NO STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN?

Heaven is believed to be the celestial habitation of God and of redeemed mankind forever. Dr. L.S. Chafer observed:

As in many instances, knowledge about this place is wholly a matter of the testimony of the inspired Bible. It has been said that men really know nothing of heaven from experience since none have returned to tell of it.1

This hasn’t stopped popular music in the past from portraying heaven in various ways. Irving Berlin wrote in 1934:

            Heaven, I'm in heaven,

And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak

And I seem to find the happiness I seek 

When we're out together dancing, cheek to cheek.2

The British rock group Traffic in 1967 gives us these instructions:

Take extra care not to lose what you feel

Guiding your visions to heaven

And heaven is in your mind.3

The heavy metal group, Led Zeppelin, in 1971 related the story of a woman buying a stairway to heaven:

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold

And she's buying a stairway to Heaven.4

Throughout this number, the singer continues to ponder: "makes me wonder.” Does he wonder, because heaven sounds intriguing? Or, that there may be a heaven? Or, because he longs for heaven?

This song has become wildly popular over the years, ranking #31 by Rolling Stone magazine on its list of "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."5 It has been orchestrated by the Gimnazija Kranj Symphony Orchestra of Slovenia6 and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. And in December 2012, the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors presented a Led Zeppelin tribute spotlighting Stairway to Heaven. The event included an orchestra, two choirs, Jason Bonham (son of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham), along with Heart, a rock group from the 1970’s & 1980’s.

In spite of what popular music may broadcast, there are no earthly pleasures to compare to heaven like dancing with your lover; the ultimate bliss of heaven is nowhere in our minds; and there is no stairway to heaven.

But on the other hand, there is a door.

Eric Clapton was correct when he wrote his 1992 classic song, Tears in Heaven:

Beyond the door there's peace I'm sure

And I know there'll be no more tears in heaven.7

Now that captures an aspect of Biblical truth. The Apostle John wrote almost 2000 years ago about his eye-witness testimony of heaven:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3–4)

I do not know the spiritual condition of Eric Clapton, but he wittingly or unwittingly made a significant statement that aligns with Scripture: “Beyond the door there’s peace.” In the midst of all the personal troubles, the hassles of work-life and the breakdown of the family and our culture, men, women and children alike seek peace and happiness. Many look inward; some hope to find it in addictions (drugs, alcohol, sex); others in a frantic search for happiness in the details of life (internet, games, sports, music, entertainment, etc.). And others seek only personal peace and prosperity.

But these things are only temporal and only last during this lifetime. For real everlasting peace is found beyond just one door, just as Jesus told us:

“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9)

This pasture is the picture of the shepherd and his flock: The sheep would come into the fold for safety and go out under their shepherd’s guidance for pasture.8 To go out as it were to the “green pastures” and “quiet waters” that restores the soul of His flock (Psalm 23:2).

And the only means by which a person can enter Christ’s “pasture” is exclusively through Him. There is no other way to eternal life and heaven, just as Jesus stated to His disciple Thomas:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)

The Two Doors

There are actually two doors that are of great importance to the human race. The first is Jesus Christ, the only door to salvation that provides mankind with life in a greater measure than we can ever devise (John 10:10). He accomplished this by His death on the cross when He fully paid for our sins. This is the essence of the gospel as the Apostle Paul explains:

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:1–3)

The second door was an entrance to a tomb. After Jesus’ death, He was buried in a garden tomb (John 19:41). Three days later, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and discovered that the stone which had been rolled against the entrance had been moved and the tomb was empty. The angel at the tomb reminded them of what Jesus had said:

Saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. (Luke 24:7)

Having exited the door of the tomb, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead had great significance—it clinched all that is necessary for salvation. His resurrection represents newness of life eternal, the victory over death and the capstone for the salvation of mankind. This means that those who respond positively to the gospel and believe in Jesus Christ will also have victory over death and be raised in newness of life for all eternity (Romans 6:4). Paul explains how the gospel is made efficacious by Christ’s resurrection:

For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:16–17)

It is an exercise in futility and eternal doom to seek any alternative ways to heaven—there is no stairway, ticket, or path. But there is a door: belief in Jesus Christ for salvation, as the only door to heaven. And what the Apostle Peter stated nearly 2000 years ago remains true today:

 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

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[1] Chafer, Lewis Sperry (1976). Systematic Theology, Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 7.187.

[2] Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC

[3] Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, ROCK AND ROLL STEW MUSIC LTD, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

[4] Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

[5] https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-151127/led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven-2-70822/ [Retrieved January 31, 2023]

[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR5GN2aPsyY [Retrieved February 5, 2023]

[7] Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc

[8] Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. [Eds.] (1995). The Reformation Study Bible. Nashville: T. Nelson, John 10:9.

 

© 2023 David M. Rossi

 

ST. VALENTINE: WHO WAS HE?

