Week of 22 Pentecost - C
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,
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Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.
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Podcast Download: Week of 22 Pentecost - C
Sunday 22 Pentecost - C
First Posted October 24, 2010;
Podcast: Sunday 22 Pentecost - C
Genesis 32:22-30 – Jacob Wrestles with an Angel;
Psalm 121 -- The Lord's Help
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 – Fulfill the work of Evangelism;
Luke 18:1-8a – The Unjust Judge;
Genesis Background:
Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, was returning, from his father's
people in Haran, with two wives, his wives' maids, and the livestock
he had earned in Haran (Genesis 28:10-32:21).
Genesis Paraphrase:
For safety, Jacob sent his household across the River Jabbok, which
enters the Jordan River opposite Schechem, but he remained on
the other shore of the Jabbok. During the night, a man (angel)
wrestled with Jacob until daybreak. When the man saw he could not
prevail against Jacob, he touched Jacob's thigh and dislocated it as
they wrestled. The man asked Jacob to let him go because the dawn
was beginning, but Jacob refused to let the man go until he blessed
Jacob.
The man asked Jacob what his name was, and then said that he would
no longer be called Jacob, but Israel (“he who strives with God” -or
“God strives”) because Jacob had striven with God and had prevailed.
Jacob asked the man his name, and the man asked Jacob why he wanted
to know, and then blessed Jacob (Israel). So Jacob called the place
Peniel (“the face of God”) since he had see God face to face, and
yet Jacob hadn't died.
Psalm 121:
Background:
This is a Song of Ascents, a psalm for pilgrims ascending the temple
mount at religious festivals. The “hills” may be high places where
the baals, the local fertility idols were worshiped.*
Paraphrase:
From where does my help come; from the hills (from idols)? No, my
help comes from the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth.
He will prevent my foot from slipping. He won't be asleep when I
need his help. Watch and see; the keeper of Israel (God's people;
the Church) won't be napping or asleep when we call out to him. The
Lord will keep us from all harm and evil. He provides “shade” (rest;
protection) at our right hand (close by). We will be protected from
the “elements” (the nature of conditions in this world).
The Lord preserves our lives, protects us from evil. He will protect
us in all our paths in life now and forever.
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 Paraphrase:
Paul urges Timothy, his protege, (and all believers) to continue in
the Gospel they have learned from the Bible, and from spiritual
mentors. The scriptures (the Bible; which some, like Timothy, have
learned from their youth) are able to teach us to receive salvation
through faith in Jesus Christ. “All scripture is inspired by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for
training in righteousness, that every man of God may be complete,
equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 4:16-17).
According to the commission given him (and all “born-again”
disciples of Jesus; Matthew 28:19-20 John 1:31-34; 3:3, 5-8) by God,
Paul urged Timothy to fulfill his call and ministry. Jesus is going
to return to reveal and establish his kingdom, and will judge the
living (“quickened”) and dead (in both the physical and spiritual
senses -those born-again to true, eternal life by the “baptism” of
the indwelling Holy Spirit; John 5:28-29; Matthew 25:31-46; 2
Thessalonians 1:5-10). Born-again disciples are to preach God's Word
(the Gospel; the Bible and Jesus Christ: John 1:1-5, 14) urgently,
whether popular or not. We are to convince, rebuke and exhort by
God's Word. We are never to lose patience or give up teaching the
Gospel. “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound
teaching (doctrine), but having “itching” ears they will accumulate
for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn
away from listening to the (divine, eternal) truth (of God's Word)
and wander into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). But for born-again
believers, we are to work constantly as an evangelist, enduring
suffering, and fulfill our ministry.
Luke 18:1-8a Paraphrase:
Jesus told the Parable of the Unjust Judge to teach us to pray with
persistence and not give up. Jesus said there was a judge who had no
regard for God or people. A widow kept coming to him for vindication
against her adversary. The judge at first refused, but then he
realized that if he didn't give her vindication, she would wear him
out with her continual petitions. Jesus asks us to understand what
the parable teaches. Will not God, who is righteous and just,
vindicate us much more promptly? Yes! Even so, when Christ returns
(the Second Coming; to judge the earth, will he find faith (obedient
trust)?
Theme: God's call to evangelism.
God transforms us from sinners and gives us a new nature (Genesis
32:19; Psalm 121:8; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 2 Timothy 4:2-5). Our
calling requires perseverence (Luke 18:1). We need a personal
relationship with the Lord through the indwelling Holy Spirit to
accomplish our ministry (Genesis 32:30; Luke 24:45; Acts 1:4-5, 8).
Commentary:
Esau was the first born of twins (Genesis 25:24-26a). Jacob had left
his home and Esau, his brother, having tricked Esau out of his
inheritance. He had also been pursued by his father-in-law, Laban,
who tried to cheat Jacob out of the livestock Jacob had earned
working for Laban for fourteen years for two of Laban's daughters,
Leah and Rachael.
