Acts 27:40 So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach.
40 καὶ τὰς ἀγκύρας περιελόντες εἴων εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, ἅμα ἀνέντες τὰς ζευκτηρίας τῶν πηδαλίων καὶ ἐπάραντες τὸν ἀρτέμωνα τῇ πνεούσῃ κατεῖχον εἰς τὸν αἰγιαλόν.
This is a verse in the shipwreck narrative. Paul gave the sailors a little "told you so" and then watched as they resigned themselves to the destruction of their ship. Some tried to escape, but he explained the need for everyone to stay on the ship. The rest of the sailors agreed with him and they stayed on board. Then as their plight went on for a full fortnight they eventually realized that they had to just let the ship run aground.
I'm no sailor, but I would think that in general you would not just cut the anchors unless you had given up on ever using the ship the same way again. You would reel them in. But once you realize that your ship is lost then there is no need for an anchor.
I understand that the point of this text is not to teach us about being fully committed. However, as I read this today I was struck by the resignation of the sailors. They realized what was going on and they became intensely practical. I am reminded of the movie "The High and the Mighty" where the passengers had to get rid of all unnecessary weight so that the plane could make it through the rest of its flight. One woman kissed her fur coat goodbye before throwing it off the plane. But she still threw it off.
I am just struck by the intense practicality of the sailors. In a previous verse they had thrown all the wheat into the sea. There was no reason to hold on to all the stuff because it was unnecessary.
So what are you holding on to? Again, I would not preach this as an application to this text, but as I read it this morning this occurred to me. This blog is meant to be something of an online journal as I read through some text every day. I think my question is certainly biblical. How do you answer it?
Showing posts with label acts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label acts. Show all posts
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Working the System
Acts 25:11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar."
11 εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀδικῶ καὶ ἄξιον θανάτου πέπραχά τι, οὐ παραιτοῦμαι τὸ ἀποθανεῖν· εἰ δὲ οὐδέν ἐστιν ὧν οὗτοι κατηγοροῦσίν μου, οὐδείς με δύναται αὐτοῖς χαρίσασθαι· Καίσαρα ἐπικαλοῦμαι.
I admit that I am always looking for ways to work the system. It doesn't matter which specific system it is. I just want to squeeze out the most efficiency and benefit that I can. It may be a trip for work where I can find a way to do something else on the side. It may be something as simple as an errand where I realize that I can do something else besides what I originally meant to do. The point is that I always like to find a benefit, particularly when it does not cost me anything.
I believe that is what Paul was doing here. He wanted to go to Rome so he could preach the gospel there. He could have simply been acquitted of the false charges brought against him, but instead of doing that he worked the system of Roman law. As we'll see going forward, he had a very rough journey to Rome. He traveled as a prisoner and nearly died. But he realized that he could get Rome to pay for his passage to the city of Rome so that he could preach the gospel there.
The point of this is not so much about the value of working whatever system in which you happen to find yourself. The point is that we must be opportunistic about the gospel. Pay attention when you talk to people. Can you work the gospel in to the conversation in a non-forced way? Is there some way that you can get a platform to preach it? If so, take it. But you have to pay attention if you are going to seize these opportunities.
11 εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀδικῶ καὶ ἄξιον θανάτου πέπραχά τι, οὐ παραιτοῦμαι τὸ ἀποθανεῖν· εἰ δὲ οὐδέν ἐστιν ὧν οὗτοι κατηγοροῦσίν μου, οὐδείς με δύναται αὐτοῖς χαρίσασθαι· Καίσαρα ἐπικαλοῦμαι.
I admit that I am always looking for ways to work the system. It doesn't matter which specific system it is. I just want to squeeze out the most efficiency and benefit that I can. It may be a trip for work where I can find a way to do something else on the side. It may be something as simple as an errand where I realize that I can do something else besides what I originally meant to do. The point is that I always like to find a benefit, particularly when it does not cost me anything.
I believe that is what Paul was doing here. He wanted to go to Rome so he could preach the gospel there. He could have simply been acquitted of the false charges brought against him, but instead of doing that he worked the system of Roman law. As we'll see going forward, he had a very rough journey to Rome. He traveled as a prisoner and nearly died. But he realized that he could get Rome to pay for his passage to the city of Rome so that he could preach the gospel there.
The point of this is not so much about the value of working whatever system in which you happen to find yourself. The point is that we must be opportunistic about the gospel. Pay attention when you talk to people. Can you work the gospel in to the conversation in a non-forced way? Is there some way that you can get a platform to preach it? If so, take it. But you have to pay attention if you are going to seize these opportunities.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
By Any Means Necessary
Acts 24:26 At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him.
26 ἅμα καὶ ἐλπίζων ὅτι χρήματα δοθήσεται αὐτῷ ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου· διὸ καὶ πυκνότερον αὐτὸν μεταπεμπόμενος ὡμίλει αὐτῷ.
The "he" in this verse is Felix. He had Paul imprisoned and this is what he did with Paul during that time. He had selfish motives, but he still talked often with Paul. What do you think Paul talked to him about?
I suppose that Paul probably made small talk with him. They probably were able to talk about current events and other mundane things. But I would be shocked if Paul did not regularly turn the conversation to the gospel. After all, Paul was all about the gospel. It didn't matter to him if Felix's motives were wrong, he was going to take every opportunity he had to preach the gospel.
Yesterday I was blessed to have a spiritual conversation with an unbelieving coworker. He is a theist, but just likes to dabble in various religions. I had a chance to talk to him about the uniqueness of Christianity, the historicity of the resurrection account, and various other matters. He hardly bowed his knee in repentance at that time, but I think it was a good chance for me to sow seeds.
I am not very good at bringing conversations to the gospel, but when a good opportunity does arise I try never to shy away. That is something I can almost always make time for. How about you? Do you share the gospel when you have a chance? Do you look for those chances? If not, why?
26 ἅμα καὶ ἐλπίζων ὅτι χρήματα δοθήσεται αὐτῷ ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου· διὸ καὶ πυκνότερον αὐτὸν μεταπεμπόμενος ὡμίλει αὐτῷ.
The "he" in this verse is Felix. He had Paul imprisoned and this is what he did with Paul during that time. He had selfish motives, but he still talked often with Paul. What do you think Paul talked to him about?
I suppose that Paul probably made small talk with him. They probably were able to talk about current events and other mundane things. But I would be shocked if Paul did not regularly turn the conversation to the gospel. After all, Paul was all about the gospel. It didn't matter to him if Felix's motives were wrong, he was going to take every opportunity he had to preach the gospel.
Yesterday I was blessed to have a spiritual conversation with an unbelieving coworker. He is a theist, but just likes to dabble in various religions. I had a chance to talk to him about the uniqueness of Christianity, the historicity of the resurrection account, and various other matters. He hardly bowed his knee in repentance at that time, but I think it was a good chance for me to sow seeds.
