Theft #17 - Stealin' Back Faith - Who Can We Trust, Really???

John 2:23-25

       23 ¶ Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. 24 But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.

    Here's one of those curious and "difficult" passages that makes me think again just when I think I have Jesus all figured out. "Many believed in His name," but in contrast, Jesus "was not entrusting Himself to them." Literally the Greek New Testament translates: "many believed in His name" but "He was not believing in them."

      Well now, that hardly seems fair, does it? After all, I have bestowed upon Jesus the great honor of putting my faith and trust in Him, and yet here it seems as if He is unwilling to reciprocate. How dare He???!!!? Who does He think He Is???

     Oh wait, He thinks He Is the I AM." He thinks He Is the One Who Is and Who Was and Who Is Coming. He thinks He created the universe and holds it together by His Word, and He thinks He created a creature in His image called man who violated His love and His law, and brought sin and death into a creation that was meant to be sinless and deathless. He thinks He had tried everything in the Book (HIS Book!) literally, to bring mankind out of sin and death, and He thinks He probably will have to die a bloody, horrible and undeserved death to finally make that happen. He thinks He has the right to insist that mankind should trust in Him and His sacrifice, but He also thinks He can never trust man, at least not in this present evil age.

      Oh wait, He doesn't just think all of that: He knows it and says it and makes sure all of that truth is woven through His Word from start to finish. 

     So, Jesus loves me, He has compassion and mercy on me, He give grace to me, He bring hope to me, He promises to bring me to ultimate salvation, He give me His Word to pass on, but still . . . He just doesn't trust me. Jesus flat out doesn't believe in me, and none of the Oprah-izing false prophets who fantasize bout such falsehood can change that. It's not the warm and fuzzy comfort food we crave, but the cold hard bread of life and the absolute truth that nourishes us: Jesus doesn't believe in me, or in you, or in any person, not even His own people. 

    Hmmm. Well, when I think about, at this stage of salvation, I don't trust myself either. And, guess what? I also don't trust any other human being, not really, nor should I, nor do I see any admonition in God's Word that I should. I am told to love my brother, to encourage my brother, to have mercy on my brother, to lift up my brother, to protect my brother, to admonish my brother, and even to lay down my life for my brother, but never, ever, ever in God's Word am I told to trust my brother, to believe in my brother. So, my brothers and sisters in Christ, guess what? I l love you all, I really do!

      BUT: I don't believe in you, I don't trust you because, like Jesus, I know the dark sin that is in you. And how do I know this? Two reasons: 1) God's Word says so and 2) I know the dark sin in myself. 

     So what now? If I only trust the Lord Jesus, but I don't trust you and I don’t trust me, and I don't expect that you should trust me, what are we to do?

     Well, beloved ones, there is something to do, and here it is:

Colossians 3:12-17 

"12 ¶ So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. "

     I don't need to trust you to forgive you, to be kind toward you, to be humble toward you, to be gentle toward you, to clothe myself with love and peace and seek unity with you, poor sinners and wondrous saints that we all are.

     ***Oh, and one more thing: since I can't trust you, but I can and will bear with you, I'll stop trying to find and cure every little thing I see wrong with you, because I'm probably not pure enough to even try to get inside you and tear out all the imperfections that sin brings. I'm going to stop looking at the little Lego in your eye, and I'm going to get the huge plastic lawn chair out of my own eye.

     Tell you what, since I don't trust you and you shouldn't trust me, I'll make a deal with you: I'll stop trying to fix you and you stop trying to fix me. Let's trust in the Lord Jesus Christ together (who doesn't trust any of us) and accept that He'll bring this all together for good if we just hang in there with each other under His name and His promise. Is it a deal?

With trust in Christ and love for the brethren, Rick.

Theft #16 - Stealin' Back Labor Day with Psalm 46

OK, so this is a recycled FABS (Family Adult Bible Study) lesson, which I thought was worth posting here.   As usual, the Blogspot editor didn't convert my Word doc very well, so some sections are a bit "scattered" on the page, but I hope you'll get the essence.  Above all, on Labor Day . . .  RELAX ! ! !

For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah.

According to Alamoth.

1 God is our refuge and strength,

    a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we won’t be afraid, though the earth changes,

      though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas;

3 though its waters roar and are troubled,

      though the mountains tremble with their swelling.

        Selah.

4 There is a river, the streams of which make the city of God glad,

      the holy place of the tents of the Most High.

5 God is in her midst. She shall not be moved.

    God will help her at dawn.

6 The nations raged. The kingdoms were moved.

    He lifted his voice, and the earth melted.

7 Yahweh of the Angel Armies is with us.

  The God of Jacob is our refuge.

        Selah.

