5/3/24
Scholarly Reflections Koukl, Gregory. (2019). "Chapter Eleven: Practical Suicide." In Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions (updated and expanded). pp. 157-164.. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. Koukl previously discussed points of views which are automatically self-defeating. In this chapter he deals with those that can be held but cannot be articulated. As an example, he says, "It's wrong to say people are wrong" (Koukl 2019, p. 158). This is a position which many people hold but which cannot be said without being self-contradictory. As long as it is not articulated, it works. A similar, but more sophisticated example, is seen when someone gives reasons why the use of reasoning to prove a point is inappropriate. Confronting the root issue which is contradictory is uncomfortable but often suffices to show a person the weakness of his views. Koukl observes that a relativistic view of morality frequently self-destructs. Telling someone not to push a view on others is readily seen as pushing a view. Asking "why" is a sufficient response (Koukl 2019, p. 160). Koukl continues to illustrate the issue with an extended example of Soviet border guards admitting to religious freedom and access to Bibles yet prohibiting people from providing such opportunities (Koukl 2019, pp. 161-163). The overall logical conflict is the ssame, though the outcome of his discussion was not. He gives a third extended example (Koukl 2019, pp. 163-164) of a controversy caused when the Southern Baptist Convention urged praying for Jewish people in Chicago, an act the Anti-Defamation League considered an invitation to hatred. Their claim was that evangelization should only be directed to people who have no religion. In fact, the Jewish leaders said as a religious conviction the Baptists should violate their own religious convictions. Once views such as these are articulated, they prove invalid. However, not all people are willing to allow the contradiction to be pointed out. These conversations can be very difficult. Penitence as Realism
5/2/24 Christians are sometimes accused of looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. Everything is supposed to be joyful, positive, upbeat. Nothing ever goes wrong. Much of our current culture in the Western world says that Christians should deny any concerns - sickness, sadness, sorrow, suffering. It's all supposed to go away. After all, Christ has risen from the dead, redeemed us from the curse of sin and death, and presented us as his victorious people with an eternal hope. It's true that our Christian theology recognizes an eternal hope. In one sense, the Christian is invulnerable. Nothing but our departure from the faith can present us with any threat in eternity. But what about threats today and tomorrow? We normally think of our physical death as the time when we actually realize our eternal inheritance as partakers of Christ's resurrection. But we don't give ourselves over to death immediately. We have a lot to live for in this world. Many theologians have referred to our earthly life in terms of Psalm 84:6, which, in a traditional Latin version, speaks of the world as a "vallis lacrimarum." That means a valley of tears. Lots of people fall into archaic English usage by speaking of the "vale of tears." And, the more you think about it, the more you realize that our life in this world is like walking around from one difficult time to another. Even healthy people suffer pain and hurt. Even people with good and loving families find themselves dealing with conflict and misunderstanding. The best jobs still have their share of mundane and tedious challenges. In every area of life, we confront what, frankly, turns out to be the fruit of sin. It may be our sin, it may be someone else's, but most of the time, everyone involved contributed to the problem. In historic Christian practice, church services often begin with an admission that we are sinful. It's normal for Christians to be confronted with their sin, their selfishness, their doubts, and their self-contradictory words and deeds. Life doesn't actually look very rosy. How do we respond when we come face to face with our failure? Do we decide that God must not care for us since we are suffering? Do we take our failure to receive just the "right" promotion at work, or our failure to marry the "perfect" spouse, or the loss of value in our retirement account to be evidence that we're being punished in some way? Not at all! Rather, we recognize that Jesus, God the Son, is familiar with suffering. He endured hardship, being brought up in a society that was not technologically advanced, by an apparently low-income mother and stepfather, and having to relocate with his family several times. He was mocked. Even when he was popular with the crowds of people, they normally wanted something temporary from him, rather than something eternal. He was finally betrayed to death, convicted on trumped-up charges, and killed in an excruciating and humiliating manner. He knows all about suffering. What's he doing with me when I suffer? In fact, I rarely know. There are so very many things he could be doing, I don't like to speculate. He may be teaching me endurance. He may be teaching me to love and sympathize with my neighbor. He may be guiding me out of some situation which is proving harmful. He may be using my troubles to help someone else learn and grow. I really don't know. What I do know, though, is that I can readily be convicted of sin. In the Lutheran tradition, we normally talk about sins of "commission" (things we do) and sins of "omission" (things we neglected to do). At the forefront of those sins are our failure of the two great commands of Scripture. We fail to love God with all our heart. We fail to love our neighbor as ourselves. Penitence, or sorrow for sin, is precisely the right response to our world. Did something bad happen to you? You should wonder if you would possibly be capable of creating the same situation. You should wonder how many people you are to love and support through similar troubles. You should realize that your reaction of loving and trusting God with all your heart is falling short of God's perfection. Penitence is nothing more than being realistic about our own fallen nature. In the end, it's confessing that we are just the kind of sinful people Jesus died for. And he gave his life so as to create a perfect eternity for us. He will bring us along in his resurrection. Do we fail? Absolutely. That's why, as Christians, we confess we need a savior. We're real sinners in need of a real savior from real sin - that of our doing, that of our neglecting to do something, and that which influences us due to other people's doing or not doing something. We are in a vale of tears. So are all those people we love and serve. For this reason, we take a good look at ourselves in our world, and as we turn to our Lord for mercy, we ask others to join us. The Christian life is full of penitence and restoration. Wednesdays are for the New Testament
5/1/24 Bruce, F.F. (1988). "Cyprus "(13:4-12)." In The Book of Acts (Revised). (246-249). William B. Eerdmans Publishing, As Barnabas and Saul go toward Cyprus in Acts 13:4, Bruce observes that the location has been documented as early as the 18th century B.C., called Elishah (Genesis 10:4) (Bruce 1988, p. 246). The area was colonized by Greeks as well as Phoenicians before becoming a Roman territory in 57 B.C. At the time of Acts, it was a separate province. Baranabas and Saul were accompanied by John Mark (v. 5), who may have been helpful as an eyewitness of the events of Jesus' passion. Barnabas and Saul first preached in Salamis, on the east coast, where there seem to be multiple synagogues. Bruce notes that though Paul was considered the apostle to the Gentiles, he regularly started his ministry in synagogues, where the God-fearing Gentiles would be gathered (Bruce 1988, p. 247). The city Paphos served as the seat for the provincial government. Paul and Barnabas went from Salamis, on the east coast, to Paphos, on the southwest coast. Bruce notes that there are two cities called Paphos (New and Old) on Cyprus. This city is New Paphos (Bruce 1988, p. 248). There was an active cult of a goddess who is similar to Aphrodite in that location. The proconsul, Sergius Paullus, as well as the sorcerer Bar-jesus are introduced to us in Acts 13:6-8. Bruce observes that Bar-jesus may have taken an interest in the interview between the proconsul and Saul and Barnabas, as if the proconsul were to believe what Paul and Barnabas taught it would endanger Bar-jesus' reputation. In verses 9-11 Saul rebukes Bar-jesus forcefully. He does not show himself as a son of Jesus, as his name would indicate, but is rather a child of the devil. Paul's rebuke leads to Bar-jesus' becoming temporarily blind, which is symbolically consistent with his spiritual blindness. Bruce notes that here, for the first time, we are introduced to Saul by his Roman cognomen, Paullus (Bruce 1988, p. 249). This event certainly was persuasive to the proconsul, as reflected in verse 12. Brue questions what the outcome of the proconsul's "belief" might have been. It is not clear whether the proconsul was converted to lasting faith in Jesus or whether he was simply struck by the power of the message but did not pursue lasting change. Tuesdays Are for the Old Testament
4/30/24 Lessing, R. Reed, & Steinmann, Andrew E. (2014). "Chapter Seventeen: Psalms." In Prepare the Way of the Lord: An Introduction to the Old Testament. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House. (297-314). Lessing and Steinmann introduce Psalms as the songbook of Israel, noting that there are numerous different forms of songs present (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 297). The New Testament references Psalms more than 400 times. While the book is generally thought of as a collection of songs by David, there are numerous other authors. Lessing and Steinmann observe that 73 of the 150 Psalms are attributed to David in the Masoretic Text, while the Septuagint attributes more. However, the attributions may or may not be a clear indication of authorship. Yet David remains the putative author of many, and the New Testament does assume that the attributions are actually a sign of authorship (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 298). In all, nearly 100 of the Psalms have names associated with them. Lessing and Steinmann provide a chart, derived from The Lutheran Study Bible cataloging the names linked to the different Psalms (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 298). In reality, the Psalter is a collection of prayers (which could have been set to music). The authors range from Moses (Psalm 90) to after the period of the Babylonian exile (Ps. 126). The collection may well have developed gradually, with different clusters of Psalms being gathered and recognized as belonging together (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 198). The Psalter is divided into five books, reflecting the structure of the Pentateuch. The Psalms are recognized as Hebrew poetry. Lessing and Steinmann observe that the concept of poetry in Hebrew is difficult to evaluate. Roughly half of the Old Testament is considered to be poetry. However, Hebrew poetry is distinguished from prose by "many different