Week of Pentecost - A
This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year Lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the Day..." (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:
http://www.commontexts.org/
and:
http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html
The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship. Additional Lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, "Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran Church of America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.
The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978, is available at:
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Please Note:
To get the most from these studies, it is suggested that you first read the scripture texts for the entry, and then the paraphrase and commentary. It is also recommended that you look up the scripture references, unless you recognize and recall them from memory.
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Podcast Download: Week of Pentecost A
Sunday Pentecost A
First posted May 11, 2008;
Podcast: Sunday Pentecost A
Joel 2:28-29 -- Outpouring of God’s Spirit;
Psalm 104:25-34 -- God’s Providence;
Acts 2:1-21 -- Day of Pentecost;
John 20:19-23 -- Jesus Appears to his Disciples;
Joel Paraphrase:
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams; your young men shall see visions. And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit” (Joel 2:28-29).
Psalm Paraphrase:
Consider how great and vast are God’s works. Creation has been designed in God’s wisdom, and his creatures fill the world. Consider the vast oceans, filled with living things from one-celled organisms to the largest whales. The largest ships seem tiny compared to the ocean.
Every living thing depends on the Lord’s providence for their daily necessities. When the Lord provides, they gather it up; when the Lord opens his hand they are filled with good things. They are dismayed when the Lord hides his face from them; they die and return to the dust from which they were created when he takes their breath from them. “When thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the ground” (earth; Psalm 104:30).
May the Lord be glorified forever and may he rejoice in his works. A look from the Lord causes the earth to tremble; his touch causes mountains to smoke. As long as I live I will sing and praise the Lord. “May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord” (Psalm 104:34).
Acts Paraphrase:
On the Day of Pentecost the disciples were all gathered together (probably in the upper room in Jerusalem where they had been staying). From heaven, the sound of a mighty wind suddenly filled the house, and “tongues” (flames) as of fire appeared and rested upon each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other “tongues” (languages) according to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
There were many Jews from other nations and foreign converts in Jerusalem, from the distant corners of the Roman Empire and around the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. At the sound a great crowd gathered to see what was happening. They each heard the disciples declaring the Gospel in their own native tongues. They were amazed, recognizing that the disciples were Galileans, and wondered how they were able to hear the disciples proclaiming the great works of God in their own native languages. But some in the crowd suggested that the disciples were drunk.
Peter addressed the crowd and told them the disciples weren’t drunk, because it was only about 9:00 a.m. Instead, they were witnessing the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh.
Peter continued, saying that Joel had prophesied that there would be astronomical signs and disturbances of nature before the coming Day of Judgment, the Second Coming of Christ. In that day anyone who called upon the name of the Lord would be saved.
John Paraphrase:
In the evening of the first Easter Sunday, the day of Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples were gathered together (in the upper room where they had been staying in Jerusalem) and they had locked the doors, in fear of the Jewish leaders who had crucified Jesus. Jesus appeared and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19c). He showed them the wounds in his side and hands, and again offered them his peace. Then Jesus told them that he was sending them to complete Christ’s mission, as God had sent Jesus. Then “he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). Then he gave them the power to forgive or retain sin.
Commentary:
The fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel, from 350 to 400 years before Jesus, began on the Day of Pentecost, with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ disciples.
We cannot begin to understand the meaning and purpose this Creation and temporal life until we understand that it is the creation of God, designed for his specific purpose. We are not the result of a cosmic accident!
God has always intended, from the beginning of Creation, to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey God. This Creation and lifetime is designed to allow us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God, and the opportunity to learn by trial and error. But God is not going to tolerate sin (disobedience of God’s Word) and evil (the result of that disobedience) forever. So we and Creation have been limited by time, decay and physical death.
God created us by breathing the breath (spirit) of physical life into us (Genesis 2:7b). We die when God takes away the breath of life, according to his time and will. This lifetime is our opportunity to receive the breath (Spirit) of eternal life; to be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift (“anointing;” “baptism”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). We are “re-created” with eternal life by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God, and this "ground," this Creation, will be renewed by his Word.