I am not very good at bringing conversations to the gospel, but when a good opportunity does arise I try never to shy away. That is something I can almost always make time for. How about you? Do you share the gospel when you have a chance? Do you look for those chances? If not, why?
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Good Infamy
Acts 19:15 But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?"
15 ἀποκριθὲν δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ πονηρὸν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τὸν [μὲν] Ἰησοῦν γινώσκω καὶ τὸν Παῦλον ἐπίσταμαι, ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνες ἐστέ;
I have pretty much always read this passage the same as Matt Chandler's take on it.That is well-worth 2 and a half minutes of your life to watch as he unpacks this quite well. I too have been fascinated by this brief dialog. The evil spirit actually speaks to these itinerant Jewish exorcists with this great line. They acknowledge the power of Christ (they kind of have to) and they of course know about the problems Paul caused them, but they had no idea about these guys.
Why is that? Well, part of the problem is that they were Jewish and not Christian. They did not have the Holy Spirit so they were really no threat at all to these demons. Why should the demons listen to them? I am sometimes reminded of a scene from one of my favorite vampire movies where the vampire tells a terrified Peter Vincent, "You have to have faith for that to work, Mr. Vincent."
In other words, these men had no power because they did not really believe. They just wanted to ride the coattails of what they saw happening in Jesus' name. They wanted the effects without the cost of discipleship. That should sound familiar to anyone paying attention to the American evangelical scene.
What it tells me is that I want to be known among the evil spirits. I want to be doing enough for the kingdom that at least I'm someone that they recognize. Of course, whether they do or not I still have the Holy Spirit indwelling me. But the point is that I would not want to be a complete nobody to them. I don't want to leave the fight bloodied and naked either. Basically, I want the name of Christ to be glorified in me.
How about you? If you were one of these men would any evil spirits know anything about you? I'm not talking about doing spectacular miracles in the name of Christ, but just for the work you do for the kingdom of God which will naturally oppose the kingdom of Satan. What are you doing to advance the kingdom?
15 ἀποκριθὲν δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ πονηρὸν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τὸν [μὲν] Ἰησοῦν γινώσκω καὶ τὸν Παῦλον ἐπίσταμαι, ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνες ἐστέ;
I have pretty much always read this passage the same as Matt Chandler's take on it.That is well-worth 2 and a half minutes of your life to watch as he unpacks this quite well. I too have been fascinated by this brief dialog. The evil spirit actually speaks to these itinerant Jewish exorcists with this great line. They acknowledge the power of Christ (they kind of have to) and they of course know about the problems Paul caused them, but they had no idea about these guys.
Why is that? Well, part of the problem is that they were Jewish and not Christian. They did not have the Holy Spirit so they were really no threat at all to these demons. Why should the demons listen to them? I am sometimes reminded of a scene from one of my favorite vampire movies where the vampire tells a terrified Peter Vincent, "You have to have faith for that to work, Mr. Vincent."
In other words, these men had no power because they did not really believe. They just wanted to ride the coattails of what they saw happening in Jesus' name. They wanted the effects without the cost of discipleship. That should sound familiar to anyone paying attention to the American evangelical scene.
What it tells me is that I want to be known among the evil spirits. I want to be doing enough for the kingdom that at least I'm someone that they recognize. Of course, whether they do or not I still have the Holy Spirit indwelling me. But the point is that I would not want to be a complete nobody to them. I don't want to leave the fight bloodied and naked either. Basically, I want the name of Christ to be glorified in me.
How about you? If you were one of these men would any evil spirits know anything about you? I'm not talking about doing spectacular miracles in the name of Christ, but just for the work you do for the kingdom of God which will naturally oppose the kingdom of Satan. What are you doing to advance the kingdom?
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Leading Churches
Acts 14:23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting cthey committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
23 χειροτονήσαντες δὲ αὐτοῖς κατ᾽ ἐκκλησίαν πρεσβυτέρους, προσευξάμενοι μετὰ νηστειῶν παρέθεντο αὐτοὺς τῷ κυρίῳ εἰς ὃν πεπιστεύκεισαν.
One of the problems I have with blogging through Acts is that I am not always struck by devotional moments to write about. But even when I don't have one of those I can speak to what I believe is a strong doctrinal matter.
There is of course disagreement about whether Acts should be read descriptively, prescriptively, or both. The more strongly charismatic see Acts as being both throughout. Of course, we can debate the matters of the sign gifts like prophecy and tongues. However, I think that this passage pretty clearly shows us how Paul meant for church leadership to work.
He appointed πρεσβυτέρους at the churches. Note that this is plural. He did not appoint pastors to be kings at the churches like bishops. He appointed multiple elders at the churches.
What does this mean? We should follow his model. We do not want to go down the road of the pastor as the king. Instead, we want to follow with having a plurality of elders to run the churches. For more information, this is a great resource.
He appointed πρεσβυτέρους at the churches. Note that this is plural. He did not appoint pastors to be kings at the churches like bishops. He appointed multiple elders at the churches.
What does this mean? We should follow his model. We do not want to go down the road of the pastor as the king. Instead, we want to follow with having a plurality of elders to run the churches. For more information, this is a great resource.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Calling it Straight
Acts 13:10 and said, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
10 εἶπεν· ὦ πλήρης παντὸς δόλου καὶ πάσης ῥᾳδιουργίας, υἱὲ διαβόλου, ἐχθρὲ πάσης δικαιοσύνης, οὐ παύσῃ διαστρέφων τὰς ὁδοὺς [τοῦ] κυρίου τὰς εὐθείας;
This was Paul's statement to Elymas the magician who was trying to thwart the message of the gospel as told by Paul and Barnabas. I think it's pretty strong to call someone ἐχθρὲ πάσης δικαιοσύνης. Obviously Paul is engaging in hyperbole here. Or is he?
The point is that the gospel is righteousness. There is no righteousness apart from the gospel. Therefore, by definition, if you oppose the gospel you are ἐχθρὲ πάσης δικαιοσύνης. This is pretty serious business.
The implication of this in our culture is pretty staggering. Take someone like Oprah, for example. She's a pretty good gal by the world's standards. She gives all kinds of high-end stuff away once a year on her show. She does what she can to help what she considers to be good causes. She tries to help people feel better about themselves.
Oops. Right there she is opposing the gospel by preaching a message of self-help rather than Christ-help. You don't have to watch much Oprah to see that she is drawing people away from the gospel and to themselves. Hence, I would put her in the same boat as Elymas here.
It's easy to pick on Oprah and she has almost become a trite example for illustrations like this. My point is just to exhort everyone to think through the messages that we hear. Let's be discerning about them. Are they for the gospel or are they opposed to it? Some may be obviously opposed like the difference between Islam and Christianity. Others are more subtle like the self-help messages of Oprah. Either way, we need to know our Bibles if we are to be discerning about this.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Freedom
Acts 10:13 And there came a voice to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."
