Tag: messiah

Immerse Day 16 Observations

Text: Romans 9:1-16:27 (pp 190 – 202)

  • Paul expresses the depth of the sincerity of his convictions in the truth of the Gospel, explaining his willingness to be accursed (separated from God) if it meant that his fellow Jews would be saved.
Paul’s selflessness overwhelms me every time I read this declaration
  • He explains that God’s love for Israel has been evident in many ways:
    • He chose them as his adopted children.
    • He revealed his glory to them.
    • He made covenants with them
    • He gave them his law
    • He gave them the privilege of worshipping him.
    • He gave them the opportunity to trust in his promises.
    • He gave them a spiritual heritage through the generations
    • He arrived incarnationally through this lineage, as Jesus.
  • Truly, Israel is God’s people.
    • BUT…not all of Abraham’s physical descendants are included in as God’s children.
    • The promise of God is issued to the descendants of Isaac because he was the child of promise.
    • Isaac and his wife Rebecca were the parents of twin sons (Jacob and Esau). God, for his own reasons and completely apart from anything either of these boys would ever do, chose Jacob for the continuance of his promise.
      • God is not unfair in this (this reinforces that God’s grace is based on who he is, not on who we are or what we do or do not do). He has mercy on who he will, and we cannot choose it nor work for it.
  • Likewise, God revealed to Pharaoh that he had chosen the ruler for the purpose of displaying God’s divine power in him, and for making himself known throughout the world through his dealings with the ruler.
    • The example of Pharaoh shows that God shows mercy to some, but to others he does not. A key to understanding this dynamic is the exposition of Romans 1, where God judges fallen people by giving them over to their fallenness. Here, hardening of the heart and mind are seen as aspects of that same type of judgement.
  • Paul predicts the argument against this truth (perhaps he’s heard it a time or two…hundred). So he rebuts it.
    • We (humans) are in no position to judge God, because he is the creator and we are the creation.
    • God has every right to judge man. Yet, he does show unmatched patience in dealing with us.
    • He demonstrates this patience by saving some of the Gentiles.
    • He has not abandoned Israel despite it rebelliousness and insistence on being justified by the law (which cannot justify, but only condemn).
      • Paul reiterates his fervent desire that the people of Israel be saved by trusting in Jesus as Messiah.
      • He understands their zeal, but clarifies that it is misplaced. Their trust should be in Jesus alone.
      • The message is plain: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
        • Belief makes a person right with God.
        • and by openly declaring that belief you are saved.
        • anyone who trusts in him will not be disgraced.
        • Jew and Gentile alike can trust in this promise.
        • everyone who calls on Jesus will be saved.
The message is here…believe!
  • Paul then reasons with his Roman audience…
    • He asks, “How can they call on Jesus unless they believe? And how can they believe if they’ve never heard about him? And how can they hear unless someone tells them? And how will someone tell them unless they are sent?”
    • This chain of rhetoric is addressed with the prophetic message, “how beautiful are the feet of the messengers who bring good news.”
    • He acknowledges, though, that not everyone receives the Gospel as good news, which he answers with Isaiah’s prophecy, and summarizes this:
    • understated point: faith comes by hearing the good news about Jesus.
      • Paul explains that the Jewish people have indeed heard this message because it has gone throughout the earth.
      • And that the people of Israel understood it and largely rejected it, so the message was extended to the Gentile people.
      • In no way did God reject his own people. He chose them from the beginning.
        • Still, many of them have rejected God. But not all (and more than might be assumed).
        • Consequently, those who have rejected God have had their hearts hardened.
        • Even so, in extending the Gospel invitation to the Gentiles, the opportunity to be saved still exists to the Jew.
        • Paul earnestly desires that his fellow Jews will trust in Jesus.
  • Paul compares the family of God to a tree.
    • He explains that the Jews are branches, but some of them have been broken off because of their unbelief.
    • Gentiles were branches from a different tree, but some of these branches were grafted on the root of God.
    • This imagery shows both the kindness and severity of God.
  • Paul offers understanding to this mystery of God (in saving Gentiles and in his dealing with the Jewish people).
    • This should result in humility, not in pride amongst the Gentiles.
    • There is a finite number of Gentiles who God has determined will respond to this invitation.
    • The Jewish people will largely turn to Jesus in the future.
    • This is the promise of God.
God knows and tells how this all will unfold.
  • Because of the reliability of these promises, Paul begs the Romans to give themselves over to God. Living in holiness is a type of “living sacrifice” that God finds acceptable, and is a way to worship him.
    • Don’t be like the world. Conformity = bad
    • Instead, be different. Transformation = good.
    • Change the way you think, and in so doing, you can know the good will of God.
    • Be humble. Be honest in your self-evaluation, using the faith God gives you.
    • See your part in the “body” of the church.
      • Use the spiritual gift that the Lord has given you for the service to the Body.
      • Love others.
      • Hate the wrong.
      • Love the good.
      • Take delight in honoring one another.
      • Don’t be lazy. Work hard.
      • Rejoice in the hope of the Lord.
      • Be patient.
      • Keep praying.
      • Help those in need.
      • Be hospitable.
      • Bless those who persecute you.
      • Be happy with the happy, and cry with the sad.
      • Live in harmony with others.
      • Hang out with normies, and be cool about it.
      • Don’t be a know-it-all,
      • Don’t repay evil with evil.
      • Live at peace with everybody.
      • Don’t take revenge (vengeance is only found at God’s pay grade and you aren’t there).
      • Don’t be conquered by evil.
      • Conquer evil by doing good.
It helps Frank…maybe it will help you, too.
  • Submit to governing authorities (not just the ones you like).
    • Government leaders are in their roles by God’s appointment.
    • Rebelling against them, then, is rebellion against God.
  • Similarly, pay your taxes.
  • Don’t accumulate debt.
  • Honor your obligation to love your neighbor. This fulfills the requirement of God’s law (in all its commandments)
  • Realize how close/near salvation is for you, and it grows ever nearer. So don’t participate in evil.
  • Accept others who are of weak faith, and don’t argue about non-essential things.
    • Don’t get side-tracked about ceremonies, dates, or food rules (all as examples)
  • You will stand before the Lord regarding your own convictions and actions, not for those of someone else.
    • Live in a way that doesn’t cause another person to stumble.
  • Prioritize living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
    • Living this way serves Christ, pleases God, and wins the approval of others.
    • Live in harmony with others as much as it is possible
    • Accept others just as God in Christ accepted you.
  • Paul’s prayer: that God the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of his Holy Spirit.
    • Paul’s interest is in presenting the Romans as complete, recognizing that the Holy Spirit alone makes them holy.
    • He solicits their prayers for his efforts there and abroad.
    • He sends his regard for dear friends and beloved partners in his ministry.
  • He gives a final warning against divisive people, and to be obedient to the Lord.

Immerse Day 15 Observations

Text: Romans 1:1 – 8:39 (pp. 177-190)

