The Story Behind the Verse: Context in Christian Ethics

By Jacob Shatzer

Christian ethics often draws on a myriad of texts in the New Testament to help us understand ethics. However, we often pluck these verses out of the broader story they are a part of, and in doing so we miss some of the deeper connections, motivations, and explanations. In what follows, we are going to process through several examples of texts, highlighting ways that approaching biblical ethics with an expectation of a unified voice can help us hear and see more of what God reveals and its impact on ethics.

Matthew 28:19–20

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Great Commission identifies evangelism as a key priority of Christians, but in it Jesus describes evangelism in a way that draws biblical ethics close to it. Verse 20 makes it clear that part of the task is “teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.” Locating this passage within its canonical redemptive context helps us notice three truths.

First, the message of the gospel ties directly into right living. Grammatically speaking, the “teaching” is expanding on “make disciples,” not adding optional detail. The idea that the Bible does not have a consistent ethic or that ethical issues are minor issues in comparison to the “big-picture agreement” around the gospel does not fit with this basic statement that Jesus makes.

Second, Jesus did not shy away from the language of “commands.” While the New Testament certainly identifies virtues (or, more precisely, fruits of the Spirit), Jesus still uses the language of “commands” here. If biblical ethics backs away from actual commands, making the faithful life of the Christian something vague and self-determined, it fails to obey Christ here.

Third, biblical ethics is something that can (and must) be taught. Ancient traditions such as virtue ethics emphasized that becoming a virtuous person happens through practice. Do just acts; become a just person. While Christianity certainly identifies faithful practices, Jesus did not go so far as to say that “ethics is only something you can learn through practice.” He expected his followers to teach obedience, to teach ethics, as part of basic discipleship from the place of a transformed heart.

Galatians 5:22–24 (and the Beatitudes)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

These verses express the work of sanctification in the life of the believer. The Holy Spirit produces fruit, and belonging to Christ also means separation from worldly passions and desires. This passage connects back to another significant passage for ethics in the New Testament: the Sermon on the Mount and, more specifically, the Beatitudes. Like the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians, Jesus’s words in the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount as a whole expound the character of the Christian life.

Sometimes such passages are swept up into a narrative about Christians developing virtue in the Christian life, and rightly so. But . . . we must be careful about how the Bible clearly distinguishes the fruit of the Spirit and the holiness God expects from the virtues as expounded in the Greek philosophical tradition. According to the Bible these are the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of habit formation or the well-earned attitude of the devoted few. (Granted, the Holy Spirit works in and through us, including work we may experience as our own, even in doing things like developing habits toward virtue.) But when we too quickly identify language like this with the virtue tradition, we rip this verse out of the biblical story, too often forgetting that this is work that God has promised to complete through the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:20–24

“But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.”

In this passage written to the church at Ephesus, Paul provided a framework for thinking about holy living as a result of sanctification. Believers are to “take off” their former ways of living, be spiritually renewed, and “put on” a new self, which is described as righteous and pure.

We could draw many elements out of this passage, but one particular piece is clear here that is very muddy in the world around us: desires can be deceitful. Such desires corrupt the old self. Worldly approaches to human life seldom admit this and instead insist that “authenticity” means acknowledging one’s desires, being positive about them rather than ashamed of them, and pursuing those desires. Many people want to put such attitudes under the notion of “autonomy,” ripped from any context but expressive individualism. Such pursuit is simply pursuing lies, as Paul pointed out here.

Often, however, Christians are not much better. We do not recognize the seriousness that Paul highlighted here; we are tempted to downplay just how deceived we can be. Further, many approaches to ethics in Christian circles can emphasize the right or wrong thing to do, without even engaging in talk about the level of deceitful desires. Here we see why a unified biblical ethic is required. It helps us see a fuller picture of the human struggle and the only solution, and it also drives us again and again to the character and works of God, who is the one who grounds righteousness and truth in this passage, the “antidote” to our deceitful desires.

— Jacob Shatzer serves as associate dean of the School of Theology and Missions and associate professor of theological studies at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee.

Image: St Paul Preaching in Athens

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Excerpted from Biblical Ethics: A Short Companion by Jacob Shatzer (B&H Academic, 2024). Used by permission.

Scripture presents a unified story of God’s redemptive history and vision for the Christian life. As such, the biblical canon serves as the foundation for Christian ethics. In Biblical Ethics: A Short Companion, Jacob Shatzer offers a primer in biblical ethics that explores principles and interpretative methods for understanding how the Bible speaks with a unified voice and vision for the Christian life.

Shatzer begins by defining biblical ethics and examining its nature in relation to the broader task of ethical discourse. He then pivots to the text of Scripture, employing a narrative approach to ethics. He gleans insights from both the Old and New Testaments, looking at their context and themes before charting a vision forward towards a biblical ethic. Finally, the volume concludes by considering challenges to biblical ethics and particular ways biblical ethics are embodied and put into practice in the life of the Christian and the church community.

Biblical Ethics: A Short Companion is an essential resource for individuals seeking a comprehensive understanding of the ethical framework presented throughout Scripture. With meticulous analysis and insightful reflections, this book equips readers to navigate the complexities of ethical decision-making and embrace a holistic vision of moral life based on the teachings of the Bible.

“In this helpful book, Jacob Shatzer reminds us that a proper Christian ethic must be tethered to the text of Scripture. By grounding biblical ethics in biblical theology, he demonstrates that the coherence of the former is reinforced by the narrative beats of the latter. Biblical Ethics will be a great foundational resource for pastors and students, as well as a welcome reminder to more seasoned ethicists.”
— Nathan A. Finn, director of the Institute for Transformational Leadership and professor of Christian studies and history, North Greenville University

Find Biblical Ethics: A Short Companion at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com, and Books-A-Million.

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