The day started as a normal day. But, after just 5 minutes, my day changed. I was given a mission. Sometimes my supervisor gives direction or marching orders, but this was different. It was direction from someone out of the norm, and was unmistakably couched as a divinely appointed mission. So, I have my work cut out for me for the next month and half with this mission.
I was raised in the Church of Christ, so receiving a divinely appointed mission from a charismatic Christian is somewhat out of the norm and comfort zone of my background. But, God has altogether worked with me in a different way since the death of my son. I guess He knew I would be listening more closely to his voice or that I would not be throwing up theological arguments to the way in which He wanted to work with me. And I am certain that he knows I have finally learned the discipline of prayer in my life, so He uses that.
I am the least likely Christian to use in regards to prayer since that has been a Johnny-come-lately discipline in my life. But, from the first hint of my job outside the teaching classroom in Odessa to the present, prayer has been the source of God's direction for my life. It's a more exciting spiritual life I am leading these days. And it certainly depends less on people for the fulfillment of spiritual goals. It depends wholly on what God wants to send my way in His own timing of things. I'm game.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Future glimpse
I'm thinking that all is well. But, I can't see the future. So, life might be just starting to get really messed up. Or it might be on the upswing right now, so that the future might really be something grand. There's no way to know. Or if life is a series of trade-offs, then the future will not be any better or worse than it is now. It will just be different. First there will be one trade-off then another. One door will open while another one will close. One event will need addressing giving rise to arresting the development of other events. So, the future will hold about the same as the present. That's why I'm thinking that all is well.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
2 or 3 more curves
A person can tell when something interrupts the usual way of life. Here it is June 24th and the last blog was June 3rd. 3 weeks of interruption. Part of it is the need to focus on a problem that cropped up that took extra time to fix. Part of it is just wearing out from work-a-day routines. Part of it is being depressed when several fires crop up at the same time and need attention from lack of attention for a somewhat lengthy period of time. After looking back over the last several blogs, I guess the time off was good to get the venom and rage out of my system.
But, there is a little relief from waiting 3 weeks. I don't feel like I need to vent about anything tonight. Oh, there is plenty to whine about. But, much time has gone into fixing problems. At least there has been forward motion started. Hopefully, that will gain momentum as time goes by. Some time on extra teaching has ended. A clearer direction for future physical meanderings is closer than it ever has been. So, much is looking up.
Tomorrow I go to the Revelation class again. But, somehow, I think I have reconciled what my role is and what it needs to be. It is a demon inside of me that wants others to give something that is not in their aresenal. My time needs to be spent on what I have to offer in writing more than anything. My arena needs to be somewhere other than some Sunday morning class in which no one really notices my going or coming. Perhaps, the creater wishes to use the opportunities he has presented me with just to get me over some obstacles in my path home. They're not for anyone else really unless it would be for some other lone traveler on the path.
Next week I return for a full regimen of work. I know what needs to be done and where to concentrate my energies.
The personal stuff in life will get taken care with or without me, so I don't have to fret about that. The personal goals I have will continue to come clear.
The race I am in is not over yet. But, I do know that I might have one or two more curves I can't see around, then the end of the journey will be in sight. May the One who Leads Me Home make me an efficient person at last.
But, there is a little relief from waiting 3 weeks. I don't feel like I need to vent about anything tonight. Oh, there is plenty to whine about. But, much time has gone into fixing problems. At least there has been forward motion started. Hopefully, that will gain momentum as time goes by. Some time on extra teaching has ended. A clearer direction for future physical meanderings is closer than it ever has been. So, much is looking up.
Tomorrow I go to the Revelation class again. But, somehow, I think I have reconciled what my role is and what it needs to be. It is a demon inside of me that wants others to give something that is not in their aresenal. My time needs to be spent on what I have to offer in writing more than anything. My arena needs to be somewhere other than some Sunday morning class in which no one really notices my going or coming. Perhaps, the creater wishes to use the opportunities he has presented me with just to get me over some obstacles in my path home. They're not for anyone else really unless it would be for some other lone traveler on the path.
Next week I return for a full regimen of work. I know what needs to be done and where to concentrate my energies.
The personal stuff in life will get taken care with or without me, so I don't have to fret about that. The personal goals I have will continue to come clear.
The race I am in is not over yet. But, I do know that I might have one or two more curves I can't see around, then the end of the journey will be in sight. May the One who Leads Me Home make me an efficient person at last.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Finally an early church literature review
If one were to review early church history, one would find that there are also seven letters to churches from Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch.These letters were written on his way through Turkey to face execution in Rome. Four of the letters went to the same towns as found in the seven letters from John's Revelation (Smyrna, Ephesus, Philsdelphia, and Sardis). Perhaps by looking at them, a person could find some corroboration of ideas to what is found in Revelation. Besides the commonality of seven letters and four to the same churches, the time period is very nearly the same. If John the apostle is the author and the date is around 96 AD, then Ignatius' letters come second, being dated to around 110 AD. If John the Elder wrote the Revelation, then the letters could have been written contemporaneously with Ignatius' or even shortly afterward. If shortly afterward, then perhpas Ignatius' letters served as a model or inspiration for the letters appearing in Revelation. Nonetheless, there are several connections between the two sets of seven letters.
First, in Ignatius' letter to the Ephesians, he addresses corruptive teaching forcefully. This matches the vehemence found in Revelation by John's using the term Jezebel for corruptive teaching. Ignatius' words are these, "Do not be deceived, my brothers and sisters. Corrupters of houses will not inherit the Kingdom of God. If a saying about corruptors of houses exists in the fleshly world as good advice, how much more meaningful is it if a person, through evil teaching, corrupts the faith of God for which Jesus was crucified. Such a person, having defiled himself, shall go into the unquenchable fire, as shall the one listening to that person" (Ephesians 16).
Second, if the term in Revelation, Jezebel, a name from the Jewish Bible, refers to a group of Jews, and if they belonged to a "synagogue of Satan" as the Jews were referred to in the letter to Smyrna (Rev.2.9), then the "knowledge of the depths of Satan" would refer to the Jewish teachings from the Jews in Thyatira. If this is the case, then there is a match of thought in Ignatius' letters as well. One of the stongest criticisms by Ignatius is found in his letter to the Magnesians. It states, "Do not be seduced by strange teachings or ancient fables because they are profitless. For if even to this day we live as Jews would have us live, we show that we have not received grace. The divine prophets lived as Jesus would have us live and they were persecuted because they were inspired by His grace. But because of this, disobedient Jews were supposed to have been fully persuaded that there is one God who manifested himself through Christ Jesus His son, who is the message that proceeded from His silence, who in all things was pleasing to Him who sent him... It is monstrous to talk of Jesus Christ and practice Judaism. For Christianity did not believe in Judaism, but Judaism in Christianity, and on that belief every tongue believed and was gathered together for God" (Magnesians 9, 10).
Ignatius also adressed "deep thoughts." He was speaking about speaking with the same authority as the apostles, but he would not do so since they knew more than he did. Ignatius says, "I have many deep thoughts in God: but I take stock of myself, otherwise I might die (spiritually) because of my boasting... So I crave gentleness whereby the prince of this world is brought to nothing" (Traillians 4).
So, Ignatius' words throw some light on what is being addressed at Thyatira. Hopefully, one can learn that the Jews were causing problems in the area for those wanting to believe in Jesus' teachings. In general, Christians lived among a corruptive forces whether secular or spiritual, and those who were leaders in the churches cared a lot about their flock following teachings that would lead them away from Jesus' teachings. And that sounds like the American environment, in which case I can take to heart the gist of the message—don't take my eyes off of the Jesus of the gospels in which he said, "I am the truth, the way, and the life." End of story.
First, in Ignatius' letter to the Ephesians, he addresses corruptive teaching forcefully. This matches the vehemence found in Revelation by John's using the term Jezebel for corruptive teaching. Ignatius' words are these, "Do not be deceived, my brothers and sisters. Corrupters of houses will not inherit the Kingdom of God. If a saying about corruptors of houses exists in the fleshly world as good advice, how much more meaningful is it if a person, through evil teaching, corrupts the faith of God for which Jesus was crucified. Such a person, having defiled himself, shall go into the unquenchable fire, as shall the one listening to that person" (Ephesians 16).
Second, if the term in Revelation, Jezebel, a name from the Jewish Bible, refers to a group of Jews, and if they belonged to a "synagogue of Satan" as the Jews were referred to in the letter to Smyrna (Rev.2.9), then the "knowledge of the depths of Satan" would refer to the Jewish teachings from the Jews in Thyatira. If this is the case, then there is a match of thought in Ignatius' letters as well. One of the stongest criticisms by Ignatius is found in his letter to the Magnesians. It states, "Do not be seduced by strange teachings or ancient fables because they are profitless. For if even to this day we live as Jews would have us live, we show that we have not received grace. The divine prophets lived as Jesus would have us live and they were persecuted because they were inspired by His grace. But because of this, disobedient Jews were supposed to have been fully persuaded that there is one God who manifested himself through Christ Jesus His son, who is the message that proceeded from His silence, who in all things was pleasing to Him who sent him... It is monstrous to talk of Jesus Christ and practice Judaism. For Christianity did not believe in Judaism, but Judaism in Christianity, and on that belief every tongue believed and was gathered together for God" (Magnesians 9, 10).
Ignatius also adressed "deep thoughts." He was speaking about speaking with the same authority as the apostles, but he would not do so since they knew more than he did. Ignatius says, "I have many deep thoughts in God: but I take stock of myself, otherwise I might die (spiritually) because of my boasting... So I crave gentleness whereby the prince of this world is brought to nothing" (Traillians 4).
So, Ignatius' words throw some light on what is being addressed at Thyatira. Hopefully, one can learn that the Jews were causing problems in the area for those wanting to believe in Jesus' teachings. In general, Christians lived among a corruptive forces whether secular or spiritual, and those who were leaders in the churches cared a lot about their flock following teachings that would lead them away from Jesus' teachings. And that sounds like the American environment, in which case I can take to heart the gist of the message—don't take my eyes off of the Jesus of the gospels in which he said, "I am the truth, the way, and the life." End of story.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Third a language check
It's always worth the while to take time to check the original language and to check manuscript traditions for variants in the text. The check doesn't yield much, theologically speaking, in this letter, but it offers a couple of interesting points.
Verse 24 uses a word for what many translations render "the deep things" belonging to Satan. The word in Greek does mean depths but it is put in juxtaposition with the word preceding it, which is "knowing." At the very least this is a classic case of sarcasm, and at most an obvious contrast or oxymoron. The sarcasm comes from some of the Christians not "knowing" what should be "known" if they would only plumb the depths of Christianity. But, Jesus is complimenting those not "knowing the depths" or having only shallow knowledge. Of course, then shallow knowledge is what Christians should know and knowing the depths is what gets people in trouble. If the phrase is taken as an oxymoron, then knowing something generally implies that one has studied deeply. But, who would want to know the depths "of Satan." The contrast is to take the phrase "knowing the depths" and putting it against "of Satan." The Gnostic group of Christians could have been referred to as Jezebel in the letter, and if that is the case, then using the verb for "know" is a slam against the group whose name derives from "knowledge" because the gnostic group has just been named the Satanic group. Gnostics thought they knew so much more than the regular Christians. But the "less knowing" group is complimented here.
A second tidbit from the language is the variant found in verse 22. Jesus says that Jezebel will be thrown on a sickbed. Three other words are found as variants for sickbed here. All of them are punitive. But each of them has a different slant on what will truly happen to Jezebel. One variant is that she would be thrown into prison; one is that she would be thrown in to a furnace; and one is that she would be thrown into a state of weakness. Whichever one is really right doesn't matter so much as the picture that God is ready to deal with Jezebel because she represents such utter evil. Thus, God is going to come through for the Christians at Thyratira for having such a "simple" faith. He will give the one who conquers (the temptation to know deeply a teaching from Satan) someone to brightly guide him or identify him with brilliance—the morning star!
Verse 24 uses a word for what many translations render "the deep things" belonging to Satan. The word in Greek does mean depths but it is put in juxtaposition with the word preceding it, which is "knowing." At the very least this is a classic case of sarcasm, and at most an obvious contrast or oxymoron. The sarcasm comes from some of the Christians not "knowing" what should be "known" if they would only plumb the depths of Christianity. But, Jesus is complimenting those not "knowing the depths" or having only shallow knowledge. Of course, then shallow knowledge is what Christians should know and knowing the depths is what gets people in trouble. If the phrase is taken as an oxymoron, then knowing something generally implies that one has studied deeply. But, who would want to know the depths "of Satan." The contrast is to take the phrase "knowing the depths" and putting it against "of Satan." The Gnostic group of Christians could have been referred to as Jezebel in the letter, and if that is the case, then using the verb for "know" is a slam against the group whose name derives from "knowledge" because the gnostic group has just been named the Satanic group. Gnostics thought they knew so much more than the regular Christians. But the "less knowing" group is complimented here.
A second tidbit from the language is the variant found in verse 22. Jesus says that Jezebel will be thrown on a sickbed. Three other words are found as variants for sickbed here. All of them are punitive. But each of them has a different slant on what will truly happen to Jezebel. One variant is that she would be thrown into prison; one is that she would be thrown in to a furnace; and one is that she would be thrown into a state of weakness. Whichever one is really right doesn't matter so much as the picture that God is ready to deal with Jezebel because she represents such utter evil. Thus, God is going to come through for the Christians at Thyratira for having such a "simple" faith. He will give the one who conquers (the temptation to know deeply a teaching from Satan) someone to brightly guide him or identify him with brilliance—the morning star!
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Second an Old Testament allusion
A short excursion to the Old Testament reveals a little more meaning to the letter to Thyatira. Revelation in general is rife with Old Testament allusions. The 7 letters are no exception. Three OT allusions are encountered in this letter to Thyatira.
First is the reference to Jezebel from 1st and 2nd Kings. Ahab had to be the most wicked king in all of Israel's history. He had help, though. He married someone whose father carried the name of Baal, God's competitor in Sidon. After marrying this lady, he instituted her false religion in Israel. In other words he prostituted Israel's religion, figuratively speaking. Because of her influence, prophets uttered oracles against her, one of which was that she would die in Jezreel and another saying that her sons would be cut down and her royal line would come to an end. So, in Revelation Jezebel is the sybolic name for a prophetess who prostituted Jesus' religion and whose symbolic children would be cut down or caused to suffer great grief. God would not stand for a verse 2 of Jezebel to happen with the religion surrounding his son.
Another reference is to Psalm 2.8-9. This Psalm touts the overcomer to rule powerfully over his enemies. This definitely offset the legend of Thyrimnos with his double sided ax and his alliance with the Roman power. Jesus, in effect, says that his followers would be every bit as powerful as the local icon. Thus, the praise of verse 19 was reinforced with the Psalm portion in order to give encouragement to worn-out hearts for the love, faith, service and patience they had shown in their community.