elements which elevate style and provide formality and strictness of organization" (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 299). Poetry and prose thus may exist on a continuum, as opposed to the concept of poetry which is based on specific structures, meters, or rhyme schemes (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 300). While there may be rhythm, a meter based on groups of syllables cannot be identified. An important feature of Hebrew poetry is parallelism. Poetic writing is also often divided into stanzas or strophes. Lessing and Steinmann note that Psalms were typically studied in isolation, without context, prior to the 1990s (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 301). Since that time, there has been a greater interest in seeing the Psalms within the overall structure of the Psalter. Some, most notably Gerald Wilson (The Editing of the Hebrew Psalter, 1985 dissertation) have considered that the book of Psalms as a whole contains "plot, characters, and narrative movement" (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 301). Wilson has identified Psalms which are pivotal parts of the overall structure and which serve to move attention through the book as a whole. The reader is drawn from concentration on the failings of the earthly monarchs to the eternal perfection of God in his glory (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 302). Lessing and Steinmann find this structural analysis helpful in interpretation of the thematic elements of Psalms. Superscriptions on the Psalms in the Septuagint vary from those in the Masoretic Text. The Septuagint has only two psalms without titles, while the Masoretic Text has 34 (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 303). Lessing and Steinmann observe that some of the terms used are relatively obscure. Reviewing the types of Psalms, Lessing and Steinmann find that the genres posited by form critics have fallen short, as many Psalms fall into multiple genres. Yet many can be considered in terms of their content. Lessing and Steinmann note content of "orientation, disorientation, new orientation…Torah psalms, imprecatory psalms, psalms of trust, creation psalms, and acrostic psalms" (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 303). A prominent type of Psalm is that of lament, which Lessing and Steinmann discuss in rather more detail. These Psalms express the honest disappointment and suffering in God's people. At the heart of many is an impression that God is not present during our times of trouble (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 304). Even in times of trouble and lament, however, Lessing and Steinmann observe that the psalmists continue to cling to God. He has made promises which the psalmists know he intends to keep. Lessing and Steinmann observe that related psalms are often grouped together, a structural element of the Psalter as a whole (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 305). The Psalter also tends to use different divine names predominantly in its different sections. From a theological point of view, the concepts of Torah and Messiah are very important. The themes emerge in Psalms 1 and 2 respectively, driving the reader to see that the Psalter is about God's word coming to his people, both in his covenant with Israel and his promises to bring a messianic king (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 306). The persistence of a motif of kingship even after the monarchy had been broken points to an eschatological hope, again bringing out the messianic expectations. The righteous and the wicked provide another main theme of Psalms (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 307). While the righteous depend on God, the wicked think God doesn't notice them. They are described as various types of beasts, such as oxen, lions, and dogs. Those who are upright, righteous followers of God, receive the blessings of God and engage in godly behavior. They are regularly seen as recipients of righteousness, given to them by God, rather than as those who earn God's favor. The righteous come to God for shelter and protection. There is some debate over the way the Psalms were used in Israel's history, particularly since they were written at different times. Lessing and Steinmann observe that we can find contextual clues. For instance, the motion of the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem can be associated with a number of the Psalms. Others reflect on victory in battle or difficult times in which God's people especially needed to seek God's face (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 308). Various rituals of worship are described as well. The Psalter refers numerous times to different nations. God's name is exalted among all the nations (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 309). This concept of the universal reign of God indicates a worldwide mission, not only over all nations but through all time. In the Psalms Yahweh is the lord of all, no matter what. The imprecatory Psalms, such as Psalm 58 and Psalm 137 are considered difficult to interpret due to their forceful and graphic calls for vengeance. Lessing and Steinmann list no less than 32 imprecatory Psalms. The calls for vengeance may fairly be seen as consistent with God's promises (Genesis 12:3; Deuteronomy 32:35, etc.) to take vengeance on those who are hostile toward his people (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 310). Lessing and Steinmann observe that the culture of the ancient Near East was full of promises of blessing or curses. It is essential that we recall that God is the one who rightfully takes vengeance. This is, after all, the only way that God's people will be rescued from others (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 311). The suffering seen in Psalms, as well as the defense of the humble can easily be understood as fulfilled in Christ (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 311). There are also many other promises in the Psalms which are fulfilled in Christ. Lessing and Steinmann list a substantial number of them. The sins of the wicked and the grace of God are described in considerable detail in Psalms (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 312). Not only the sins of the wicked are present, but Lessing and Steinmann observe that the righteous people are also seen as falling into sins and needing redemption. The overarching picture is that of God removing sins from his people (Psalm 103:12). He is the God who keeps his covenant and redeems his people. Mondays are for Church History
4/29/24 Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter III.Alliance of Church and State and Its Influence on Public Morals and Religion." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. (pp. 1856-1908). (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library). "§23. Worldliness and Extravagance." (pp. 1889-1891). Schaff continues his discussion of detrimental effects of state recognition of Chrsitianity by describing the growing acceptance of worldliness in the Church. The late RomanEmpire was characterized by desires for extravagant displays among the aristocracy (Schaff 2014, p. 1889). In contrast to the relative simplicity of the early Chrsitians, those in the fourth century increasingly adopted the same values, though Schaff notes the value was criticized by numerous bishops. The newly accepted luxury was regularly accompanied by moral laxity (Schaff 2014, p. 1890). Those leaders who did not capitulate culturally would often refer to the need for Chrsitians to be distinct from the world. 4/26/24
Scholarly Reflections Koukl, Gregory. (2019). "Chapter Ten: Suicide: Views That Self-Destruct." In Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions (updated and expanded). pp. 143-156.. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. In this chapter, Koukl discusses the fact that many views are self-refuting. They do not hold p to any examination before they collapse (Koukl 2019, p. 143). A self-refuting statement is easily dismissed. Koukl gives several examples, including "There are no absolutes," "you can't know anything for sure," and "Talking about God is meaningless" (Koukl 2019, p. 144). All the views which are suicidal violate the law of noncontradiction, making claims which cannot be held together. Koukl observes that many of them are funny by nature. By identifying he premise of each part of a statement we can see the pattern clearly. To deal with it, point out the contradiction. Koukl illustrates, "There is no truth," when questioned, "Is that statement true?" (Koukl 2019, p. 146). The difficulty in dealing with self-defeating views is that the ones we accept are normally well hidden. Koukl continues by giving a number of examples of self-defeating views which are difficult to find (Koukl 2019, p. 147ff). In all, the proper test is to consider whether the exact same reason for a view can fight against the view (Koukl 2019, p. 150). Praying with the Apostles' Creed
4/25/24 We recently visited praying through the Lord's Prayer. The same kind of tactics can be applied to just about any passage of Scripture, and even a few works which are not part of Scripture. Wait - "just about any part of Scripture"?? Not all of it? While we confess that all Scripture is valuable, some parts don't lend themselves to close meditation and prayer. For instance, we are a bit limited when praying our way through a genealogy. We recognize God is preserving a record of His people, but unless we know a lot about the named people, we are a bit limited. As another example, when we consider Job's advisors, who give him bad counsel, we can certainly pray the Lord would keep us from falling prey to bad counsel, but our prayers aren't necessarily going to go much farther than that. When would we pray our way through something else? Admittedly, we need to choose carefully. We don't pray about the characters we read about everywhere. Anna Karenina, after all, is not a real person. She may remind us of someone to pray for, but we wouldn't pray for her any more than we would pray for Batman to avoid electrocution with his gadgets. Some non-biblical works, however, invite prayer. A classic example is the Apostles' Creed. Let's walk through it and see how we might pray. Countless people have used the Apostles' Creed as part of their devotional life, both personally and in the congregation, for nearly two millennia. Here it is, in a fairly well-known English version. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The creed is a statement of faith, based solidly on Scripture. How would we use it in prayer? Let's try! "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth." We may begin by thanking God for being the one we can believe in, and who has made everything by his grace. He is the almighty, who can do whatever is necessary in his world. He is the father, whom we can trust. "And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead." We recognize that the Creed is divided into three basic portions, one for the Father, one for the Son, and one for the Holy Spirit. We give thanks to God the Father for sending Jesus. Jesus is the Messiah (Christ), and is God's only Son. This is a matter of thanksgiving, because it sets him apart from all the other religions of the world. There's only one true son of God, and he is not some distant far-off, disembodied spirit, but he is "our Lord." We can trust in him as he has revealed himself to us. His desire is to love us and redeem us. We give thanks to him for being entirely God, "conceived by the Holy Spirit" and thus having an immortal, eternal nature. He is never going to be taken away from being the Christ. He is also like us, "born of the virgin Mary." This is a matter of wonder, how the unlimited God can take on the limitations we have. He does it while keeping Mary pure. He can work in us while keeping us pure as well. Do we suffer? Jesus suffered as well. We can thank him for enduring all the types of suffering which we endure. This suffering, at the hands of a sinful Roman governor like Pilate means that Jesus is acquainted with our suffering and trials. We can give him thanks even while we bring our troubles to him. Are our sufferings possibly lethal? Jesus' were. He was really crucified, he really died, and he was really buried. Again, we can bring our sufferings to him, knowing that he understands. He knows that we are also fragile and will die if we are left to ourselves for too long. Do we feel darkness and separation from God? Jesus did as well, in his death. However, we can give him thanks that he didn't remain dead. He showed himself to the underworld as the one who conquered death. He was unable to be kept permanently in the tomb. He rose from the dead. Again, we give him thanks for being the one who lives, and who gives us life. The proof of this is his appearance to many people after being raised from the dead, which was followed by his ascension. As he rose, we believe we will also rise. We can give Jesus thanks that he is at the right hand of God the Father. The person at the right hand of a king pleads for people and asks the king to be merciful. This is exactly what Jesus is doing now. We can bring our needs to him and know that he will ask the Father for his love and care. Do we feel far from God's reconciliation? Though we are waiting, we know he plans to come as the judge, and will see that our names are written by faith in his book of life. His judgment will be based not on our works, but on his faithfulness and obedience. The Christian life is all about Jesus, isn't it! The second article of the Apostles' Creed points us to the reality of Jesus' life and work. It reminds us that his life and work are for us. "I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen." We move in the third article to the Holy Spirit. He's here working with us. He is the one who is especially active in our world right now. We can ask him to pour himself out on us with his power, with his forgiveness, and with his joy. The Holy Spirit draws people, including us, into one Church. We have a familial relationship with all the Christians who came before us and all who will come after us. There's a "communion," a commonality among all Christians, and we are called "saints" - holy people. This also is the work of the Holy Spirit, for which we give thanks. Do we know people who need to be drawn into the Church, to be made saints? We pray for them as well, knowing that God the Holy Spirit draws people to Jesus all the time. How does he draw us to Jesus? With forgiveness of sins. This is a strong reminder that we need to confess our sins before God and trust that he will forgive us. It is also a reminder that we need to forgive others for whom we pray. Are we afraid that he might leave us to perish? Possibly we are afraid of death itself, a formidable enemy. Yet we can pray that He will include us in the resurrection of the last day. Not only do we pray for that, but we approach God in Christ with confidence that he will raise us from the dead to everlasting life. All these prayers lead us to close with "Amen." The word "amen" means "may it be done." Lord, work in us, as you have promised. Bring us to everlasting life. Wednesdays are for the New Testament
4/24/24 Bruce, F.F. (1988). "Barnabas and Saul (12:25-13:3)." In The Book of Acts (Revised). (pp. 243-246). William B. Eerdmans Publishing, Acts 12:25 brings us back to Barnabas and Saul, last seen in 11:30 taking famine relief funds from Antioch to Jerusalem (Bruce 1988, p. 243). Now, in 12:25, they have joined with Mark while in Jerusalem and have returned to Antioch. In Acts 12:1-3, the prophets in the church at Antioch are told by the Holy Spirit to send Barnabas and Saul on a mission (Bruce 1988, p. 244). Bruce considers the named prophets, but concludes that they cannot be clearly identified (Bruce 1988, p. 245). The leaders of the church, after fasting and prayer, lay hands on Barnabas and Saul to commission them. Bruce notes this laying on of hands does not impart a gift, but simply appoints them to the service (Bruce 1988, p. 246). Tuesdays Are for the Old Testament
4/23/24 Lessing, R. Reed, & Steinmann, Andrew E. (2014). "Chapter Sixteen: Job." In Prepare the Way of the Lord: An Introduction to the Old Testament. (pp. 279-296). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House. The book of Job operates on two different levels. On the earthly level, Job loses almost all his possessions and family, and is confronted by people who uniformly advise him that it is a direct result of his sin (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 279). On the heavenly level, Yahweh and the accuser engage each other regarding whether or not Job serves God freely or so as to be rewarded with earthly gain. The events described in Job best fit a context of Israel's captivity in Egypt. However, the emphasis on wisdom fits the culture of Solomon's kingdom. Lessing and Steinmann take the writings to belong mostly to the time of captivity in Egypt (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 280). The people who are described can be identified in terms of their not so distant ancestors at the time of Abraham. Place names further suggest Job as an Edomite, probably between the 18th and 15th centuries BC. Job's function as the priest for his family would not fit a time after the captivity in Egypt. Names and monetary units also point to a time prior to that of Moses (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 281). Linguistic usage also points to an early date. Lessing and Steinmann briefly discuss models which place composition during the post-exilic period, but reject those models based on the greater evidence for an early date (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 282). From a literary standpoint, though some scholars feel a need to rearrange the various speeches, Lessing and Steinmann find its organization in three cycles of speeches to be cohesive in itself. However, they propose that the book is actually not centered on three cycles, but on a repeated fourfold grouping (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 282). They describe this repetitive structure in some detail. Job fits well in the genre of wisdom literature, with the significant reflection on divine wisdom (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 284). It further contains forensic and historical elements, though it does not mention any actual world events (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 285). While many interpreters view Job as dealing with why the righteous suffer, Lessing and Steinmann think it more appropriate to consider it in terms of why righteous people trust God (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 285). Job's argument, unlike the argument of his comforters (accusers) is that we trust God because he is trustworthy, not because he gives us things. Lessing and Steinmann describe the different views in some details. "The friends . . . argue that if people suffer, then they have sinned. By reversing the cause and effect, they maintained that all suffering can be explained by sin" (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 287). Job, on the other hand, maintains that we don't know the cause of suffering, but that we do know God is the one who vindicates us. This is the reason the righteous serve God. The need, then, becomes that of a mediator who argues before God on our behalf. The living hope of the mediator/redeemer is Job's confidence (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 288). Lessing and Steinmann note that Elihu, the fourth person with speeches, is set apart from the others (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 289). He alone has a genealogy, a reason to speak, and a reason for earlier silence. Elihu thus is shown to play a significant role, as he then bridges the gap between the earlier speakers and God's response. He introduces the work of atonement, rather than making a simple demand of repentance (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 290). In Job 38:1, God reveals himself with a clear message. He is the only one who should actually ask questions and is the only one with ultimate answers (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 290). He then describes the complex world and his ability to understand it adequately. He alone can justify people (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 291). Recognizing the character of Yahweh moves Job to repentance of his thought that God might be unjust (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 292). Job has realized that God is not chaotic. He is simply beyond Job's (or his friends') conception. "He had thought that God was cruel because he had misinterpreted his sufferings as punishment rather than as an opportunity for the exercise and increase of his faith in God's grace (Job 42:5)" (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 292). The problem of the righteous suffering foreshadows the New Testament portrayal of Christ as the true righteous person suffering (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 293). The attacks on Job similarly foreshadow the passion narrative in the New Testament. Further, Job offers sacrifice in chapter on, not for his own sins but for the sins of others. The recurring theme of a need for a mediator points to Chrsit as well. Lessing and Steinmann see the theme of sin and grace at the center of Job. "The issue in the book of Job is whether the relationship between God and people is rooted in judgment or grace" (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 293). In the end, human sin is embodied in a desire to gain God's favor through human righteousness (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 294). God shows it as a matter of divine grace. Mondays are for Church History
4/22/24 Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter III.Alliance of Church and State and Its Influence on Public Morals and Religion." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. (pp. 1856-1908). (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library). "§22. Evils of the Union of Church and State. Secularization of the Church." (pp. 1887-1889). While Schaff has noted many benefits to church and state based on the recognition of Christianity, he also observes detrimental effects. These effects normally remain to Schaff's time. The first he discusses is secularization. By adopting Christianity into the empire, and by Christianity adopting (at least on some level) the Roman empire, there was a strong tendency for a form of cultural Christianity to emerge in which there was no change of life based on the gospel (Schaff 2014, p. 1888). The idolatry which characterized the Roman state was not always abandoned. Rather, some elements became cultural accretions into Christian practice. Schaff is clear that not all Christians fell prey to this temptation and there were numerous faithful church fathers. However, the temptation to capitulate was present. The distinctions between Christian and non-Christian were left less clear. 4/19/24
