For some reason or another there is a desire among some to just be like others, no reasonable reason, just want to be like others. In these scriptures there is a reason though not well thought out. They were unhappy with the conduct of Samuel’s sons and they believed that a change in government would do them well. They had assembled at Ramah to make known their grievances and petition for the appointment of a king over them, just like other nations had. They wanted their king to keep a court and appear among them in an exalted state of dignity, which to some would be sinful behavior in God’s eyes not to mention unfair toward Samuel who had always sought to be fair and should not be held accountable for his sons bad behavior. He had advised his sons to correct their behavior and always would hear the peoples complaints. He had always been a faithful servant to the people for many years. The corruption of the leaders had led to the demand for what they believed would be better. The Jewish people of that time were too blind to see that not being like other nations actually was their path to happiness.

Consider…they were under the immediate government of the Almighty King, he who had chosen them for his own people and possession. We also have to deal with the hurt it must have put upon Samuel to have been rejected after so many years of faithful service. When we have hard times it is a great relief to have a God of wisdom and love to turn to. Those who treat us unfairly, well we need to remember them in our prayers, not only to ask God to forgive them, but ourselves to forgive and love them also. Samuel sought God’s direction about this event and how to answer it…God answered Samuel’ prayer. To put it plainly God considered their insult to be more toward Him than Samuel. He was their King yet they chose to insult him as well as others ever since they came out of Egypt, yes…even Moses and Aaron were disrespected. These people had also sought other gods. They were an ungrateful lot. God told Samuel to grant their request before they turned to other gods but to solemnly warn them…when they come in prayer he will always hear and answer them but…  not expect kind returns from those who have shown their ingratitude to others before us. Samuel makes a faithful report of the Divine Message; warning them of God’s displeasure at their request. They were not considering that the establishment of that kingly government which their minds were set on would bring with it many problems. They were mesmerized by the pomp and circumstance of a Kingship, not thinking  they must bear the burden. One of the main concerns would be competing with the tabernacle of God, for another tenth of their wealth to support the grandeur of this king to be. Samuel went on to explain that when they did complain it would do them little good. Many times we do not consider that our unreasonable desires come with a price. In this situation it is simple and to the point… They who reject God are justly rejected by him.

We as a people have rejected Jesus Christ and turned from the will of God that was given to us by his Son. The condition of the church today is a testimony to our indulgence to be like everybody else, regulating God second to the pomp and circumstance of this world. There is no need to list the fallacies of   those who seek to change scripture or present it in such a manner that those blinded by their own desires and convenience will follow the world into the darkness of sin and despair.  We can do little to restrain the obstinate sinner. As it was with Samuel the kindest advice is sometimes liable to be misrepresented as selfish and designing.

Life is Good

jk

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, here are some pictures that will tell in raw and vivid detail the story of the crucifixion. May your Easter Day be one of reflection and the enormity of what the blood of Christ really means…the reality of his suffering for us.

HE IS RISEN

Sometimes the truth can be ugly but in the days since the event in Nashville a noticeable hostility and blatant disrespect for those who lost their lives and the grief of those whose lives have changed forever has been present in the major news medias. The powers that be just don’t like us or to put it a bit nicer… they don’t like who we are and what we believe.

 Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs’ (D) press secretary resigned this week after posting a tweet that appeared to condone using violence against “transphobes” and included a photo of a woman holding two guns –  The tweet was posted on the same day that Nashville became the site of a deadly school shooting when three staff members and three children died at Covenant School, a Christian school.

(Reported in article in the publication The Hill 3/23)