A final reference seems to echo Jeremiah 11.20. The prophet is asking God for revenge on his enemies or at least observing that God would avenge him since he was God's prophet, so he says that the Lord of Hosts would judge fairly because he tries or searches the heart and mind. In Revelation the echo serves the same purpose. God would judge the Christians' enemies because he can search their minds and hearts for the evil they have in them.
The OT allusions have an identifying and encouraging role to play in the letter to Thyratira. Christians' hearts should have been encouraged because God was going to put evil in its place. The first centruy Christians needed to hear such a message. They understood it plainly and stood up as Christians against the backdrop of paganism starkly.
First is the reference to Jezebel from 1st and 2nd Kings. Ahab had to be the most wicked king in all of Israel's history. He had help, though. He married someone whose father carried the name of Baal, God's competitor in Sidon. After marrying this lady, he instituted her false religion in Israel. In other words he prostituted Israel's religion, figuratively speaking. Because of her influence, prophets uttered oracles against her, one of which was that she would die in Jezreel and another saying that her sons would be cut down and her royal line would come to an end. So, in Revelation Jezebel is the sybolic name for a prophetess who prostituted Jesus' religion and whose symbolic children would be cut down or caused to suffer great grief. God would not stand for a verse 2 of Jezebel to happen with the religion surrounding his son.
Another reference is to Psalm 2.8-9. This Psalm touts the overcomer to rule powerfully over his enemies. This definitely offset the legend of Thyrimnos with his double sided ax and his alliance with the Roman power. Jesus, in effect, says that his followers would be every bit as powerful as the local icon. Thus, the praise of verse 19 was reinforced with the Psalm portion in order to give encouragement to worn-out hearts for the love, faith, service and patience they had shown in their community.
A final reference seems to echo Jeremiah 11.20. The prophet is asking God for revenge on his enemies or at least observing that God would avenge him since he was God's prophet, so he says that the Lord of Hosts would judge fairly because he tries or searches the heart and mind. In Revelation the echo serves the same purpose. God would judge the Christians' enemies because he can search their minds and hearts for the evil they have in them.
The OT allusions have an identifying and encouraging role to play in the letter to Thyratira. Christians' hearts should have been encouraged because God was going to put evil in its place. The first centruy Christians needed to hear such a message. They understood it plainly and stood up as Christians against the backdrop of paganism starkly.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Connecting to history
Sometimes good literature has great symmetry in it. The first three chapters of Revelation certainly fit in here. Each of the 7 letters opens with an identifier that takes one back to the last several verses of the first chapter which is identifying Jesus as a person worthy of remembering. In the opening of this letter, the identifier "eyes like a flame of fire and feet like burnished bronze" connect directly to one of the main businesses in town, the metal workers. They not only made coins but other objects as well, such as armor and weapon parts. So, if Jesus was introducing himself to Christians in the town as one who knew them intimately, he had to name himself with an identifier that showed he had knowledge of the main guild in town in which some of them may have worked, but at least most of them respected or were beholden to. Jesus was perhaps saying that he was at least as powerful as the main guild was also, so he was not beholden to them nor would the Christians be if they were to follow him more closely.
Jesus also referred to a prophetess in Thyatira. That would be the priestess of Sembethe. She had been delivering oracles that "beguiled" or "seduced" the Christians into eating meat offered to idols and sexual intercourse. This doesn't take a wild imagination to understand what her oracles must have contained. Meat can be eaten without it having to represent the idol it was offered to. And, of course, if that is true, then sex can be separated from love so that it doesn't have to represent one's sharing of souls or one's giving of love. Of course, that also gets into the temple worship that seems to have existed in association with Artemis as well, that is, the association of sex with offerings to the great goddess Artemis.
A quotation was also given that Thyatirans could appreciate. "To the one who conquers (his temptations), I will give him power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron." On some of the coins minted at Thyatira is the figure of Thyrimnos, the local legendary military hero. He always carried a double edged ax over his shoulder and was wearing a general's cloak. On one coin he is joined by a Roman general and both were referred to as the "sons of Zeus." So, militarily ruling with power might have an appeal or at least an immediate point of understanding by a Thyatiran.
One can derive all of this without any trouble if he just takes the time to do a little study of the history of Thyatira. Already the original listener to ths letter is attentive because he just might be thinking that Jesus knew the kind of person a Thyatiran was. Jesus would know the environment he lived in and understand him that much better. So, he would give an ear to hear "what the spirit is saying to the churches."
Jesus also referred to a prophetess in Thyatira. That would be the priestess of Sembethe. She had been delivering oracles that "beguiled" or "seduced" the Christians into eating meat offered to idols and sexual intercourse. This doesn't take a wild imagination to understand what her oracles must have contained. Meat can be eaten without it having to represent the idol it was offered to. And, of course, if that is true, then sex can be separated from love so that it doesn't have to represent one's sharing of souls or one's giving of love. Of course, that also gets into the temple worship that seems to have existed in association with Artemis as well, that is, the association of sex with offerings to the great goddess Artemis.
A quotation was also given that Thyatirans could appreciate. "To the one who conquers (his temptations), I will give him power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron." On some of the coins minted at Thyatira is the figure of Thyrimnos, the local legendary military hero. He always carried a double edged ax over his shoulder and was wearing a general's cloak. On one coin he is joined by a Roman general and both were referred to as the "sons of Zeus." So, militarily ruling with power might have an appeal or at least an immediate point of understanding by a Thyatiran.
One can derive all of this without any trouble if he just takes the time to do a little study of the history of Thyatira. Already the original listener to ths letter is attentive because he just might be thinking that Jesus knew the kind of person a Thyatiran was. Jesus would know the environment he lived in and understand him that much better. So, he would give an ear to hear "what the spirit is saying to the churches."
Monday, May 29, 2006
First a history lesson
I have to test this out. I thought after my railing in the last blog that I should quit stewing and do something about what I was upset about. So, I am going to blog the few things I come up with and see if there is a match next Sunday morning. I will also log my time to see if I come up with as much information in the same or less time than the teacher. So, over the next few blogs I am going to recount what I have found. The last several verses of Revelation 2 deal with the church at Thyatira.
First, I thought I should know something about ancient Thyatira. I have spent about 4 hours over the last 2 days looking at internet sites on ancient Thyatira. I would do this if I were teaching a class. 7 matters of interest pop up right away. Between 80 AD and 270 AD Thyatira was in the business of minting coins for the area. The town seemed to have been established as a garrison of soldiers for reinforcement purposes since it took the name Thyatira after about 330 BC. Over time it had become a center for guilds such as cloth dyeing, leather making, copper making, and about 7 others. An oracle (or temple containing a priestess [or prophetess in Jewish terms]) representing Sambethe was there. A temple to Artemis was also there although it was not to the same magnitude as the temple to Artemis in Ephesus. The local hero with demigod status was depicted on some of the coins. His name was Thyrimnos and he is also coupled with a Roman general and they were known as the sons of Zeus. In addition, bronze burnishing was a major guild and they had a demigod or legendary status at least for the founder of the trade. He also was put on the coins minted at Thyatira.
All of the above information is important because the letter delivered to the messenger to Thyatira adresses every aspect of their daily life and belief system. The next blog will deal with the connection between the history and the verses of the letter.
First, I thought I should know something about ancient Thyatira. I have spent about 4 hours over the last 2 days looking at internet sites on ancient Thyatira. I would do this if I were teaching a class. 7 matters of interest pop up right away. Between 80 AD and 270 AD Thyatira was in the business of minting coins for the area. The town seemed to have been established as a garrison of soldiers for reinforcement purposes since it took the name Thyatira after about 330 BC. Over time it had become a center for guilds such as cloth dyeing, leather making, copper making, and about 7 others. An oracle (or temple containing a priestess [or prophetess in Jewish terms]) representing Sambethe was there. A temple to Artemis was also there although it was not to the same magnitude as the temple to Artemis in Ephesus. The local hero with demigod status was depicted on some of the coins. His name was Thyrimnos and he is also coupled with a Roman general and they were known as the sons of Zeus. In addition, bronze burnishing was a major guild and they had a demigod or legendary status at least for the founder of the trade. He also was put on the coins minted at Thyatira.
All of the above information is important because the letter delivered to the messenger to Thyatira adresses every aspect of their daily life and belief system. The next blog will deal with the connection between the history and the verses of the letter.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
TOTALLY uninspiring
Occasionally times change and one aspect of society or another is behind the curve. Usually it doesn't take long for that aspect of society to catch up with the rest of it. If it doesn't, of course, it risks passing out of existence. So, this morning I got up and went to a class at a church within a denomination I have attended all my life. But, after leaving the class, I came home with such a sigh of disappointment in the inmost part of my psyche that I couldn't let the feeling go. So, I pondered it.
The class is studying the book of Revelation. It is in the beginning stages. The teacher took the class time this morning to comment on the letter that was written to Pergamum in chapter 2 of that book. Perhaps he didn't allow enough study time for his presentation, but he should know that Revelation is a rich literary work and has much to offer literarily, not counting spiritually. So, it's not the book to study if one only has limited time. He began by recounting what Pergamum was known for in the ancient world, moved to reading the verses dealing with the letter to Pergamum, and proceeded to divide his comments between how the church has allowed the material world to infiltrate it and how the church should discipline it members.
There aren't enough words for me to create the emptiness that lesson caused. Just so that the teacher could feel like he should critique the church as a whole on its acceptance of materialism or feel that he should suggest that we should act as God's agents of punishment on members who don't tow some kind of imaginary line, he held class this Sunday morning.
This is where going to church is about to become a relic of the past for me. I sat at home Saturday night and listened to a pastor of a huge church (Hillsong) that was more inpiring and who had spent more time discerning the New Testament than the class I chose to go to this morning. And I wasn't inconvenienced by having to go anywhere. Many times I can see a Biblical documentary on television and learn more than I did this morning because the program's producers have gone to various places or have interviewed knowledgeable people in the field. The lesson this morning had no use of media in it. I even receive power point presentations in email that help me understand someone's ideas such as translating Psalms or Proverbs. When I go to work, on a typical day I receive email with attachments from EXCEL or Adobe Acrobat or First Publisher, or I make them myself to send.
But maybe the most galling part of the presentation was the way in which the teacher only had one line of thinking about a very rich matter. There are probably 5 different points to the letter, each with at least 3 layers of meaning, some with 4, one with 5. Minimally educated people in America know that they can expect more than one line of thought on almost anything, but especially the Bible. Why did we get only one? Was it lack of preparation, lack of exposure (in which case the teacher needs to select a different book or topic on which he is more exposed), lack of class time (in which case he needs to prepare according to the time elements involved better), or just bigotry in presenting only one view? Even if he thought his view was right, he could have at least presented the "literary elements" in the passage—symbolic versus literal if nothing else. And what about all the historical connections that could have been brought to bear on the understanding of the passage? And what about all the Old Testament allusions that could have been brought to bear on the passage? And what about all the early church history that could have been brought to bear on the passage?
So, if I can pick up a book or flip to a history channel and not even leave home to learn about the book that I trust to help me get to my final destination, then what am I doing getting up earlier than I normally would on a weekend day to go antagonize myself? And for those who would say that Sunday's are not about learning but about being around other believers, then I say they have too narrow a view of Christianity because I am among believers all during the week. And what about "worship?" I am most inspired when I have a great conversation with one of those believers during the week or whenever I spend time driving to work listening to Third Day, Michael W. Smith, or Caedman's call or whenever I am translating my next work or whenever I am writing in my blog.
Society has changed. I hope that I can not be enslaved to my own powerful habits that waste my precious time on earth. And I hope that God uses a number of well placed people to change his church to reach people in the world that they really live in.
The class is studying the book of Revelation. It is in the beginning stages. The teacher took the class time this morning to comment on the letter that was written to Pergamum in chapter 2 of that book. Perhaps he didn't allow enough study time for his presentation, but he should know that Revelation is a rich literary work and has much to offer literarily, not counting spiritually. So, it's not the book to study if one only has limited time. He began by recounting what Pergamum was known for in the ancient world, moved to reading the verses dealing with the letter to Pergamum, and proceeded to divide his comments between how the church has allowed the material world to infiltrate it and how the church should discipline it members.
There aren't enough words for me to create the emptiness that lesson caused. Just so that the teacher could feel like he should critique the church as a whole on its acceptance of materialism or feel that he should suggest that we should act as God's agents of punishment on members who don't tow some kind of imaginary line, he held class this Sunday morning.
This is where going to church is about to become a relic of the past for me. I sat at home Saturday night and listened to a pastor of a huge church (Hillsong) that was more inpiring and who had spent more time discerning the New Testament than the class I chose to go to this morning. And I wasn't inconvenienced by having to go anywhere. Many times I can see a Biblical documentary on television and learn more than I did this morning because the program's producers have gone to various places or have interviewed knowledgeable people in the field. The lesson this morning had no use of media in it. I even receive power point presentations in email that help me understand someone's ideas such as translating Psalms or Proverbs. When I go to work, on a typical day I receive email with attachments from EXCEL or Adobe Acrobat or First Publisher, or I make them myself to send.
But maybe the most galling part of the presentation was the way in which the teacher only had one line of thinking about a very rich matter. There are probably 5 different points to the letter, each with at least 3 layers of meaning, some with 4, one with 5. Minimally educated people in America know that they can expect more than one line of thought on almost anything, but especially the Bible. Why did we get only one? Was it lack of preparation, lack of exposure (in which case the teacher needs to select a different book or topic on which he is more exposed), lack of class time (in which case he needs to prepare according to the time elements involved better), or just bigotry in presenting only one view? Even if he thought his view was right, he could have at least presented the "literary elements" in the passage—symbolic versus literal if nothing else. And what about all the historical connections that could have been brought to bear on the understanding of the passage? And what about all the Old Testament allusions that could have been brought to bear on the passage? And what about all the early church history that could have been brought to bear on the passage?
So, if I can pick up a book or flip to a history channel and not even leave home to learn about the book that I trust to help me get to my final destination, then what am I doing getting up earlier than I normally would on a weekend day to go antagonize myself? And for those who would say that Sunday's are not about learning but about being around other believers, then I say they have too narrow a view of Christianity because I am among believers all during the week. And what about "worship?" I am most inspired when I have a great conversation with one of those believers during the week or whenever I spend time driving to work listening to Third Day, Michael W. Smith, or Caedman's call or whenever I am translating my next work or whenever I am writing in my blog.
Society has changed. I hope that I can not be enslaved to my own powerful habits that waste my precious time on earth. And I hope that God uses a number of well placed people to change his church to reach people in the world that they really live in.