13 καὶ ἐγένετο φωνὴ πρὸς αὐτόν· ἀναστάς, Πέτρε, θῦσον καὶ φάγε.
This is another one of those verses that make little sense to us in our 21st century mostly Gentile context. Here Peter had received a vision telling him that he not only could, but should go out and eat any animal. Of course, in Peter's inimitable style he rebukes the Lord and is subsequently corrected. I find it fascinating that he is given two imperatives to θῦσον καὶ φάγε. This is not a suggestion.
This is not to say that eating vegetables is sinful. The context for all of this is the strict dietary laws that the Jews received from the Lord. As a good Jew Peter never would have eaten anything considered unclean. Here he is not only given permission to, but he is being told to. This ultimately leads to his interaction with Cornelius, who becomes the first recorded Gentile convert.
I think that the point is that the Lord is forcing Peter out of where he is comfortable. He is very clearly telling him that the old rules no longer apply. There is freedom in Christ for everybody. Go and do the unthinkable -- eat a ham sandwich. Go and do the unthinkable -- tell a Gentile about Christ.
So on the surface this verse is a great argument against some of the crazy PETA folks. While there may be health reasons not to eat meat I don't think that there are any good moral reasons. But even beyond the joys of pork this verse is part of a passage that explains how Christ must be preached to everyone -- even to those we find to be unclean.
13 καὶ ἐγένετο φωνὴ πρὸς αὐτόν· ἀναστάς, Πέτρε, θῦσον καὶ φάγε.
This is another one of those verses that make little sense to us in our 21st century mostly Gentile context. Here Peter had received a vision telling him that he not only could, but should go out and eat any animal. Of course, in Peter's inimitable style he rebukes the Lord and is subsequently corrected. I find it fascinating that he is given two imperatives to θῦσον καὶ φάγε. This is not a suggestion.
This is not to say that eating vegetables is sinful. The context for all of this is the strict dietary laws that the Jews received from the Lord. As a good Jew Peter never would have eaten anything considered unclean. Here he is not only given permission to, but he is being told to. This ultimately leads to his interaction with Cornelius, who becomes the first recorded Gentile convert.
I think that the point is that the Lord is forcing Peter out of where he is comfortable. He is very clearly telling him that the old rules no longer apply. There is freedom in Christ for everybody. Go and do the unthinkable -- eat a ham sandwich. Go and do the unthinkable -- tell a Gentile about Christ.
So on the surface this verse is a great argument against some of the crazy PETA folks. While there may be health reasons not to eat meat I don't think that there are any good moral reasons. But even beyond the joys of pork this verse is part of a passage that explains how Christ must be preached to everyone -- even to those we find to be unclean.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Earning Credibility
Acts 9:28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.
28 καὶ ἦν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν εἰσπορευόμενος καὶ ἐκπορευόμενος εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ, παρρησιαζόμενος ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου,
Paul had a pretty rough time fitting in with the disciples at first. After all, he actively persecuted them and did everything he could to stop the church. After his conversion he was as excited about helping the church as he previously was to persecute it. The problem is, the church wasn't sure what to make of him.
I don't think that we can blame them for this. In fact, it seems wise to have a season of watching before completely trusting someone. Anyone can call himself a Christian. How does he live? What does he say? Is there any evidence in his life of God's work? Or is he simply one in name only?
Paul did prove himself. He had Barnabas' endorsement, which was obviously very important. After this verse we learn that he debated with the Hellenists, who were the Greek-speaking Jews. It soon became clear to the church that he was for real. I suppose he could have done a big double agent turnaround, but of course he really was converted. The church eventually trusted him.
I think that there is a lesson in this for us as members of churches. We should probably not be too quick to give anyone any kind of teaching authority. Someone's current passion does not always translate into long-term consistency. Just as an elder should not be a recent convert I think that anyone who teaches or has any kind of authority in the church should go through something of a vetting period. That will not prevent every problem, but it will certainly eliminate many problems before they start.
28 καὶ ἦν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν εἰσπορευόμενος καὶ ἐκπορευόμενος εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ, παρρησιαζόμενος ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου,
Paul had a pretty rough time fitting in with the disciples at first. After all, he actively persecuted them and did everything he could to stop the church. After his conversion he was as excited about helping the church as he previously was to persecute it. The problem is, the church wasn't sure what to make of him.
I don't think that we can blame them for this. In fact, it seems wise to have a season of watching before completely trusting someone. Anyone can call himself a Christian. How does he live? What does he say? Is there any evidence in his life of God's work? Or is he simply one in name only?
Paul did prove himself. He had Barnabas' endorsement, which was obviously very important. After this verse we learn that he debated with the Hellenists, who were the Greek-speaking Jews. It soon became clear to the church that he was for real. I suppose he could have done a big double agent turnaround, but of course he really was converted. The church eventually trusted him.
I think that there is a lesson in this for us as members of churches. We should probably not be too quick to give anyone any kind of teaching authority. Someone's current passion does not always translate into long-term consistency. Just as an elder should not be a recent convert I think that anyone who teaches or has any kind of authority in the church should go through something of a vetting period. That will not prevent every problem, but it will certainly eliminate many problems before they start.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Active Faith
Acts 9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
17 Ἀπῆλθεν δὲ Ἁνανίας καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ ἐπιθεὶς ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν τὰς χεῖρας εἶπεν· Σαοὺλ ἀδελφέ, ὁ κύριος ἀπέσταλκέν με, Ἰησοῦς ὁ ὀφθείς σοι ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ᾗ ἤρχου, ὅπως ἀναβλέψῃς καὶ πλησθῇς πνεύματος ἁγίου.
This is the result of a little argument that Ananias had with the Lord. He rightfully pointed out that Saul was the man who was persecuting the church. He was having folks arrested and killed. And here God wanted him to go and lay hands on him? He was more afraid of Saul laying hands on him to arrest him. This was a completely legitimate fear.
I think in modern terms this would be like receiving a revelation that you should go stand on a street corner in Jakarta and preach with a Bible in your hand. Or maybe in Mecca or Medina in Saudi Arabia. I guarantee that you would not do it for very long before you were arrested. You may or may not be killed, but it would go very badly for you. Ananias knew all about Saul and was afraid for good reason.
But here we see that Ananias obeyed. The lesson here is extremely simple. Do you trust God to be faithful to His promises? If so, then you will obey Him. If it were me, I don't think I would trust a vision I received in a dream to do something like this. However, I do know that God's Word is faithful and true. There is plenty in there for me to obey without having to be shot for preaching the gospel on a street corner in Jakarta.
Our problem is that we tend to confuse temporal and eternal blessings. There is nothing in the Bible that promises us a safe and quiet life. What we do have are lots of promises for eternal security in Christ. That needs to be our hope, not some watered-down prosperity message.
This is really convicting to me. How about you? Anyone reading this who is about to take his family to Liberia is exempted from answering.
