Tuesday's slice of bread

A weekly post premised on this: Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord (Prov. 16:20)

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married to my best friend, writer, teacher, avid reader, occasional poet, volunteer

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Paul and the Philippians

Paul encountered the Philippians in Acts 16 after going through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia, reaching Mythia, and going down to Troas. It was while Paul and his companions were in Troas that he received what some refer to as the Macedonian call. Luke wrote, "immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel there" (Acts 16:10; ESV).

The group sailed from Troas to Samothrace, traveling from there to Neapolis, and then to Philippi, "a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony" (Acts 16:11-12; ESV).

Initial converts in Philippi included Lydia and her household and the Philippian jailer and his household (Acts 16:14-34).

Paul's letter to the believers at Philippi is chiefly one of joy. As one of the prison epistles (others include Galatians, Ephesians, and Colossians) you might expect it to be otherwise. But Paul wasn't focused on his physical circumstances. His affection for them flows in his initial section of the letter: "I thank my God in every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now" (1:3-5; ESV; italics mine here and hereafter).

Then comes one of the most encouraging statements: "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (1:6; ESV).

Isn't that an amazing promise? But there is more. There is Paul's prayer for them: "And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God" (1:9-11; ESV).

Paul builds here: more love, knowledge, discernment with the goal that they may approve what is excellent--which requires love, knowledge, discernment--and as a result will be pure and blameless and fruitful, not for themselves but for the day of Christ, through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Reading through the rest of the letter, it is clear that this prayer was needed. It is easy to be focused on the horizontal relationships and lose sight of the vertical. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, time and again Paul reminds them--and us--to live this way: "Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God" (1:27-28; ESV).

I love Paul's letter to the Philippians, with its encouragements and its admonitions. I am encouraged by his humility and reminded to keep my focus not on this world but the eternal. As believers we have this to look forward to: "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself" (3:20-21; ESV).

How is it that we have this to look forward to? Read this from what we call chapter 2: "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (2:6-11; ESV).

Even so, Lord, enable me by your Spirit to excel still more in love, knowledge, and discernment, that I might with other believers stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything. As we wait for the Day, make us fruitful in righteousness to the glory of the Father. Amen.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Paul and Ephesians: contacts and prayers

In Acts 18:19-21, Luke recorded Paul's first visit as a brief one. Paul's second, longer stay is noted in Acts 19:1--20:1. His final personal contact is in Acts 20:17-38 as he instructed the Ephesian elders and prayed with them.

This blog post will focus on three passages in Paul's letter to the Ephesian church.

In chapter 1:3-14, he begins by blessing the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ [verse 3], immediately directing us to two Persons of the Trinity; we meet the Third, the Holy Spirit, in verse 13

What are the "spiritual blessings in the heavenly places  in Christ" enumerated here? First, before the foundation "he chose us ... that we should be holy and blameless before him" (verse 4). Then we learn, it was "in love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ" (verse 5). Both are "according to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the beloved" (verse 6).

It that is not enough we are told we also have in Christ "redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth" (verses 7-10).

What more can there be in him? "We have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory" (verses 11-12).

What more can be said? Paul tells the Ephesians and us, "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire it, to the praise of his glory" (verses 13-14).

Verses 3-14 direct us to all God has provided us with from God the Father in the Son and guaranteed by the Holy Spirit--the Trinity in action.

In verses 15-23, Paul transitions, taking a more personal tone.

In verses 15-16 he recognizes what they already manifest--their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and love toward all the saints--ant notes his on-going prayer for them.

In verses 17-19 he tells the content of his prayers: "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might."

In verses 20-23 he directs them to the power and position of Christ, and again to their relationship with him: "that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all."

A key term in verses 3-23 is "in him."

Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 starts with the Father "from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named" (3:15; perhaps a reminder of our common humanity).

Verses 16-19 contain significant "that's: "That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Verses 20 and 21 are both encouragement and doxology: "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work in us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Corinth and Paul's first prayer for the church there

We learn significant things in the first verses of Acts 18. Paul didn't wait for Timothy and Silas to arrive to become active. He found a couple, Aquila and Priscilla, Jews who had been ordered to leave Rome. Because they had a common trade as well as a common faith, he stayed with and worked with them. And as was his custom, "he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks" (Acts 18:4; ESV).

