I am going to create my own definitions to fit a situation that is becoming more and more prevalent in today’s “church”. I am going to name it, the practice of the “ Social Arts”. Yep, the “church” today is becoming more and more involved in the Social Arts. I have moved this around the pew for some time now hoping I would lose interest but that just didn’t happen. I am going to take some liberties with what follows, hoping to make a point in a nice way. I am going to change the definitions of words and things to fit my line of thought……..nervous yet? Ready, here we go.

What is “Social Art” ?
Social Art occurs when people use their creative skills to work with people or organizations in their community to affect change. Social Art uses peoples creative skills to express their take on the world. In order to do this they must create a Social practice. What pray tell is that? First let’s define Social Practice. Social Practice is a theory within psychology that seeks to determine the link between practice and context within social situations. Emphasized as a commitment to change, social practice occurs in two forms: activity and inquiry. It is a Social medium that focuses on engagement through human interaction and social discourse. … so………“Social Art” aims to create social and/or political change through collaboration with individuals, communities, and institutions. The definitions as written above were taken from Wikipedia, but were altered to fit my need. This is a great example of the point I want to make in this blog and I apologize to the folks at Wikipedia.

So what do I find so upsetting about this growing trend. which I have named “Social Art”. I have picked up on a recurring conversation in the pew that there are some who are growing tired of what is considered by many to be social issues or movements that are changing society as we know it showing up in church lesson books and other teaching materials. Now I am not suggesting that the church put its head in the sand and that biblical teachings can’t be applied to today problems, I am bothered by the fact that sometimes these issues use scripture to make their case. In many cases this use of scripture, or more strongly put, God’s word, is used out of context, or even bluntly perverted to fit that person, group or causes beliefs. There are far to many of these hot button issues to cover so I will pick one that is most prevalent in the church today. I will again modify the usual terms in favor of one that I consider less controversial. “Same Gender” issues in our society today………surprised!!!!

I will jump into this head first. There is no justification anywhere in the bible that supports the the theory that same sex activity of any kind in a sexual context is not a sin in God’s eye…..Period, I could write that again but once said should be enough. I do not believe that there exists a table that rates the seriousness of various sins. Sin is anything that separates us from God and living a Holy life. This is not a rant about same sex advocates but is a statement pointing out that many of their arguments are based on a false premise. Example: Sex change surgery

“No amount of surgery, hormone injections or anything else will change someone’s DNA from a man’s to a woman’s (or vice versa). As you know, for humans, sex is determined by the presence of a Y chromosome — humans with an X and a Y chromosome are male and those with two X chromosomes are female.”Jul 23, 2004
sex change – Understanding Genetics – The Tech Museum of Innovation
genetics. (Dr. Barry Starr, Stanford University)

Bottom line here is that which has been created by God, is not a mistake and man can’t change what God has created.

It is my belief that we in the church need more straight up down the center study of God’s word. As a point of conformation of this opinion I would point out that we tend to go where we should not. Example would be that it is plain in God’s word that we are not to judge others, that God’s mercy and forgiveness is for all who seek reconciliation through the cross, resurrection and true repentance. We in the Christian community of faith must put aside judgement of others. In 2 Corinthians 5:10
“10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

I think that here in God’s word it is revealed who sits on the Judgement Seat. I don’t believe we will find any certain denominations or persons listed as having this power of judgement. I do have a question for those who insist on forcing their view on others and denying them the ability to pursue and practice their beliefs, especially when that is the very thing they are demanding. If you are reading carefully the intent of this statement reflects the action of some on either side of the issue. My Pastor said this last Sunday and I believe I have the gist of it. “WE should through Jesus Christ seek a constantly continuing understanding, instead of an understanding that is constantly seeking followers.” I am going to take that as a challenge to you and I and the church, to not only read God’s word but study scripture, pray and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, first and foremost in our Christian walk.

Just last week a school board in California agreed to make available books and materials that would teach about transgender people to young kids. To be exact, preschool kids, five year olds. I am still trying to figure out why this is necessary at this young and informative age…..whoops…think I may have stumbled on the reason. I guess this Social Art is not just confined to the church. What do we as Christian people do to stop this perversion of God’s word and the highjacking of scripture to enhance an already flawed argument. We must teach the word as intended, share the faith with all people, learn not to judge, but rather stand in the faith. Oh yes one other thing that is required.

Deuteronomy 10:12English Standard Version (ESV)
12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Thanks for dropping by the pew,
Life is Good…..jk

 I have been reading a book by Calvin J Roetzel, “The Letters of Paul”and it occurred to me that many of us in the pew are familiar with the writings of the Apostle Paul, but what about the man? I always do what I call a thumb through with every book I set out to read and this was no exception. I purchased the digital version and now I wish I had got the book “book”. Those of us in the pew rarely have the time or access to such information. Having been retired for some years now has afforded me more time and oddly enough a desire to go just a bit father beyond the words. I thought I might share some of what I have been reading about the Apostle Paul with you here in the pew.

