Leaving the mirror. James 1.

Today our journey through the New Testament takes us into the letter of James. Once again this transition to a new book brings with it a real change in tone and form. We first experienced this kind of shift when we finished Acts and began Hebrews. It happened again when we finished Hebrews and began Galatians. Those books were both letters, but quite different in tone and style.

The same is true of the letter of James. In this first chapter, I counted at least 13 instructions on how to act. More, if you decide to treat, for example, the admonitions in verse 1:19 to "be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger" as three admonitions instead of one. After many of these instructions, James provides either a reason why we should do them, or further teaching about the instruction.

Thirteen instructions for life. That's a lot to talk about. I want to talk about verses 22-25, but feel free to add any comments you have on any part of this first chapter. Here's what James writes in these verses:

But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror. For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out – he will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25 NET)

For those of you old enough, you may remember the TV show "Happy Days" from the 70s. While I never quite understood why the show was so popular, I do remember the opening credits. Sappy song, spinning vinyl record, montage of 50s looking scenes, hoop skirts, and "the Fonz" looking into the mirror ready to comb his greased-back hair, but changing his mind at the last minute because he looked perfect. There's an apocryphal story that Henry Winkler landed the role as Fonzie when, during the audition, he ad-libbed that move instead of simply combing his hair. When Fonzie walked away from the mirror, you can bet that he remembered everything he saw in it.

And how about you? We live in an age of abundant and accurate mirrors, and where emphasis is placed on how we look. Would you forget? Maybe not. What if you looked into the mirror and noticed a smudge on your face? Would you walk away and forget about the smudge, or would you clean your face, check again, and then walk away? James is writing about that case, where you see yourself correctly in God's Word, but upon seeing yourself, that's it. No action taken. Instead you walk away with the smudge, some spinach between your teeth, hair unkempt, and sleepers in your eyes, to greet the world. "Hey, have you heard about my friend, Jesus?"

Of course, James isn't talking about appearance. It's his thought that the law or word of God provides clarity in our understanding of who we are in relationship to God. In that revelation there is both liberty, and anticipated response. And the guidelines for that response are contained in the Word. I would say in both God's written word, the Bible, and in Jesus, Who is the eternal Word of God. If Jesus has made us holy in God's sight, we can walk away from the mirror like the Fonz. But if we do, if we really understand what that means, if we remember all those smudges that Jesus wiped away, then our actions will reflect that understanding. And as we take those actions, under the guidelines given to us, we will continue to remember with gratitude what God has done for us. And that... is worship. I can hear the praise from our lips now -- "aaaaayyyy."

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Big Letters. Galatians 6.

"See what big letters I make as I write to you with my own hand!" (Galatians 6:11 NET)

One of the drawbacks of being left-handed is that when you first learn to write, everything is oriented for right-handers. (At least this is how it was when I was growing up.) Letters should slant to the right, your paper should be rotated to the ... right or left, I'm not sure, and you should drag your pencil across the paper. Pretty tough to drag, when you're actually pushing the pencil with your hand curled up in a tight ball to try and get the slanting of the letters correct, and the rotation of the paper makes no sense in producing the correct output. Some lefties manage it. I never did. Those of you in class suffer when I get to the board.

My own struggles with handwriting help me relate to the end of Paul's letter. Here's the paraphrase I hear in my head as I read it: "Look, I want to finish up with something really important, and really personal. So I stopped using the computer, and am writing these final words by hand. I hope you can read it, but remember, this is important!" And then he closes the letter with a simple summary of what he has taught through it. Again, Jim's paraphrase: "None of this should matter. Circumcised, uncircumcised, who cares? We really shouldn't even be arguing about this, because what counts is that we have become new people in Christ. Made all over again. So let's act in accordance with that." And then he blesses them in his goodbye.

In case you're wondering, Paul probably didn't do the actual writing of his letters. Instead, he would have dictated the letters to a scribe. This was a common practice and scribes were professionals, trained to be able to write using small letters, getting large documents onto limited space. We don't know whether Paul was incapable of writing with small letters, or if he was using big letters for emphasis, but either way, it did provide emphasis.

I think I can do that too in this post, so I'll try it here.

This is the end of our reading in Galatians. Remember what's important -- we're a new creation. Peace and mercy be on you. Amen.

Free to serve. Galatians 5.

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another. (Gal. 5:13 NET)

It's our delight today to read through one of the richest chapters in all of Paul's letters, when it comes to devotional ideas, and passages to meditate on, and then apply to our lives. Even if this is your first time to read the book of Galatians, you've probably heard about the "fruits of the Spirit." And I would love to read anyone's thoughts about Galatians 5:22,23. Likewise, you may want to write about "living by the Spirit", which leads to the fruits.

I want to take a quick look at what Paul had to say about freedom. Freedom is a scary word. For those of us who grew up in the U.S.A., that may sound wrong. But if you think about it for a while, you'll realize that even in this country, there are forces that act as restraints against freedom, or liberty. Take, for example, the idea of free speech. In theory, we believe the right to say what we want is a good thing. On the other hand, there are certain kinds of speech that we may find so offensive and harmful, that as a society we prohibit them. Or we may prohibit their use in certain places, like schools. The classic case of this is, of course, yelling "fire" in a crowded building.

I don't want this post to be about the limits of free speech, so let me give you a more personal example of the scariness of freedom. Driving. More to the point, teaching a son or daughter to drive. For me, this turned out to be one of the scariest set of moments of my life, superseded only by letting a daughter go out on a date. There I sat, helping a daughter so that she could take control of 3,000 pounds of steel, glass, and plastic, and learn how to send it hurtling down the freeway at speeds no one experienced in all of history until the twentieth century unless they jumped from a cliff more than a mile high. What's at stake when your child learns to drive? Life? Limbs? Big-time damage? Money? And, more freedom? Yikes. And really, all of parenting is about building the skills, abilities, intelligence, disciplines, and moral values so that another step of liberty can be taken.

We express our concern about freedom by saying things like, "with increased freedom comes increased responsibility." The historian Will Durant said, "When liberty becomes license, dictatorship is near."

Paul too, understood that unrestrained freedom is not a good thing. But the restraint he proposed to the Galatians was not one of rules and regulations. He did say don't indulge yourself in all the fleshy stuff, but primarily as a contrast to how we are to use our freedom -- serving one another in love. He's quoting God's word, both written (Lev.19:18) and living (Mark 12:31). Paul says we do that by living in the Spirit which produces all that good fruit. I hope we can talk about what it means to live in the Spirit. Add a comment. Or if you're in class, bring it up next week.

But even if we have a hard time defining or grasping what it means to live in the Spirit, we do have good ideas about serving one another in love. So here's something I can do in response to what Paul has taught us today. Find a quiet place, and spend some time asking who I might serve today -- who really needs it today. And then ask for His help in spending the day in every interaction as a loving servant. We'll see what happens after that.

Backtracking. Galatians 4.

In our reading through the New Testament so far, there have been a couple of days when reading a single chapter seems awkward. For me, today's chapter in Galatians is one of those. It's clearly a passage of transition that depends on both the chapter preceding it and the chapter following it. So what do we do in that case. Clearly, one thing we can do is to read the chapter, think about it a bit, and then wait until the next day to see where the argument leads. Perhaps in the reading, there will be smaller parts of the passage that speak to us in a special way. Maybe even something as simple as this phrase, "... God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, who calls 'Abba! Father!'," will affect you in a profound way.

Two other approaches we might take are: one, to continue reading into the next chapter until there's an appropriate breaking point; and two, backtrack and review the thoughts that led up to this chapter. In the latter case, you might decide to go far enough back to capture a second thought from previous reading. Or you might spend extra time on a particularly rich passage. Or you might concentrate on the thread of thought that's currently being developed, in anticipation of the next day's reading.

I decided that for this post, I would attempt to write down some of my thoughts that developed out of spending time thinking about what Paul wrote in chapter two -- that he was crucified with Christ. In part, those thoughts are connected to the idea of Abba, Father, so it turns out that technically this post is about something in Galatians 4. (Okay, that's a stretch.)

"Lots of noise. Just wait. Abba, Father, what do you want me to learn from these words of Paul's? How dead is my old self? How large is my passion to live for Christ, compared to those first moments my life was changed? Compared to the passion of Paul as expressed in his letter?"

