James 3:1-6
The keys words in this passage are tongue, fire and the idea of speaking. James uses a couple of word pictures: a horse controlled by a small bit, a ship steered by a rudder, and forest fire started by a spark. He compares all these things to the tongue.
James has two points in this section: first, that those who teach will be judged more strictly. The implied reason is that we are in a position of authourity and are moulding minds and lives by our words and instruction. The second point is that the tongue, while a small part of the body, can change the whole course of our lives. The implied application is that everyone should be very careful what they say because our words can destroy lives (including our own) very quickly.
I can attest to the truth of that - I don't have to think very hard to remember times when my tongue got me into a lot of trouble. James says that if we can control what we say, we will be perfect. I think his point is that if we have the strength to control our tongues, then we have the strength to control every other area of our lives.
His warning to teachers rings true for me. I need to work very hard to make sure that I am giving my best to my students, to make sure that I have researched what I am saying and that it is true and good and right. I must be very careful not to lead others down the wrong path. The responsibility that I have been given is huge and overwhelming.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
get to work
James 2:14-26
The key words are faith and deeds. James uses three illustrations to prove his point: it does not do anyone any good to wish them warmth and full bellies if you don't give them blankets and food; Abraham's belief was seen through his action of offering his son; Rahab's faith was seen by her action of hiding the spies. The main point is that faith without deeds is worthless - in fact, he uses a word picture to say that deeds are the life of faith just as the spirit is the life of the body.
This seems to contradict the teaching of Paul that we are saved by grace through faith and this is not by works so that no one can boast (Eph 2:8-9). In fact, James comes right out and says, "people are justified by what they do and not by faith alone." The danger is that I will soften the meaning of this text to make it fit with the other teachings of the Bible. James is saying that deeds are what bring our faith to life. Put that way, we can see that this clearly fits the teachings of Paul and, especially, Jesus.
For me, this means that I need to get to work: do I believe that God has a concern for the poor? Great! What am I going to do about it? Do I believe that I should love my enemies? Yes! Now how am I going to live that out? In a Christian culture where I am trying to help faith come alive for myself and my students, James provides an easy solution: start acting on it. Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.
The key words are faith and deeds. James uses three illustrations to prove his point: it does not do anyone any good to wish them warmth and full bellies if you don't give them blankets and food; Abraham's belief was seen through his action of offering his son; Rahab's faith was seen by her action of hiding the spies. The main point is that faith without deeds is worthless - in fact, he uses a word picture to say that deeds are the life of faith just as the spirit is the life of the body.
This seems to contradict the teaching of Paul that we are saved by grace through faith and this is not by works so that no one can boast (Eph 2:8-9). In fact, James comes right out and says, "people are justified by what they do and not by faith alone." The danger is that I will soften the meaning of this text to make it fit with the other teachings of the Bible. James is saying that deeds are what bring our faith to life. Put that way, we can see that this clearly fits the teachings of Paul and, especially, Jesus.
For me, this means that I need to get to work: do I believe that God has a concern for the poor? Great! What am I going to do about it? Do I believe that I should love my enemies? Yes! Now how am I going to live that out? In a Christian culture where I am trying to help faith come alive for myself and my students, James provides an easy solution: start acting on it. Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
you're my favourite
James 2:1-13
These are my thoughts from the past two days. I forgot I had internet access and so I wasn't blogging...
Obvioulsy the key word from this passage is favouritism. James is adamantly against favouritism and again it seems like he especially opposed to any favouritism shown toward the rich. It seems likely from the passage that the rich had done something to really oppose James and possibly the rest of the believers - they are the ones exploiting the believers and suing them in court. To curry favour with the rich, and maybe to prevent themselves from being sued, people were quick to offer them the best spots in the church. James says that this isn't just bad behaviour but it is actually sin as defined by "love your neighbour as yourself."