Jacob sent his servants with a gift for Esau, of a large number of
livestock, to appease his brother. Then he stayed on the far bank of
the Jabbok, perhaps to intercept Laban if he was still pursuing,
while he sent his household and livestock across the river, Jabbok,
to protect them in case of a reprisal by Esau.
During the night Jacob wrestled with an angel, a divine being. Jacob
was very strong (Genesis 29:8-10; and was winning the wrestling
match until the angel intentionally dislocated Jacob's thigh.
The blessing which Jacob received was a new name, Israel, indicating
a new self, and it became the name of the twelve tribes of the
nation. Names were also given to places to commemorate events
(compare Genesis 28:18-19 and Bethel -note C, RSV- meaning “House of
God”). Jacob named the place Peniel (since he realized that he had
wrestled with God face-to-face, and yet had not died).
Throughout their history Israel kept reverting to idolatry (Exodus
23:32; 32:1). When they entered the Promised Land they kept
worshiping idols on every high place. King Ahab of the Northern
Kingdom married a heathen Phoenician princess, Jezebel, who
introduced idolatry, temples, and priests of idolatry to the
kingdom, which ultimately resulted in the destruction of the
Northern Kingdom in 721 B.C..
Elijah challenged the priests of Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel
(1 Kings 18:30-39). Baal didn't answer his priests' prayers, and
Elijah accused Baal of sleeping (1 Kings 18:27). God answered
Elijah's prayer in a powerful way, so that the people of the
Northern Kingdom realized that their help was not in Baal (1 Kings
18:21), but in the Lord, the God of Israel.
The psalmist had learned from experience and testified that real
help comes only from God. I also personally testify that I have
experienced the miraculous help of God in immediate answer to prayer
(see “Personal Testimonies,” and “Conditions for Answered Prayer,”
sidebar, top right, home).
The Lord will preserve our eternal lives, will keep us from harm and
evil, and will protect us from the destructive elements of nature.
We may go through physical and emotional storms in this lifetime,
but he will bring us through them ultimately unharmed.
Paul was discipling Timothy in fulfillment of the Great Commission
(Matthew 28:19-20), which Jesus gave to his disciples to carry out
after they had been born-again (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). They
were to make (born-again; John 3:3, 5-8) disciples who would know
and obey all Jesus' teachings.
Paul discipled Timothy ( until he had received the “baptism” of the
indwelling Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:6-7), and then taught him to
repeat the process with others (2 Timothy 2:2).
The Church is the heir to the ministry of John the Baptizer: water
baptism for spiritual cleansing to prepare people to receive Jesus
(Matthew 3:11; compare Acts 2:1-4) by the “baptism” of the Holy
Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34; ), only to his
obedient, trusting disciples (John 14:15-17). The infilling of the
Holy Spirit is a personally discernible ongoing, daily event; it is
not conferred automatically by some church ritual such as water
baptism. 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).
The Bible isn't popular with many people today, certainly not in
America. Just because people don't want to hear it, we are not
exempted from proclaiming it. The time has surely long since come,
that people won't endure sound Biblical preaching. Instead, they
want to hear only portions which make them feel good about
themselves. All truly born-again Christian disciples are called to
be evangelists of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of God in
the Bible.
Persistence gets results even with an unrighteous, unjust judge.
Jesus is perfectly righteous (doing what is right, good and true,
according to God's Word), having lived in human flesh, with all its
unrighteous desires, but without sinning (Hebrews 4:15). He has been
appointed to return to judge the righteous and unrighteous.
The righteous are made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ
(Philippians 3:8-9) shed on the cross, to be received by faith
(obedient trust; Ephesians 2:8-9) as the one and only sacrifice
acceptable to God for the forgiveness of all our sins. If the
unrighteous judge granted the woman's petition not because he wanted
to please God or the woman, but because it was in his own
self-interest, surely the Lord will grant our persistent petitions,
since he alone is truly righteous and good. Jesus loves us so much
that he died for us an excruciatingly (“from the cross;” the world's
worst form of execution) painful death of the cross, so that we
might be forgiven and saved from condemnation in the Judgment
(Romans 5:8; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home).
Jesus has promised to return at the end of time to judge the earth.
The moment will come for each one of us, if we are still living at
the Second Coming, or if we die physically. No one know when those
will be. Once Jesus comes, or we die physically, it will be too late
to change our eternal destiny.
Jesus will be looking for faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ;
those who have believed the Word of God in the Bible and in Jesus
Christ, the “living Word,” God's Word fulfilled, embodied, and
exemplified (John 1:1-3, 14). Those who have acted in faith on God's
Word will have been “reborn” by the gift of the indwelling Holy
Spirit during this lifetime, and will enter eternal life in paradise
restored in God's heavenly kingdom. Those who have refused or failed
to act in faith in Jesus Christ will be condemned to eternal
destruction in hell with all evil.
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)?
*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Psalm 121:1n, p. 754, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.
Monday 22 Pentecost - C
First Posted October 25, 2010;
Podcast: Monday 22 Pentecost - C
Psalm 34 – Deliverance from Trouble;
Paraphrase:
I will bless and praise the Lord continually, in good times and bad. My Lord is my soul's boast; hear and be glad, all who are afflicted. Let us exalt and magnify the Lord together!