Thumbing through there was a phrase that caught my attention immediately. The author points to the “fiery rhetoric” of the Apostle Paul. I thought, wow….how true it is. If ever a better description of Paul’s writings is out there, I am stuck on this one. Every word out of Paul’s mouth or word to letter was a match to inflame the Jewish determination to deny, refute and abolish Paul and his message of the Messiah. Paul was a living contradiction to Jewish tradition. By his own words Paul was born a Jew and would die a Jew. Paul grew up in Tarsus an important city on the southeast coast of Asia Minor. Tarsus stood shoulder to shoulder with Alexandria, Corinth and Athens in importance. He would have learned to read and write and most likely pick up Greek literary and rhetorical terms in his early informative years. He would have been exposed to a very rich and multifaceted society that in years to come would influence his thinking while adding to his worldly experience. He would have had both Jewish and non-Jewish friends and playmates. He would have studied the Septuagint, the Hebrew Scriptures in Greek translation. So realistically speaking he would in years to come to some degree be influenced by that early time and that is something we should consider when reading his letters. There is also the consideration of this Hellenistic period in which Paul was exposed to in his early years.

“At this time, Greek cultural influence and power was at its peak in Europe, Africa and Asia, experiencing prosperity and progress in the arts, exploration, literature, theatre, architecture, music, mathematics, philosophy, and science. It is often considered a period of transition, sometimes even of decadence or degeneration, compared to the enlightenment of the Greek Classical era. The Hellenistic period saw the rise of New Comedy, Alexandrian poetry, the Septuagint and the philosophies of Stoicism and Epicureanism.” (Wikipedia)

We must not overlook the time that Paul claims to have spent with Gamaliel. I have included the following because it makes clear one of the interesting things about Paul the man.

“Gamaliel was himself a Pharisee in the tradition of the great Hillel. A generation before Christ there were two great rabbis, Hillel and Shammai.While this is a generalization, many of the rabbinic debates of the first century come down to the opinion of Hillel versus Shammai.  With respect to Hellenism, Hillel was more open to Hellenism than Shammai and was therefore more open to cooperation with the Romans. Evidence for this more accommodating opinion is found in the book of Acts.  Gamaliel is reported to have offered somewhat lenient advice concerning the early preaching of the apostles in Acts 5:34-39.  Basically, he said that if the movement is from God then it cannot be stopped, if it is not then it will not succeed.  Gamaliel is reflecting the Hillel tradition of non-violence and allowing God to deal with parties that against the Jews (Polhill, Paul and His Letters, 31).

This is certainly not the opinion of his young disciple Saul when we meet him in Acts 9 and according to Paul’s own self-description.  He was a ruthless persecutor who sought to stop what he saw as an aberration within Judaism.  The people who Paul persecuted were diaspora Jews who accepted Jesus as Messiah and claimed that he was raised from the dead.  How can we account for this violent reaction in a man trained by Gamaliel?” (readingacts.com)

There is much about Paul that would almost be opposites, contradictions to his actions given his birth and early years history. This quote from the book….

“Paul also gained his understanding of life, death, fate, freedom, sin, piety, and community through his native language.” (Roetzel, Calvin J.. The Letters of Paul, Sixth Edition: Conversations in Context (p. 8). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.”

I had never taken the time to consider all that Paul as a young man within his Diaspora community was exposed to. Paul met the risen Christ on the road to Damascus and it changed his life and the lives of the Gentiles forever. What I am reading has impressed on me the massive change that Christ makes in those who accept and follow him. To me Paul’s greatness lies in what he left behind, trusting Christ to lead him forward from the blindness that was, to the glorious sight of what was to be the reward of those who followed Christ. We know of all the problems that Paul faced as he sought to take the word to the Gentiles. How then can we ever doubt the power of God through Christ and the Holy Spirit?

Good having you in the pew today, come back. Life is good……

jk

Last blog I wrote about “Community of Confession” as a means of freeing ourselves totally of the burden of our sins. I said then I was having a bit of a struggle with the community thing, which I still am, but I am working on it. It seems that those things that keep repeating themselves unintentionally get my attention the quickest; leading me to this weeks blog. While reading today’s “ Our Daily Bread” devotional it gave me a moment to rethink what I was working on this week. That plus the unexpected and sudden illness of one of our church family, led me to totally be drawn to another part of community within the church. The “Community of Prayer”. What in the world is community of prayer? We have prayer Chains, prayer Groups and prayer Services, to name just a few of the roles prayer fills in our Christian church community, but what is “Community Prayer”? So…as I always do I checked with a reliable source.