17 Ἀπῆλθεν δὲ Ἁνανίας καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ ἐπιθεὶς ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν τὰς χεῖρας εἶπεν· Σαοὺλ ἀδελφέ, ὁ κύριος ἀπέσταλκέν με, Ἰησοῦς ὁ ὀφθείς σοι ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ᾗ ἤρχου, ὅπως ἀναβλέψῃς καὶ πλησθῇς πνεύματος ἁγίου.
This is the result of a little argument that Ananias had with the Lord. He rightfully pointed out that Saul was the man who was persecuting the church. He was having folks arrested and killed. And here God wanted him to go and lay hands on him? He was more afraid of Saul laying hands on him to arrest him. This was a completely legitimate fear.
I think in modern terms this would be like receiving a revelation that you should go stand on a street corner in Jakarta and preach with a Bible in your hand. Or maybe in Mecca or Medina in Saudi Arabia. I guarantee that you would not do it for very long before you were arrested. You may or may not be killed, but it would go very badly for you. Ananias knew all about Saul and was afraid for good reason.
But here we see that Ananias obeyed. The lesson here is extremely simple. Do you trust God to be faithful to His promises? If so, then you will obey Him. If it were me, I don't think I would trust a vision I received in a dream to do something like this. However, I do know that God's Word is faithful and true. There is plenty in there for me to obey without having to be shot for preaching the gospel on a street corner in Jakarta.
Our problem is that we tend to confuse temporal and eternal blessings. There is nothing in the Bible that promises us a safe and quiet life. What we do have are lots of promises for eternal security in Christ. That needs to be our hope, not some watered-down prosperity message.
This is really convicting to me. How about you? Anyone reading this who is about to take his family to Liberia is exempted from answering.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
True Forgiveness
Acts 7:60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
60 θεὶς δὲ τὰ γόνατα ἔκραξεν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ· κύριε, μὴ στήσῃς αὐτοῖς ταύτην τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐκοιμήθη.
This is the end of Stephen. We meet him in Acts 6 and by the end of Acts 7 he is dead. He lived to preach a very powerful sermon against the Jews regarding Christ. He explained through their history how things were leading up to Christ and then how they had rejected the prophets. Apparently they didn't take too kindly to being called stiff-necked and being associated with killing the prophets. The truth does hurt.
This is how Stephen reacted. He called out in a φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, which literally is a "great voice" or a "large voice." In other words, he was yelling. He addresses the Lord with the vocative case and says κύριε, μὴ στήσῃς. It's interesting to me that this is a subjunctive (a prohibitive subjunctive according to Wallace) rather than an imperative. That is a known usage of the subjunctive when giving a negative command, which is what Stephen was doing here. In other words, there is nothing particularly insightful to glean from the Greek compared to the ESV.
What is insightful to me is the grace that Stephen showed with his last breath. You don't have to look very far in Foxe's Book of Martyrs to find examples of men who used their last breath to forgive their executioners. I suspect that many a martyr died with this passage on his mind. Stephen shows us how to die here.
More importantly, he shows us how to live. Here was a man who could have cursed the men stoning him and I don't think that we would think too badly of him. We would know what he should have done, but we would put ourselves in his sandals and realize that we would likely do no better and therefore cut him some slack. But we don't have to because he did the right thing right up to the end. He demonstrated grace. He loved those who were persecuting him. In other words, he lived like he really believed that Jesus' commands were binding.
Do we do that? How do we treat those who curse us? Do we bless or curse them? Do we petition the Lord for their pardon because of their ignorance? Or do we start finding imprecatory psalms to pray against them? Stephen's story leaves us without excuse in how we go out this in our lives.
60 θεὶς δὲ τὰ γόνατα ἔκραξεν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ· κύριε, μὴ στήσῃς αὐτοῖς ταύτην τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐκοιμήθη.
This is the end of Stephen. We meet him in Acts 6 and by the end of Acts 7 he is dead. He lived to preach a very powerful sermon against the Jews regarding Christ. He explained through their history how things were leading up to Christ and then how they had rejected the prophets. Apparently they didn't take too kindly to being called stiff-necked and being associated with killing the prophets. The truth does hurt.
This is how Stephen reacted. He called out in a φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, which literally is a "great voice" or a "large voice." In other words, he was yelling. He addresses the Lord with the vocative case and says κύριε, μὴ στήσῃς. It's interesting to me that this is a subjunctive (a prohibitive subjunctive according to Wallace) rather than an imperative. That is a known usage of the subjunctive when giving a negative command, which is what Stephen was doing here. In other words, there is nothing particularly insightful to glean from the Greek compared to the ESV.
What is insightful to me is the grace that Stephen showed with his last breath. You don't have to look very far in Foxe's Book of Martyrs to find examples of men who used their last breath to forgive their executioners. I suspect that many a martyr died with this passage on his mind. Stephen shows us how to die here.
More importantly, he shows us how to live. Here was a man who could have cursed the men stoning him and I don't think that we would think too badly of him. We would know what he should have done, but we would put ourselves in his sandals and realize that we would likely do no better and therefore cut him some slack. But we don't have to because he did the right thing right up to the end. He demonstrated grace. He loved those who were persecuting him. In other words, he lived like he really believed that Jesus' commands were binding.
Do we do that? How do we treat those who curse us? Do we bless or curse them? Do we petition the Lord for their pardon because of their ignorance? Or do we start finding imprecatory psalms to pray against them? Stephen's story leaves us without excuse in how we go out this in our lives.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Can't Stop This
Acts 5:39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!" So they took his advice,
39 εἰ δὲ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐστιν, οὐ δυνήσεσθε καταλῦσαι αὐτούς, μήποτε καὶ θεομάχοι εὑρεθῆτε. ἐπείσθησαν δὲ αὐτῷ
This was Gamaliel's conclusion about the movement of these uneducated men. They were preaching a message about Messiah. However, there were others who had come and gone before them. Gamaliel figured that there were two possible outcomes from this. The movement could completely fizzle or it could actually be from God. He wisely reasoned that if it was from God then they would not be able to stop them. Of course, we know that it was indeed from God. We don't know if Gamaliel repented and believed, but I have to wonder if he remembered these words as the Way gained traction.
What I do know is that these are wise words, but we need to be careful in how we look at them. Some have a saying that we should never curse what God is blessing. The question is how you can tell if it is God who is doing the blessing. Is God blessing Lakewood Church in Houston? It's huge, but is God necessarily blessing it? Some think that it is obvious that He is, but I'm not so sure.
Of course, philosophically God is behind everything. So in that respect, God is making them grow. But the Third Reich also grew. Does that mean God blessed them? I don't think so. (note: I am absolutely not comparing Lakewood Church to the Third Reich, but I wanted an extreme example) The point is that we cannot simply use numbers as a barometer for God's blessings.