Who are my favourites? In my ministry, I don't think I give special treatment to the rich but as I coldly evaluate our ministry, I think we might give special attention to the "cool". As I look at who our leadership team spends time with, it is often the cool. To evaluate myself, I have to ask if I am looking for some kind of validation - is it that I couldn't make the cool crowd in school and by hanging out with them now I am somehow proving that I can be cool? Is it that I am worried about my reputation - if I spend too much time with the uncool, do I become uncool? This has really caused me to think about our ministry a lot. Why don't we attract more "at risk" students? Why are most of our students well dressed, good looking and skilled - the so called successful students? Is this just a function of the demographic of our church? Is this whom we've been called to reach or do we have an unfulfilled ministry to others? I'm going to have to continue to wrestle with this one. I do know that if I am playing favourites personally or in the ministry, I am as guilty as an adulterer. That's pretty serious stuff!
These are my thoughts from the past two days. I forgot I had internet access and so I wasn't blogging...
Obvioulsy the key word from this passage is favouritism. James is adamantly against favouritism and again it seems like he especially opposed to any favouritism shown toward the rich. It seems likely from the passage that the rich had done something to really oppose James and possibly the rest of the believers - they are the ones exploiting the believers and suing them in court. To curry favour with the rich, and maybe to prevent themselves from being sued, people were quick to offer them the best spots in the church. James says that this isn't just bad behaviour but it is actually sin as defined by "love your neighbour as yourself."
Who are my favourites? In my ministry, I don't think I give special treatment to the rich but as I coldly evaluate our ministry, I think we might give special attention to the "cool". As I look at who our leadership team spends time with, it is often the cool. To evaluate myself, I have to ask if I am looking for some kind of validation - is it that I couldn't make the cool crowd in school and by hanging out with them now I am somehow proving that I can be cool? Is it that I am worried about my reputation - if I spend too much time with the uncool, do I become uncool? This has really caused me to think about our ministry a lot. Why don't we attract more "at risk" students? Why are most of our students well dressed, good looking and skilled - the so called successful students? Is this just a function of the demographic of our church? Is this whom we've been called to reach or do we have an unfulfilled ministry to others? I'm going to have to continue to wrestle with this one. I do know that if I am playing favourites personally or in the ministry, I am as guilty as an adulterer. That's pretty serious stuff!
Friday, October 19, 2007
the power of the word
James 1:16-21
James contrasts the Father of heavenly lights who does not change to the lights (and shadows they create) who are constantly shifting. He repeats the phrase "my dear brothers and sisters" as if James is their older brother or spiritual father offering sage advice. There is definitely some intimacy there.
James speaks about the word twice. First, it is the word of truth that gives birth to us and then it is the word planted in us that, if we humbly accept it, will save us. This is a powerful word! If the word has that ability, I wonder why we are so unlikely to read it and humbly accept it. The fruit of the word is life and salvation and who isn't looking for that?
I am afraid that we are in the midst of a generation of illeterate Christians - people who don't read the Bible. This raises huge challenges for ministry since it is the word that brings life so how can I, as a minister of the gospel, help people find life in a world where they don't read? What does this mean for the way that I speak and teach? What does it mean for the way that I mentor and lead? I don't think I can assume that my audience knows much, if anything, about the Bible beyond what they've been taught in Sunday School or what they might have heard at youth or church. I also think it means that the Church needs to find creative ways to get the Bible to the peopel. In medieval times when the populace was illiterate, the Church relied on passion plays and morality plays to teach the Bible. Maybe this means that we find ways to teach through YouTube and the internet. All I know is that if the word brings life then if we want to see people saved and come alive, we need to get the word to them.
James contrasts the Father of heavenly lights who does not change to the lights (and shadows they create) who are constantly shifting. He repeats the phrase "my dear brothers and sisters" as if James is their older brother or spiritual father offering sage advice. There is definitely some intimacy there.
James speaks about the word twice. First, it is the word of truth that gives birth to us and then it is the word planted in us that, if we humbly accept it, will save us. This is a powerful word! If the word has that ability, I wonder why we are so unlikely to read it and humbly accept it. The fruit of the word is life and salvation and who isn't looking for that?
I am afraid that we are in the midst of a generation of illeterate Christians - people who don't read the Bible. This raises huge challenges for ministry since it is the word that brings life so how can I, as a minister of the gospel, help people find life in a world where they don't read? What does this mean for the way that I speak and teach? What does it mean for the way that I mentor and lead? I don't think I can assume that my audience knows much, if anything, about the Bible beyond what they've been taught in Sunday School or what they might have heard at youth or church. I also think it means that the Church needs to find creative ways to get the Bible to the peopel. In medieval times when the populace was illiterate, the Church relied on passion plays and morality plays to teach the Bible. Maybe this means that we find ways to teach through YouTube and the internet. All I know is that if the word brings life then if we want to see people saved and come alive, we need to get the word to them.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
what did the rich ever do to you?