8 Come, see Yahweh’s works,

    what desolations he has made in the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth.

   He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear.

   He burns the chariots in the fire.

10 “Be still, and know that I am God.

      I will be exalted among the nations.

      I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 Yahweh of the Angel Armies is with us.

     The God of Jacob is our refuge.

          Selah.

"Relax: God Works on Labor Day!" - Psalm 46

 – Summer 2011 – Rick Ludwig

Although the concepts of "rest" and "Sabbath" are not present, Ps. 46 ties in with Labor Day as a celebration of labor and leisure. However, the Christian celebration of Labor Day ought to go a step further and lead not simply to leisure and partying, but awestruck contemplation of God's person and mighty works. This is the objective, the mood and attitude we are trying to encourage.

Introduction

    On Sept. 5, 1882, the first Labor Day parade and celebration took place as 10,000 workers marched around Union Square in New York City. The first Monday in Sept. was chosen because it was "the most pleasant season of the year, midway between the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving, and would fill a wide gap in the chronology of legal holidays."

    Labor Day was supposed to be a time of celebrating the worker, for remembering the multitude of abilities and efforts that made this country great. It has evolved into a family festival--the last big celebration of summer, vacation's end, the final fling before the start of a new school year, and end of summer and prelude to fall. It has become not just a day, but a weekend--a time for taking to the out-of-doors for trips, picnics, and sporting events. (Robert Myers, Celebrations: the Complete Book of American Holidays, Doubleday 1972).

    Originally, the day's rituals emphasized--along with picnics, fireworks, and speechmaking--the parade of workingmen, of laborers, but this aspect has been lost to the summer's end activities of today (Jack Santino, All Around the Year, University of Illinois Press 1994).

    In other words, we no longer really honor the accomplishments of working people on Labor Day, but we attempt to cram a whole summer's worth of fun into a three day weekend. The massive schedule of activities for CityFest this weekend contains, at the very bottom, a small announcement for the Labor Day parade on Monday. We not only forget to honor the workers, but we work so hard at relaxing, we forget to relax on our day off from work.

     As Americans, we really need to recover a sense that Labor Day should honor American workers, and give them a day to relax from their labors. As Christians, I'm going to suggest we go even further and use Labor Day to honor the work of the Lord, and use our day of relaxation to focus on Him. Psalm 46 can help us approach this day properly.

Context

    Psalm 46 was probably written as a song of confidence and reassurance that God was still in charge despite the threatening forces of nature and foreign nations. As Creator, God keeps the world from falling apart, and as Redeemer, God keeps Israel from falling into the captivity of foreigners; as Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, God keeps His people safe in the midst of the turbulence which occurs when He brings final judgement upon the earth. The psalm acknowledges those things in life for which we are totally dependent upon God, and before which we are helpless without Him.

Theme: We can truly relax (on Labor Day) only when we know the protection and person of the Lord.

1a.  We Can Relax When We Know the Protection of the Lord. vv 1-7

        1b. God protects us during natural disasters. vv. 1-3

              *God is our shelter in the storm

               1c.  v1a "God is shelter and strength for us."

                             --Shelter for when there is nowhere to run

                             --Strength for us when we have none of our own

                      v1b "Ever-present help" - help "being found abundantly"

                              --Idea of "being found" presumes we are looking for help.

                               ISA 55:6: "Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near."

                 2c. v2 "We will not fear when the earth/land changes..."

                      --"Mountains..." is a picture of earthquakes, but could be any drastic change on earth

                       --most common for us is weather.

                         Gen. 1:9--God caused dry land to appear from the waters;

                          since the Creator Himself is our God, we need not fear that creation will be reversed

                    3c. v3 "Let its waters ... , Let the mountains ... "

                       --In other words, as long as we have confidence in the Lord's protection,

                             we can say "let the storm come! I'm ready!"

         2b. God protects us during national disturbances: vv. 4-7

               *God is our fortress in the fight

                These verses see the unstable state of foreign nations world as a threat to God's chosen nation,

                 God's chosen city.

                 1c .v4 "A river!"

                      --In contrast to the turbulent sea

                      --The streams or "canals" are channels of irrigation making the city

                          not dependent on water from outside. Refer back to river in Eden

                          and, for us, forward to river in New Jerusalem (Rev. 21)

                      --"city of God" certainly Jerusalem, but metaphorically, the people of God;

                              -again ref. forward to New Jerusalem as people of God

                                    as well as God-built city (Rev. 21).

                         --"holy tabernacles of Most High" - then in a city,

                              now the church is the earthly dwelling place of God.