The question we need to ask is whether the gospel is spreading. Are disciples being made? Is the church/movement/whatever advancing the cause of the Kingdom? That's what we need to look at when we make these kinds of evaluations. I think folks would do well to use these sorts of standards before they criticize someone like Mark Driscoll, for example.
Whether we like the style or methods, we can be sure that if it is of God then it cannot be stopped. Christ is ruling on His throne in heaven and has a handle on what goes on down here. No matter what, we are not going to stop Him.
39 εἰ δὲ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐστιν, οὐ δυνήσεσθε καταλῦσαι αὐτούς, μήποτε καὶ θεομάχοι εὑρεθῆτε. ἐπείσθησαν δὲ αὐτῷ
This was Gamaliel's conclusion about the movement of these uneducated men. They were preaching a message about Messiah. However, there were others who had come and gone before them. Gamaliel figured that there were two possible outcomes from this. The movement could completely fizzle or it could actually be from God. He wisely reasoned that if it was from God then they would not be able to stop them. Of course, we know that it was indeed from God. We don't know if Gamaliel repented and believed, but I have to wonder if he remembered these words as the Way gained traction.
What I do know is that these are wise words, but we need to be careful in how we look at them. Some have a saying that we should never curse what God is blessing. The question is how you can tell if it is God who is doing the blessing. Is God blessing Lakewood Church in Houston? It's huge, but is God necessarily blessing it? Some think that it is obvious that He is, but I'm not so sure.
Of course, philosophically God is behind everything. So in that respect, God is making them grow. But the Third Reich also grew. Does that mean God blessed them? I don't think so. (note: I am absolutely not comparing Lakewood Church to the Third Reich, but I wanted an extreme example) The point is that we cannot simply use numbers as a barometer for God's blessings.
The question we need to ask is whether the gospel is spreading. Are disciples being made? Is the church/movement/whatever advancing the cause of the Kingdom? That's what we need to look at when we make these kinds of evaluations. I think folks would do well to use these sorts of standards before they criticize someone like Mark Driscoll, for example.
Whether we like the style or methods, we can be sure that if it is of God then it cannot be stopped. Christ is ruling on His throne in heaven and has a handle on what goes on down here. No matter what, we are not going to stop Him.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
The First Megachurch?
Acts 2:46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
46 καθ᾽ ἡμέραν τε προσκαρτεροῦντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, κλῶντές τε κατ᾽ οἶκον ἄρτον, μετελάμβανον τροφῆς ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει καὶ ἀφελότητι καρδίας
Just a few verses before we saw that three thousand people were saved on Pentecost. I've heard some jokingly say that it was the first megachurch. After all, they suddenly had 3000 Christians gathered together. It seems plausible enough.
However, this verse turns that idea on its head, not to mention the testimony of the rest of the New Testament. Although there were 3000 new converts they did not gather together as 3000. The temple was big, but it certainly was not that big. What we see here is that they did indeed meet together, but most of the ministry was done at home. They had smaller pockets where they broke bread.
I am not about to go all Frank Viola on this. However, I do think that the consistent model of Acts is to have smaller churches. Some may say that it was only because they were poor, marginalized, and did not have any way to build Six Flags Over Jesus as so many folks enjoy each weekend. I would say that it was because smaller bodies were the only way for them to truly serve each other.
This is why I'm both excited and terrified about our church plant. I'm excited because I think that we're moving toward the New Testament model of the church. I'm terrified because there is nowhere to hide. It's not that I necessarily have anything to hide, but there is a certain comfort in having an out, as it were. I suspect I'm not the only megachurch attendee who feels that way. However, that is American Churchianity talking and not Christianity.
46 καθ᾽ ἡμέραν τε προσκαρτεροῦντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, κλῶντές τε κατ᾽ οἶκον ἄρτον, μετελάμβανον τροφῆς ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει καὶ ἀφελότητι καρδίας
Just a few verses before we saw that three thousand people were saved on Pentecost. I've heard some jokingly say that it was the first megachurch. After all, they suddenly had 3000 Christians gathered together. It seems plausible enough.
However, this verse turns that idea on its head, not to mention the testimony of the rest of the New Testament. Although there were 3000 new converts they did not gather together as 3000. The temple was big, but it certainly was not that big. What we see here is that they did indeed meet together, but most of the ministry was done at home. They had smaller pockets where they broke bread.
I am not about to go all Frank Viola on this. However, I do think that the consistent model of Acts is to have smaller churches. Some may say that it was only because they were poor, marginalized, and did not have any way to build Six Flags Over Jesus as so many folks enjoy each weekend. I would say that it was because smaller bodies were the only way for them to truly serve each other.
This is why I'm both excited and terrified about our church plant. I'm excited because I think that we're moving toward the New Testament model of the church. I'm terrified because there is nowhere to hide. It's not that I necessarily have anything to hide, but there is a certain comfort in having an out, as it were. I suspect I'm not the only megachurch attendee who feels that way. However, that is American Churchianity talking and not Christianity.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The Hope of Israel
Acts 28:20 For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain."
20 διὰ ταύτην οὖν τὴν αἰτίαν παρεκάλεσα ὑμᾶς ἰδεῖν καὶ προσλαλῆσαι, ἕνεκεν γὰρ τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τὴν ἅλυσιν ταύτην περίκειμαι.
This is Paul's address to the Jews in Rome. He got there on Caesar's dime and then stayed at his own expense. It astounds me that he was voluntarily imprisoned so that he could preach the gospel. This is how Paul operated. Everything was about the gospel to him.
He was all about τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ. What is this hope? It is Jesus. He is the hope for Israel and for the world. Apart from Him there is no hope. But with Him we have a genuine hope. It is not the hope of the fan who hopes that his team will win the championship. This is a hope that we can be sure of. Jesus is real and He is coming back. That fact anchors our hope.
Is that your hope? If not, what is your hope? What gets you through the day? What gets you through the trials? I take great comfort knowing that the God of the universe who created everything cares about me. I have a relationship with Him that I certainly do not deserve. What about you?
20 διὰ ταύτην οὖν τὴν αἰτίαν παρεκάλεσα ὑμᾶς ἰδεῖν καὶ προσλαλῆσαι, ἕνεκεν γὰρ τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τὴν ἅλυσιν ταύτην περίκειμαι.
This is Paul's address to the Jews in Rome. He got there on Caesar's dime and then stayed at his own expense. It astounds me that he was voluntarily imprisoned so that he could preach the gospel. This is how Paul operated. Everything was about the gospel to him.
He was all about τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ. What is this hope? It is Jesus. He is the hope for Israel and for the world. Apart from Him there is no hope. But with Him we have a genuine hope. It is not the hope of the fan who hopes that his team will win the championship. This is a hope that we can be sure of. Jesus is real and He is coming back. That fact anchors our hope.
Is that your hope? If not, what is your hope? What gets you through the day? What gets you through the trials? I take great comfort knowing that the God of the universe who created everything cares about me. I have a relationship with Him that I certainly do not deserve. What about you?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Working the Room
Acts 23:6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial."