James 1:9-15
I wonder what the rich did to deserve these scathing words from James. They must have been the driving force behind the persecution or something. James certainly pulls no punches: "Hey rich people! Take pride in your humiliation - you're going to fade away like a wild flower." That doesn't sound very nice at all. At first I'm kind of cheering James on but when I stop and think about it, I realize that I am one of the rich. I don't remember the specific numbers but it goes something like this: if you have a car, a telephone and equipment for a hobby (game system, hockey equipment, etc.) you are in the top 10% of rich people. Now James is talking to me! I must make sure that I have my security in something besides my possessions and money.
James' letter reads like a bunch of strung together sayings - sort of like Proverbs for the New Testament Church. This saying is telling those who are facing persecution to persevere because the pain of this life is nothing compared to the rewards waiting in heaven. I think our tendency is to apply this to our petty, wimpy temptations (ok, I don't want to downplay the power of temptations and the awful way our failures make us feel. But compared to the pastor in North Korea who is being executed, my "trial" of being tempted to watch something I shouldn't on tv in the comfort of my living room while eating popcorn, completely sheltered from the cold wind, is pretty wimpy!) but James is talking specifically about persecution, not temptations. It makes me wonder if we're going to miss out on the crown of life because we are not willing to pay any price to follow Jesus. I don't think ducking our head and hiding our faith is equal to persevering under trial.
James does talk about temptations next - he tells us that we shouldn't blame God for our temptations. We are tempted because we have sinful desire for that thing. If I didn't like Zesty Cheese Doritoes, then I wouldn't be tempted to eat them. The same goes for pornography - it wouldn't be a temptation if I didn't like it. James is telling us to stop making excuses and stop blaming others for our sin and for our temptations - face the truth that it is your fault that you are tempted in the first place because you have cultivated a desire for that thing. He doesn't really offer any solutions but perhaps the implied solution is that we need our desires changed and the only one who can do that is God.
I wonder what the rich did to deserve these scathing words from James. They must have been the driving force behind the persecution or something. James certainly pulls no punches: "Hey rich people! Take pride in your humiliation - you're going to fade away like a wild flower." That doesn't sound very nice at all. At first I'm kind of cheering James on but when I stop and think about it, I realize that I am one of the rich. I don't remember the specific numbers but it goes something like this: if you have a car, a telephone and equipment for a hobby (game system, hockey equipment, etc.) you are in the top 10% of rich people. Now James is talking to me! I must make sure that I have my security in something besides my possessions and money.
James' letter reads like a bunch of strung together sayings - sort of like Proverbs for the New Testament Church. This saying is telling those who are facing persecution to persevere because the pain of this life is nothing compared to the rewards waiting in heaven. I think our tendency is to apply this to our petty, wimpy temptations (ok, I don't want to downplay the power of temptations and the awful way our failures make us feel. But compared to the pastor in North Korea who is being executed, my "trial" of being tempted to watch something I shouldn't on tv in the comfort of my living room while eating popcorn, completely sheltered from the cold wind, is pretty wimpy!) but James is talking specifically about persecution, not temptations. It makes me wonder if we're going to miss out on the crown of life because we are not willing to pay any price to follow Jesus. I don't think ducking our head and hiding our faith is equal to persevering under trial.
James does talk about temptations next - he tells us that we shouldn't blame God for our temptations. We are tempted because we have sinful desire for that thing. If I didn't like Zesty Cheese Doritoes, then I wouldn't be tempted to eat them. The same goes for pornography - it wouldn't be a temptation if I didn't like it. James is telling us to stop making excuses and stop blaming others for our sin and for our temptations - face the truth that it is your fault that you are tempted in the first place because you have cultivated a desire for that thing. He doesn't really offer any solutions but perhaps the implied solution is that we need our desires changed and the only one who can do that is God.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
joy?
