Every time I read the Book of James some part of it speaks to me. Everyone knows that James puts an emphasis on the fact that faith will result in action. You will act according to what you truly believe. However, we spend less time seeing the connection James makes between what we say and what we do. James tells us that we should control what we say. He links speech we should avoid with anger when he tells us to be quick to listen but slow to speak and to anger. He does not limit controlling our tongue to when we are angry, but he makes it clear that that is when we are most likely to say things which we should not say. As important, we often justify saying things we should not say by claiming that we are saying it but would not do it. However, the more we express angry thoughts, or other thoughts of negative things, the more likely we are to act on those thoughts.
In chapter 11, which we read yesterday, the writer referred to the many people who did great things, and/or experienced great suffering and persecution because of their faith. We should be inspired by those people to remove from our lives any thing, thought, or activity which interferes with living a life which pleases God. Look at your life and get rid of anything which takes away from doing God’s will. Each and every one of us only has so much time or energy. Spend that time and energy doing things which show God’s love to others. If you find yourself sinning, fill up more of your time with doing good and soon you will not have time to sin. And never allow yourself to feel bitter about anything. Instead view those negative things which tempt you to be bitter as God’s loving discipline designed to goad you to do better.
Later, as part of his wrap up of the letter, the writer tells us to show hospitality to strangers because sometimes those strangers are God’s messengers. Paul wrote that we should love one another. The writer here is reminding us that we do not necessarily know who is, and is not, a member of that “one another”. Further, the blessings we receive from showing love to those who may never return that love greatly exceeds the cost to us of doing so.
Under the Law of Moses only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place, could enter into the presence of God. However, the writer of the Book of Hebrews tells us that under the new covenant entered into by Jesus’ sacrifice we can freely enter into God’s presence. Under the old covenant regular and frequent sacrifices were required. Under the new covenant, Jesus sacrificed Himself once for all time. This should inspire us to strive to keep from sinning. Under the old covenant, if you sinned again, you just offered another sacrifice. Under the new covenant, the sacrifice has been offered. When we sin again, it is as if we are asking Christ to once more go to the Cross. We should associate with other believers so that we can encourage them, and be encouraged by them, to do acts of love and good works.
The writer says something here that I struggle with explaining. Those who have known and accepted Christ and then rejected Him will never turn to Him once more. The reason I struggle with this is that I have known some who turned away from God and then returned to be faithful servants to Him. Yet, I also know several people who fit into exactly what the writer is describing. They once fervently served Christ, but something happened and they chose to turn away from what they knew to be God’s will. I still pray that I am mistaken and that the Holy Spirit will reach out and transform them, but looking at the decisions they have made I cannot see any way that they would ever return to God. They knew the glory of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, but have chosen to reject both. I hope with all that I am that I am wrong.
As I started to read this I felt that Hebrews follows the letters of Paul in much the same way that the Gospel of John follows the other three Gospels. The writer of Hebrews is concerned with the nature of Jesus and His relationship with God in much the same way that John is in his Gospel. In fact, at some point I want to read the Book of Hebrews immediately after reading the Gospel of John. I really think that the writer of Hebrews is saying the same thing about Jesus as the Gospel of John, just worded differently. Both writers tell us that Jesus is God, but also a human being. Together these two letters form the basis for the doctrine of the Trinity.
However, the writer of this letter wrote this to be about what that means for us, not to talk theology. If Jesus is God, then we must pay even closer attention to what He taught than was called for by the teachings of the Law of Moses, which was communicated by angels (slight over simplification of his argument). Those who spoke to Abraham, Moses, and the other prophets were God’s celestial messengers. Jesus was God Himself. So, on the one hand, Jesus’ teachings must be listened to because they are teachings directly from God. But, Jesus was also a human being, so He understands how difficult following those teachings can be.
I was hoping this would just follow on from the other things I wanted to write about this passage, but it did not. Perhaps the most important part about the writer’s intent is what he writes at the end of this passage. We need to stop relying on others to teach us again and again the basics of the Gospel. We need to act on what we have learned and start teaching it to others. Acting on what we have already learned about the Gospel is the only way to become able to understand and learn more. The theology of the Trinity is only useful as it leads us to act, to do God’s will and show His love to those around us.
Today, I am reading and commenting on Titus and Philemon
In his letter to Titus, Paul reiterates the instructions concerning the qualifications for Church leadership which he wrote to Timothy. We spend a lot of time discussing what these instructions mean for who we should select as pastors and leaders. However, I do not think we spend enough time talking about Paul writing that a candidate for Church leadership should enjoy having guests in his home. I don’t want to spend any time talking about what that means, I think that is obvious. I just want us to bring focus to that requirement from Paul’s list. I especially want us to think about it in light of the fact that I have always felt that all believers should strive to meet the qualifications needed to be selected for Church leadership, not that they should strive to be Church leaders necessarily, just to qualify to be Church leaders.
I am not going to write anything explicitly about Philemon today, but I think that Paul’s letter to Philemon contains reference to the theme he mentions at the end of his letter to Titus. Paul wrote to Titus that to the pure, everything is pure, but to the corrupt nothing is pure. I do not remember the exact situation, but I remember an instance where my Dad made me aware that a person I trusted was dishonest and not worthy of trust. My Dad pointed out how the person always saw the worst in others, was always sure that others were lying to them and trying to cheat them. As best I remember, my Dad had done business with this person and I asked him why he would have done that if he did not trust him. He told me that we should always give people the benefit of the doubt. This passage from Titus was one of two he referenced when discussing such things. The other was Matthew 10:16, where Jesus told his disciples to be as shrewd as snakes, but as innocent as doves.
