Sunday, May 07, 2006
Sunday, March 26, 2006
One of the most difficult passages of scripture to live with is Matthew 5:48. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Himself says: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." It's that word PERFECT that throws us. We have been so thoroughly schooled in the idea that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Ro. 3:23) that we suffer "cognitive dissonance" when we read this passage from Matthew about being perfect. We immediately began back pedaling.John Wesley, the founder of Methodism in 18th century England, read this passage with a great deal of interest. He noted several things about the verse: 1) Jesus, our Lord Himself, gives the teaching, not Paul or some later, and perhaps "lesser" teacher; 2) It is given as command, not ideal or advice; 3) God would not command something, thought Wesley, that is not possible to attain. Only a very unfair god could command us to do something impossible to attain. That would be like demanding a child to get a cookie out of the cookie jar that was intentionally placed above his or her reach.
OK, so being perfect is attainable. Or is it?
Mennonite Robert Friesen notes, "Believers through the centuries have debated about what Jesus meant by this command for perfection. Devoted Christians have always recognized the need to be obedient to their Lord’s commands. But there has been much disagreement on how to interpret these words. Some believers claim to have reached this required state of perfection while other, equally devout, Christians have declared that it is impossible. Throughout the history of the Church there has been a great variety of opinion on the subject of Christian perfection. Ignatius wrote to Ephesus: 'No man truly making a profession of faith sinneth; nor does he that possesses love hate anyone.'1 Irenaeus2 and the Shepherd of Hermas3 also believed that perfection was possible while Tertullian did not expect perfection until after death.4"
As we begin to wind our way through this tangle, we need to note that the NT word translated "perfect" is the Greek word teleios, which does not speak of moral perfection, but rather, of something reaching the end or purpose for which it was created. The word "mature" probably misses the meaning of teleios on the low side, "perfection" misses it on the high side. Paul often used the word teleios but it is usually translated "maturity." See, for example, 1 Cor. 2:6, Eph. 4:13, Phil. 3:12 and 3:15, Col. 1:28 and 4:12. The word also appears 8x in Hebrews and in James 1:4 and 3:2.
Our Disciple study this week takes us into the books of 1, 2, and 3 John. In 1 John, we meet teleios again, but this time with an interesting -- and perhaps clarifying -- twist. In 1 John 2:12, we find: "If anyone obeys His word, God's love is made perfect ('made complete' NIV) in him." In 1 John 4:12, "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made perfect ('complete' NIV) in us." Same sense in vv. 17-18.
So whatever perfection is, it has to do with love, particularly God's love, being made complete in us. John Wesley understood perfection to be perfect love, i.e., loving as Christ loves. This is Christian maturity, to love God and others as we have been loved. This is consistent with what Jesus Himself meant in Matthew 5:48. The teleioi are those who love God and love neighbor. When Jesus uses the word in Matthew 5:48, He begins with "Therefore, be perfect..." He is referring to what He said earlier in verses 5:43-47 where Jesus was talking about love. To quote Friesen again, "The teleioi are those who love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. The Father in heaven is their example. He is even-handed in his love toward all ('He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends his rain on the righteous and the unrighteous'). Jesus is saying that we should exercise the kind of love which God shows to all men. The epitome of this kind of love—the love which shows us to be teleioi—is love for one’s enemies."
Jesus points out that THIS kind of love does not come naturally. It's relatively easy to love those who love us: "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?" (Matt. 5:46) It's relatively easy to love those we know closely: "And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" (Matt. 5:47) To love our enemies, to love those who persecure us is to love as Christ loved, it is to reach the end or purpose for which we were created. To love this way is perfection.
Going on toward the perfection of Christ's love is the goal of our salvation.
Friday, March 17, 2006
"Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen."
What a contrast Jesus’ resurrection is to the raising of Lazarus: "When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’" (John 11:43-44) Lazarus arose from death with the wrappings of death still upon him. Jesus arose from death with the wrappings of death completely left behind, so far behind they were folded up by themselves. Lazarus was not resurrected. Lazarus was resuscitated. Jesus was not resuscitated. Jesus was resurrected.
Resuscitation is restoration to an earthly life. It’s miraculous, certainly, but resuscitated people will die again. Jesus was resurrected. He entered into a new realm of existence, or rather, He resumed the realm of existence He left to be incarnated. Jesus will not die again. Those who die joined to Him will also enter a new realm of existence, from which they cannot die.
What a contrast Jesus’ resurrection is to the raising of Lazarus: "When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’" (John 11:43-44) Lazarus arose from death with the wrappings of death still upon him. Jesus arose from death with the wrappings of death completely left behind, so far behind they were folded up by themselves. Lazarus was not resurrected. Lazarus was resuscitated. Jesus was not resuscitated. Jesus was resurrected.