James 1:1-8
This letter is written by James, the brother of Jesus, to the Jewish Christians not living in Israel. James does not "pull rank" as the brother of Jesus but identifies himself as the servant of Jesus. I wonder what it would have been like to grow up with Jesus as your older brother. I wonder if his siblings resented him. I wonder what role Mary's faith played in their eventual belief in him as the Messiah and as God.
From these verses, it would seem that the Christians James is writing to have not "been scattered" of their own free will - they have faced trials of many kinds, likely persecution that has forced them to relocate. James uses a progression: trials develop perseverance which brings maturity and completion to the believer. I wonder if the reason that I am seeing such immaturity of belief in North America is because our faith costs us nothing. Because we have not developed much in the way of perseverance, we are rather immature.
It seems strange in the short term that we should have pure joy about the trials we are facing but when we can step back and realize what these trials will do for us, then we can have joy. If my desire is to fall more deeply in love with God, to know him more fully and trust him more completely then I can rejoice in my trials because I know that he is using them to bring me to maturity. It's kind of like growing pains - they hurt a lot but if living without them meant I was going to be a short weak person...
James also uses a word picture to describe a person who asks God for wisdom but does not have faith that God will provide: he is like a wave in a stormy sea - going back and forth depending on which way the wind is blowing.
I know I need wisdom. When I first started as a youth pastor I prayed this prayer a lot but over time I have come to rely on my experience, my "expertise" and my own resources. I believe that God has given me wisdom in the past and that I still have some measure of wisdom today. What I don't want is for that wisdom to make me independent and sure of myself. I need to keep relying on God to provide that wisdom for me.
God, I know I need your wisdom. Without it I am lost. Please give generously to me.
This letter is written by James, the brother of Jesus, to the Jewish Christians not living in Israel. James does not "pull rank" as the brother of Jesus but identifies himself as the servant of Jesus. I wonder what it would have been like to grow up with Jesus as your older brother. I wonder if his siblings resented him. I wonder what role Mary's faith played in their eventual belief in him as the Messiah and as God.
From these verses, it would seem that the Christians James is writing to have not "been scattered" of their own free will - they have faced trials of many kinds, likely persecution that has forced them to relocate. James uses a progression: trials develop perseverance which brings maturity and completion to the believer. I wonder if the reason that I am seeing such immaturity of belief in North America is because our faith costs us nothing. Because we have not developed much in the way of perseverance, we are rather immature.
It seems strange in the short term that we should have pure joy about the trials we are facing but when we can step back and realize what these trials will do for us, then we can have joy. If my desire is to fall more deeply in love with God, to know him more fully and trust him more completely then I can rejoice in my trials because I know that he is using them to bring me to maturity. It's kind of like growing pains - they hurt a lot but if living without them meant I was going to be a short weak person...
James also uses a word picture to describe a person who asks God for wisdom but does not have faith that God will provide: he is like a wave in a stormy sea - going back and forth depending on which way the wind is blowing.
I know I need wisdom. When I first started as a youth pastor I prayed this prayer a lot but over time I have come to rely on my experience, my "expertise" and my own resources. I believe that God has given me wisdom in the past and that I still have some measure of wisdom today. What I don't want is for that wisdom to make me independent and sure of myself. I need to keep relying on God to provide that wisdom for me.
God, I know I need your wisdom. Without it I am lost. Please give generously to me.
Monday, October 15, 2007
i'm not that innocent...
Romans 16
Most of this chapter contains greetings to the church in Rome. There are a few things that stand out: the number of women that Paul greets or commends - calling one a deaconess (v.1) and another seems to hold the office of apostle (v. 7). This would have been considered quite radical in Paul's day (and, let's face it, in the church we haven't moved very far from that day).
It also strikes me that Paul's "last words" would be to watch out for divisions and those who would put obstacles in the way of the church. This must have been something that Paul considered very important - something he wanted to emphasise to the church. I don't really know the context in which he was writing (as far as what false teachings were present or beginning to take hold) but he must have seen something that was in the beginning stages and wanted to make the Roman Christians aware of it. Perhaps it was the legalistic requirements of those who demanded that Christians had to observe Judiastic law as well.