For many years now the church has seen an increasing amount of hostility and unprovoked violence against its properties and its people for no more than believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and it is to him we look for the promise of salvation and life eternal. I am not sure that is the core reason for these feelings, against us, I have come to realize that from the early days of the church Christianity has never been an easy path to follow and to make another point… our Lord and savior made that plain at the very start of his ministry. We must first acknowledge that there has always been opposition to the core values or precepts of the church. I read one of the early threats to the church and there were many in the writings of Paul in the book of Colossians. Toward the end of the first century, the true gospel of Jesus Christ and His true church were being suppressed and slowly engulfed by a religious movement called Gnosticism, that had as one of its condemning features the combining of certain elements of Christianity with the “mystery religions” extant at the time. These “mysteries” involved secret societies, rituals, levels of understanding, and strange practices like “a gripping religious ecstasy” and being “possessed by the god.” This was just one of many factions that have plagued the church to this very day. There were many different people, and things that came against people of the faith and it is at this point that I ask you to consider this… was it the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or the Resurrection, the promise of eternal life or the need for repentance. Today the Methodist Church is the latest of the main-line churches to be going through a split due to social and cultural pressures based on a scriptural interpretation that has been ongoing for over forty years…that’s right, let me put just a number to that so there is no possibility of a misread. 40 Years. Now let me take this opportunity to share this fact with you. The Methodist Church does not turn and has never turned anyone away from God’s Table. The statement in our Book of Discipline says:

In 1972 the United Methodist Church added language to its Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church that “homosexual persons no less than heterosexual persons are individuals of sacred worth.” In other words, all individuals are of worth to God.

Also added:

  When Russell Kibler,  a delegate to the United Methodist General Conference from South Indiana, stepped to the microphone with a question It later prompted the addition of the following addition to The Book of Discipline: “The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.” 

Over 44 years later the debate rages on. Consider this, from the very first day Jesus called Andrew as the first disciple, those of the faith have faced opposition and persecution. God’s people have been dying for a long time, we have as a world and nation, become a “Jerusalem”. 

Matthew 23:37 ESV  

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

What can we do today with a world that hates the Gospel and the good news it brings? 

Paul’s advice to the church at Colossae.

Colossians 1:9-10

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 

Another way of putting it…Stay steadfast in the faith, work to acquire knowledge and learn to live a Godly life. In chapter 3 verse 9- Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ….It seems that bending the truth or telling outright falsehoods to convince others to accept one’s philosophy was normal in Colossae. That tactic is still very much in use to marginalize and paint a bad picture of Christianity in society today. 2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…

There are enough words written in the Bible to describe the actions by the haters of the truth and the Good News for several pages. One problem with that is I hate to overwhelm you who visit the Pew with bible verses. History…not just Biblical History but records of general historical facts will verify many of these stories of violence against God’s people and can easily be found with a little research. Every now and then we post a blog titled   “One of the Dirty Little Truths of Christianity.” Here’s one now for you.  1 John 4:21 “And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”

The God we serve, let there be no misunderstanding, Commands us “to love our brother and sister. For those of you who hate us here’s a little secret for you…There will be a Judgement Day…I don’t judge you and I hope to be judged to have run a good race and spend eternity with my God…for you…What do you hope for?

Life is Good

jk

Most of the faith community is by now deep into the Lenten Season. There are numerous writings and commentaries that address this event, for me the Bible tells it best. So…here The Rest of The Story. While the ministry of Jesus covered a great area there is a little circle of great importance to us and certainly was to Jesus, His disciples and friends and family, that somehow get lost in the torrent of words and the history involved to tell the story. These are the three cities that held a prominent place in those closing days of Jesus’ ministry. Jerusalem of course has always been at the forefront but these next two are simply mentioned as points of passing in the story. Those being Bethphage and Bethany. We start with Bethany about a mile or so from Jerusalem on the road to Jericho at the Mount of Olives and the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. It had earned the name of the Judean home of Jesus as it is recorded he preferred to stay there rather than in Jerusalem. It was here that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and being so close to Jerusalem the word spread quickly to the Pharisees at a time when they were much disturbed by his growing influence among the people. It was here also that another event of huge import took place… The Ascension…Luke 24:50,51…And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven.”

Now as in all writings of the time there are always other opinions and in this case exact location of Bethany is no exception. What is certain to a reasonable degree is that these events brought this somewhat obscure little place into history. As we move on from Bethany here is a small tidbit as to location taken from got questions.org

“Bethany is today el `Azareyeh (“the place of Lazarus”-the L being displaced to form the article). It is a miserably untidy and tumble-down village facing East on the Southeast slope of the Mount of Olives, upon the carriage road to Jericho. A fair number of fig, almond and olive trees surround the houses. The traditional tomb of Lazarus is shown and there are some remains of medieval buildings, besides rock-cut tombs of much earlier date.”