We need a proper perspective of ourselves in relationship with God. When we understand that we are not the center of the Universe, we begin to understand the supernatural vastness and power of God. We need to realize that everything we have is a gift from God, and not our own accomplishment. We need to learn to rely on God to supply what we need.
The gift of the Holy Spirit is the ultimate providence of God. Only by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit are we able understand, trust, obey and please God. Only by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit are we restored to fellowship with God and to eternal life in his heavenly kingdom.
Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they had received the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8), and as they trusted and obeyed, they received the fulfillment of the promise. The Book of Acts is the record of the empowerment and guidance of the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit on the lives of the disciples.
Jesus told his disciples to go only after they had been empowered and equipped by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (see above), beginning from Jerusalem through Judea, Samaria and to the end of the world, proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus of forgiveness and salvation, and to make disciples of Jesus, teaching them to obey all that Jesus taught (Matthew 28:19-20).
On the very Day of Pentecost, that promise and command began to be fulfilled. The gift of speaking in tongues (languages) is the reversal of God’s confusion of language at the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). The disciples needed to communicate the Gospel in other languages, and the Holy Spirit supplied the ability to do so.
Peter is the example of the changed heart and spirit of a “born-again” disciple, by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Peter, who had denied knowing Jesus to the most menial servants of the Jewish high priest (John 18:15-27), now boldly accused the Jews of killing their promised and awaited Messiah (Christ; both words mean “anointed;” i.e., God’s "chosen," in Hebrew and Greek, respectively), and called them to repent of sin and return to obedience to God.
Peter testified to the coming Day of Judgment and the Second Coming of Christ. He testified that deliverance from God’s eternal judgment and condemnation is only through Jesus.
Not everyone who calls on Jesus will be saved on the Day of Jesus’ return. Only those who have truly accepted Jesus as their Lord (the one they trust and obey) will be saved (Matthew 7:21-27, Luke 6:46).
Jesus promised to reveal himself to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17, 21, 23). He began to fulfill that promise after his resurrection, as recorded in John 20:19-23. His disciples were in the upper room in Jerusalem in obedience to Jesus’ command. Jesus showed them his wounds from crucifixion, so that they would know that it was indeed Jesus, raised from physical death to eternal life. Then he gave them his command to complete his mission to the world to forgive sins and to restore to eternal life and fellowship with God through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ.
Jesus is God made visible in human flesh, in this world (Colossians 2:8-9, John 20:28). Jesus’ word is the Word of God (John 14:10, 24). Jesus’ word has the creative force of God’s Word (Mark 4:39, 41; compare Genesis 1:3). Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). They received the Holy Spirit as they trusted and obeyed Jesus, staying in Jerusalem as he commanded, until they had received the fulfillment of the promise.
Jesus gave his “born-again” disciples the power to forgive or retain sins, which Jesus had. Jesus’ primary mission was to feed and heal spiritually. His physical healing and feeding miracles were intended to show that he could also heal and feed spiritually. Jesus’ physical healings were accompanied by his pronouncement of forgiveness of sin. Physical healing and feeding are of no eternal benefit, unless spiritual healing and feeding has taken place.
Jesus pronounced forgiveness of sin to those who came to him in obedient trust, and he also pronounced warning of eternal condemnation on those who refused to believe and come to him for forgiveness of sin (John 8:21-24; 9:39-41).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Monday Pentecost A
First Posted May 12, 2008;
Podcast: Monday Pentecost A
Psalm 29 -- God of the Storm;
Paraphrase:
Let all the heavenly beings acknowledge and praise God’s glory and strength. Give praise to his holy name and worship him with appropriate holiness.
The voice of the Lord is heard in the thunderstorm, his voice is powerful and majestic. “His voice shatters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon (mountains of Syria) to skip like a calf, and Sirion (Mount Hermon) like a young wild ox” (Psalm 29:6). The Lord’s voice flashes forth like lightning bolts. His voice shakes the wilderness of Kadesh (where Israel wandered for forty years).
“The voice of the Lord makes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forests bare” (Psalm 29:9), and in his temple his people shout, “Glory!”
The Lord reigns above the flood, he reigns as king of Creation forever. “May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace” (Psalm 29:11).