The Lord answered me when I called upon him. From all fears he delivered me. We will never be put to shame when we rely on the Lord, so let us rejoice. When I cried to the Lord he heard me and delivered me from all my troubles. Those who fear the Lord have his Holy Spirit surrounding and protecting them, to deliver them from evil. When we put our faith (obedient trust) in the Lord we will learn by experience that the Lord is good; those who seek refuge in him will be glad they did. His saints (those dedicated to serving the Lord) will lack no good thing.
Children (spiritually young seekers and believers), come and hear me and I will teach you to fear (have the appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) the Lord. What person doesn't want a long life in which to enjoy good? Then don't speak evil and lies; start doing what is good and stop doing what is evil (according to God's Word). Seek and pursue peace.
The Lord watches over the righteous and listens to their cries. The Lord opposes those who do evil; they will be forgotten. The Lord hears and delivers the righteous from troubles when they call to him. To the brokenhearted and spiritually crushed, the Lord draws near.
The righteous have many afflictions, but the Lord delivers them all. The bones of the righteous will never be broken. The wicked will be slain by evil, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The lives of the servants of the Lord will be redeemed; no one who seeks refuge in the Lord will be condemned.
Commentary:
It is easy to praise the Lord in good times, but praising the Lord in bad times is an expression of faith (obedient trust). As we begin to live day by day in faith, we will come to experience the Lord's faithfulness and power to deliver us from bad times. We can recall those times of deliverance when we are experiencing troubles, and our faith in the Lord will be strengthened.
I personally testify, in agreement with the psalmist, that in times of trouble I have called on the Lord for help and he has miraculously delivered me (see Personal Testimonies, sidebar, top right, home). Those who fear the Lord will trust and obey him, and will be “born-again” to true, eternal life, by the “baptism” (anointing) of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will guide, protect and deliver us from times of trouble. I have personally experienced the Lord's goodness, faithfulness, and power to deliver us from troubles, and my faith had grown tremendously.
Since I've been “reborn” for thirty years, my family has lacked no good thing. My two daughters have had plenty of clothes, gotten bikes, and into their first cars, on our modest income. We've repaired our house and replaced our appliances. I've had all the help and resources necessary to publish my Bible study online for about ten years, as of August, 2013.
Eternal life is life in paradise restored, in God's kingdom in heaven. That life is truly life and truly long. There won't be any trouble or evil that we experience in this world because of sin (disobedience of God's Word).
There won't be any sickness or death in heaven (Revelation 21:4), which is the limitation of life and time, in this world. This Creation and we ourselves are limited in this world by time. We have the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey the Lord or not, but the Lord is not willing to tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever.
I have personally experienced the comforting of the indwelling Holy Spirit (the “Comforter,” in KJV: “Paraclete” from the Greek “parakletos,” meaning “intercessor, consoler, advocate, comforter;” John 14:16, 26; 16:7) in times of trouble and disappointment.
We are all born into this world physically alive but spiritually unborn. This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” to true, eternal life by the baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Only Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:31-35; Matthew 3:11; Acts 2:1-4), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a personally discernible, ongoing, daily experience; it is not automatically conferred by some church ritual such as water baptism (see False Teachings, sidebar, top right, home). 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).
There is a Day of Judgment coming for all who have ever lived on the earth. Those who have done what is right according to God's Word in the Bible and in Jesus Christ, the living Word, fulfilled, embodied, and exemplified (John 1:1-5, 14), will have been born-again by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit and will enter eternal life in heaven. Those who have rejected or neglected God's Word in the Bible and in Jesus Christ will have failed to be born-again, and will enter eternal condemnation in Hell with all evil (John 5:28-29, Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).
Since his coming in human flesh and dying on the cross as the only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of all our sins, Jesus is the only way to know divine eternal truth, the only way to be saved and have true, eternal life (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). There is a day coming when everyone who has ever lived will bow and acknowledge that Jesus is Lord [Philippians 2:10-11; one who has power and authority (Matthew 28:18); a master; a ruler, the King of kings; 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16].
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)?
Tuesday 22 Pentecost - C
First Posted October 26, 2010;
Podcast: Tuesday 22 Pentecost - C
Deuteronomy 10:12-22 –What the Lord Requires;
Paraphrase:
The Lord's requirements are not too many or too difficult for us to do. He wants us to fear him (have the proper awe and respect for his power and authority), to live according to his Word (in the Bible and in the example of Jesus Christ, the “living Word,” fulfilled, embodied and exemplified; John 1:1-5, 14), to love him, to serve him with all our hearts and souls, and to keep his commandments, which he has given us for our own good.
The Lord our God is the Creator and owner of the entire universe, the earth and heaven, and everything in them: what is seen and what is invisible. Yet God chose the Israelites and their descendants to be his special people (and through them he chose us, in Jesus Christ). So our “circumcision” (the sign of the covenant of forgiveness and peace between God and mankind) should not be merely external; it should be internalized, upon our hearts and souls, so that we are no longer stubborn (insisting on our own will rather than God's will).
