‘For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’ (Matthew 23:12)

Latin word: chiasmus derives from the Greek χιασμός‎ (khiasmós) from the letter χ‎ (kh, “chi”) referring to the cross-shaped form of the letter.

A chiasm or chiasmus is a literary device in which the sequence of the written content is presented then repeated as if in reflection. This means the crux of the passage comes at the ‘hinge’ point at the centre, not at the end (the classic Aristotelian method).

[Indeed, the term ‘crux’ derives from the Latin crux interpretum, meaning the central point that is impossible to interpret – in Biblical terms, this points to revelation.]

Thus the chasm is a method of revelation employed by the prophets. Although the word ‘chiasm’ is never mentioned in the Bible, to recognise it helps unlock the emphasis and meaning in certain passages where it is employed.  The head quotation uses the chiasm in a simple almost rhythmical way, it can be Illustrated by assigning the lines A-B-B1-A1.  So in the Matthew quote, exalt/exalted is A/A1 and humbled is B/B1.

In this short example there is no hinge point, which is often designated aptly by ‘X’.

Longer passages illustrate this better; here, when God addresses Joshua:

A No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

    B Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

      C ‘Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you;

        X do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

     C1 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

   B1 Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.

 A1 Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’  (Joshua 1:5-9)

Moses has died and his assistant, Joshua, son of Nun, must assume the mantle of leadership of the Israelites as they ready themselves to cross the Jordan.  The LORD, speaking to Joshua, reassures him that he and his people need not fear their enemies because He is with Joshua.  That then is his foundational statement (A then reiterated A1).

God encourages Joshua – he will prosper Israel in their inheritance, B and B1 and that all this is based on obedience to His word, C and C1.

God intends that Joshua should note that the success of their mission is guaranteed by that obedience.  This is the crux, the point of critical importance in the clause marked ‘X’.

 

It is possible that the chiastic device was used are for mnemonic reasons (when oral communication is prevalent) but it such a method both funnels to and sets a foundation on the central point.

The whole of the Book of Lamentation is written as a chiasm and there are many examples, some covering a few verses: Joel 3:17-21; Amos 5:4-6a or Isaiah 1:21-26, some longer spanning chapters: Ecclesiastes 11:3-12:3 or Genesis 6-9.

While this is a method used by the Old Testament authors, chiasm is employed by John; see here in verses 1 to 18 of the opening chapter of the gospel, commonly referred to as the Prologue:

A vv. 1-2  Word with God  A1 v. 18

B v. 3 Creation through Word – Graceand Truth B1 v. 17

C vv. 4-5 Received life – Received grace   C1 v. 16

D vv. 6-8   Baptist  D1 v. 15

E vv. 9-10 Incarnation & response  E1 v. 14

F v. 11 His own-Israel –  His own-believers F1 v. 13

G v. 12a  accept the Word – believe the Word  G1 v. 12c

X v.12b to become Children of God

 John’s foundational element is Jesus, logos, the Word, juxtaposed in verses 1-2 and 18; furthermore, his name is power (Jesus is a transliteration of Jeshua, the diminutive of Jehoshua, which means Jehovah saves).

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning. (ibid 1:1)

At the hinge of the chasm is the revelation that through accepting and believing Jesus as the Word, all may become children of God:

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (ibid 1:12)

The chiastic device is very much a Hebraism; in the letters of John, in particular, he seems to write in a way that circles the subject, expanding the meaning in similar iterations, there is an element of repetition, but in effect each verse expands upon the theme like the layers of an onion.  See hear on sin (remembering that in the original Greek text there were not chapter divisions)

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.  My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.  (1 John 1:8-2:2)

This owes much to chiasm.  Paul does not write in this way, and though he describes himself as a ‘Hebrew of Hebrews’ (Philippians 3:5), he writes like a Greek.  His argument progresses with assertion and proof, like a lawyer presenting the case for Christ.  There is no greater difference than the use of one word ‘therefore’.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…(Romans 8:1)

The word ἄρα ara,an illative (meaning ‘stating an inference’) particle, which stands for ‘since’, ‘then’ or ‘therefore’, appears nowhere in John, but eleven times in Romans.

To read chapter eight, and this glorious opening statement, one necessarily has to have read the preceding seven chapters. Paul is saying the sum of my argument, that all are justified through faith and faith alone, is that all free of the penalty of their sins.  Like any book of the Bible, Romans is quoted piecemeal (as above) but the magnificent revelation of regeneration through Christ is only fully unfolded through reading it in total.

 

Chiasm is a God-given structure, the Bible declares it: the LORD spoke to Joshua in a chiasm, and Jesus employs chiasm as a mode of speech –

Another example is: ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’ (Mark 2:27)

But consider the big picture, often referred to ‘meta-narrative’; the whole Bible is revealed as a chasm.  Consider the first chapters of Genesis and the last chapters of Revelation.  Mankind exists in communion with God in his dwelling place where the tree of life is central.

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life…(Genesis 2:8-9)

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:1-2)

Other commonalities can be readily seen.  The flood echoes the destruction of the earth by fire (2 Peter 3:5-7 and Revelation 20:9) that leads to renewal.  The events covered in Exodus, the nation building of Israel and the plagues of Egypt mirror the Great Tribulation leading to the Millennial Kingdom in the Book of Revelation.

And in this great cosmic chiasm, what stands at the hinge point but an X, the very cross of Christ itself.

The revelation to humanity is that God the Father has made a way with and through the Son for all to be with him.  God himself did this that he might be glorified and mankind redeemed and saved.  The cross marks the time and place of greatest significance for mankind in which the sacrifice of Jesus, God the Son, was undertaken to pay the price of mankind’s rebellion.  That through his resurrection all can be reborn by the Spirit of God to be restored to him as our Creator God intended.  All we need to do is believe.

The truth of Jesus is then revealed chiastically in the Bible.