Why does the writer of this passage choose the term climb? Most likely it is the author's view of the Christian life that has influenced the choice. This writer's view of the Christian life is progressive -- that it is moving upward and is best represented by a climb. In other places it is represented as a walk, a race, or a boxing match. Here the term climb appears, not once, but twice. It was a common Hebrew literary device to repeat a word for emphasis, as if driving a truth deeper with the second blow. The writer wants to hammer home the idea that the Christian climb is not a matter of a single initial step up, but of continual climbing (literally keep on climbing in the original) The Christian climb requires persistence -- climb, climb, keep on climbing. We are to gain spiritual altitude, to rise higher, gradually and progressively. Christian living denotes forward movement. It is not a position or place on the mountain, but a journey -- a climb.

Next the writer indicates the direction of our climb -- up. There is a Johannine tinge here, as the writer pictures our journey ever upward toward Christ. One can almost finish the sentence with seeing Christ face to face, and thus becoming like him. But the words are probably not from the pen of St. John, but evidently another unknown writer. Climb, climb up. Of course, the ancients had a different view of the cosmos than a modern reader. They saw the heavens above them as a sort of layered cake, with goodness, God and heaven at the top. Beneath their feet lay Sheol, Hades, or evil. Thus climbing up was the right way to go. Evil was down, good was up. Whatever your view of the cosmos, Christians are to be moving toward God, in the ancient context that is upward.

Next, the writer actually identifies the mountain we are to be climbing. We are to Climb Climb up Sunshine Mountain. There is considerable disagreement among scholars over the interpretation here. Smyth and other British scholars argue that sunshine mountain is a variant spelling -- that the original text was probably spelled SON-shine mountain, thus representing our climb upward in Christ, gaining new heights in the Son. To them it is the metaphorical mountain of Christ-likeness we are to climb. However, many American scholars prefer the view that the