Commentary:
God is eternal Lord and King over heaven and earth. The angels in heaven acknowledge and praise God’s glory. We must learn to know and acknowledge God’s glory and worship him by being consecrated and devoted to God’s service by his Word and his indwelling Holy Spirit. The sacrificial blood of Jesus, shed on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, cleanses us as we begin to trust and obey Jesus, and makes it possible for us to receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, through whom we are consecrated to God’s service.
A powerful thunderstorm or windstorm, such as a tornado demonstrates our position in relationship to God and to his creation. The devastation of New Orleans reveals that the great works of mankind are puny in relationship in the forces of nature, and that mankind is really powerless. The mountains which seem so permanent and immovable are shaken by storm or earthquake. But God reigns above the storm, undisturbed and unshakable.
This world is our spiritual wilderness where we wander during our lifetime, where we are to learn to trust and obey God’s Word and follow the Lord, so that he can lead us into his eternal Promised Land. We are intended to learn to look to the Lord for our safety and protection from the storms of life.
When we seek shelter and protection from the storms of life, the Lord will show us his power and willingness to bring us through the storms. The storms are too much for us to deal with alone, but they have no power over the Lord. His people who have trusted and obeyed his Word have learned this and are able and eager to praise and glorify the Lord in all circumstances.
The Lord is the only true source of strength, peace, and blessing, for this life and for eternity. The Lord does give strength, peace and blessing to his people in the midst of the storm.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
First Posted May 13, 2008
Podcast: Tuesday Pentecost A
Genesis 1:1-2:3 – Creation;
Paraphrase:
This World was created from emptiness, darkness and chaos by the Spirit of God. God called forth light by his Word, and light came into existence and God saw that it was good. God separated light from darkness and called the light day and the darkness he called night. Evening marked the end of one day (Jews believed that the day began at sundown).
The ancient belief was that there were waters above the earth (rain) and waters beneath the earth (groundwater). The heavens were imagined like a dome separating the waters, which God spoke into existence, and God called it Heaven. The evening marked the end of the second day.
God called the waters beneath the heavens to be gathered together, and called forth dry ground, and he called the land Earth, and the waters he called Seas. God was pleased. God commanded the earth to bring forth vegetation with seed and fruit, and the earth did so. God approved, and the third day ended.
God called forth lights in the heavens to mark day and night, to be for signs and seasons, days and years, and it was so. God called the greater light of day the Sun, the lesser light of night the Moon, and he created the stars also. God approved of the results and the fourth day ended.
On the fifth day, God commanded the waters to bring forth all kinds of aquatic living creatures, and the air to bring forth every kind of bird and flying creature, and it was so. God approved, and blessed them and told them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters and the air.
On the sixth day, God commanded the earth to bring forth every variety of land animal, and God approved of the results. Then God decided to create mankind, in the likeness of God, and gave them dominion over all other creatures on Earth. He created them male and female, and blessed them and told them to be fruitful and multiply. God gave to mankind fruit and seed for food, and to the animals every green plant. God approved of everything he had made and the sixth day ended.
God had finished Creation in six days and rested on the seventh day. So God blessed and hallowed the seventh day as the day of rest.
Commentary
God created an orderly Universe out of chaos and darkness by his Word, which has creative power. God’s created world is very good, and designed for all creatures to be at peace, but God also created this world to allow his creatures freedom to choose whether to follow God’s Word or not. The result was that the peaceful paradise God intended was lost. God’s creatures began to kill and be killed. God modified his vegetarian command in Noah’s time (Genesis 9:2-3), but with strict injunction against homicide and manslaughter (Genesis 9:6).
In the forty years of wilderness wandering the Israelites rebelled against the manna which God provided, and they craved meat (Numbers 11:4-20). The prophet Isaiah foresaw the Messianic kingdom as a time when Creation will be restored to the peaceful paradise which God intended (Isaiah 11:6-9).
The Lord created a day of rest which he intended to be a blessing to his people. The Jewish Sabbath was the seventh day, Saturday, but Christians adopted Sunday, the first day of the week because it was the day of Christ’s resurrection from the dead.