Now  Bethphage, in Aramaic “place of young figs near the Mount of Olives and to the road from Jerusalem to Jericho; mentioned together with Bethany is about a Sabbatical distance from East of Jerusalem,(1/2 mile) and was surrounded by some kind of wall. One distinction the city has is recorded in Matthew 21:1-4 KJV

1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet 

In moving on from Bethphage here is another small tidbit from bible.org. Dr. Barclay thought that he had found its site on the rocky s.w. spur of Olivet, a few hundred yards s. of the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. It is shown on Osborn’s map of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, the beginning, where the question of His divinity is answered and the world gets its first glimpse of Christianity…and the road to salvation.I was amazed at the mixture of both fact and tradition as to the “City On The Hill” one name for it, most Christians of the day know it as Jerusalem. We have spent a few words understanding the role that Bethphage and Bethany played on the road to Jerusalem, now what about Jerusalem or Zion?  Matthew 23:37 KJV  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stones them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Most folks of the faith know well the role of this city not only in the life Jesus but also in Jewish history and through the years to come it will become a location of different religions and cultures. I felt like I had opened an area of extensive history and that as a layman I was overwhelmed. So… keep it simple and to the point. Zion, a name applied to Jerusalem, or to certain parts of it, at least since the time of David. There is a suggestion in Arabicas to a visual meaning that fits it location…”ridge of a mountain” or “citadel,” which at any rate suitably applies to what we know to have been the original Zion.(Bible Atlas).  In keeping this simple there are at least five more reasons that we can accept Zion as Jerusalem. The Bible evidence that Zion originally occupied this site is clear. The biblealtas.org also adds this… ZION, literally it was the largest southern hill of Jerusalem, but sometimes the word was used to mean the whole city. See Sion.

It has been said about a journey that it is what happens along the way that matters… Jesus knew where this journey would take him and we see in these towns so often overlooked that the Father had prepared the way for his Son. May God bless all the journeys in your life and may the paths always lead to Him.

Life is Good

jk

Here are two verses of scripture that many of us over the years have not fully understood. You might say we have grabbed the “wrong end of the stick”. From the KJV are the two verses:

Matthew 18:19–20 KJV Again, I tell you, that if two of you agree upon earth upon any matter for which you are praying, you will receive it from my Father who is in heaven. Where two or three are assembled together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Using various commentary there seems to be the agreement that if we take these two verses literally, without curtain qualification, there is a highly reasonable opinion that it is untrue in the largest sense of the word. We are not setting out to disprove scripture but rather to amplify the meaning, which truly adds to the promises of God and strengthens the covenant between He and his people. There have been countless times two people have come together to pray for the healing and spiritual growth of others and in a real sense it was not answered as they might have expected. Many pray desperately for the conversion of the unbelievers, the coming of the Kingdom and yet to this day those prayers have not been fully answered. One commentary even goes as far to say,“there is harm in teaching people to expect what does not happen.” We do an injustice to scripture in refusing to face the facts of the situation. When we seek to probe through prayer and the writings of past saints we find a depth of comfort and a renewal in our strength to continue our walk of faith. Consider this… If we are selfish in our prayers we will not find an answer. Add these interesting factors to that.

-we should not pray only for our own needs, selfishness is not in the character of our God

-consider this, one basic truth of unselfish prayer… it is always answered but the truth is that we will not always receive the answer we want but the answer will be that which God in his wisdom and his love knows to be best for us and all concerned. 

-we all have fears, hopes and desires and many times our prayers are for escape from difficult situations, sorrow or disappointment. Through the power of prayer and wisdom of God we are able endure those things we don’t understand or just simply overwhelm us. As an example of this Barclay writes that the best example of this is Jesus praying at Gethsemane. Jesus prayed to be released from the terrible situation that lie ahead for Him…He was not but the Father gave Him the power to meet it,  to endure and to conquer it. We must as Christians come to understand that God does answer prayers…however the answer will always be His, not necessarily ours. Jesus made a great promise, that where two or three are gathered in his name, he is there in the midst of them. Two points here for us to consider.

-first the Church, it would not be wrong to say that God is just as present in a small congregation as a large mass meeting. God is just as present at meeting in a crowded arena as at a local bible study or prayer group of just a few of the faithful.The presence of God does not look first at the numbers but among those of a faithful heart, regardless of number.

