Theology beacon dictionary of theology

In a more general sense fanaticism may refer to persons obsessed by one idea, whether that idea appears to others to be good or evil. A per­son may be a sports fanatic, a nuclear disarma­ment fanatic, a political or religious fanatic.

John Fletcher wrote, "Fanaticism is the child of false zeal and of superstition, the father of intol­erance and of persecution; it is therefore very dif­ferent from piety, though some persons are pleased to confound them" (Works, 7:353). In ear­lier generations it was defined as "enthusiasm."

Fletcher goes on to contrast the two different characters of a presumptuous fanatic and an en­lightened Christian in such terms as follows: "The one extinguishes the torch of reason, the other entertains a just respect for reason... . The one destroys the clear sense of Scripture lan­guage: the other refers everything to the law and the testimony. The former flatters that while the means may be neglected the end may be ob­tained, presuming that God will illuminate him in a miraculous manner, without the help of prayer, study, meditation, sermons, or sacra­ments; the latter unpresumingly expects the suc­cours of grace in a constant use of appointed means" (Works, 9:36).

The fanatic imagines himself free to behave without reference or obedience to authority, whereas the wise Christian acknowledges, re­spects, and is ready to account for his faith and conduct with meekness.

The fanatic pays little regard to graciousness and charity; the true Christian is motivated by brotherly love. The former seeks spectacular gifts, the latter seeks those gifts that will assist him to serve God and men.

Agitation of his animal spirit is by the fanatic taken to indicate the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; by the biblically enlightened Christian as those manifestations that make the gospel con­temptible in the eyes of those people who are always ready and eager to treat devotion as fa­naticism.

Fanaticism is life governed by mere impres­sions; it is the unteachable life, considering itself enlightened by the Holy Spirit far beyond the en­lightenment afforded to others. It may be caused directly by devils or evil spirits (1 Tim. 4:1), an ignorance of scriptural teaching having stripped the soul of its defences against presumption, pride, and lovelessness.

Fanaticism threatens the zealous life and sel­dom endangers the heart that is cool towards Christ; formalism knows no fanaticism. Fanat­icism may be light and heat without grace or love; the heart under the control of the imag­ination, and the understanding dominated by the emotions, a fire that heats but does not purify or refine. Fanaticism is the caricature of holiness: it is painted fire.

See ZEAL, GUIDE (GUIDANCE), REASON.

Its purpose is to set oneself apart for commu­nion with God, and more earnest seeking of God. It complements and strengthens desire, whole-souled intercession or petition, and faith.

Biblical fasting dates back to Moses and is re­peatedly mentioned. The Day of Atonement in­volved 24 hours of fasting (Lev. 23:32). After the Exile four other annual fasts were observed (Zech. 8:19). Jesus fasted during the wilderness temptation (Matt. 4:2), and while He did not spe­cifically command fasting, He clearly expected His followers to fast and gave guidelines (6:16-18; 9:15).

Scriptural fasting includes: (1) Self-humbling, mourning for sin, repentance, and seeking God's forgiveness (Samuel and Israel—1 Sam. 7:5-6; Ahab—1 Kings 21:27); (2) Vicarious repentance for one's nation or people (Moses—Deut. 9:9); (3) Humbly seeking God's mercy, help, or guidance (Joshua—Josh. 7:6-7; Israel—Judg. 20:26; David—2 Sam. 12:16; Ps. 35:13; Jehoshaphat—2 Chron. 20:3; Esther—Esther 4:16; Nineveh-Jonah 3:5; Ezra—Ezra 8:21); (4) Invoking God's blessing and aid on a new spiritual venture (Acts 13:3) or on the consecration of new church lead­ers (14:23); (5) Prolonged and/or secret commu­nion with God (Moses—Exod. 34:28; Jesus —Matt. 4:2); (6) As a disciplined devotional habit (Cornelius—Acts 10:30); (7) As part of a deep in­tercessory life and ministry (Anna—Luke 2:37); and (8) As a manifestation of sorrow (1 Sam. 31: 13; 2 Sam. 1:12).