Resuscitation is restoration to an earthly life. It’s miraculous, certainly, but resuscitated people will die again. Jesus was resurrected. He entered into a new realm of existence, or rather, He resumed the realm of existence He left to be incarnated. Jesus will not die again. Those who die joined to Him will also enter a new realm of existence, from which they cannot die.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
In my post for February 22, I talked about what Luke Timothy Johnson calls "cognitive dissonance" as an experience of the first Christians. It is the tension one feels when there is conflict between our convictions and our experience. Please read that post to make sense of this one.
The first Christians resolved the tension of cognitive dissonance by reinterpreting the convictions that came from Torah. A good example is found in today's reading from Hebrews 10:1-25, expecially verses 5-7, which read:
5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, O God.'"
This is a quotation from Psalm 40:6-8 taken from the 2nd century B.C. Greek translation known as the Septuagint (often abbreviated LXX, or 70, in our Bible footnotes). If you look up Psalm 40:6-8 in your Bible, it will be a bit different:
6Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. 7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll. 8 I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
The writer of Hebrews is reading Psalm 40 Christologically, i.e., as if it is Christ speaking to God. This is typical of the way first Christians reinterpreted Torah to resolve their cognitive dissonance. OT scripture -- read in the Septuagint version -- suddenly appeared to foreshadow Christ at every turn. In v. 5, "a body" is from the LXX, which understands the Hebrew "ears you have pierced" (or, "ears you have dug for me" literally) as the creation of a body out of clay, as of Adam in the beginning. Here, our author finds a reference to the incarnation. It is not likely the author of Psalm 40 had that in mind originally, but now Christians are finding references to Christ everywhere. This is apparently what Luke understood, too, as in Luke 24, Jesus opens up the Law and the Prophets to the travelers on the road to Emmaus.
The same can be said when the author of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah 31:33-34, which he uses in 8:8-12 AND in 10:15-18. He understands that the coming of Christ makes further sacrifices unnecessary.
Cognitive dissonance. A sociologist's fancy word for the tension we call "doubt." Yet, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it became the source of new faith for the first Christians and all who followed. We need not fear our doubts!
The first Christians resolved the tension of cognitive dissonance by reinterpreting the convictions that came from Torah. A good example is found in today's reading from Hebrews 10:1-25, expecially verses 5-7, which read:
5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, O God.'"
This is a quotation from Psalm 40:6-8 taken from the 2nd century B.C. Greek translation known as the Septuagint (often abbreviated LXX, or 70, in our Bible footnotes). If you look up Psalm 40:6-8 in your Bible, it will be a bit different:
6Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. 7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll. 8 I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
The writer of Hebrews is reading Psalm 40 Christologically, i.e., as if it is Christ speaking to God. This is typical of the way first Christians reinterpreted Torah to resolve their cognitive dissonance. OT scripture -- read in the Septuagint version -- suddenly appeared to foreshadow Christ at every turn. In v. 5, "a body" is from the LXX, which understands the Hebrew "ears you have pierced" (or, "ears you have dug for me" literally) as the creation of a body out of clay, as of Adam in the beginning. Here, our author finds a reference to the incarnation. It is not likely the author of Psalm 40 had that in mind originally, but now Christians are finding references to Christ everywhere. This is apparently what Luke understood, too, as in Luke 24, Jesus opens up the Law and the Prophets to the travelers on the road to Emmaus.
The same can be said when the author of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah 31:33-34, which he uses in 8:8-12 AND in 10:15-18. He understands that the coming of Christ makes further sacrifices unnecessary.
Cognitive dissonance. A sociologist's fancy word for the tension we call "doubt." Yet, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it became the source of new faith for the first Christians and all who followed. We need not fear our doubts!
Sunday, March 12, 2006
During Jesus' trial before Pilate, John's Gospel reads in 19:13, "When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down (GR: ekathisen) on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha)." The word translated here "sat down" is the Greek word ekathisen. This word can be interpreted to mean either "Pilate sat on the judge's seat" OR "Pilate sat him (Jesus) on the judge's seat."
The synoptic gospels clearly have Pilate sitting on the seat, as do most translations of John. But John may be playing off the double meaning here. It is in keeping with the mockery of 19:1-3 and Pilate's taunting of the religious leaders in 19:4-5 for Pilate to seat Jesus on the judge's seat.