Monday, May 22, 2006
A seeker moment
I had a talk today with another who seeks out the hard questions. He was almost half my age. I am elated that someone his age will carry on the questioning in the next generation. I tried to give him examples of the path ahead if he continues to question things like inspiration of the Bible, origins of the Bible, historicity of certain events, timelines for the Bible, cultural ideas versus doctrinal ideas, etc. I felt for him because I know the rejection he feels and will feel. But I also know that won't throw him off track. It will certainly make him remain honest before God. And I know that it will not lead him to reject God. So, I ask the Maker of him who seeks to lead this young man beside calm waters and to some very green pastures knowing that he will not receive his spiritual food from the religious establishment, but from God and a handful of true friends. And I thank the Maker of satisfactory and encouraging moments for the journey He has made with me and for the handful of true friends given to me on my walk through life.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
An evening for the heart
I had a great spiritual experience. But, it wasn't church and it wasn't even Sunday. I went to a friend's wedding. It was held at an Episcopal church, so it was very different from the protestant church I go to. During the wedding, as a part of the ceremony, the wedding party and the rest of the attendees shared the eucharist. It was a very meaningful part of the service and always in a non-Sunday communion I am made to meditate on things near to my heart. The liturgy was outstanding, and they had two women read the scriptures for the wedding. And I always think it's good to include the Song of Songs at a wedding ceremony, and this one had a section from that book in it.
At the wedding reception afterwards, all went well, and I got to visit with a friend who had come from Mexico and another linguistic buddy. But, at the very end, one of the ladies who had read scripture came over to me and touched my arm. She told me that she could tell from touching my arm that I had more to me than people see, that there was more under the surface than people knew about. My friend said, "I think you just received a prophetic utterance." I said, "Yes I did."
I don't know what the significance of the lady's telling me that was. Perhaps for personal encouragement, perhaps for some other reason. No doubt it left me pondering. But, the whole evening fed my soul with all that happened.
At the wedding reception afterwards, all went well, and I got to visit with a friend who had come from Mexico and another linguistic buddy. But, at the very end, one of the ladies who had read scripture came over to me and touched my arm. She told me that she could tell from touching my arm that I had more to me than people see, that there was more under the surface than people knew about. My friend said, "I think you just received a prophetic utterance." I said, "Yes I did."
I don't know what the significance of the lady's telling me that was. Perhaps for personal encouragement, perhaps for some other reason. No doubt it left me pondering. But, the whole evening fed my soul with all that happened.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Keeping eyes where they should be
Walking the park was interesting today. A higher than usual number of people were enjoying the heat and the park, many of them walking as well. That is many times a distraction for me. But not this evening. My eyes kept looking at the looming clouds in the distance. I knew that a storm would not drift my way because it was headed away from me. But the clouds held my attention. So, it enabled me to hold my usual conversation with the Maker of the storm clouds. It's a good thing. I needed the time with him. There is something about soaking in the nature around you that gives clarity to thought. So, he gave me that.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Yokes and burdens
A nice word play surfaced while I was studying this morning. It comes from Matthew 11.28-30. The old version of it goes like this: "Come to me all who are weak and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and burden is light." The word play is in verse 30–for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. As is the case with any pun, there is a more literal understanding and a figurative understanding. An added stroke of genius in this teaching is the paradoxical phrasing. Since Jesus grew up in a rural area, he would know about yoking oxen to plow fields. So, he uses something right out of countryside to express a profound truth to his followers.
The literal goes like this. My yoke is easy (to wear) because when I put it on you, it fits you exactly. It's not too loose to cause rubbing and sores. It's not too tight to keep you from working or cause you physical harm. It's the perfect fit. If you follow my teachings, they will be the perfect fit for you. The second part is about loads. That is what oxen are teamed together for. They share the load so that it goes faster with less strain on the animal. Team with Jesus and the load becomes nothing at all, which is paradoxical since loads by definition are heavier than someone would want to deal with. So, the language carries a pun and a paradox. The translation to express this literal idea would read, "For my yoke fits you exactly and my load weighs nothing at all."
Figuratively speaking, you get a second meaning and a second contrast. A yoke suggests that you are being controlled by someone behind you and to a lesser extent by someone beside you, yoked with you. One use of the word translated as light is reputable or benevolent. So, Jesus would be meaning that his yoke or type of control would be to make us reputable or benevolent people. On the second part of the statement, burden is light, the burden is usually oppressive or hampering in some way so that we don't achieve happiness or satisfaction. But the word for light can also mean nimble in handling or insignificant. The translation to express this figurative idea would read, "For my control causes you to have a good reputation and my heavy load is something you can nimbly handle."
The pun and the paradox are very comforting to those of us who have experienced some of life's most difficult circumstances. It makes his invitation to come to him attractive, and the ensuing walk with him makes us reputable and refreshed people. May it always be.
The literal goes like this. My yoke is easy (to wear) because when I put it on you, it fits you exactly. It's not too loose to cause rubbing and sores. It's not too tight to keep you from working or cause you physical harm. It's the perfect fit. If you follow my teachings, they will be the perfect fit for you. The second part is about loads. That is what oxen are teamed together for. They share the load so that it goes faster with less strain on the animal. Team with Jesus and the load becomes nothing at all, which is paradoxical since loads by definition are heavier than someone would want to deal with. So, the language carries a pun and a paradox. The translation to express this literal idea would read, "For my yoke fits you exactly and my load weighs nothing at all."
Figuratively speaking, you get a second meaning and a second contrast. A yoke suggests that you are being controlled by someone behind you and to a lesser extent by someone beside you, yoked with you. One use of the word translated as light is reputable or benevolent. So, Jesus would be meaning that his yoke or type of control would be to make us reputable or benevolent people. On the second part of the statement, burden is light, the burden is usually oppressive or hampering in some way so that we don't achieve happiness or satisfaction. But the word for light can also mean nimble in handling or insignificant. The translation to express this figurative idea would read, "For my control causes you to have a good reputation and my heavy load is something you can nimbly handle."
The pun and the paradox are very comforting to those of us who have experienced some of life's most difficult circumstances. It makes his invitation to come to him attractive, and the ensuing walk with him makes us reputable and refreshed people. May it always be.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
To those who would be word gurus
Sometimes people go through the exercise of answering what is necessary, what is important, and what is urgent. People taking managerial school often get asked this question because it is supposed to help them know how to priortize their days. To me, this is merely a semantics game. All three words, necessary, important, and urgent, have some commonalities in their semantic domains that keep them from being heirarchical. Managerial schools teach that necessary items get done on a regular basis, not every day. Important items get done first in day whether or not they are necessary or not. Urgent items get done immediately, and since they have deadlines for being accomplished, they are never routine. That order makes sense if a person gets to control the meanings of words in the English language.
But, the language is bigger than one speaker, and only certain people during certain stages in a word's history get to control the meaning of words used. Just as easily as the above hierarchy, one could say that what is necessary for a moment in time gets done because it is the important item for that moment, thus requiring our urgent handling. In that way they all have the same meaning. Or what about this meaning? Nothing should ever get to crisis stage (urgent) if everything gets handled in its appropriate time (importance), so working a plan or schedule is always necessary. We could go on.
All that to say, people should not get too excited nor too bent out of shape over following someone else's model for word definitions. If one wants to willingly do so, fine. But, don't impose those definitions unless he knows it is specific to time and place. Or unless a person or group is destiny's choice for changing a word in its own historical cycle.
But, the language is bigger than one speaker, and only certain people during certain stages in a word's history get to control the meaning of words used. Just as easily as the above hierarchy, one could say that what is necessary for a moment in time gets done because it is the important item for that moment, thus requiring our urgent handling. In that way they all have the same meaning. Or what about this meaning? Nothing should ever get to crisis stage (urgent) if everything gets handled in its appropriate time (importance), so working a plan or schedule is always necessary. We could go on.
All that to say, people should not get too excited nor too bent out of shape over following someone else's model for word definitions. If one wants to willingly do so, fine. But, don't impose those definitions unless he knows it is specific to time and place. Or unless a person or group is destiny's choice for changing a word in its own historical cycle.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Gambling my life away
I wonder about so much. I control very little. That gives rise to all sorts of anxiety and situations that I have to live with that go against my value system. I suppose that's where trust comes in. Someone is controlling the big picture. Not controlling humans necessarily, but perhaps events to a certain degree. Of course, that is a guess and a wish on my part. But, I choose to call it a trust. I certainly would be depressed without the hope of that trust's existence. And I have to live my whole life to know for certain if I was right in gambling that the trust was true. But, I'm taking that risk. It's too bleak to think otherwise and a waste of a good investment of time and energy. So be it.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
A rail against mindless youth
I'm finding out more all the time that aged people and youth have little in common. By the time I die I might be an island entire of itself even though John Dunn's famous poem says that no man is an island entire of itself. The logic of youth is nearly always egocentric and myopic. The ambitions of youth take on well established ideas even though they have not thoroughly explored what is in place or they have no replacement at all for an idea they rue. They're sickening, but they are what The Progenitor of the ages gave aged people to work with. I'll have to ask about that when I get to the other side.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
The 50-year lens
Recently I had a 28 year old person try to correct me on the matter of God's predetermined will for people and His omiscience. I still resist the idea that I have tried to reconcile all my life. My 20s decade is the last decade of my life to really entertain the thought that God might have some predetermination in history. I just cannot believe that is how it is. God works with people no matter their condition. I have seen that over and over.
People in their 20s have not seen God work in people's lives very often, much less their own. So they may hypothesize, but I don't think they have the ability to see so clearly. Of course, their usual response to my rejection of their idea of predetermination is God's omniscience. I can't buy that either if they mean God is all-knowing by it. I think it is a little convenient to concoct the idea that God can see the whole time continuum of one's life so that people can think God is in control. Free will means that God has given up that aspect of control to his creation. I have seen God pull people from some pretty seedy places in life and give them hope. I have seen others slip slowly away into nothingness and never reach out to God. But I have not seen people who have walked with God who think it was because God willed it to be so before they were born.
We have a creator that is magnificent and certainly more powerful than humans. We have a creator that loves his human race so much that he gave his only son so that he could offer them a life that never ends. We have a creator that works with us to lead us home to him.
We do not have a creator that knows our every move before it happens because he predetermined it. No way. That would surely have impeded his great care for his human race. Which he wiped out once in anger—except for one person and his family. Which he abandoned after he tried to fashion a certain man's descendents into a nation that would acknowledge him. But which he agreed to work with in a nurturing way after letting his son seal a new agreement with them. But that's looking through a 50 year old lens. And I like it a whole lot better.
People in their 20s have not seen God work in people's lives very often, much less their own. So they may hypothesize, but I don't think they have the ability to see so clearly. Of course, their usual response to my rejection of their idea of predetermination is God's omniscience. I can't buy that either if they mean God is all-knowing by it. I think it is a little convenient to concoct the idea that God can see the whole time continuum of one's life so that people can think God is in control. Free will means that God has given up that aspect of control to his creation. I have seen God pull people from some pretty seedy places in life and give them hope. I have seen others slip slowly away into nothingness and never reach out to God. But I have not seen people who have walked with God who think it was because God willed it to be so before they were born.
We have a creator that is magnificent and certainly more powerful than humans. We have a creator that loves his human race so much that he gave his only son so that he could offer them a life that never ends. We have a creator that works with us to lead us home to him.
We do not have a creator that knows our every move before it happens because he predetermined it. No way. That would surely have impeded his great care for his human race. Which he wiped out once in anger—except for one person and his family. Which he abandoned after he tried to fashion a certain man's descendents into a nation that would acknowledge him. But which he agreed to work with in a nurturing way after letting his son seal a new agreement with them. But that's looking through a 50 year old lens. And I like it a whole lot better.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Two birds, one stone
Encouragement doesn't always come in the form of confirmation, but it is nice when it happens. Today, I received 2 confirmations, one in two different areas. It was so very heartwarming. When other people say something unexpectedly about the tons of work and a good span of years that it took to make something productive, it is like a fresh puff of wind against the face. When what they say is also complimentary or something they find useful, you know that all the energies you put into the aim and goal has just paid off. And it is not just an acknowledgement of human energies, it is a recognition of the opportunities and energies of the one who is using his human vessel to reflect something of Him. So, while confirmation is encouraging, I am not the end receiver of the compliment. The one using his human vessel is. But two birds are hit with one stone, and the two birds feel good about being hit.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Sober parent
It's always sobering to think parenting. All I have to do is visit with my daughter to see in what areas I surley went wrong. On the other hand, there are those moments when everything said is just what needs to be said. I can't see a trajectory line when I look at my daughter to know if 30 years from now she will have "come full circle" and not be stuck in her self-centered, counter-productive activities. I know that she fights two forces, her mother's and mine, for we have left two very different examples for her to choose from. Then there's her own example that she is bent on providing for herself.
All I know is that she is on her own path, one that she to some extent will control, at least in the early going. Life will spin out of control gradually as she ages. What will her end be like? But that is not in the crystal ball for me to see. I simply ask the one who could control to nudge, cajole, coax, and give opportunity for her to stay on the path that leads her home to Him. In the meantime, it's sobering to think of parenting.
All I know is that she is on her own path, one that she to some extent will control, at least in the early going. Life will spin out of control gradually as she ages. What will her end be like? But that is not in the crystal ball for me to see. I simply ask the one who could control to nudge, cajole, coax, and give opportunity for her to stay on the path that leads her home to Him. In the meantime, it's sobering to think of parenting.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Imagined opinions of equal weight
It's always interesting to carry on a conversation with someone who begins talking and thinking that I, the other conversant, am on the same page with him. As it dawns on him that I am polar worlds apart, then I guess he feels betrayed because the defenses come up. People do that with me about the Bible frequently, but is more marked in the field of language. It is my experience that disagreement over time becomes contempt. So be it. If educational training has taught me anything, it has taught me to yield in an area I don't know much about, and to stand my ground in an area that I do. That principle rankles some people. They would like to have the same knowledge without any of the training. In fact, they imagine themselves as having equal training footing so that their opinion might count as much as a more informed or trained opinion.
In the end, one opinion counts as much as the next person's, especially in casual conversation.
In the end, one opinion counts as much as the next person's, especially in casual conversation.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Groupings of sayings
Over time many things happen. What a difference a year makes. Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years? Living life on the installment plan. There's always tomorrow. Enjoy it now—and later.
All of these are sayings about the wisdom of stretching things out. Even the Maker decided his creation needed a little more than 30 years for the body to wear down, wear out, and finally give out. So, life in the fast lane and the early bird gets the worm might not be sayings for the ages. But, even if they are, I am going to discount them for the lifestyle represented by the first group of sayings.
All of these are sayings about the wisdom of stretching things out. Even the Maker decided his creation needed a little more than 30 years for the body to wear down, wear out, and finally give out. So, life in the fast lane and the early bird gets the worm might not be sayings for the ages. But, even if they are, I am going to discount them for the lifestyle represented by the first group of sayings.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Appreciating spring
The scenery was beautiful on the last drive to Austin that I took. One could tell that spring was in the air. The countryside teemed with new life. The color green was everywhere. Nowhere was even a hint of the sun scorching the earth. Nothing was brown unless it represented what had not given way from the winter to the verdant green announcing spring. The same drive just a few months ago portrayed a different season of the year.
It's odd that I would notice spring in such a way in the first place since long ago I left the spring of my years in terms of the seasons of life. If I take the average age for mortality, I must be in the fall of my life. Now, if I live as long as my grandmother, I am only half way through life, so I would still be in summer. But, I'll go with the average age for now. Maybe I still notice spring because I have a daughter behind me in the spring of her life. Or a son behind me etched forever in the spring of his life.