The Lord our God is the God above all “gods” (idols), the Lord (master; ruler; governor; prince; proprietor; owner) above all earthly lords. He is the great, mighty, awesome, and fearsome God; he is not partial to anyone, and cannot be bribed.
God loves the disadvantaged: widows, orphans, and “sojourners” (temporary resident foreigners), the people who society discriminates against. Israel sojourned in Egypt and became slaves (Isaiah 52:4; and we also are all sojourners and slaves to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this present world order).
We are to fear the Lord God; we are to fear, serve, and cleave (hold fast; cling) to him, and we shall be bound by our oaths in his name (Numbers 30:2). He is our God; he alone is worthy of our praise.
Commentary:
The Israelites had witnessed God's great and awesome acts in delivering them from Egypt (Exodus 7:8-11:10; 14:5-31); “born-again;” (John 3:3, 5-8) believers have also experienced great and awesome acts of God for their deliverance, as recorded in the New Testament Letters ("Epistles") and (Book of) Acts, and testified to by born-again Christians today (see personal testimonies, sidebar top right, home). The Israelites consisted of seventy people at the time they began to sojourn in Egypt, and at the time of the Exodus, had become a vast multitude, as innumerable as the stars of the heavens.
Jesus simplified God's requirements to two: Love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies, and love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). If we truly love the Lord, we will want to keep God's commandments, and serve and glorify him. If we realize and appreciate what God has done for us in Jesus Christ, to forgive all our sins, to restore us to fellowship with God our Father which was broken by sin, and to save us from eternal condemnation, we will truly love the Lord.
We're born completely selfish and self-centered. We must learn to recognize and yield to the needs and rights of others. When we have received forgiveness and salvation from the Lord we will want to share that forgiveness and salvation with others. We will love our neighbors just as much as we love our own selves. We will love the spiritually lost and dying just the way Jesus loved us. We will have love and concern for the disadvantaged, just as the Lord does.
If we don't fear God, we don't have any real concept of who God is; we don't know enough of the right information. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10).
The Second of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:7) requires us not to take the name of the Lord our God in vain: in a curse, or superstitiously, or to use it to take an oath falsely, or to lie or deceive. God has given us his commandments for our own good. Unless we love God we will not keep his commandments (compare John 14:15-17). The Sabbath rest (Exodus 20:8-11) is given to us, so that we won't continually wear ourselves out, being tempted by and pursuing idolatry of material possessions. We should honor and serve our fathers and mothers (Exodus 20:12) as we honor and serve God.
Some individuals who have had abusive or absent fathers or mothers have difficulty relating to our Heavenly Father. It may help to realize that our earthly parents are sinners and imperfect, as are we all, while God is our perfect, ideal, eternal, heavenly parent.
The commandments against lying, killing, committing adultery, stealing, testifying falsely against our neighbor, coveting our neighbor's possessions or anyone in his household (Exodus 20:13-17), are intended to protect ourselves and our neighbors.
God has given us life and every good thing that we possess. He's given us great, precious, promises in his Word, the Bible and the “living Word,” (John 1:1-5, 14), Jesus Christ: forgiveness, salvation from eternal condemnation and eternal life.
The Lord made the Israelites his “chosen” people so that through them, the Lord could extend his forgiveness of sin and salvation from eternal destruction to all people of the world. The eternal savior, Jesus Christ, designed into the world from the very beginning of Creation (John 1:1-5, 14), came through the Jews, but most of the Jews rejected and crucified him. Their attempt to destroy him actually fulfilled God's plan (1 Corinthians 2:7-8). Through Jesus, God makes all people who are willing to accept Jesus by faith (obedient trust) his special, chosen, people.
Our sign of the New Covenant of forgiveness of sin and peace with God, which was broken by sin, is our obedient trust in Jesus' teachings. We must learn to live every day in obedience to God's Word, in the Bible and in Jesus Christ, the “living Word” (John 1:1-5, 14). Those who call Jesus their Lord and yet don't start doing what he says are deceiving themselves (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46).
The way to “seal” the covenant with Jesus is by learning to know and apply his teachings on a daily basis, and the only way I know to do that is through reading the Bible and by daily devotions, “quiet time,” to pray for guidance, read a portion of the Gospels, meditate, and when we feel the Lord's guidance, to “pray it back,” to be sure we've understood. Then we should begin to apply that guidance, one day at a time, and review at the end of the day to see how well we've done.
There is a Day of Judgment coming for all who have ever lived on earth. Jesus has promised to return to judge the earth (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29). Jesus is the standard of judgment and the righteous judge by which all will be judged.
When we die physically, or if living physically when Christ returns, it will be too late to change our eternal destinies. I am reminded that it is not only our physical death which will “fix” our eternal destinies; we can suffer an illness or mental injury at any moment which may prevent us from being able to accept Jesus in faith and receive forgiveness and salvation.