-one early interpretation of these words was that the words refers to home…father, mother and child. God is there an unseen guest in every home of faith. 

It does not require a great occasion for God, every occasion where even two or three are gathered in his name is a great occasion. Prayer is truly the engine that fuels faith…

Life is Good

jk

One of the universal traits of mortals is the need to be wanted, to have a purpose, some sense of meaningful existence. I will go out on a limb here and say most civilizations throughout history have always believed that for everything there is a place and for everything a purpose. 

Proverbs 16:4 KJV

4 The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Ephesians 2:10 KJV

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

I do believe that God has a purpose and a plan for each and everything He has created. Today we ask the question what is the purpose of Christianity? Wikipedia puts it this way, “The core Christian belief is that through belief in and acceptance of the death and resurrection of Jesus, sinful humans can be reconciled to God, and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of eternal life.” I was amazed as I moved around the internet of the difference of opinions given in response to this basic question. Quora answers the question in this manner…“The main purpose of Christianity is to bring people into a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.” Can’t find anything here to disagree with. I found close to thirty definitions of the Purpose of Christianity all having in common one central point…all life begins with God and ends with God. From the time of creation until the Day of The Lord our purpose in this life is entwined with God, the creator of all life. If we define purpose we find it described as the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. Merriam-Webster, “The meaning of PURPOSE is something set up as an object or end to be attained.” As Christians, What is our purpose? To what end were we created gotquestions.org, one of my favorite go to sites says simply “for His pleasure.”

Revelations 4:11…

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.”

Colossians 1:16

16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

To answer the question what is our purpose as Christians is also a simple answer; we owe God a life that is a living sacrifice. We do this through our tithes, offerings, gifts, time, talents, possessions and might I add “in the pew” in the Lord’s House. That my friends brings us back to the Church and the Pew.

Matthew 18:20 KJV

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

I will close on this note. There is more to this simple verse in Matthew 18. Join me in the Pew next week for a little known translation of this verse.

Life is Good 

jk  

Listen to God and inquire of His word to you. In 2 Chronicles 35:20-27 Josiah did not. While the Scripture does not condemn Josiah’s conduct in opposing Pharaoh, Josiah seems to deserve blame for not inquiring of the Lord after he was warned. It is true that the people Josiah went out to meet in battle were a wicked people but some theologists suggest Josiah’s death might have been a rebuke for his rashness. As we progress through this Lenten Season and hopefully are working toward a closer relationship with Christ may we listen carefully to God’s word. We know that Christ was without sin and His life among us was one of faith, and obedience and heeding the word of the Father. Simple lesson here is, agree or disagree with Josiah’s conduct, it would be in our best interests to Listen to what God has to say.

Consider this…Isaiah 55:6-13

In this chapter of Isaiah, the prophet writes to remind us of God’s gracious offers of pardon and peace. During this time his word is calling out to us it would be wise to heed the call…Isaiah has a warning for us… God wants to be part of our life, we must not ignore His call, there will be a day when he can’t be found.There may come such a time in this life and it is certain that at death and judgment the door will be shut. Consider this…we must repent, more than just a simple change of our ways, it must be one of our heart and mind. It could well mean that we have to alter our judgements toward people and things. Some time in the past a President, Jimmy Carter to be exact, recounted that it was not enough to put aside evil but we must also put it out of our minds. There are verses that encourage us to think of only the good things of life, put aside those things that are not Godly. I was drawn to these scriptures verses from Isaiah 55…

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.7 Let the  wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. 

We who have sinned and done much wrong can be assured that the God we serve can and will forgive all our sinful ways and behavior. We must heed the call to righteous living and not use His generous offer of mercy as an excuse to continue to sin. We are to be reminded that God’s thoughts concerning sin, Christ, and holiness, concerning this world, vastly differ from mans. The power of God’s forgiveness is that not only does he forgive our transgressions, He can and will forget them…we are unable to forget, a sign of our earthly personage. The power of God’s word lies in His protective love and grace for His people and is part of His very nature. The truth we find in the Word, the power of His Call produces a spiritual change in the minds of those who heed such. Will you heed the call? Will you listen to God?