Today I have to confess that our society is a tough one to live in, and follow Christ whole-heartedly. We're not under direct persecution where the choice is clear, but we face hundreds of decisions to make on a daily basis. I confess that there are too many moments where it's not God living in me, but me choosing what to do. Without the daily disciplines of prayer and Bible reading, the power of the Spirit within me would be quenched all too quickly. Without the joy of meeting with my brothers and sisters, I'd be just another lone sheep, ill-equipped to face the wolves and lions outside.

I'm thankful for each of you who meet on Sundays, to grow in your knowledge of God's word, and His nature, and how He wants you to live, through discussion and study. I'm thankful for all those who committed to read through the New Testament this year, and am hopeful that this online place will add to the richness of that experience. And I am thankful for the fundamental change Jesus has made in my relationship with the Father, even if there are too many moments when I don't live like that. Thankful for the Spirit that lives within me, and cries out on my behalf, "Papa, Father."

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's chapter, when Paul completes his thought about freedom in Christ, but will continue to meditate on what it means to be "crucified with Christ."

Are the women sons? Galatians 3.

I don't have time to develop this topic fully, so you can check back over the weekend and I may update it. But the usage of "sons of God" in verse 3:26 really stuck out, especially in light of what Paul says next. Here are the verses that changed an empire:

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female – for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-28 NET)

There is no doubt that in the Hebrew culture, women were not equal to men. I'm not talking about the difference between male and female, but their status in their society. In some ways, the Greco-Roman culture provided more rights to women, but their society, too, was male dominated. Something we should pay attention to is how Jesus and the church elevated women in the sight of God. There is a powerful expression of that idea in this passage, which proclaims both freedom and equality in Christ. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female - for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."

The removal of status and hierarchy was perhaps the most powerful witness of the good news in Christ, and the most effective demonstration of what it meant to be a Christian. Imagine a slave enjoying the same status before God as the master. Imagine what is was like for those who had always served, to be served. Turn that around, and imagine those who had always been served, now acting as servant. (As Jesus taught and demonstrated.) Here was a truly new thought, a new way of living that overcame the obstacles to becoming a Christian. (And there were many... we'll watch a video sometime this year that explains this more thoroughly.)

This is not to say that immediately all the slaves and servants were given their freedom, or that women no longer lived in a male-dominated culture. Even within the church, there were distinctions made between men and women. This is something we're still debating today, to see if we properly understand what Paul wrote about this, and, yes, we'll be discussing this when we get to the appropriate place. Nevertheless, as Paul said, any distinction before God, any thought of hierarchy in Christ, is wrong.

So why sons? Some new translations use the word "children." The Message bypasses the issue entirely, translating the Greek word into "direct relationship." In our society we miss the import of Paul's use of son. Fortunately, he describes why it's important that we, men and women, slaves and free, Jews and Gentiles, why all of us are sons of God. It's significant because we are the heirs to the promise to Abraham. In Paul's culture, inheritance was through and to the sons. We are all heirs. Since in our culture we typically don't distinguish between male and female when it comes to inheritance, "children" is an appropriate translation of the Greek. But for the full effect, an understanding of "sons" helps us see that Paul is elevating everyone to what his society considered the exalted position.

We too can change an empire. Think about what it means to be clothed in Christ. Now get dressed, go out, and do it.

Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. Galatians 2.

I belong to the first TV generation, more so than some my age, because my dad's business was selling and repairing televisions. I grew up on Saturday morning cartoons. If you have a truth about life you want to express, I can probably find an analogy in some cartoon situation. As I was reading the second chapter of Galatians my mind was drawn to the coyote and the road runner. Here's how it happened.

Think about what we've read up to this point, in the broadest of terms. In Mark, we have the narrative of Jesus' life, ministry, teachings, death, and resurrection. God entered into history as a human being, to make sure that we could be restored to full relationship with Him. The message given was to enter into His Kingdom. In Acts we see that Kingdom in action on earth, with the coming of the Holy Spirit, birth of the church, and the message carried forth, first to the Jews and then the Gentiles. In the process, we saw how God made sure His salvation was understood to be available for everyone, in spite of the inevitable tension between Jewish culture and practices, and Gentile ones. He made sure, even to the point of dramatically calling one of the chief prosecutors of all Christians, Paul, to the work of taking the message to the Gentiles. In Hebrews we see the connection between the old covenant and its practices contrasted with the new covenant. The writer shows the need to sever the ties to the old covenant understanding and practices, except as precursor to the new covenant. And finally, in Galatians we see Paul having to combat the forces that are pressuring the Galatian Christians to return to old covenant practices and understanding.

After thirteen chapters of Hebrews, the idea that there's another book devoted, in part, to the combat of the influences to return to Judaism made me think of Wile E. Coyote. Wile E. is obsessed with the road runner. Long past any point of rational behavior where a real coyote would just find some other prey, Wile E. orders yet one more product from Acme in the hope that this time, he'll be successful. That's what makes the cartoon funny, even though at its foundation, it's about obsessive behavior. In fact it's one of the rules of the cartoon -- "the coyote could stop anytime -- if he wasn't a fanatic."

So... is Paul like Wile E. Coyote? Or flipping it around, were the judaizers? Sooner or later, all analogies break down, this one sooner than most. But even if, on the surface, we see an argument that has long since been decided and without relevance to our own lives, the coyote in pursuit of the road runner one more time, Paul's pursuit of this issue is an essential part of the development of the church. It also provides relevant teaching to us today. I think we all see how important it was in the early church, so I'd like to focus on a teaching for today.


Starting in verse 15, Paul writes:

We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:15-16 NET)

What's the significance of this to us today? We certainly don't try to follow the Old Testament law. Seemingly, we understand that it's faith in Jesus and God's grace that clean us up from the dirt of sin. But do we? One thing that jumps out in what Paul wrote is that we are "justified", or made right in spite of our wrong, by Christ's faithfulness, not our own. When we put our faith in Jesus as the justifier, it's not our act of faith, but his faithfulness to accomplish the task that is important. Sometimes we get that backward. But also, it's inevitable that as humans we tend to tie our goodness, our justification, to following certain rules, having certain behaviors and attitudes, and generally translating what we read in the Bible and hear from the pulpit into a set of guidelines for life. Think not? Well, then, how about reading the Bible every day? (Jim says, don't stop doing it, that's not the point.) Reading the Bible is, in fact, a good principle to follow, a good practice to cultivate. But it's not about justification.

To Paul, it's critical that we get this straight. James will deal with the flip side of this tension between what Tenney calls, "the ethic of Christ" and "transformation of the individual by the grace of God." But for Paul, understanding that we have freedom in Christ is intrinsic to a correct understanding of the good news. If we don't realize that it is Jesus' death that took care of everything once for all, that we can't get to God any other way, then we still don't get it. In one sense, Paul's road runner, the goal he did fanatically pursue, was a correct understanding of the gospel. Thank God he did, and that he was successful, unlike Wile E.

And just to be clear that freedom doesn't imply we have license to act any way we want, I need to point out that in the midst of the discussion between Paul and the Jewish-Christian leaders, both groups agree that it's important to take care of the poor. That teaching alone is worth everything in the entire chapter as a setup to what is essential for us to know, be, and do, as followers of Jesus. Even though doing it doesn't get us justified.

Beep. Beep.

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Grace and peace to you. Galatians 1.

Today we begin reading a new letter of the New Testament. Unlike Hebrews we know both the author, Paul, and the recipients, the churches in Galatia. In this first chapter we learn more about Paul's history, and you may want to go back and review the events of Acts 9. We're also introduced, almost immediately to the reason Paul is writing this letter. Some group is messing with the heads of the Galatians, teaching a mistaken version of the good news, so mistaken it's not the good news at all.

Paul will continue to develop this idea throughout the letter, describing exactly what the error is in the message of these false teachers. (And you've heard it before.) First, though, he describes how egregious this error is -- even if the angels brought this false message to the Galatians it would still be false. Even if Paul himself brought this message, he should be condemned. Whoa.

Paul then has to establish his credentials. Evidently those bringing the message were claiming the authority of the Jerusalem church, and so Paul shows that he received his teaching directly from Christ, an authority equal to the Jerusalem church. And that's pretty much what we learn in this first chapter.

I'd like to focus on Paul's greeting this morning -- "Grace and peace to you." This is not unique to this letter, and is one of the distinctives of Paul's letters. Grace is usually defined as unmerited favor, or a gift or blessing. Paul takes that word of general usage and infuses it with the powerful theology of God's gift of salvation through His Son, in contrast with anything we can do to earn salvation. But in its simplest form, it's a greeting of blessing -- may God be kind to you.