But I am not intrigued by spring because I know what is ahead–the burning days of summer, the shed leaves of fall, and the bitter cold of winter. I just know how to enjoy spring. And perhaps there is a message in this musing for me. If I take the seasonal cycle as a microcosm of the life we only get to experience once, then I need to pay attention to the rhythms of the microcosm and know how to enjoy each part of the cycle. So the pressing news for me is to know how to enjoy fall weather. At first there is a moderation of temperature. Leaves don't fall till late in the cycle. Then, comes winter.
It's odd that I would notice spring in such a way in the first place since long ago I left the spring of my years in terms of the seasons of life. If I take the average age for mortality, I must be in the fall of my life. Now, if I live as long as my grandmother, I am only half way through life, so I would still be in summer. But, I'll go with the average age for now. Maybe I still notice spring because I have a daughter behind me in the spring of her life. Or a son behind me etched forever in the spring of his life.
But I am not intrigued by spring because I know what is ahead–the burning days of summer, the shed leaves of fall, and the bitter cold of winter. I just know how to enjoy spring. And perhaps there is a message in this musing for me. If I take the seasonal cycle as a microcosm of the life we only get to experience once, then I need to pay attention to the rhythms of the microcosm and know how to enjoy each part of the cycle. So the pressing news for me is to know how to enjoy fall weather. At first there is a moderation of temperature. Leaves don't fall till late in the cycle. Then, comes winter.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Arbitrary words
Words are arbitrarily chosen to represent ideas. But do the words chosen really represent the ideas? Stock phrases like Happy Birthday wouldn't be said any other way, such as Glad Birthday or Happy Day of Birth. But in running speech the ideas we have are not so common as to have only one way to say it. So, Our troops are still in Iraq, and Our boys have yet to return from Iraq, only have a small chance of representing the same idea. Who is making the utterance has everything to do with what the idea may be. If a mother of a soldier were speaking, utterance #2 would probably be chosen. If a reporter was asking Don Rumsfield to comment on the status of the troops, utterance #1 would be chosen over utterance #2. Utterance #1 seems more factual while utterance #2 seems fuller of sentiment.
I had a chance recently to discuss at length some of the principles of translation when translating the New Testament. It's always interesting to see how others react to a discussion of translation principles, but I was talking with a fellow translator. If I had to characterize the discussion with the main idea of the discussion, I think we mentioned time and again how arbitrary words are in representing ideas. Neither of us would be able to answer the question, "What is the best translation?" or "Which translation most accurately reflects the original language?" Judging matters like the attitude of speakers or trying to figure out how much fact or sentiment was involved becomes tricky since it would guide the translator to select a certain set of words to use. For example, are "I am the light of the world," and "I'm the world's light," the same expression? What about "I am the one who lights the world," or "I light up the world?"
Although I am reminded how careful one must be when translating, I am equally reminded that a great degree of liberty exists in translating. And in that I am relieved. That liberty is the very essence of the one who created the ideas in the first place. If the Son of Man set you free, you are really and truly free.
I had a chance recently to discuss at length some of the principles of translation when translating the New Testament. It's always interesting to see how others react to a discussion of translation principles, but I was talking with a fellow translator. If I had to characterize the discussion with the main idea of the discussion, I think we mentioned time and again how arbitrary words are in representing ideas. Neither of us would be able to answer the question, "What is the best translation?" or "Which translation most accurately reflects the original language?" Judging matters like the attitude of speakers or trying to figure out how much fact or sentiment was involved becomes tricky since it would guide the translator to select a certain set of words to use. For example, are "I am the light of the world," and "I'm the world's light," the same expression? What about "I am the one who lights the world," or "I light up the world?"
Although I am reminded how careful one must be when translating, I am equally reminded that a great degree of liberty exists in translating. And in that I am relieved. That liberty is the very essence of the one who created the ideas in the first place. If the Son of Man set you free, you are really and truly free.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Finding the flash
It is exhiliarating to be a fish in water, to be in an environment that you know you were born to be in. Every circuit in your brain is working flawlessly and efficiently. Energy flows without end. Everything seems interesting. You go for hours on end without flagging. Everything is familiar in one way or another and connections to new ideas are everywhere.
Once every three years or so, this is the case. It's beautiful when it happens. It rejuvenates, refreshes, and retools. It makes you ready to go fight the good fight for the next 3 years. It affirms your previous course of action. It prepares you for likely changes on the horizon. I's sweet to the palate.
Once every three years or so, this is the case. It's beautiful when it happens. It rejuvenates, refreshes, and retools. It makes you ready to go fight the good fight for the next 3 years. It affirms your previous course of action. It prepares you for likely changes on the horizon. I's sweet to the palate.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Chinks and prices
Words are sobering when they reflect a chink in the ol' armor of our character. A CSI rerun came on, and I watched. It was interesting as most of the episodes are. At the very end of the show the last line was delivered before the credits began to roll. The words were pretty sobering, "Everyone has a price." In the case of CSI, the price was crime. But even if we move into other arenas of life, the saying still holds true.
I hate to think that I have a price. I have had some hard testing, but the thought still lingers—the price just hasn't been raised high enough. I am old enough to know where the chinks in my armor are. If I wonder why the chink is there in the first place, I think that I thwarted some arrow, that an attempt at buying me off has failed. Maybe it just means that on that occasion the price was just not raised high enough. A thought like that raises my eyebrows. I hope the One who Made me does not allow the death blow. Chinks only, please. Or that the enemy doesn't secretly know what my price is.
I hate to think that I have a price. I have had some hard testing, but the thought still lingers—the price just hasn't been raised high enough. I am old enough to know where the chinks in my armor are. If I wonder why the chink is there in the first place, I think that I thwarted some arrow, that an attempt at buying me off has failed. Maybe it just means that on that occasion the price was just not raised high enough. A thought like that raises my eyebrows. I hope the One who Made me does not allow the death blow. Chinks only, please. Or that the enemy doesn't secretly know what my price is.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Words leading home
Expressions can be beautifully worded sometimes. Those expressions can make us feel that we belong, or that we have value, or that we feel gratified. But the other possibility exists. Words can be used to make us feel unworthy, despicable, and unloved. Words themselves really have no value. The attitude of the speaker, the tone of the voice, the physical presence or absence of the one giving the words are taken into account much more than the words. Many times we remember harshness or love, but cannot remember the words themselves. We remember the occasion, the expression on the face, the strength of the tone, the rapidity of the delivery, but seldom the words themselves. So, perhaps, the Giver of words would like us to use the words we utter to leave prints behind, kind prints, caring prints,warm prints, valued prints–the kind that lead the way home to Him.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Ebb and flow
What in life looks more like life than the ebb and flow of the ocean on a coastline? The usual tide in-tide out gets to be expected. The constant dull roar soon is not heard at all if you are on the coastline long. Sometimes the tide is higher than normal, especially when storms come. Some waves in a lifetime are tsunamis, but that is abnormal. Much gets washed ashore given enough time. Undertows are unseen, but strong nevertheless and have been known to cause death for non-swimmers.
Every line above has an equivalent in living life. Sometimes I write a blog when the tide is in and sometimes when the tide is out. Some of my blogs represent the stuff that gets washed up on the shoreline and sometimes it represents the dull roar that people forget to hear. Certainly the storms and tsunamis are recordable events. Hopefully, I won't drown in the undertow, but occasionally I do have to fight against it as it drags against me pulling me somewhat out to sea.
I'd say at the moment I see clouds on the horizon. At least it is just rain that's coming. Maybe it will hit as the tide comes in so that it won't be so dangerous. I'm waiting for the sunshine at high tide to bask in the sunlight and splash along the beach. Life's a beach and then you die.
Every line above has an equivalent in living life. Sometimes I write a blog when the tide is in and sometimes when the tide is out. Some of my blogs represent the stuff that gets washed up on the shoreline and sometimes it represents the dull roar that people forget to hear. Certainly the storms and tsunamis are recordable events. Hopefully, I won't drown in the undertow, but occasionally I do have to fight against it as it drags against me pulling me somewhat out to sea.
I'd say at the moment I see clouds on the horizon. At least it is just rain that's coming. Maybe it will hit as the tide comes in so that it won't be so dangerous. I'm waiting for the sunshine at high tide to bask in the sunlight and splash along the beach. Life's a beach and then you die.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Long journeys
Some motivational posters contain quotations along the lines of "All long journeys begin with the first step." Well, that helps some. All journeys are taken by putting one step in front of the next. But, then there are these really long journeys. The kind where steps are taken, but they don't necessarily lead to any destination. They are just steps.
Sometimes they are steps of evasion of coming trouble, sometimes steps of curiosity of glimpsing what could be or might have been, sometimes steps full of spring because "things are turning out right." But no matter what kind of steps—troubled steps, grieving steps, contented steps, outrageous steps, unbelivable steps—the journey is just outright long. Really long. Like L-o-o-o-o-n-g long. There aren't any motivational posters for those kinds of journeys. They are just endlessly long journeys. A good dose of Christianity doesn't even help in understanding some of these journeys. They are just long. Such is life.
I guess the proper attitude to have is that we are strangers passing through this world. To the next world I hope. I am really counting on those journeys being a lot different.
Sometimes they are steps of evasion of coming trouble, sometimes steps of curiosity of glimpsing what could be or might have been, sometimes steps full of spring because "things are turning out right." But no matter what kind of steps—troubled steps, grieving steps, contented steps, outrageous steps, unbelivable steps—the journey is just outright long. Really long. Like L-o-o-o-o-n-g long. There aren't any motivational posters for those kinds of journeys. They are just endlessly long journeys. A good dose of Christianity doesn't even help in understanding some of these journeys. They are just long. Such is life.
I guess the proper attitude to have is that we are strangers passing through this world. To the next world I hope. I am really counting on those journeys being a lot different.
Friday, March 17, 2006
No-not in the plan
Quite often I hear that a day's activity in its entirety is planned by God. It comes in the phrase, "God's got a plan for your life," or "Absolutely nothing will happen to you today that God hasn't already planned." As much as I would like to believe that's true, and have at times tried to believe that it's true, in the end I can't really find any truth in it.
Two people aren't supposed to be mad at each other or highly critical. But they are. I don't think it's part of a plan. Children aren't supposed to die young. But they do. Surely, God in his mercy doesn't control death of youth. Children aren't really supposed to learn deceit and loose living from their parents. But it happens. Did God have that planned already? Then there is the age old question that God has never really answered in the sacred book claiming Him as author. Why do the wicked prosper? Is that really what the Father that Jesus represented wants perpetuated in this sordid world?
My prayers really reflect more what Paul asked for others to pray for him about, "In your conversations with God, ask that He rescue us from people's moral morass and base living." Because others' base living is not a part of any plan!
Two people aren't supposed to be mad at each other or highly critical. But they are. I don't think it's part of a plan. Children aren't supposed to die young. But they do. Surely, God in his mercy doesn't control death of youth. Children aren't really supposed to learn deceit and loose living from their parents. But it happens. Did God have that planned already? Then there is the age old question that God has never really answered in the sacred book claiming Him as author. Why do the wicked prosper? Is that really what the Father that Jesus represented wants perpetuated in this sordid world?
My prayers really reflect more what Paul asked for others to pray for him about, "In your conversations with God, ask that He rescue us from people's moral morass and base living." Because others' base living is not a part of any plan!
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Out of the blue sky
Two geese this morning flew right over my head and landed about 20 yards from me in the park. They came out of nowhere it seemed and they sounded motorized as they landed. I don't know why they chose to come to the park at mid-morning. One was larger; one was smaller. I was there 30 minutes and so were they. I left so I don't really know how long they outlasted me. Usually I take note of things that happen out of the ordinary like this scene. Today was no different. Were they a message to me? What did they represent? If they were a harbinger of things to come, I guess it wasn't today that something happened. But if they were a harbinger of things to come, then I probably need some time to adapt to whatever will occur.
And yes, something like this has happened to me before. Sometimes the scene means that something good will happen. More often than not, though, the sign is a portent of difficult circumstances. In that light, I don't look forward to future events. On the other hand, it's nice to be forewarned because in some circumstances, forewarned is forearmed. We warily eyed each other during the 30 minutes I was at the park. But, I can't for the life of me see the symbolism—yet. I guess that will be a topic for a future blog. In the meantime, I live each moment as it comes with peace and contentment as much as that may depend on my actions.
And yes, something like this has happened to me before. Sometimes the scene means that something good will happen. More often than not, though, the sign is a portent of difficult circumstances. In that light, I don't look forward to future events. On the other hand, it's nice to be forewarned because in some circumstances, forewarned is forearmed. We warily eyed each other during the 30 minutes I was at the park. But, I can't for the life of me see the symbolism—yet. I guess that will be a topic for a future blog. In the meantime, I live each moment as it comes with peace and contentment as much as that may depend on my actions.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Constant reminding
This has been one of those days that felt like nothing was accomplished. However, as I was recounting to someone what I had done in the day, the list sounded quite productive. I get to thinking like that about my life, too. When I do take the trek down memory lane, it's not so bad and there is more productivity than I was remembering at first. I have to remember periodically that long trips start with taking the first step.
I don't know why I have to remind myself frequently that I am not a failure, that I have productive moments in life. It's certainly not attached to a poor self-esteem. It could be just a self-defense mechanism against becoming idle or lazy. Or it could come from a habit of monitoring and adjusting. It doesn't matter, I guess. I just offer to the Maker of all humanity the hours he has given me. It is He then that gives opportunities to be productive and to compound that productivity into some work of art. So be it.
I don't know why I have to remind myself frequently that I am not a failure, that I have productive moments in life. It's certainly not attached to a poor self-esteem. It could be just a self-defense mechanism against becoming idle or lazy. Or it could come from a habit of monitoring and adjusting. It doesn't matter, I guess. I just offer to the Maker of all humanity the hours he has given me. It is He then that gives opportunities to be productive and to compound that productivity into some work of art. So be it.
Monday, March 13, 2006
A reflection on smoothing out
Spring break is a good time to reflect on many matters. One such matter is the reflection on whether one's walk through this life is decent or not. I have a lot of times looked back, usually by decades. There is regret, for sure. But there have been times when I think the direction was correct. But, there's always that gray category. Probably the actions were correct, but the attitudes were not or the clear receptions of others were not. A person would think that by making time for reflections from time to time, like the one here at spring break, one's life would smooth out over time or be more even-keeled than it is.
I think one can only see smoothness if some of the same events happen a number of times in each decade. Then, maybe one could see a smoothing out. A couple of events come immediately to mind. One of those events was a week ago. And looking at it this time, I finally see that growth can be charted. That's rewarding in a way and nerve-wracking in another way. It's nice to see that events can be reacted to differently. It's nice to see that as human beings we have the ability to monitor and adjust during the course of our whole lives. But, one growth event does not a smoothing out make. What will happen the next time or the next? Maybe 10 events with a certain reaction would reflect a smoothing out. Whatever. The first of ten is now in the record books. I'm really not looking forward to the other nine, but I know they will inevitably come. I hear the words of a book I recently translated, "So many do not have faith. But God is faithful." And so I trust that the other nine will be in line with decent living.