Life is Good

jk    

Recently during a discussion about class curriculum my position on scripture and why I preferred it over various books as a platform for Sunday School study was in all honestly a bit dogmatic. I was asked …why scripture? ….Consider this…To most Christians their conviction is that Scripture is the primary source and criterion for Christian doctrine. Keeping the definition simple scripture is the sacred writings of Christianity contained in the Christian Bible. There are many different faiths and religions in this world that contain sacred scripture, or the revered texts, of the world’s religions. Scriptures comprise a large part of the literature of the world. (Britannica) The point here is we are discussing scripture contained in the Christian Bible. First, we need to clarify some terms that are common when discussing Biblical Scripture. The word “canon” comes from the rule of law that was used to determine if a book measured up to a certain standard regarded by the Christian or Jewish community as part of the Bible. Consider this…Christianity as we know it did not start out defining God, Jesus Christ, or salvation. As I researched for this blog and tried to process all the information that was available to me, it became apparent to me that one truth stood out. Our Christian precepts of who God is, of Jesus Christ or even our salvation, can be found only in the authority of Scripture. Now that is humdinger of a statement for me, a layman to make. I write that because there is a whole world of theological truth to be understood. The truth is If we cannot identify what Scripture is, we will be hard pressed to properly distinguish any theological truth from error.  

Some other points of interest can be made just by human logic. Jude had something to say that we can take to heart… Our faith is being defined by scripture that has been given by and through God to the Saints and it is given to the benefit of all Christians. 2nd Timothy 3:16,17 confirms that. There are other things implied as well. God’s word gives us strength to function in this world, through the word we have freedom. The word of God creates and sustains life and gives us hope. There is of course the importance of hearing and reading the word, because through the word we come to receive The Holy Spirit, just as Jesus promised us we would. The clear fact is that Scripture awakens and strengthens our Faith. This brings me to my final point. The repository we have been given is the Christian Bible, God’s Word, which helps us to Discern God’s character and provides us God’s revelation of himself to his people. 

What is the importance of the Bible? There are as many answers for that question as there are stars. Well, maybe I overstate that a bit. Point being the importance of the Bible is impossible to overstate. Importance is best revealed by what the Bible tells us about itself, that is all that matters. I may be repeating myself, but at my age repetition is good for retention.  The Bible is: 

-the inspired word of God

-reveals His sovereignty and power

-character and nature

-wisdom and guidance for making our way through life

-God’s word is eternal…. Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. 

I enjoy reading God’s word, studying and seeking its meaning in my life and putting it to use. There is joy in the word. I Pray that you too can find that joy and I feel blessed that I can share my joy with you.

Philippians 4:

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Life is Good

jk        

The Book of Sirach or Ecclesiasticus is a Jewish work, originally in Hebrew, of ethical teachings, from approximately 200 to 175 BCE, written by the Judahite scribe Ben Sira of Jerusalem, on the inspiration of his father Joshua son of Sirach, sometimes called Jesus son of Sirach or Yeshua ben Eliezer ben Sira”. (Wikipedia)

One more time back to the Apocrypha, this time Sirach, The Wisdom Book. Two centuries before Christ the son of Sirach wrote this book. Simply put it is about the traditions and teachings of the sages, sort of a synthesis, that forms a combination of ideas to form a theory. He was well established and respected, a head of an important household with servants. He maintained that it was the writings of the sacred books that had taught him the secret of success. It was his intent to share what he had learned in the sacred books which he believed were the reasons for his success. At that time many Jews were attracted by the Greek culture, believing their religion was antiquated, or in today’s world…old…outdated. This man’s belief was that no other nation had a God or faith such as Israel. It was his task to present a God that inspired such faith, the faith of Israel to the world. There was no other nation with anything of wisdom superior to that of God’s people. God’s wisdom dwelled among their nation because of divine decree. The book shows us how the Law of God leads people to a much kinder way, more intelligent, and more responsible personal and social life. In some ways there are maxims that mirror scripture. Many sources believe it to have two main parts. The first being Chapters 1-42, with seven series of maxims in praise of wisdom. Chapters 43-51, praising God for the order of the universe and the wise use of God’s wisdom through the great people of the Old Testament and yes, consider these things as you read this blog. 