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)?
Wednesday 22 Pentecost - C
First Posted October 27, 2010;
Podcast: Wednesday 22 Pentecost - C
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 – The Good Fight;
Background:
Paul (Saul of Tarsus) had nearly been martyred in Jerusalem after his third missionary journey (Acts 23:6-32; . He was forced to appeal to Caesar, since Paul was a Roman Citizen, and was transported to Rome, where he lived for two years at his own expense (Acts 28:16-31). Paul was acquitted and released the year Rome was burned under Nero's Caesarship.*
Persecution of Jews arose, over the burning of Rome which Nero blamed on the Christian Quarter (Ghetto), and Paul was again transported to Rome as a prisoner, where he probably wrote 2 Timothy, the last letter (Epistle) he ever wrote. Paul was condemned in Nero's court, and was executed, probably in 66 A.D..*
Text Paraphrase:
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul said that he realized that he was at the point of his own “departure” [“martyrdom” (2 Timothy 4:6), which he had foreseen (Acts 20:22), and which was confirmed by the Prophet Agabus of Judea at Caesarea (21:7-13)]. Paul said that he had fought “the good fight,” he had remained faithful to the Gospel, and was sure that he would receive the just reward for his righteousness (by faith in Jesus; Romans 3:22) on the Day of Judgment.
Paul said that at his first trial before Caesar, no one defended Paul, but Paul asked the Lord to forgive them. The Lord strengthened Paul, and the Lord rescued him from martyrdom (“the lion's mouth;” violent death). So Paul was able to preach the Gospel to many Gentiles (non-Jews) in Rome. Paul trusted the Lord to deliver him from every evil and save him for God's eternal kingdom in heaven, so Paul was eager to give the eternal glory which the Lord alone was worthy to receive.
Commentary:
I believe that Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was the one God intended to be the replacement for Judas Iscariot, Jesus' betrayer; not Matthias, whom the disciples chose by lot (like rolling dice or drawing straws), because they had not yet received the “baptism” (anointing) of the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide them (Acts 1:15-26). Matthias is not mentioned again in the New Testament, but after Paul's conversion (Acts 9:1-22), most of the New Testament was written by or about Paul.
Paul was intended by God to be the prototype and illustration of a modern, post-resurrection, “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple (student) and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, as we can all be.
Paul knew by the indwelling Holy Spirit that he was going to be martyred at Jerusalem, but he hurried home from the third missionary trip so that he could celebrate the Passover (Exodus 12:1-20) in Jerusalem. Paul knew that imprisonment and afflictions awaited him in Jerusalem (Acts 19:21; 20:22-23), before the prophet Agabus confirmed this destiny (Acts 20:8-14).
As a result of his arrests, imprisonments and trials, Paul had opportunities to proclaim the Gospel and testify before a large crowd of Jews in Jerusalem (Acts 21:27-31; 22:1-21; 23:11), and many Gentiles in Israel (Acts 24:10; 25:1-12; 26:1-23), on his journey to Rome (Acts 27:1-10), and in his imprisonment in Rome (Acts 28:13-24, 30-31).
Paul had encountered persecution for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Israel from the beginning of Paul's ministry (Acts 9:23-25), on his missionary journeys (Acts 14:19-22; Acts 19:23-40), and in Rome (see above). Despite persecutions, Paul never shrank from declaring “the whole counsel from God” (Acts 20:27); he had fought the “good fight” against the opponents of the Gospel.
There is a spiritual battle being waged in this present world. The Jews, who had the Bible and should have recognized Jesus as their promised, long-awaited Messiah (Christ; both words mean “anointed” in Hebrew and Greek, respectively), persecuted and crucified him; his disciples can expect no less opposition to the Gospel. Disciples of Jesus Christ have to continue to proclaim the Gospel and testify, even though we experience rejection. We cannot preach only the parts of the Gospel that make our hearers feel good about themselves; we must remain faithful to the Gospel message.
Paul and all truly born-again Christian disciples have the baptism and counsel 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; “Paraclete:” “intercessor;” “consoler;” “advocate;” “comforter”). The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a personally discernible, ongoing, daily experience (Acts 19:2). 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).
Paul was sure that he would receive “the just reward for his righteousness in faithfully proclaiming the full Gospel: eternal life in God's heavenly kingdom. Paul's righteousness was not by doing good works (preaching the Gospel), but by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22; Ephesians 2:8-10).
Paul was confident, by personal experience, that the Lord could and would deliver him from every persecution. The Lord had raised Paul back up from being stoned and left for dead, from shipwreck, from danger of murder (2 Corinthians 11:23-27), and by the threat and carrying out of his physical execution. By the baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit, Paul had a daily personal relationship with the risen and ascended Jesus Christ. Paul was certain that as Jesus had been risen from physical death to eternal life, so Paul would also be raised (Romans 6:5; Philippians 3:8-11).
Salvation is not by Church membership, or by Church rite, such as water baptism. One must be spiritually “born-again” by the baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit; one must have a daily personal relationship with the risen Jesus Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God (Romans 8:9).