  • Overview – Dated AD 56. Paul writes this letter to arrive before he does, to a mixed audience of Jewish and Gentile believers. First part (11 chapters) is comprehensive doctrinal teaching, including the salvific history of God through Israel being extended to all people. The second part of the letter (last 5 chapters) is the practical application of these theological riches.
  • Paul is writing this letter because God chose him to be an apostle to preach the good news that God has for the world. This good news is the person of Jesus – Jesus is God’s son, a fact that is proven by his resurrection from death by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
  • He is Jesus Christ our Lord – Jesus is the Christ (the Greek word for the Hebrew concept of Messiah, the God-anointed and -appointed Savior who would rescue people). As Christ, he is the Lord over all people (boss, king, sovereign, ruler…pick your synonym).
  • Through Christ, God had appointed people (including Paul) to spread this message of who Jesus is and what God is doing for people (in saving them), which will cause people to believe in Jesus, and bring glory to (a positive report) to his name.
  • The audience of this letter is all who live in Rome and have been called to be his own people (the Christians in the region).
Dear Romans…
  • Paul loves the Roman Christians, prays for them, longs to visit them. He wants to encourage them, and to be encouraged by them.
  • understated point: faithfulness offers contagious encouragement.
  • Paul felt a spiritual burden to all people, regardless of their spiritual heritage (or lack thereof)
  • This burden catalyzed an eagerness in him to share the Gospel of Jesus with all people.
    • He was completely unashamed of the Gospel because its existence and efficacy were the demonstration of the power of God – to save anyone who believes in Jesus.This salvation is accomplished exclusively and totally by faith – faith which brings life those who believe.
  • But this message is communicated in the context of the real world:
    • This world filled with people who experience God’s anger instead of God’s favor.These people receive his anger because they, by their wicked deeds, suppress God’s truth.God’s truth is both knowable and known because God has made the truth about himself known to all of his creation from the beginning of time, from the evidence of creation itself.
      • The totality of God’s creation demonstrates/evidences/manifests God’s invisible attributes; namely, his eternal power and divine nature. So nobody has an excuse for not believing in God (or functioning in life without faith in him)Despite knowing that God is real, these people determined not to worship him or even give thanks to him. Instead, they created their own false gods, created by their own imaginations. The result of this foolishness was that these very same people became confused and limited by their own wayward thinking. When they spoke about these false gods and errant beliefs, they thought themselves to be pretty awesome, but showed themselves to be utter fools.
St. Ron – The Patron Saint of Bloviation
  • Not only were they saying foolish things, they worshipped (showed reverence, devotion, and spiritual hope) the things that God created rather than God himself, which they made idols out of as a way to direct this worship.
  • God further judged this idolatrous worship, by giving them over to the desires that controlled them (See Ps. 81:12).
    • The consequence of this judgment against them was excessive indulgence in these activities with one another.
    • These actions demonstrated that they exchanged the truth of God for lies of their own creations.
    • In doing this, they demonstrated that they were worshipping created things rather than the creator.
    • Because, in their foolish thinking, they thought it foolish to worship God, he showed his judgment against them by giving them over to the license they created for themselves.
    • Lives of unbelievers became characterized by every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malice, and gossip.
      • They hate God, back stab one another, and are insolent, proud and boastful. They are rebellious and are creative only in finding new ways to do wrong. They are stubborn-minded, promise-breaking, heartless and unmerciful.
      • They do all this, knowing that doing it deserves punishment. Worse still, they encourage this behavior among others.
sin leading to judgment leading to sin leading to judgment…
  • Yet, Paul warns the audience not to break their arm patting themselves on the back, because…”you are just as bad and have no excuse!”
    • It isn’t enough just to say these things are bad and do the very same things yourself.
    • God is kindly revealing truth to lead you out of these sins that God has judged and will ultimately judge.
    • But refusal to stop doing evil is storing up impending judgment, on the day when God judges all deeds done by all people.
      • Good deeds will be rewarded by those who seek the good things that God offers (through Jesus).
      • But for those who live for themselves, they can expect God’s anger and wrath because they refused to obey the truth and lived wickedly.
      • God will give his judgment and justice fairly and impartially (both good and bad).
        • The people who had the law (the Jews) are accountable because they had the law.
        • The people who didn’t have the law (the Gentiles) are still accountable because their lives demonstrate that God’s law was “written on their hearts” because their consciences either affirmed them for doing right (by the law) or condemned them (by their offenses against the law).
        • Regardless, there is a day of judgment coming for all people, when God will openly judge the things that were assumed to be secret (or unknown)
        • Religious heritage offers no deliverance from this judgment.
        • Everyone is under the power of sin.
          • no one is righteous.
          • not one.
          • no one is wise.
          • no one (on their own) seeks God.
          • All have turned away
          • all are useless (on their own)
          • No one does good.
          • not a single one.
nope, not even one.
  • Consequently, people (without God) did horrible things and didn’t fear God in anyway whatsoever.
  • The purpose of the law isn’t to give an attainable standard that even one person could meet.
    • It was to show that nobody would have an excuse.The entire world is guilty before God.
  • Clear back in the time of Moses, God showed his plan to make people righteous apart from the law, through trusting in Jesus.
    • This way was available to all people, everywhere.This way is available exclusively through faith, apart from any work a person could do.
      • Only when we have faith do we fulfill the law.Abraham exemplifies this truth – his faith (not his deeds) was credited to him as righteousness.Wages are what people earn for their work. Wages are not a gift, they are earned. Righteousness is a gift, not something earned (wages).Abrahams’ circumcision was not a deed that earned his righteousness; rather it was an expression of the gift of righteousness that God had already given him before he could do anything to earn it.
        • His example offers inclusion to non-religious people who trust in Jesus, apart from religious rituals or ceremonies.His example offers inclusion to the religiously observant people, but only if their faith is like that of Abraham’s.God’s promise to Abraham (and his descendants) is based on faith, not on works.
        • understated points: these promises are reliable because they are given by the God raises the dead and creates things out of nothing. We believe in God and we trust his promises.Abraham trusted God, even when there was no hope. He and Sarah were too old to become parents, yet God kept his promise to them.
        • They kept trusting, even when it made no sense. And God blessed their obedience (their faith trust in his promise).That same faith is what’s necessary to believe in Jesus, who died to forgive our sins and who was resurrected and will return again.
  • The same faith that makes a person righteous is the faith that brings a person into peace with God.
    • Having confidence that a person is at peace with God makes it possible to live amidst daily adversity and to look forward to the future fulfillment of God’s promises.
      • Facing adversity offers opportunities to develop endurance.Endurance matures strength of character.Strength of character instills confidence in the expectant hope for the future.This hope will not be disappointed.The presence of the Holy Spirit is evidence of God’s love for us.We are utterly helpless without Jesus because of our sins.Jesus met us in our pit of helplessness and saved us.
        • This is remarkable because most people won’t die for someone else, even for a really good person.Rarely, someone might be willing to sacrifice their own life for someone who is extraordinarily good.
        • understated point: God’s love is shown in this most profound way: when you were at your worst (as a sinner), Jesus did the most by dying on the cross for your sins.
        • Christ’s sacrifice made us right with God.
      • This saves us from condemnation.
      • This restores relationship with God.
      • Through Jesus, we are friends of God.
total coincidence that a Stallone movie is on while I’m writing this.
  • The sin problem, unpacked and addressed:
    • Sin entered the world through the sin of the first person, Adam.
    • That sin brought death, so death spread to everyone; so, everyone sinned.
    • Sin was in the world even before the law was given.
      • So even though the sin was not imputed on people because the law hadn’t been given, the evidence that sin was in the world was demonstrated in the fact that all people died (the consequence of sin).
      • So the sin wasn’t merely the violation of Mosaic law, it was the rebellion against God that spread from Adam to all people.
      • Adam, though, serves as a symbol of sorts who points to Jesus.
        • Just as how sin spread from him singularly to all people is symbolic how salvation spreads to all who believe from the singular source of Jesus.
          • Adam’s sin brought death to many (because all earn it through our own sins)
          • Jesus’ gift is far greater because it is God’s grace extended, giving forgiveness to all who receive him.
          • Adam’s sin led to condemnation.
          • Jesus’ gift leads to righteousness.
        • The law’s role in this is to show humanity its sin problem.
          • As sin becomes more prevalent, God’s grace is more glorious.
        • God’s grace doesn’t give license to keep sinning, or to sin more abundantly.
        • Instead, Christians who identify with Jesus is baptism must remember that they identify with him in his death. Baptism is a picture of being buried with Christ, and it is a picture of being resurrected with Christ, too.
          • Because of this, we are no longer slaves to sin.
          • Dying with Christ set us free from the power of sin.
          • We are now alive in Christ.
lil Jon gets it.
  • If you’re alive in Christ, don’t be a slave to sin.
    • Don’t give in to sinful desires.
  • Instead, give yourself fully to God – mind, body and soul.
  • understated point: live under the freedom of God’s grace.
    • (The next extended passage reiterates and restates this in the context of slavery and freedom…I’m jumping ahead)
  • The law is good because it reveals sin. The good law “inflames” the sinful nature of man, and makes known the sinful, fallenness afflicting every person.
    • Sin uses what is good (the Law) to bring about death. It uses God’s own commands for evil.
    • Paul understands that the problem isn’t with the law because the law is good.
      • Rather, the problem is with Paul (or, more accurately, with each and every one of us).
      • On our own, we are slaves to sin.
      • We don’t really understand ourselves.
      • We want to do the right thing, but we don’t.
      • We don’t want to do the wrong thing, but we do.
        • Conviction over these dilemmas demonstrates that the law exists and that it is intrinsically good.
        • This contradictory behavior is the sin present in us, doing these wrong deeds.
      • Paul says it succinctly: I know that nothing good lives within me; that is, in my sinful nature.
        • Loving God’s law isn’t enough.
        • The power of sin enslaves all and overcomes even the best intentions.
      • Paul’s great lament: who will free me from this body of death?
Explains the human condition, Yoda does.
  • Thankfully, Paul’s message doesn’t end with this lament.
  • “Thank God!” Paul proclaims, “the answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord!”
    • The body is a slave to sin, but the mind (redeemed in Jesus) is a slave to Christ.
    • There is no condemnation for anyone who belongs to Jesus.
      • By belonging to Jesus, the life giving power of the Holy Spirit frees the person from the death-bringing enslavement to sin.
      • God did what the law couldn’t do – bring life to the person sentenced to death by sin.
      • Jesus’ death on the cross fully satisfied God’s wrath against sin.
      • So now we no longer follow the sinful nature, but the life giving Spirit of God.
      • Live then, according to the Spirit.
        • Being dominated by the flesh brings death,
        • Submitting to the Spirit brings life.
        • You are no longer any obligation to your sin nature.
        • Through the power of the Spirit of God, you have freedom from and victory over the lure of sin.
        • understated points: through the power of the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of the flesh. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are God’s children.
          • God adopted his children.
          • As his children, we are also his heirs.
          • iAs his heirs, we will share in his glory.
          • Until then, we will also share in his suffering.
            • the present suffering pales in comparison to the awaiting glory.
            • This current time is marked by a weakness that struggles in the tension of the present suffering expectantly awaiting the future glory.
  • Thankfully, the Holy Spirit helps us in our present weakness.
    • For example He helps us in our prayer communication with the Father.
    • He tells us what to pray, using words we can’t really hear or even discern.
    • IN fact, the Holy Spirit prays for us,
    • The Father knows exactly what the Spirit is praying for us, because the Spirit always prays in perfect harmony with the Father’s will for us.
    • We can be encouraged in this because God works all things together for His good in the lives of his children, who are the people that he has called according to his purposes.
      • And God knew all his people (his children) in advance, and chose them to be made into the likeness of his Son,
      • Having chosen them, he called them to follow Jesus.
      • Having called them, he gave them righteousness.
      • Having given them righteousness, he gave them glory.
      • understated point: These actions of God are completed acts. God’s children experience them in the course of life, and will experience receiving God’s glory in the judgment.
  • If all this is true (and it is), what can be said?
    • Since God is for us, it doesn’t matter if anyone tries to oppose us.
    • God didn’t spare his Son from the evil of this world, so we can’t realistically expect to be spared, either.
    • It doesn’t matter, though, because we have God’s righteousness. And nobody in the world can condemn us because we already have received GOd’s approval.
      • Jesus actively advocates for us before God, overcoming any attempts to condemn us before God.
    • nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus.
      • Neither death nor life
      • angels nor demons
      • today’s fears nor tomorrow’s worries,
      • not the powers of hell
      • no spiritual or earthly powers,
      • nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love of God in Jesus.