The verse that speaks to me this time around is the end of v. 19: Be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil. I think that I have developed the craftiness of the serpent in many ways - finding ways to do evil and get away with it. There is something intriguing about evil and i have definetely exposed myself to way too much for me to be innocent of evil. I really do need the Holy Spirit to come and renew my mind. Wouldn't that be great? If I could truly be cleansed of all the rot that I have allowed into my mind? I want to be that innocent...
Most of this chapter contains greetings to the church in Rome. There are a few things that stand out: the number of women that Paul greets or commends - calling one a deaconess (v.1) and another seems to hold the office of apostle (v. 7). This would have been considered quite radical in Paul's day (and, let's face it, in the church we haven't moved very far from that day).
It also strikes me that Paul's "last words" would be to watch out for divisions and those who would put obstacles in the way of the church. This must have been something that Paul considered very important - something he wanted to emphasise to the church. I don't really know the context in which he was writing (as far as what false teachings were present or beginning to take hold) but he must have seen something that was in the beginning stages and wanted to make the Roman Christians aware of it. Perhaps it was the legalistic requirements of those who demanded that Christians had to observe Judiastic law as well.
The verse that speaks to me this time around is the end of v. 19: Be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil. I think that I have developed the craftiness of the serpent in many ways - finding ways to do evil and get away with it. There is something intriguing about evil and i have definetely exposed myself to way too much for me to be innocent of evil. I really do need the Holy Spirit to come and renew my mind. Wouldn't that be great? If I could truly be cleansed of all the rot that I have allowed into my mind? I want to be that innocent...
Friday, October 12, 2007
the struggle
Romans 15:17-33
This passage is basically Paul's personal message to the Roman Christians: he hasn't come to them because he has been so busy taking the teachings of Christ to people who have not yet heard them. However, he is now hoping to visit them on his to Spain via Jerusalem. He asks the Roman Christians to join him in his struggle by praying for him. Paul has some sense that his visit to Jerusalem will not go well - perhaps because there is a sense that he has betrayed and abandoned the Jews.
I have forgotten how vital prayer is to my life and to my ministry. I have fallen out of the habit of praying and I need to get back into it. I have given lip service to the fact that my ministry only comes to life through Christ and the Spirit but I have not really acted on that belief by constantly and intentionally laying my ministry at the feet of Christ and inviting the Spirit to fill it. I also need to be inviting others to join me in my struggle through prayer.
This passage is basically Paul's personal message to the Roman Christians: he hasn't come to them because he has been so busy taking the teachings of Christ to people who have not yet heard them. However, he is now hoping to visit them on his to Spain via Jerusalem. He asks the Roman Christians to join him in his struggle by praying for him. Paul has some sense that his visit to Jerusalem will not go well - perhaps because there is a sense that he has betrayed and abandoned the Jews.
I have forgotten how vital prayer is to my life and to my ministry. I have fallen out of the habit of praying and I need to get back into it. I have given lip service to the fact that my ministry only comes to life through Christ and the Spirit but I have not really acted on that belief by constantly and intentionally laying my ministry at the feet of Christ and inviting the Spirit to fill it. I also need to be inviting others to join me in my struggle through prayer.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
this is my offering...
Romans 15:14-16
Paul lists the attributes of his audience: full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent in teaching. The key words are "minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles" and "priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel". These phrases indicate that Paul understood that his work was not just something he decided to do but that he was on a God-ordained mission and his work was as significant to God's glory as the priests of the OT who prepared and offered sacrifices on behalf of the people. The offering that Paul is preparing is the Gentiles - Paul is seeking the glory of God by taking the gospel to the Gentiles so they can respond to his love and goodness. This is so incredibly cool to me! The thing is that Paul worked really hard to present this offering and paid an incredible price to do so.
This convicts me: do I see my role as a God-ordained mission to the youth of Lethbridge? Am I doing everything I can to reach them with the gospel for the glory of God? How much effort am I putting into preparing the offering? Some of the things that I will have to do are really difficult - connect with students that I have a hard time finding anything in common with, remembering people's names (that's so hard for me for some reason - perhaps because I am too self-absorbed?) so they know they are known, cared for and significant, putting hours into preparing an evening that nobody seems to appreciate. I don't want you to get the impression that my job is terrible - the truth is that I love it. But I do need to keep spurring myself on to do all that I can to offer the youth of Lethbridge as an offering to Christ. I can never get comfortable because there are still so many to reach with the gospel.