 “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)

Valentine was a Roman priest born c. 226 A.D. and was said to have been martyred c. 270 A.D., on February 14^th. He is regarded a ‘saint’ by virtue of his martyrdom, for the Roman Church had no formal canonization process until the 10^th Century A.D. 

The history of Valentine is very sketchy to say the least. The following is from the Lives of the Saints (1959):

 St. Valentine, a Roman priest, together with St. Marius and his family, assisted the martyrs who suffered during the reign of Emperor Claudius II in the 3^rd Century.1

Other accounts of his life state that he would secretly perform marriages for soldiers so they would be deferred from military service. The emperor believed married soldiers would not fight as well as single men. For this he was placed under arrest and during this time the judge, Asterius, tested Valentine’s faith by asking him to heal his adopted daughter’s blindness. Valentine succeeded and found favor with Asterius and converted him and his household.

He later was arrested again for evangelizing and sent to the Emperor Claudius II. Again he found favor with the Emperor until he tried to persuade Claudius to embrace Christianity. Claudius commanded that Valentine renounce his faith, when he refused, Claudius ordered that he be beaten with clubs and then was beheaded.  

Legend has it that just prior to his death, he wrote to the girl who he had restored her sight and signed it “from your Valentine.” However, there is actually no historical evidence to this legend. But what may have arisen from this was the institution of February 14^th as the feast of St. Valentine in 495 A.D. by Pope Gelasius I. The Pope’s strategy was to suppress the ancient Roman festival, Lupercalia, a pagan celebration of love and fertility honoring the goddess Juno Februata. The highlight of the festivities included the pairing of boys with girls by a lottery—the drawing of names in honor of the goddess. The Lives of the Saints account describes the Pope's tactic:

To abolish this heathen practice the names of saints were substituted on billets [notes] drawn upon this day. The custom has nothing to do with St. Valentine, except that the feast precedes February 15^th, the day on which the goddess Februata Juno was honored in this manner.2

Apparently Pope Gelasius’ scheme took root over the centuries and transformed a pagan fertility festival for Juno Februata into merely a day of expressing love for beloved ones.

In 1382, the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales, wrote a poem for the first anniversary of King Richard II and his wife Anne. Titled “Parliament of Fowls,” it paid  homage to the annual event of birds choosing their mates. The opening lines state:

"For this was on Saint Valentine's Day

When every bird comes there to choose his match.”

After much research, it was concluded by Jack Oruch, that there is no suggestion in literature between Valentine and romance prior to Chaucer, and that he is likely to be "the original mythmaker” of the modern correlation of romance with Valentine’s Day.3

So now we have a holiday of children, passing heart decorated cards to one another with the wishes of "I'm Yours" and “Be My Valentine.” And adults exchanging candy, flowers, gifts and sharing romantic settings.

But this seems far from the original intent of commemorating St. Valentine. And maybe the Roman Church came to realize that hearts, cards and flowers have nothing to do with what little is known of Valentine, the martyr. And even today most do not even know who he was or why the day was even established. For in 1969 the Roman Church removed St. Valentine from its calendar of feast days. Since then, February 14^th has been known throughout our culture as simply “Valentine’s Day”, minus the "St." Referring now to the Valentine cards and not to the saint for whom it was originally attributed.

St. Valentine may not have had an awe inspiring life as St. Patrick or St. Francis of Assisi, yet what is known of Valentine is that he was a staunch advocate for the Christian faith and encouraged others who were about to be martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ. It would have been better if the virtuous love which Valentine had for his Savior and for those he comforted in the 3^rd Century A.D. had been emphasized as the reason for honoring him on February 14^th.

On A Personal Note

St. Valentine’s Day has always been a special day for me—it just so happens my birthday falls on St. Valentine's Day every year! My mother spoiled me by making a heart shaped cake and serving White House Cherry ice cream—a tradition that my wife has carried on to this day.

It was also the birthday of my godfather and great uncle, Valentine Betancourt (1913-1981). He lived in Mobile, AL, but I would see him frequently in the summertime when he traveled north for his business of procuring Christmas trees. In the late 1950's, in preparation for the Catholic rite of Confirmation, we were instructed to claim a saint’s name as our patron, and of course, I chose Valentine.

 

Source Material

• Butler, Alban (1903). The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints, New York, NY: Kenedy, pp. 413-414. 
• Hoever, Hugo [Ed.] (1959). Lives of the Saints, New York, NY: Catholic Book Publishing, p. 75.
• https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/St._Valentine [Retrieved February 9, 2023]
• https://www.history.com/news/6-surprising-facts-about-st-valentine [Retrieved February 6, 2023]
• https://catholicism.org/saint-valentine-269.html [Retrieved February 6, 2023]
• https://www.livesofthesaints.com/saint-valentine/ [Retrieved February 6, 2023
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day#Folk_traditions [Retrieved February 8, 2023]
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Valentine [Retrieved February 8, 2023]
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Valentines-Day [Retrieved February 8, 2023]
• https://www.answers.com/Q/When_was_Saint_Valentine_canonized [Retrieved February 8, 2023]
• https://literarysum.com/the-parliament-of-fowls-a-brief-overview-by-geoffrey-chaucer/ [Retrieved February 4, 2025]
  

 

[1] Hoever, Hugo [Ed.] (1959). Lives of the Saints, New York, NY: Catholic Book Publishing, p. 75.