Immerse Day 14 Observations

Text: Galatians

  • Overview: This letter is pointed, addressing a specific attack on the doctrine of grace.
  • Paul identifies himself as the author, noting that he is apostle appointed by Jesus himself (and by God, who raised Jesus from the dead).
  • He dives right in, not devoting much content to pleasantries (apart from a brief, gracious greeting), exclaiming his alarm that the Galatians are departing so swiftly from the truth that he had brought them.
    • He tells them that the message that they are now following is not good news at all, and an entirely different Gospel that what he had shared with them.
    • He proclaims that God’s curse is on anyone who would preach an alternative Gospel than the one shared by authentic Christians (this alternative Gospel being anything that deviates from authentic Christianity).
    • Paul acknowledges that this bold statement steps on some toes, but he only seeks to please God.
Larry David gets it.
  • Paul explains that his message is not of human origin, but comes directly from Jesus.
    • This is the same Jesus he zealously persecuted earlier in life, when he hunted down Christians and had them imprisoned and put to death.
    • Yet, he declares that before he had been born God had chosen him and called him by grace for this work that he was now doing.
    • He recounted his history of conversion, giving them a historical timeline of his walk of faith and highlighting the pervasiveness of grace he has experienced that has made his ministry possible.
      • He mentions an experience where he had experienced conflict that was similar to what he was addressing now with the Galatians. When it had happened earlier, he sought (and received) agreement from the Jerusalem Apostles because he wanted to be certain that he himself wasn’t the one teaching aberrant doctrine. The Apostles agreed with him, and they were unified that they wanted to preserve the true Gospel and protect it from heretical teachings that attempted to add additional requirements to the grace of God.
      • The Apostles added nothing to Paul’s teaching and recognized that he had been set apart to take the Gospel to the Gentile world, just as Peter had been appointed to the Jewish world — both of whom were serving the same Lord with the same message.
    • Yet, despite this initial agreement (or perhaps more accurately, because of it), Paul later opposed Peter to his face when he witnessed Peter behaving hypocritically when he initially would eat with Gentiles but later would not when he was in the presence of other Jews. This hypocrisy was soon mimicked by other Christians, including Barnabas.
      • Paul made the point to Peter that to return to these old ways and to abandon grace was to rebuild that which has been torn down.
      • He explained that because of grace he had stopped living for the law that could only condemn, which freed him to begin living for God.
      • understated point: to live in Christ means to identify that the old (pre-belief) life has been crucified (put to death) with Jesus when he died on the cross. The new life is realized (experienced) because of and in the power of the resurrected Jesus.
  • Focusing on the main point of his letter, he takes them back to the origins of their new faith in Jesus, explaining that it came as a result of the Holy Spirit, and not in following the laws of Moses. Therefore, it was illogical and unreasonable to go back to the law to try to add to the grace God has shown them.
  • He then educates them on Abraham, the familiar father of their religion. Paul illuminates that God’s favor shown to Abraham was grace, and his belief in God’s promises was credited to Abraham as righteousness, apart from obedience to the law (which had not yet been given).
  • understated point: it is by faith (alone) that a righteous person has life.
    • The promises God gave to Abraham were not undone, cancelled, or surpassed by the law God gave to Moses 430 years later.
    • The law was given, therefore, to show people their sin. As such, the law cannot give life, it can only bring death.
    • The law exists to show the holiness of God and the depravity of man – the vast chasm between them.
    • In this, the law serves as a guardian to people that speaks to the human conscience, until Jesus was revealed as the way from death to life, available to all people everywhere,
    • To further illustrate this truth, he compares people’s relationship to the law as children who are heirs to a wealth who are under a guardian until they are old enough to claim what is theirs. The law is that guardian that controls and directs people. Jesus, though, came and lived to pay the price to free all people who are subject to the law’s enslavement/guardianship.
    • Now, because of Jesus, you are no longer a slave of the law, but you are an adopted child of God.
  • Paul appeals to the Galatians to live in their freedom, rather than choosing to return to their enslavement to the law.
    • He tells them that the false teachers who were advocating this old way were people with bad intentions.
  • To further illustrate the argument of living under grace, Paul returns to Abraham, but this time illustrates the point by showing them how Isaac was a child of God’s promise, but Ishmael was a child of human effort.
    • God’s promise was long in development, but Abraham always believed God, and increasingly expected it to happen.
    • More specifically, Hagar (the handmaiden) represents Mount Sinai where the law (that brings death) was given, and Sarah (Abraham’s wife) represents Jerusalem, the free city.
    • The Galatians were like now like Isaac, free children of promise, who were now being persecuted by children of Mt. Sinai (a picture of Ishmael’s persecution of Isaac).
    • Just as Hagar and Ishmael were expelled, Paul exhorted the Galatians to expel the heretics now.
    • understated point: determine to stay free! Refuse to be enslaved to the law again.
      • if you choose to be enslaved by even one law (in the case of the Galatians, it was a post-belief requirement to be circumcised), then you are submitting yourself to the requirement of keeping all the law.
      • don’t miss this: what matters (what is important) is faith expressing itself in love.
  • Paul reminded the Galatians that they had started well in their belief, but this new teaching was a sin that was poisoning their faith.
  • He told them that their freedom in Christ was the new paradigm that gave them life.
    • He warned them not to misuse their freedom to fulfill selfish (sexual) desires.
    • Rather, he told them to love and serve one another.
  • He explained that their ability to accomplish this was found in letting the Holy Spirit guide their lives.
    • The human nature continually wars against the Holy Spirit.
    • But because you, Christian, are controlled by/ are free in the Holy Spirit, you are not enslaved to the cravings of your fallen human nature.
    • Human nature-controlled behaviors are predictable, and consistently destructive and divisive. People whose lives are characterized by these behaviors will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
    • Similarly, Spirit-controlled behaviors are predictable and consistently constructive, unifying, and God-glorifying. These behaviors are known as the “Fruit of the Spirit” because these are the expressions or manifestations of God’s Spirit inner-workings in a believer’s life.
    • There is no law against these expressions of the faith life.
    • Paul exclaims, because we live in the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit!
  • Paul also encourages the Galatians to help restore fellow believers who stumble in their grace walk (or sin in any general manner).
    • He warns them to be gentle and humble in this gracious work of restoration, and to not fall into the same sins that ensnared those they are restoring.
    • understated point: share one another’s burdens, and in so doing you fulfill the law of Christ (the singular law to love others sacrificially)
    • He also admonishes them not to think they’re too important to help others. Because they aren’t.
one gentle serving of humble pie, coming up
  • Interestingly, in the shadow of the command to help cary one another’s burden, Paul admonishes them to work hard to live a life free of comparison, because we are each responsible for our own conduct.
  • He offers some final directions:
    • Don’t think that God can be mocked, you’ll harvest whatever you plant.
      • If you live for the flesh, you’ll harvest the fruit of human nature.
      • If you life for the Spirit, you’ll harvest the fruit of the Spirit.
    • understated point Never grow weary doing good!
    • What counts is whether or not we’ve been transformed into a new creation.
      • That’s all.
      • Nothing else.
      • In Jesus, you are the new people of God.
      • Don’t bother Paul with this nonsense again.
so there you go!
  • Grace to you, Galatians (and gentle readers!)

Immerse Day 13 Observations

Text: 2 Corinthians

  • Overview: We see from the Immerse overview, that the Corinthians had at least 2 other letters from Paul (which are not included in Canon), and that there are no copies of.
  • Paul addresses the letter to the people in Corinth, and to all believers in the region of Greece.
  • He begins by positioning God as the great bringer of comfort to his people. And this comfort enables believers to comfort others out of this divine source of comfort.
  • This encouragement is directly applied to the context of suffering. The reality of sharing in suffering offers the promise of being able to share in the comfort that God freely offers.
  • Paul addresses the adversity that he has faced, and that the ministry offered by him and his colleagues exists by God’s grace alone. and not of their own effort or ingenuity.
  • He acknowledges his travel plans had changed. He explains that the plan was deliberate and shouldn’t be interpreted that Paul (nor his God) are unreliable.
    • He affirms that Jesus is indeed reliable, and that Christians (being under God or representing God), are likewise reliable. He also points out that the Holy Spirit’s presence in the life of believers is a further evidence of the reliability of God. He then explains he didn’t return to them earlier because if he had, he would have had to arrive with a stern rebuke of them for their ungodly behavior.He calls out the unnamed man who had been sowing discord amongst them, and instructed the people that it was time to forgive the man. #gracebomb
  • Paul explained his ministry as an offering that pleases the Lord.
    • The Corinthians, among the beneficiaries of this ministry, were themselves an encouragement to Paul and his colleagues, that their lives were a testimony written on their hearts, written by the Holy Spirit, and in view to the entire world.Paul makes a big deal out of the Holy Spirit, the facilitator of this new covenant, or the new way for man to relate with God.
      • Explaining that the old way (the Law) brought condemnation, but this new way makes it possible to “be right” with God.
      • This new way was the source of confidence for this missionary team who delivered it.
      • This empowered them to boldly bring this new way wherever the old way was still being taught or promoted.
      • Not only does the new way lift the veil of understanding to those who received it, but it (and really, him, the Holy Spirit) transforms its (his) people to more readily reflect (glorify) Jesus.
perhaps the worst gif to illustrate an otherwise great truth
  • Because Paul and all Christians enjoy living in this new way, there is no need to resort to old tactics of religious control, chicanery, or manipulation.
    • They preach the Gospel openly and plainly.
    • Only those who fail to receive it are being blinded or bound by Satan
    • Christians preach Jesus, never misdirecting people back to themselves.
      • Consequently, Paul explains, Christians are persecuted, and otherwise oppressed, but not overcome by the world and dark spiritual forces.
      • This suffering becomes a witness to the world of the truth of Jesus.
      • This witness is power-filled to compel them to continue to share him with others.
      • This perseverance brought more suffering, which brought more glory to Jesus.
      • To persevere, the Christian looks not at circumstance nor trial, but with an eye toward eternity and the future hope.
        • The future hope is in a bodily resurrection and eternal experience in the presence of God himself.
        • The current presence of God’s Holy Spirit is evidence of the reliability of that promise.
      • This perspective offers some provocative paradigms:
        • That as long as we are alive in these bodies, we are not yet at home with the Lord.
        • Life is lived by believing, rather than by seeing (so, rather than “seeing is believing,” life be “believing is seeing.”)
        • So, whether living in these bodies, or eternally in his presence, the goal is to please God, knowing that we all will one day have to give an account for all things said and done in life.
      • Part of this effort was seen in their determination to persuade as many people to believe as they could.
      • They were were controlled by the love of Christ.
        • They saw themselves as wholly purchased by the sacrifice of Christ…that because he died for all, they died completely for his will and work.
      • This new perspective transforms how they look at other people, too.
        • When a person becomes a Christian, they are a new creation
        • the old life has passed away, and a new life has begun.
        • This new life is truly a gift from God.
        • So God has assigned this task of reconciling other people to Jesus, giving the world the message of reconciliation in the person of Jesus.
          • Paul: “We are Christ’s ambassadors.” God makes his appeal to the world through us (all Christians, not just Paul and his team).
          • As such, we plead with people to accept the gift of Jesus, and not ignore it (him).
          • Today is the day of salvation. Now is the time of salvation.
          • Christians model authenticity and integrity, faithfully preaching God’s message of Jesus.
          • God’s power worked mightily in them.
          • Despite opposition and persecution, they are honest.
          • They are ignored, or when not ignored, beaten. They remain joyful despite adversity. They continued serving, even though in poverty. They were spiritually rich and, despite having nothing, lacked for nothing.
        • They love the Corinthians and appeal for that love to be reciprocated.
Talking to you, Corinth
  • Paul exhorted the Christians there not to “team up” with nonbelievers. This is commonly understood best in the context of marriage (but isn’t exclusive to this context)
  • Paul explains that he wrote his ‘harsh letter’ (of which no known copy exists), to bring the Corinthians to a place of godly repentance (which it appears it did, which pleased Paul because it allowed for them to reconcile and advance their relationship positively and productively).
  • Paul then moved on to discuss giving, using the Macedonians as a foil (of sorts) for explaining the principles he was conveying.
    • generosity is a prevailing value.freely give, rather than giving out of coercion or compulsion.excel in giving.finish what was started. Have good follow-through.Consistency and eagerness are hallmark traits in proper giving.give out of what you have, not out of what you don’t have.give toward an aim of equality, not of self-inflicted poverty that enriches the recipients.Model generosity so reciprocity can be facilitated.
    • Paul and his friends worked hard to protect against attacks on their integrity.They traveled together and instilled accountability.
    • Generosity in giving generally precedes generosity in “harvest.”
    • understated points: God loves a cheerful giver. God will meet all your needs. Miserly giving reflects self-sufficiency and weak faith. Generous giving enables you to share in the blessing of others. Generosity glorifies God to unbelievers.
  • Paul addresses spiritual warfare, explaining that warfare for Christians is different than warfare (or conflict) for the unbeliever.
    • We don’t fight with the conventional tactics of the carnal mind and worldly thinker.
    • He “connects the dots” that this aplomb in spiritual tactics evidences the Christian’s authority that exists to build up believers, not tear them down.
  • Paul acknowledges that his letters are harsh, but that he is often much more gentle in person, because of his gentle heart toward people (and wanting to build them up).
  • He reaffirms his credibility with the Corinthians and his consistency amongst them.
  • He expresses concern that the Corinthians will be led astray and be deceived.
    • He explains his concern is rooted that even Satan presents himself as an angel of light, so that it shouldn’t be missed that many other people with evil intents will present themselves as ‘do-gooders.’
  • Paul explains his credentials as one who experienced unmatched suffering for the Gospel.
    • In addition to all the ways in which he suffered, he faithfully cared for the people he was appointed to shepherd.
    • He experienced unparalleled spiritual visions (which he did not detail here)
    • Yet, his bragging is all in the primacy of Jesus.
    • In fact, he is led to only boast of his own weaknesses, how God demonstrated the sufficiency of his grace in the context of his suffering from a persistent source of adversity (which has been much discussed, but remains only speculated upon).
    • understated points: God’s grace is all I need. when I am weak, then I am strong.
  • He tells them he will return to them, but doesn’t want to have to depend on them.
  • He worries that they won’t listen to him, and that they will persist in their sin, be unrepentant, and continue to indulge in sexual sin and immorality.
  • He exhorts them to examine their faith to determine if it is indeed genuine.
  • He tells them he cannot compromise truth, and he prays they will mature in their faith.
  • He exhorts them to be joyful, to mature, to encourage one another, to love one another, living in harmony and peace.