6 Γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ὅτι τὸ ἓν μέρος ἐστὶν Σαδδουκαίων τὸ δὲ ἕτερον Φαρισαίων ἔκραζεν ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ· ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ Φαρισαῖός εἰμι, υἱὸς Φαρισαίων, περὶ ἐλπίδος καὶ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν [ἐγὼ] κρίνομαι
I've always liked this verse. Paul was standing before the Sanhedrin, which was like the Supreme Court of the Jews. Paul's whole mission was to evangelize. We know from Galatians that he was specifically called to evangelize to the Gentiles, but he still had a heart for his people. He preached the gospel to them every chance he got.
What I like about this passage is that it shows how Paul remained shrewd in his dealings. We will see later how he appeals to Caesar so that he can get a free trip to Rome. Paul was aware of what was going on around him and he used things to his advantage.
I do not think that this means we should be trying to "work the system" every chance we get. However, I do think that it means that we need to be aware of the conditions in which we find ourselves. We need to know the rules of the game and operate within them. The danger is that we would do this for personal gain. Paul did it for the sake of the gospel. He knew that this statement would put the Pharisees on his side because the Pharisees and Sadducees hated each other more than they hated him. This gave him the opportunity he needed.
Let us be wise about spreading the gospel. God gives us many opportunities. Are we going to be wise enough to take them? The word here is that Paul Γνοὺς. Are we going to "come to know" or "recognize?"
6 Γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ὅτι τὸ ἓν μέρος ἐστὶν Σαδδουκαίων τὸ δὲ ἕτερον Φαρισαίων ἔκραζεν ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ· ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ Φαρισαῖός εἰμι, υἱὸς Φαρισαίων, περὶ ἐλπίδος καὶ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν [ἐγὼ] κρίνομαι
I've always liked this verse. Paul was standing before the Sanhedrin, which was like the Supreme Court of the Jews. Paul's whole mission was to evangelize. We know from Galatians that he was specifically called to evangelize to the Gentiles, but he still had a heart for his people. He preached the gospel to them every chance he got.
What I like about this passage is that it shows how Paul remained shrewd in his dealings. We will see later how he appeals to Caesar so that he can get a free trip to Rome. Paul was aware of what was going on around him and he used things to his advantage.
I do not think that this means we should be trying to "work the system" every chance we get. However, I do think that it means that we need to be aware of the conditions in which we find ourselves. We need to know the rules of the game and operate within them. The danger is that we would do this for personal gain. Paul did it for the sake of the gospel. He knew that this statement would put the Pharisees on his side because the Pharisees and Sadducees hated each other more than they hated him. This gave him the opportunity he needed.
Let us be wise about spreading the gospel. God gives us many opportunities. Are we going to be wise enough to take them? The word here is that Paul Γνοὺς. Are we going to "come to know" or "recognize?"
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Reaching the World
Acts 22:21 And he said to me, 'Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" 22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live."
21 καὶ εἶπεν πρός με· πορεύου, ὅτι ἐγὼ εἰς ἔθνη μακρὰν ἐξαποστελῶ σε. 22 Ἤκουον δὲ αὐτοῦ ἄχρι τούτου τοῦ λόγου καὶ ἐπῆραν τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῶν λέγοντες· αἶρε ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τὸν τοιοῦτον, οὐ γὰρ καθῆκεν αὐτὸν ζῆν.
This is one of those passages that is initially difficult for us to relate to in our cultural context. What is the big deal with Paul going to the Gentiles? You would think this to be much more serious if you had spent your whole life being separate from those people who were considered "unclean." The idea of God coming to the Gentiles was pretty much unthinkable for the Jews. It certainly was for Paul before Christ saved him. And here he is telling the story of his commission. Their reaction was to say αἶρε ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τὸν τοιοῦτον. They used αἶρε, which is an imperative. They weren't kidding about this.
This may be over-spiritualizing a bit, but I think that this does have application for our day. We all have folks to whom we don't want to preach the message. A Korean reading this may have trouble preaching the gospel to someone who is Japanese. An older southern African-American may have trouble preaching the gospel to an older white man. A widow from the 9/11 terrorist attacks would have a hard time preaching the gospel to a Muslim. And so on. To whom do you struggle with preaching the gospel? Is there a people group you deem unworthy of God's grace?
This passage shows us that God truly does love the world. His gospel is meant for everyone. He uses means to spread it. Are you going to be part of that?
21 καὶ εἶπεν πρός με· πορεύου, ὅτι ἐγὼ εἰς ἔθνη μακρὰν ἐξαποστελῶ σε. 22 Ἤκουον δὲ αὐτοῦ ἄχρι τούτου τοῦ λόγου καὶ ἐπῆραν τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῶν λέγοντες· αἶρε ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τὸν τοιοῦτον, οὐ γὰρ καθῆκεν αὐτὸν ζῆν.
This is one of those passages that is initially difficult for us to relate to in our cultural context. What is the big deal with Paul going to the Gentiles? You would think this to be much more serious if you had spent your whole life being separate from those people who were considered "unclean." The idea of God coming to the Gentiles was pretty much unthinkable for the Jews. It certainly was for Paul before Christ saved him. And here he is telling the story of his commission. Their reaction was to say αἶρε ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τὸν τοιοῦτον. They used αἶρε, which is an imperative. They weren't kidding about this.
This may be over-spiritualizing a bit, but I think that this does have application for our day. We all have folks to whom we don't want to preach the message. A Korean reading this may have trouble preaching the gospel to someone who is Japanese. An older southern African-American may have trouble preaching the gospel to an older white man. A widow from the 9/11 terrorist attacks would have a hard time preaching the gospel to a Muslim. And so on. To whom do you struggle with preaching the gospel? Is there a people group you deem unworthy of God's grace?
This passage shows us that God truly does love the world. His gospel is meant for everyone. He uses means to spread it. Are you going to be part of that?
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Ready to Speak
Acts 21:39 Paul replied, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people." 40 And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:
39 εἶπεν δὲ ὁ Παῦλος· ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος μέν εἰμι Ἰουδαῖος, Ταρσεὺς τῆς Κιλικίας, οὐκ ἀσήμου πόλεως πολίτης· δέομαι δέ σου, ἐπίτρεψόν μοι λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν λαόν. 40 ἐπιτρέψαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ Παῦλος ἑστὼς ἐπὶ τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν κατέσεισεν τῇ χειρὶ τῷ λαῷ. πολλῆς δὲ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ λέγων·
I don't have anything particularly profound today. However, I do want to make note of one thing in this passage. Here Paul is getting ready to address the mob in Jerusalem. This is not a huge deal as Paul preached quite a bit. However, what amazes me is that he was just beaten. As far as I could tell, there is no significant lapse in time between the beating and this address that we'll deal with tomorrow.