While Paul wrote in Greek, the word peace is better understood from the Hebrew form - salem; or as we hear today, shalom. This would be a standard greeting between the Jews of the day -- peace to you, shalom. It's still a greeting today in the middle east, including the Arabic version, Assalamu 'Alaikum. Thus Paul's greeting to the Galatians could be roughly translated as "May God the Father and Jesus the Son be kind to you, and give you peace."

It's a great way to start a letter, isn't it? It would be probably be weird to greet each other this weekend with the words, "grace and peace to you," but don't be surprised if you hear it.

A blessing. Hebrews 13.

Be encouraged today, each one of you, with the blessings and exhortations of Hebrews 13.

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
(Hebrews 13:20,21 NIV)

Endurance. Hebrews 12.

In the 1960 Olympics, American male swimmers shaved their bodies, including their heads, chest, and legs, before each event. It was the first time this had been done, although it was a technique they borrowed from Murray Rose, an Australian swimmer who began this practice in the 50s, with other Australian swimmers. The two mens' relay teams set world records finishing far ahead of their Australian competitors. I remember the novelty of that act, men shaving all their body hair. The idea, of course, was to eliminate any cause of friction or resistance in the water, so that the swimmer could swim as fast as possible, for as long as needed.

Verse 12:1 of Hebrews says: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us," (NET) We could easily spend the rest of the week, simply meditating on what is contained in this verse. We could reflect on the cloud of witnesses to faith, both those who were listed in chapter 11, and those unnamed, but described -- tortured, sawn in two, put to death by the sword; those who wandered in deserts and mountains... We could reflect on the cloud of witnesses who are a part of our story, the people of faith in our ancestry, our family, our friends, perhaps a Sunday school teacher, or even someone like Martin Luther, who saw the sin of the church and was willing to stand against it. We could reflect on what it is in our life that weighs us down, that encumbers us, and keeps us from running the race set before us, as fast as possible, for as long as needed. We could reflect especially on the entangling sin in our life, and how we will throw it off. We could reflect on endurance, how do we build it, how do we run with it, where will our next breath come from. We could reflect on what exactly the course of our race is, since each of us runs a race with the same finishing line, but on a different track that leads to it.

Wow. And there are still 28 verses to go. For the readers of Hebrews, the author is providing the encouragement to push forward, and not slip backwards into the faith of the past. The heroes of faith listed in chapter 11, heroes under the old covenant, never received while alive, the fulfillment of God's promise in the person of Jesus. But the readers had received the fulfilled promise that made them perfect, complete. Therefore, they should throw off everything that hindered them -- the pull of their familiar old religious practices, the pressure to leave their faith in Jesus, the sin that tangles everything in their life -- and run forward, with endurance. Throw it all off, even down to shaving the hairs that hinder.

The writer encourages them and us. Run with endurance. Look at how Jesus endured the shame and pain of the cross by fixing His eyes on the joy that awaited. That joy was restoration to His position of majesty in heaven, but now with the knowledge that what He endured restores us to full relationship with God. We can run with endurance by fixing our eyes on Jesus, who endured the opposition of sinful men. And we can endure hardship, when we understand its role as discipline of a loving father. Let me restate those endurance lessons.

• Run with endurance, by remembering the witness of the heroes of faith.
• Run with endurance, by removing all hindrances to our running.
  
• Run with endurance, by setting our eyes on the joy that awaits us.
• Run with endurance, by considering how Jesus endured opposition.
• Run with endurance, by treating hardship as the discipline of a loving father.
  

Well, I'm ready to run now.

While that imagery is a powerful part of this chapter, perhaps you were drawn to the contrast between Mt. Sinai and Mount Zion. Or did God speak to you through the writer's details concerning hardship and discipline? Or is today a day to remember that "since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire. (v.12:28-29 NIV).

Save Your Fork! Hebrews 11.

I love the story about saving your fork because the best is yet to come. For me that would be anything chocolate as dessert. This is a great chapter in Hebrews – some call it the Faith chapter or the Hall of Faith. Whatever you call it – the point is still much the same as the rest of the book of Hebrews, the superiority of the new covenant in Christ. This chapter centers on the role of faith down through history in the lives of godly men and women. Faith is the quintessential element of our relationship with God in Christ. As the first verse of the chapter notes “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”.

The quote from my devotional desk calendar for March 14 was entitled “The Best is Coming”. I thought back to that as I was thinking about what to share about Hebrews 11. Here is the quote: “Faith can move the highest mountains, turn deserts into fountains, part the mighty water of the deepest sea. Faith can make a broken heart mend, bring the rain from heaven. Faith can even change the course of history as it believes that the BEST is yet to come.”

Our faith in Christ is the lifeblood of the life we now live and the essence of our future hope. Just a few thoughts from Galatians that may help to put faith in perspective as you meditate on this passage and what it means for your life. (By the way isn’t this our next destination in the 5x5x5 reading plan!)

Galatians 2:16 says man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 2:20 says I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 3:9 - So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Galatians 3:11, quoting Hab. 2:4 - "The righteous will live by faith."

Galatians 3:14 - He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Galatians 3:26 - You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus...

Faith is forward looking and anticipates great things to come. Abraham responded in faith because he anticipated the promise of the covenant and what that would mean in the future to his descendants. Faith is that spiritual “Save Your Fork” attitude that is trusting in the unseen God to keep His promises and complete His covenant. Have you ever had something very momentous planned and you could hardly wait for the day to come. It feels like being a child again and anticipating Christmas morning and the fulfillment of the promise of presents to come. That should be the joy and excitement with which we live our lives daily. It is also this faith that helped people of faith to persevere in times of persecution or distress. My prayer for you is that your reading of this chapter encourages you in your faith. Save Your Fork - The Best is Coming!!

The Better Sacrifice - an encouragement. Hebrews 10.

One of the techniques in Hebrews is the introduction of a thought, with a later follow-up that fleshes out the idea, and backs it up. In chapter 9, the author introduced us to the idea that the superiority of the new covenant implied a better sacrifice. And in this chapter he fleshes that out (so to speak) by contrasting Jesus' single, one-time sacrifice, with the continual sacrifices in the temple by the priests. I wonder what impact this contrast had on the original readers of the letter.

Today, though, I want to focus on the encouragements that are a
consequence of this better sacrifice, contained in the middle of the chapter.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near. (Heb. 10:19-25 NET).

My use of the word encouragement was somewhat ambiguous. Encouragement can either mean the act of encouraging or the state of being encouraged. The writer is engaged in the act of encouraging. Our response can lead to the state of being encouraged.

What precisely are we being encouraged to do?

• Act in confidence. We can have confidence in Jesus' better sacrifice to do what the writer is about to tell us to do.
• Enter the sanctuary and draw near. Once again, the writer reminds us that our relationship with God has been restored, once and for all, that lets us draw near to Him in a way that those under the old covenant could never do.
• Hold onto our hope (salvation through faith in Jesus) because He is trustworthy.
• Help one another to hold onto that hope, in the face of anything that would destroy it. For the readers of the letter, this was the pressure to return to the old covenant, and the mounting persecution they were only just beginning to face.
  
• Think about how to help one another. Think about what it means to act in love, doing good works.
• Don't stop hanging out together.
  

All right. He said it. Go do it.

(For those who are curious, the picture is of a location in Ephesus that is reputed to be the tomb of Luke. While this is problematic, it was likely the site of a church - a place of meeting together.)

Reading the whole text. Hebrews 9.

I hope by now you're getting a good idea of how much better Christ is than the old system. Certainly the readers of Hebrews couldn't miss it. But we never lived under the old covenant, so what's significant for us? One answer we had in class last Sunday is that this letter provides a lot of encouragement. That's truth and a vital insight.

I'd like to answer that question with one small idea. We have a complete Bible that we carry around with us. It contains all of the oracles, the words, of God. Some of those words in the old half, are difficult to understand. (Truth to tell, some in the new half are too.) Some of God's actions seem odd, or arbitrary, or contrary to what we know about God from His Son. For some of us, it's just easier to skip those old words. Here's a place where the letter to the Hebrews can help.

This letter helps us understand the role of the old covenant. It helps us see the relationship between the covenants. It opens up the old half of the Bible in a new way. Look at how the author deals with the tabernacle in chapter 9. Here are some things we learn about it:

• It was the place for worship under the old covenant
• The daily coming and going (of worship) was not allowed at the mercy seat, the place of God's presence, but only in the outer tent.
• To enter God's presence, the inner tent, the high priest had to be cleansed of all impurity, and so a sacrifice was made for him. And he could enter but once a year.
• No one else could enter the holy place. In other words, individuals never had full relationship with God.
• This tabernacle was just a shadow, a taste of God's true tabernacle.
• Jesus entered the true tabernacle once for all time.
• Just as there was shed blood for the high priest, Jesus entered by virtue of His own shed blood.
• Because He did, we can now enter that holy place, and enjoy full relationship with God.