Scholarly Reflections Koukl, Gregory. (2019). "Chapter Nine: Turnabout: Defending against Columbo." In Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions (updated and expanded). pp. 126-139. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. Koukl observes that there are others who know how to use questions to navigate an issue skillfully. When another person uses questions and you think there is an effort to trap or humiliate you, Koukl notes that we should welcome the first two uses of the Columbo tactic, which seek to clarify and give reasons for beliefs (Koukl 2019, p. 127). However, leading questions which attempt to push us into a trap are different. Koukl suggests asking the questioner if he is trying to make a point and whether he would mind just stating it so we can consider it. Koukl further notes that some people are verbal bullies who will not cooperate. He describes two types. First, Koukl describes an encounter on a television debate with Deepak Chopra, who asked him whether "people who don't believe just like you are going to hell" (Koukl 2019, p. 128). This was a carefully worded question, to which the simple affirmative would have led to offense and distorted interpretations. Koukl, rather than answer in a way which could be misinterpreted, answered that he was making a different point than that (Koukl 2019, p. 128). This was a step away from the trap and served to allow Koukl to state his real point. A second type of deceptive questioning is "more subtle and therefore much more dangerous" (Koukl 2019, p. 129). Koukl refers to a book by Peter Boghossian, A Manual for Creating Atheists, which coaches readers in ways to plant doubt in the mind of Christians. The questioner is very friendly and noncombative, but asks questions intended to stupefy the other person. There is regularly a logical fallacy embedded in a premise of a question. If the respondent accepts the fallacy, the questioner wins (Koukl 2019, p. 130). Koukl again recommends that when questioning seems like a means to manipulation the questioner should be asked to clarify. Koukl illustrates turning the conversation around, using questioning examples from Boghossian's book (Koukl 2019, p. 131-132). Koukl observes that some questions are not questions, but rather serve as challenges (Koukl 2019, p. 133). Again, Koukl suggests deflecting these questions. REsponding by asking for clarification will force the questioner to make a clear statement (Koukl 2019, p. 134). This can allow the true issue to come to the surface. A questioner, when confronted with a person who gently refuses to fall into a trap, may quickly change to a different tack. Koukl suggests continuing to challenge a person for clarification in a straightforward and charitable manner, even if the questioner changes tacks, abandons some questions, and makes contradictory claims (Koukl 2019, pp. 136-139). Asking a critic for an explanation often points out deep flaws in the critic's understanding. Evangelism Questions
4/18/24 I don't entirely know why I field some questions. Maybe it's because I seem non-threatening. Maybe it's because of a presupposition that someone in a clerical collar probably isn't really a Christian. Whatever the case, here we go. The young man, taking a "theology of the gospel" class at a local church, asked me two questions. First, "Do you believe in God?" I told him that was a foregone conclusion. I am a Christian pastor, and my belief is not only in some sort of divine being but specifically in the Christian God, who is eternally existent as one God in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I wanted to make sure the record on that was absolutely clear. Second, he wanted to know how I understood God. What do I make of him? This is a more difficult question, which I acknowledged. After all, God as described in the Bible is an incredibly complex being! I chose to focus on the Trinity, since that concept decidedly identifies only the Christian God. The historic creeds of the Church, such as the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed, have a section on the Father, one on the Son, and one on the Holy Spirit. God the Son, Jesus, called the Christ, is the focus of those creeds, as he is the focus of all of the Bible. He's the only one who is able to keep God's law perfectly, earn favor, and to give that favor to you as you believe in him. He's the one who redeems you from sin, from death, from the devil's dominion, and who does it out of his gracious pleasure. He's the one who gives us life. As I was describing this in brief, the young man started writing really fast. I think he expected the same kind of answers I had heard another person giving him - God is kind, good, and loving. True enough, but that can be said of all sorts of people. I wanted to give him something that only God in Christ does. God is described in the Bible as the only one who's going to bail you out, again and again, precisely when you realize you have acted offensively toward him. He's the only one who knows you inside and out. He's the living God who gives His life to you and lays down his life for you. (I mentioned these pretty slowly, as the young man was still essentially transcribing.) I asked the young man if he believed God in Christ is his savior, and if he knew Jesus forgive his sin and is the one who gives him life. "Yes," he said. "Then we have fellowship in Christ," I said. There's one true God. Don't bother looking for a substitute. There's none other who comes even close. Wednesdays are for the New Testament
4/17/24 Bruce, F.F. (1988). "Herod Agrippa I and the Church (12:1-24)." In The Book of Acts (Revised). (pp. 232-242). William B. Eerdmans Publishing, At the start of Acts 12, Herod is introduced. Bruce notes this is Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great (Bruce 1988, p. 232). He was taken to Rome at the age of four, and grew up on good terms with Claudius and Gaius, who became emperor in A.D. 37. Gaius Caesar assigned Agrippa two tetrarchies in Syria, as well as the title of king. His realm grew when Claudius Caesar became emperor in 41. Herod Agrippa regularly made attempts to gain the goodwill of the Jews. Herod's desire for popularity led him to make his move against the apostles, recorded in Acts 12:2 (Bruce 1988, p. 232). James the son of Zebedee was the first of the Eleven to die as a martyr (Bruce 1988, p. 233). Bruce observes that while James the Just and some others who generally cooperated with the Jewish community seemed relatively safe, James the son of Zebedee and Peter were targets for persecution, likely due to their willingness to bring the gospel to Gentiles (Bruce 1988, p. 234). Acts 12:4 places the time of this activity at the time of unleavened bread. Agrippa wanted to delay a public show until after the feast. However, this moved him to use special increased security measures to prevent a jailbreak. Peter was chained to two guards and had two more at the door of his cell. In Acts 12:5-11 an angel of the Lord appears to Peter and releases him from prison, evading the guards (Bruce 1988, p. 235). The church had been in prayer for him (v. 5). Bruce notes that Peter at first assumed he was dreaming. Bruce briefly examines the physical description of the area and concludes the prison may have been the same one where Paul was kept in chapters 21-23. By verse 10, Peter realized he was not dreaming. He had been rescued from prison (Bruce 1988, p. 236). While Bruce entertains the possibility that the "angel" (messenger) was a human, Peter and Luke treat it as most likely an angelic being rather than a human. Acts 12:12-17 describes Peter's actions. He first checked in with those who were praying, then he departed to go into hiding (Bruce 1988, p. 237). The gathering was at the home of John Mark, probably the author of the Second Gospel, also mentioned in Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24; 2 Timothy 4:11; and 1 Peter 5:13 (Bruce 1988, p. 238). Bruce notes the house was a substantial home, signaling wealth. The reception of Peter in verses 13-16 is humorous, as the doorkeeper had assumed Peter was dead, and left him waiting in the street. When he was admitted, he told of the events, urged those present to tell the other leaders, and went away. Bruce notes he "went underground so successfully that no one to this day has discovered for certain where he went" (Bruce 1988, p. 238). Bruce also notes the priority of James as the leader of the church at Jerusalem (Bruce 1988, p. 239). The disappearance of Peter, discovered in the morning, spurred a search, an examination of the guards, and their punishment (Acts 12:18-19). Herod later departed to Caesarea. Verses 20-23 describe a dispute which involved Agrippa. The people of Tyre and Sidon depended on Galilee for food and supplies. However, they had offended Agrippa (Bruce 1988, p. 241). When they attempted to appease him, both Acts and Josephus describe him being invoked as a god. Acts describes him falling dead at that time, while Josephus describes an abdominal attack which left him lingering for five days before dying. Bruce draws on Josephus' account to describe Agrippa's finery and the events of the confrontation (Bruce 1988, p. 242). Acts 12:24 provides a brief statement that the gospel continued to spread. Tuesdays Are for the Old Testament