There is a Day of Judgment coming for all who have ever lived in this world. Jesus is the appointed judge, and the standard of judgement by which all, the living (“quickened”) and dead, in both the physical and spiritual senses, will be judged (John 5:28-29; Matthew 25:31-46, 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10). At any time one may be injured or get a disease such as Alzheimer's or senile dementia, which could prevent their understanding and acceptance of the Gospel. No one can be sure that they won't die physically before tomorrow. In any case, at that moment our eternal destinies will be eternally fixed.
Those who have rejected or failed to accept Jesus as their personal Lord (one who has power and authority; a master; a ruler; a governor; a prince; a proprietor), who haven't trusted and obeyed Jesus' teachings (Mathew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46), will be condemned to eternal destruction in Hell with all evil. But those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and have trusted and obeyed his teachings will have been spiritually born-again by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and will enter eternal life in God's heavenly kingdom.
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)?
*Easton’s Bible Dictionary, “Paul,” digital edition, bibledatabase.org -
http://bibledatabase.org/eastons.html
see Free Digital Bible Study Tools, sidebar top right, home.
Thursday 22 Pentecost - C
First Posted October 28, 2010;
Podcast: Thursday 22 Pentecost - C
Luke 18:9-14 – True Righteousness;
Paraphrase:
Jesus told a parable about people who rely on their own “good works” to “feel” righteous, and have contempt for others: A Pharisee (a religious leader of Judaism; the most “legalistic” sect of Judaism) and a tax collector (a despised Israelite collaborator with the Roman occupying government) both went into the temple to pray.
The Pharisee prayed “with himself” (Luke 18:11a), congratulating himself for being more righteous than other men. He felt superior to “sinners” who committed extortion, injustice, adultery, or collaborated with the Roman government, such as the tax collector, who he recognized, praying in the temple at the same time). The Pharisee felt himself righteous (acceptable to God) because of his observance of the rituals of Judaism based on the Law of Moses, such as tithing (giving 10 percent of all he received as an offering to the Lord), and fasting.
The tax collector felt unworthy to approach God's altar to pray, and he felt unworthy to turn his face toward heaven. Instead, he beat his breast (sign of contrition: “bruising;” humble and thoroughly penitent), confessed his sinfulness, and asked the Lord for mercy.
The self-acknowledged “sinner's” (tax collector's) prayers were heard and answered; the tax collector received mercy and forgiveness. The “righteous” (Pharisee's) prayers were not heard or answered, except by himself; he was deceiving himself (see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, top right, home).
Jesus declared that the tax collector went home “justified” (acceptable by God, made right with God), but not the Pharisee. Jesus said: “every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14b).
Commentary:
We are all sinners (have disobeyed God's Word in the Bible and in the example of Jesus Christ, the “living Word,” fulfilled, embodied, and exemplified in human flesh in this world; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-9) and Jesus, designed into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14), is God's only provision for our forgiveness and salvation Romans 5:8; Acts 4:12). We are saved (from eternal condemnation and destruction) by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, not by doing “good deeds,” or boasting to God (Ephesians 2:8-9).
There were two altars in the temple: The Altar of Burnt Offering (the Brazen Altar) outdoors in the temple courtyard, and the Altar of Incense in the holy sanctuary in front of the “holy-of-holies;” in front of the veil [vail (sic)]. Fire from the Brazen Altar was placed on the Altar of Incense and sweet spices were burned continually upon it. Morning and evening services commenced with the high priest offering incense on this altar. This was a type of prayer, and the smoke of the incense symbolized prayers pleasing to God ascending to heaven.
There are two heresies prevalent in the nominal Church today: One is “works-righteousness” (“legalism”), keeping the Old Covenant Law of Moses, and the other is “Cheap Grace” (a term first created in his book, The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Collier Books, Macmillan Publishing Co., NY 1963 ISBN 0-02-083850-6) “Cheap Grace” refers to the heresy of eternal Salvation by the “grace” (the unmerited favor; a free gift) of God (which is true), without the requirement of discipleship and obedient trust in Jesus (false). Both these heresies were present in the “First-Century Church” and are refuted in the New Testament (see False Teachings, sidebar, top right, home).
The Lord knows everything about us; we cannot conceal our sins from him. In order to receive mercy (undeserved forgiveness; compassionate treatment; forbearance from inflicting deserved punishment) from God, we must first acknowledge our sinfulness, repent (meaning sorrow for our sins, and the desire and intention to forsake them), and ask for forgiveness and spiritual cleansing by the name (the person, character and blood sacrifice on the Cross) of Jesus Christ.
The Pharisee kept the “letter” of the Law (in small details; Matthew 23:23), but didn't keep the “spirit” (the intent) of the Law (for example, to love others as much as we love ourselves; Matthew 22:36-40). We are under not the Old Covenant of Works of the Law of Moses, but the New Covenant of Grace, provided that we have been spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the “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 freed from the obligations of the Law of Moses, provided that we are obedient to the indwelling Holy Spirit: If so we will fulfill the Law by the help of the Holy Spirit, whereas by our own efforts that would be impossible (Romans 8:1-10).