                     2c.  v5-6 "She will not fall ... kingdoms fall"

                          --city will not "fall" even though kingdoms "fall"

                               and even though mountains "fall"

                            --presence of God is the key to security of city, our security

                           --The turbulent, uncertain behavior of the nations seems a threat to us,

                                  but nonetheless, under God's protection,

                                 His city, His people, His church survives,

                                 and the "kingdoms fall." Indeed,

                                when God raises His voice in judgement, the earth itself will melt.

                                 The city of God survives even that because "God is in her midst."

           3c. v7 "YHWH of Hosts/Armies...our fortress/stronghold/secure height" -

                                  This is military terminology

                            --EXO 15:3 "The \Lord\ is a warrior; The \Lord\ is His name." (NASB)

                           --ZEP 3:17 "The \Lord\ your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior.

                                             He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love,

                                             He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy." (NASB)

                             ---"God of Jacob" - identifies historical God of the patriarchs with YHWH

                            --their God is the same one Who rescued Israel;

                               Our God, our Lord Jesus is the same God

                                      Who rescued Peter, Paul, the rest of the early church.

2a. We Can Relax When We Know the Person of the Lord - vv. 8-10

       1b. We know Who He is when we see what He's doing. - vv. 8-9

                *We know the person of God by knowing the works of God.

                 1c. v8a "Come, behold/see/envision..."

                      --the invitation is to focus on what the Lord has done,

                            specifically as the covenant God of Israel, is YHWH.

                             "See" could be "envision,"

                                     that is, not only what you have seen with your own eyes,

                                      but what you have read about God doing in the past

                                      and what He will do in the future.

                                      "Come, get a vision of the works of the LORD!"

                   2c. v8b-9 "placing desolations ... stopping wars"

                     --"Desolations" refers to the results of what we have called natural disasters.

                          None of them are accidents,

                          God has complete control over them at all times,

                               and uses them for His purposes.

                         --It is possible that God "makes wars cease" through the use of "desolations!"

                            That is, He stops wars by using earthquakes, hurricanes, fire, etc.

                                BUT:  In in the final war in Revelation, He just wins!

        2b. We know Who He is when we stop what we're doing. v10

               *We know the person of God by knowing the position of God.

               1c. "Be still" (KJV,ASV,RSV,NRSV); "Cease striving" (NASB);

                     "Let it be" (REB);

                     *lit. "let drop" the hands, ie. from labor, or possibly war: from any kind of struggle.

                       *In a word: "Relax!"

                       *In its Labor Day edition of 1984 USA Today reported

                         that 70 million people would be traveling by automobile that weekend,

                         then went on to say that the airlines and Amtrak rail services

                         were temporarily expanding service to deal with the increase in travelers.

                          The same story mentioned that the National Football League season

                          began that weekend, as did the college football season

                               (Santino, All Around the Year).

                  2c. "Know that I am God"

                         We know Him by experience

                          when we are still from our work and worries

                          long enough to focus on God; but also,

                          by being "still" to acknowledge the priority of God

                          in our lives over work, and that when we relax

                          in order to focus on Him, He takes care of our needs.

                             MAT 6:31 So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (NIV)

                       3c. "I will be exalted ... "

                             When we relax before the Lord and focus on Him,

                              we become aware that He is using

                            both the natural and national realms for His own exaltation.

                            To be exalted is simply to "be high."

                            God is affirming that His position as Creator and King

                             will be acknowledged in the world of nature, "the earth,"

                              and in the world of nations.

                                   The two realms which were viewed as threats

                              to God's people earlier in the psalm

                              are now brought into the service of God to exalt Him.

                              God is being exalted out there, among people all over the world,

                              and certainly by nature itself.

                                *If we don't take the time to be still, to relax before God, we miss it.

Conclusion/Reflection - v11

        --Let's use our time of relaxation on Labor Day for contemplation of the Lord's protection and person.

        --Let's do some written reflection on God's word to you today.

Theft #15 (Repost of #8) - Stealin' Back Classical Thought

***This is a repost of a post from 2009 which at that time I entitled "Stealin' Back Classical Music."  I should have noted that this discussion of contrasts has a much broader application that to music only.  It involves the whole of critical thinking, and--indeed--the whole of one's philosophy and lifestyle.  I am indebted to British author Paul Johnson (Modern Times) and to conversations from a few years ago with my old friend and consummate conductor, John D.   Other than this new prologue, the essay below is substantially unchanged.


The following rambling essay may read at first like a rather limited perspective on classical music, but I only want to discuss two composers that fit roughly into the very broad category of classical music. Those two composers are Richard Wagner and Anton Bruckner. Arguably both composers are better described--by most music scholars--as part of the late 19th century Romantic movement in music, but this presupposes an understanding of what the terms "classical" and "romantic" actually mean in 19th orchestral music.