This lends a profound irony to this final scene of the trial of Jesus. Pilate intends to mock Jesus and the Jewish leaders by placing Jesus, their "king," on the judge's seat, but he unknowingly places Jesus in His rightful place as judge. (Other characters in John's Gospel unknowingly reveal truth about Jesus. See Caiaphas' statement in 11:50-51.) The world attempts to judge Jesus, but in the end, Jesus judges the world.
The synoptic gospels clearly have Pilate sitting on the seat, as do most translations of John. But John may be playing off the double meaning here. It is in keeping with the mockery of 19:1-3 and Pilate's taunting of the religious leaders in 19:4-5 for Pilate to seat Jesus on the judge's seat.
This lends a profound irony to this final scene of the trial of Jesus. Pilate intends to mock Jesus and the Jewish leaders by placing Jesus, their "king," on the judge's seat, but he unknowingly places Jesus in His rightful place as judge. (Other characters in John's Gospel unknowingly reveal truth about Jesus. See Caiaphas' statement in 11:50-51.) The world attempts to judge Jesus, but in the end, Jesus judges the world.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Jesus talks a lot about the Holy Spirit, or what in Greek is called the Paraclete in His Farewell Discourse of chapters 14-17. (This comes from parakletos, which means "called" - kletos and "alongside" - para. Attorneys, or counselors, were "called alongside" to defend and counsel.)
The prominence of the Paraclete addresses a key set of theological questions:
1) If Jesus as the incarnate Word of God brings a distinctive revelation of God to the community, what happens when the incarnation ends?
2) Was the revelation of God in Jesus available only for those who had firsthand experience of the historical Jesus and His ministry?
3) Is Jesus’ revelation of God limited to one moment in history, or does it have a future beyond its particular historical moment?
In the Farewell Discourse, Jesus reveals the Paraclete as the link between His ministry in that moment of history and the future life of the church after Jesus’ death. What does the Paraclete, or the Holy Spirit, do? Jesus reveals several roles (these come from our Disciple IV manual, with my observations in [ ]):
1) The Paraclete will come only after Jesus leaves. The Paraclete’s coming makes Jesus’ going advantageous to the believer. (John 16:7)
2) The Paraclete will come from the Father in Jesus’ name. As the Father sent Jesus, Jesus sends the Spirit. (John 14:6; 15:26)
3) The Paraclete will say what Jesus wants Him to say just as Jesus has said what the Father wanted Him to say. (John 16:13-15)
4) The Paraclete will help disciples remember all Jesus said and did, "remind you of all that I have said to you." (John 14:26)
5) The Paraclete will teach and explain new things that disciples prior to the Crucifixion and Resurrection were not able to understand. Jesus still has much to teach us. (John 16:12) [John’s Gospel itself is evidence of this. It is interpretation of the events of Jesus’ lifetime, written after some 60 years of reflection and living with the Paraclete in the church. This truth about the Paraclete’s new teaching would later cause trouble, however, as people arose in the 2nd century claiming direct revelation from Jesus that was contrary to orthodox teaching, e.g., the Gnostics. It’s still an issue.]
6) The Paraclete will give us peace, not someday but now. As Jesus said to the disciples in the boat, so the Spirit will say, "Do not be afraid." (John 6:20; 14:26-27)
7) The Paraclete will convict the world of its sin and show the world righteousness as Jesus did. Wherever Jesus’ Spirit is present, judgment takes place, revealing light and darkness, life and death. (John 16:8-11)
8) The Paraclete is the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of Truth. Jesus is the Truth. The Holy Spirit will say and do only what Jesus would say and do. (John 16:14) [It’s interesting to note that Luke in the Book of Acts uses the terms "Holy Spirit" and "Spirit of Jesus" interchangeably.]
The Holy Spirit is the least understood person of the Trinity. We do well to understand what John reveals to us about the Paraclete.
The prominence of the Paraclete addresses a key set of theological questions:
1) If Jesus as the incarnate Word of God brings a distinctive revelation of God to the community, what happens when the incarnation ends?
2) Was the revelation of God in Jesus available only for those who had firsthand experience of the historical Jesus and His ministry?
3) Is Jesus’ revelation of God limited to one moment in history, or does it have a future beyond its particular historical moment?