People can “pray” without meeting the conditions for answered prayer, but their prayers won't be listened to or answered by God. Others may be impressed with their “righteousness” or “spirituality,” but God isn't (Matthew 6:5-8).
Some pray and then go ahead and do what they intended anyway, thinking that they have God's approval, without waiting for God's answer. One must have the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide him or her, in order to receive guidance and confirmation of prayer. For example, I sought a Bible study for my personal devotions (daily home “altar”), and God led me to the first, Daily Walk two-year study. I saw the potential and asked the Lord for approval to publish it online. The Lord approved and helped me understand the texts, write, find a “blog” host, and begin publication.
Sometimes we must wait for an answer, for days, or longer. When we get an answer, we should “pray it back” to make sure that we've understood correctly. Most of the time I've had answer and confirmation by the “touch” of the Holy Spirit within me. Sometimes it is like the Lord underlines something in the text or commentary of my daily devotions. Sometimes I've heard the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit within me (1 Kings 19:11-13). At least twice I've heard God's voice as “Thunder,” which perhaps I alone would have understood clearly, and did so (John 12:28-29).
The “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit is a personally discernible, daily, ongoing experience. If one isn't sure, one hasn't been born-again. One must be spiritually born-again to eternal life, now, in this world, in order to see the kingdom of God all around us now, and to see and enter it after our physical death, or at Jesus' Second Coming while we are still physically alive (Matthew 25:31-46 John 5:28-29 – compare John 11: 41-44).
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 22 Pentecost - C
First Posted October 29, 2010;
Podcast: Friday 22 Pentecost - C
Philippians 1:3-11 – Thanksgiving;
Background:
Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was in prison, awaiting trial (Acts 23:35), either in Caesarea, in Herod's Praetorium (Palace; the governor's house; Mark 15:16), which I believe more likely, or in Rome (Acts 28:16), where Paul was under house arrest and guarded by Caesar's soldiers. The Church was the first on European soil, in Phillippi, Macedonia, which Paul had founded on his second missionary journey.*
Paraphrase:
Paul gave thanks to God in prayer constantly, for the Philippian Christians, rejoicing in the partnership which they (in Philippi) had begun when Paul founded this congregation, and continued throughout Paul's ministry. Paul was certain that the Lord, Jesus (by his indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9), who had begun a good work (sanctification; the work of the Holy Spirit to bring them to spiritual perfection) in them, would bring them to spiritual maturity at the Day of Judgment, at Christ's Second Coming (John 5:28-29, Matthew 25:31-46). Paul felt justified in feeling thus, because he loved the Phillipian Christians; he knew that they were partakers of (God's) grace (unmerited favor; free gift; Ephesians 2:8-9) by the “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), both in Paul's “imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel” (“good news;” Philippians 1:7b).
God knew and would bear witness that Paul longed for the Philippian Christians with all the love of Jesus. Paul prayed that their love would grow greater and greater, and their discernment and knowledge would increase, likewise, so that they would approve of what was best, and would be free of sin and guilt at the Day of Christ's return and judgment. Paul wanted them to produce an abundant crop of the fruits of righteousness, which come through Jesus Christ, to praise and glorify God.
Commentary:
When we pray, we should always give thanks to God for what he has done for us through Jesus Christ. As we grow spiritually, we will personally experience his blessings in answer to our prayers, which we should give thanks for, also. I keep a composition notebook to record the blessings God has done for me, and review them regularly, especially before Thanksgiving.
When we accept Jesus as our personal Lord (owner, master, teacher, ruler, governor, prince, proprietor), and begin to trust and obey (apply, in daily life, one day at a time), the Lord will watch us to be sure we're committed to his Word and his will, and will be obedient to the guidance and correction of the Holy Spirit, before “baptizing” (“anointing”) us with the Holy Spirit, because premature rebirth is spiritually disastrous, and unrepeatable (Hebrews 6:4-6). That doesn't mean that we cannot be forgiven for occasional lapses; we learn by trial-and-error.
We need the baptism of the Holy Spirit for spiritual “rebirth” (John 3:3, 5-8, so that we can see the kingdom of God all around us now, be able to enter God's kingdom in heaven in eternity, and so we can know, understand, and be able do God's will. The Holy Spirit will teach us everything, and help us to know and recall Jesus' teachings (John 14:26). 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).
There is a Day of Judgment coming, at Christ's return, or at our physical death, when all who have ever lived in this world will be accountable to the Lord for what we have done in our lifetimes. Jesus is the righteous judge appointed by God, and the standard of judgment by which we will be accountable.
We don't need to worry about the Day of Judgment, if we have been spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8); we can trust in the Lord, by the indwelling Holy Spirit, to help us grow to spiritual maturity at the Day of Judgment. Our righteousness will not be of our own works (“good deeds”), but the righteousness which is attributed to us by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus (Romans 3:21-22).
