Mia: When Paul was in prison, he probably spent most of his time writing letters like Philemon, Titus, Timothy and the other letters we’ve been reading. It was like, part of his job to spread the gospel and disciple people, even in jail. He didn’t like, write directions about church order, make twenty copies and send them to different people. He diligently took time to write personal and helpful letters to people and towns. This shows he really cared about them.
Ian: Paul’s fatherly tone with Timothy stands out to me because it sounds like Timothy’s heritage of faith came from his grandmother and mother, not his father. Either way, it’s no surprise that Paul uses images like Soldier, Athlete, and Workman to communicate to his spiritual son. But Paul also brings up some images that round out father and son conversations: Vulnerability (“Recalling your tears…”), Maturity (“…pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace…”), and Remitment (“Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done.”).
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23.
I like them and the verses following. I didn’t know they were in Galatians till I read them there. I realized some of the verses I read and memorize I don’t memorize where I can find it in the Bible. So, now I’m going to remember to do that from now on. I need to know where to find things in the Bible.
Ian: There was some backwards movement evident in the saints in first century Galatia. They were backing away from the one who called them by the grace of Christ to a different gospel which was, according to Paul, “really no gospel at all.” From life in the Spirit as the result of Jesus’ death and resurrection to attaining the goal by human effort. From slavery to freedom back to slavery. Paul exhorts the church to stand firm in the former and to be weary of the latter. What’s more, the opposite of gospel is our own quotidian effort.
This is a good reminder for me ’cause even when it’s hard to love, I’ll know it won’t fail or be a waste of time.
Ian: It was Holy Week in 1995 when there was a unique outpouring of the Spirit on Multnomah’s (now university) campus. I was a sophomore and, with the rest of our student body, undergraduate and graduate alike, we were spending much time, planned and otherwise, worshipping God through confession of sin, prayer, and worship.
This move of the Spirit seemed to move to our campus after hearing similar reports from other campuses. Thank you, Jesus, for doing so.
At one of our meetings in the A-Frame I was led to read aloud Romans 8 in its entirety. It was as if every word of every line was meant precisely for us, and deeply, right then and there.
Mia: Paul was a really bold guy. He did lots of things for God. In Acts 23:11 God says to Paul: “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” I would have been scared to even speak to those high and mighty governors. And alot of people didn’t wanna hear the good news of Christ. But Paul did it because God said to, and he even wanted to go to Caesar! I just wanted to say that Paul really was a great guy, and one of the first people to start being sort of a missionary.
Ian: I’m thankful that even though the disobedience of one resulted in all being made sinners, the obedience of one brought eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:24-25.
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. Acts 12:7-9.
Beside being a completely amazing story, Peter didn’t even realized he was really being freed from prison! He was so used to visions, he didn’t even say anything to the angel, neither was he afraid. I was imagining the feeling: An angel just freed me from prison and left. What does this vision mean, Oh, MAN! That really was an angel!
Ian: This struck me as a beautiful image of siblinghood.
They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. Acts 14:21-22.
I can just picture new Christians–I guess they were all new at this point in history–enthused about people coming to follow Jesus with a dose of apprehension knowing that the Way was not just counter-cultural but illegal. To hear older brothers in the Lord say that ”we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” would be strangely comforting.
Mia: Just a few things I noticed while finishing the gospels: The gospels are all the same stories and they all agree on what happens but some have more details. Like in Matthew 27:24 Pilate washes his hands before he hands Jesus over to be crucified. It was to show he was innocent of Jesus’ blood. But he doesn’t wash his hands before he gives Jesus to the people in Luke. Also, Mary of Bethany pours expensive perfume on Jesus’ head before his death in Matthew, Mark and John, but this wasn’t mentioned in Luke. It’s like some of the authors had more info than others.
Ian: Jesus’ prayer for us pains me as we’ve all made choices–even choices that seem wise or godly–that run contrary to the Savior’s desire for us to be one.
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Luke 17:20-23
Mia: In Luke 23:22-24 Pilate handed Jesus over to the people who wanted to crucify him, even though he knew Jesus had done nothing wrong. Pilate gave in because the people were shouting and demanding. The Bible doesn’t talk about what Pilate did afterwards or what he thought, but I bet he felt guilty and felt bad after that. I would.
Ian: “Revolutionary” isn’t a biblical type, genre, or form but it sure is a tone. I’ve loved reading about the revolutionary Jesus since we hit the Gospels but I’m reminded of a story about how even Jesus’ politeness was revolutionary. From Richard Wurmbrand’s book Tortured For Christ…
On the road to Emmaus, the resurrected Savior walked with two disciples, talking with them about the recent events in Jerusalem. Though they did not recognize him, he talked with them about God’s plan for the Messiah. When they arrived at their town, Jesus acted as if he had to go further.
Why? Didn’t he want to stay and continue the conversation?
To Piott, a Russian believer, Jesus’ actions showed politeness. He didn’t want to stay unless he was truly wanted. Piott had seen the Communists overrun his country. The police burst into people’s homes anytime they chose. Finally, a Christian shared with Piott the story of a Savior who knocked gently at his heart, waiting to be allowed in. Piott was impressed with this gentle Jesus and willingly opened the door. Jesus became Piott’s Savior and Lord.
Mia: Luke has a lot of the same stories as Matthew and Mark. Parables and stuff. But I like Luke, the way it is written like for a person, from a person. It is written by Luke and for Theophilus. I like it written that way best.
Ian:
An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest.” Luke 9:46-48.
Mia: In Mark 13:32-37 Jesus says no one knows when he will come back the second time, only the Father. He explains it’s like a man that leaves his house and puts his servants in charge. They each have different tasks to do. He tells one servant to keep watch for him at the door. I thought that was a great example of waiting for Jesus to come back.
Ian: This verse is pretty exciting reading until it gets to the persecutions part. But then I thought about what makes me more like Jesus. Abundance? Meh. Persecutions? I wish it weren’t so.
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. Mark 10:29-30.
Mia: In Matthew 16:21 Jesus predicts his death and resurrection. All it says is “he explained”. He just calmly, explained he would die and then on the third day come to life. He also told his disciples the same thing in Matthew 17:22-23, Matthew 20:17-19 and Matthew 26:2. Then, when Judas came to betray Jesus in Mathew 26, Jesus said to his betrayer, “Friend, do what you came for.” He completely fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: he was led like lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
Ian: The following two observations are really informing my reading of the Gospels. Thanks, Matt.
1) The primary effect of his healings was to include social outcasts into community. His healings restored outcasts to community.
(With his healings he did this by removing the obstacle that made them an outcast. By eating with outcasts he welcomed and accepted them just as they were. With the temple incident he critiqued a system/structure that excluded outcasts on the basis of their race.)
2) Jesus touched those whom he healed. He was willing to get dirty and even become unclean by touching them.
RSS - Posts