Immerse Day 12 Observations

Text: 1 Corinthians 8:1 – 16:24

  • Paul addresses the congregation on the topic of marriage, because they were apparently confused about whether or not it was sinful to be married. H assured them it was not sinful for virgins to marry.
    • He was clear that he was not commanding them one way or another (since he had not received a clear command from the Lord to do so), so he was only offering advice that they could follow or decline.
    • He acknowledged that married couples would face challenge. Scholars don’t have agreement on what this means…could be normal timeless challenges facing all couples, could be Corinth-specific challenges, or it the challenges could be related to the expectation of Christ’s impending return.
    • Because of these problems, he wasn’t recommending marriage, but he wasn’t forbidding it.
    • His priority for Christians is that they will prioritize serving the Lord. If marriage is a distraction to this priority, singleness is preferred. However, if singleness is a distraction to the priority of Jesus, marriage is preferable.
    • Those who are married should not divorce (using this priority as the rationale to do so).
  • Next, he addresses the issue of eating food sacrificed to idols.
    • the first points made on the subject are bigger than the subject itself:
      • While knowledge is important, it is love that strengthens the church.
      • anyone who claims to know everything, actually knows very little.
      • the person who loves God is someone who God recognizes.
    • the teachings on eating idol-sacrificed food, then, are to be understood within this love/knowledge paradigm.
      • idols are not really gods.
      • There is only one God.
      • But…not all believers (?) know this. Some translations say “all people,” while others make the reference to believers or Christians. Regardless the obligation to the mature of knowledgeable Christian who knows that idols are not gods, is not governed by knowledge but by love.
        • A believer doesn’t lose anything (of spiritual value) by eating this food, but nor do they gain anything by abstaining from it as a matter of conscience or principle.
        • The new guiding principle isn’t a believer’s liberty (though it certainly exists). the guiding principle for a believer selfless consideration for others.
        • The believer must be determined to not cause any person with a more delicate conscience to stumble.
          • Applying this principle to this context means abstaining from meat (even though a believer is free to eat this type of meat), if doing so means causing a person who thinks its wrong to do this (and, in so doing, sinning).
    • Paul comments about his own God-given authority, mentioning how his own self-supported ministry should not be understood as the prescription for a church’s relationship with their spiritual leaders.
      • He told the church it was right to support the spiritual leaders.
      • His own determination to serve independently was accomplished in response the Lord’s compulsion upon him to do it this way.
      • In this regard, Paul saw himself as a servant to all people. And he was governed by the principle of selfless consideration for others.
        • To people who were under the Law (Jewish people), he conducted himself as someone who was still under the law.
        • To people who were not under the Law (Gentile people), he conducted himself as someone who was no longer under the law.
        • This others-centeredness made it possible for him to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel.
      • He compared this discipline to two athletic endeavors:
        • training to win a running race.
        • training as a boxer.
        • He was in it to win it (“It” being “seeing people trust Jesus.”)
When Rocky Is Paul, and the side of beef is others’ unbelief
  • To make his next points, Paul reminds the Corinthian Jewish believers of their ancestors who were united in their following of Moses, and illustrating that their common behavior was a baptism of sorts. He points out that their sharing in the water from the rock was a picture of Jesus.
    • From this, he reminds them of Israel’s waywardness (idolatry, pagan revelry, grumbling, etc.) This judgment against Israel was given as an example to believers now (and “now now,” too).As such, we must not put Christ to the test, the way the ancestors tested God.We must not succumb to temptation.
      • Deliverance from temptation is possible. The temptation will never be greater than what you can bear.God will always provide a way out of the temptation.Therefore, we must flee the worship of idols (an offense of our spiritual ancestors)He gives instruction to abstain from knowingly eating food sacrificed to idols, on the principle that it is food really offered to demons and to stay away from this evil. He acknowledges that this is permissible, but counters that it is still not advisable, because it isn’t beneficial. He reiterates the understated point: Don’t be concerned about your own good, but for the good of others.
      • The application of this is explained contextually with advice that if you are offered food, go ahead and eat it, but if the matter of conscience is raised, then abstain. bottom line: whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.Paul offers himself as the example in this, and tells them (and us), “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.”
  • Paul moves on to matters of order.
    • This commentary will be brief on on these matters, as they address an internal conflict of the Corinthian church and reflect the cultural practices of the time. A thorough commentary is offered here, via The Gospel Coalition.
    • My focus here isn’t on the custom; rather, on the clear teaching that God is characterized by order. As such, worship directed to him should likewise be orderly. Disorderly or chaotic worship is indicative of misdirected, ineffectual worship.
    • Continuing on the topic of order requires addressing the matter of unity. God is unified with himself. So, too, must we be unified. Apparently there was disunity regarding the commemoration of the Lord’s Supper.
      • Paul recounts the history that establishes the importance of the Lord’s Supper. He admonishes the Corinthians to examine themselves before participating in the Lord’s Supper and to approach the table with a clean account before the Lord.
      • He instructs the church to wait for the congregation to participate in it together.
    • Still under the topic of order is a proper understanding of Spiritual Gifts. He explains that these gifts are bestowed by the Holy Spirit, and are not of human origin.
      • He clarifies that everyone who believes receives at least one spiritual gift.
      • The purpose of the gift is to help one another (not for personal benefit or gain).
      • There are many different gifts given to the church.
      • God alone gives and distributes the gifts.
      • He compares the peoples’ spiritual giftedness to a human body to illustrate the principles of unity, coordination, and interdependence.
      • He exhorts people to desire the gifts that will be most beneficial to others.
      • understated point: spiritual giftedness reinforces that you exist as a follower of Jesus for the purpose of serving others.
Whether or not the gray stuff is delicious, we do, in fact, live to serve.
  • This discourse on order is paused, for a reenforcing and even transformational, discourse on “a way of life that is best for all.”
    • He says that knowledge without love makes a person like a noisy gong or clanging symbol.
    • A person who can teach God’s truth authoritatively, or possessed great wisdom, or possessed unsurpassed knowledge, but didn’t have love, was useless.
    • Even a person who was excessively sacrificial, if dispossessed of love, would gain nothing for all their sacrifice.
    • Paul describes love’s attributes:
      • love is patient and kind
      • love isn’t boastful or jealous or proud or rude
      • love doesn’t demand its own way
      • love isn’t irritable, and it doesn’t keep records of wrong
      • love doesn’t rejoice in injustice, but rejoices when truth wins out
      • love never gives up, never loses hope
      • love endures through everything
    • Paul explains the preeminence of love.
      • Spiritual giftedness will eventually become obsolete.
      • Love, though, will continue forever.
      • The current expressions of spiritual giftedness are incomplete, but when the end comes (the time of perfection), these incomplete things will be useless.
      • Eventually, the incomplete things we only partially understand know will become complete and we will understand them fully. When that happens, only three things remain…faith, hope, and love. And love is the greatest of these three things.
        • This translation says these three things last forever. Most translations render this phrase as “remain” or “abide,” connoting a different idea than what is communicated by the NLT. I’m more comfortable with the other translations, because I’m of the mind that my hope will be fulfilled and my faith will one day be realized. If so, these two will come to an end. But love will remain. understated point: Love is the apex, transcendent experience (and expression of relationship).
  • With the exhortation from Paul to pursue love as the highest goal, he encourages believers to desire special spiritual gifts, particularly the gift of prophecy (or to speak forth truth for the edification of other believers).
    • attention is returned to the “sticky wicket” of the spiritual gift of tongues, mentioning that prophecy is a better gift because it benefits more people than does the gift of tongues.
    • Paul offers some descriptive guidelines for the orderly presentation/expression of tongues in the life of a congregation.
      • tongues or languages must be understandable, or else the indistinguishable words will be useless.
      • Every language of the world has meaning, but if it is unknown or unknowable, it is useless. Because of this, Paul entreats you to pursue the gifts that will most benefit others.
      • Paul reasons through this thread arriving at the same conclusion repeatedly: simple, straightforward, known articulation of God’s truth is always best.
  • Paul summarizes points on orderly worship, emphasizing that orderliness affirms God’s involvement amongst the congregation, both internally and externally (as affirmation and witness).
Has this ever happened to your worship?
  • Paul reiterates the Gospel, encouraging the audience to stand firm in the truth of what Jesus accomplished. He explained that he is who he is by God’s appointment, Jesus’ Lordship, and the Spirit’s empowerment.
  • He then reaffirms the resurrection of Jesus, refuting the false claims of those striving to deny the historicity of the event.
    • In this, he explains the resurrection as an essential doctrine of the Christian faith.
    • The resurrection of Jesus overcomes the curse that came to humanity through the first man, Adam.
    • The resurrection of Jesus affirms the promised return of Jesus. He can only return (and will return) because he was resurrected in the first place.
    • There is a strange, singular reference to “baptism for the dead.” It isn’t affirmed or criticized. It is merely acknowledged that some practice that is commonly known is practiced at the time. Paul’s point isn’t whether it is right or wrong or good or bad, but that if there were no resurrection of Jesus, then there would be no justification whatsoever for the practice.
    • Moreover, even the overall efforts of Paul would be foolhardy without the resurrection.
    • Paul moves on to addressing the question of “how” bodily resurrection will happen.
      • He uses the comparison of a seed in the ground giving way to the growth of a plant.
      • The physical. body will give way to a spiritual body.
    • With all this, Paul encourages the congregation to do all they can for the Lord, because this is always productive and useful.
Bert, reading Immerse, realizes for whom he labors…
  • Paul closes with a quick instruction on how to support the offering for the church in Jerusalem, and then with closing remarks, with final exhortations:
    • Be on guard
    • Stand firm in the faith
    • Be courageous and strong
    • Do everything with love
    • Submit to spiritual leaders with devotion and appreciation.
  • In parting, he casually mentions “If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed.” (grace and love to you in Jesus)
Even Chuck Norris takes heed to this warning.