How ready are you to preach the gospel? How ready am I? Could you roll out of bed and give a clear defense of the hope that is within you? Could you suffer a beating and then be ready to talk about Jesus? I would submit that you should be able to at some level if Jesus really is your Lord. If He's just an addition to your life then you probably won't be.
One small Greek note. I felt silly when I looked at the footnote for διαλέκτῳ. This is clearly the word from which we get the word "dialect." Duh.
39 εἶπεν δὲ ὁ Παῦλος· ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος μέν εἰμι Ἰουδαῖος, Ταρσεὺς τῆς Κιλικίας, οὐκ ἀσήμου πόλεως πολίτης· δέομαι δέ σου, ἐπίτρεψόν μοι λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν λαόν. 40 ἐπιτρέψαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ Παῦλος ἑστὼς ἐπὶ τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν κατέσεισεν τῇ χειρὶ τῷ λαῷ. πολλῆς δὲ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ λέγων·
I don't have anything particularly profound today. However, I do want to make note of one thing in this passage. Here Paul is getting ready to address the mob in Jerusalem. This is not a huge deal as Paul preached quite a bit. However, what amazes me is that he was just beaten. As far as I could tell, there is no significant lapse in time between the beating and this address that we'll deal with tomorrow.
How ready are you to preach the gospel? How ready am I? Could you roll out of bed and give a clear defense of the hope that is within you? Could you suffer a beating and then be ready to talk about Jesus? I would submit that you should be able to at some level if Jesus really is your Lord. If He's just an addition to your life then you probably won't be.
One small Greek note. I felt silly when I looked at the footnote for διαλέκτῳ. This is clearly the word from which we get the word "dialect." Duh.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Reality
Acts 20:25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.
25 Καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι οὐκέτι ὄψεσθε τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ὑμεῖς πάντες ἐν οἷς διῆλθον κηρύσσων τὴν βασιλείαν.
One of the things I've always loved about Paul is how he doesn't tend to sugarcoat things. He didn't live in a dream world of vain hopes. He lived in reality. Here he realized that he was never going to see these folks again. He knew that he was going to die from persecution one of these days and that he would not come back. There was no sense of a door being slightly open. He then took this opportunity to share the gospel.
This strikes me as contrasting with our typical way of viewing things. The when French-speaking folks separate they say "au revoir." This carries the idea of "until I see you again." In America we have the idiom "see you later," which is shortened to either "see ya" or "later." There is always the idea that we are going to encounter each other again.
I don't think that gospel ministry is like that. Frankly, there should be an assumption that you are never going to see this person again. One of you may die before there is a chance to talk again. It's probably less likely than seeing each other again, but it is possible. Where is the urgency in our sharing of the gospel?
If you're reading this and do not know Jesus please consider that today may be your last. I don't want to be in the business of scaring anyone away from hell because I don't think that works. However, I do want to be realistic about it. Our days are numbered. We are all going to die. The statistics bear it out very well. Therefore, we need to be ready to meet our Maker. Are you?
And if you know Jesus what is the urgency with which you share the gospel? I am ashamed of my own personal lack of urgency. How about you? I cannot say with quite such surety that ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι οὐκέτι (I, myself, know that none of you -- the ἐγὼ adds emphasis) will die before I have a chance to communicate with you again. I don't even know how many people have read this far. But I do know that it is my job to let you know that you are going to one day meet your Maker and you need to be ready for that encounter. Are you?
25 Καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι οὐκέτι ὄψεσθε τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ὑμεῖς πάντες ἐν οἷς διῆλθον κηρύσσων τὴν βασιλείαν.
One of the things I've always loved about Paul is how he doesn't tend to sugarcoat things. He didn't live in a dream world of vain hopes. He lived in reality. Here he realized that he was never going to see these folks again. He knew that he was going to die from persecution one of these days and that he would not come back. There was no sense of a door being slightly open. He then took this opportunity to share the gospel.
This strikes me as contrasting with our typical way of viewing things. The when French-speaking folks separate they say "au revoir." This carries the idea of "until I see you again." In America we have the idiom "see you later," which is shortened to either "see ya" or "later." There is always the idea that we are going to encounter each other again.
I don't think that gospel ministry is like that. Frankly, there should be an assumption that you are never going to see this person again. One of you may die before there is a chance to talk again. It's probably less likely than seeing each other again, but it is possible. Where is the urgency in our sharing of the gospel?
If you're reading this and do not know Jesus please consider that today may be your last. I don't want to be in the business of scaring anyone away from hell because I don't think that works. However, I do want to be realistic about it. Our days are numbered. We are all going to die. The statistics bear it out very well. Therefore, we need to be ready to meet our Maker. Are you?
And if you know Jesus what is the urgency with which you share the gospel? I am ashamed of my own personal lack of urgency. How about you? I cannot say with quite such surety that ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι οὐκέτι (I, myself, know that none of you -- the ἐγὼ adds emphasis) will die before I have a chance to communicate with you again. I don't even know how many people have read this far. But I do know that it is my job to let you know that you are going to one day meet your Maker and you need to be ready for that encounter. Are you?
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Damaging Trade
Acts 19:27 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship."
27 οὐ μόνον δὲ τοῦτο κινδυνεύει ἡμῖν τὸ μέρος εἰς ἀπελεγμὸν ἐλθεῖν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τῆς μεγάλης θεᾶς Ἀρτέμιδος ἱερὸν εἰς οὐθὲν λογισθῆναι, μέλλειν τε καὶ καθαιρεῖσθαι τῆς μεγαλειότητος αὐτῆς ἣν ὅλη ἡ Ἀσία καὶ ἡ οἰκουμένη σέβεται.
This is the end of a speech that Demetrius, a silversmith, makes to the people of Ephesus. He saw the writing on the wall with respect to the gospel. He understood that the message Paul preached would be bad for his business. Who needs to buy silver idols of Artemis when they can worship the true and living God?
I find it interesting that he only appeals to Artemis' honor at the end of his speech. If you read the whole passage in context you will see that he is very concerned about the loss of trade. He should be. He is after all a pagan and he is doing what pagans do. I can't fault him for that based on the values he had.
However, my fear is that we have the same mentality in the church. I highly recommend the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I think it is typical for us to filter decisions through our wallets. I know that I do. I'm thinking about going on for further schooling. Yet we are likely going to need to replace our home's air conditioner this year. The well is going to be pretty dry if we do that. How am I going to pay for more school if we don't have the money readily available? I don't know. This is a good test of my faith.
If you are a preacher consider how this affects your preaching. Are you going to challenge your people to get off their fat American backsides and sacrifice? Are you going to threaten the American way? I don't mean to do that for the sake of doing it, but to challenge them to put the cross of Christ front and center and leave everything else as secondary. Can you bring yourself to do that? Can you do that if you are working in a Baptist or otherwise independent church knowing that you are likely to offend a prominent family that supports a major part of your church's operating budget? I don't know if I could.
