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Friday, August 26 Ephesians 4:1-16:
The scripture for today is Ephesians 4:1-16. This, of course, is a passage intensely familiar to me because I was required to do my major Greek paper on this passage when I was in seminary. But even though it is so very familiar, it has always remained exceedingly powerful to me.
Paul reminds the church that we are made one in Christ. We are to strive in all we are and do as God’s people to build a unified Church. Our task is to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (“shalom”), and we are to make every effort to do that.
But how is shalom and its resulting unity to be carried out by and in the church?
The gifts God gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. (4:11-13)
Paul here lists the key roles in the church – apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers. What is significant here, however, is that he lists them as “gifts”, not as “offices”. If these roles are “gifts” from God, then that means they are God’s means of grace to us – and those who play those roles have been graced by God and equipped by God to play those roles. On the other hand, if they had been “offices”, they are then sought by their occupant, defended once they are obtained, and held as the result of human accomplishment.
But why does God grace us with people chosen by God to act in the capacity of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers? So that they can equip everyone in the church to discover, live into and act out his or her “work of ministry”. If, then, everyone is carrying out his or her unique ministry in and through the church and to the world, and they are doing that – not as a bunch of individuals but as a community of relationality and faith – then the result will be that the body of Christ will be built up, unity in faith will occur, and we will all grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Thus, by conducting ministry consciously with this division of labor, we will all grow into “the full stature of Christ”!
Ephesians 6:10-20:
Today’s scripture is Ephesians 6:10-20, the famed metaphor of putting on the whole armor of God.. It begins with a particularly significant statement: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.” This statement reminds us that the power of Christians is derivative. That is, power belongs to the Lord. He is the One who has full capacity, ability and the willingness to act to transform the world. Both relational and unilateral power lie in him. In turn, he gives us the power we have; our task is to exercise that gift of power. If we see power as a gift rather than a right, that will make us respect it and appreciate it more. We will tend to use it wisely and more sensitively. And, because it is given us by God, we will perceive it as relational – and thus to be relationally exercised by us!
Paul then describes that power gifted to us by God in terms of battle gear – the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the word of God. What is intriguing is that Paul presents these in the order in which the Romans actually suited up for warfare. It is listed in the order in which their armor was put on. Except that, rather than being protected by armor, we Christians are protected by truth, righteousness, peace (“eirene” or “shalom”), faith salvation and scripture! The strange statement regarding the shield of faith – “which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one” – makes sense when one realizes that Roman shields were made of leather, not metal – and they were soaked in water before battle in order to snuff out flaming arrows. So the “shield of truth” was designed to stop onslaughts of fire projectiles as well as fired projectiles!
Finally, Paul states that he is “an ambassador in chains” (vs. 20), recognizing that an ambassador has full power to represent a king or government. So Paul is an authentic representative of “King Jesus”. The phrase, “ambassador in chains” is a pun, in that the seal of an ambassador in his day was a “chain of authority” that hung around the ambassador’s neck with a small “breastplate” medallion of the king (with his stamped likeness on it) at the center of the chain. Of course, the “chains” to which Paul refers in his case are the chains of imprisonment! The statement gives us a glimpse of Paul wryly chuckling even while awaiting Roman execution!
Philippians 4:4-9:
The scripture for today is Phil. 4:4-9. The word “eirene” (“peace”) is used twice in this passage that concludes the main portion of this letter.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. (4:4-9)
I know that Paul’s intentions here is to encourage and motivate the Philippine Christians. The context makes that pretty clear. But this list he has created of the characteristics of the full and complete Christian life is pretty formidable! Consider what he has said here. The Christian is:
· Joyous
· Gentle
· Not prone to worry
· A person of prayer, supplication and thanksgiving
· True
· Honorable
· Just
· Pure
· Pleasing, commendable and excellent
· An imitator of the best in one another.
This would be an overwhelming and thoroughly intimidating list if one did not cling to Paul’s doctrine of the grace of God. But this is the “prototype” Christian – an all-inclusive statement of how life is changed when one lives in Christ and in the community of faith. Although we will all fall short of this ideal in some say (including Paul), it is good for us to have such a standard by which we can measure ourselves.
The primary emphasis in this passage, however, is that the God that is shalom is always at work making us into children of shalom. Therefore, verse 7 acts as almost the benediction of the passage, a blessing placed upon us by Paul:
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:12-17:
Today’s scripture is Col. 3:12-17. This passage is a list of the virtues and the way of acting that Christians are to follow. There are a remarkable number of such lists in Paul’s writings. But if one keeps in mind that most of Paul’s converts to Christianity were both former pagans spiritually/theologically and were Gentiles culturally, they would bring to their Christianity no Jewish background to inform their actions and attitudes. In other words, they didn’t know how a Christian should act! They had no template nor experience either in Christian conduct or in the acting out of relationships either with each other or with non-Christians in the world. Therefore, Paul had a most complex task in nurturing his newly-converted pagans. He had to teach them how to act in a Christian manner. That is what he is seeking to do in Col. 3:12-17 and in other passages (e.g., yesterday's Phil. 4:4-9) in his letters.
How does Paul teach the Colossians to act in a Christian manner? He tells them that they are to act with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. They are to take on each other’s burdens and struggles. They are not to complain. They are to forgive each other. They are to be motivated with genuine, self-giving love for each other. They are to live out the words of Christ in their lives. They are to teach each other in the faith and worship God in gratitude. Finally, Paul summarizes his entire instruction in one sentence: “Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (3:17).