Vegetarianism was never required for Jews, but some Jewish Christians in the first century Church wanted to require Gentile Christians to keep Jewish laws. Peter’s vision at Joppa which led to the first Gentile conversion of Cornelius (Acts 10:10-16), and the Apostolic decree from the council at Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-29) established that Christians have been freed from the requirements of Jewish laws.
Adam and Eve had a covenant relationship with God which was broken by sin (disobedience of God’s Word). After the Flood, Noah had a new covenant with God in which God gave permission to eat animals for food but to refrain from killing humans for any reason. The rainbow was the symbol of God’s covenant with Noah.
God had a covenant with Abraham to give him the Promised Land and to create a great nation from the descendants of Abraham. At Mt. Sinai, after God had freed his people from slavery in Egypt God created a covenant which we call the Old Covenant of Law with his people with Moses as the mediator.
God intended from the beginning of Creation to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey God. Through a series of covenants which he has initiated, he has been working to accomplish that purpose. His eternal plan has been revealed to the world in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Jesus initiated and is the mediator of a New and better Covenant of grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) of forgiveness and salvation from God’s condemnation, to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right). Under the Old Covenant no one was able to satisfy the demands of the Law, and continual sacrifices were necessary for our forgiveness (Galatians 2:16; 3:10-14.
Jesus has become the one and only sacrifice acceptable to God for our forgiveness and salvation. Through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ we are spiritually reborn to eternal life (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). Those who are reborn by the indwelling Holy Spirit are freed from the Old Covenant of Law, provided that they trust and obey Jesus by his indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-14). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
First Posted May 14, 2008;
Podcast: Wednesday Pentecost A
Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 – One True God;
Paraphrase:
Consider in the history of the world from the beginning of Creation, from one end of the universe to the other, whether there has ever been or heard such a great thing? Have any people ever heard the voice of any god, speaking out of the midst of fire, and live to tell it (Exodus 20:18-19; 33:20)? Has any god ever taken a nation from the control of another, by great adversity, supernatural signs, great power and terrors, such as the Lord did for the Israelites in Egypt, which they saw with their own eyes (Exodus 7.8-11:10)?
Realize and remember, from this day on, that the Lord is God of heaven and earth, and that there is no other. Therefore, be sure to keep his laws and commandments so that life may go well for you and for your children, so that you may have long life in the land God promised to give you for ever.
Commentary:
The Bible is the history of God’s dealing with his people, revealing his nature and his purpose for Creation. From the very beginning God has planned to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey God.
This Creation has been designed to allow us freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God’s Word or not, and the opportunity to learn by trial and error that God’s will is our very best interest. This Creation and we ourselves are limited by time, because God won’t tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever.
God knew that if given the freedom, we would disobey God and follow our own will, so he has designed Creation accordingly. He has designed a Savior, Jesus Christ, into Creation, from the beginning (John 1:1-5, 14; see God’s Plan of Salvation), and he has given us his Word, the Bible, to reveal his will, nature, and purpose for Creation.
The Bible record of God’s dealing with Israel reveals that the Lord is the one and only true God. God’s deliverance of his people from Egypt is a preview of what God has planned from the beginning of Creation to do for us spiritually in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the fulfillment, embodiment and example of God’s Word lived out in human flesh in this temporal world (John 1:1-5, 14).
This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and come to know God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). The New Testament is the eyewitness account of the fulfillment of God’s Word, of the coming of the promised Messiah, God’s promised eternal Savior and King.
Jesus is the spiritual “New Moses,” who is the demonstration of God’s supernatural power to the “Egypt” of this world which holds us in bondage to sin and death (Hebrews 2:14-15). Jesus is the only one who can lead us out of bondage in “Egypt,” through the “wilderness” of this lifetime and into the eternal “Promised Land” of God’s eternal kingdom in heaven.
If we accept the testimony of God’s Word in Scripture and in Jesus Christ, we will come to know with certainty that Jesus is the Savior sent by the one and only true God. We will trust and obey Jesus' teaching and example, and we will be spiritually “re-born” to eternal life by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Only Jesus gives (“baptizes,” “anoints,” with) the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). It is possible to know with certainty for oneself, whether or not one has received the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2).