Scripture and church history illustrate the dan­gers and possible abuses of religious fasting: It



can (1) become an end in itself (Zech. 7:5); (2) be relied on as a means of earning God's favor (Isa. 58:3; Luke 18:12); (3) be a substitute for repen­tance and doing God's will (Jer. 14-11-12); (4) be a parade of religiosity (Matt. 6:16).

There is need for evangelicals today to restore fasting to its scriptural role.

See prayer, temperance, discipline, inter­cession.

For Further Reading: Baker's DCE, 244 ff.

This doctrine has no place in Christianity, for it is a denial of (1) a supreme, personal, and ratio­nal God who is Creator, Preserver, Redeemer, and Judge; (2) an eternal plan of God for the uni­verse and man; (3) the personal action of God in providence and history; (4) man as created in the image of God as a rational free moral agent re­sponsible to God; (5) salvation by grace through faith, and (6) choices in this life leading to eternal blessedness or punishment.

To follow fatalism to its ultimate logical con­clusion (which obviously fatalists do not do) is to deny a rational basis for human society, govern­ment, law and justice, education, science, indus­try, or religion. It is destructive of human dignity, personal motivation, human initiative, and belief in the meaning of life. Fatalistic teaching is found in varying degree in some oriental religions.

See determinism, chance, cause and effect, freedom, providence, accountability. For Further Reading: Baker's DT, 215.

In the OT, God's Fatherhood of Israel is often implied—by Israel's being called His child. We read, e.g., '"When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son'" (Hos. 11:1, niv). And in Isa. 1:2 we read, "T reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me'" (niv). And Jer. 31:20 asks, "Ts not Ephraim [the Northern Kingdom] my dear son, the child in whom I delight?'" (Niv).

It is interesting, however, that, in all the prayer intimacies of the Psalms, God is not addressed as "Father" in that literature. God's Fatherhood is implied there, and in such passages as those quoted above. But He is not addressed in that way in the OT, except perhaps in Jer. 3:4 where we read, '"Have you not just called to me: "My Father, my friend from my youth . . . ?""' (niv).

In the NT, however, this is an oft-used way of addressing God. Jesus often spoke of God as His Father; and He wanted the disciples to glorify the "Father" (Matt. 5:16). He also wanted them to pray for their persecutors "that you may be sons of your Father" (v. 45, Niv). Paul referred to God as Father in the opening of all his Epistles.

Hence God's Fatherhood expresses a special kind of relationship which He has in the OT with Israel and in the NT with redeemed persons. Terry says, "The highest and most endearing concept of God, whether in the OT or in the New, or among the nations anywhere, is that of Father" (Biblical Dogmatics, 549).

See god, adoption, redeemer (redemption),

The "fatherless" were the special concern of ancient Israel, more than 40 times cited as the object of true justice or as the lost estate. A tribal people found ways of incorporating the father­less into economic and emotional resources, thus preventing the destructive and erosive effects which modern society endures at the hands of

"Father" relationships, however, do not require the reproductive or even the long-range genetic connection. Paul saw himself as surrogate father of Timothy, fulfilling the father formation re­sponsibilities to the younger man (1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2). Joseph, bound to Mary, and a "just man," determined to divorce her instead of turn­ing her over for a public stoning for her pre-nuptial pregnancy. But God had a better idea which Joseph quickly accepted—instead of get­ting rid of Mary and her Baby, he acted to marry the Baby's mother. Then, he named the Baby, giving both legality to the birth and establishing Jesus in Joseph's lineage—all of this without sex­ual access to Mary.

We know little of Joseph as a father from ex­plicit records. But we know a great deal of him by looking at the Boy he reared. The young Man was well formed in His identity; He was abso­lutely safe around women; He was not swept along by peer influence and the spirit of the age—all signs of health not usually present in father-deprived boys. What is more, Joseph's Boy gave God a new name. The Holy One of Israel, Yahweh, Adonai, the Lord, became at last "Our Father," even "Abba" or "Daddy Father." There is little question where Jesus learned the meaning of that name.

See family, parents and children, fatherhood of god.