I think one can only see smoothness if some of the same events happen a number of times in each decade. Then, maybe one could see a smoothing out. A couple of events come immediately to mind. One of those events was a week ago. And looking at it this time, I finally see that growth can be charted. That's rewarding in a way and nerve-wracking in another way. It's nice to see that events can be reacted to differently. It's nice to see that as human beings we have the ability to monitor and adjust during the course of our whole lives. But, one growth event does not a smoothing out make. What will happen the next time or the next? Maybe 10 events with a certain reaction would reflect a smoothing out. Whatever. The first of ten is now in the record books. I'm really not looking forward to the other nine, but I know they will inevitably come. I hear the words of a book I recently translated, "So many do not have faith. But God is faithful." And so I trust that the other nine will be in line with decent living.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Thumbs up or down?
Academic types and business types don't get to be together too much. When the two worlds come together, it's many times awkward. Business types are very pragmatic. Academic types are pretty ethereal. Business types are focused on the goal or bottom line. Academic types are focused on the exploration of paths to get to a bottom line, if one exists at all. So, if the two types should ever meet, there is either a true appreciation of the other because neither could exist easily in the other one's world. Or there is World War III because they look at matters so differently that they can't agree on what is important.
I have two acquaintances that are one of each. With one I have World War III every time, with the other annual bonding trips to some entertaining region of the state. One is a true friend, the other a wolf in sheep's clothing. Both profess Christianity. One accepts me as I am. The other rejects me as a heretic. When the Maker looks down and sees such a threesome, I wonder what goes on in his mind? Does he see worth and dignity? Or does he see uselessness and disgust? I guess I'll just have to ask him tonight when I walk in the park. I'm anticipating a clear answer to this one.
I have two acquaintances that are one of each. With one I have World War III every time, with the other annual bonding trips to some entertaining region of the state. One is a true friend, the other a wolf in sheep's clothing. Both profess Christianity. One accepts me as I am. The other rejects me as a heretic. When the Maker looks down and sees such a threesome, I wonder what goes on in his mind? Does he see worth and dignity? Or does he see uselessness and disgust? I guess I'll just have to ask him tonight when I walk in the park. I'm anticipating a clear answer to this one.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Not by sight
The wind is blowing a gale outside at the moment. I feel safe on the inside hearing it pummel the house. Safety is something we all count on from one day to the next. But I also know that in the case of the wind, I am safe from something I cannot see, only hear. If I were out in it, I could feel it also. Two of my senses tell me that it is windy. Most of the time I think we depend almost wholly on what we can see. In that way we can know something is happening. But there are only two other ways available to know it is windy. Sight is excluded.
Perhaps, in the other dimension, our sight is excluded. We can only know by other ways of knowing. Whether I am in tune with the other dimension might only come through a sensitivity to reading the actions of those around us or to seeing abstract ideas like kindness being given an opportunity in our own actions. The Son of Man made a comparison to the wind once. He also noted that we couldn't see it, but we could see evidence of it, which is parallel to matters of the spirit. Touche.
Perhaps, in the other dimension, our sight is excluded. We can only know by other ways of knowing. Whether I am in tune with the other dimension might only come through a sensitivity to reading the actions of those around us or to seeing abstract ideas like kindness being given an opportunity in our own actions. The Son of Man made a comparison to the wind once. He also noted that we couldn't see it, but we could see evidence of it, which is parallel to matters of the spirit. Touche.
Monday, March 06, 2006
The other cheek
I have never understood why one person might attack another for an opinion expressed. I guess I have spent too much time in the academic world where debate is expected. Usually sides of a linguistic issue are debated, then people see evidence of both examples/counter-examples. At the end of the discussion, no one is expected to change sides. Anyone listening can weigh for themselves what the evidence is and choose to remain neutral, bring up further examples or counter-examples, side with one view or another, or be indifferent to the whole discussion. Rarely have I encountered vehemence, passion for one's view yes, but rarely vehemence with a fair amount of venom spit my way in such debates.
So, when the spit venom happens, it usually takes me off-guard. Also, usually when it happens it is rarely about the topic under discussion because I am prepared to argue the case for a position and concede the evidence given in the counter-examples or account for the counter-examples within the scope of the linguistic theory being offered. What takes me off-guard, then, is the resulting personal attack or the judgmental condescension of a person on the other side when the evidence stage of discussion is ended. What takes me completely off-guard is when a person does not engage in the debate at all, but takes the judgmental condescension/personal attack route first, without engaging in theoretical discourse at all.
Such an experience I offer to the one who can make all things work together for good. I follow the route the Master Teacher suggested, "If someone strikes your right cheek, turn the other to him also." The debate takes second chair. The lesson the Master Teacher wants seen is primary. More lives are touched by memory of a scene than by tenets in a debate. Actions over words any day of the week. Especially actions recommended by the Son of God. It is my offering. So be it.
So, when the spit venom happens, it usually takes me off-guard. Also, usually when it happens it is rarely about the topic under discussion because I am prepared to argue the case for a position and concede the evidence given in the counter-examples or account for the counter-examples within the scope of the linguistic theory being offered. What takes me off-guard, then, is the resulting personal attack or the judgmental condescension of a person on the other side when the evidence stage of discussion is ended. What takes me completely off-guard is when a person does not engage in the debate at all, but takes the judgmental condescension/personal attack route first, without engaging in theoretical discourse at all.
Such an experience I offer to the one who can make all things work together for good. I follow the route the Master Teacher suggested, "If someone strikes your right cheek, turn the other to him also." The debate takes second chair. The lesson the Master Teacher wants seen is primary. More lives are touched by memory of a scene than by tenets in a debate. Actions over words any day of the week. Especially actions recommended by the Son of God. It is my offering. So be it.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
An ancient phrase
This is the last post for the class studying 2nd Thessalonians. Previous posts have covered several aspects of the book and nearly the whole gamut for the first 11 verses of chapter 2. I wish any who have read these posts well on their spiritual journey. I end with a post on the end of the Christian's trip on the earth—Jesus' coming.
2nd Thessalonians 2.1-12 begin and end with Jesus' coming. The verses in between can be understood from a futuristic point of view, a historical view, a continuous-historical view, an event-specific view, or simply the view of good versus evil. But, no matter what came between the first and the last parts of the passage, the outside of the sandwich is consistent. The end hasn't happened. But when it does, heads will roll. Vengence will be taken. The first of the passage is a plea not to be troubled in spirit. The meaning is for the Thessalonian Christians not to give up on the Christian life or give in to the pagan lifestyle. The end of the passage means that if they would hang on, something would be done about their persecution.
Perhaps, a word that doesn't get uttered in the New Testament but once applies. Marana tha. 1 Corinthians 16.22 contains it. The expression holds both the idea that Jesus has come and will come again. That is the important part of this 2nd Thessalonian passage as well. One other Christian document contained the utterance as well, the Didache. It is mentioned there in the context of the Lord's supper. A model prayer is given giving thanks for the church and Jesus. At the end of that prayer it asks for God to gather the church from the 4 winds. Then is uttered Marana tha. So, I utter those words at the end of this study.
MARANA THA. Lord come again as you have once. MARANA THA.
2nd Thessalonians 2.1-12 begin and end with Jesus' coming. The verses in between can be understood from a futuristic point of view, a historical view, a continuous-historical view, an event-specific view, or simply the view of good versus evil. But, no matter what came between the first and the last parts of the passage, the outside of the sandwich is consistent. The end hasn't happened. But when it does, heads will roll. Vengence will be taken. The first of the passage is a plea not to be troubled in spirit. The meaning is for the Thessalonian Christians not to give up on the Christian life or give in to the pagan lifestyle. The end of the passage means that if they would hang on, something would be done about their persecution.
Perhaps, a word that doesn't get uttered in the New Testament but once applies. Marana tha. 1 Corinthians 16.22 contains it. The expression holds both the idea that Jesus has come and will come again. That is the important part of this 2nd Thessalonian passage as well. One other Christian document contained the utterance as well, the Didache. It is mentioned there in the context of the Lord's supper. A model prayer is given giving thanks for the church and Jesus. At the end of that prayer it asks for God to gather the church from the 4 winds. Then is uttered Marana tha. So, I utter those words at the end of this study.
MARANA THA. Lord come again as you have once. MARANA THA.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
The end of those against us
8 blogs have been used to try to fathom the words contained in 2nd Thessalonians 2.1-12. I suppose that all the different angles have contributed to having an informed opinion regardless of the place where one's opinion may have landed. So, I am hoping that Alexander Pope's words have been fulfilled when he wrote (found in Essay on Criticism, Part II, lines 215-218):
A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep or taste not the Pierian Spring.
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.
Since I think "drinking largely" has occurred, I offer the following translation from Greek as a reflection of "drinking deep."
2nd Thessalonians 2.1-12
Brothers and sisters, we ask you, in light of Jesus Christ’s coming and our gathering to meet him, to resist being so quickly disturbed in thought or troubled in spirit. Don’t be thrown off track just because someone has been telling you that the Day of the Lord has come or has been reporting that we wrote a letter saying that. Enough time must first pass for people to abandon our teaching and show themselves for what they are–reckless and lost. They will oppose God, become arrogant and God-like, and accept people’s accolades as if they are God. I did tell you this when I was still with you, remember?
Now you can see the kind of people behind the resistance being put up against us. They have made themselves apparent. Of course, you couldn’t see this at first. But, their reckless actions won’t last forever. Now that you see them for who they are, know that these reckless people will be destroyed when Jesus comes again to show how truly flimsy their actions are. They only seem strong because Satan has enabled them to create illusions of power and sordid visions of grandeur. They are being destroyed because they won’t love the truth in order to rescue themselves. God makes available this activity of deception as a choice for those who want to believe a lie. But He punishes them for this choice and for considering wickedness good.
A translation by David Singleton
from Greek for use by Liftwords.com
A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep or taste not the Pierian Spring.
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.
Since I think "drinking largely" has occurred, I offer the following translation from Greek as a reflection of "drinking deep."
2nd Thessalonians 2.1-12
Brothers and sisters, we ask you, in light of Jesus Christ’s coming and our gathering to meet him, to resist being so quickly disturbed in thought or troubled in spirit. Don’t be thrown off track just because someone has been telling you that the Day of the Lord has come or has been reporting that we wrote a letter saying that. Enough time must first pass for people to abandon our teaching and show themselves for what they are–reckless and lost. They will oppose God, become arrogant and God-like, and accept people’s accolades as if they are God. I did tell you this when I was still with you, remember?
Now you can see the kind of people behind the resistance being put up against us. They have made themselves apparent. Of course, you couldn’t see this at first. But, their reckless actions won’t last forever. Now that you see them for who they are, know that these reckless people will be destroyed when Jesus comes again to show how truly flimsy their actions are. They only seem strong because Satan has enabled them to create illusions of power and sordid visions of grandeur. They are being destroyed because they won’t love the truth in order to rescue themselves. God makes available this activity of deception as a choice for those who want to believe a lie. But He punishes them for this choice and for considering wickedness good.
A translation by David Singleton
from Greek for use by Liftwords.com
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
The coming
2nd Thessalonians 2.1,2,8 all talk about the coming of Jesus in one way or another. At the end of first Thessalonians 4 and at the beginning of chapter 5, Paul speaks of Jesus' coming and the Day of the Lord. Perhaps, from this portion of the letter, some people in the Christian group got the idea that Jesus had already come. No one knows exactly how that could have occurred, but one scenario is that the group of Christians, known as the gnostic Christians, took the part about being children of light to mean something spiritual in nature. If one achieved mental spirituality, then something like a physical day on which Jesus would return with vengence would be out of the question. As long as one remained a child of light, then the day of the Lord would not overtake him. Only if he became a child of the dark would the day of the Lord come as a thief in the night.
So, the writer of 2nd Thessalonians takes on the gnostic Christians. He says they are deceived, reckless, very arrogant, and claim to be God actually (that would be achieved spiritually and mentally). However, since they claim to be God in such an abstract state, then Jesus could use something transparent and abstract, His breath, to annihilate them. Gnosticism was pretty much wiped out during the 2nd century AD, so Jesus' breath was all it took. Noteworthy, also is that similar beliefs were expressed in Judaism by the Essene sect. It has even been hypothesized that both Jesus and Paul had contact with this group at Qumran and espoused some of their teachings. The Essenes too disappear during the 2nd century AD.
The only drawback to the above being true is that Jesus has not come again. True, not in a final event for the world. However, at every person's single final event, his or her death, perhaps Jesus comes. At least He comes individually. So the Day of the Lord is personal rather than a cataclysmic end time. If this could be true, then the gnostic threat to Christianity was destroyed just as the author said it would be. These Christians who seemed to think of themselves outside of the law or written code were only enabled by Satan for a short time. Jesus blew his breath against this vapor of time, and the gnostics dried up and blew away.
So, the writer of 2nd Thessalonians takes on the gnostic Christians. He says they are deceived, reckless, very arrogant, and claim to be God actually (that would be achieved spiritually and mentally). However, since they claim to be God in such an abstract state, then Jesus could use something transparent and abstract, His breath, to annihilate them. Gnosticism was pretty much wiped out during the 2nd century AD, so Jesus' breath was all it took. Noteworthy, also is that similar beliefs were expressed in Judaism by the Essene sect. It has even been hypothesized that both Jesus and Paul had contact with this group at Qumran and espoused some of their teachings. The Essenes too disappear during the 2nd century AD.
The only drawback to the above being true is that Jesus has not come again. True, not in a final event for the world. However, at every person's single final event, his or her death, perhaps Jesus comes. At least He comes individually. So the Day of the Lord is personal rather than a cataclysmic end time. If this could be true, then the gnostic threat to Christianity was destroyed just as the author said it would be. These Christians who seemed to think of themselves outside of the law or written code were only enabled by Satan for a short time. Jesus blew his breath against this vapor of time, and the gnostics dried up and blew away.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Revealing what is hidden
2nd Thessalonians, verses 6 and 7 present somewhat an enigma with the introduction of either something or someone who hinders. Phillips' translation renders the word "the restraining power." Verse 6 states that the Thessalonians would know upon reading the letter the thing or person hindering, preventing, holding back or holding up the message Paul was trying to present. Who exactly or what exactly is this restraining power according to Phillips?
Is it God who was holding back on revealing the nature of resistance to Paul? Is it God who didn't want the Thessalonians to see what kind of evil was behind the resistance until they matured somewhat? Is it Satan who is being prevented from coming against the new Christians with full force? Is it merely the human mind rationalizing the message of Paul as absurd that made people resist accepting his message?
Whatever was restraining or being restrained was made obvious through Paul's letter. And the key is that God would act decisively against it. In answer to the question, "Has the day of the Lord come?" Paul says evidently not because you have not been able to see, for whatever reason, the kind of power that is really against you. Now you do. But not to worry. God will act to destroy it. End of story. Satan loses. God wins. During Paul's time. During our own time.