[2] Hoever, p. 75.

[3] Oruch, Jack B., "St. Valentine, Chaucer, and Spring in February", Speculum, Vol. 56, No. 3 (July, 1981), p. 565.

 

 

© 2025 David M. Rossi

JUDE 1a: WHO ARE THE "CALLED ONES"?

 Verse 1: Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ.

Since verse 1 of Jude contains a number of important doctrinal elements, I will present them over the course of the next three postings.

A Bond-servant—a Slave

Jude describes himself as a bond-servant, “one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, his will being altogether consumed in the will of the other.”1 Both Peter (2 Peter 1:1) and Paul (Romans 1:1) declare that they also were bond-servants of Christ; the only difference is that they were apostles, which Jude does not claim to be.

The Called Ones

Jude states that he is writing “to those who are the called” (literally, the called ones). The word called is an adjective positioned at the end of the Greek sentence for emphasis describing a particular quality of the recipients of the letter. The Greek word for called when used in Scripture takes on a technical theological meaning as an element of the divine plan of God. Kenneth Wuest explains:

The word here speaks of that effectual call of God whereby the sinner called to salvation is constituted willing to receive that which he by nature rejects, namely, salvation.2

There are two aspects of God’s calling: the general call and the efficacious call. It is essential that we understand this important doctrinal truth. L.S. Chafer asserts that “the word call is closely related to the word draw.”3 As our Lord stated:

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:44)

The Greek word used in this verse for draw means “to draw toward without necessarily the notion of force.”4 This means that no one is dragged into a belief in Christ, giving them freedom of choice.    

In the general call, the drawing is through the presentation of the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16; cf. John 12:32), offered to all mankind.  However, not all will believe, because each person has the free will to choose or reject the gospel. An enforced response to the gospel could no longer be viewed as a call—for a true calling necessitates the individual’s volitional response. This is the significance of the phrase “whoever believes” in John 3:15-16.

The drawing of the efficacious call is divinely enabled by the Father and is not resisted. How does the Father accomplish this? Dr. Chafer explains:

The assurance is that God can and does so influence men by the enlightenment which the Spirit accomplishes…Calling, then, is that choice on the part of God of an individual through an efficacious working in the mind and heart by the Holy Spirit, to the end that the will of the one who is called may be moved by its own vision and determination in the exercise of saving faith.5

The Purpose of the Calling

God’s purpose is twofold for calling individuals for salvation: concerning our relationship with God and our relationship with man. 

Scripture states that our relationship with God should entail specific characteristics: love of Him (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 12:37-39); glorifying Him (1 Corinthians 6:20); serving (John 12:26); honoring (John 5:23); worshipping (Psalm 2:11; 29:2); obedience (Deuteronomy 27:10; Acts 5:29; 1 Peter 1:2); fear (1 Samuel 12:24; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Psalm 111:10).

Regarding our relationship with others, this is summed up by the apostle Paul. He maintains that we are “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1; cf. Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:12).  This word walk is used by Paul figuratively of how one conducts their life.6 He goes on to describe the characteristics of this worthy manner of life towards other believers:

With all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:2–3)

In order to enable believers to walk in this manner worthy of their calling Paul asserts that this can be accomplished by being “filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9). In order for the believer to acquire this knowledge it requires a dedication of one’s life to God and an intensive study of God’s Word. Paul concisely outlined this:

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)

By the renewing of your mind Paul is suggesting a total renovation of how we think about our life, our ambitions, and our world-view. Remember, that at the point of accepting the free gift of eternal life (responding to the call) we changed our mind about Jesus Christ and our eternal destiny. We then had a choice to make. We could have moved on and maintained our lives as if nothing occurred; living out our lives, die and go to heaven. Or, we could submit to Paul’s command to be transformed—renewing our minds through the daily intake of God’s Word; learning God’s purpose for calling us.

This transformation will result in enabling us to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord” (Colossians 1:10). The Apostle Peter concurs with Paul, as recording in his second epistle, emphasizing that believers should “be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you” (2 Peter 1:10). It will be instructive to read the entire passage, 2 Peter 1:4–11.

By having made the right decision about the free gift of salvation should motivate us to transform our minds so that we can fulfill the purpose for which He called us.

 

 

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[1] Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G1401.

[2] Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English Reader. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 16.232–233.

[3] Chafer, L.S. (1976). Systematic Theology, Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 7.65

[4] Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G1670.

[5] Chafer, 7.67

[6] Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (1979). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 649.

 

 

© 2023 David M. Rossi