In the midst of this entire passage, Paul makes a profound comment about practicing the peace of God. He writes, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in this one body” (3:15). The Greek word here translated “rule” (brabeuo) doesn’t mean to regulate or govern or dictate. Rather, it was a technical sports term (that is, primarily used in athletic competitions) and meant “to referee”. Thus, Paul is using a sports metaphor that everyone would recognize, kind of like our saying “pick up the ball and run with it”, originally referring to responding to a fumble in football, but now meaning to quickly evaluate a situation, make an immediate decision and act upon it!
What Paul is saying, then, is that Christians should let Christ’s peace be a referee in their relationships with each other, settling disputes between them rather than seeking only to insist on your own point and/or to win (cf. I Cor. 13:5). It is a Christian community’s receptivity to the peace of Christ in their midst and between them that will maintain their brotherhood and sisterhood with each other, for it will create a community in which each person is more concerned about the good of each other rather than his or her own triumph. Consequently, this is a profound insight on the part of Paul.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11:
Today’s scripture is I Thessalonians 5:1-11. It is the second apocalyptic section of this book, the first being 4:13-18, immediately before it. The first section was designed to restore hope to this Christian community, to be of equal stature with their already-abundant faith and love. They believed firmly in Jesus as their risen Lord and Savior, but they had allowed themselves to fall into despair over the mistreatment and death of brothers and sisters under the Roman authorities. So Paul wrote 4:13-18 to restore their hope by reminding them of the imminent return of Christ to judge the authorities and to bring joy to the believers.
Paul then continues his apocalyptic presentation in 5:1-11. He reminds them that they are already “children of light” and of the “day” in what is a “dark” and evil world. As they wait for the inevitable triumphant return of Christ, therefore, they are neither to sit around in depression (4:13-18) nor in expectation. Rather, they are to await Christ’s return by redoubling their efforts to live lives of faith, hope and love, and by working for the transformation of the world assigned them by Christ (vs. 8).
At the ascension of Christ in the book of Acts, as the disciples stand transfixed watching the ascending Christ, an angel says to them, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). In other words, the disciples are being told that God will take care of Christ’s return to earth as He has taken care of Christ’s ascension. When and where and how he returns is not our concern as disciples. We are not to spend our time speculating on such things. Rather, our concern is to get on with the work for which God has called and assigned us – working for the coming of God’s Kingdom to the earth!
So it is that Paul is saying the same thing here. Jesus will return – and he will return quite suddenly and unexpectedly! When, where and how that will happen is God’s business, not ours. Instead, our task is to work for Christ and His Kingdom in the hope of that salvation for us and for the whole world which God has promised. And that is the essence of our call!
Maranatha! Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
2 Timothy 2:1-26:
Our scripture for today is II Timothy 2:1-26. The word “peace” is used in verse 22.
This chapter doesn’t make sense unless we put the book itself within its context. This book is the second letter that Paul wrote to his most strategic disciple, Timothy. The letter is focused on giving Timothy some final instructions on assuming the responsibility of pastoring a church and helping to shape the Christian movement. From Paul’s perspective, Timothy will become one of the primary leaders of the church throughout the Roman world, the next generation of leadership taking on Paul’s mantle after the great apostle must lay it down. Timothy, indeed, does this, becoming one of the most formative bishops in the early Christian Church.
Paul gives two primary instructions to Timothy. The first is to follow Paul’s lead and to shoulder the gospel tradition while also enduring the toil and persecution it will bring (2:1-13). “What you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well” (2:2). Thus, the biblical style of leadership is a mentoring style: learn from your predecessors by following their lead and sitting at their feet. Pass on what you have learned to selected others. Then, teach them to pass on what they have now learned from you to their next generation. Thus, each generation of leadership is to be primarily teachers, passing on what they have learned from sitting at the feet of their teachers, so that those whom they teach can become teachers in their turn.
The second portion of this chapter (vss. 14-26) calls Timothy to pass on the gospel only through teaching that which is theologically sound (vs. 15). Such single-minded attention to the essence of the gospel is the opposite of the tendency of most young pastors and teachers, Paul states. The tendency is, instead, for the young to be engaged in “wrangling over words” (v. 14). Paul refers to this tendency of the youthful in many ways in this passage (perhaps because this was the chief temptation that faced Timothy): “rightly explain the word of truth” (v. 15), “avoid profane chatter” (v. 16), “talk that spreads like gangrene” (v. 17), “swerve from the truth” (v. 18), “stupid and senseless controversies” (v. 23), “breed quarrels” (v. 23), and the “snare of the devil” (v. 26).
What Paul is warning Timothy about is the seductiveness of endless theological speculation! The tendency of the young, in both the enthusiasm of their emerging faith and of being over-impressed with their own theological capacities, is to become engaged in endless theological speculation. After all, it is in college that one engages in countless bull-sessions, not when one is in his fifties or sixties. In one sense, this is good – because these endless arguments both test and hone our faith. But it can also lead to endless speculation, worrying with words, and theological sophistry (after all, the word “sophomore” literally means “wise fool”). Paul calls this “youthful passions” (v. 22) – not referring to sensual desires but to one’s fascination with hearing his own voice parsing the Christian faith!
So Paul advises Timothy, “Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (v. 22). Sound advice, indeed!