In other words, the tabernacle is a picture of reality, and something that helps us understand more about God. Now one of the hard parts of this picture is "the shedding of blood." I'm going to cop out on that for the moment, but we'll look at it later. The important part here, is that we can see the consistent message of God, through the lens Hebrews provides, tying old and new covenants together. When we read the Old Testament -- through the ritual law, and the carrying of the tent, and the building of the temple, we can have an enriched view of what God was doing. All of which was perfected in Jesus. We have these truths from this chapter of Hebrews to apply to that reading:

• God desires relationship.
• Because of His very nature, pure and holy, and our own impure and unclean nature, there is a separation that exists. God lives in the holy of holies, and we can't enter.
• An offered sacrifice allows one individual to be pure long enough to enter on our behalf.
• That's not good enough and so the new covenant, mediated by Christ, and inaugurated by His sacrifice, takes care of our sin for all time, and now we can enter into God's presence (v.4:16).

Even though we haven't lived under the old covenant, Hebrews helps us to better understand it, and to open up the Bible Jesus used. That's a powerful contribution to our relationship with Him.

A New Covenant. Hebrews 8.

Several years ago I was in training to become a teacher at BCC. This meant that I worked as an assistant for other teachers, absorbing their knowledge (when it didn't drip back out), taking care of logistics, and participating as a student. I was privileged during this time to assist Roy Bunch in classes that were overviews of the Old and New Testament. Each class met six weeks, for two hours, which is a mighty fast trip through the text. So for the most part we only discussed what was contained in the books -- who wrote them, the basic themes, the literary style, the main characters, and key verses that captured the essence of each book. This meant we didn't do a lot of reading of the actual text.

When we began the New Testament Survey, Roy put a quote from the Old Testament on the board. This quote was Roy's way of summarizing everything we were going to discover in the New Testament, and yet it was from the Old Testament. This stands out in my mind today. The passage was Jeremiah 31:31-34, the same verses the writer of Hebrews quotes in describing the covenant that Jesus mediates.

After laying the groundwork for Jesus' priesthood, as a different order than the earthly priests, the writer of Hebrews concludes that a different priesthood implies a new, and better covenant. (Later, he'll talk about the better sacrifice associated with this new covenant.) This is the covenant that Jeremiah spoke of -- the covenant placed in our minds and written in our hearts. No more sacrifices needed, because that covenant has been superseded. It is now obsolete (v.13) and about to disappear.

I encourage you to meditate for a while on the quote from Jeremiah contained in verses 8:8-12 of Hebrews. A covenant is a promise, an agreement sealed by signs, sacrifices, and a solemn oath that comes with blessings for keeping it, and curses for breaking it. It is always an act of grace on the part of God to offer to enter into a covenant relationship with us. Take a look at what He's promised in this new covenant. And remember what it cost for Him to enter into this new covenant, what the sacrifice was that sealed it forever.

Melchizedek. Hebrews 7.

Much of this chapter is devoted to the defense of the writer's claim that Jesus is a priest, even our high priest. For the readers of this letter, this assertion may make sense to them in terms of what it means, but there is the difficult problem that according to the law, priests were to chosen from the tribe of Levi. Jesus is from the tribe of Judah, not Levi.

And so the shadowy figure of Melchizedek enters the picture. We know more about Melchizedek from the writer of Hebrews than we do from the reporting from the Old Testament. The relevant passages are: Genesis 14:18-20, and Psalm 110:4. Wait, these are not just the relevant passages, they are the only passages that talk about Melchizedek. Read them now, if you haven't already.

Without digging into the details, here are the important points for us to know about Melchizedek.

• He's a "type" of Christ. A type is something like an archetype, or a likeness. According to the I.S.B.E.¹, it's:

A person, event or thing is so fashioned or appointed as to resemble another; the one is made to answer to the other in some essential feature; in some particulars the one matches the other.

• There are three ways that Melchizedek helps us understand Christ as priest.
• The priesthood of Melchizedek precedes the Levitical priesthood, in both time and authority.
• Melchizedek was both king and priest. Christ combines those offices also.
• Melchizedek is without beginning or end.
• The writer of Hebrews is not necessarily claiming that Melchizedek is eternal, but that because of how he's written about in the Old Testament, he's a "type"(see above) of someone without beginning and end, which is Christ's identity.

So what? This might have been important for the Hebrews, but what about us? You may have your own so what, and I encourage you to write about it. My focus today is on Christ as king of righteousness, king of peace. Today, I can enter Christ's rest, His peace, because of His righteousness, and, in turn, my obedience.

¹International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, James Orr, M.A., D.D., General Editor.

Growing up. Hebrews 6.

While there is quite a bit to chew on in this chapter, I want to focus on the writer's exhortation to grow, given to these Christians (and to us). Before doing that, though, I'd better comment on Melchizedek, since it's the second time he's been mentioned in Hebrews. Don't worry too much about who he is for now. How's that for help? We'll learn more about him in chapter seven. The writer of Hebrews is quoting Psalm 110:4 in this chapter if you want to read that passage in context. Melchizedek's brief story is told in Genesis 14:18-20, where we discover that he is the king of Salem who blessed Abraham and received his tithe. He's important in Jewish thinking and helps the writer make his main point about Jesus, which is that Jesus is a better high priest, and a better priest than the priests of the temple. Now, on to growing.

At the beginning of this chapter, the writer says "Therefore we must progress beyond the elementary instructions about Christ and move on to maturity..." He says this as a continuation from his words in chapter five about how the group receiving this letter are still babies in their understanding of their new faith. If you've heard other Christians talk about eating steak instead of milk, or solid food instead of spiritual milk, this is probably the Scripture they're referring to.

Why this particular imagery? One reason is that it's a useful way of looking at all kinds of growth processes, one we understand. Things start out in infancy and grow to maturity. Parents start out with a lot to learn, not knowing nearly what they'll know about parenting by the time their first child is 10. They need help at the outset, which is why God made mother-in-laws. And why BCC offers parenting conferences. Just to drive the point home, here's a list: intern, student, puppy, newlywed, seedling, t-ball, novice, entry level, toddler.

More significantly, birth to maturity are terms that Jesus employed in describing how we are to live. In John 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must experience a spiritual birth, in order to be reconciled to God. More precisely, everyone needs to experience this, and Nicodemus isn't exempt simply because he knows and follows the law. A birth. A baby. Spiritually, when we become Christians, we start out as babies. And so we need pure spiritual milk. That's appropriate. But babies don't stay babies, unless something is wrong. Growth happens. Needs change. The food that was appropriate for an infant, is no longer appropriate for a teenager. If we understand the idea that our faith begins in infancy, no matter how old we are physically when we actually experience spiritual birth, then it's easy to understand both the need for growth and the process.

But, as the Hebrews demonstrate, and as we look around at other Christians, or at our own lives, we sometimes forget about this need for growth. Jesus also taught that we are to go and make disciples of all the nations, and teach them to obey all the commands He had given. In other words, tell others of their need for a spiritual birth, and then help them grow to be disciples -- fully devoted followers of Jesus. Initially, we are the ones receiving the teaching, the ones who make a decision to follow Christ, the ones who begin a new spiritual life, the ones who shouldn't remain as infants. Just like the Hebrews this letter was written to. But according to the writer, they haven't actually experienced this growth.

And so the writer urges them to move beyond elementary instructions, and then pushes them to do that, by providing deeper teaching in the rest of his letter. Hmmm. No wonder this is a tough letter to understand for some of us. We're in that same place. And that's okay. But we don't want to stay there. We need to do the part we need to do in the maturing process. An infant doesn't learn to walk simply by having parents pick her up and move her around. Her physical abilities need to mature, so her muscles and nerves, eyes and brain all work together. Gravity plays its part. Others provide encouragement, a helping hand, or show her how to do it. But she needs to take the steps, fall down, get up, fall down, and keep at it until the skill is developed. And at some point, she'll be the one helping an infant to learn to walk.

Likewise, we don't mature as Christians simply by showing up every Saturday night or Sunday morning. This read through the New Testament is one way to do our part in the growth process. So let's not stay sluggish, but "... imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." (v.6:12b NIV).