Demetrius is everywhere in a sense. He is in our churches. And he is in our hearts. Let's be sure not to let his pragmatism get in the way of the truth of the gospel.
27 οὐ μόνον δὲ τοῦτο κινδυνεύει ἡμῖν τὸ μέρος εἰς ἀπελεγμὸν ἐλθεῖν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τῆς μεγάλης θεᾶς Ἀρτέμιδος ἱερὸν εἰς οὐθὲν λογισθῆναι, μέλλειν τε καὶ καθαιρεῖσθαι τῆς μεγαλειότητος αὐτῆς ἣν ὅλη ἡ Ἀσία καὶ ἡ οἰκουμένη σέβεται.
This is the end of a speech that Demetrius, a silversmith, makes to the people of Ephesus. He saw the writing on the wall with respect to the gospel. He understood that the message Paul preached would be bad for his business. Who needs to buy silver idols of Artemis when they can worship the true and living God?
I find it interesting that he only appeals to Artemis' honor at the end of his speech. If you read the whole passage in context you will see that he is very concerned about the loss of trade. He should be. He is after all a pagan and he is doing what pagans do. I can't fault him for that based on the values he had.
However, my fear is that we have the same mentality in the church. I highly recommend the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I think it is typical for us to filter decisions through our wallets. I know that I do. I'm thinking about going on for further schooling. Yet we are likely going to need to replace our home's air conditioner this year. The well is going to be pretty dry if we do that. How am I going to pay for more school if we don't have the money readily available? I don't know. This is a good test of my faith.
If you are a preacher consider how this affects your preaching. Are you going to challenge your people to get off their fat American backsides and sacrifice? Are you going to threaten the American way? I don't mean to do that for the sake of doing it, but to challenge them to put the cross of Christ front and center and leave everything else as secondary. Can you bring yourself to do that? Can you do that if you are working in a Baptist or otherwise independent church knowing that you are likely to offend a prominent family that supports a major part of your church's operating budget? I don't know if I could.
Demetrius is everywhere in a sense. He is in our churches. And he is in our hearts. Let's be sure not to let his pragmatism get in the way of the truth of the gospel.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Being Known
Acts 19:15 But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?"
15 ἀποκριθὲν δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ πονηρὸν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τὸν [μὲν] Ἰησοῦν γινώσκω καὶ τὸν Παῦλον ἐπίσταμαι, ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνες ἐστέ;
Some Jewish exorcists thought that they could do what Paul did by invoking Jesus' name indirectly. They spoke of the Jesus that Paul preached. The evil spirit was not impressed by this and overpowered them.
This begs a question for us. Do you know Jesus or do you just know about Him? Do you know a Jesus that has been made for you either by things you've experienced or things you've thought? Or do you know the Jesus of Scripture? Is He a hippie in a pink dress or is He the King of Glory who will return in triumph to judge the world? One is cultural and one is biblical.
It is vital that we know Him. When He comes to judge the world you are going to want to know Him. He is either going to be your best friend who has come to take you home or He is going to be someone you don't know and you will be terrified of Him. I look forward to that day. Do you?
15 ἀποκριθὲν δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ πονηρὸν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τὸν [μὲν] Ἰησοῦν γινώσκω καὶ τὸν Παῦλον ἐπίσταμαι, ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνες ἐστέ;
Some Jewish exorcists thought that they could do what Paul did by invoking Jesus' name indirectly. They spoke of the Jesus that Paul preached. The evil spirit was not impressed by this and overpowered them.
This begs a question for us. Do you know Jesus or do you just know about Him? Do you know a Jesus that has been made for you either by things you've experienced or things you've thought? Or do you know the Jesus of Scripture? Is He a hippie in a pink dress or is He the King of Glory who will return in triumph to judge the world? One is cultural and one is biblical.
It is vital that we know Him. When He comes to judge the world you are going to want to know Him. He is either going to be your best friend who has come to take you home or He is going to be someone you don't know and you will be terrified of Him. I look forward to that day. Do you?
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Mocking and Listening
Acts 17:32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, "We will hear you again about this."
32 Ἀκούσαντες δὲ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν οἱ μὲν ἐχλεύαζον, οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· ἀκουσόμεθά σου περὶ τούτου καὶ πάλιν.
This is the final result of the sermon Paul preached at Mars Hill in Athens. Of course, much is made about this sermon these days. Some like to emphasize Paul's use of contextualization. He noted something about their culture and used it to share the gospel. There are two particularly famous Mars Hill churches in America, one emergent and one definitely not. Both are interested in reaching the culture, though I would maintain that the latter does it much more faithfully to Scripture.
I don't really want to discuss that though. I want to discuss this verse at the end. It's vital for us to understand this. Here we see how the people reacted to a sermon preached by Paul. This is the Paul that wrote half of the New Testament. He was a pretty good preacher, despite being the self-proclaimed "chief of sinners." And yet at the end his message was mocked by some and accepted by others. Literally this would be "on the one hand, there were mockers, but on the other hand some said..."
This greatly encourages me as I preach and teach. It may be through a formal preaching ministry or it may just be through this blog and conversations I have with people. Either way, I understand that I will be mocked. However, I must remember that it is the message that they mock, not me. It is my job to share the gospel faithfully. In other words, I must scatter seed. I cannot determine if it will grow. This is certainly liberating. This is what I take Mark Driscoll to mean when he exhorts faithful evangelism and then you should "sleep like a Calvinist."
32 Ἀκούσαντες δὲ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν οἱ μὲν ἐχλεύαζον, οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· ἀκουσόμεθά σου περὶ τούτου καὶ πάλιν.
This is the final result of the sermon Paul preached at Mars Hill in Athens. Of course, much is made about this sermon these days. Some like to emphasize Paul's use of contextualization. He noted something about their culture and used it to share the gospel. There are two particularly famous Mars Hill churches in America, one emergent and one definitely not. Both are interested in reaching the culture, though I would maintain that the latter does it much more faithfully to Scripture.
I don't really want to discuss that though. I want to discuss this verse at the end. It's vital for us to understand this. Here we see how the people reacted to a sermon preached by Paul. This is the Paul that wrote half of the New Testament. He was a pretty good preacher, despite being the self-proclaimed "chief of sinners." And yet at the end his message was mocked by some and accepted by others. Literally this would be "on the one hand, there were mockers, but on the other hand some said..."
This greatly encourages me as I preach and teach. It may be through a formal preaching ministry or it may just be through this blog and conversations I have with people. Either way, I understand that I will be mocked. However, I must remember that it is the message that they mock, not me. It is my job to share the gospel faithfully. In other words, I must scatter seed. I cannot determine if it will grow. This is certainly liberating. This is what I take Mark Driscoll to mean when he exhorts faithful evangelism and then you should "sleep like a Calvinist."
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