By the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit we hear the voice of God, and we have personal fellowship with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:21, 23). By the indwelling Holy Spirit our minds are opened to understand the Bible scriptures (Luke 24:45), and our spiritual eyes are opened to see the kingdom of God now and eternally (John 3:3).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Thursday Pentecost A
First Posted May 15, 2008;
Podcast: Thursday Pentecost A
2 Corinthians 13:11-14 – Benediction;
Paraphrase:
Paul concluded this letter to the Corinthian congregation, urging them to heed Paul’s plea and change their behavior to conform to the Gospel, and the teaching and example of Jesus Christ. Paul urged them to be at peace with one another and then God’s love and peace will be with them.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the fellowship of (and participation in) the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Corinthians 13:14).
Commentary:
Notice the Trinitarian form (the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit) of the benediction. The doctrine of the Trinity did not originate with Paul. Although the word Trinity is not used in the Bible, the concept is found throughout the Old and New Testaments. Jesus taught it to his disciples (John 14:15-17).
Paul was taught it by the Holy Spirit; the Spirit of God; the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is the prototype and example of a “modern,” “post-resurrection,” “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ. He didn’t become a disciple of Jesus until after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven. He was confronted by the Spirit of Christ on the road to Damascus, converted and “discipled” by a “born-again” disciple named Ananias, until Paul was “born-again,” and then Paul began to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples (Acts 9:1-22).
Paul was “discipling” the believers at Corinth (and elsewhere) in fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) which Jesus gave to his disciples to be carried out after they had been “reborn” by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). There were problems in the Corinthian Church, and Paul visited in person and also wrote letters correcting false teaching and bad behavior among the members. Correcting the congregation was painful, to Paul as well as to the congregation, but necessary.
Paul was teaching the Corinthian believers to obey all that Jesus had taught (Matthew 28:20). Paul urged them to believe (trust and obey) Jesus, and then they would have fellowship of and participation in the indwelling Holy Spirit, through whom they would experience the love of God. Only Jesus “baptizes” (“anoints”) with the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). Anyone who does not share (participate) in the indwelling Holy Spirit does not belong to Christ (Romans 8:9b), and does not have eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
From the moment the Church was “born” by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13), there has been a spiritual battle between the Church and the world. The Church must have “born-again” leaders like Paul, who will “disciple” members until they have been “born-again” (2 Timothy 2:2). Leaders and members must read the Bible thoroughly and daily, so that they can discern scriptural apostolic Gospel truth from false teaching.
Paul had to rebuke false teaching, unchristian and immoral behavior of the members of the Corinthian congregation. In some instances he had to tell the congregation to excommunicate members who didn’t accept and behave according to the scriptural apostolic Gospel which Paul preached (1 Corinthians 5:1-5). The Church is not doing one a favor by allowing one to continue in membership while continuing to willfully sin.
Unfortunately, in too many instances in the Church today, there is false teaching and immoral and unchristian behavior, which is tolerated and even encouraged. Too often, the Church is making “members” and building “buildings,” instead of making “born-again” disciples and building the spiritual body of Christ by sharing in the indwelling Holy Spirit. Leaders want to be popular, and members want to hear only what makes them feel good (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Friday Pentecost A
First posted May 16, 2008;
Podcast: Friday Pentecost A
Matthew 28:16-20 -- The Great Commission;
The eleven remaining disciples (minus Judas Iscariot, the betrayer) went to Galilee as Jesus had directed (Matthew 28:10), and Jesus came to them in Galilee. When they saw Jesus they worshiped him, although some had doubts. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you;” and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).
Commentary:
This is the “Great Commission” which Jesus gave to his disciples. Jesus had “discipled” them and had demonstrated how to carry on his ministry of disciple-making. His disciples were to follow that process and make other disciples who would make other disciples (2 Timothy 2:2), repeating the process over and over.
But Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem until they had received the gift (“baptism,” “anointing”) of the Holy Spirit. Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8), before going into the world and beginning their “discipling” ministry. It is essential that Jesus’ disciples be “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to be led and empowered by the Spirit to carry out Jesus’ mission. Christians are to stay within the Church, the “New Jerusalem,” until they have been “born-again.” It takes “born-again” disciples to make “born-again” disciples.
The Church is to be a disciple-making ministry, but in too many instances today that is not the case. Instead of making disciples, many churches settle for making “members;” “fair-weather Christians,” who will come to church if it is entertaining, and if they haven’t anything better to do. The Church is commanded to teach disciples to trust and obey all that Jesus commands, but large parts of the Church are teaching the false doctrine of “Cheap Grace;” salvation by grace (unmerited favor; a free gift), without the requirement of discipleship and obedient trust (see “False Teachings,” sidebar, top right).
Jesus spent twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for three years discipling his twelve original disciples, and yet they still were not ready to go into the world until they had been “born-again” (Acts 2:1-13). The Apostle Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is the prototype and example of a “modern,” “post-resurrection,” “born-again” disciple (student) and apostle (messenger of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ that we all can be. But his conversion was unique for its quickness.
Paul had been formally educated in Judaism, and he loved God; all he needed was to recognize that Jesus was the Messiah, and become obedient to Jesus (Acts 9:4-9). Then he was discipled by a “born-again” disciple, Ananias (Acts 9:10-16), and he received the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17:18). Immediately thereafter he began making disciples in fulfillment of Jesus’ command by the direction and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Notice the Trinitarian formula for baptism; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit; one God in three persons or expressions. Jesus is God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9).
The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, but the doctrine is described in both Old and New Testaments. Jesus taught his disciples the doctrine (John 14:15-17; Matthew 28:19b).
Jesus also taught that one must be “born-again” in order to see the kingdom of God, which is all around us now in this world, and to see the eternal kingdom of God in heaven in the world and life beyond physical death (John 3:3, 5-8). Only Jesus baptizes with the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). It is possible for one to know with certainty for oneself whether or not one has received the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2).
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Saturday Pentecost A
First Posted May 17, 2008;
Podcast: Saturday Pentecost A
Isaiah 32:14-20 -- The Age of the Spirit;
Acts 2:42-47 -- The Early Church;
John 4:5-26 -- The Woman at the Well;
Isaiah Paraphrase:
Until the outpouring of the Holy Spirit our palaces will be forsaken and our hills and watchtowers like caves where only wild animals dwell. With the coming of the Holy Spirit our wilderness will become a fertile field, and fruitful fields will be like forests.
Righteousness will bring peace, quietness and trust eternally. God’s people will dwell in peace, security, and quiet rest. The forests and cities of earth will be brought low, but happy are God’s people who plant close to water and let their cattle range free.
Acts Paraphrase:
On the Day of Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit attracted a large crowd and many were converted. The group of believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, sharing meals together and praying. They all had Godly fear (awe and respect for the power and authority of God), and many miracles were done through the apostles.
They all lived together communally. They shared everything, and sold their possessions and distributed their resources among them with generosity as any had need. They attended the temple daily and ate communally in their homes, greatly rejoicing, and praising God. They were well regarded by all, and converts were being added to their group daily.
John Paraphrase:
Jesus and his disciples were going from Judea to Galilee and they passed through Samaria to Sychar, where the patriarch, Jacob, had dug a well. It was around noon and Jesus was tired and sat down beside the well, while his disciples went into the city to buy food.
A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus asked her for a drink. The woman was surprised that a Jew would ask a Samaritan woman for a drink, because Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans, who they considered religiously and racially inferior. Jesus replied that if she knew who was asking, she would have asked him and he would have given her “living water.” The woman observed that Jesus had no equipment for drawing water, and Jacob’s well was deep, so she wondered where Jesus could get living water. She asked if Jesus was greater than Jacob, who had dug the well that provided her water.
Jesus told her that ordinary water only temporarily quenches thirst, but the water Jesus was offering satisfies eternally and becomes a spring of water within, welling up to eternal life. The woman addressed Jesus as Sir, and asked him to give her that water, so that she would no longer have to come to the well to draw water.