Our High Priest. Hebrews 5.

For every high priest is taken from among the people and appointed to represent them before God, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. (v.5:1 NET)

We learn quite a bit about the high priest in this chapter, and that helps if we're unfamiliar with their role.

• They are selected from the people and represent them before God.
• They are human, which has a twofold effect.
• They have compassion because they too are subject to weakness.
• They have to offer sacrifices for their own sin.
• They are called to this position by God.

At the end of chapter four, the author tells us that Jesus is our high priest. He was human, so he knows our sufferings. He was called by God. But... He is sinless. This makes Jesus a better high priest. So if you were reading this letter, why would you want to go back to the old high priest, instead of staying with the better one?

And what about us? We don't have that temptation. How does this apply to us? Well, we're going to learn more about Jesus as high priest in the next couple of chapters. But two thoughts jumped out from the end of yesterday's reading and the end of today's reading.

The first is a comforting word about what it means to have Jesus as a high priest. In v.4:16 it says, "Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help." Treasure that thought, and act on it.

The second is a lesson that may help us as we go through difficulties. Jesus did too, and there was purpose in it. In v.5:8 it says, "Although he was a son, he learned obedience through the things he suffered." May it be said of us, too.

Enter God's rest. Hebrews 4.

Remember what we said in class about chapters and verses in the Bible, and how they aren't inspired? As I'm reading through Hebrews, this is really apparent. In the past when I've studied the book, I've studied sections without regard to the chapters. In our reading for today, the first half of the chapter (4:1-13) stands on its own, but could be read with chapter three. And the rest of the chapter (4:14-16) should be read with 5:1-14. With that in mind, let's just look at the true rest of God, a continuation of the comparison of Jesus as the better Apostle than Moses.

The idea of sabbath rest is a powerful one in Hebrew thinking. Not only is there the day of sabbath, but there is the year of sabbath rest that comes every seven years, and the year of jubilee that comes the year after the seventh sabbath year -- that's seven times seven plus one = fiftieth year. In some sense, they also considered Canaan to be the place where they would have the sabbath rest of God. It was the land of milk and honey, the promised land. But those who followed Moses out of Egypt and into the wilderness didn't have faith that God would allow them to take this land, and so they missed the chance to enter God's place of promised rest.

The writer goes on to show that Christ provides the way to a new Canaan, a new place of God's rest. A better rest, true rest, a participation in God's rest at the end of our work. We enter by faith, and the writer says, don't get goofy now that you've been invited into God's rest. We need to make every effort to demonstrate our faith in obedience.

For me, there is a sense that we enter God's rest, or at least get a taste of it, when we become Christians. I don't know if the author of Hebrews intended to say that or not. But we do have other passages that talk about God's peace, such as in Paul's letter to the Galatians where he says in 5:22 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness..." My task for the day is to make every effort to enter God's rest by living obediently.

What message from God did you hear in chapter four?

Another warning, but first... Hebrews 3.

The bulk of chapter three is another warning -- longer and more detailed than the one in chapter two. Broadly speaking, the warning in chapter two is a warning against neglect -- drifting away. The warning in chapter three is a warning against unbelief. It's described in terms that compare rejecting the Son to the rejection of Moses by the children of Israel who left Egypt with him. And rejecting Jesus i's a more serious offense. Why did the author use this particular comparison? He used it because of the bigger point he made in the first six verses of this chapter. Yes, we have another warning in this chapter, but first...

But first the author makes an incredible statement: Jesus is worthy of greater honor than Moses. To us, this might not seem like such a big deal. Yeah, Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt, and brought the ten commandments down from the mountain, and gave the people all the law. He's one of those big heroes in the Old Testament, like Joseph, Joshua, and David, but Jesus is God's only Son. To the Jewish people, though, Moses is not one of the heroes of their text and heritage, he is the hero. The Prophet, capital P. The Apostle, capital A. The bringer of the Law. Only Abraham might rival Moses as the most important person in their history.

So it really is a big deal. For those Christians who were hearing the siren call of their tradition, their habits, their old understanding of God's revelation, this statement had to have been a jolt to their thinking. Jesus is greater than Moses. And the writer does it so simply. Moses was a faithful servant of God, serving in God's household. But Jesus is the faithful Son, who is over the household.

Don't miss the way the author wraps this truth and personalizes it for the Hebrews, and for us. In verse one, he says, remember you're part of the family of God, set apart for His work, and think about this Jesus. In verse six, he says, remember you're the household that Christ is the son over, if you are courageous and confident in the hope Christ brings. Actually, he doesn't say "you", he says "we". We are to be bold and confident.

Therefore, a warning. Hebrews 2.

In this chapter of Hebrews, the writer continues his explanation of why Jesus is the better messenger. In chapter 1, he showed through several passages from his Bible (the Old Testament in our Bibles) how Jesus, the Son, is superior to the angels. The angels, like the prophets, delivered the message in various ways and at various times, and the message is a valid one. But now, the message has been delivered completely by the Son.

Therefore.

You will see this pattern throughout the book of Hebrews. A teaching, followed by a warning. Remember that the writer is concerned that those reading this letter won't slip back into their old ways and patterns, leaving their new-found faith. He has just shown his readers that Jesus is the superior messenger, now comes the warning. Therefore... don't drift away.

The need for salvation, announced through the angels, hasn't changed. Jesus delivered that salvation. The Hebrews reading this letter, heard about Jesus and His salvation from His followers. God confirmed validity of their witness, through signs, wonders, and the work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore... don't ignore that salvation.

We're not first-century Jewish Christians, who are under pressure to leave our Christianity, and return to the familiar religion we practiced in the past. But can we drift away? How does this warning apply to us?

Changing gears. Hebrews 1.

Today we start our first letter together. The books of Mark and Acts are for the most part, narratives. A narrative makes its point(s) primarily by telling a story. The letters in the Bible have a literary style that I'll label discourse. Discourse is a text that makes its point(s) by presenting a series of ideas in logical sequence.

The MisterRogers TV show mixed these two styles perfectly. Mr. Rogers would introduce a subject, like encouraging kids to do well by taking their time, with a few words. Then, the trolley took the viewers to the Land of Make Believe, where the puppets and people acted out a story that made the same point. After the story, Mr. Rogers would talk about what had happened in the story. This discourse made the same point in a direct way: it's a good thing to take time to do something well. And often he would use a third literary form - poetry, in the form of a song - to reinforce the lesson.

So, there's nothing really complicated about this. We live our lives moving between various literary types. And as we read the book of Hebrews, we're still going to be paying attention to the text using the same observational skills we've been using. Skills like looking for references to God, time, locations, and individuals. But it will help us understand the book better if we remember we've changed gears, and are now reading a letter that is primarily discourse.

Having said all that, what do you think Mr. Rogers would write a song about from Hebrews, chapter 1? What would the story in the Land of Make Believe be about?

And the Beat goes on. Acts 28.

So the book of Acts ends just as it began - it's all about the kingdom of God. Remember at the beginning of the book Luke tells us that Jesus appeared for 40 days after his resurrection and spoke about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). Then in our reading today the book concludes with the Apostle Paul in his rented house in Rome "boldly preaching the kingdom of God and about the Lord Jesus Christ". Two thoughts. First Jesus got it and Paul got it. The main thing was to keep the main thing the main thing - the kingdom of God. Second. We are the kingdom of God. Look back in Acts 1:6 when the disciples asked Jesus if he was "now going to to restore the kingdom to Israel" and Jesus responded by stating in verse 7 "it's none of your business, at least not yet". But it will be. In 1:8 Jesus then describes what the kingdom will be about - you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you....and you will be my witnesses....." So in one respect that is when the kingdom came - on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit took up residence in the lives of beleivers. And that is exactly what the book of Acts was about. The kingdom of God advancing through the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of repentant sinners. That's how it started, and that's how it ended. But it hasn't stopped there. Because that's what we are to do today. Indeed, the beat goes on. Do you hear it? Are you in step?

Set sail. Acts 27.

Before the Roman roads, the Mediterranean Sea was the highway
for the people who lived around it. And while the sailors in Paul's time were accomplished, the sea is an unforgiving place, where skill and technology and resourcefulness are matched against the relentless forces of nature -- wind, tide, and geography. If you've ever been sailing in a high wind, you might recognize that place at the edge of disaster, where you understand that life is fragile.