Is it God who was holding back on revealing the nature of resistance to Paul? Is it God who didn't want the Thessalonians to see what kind of evil was behind the resistance until they matured somewhat? Is it Satan who is being prevented from coming against the new Christians with full force? Is it merely the human mind rationalizing the message of Paul as absurd that made people resist accepting his message?
Whatever was restraining or being restrained was made obvious through Paul's letter. And the key is that God would act decisively against it. In answer to the question, "Has the day of the Lord come?" Paul says evidently not because you have not been able to see, for whatever reason, the kind of power that is really against you. Now you do. But not to worry. God will act to destroy it. End of story. Satan loses. God wins. During Paul's time. During our own time.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Rebellion
Usually at the heart of any controversy over the interpretation of a passage of scripture is the amount of attention the interpreter pays to the cultural aspects surrounding the writer of the passage. It is no different with 2nd Thessalonians 2.1-12. If one pays no attention to the cultural aspects of the Macedonian people in the middle of the 1st century AD, then one feels free to view various portions of the Bible that read similarly as parts of a consistent whole. On the other end of the spectrum is the one who feels that different regions and different time periods make different portions of the Bible dysjunct from each other.
One of the terms used in this 12-verse stretch of the New Testament is "a rebellion." If the Bible is seen as a seamless whole, then one could say that "a rebellion" is mentioned in Daniel 7, Matthew 24, and Revelation 13. The 3 references must be speaking about the same event. If the Bible is seen as having different parts that might or might not relate to each other, then one could say that Macedonia is not Judea and that 42 AD is not 500 BC (or 180 BC depending on when Daniel might have been written) so the rebellions refer to different events and different groups of people.
One aspect of Paul's message that seems to stand out in both Acts and the two Thessalonian letters is the persecution that Paul receives at the hands of the Jews during his "2nd missionary journey." They were relentless in opposing his message. Easily, one could see that Paul could have included that treatment in the "rebellion" that happened to him. Also, the Roman authorities didn't do much to stop the Jewish rough treatment. In fact, they added to it. They had him in prison in Philippi, made Jason put up bond money in Thessalonica, and did nothing to quell animosity in Berea. They also thought Christianity was an atheistic superstition. One could call that "a rebellion" against the message of Jesus.
Whatever Paul meant by it, he had known to expect it because he reminds the Thessalonian people that he had mentioned this rebellion during his 3-week stay with them. And whatever Paul meant by it, talk of the Day of the Lord started the discussion of it. It almost seems like Paul is saying that God wouldn't have people to punish on the Day of the Lord unless enough time had passed for people to have a chance to reject the teaching of Jesus. Given enough time, people would have that opportunity. Truly, within 10 years of Paul's entering Thessalonica both Jews and Romans had had plenty of opportunity to hear the message of Jesus and make a decision about it.
As the Roman world circa 50 AD, so America—plenty of opportunity to make a decision about the message of Jesus.
One of the terms used in this 12-verse stretch of the New Testament is "a rebellion." If the Bible is seen as a seamless whole, then one could say that "a rebellion" is mentioned in Daniel 7, Matthew 24, and Revelation 13. The 3 references must be speaking about the same event. If the Bible is seen as having different parts that might or might not relate to each other, then one could say that Macedonia is not Judea and that 42 AD is not 500 BC (or 180 BC depending on when Daniel might have been written) so the rebellions refer to different events and different groups of people.
One aspect of Paul's message that seems to stand out in both Acts and the two Thessalonian letters is the persecution that Paul receives at the hands of the Jews during his "2nd missionary journey." They were relentless in opposing his message. Easily, one could see that Paul could have included that treatment in the "rebellion" that happened to him. Also, the Roman authorities didn't do much to stop the Jewish rough treatment. In fact, they added to it. They had him in prison in Philippi, made Jason put up bond money in Thessalonica, and did nothing to quell animosity in Berea. They also thought Christianity was an atheistic superstition. One could call that "a rebellion" against the message of Jesus.
Whatever Paul meant by it, he had known to expect it because he reminds the Thessalonian people that he had mentioned this rebellion during his 3-week stay with them. And whatever Paul meant by it, talk of the Day of the Lord started the discussion of it. It almost seems like Paul is saying that God wouldn't have people to punish on the Day of the Lord unless enough time had passed for people to have a chance to reject the teaching of Jesus. Given enough time, people would have that opportunity. Truly, within 10 years of Paul's entering Thessalonica both Jews and Romans had had plenty of opportunity to hear the message of Jesus and make a decision about it.
As the Roman world circa 50 AD, so America—plenty of opportunity to make a decision about the message of Jesus.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
There is no lawless person
One of the great principles of translation and interpretation of the New Testament is to make sure that all the manuscripts say the same thing about a passage. The New Testament has come down through so many years that manuscript families and traditions are traceable. In the case of this man of lawlessness, perhaps it is worth checking the manuscript families to make sure that they all say the same thing. In fact, they don't. The top 4 manuscript traditions are split 50/50 on what words actually existed for the translation that so many render lawlessness. Two of the big 4 say man of sin.
Some may say that there is not a lot of difference between being without law and sin. But one of the easiest ways to look at the difference is to say that the man of sin means the opposite of the expression man of God or man of righteousness. Therefore, all the writer is saying is that the man of sin is a pagan or non-believer, nothing more.
If this idea is plugged into the passage, the interpretation goes somethig like this. There would be resistence to the message of Jesus. Pagans, who have sold out to the devil anyway, would become gods unto themselves. God would bring to light the contrast between those who want to destroy themselves and those who want to rescue themselves as the message spread through the Roman world (The writer's current time period would then fit the phrase at just the right time [vs. 6]) and encountered various kinds of resistence. Jesus would win the battle of resistence as people began to show faithfulness to the new message. Satan would begin losing his tight grip on the world because God would begin punishing those who would not believe or those who would persecute believers.
The above paragraph is merely a flowery way of describing the war between good and evil that has always existed except it is given a Christian wrapping since goodness is equated with believing the story of Jesus. Good and evil happens in every generation. So when a modern reader reads about the man of sin, he or she reads it as a synonym for non-christian, not as a person in a particular time period, simply a pagan in need of a lifestyle change.
Some may say that there is not a lot of difference between being without law and sin. But one of the easiest ways to look at the difference is to say that the man of sin means the opposite of the expression man of God or man of righteousness. Therefore, all the writer is saying is that the man of sin is a pagan or non-believer, nothing more.
If this idea is plugged into the passage, the interpretation goes somethig like this. There would be resistence to the message of Jesus. Pagans, who have sold out to the devil anyway, would become gods unto themselves. God would bring to light the contrast between those who want to destroy themselves and those who want to rescue themselves as the message spread through the Roman world (The writer's current time period would then fit the phrase at just the right time [vs. 6]) and encountered various kinds of resistence. Jesus would win the battle of resistence as people began to show faithfulness to the new message. Satan would begin losing his tight grip on the world because God would begin punishing those who would not believe or those who would persecute believers.
The above paragraph is merely a flowery way of describing the war between good and evil that has always existed except it is given a Christian wrapping since goodness is equated with believing the story of Jesus. Good and evil happens in every generation. So when a modern reader reads about the man of sin, he or she reads it as a synonym for non-christian, not as a person in a particular time period, simply a pagan in need of a lifestyle change.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Who is this lawless person? (4)
Anytime a document from antiquity is read by someone in the modern world, certain oddities stand out. It is true with any ancient document. Peculiarities about Beowulf stand out from the Old English language; strangeness is noticed in Ulysses in Latin; some unique features surface in the Greek of the Odyssey. The further back one goes in time, usually the stranger certain features appear to the modern eye. So, when features of a passage from 2nd Thessalonians 2 suddenly appear to have some odd features to the modern reader, then understanding the historical, literary, and linguistic context goes a long way in clearing up the oddity. In particular, a term appears that seems to carry a little more weight than other words in the passage–the lawless man.
The connotation of the word "law" was well understood by every Jew. The word used for lawlessness could have the connotation of whatever is exactly opposite from what every Jew understood because the word is the letter "a" in front of the word law. English follows the old Greek pattern for this in words like moral and amoral, typical and atypical. Very literally then, the phrase is not man of lawlessness, but man of no law or man without law. The word "man" should also be pretty clear to every Jew. Isaiah 53.3 refers to "man of sorrows." I Timothy 6.11 refers to "man of God." People usually know to substitute "person" for "man." So, when "man of no law" shows up in the text, people don't have any qualms against translating it "a person without law." Even if the more general law of nature is meant (Romans 1) rather than the Mosaic law that every Jew would understand, the meaning is still "a person above the law" or a person who doesn't abide by laws."
If this meaning were to be plugged into verses 3-11, the meaning would be as follows. Paul told the Thessalonians that he had told them ahead of time about people out to destroy themselves (sons of perdition). They are people who act as if there is no law. They put themselves in God's place, that is, they are self-sufficient and demand the respect for this self-sufficiency from others. "Something" (a mystery) has hindered this group of people from seeing themselves as headed for destruction, but Jesus has appeared and his teaching indicts their behavior. That is apparent to both those who come to follow Jesus and those who, after being exposed to Jesus' teaching, reject it for themselves. Jesus will destroy this group at his coming because they were enabled by and deluded by Satan's illusions of "signs and wonders."
All of this seems to have been motivated by the writer's frustration with why it had been so hard to get people to accept the fabulous story of Jesus for what it was worth. That's why chapter3, verse 1&2 begin with a request. "In your conversations with God, ask for the message of the Lord to spread and for people to honestly weigh its worth as you have done. And ask for us to be rescued from most people's moral morass and base living because so many people do not have faith."
The connotation of the word "law" was well understood by every Jew. The word used for lawlessness could have the connotation of whatever is exactly opposite from what every Jew understood because the word is the letter "a" in front of the word law. English follows the old Greek pattern for this in words like moral and amoral, typical and atypical. Very literally then, the phrase is not man of lawlessness, but man of no law or man without law. The word "man" should also be pretty clear to every Jew. Isaiah 53.3 refers to "man of sorrows." I Timothy 6.11 refers to "man of God." People usually know to substitute "person" for "man." So, when "man of no law" shows up in the text, people don't have any qualms against translating it "a person without law." Even if the more general law of nature is meant (Romans 1) rather than the Mosaic law that every Jew would understand, the meaning is still "a person above the law" or a person who doesn't abide by laws."
If this meaning were to be plugged into verses 3-11, the meaning would be as follows. Paul told the Thessalonians that he had told them ahead of time about people out to destroy themselves (sons of perdition). They are people who act as if there is no law. They put themselves in God's place, that is, they are self-sufficient and demand the respect for this self-sufficiency from others. "Something" (a mystery) has hindered this group of people from seeing themselves as headed for destruction, but Jesus has appeared and his teaching indicts their behavior. That is apparent to both those who come to follow Jesus and those who, after being exposed to Jesus' teaching, reject it for themselves. Jesus will destroy this group at his coming because they were enabled by and deluded by Satan's illusions of "signs and wonders."
All of this seems to have been motivated by the writer's frustration with why it had been so hard to get people to accept the fabulous story of Jesus for what it was worth. That's why chapter3, verse 1&2 begin with a request. "In your conversations with God, ask for the message of the Lord to spread and for people to honestly weigh its worth as you have done. And ask for us to be rescued from most people's moral morass and base living because so many people do not have faith."
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Who is this lawless person? (3)
Anytime a document from antiquity is read by someone in the modern world, certain oddities stand out. It is true with any ancient document. Peculiarities about Beowulf stand out from the Old English language; strangeness is noticed in Ulysses in Latin; some unique features surface in the Greek of the Odyssey. The further back one goes in time, usually the stranger certain features appear to the modern eye. So, when features of a passage from 2nd Thessalonians 2 suddenly appear to have some odd features to the modern reader, then understanding the historical, literary, and linguistic context goes a long way in clearing up the oddity. In particular, a term appears that seems to carry a little more weight than other words in the passage–the lawless man.
A third possibility is what many an ancient piece of literature contains–the use of figurative language, in this case personification. Personification is giving human traits to inanimate objects. Sometimes, the inanimate object is merely an idea. Personification then becomes humanizing an idea. The idea is that wickedness exists. If given a human face, people could visualize it better. Paul had told the Thessalonian christians when he was with them that people would be protesting the story of Jesus (a rebellion). Paul was even railroaded out of town because people protested the message so much. These lawless people would be given a collective face, the lawless man. They would not accept God and, in fact, they would know no God but themselves. These people were reckless Romans who hindered Paul at Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth. They were deluded by Satan, exposed by the message of Jesus as accepting wickedness as goodness and would be destroyed when Jesus comes. The idea that Jesus had already come is what triggered the discussion about lawless people in the first place. But the christians are assured that God would sentence these lawless Romans. The christians are reminded that they have, in contrast, been selected by God as the first fruits of this revolutionary message about Jesus.
Other intepretations for this important term will appear later this week.
A third possibility is what many an ancient piece of literature contains–the use of figurative language, in this case personification. Personification is giving human traits to inanimate objects. Sometimes, the inanimate object is merely an idea. Personification then becomes humanizing an idea. The idea is that wickedness exists. If given a human face, people could visualize it better. Paul had told the Thessalonian christians when he was with them that people would be protesting the story of Jesus (a rebellion). Paul was even railroaded out of town because people protested the message so much. These lawless people would be given a collective face, the lawless man. They would not accept God and, in fact, they would know no God but themselves. These people were reckless Romans who hindered Paul at Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth. They were deluded by Satan, exposed by the message of Jesus as accepting wickedness as goodness and would be destroyed when Jesus comes. The idea that Jesus had already come is what triggered the discussion about lawless people in the first place. But the christians are assured that God would sentence these lawless Romans. The christians are reminded that they have, in contrast, been selected by God as the first fruits of this revolutionary message about Jesus.
Other intepretations for this important term will appear later this week.
Monday, February 20, 2006
Who is this lawless person? (2)
Anytime a document from antiquity is read by someone in the modern world, certain oddities stand out. It is true with any ancient document. Peculiarities about Beowulf stand out from the Old English language; strangeness is noticed in Ulysses in Latin; some unique features surface in the Greek of the Odyssey. The further back one goes in time, usually the stranger certain features appear to the modern eye. So, when features of a passage from 2nd Thessalonians 2 suddenly appear to have some odd features to the modern reader, then understanding the historical, literary, and linguistic context goes a long way in clearing up the oddity. In particular, a term appears that seems to carry a little more weight than other words in the passage–the lawless man.
Some see this term as a common noun rather than a proper noun. Truly, in Greek, only context determines whether a noun is general or specific (common or proper). So if the term is a common noun, then the lawless man is any person who sets himself up as important enough to displace God. This would be many an American here. Americans are so affluent that they don't depend on anyone for sustenance. They are competitive and knowledgeable. So, they know as much as anyone else in the world or in their sphere of influence. They even accept the praise of those who might not know as much as they do. In other words, they set themselves up as rulers of their own lives and displace God. Ask any non-American about how arrogant the American people are.