So, here's a brief lesson in the philosophy of musical history as it relates to the turmoil generated in the 19th century by the emergence of what became known as the Romantic movement. First of all, the term "classical" as applied to a musical movement was marked by a focus on musical form and intellectual content in composition. In a sense Bach and Handel were "pre-classical" in their adherence to form, but the real classical "crown" certainly belongs to Franz Joseph Haydn, who brought the form and substance of the symphony into it's rightful place in musical history. You can listen to all 104 Haydn symphonies and hear the form of the music, and the mind of the composer, in every single piece. He epitomizes "classical" as a tribute to proper form and the dominance of intellect over emotion.


"Romantic" on the other hand, came as an almost anti-intellectual movement which emphasized emotion over mind, and sometimes emotion over form. This doesn't say that great classical emotion didn't evoke strong feelings in the listener, but that Romantic composers spent more time trying to put their own emotion--rather than their thought--into their compositions.


So, by these two admittedly simplistic descriptions--if they are correct--we can see that the the terms "classical" and "romantic" represent two opposed philosophical approaches to not merely music and the arts, but to life itself. That is, ask yourself if you approach life led by your mind or by your emotions. That is the question which the 19th century composers were trying to answer in the creation of their art. From a Biblical standpoint, it is the question to which we all must seek an answer.


At any rate, the great Classical/Romantic dichotomy (and debate) came a head first in the works of Ludwig Van Beethoven. Was he the last Classical composer or the first Romantic composer, or--perhaps--a bit of both? Ask two scholars, two conductors, two "fans," and you will get widely different answers to that question. Personally, since this is my blog, I prefer the conductor's interpretations that approach Beethoven's works as Classical, but that shows my bias towards mind leading emotion, which I think is a more Biblical order than the reverse. Nonetheless, which "take" on Beethoven one prefers, his music stands at the crossroads between Classical and Romantic, and his music starts the argument.


(NOTE: I respectfully but intentionally bypass Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at this point, only because he is a bit of an anomaly in his time; that is, he was a "pre-Romantic" composer living and writing at the peak of the Classical era. I personally believe Beethoven could have come to greatness directly from Haydn without the existence of Mozart, but that is an argument for another time.)


So, getting back to Bruckner and Wagner, we have Richard Wagner emerging from the Romantic view of Beethoven, and producing the first full-blown unashamedly Romantic music of the 19th century. Not-surprisingly, it was also the fist totally and unabashedly pagan music of its time. (By "pagan" here I mean European music not tied to the ideas and beliefs of 19th century Christianity.) It was not only rooted in the "emotion leading mind" approach, but also rooted in pre-Christian Teutonic mythology which were expressed explicitly in Wagner's monumental operas, which combined music, art, theater, and philosophy--and most of all: emotion--in one huge "sub-genre" which defied categorization. In the 21st century we would call it "Performance Art," I think. It was unarguably a great achievement from an artistic point of view, and also unarguably, an utterly ungodly abomination from a Biblical point of view. It was the wave of the future, and the pre-cursor to the movement of "Modern" music away from any Christian roots.


By God's grace, however, in the same century we had Anton Bruckner. Bruckner adored and admired Wagner and his music, and there is no doubt that Bruckner's "sound-scape" is--at first listen--much like Wagner's. Even if I reject Wagner for his neo-paganism, I must accept him for the fact that Bruckner probably would not have existed without him. This however, is finally where the aspect of redemption, of "stealin' it back" comes in: Bruckner was a very devout German Catholic, and every composition he wrote he intended for God's glory. In one sense, he was the most thoroughly Christian composer since Bach.


However, here's where I kick in the real controversy: whereas Wagner's music was both pagan and Romantic, Bruckner's was both Christian and Classical! What? A man using the same musical scope and size as the ultra-Romantic Wagner was not even Romantic? That's it; that's the other side of Bruckner's redemption of Wagner: Bruckner followed the "mind leading emotion" approach. Ironically, Wagner is viewed historically as the "intellectual" and Bruckner as the "country simpleton," but Bruckner's brilliant composition techniques make that comparison a historical and academic fraud. Indeed, Bruckner freely used counterpoint (which Bach brought to it's highest point) and also stuck to classical form in a monumental way. There's something else: Wagner wrote operas; Bruckner wrote symphonies. Indeed, the only vocal music Bruckner composed was for the church (3 Masses, a great Te Deum, and several smaller sacred pieces.) Bruckner's choice to stick to the symphony was--I think--totally linked with his devotion to God, and to classical form.