This is what Silas and Timothy found Paul engaged in when they came. This time when opposed and reviled, Paul, "shook out his garments and said to them, 'Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles" (Acts 18:6; ESV).

But that was not the end of Paul's ministry to the Jews. Acts 18:7-8 reveals this: "And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized."

Paul must have been somewhat apprehensive to have needed this: "And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, 'Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people'" (Acts 18:9-10; ESV). Encouraged and confirmed, Paul remained in the city for 18 months, teaching the word of God.

When trouble arose here, Gallio the proconsul would not get involved, even driving the complaining Jews from the tribunal. And instead of taking their anger out on Paul, the stymied Jews seized and beat Sosthenes in front of the tribunal. Even this did not get the attention of Gallio. (Paul would later include Sosthenes in his greeting in the first letter to the Corinthian believers.)

Paul left Corinth eventually, traveling to Syria, now including Priscilla and Aquila in his entourage. After stopping at Cenchreae, they came to Ephesus.

The church Paul was instrumental in founding at Corinth would eventually receive two letters which are included in Scripture. While he dealt with many issues in this church, his love and pastoral concern come through in the prayers recorded in those letters.

In his first letter, Paul writes first of his thanksgiving: "I give thanks to my God for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and knowledge--even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you--so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:4-9; ESV).
 
What are the keys here? Paul directs his thanks to his God always for them. Why? Because of the grace of God that was given them? Where? In Christ Jesus, that in every way they were enriched. Where? In him. With what? In all speech and all knowledge. Proof? Even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among them. Why? So that they were not lacking in any gift. For how long? How? As they waited for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who would sustain them to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God's faithfulness was the basis, God who called them into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Consider these seven terms: To God. Always. In Christ Jesus. Testimony about Christ. The revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Called by God into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ out Lord.

Do you see a pattern here? Paul's thanksgiving is all about God and his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. That needs to be the same for us.

Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Travels and Travails

Paul and Silas found themselves in a strange situation. For reasons not revealed, the Philippians magistrates had a change of heart regarding their arrest and imprisonment.

Here is how Luke records it: "But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, 'Let those men go.' And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, 'The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.' But Paul said to them, 'They have beaten us publically, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us in prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.' The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed" (Acts 16:35-40; ESV).

Paul and Silas continued to visit areas Paul had been to with Barnabas. When they arrived at Thessalonica, Paul located the synagogue. For three consecutive Sabbaths, "he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, 'This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ'" (Acts 17:2-3; ESV). Some were converted.

Were the Jews happy at this good news? No; again their jealousy led to the formation of a mob, an uproar, a riot. They got one thing right in referring to them as men who have turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). However disturbing this was to the people and to the authorities, no one was imprisoned this time. Money was exchanged and those brought before the authorities were let go.

For a change, the arrestees did not include Paul and Silas. But the brothers (believers) knew they had to send them away. This they did "immediately" by night, to Berea.

The response of the Berean Jews is one we have often been exhorted to replicate. Here it is: "Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men" (Acts 17:11-12; ESV). [Note: it seems it was reading the Scriptures for themselves that brought about saving faith, much like the Samaritan woman who believed, having heard the Word for herself.]

Could the jealous Jews from Thessalonica leave those in Berea alone? No. We are told, "But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was being proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds" (Acts 17:13; ESV).

Then the word "immediately" appears again in verse 14: "Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there."

This time Paul was taken farther, to Athens.  While waiting for Silas and Timothy, Paul was occupied. Provoked by the city's idols, passionate to bring truth to replace them, Paul went from synagogue to marketplace, from Jews to Gentiles, reasoning with those who would listen.

Luke describes how many of the people spent their time: "Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new" (Acts 17:21; ESV). (If that doesn't sound like contemporary times, what does?)

Paul piqued enough interest to be asked to speak at the Areopagus, and his speech is recorded in Acts 17:22-31. I would strongly urge you to read that now.

How was the word received? Some mocked, some were open to further conversation, and some came to true faith. (This reminds me of the parable of the soils recorded in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8).

Paul's next destination? Corinth.