I did sail for a few years in my 20s, and today's reading, even with its clear message that God had Paul in His hands, is all about the adventure that takes place. Luke is once again with Paul, and the first person narrative draws me in: "we would sail to Italy." I remember the moments when I had to make smart, quick decisions about what to do next to keep from breaking a mast. I remember holding on to a rope when I fell overboard in the San Francisco Bay. And I remember all the planning and thought about how to handle different situations that might come up, so that if and when they did, I'd be ready. And that edge...

Our lives are fragile. While God may allow us to experience adventure, heartache, tragedy, the consequences of our own mistakes, and eventually death, we need to remember that we are held in His hand. Then we can have joy in the midst of sorrow and pain. We can be prepared for that storm that lasts a long time, that storm we could have avoided had we made a different decision, that storm that leaves us shipwrecked in a remote place. And in the most painful moments, when what I've just written sounds like empty platitudes, if we can stay focused on Him, on our understanding that someday we will see things like God does, we can have that assurance Paul has, in the midst of the storm. He wrote to the Corinthians:

"Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now." (1 Cor. 13:12 NLT)

Ready to set sail again today?

Cornered. Acts 26.

Paul's defense of his actions depends on the truth of Jesus' death and resurrection. We can't lose sight of that. He doesn't resort to any other defense, even if he does employ certain tactics in the process. Paul's proclamation is simply that the same fervor for the law and hope in the promise of the prophets, the fervor that led him to persecute Christians, is still at the heart of his actions now. The difference is that he now knows that Jesus was the fulfillment of that hope.

Paul reminds King Agrippa, who had to be aware of who Jesus was, what He said, and how He died, in verse 26: "For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freely to him, because I cannot believe that any of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner." It was all done in public, not in some secret, hidden corner.

And then... he corners the king. "Do you believe the prophets, King Agrippa? I know that you believe.” The king is equal to the task, and and steps out of the corner rhetorically. He responds, "In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?" Even today, we don't know if Agrippa's answer was an ironic rebuttal, or an admission that he was almost persuaded. But what I want to emphasize is that the question of Jesus always comes down to a decision to make. Is Jesus the end-point of God's revelation introduced through the people of Abraham? Or isn't He? Agrippa may have avoided answering Paul's question, but in so doing he also made a decision about Jesus. And true to his evangelical heart Paul replied back to the king, “I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains.”

All roads lead to Rome. Acts 25.

Now after all these things had taken place, Paul resolved to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. He said, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” (Acts 19:21 NET)

"I appeal to Caesar!" (Acts 25:11b NET)

After two years in prison in Caesarea, Paul gets a chance to have his case heard, when Festus replaces Felix as governor. When it is clear to Paul that he's not going to be released, he once again uses his Roman citizenship to his advantage. He wanted to take the good news to Rome, and while it certainly would have been preferable to do this as free man, one way or another, he's going to go to Rome. God said He would.

Rome is the big time. It's Broadway for the playwright, Hollywood for the actress, Cooperstown for the baseball player, the Bolshoi for a dancer, the Louvre for an artist. It's only fitting that the missionary campaign of Paul would include Rome. We know that the gospel has already been taken to Rome by others (from the letter to the Romans), but Paul has not yet been there, to leave his particular mark in teaching and training of the new church. It's time.

The Way. Acts 24.

In Acts 24:14, Paul says this: But I confess this to you, that I worship the God of our ancestors according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law and that is written in the prophets. (NET)

I've been wrestling with this statement for over an hour. I'm guessing that for many people, maybe most, there's nothing particularly remarkable about it. "Nothing to see here... move along." Of course Paul believes according to the law and prophets -- those writings are his text, his revelation. Jesus did too. Of course he views them with a new understanding, the Way that Jesus laid out. Of course God, the I am, is still the same God. And of course, when I pick up a Bible there's an Old and a New Testament.

So what's the big deal? After considering this for a while, I suppose it's the stark declaration that Paul makes about the law, in contrast to his releasing the Gentiles from many of its requirements. Paul is thoroughly Jewish, and not just in name. He had Timothy circumsized. He made a vow, and shaved his head when it was completed. He argued in the synagogues. He has gone to the temple to worship, offer sacrifices, and undergo a purification ritual. This is the same Paul who would write to the Galatians:

The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort? (Galatians 3:2,3 NET)

I realize that my understanding of Paul and what he has written to the Romans and to the Galatians is far from complete. I'm looking forward to the days when we read these books together, with this fresh recognition from the book of Acts.

How do you view the Old Testament when you read it? How does its message affect your reading this year through the New Testament? And what caught your attention in this chapter? How about the fact that Paul was innocent of all charges, but remained imprisoned?

Tribes. Acts 23.

In Acts 23, Paul gets a chance to tell his story to the Jewish leaders. But he doesn't even get as far as he did with the crowd earlier before he's treated violently. Once he realized that he wouldn't be able to give his testimony, he pulled a fast one. He shifted the anger that was directed solely at him, by exploiting the long-standing rift between the Pharisees and Sadducees that were in the group judging him. He appealed to his tribe, the Pharisees. Chaos ensued.

Tribal instincts run deep in us. Tribes help individuals and families survive better. They meet the physical and social needs we share has human beings. They are the source of what we call culture.

They are also often the source of conflict. One tribe claims territory that another tribe occupies. Twelve tribes entered the land promised to them by God. That meant other tribes had to be kicked out. Worse, tribes reinforce the idea of us and "the other." When someone or some group is the other, we don't have to think of them as human beings. We can justify all kinds of behavior because it's being inflicted on the other.

Paul's tactic had immediate results. This group that was there to judge him, to punish him, to stomp out a leader this Jewish heresy of those who follow Jesus, was fractionalized along tribal lines - Sadducees versus Pharisees. And the head of the Roman tribe had to protect Paul from the ensuing riot, because Paul was also a member of the Roman tribe.

Here's the thing. At the beginning of Acts we read that Jesus told His disciples to go to all nations, to all people groups, to all the tribes, and share His message of hope, of good news. God's tribe is all of humanity, and he invites everyone into His kingdom. Oh yeah, we're the ones who are supposed to extend the invitation.

The rest of the story. Acts 22.

Well, it's not quite the rest of the story, but at least we get to see the outcome of Paul's speech to the crowd. In fact, we're now in the midst of a philosophical thriller that continues to the end of Acts in chapter 28. The action is fast-paced. The stakes are life and death. The plot is driven by differing belief systems, and the clash of cultures and kingdoms.

Paul begins his speech. The crowd listens. Paul tells his story. The crowd continues to listen even as Paul describes his encounter with Jesus. But then he uses the fatal word, Gentiles, and the crowd erupts, garments rent, dust in the air, screaming, and a dramatic rescue by the Roman officer in charge. Paul is rescued, but only to face a flogging to determine the cause of all the uproar. But Paul is rescued once again, just before the whip touches his skin, this time by his own timely words, "is it legal to flog a Roman citizen...?"

This is great stuff. In our vernacular, "a real page turner," "can't put it down." I'm keeping myself from reading ahead just so I can savor this moment, knowing Paul is about to speak to the Sanhedrin, and that we'll learn more of the rest of the story.

Allow me to speak. Acts 21.

Please allow me to speak to the people. (Acts 21:39b NET)

I admit that this sentence blows me away every time I read it. It's so unexpected. I have a hard time imagining myself saying it. Paul, the Jew who was a Roman citizen, who had rights that could be enforced by the Roman officer who now had him in custody. I expect to hear different words. "Sir, I am a Jew of Tarsus, a citizen of an important city. I'm a Roman citizen." And at that moment, Paul's rights as a Roman citizen would be an obligation for the officer. Instead, Paul asks to speak to the crowd.

This shouldn't be a surprise after reading about the earlier episodes and adventures in Paul's life. Even in the beginning of this chapter, Luke shows us Paul's resolute desire to face what awaits him in Jerusalem, in spite of the expected outcome - bound up and handed over to the Romans. And yet...

How many moments in my life, have I stepped away from the opportunity to speak up? Caught up in something else, including self-preservation, or a demand for my rights? Too many. I think what Paul understood is that there are only so many opportunities to speak when someone will be listening. And he never stopped seeing those opportunities, even when someone else wouldn't view a situation as such.

"Please allow me to speak to the people."

Many acts... but let's sit and talk a while. Acts 20.

This chapter of Acts is filled with significant activites and events, and powerful words from Paul to the elders of Ephesus. Words that speak of sacrifice, false teachings, responding to prophetic words, and finishing the race. There's plenty for you to respond to in this chapter, and I hope you'll do so.