The Romans were every bit as arrogant as Americans are. So when the writer of 2nd Thessalonians talks about a lawless man, many Romans would fit the description. Plus, Romans thought Christians were atheists for not believing the Roman pantheon of gods. So, many a Roman did put someone else or themselves in the place of God. Of course, the writer says he warned them ahead of time that lawless man would rebel against the truth about God and believe that wickedness was goodness.
Other intepretations for this important term appear later this week.
Some see this term as a common noun rather than a proper noun. Truly, in Greek, only context determines whether a noun is general or specific (common or proper). So if the term is a common noun, then the lawless man is any person who sets himself up as important enough to displace God. This would be many an American here. Americans are so affluent that they don't depend on anyone for sustenance. They are competitive and knowledgeable. So, they know as much as anyone else in the world or in their sphere of influence. They even accept the praise of those who might not know as much as they do. In other words, they set themselves up as rulers of their own lives and displace God. Ask any non-American about how arrogant the American people are.
The Romans were every bit as arrogant as Americans are. So when the writer of 2nd Thessalonians talks about a lawless man, many Romans would fit the description. Plus, Romans thought Christians were atheists for not believing the Roman pantheon of gods. So, many a Roman did put someone else or themselves in the place of God. Of course, the writer says he warned them ahead of time that lawless man would rebel against the truth about God and believe that wickedness was goodness.
Other intepretations for this important term appear later this week.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Who is this lawless person?
Anytime a document from antiquity is read by someone in the modern world, certain oddities stand out. It is true with any ancient document. Peculiarities about Beowulf stand out from the Old English language; strangeness is noticed in Ulysses in Latin; some unique features surface in the Greek of the Odyssey. The further back one goes in time, usually the stranger certain features appear to the modern eye.
So, when features of a passage from 2nd Thessalonians 2 suddenly appear to have some odd features to the modern reader, then understanding the historical, literary, and linguistic context goes a long way in clearing up the oddity. In particular, a term appears that seems to carry a little more weight than other words in the passage–the lawless man. Some say that the religious and historical context demand that the term be seen as a proper noun. Jews had been interpreting Daniel's visions for quite some time as being a predictor of an end of the age scenario in which someone would blaspheme the Most High so horrendously that it would trigger the sequence of events for the end of time. If that's the case, then the term becomes The Man of Lawlessness. Once the term takes on proper noun status, then one can start to see connections between it and other proper noun references in other parts of the Bible. Daniel's 4th beast (ch.7) and Revelation's ten-horned beast (ch.13) seem to line up with a Man of Lawlessness because all 3 proper nouns blaspheme the name of the Almighty.
Other intepretations for this important term appear later this week.
So, when features of a passage from 2nd Thessalonians 2 suddenly appear to have some odd features to the modern reader, then understanding the historical, literary, and linguistic context goes a long way in clearing up the oddity. In particular, a term appears that seems to carry a little more weight than other words in the passage–the lawless man. Some say that the religious and historical context demand that the term be seen as a proper noun. Jews had been interpreting Daniel's visions for quite some time as being a predictor of an end of the age scenario in which someone would blaspheme the Most High so horrendously that it would trigger the sequence of events for the end of time. If that's the case, then the term becomes The Man of Lawlessness. Once the term takes on proper noun status, then one can start to see connections between it and other proper noun references in other parts of the Bible. Daniel's 4th beast (ch.7) and Revelation's ten-horned beast (ch.13) seem to line up with a Man of Lawlessness because all 3 proper nouns blaspheme the name of the Almighty.
Other intepretations for this important term appear later this week.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Using natural human behavior
Accountability is a word the business and educational fields know a considerable amount. It is also found among the Christians that lived in Thessalonica. In chapter 3, the writer remarks, "If someone doesn't want to abide by what I have highlighted in this letter, then the rest of you should ostracize him so that he should feel ashamed. You shouldn't hate this person like you would an enemy, but you should send a message of clear warning like you would for a brother or sister" (verses 14,15).
In business and education people get chastised by having their pay docked, or by being suspended for a while, or by having a certification or license revoked, or by being fired. When people deal with a brother or sister whose life has spun out of control, that is, he or she shows blatant disregard for sound Biblical principles, then they have to find a way to send a clear message of warning to that person. That method may not be in the same way as this writer outlines, but some way needs to exist. Since business and educational principles and customs were different in Roman times from today, then probably showing distance from a brother or sister will not be shown in the same way as in this letter from Roman times. Even so, people use ostracism all the time—from elementary grades up to send messages to others.
Perhaps, the clear point of the passage is to shun someone with the intent to warn or advise rather than the intent to hate or "write off completely."
In business and education people get chastised by having their pay docked, or by being suspended for a while, or by having a certification or license revoked, or by being fired. When people deal with a brother or sister whose life has spun out of control, that is, he or she shows blatant disregard for sound Biblical principles, then they have to find a way to send a clear message of warning to that person. That method may not be in the same way as this writer outlines, but some way needs to exist. Since business and educational principles and customs were different in Roman times from today, then probably showing distance from a brother or sister will not be shown in the same way as in this letter from Roman times. Even so, people use ostracism all the time—from elementary grades up to send messages to others.
Perhaps, the clear point of the passage is to shun someone with the intent to warn or advise rather than the intent to hate or "write off completely."
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Image making
Image is everything so society says. Perception, right or wrong, is reality. Some could argue that such a world would be hard to live in. But, really, such a world has been around a very long time. In 2nd Thessalonians 3, the writer chastises a group of people who leach off of others. He calls them irresponsible and undisciplined. He even calls for the other Christians in Thessalonica not to associate with the undiscipined group in order to shame them (verse 14).
Why? Because he knew that the Thessalonians were God's "firstfruits" in Macedonia (2.13). It was important for the non-Christians in Thessalonica to see the splendor of God in people who were "not tired of doing good" (3.13). Image and right perception were important. Christians should show their understanding of the spiritual dimension and their great trust in a message they considered "the truth" (2.13). Thus, bad press from Christians within the group could not be tolerated.
Why? Because he knew that the Thessalonians were God's "firstfruits" in Macedonia (2.13). It was important for the non-Christians in Thessalonica to see the splendor of God in people who were "not tired of doing good" (3.13). Image and right perception were important. Christians should show their understanding of the spiritual dimension and their great trust in a message they considered "the truth" (2.13). Thus, bad press from Christians within the group could not be tolerated.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Getting off my duff
Doing nothing feels good on occasion. But I have had those stretches of days when I tried to sit around, not doing any physical labor, getting so bored with TV that I couldn't take another second of the small screen. I couldn't sleep because I wasn't tired and I just wanted to have the life of Riley. But the reason doing nothing feels good is that I am resting from my labor.
This concept is at the heart of a play on words by Paul. In two back to back verses (11 and 12) of 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3, the writer shows an attitude toward those who are living "undisciplined" lives among the Christians. In verse 11 he says that these undisciplined people are not working, yet they are working hard at doing absolutely nothing. The writer's disdain is easily discernible. In verse 12, he "urges and encourages such irresponsible people... to eat their own bread, but only after they rest from working." Sarcasm characterizes the writer's attitude here.
Perhaps the distaste that the writer expresses here is something we should take note of. I think most people do work for a living without trying to leach off of someone else. However, I think all people have areas in which they are negligent. Maybe one should hear this passage say, "Get up off your duff and accomplish something in the area in which we know we are remiss." If one hears disdain and sarcasm for doing nothing in an area he knows that he should be productive in due to a gift from God or in an area in which he has been given an opportunity, then maybe one should not have peace in his spirit, but turmoil as a sign that he should get off his duff.
Fortuantely, the chapter closes with an appeal to Jesus or God, "May the Lord of peace himself grant you peace all the time in every way." I personally take this to heart. If I find myself not able to enjoy this wish, then I try to figure out a reason why I don't have peace. Usually I can restore my peace by getting off my duff and doing what God has set before me to do.
This concept is at the heart of a play on words by Paul. In two back to back verses (11 and 12) of 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3, the writer shows an attitude toward those who are living "undisciplined" lives among the Christians. In verse 11 he says that these undisciplined people are not working, yet they are working hard at doing absolutely nothing. The writer's disdain is easily discernible. In verse 12, he "urges and encourages such irresponsible people... to eat their own bread, but only after they rest from working." Sarcasm characterizes the writer's attitude here.
Perhaps the distaste that the writer expresses here is something we should take note of. I think most people do work for a living without trying to leach off of someone else. However, I think all people have areas in which they are negligent. Maybe one should hear this passage say, "Get up off your duff and accomplish something in the area in which we know we are remiss." If one hears disdain and sarcasm for doing nothing in an area he knows that he should be productive in due to a gift from God or in an area in which he has been given an opportunity, then maybe one should not have peace in his spirit, but turmoil as a sign that he should get off his duff.
Fortuantely, the chapter closes with an appeal to Jesus or God, "May the Lord of peace himself grant you peace all the time in every way." I personally take this to heart. If I find myself not able to enjoy this wish, then I try to figure out a reason why I don't have peace. Usually I can restore my peace by getting off my duff and doing what God has set before me to do.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Pricetags
Every adult knows that sometimes in life a law from thermodynamics is seen—for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. In other words, there is a price to pay for the action. To whatever degree I acted, the reaction is equal. Kindness could actually be mistrusted to the degree it was given, or evil could be counter-acted to the degree it was experienced.
The writer's experience must have been the same when he penned 2nd Thessalonians 1.6-9, which records the opposite but equal reaction of God for those who lifted a hand against Christians innocently living out their decent, everyday lives. These words were recorded, "After all, God is being just when he repays your oppressors with His oppression. You will gain relief from being oppressed, as will we, when the Lord Jesus appears from Heaven with his powerful angels against a backdrop of flaming fire. He will take his vengence on those who are completely ignoring the fabulous story of our Lord Jesus. Eternal destruction is the price they pay because they cannot be in the Lord's presence nor enjoy the awe of His splendor."
Now, that's a steep price to pay—absent from the Lord's presence and trading splendor for destruction. Fortunately for the believers in Thessalonica, the vengence God took was on behalf of those who suffered for the Kingdom of God. It was evidence that God considered them worthy (verse 5). With about 30 years left in this life, I know it is high time for me to consider pricetags whenever I act. If I find myself as an oppressor in any shape, form or fashion against a fellow believer, I bend my knees and ask for forgiveness.
The writer's experience must have been the same when he penned 2nd Thessalonians 1.6-9, which records the opposite but equal reaction of God for those who lifted a hand against Christians innocently living out their decent, everyday lives. These words were recorded, "After all, God is being just when he repays your oppressors with His oppression. You will gain relief from being oppressed, as will we, when the Lord Jesus appears from Heaven with his powerful angels against a backdrop of flaming fire. He will take his vengence on those who are completely ignoring the fabulous story of our Lord Jesus. Eternal destruction is the price they pay because they cannot be in the Lord's presence nor enjoy the awe of His splendor."
Now, that's a steep price to pay—absent from the Lord's presence and trading splendor for destruction. Fortunately for the believers in Thessalonica, the vengence God took was on behalf of those who suffered for the Kingdom of God. It was evidence that God considered them worthy (verse 5). With about 30 years left in this life, I know it is high time for me to consider pricetags whenever I act. If I find myself as an oppressor in any shape, form or fashion against a fellow believer, I bend my knees and ask for forgiveness.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
"Much virtue in grandfathers"
Once I saw mountains angry,
And ranged in battle-front.
Against them stood a little man;
Aye, he was no bigger than my finger.
I laughed, and spoke to one near me,
"Will he prevail?"
"Surely," replied this other;
"His grandfathers beat them many times."
Then did I see much virtue in grandfathers,—
At least, for the little man
Who stood against the mountains.
Stephen Crane
There have been a number of occasions when a circumstance arose that I have thought of my father and how he would have handled a situation or would have commented on how I handled a situation. I was blessed to have him around 77 years. His comments and vivid images still invade my conscious awareness on important occasions. Just such an occasion is leading a class on Sunday mornings. Dad approached leading a class with the idea that everyone would benefit and we would feel unified in spirit as believers. In the past leading a class meant something different to me. I'm sure people spoke to each other saying, "Do you think he will ever conquer never including the spirit of unity in his leadings?" And I hope that God spoke to their hearts saying, "He'll come around. His father was all about unity in Christ." I thank God for his sticking with me through the years allowing me time to see much virtue in (grand)fathers, at least for me, a little man who stood against the mountain of detachment from family.
And ranged in battle-front.
Against them stood a little man;
Aye, he was no bigger than my finger.
I laughed, and spoke to one near me,
"Will he prevail?"
"Surely," replied this other;
"His grandfathers beat them many times."
Then did I see much virtue in grandfathers,—
At least, for the little man
Who stood against the mountains.
Stephen Crane
There have been a number of occasions when a circumstance arose that I have thought of my father and how he would have handled a situation or would have commented on how I handled a situation. I was blessed to have him around 77 years. His comments and vivid images still invade my conscious awareness on important occasions. Just such an occasion is leading a class on Sunday mornings. Dad approached leading a class with the idea that everyone would benefit and we would feel unified in spirit as believers. In the past leading a class meant something different to me. I'm sure people spoke to each other saying, "Do you think he will ever conquer never including the spirit of unity in his leadings?" And I hope that God spoke to their hearts saying, "He'll come around. His father was all about unity in Christ." I thank God for his sticking with me through the years allowing me time to see much virtue in (grand)fathers, at least for me, a little man who stood against the mountain of detachment from family.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Blown away
2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 is plain or enigmatic depending on what experience one has had with people who are reckless and absolutely indifferent toward anyone but themselves. Verses 3 & 4 bring to mind a number of people I have been acquainted with over the years. I have seen the type that have "sold their souls" to the one who is lost and destroyed (son of perdition). I have seen the type that think they are supreme, accepting others' accolades for self-made success. I have seen the type that are so full of themselves that they have taken over God's place in their lives (and possibly in the lives of others) with their own success. I have even seen people that accept people's reverence, meaning that they accept regard from people who consider them to be connected to God in such a superior way that other humans are not.
The writer is clear—Christians should not be deceived by these kind of people. Their end is clear because they belong to the one whose end has been decided already. If Christians should give credence to such people, they would be supporting an idea as bad as claiming that Christ's era is already over (verses 1&2). We are assured, however, that the era of Christ is alive and well and that Christ will come and destroy these weak, reckless people as if they were made from sand. Breathing on them will blow them away (verse 8).
Although so many times it looks as if arrogant or prestigious people have everything the world has to offer, I will take the advice of verse 2 and be encouraged in keeping faith, which is really hard at times. I will not rearrange my thinking or trouble my spirit. Christ will come and those who appear so successful as self-made successes will be simply blown away.
The writer is clear—Christians should not be deceived by these kind of people. Their end is clear because they belong to the one whose end has been decided already. If Christians should give credence to such people, they would be supporting an idea as bad as claiming that Christ's era is already over (verses 1&2). We are assured, however, that the era of Christ is alive and well and that Christ will come and destroy these weak, reckless people as if they were made from sand. Breathing on them will blow them away (verse 8).