For those who will argue that Bruckner's music is emotional, I simply say this: look to Bach, for the musical emotion of both Bach and Bruckner is generated in the listener by the impact of the Spirit of God on those composers, rather than by their own fickle emotions. We hear the "voice" of the true God even in the instrumental works of these two great and faithful men, and in Bruckner, we hear not simply Wagner redeemed, but the essence of the Classical philosophy redeemed in musical form. Wagner stole the Classical principle from Beethoven and buried it in the neo-pagan Romantic; Bruckner stole it back and used it for the glory of God.


Later in Christ, RFJ.

Theft #14 - Stealin' Back the Charismata

Ok, well this is a study I put together about 4 years ago as my view that the "manifestations of the Spirit" in 1st Cor. 12 continue throughout the whole church age.  Or, more precisely, that there is no good Biblical reason to say that they stopped with the passing of the apostles at the end of the 1st century AD.  So, I'm not only "stealin'," but maybe cheating a bit by recycling some of my own material, but at least is IS my own material (;>).   Have fun!
***Some of the indentations and diagrams don't work quite right in this editor, but hopefully you'll get the idea.


The “Manifestation of the Spirit” in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
                   A Moderate Defense for the Continuance of the Charismata


Introduction
         This study will briefly propose a position that the 9 “manifestations of the Spirit” mentioned in 1 Cor. 12:7-11 are intended for the entire church age, subject to the proper guidelines and usage. The basis for this position is a lack of clear Scriptural evidence that these things ended at any particular time in the past. The paper is called a “moderate” defense of the “continuance” position because the writer is not a traditional “charismatic,” and because the defense is intended to rely entirely on Scripture, as opposed to personal experience.


1a. “Manifestations” in the Book of Acts are Distinct from Those in 1 Cor. 12-14.


      1b. “Tongues” in the Book of Acts are not the same as “tongues” in 1 Cor 12-14.
            1c. The descriptions of “tongues” in the Book of Acts refer to a distinct and unique phenomenon with a specific purpose. The first—and most complete--presentation of tongues in Acts 2 is described by Peter as a (partial) fulfillment of Joel 2:28-32, a claim Paul never makes for tongues in 1 Corinthians.
     Furthermore, the tongues are spoken—apparently in unison—by the 120 disciples gathered with the apostles, and miraculously understood—each person “in his own language” by an audience of thousands of “Dispersion Jews.” There is no “interpretation” by other believers given nor is it needed, in sharp contradiction to the conditions specified by Paul in 1 Cor. 12 and 14.
         2c. The other major primary description of tongues in Acts 10 occurs as the gospel is presented by Peter and his Jewish helpers to a family of Gentiles. The purpose is defined by Peter in Acts 10:47: Gentiles have believed in Jesus and received the Holy Spirit in exactly the same way as the Jews, therefore they cannot be denied water baptism as outward confirmation of this belief. Again, the circumstances, purpose, and results are totally different from those described in 1 Cor 12-14


     2b. “Prophecies” are sporadic and unregulated in Acts as opposed to 1 Cor. 12-14.
           Without citing specific passages, it is enough to say that “prophecies” in the Book of Acts are virtually always spoken by a prophet (or prophetess). That, they are spoken by people who have a prophetic “calling” or an “office”—as in the OT—in a permanent sense. In contrast, 1 Cor 12-14, while elevating prophecies over tongues, never suggests that those speaking prophecies are anything other than ordinary believers to whom the Spirit has given something to speak at a particular time: they are pointedly not “prophets” as presented in Acts.


     3b. Descriptions of tongues and prophecies decrease rapidly in the 2nd half of Acts.
          This is not in dispute, for it is easily discerned by simply reading the Book of Acts. However, if points 1b and 2b above are valid, then this has no bearing on the present validity of the “manifestations” in 1 Corinthians. That is: if the tongues and prophecies described in Acts are not the same phenomena as those presented in 1 Cor. 12-14, then their apparent cessation in the Book of Acts cannot be used to argue that the tongues and prophecies presented in 1 Cor 12:7-11 must also have ceased.


2a. The “Manifestations” in 1 Cor. 12-14 Are Presented as Normal in the Local Church


      1b. Brief summary of the problems in the church of Corinth
             Because Paul has so many rebukes for the Corinthians church, it is sometimes assumed that everything they practiced must have been wrong. This is certainly not true, since Paul commends their spiritual enthusiasm more than once. Nonetheless, the Corinthian church had a huge case of “eschatological confusion;” that is, they totally misunderstood Biblical prophecy about the future. Specifically, they thought they had received the Kingdom of God on earth in its fullness, which led to all kinds of wrong belief and practice in both their church and family life. It also led to an arrogant attitude of superiority over those who—perhaps—had not received the same level of “the Spirit” has they had.


