Tag: paul

Posted on

Making progress through Samuel and Romans

So we’ve finished the first half of 2 Samuel and it has read much like a soap opera. We have David’s contested rise to power, political maneuvers, adultery, murder, and high risk confrontations. And that’s just the first half. Hope you enjoy the second.

Prophet Nathan rebukes David for adultery with Bathsheba, Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld

I wanted to talk more about Nathan’s rebuke of David this past week, but I made a bit of a mistake. In writing a focus passage for next week, I misread the chapter breakdowns and focused in on chapter 12, which actually falls during this week. So week 8 of Year in the Bible will have a focus passage from week 7. My apologies. At least it will be easy to make sure you’ve read that part.

As I had mentioned yesterday, I’d love to hear any feedback about what we’ve been reading. Romans is a long letter that we’ll be finishing next week, but 1 & 2 Samuel taken together is another long block of that goes together. Given that we’ve spent so much time in them, I’d love to hear what is standing out most to you. Each week’s focus passage begins by asking what stands out to you. So I’m asking that in regards to four weeks. What has jumped out from Paul’s letter? What are you learning from 1 & 2 Samuel and seeing David become king? Whether you want to send me a reference to a verse, a few sentences, or a long essay as an answer, I’m open to it all.

I hope as you read you are taking something away from it.

Posted on

Walking along “Romans Road”

Making our way through Romans reminds me of something I learned as a kid that is called “Romans Road.” It is meant to be an evangelistic tool that uses several verses taken from throughout Romans to tell the story of what God has done for us. It goes something like this (you’ll find some versions that vary a bit):

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

The wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23a

But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23b

God demonstrates his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

We see our fallen condition, sin, and its consequence, death. And there is nothing we can do about it. But Christ takes that consequence on himself, dying for us, and gives to us his righteousness and eternal life. All we must do is place our trust in him. In Christ we are no longer guilty, for there is no condemnation in him.

It summarizes nicely a lot of what Paul writes, but it is good to remember that this is just a selection of the book, and if it said it all, Paul probably wouldn’t have gone on to write the entire letter. But it tries to lay out our sinfulness and hopeless condition apart from the saving work of God. In the end, Jesus is the only hope for this world.

We should not forget that emphasis–for the world. Jesus’ death is not only something for me personally, but it is a cosmic event that changed all of creation. His death and resurrection change everything, and as Paul writes in his opening, Jesus is now declared to be Son of God and is the judge over all the earth. In his humility and sacrifice he has been glorified and given the name that is above all names. The world is truly a different place because of the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

I hope this helps you better understand some of what Paul is writing to the church in Rome. These are also some great passages to commit to memory, if you’re in the market for some new memory verses.

Posted on

Being defined by more than our performance, reflections on the Olympics

Like so many, I have found myself watching the Olympics as we all do when it rolls around every four years. It is an odd thing how many sports that hold absolutely no interest for me during the intervening years can captivate me for the span of a few weeks. Will I continue to follow water polo, volleyball, or track and field? No. But have I been watching it? Yes.

As exciting as it is to watch, I can’t help but think that the athletes must be under tremendous pressure and could be so easily tempted to see their value and worth as directly correlated to their medal haul. They train for years for one event that can be over in just a matter of seconds. That sounds like an awful moment. If I stick this landing, I am good. If I can be the fastest, I’ll be remembered and will make someone proud. But what if I fail?

Maroney’s landing, taken from USA Today.

Just seconds determines the way you are seen. Fractions of a second dictate whether your years of dedication and sacrifice are worth it. Do we remember fourth place finishers (or even silver medalists)? Are teams that bow out in early rounds of tournaments received back home the same way as if they had lifted the nation with victory? Is US Gymnast, McKayla Maroney, who was seen as a lock for gold on the vault, but who fell in her landing dropping her to silver, going to be able to shake the disappointment? These are mere moments that are allowed to define entire lifetimes.

In an article on USA Today on women in the olympics an IOC member made this statement, “If you’re successful, they don’t care about your gender, they care about whether you won gold, silver or bronze for your country. No one is talking negatively about gender here, they are talking about success.” In a statement about the progress of women she reveals what still is a difficult truth. What matters is success.

Paul in Romans pushes against this notion. It is not our success that matters. We can’t let our works define us. If we are going to allow one event to determine our worth, if we want one moment to define us, let it be the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us. We can’t live under the burden of performance and demands of perfection, like those of the law. On the cross Christ put to death those demands. So now in Christ we can benefit from his perfection. If one moment should define us, let it be the cross.