Definition of prayer
1
a (1) :  an address (such as a petition) to God or a god in word or thought (2) :  a set order of words used in praying b :  an earnest request or wish, 2:  the act or practice of praying to God or a god kneeling in prayer, 3:  a religious service consisting chiefly of prayers —often used in plural, 4: something prayed for
(Merriam-Webster)

Ok, familiar with those definitions and while I don’t see “community”, the word here, it is implied. I still don’t get that from the author of that “Our Daily Bread” devotional. Nope, the author was reaching beyond the familiar definition and broadening the scope and power of prayer and I believe that is what got my attention. When I read the definition above it is clear that is how we as mortals converse with our god. Here is another little pick-up. I did not capitalize god in the previous sentence and for a good reason. There are many gods that people converse with, remember Paul? Acts 17:22-24

Paul Before the Areopagus
22Then Paul stood up before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with the inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you. 24The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. (Berean Study Bible)

Paul makes it very plain. Our God is different than the many other gods people worship, our God is real. Today in all the world there are other gods that people worship but there is only one true God. Just as we learned that there is strength in community, when people come together with common purpose, things happen. We know as sinners that we not only need the forgiveness of God and the strength of his mercy and grace to change, we need the support of those around us to encourage and validate our desire to change. that brings us to the community thing again. People need people so the song said but what we need more is that prayerful exchange with our God to be full and complete in the faith. I have always approached prayer as having a conversation with God and that is good and alright in my book. Through prayer we seek to find forgiveness, guidance in our everyday lives, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, find healing for the sick and petition our God for our needs. Just as we are encouraged to come together and confess our sins, lifting each other up, it is right and good to come together in praise of our God, and through prayer with those in the community of faith who wait for his presence to come among us.(Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”)

Still there is something else missing just as there was in our discussion of whether it was necessary to confess in totality our sins to the brothers and sisters in the faith. What purpose would that serve. I quote from my last post the answer to that question.

“I can confess my sins in all totality to God but unless I share with others my struggles in all their damning excesses, how will that glorify my God or my Savior Jesus Christ? How can the magnitude of that glory and grace and what it has done for me ever be known?”

That is what is missing this week. When we pray we glorify God and all people will know we are a person of prayer, trusting our God’s will to be our salvation and meet our needs. When we come together as a “Christian Community” our prayers are multiplied many times over. We can draw on each others strength and faith and present to the world a God who not only dwells among his people but hears their cries and supplications.

Jude 1:20 – 21
20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,[g] 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

One thing I have learned sitting in the pew is the importance of the presence of those around me. God did not intend faith to be a solitary thing, scripture attests to that fact. So I guess this “community” thing has more meaning than we sometimes give it credit for. It was, is and will always be God’s intention that we come together as a community of believers, praising, praying, serving and worshiping together as many but with one body. I pray that you will be in that “community” this Holy day and lift your prayers and supplications in many voices as one to the one and only True God.

Come back and join us in the pew next week. Life is Good…

jk

We all have those days when we are challenged to step out of our comfort zone and the reasons vary by person and circumstance. When it comes to our christian walk, our growing in the faith, there is one thing we tend to avoid. As a church our Wednesday evening can be a time of traditional worship, or our pastor might share a book or topic that relates to our growth in the faith, then we as a community discuss and share various insights. As it is with many things in life, every now and then we come to a rock in the road. A rock, not a choice of direction. You see this rock keeps us from continuing our journey to the point of making a choice of direction. It blocks the road and nobody wants to move it. The room suddenly joins in an unplanned exercise of avoidance, an unspoken desire to find a way around this. As I write this today I am reminded of a famous comic of ill repute, W. C. Fields, who once said when challenged as to why he was reading the bible,“looking for loop holes”. I am reminded as I have often said, there is little wiggle room in scripture.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer has written a book, “Life Together” and in the chapter on confession and communion he issues not a challenge but a reminder about a vital component of our personal spirituality. In an excellent article by Ryan Griffith are these thoughts I share with you. I acknowledge Mr. Bonhoeffer put this rock in my road and now Mr. Griffith is the voice in a very quite room. Let’s get right to the rock, everyone ready…..lift.