Jesus told the woman to go and call her husband to come to Jesus, and the woman replied that she had no husband. Jesus said she had spoken the truth, and Jesus revealed that he knew all about her past. She had been married five times, and was now living with a man to whom she was not married. The woman acknowledged that Jesus was a prophet.
She changed the subject and asked Jesus to settle a religious question. Samaritans worshiped on Mt. Gerizim, but Jews said that one must worship God in Jerusalem. Jesus replied that the time was coming when neither Mt. Gerizim nor Jerusalem would be the place to worship God. Jesus told her that she worshiped what she did not know, whereas the Jews worshiped what they knew, because salvation came through the Jews.
Jesus told her the time was coming, beginning then, when true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth because that is what God desires. The woman told Jesus she believed in the Messiah (Christ) who was coming, and that when he came he would reveal all things (to believers). Jesus said to the woman “I who speak to you am he” (John 4:26).
Commentary:
At the time of Isaiah’s prophecy the Northern Kingdom of Israel was made desolate by the Assyrians, who were about to attack the Southern Kingdom of Judah (Isaiah 32:10a RSV). Judah, the remnant of Israel, was about to experience desolation, but God promised to restore them (when they had learned to trust and obey God).
Isaiah foretold a time when God would pour out his Spirit upon his people, and all of Creation would be transformed. All of us are spiritually desolate unless we are “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The indwelling Holy Spirit transforms our lives from “wilderness” into “fruitful fields.”
We are transformed by the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ, which we receive by faith (obedient trust; Romans 3:22). We have peace with God and can live quiet, peaceable lives, having a secure eternal dwelling in God’s eternal kingdom. Our lives are like a that of a farmer who plants near a reliable source of water, and who can let his cattle range free, without worrying about feeding and watering them, or protecting them.
God’s Word through Isaiah foretold the transformation of all Creation by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon his people, and that promise began to be fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. The disciples were transformed by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
On the night of Jesus’ betrayal, Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times, to menial servants of the high priest (John 18:15-27). Now Peter, by the Holy Spirit, boldly preached a powerful sermon to thousands, convicting them of crucifying their Messiah (Acts 2:36-37), and calling them to repent and to trust and obey God’s Word, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in Jesus Christ (John 1:1-5, 14), and then they would receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
Thousands of people heeded Peter’s preaching, and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. The new believers were “discipled” by “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciples, and they participated in the church program of worship, prayer, and fellowship. The Church celebrated the “Lord’s Supper” in the context of a meal, as the “Last Supper” had been instituted during the Passover meal, so “breaking bread” was more than just eating; it was “Communion” with the Lord as a part of worship.
The new believers were living communally like a large family, sharing their resources generously just like a family. Their joy and generosity was noted and admired by their neighbors, who were attracted and converted as a result.
Jesus is the source of “living water,” which is the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39). The Holy Spirit is the “river” which transforms our lives from spiritual “wilderness” into tremendously “fertile fields” by flowing through us and out into the world.
The Samaritan woman is like a lot of nominal “Christians” today. She was concerned with selecting the right “church,” the right “beliefs,” and doing the right “rituals,” without personal knowledge of the Lord and his Word, which is only possible through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Jesus is the only way to know and have fellowship with God. Jesus is the divine eternal Truth, and the only source of true, eternal life (John 14:6). Jesus is the only one who “baptizes” with the Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). It is possible for one to know with certainty whether or not one has received the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2).
Jesus told the Samaritan woman that the time was coming when those who worship God must worship in spirit and truth. Jesus said that one must be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8). Jesus promised to give the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17), and Jesus’ promise began to be fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. Jesus promised to reveal himself to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:21).
The Samaritan woman declared her belief in the Messiah, and that he would reveal all things, and she received what she believed; Jesus revealed himself to her as the Messiah.
Isaiah prophesied that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit would lead to the transformation of the entire Creation (Romans 8:19-24a; Revelation 21:1). The kingdom of God in heaven is the new Creation restored to paradise that this Creation lost because of sin (disobedience of God’s Word). The new Creation will be filled with people who have learned to trust and obey God’s Word. The Church in Jerusalem after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is a preview of eternal life in the kingdom of God.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
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