Immerse Day 11 Observations

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:1- 7:40 (pp. 125-135)

  • Overview
    • Corinth was a Greek city famous for its immorality.
      • The people there had many non-Christian cultural influences.They were trying to meld their new faith with their established culture.One area this bore out had to do with understand what were good and permissible and honorable ways to honor their bodies.Paul wrote this letter in AD 50. He had stayed in Corinth for a year and a half before moving on to Ephesus. They had corresponded with him while his was in nearby Ephesus.Paul wrote them in response, and addressed several (12) topics of importance to the congregation in Corinth.
  • Paul identifies himself as the letter’s author, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ. Sosthenes is listed as being present, too. There is not agreement about whether or not this is the same Sosthenes mentioned in Acts. If it is (the same Sosthenes), it would indicate him being a Jewish believer.
  • He addresses this to God’s church in Corinth. God has called these people to be believers. The church is not a human-conceived or organized institution. Jesus makes his church holy.
  • In his general benevolent greeting, Paul mentions how the people of Corinth have been blessed with every spiritual gift needed, and that God will keep the church strong until the day of the return of Jesus.
  • He appeals to the church to live in harmony with one another, to be unified and free from divisions. The congregation was divided, creating artificial and unnecessary schisms around following Paul, or Peter, or Apollos, or Jesus. Paul corrected that by reminding everyone of the preeminence of Jesus, and the singularity of the Gospel of Christ resurrected.
    • He reminds them that he came to them with the simple message of the Gospel.This simple message is considered foolishness to those who are perishing (who consequently don’t receive this message as truth). Yet, for those who are being saved, this Gospel message is the power of God.Here, the Gospel is presented in terms of power and wisdom, perceived as weakness and foolishness toward those who are powerful and wise (from a worldly perspective), but eternally mighty and wise to those who are weak and unimpressive to the world. God regularly uses the weak and unimpressive things of this world; accordingly, this keeps people from boasting. If you boast, boast only in the Lord
    • Paul reminds them of his coming to them in the simplicity of his message, relying only on the power of the Holy Spirit to be effective.
  • He explains that when he is with mature believers, he does use words of wisdom (to speak of more in-depth matters)
    • He explains this wisdom is articulated in the mystery of God; that is, the church. The plan of the church had been hidden from the beginning of time, but now was being revealed.
    • He further explains that nobody has ever understood this or comprehended it (for if they had, they would have misused it).
    • God has revealed these things now, to the church, and to the Jewish and Gentile believers alike.
      • God has revealed these things by the power of the Holy Spirit.
      • We learn here that the Holy Spirit is the revealer of the secret things of God because the Spirit alone knows God’s deepest thoughts.
      • understated points: God has given you His Spirit! This Spirit, who alone knows and reveals God’s secrets, lives within the believer and communicates with you these very details!
      • This is why we can say confidently that we speak with God’s wisdom and with God’s power.
      • Succinctly stated, we can have the mind of Christ.
      • understated points: the entirety of the triune godhead is present and available to you -knowing God’s thoughts (secrets), thinking with mind of Christ, and receiving the Spirit’s wisdom and power.
    • Despite all this, Paul acknowledges having had to speak to the Corinthians not as mature believers, but as spiritual infants, using simple words to communicate foundational truths. He gives as evidence of their immaturity:
      • They are jealous of one another and quarrel.
      • They unnecessarily divide over which teacher/leader they follow.
        • Paul reminds them that all these teachers work in union under the primary headship of Jesus. They have different responsibilities towards a common goal (that is, making and maturing believers)
        • He compares his efforts to constructing, in them, a building of faith. He explains that he has laid the foundation; that is, Jesus.
        • Other teachers are now building atop this foundation, and he warns the people to be careful with what how allow their faith to be constructed, because any other faith where Jesus is not the cornerstone will not survive God’s judgment.
        • Furthermore, the very things that any person uses to construct their own lives (so to speak) serve as the building blocks of life (in this construction of faith). The totality of all these things will be judged, too. If any of these things are on a different foundation (meaning they aren’t built upon the premise of Jesus), they will not pass through judgment.
        • Conversely, anything that is “of faith,” it will pass judgment and be rewarded.
        • Paul makes it clear that a person with a solid foundation of Jesus is still capable of building foolishly upon it. In these cases, the person will survive the judgment because their foundation is secure, but suffer the loss of everything foolish that was built upon it (that is not of faith).
        • Paul reminds the reader, “you are the Temple of God, and the Spirit of God lives within you.”
        • From this reminder, Paul tells the Corinthians to stop deceiving themselves with their own sense of self-importance and misperceptions of being wise…encouraging them to pursue the simple wisdom of God that is perceived as foolishness by the world.
Better that the world thinks you a fool and God makes you wise, than be wise to the world and a fool before God
  • Paul keeps progressing, encouraging the Corinthians to be faithful before God, and not to be distracted by judging others (or even self). Paul learned he can’t even trust his own conscience, but he wholly trusts the Lord to examine him.
    • Toward this end, he encourages people not to judge others prematurely.He employs some hyperbole and sarcasm as literary devices here to drive home the point that the Corinthians had “not yet arrived,” and weren’t as rich or authoritative as they thought themselves to be.To offer a stark counterpoint, he offers himself and the apostles for consideration.
      • To the world, they were the spectacles on display living under the sentence of death. They were perceived as fools to onlookers (while the proud Corinthians proclaimed themselves to be so wise). The Apostles were perceived as weak, in contrast to the Corinthians who presented as being mighty. They were ridiculed, while the Corinthians were honored.They were starved, beaten, homeless, overworked, cursed, abused, and mistreated. To the world, they were scum.
    • Paul tells them all this because he is uniquely positioned as their spiritual father to tell them…and he encourages them to imitate him, because in so doing, they will honor God.
      • This is why he sent Timothy to them, to remind them of these matters.
      • He loves them enough to tell them these hard truths.
  • The fact is, these hard truths are necessary because they are living immorally, with sexual practices that not even the unbelievers were doing.
    • He mentions specifically a man in a sexual relationship with his stepmother.
    • Not only is this man guilty, but the church, too, for not mourning over this sin.
    • Paul says this man should be ejected from the faith community.
    • This is a challenge for me. Not because I don’t agree with it, because I do. I’m just having a challenge reconciling this with the earlier exhortation he gives not to judge to prematurely. I ultimately resolve this challenge by the nature of the offense listed, that it is so patently egregious that it demands a response, as an expression of God’s clear opposition to the evil being committed.
    • Paul makes clear that this expulsion not punitive in nature, but to drive the man to the end of self, so that he may ultimately be saved.
    • His admonition points to the church itself in its culpability regarding this offense and offender, in that its coddling of him and unwillingness to be humble and pure created and environment where this type of evil could flourish.
    • This sinful environment is seen in the church’s willingness to boast about allowing such licentiousness in its midst (thus cheapening the grace of God).
    • He compares this sin to a yeast that works its way through an entire lump of dough. He exhorts them to get get fresh dough (so to speak) that is without yeast (or sin); in this, he is pointing the church to return to the simple foundation of holy Jesus Christ.
    • He clarifies here that these exhortations regarding a pure sexual ethic are specifically targeted toward believers.
    • Then he drops this truth bomb…and it addresses my earlier challenge, somewhat…that Christians are called to judge those inside the church, but not those outside the church.
      • This judgment means to be able to rightly pass the judgment of God because of alignment with truth.
      • It doesn’t mean having a judgmental attitude or a critical spirit.
      • It requires knowledge of truth, a humble attitude, and a restorative, gracious spirit.
  • He chides the believers who have made a practice of dragging other believers to court. We mustn’t do that, because when we do, we allow the unbelieving world have judgment over us, and we are operating out of order. We betray our faith in this regard, and we convolute and distort the order of God by abandoning the sense that God’s wisdom is superior to man’s wisdom and God’s outcomes are superior to human outcomes.
  • This teaching is accompanied by a listing of the types of carnal behaviors typified by the lost person that will not inherit the kingdom of God. Paul reminds his audience that they are not like the unbelieving world. They were made right with God by calling on the name of Jesus.
  • Paul returns to a brief discourse on fleeing sexual immorality, because the notion that we have the liberty to do anything we want (particularly with our bodies) is wrong. He makes the point that fornication and adultery are unholy unions that corrupts the sanctity of marriage.
  • Sexual immorality is a sin against a person’s own body (which is the Temple of God, the God who lives within you).
  • understated point: you are not your own. you have been bought for an expensive price, so honor God with your body.
  • Paul then moves into answering some questions that had been posed to him:
    • Abstinence was virtuous.
    • So is monogamy.
    • Mutual submission in a marriage relationship is honoring of one another and functionally beneficial.
    • Depriving one another (husband and wife) sexually is not good.
    • Singleness is virtuous, but not realistic for all people.
    • If you can’t live a virtuous single life, pursue marriage.
    • For those who marry, stay married.
    • Abandoning a spouse is not good.
    • If you leave your spouse, don’t make matters worse. Either stay single or eventually try to reconcile.
    • If you are married to someone who is an unbeliever, stay married.
      • There is a chance your unbelieving spouse will come to belief.
    • However, if your unbelieving spouse leaves, you are no longer bound to the spouse who abandoned you.
    • Generally speaking, try to live in the circumstances in which you find yourself. Strive to be faithful in the circumstances of where you are.
    • Reiterating: don’t idealize or idolize marriage. Singleness is beneficial if you can thrive in it. Marriage offers benefits, but also its own challenges.
    • Marriage relationships are for life, but when the life of a spouse ends, the marriage commitment ends. A widow/er is free to remarry, but must remember to marry a fellow believer. (There’s no expiration date for the truths of God).
whether this or…
this, honor God with your life.