4/16/24 Lessing, R. Reed, & Steinmann, Andrew E. (2014). "Chapter Fifteen: Esther." In Prepare the Way of the Lord: An Introduction to the Old Testament. (pp. 267-278). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House. Lessing and Steinmann observe the striking differences between Esther and the other Old Testament books. In particular, Esther never mentions worship or God, and is absent from the works discovered in the Dead Sea scrolls (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 267). The author of Esther is not identified. However, the knowledge of the setting suggests an author who was Judean but was living in Susa (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 267). The events occurred between 483 and 473 BC, but 9:28 views Purim as an annual commemoration. Chapter ten suggests a date after Xerxes' death in 465. Greek customs, which spread rapidly after 331 BC, are not a factor. Lessing and Steinmann suggest a date around 460 BC. They observe that Xerxes is a Geek name, and that the Hebrew equivalent is Ahasuerus, both attempts to pronounce "Khshayarshan" (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 268). He was the son of Darius, and served as king at the height of Persian power. Esther describes Judeans who remained in Persia after some had returned to Jerusalem (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 269). The people had assimilated to Persian culture, at least to some extent, judging from the names of Esther and Mordecai being derived from Ishtar and Marduk. Lessing and Steinmann observe the call for a fast without a call for prayer (4:3, 16; 9:31) as a possible sign of a cultural difference between Susa and Jerusalem. There are a number of subtle statements which depict God at work behind the scenes but never express it overtly (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 270). Esther exists in two different Greek versions, the "Old Greek" which is longer, and the "Alpha text" which is shorter than the Masoretic Text. Both Greek versions expand various parts of the narrative (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 271). Neither is considered to depend on the other or on the Masoretic Text. Lessing and Steinmann provide a synopsis (English) of the additions (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 271-272). Various scholars have disputed the historicity of Esther, mostly based on chronologies in Herodotus and Ctesias (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 272). Xerxes was known to travel, and his presence in Sardis would not eliminate his being in Susa at times. Some scholars suggest that Esther is called Amestris in historical records (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 273). Feasts and celebrations are an important theme in Esther. Lessing and Steinmann take them as signs of God's work behind the scenes (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 274). Even secular events can be times of divine activity. The ongoing hostility between Israel and the Amalekites, first recorded in Exodus 17, re-appears in the person of Haman, a descendant of an Amalekite king (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 274). Mordecai was a descendant of Saul's father, Kish (1 Samuel 9). The defeat of Haman serves as a sign that God favors the Israelites as opposed to the Amalekites. The deliverance of the Israelites can be seen as a depiction of the work of God in Christ to redeem Israel from bondage (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 275). God's preservation of the Jews in Susa also preserves the line of the Christ. The periods of fasting recorded in Esther also indicate prayer, though it is not specifically mentioned. The work of God can be seen throughout, as he arranges events, just as in the coming of Jesus in the incarnation (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 276). Sin and grace are seen clearly in God's working through the circumstances of the pagan court to graciously preserve his people (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 276). There is no question about the sinful nature of the people or the gracious nature of God. Mondays are for Church History
4/15/24 Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter III.Alliance of Church and State and Its Influence on Public Morals and Religion." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. (pp. 1856-1908). (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library). "§21. Abolition of Gladiatorial Shows." (pp. 1885-1887). Schaff counts gladiatorial contests as barbaric and bloody (Schaff 2014, p. 1885). They normally pitted criminals, prisoners, or foreigners against one another or against wild animals, to amuse spectators. The practice earned the condemnation of Christian apologists in the second century. The violence of the spectacles proved attractive even to mature Christians, including Alypius, the friend of Augustine, in 385 (Schaff 2014, p. 1886). Even decrees prohibiting gladiatorial shows had only limited influence on the practice (Schaff 2014, p. 1887). Schaff notes that shows pitting man against animal were still a practice in Spain and South America at his time. 4/12/24
Scholarly Reflections Koukl, Gregory. (2019). "Chapter Eight: Perfecting Columbo." In Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions (updated and expanded). pp. 115-125. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. Koukl notes that as a way of managing a conversation his Columbo tactic is effective. However, keeping it working takes practice (Koukl 2019, p. 115). In particular, readily finding a workable response in a real-time conversation may be difficult. The best ideas come to us before or after the conversation (Koukl 2019, p. 116). Koukl recommends purposely anticipating situations that might happen and reflecting on those which have already happened. This increases the store of likely questions and potential answers we have to work with. Koukl here reminds the reader of his "Ambassador Model" in chapter one. The ambassador should be well informed, wise, and show character in his manner (Koukl 2019, p. 117). These are qualities which improve with practice. At times, if you were with a friend in the conversation, that friend may be able to give valuable feedback. Anticipating an argument allows you to sort out good and bad responses in advance, and to be ready with good ones. Ral-tie conversations are different from those we plan or predict. Koukl admits to making mistakes. he provides examples of interactions that went badly (Koukl 2019, p. 119ff). Even someone who is very proficient at inquiry can go wrong, and realize it after a question or statement which is not helpful has already been made. In some instances, we may not go astray but we might not know the question that will point directly to the issue at hand. Reflection after the interaction may help isolate that question. Koukl reminds his readers that the way we approach questioning and the attitude we show is very important in establishing and sustaining positive relationships (Koukl 2019, p. 123). In general, we will be more persuasive to the person we engage by a gentle approach, while in a debate when we wish to persuade the audience we should be more forceful (Koukl 2019, p. 124). Praying with the Lord's Prayer
4/11/24 Matthew 6:7 cautions not to "heap up empty phrases" (ESV) in prayer. Some people take this as a caution against using prayers which have been prepared. However, Jesus moves on in verse nine to say, "Pray then like this" and he gives the prayer we generally refer to as The Lord's Prayer. Many Christians from the earliest times have used the Lord's Prayer as a center of their prayer life, communicating with God. Lutherans in particular have a long history of repeating the prayer, as well as using it as a framework for additional prayers. How do you do that? Simply take each thought in order and ask God to work in each of the areas of the prayer. Here's the prayer in full as many people memorize it. I've broken it apart into simple parts. "Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. (then there's a brief expression of praise which isn't used in all the manuscripts of Matthew 6.) For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen." Now, let's take it one little line at a time and I'll give some examples of how our prayers might be informed by the prayer the Lord Jesus gives his people to pray. "Our Father," God is rightly seen as our father, not as an enemy, not as an adversary, but as someone who loves us, who has given us life, who cares for us in his kingdom, and to whom we can bring all our troubles. He knew us before we were born, and as long as he lives (which is forever) he will care for us. "who art in heaven," Not only is God our father, but he is also the king of heaven. As the ruler of heaven and earth, he cannot be surprised by any evil which comes upon us. He is worthy of all thanks and praise, and he is in a place of power over all of creation. He exercises his power, and it is to his glory that he cares for all creation, including us. "Hallowed be thy name." To hallow means to make holy. When we call on God, we are recognizing that his name is holy. The prayer to make his name holy is especially important. God's name is holy by nature, but, as Martin Luther says, we pray that we will be honoring the holiness of his name. We use it rightly, with reverence, and we who are called by God's name also ask that all of our life, our words, our actions, and our attitudes, will reflect his holiness. We also pray that God's name will be treated as holy in the words and lives of others as well. "Thy kingdom come," God's kingdom is above all earthly kingdoms. It will come to earth at his will, no matter what we say or do. But by praying that his kingdom will come we are accepting that we desire him to do his will, to exercise his kingdom, among us. We are eager for him to bring his kingdom and rule, which will rescue us and others from all sin, shame, and evil. We certainly know many bad situations around us. We can name them and ask him to show himself as the merciful king over all of those as well. "Thy will be done" Again, God is able to do his will in all things. The will of God is unstoppable. Our prayer at this time is that we will joyfully receive what he is doing and that he will show his redeeming love to us and all who are in this world, making it a place of peace, joy, hope, and blessing. "on earth as it is in heaven." Does God do his will in his heaven? Of course he does! This line is a conclusion to our prayer that his name will be holy, that his kingdom will come, and that his will will be done. He does all of this in his heavenly realm. We can pause and consider the troubles we see on earth. Surely we want him to make conditions on earth like they are in his heavenly realm. "Give us this day our daily bread," Now we move into some very specific petitions. When we pray for our daily bread, we are recognizing that God is the source of all the things we need. What are we thankful for? And what do we need? Since God provides our daily needs through other people, we pray for those who have a hand in supplying us. For instance, we pray for good weather for farming, for farmers to be able to plant, care for, harvest, and sell crops, that food products will get to markets and that we and others will be able to buy them. We give thanks for those who prepare food and other goods along every step of the way, and we pray that the Lord would lay his hand of blessing on production and distribution. We are also part of the chain. We have jobs that earn money to buy goods. We also provide goods and services for others. We can give thanks for our employers, or our employees, and everyone who is involved in financial transactions. We pray for safe places to live, for good neighbors, and that we will be good neighbors ourselves. This is an enormous part of the prayer our Lord wants us to pray. "and forgive us our trespasses" Without forgiveness, all the goods and services in the world will not ultimately do us any good. Lutherans often make public confession that we are people who sin, in thought, in word, in deed, in what we have done, and in what we have left undone. We have not loved God with all of our heart, and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For all this we need forgiveness. There are surely specifics for which we can take time to confess, even as we know the loving and redemptive Lord will forgive us our sin. "as we forgive those who trespass against us." Do we harbor unforgiveness against others? A very wise pastor friend of mine often says that we need to look at how much Jesus has forgiven us, and to ask ourselves who has more right to refuse forgiveness, Jesus or us? In fact, there's no reason other than his redemptive love for Jesus to