In the Farewell Discourse, Jesus reveals the Paraclete as the link between His ministry in that moment of history and the future life of the church after Jesus’ death. What does the Paraclete, or the Holy Spirit, do? Jesus reveals several roles (these come from our Disciple IV manual, with my observations in [ ]):
1) The Paraclete will come only after Jesus leaves. The Paraclete’s coming makes Jesus’ going advantageous to the believer. (John 16:7)
2) The Paraclete will come from the Father in Jesus’ name. As the Father sent Jesus, Jesus sends the Spirit. (John 14:6; 15:26)
3) The Paraclete will say what Jesus wants Him to say just as Jesus has said what the Father wanted Him to say. (John 16:13-15)
4) The Paraclete will help disciples remember all Jesus said and did, "remind you of all that I have said to you." (John 14:26)
5) The Paraclete will teach and explain new things that disciples prior to the Crucifixion and Resurrection were not able to understand. Jesus still has much to teach us. (John 16:12) [John’s Gospel itself is evidence of this. It is interpretation of the events of Jesus’ lifetime, written after some 60 years of reflection and living with the Paraclete in the church. This truth about the Paraclete’s new teaching would later cause trouble, however, as people arose in the 2nd century claiming direct revelation from Jesus that was contrary to orthodox teaching, e.g., the Gnostics. It’s still an issue.]
6) The Paraclete will give us peace, not someday but now. As Jesus said to the disciples in the boat, so the Spirit will say, "Do not be afraid." (John 6:20; 14:26-27)
7) The Paraclete will convict the world of its sin and show the world righteousness as Jesus did. Wherever Jesus’ Spirit is present, judgment takes place, revealing light and darkness, life and death. (John 16:8-11)
8) The Paraclete is the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of Truth. Jesus is the Truth. The Holy Spirit will say and do only what Jesus would say and do. (John 16:14) [It’s interesting to note that Luke in the Book of Acts uses the terms "Holy Spirit" and "Spirit of Jesus" interchangeably.]
The Holy Spirit is the least understood person of the Trinity. We do well to understand what John reveals to us about the Paraclete.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
More thoughts on John 15....
At the beginning of John’s gospel, when the two disciples of John begin following Jesus, they ask, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" (John 1:38) The word translated "staying" is the Greek word meno, which means "to remain, abide." This word "abide" is a major theme in John 15:1-17. It appears over and over and over, in verses 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 16. The NIV translation is "remain," but in the NRSV or KJV you can see "abide" over and over. When a word is repeated that often, it’s a clue – something’s going on. And in John’s gospel, everything "going on" is theologically significant.
The new disciples’ question, "Where are you meno?" is a major question John’s gospel sets out to answer. In one of His controversies with the Jews, Jesus’ opponents stammer, "We know where this man is from. But when Christ comes, no one will know where He is from." (John 7:27) Do they really know where Jesus is from? No. That’s the problem. They think He is from Nazareth. But where DOES Jesus abide?
The answer as the gospel develops is that Jesus is from the Father. Not only that, but He abides in the Father. "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30) "The Father is in me, and I in the Father." (John 10:38) "If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:7) Jesus shares the divine life with the Father. He meno’s in the Father.
But what is truly amazing is that Jesus invites US to "abide" in Him. "Abide in me and I will abide in you." (John 15:4) This is not simply an admonition to continue reading our Bible, praying, going to church and Sunday School. This is nothing less than an invitation TO US to participate in the divine life shared between Jesus and the Father. Jesus invites us to meno in the Father and the Son. "In him was life, and that life was the light of men." (John 1:4)
Wow.
At the beginning of John’s gospel, when the two disciples of John begin following Jesus, they ask, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" (John 1:38) The word translated "staying" is the Greek word meno, which means "to remain, abide." This word "abide" is a major theme in John 15:1-17. It appears over and over and over, in verses 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 16. The NIV translation is "remain," but in the NRSV or KJV you can see "abide" over and over. When a word is repeated that often, it’s a clue – something’s going on. And in John’s gospel, everything "going on" is theologically significant.
The new disciples’ question, "Where are you meno?" is a major question John’s gospel sets out to answer. In one of His controversies with the Jews, Jesus’ opponents stammer, "We know where this man is from. But when Christ comes, no one will know where He is from." (John 7:27) Do they really know where Jesus is from? No. That’s the problem. They think He is from Nazareth. But where DOES Jesus abide?
The answer as the gospel develops is that Jesus is from the Father. Not only that, but He abides in the Father. "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30) "The Father is in me, and I in the Father." (John 10:38) "If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:7) Jesus shares the divine life with the Father. He meno’s in the Father.
But what is truly amazing is that Jesus invites US to "abide" in Him. "Abide in me and I will abide in you." (John 15:4) This is not simply an admonition to continue reading our Bible, praying, going to church and Sunday School. This is nothing less than an invitation TO US to participate in the divine life shared between Jesus and the Father. Jesus invites us to meno in the Father and the Son. "In him was life, and that life was the light of men." (John 1:4)
Wow.
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