The transformation of the spiritual rebirth by the baptism of the Holy Spirit was evident in the Philippian Christians. When we have experienced spiritual rebirth, we will want to proclaim and defend the Gospel, and it will be confirmed in us (but only after we have been anointed with the indwelling Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). We will learn that God's Word, in the Bible and in the “living Word,” Jesus Christ, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in human flesh in this world (John 1:1-5, 14), is completely reliable and trustworthy, and is fulfilled over and over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met. We will produce the fruits of righteousness in abundance, to the glory of God, as we follow the guidance and use the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to carry out the ministry of the Gospel.
Christians are, by definition, “born-again” disciples (students) and apostles (messengers; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c; Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46), as we have the example in Paul. I believe Paul was intended, by God, to be the prototype of the “modern, post-resurrection, born-again disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ” that we are supposed to emulate (strive to equal, in qualities and actions).
Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was confronted by the Spirit of the risen Jesus (Acts 9:4-6a), on the road to Damascus, where he intended to persecute Christians (Acts 9:1-2). Paul accepted Jesus' rebuke, repented (Acts 9:9) and became obedient to Jesus (Acts 9:6b-8), was discipled by a born-again disciple, Ananias (Acts 9:10) until Paul was spiritually reborn (Acts 9:17-19a) Then Paul began proclaiming the Gospel (Acts 9:17b-22) and began making disciples of Jesus Christ, leading them to spiritual rebirth (2 Timothy 1:5-7), and teaching them to repeat the process (2 Timothy 2:2), as Timothy is an example.
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)?
*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Introduction to Philippians, p. 1421, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.
Saturday 22 Pentecost - C
First Posted October 30, 2010;
Podcast: Saturday 22 Pentecost - C
Matthew 18:23-35 – On Forgiveness;
Background:
Peter asked Jesus how often Peter should forgive someone, and Jesus had replied that Peter should forgive others as often as necessary (Matthew 18:21-22).
Paraphrase:
Jesus told a parable to illustrate forgiveness, comparing it to the forgiveness of God: A king wanted to settle accounts with his servants, and called them to him one by one for a reckoning. One of them owed the king ten thousand talents (worth about one thousand dollars -in 1962). Since the servant was unable to repay the debt, the king ordered the servant and the servant's family sold (into slavery), in order to repay the debt. The servant fell to his knees and begged the king to have patience, promising to repay the king as soon as he could. The king had pity for his servant, released him, and forgave the debt.
When the servant was released, he passed by other servants waiting for their own accounting, and the forgiven servant saw another servant who owed him a hundred denarii (each denarius worth about a day's wages for common laborers, about 20 cents; $20, total). The forgiven servant demanded payment of his fellow servant, who begged for patience and promised to repay, as the forgiven servant had begged the king. The forgiven servant refused his fellow servant's plea for forgiveness, and had him thrown in jail until the debt could be repaid.
When the other servants saw what had happened, they were distressed very much, and reported to their lord (the king) what had taken place. Then the lord summoned the forgiven debtor and chastised him for not showing similar mercy to his fellow servant that he had received from the king. The king, in anger delivered the once forgiven debtor to jail until he could repay, as the forgiven debtor had sentenced his fellow servant.
Jesus declared that God the Father would do the same to us if we do not sincerely forgive our brethren.
Commentary:
When we begin to realize and treasure the forgiveness the Lord, the eternal King, has given us in Jesus Christ, we begin to understand that forgiving our brethren is not too difficult or costly for us. God the Father is the King to whom we owe an unrepayable debt. The only way we can show our gratitude is by forgiving others. The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), given to his disciples by Jesus, makes it clear that our forgiveness from God is conditional upon our forgiveness of others (Matthew 6:12,14-15).
How can a person, placed in jail for non-payment of debts, be able to repay them? How can a person whose entire family has been sold into “slavery” repay his debt, except by the price of his families' slavery.
We are all in “jail,” by the ruler of this present world (Satan), for our “debts” (sins; disobedience of God's Word). Jesus came and died on the cross as the only blood sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of all our “debts.” By faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, we are released from “jail” and all our “debts” are forgiven.
We are the servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, whether we acknowledge his lordship or not (Philippians 2:10-11), whom God appointed to be the eternal King of God's kingdom (Matthew 28:18). If they are not treated with mercy, as we all have been through Jesus Christ, the Lord will require the same punishment and lack of mercy for us that we have given to our fellow servants.
There is a Day of Judgment coming when all the living (“quickened”) and dead (1 Peter 4:5), in both spiritual and physical senses, will be accountable to the eternal king, Jesus Christ. Jesus has promised to return, and has been appointed by God the Father to be the righteous judge and the standard of judgment by which all will be judged.
Those who have accepted by faith (obedient trust) the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ, who have accepted him as their Lord, will have been born-again (John 3:3, 5-8) in this lifetime and will enter eternal life in God's kingdom in Heaven. Those who have rejected or failed to accept Jesus as Lord will be condemned to eternal destruction in Hell with all evil
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)?