Taken from got questions.org :

“The book of Sirach is part of what is considered the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical scripture and appears in the Old Testament of Catholic Bible. It is considered one of the  Wisdom books. Except for some Episcopal or Lutheran Bibles, Sirach and other books of the Apocrypha do not appear in Protestant Bibles. Sirach, also known as “Ecclesiasticus” or the Wisdom of Sirach is one of 12–15 books generally recognized as comprising the Apocrypha.”

One point to consider would be that many biblical scholars point out that Jesus never quoted any verses from the Apocrypha while it is known that He quoted often from the Old Testament books. It must be noted that Jewish Scripture never included any of these documents as sacred writings. Do not be misled, The Pews intent here is to simply widen our readers knowledge and understanding of the existence of other period writings. Please note… “It does  possess a wealth of varied expressions of wise and foolish behavior reminiscent of the book of Proverbs.” (gotquestions.org) 

It is necessary that we note that there can be found some sound biblical doctrine within this book but there is still much more that conflicts  significantly with good Christian beliefs. This book is not part of the recognized canon of Scripture due to the fact that it is not the inspired Word of God. Many turn to this scripture to explain the view of most scholars.

2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…

The book makes for good reading is useful to expand our knowledge of times before Jesus came. We must not set aside the fact that the Jewish faith is interwoven with our own road to the cross and our adoption into the “The Family of God”.

Life is Good

jk

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Back in The Pew and God’s word, well, almost. The Pew is focused each week on sharing the word of God through the writings of the Prophets who told of his coming also the Apostles who followed and spent time with him. Those saints of past times who through divine guidance have provided us with a record of His ministry. 2 Timothy provides one path of giving us a rock solid definition of Scripture as it is intended to be.There are many great writings that don’t reach that level but they can widen our understanding of the depth and width of those things of value that encourage a life of worth. Knowledge is obtainable…but Wisdom comes only through God. To go beyond the word today it will be necessary to visit some books that are disputed as to where they need to be. First off let’s put forth their family name… often referred to as the Apocrypha, meaning “hidden.” Written primarily in the time between the Old and New Testaments the following is from gotquestions.org…

“The Wisdom of Solomon, also called the Book of Wisdom, is one of the books of the Apocrypha. Others in the group include 1 and 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, the Letter of Jeremiah, Prayer of Manasseh, and 1 and 2 Maccabees. Most of the books of the Apocrypha are accepted by the Roman Catholic Church and are included in Catholic Bibles. The Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical books teach many things that are not true and are not historically accurate. The Roman Catholic Church officially added the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonicals to their Bible at the Council of Trent in the mid-1500s AD, primarily in response to the Protestant Reformation. None of the apocryphal books are included in the canon of Scripture.” Because of the historical and theological errors, the books, including The Wisdom of Solomon, must be viewed as fallible historical and religious documents, not as the inspired, authoritative Word of God. This week we open with The Book of Wisdom, written about fifty years before the coming of Christ. We do not know who the author is but historical speculation leads to the belief it was probably a member of the Jewish community at Alexandria, in Egypt. It was written in Greek but patterned in style on the Hebrew verse. 

This author has a profound knowledge of the earlier Old Testament writings and it is reflected in almost every line of this book. It was the purpose of the author to lift up those who where of like mind and were suffering and experiencing oppression at the hands of apostate fellow Jews. These Jews had abandoned their religious beliefs and principals. His message  made use of the most popular religious themes of his time, namely the splendor and worth of divine wisdom. We will move from The Book OF Wisdom to The Letter of Jeremiah, also called the Epistle of Jeremy, is also one of the books of the Apocrypha.

What is the Letter of Jeremiah? The earliest manuscripts of the Letter of Jeremiah are in Greek. It is thought among theological scholars to have originally been written in Hebrew or Aramaic,  The point to be considered is that it is not a letter, nor is it from Jeremiah because it is thought to have  been written nearly 300 years after Jeremiah’s call to prophecy. Most of the text concerns  warnings about the idolatry they will be exposed to in Babylon and the uselessness of such things. The exiles are encouraged to   avoid such idolatry. I remind you that like all apocryphal books, this one cannot be considered to be the inspired Word of God. Consider this…To be an informed and knowledgeable follower of our Lord we must know what we believe and why. More next week.

Life is Good

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