Posted on

Brief Reflection on Romans 6

Even in books familiar to me like Romans I come across verses or phrases that stand out and seem new to me. I found this line from Romans 6:17 particularly beautiful, “obedient from the heart.” Paul gives great thanks to God that we, who were once slaves to sin are now obedient from the heart to the teachings of God. To be brought from bondage to sin, which brings death, to an obedience rooted in our hearts, in our love for God, is surely something for which to give thanks.

Posted on

Do We Read to Understand?

After reading a paragraph, a chapter, or a whole book, are you able to turn around and summarize what you’ve just read? It’s a great practice to jot down notes in the margins as you read, just as a simple exercise to make sure you’re actually processing the words that pass before your eyes. Then on the larger scale, we should ask ourselves the obvious questions after the completion of a book, “What did I just read?” Here is a short attempt at answering the question in a more roundabout way from the site Near Emmaus. He is attempting in just a couple paragraphs to describe the reason that Paul wrote Romans, and in so doing gives broad strokes of description about the whole book.

Here is just one line, but go to the site for more:

This epistle addresses the Adamic problem including Jews and Gentiles. Paul uses this problem to show the glory of the salvation found in those who have followed Abraham’s model of faith which is now encapsulated in those who call Christ “Lord”.

Give it a shot yourself after a chapter or section. See if you can very briefly boil down some of Paul’s arguments as you read. It’ll help you to better understand and retain these words of Scripture.

Posted on

Unashamed of the Gospel

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16

Just a quick thought on this verse. Who can read it without being challenged? Haven’t there been times when we have either lacked boldness in sharing the gospel or have doubted its great power? But if the latter is true, if the gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God for the salvation of Jews and Gentiles, then what responses are available to us? Is there any course of action but an unashamed proclamation of what is the only hope for the world?

Shame is a wholly inappropriate response to the gospel. It is nothing we should feel guilty about nor have to apologize for. That God loved us so much that he sent Christ here for for us should be something we openly rejoice in.

I hope Paul’s writings will not only challenge us, but encourage us to share in such boldness.

Posted on

Some Context for Galatians

Or: An exercise in imagination to help see the importance of Paul’s letter

Saint Paul Writing His Epistles, Valentin de Boulogne

Imagine if you will:

Paul has come your way through the region of Galatia, and you think you understood what he has taught. But he wasn’t the only one who has come talking about Jesus, and what Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection mean for us.

Some of what Paul said sounded radical, such as complete dependence on God’s grace, not on what we do. But others came along to you adding to his teaching.

Yes, God is gracious, but don’t we still need to earn grace? God has given you the law, right? Shouldn’t we then follow it? Why would he give it to you if you couldn’t follow it? And if you can uphold the law, then you must.

Should we be concerned? Did Paul just emphasize some parts of the gospel and other teachers emphasized other parts? Are they teaching the same thing? They all sound pretty smart, how can I make heads or tails of this? Are they all right in some way? How should we react?

If only Paul would write to us to help clear things up…

Posted on

A Great Mystery of the Faith

Acts 22 recounts a message delivered by Paul. He had been before the tribune asking for permission, and receiving it proceeds to speak to fellow Jews.

The crowd appears to listen intently, all the more because Paul speaks in Hebrew. He tells of his stirring conversion, meeting with Christ on the road to Damascus. He then was taken in by Ananias, received back his sight, and was given the call to be a witness. Paul repented and was baptized.

Paul is commanded in a vision to flee from Jerusalem, because the people there will not accept his testimony. Paul knows that people remember the role he took in persecuting the church, even standing by approvingly as Stephen was marytred.

St Paul Preaching in Athens, Raphael – Preaching to the Gentiles.

The crowd was listening throughout all of Paul’s message, but in verse 22 it says that at his last line they raised their voice and called for him to be cast out. What could he have said that would cause them, after listening throughout his message so intently, to turn so quickly?

In verse 21 Paul says that God commanded him to, “Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

Paul’s opponents will tolerate his words up to the point that he claims God calls him to go to people unlike themselves. They appreciate that he is like them, that he is from a place like them, and that he speaks a language like them. They do not appreciate that he is ministering to “the other.” Their vision is so clouded and their understanding of God’s intent so narrow that they cannot hear the good news of Paul’s message.

God’s love for the gentiles is described as the core of a great mystery of our faith, revealed to us now. We now know how great is this new word that Paul speaks of in his letter to the church in Ephesus. I, a Gentile, for one am thankful for the ministry of Paul, as called by God, and need to follow suit to seek out not only others who are like me, but to bring the gospel to others.

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Ephesians 3:1-6