Confessing in Community

We by nature tend to cling to our privacy when it comes to things that might affect what people will think about us, that natural sense of pride that rejects anything that marginalizes our stature among the community takes over.We all have no problem with confessing our sins to God, or even to a group, wait, let me back up here. We have no problem in a group as long as we phrase it properly. “I am struggling with”…..a vague non-descriptive request that relives the burden of accountably to others in the community. I have never considered confession of sin to be a community thing. Back in the day the early Methodist Societies required those attending the meeting to present a written list of their sins for the week for all to pray over. Well that was then and things do change. Yes they do but I have always considered the intent of scripture to remain constant. James 5:16…. “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed.” Along comes James. Did you know that confession to God and to one another is required and godly people who pray in faith are a just or righteous people. Still I shy away from the idea that my many sins are, or should be public domain. Yes it does bother me as I have always been a private person. I have always been a “between me and God” type of person.

I suppose a good place to start would be to understand what is confession? Ryan Griffith points out that confession is not optional for the Christian. 1 John recognizes we are prone to sin…..1 John 1: 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. In verse 9 is the result of our responsibility to confess our sins… 9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I believe this to be true and find no discomfort in confession of my sins but my pride refuses to allow me to humble myself before my brothers and sisters. I have read James many times, it is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Where is it suggested that this thing of community confession is needed or that it is part of my healing and forgiveness in my faith walk? Let’s look at that James thing again.
James 5:16…. “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed.” I have read and researched many different scriptural references about this subject of “community confession” and in an attempt to keep it simple I have decided to just go back into the pew and offer my understanding from a Layman in the

So simple it will be. I can confess my sins in all totality to God but unless I share with others my struggles in all their damning excesses, how will that glorify my God or my Savior Jesus Christ? How can the magnitude of that glory and grace and what it has done for me ever be known? I will close this week being as honest as I know how. It is right and the thing to do….Confess your sins to God and too your fellow man, so that the Son who died on the cross for all our sins will be glorified in heaven and on earth. I still am having trouble with this “community” thing but through the word and God’s grace, conviction can’t be to far away.

Come back next week. Life is good.

jk

This has not been a good week for our nation. Old wounds have been reopened and we now know that the reality is they have never completely healed. Truth is there can be no healing as long as hate is allowed to remain and continues to fester in men’s hearts and there are those among us that use this hate to advance their agendas. It is worth noting that a large percentage of people are in church on Sunday, somewhere. I am seventy-four and have over the years had a front seat to see and experience the social and cultural changes in our society pertaining to race. We have come a long way, but unlike the Israelites, we here today have yet to cross the river to the promised land. Our bible study class this past week has given me an unusual perspective on where we might go after the events of last week.

Acts 27 tells the start of Paul’s journey to Rome as a prisoner who has demanded the rights of a Roman citizen to be judged by the emperor. Winter was not the best sailing time in this part of the world but the owner of the ship sailed anyway because he feared a loss of profit for his cargo if he delayed any longer. They encounter a savage storm and all hope of survival was lost. I would point you to verses 21 -26, here in chapter 27. They had all been without food or sleep for a long time. There is no hope and these seasoned sailors know that and in verses 22-26 Paul shares a startling fact with them. An Angel to the God I serve has come to me and said that I must not be afraid. God has ordained that I, Paul, must stand before Caesar. The Angel has said that the God I worship and belong to has also granted to me all that sail with me. Men, we will lose the ship but there will be no loss of life.

Folks, if we liken our nation’s journey last week and the weeks to come as one of sailing on uncertain seas……it might be worth our while to be among those whom serve God. We should spend our time ahead praying daily for God’s wisdom to be with those who would lead us. Let us be in church on the sabbath, praising and worshiping the one true God. May we feed the hungry, clothe the needy and find shelter for those who are without. May we love those who hate us and may we learn to forgive all, just as our Father in heaven does. May we extend “The Umbrella of God’s Grace” to all creation.

Thanks for joining me

God Bless

jk

I had this all laid out until I started to put it on paper, or more accurately into print. Obadiah, twenty-one verses broken into three sub-sections and a quick wrap of this last of the little books. It is really simple, Edom’s judgement announced, reason for Edom’s punishment, Edom destroyed and Israel restored. Throw in a little something about Obadiah, Edom’s treachery and pride and about 1200 words latter you got a blog to post. Oh the power of a Layman’s mind or rather the lack of. Before we get to the surprise let’s wander through the verses. The introduction to the book is brief, there is little if any details about the prophet and we have no date for it. What we can be sure of is that verse one clearly states that God has given to Obadiah a message that must be communicated to the people. This message if you will, plainly states at the very beginning that Edom is the subject of the message and the the people need to prepare to do battle. The prophet refers to to Edom as “you”. Verse two is structured in a way that one commentary sees as a strategy which is designed to show the people of Israel that God is about to destroy their traditional enemy.