Immerse Day 10 Observations Part 2

Text: 2 Thessalonians (pp. 119-123)

  • Overview
    • This letter is a reaction to a counterfeit letter that had been written, misrepresenting Paul and authentic doctrines.
    • He signed this one at the end to verify this content had come from him.
    • This letter discusses events surrounding Jesus’ return, including “the man of lawlessness,” who is described here as the culmination of evil on earth.
  • Paul again greets the Thessalonians with the benevolent extensions of grace and peace.
  • He commends them for their flourishing faith and growing love for one another, in the face of persecution.
  • He encourages them that the persecution will be rewarded by God’s justice, to be issued upon Christ’s return. This offers a promise of rest for the persecuted.
    • There is included here an interesting insight to one aspect of judgment (and hell); that is, eternal separation from the Lord and his glorious power.
    • Conversely, Jesus will receive glory from his holy people on the day of his return.
    • In light of this, Paul and his friends pray for the Thessalonians to be able live a life worthy of that call, and to be filled with the power that enables them to do the things God calls us to do.
    • understated points: you can only do what God calls you to do if he gives you the power to do it. Fortunately, he promised to do just that (Acts 1:8). This should remind us to never try to do anything God leads us to do apart from him.
    • Paul reminds us that this gift of power for success in our God-given tasks is in itself a grace gift from the Lord.
  • Paul then begins to clarifies some matters for the Thessalonians (and us):
    • The day of the Lord has not yet begun (contrary to the report of some)
    • This event has to be preceded by a great rebellion against God and the presentation of the man of lawlessness.
      • This man will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship.
      • He will seat himself in the temple and call himself God.
      • He can only come when his appointed time comes.
      • make no mistake: he is not God’s “equal opposite.” He is an appointed tool of judgment against rebellious creation, who will conduct his business under the authority of sovereign God.
      • He is being restrained, but lawlessness is already at work in secret.
      • There will be a time when the restraining forces of God (and his Holy Spirit and his Church) will be set aside.
      • The emergence of this man will mean the imminent return of Jesus, who will slay this man (overcome him, details of which are explained in Revelation).
      • This man will be filled with satanic power and will perform counterfeit miracles, that will fool many.
      • note: those who will be deceived are “those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that will save them. those who love and accept the truth that will save them will not be deceived! Fear not!
In Jesus, you are secure. His truth protects you, sets you free!
  • Paul gives thanks that God chose these believers to be among the first who experienced salvation.
    • This salvation was accomplished through the Spirit, who makes you holy and your belief in the truth.
    • Because of this, it is possible to stand firm in the face of persecution and lawlessness.
    • He prays for the Lord to comfort and strengthen them.
  • He asks for prayer for the message to continue to spread, and for deliverance from those who are evil. He prays for a full maturity of their faith and patient endurance.
  • He concludes with a reiteration of the necessity of diligent work among believers. He set himself as the example to be followed in this. In response to news of Christians there being idle, he simply tells them:
Settle down and work to earn your living!
  • Another succinct gem: never get tired of doing good.
    • Interestingly, this exhortation is directed to the people who are already faithful about working…so the point is made, don’t stop working. work is good. Keep doing good.
    • Paul gives some corollary admonishments related to this, in having workers “stay away” from non-workers, so the non-workers may be ashamed of their sloth. There is also a functional benefit of this tactic, too, that the non-worker can’t hide behind the productivity of the worker.
  • Paul closes with a personal benediction and personally signs the letter.

Immerse Day 10 Observations pt. 1

Text: 1 Thessalonians (pp. 111 – 117)

  • Overview:
    • Paul wrote to believers in Thessalonica to fill in their gaps in what they knew about matters of faith.These believers were concerned about loved ones who died before Jesus’ return (and would they be excluded from the promised inheritance for believers)Some believers continued to live as they had before they believed (immorally)Some challenged Paul’s teachings, and some faced persecution for following Jesus.To remember Paul and Silas’ initial efforts in the region, read Acts 17:1-9. This letter is the first (earliest) letter that we have from Paul.
insert chime sound here
  • Using the standard format, Paul identifies himself, Silas, and Timothy as the originators of this message, the Thessalonian believers as the recipients, and begins with a standard greeting of grace and peace from God.
    • This greeting is no mere formality, but it sets the framework for the content that will follow….grace: God’s undeserved riches….peace: God’s complete tranquility…both lavishly extended and experienced through faith in Jesus. It is because we have the grace of God that we enjoy peace with God, and this empowers us to realize the truths explained in this letter.
  • Paul affirms that he and his colleagues pray continually for the believers in Thessalonica, giving thanks for their faithfulness, their love, and their faith.
  • Starting with a bang….God loves you! God has chosen you to be his own people. Remember grace…God’s undeserved blessing. The love of God is a grace gift. We cannot treat it like it’s something we “opt in to” because God has impressed us enough to persuade us to direct our affections toward him.
    • The message of Jesus is delivered with power – the Holy Spirit indwelling and super-charging the communicated words in ways that gives assurance of the truth of the message. This enables people to receive the word with joy amidst adversity.Consequently, the Thessalonians became a model of belief for the entire region.understated points: This is still true today. The Holy Spirit empowers his messengers and his message. People in the middle of adversity still receive his message as truth with joy, and lives are transformed. Part of the testimony of the Thessalonians is illustrated in their turning away from idols and serving the living God. They are known as a community of believers who are looking for the return of Jesus.
      • I think the return of Jesus is a less-emphasized aspect of Christianity today, with a greater emphasis on the current indwelling of the Holy Spirit and his empowerment of day-to-day victory. It’s not that Christians today don’t believe in his impending return. It’s just not talked about as much (in my awareness, at least).Even though Paul & Co. met early opposition in their efforts in Thessalonica, he wrote in this letter that the trip was no failure, for it spawned the church there, and they did have authentic results as the outcome of their sincere ministry.
      • Paul writes a bit here about their sincerity:
        • They sought to please God aloneThey didn’t pursue human praise.They were hard workersThey were honest among the communityThey were encouragersThey exhorted people to live holy livesIt is because of all this that the message was received, which gave Paul cause to thank God then, and now because the good results continue to manifest.understated point: the word that saves is the word that continues to work in those who believe. The power of the word of God never depletes, diminishes, or dies.Paul acknowledges that the Thessalonians experienced persecution because of believing in Jesus. He encourages them that they are joining the fellowship of the persecuted, and to remain faithful.Paul expresses his longtime interest in returning to them, but that he was prevented by Satan in doing so. We don’t know what this opposition was, but we know it impeded Paul’s own strong interests in returning to these believers who he described as being his “pride and joy.”Paul wrote that they finally sent Timothy to them to strengthen, encourage, and establish them. Timothy had recently returned, bringing with him a good report of success (expressed in terms of the faith and love of the Thessalonians). Consequently, Paul and his team were greatly encouraged.
        • understated point: often, encouragers are themselves encouraged by the courage expressed by those the encouragers initially encouraged. #encouragement
        • Paul hoped for a soon-coming reunion, and until them he asks the Lord to bless them with an abundance of love for one another that results in strong hearts and blameless, holy lives.
  • Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to live a holy, blameless life.
    • This means avoiding all sexual sin. Generally speaking this means being in control of your body, rather than being enslaved to individual desires.
    • This means not cheating or harming another believer through adultery.
    • Living in purity is something that God calls people to do.
    • Rejecting this call to pure living is ultimately a rejection of God, who makes living in purity possible (through the indwelling presence of his Holy Spirit).
  • Paul repeats his call to love one another, and to keep “pressing forward” in the emphasis of love.
  • Paul exhorts them to live quiet lives, minding their own business, and to work productively.
    • understated points: a quiet life is a noble goal. Minding your own business is the honorable means to accomplish this noble goal, as is hard work. Deviating from the two means almost guarantees failure to accomplish the noble goal.
    • Paul also notes that living quietly, discretely, and productively helps nonbelievers respect they way you live and functionally keeps you from depending on others.
  • Paul directs attention to truth about what happens to believers who die.
    • He tells them this to give them hope
    • He tells them this message comes straight from the Lord…this isn’t tradition or fable or legend.
    • He tells them that believers who died before Christ’s return will meet the returning Christ first, followed by the believers still alive at the return.
    • He then mentions that believers still living will be “caught up” to meet the Lord in the air, accomplishing the total reunion of all believers, eternally.
  • He tells the believers that the day and the hour aren’t known and will happen suddenly, but that they as believers should be aware of the season in which they live. He exhorts them to be watchful, protected by their faith, love, and being confident in their salvation because they were saved from God’s judgment and through Christ, will live with God forever. Paul wants the church to continue to encourage one another with the truth of their hopeful expectations.
  • He advises the believers to support their leaders with honor and respect, and to live peaceably amongst each other. Then he gives final exhortations:
    • Warn the lazy
    • encourage the timid
    • Take care of the weak
    • Be patient with everyone
    • Don’t repay evil with evil
    • Do good to all people
    • Always be joyful
    • Never stop praying
    • Be thankful in everything
    • Don’t stifle the Holy Spirit
    • Don’t scoff at prophecies (teachings), but test everything
    • Hold on to what is good.
    • Stay away from evil
  • Paul reminds them of the peace they enjoy that makes them holy…that God’s peace makes it possible to be blameless until the return of Jesus. God will make this happen.

Immerse Day 9 Observations

More than 3500 people at  Scottsdale Bible Church are reading through the New Testament together over 8 weeks.