God, please show me how to best bring you glory as I seek to prepare this offering for you.
Paul lists the attributes of his audience: full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent in teaching. The key words are "minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles" and "priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel". These phrases indicate that Paul understood that his work was not just something he decided to do but that he was on a God-ordained mission and his work was as significant to God's glory as the priests of the OT who prepared and offered sacrifices on behalf of the people. The offering that Paul is preparing is the Gentiles - Paul is seeking the glory of God by taking the gospel to the Gentiles so they can respond to his love and goodness. This is so incredibly cool to me! The thing is that Paul worked really hard to present this offering and paid an incredible price to do so.
This convicts me: do I see my role as a God-ordained mission to the youth of Lethbridge? Am I doing everything I can to reach them with the gospel for the glory of God? How much effort am I putting into preparing the offering? Some of the things that I will have to do are really difficult - connect with students that I have a hard time finding anything in common with, remembering people's names (that's so hard for me for some reason - perhaps because I am too self-absorbed?) so they know they are known, cared for and significant, putting hours into preparing an evening that nobody seems to appreciate. I don't want you to get the impression that my job is terrible - the truth is that I love it. But I do need to keep spurring myself on to do all that I can to offer the youth of Lethbridge as an offering to Christ. I can never get comfortable because there are still so many to reach with the gospel.
God, please show me how to best bring you glory as I seek to prepare this offering for you.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
i love it when a plan comes together...
Romans 15:7-13
Observe:
Key words: Accept, praise/glorify God, Gentiles
Comparisons: accept each other as Christ has accepted us
Interpret:
Paul is transitioning from looking out for the weaker brother to the master plan of God. As Christ has accepted us (with grace, not by merit, etc.) we should accept each other. This seems to remind Paul of the controversy between Jew and Gentile and so he proves that God's intent was always to bring th Gentiles in to his blessing - that through the nation of Israel, the rest of the world was to be blessed and brought to a relationship with God. An OT understanding (simplified) would be that as Israel followed God's law they would be blessed in such a way that it would capture the attention of the surrounding nations and they would turn from their gods to the true God and therefore enter into the relationship and blessing of God. However, looking back on history, we see God's plan come together in ways that were not expected: he blessed the Gentiles through Jesus (a Jew and also His Son).
Apply:
The last verse strikes me. If I want to impact my world with the hope of God, I need to rely on the Holy Spirit, trust God and allow him to fill me with his joy and peace. Then hope will flow out of me. This means that times like this - meditating on and studying God's Word - are essential to the impact that I will have. This means that my prayer time and my times of quietness and communion are essential to the impact I will have. This means that the impact that I have is not my impact but the impact of the Holy Spirit as I allow him to fill me and work through me. My job is to make space for Christ.
Observe:
Key words: Accept, praise/glorify God, Gentiles
Comparisons: accept each other as Christ has accepted us
Interpret:
Paul is transitioning from looking out for the weaker brother to the master plan of God. As Christ has accepted us (with grace, not by merit, etc.) we should accept each other. This seems to remind Paul of the controversy between Jew and Gentile and so he proves that God's intent was always to bring th Gentiles in to his blessing - that through the nation of Israel, the rest of the world was to be blessed and brought to a relationship with God. An OT understanding (simplified) would be that as Israel followed God's law they would be blessed in such a way that it would capture the attention of the surrounding nations and they would turn from their gods to the true God and therefore enter into the relationship and blessing of God. However, looking back on history, we see God's plan come together in ways that were not expected: he blessed the Gentiles through Jesus (a Jew and also His Son).
Apply:
The last verse strikes me. If I want to impact my world with the hope of God, I need to rely on the Holy Spirit, trust God and allow him to fill me with his joy and peace. Then hope will flow out of me. This means that times like this - meditating on and studying God's Word - are essential to the impact that I will have. This means that my prayer time and my times of quietness and communion are essential to the impact I will have. This means that the impact that I have is not my impact but the impact of the Holy Spirit as I allow him to fill me and work through me. My job is to make space for Christ.