forgive us. He owes us nothing. We were forgiven while we were still enemies of God. If he forgives us when we are enemies, what should we do as his people? We forgive those who sin against us. So at this point we acknowledge that Jesus' forgiveness is enormous, and we ask God to make us people who can forgive others. Maybe we are holding something against someone else. We confess that before God, and we also consider whether there are steps we can take to be reconciled with those who have sinned against us. "And lead us not into temptation" We're often tempted. Yet we read in Scripture that God doesn't tempt anyone to evil. We ask him here to assure us that he will guard us in the situations which tempt us. Notice we are asking him to lead us. But where do we want him to lead us to? To his righteousness, his love, his peace, and his places of holy living, not into a temptation to sin. We know it is God's good pleasure to take us to our heavenly home. So here we are agreeing with what we already know is God's will. We are consciously saying that we want to delight in God's leadership. "but deliver us from evil." This world we live in is full of evil. We ask here that God will rescue us from that evil. It's a parallel to the previous line, but here we are admitting that if we don't follow God's leadership, we will be tempted and we will be entrapped in evil. Maybe in some ways we are already trapped in evil. Do we want God in Christ to rescue us? Yes! He has conquered death, hell, and the grave on our account. He can surely rescue us from the evil which so quickly entices us. (then there's a brief expression of praise which isn't used in all the manuscripts of Matthew 6.) Some people say that this part wouldn't be prayed because there's some doubt about whether it belongs in Matthew chapter six or not. However, this doxology ("doxology" is a statement of praise) is thoroughly supported by other passages of Scripture. Whether it was part of the prayer as taught by Jesus and recorded by Matthew or not, it's sound and biblical. "For thine is the kingdom" God is the king, in his heavenly kingdom. We have already asked him to bring his kingdom to earth. Here we remember that he is the one who is able to do whatever he wants to do. He is the mighty king. "and the power" Because God is the mighty king, he holds the power to accomplish his will on earth. And his will is to care for his people. We confess it boldly. "and the glory" God works in the bright, shining glory of his eternal heaven. And he has chosen to redeem his people, for his glory. He is able to change us into his image. It's a glorious image. We pray that our lives may be full of his glory, reflected in this world. "forever and ever." In the beginning, God was the only one who existed. His rule will never end. He has promised to be with his people forever. This means our hope also lasts forever. He has never grown tired of caring for his creation. He promises never to leave us or forsake us. We therefore pray that we will be joyful in his presence forever. "Amen." Amen means, "may it be so." This is just a brief example of how we can pray using the Lord's Prayer. It's the prayer he gave his disciples to pray. And it addresses all the different areas of our life. We know that Jesus wants us to pray this way. And when God asks us to pray to him in a particular way, we can have confidence that he will answer our prayers. If you want further explanation of praying using the Lord's Prayer, I recommend looking at the section on the Lord's Prayer in Martin Luther's Small Catechism and in his Large Catechism. They can be found online at www.bookofconcord.org. Wednesdays are for the New Testament
4/10/24 Bruce, F.F. (1988). "Antioch Becomes a Christian Base (11:19-30)." In The Book of Acts (Revised). (pp. 223-231). William B. Eerdmans Publishing, Acts 11:19 is a reflection of the same status as seen in Acts 8:4, where Christians were dispersed following the death of Stephen (Bruce 1988, p. 223). In chapter 11, Luke follows people who went north toward Antioch. Bruce observes that Antioch, "as the capital of the Seleucide monarch" grew in importance quickly after its founding in 300 BC (Bruce 1988, p. 224). By the middle of the first century BC, Antioch was behind only Rome and Alexandria in population within the Graeco-Roman territory. The city was cosmopolitan in character, a trait which Bruce sees as characteristic of the Christian community as well. The region was home to Jewish colonization, cults of Artemis and Apollo, Syrian worship including ritual prostitution, and then a development of Gentile Christianity (Bruce 1988, p. 224). Acts 11:20 reflects this cosmopolitan character as some of the Hellenistic Jews began bringing the gospel to Gentiles (Bruce 1988, p. 225). Bruce observes that identifying Jesus as "Messiah" would be meaningless to Gentiles, but that terms such as "Lord" and "Savior" would be understood. In verse 21 we learn that the Gentiles were receptive of this message. Bruce speculates that some of the receptive audiences may have been considered "God-fearers," though the text is not specific about this (Bruce 1988, p. 225). The new situation in Antioch was reported to leaders in Jerusalem. In verses 22-24, they sent Barnabas to evaluate it. Bruce notes that this was the same procedure they followed when Peter and John went to Samaria to review Philip's work (Bruce 1988, p. 26). Barnabas, being from Cyprus, would be more receptive of Gentiles than someone from Jerusalem would. Barnabas' work of encouragement resulted in an increase of conversion (Bruce 1988, p. 227). Bruce sees Barnabas' decision to call on Paul as motivated by the scale of the work, too much for one person. In verses 25-26, he went to Tarsus to search for Paul. Bruce observes this was several years after Paul had left for Tarsus (Bruce 1988, p. 227). After finding Paul, the work in Antioch continued for a year. Bruce notes that bringing the gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike and uniting them in one community would have seemed normal in Antioch (Bruce 1988, p. 228). Bruce notes that the adjective 'Christos" could easily be mistaken for "Chrestos" meaning "useful." The followers of Christ could then be called "Christians" as people who seemed concerned with this "Christ" (Bruce 1988, p. 228). Acts 11:27-30 refers to a prophecy of a great famine. The Christians from Antioch decided to gather an offering and sent it to Judea (Bruce 1988, p. 229). Bruce observes the living gift of prophecy shown by Agabus. Paul freely accepted the reality of prophetic revelation. Bruce references a severe famine during the reign of Claudius, in 41-54 (Bruce 1988, p. 229). Bruce further suggests that Luke may have been from Antioch and could have been a convert during this time (Bruce 1988, p. 230). Extrabiblical sources refer to a severe famine in Judah between 45 and 48, requiring substantial assistance. Bruce observes that Barnabas and Paul turned the offering over to the local elders in Jerusalem for administration (Bruce 1988, p. 231). bruce considers it possible, though not definite, that Paul's trip to Jerusalem at this time could be that mentioned in Galatians 2:1-10. On the other hand, the visit in Galatians 2 could refer to Acts 15 (Bruce 1988, p. 231). Tuesdays Are for the Old Testament
4/9/24 Lessing, R. Reed, & Steinmann, Andrew E. (2014). "Chapter Fourteen: Ezra and Nehemiah." In Prepare the Way of the Lord: An Introduction to the Old Testament. (pp. 243-266). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House. In introducing Ezra and Nehemiah, Lessing and Steinmann remark on the leadership and cooperative work shown in the books, rather than seeking t o view everything in terms of rebuilding a city and a temple (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 243). Lessing and Steinmann identify four theories of authorship for the works. First, an early theory views Ezra as the author of these books and Chronicles (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 243). The writing in the three books is consistent, and the end of Chronicles matches the start of Ezra. However, Chronicles does seem to push beyond the likely age of Ezra, who would have been very old to see the latest of the family lines in Chronicles (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 244). Nehemiah continues a list of high priests continuing until about 370 BC, which would place the persons of Ezra and Nehemiah significantly over 100 years of age at the end of the events in the three works. A second theory credits Ezra for the book with his name and Nehemiah for the book with his name (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 244). Again, Lessing and Steinmann consider the chronology too likely to exceed the lifespan of the respective authors. A third theory, articulated in Germany in the 1830s, is that the Chronicler, a figure somewhat later than Ezra, wrote the works, which were later broken up (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 245). The theory is based on quotations from Chronicles in Ezra (or the other way around), as well as references in 1 Esdras. The assumption which governs this theory is that the apocryphal work is more reliable than the canonical. Additionally, though there are linguistic and stylistic similarities, these are also found in other post-exilic works. The theological emphases are similar, but not identical (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 246). A fourth model, proposed by Cross, seems to Lessing and Steinmann as depending on speculative suppositions about the nature of the composition (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 246). They do not describe the Cross theory in any detail. In recent decades the view that Ezra and Nehemiah were compiled by an unknown editor relying on source documents has emerged as a likely manner of composition (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 246). Lessing and Steinmann observe that the two books have normally been considered as one book, as they are still reckoned this way in the Jewish canon (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 247). This view of unity is normally accepted by the scholarly community as well. Lessing and Steinmann do note objections to the unity. Evidence of the concept of unity arises several centuries after the composition (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 248). The mention of the same characters in the same place at approximately the same time is not a strong indicator of the works being one. The two books also have differences in style, vocabulary, and ideology (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 248). The extensive use of source materials in the two works leaves little evidence of the identity of an author. Lessing and Steinmann conclude that the books deserve to be treated individually but as books which have points of connection. As to the date of composition, Lessing and Steinmann place Nehemiah sometime after 336-331 BC, the reign of Darius III. Ezra could be dated any time after March 27, 457 BC, the last event in the book (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 249). Ezra references the first return of Jews from exile, based on a decree issued in 538 BC (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 250). Steinmann proposes a return