There is a hymn based on what Paul says in verse 12 of the first chapter: “I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.” The song, “I Know Whom I Have Believed”, is one of my favorite hymns. There are five verse, each of which begins, “I know not…” with the verse then saying, “But I know whom I have believed…” The point being, and Paul’s point here, that we don’t have to have all of the answers, or understand how God’s grace works to trust that doing as God directs will work out for the best. To those who know me, it may seem strange that this statement of faith is so important to me, because I try very hard to know the answer to any question which comes up and to understand why things happen. Yes, I try to have all of the answers, but I don’t (and I know I never will. At least, not in this life.) And I try to understand why things happen, but I often don’t. God has gifted me with great knowledge, and I believe with above average understanding (although, others will have to say whether that last is true), but I still often find myself saying, “I don’t know, but I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able…”
Later in the letter Paul writes about the troubles of the last days. He warns that in those days people will love only themselves and their money. Paul commands Timothy, and us, to preach the word of God, whether the time is favorable or not, because there will be times when people refuse to listen to sound and wholesome teachings. Instead they will seek those who will tell them what they want to hear. Reading what Paul tells about people in the last days sounds a lot like many people today. Of course, that makes sense since Paul considered himself to be in the last days. I am convinced that part of the reason that Paul tells us to preach God’s word even when the time seems to be unfavorable is that we cannot know when a person will be open to the Holy Spirit changing their lives. There will be times when we are convinced that now is not the time to speak to someone about the Gospel that will be the exact moment when God can reach through and transform them.
Paul gives instructions here regarding the care of widowed believers by the Church which I believe can be our model for helping all who are unable to care for themselves. Paul begins by saying that the family of the person in need should do all that they can to help them. He continues by saying that every person should care for their own needs to whatever degree that they are able to do so. Finally, the Church should care for those whose needs cannot be met by these first two options. However, Paul puts some conditions on those for whom the Church should provide care. I believe that the conditions which Paul lists are specific to the situation he was addressing and do not necessarily represent the conditions we should impose today. That being said, they provide a model for conditioning assistance on the behavior of those receiving assistance.
Paul recommends against giving assistance to those who are able-bodied because they will then spend their time gossiping and meddling in other people’s business. Again we can see both that he is referring to a relatively specific situation and offering a model which can be applied more generally. The assistance Paul is addressing here appears to be monetary and/or food supplies. We see from that another way to address his concerns would be to provide assistance in the form of a job, I do not want to go too far down that path. Believers should aid those who require assistance to meet their needs, but that aid can, and should to some degree, be contingent upon actions by those receiving it. We must always remember that sometimes material assistance is not in the best interest of those in need.
Paul begins his first letter to Timothy by warning against false teachers, comes back to it in the middle, then again at the end (we will get to the end tomorrow). At the beginning Paul writes that these false teachers spend all of their time talking about myths and spiritual pedigrees. Then when he circles back he warns Timothy against arguing about godless ideas and old-wives tales. I believe that the second is just Paul restating what he said at first in a different order. From these pointless discussions they make up rules they claim we need to follow in order to be righteous. Paul writes that rules, even the laws God gave to Moses, are for those who rebel against God. Despite what some people argue, Paul is not saying that good is relative. He is saying that one does not do good because one follows a set of rules. One does good by loving one’s neighbor.
I never realized before that in many ways, Paul’s instructions for the type of people to select for leadership positions reflect a practical way to identify people who get the above. Some of the things Paul requires of a leader just reflect someone being a good person with the skills needed to be a leader, but his instructions on judging them by their children tells us that they understand the above. Children whose parents insist that they follow rules because the parents set those rules will be rebellious and troublemakers, looking for loopholes in the rules. Children whose parents make clear that the rules they lay down are what they believe are in the best interest of the children will be well behaved and obedient. (This does not mean that parents whose children misbehave and become troublemakers did not intend their rules to be in their children’s best interest, just that the children were not convinced the rules were in their best interest).
I keep writing about prayer because I am convicted that I need to improve the prayer in my life. At the beginning of this letter, and of most of his letters, Paul writes about praying for those to whom he is writing.. Writing that gave me insight into improving my prayers. I do not believe it has ever occurred to me before to pray for those of you reading this (although a few of you are otherwise among those for whom I pray). So, starting today, I will strive to pray for those who read my writing. Then at the end of this letter, Paul asks those reading it to pray for him. So, I will ask those of you reading this to do the same for me. Please pray that God will make me a better servant to Him.
However, central to this letter is Paul’s writing about Christ’s return. Paul writes that that day has not yet happened and that everyone will know when it comes to pass. Before the Day of Christ’s return will come a time of lawlessness, presided over by a man of lawlessness. Paul’s writing here has elements which suggest that the “man of lawlessness” is a specific individual and elements which suggest that the “man of lawlessness” is a figurative being. In either case, there will be a period of lawless rebellion against God. This passage suggests that the period will culminate in the rise of an evil “Messiah” figure who will deceive many into a false, and evil, religion. Speaking of prayer, I pray that God pour His Holy Spirit out on the people of this world, drawing them to Him, and delaying the arrival of the day of lawlessness.