Verse three addresses pride and states a reason for it. The Edomites were proud of their military might and believed they could not be defeated. the expression “live in the clefts of the rocks” points to another of aspect of their pride. Their capital Sela in Hebrew means “rock”. The city is on a plain between two mountains and is accessible only from one direction. They did not feel they could be defeated. As we read in this book God easily defeated them. Verse four to me contains, I think an important point that the people did not recognize. These are much more than the words of Obadiah but a message from God of impending judgement. As I wander through the verses it is my intent to pick and glean a few interesting things. In verses five and six it is made plain that defeat will be complete and it will come at the hands of former allies. Verse seven continues the theme of Edom’s destruction. An interesting aspect here is it chides Edom for its lack discernment and intelligence, they will be surprised at the force of this divine judgement.

Verses eight and nine when reduced to simple layman knowledge simply reinforces the fact that this divine judgement will be conclusive and absolute. Total defeat, Edom’s intelligence, as well as it military power is criticized and challenged. In short, total destruction. Read carefully verses ten and eleven. Verse eleven is particularly harsh. “On that day you stood aside”……. Here lies the heart of Obadiah’s charge. You did nothing to help Judah…by doing nothing you allied yourselves with the invaders. You became like them and here the prophet goes on to list the things the Edomites did to the people of Judah. He continues to berate them in verses twelve and thirteen. Continuing on from verses twelve to fifteen the theme turns to “The Day Of The Lord”. Simply put, an outpouring of divine judgement against the enemies of Judah. As is found in most biblical writings there is a fair amount symbolism, the list of injustices and in verse fifteen the pronouncement. “As you have done, it shall be done to you.” The remaining verses allude to the aftermath. The destruction to allow the restoration and the assurance that victory will be an ultimate triumph over those who oppose divine will. In today’s vernacular, “God” is in charge.

I have for the most part read and shared the commentary from the New Interpreters Bible. What is here in Obadiah, what have I found. As layman we often pass over significant revelations simply because we never go beyond the words, get off the page and discover the awesome message contain in the bible. Another reason is we do not take advantage of the study materials available to us in this digital age. In the mist of all this is the fact that God is as much displeased with what they, Edom, did not do, as He is with what they did. I am sure not all the people physically attacked the people of Judah but all of them did nothing to help those people either. Theological perspective of some fail to recognize the world of today. It is clear here that God is dissatisfied or better said just plain mad about the attitudes of the Edomites toward their brothers and sisters in Judah.

Here is the little gem hidden beneath the story. We sometimes divorce ourselves from the reality of everyday life. To ignore the plight of those among us and fail to respond to the need of the poor, the excluded and destitute of society, such attitudes invite the judgement of God. I will borrow from NIB and leave you with this thought.

Obadiah’ prophecy calls attention to the need for the church to address the real problems of the day. To reach out to those who are socially excluded, ethnic minorities and the homeless and when faced with the realities of these social problems not to remain silent or ignore efforts that may be intended to oppress certain segments of society. I will quote directly from NIB.

“One of the challenges North America faces is the development and creation of a multicultural, multilingual, and pluralistic society and church. That kind of church is distinguished by the participation of all it sectors, respect for divergent opinions and the incorporation of minority groups in to the decision making processes.”

Matthew 25: 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Really quite simple…….Life is good,

jk

I want to approach Jude a bit different than that of the last three small books. It has been said that the “devil is in the details” so I think I might try to do a Jude Lite with this the fourth book in our little book series. It is generally agreed that that the author of Jude is the brother of James and one of the four brothers of Jesus. There is much to write about concerning this book but I will stay, with the help of Bible Panorama, with eight points of interest. The first we find in verses 1 and 2. We see a profile of a christian. A person who has accepted Jesus Christ and because of this he is called and set apart by God in whom he shall find mercy, peace and love. He recognizes Jesus as his Savior. Verses 3 and 4 instructs us to contend….stand up and defend the faith. The faith “delivered” by God “once” , is neither negotiable or changeable. The Church and many Christians today seem to be developing a habit of “negotiable” approaches to sin and accepted behavior, based on how prevailing winds of public opinion are blowing. Bible study group is involved in a study of Paul’s ministry. The working title of study in the 24th chapter is “An Inconvenient Faith”. Felix becomes uncomfortable when Paul confronts him and his current wife with their behavior. He sends him away, “we will talk latter.” So…..is it not possible that in this day we put aside our faith because it is “inconvenient” or makes us uncomfortable in certain situations. Verses 5-7 speak to God”s condemnation of sin. This condemnation is a continuing principle throughout Scripture. There are many examples of this, two that come to mind is the judgement of unbelievers as Israel left Egypt. Of course there is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and surrounding cities because of sexual immorality and sexual perversion. Sin is sin and the reality of God’s judgement is a given.