somewhat after the decree, in 530. Ezra (7:7) returns to Jerusalem in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes. This is a challenging date, as there were three rulers named Artaxerxes (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 251). Since there is extrabiblical evidence of Nehemiah's return in 445, and it is known that he and Ezra were in Jerusalem at the same time, Ezra's return would be in the reign of Artaxerxes I, and in 448-445 BC (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 251). Lessing and Steinmann discuss dating theories which place the events at another time, yet they find the theories lacking in one way or another. They conclude that Ezra most likely arrived in 458 BC, and that Nehemiah arrived in 445 BC (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 253). From a literary standpoint, an important feature of Ezra and Nehemiah is the extensive use of a variety of sources (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 254). These source documents make up the vast majority of the text of the two books. Of additional interest is the use of documents in Aramaic rather than Hebrew (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 255). Ezra 1-6 and 7-10 have parallel structures, each starting with a decree, then a movement to Jerusalem, work in Jerusalem, and a crisis overcome by God's servants (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 256). Lessing and Steinmann consider this to be a very careful arrangement. Likewise, Nehemiah 1-6 and 7-13 are separate sections. In 1-6 the activity begins with the wall and moves toward the people's faith in God. In 7-13 the nation moves from the people's concerns back to the wall (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 257). The worship of God's people in Jerusalem is a major theological theme (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 258). Ezra's focus is on the temple, while Nehemiah's is on the city. The re-establishment of historic worship is a major element. Prayer is a prominent element in the books, with multiple examples of confession and intercession (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 258). The re-establishment of Jerusalem is a third major theme (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 259). The security of Jerusalem after its desecration and destruction is part and parcel of the restoration of Israel into an eschatological kingdom (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 260). Ezra and Nehemiah make at least 29 references to the Pentateuch. A strong image of the authority of Scripture is thus created (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 260). The writing is considered to be both the work of Moses and the work of God. There is, furthermore, an emphasis on the written nature of the Torah. This is an example of definitive, unchanging revelation (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 261). Faithfulness in marriage is another key element in Ezra and Nehemiah. Lessing and Steinmann note the problems caused by intermarriage with the pagans around Judah. The intermarriages were not a problem per se, but would often draw people away from faithfulness to God (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 261). In Ezra and Nehemiah the first commandment takes precedence over the sixth, resulting in a need to end marriages involving pagans (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 262). The idolatrous practices of other groups can lead God's people into sin. Therefore, we can see Ezra and Nehemiah as depicting sin through the lens of cooperation with pagans (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 262). God shows himself gracious by continually working for restoration of worship according to His will (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 262). God's restorative work is in clear view. he is the one who brings the Judeans back to Jerusalem, who sees that the temple is rebuilt, and who preserves a faithful people (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 263). Lessing and Steinmann find "no direct messianic references" but do find a strong messianic hope (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 263). This is tied to the restoration of Jerusalem and God's new covenant (Jeremiah 31:27-40). The purification of the place and the people is linked to an eschatological and messianic hope (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 264). Mondays are for Church History
4/8/24 Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter III, Alliance of Church and State and Its Influence on Public Morals and Religion." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. (pp. 1856-1908). (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library). "§19. Elevation of Woman and the Family." (pp. 1876-1878). § 20. Social Reforms. The Institution of Slavery." (pp. 1878-1885)." Schaff says clearly that raising the status and improving the treatment of women compared to "the degraded, slavish position" they had in paganism had always been a value of Christianity (Schaff 2014, p. 1876). Under Constantine and the later emperors, their work had the backing of Roman law. Schaff notes numerous moves such as the right to control property, the right to exercise guardianship, and protections against rape, including prohibition of prostitution. Marriage was protected by making divorce more difficult (Schaff 2014, p. 1877). Under Constantine, the killing of a child by the father became illegal, though abandoning children remained a practice among the lower classes (Schaff 2014, p. 1878). Children who were found to be sold into slavery by their fathers were set free. The code of Justinian, though declaring all humans equal, yet did not entirely repudiate slavery (Schaff 2014, p. 1878). In general, enslavement was the norm for people taken captive in war, mostly replacing extermination (Schaff 2014, p. 1879). Within Christianity, though slavery continued to exist, Scaff notes numerous instances of slaveholders even among bishops, but with more widespread manumission. Constantine permitted manumission, and clergy were allowed to release slaves by their word and without witnesses (Schaff 2014, p. 1880). Schaff reflects on the social disruption which would be caused by an abrupt ending of slavery. Yet he does not consider "it sufficient to insist on the kind Christian treatment of slaves" (Schaff 2014, p. 1880). The attempts to ban slavery were repeatedly unsuccessful, while Christians had a tendency to emancipate slaves (Schaff 2014, p. 12881). Schaff reviews the stated opinions of a variety of church fathers, who generally advised restraint in holding large numbers of slaves, and, in Augustine's point of view, should emphasize the redemptive nature of God's preservation of those who have been held captive (Schaff 2014, p. 1882) Schaff observes reports of exemplary wealthy presbyters and other influential people who would purchase freedom for enslaved people (Schaff 2014, p. 1883). Schaff further describes the plight of the poor, prisoners, and the sick, who were neglected during the pagan period. Constantine prohibited the practice of criminals receiving a brand on the forehead (Schaff 2014, p. 1884), as well as maltreatment of prisoners before trial. The poor were provided with food and clothing so as to prevent them from selling or abandoning their children. Various obligations were removed from those in need. Eventually, bishops were placed in charge of care for the poor and oversight of prisons, so as to alleviate the maltreatment common in pre-Christian times. 4/5/24
Scholarly Reflections Koukl, Gregory. (2019). "Chapter Seven: Columbo Step 3: Using Questions to Make a Point." In Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions (updated and expanded). pp. 96-114. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. While Koukl has previously discussed using questions to gather information about a viewpoint and reasons for it, here he observes that questioning can also be used to move toward a particular outcome, as leading questions (Koukl 2019, p.96). Now, as the questions lead to a particular target, it is important to have a clear target in mind. In Koukl's view, questioning is able to "accomplish two things that a mere statement cannot. First, the person is telling you he understands the point. Second, he's telling you he agrees with it, at least provisionally, and is taking a step forward with you in the thinking process" (Koukl 2019, p.97). Koukl describes lines of questioning which can be used to point out something a person already knows (Koukl 2019, p.98). This can be very helpful in dealing with a person who is holding a logically self-contradictory point of view. Questioning can help demonstrate that mutually exclusive views can't both be true, and to discard the view which is problematic. Leading with questions can also be used to turn the tables in an uncomfortable conversation (Koukl 2019, p.100). For instance, in a conversation about sexuality, it may be very helpful to preface an answer with a line of questioning about whether the other person is intolerant of opposing convictions. When in a discussion with a politically correct person, it is possible to get that person to agree not to judge your conviction. If labeled as intolerant, it is fair to ask for a definition of intolerance (Koukl 2019, p.101). At the root of the disagreement is the fact that people with different views both think they are correct. A third important way to use leading questions is to bring a weakness or flaw into the other person's view up for consideration (Koukl 2019, p.102). The line of questioning can, for instance, review someone's circular reasoning, question begging, or any number of other logical fallacies. Once the circle is completed, the person with the fallacy has little choice but reconsideration. Leading questions can also be used to help a person lay ideas out clearly, putting the conceptual cards on the table for analysis (Koukl 2019, p.105). This line of questioning is especially helpful in opening a conversation about a sensitive topic, for instance, whether all people commit moral offenses. Often the other person in the conversation can gently be enlisted to make your case for you (Koukl 2019, p.107). This requires forethought. Koukl observes that you need to know how to answer the challenge you're facing. Then you need to think about what pieces you need to make your point. Finally, you need to formulate questions that invite your challenger to place those pieces on the table for you" (Koukl 2019, p.107). Understanding the likely points of view well in advance is very helpful in this process. With practice we become better at evaluating statements, understanding their nature and their weaknesses (Koukl 2019, p.108). Koukl reminds his readers that even though questions take them on the offensive in a discussion, we want to avoid seeming pushy or offensive. Koukl suggests use of the phrase, "Have you ever considered" to introduce challenging questions (Koukl 2019, p.110). Phrasing a problem as a request for personal clarification is also a very helpful means of presenting yourself as non-threatening (Koukl 2019, p.111). Gaining the agreement of the other person is always a useful tactic in engagement of ideas. Why Are Pastors Men?