      2b. Paul insists that the “manifestations” are valid and normal when properly regulated.
          Although the Corinthians were clearly arrogant and spiritually immature, Paul—nonetheless—presents in 1 Cor 12-14 a group of spiritual phenomena that he seems to regard as perfectly acceptable, and apparently expected, in the local church.
         1c. In 1 Cor 12:28 he says that God “has appointed” such things in “the church,” and clearly not just the Corinthian church. His continuing caution, however, is that not every believer will receive such things, and further, that those “gifts” are in no way superior to many other less spectacular and less public gifts.
        2c. He concludes his corrections on this issue with the following: “Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.” (1 Cor 14:39-40).
       If—in fact—Paul thought that these gifts were not acceptable and continuous for the whole church, it seems unlikely that he would have encouraged their practice once the abuses were corrected. Indeed “do not forbid to speak in tongues” is a very strange admonition if Paul was preparing Corinth for the disappearance of this gift.


     3b. 1 Cor 13:8-10 - A reasonable interpretation
           1 Cor. 13 is well-known for Paul’s insistence that agape love is the overriding spiritual element which should supersede and regulate all other Christian gifts and virtues. In verse 8, he shifts gears to announce that 3 things will either “be abolished” or “cease” at some time in the future. The 3 things are prophecies, tongues, and knowledge, and the future time is “when the perfect comes.”
      In the early to mid 20th century, a few Bible teachers argued that “the perfect” must be the completion of the canon of Scripture, as we know it today, and that this probably coincided with the death of the last apostle (traditionally, John). There are numerous problems with this view, but three are glaring: 1c) Paul’s continuous expectation—in all of his epistles—that Jesus could return at any time make it highly unlikely that he would be thinking of the final form of Scripture as “the perfect.” He almost certainly equated “the perfect thing” (neuter in Gk) with the coming Kingdom of God when Jesus returned. Since the Corinthians had wrongly assumed the Kingdom was already present, Paul would want to emphasize that this momentous event was still future. 2c) The finished NT—as we know it—was not fully completed until the late 2nd or early 3rd century, making the actual end of tongues and prophesy rather ambiguous in this view, and 3c) Scripture does not record the death of the last apostle, also making this event an unlikely candidate for “the perfect.”
      If the words above are accepted as reasonable, then the time when “the perfect comes” is still future today, and this cannot be used as a case for the end of tongues and prophecy.


3a. Cautions On Dismissing New Testament Scripture as Relevant to the Church Today
       This study is presented in full awareness that there are many who would to limit the gifts of 1 Cor 12-14 to the 1st century, and dismiss their continuing presence in the church. This study, so far, has attempted to show that there is no basis in Scripture for holding such a position, and that the burden of proof is on those who hold the “cessationist” position.
      Before closing, there is another and perhaps more important issue at stake: the continuing validity of New Testament Scripture as it applies to the church from Pentecost to the present and beyond. When believers start dismissing any NT passage as no longer valid, a challenge should be issued as to their criteria for such a dismissal.
      For example, it can be carefully shown that some parts of Jesus’ discourses in the gospels are not intended directly for the “church;” also, there are portions of the Book of Acts that could apply only to the first Jewish churches, but not directly to the later mixed Gentile/Jewish churches.
       However, the letters of Paul are in an entirely different realm, since they are addressed to churches established well after Pentecost, and are direct addresses from author to audience. For example, there is a current trend toward dismissing Paul’s limitation on women Bible teachers in 1 Timothy 2:11-15. It is argued that this was a cultural issue, and not normative for the continuing church, and certainly not for the 21st century church. The problem is that Paul roots his argument in Genesis, in the creation and fall of mankind. This makes the “cultural” dismissal of his teaching null and void. Some believers just don’t like it, so it is dismissed. If the same test is applied to 1 Cor 12-14, there is a similar failure to demonstrate a “cultural” or temporary limitation. Just as it would be unthinkable to dismiss Paul’s teaching on the Lord’s Supper in 1 Cor 11 as still relevant, the same caution should be applied here.


Diagram of 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (with 1-3; 12-14)

1 Now concerning the spiritual things, brothers, I am not willing for you to be ignorant. 2 You know that, when you were ethnics, being led away toward the voiceless idols, as often you were led. 3 Therefore I am making known to you that no one, speaking in the Spirit of God, is saying "Anathema Jesus," and no one is able to say "Lord Jesus," except in the Holy Spirit.