Text: Acts 19:21-28:31 (pp. 95-110)

  • Following Ephesus, the Holy Spirit led Paul to return to Macedonia and Achaia, and then compelled him to go to Rome. We see the narrative swelling toward its apex.
  • Timothy is now presented here as an assistant (along with Erastus). They were being sent ahead to Macedonia.
  • Trouble, though, was brewing back in Ephesus, where the movement of Christianity posed a serious threat to the economy of pagan worship (and the sales of idols).
  • Demetrius, an Ephesian silversmith, complained that the Gospel’s advance came at the expense of Artemis worship (and related commerce). The complaint was rooted in a sudden loss of prosperity, but couched in religious language.
    • This riled up the local community, and chaos ensued.
    • Eventually the mayor was able to settle them down, under concerns that the growing anarchy was putting them at risk with Rome.
    • understated points: false gods need humans to support and promote them in order to exist. In this, Artemis is a counterfeit god, and really just the mask of the more insidious false god of the love of money. People have the remarkable capacity to make ignoble things seem more noble. Doing this doesn’t make those ignoble things noble.
  • Paul left for Macedonia, then went on to Greece for three months. When a plot to kill him was discovered, he went back the way he had come, and eventually ended up in Troas, where they stayed for a few days.
    • On the eve of his departure, Paul was preaching an extended message, where a young man named Eutychus fell asleep and fell 3 stories out a window to his death.
      • Welcome to the Scripture that has served as a pun-rife warning against long-winded preaching ever since.
      • Paul went down and took him into his arms. He was alive.
      • They all went back upstairs, celebrated the Lord’s Supper, and ate together.
      • And Paul kept preaching until sunrise.
“Nothing slowed him down.”
– Eutychus (probably)
  • Paul pressed on toward Jerusalem, stopping in Ephesus to encourage them by saying:
    • the Gospel is the same for the Gentile and the Jew: salvation is available through Jesus.
    • Life offered suffering for the Gospel, but that the only value in life is to be found in obeying God’s will and doing the things God has established for you to do.
    • To the elders:
      • Guard yourself and God’s people. The church is God’s flock. They need guidance, provision, and protection.
      • There would be opposition, some of which may come from surprising internal sources (people looking to gain their own following, disregarding that the congregation is God’s, purchased by the blood of Jesus).
    • He closed with an exhortation for the people to work. Christians ought not be lazy or noncontributory to the community’s well-being. Be givers, not takers.
  • He then bid a fond farewell and proceeded to Jerusalem.
    • He stopped in Caesarea and visited Philip (the deacon-turned-evanglist), who was now ministering here, along with his four daughters.
obligatory Deacon photo, who had some of his own challenges contending with a devil.
  • Another prophet named Agabus, foretold that Paul would be seized by the Romans in Jerusalem, and handed over to Gentiles. This caused everyone else to worry, but Paul would not be dissuaded.
  • understated points: even godly people will sometimes see adversity as indicators of a need to stop moving forward. Expect adversity and go forward in faith. God wants to deliver you through adversity, not around it.
  • They finally arrived at Jerusalem, and were met by the church leaders there.
    • Paul recounted his experiences.
    • The leaders talked about the challenges they continued to have regarding Gentiles and expectations placed upon them.
    • They asked Paul to participate in the cleansing ritual so others would see he had not abandoned his Jewish heritage and identity, and that the expectations placed upon the Gentiles would remain has had been earlier stated (to honor the moral laws of abstaining from immorality, violence, and idolatry).
    • Paul did as requested.
    • Some Asiatic Jews later recognized Paul and formed a mob, accusing him with lies and unfounded assumptions.
      • They dragged him out of the Temple to stone him.
      • They only stopped when the Roman guard intervened.
      • The mob was more afraid of their earthly occupiers than of their divine sovereign.
      • The Romans arrested Paul. Then they tried to figure out charges.
this doesn’t add up
  • Paul made it clear he was a Roman (to the Romans who thought he was Egyptian), then he spoke in Aramaic to the Jews (their native language).
    • He gave his defense, and they fell silent until he said that God’s grace was being offered to the Gentiles, too.
    • At this, they called his message worthless and determined again to kill him.
      • Removing their coats would make it easier to throw stones.
      • Throwing dirt may by symbolic for their low regard for his message, or it may be what they threw at him because there were no rocks to be found there.
    • Continuing with judicial practices that kept Paul bound in shackles of irony, the commander ordered to have Paul whipped until he confessed to something. That’s when Paul, not rhetorically, asked if it was copacetic to be beating a Roman citizen without a trial?
you know, hypothetically
  • So, the soldiers stopped those plans.
  • The next day, Ananias the high priest and the Jewish high council arrived. Paul addressed them.
    • Ananias ordered Paul to be smacked in the face.
    • When lies and accusations and mob mentality all fail, the carnal mind resorts to inducing fear, violence, and intimidation.
    • Paul, in turn, turned his own strategy to turn the two schisms (the Pharisees and Saducees) against each other by highlighting that all he was doing was preaching that resurrection from the dead was legit.
    • This tactic worked, in that it caused some Pharisees to support him, but it also caused the room to grow increasingly volatile.
    • Roman soldiers extracted Paul.
    • That night, the Lord visited Paul and encouraged him with the revelation that his mission would continue all the way to Rome.
  • The conspiring Jewish leaders further developed their plot to kill Paul. Yet, Paul’s kin became aware of the plot and alerted the Roman commander, who increased their protection of Paul, and ordered that he be delivered to the Roman governor Felix for trial.
    • Felix agreed to hear the trial when Paul’s acccusers arrived.
    • Ananias and crew showed up five days later, along with a lawyer who tried to establish a case against Paul using lies, slander and hyperbole, supported by a liars’ choir singing a chorus of false testimony.
    • Paul took his turn and set the record straight.
    • Felix (who was familiar with Christianity) determined to delay his verdict.
      • In the next few days, Felix showed up to Paul, bringing his wife Drusilla, and Paul talked to the both of them about matters of faith.
      • What a picture of the sovereignty of God to bring the Gospel of peace to Roman leaders, drawing them to visit an imprisoned Jewish believer!
      • Felix had hoped that Paul would bribe him. This was common practice of that day. This commentary also gives us a peek into the mind of Felix, that even though he knew Paul’s testimony to be true, he was skeptical of spiritual matters (perhaps because so much of religion was corrupt, as were so many who represented faiths of different sorts). In fact, Felix kept calling on Paul to talk with him, giving Paul ample opportunity to make such a bribe.
      • The delay extended 2 years, because justice delayed kept Paul in prison, which pleased the Jewish authorities, which brought favor to Felix.
    • Yet, Felix was succeeded by Festus, and the Jewish leaders quickly approached him to revive their plot to kill Paul, trying to force Paul out into the open where he could be murdered.
      • Felix held a new trial, and floated the consideration of having Paul go back to Jerusalem to be tried (which was what the Jewish leaders wanted).
      • Paul forcefully declined, pressing his right to be tried by Caesar in Rome.
      • Felix was bound by the laws to honor Paul’s rights, so he agreed to Paul’s demand.
    • Soon after, King Agrippa (II, the son of Agrippa I who had ordered the Apostle James killed) arrived with his sister Bernice (with whom he was having an incestuous relationship). Festus talked with Agrippa about Paul, and Agrippa determined he wanted to hear from Paul, so they arranged the parties to convene.
      • This gathering took place the next day. Festus actually declared Paul’s innocence in this setting, in introducing Paul. Paul then spoke, recapping his testimony.
      • Festus exclaimed that Paul was crazy, which Paul rebutted, then appealed to Agrippa to concur with his theological conclusions.
        • This was savvy of Paul, because if Agrippa had agreed, he would have the highest Roman authority (present at that time) on his side (which was much more about Agrippa being self-declared in agreement with Paul’s teachings about Jesus).
        • Agrippa understood this, and wasn’t willing to identify as a Christian. Note, he didn’t disagree, either. He was determined to remain impartial and not personally identify with either side.
        • understated point: Paul was doggedly determined to share Jesus as the Way with everyone he could, regardless of heritage, title, rank, or position. He only cared about other people knowing Jesus the way he knew Jesus and relating with him the way he related with Jesus.
        • The leaders all agreed that Paul had done nothing deserving death or the treatment he had been receiving, and commented that they would have freed him if it weren’t for his demand to be tried in Rome in front of Caesar.
        • This brings to a close Paul’s third missionary journey, detailed here:
Paul’s third missionary journey, courtesy of conformstojesus.com
  • Paul (and some in his party) were set on a boat for Rome, along with other prisoners. Julius, the captain of the Regiment, showed kindness to Paul on the journey.
    • They ran into bad weather, and Julius put the prisoners on a different ship sailing to Rome.
    • They hit more bad weather. Paul foretold that proceeding into the weather would bring shipwreck, loss of cargo, and endangered lives. The sailors proceeded anyway.
    • The bad weather carried them out to sea. As winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began dumping cargo (✔).
    • The storm raged for days. The crew didn’t eat. They began to despair. Paul told them to be encouraged, because he had been shown that none would die from this adversity…but they would be shipwrecked.
    • On the 14th day of the storm(!), they thought they were approaching shore, but soon found themselves driven against the rocks. Paul advised them and kept them safe – , but they were shipwrecked (✔✔).
    • As they were approaching the shore from the shipwreck, officers wanted to kill all the prisoners, but the commander remembered Paul and kept him safe – all 276 lives were saved (✔✔✔).
  • They had landed at Malta, where the locals met the crew and party. At a campfire, the initially thought Paul was evil, but as he survived a venomous snakebite, they then considered him a god.
    • Paul prayed for and healed the sick dad of the Malta’s chief official. That attracted all the other sick, and Paul healed them all. When the time came for them to depart, they were supplied with all they needed.
  • Three months after the shipwreck, they went on to Rome.
Paul and Luke’s Bogus Adventure (courtesy of conformtojesus.com)

Upon arriving, they met other believers and Paul was permitted to have a private (but guarded) residence.

  • Three days later, Paul called an audience with the Roman Jewish leaders, and shared his reason for being there, to be tried by Caesar.
  • The Jewish leaders said they had not received a complaint about Paul, but they did want to hear more about his beliefs.
  • So Paul welcomed them into his lodging and began reasoning with them to illuminate them about Jesus. Some believed. Some did not.
  • When Paul had reached the full extent of being able to speak to the Jews, he explained that he was taking this same message to the Gentiles, and they will accept it.
  • Paul remained in Rome for 2 years at his own expense (not on the government dole). He was faithful in proclaiming Jesus.
  • And nobody tried to stop him.
  • (wikipedia’s account of Paul’s death are available here.)

Immerse Day 7 Observations

More than 3500 people at  Scottsdale Bible Church are reading through the New Testament together over 8 weeks.