In verses 8-11 Jude deals with a situation that the “church” is fighting today. Corruption, here I add a personal note of an observation of my own. The corruption I find most distressing is the corruption of Scripture to fit a personal agenda. This is a mark of false teachings and the lack of respect for the authority of the word. These people show their corruption in what they say and do. Jude makes it plain that they will be “convicted and sentenced” in verses 12-15. Depending on what version you are reading verses 16-21 lists various un-godly behaviors that are occurring among the people. Jude encourages the Christians to build themselves up in the faith through the Holy Spirit and looking to Jesus Christ. We read in verses 22-23 the need for compassion while hating the sin. Sin tolerated soon spreads because silence is confused for acceptance. Remember the familiar “hate the sin, love the sinner”, it is noted that while we should do this, we should also seek to “pull them out of the fire” which takes us back to verses 3-4, Contend, stand-up for the faith bring the sinner home through the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit. The last two verses 24-25 provides us with a much needed reminder of who we are and who we serve. We are reminded that our God, our Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ can and will keep us on a path of Holy living. As Christians we can rejoice in knowing that our God is a sovereign and powerful God of eternity.

When I read Jude it is to me like a good friend who sees some difficulties now and in the future. He presents a no wiggle room assessment and you might say a good old fashioned “talking to”. Thanks for joining me this week in the pew and come back often. Next week our last book in this series, Obadiah.

God Bless, Life Is Good

jk

This week we continue our look at the five Books of the Bible with no chapters and short on words. 3 John in its Greek text is the shortest document in the NT, 219 words. We have here the same interpretive problem as in 2 John. We can I believe with some certainty see this as a person whose authority is informal and unofficial, while resting heavily on theological and moral persuasion. The addressee, Gaius, is a very common name and is believed in various commentaries to have been at one time associated with the Elder, possibly one of his converts. He is now apparently affiliated with another Christian community within the Johannine circle. We should note that the letter is also directed to “the children of the church and the friends of the church.”

This is a letter of introduction and recommendation. You could say it would be much like a letter of reference that is used in business or educational settings today. In 3 John the letter differs from the standard format typical of such letters of it’s day. John has withheld the identification and recommendation until near the end of the letter. He has expanded the qualifying and theologically formulating of the recommendation’s rational and moved it to the first position. The opening verse is strong in theological formulation. It is very much like the salutation we read in 2 John. We read here in these few words the stressing of Love and Truth. The use of these two words reflect John’s instructions to walk like Christ among the people in Truth and Love. Some say it is John’s oblique way of referring to Christ, of which there is no direct mention or referral to in this letter.

In verses 2-4 the elder is concerned with the health and truth not only of Gaius but also the “children”. In verse two it seems as though the elder is expressing his hope that Gaius’s life will be balanced in both his physical and spiritual endeavors. The elder states he hopes he is in good health and all is well with his soul. Moving to verses 3&4 the elder once again returns to the joy of hearing that the “children are walking in the truth”, living out their Christian calling. He also returns to the family as a metaphor for the church, “some brothers.” One other thing that is worth noting here is the apparent mobility of these early Johannine congregations. The elder speaks of brothers coming to him with good reports, a testament to these early Christian people and their church. The advantage of this mobility is that the encouragement of the elder and Gaius, prominent members of these loosely affiliated congregations, strengthens those in this region. It is a universal thing among the faith, that we have great joy for those who work, walk and live in the word and do it well, they are always an encouragement to all of us.

The elder in verses 5-12 moves on to the practical side of this faith work with suggestions for the brothers. The message here is really very simple. The elder wishes to put before the Johannine congregations an understanding of hospitality which was briefly addressed in 2John. I may get off the rail here but it seems as if the point to be made here is that whatever work is done for those new to the field is in fact an expression of love. There is no distinction made between a loving work done for a fellow Christian and the activity of faith. The Johannine theology considers belief in Christ to be a “work” of God. Works alone won’t save you, but grace will. There may be some distance here between the elder and Paul but faith is activated by love. To make this simple before I become totally confused The elder is encouraging, no recommending, that all should be done to help these itinerant Christians, brothers, strangers as much as possible on their way, not just a polite farewell but assistance in travel expenses and other needs. The elder believes such treatment is warranted because “they set out for the sake of the name.” He points out that they certainly did not receive help from the gentiles. Part of that however was their being careful not to be associated with anything or person that might put a bad light on the ministry. The point here is that it is our duty to help such people. The hospitality and financial aid is not for the purpose of gaining influence over them or make them beholden to us. The purpose is that we may become co-workers with the truth, that we work together for the cause, so to speak. We become fellow workers in the faith.