But I want to talk about a smaller moment, that takes place after Eutychus' plunge to death, and recovery by Paul. In verse 11, we read, Then Paul went back upstairs, and after he had broken bread and eaten, he talked with them a long time, until dawn. (Acts 20:11, NET). Paul had already been speaking to the believers in Troas until midnight. It's likely that this was their church service, held on Sunday, and begun after their working day. It was a long sermon. Long enough and late enough that Eutychus fell asleep, fell out the window, and fell into church history when Paul brought him back to life and back upstairs.

And then after all the excitement, the group shared a meal and continued to talk through the rest of the night. While Paul may have been the main "talker", the Greek word used indicates this was no longer a speech, but a discussion, a chat, if you will. Paul was in town for just a short while, and much had taken place in his life, and, no doubt, in the lives of the Christians in Troas, So they stayed up all night, sharing, discussing, and catching up. If this event happened today, I can imagine the group sitting around a kitchen table, additional chairs pulled into the kitchen to accomodate everyone, someone preparing tea and coffee in the background, and occasionally someone munching on whatever snacks were available.

This is one of those rare glimpses we get into the life of the early church. The word church tends to mislead us. Church is us, the followers of Jesus, in shared community. Jesus gave us a clue about the need and power of community when He said, "For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.” And while our setting on Sunday mornings is not the comfy surroundings of the kitchen table, I cherish our moments together as a moment of community, of church. We get to share what Luke tells us about Paul's latest adventure, what Jesus said to us all, and what Paul said to the early communities of believers. Someone put on a pot of coffee, and let's catch up.

A Clean Cut. Acts 19.

Sometimes as Christians we know we should stop some besetting sin, but we hang on to it even if ever so slightly. But in Acts chapter 19 verses 17- 20 we see people confronted with the seriousness of sin and the power of God. In fact they were all "seized with fear". Why? Because they had heard of the power in the name of Jesus. So much were they seized with fear they came and openly confessed their evil deeds, some even burning the scrolls they used in sorcery. Perhaps we need to be reminded not only of the power in the name of Jesus, but also in the seriousness of dabbling in our pet sins. God is not to be mocked. Give them up. Come to a realization that the name of Jesus is to be held in high honor.

Continuing to grow. Acts 18.

Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker, well-versed in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm he spoke and taught accurately the facts about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak out fearlessly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately. (Acts 18:24-26 NET)

Apollos must have been quite an individual. Here we see him in Ephesus. Luke speaks very highly of his speaking and teaching - eloquent, enthusiastic, and accurate. And yet he still had more to learn. So he stayed at the house of Priscilla and Aquila and they shared the rest of the gospel, the things he had not yet heard. No doubt, that even as good as the Roman roads were, it took a while for the news to spread throughout the Mediterranean. So Apollos stayed and learned and then was sent out enthusiastically to Greece, and eventually we know that he teaches the church in Corinth.

We all have room to grow in our knowledge and understanding of God and can learn from other godly people. Priscilla and Aquila were able to share their wisdom and knowledge with Apollos, equipping him for more service. And Apollos put that knowledge to work. He took the message out from Ephesus, using his gifts to benefit other Christians, and to share the knowledge of Christ -- When he arrived, he assisted greatly those who had believed by grace (v. 18:27).

We have the benefit of having Apollos' story as a part of our text, something he didn't have. We have God's oracles, all of them, in book form that we can carry around with us. And we have ways to instantaneously communicate with other believers for godly counsel, and to share our faith with our friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.

Our time in the New Testament this year, is much like Apollos' experience. We're continuing to grow by understanding the ways of God more accurately.

The Power of God’s Word. Acts 17.

Paul has moved into Macedonia in response to God’s guidance in a vision and we find him traveling to Thessalonica, Berea, and finally Athens. In this chapter I see the power of God’s word when it is faithfully delivered and studied. At Thessalonica the Jews became jealous and even stirred up a riot when Paul’s powerful preaching of the Word bore fruit in new converts there. Berea saw similar results as the people there were eagerly diving into God’s Word. Finally in Athens Paul takes God’s Word to the marketplace and there were more changed lives there too.

I see the power of God’s Word in all of these venues and I believe that as people open themselves to the truth of God’s Word and apply it to their lives then God will work mightily on their hearts and lives. My prayer for you as you become like the Bereans in the 5x5x5 daily search of the Scriptures is that God’s Word would be active, powerful, and life-changing for you.

Hello Timothy. Hello Luke. Acts 16.

Take a look at your Bible maps to see just how far off the beaten path Paul went to reach Timothy. He'd been there before, in Lystra, and the people had tried to treat him like a god, a hero. They ended up treating him like a villian. Timothy was plucked out of that countryside village, half-Jew, half-Gentile, like the Samaritans, to learn and grow at the side of Paul and Silas, and then to go out on his own, supervising the churches and elders in Ephesus.

And how about that Luke? Do you see him? What else do you see in this chapter?

Knowing God's will. Acts 15.

In writing these posts, there's a temptation to write about the main point(s) of the passage each day. I've tried to avoid that somewhat, for two reasons. First, I think it's important that each one of us wrestle with the text and discover the main point for ourselves and I don't want to prejudice your reading. Second, you have a chance to express your own thoughts and ideas, either as comments here, or in class on Sunday morning if you're attending, and this leaves room for you to express those thoughts.

I should add a third reason to that list, which is that God has a way of speaking to each one of us individually, and the message for you may be contained in a detail within the big picture. In Rembrandt's painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son, the painting captures the moment the prodigal is greeted by his father. That's the big picture. But what might capture your attention as you viewed this painting is the posture of the son as he leans into his father, maybe even something as small as the arch of his neck and head.

I've been looking for these small details most days, too, both in my reading, and in the subject of my posts. Today, I was struck by the manner in which the church reached its decision about the requirements for the Gentile members. First, the testimony of Peter describes how communication with God, and circumstances -- a vision and arrival of the delegation -- led him to share the gospel with the Gentiles at Cornelius' household. The Spirit then confirmed their reception of the gospel, by duplicating the experience of the disciples at Pentecost for these Gentiles. His advice is that the Gentiles should be accepted without additional burdens. Then, the confirmation from the experience of Paul and Barnabas is received -- again, the Holy Spirit confirming that God was at work in the church at Antioch as evidenced by "signs and wonders". Finally, James lays these claims alongside the Scriptures, making sure that the claims measure up to the written Word of God.

In seeking God's will the church recognized God was speaking to them, because the communications with God (Peter's vision), circumstances, advice from Godly people, and in God's written Word, were all in agreement. As a result, they were able to go forward, welcoming the Gentiles fully into the church, without placing the burden of the whole law on them.

Our own acts. For Harold Tanner.

In case you haven't heard, Pastor Clark's dad, Harold Tanner, was called home about 2:00am Sunday morning, February 4, 2007. Clark and Glennie are back in Kansas and will be staying for the memorial service, to be held Wednesday, February 7, 2007 at 10:30am CST at the Westmoreland Christian Church. Further details here.

The actions of the church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, only began in Acts. There is an unbroken line from the days we've been reading about to the present. Sometimes that line was pretty thin, or pretty jagged, or followed a wide detour from Jesus' command to be witnesses to the ends of the earth, to make disciples. At other times, we see the church as the shining bride of Christ, powerful in its witness, and obedient to His will. For each one of us, at least one someone acted in obedience to Jesus' command, and joined that long, unbroken line of people sharing the gospel, and shared it with us.

From our pastor, we know that his heritage includes life growing up on the farm, son of Christian parents, Harold and Virginia, and an influential grandmother, Kellsy. Clark has shared how he went to a Christian college, mainly to play basketball, and discovered his calling to speak to others about Christ. In this man that we know, we can see the influence of his family, and maybe especially the disciplines and routines of life on the farm, and a farmer dad, who knew the bounty of good harvests and the difficulties of poor ones.

For those of us who had the pleasure of meeting Harold, a straightforward, plain-spoken man, we share just a bit in his family's grief. For those of us who know Clark and Glennie, we draw closer to that shared grief, and have some understanding of Harold's life and how it has touched others. We can also rejoice with Harold's family that he is present this day, with the Lord.

Acts... actions. We're called to Acts just as the first members of the church were. Whether it's simply praying for Clark and Glennie, for Harold's widow, Anna Marie, and his family; or a special touch for Clark and Glennie when they return; or holding the hand of someone close to you today because Harold's death reminds you of the brief time we have together now; or the boldness to speak to someone about eternity and the time you want to spend together with them; today is a day when we can make our actions count.