Although so many times it looks as if arrogant or prestigious people have everything the world has to offer, I will take the advice of verse 2 and be encouraged in keeping faith, which is really hard at times. I will not rearrange my thinking or trouble my spirit. Christ will come and those who appear so successful as self-made successes will be simply blown away.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Who gets our trust?
People are drawn to good word plays. Who's on First was a classic word play. It was hilarious when it was first done and it still entertains whenever we hear it. Biblically speaking, the passage containing the word play between Jesus and Peter in the last chapter of John is a classic. Not all the translations show the word play, but Jesus asks Peter if he cared for him more than anything else, then toned the question down to, "Do you care for me," and finally to "Are we friends Peter?"
Tucked away in chapter 3 of 2nd Thesssalonians are a couple of verses that contain a word play that shows the difference between what the world gives and what God gives. In verse 1, the writer asks his brothers and sisters to pray for him. His reason is split between the rest of verse 1 and verse 2. The verse 2 reason is "so that we can be rescued from people's moral morass and base living." Then comes the word play.
The writer wants to be rescued from people's (probably the Jews' and the Romans') ruthless treatment of him because (literally) "faith is not in all." The very next statement contrasts nicely, in fact so nicely that it automatically registers the reaction, "Now that's a no-brainer." Verse 3 reads, "But faithful is the Lord who grounds you and guards you from base living." Therein lies the word play. Who wouldn't want to take the high road? Faith is not in those who live base lives, but faith is fully in the one who helps us from stooping to base living.
Christians, like the writer, know they need to be rescued, but base living is so much fun and has a certain amount of prestige attached to it. So, we read the first 3 verses as a way of "sounding right" in front of other Christians, when we know how very difficult it is to allow ourselves to be rescued from the world's moral morass.
So, instead of letting verses 2 and 3 become a mere platitude, maybe we should make them into a plaque to place somewhere our eyes often see. Then the words don't become a platitude, but a no-brainer way of living.
Tucked away in chapter 3 of 2nd Thesssalonians are a couple of verses that contain a word play that shows the difference between what the world gives and what God gives. In verse 1, the writer asks his brothers and sisters to pray for him. His reason is split between the rest of verse 1 and verse 2. The verse 2 reason is "so that we can be rescued from people's moral morass and base living." Then comes the word play.
The writer wants to be rescued from people's (probably the Jews' and the Romans') ruthless treatment of him because (literally) "faith is not in all." The very next statement contrasts nicely, in fact so nicely that it automatically registers the reaction, "Now that's a no-brainer." Verse 3 reads, "But faithful is the Lord who grounds you and guards you from base living." Therein lies the word play. Who wouldn't want to take the high road? Faith is not in those who live base lives, but faith is fully in the one who helps us from stooping to base living.
Christians, like the writer, know they need to be rescued, but base living is so much fun and has a certain amount of prestige attached to it. So, we read the first 3 verses as a way of "sounding right" in front of other Christians, when we know how very difficult it is to allow ourselves to be rescued from the world's moral morass.
So, instead of letting verses 2 and 3 become a mere platitude, maybe we should make them into a plaque to place somewhere our eyes often see. Then the words don't become a platitude, but a no-brainer way of living.
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Thanks for what?
I think from time to time of the ending to Oedipus the King. The chorus begins chanting, after all the characters have left the stage, the Greek wisdom of the ages. The last line of two paragraphs of chanting says that a person should consider himself really fortunate if he or she can get to the end of life and look back on it without any regrets.
I am instantly indicted because I have more than a few regrets along Life's way. I can remember loose words spoken against others along Life's way, even some two days ago that were so, so foolish to have spoken on my part. I can remember being a part of meetings with people that I didn't think should be taking place. But there I was in the middle of them nonetheless. I can remember times when I forgot some amazingly important events to other people, and my attempts to rectify were feeble. My list is long, and my confession to God has already taken place. But I am guilty of not being able to look back on life without regrets.
I can, however, look to others around me and say, "Thank you, God, for them." They are people who have gone through very similar events in life and still hang in there. They may have just as many regrets as I do, but they haven't thrown in the towel. And then there's Oediupus the King. I think, "If Sophocles wrote such a play to let people know not to drop to such depths of depression as Oedipus did about events in life he could not control, then people have been dealing with misery, pain, regret, shame, and guilt a very long time. [The play was written almost 450 years before Christ].
Thank you
Weaver of Life's events
for showing me
through the people around me
and the spirit inside me
that Life's story of me
doesn't incriminate me
It characterizes You in me
And speaks the word "worthy" to me
I am instantly indicted because I have more than a few regrets along Life's way. I can remember loose words spoken against others along Life's way, even some two days ago that were so, so foolish to have spoken on my part. I can remember being a part of meetings with people that I didn't think should be taking place. But there I was in the middle of them nonetheless. I can remember times when I forgot some amazingly important events to other people, and my attempts to rectify were feeble. My list is long, and my confession to God has already taken place. But I am guilty of not being able to look back on life without regrets.
I can, however, look to others around me and say, "Thank you, God, for them." They are people who have gone through very similar events in life and still hang in there. They may have just as many regrets as I do, but they haven't thrown in the towel. And then there's Oediupus the King. I think, "If Sophocles wrote such a play to let people know not to drop to such depths of depression as Oedipus did about events in life he could not control, then people have been dealing with misery, pain, regret, shame, and guilt a very long time. [The play was written almost 450 years before Christ].
Thank you
Weaver of Life's events
for showing me
through the people around me
and the spirit inside me
that Life's story of me
doesn't incriminate me
It characterizes You in me
And speaks the word "worthy" to me
Thursday, January 26, 2006
How fitting
Both letters to the Thessalonians begin with a thanksgiving statement. 2nd Thessalonians' beginning is a little different in its wording, however, from its corollary in 1st Thessalonians. In the first letter, Paul says we do thank God for you. In the second letter, the text says we ought to or must thank God for you because it is fitting. I guess these 2 reasons are the ones anyone would want to pray for someone else. We told someone we would pray, so we do. Perhaps, we just pray for someone on our own accord. But sometimes we pray for someone because we are compelled to pray for them, not because they force us to, but out of sheer admiration for the power of their lives' testimony. Praying is sometimes a nebulous idea. But, if we bring others up in our own conversations with God, then we have a reason to. Sometimes, it is to ask God something for that person, sometimes it is to stand with someone in God's presence, sometimes it is merely to say thanks for the person's life and his or her willingness to be such a grand example.
So, I say thanks to God for a number of people's testimony through their lives. The beauty and power of the statement they make for God each day amidst and after life's hard circumstances stirs my soul to uttering thanks and inspires my steps to remaining on the path that leads home. So, thanks to God is fitting.
So, I say thanks to God for a number of people's testimony through their lives. The beauty and power of the statement they make for God each day amidst and after life's hard circumstances stirs my soul to uttering thanks and inspires my steps to remaining on the path that leads home. So, thanks to God is fitting.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
See-through values
I think the older a person gets, the less (s)he likes facades. It's a type of game playing to create different faces to hide behind. Who needs the game playing! Yet, we all know people who are two-faced or who speak with a forked tongue or who try to hide their real agendas. Transparency, on the other hand, is both trustworthy and appreciated. Transparency denotes a genuine, straightforward person.
Over and over in just a short letter, Paul emphasizes how transparent he was when he lived and worked with the Thessalonians. Paul appealed to not hiding anything from them, so that they could truly believe God's authentic message. It's refreshing to see people who are transparent. They can be trusted. They're straight, not crooked people. I hope I am transparent to others.
Over and over in just a short letter, Paul emphasizes how transparent he was when he lived and worked with the Thessalonians. Paul appealed to not hiding anything from them, so that they could truly believe God's authentic message. It's refreshing to see people who are transparent. They can be trusted. They're straight, not crooked people. I hope I am transparent to others.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Good news
Koine Greek had a term - euanggelein. It is translated variously as many terms are. As it came into English hundreds of years ago the "u" was changed to a "v" and the word appeared as evangelize. But if one leaves the term in Greek and tries to translate it, it has to be translated on its own terms. I suppose one could break the word up into its two component parts—eu=good and aggelein=to announce. The noun form for the verb means messenger. So, an angel is a messenger. In the 1970s, with the advent of the Today's English Version, the term "good news" became popularized. It is a term that has stuck for the last 35 years. The term before that was "gospel," which the King James Version made to stick. Glad tidings was an intermediate term that came and went between 1611 and1971.
The word does mean that whatever message is announced is good. But, today I think people are a little weary of news whether good or not. Over the years I have translated the term as both "good news" and "welcome chain of events." In Philemon, the context seemed to call for the "message of happiness." But, in 1st Thessalonians, I think Paul used it like we might need it today. He wrote a group of people that were used to hearing news of all sorts from all around the Roman empire. So, he seems to put it in a context that is somewhat sensationalized. Americans ought to recognize the strategy since our news media sensationalizes most everything before presenting it. I think telling the story of Jesus shook up the lives of the hearers of Jesus' story. Paul seems to be telling the euaggelion, that is His fabulous story. So, everywhere I found the Greek term, I replaced it with the English phrase, "His fabulous story." The more I get familiar with Jesus' effect in people's lives, the more I agree with the term of His fabulous story.
The word does mean that whatever message is announced is good. But, today I think people are a little weary of news whether good or not. Over the years I have translated the term as both "good news" and "welcome chain of events." In Philemon, the context seemed to call for the "message of happiness." But, in 1st Thessalonians, I think Paul used it like we might need it today. He wrote a group of people that were used to hearing news of all sorts from all around the Roman empire. So, he seems to put it in a context that is somewhat sensationalized. Americans ought to recognize the strategy since our news media sensationalizes most everything before presenting it. I think telling the story of Jesus shook up the lives of the hearers of Jesus' story. Paul seems to be telling the euaggelion, that is His fabulous story. So, everywhere I found the Greek term, I replaced it with the English phrase, "His fabulous story." The more I get familiar with Jesus' effect in people's lives, the more I agree with the term of His fabulous story.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Walking by moonlight
The other night I was walking in the park. It had been dark for about an hour and a half. I noticed right away there were two types of brilliances lighting my way. One was the light at the top of the lightpost that had that yellow luminescence. It lighted my way quite well, but it played out after about a 30 yard radius from the light pole. Then, I was in darkness again. The other light was the moon. It was paricularly bright that night. Its luminescence was slivery blue against the darkness, but it pervaded the darkness. It was not limited to a radius tha it had to stay within. I could easily see the park's trail and trees and playground equipment, but just their shapes, not their colors or finer details. Yet precisely because of the lack of detail I could see, my meditation was enhanced. The objects under the man-made light could be seen in much more detail, but that enhancement caused me to focus on the details of the objects or their color or their juxtaposition to each other, or some other distraction. I couldn't see the park as a whole nor could I concentrate as easily.
It is rare in the winter that I walk in the day. But, then I am grateful for that because my mental conversations with the one who made us and gives us our paths to walk home on are livelier, more extended, filled more with frolic and contentment. I have a fuller understanding of life and people which the Creator-made light makes possible more than the limited, distracted understanding allowed by the man-made light. The temperature during the winter is secondary. Lighting is primary, at least if it is the light of the moon.
It is rare in the winter that I walk in the day. But, then I am grateful for that because my mental conversations with the one who made us and gives us our paths to walk home on are livelier, more extended, filled more with frolic and contentment. I have a fuller understanding of life and people which the Creator-made light makes possible more than the limited, distracted understanding allowed by the man-made light. The temperature during the winter is secondary. Lighting is primary, at least if it is the light of the moon.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Perception rules
I wish for _________ (the list is long). What I get is _________ (the list is short). This is what life feels like most of the time. Thinking that is a sure way to depression. What helps one cope with life according to the psychologists goes more like this: What I really need to survive in life is ____________ (the list is short); What I actually have in life is (the list is long). All this shows that it is a matter of perspective when it comes to being content to some degree or another. Sometimes I think that if my behavior in life depends on my perspective, then it ought to be easy to make the necessary adjustments and live life royally. However, perspective doesn't have to be reality; it is simply a frame of mind. If this is true, then a person is bordering on spirituality. And if spirituality depends on frame of mind, then is the Creator real or not? Well, that is the subject of a whole other blog sometime. For the moment I must remember that perception is a guiding light to whatever reality I construct for myself. That's good because then I can have the energy most of the time to live in an optimistically constructed world that rotates on the axis of what I want in order to be happy.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Natural productivity
The day began with waking up naturally, albeit later than I had wanted to wake. Waking up naturally is what I really like to do on weekends since it takes the alarm clock on weekdays to get out of bed. The day goes better and is more balanced somehow. Although there were appointments to keep, they seemed easier to make because I woke up without any help. I don't know how ancient people used to get up, but I can see how they would have experienced more balanced days than the ones I face since during the week I have to be forced out of bed. I'm thinking that once we know how to find balance in our spiritual lives, we ought to stick with it. Productivity in the spiritual realm may be related to our natural energy. Of course, the Creator knows what is "natural" to us because he made the possible set of personalities that individuals can have. And He does want our productivity.
Monday, January 02, 2006
Working through the mystery
I have been enamored of late by a group of writings found at Nag Hammadi. They are referred to as pseudipigraphia sometimes, the gnostic gospels sometimes, the New Testament apocrypha sometimes. I had previously written about my doubts of the Pauline authorship of 2nd Thessalonians. It's one thing to prove that someone didn't write something, but it is entirely different to say who did write the book or to what time period and group of people a writing belongs. So if Paul didn't write it, who did? That question can't be answered because the time period that apparently the book belongs to is a time period that produced the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, The Gospel of Phillip, the Gospel of Truth, the Apocalypse of Peter, the Apocalypse of Abraham, the books of Enoch, the Assumption of Moses, the Secret Book of John, and on the list goes on. Of course, none of the people used in the titles of these books wrote the books. So, it would be impossible to know who wrote a book purported to have come from Paul.
The books mentioned above were produced by those in the gnostic camp of Christians. 2nd Thessalonians seems to have been written to combat the philosophies represented by these books. Thus, the writer refers to a "man of recklessness" (usually translated "lawlessness") and a "rebellion" which must happen before Christ establishes himself firmly in Chritstians' minds and hearts. The book also refers to "handed down instruction" so as to offset the gnostic teachings of seeing the mysteries of Christ as revealed to each believer. The book could have come from Rome since that was the seat of "handed down instruction" and been aimed against any number of teachers, like Valentinus, who might have come from Alexandria, the seat of gnosticism.
The books mentioned above were produced by those in the gnostic camp of Christians. 2nd Thessalonians seems to have been written to combat the philosophies represented by these books. Thus, the writer refers to a "man of recklessness" (usually translated "lawlessness") and a "rebellion" which must happen before Christ establishes himself firmly in Chritstians' minds and hearts. The book also refers to "handed down instruction" so as to offset the gnostic teachings of seeing the mysteries of Christ as revealed to each believer. The book could have come from Rome since that was the seat of "handed down instruction" and been aimed against any number of teachers, like Valentinus, who might have come from Alexandria, the seat of gnosticism.
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