“I have written something to the church”….verses 9 and 10 concern the condemning of Diotrephes. This is of little help to us the reader because we do not know all that he wrote or to whom it was addressed. I would not credit this as gossip as we know it today but it certainly comes close. The elder is concerned enough about the behavior of one Diotrephes that he believes others should be aware and he even lists five complaints he has with that behavior. Excellent study material here in the NIB, to keep it short I favor the the latter suggestion of what is going on here. We know that these are rather loosely affiliated congregations and it may be that Diotrephes may have refused hospitality to the elder and his associates out of fear that his community’s doctrinal standards might be contaminated. It would not be unreasonable to believe that the elder did not agree with that assessment. The reasoning that follows as pointed out in the NIB is believable and I favor it. If this were the case it would have brought a stunning irony to our attention. “Diotrephes may have practiced a rigorous form of the elder’s own doctrinal and communal discipline, preached in 2 John!” Do we not have such reservations among the faith community this very day?

In these verses 11-12 we read of the elder’s obvious disapproval of Diotrephes actions. Because of Diotrephes challenge and the elder’s support for Demetrius we can reasonably conclude that here we have a good reason for this letter 3 John. The elder reminds them that the general resources of Johannine tradition contrasts with the aggressive, targeted action taken by Diotrephes against those he opposes. It may be that Demetrius is the elder’s envoy to the church that Gaius is associated with. Demetrius comes highly spoken of to the elder, so much so that the elder says “our testimony is true.”

As we now read the last verses of this letter 13-15, there is much to be considered but I would like to share with you the closing remarks from NIB.

“Remarkably, in spite of all its introversion and avowed estrangement from the world, the Johannine church is summoned in this letter to welcome the stranger. the one who comes FOR the sake of the name , who needs equipment for the next leg of the journey, who bears witness to the church’s love and the truth in which the church walks. No one knew better than the elder that opening the door to the stranger carries risks, for the same road that brings to our door genuine need, worthy of our support, also brings disturbance and even danger.”

I step away for just a moment to allow you the reader to absorb what you have just read. The last part of the above statement is so meaningful that it needs to be read over several times.

“But the elder also realized, and testifies to us, that the church that keeps its door locked cannot possibly be faithful to the truth or instrumental for love.”

There is much more to share in this letter but I will end on this note. There is truth in the saying “that good things come in small packages”. Next week Jude. Hope you will come back to the pew. I again this week acknowledge the “New Interpreter’s Bible” as the source of aid in preparing the blog. Remember, there are many sources available for study and sharing, use them to increase your knowledge of the word and to share the word with others.

God Bless

jk

There is so much beyond the words written in the Gospel but in these busy times I feel we overlook all that is there. I sometimes think we just read the words and remember the stories and it just becomes a ritual for many of us. The bible is a record of God’s people from time beginning and His instructions to them through the patriarchs; from there into the NT a record of God’s desire to reconcile with his people through the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I enjoy having a platform to express my opinion from but I want “From The Pew”, to really be a “Layman’s View of The Gospel.” Nothing wrong with opinion but sharing the gospel and opening the door to understanding it is just as important. Like other layman many times I seek understanding through prayer and the many commentaries and bible study materials available today. I am not bashful about it….there are so many wonderful and knowledgeable sources out there and I use them all. I will always recognize the authors and in some instances provide a url for you to visit them. Last week I shared with you that there were five books in the bible that had no chapters. I also shared that I had written about one of them in an earlier blog about Philemon, ‘The Little Book With A Big Message” and today will be the first in a series that will look at the other four. I have elected to start with 2 John.

In the New Testament only 3 John is briefer than 2 John. Either of these two letters could have been put on a single papyrus sheet, about 8×10 when measured by today’s standards. I liked the term used in the NIB, that they are more like postcards. To me these little letters or postcards contain much more than their size would indicate. In 2 John we find that the opening and closing read like a family letter. There are positive and negative elements, the author also notes there are benefits for compliance and liabilities for those who disregard this letter. (NIB) Who is the “Elder” in the opening verse of 2 John? Both letters are written by the same person and the use of the noun, Elder,would indicate masculine gender or perhaps a man of advanced years. It has also been suggested that it was someone of juridical authority. Now all this can be confusing and there was once a Pastor who advised me not to become overwhelmed with detail. It is surely a person recognized to have at least some moral authority and associated with the tradition to which he testifies within this community. We will leave it at that. The next thing we encounter is the “Elect Lady”. Our reference material lists some speculation as to who that might be. I believe I will take the short path on this and simply pass on to you that the substance of 2 John like that of 1 John is clearly not aimed at an individual but at a Christian community meeting in someone’s home. Plainly here John’s statement in verse 3 is more than just a wish but an assurance to all who believe. Of note also, is that not only is the “Lady” mentioned but also her children, placing an emphasis on the church as a family. Interesting to note that John writes in the following verse 4 “that some of your children are walking in truth” leaving the impression that there may be some division in behavior among the church. The letter seems to use the language of love to clarify what it means to walk in truth as God has commanded the church do from the beginning. From a layman’s view there is also the warning to be aware of those who do not teach the word as intended by God. Be aware of false teachers and even advises the church to refuse them hospitality. There is in fact to be no tolerance for those who go beyond the “teaching of Christ.”