4 Now there are differences of grace-gifts {charismata},
                      but the same Spirit;
5 and
           there are differences of ministries (or services),
                    and the same Lord;
6 and  there are differences of energies,
                but the same God                 Who is energizing all things in all.
7 So to each one
                                     is being given
                                                              the clear disclosure of the Spirit
          toward the bringing together.
8 For to one
                                                                                                 through the Spirit
                                   is being given
                                                         a word of wisdom,
and to another one                            a word of knowledge
                                                                                                 according to the same Spirit,
9 to a different one
                                                       faith                                   in the same Spirit,
and to another one                          grace-gifts of healings           in the one Spirit,
10 and to another one                    energizings of powers {dunamis}
and to another one                         prophecy,
and to another one                         discerning of spirits,
    to a different one                        kinds of tongues,
and to another one                         translation of tongues;
11 but                                                all these things
                                       is energizing
the one and the same Spirit,
                                          dividing
                                          to each individually,             just as He is intending.
       12 For even as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of the body, being many, are one body, so also Christ. 13 For also in one Spirit we ourselves all into one body were baptized--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or freemen, and we all one Spirit were made to drink.
       14 For also the body is not one part but many.

Petty Theft - Stealing Back Grace

Just a bit of Scripture below, and this observation to 75% of the Christians I know:  What do you not understand about "you are not under law, but under grace"????? (Rom 6:14).

Galatians 2:16-21 ¹⁶ Nevertheless, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. ¹⁷ "But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! ¹⁸ "For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. ¹⁹ "For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. ²⁰ "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. ²¹ "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."

Theft #13 - Stealing Back Spiritual Warfare

I just finished watching "The Patriot," one of my three DVD "traditions" for the Independence Day weekend. This movie in particular shows 18th century warfare at its worst, even as it was considered normal and orderly by the English, French and other European armies.

What we see in the film is that the American Colonial army cannot possibly fight the English army and win using those standard European tactics, for example, having two massive groups of soldiers facing each other, on a field across a relatively short distance, and taking turns firing at each other with one-shot muskets. So, as portrayed in the movie, and verified by history, the Colonial militia fights what is essentially a guerilla war, and "hit and run" war, hiding and ambushing, destroying roads and bridges, and in general just keeping the English army from making any advances. It is a tactic that works well enough to baffle and anger the English "gentlemen officers" to the point where they can no longer predict how or where the Colonials will fight.

It strikes me that in our "battle" against the world, the flesh, and the devil, that we--ordinary believers in Jesus Christ--are probably entirely too predictable, and are employing similar "stand and shoot" tactics which can never give us the victory that the Bible promises.

If, instead, we follow the "battle tactics" of Jesus Himself, and of His apostles, we see men who just showed up in places and begin to "do battle"--spiritually, and with words--with no formal declaration of war, no formal plan of attack, and no notion that retreat was an option. Jesus showed up suddenly, said His peace--generally stirring up controversy as a consequence--and then when on. Paul did the same, as noted in the last post on Acts 17.

The Bible teaches us that the weapons of our warfare are not related to normal physical battle at all, but are aimed at unseen spiritual forces allied against God, against us as His people, and have as their captives the entire unbelieving world. We have faith and words as our weapons, faith in Christ past, present and future, words to the Father in prayer and words to the world in the gospel. Sometimes we must be "hit and run" soldiers, speaking to those we come in contact with only for a moment or two, and other times we are true "guerillas" living amongst our neighbors those having infiltrated the enemy camp simply because don't look all that different on the outside.

These are the tactics God has given us. He has never told the Church to act as a unified army waging war on Satan, but merely to stand firm against Satan's attacks on us and resist his temptations so that he will flee. God has also never told the Church to rely on the respective governments of whatever nation, state, or city in which we happen to reside. God does not bless His people because of the nation, but rather He blesses the nation which accepts the message and faith of His people. Although it is not entirely true that "you cannot legislate morality," it is utterly true that you cannot legislate faith in the One True God, Jesus Christ. We speak, the Spirit convicts, and the listeners believe or don't believe, and that battle is the same in every part of the world now and until Jesus returns.

It's time to stop depending on a favorable political environment in which to worship God and speak the gospel, and time to rely only on the spiritual environment created by the truth that we are in Christ, and He in us.

Later in Christ, RfJ.

(He's BACK!!!) - Theft # 12 - Stealing Back God's Boundaries

      Well, high time to get back to this dreaded discipline of blogging regularly.  Since my my last post was two years ago when I first got a Facbook account, you might conclude that I have been spending too much time on Facebook itself, and you might be right . . . errr . .
     At any rate, I'd thought I'd charge back in with a Biblical lesson/homily on being Christian in the USA as provoked by thoughts of Independence Day 2011, and by Scripture, of course.  So here goes:


FABS July 1, 2011 (The "Fourth of July Lesson") 