We're praying for Clark and for Glennie, for Anna Marie, and all of Harold's family as they suffer the pain of separation, and for their hope and joy of reunion in heaven.

If you'd like to post a comment, please do.

Adulation to Antagonism. Acts 14.

As Paul and Barnabas were delivering the good news to the people of Lystra, they encountered a man who couldn't walk, but who had faith enough to be healed. Paul spoke the words that put that faith into action, and he was healed. As a result, the people of Lystra thought Paul and Barnabas were gods come down to earth. Paul tried to talk them out of this understanding, and eventually he did. Barely.

Even by saying these things, they scarcely persuaded the crowds not to offer sacrifice to them. But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and after winning the crowds over, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, presuming him to be dead. (Acts 14:18,19 NET)

The wild adulation toward Paul and Barnabas quickly turned into deadly antagonism. Heroes become villians when the passion we invest in them is disappointed. Sometimes, it's because of what those heroes do -- the celebrity downfall, the fall from grace. Sometimes it's because those heroes aren't really who we think they are, and when we discover that, we realize they're not really heroes. But primarily, it's because our adulation is misplaced.

God let us know about this pretty early on -- commandments one and two are all about getting our worship focused in the right place -- on Him. The last thing Paul and Barnabas wanted was to be worshipped. The last thing the crowd wanted, was to have their passion thwarted. The Jews who were stalking Paul and Barnabas found an opening in that thwarted passion, and turned the crowd against Paul and Barnabas.

This theme runs all through the Old Testament -- false idols receiving undeserved worship. Our own culture provides us with many heroes, celebrities, and (American) idols. The best example we have of this phenomenon is the change that takes place during the few days between Palm Sunday, and the crucifixion of Jesus. He was greeted like a king, then condemned as a criminal, by the people who couldn't accept Him for Who He was, but wanted Him to be made in the image of their expectation.

What did you see in the reading today?

Astounded at the teaching. Acts 13.

What do you think of, when you read about the miraculous happenings in Acts? One thing that comes to my mind, is that I don't see this happening much today. We do get reports from other countries, from missionary efforts, that there are astounding miracles taking place. We hear it from certain quarters of the church in America, too. This makes me wonder about my own receptiveness to the idea of miracles today.

But another thought is that in a missionary effort, it's sometimes not enough to teach the Word. There's a need for the stamp of authority to it. Certainly the primary purpose of the signs and miracles in Jesus' life and in these Acts we've been reading through, is to attest to the authority of the teaching of the good news. With that in mind, I was struck by this verse describing the conversion of the Roman governor, Sergius Paulus:

Then when the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, because he was greatly astounded at the teaching about the Lord. (Acts 13:12, NET).

For Serguis Paulus, it was not the blinding of Elymas that astounded him, but the teaching about the Lord. The blinding was the catalyst so that he could accept the astounding teachings about Jesus, as having real authority.

For many of us, the attesting miracle that gives authority to our testimony about Jesus, is the change that has taken place in our own lives, or the lives of close brothers and sisters. In the living of your life each day, let that change show through. Share your faith by letting people know you better. Sometimes you'll have to talk about it. Be ready. Sometimes it'll be apparent in your actions. Live uprightly. Most of all, keep reading the text, so that you know well the teaching of the Lord, and you live well by the teaching of the Lord. OK, I'm done preaching.

As in previous chapters of Acts, there are many items of interest and teachings to absorb and apply, so feel free to comment on any aspect of what you've discovered in chapter 13.

A poke in the ribs. Acts 12.

Once again, Peter's back in prison. This time at the hands of Herod Agrippa, the Jewish "king" installed by Rome. He knows it's deadly serious, because James has just been executed. But it's night, and when there's nothing you can do, sleep is a wise choice. What happens next is described in verse 7 -

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. (NET)

The NASB and NIV translations uses similar language, while the New Living Translation (NLT), says the angel "tapped" Peter on the side.

Gang, that angel poked Peter in the ribs. "Wake up!" Poke, poke. I've experienced that. Only it wasn't an angel, except in the sense that my wife can sometimes be angelic. And while we're talking about translation terms, it's probably useful for us to think of angels as messengers or agents of heaven, in order to remove some of the popular associations in our mind about angels.

So, God sends His heavenly messenger to wake up Peter with a poke in the ribs and to lead him out of prison. I could use a good poke in the ribs today too, and I'm going to pay attention to see if I get one.

There are big things happening in this chapter, especially the contrast between Antioch in chapter 11, and Israel in chapter 12, so feel free to share what you thought about chapter 12.

Breaking Inhibitions. Acts 11.

The inhibitions that the Jews felt toward associating with the non-Jews (Gentiles) ran very deep. God gave Peter a vision to help him to overcome those inhibitions, and then to help the church in Jerusalem accept what had taken place in the conversion of Cornelius. Not so for the believers who lived in the Greek world. Because of their initiative, the gospel spread quickly in Antioch, and the church grew. For those early Christians who went to Antioch to share the good news, the inhibitions inherent in Judaism were broken by the message of love and salvation that Jesus had shared.

A side note, really. Acts 10.

Through the last few chapters of Acts, big things have been happening. Signs and miracles, healings, death and resurrection. The church is growing incredibly fast. So fast, opposition has surfaced again. Steven martyred. The people staying in Jerusalem chased back to where they came from, taking the good news with them. Saul the persecuter, converted in a flash.

In Acts 10, God prepares the way for the next big thing -- full acceptance of the Gentiles into the new church. It won't overnight, but it will happen. But instead of this new big thing, I was struck this morning by a phrase, a side note, really, to the enormous change God is nurturing in this chapter.

Now while Peter was puzzling over what the vision he had seen could signify, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon’s house was and approached the gate. (v.10:17 - NET)

Two thoughts jump out at me from this verse. The first thought, is that Peter was spending the time trying to understand what God had said to Him in the vision. While he was confused as to the meaning of the vision, he didn't just let it go. The second thought is that the men sent by Cornelius arrived at precisely this moment.

I don't want to make too much of this. But I'm sitting here wondering right now, about whether there are moments of opportunity to learn about God, about ourselves, about life, about what to do next, and what we need to change and grow, that come right at the moment we spend time meditating on what God has told us in the text. Perhaps especially at the moment when we wrestle with something hard to understand. Do we, do I, miss those opportunities if we don't wrestle, but just move on? Are they the very moments God planned for us to grow, and if they slip by, how long before we again have the chance to discover what we could have discovered in that moment? And under what new circumstances?

So, I'm going to post this now, but continue to think about what God wants to signify in Acts 10.

Conversion! Acts 9.

Conversion, change, translation, exchange – a mind-boggling change of character must have had the men with Saul scratching their heads, but it was all part of God’s sovereign plan to spread the gospel to the “ends of the earth”. So far we see the gospel preached in Jerusalem , Judea, and Samaria and Acts 8 shows us how God used persecution to help scatter his church and the gospel with it. In Acts 9 God confronts Saul and he is radically changed from an avid persecutor of the church into a great apostle to the Gentiles. In Paul’s own words - “For I am, by God’s grace, a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News and offer you up as a fragrant sacrifice to God”. (Romans 15:15-16) One thing that really struck me this time reading through Acts is the result of this conversion of Saul. Whereas he had stood by and approved of the stoning of Stephen, a powerful preacher to the Greek Jews in Jerusalem, Saul is now converted to be the most powerful evangelist to the Gentiles in the 1^st century. God is at work in the book of Acts and we see it in this powerful change in the life of Saul. Makes you wonder, “what can the Spirit of God accomplish or change in my life if I will only allow him?”

The Great Reversal. Acts 8

Nobody likes to get picked on, let alone persecuted. Yet as we read about the early church in Acts 8 we see a wave of persecution breaking out against them. Why? Maybe Stephen ticked somebody off with his sermon in chapter 7. Actually, I think it was a follow up to God’s plan that was laid out by Jesus in Acts 1:8 – ( “be my witnesses to the ends of the earth”) that wasn’t getting done. You see after the Day of Pentecost and the birth of the Church everybody was doing well in this new Jesus Movement, well maybe not Ananias and Sapphira. But this one big happy family that was experiencing this new way of real life needed to be reminded of the bigger plan – go and make disciples of all nations. My theory – God allowed Acts 8:1 because the Church didn’t get Acts 1:8 –so he encouraged the "going" through the persecution. Perhaps today we would do well to “go and make disciples” or we too may experience God’s great hand of motivation in our own church and generation.