Text: Acts 6:1-13:5 (pp 70-82)

  • This reading opens with introducing us to Stephen, described as “full of God’s grace and power.” The miracles accomplished through him demonstrate both of these traits.
    • Men from the “Synagogue of Freed Men” began to debate Stephen. These were Greek Jewish men who had been slaves and were now free, or are descendants of people having this experience. Commentaries suggest that they were known for being more fanatical and regimented about their religious practices because of their exposure to other world views and religious systems, as compared to the norms of the indigenous Jewish believers.
    • In the context of debate, they “couldn’t stand” against Stephen’s insights and arguments. The Scripture is clear to point out that these Freedmen were really arguing (in futility) against the Spirit.
    • So, they employed lying as a tactic.
    • Interestingly, they accuse him of blaspheming not just God, but also Moses. This means that Moses was regarded as sacred, and they were interpreting anything that Stephen said that challenged their established views about him as blasphemous.
    • How tragic to be recorded in biblical history as “lying witnesses.”
    • These opponents made false statements about Stephen regarding Moses and Jesus. Ultimately, they lied about Jesus!
    • When pressed by the leaders, Stephen’s countenance reflected the glory of God and he eloquently responded.
      • He didn’t answer their question. He instead simply gave an oral recitation of Jewish history.
      • Using Abraham, Joseph, Moses and Joshua, and David as references, he made the case for Israel’s pattern of behavior of first rejecting (and even defying or opposing) God (and God’s prophets) before ultimately turning to him (and them).
        • Stephen showed them that their rejections had been faithfully judged by God, often at great consequence to the people of Israel.
        • He made it clear that God’s judgment against Israel for their sin was often to turn them over to their sin and to allow them to persevere in their rebellion.
        • He then issued a polemic that they not only killed the prophets who pointed to the Promised One, but that they also murdered the Messiah.
      • They responded, enraged. In this, I see God again turning them completely over to their sin, and even their subsequent conduct is their condemnable judgment against them.
      • Stephen saw the heavens open and Jesus receiving him.
      • His declaration inflamed them further. They took him out of the city, and began to stone him.
      • Stephen’s last recorded words were an intercession forgiving his murderers.
  • A little out of order here, but the murdering accusers laid their coats at the feet of “a young man named Saul.”
    • I wanted to read this “laying of coats” as some sort of picture of their putting this at his feet in terms of authority. But the commentaries don’t suggest it.
    • Rather, their “taking off their coats” demonstrates that they were stripping off their robes to be more murder-y.
    • This was mob rule, unsanctioned violence illegal by the Roman standards that governed the Jewish people of Jerusalem.
    • Laying it Saul’s feet merely introduces him to the reader. That he approved this mayhem tells us much about him (along with what is still to follow).
      • Saul was a witness to this crime, and was in complete agreement with it.
  • Stephen’s martyrdom was a catalyst to a wave of persecution that scattered all the believers out of Jerusalem (except the Apostles).
    • Saul was a key contributor of this onslaught of ethnic cleansing. His purpose was to destroy the church, literally dragging men and women out of their homes and imprisoning them.
  • As believers dispersed through the region, they brought with them the Gospel of Jesus. They didn’t abandon, conceal, or compartmentalize their faith in Jesus.
    • The deacon Philip is exemplified, preaching and providing miracles in Samaria. His good words and deeds brought people great joy.
    • A local, self-proclaimed “great” sorcerer named Simon was amazed at what he beheld in Philip. He became a believer and was baptized. He is a super-interesting personality, in whom it could be inferred that he followed Philip not because of true belief, but more so out of a charlatan’s awe over the unexplainable feats that he witnessed being performed by Philip.
    • It was a big deal for Samaritans to come to belief in Jesus because of their historic, generational opposition to Israel. So the Apostles sent Peter and John there, where they prayed for the new followers to receive the Holy Spirit.
      • There is much discussion about this baptism of the Holy Spirit among the Samaritans. Some attribute it as a “Samaritan Pentecost” reflective of a development of the Gospel being extended to a new audience. It does appear to be communal in expression, at the revelation of teaching of the Holy Spirit by Peter and John.
      • The laying on of hands should be seen as descriptive, rather than prescriptive (since we see the Holy Spirit bestowed upon belief without the laying on of hands elsewhere in Scripture.)
    • Simon the sorcerer saw this take place and offered to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit from Peter and John.
To suggest Peter reacted strongly would be an understatement
  • Peter told him his heart wasn’t right for making such an offer and directed him to repent of his wickedness.
    • Simon’s offer is indicative of the magicians’ practice of exchanging trick secrets for payment.
    • Peter diagnoses Simon’s offer as an expression not of awe, reverence, or devotion to God, but of bitter jealousy and being gripped by sin.
    • Simon asks for prayer for him, but we don’t get indication that he himself prayed. We don’t hear from him again in Scripture (and history’s accounts are not inclining toward an interpretation of repentance.
  • Attention returns to Philip, being instructed by an angel to leave the good work being accomplished in Samaria to a dirt road. Philip obeys.
    • On this route, he encounters a prominent Ethiopian eunuch, a treasurer in the court of Ethiopian queen Kandake.
      • He had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home.
      • As Philip encountered him, the Ethiopian was reading out loud from the scroll of Isaiah.
      • Philip offered to help him, and the Ethiopian welcomes his assistance.
      • Using the Isaiah scripture as reference, Philip begins teaching him Jesus and sharing the Gospel with him.
        • This exchange confronted virtually every taboo of the day that would have existed as ample reason for the conversation never to happen:
          • racial, social, ethnic, economic, and what we might identify today as gender identity (or perhaps divergent sexual ethics).
          • understated point: yet, these two people saw in the other humanity and a divine appointment. That was enough (and bigger than any human-constructed barrier that otherwise would have prohibited their interaction).
          • The result of this conversation was belief! (reflected in the Ethiopian’s interest in baptism, and Philip’s inclination to proceed with it).
        • The baptism itself should be viewed as prescriptive, rather than merely descriptive.
          • It follows the patterns established elsewhere in Scripture, namely:
            • belief preceding baptism
            • going down into the water, coming up out of the water.
            • a mode of baptism representative of the meaning of the word baptism, that is, “to immerse.”
I suspect Philip’s baptism of the Ethiopian was less aggressive.
  • As the Ethiopian emerged from the water, Philip had been taken away by an angel to northern locations (where he continued to advance the Gospel). The Ethiopian himself returned to the queen, where he is largely credited with bringing Christianity to Northern Africa.
  • The narrative returns to Saul, who is reported to have an eagerness to kill the Lord’s followers (and uttering threats left and right)
  • He receives permission from the high priest in Jerusalem to take his pogrom to Damascus, where he could root out more Jesus followers to be imprisoned back in Jerusalem. He was given the permission and he embarked.
  • Along the way, he was struck by a bright light that knocked him off his feet, asking “why are you persecuting me?”
    • Paul asked who had confronted him.
    • The voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.”
    • Interestingly, in the next breath, Jesus gave him a command to follow. And he would.
    • understated point: Jesus is Lord, and his authority is objective reality.
    • Saul was escorted into the city by his companions (who heard but didn’t see Jesus).
    • Saul remained blinded for three days, and didn’t eat.
    • I’m assuming Saul had a lot of time to reflect and consider what transpired.
  • As Saul was waiting, Jesus brought a vision to a Damascus believer Ananias (not the same Ananias from earlier, you know the lying-and-now-dead one).
    • Jesus instructed Ananias to go to Saul and revealed he had been sent by Jesus, and to lay hands upon him and return sight to him.
    • Jesus revealed that Saul was his chosen instrument to take the Gospel to the Gentiles and that he would suffer for the name of Jesus.
    • Ananias obeyed, despite his fears over what he had heard about Saul.
    • Ananias brought sight back to Saul.
    • Saul was baptized, and for the first time in days, ate.
  • Saul remained in Damascus, and within a few days, began preaching Jesus in the synagogues. All who heard him:
whaaaa….
  • Amazement soon turned to murder plots, because they couldn’t refute Saul’s evidence that Jesus is Messiah.
  • Saul escaped the murder plot by being lowered out of the city in a basket by dark of night, where he then traveled to Jerusalem.
  • At first, the believers were afraid of him, but Barnabas vouched for him, and upon their respect and trust for him, allowed Saul into their company.
  • Saul stayed with the Apostles, and preached all over Jerusalem. He debated some Greek Jews, and guess what? Yep, they wanted to kill him.
  • At this news, the Apostles sent Saul to Tarsus, his home town.
meanwhile…
  • Peter healed a paralytic in Lydda, which led many to believe in Jesus.
  • Then, he went to Joppa, where he raised Dorcas/Tabitha from the dead. Again, many came to faith.
  • In Caesarea, God brought Peter together with Cornelius (and his family). Cornelius is explicitly described as a devout man, whose actions demonstrated his authentic faith (as compared to ineffectually trying to manufacture faith).
    • As Cornelius’ party was approaching Peter, Peter had a vision (repeated multiple times) that showed Peter that he could no longer call “unclean” the things God had made (and, accordingly, were clean). This was a new revelation for Peter and challenged his traditional appreciation of different things (namely food, but also people, places, circumstances, etc).
    • Peter went with Cornelius’ crew to his house in Caesarea, where the Apostle was received with generous hospitality.
    • This opportunity was Peter’s first opportunity to apply the vision God had given him to his ministry (Such meetings in the past were forbidden).
    • There, Peter preached the Gospel, explaining that God’s salvation in Jesus is available to all people, not just the Jews.
    • The Holy Spirit fell upon Cornelius and his household. Now…we have seen God’s Holy Spirit gifted to Jew, Samaritan, and now Gentile. Cornelius and his household were baptized, to no objection. Peter remained in his home for days afterward.
  • When Peter returned, the Jewish believers criticized him for his ministry to the Gentiles. So he recapped for them the events. Their criticism quickly turned to praise.
  • Focus shifts to the broader advance of the Gospel. Other disciples shared with Gentiles, too. Barnabas went to Antioch, where he enjoyed great success. He went to Tarsus and brought Saul back with him to Antioch. They stayed there a year (and there the term “Christian” was coined).
    • It was also in Antioch where the Jerusalem drought was prophesied and it was determined to take up a collection for the Jerusalem congregation to meet the needs as a result of it.
  • In passing detail, readers are informed that Herod Agrippa ramped up his persecution, killing John’s brother James and imprisoning Peter. On the night before Peter’s trial, he was miraculously delivered from prison by angelic escort.
  • No small detail: Herod put to death the guards who weren’t able to subdue God’s angel guarding and guiding Peter.
  • Then, this reading closes with Herod receiving the praise of people of having godlike status, which he was proud to receive.
  • So God struck him with a disease, he was consumed by worms, and died.
  • But the word of God spread, and people get getting saved.