4/4/24 Leave it to those international scholars to pick up on a distinctive and ask a sensitive question! This time, it was during a visit with an Asian person who had noticed that the pastors in churches she observed as being biblically oriented were all men. Why is this? I called it a "sensitive" question. Americans are very much into the idea that male and female is an irrelevant factor, at least in most instances. And certainly being a pastor doesn't require the physical traits often seen more in men - height, shoulder size, and upper body strength are generally unimportant in pastoral ministry. Women can certainly understand the Bible just as well as men. They are often more articulate than men, and many times women are seen as more compassionate in care for people who are injured or ill. So why men as pastors? The sensitive issue is that many well-meaning Christians, based on the ideas I put forth in the last paragraph, would simply be pragmatic and advocate men and women on equal footing as pastors. This is the case in a number of church bodies. I have a vivid recollection of being cornered in a hospital elevator by a female hospital chaplain, who asked me, "So are you with one of those Lutheran groups that hate women?" My response was perfectly honest, though incomplete. "We love and admire women. Women are great." She and I parted on friendly terms as I went on to visit the patient. Women are great, but most Christians throughout history have said they should not serve in the pastoral office. This is my belief as well, and is the position of my church body, The American Association of Lutheran Churches. Before you click to send me hate mail, let me explain. The biblical depiction of male and female shows both as wonderful. However, they frequently have different roles. Some of this is seen in biological ways, with women being uniquely qualified to bear and feed children. Some is seen in more sociological ways, with men generally having an inclination toward activity and overcoming physical challenges, like catching food for the family. The Bible sees this as natural and positive. Different people have different roles. In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter five, men are told to love their wives and lay down their lives for them, as Christ gave himself for the church. Women are told to love their husbands. The husband is a picture of Christ, and the wife is a picture of the Church. Now this is where I show you I was not just on a rabbit trail. In the Church, the pastor (sometimes called priest, bishop, or elder) re-enacts the work of Christ for the congregation. The church has the role of the wife, and the pastor has the role of the husband. If we look at historic liturgy, we see the pastor acting in the stead of Christ over and over again. The natural conclusion would be that having male pastors fits the picture God gave us in the Bible. Is this just a crazy idea with no precedent? No, even in an ancient culture where priestesses were an expected norm in the pagan religions, Christians always had priests. This grew directly from Jesus' move to select only men as apostles. There's a gender role. The pastor acts as the representative of Christ, and the church acts in its role. Back to Ephesians five, the mystery of the husband and wife relationship is rooted in the relationship of Christ and the Church. Just men as pastors then? Yes, that's it. It's a tough job, by the way, laying down your life for Christ's church day after day. Rewarding, but tough. We always need more strong men to join in the work of caring for people's eternal souls. I hope if you think you are one of those strong men you will consider pursuing ministry. Start out by looking at the programs of the seminary where I teach, The American Lutheran Theological Seminary at www.alts.edu - we'd like to talk with you! Wednesdays are for the New Testament
4/3/24 Bruce, F.F. (1988). "Peter's Action Endorsed at Jerusalem (11:1-18)." In The Book of Acts (Revised). (pp. 219-223). William B. Eerdmans Publishing, Peter's actions in Acts 10 were not typical of any established Jewish customs. When he left Caesarea and returned to Jerusalem it is not surprising to Bruce that there would be questions (Bruce 1988, p. 219). His entering into a Gentile household and eating with them was a significant breach of protocol. Bruce briefly mentions the persecution of James, an arrest of Peter, and the fact that a non-apostle emerges as the leader of the church in Jerusalem, rather than one of the apostles (Bruce 1988, p. 220). Acts 10:2-3 describes people "of the circumcision," whom he takes to be particularly zealous Jewish believers, though earlier, in 10:45, the term is used for those who accompanied Peter to the home of Cornelius, simply distinguishing them from Gentiles (Bruce 1988, p. 220). The use of the same term in Galatians 2:12 suggests the former, rather than the latter description. Bruce observes that Acts 10 makes no mention of eating, but that it was implied by the actions. He notes that the eating where the food would not fit Levitical standards was the reason for the prohibition against entering a Gentile home. Peter describes the events from chapter ten in 11:4-17. Bruce notes that the account is similar in construction to the event in chapter ten, but it has been abridged and there is some variety in the language used (Bruce 1988, p. 221). The emphasis is on God's salvation for Cornelius' whole household, only by the grace of God. This grace is announced by Peter (Bruce 1988, p. 222). The gift of the Holy Spirit descended on the people, at which point Peter saw it was appropriate to baptize them. Acts 11:18 portrays Peter's questioners making the same conclusion Peter had reached. Repentance and God's blessing had come to the Gentiles just as to the Jews (Bruce 1988, p. 223). This was news which inspired praise to God. Bruce speculates that the news may have been more readily accepted by the apostles than by the church as a whole, thus explaining the leadership role taken on later by James the Just, rather than by one of the apostles (Bruce 1988, p. 223). Tuesdays Are for the Old Testament
4/2/24 Lessing, R. Reed, & Steinmann, Andrew E. (2014). "Chapter Thirteen: Chronicles." In Prepare the Way of the Lord: An Introduction to the Old Testament. (pp. 2231-242). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House. Lessing and Steinmann acknowledge the lack of appreciation most people have for Chronicles. Apparently this was a possible reaction from early times. The name given in Greek is παραλειπομένων, meaning "omitted things." "However, recent scholarship has paid more attention to this book, not only discovering it to be a work constructed with literary flair but also learning to appreciate Chronicles' unique theological outlook as an important contribution to the OT" (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 231). Chronicles is from a post-exilic time period, describing Cyrus' decree that Judeans could return to Jerusalem (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 231). The coin mentioned, a daric, was first minted in 515 BC. Chronicles also describes seven generations of David's line after the exile. Lessing and Steinmann thus estimate the date at least as late as 400 BC. The book does not reflect the later, Hellenistic customs or history (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 232). Lessing and Steinmann view Chronicles as the work of one author, due to the consistent theological view and vocabulary (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 232). The work does draw on information in earlier sources, including the Pentateuch and Psalms, Samuel, and Kings. There are insights which reflect knowledge of Ezra, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, as well as references to a number of other sources which are no longer extant. The work is focused on the history of Judah, so contains few events from Israel (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 233). After an outline of the book and a brief description of the historical period of Chronicles, Lessing and Steinmann move on to textual and historical issues (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 235). Use of passages in Samuel and Kings seems more similar to material used for the Septuagint than that preserved in the Masoretic Text. A similar text exists in the Dead Sea Scrolls, suggesting there was a version which was well established but diverged from the Masoretic Text. The Chronicler was selective in his choice of material. Some historical people, especially prophets described are not found elsewhere in the Old Testament. This has led some scholars to consider the work fictive and utopian in its outlook. The general assumption is that the author was inventing events to push his theological outlook (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 236). However, the claims are based on a presupposition that the author did not have access to the information he claims to have or else that he purposely misstated facts so as to promote his theological view. Lessing and Steinmann consider these assumptions unlikely. The selectivity practiced by the Chronicler is not surprising to Lessing and Steinmann (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 237). Recent scholarship has vindicated the Chronicler as finding points of consistency between his work and other sources of information which we have. Lessing and Steinmann particularly illustrate this work in terms of the portrayal of David, which adds depth to our understanding of his character without negating the portrayal in Samuel (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 238). Worship ofGod emerges in Chronicles as an important theme (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 239). The portrayal of various characters is normally based on how they relate to God's will. The constant is God's establishment of means for worship. Obedience to God's command is central. The work of prophets is a second major theme in Chronicles (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 240). In general, their role is to interpret events, showing God's opinion of human activity. They are described as writing records of their prophecies, while in Samuel and Kings their work is more of a verbal nature. Aside from God's promise to David, Lessing and Steinmann find relatively little material regarding a messianic promise. However, at various points they do find statements which tie other events to the Davidic promises (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 241). The Chronicler takes care to trace the descendants of David due to their participation in the promise. Lessing and Steinmann observe the "stark theology of reward and retribution" found in Chronicles (Lessing & Steinmann 2014, p. 241). God's blessing is upon those who are obedient. Departure from God's will brings defeat. However, the blessing ofGod is not earned in Chronicles. It remains tied to God's mercy. |
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About Throwing InkwellsWhen Martin Luther was dealing with struggles in his life he once saw what appeared to be an angelic being. Not trusting that he was going to be informed by someone other than the God revealed in Scripture, he took the appearance to be untrustworthy and hurled his inkwell at it. The chipped place in the plaster wall is still visible at the Wartburg Castle, though apparently the ink stain on the wall has been refreshed periodically by the caretaker. Blog Feeds
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