only once Stephen is executed and
the believers are persecuted (Acts 7:54–8:1) that the gospel begins to spread
beyond Jerusalem—indeed, into Judea and Samaria, just as Jesus expected.
All this surely echoes the Babel dynamic, at least to some
extent. The people stay in one place, in defiance (conscious or otherwise) of
God’s command to spread themselves across the land. And so the people need to
be scattered. In Genesis 11:8-9, God does the scattering; in Acts 8:1, it’s
persecution that scatters the apostles. Luke doesn’t say that it’s God who does
the scattering in the latter passage, but given some of his other ‘divine determination’
passages (e.g. Acts 2:23; 13:48) and the very strong sense of the Spirit’s direction
of events (e.g. Acts 8:29) in the Acts narrative more generally, it wouldn’t
surprise me to hear that this is what he thought. This doesn’t mean that the
apostles’ scattering was specifically God’s judgement
on the early church, but it could indicate that something drastic was needed to
push the apostles beyond Jerusalem—and persecution, the ‘natural’ response to the
presence of the resurrection community in ‘the present evil age’ (Gal. 1:4) is
nothing if not drastic!
These are rather unformed thoughts, so do feel free to comment.
Interesting thoughts here. It does sometimes take an act of God to get off one's backside and get moving. Generally speaking, we are often reluctant to embrace change but content to continue doing things in the same old way and remain relatively sheltered within our comfort zone. It can be a similar thing today with the Christians embracing community with each other or simply talking to those with whom they most feel comfortable at church or elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if homogeneity is the dominant theme of the Tower of Babel incident. It seems to me it's more one of idolatry where they effectively want to elevate themselves into the position of God and make that tower and the status it brings them into an idol. The building of the tower would bring a sense of accomplishment and significance to their identity, as if to say "when we've built this, we will finally be recognised as this one great nation." But their identity and sense of significance should be found in God alone, as it is for all people. Maybe the desire for homogeneity is more a symptom of wanting to be significant and have that identity in their own eyes.
Perhaps the scattering is to tear away the shaky foundations in which they place their faith, so that even despite being a diverse people they would be forced to find their identity in him.
Thanks for your comment, Robert.
DeleteI go with the homogeneity angle because of the ancient Near Eastern political context in which this story was edited, where the various Mesopotamian empires sought to impose their rule on the other nations. It seems to me that the 'scattered' of Genesis 11:8 refers to the people's desire (in 11:4) not to be scattered. Their other desires (also in 11:4) don't seem to warrant divine judgement. In the context of ancient Near Eastern imperialism, this is Assyria/Babylon seeking to gather other nations under its aegis and impose their ways on others. Sure, I can see that issues of idolatry arise here, but I really don't think this is the primary point. At this stage in Genesis, idolatry doesn't seem to be an (explicit?) issue - but the need to go forth and multiply does (e.g. Gen. 1:28; 9:1, 7).
I'm not talking about idol worship in the form of actually fashioning idols from precious materials or wood, or bowing down before named pagan gods. I'm referring to the displacement of God as the only being worthy of worship and the need to elevate something else, whether it's yourself, your reputation, your relationships etc to give your life meaning. The people said "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” That desire to make a name for themselves, to be significant in their own eyes is a form of idolatry. I think that is the more important underlying motive that drives their desire not to be scattered. They want to define their own identity as a single, unified people by making a name for themselves and for the rest of the world to acknowledge them, rather than allowing God to define their identity and for people to glory in Him rather than them. And that would seem the reason that God has scattered them, not simply for the sake of scattering, but because only he deserves that glory.
DeleteMy apologies, Robert - I've only just noticed your response. For some reason, I no longer seem to be getting email notifications about new comments . . .
DeleteAnyway, I can see your point, but I also have to say I still don't agree, and for the reasons I've already given. I'd still say that idolatry in any form, be it physical or otherwise, isn't the primary issue here and isn't an overly dominant concern in Genesis as a whole.
Moreover, the people's desire to build a name for themselves seems to be directly linked to their fear of the possibility of dispersion across the whole world. The people want to stay in one place in defiance of God's command that humanity should spread itself out. And I don't find it coincidental that the very next part of the Genesis narrative concerns Abraham and his concern, in paraphrase Colin Gunton, to leave his father's house and go somewhere else.
As I say, I'm not denying the possibility of idolatry being an issue here, but I have yet to be persuaded it's as dominant a theme as you suggest.
I'd love to know how you think this applies to the current migration debate and multi-culturalism. How is God using multi-culturalism and the reuniting of many different people groups in single geographic countries? I can see some great ways that God is working through it in small ways, but how does the larger pattern of migration today fit in the biblical narrative?
ReplyDeleteMy apologies, Anna - I've only just noticed your response. For some reason, I no longer seem to be getting email notifications about new comments . . .
DeleteYour question is something I don't feel qualified to comment on, so I can only reply in general terms. All I can say really is that I see diversity, including a diversity of nation-states and people groups, as being built into God's purposes for the world. Of course, due to our fallenness and sinfulness, what could and should be a healthy diversity tends to degenerate into unhealthy nationalism, racism, and the like. Only in Christ can these things be overcome, because in him Jews and Gentiles are united. The Church should be the multicultural community par excellence, given the world a[n imperfect] glimpse of the eschatological age to come. Revelation speaks of 'the nations' walking by the light of the glory of God (21:24) and so I don't think homogeneity is an option in the age to come!
You say you 'can see some great ways that God is working through [multiculturalism] in small ways' . . . Please would you elaborate?