I found it interesting that we find ourselves, the church today, experiencing a realignment of faith values and truths, in order to accommodate today’s changing morals. Verses 9 and 10 encourage us to abide in the teaching and there is always a risk of conflict in doing this. I have referred to “The New Interpreter’s Bible” quite often for direction in writing this blog. Sometimes we can be harsh in our judgement of others and within the reflections section of NIB I found this…… “The elder does not fault as faithless any kind of advance” the meaning here I believe to be a warning about overreacting. “The risk of losing God is incurred, rather by anyone who is so progressive that he does not remain rooted in the teaching of Christ.” Perhaps we as the church today need to do a better job at balancing theology with tradition. This letter also emphasizes something else. We, the Christian community “would be unable to move forward without a tradition that reminds us who we are and to whom we belong and where we have been.”

I have enjoyed my time in the pew today and hope you have.  (New Interpreters Bible is “A standard reference for pastors, teachers, and students, this critically acclaimed commentary series provides a wealth of theologically diverse perspectives from today’s leading scholars.”) You would be best served to goggle it and investigate the many resources it offers and where it can be purchased. Hope to see you in the pew next week.

God Bless,

jk

There are weeks that subjects to write about just don’t come easy. I usually look for something in my devotionals, other reading materials or sometimes I find some topic in current news. There are times I feel led by the spirit to write about something. “From The Pew.. A layman’s View of The Gospel” is in fact just that. All of us who sit in the pew have many ways of expressing our faith and being in church is one of those ways. Many of us seek Christian activities, friendships, projects and such because they allow us to grow in the faith and let’s be honest, not feel marginalized by those who do not share our belief. It is not a form of snobbery or a sense of religious superiority that drives us to do this. I believe it is our desire to remain close to the precepts of our faith, to make them an everyday occurrence and to keep that “Sunday Church” feeling all week long. While most won’t admit it that “Sunday” feeling makes us comfortable, loved and renews in us, regardless of our circumstances a hope for tomorrow through the loving, caring mercies of the God we serve. If you are growing confused as to where this is going…well your not alone.

Many times when I feel lost as to subject or direction I go to my Bible. Now this I share because I did not expect to find help here. Here, being Goggle, of all places. Goggle what your thinking and then look for the path or direction you wish to go. For me today it was of all things some information about the Bible that I found interesting. I am never reluctant to share another’s work or expand on it as long as they are given proper credit in my writings. That being the case I will post a link at the end of this blog that led me to this subject. “…Each of the books, except 5, are divided into chapters and verses. The 5 which aren’t divided by chapters are Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude. These are short books which only have verse divisions.”
(Chapters were introduced to the Bible in 1238 by Cardinal Hugo de S. Caro. Verse divisions were not added until 1551 by Robertus Stephanus.)

No big deal but I found this to be interesting. I don’t think many of us in the pew have thought about this or could even name the books. Now I don’t make light of this or of those people, after all I am one of those. Five books, who would have thought that might lead us somewhere. I found it interesting because some time ago I wrote a blog about Philemon, “The Little Letter With a Big Message”. Now look! How about this, I have four weeks of something to share with you “From The Pew….”!

Back in the day I once did some research on the phrase, “the family of God.” It was an interesting wake-up and one that opened other doors of study to me. As I sit here writing today it comes home to me even more. I now go to another church but I never left my “family” behind, they came with me in my heart and mind. Wherever we go we are among “family”. When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior we were then adopted into the “family of God”, with the full inheritance as promised by God to his people, through Jesus Christ His son. There are people whom I love and respect within the “family” that today are suffering illnesses, lost loved ones and at this very moment have begun their journey home; it is amazing but so true, God knows their every need.

Well, if you have read this far thank you for enduring this blog. I really drew a blank, some say writers block. To be brief and to the point, I just didn’t have anything to write about. When you can’t pray, just be still and let the groaning of the Spirit pray for you. Today I just shared what was on my heart, I hope you enjoyed you time in the pew.  Oh yes before I forget. Those five books…there are still four left. Join me in the pew next week and we will take a look at one of those. Check out the link below.

jk

10 Amazing Bible Facts