Introduction
       What do you think about on the 4th of July?   Historically the holiday called Independence Day celebrates the document by which the original 13 colonies declared their intention to withdraw from British rule and establish self-government.
     However, in 2011, 235 years after the colonies issued the Declaration of Independence, what does Independence Day mean? That is, what does it mean beyond the fireworks and the parades and the flags? The people of Jesus Christ should be asking that question of themselves especially at a time when Christianity has lost much of her favored status in the government and culture of the United States.
      What does it mean to be a Christian in America today? More pointedly, how do I, as a Christian, speak to non-Christian America about Jesus Christ? If you open your Bibles to Acts 17:16, we'll take a look at one way the apostle Paul spoke to his culture, and discover what we can learn about speaking to ours.
First of all:  Read Acts 17:16-34


The Boundaries of Truth: Acts 17:16-34

          16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. 17 So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. 18 And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, "What would this idle babbler wish to say?" Others, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities," -- because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? 20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean." 21 (Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)
          22 So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. 23 For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
                24 "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'
        29 "Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. 30 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."
        32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear you again concerning this." 33 So Paul went out of their midst.  34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. (NASB)


Input: God Has Placed Boundaries on Human Existence to Draw People to Himself. Specifically: God Has Placed Boundaries on Life in the United States to Draw People to Himself.


I. God Has Placed Physical Boundaries on Human Existence - Acts 17:26-27
   A. Geographic - simple enough: oceans, rivers, mountains, forests,
   B. Ethnic (racial) - cf. v26 "He made ... every ethnic group ..."; includes:
   C. Language - esp. from Gen. 11-tower of Babel and division of languages; but Pentecost and universal "translation" for sake of gospel
   D. Political: seems man-made: but ultimately determined by God as much as both of the above, and usually includes many geographic and ethnic boundaries within political boundaries.
     1. Roman Empire established political boundaries around a variety of ethnic groups and geographical features; Christian mission was furthered by Greek as a common language and relative peace kept within the political boundaries of the empire
      2. Same in the United States - Christian mission furthered by English as a common language and relative peace within the political boundaries of the nation.


II. God Has Placed Philosophical and Religious Boundaries on Human Existence - Acts 17:16-19, 21, 22-23, 29
   A. Human beings feel a need to explain their existence. That need creates a variety of philosophies and religious practices.
      1. Athens was full of idols, but couldn't settle on a common religion: Note Epicureans and Stoics: both firm in belief but totally opposed to each other in philosophy.
      2. they always wanted something newer; we would say they latched onto every new religious fad that came along. The ultimate futility of this situation is the altar dedicated to "an unknown God."
      3. Again, the U.S. experience is becoming so similar.
  B. This variety of explanations leaves people empty and despairing, or fanatical and militant. Why? They fall short of the truth and are ultimately unable to provide the meaning of existence humans seek. God will not bless religions and philosophies not based on His Word and His Way. He is not in those "temples" (cp vv 24, 29).


III. God Has Placed Chronological Boundaries on Human Existence - Acts 17:30-31
A. The obvious . . . Death !!!  Death of individual people. Death of civilizations.
      What is the most obvious chronological boundary for everyone? Death. We would think mainly of individual human death; but what about the death of civilizations? You don't have to read much history to see a pattern in the rise and fall of nations, of empires, of entire cultures.
      How much longer will the United States exist as a nation? The Bible says that when the people and leaders of a nation willfully resist His will, He brings that nation down, sometimes through the use of another nation. God used Assyria and Babylon to punish His own people for disobedience, but He also used Babylon to bring down Assyria, He used Persia to bring down Babylon, He used Greece to bring down Persia, and He used Rome to conquer the Greek empire established by Alexander the Great. We know this because it is prophesied in the book of Daniel. Does God still do things this way? Was the United States used by God to help bring down the ungodly Nazi kingdom? Could the United States be brought down hard if our people keep ignoring God? Ultimately only one kingdom will last forever, the kingdom of God brought in by Jesus Christ.
        This brings us to the final boundary: Read 17:30-31
B. Ultimately . . . Judgment !!!
      The human race as a whole is now at the edge of judgment. God the Father has already decided on a day of judgment to be carried out through Jesus Christ. Furthermore, God proved that Jesus is His Chosen One to rule and judge the world when He raised Him from the dead. Human history as we now know it will come to an end when Christ returns. That boundary is given as a primary motivation for human beings to repent, to turn from idols, from sin, from false religion, to the True and Living God.


Output: God's People are Responsible for Declaring God's Truth within God's Boundaries - Acts 17:17, 18b, 23b


Extra Credit - Characteristics of Paul's Response to Athens:
1. He was bothered by the idols, but did not lobby the Roman government to have them torn down or try to block their entrances.
2. He talked to everyone he could about Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the dead.
3. He corrected false ideas about God by declaring Biblical truth.
4. He understood the culture he was speaking to well enough to communicate the gospel in terms the people could understand.