Friday, October 5, 2007
one heart, one mouth
Romans 15:1-6
Observe:
Key words: endurance, encouragement, one, unity
There are no lists. Paul uses a word picture of one heart and one mouth to indicate the spirit of unity that we are to have within the fellowship of believers.
Paul contrasts pleasing ourselves with building others up
Interpret:
The main argument is that we don't just live to ourselves but that we belong to each other in the Body of Christ. My freedom may cause another to stumble and I need to recognize my responsibility to that person. Paul is continuing his thought from the previous chapter. The key verse is "May God... give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Apply:
The spirit of unity does not mean that I will agree with everyone. It does mean that I will have love towards them no matter what issues we may not agree on. It does mean that I will recognize that I am connected to them spiritually and my actions and attitudes have an affect on their spiritual health. It does mean that I may be willing to limit my own freedoms or not impose my limitations on others for their sake and for the glory of God.
This passage tells me that God is most glorified when we love one another in unity.
Observe:
Key words: endurance, encouragement, one, unity
There are no lists. Paul uses a word picture of one heart and one mouth to indicate the spirit of unity that we are to have within the fellowship of believers.
Paul contrasts pleasing ourselves with building others up
Interpret:
The main argument is that we don't just live to ourselves but that we belong to each other in the Body of Christ. My freedom may cause another to stumble and I need to recognize my responsibility to that person. Paul is continuing his thought from the previous chapter. The key verse is "May God... give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Apply:
The spirit of unity does not mean that I will agree with everyone. It does mean that I will have love towards them no matter what issues we may not agree on. It does mean that I will recognize that I am connected to them spiritually and my actions and attitudes have an affect on their spiritual health. It does mean that I may be willing to limit my own freedoms or not impose my limitations on others for their sake and for the glory of God.
This passage tells me that God is most glorified when we love one another in unity.
Monday, October 1, 2007
stumbling
Romans 14
I read this passage while I was at Identity in Medicine Hat. The key words in the passage are: look down, pass judgement, condemn. The other key idea is that none of us live and die to ourselves but we live and die to God (and, it is implied, to each other).
Paul is saying that we have to give freedom and grace when it comes to certain issues. I was going to say, "when it comes to disputable matters" but the problem is that some people don't think that these issues should be disputable, choosing to make them markers of spiritual maturity and holiness. The issues that Paul specifically addresses here are: eating meat (specifically adhering to the kosher diet), drinking wine and holding certain days as more sacred. Paul says that we must be fully convinced in our own conscience (otherwise we are not participating out of faith and it is sin), that we must not condemn or look down on those who think differently than we do and that we must not do anything to cause someone to stumble.
For me, that last one is what is causing me questions. What does it mean to stumble? If they are offended, have they stumbled? I believe that it means that I must not lead them to sin in that area. I think, from the context, that is what Paul is saying because he ends by saying that if someone has doubt about drinking or eating being right, they shouldn't drink or eat meat. So, if I am thinking this through properly, I believe that Paul is saying that some people will view drinking as wrong and that we must not put them in a position where they might drink against their conscience because that would cause them to sin.
I read this passage while I was at Identity in Medicine Hat. The key words in the passage are: look down, pass judgement, condemn. The other key idea is that none of us live and die to ourselves but we live and die to God (and, it is implied, to each other).
Paul is saying that we have to give freedom and grace when it comes to certain issues. I was going to say, "when it comes to disputable matters" but the problem is that some people don't think that these issues should be disputable, choosing to make them markers of spiritual maturity and holiness. The issues that Paul specifically addresses here are: eating meat (specifically adhering to the kosher diet), drinking wine and holding certain days as more sacred. Paul says that we must be fully convinced in our own conscience (otherwise we are not participating out of faith and it is sin), that we must not condemn or look down on those who think differently than we do and that we must not do anything to cause someone to stumble.
For me, that last one is what is causing me questions. What does it mean to stumble? If they are offended, have they stumbled? I believe that it means that I must not lead them to sin in that area. I think, from the context, that is what Paul is saying because he ends by saying that if someone has doubt about drinking or eating being right, they shouldn't drink or eat meat. So, if I am thinking this through properly, I believe that Paul is saying that some people will view drinking as wrong and that we must not put them in a position where they might drink against their conscience because that would cause them to sin.
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