While a sanctified person can possess a pure heart (Matt. 5:8), he will still be limited by a weak and infirm body. These infirmities cause mistakes in word, thought, and deed. Though these are objectionable and need confession, they cannot 213

be sin in the strict moral meaning. They still need the Atonement but are not inconsistent with the sanctified life.

These faults can show up in "temperament," "emotional immaturity," "cultural variations," and "infirmities" (Taylor, Life in the Spirit, 153-60). Wesley called these faults "sins of in­firmity" and "sins of ignorance," but always dis­tinguished them from "sins properly so-called" (Cox, John Wesley's Concept of Perfection, 168-88).

Someday the Christian will be presented "faultless" before God (Jude 24). Until that day he will be beset with faults and failures which often embarrass him.

See sin, infirmities, mistakes, failure.

The saying "There is nothing to fear but fear" is a superficial philosophy of life. There are real perils both in life and in death, and fearing them is an intelligent reaction. Some degree of fear is necessary to prompt carefulness and prudence. Accident, pain, and bereavement are some of the experiences which may properly be feared; but even more fundamentally persons should fear sin and its consequences, both temporal and eternal.

Christians are not to be condemned for experi­encing some constitutional fear, such as fear of tornados, or high places, or high speeds. Yet faith in God is the best antidote to fear. It is the knowl­edge that in life's perils we are not alone, nor are we the victims of chance. God will either protect and deliver us or enable us, and He will ulti­mately translate us into His very presence.

The relation of fear to love can be confusing, in

view of John's statement: "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). The context shows that it is fear and love in relation to God and His judgment which is primarily in view here. Those who love God perfectly are not afraid of God in the sense of terror, for they have no need to so fear. The dread and fear of the judgment—or that kind of fear which has spiritual "tor­ment"—is the consequence of an uneasiness in one's relationship to God. Something is not quite right, so naturally there is no "boldness" in con­templating death and the future. But a child with a clear conscience, who loves its father and is sure of its father's love, welcomes the father's ar­rival with joy and laughter, and utterly without dread.

However, this verse is not to be made so uni­versal and absolute as to make perfect love for God the total expulsion of occasional struggles with natural fears in relation to men and the vi­cissitudes of life. The conquest of natural fears belongs to the sphere of growth in grace.

See faith. perfect love.

For Further Reading: Wise, Psychiatry and the Bible,

33-65. Richard S. Taylor

FEASTS, JEWISH. In the broadest sense "feast" may refer to any set time of communal obser­vance in Israel's history. Even though the Day of Atonement is actually a day of fasting, it is re­ferred to by the same Hebrew phrase which in Leviticus 23 is used for festive celebrations. The most important distinction among the various feasts, however, was the differentiation between those that were canonical, provided for in the Law, and those that rested simply on custom. The major canonical feasts were the Sabbath, the Feast of Booths, the Feast of Weeks, and the Pass­over. The latter three were annual and were called Pilgrim Feasts, because all able-bodied men were required to attend.

The observance of the Sabbath was probably originally attached to the lunar cycle, but its structure in the OT is the dedication of one day in seven to God. It is a commemoration of cre­ation (Exod. 20:8-11), a reminder of release from captivity (Deut. 5:12-15), and a sign of Israel's holy relationship to their God who graciously entered into covenant with them. The Temple sacrifices were doubled to distinguish the Sab­bath from an ordinary day.

The Feast of Booths, or Tabernacles, is last of Israel's three great annual festivals. The end of the harvest year is the occasion for recalling the wilderness pilgrimage and renewing the people's commitment to their covenant (cf. Lev. 23:33-44). The term "booths" is apparently related to the agricultural practice of building a booth over the olive orchards in September to protect them until harvest.

The Feast of Weeks is chronologically the sec­ond of the three annual festivals. It is also known as the Feast of Harvest, and among Greek-speaking Jews the feast was called Pentecost (lit., "the 50th" day), having reference to the seven-week period following the Passover. Thus the word "weeks" came into use, for from the waving of the barley sheaf "the day after the [Paschal] Sabbath" were to be counted seven weeks (Lev. 23:5-17). This entire period had a special sanctity both in its relation to the Passover and in recog­nition that God is the Source of rain and agricul­tural fertility (Exod. 23:16; Lev. 23:17; Jer. 5:24).

The Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, is the first annual feast, held in the spring to com­memorate the deliverance from Egypt. The term "Passover" is used both of the feast as a whole (Exod. 12:48) and of the sacrifice itself (vv. 11, 27; Deut. 16:2). It was first celebrated during bondage and is related in the narrative of the slaying of the firstborn of the Egyptians and the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt (cf. Exod. 12:1—13:16). Whereas the Passover commemo­rates the slaying of the firstborn, Unleavened Bread emphasizes the Exodus itself (12:17).

Of the noncanonical celebrations, the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah), also known as the Feast of Lights, is most well known. Hanukkah is an eight-day festival to commemorate the victories of Judas Maccabeus against the Syrian forces in the face of insurmountable odds. The Syrian king, Antiochus Epiphanes, had commanded Jewish sacrifices and offerings to cease. A shrine to Zeus was erected on the altar, and 10 days later (Dec. 25, 168 b.c.) a swine was sacrificed in the Temple while soldiers committed unclean acts in the sacred enclosure. This "abomination of desolation" led to the Maccabean Revolt (168-42 b.c.), and Hanukkah is the feast in cele­bration of victory over the Syrians. Only three years after the abomination, the smoke of sacri­fice rose to Jehovah from a newly constructed al­tar in a recleansed Temple.

See lord's day, Judaism, passover, pentecost.

For Further Reading: Encyclopedia Judaica; Trapp, Ju­daism: Life and Development.

W. Stephen Gunter

FEDERAL THEOLOGY. Federal theology holds that redemptive history revolves around one sin-



FEELING—FELLOWSHIP

215

gle covenant covering the entire stretch of his­tory from beginning to end. While the idea was presented as early as the sixth century by Pope Gregory I (540-604), the doctrine became promi­nent in the early Reformation. Reformed theolo­gians like Andreas Musculus (1514-81) and Stephanus Kis (1505-72) extended the covenant to the whole nation.

In Holland the outlines of federal theology had been formed by the activities of Hyperius, Olevian, and Bullinger.

One of the strongest advocates of federal the­ology was Johannes Cocceius (1603-69), a Dutch theologian. The central idea in his biblical theol­ogy was the covenant of God. The relation be­tween God and man is represented as a covenant existing first as a divine order, then as a compact between God and man. Cocceius taught that God initiated two covenants, a covenant of works and a covenant of grace. The covenant of works ended when Adam sinned. The broken covenant with Adam after the Fall was replaced immediately by the better covenant of grace. On this basis both Old and New Testaments testify to one single covenant of grace mediated by Jesus Christ. Because the covenant of grace applies to the whole of humanity, the covenants with Noah, Abraham, and Israel were only a renewal of God's covenant with Adam after the Fall.

A chief exponent of federal theology in the United States was Charles Hodge (1797-1878) of Princeton. According to Hodge's approach, God entered into a covenant with Adam as the head and representative of the entire race. As a result, every promise to Adam, and any threat of pun­ishment, has a direct bearing upon the whole race. The plan of salvation is conceived as the history of a covenant relationship. Hodge dis­tinguished between a covenant of grace and a covenant of redemption. The covenant of grace is extended to all people. The covenant of redemp­tion is limited to the Father and the Son. Grace becomes efficacious only in the elect who are given to the Son by the Father.

A contemporary approach to the covenant re­lationship is found in these words: "God's cov­enant extends over history from beginning to end. Those before Christ, those under law, those after Christ, are all under the same grace of God" (Jakob Jocz). The covenant thus covers the total­ity of history. "The ingathering of the nations un­der the reign of God is the ultimate expression of covenantal grace," says Jocz. In some current thinking, the concept of one overarching cov­enant eliminates the idea of a sequence of re­demptive dispensations.

See COVENANT THEOLOGY DISPENSATION, DIS­PENSATIONALISM, PREVENIENT GRACE.

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