The Gospel of John

The picture here is The Rylands Papyrus and it one of the earliest New Testament fragments; dated from its handwriting to about 125AD. This particular fragment is special to me because (1) I've seen it firsthand and (2) It is affirmation that we have a piece of John's Gospel that nearly goes back to the time he wrote it (he died around 100AD). Thus, we can affirm with the ancient church that the Bible is not something constructed later in history, but rather the true God-breathed testimony of the apostles.

The Gospel according to John is an account of the public ministry of Jesus. It begins with the witness and affirmation by John the Baptist and concludes the death, burial, Resurrection, and post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus. This account is fourth of the canonical gospels, after the synoptics Matthew, Mark and Luke.

Of course don't confuse John the Baptist (Jesus' older cousin) with John the Disciple (likely a teenager when he followed Jesus with his brother James). He is known as one of the brothers of Zebedee, and "the disciple Jesus loved". John presents a higher Christology than the synoptics, describing Jesus as the incarnation of the divine Logos (Word) through whom all things were made, as the object of veneration, and more explicitly as God incarnate.

Only in John does Jesus talk at length about himself and his divine role, often shared with the disciples only. Against the synoptics, John focuses largely on different miracles (including resurrecting Lazarus), given as signs meant to engender faith. Synoptic elements such as parables and exorcisms are not found in John. It presents a realized eschatology in which salvation is already present for the believer.

I consider John to be the first book I would give to someone wanting to explore the Christian faith. Since this is the Christmas season, let us all read this Gospel and the beautiful story it tells - our God so loved the world, that he sent his one and only son, that whoever believes in him would not perish, but would inherit eternal life (John 3:16). Forgiveness, repentance, grace, love, joy, resurrection - it's all here and we need to hear it.

Merry Christmas to all!
Pastor Jim Mueller

Revelation

Luther's opinion regarding the canonicity and value of the "disputed books" (a category including Revelation) in the biblical canon is well known. But his personal opinion on the canonicity of these books has no bearing on his conviction that the canonical Scriptures are to be accepted as God's Word and are normative for all that is to be taught and practiced in the church. Luther expressed various opinions regarding the canonicity of certain books of the New Testament, including Revelation, and this is of historical interest.

But his commitment to the infallibility of the divine revelation given in the Scriptures remained unwavering. Luther himself was well aware of the history of the development of the biblical canon, including the historic distinction between what were called the "antilegomena" (books "spoken against") and the "homologoumena" (books unanimously attested as apostolic) Significantly, Luther's opinions regarding James and Revelation, for example, did not prevent him from revering these books and teaching from them as God's Word; in fact the Scripture lesson read in Lutheran churches in Luther's time on the Feast of the Reformation was from Revelation.

I know lots of Lutherans are curious about Revelation, but I can't possibly explain the whole book in this blog. I can say that if you want serious exegesis you need to turn to Dr. Louis Brighton's CPH Commentary on Revelation (it is the best work ever done on the subject). Following is an excerpt that gets to the main point of the book - eternal life (note: eternal life is the key to the book - not crazy interpretations that lead to poor understanding .... ie. dispensationalism).

Eternal Life in the New Heaven and Earth

While faith defines the first mode of eternal life and while heaven points to the second mode of the same eternal life, the third is illustrated by the description of the new heaven and earth. This third mode or stage of eternal life begins with the resurrection of our bodies at the End, and it will last forever in the new heaven and earth. While the term heaven sometimes is used in a general way in reference to this third mode (e.g., Matt. 5:12; 6:20; Luke 10:20; Eph. 2:4-10; 1 Pet. 1:3-5), it does so by conjoining our souls before God in heaven, the second mode, and of our bodies and souls after the resurrection, the third mode. Nevertheless, there is an important distinction between the second and third modes. For the ultimate goal and consummation of Christ's redemptive activity is not the second mode, but the third. Our souls before God in heaven while our bodies sleep in their graves is but a transient and temporary experience of God's gift of eternal life in Christ. The lasting, and forever, experience of eternal life is to live in our souls and resurrected bodies with God in the new heaven and earth. What do the holy Scriptures have to say about this mode of eternal life?

That the bodies of Christians in their graves will be raised is a factual truth of the Holy Scriptures. They will be raised for eternal life. Already in the Old Testament the resurrection of bodies from the grave is attested. For example, in Daniel 12:2 it is said that those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life and others to everlasting shame. And in Ezekiel 37 in the vision of the valley of dry bones we have a graphic illustration of such a bodily resurrection. While this vision points first to the restoration of Israel after the Babylonian exile, it also serves as an extended metaphor of an actual resurrection of bodies (see vv. 11-14). In Isaiah 26:19 the prophet declares that the dead will live again and their bodies will rise from the dust (cf. Ps. 104:29-30). But it is especially in the New Testament that the resurrection is fully declared and defined. The Lord Christ in John 5:28-29 tells how He will call all bodies from their graves. His authority and power to do so were demonstrated in the raising of Lazarus and others, which authority and power He had earned by His own death and resurrection (cf. Matt. 27:52-53). In 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 Paul carefully defines and describes the resurrection of our bodies, bodies that had been mortal and dead but now immortal and living forever.20 And in Revelation 20:13 we are pointedly told how in the resurrection the sea will give up its dead, and death and grave will give up their dead.

What will it be like to live forever in our resurrected bodies, and where will we live? The Scriptures witness to the fact that we will live on a new earth and heaven. Already Isaiah the prophet speaks of this, for God Himself said to the prophet that He will create a new heaven and a new earth, and because of this new creation the former things will never again be remembered (65: 17).21 And in Isaiah 66:22 it is said that this new heaven and earth which God will make will last forever.22 Peter in his second epistle echoes this truth when he says that at the coming () of the Lord the present heavens will be destroyed, and there will be a new heaven and earth (3:10-13). And in Revelation 21:1 John says that he saw a new heaven and earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away.

Do the Holy Scriptures tell us what the new heaven and earth will be like and what kind of life God's people will have and experience in the new heaven and earth? The apostle John in Revelation 21 gives no physical description of the new heaven and earth. He does, however, give a beautiful picture of life with God in holiness and righteousness, which life and relationship will be lived and experienced eternally on the new earth. In so doing John describes the bride of Christ, God's people in Christ, as the holy city Jerusalem coming down from heaven to the new earth (21:2, 9-10). The city is a perfect cube, patterned after the holy of holies of Solomon's temple (21:15-16; cf. 1 Kings 6:20). This suggests that the people of God will be the holy of holies of the new earth among whom God will dwell as He did with Adam and Eve before their fall into sin.23 God in His holy presence will dwell in the midst of His people on the new earth. And because of His presence there never again will be any pain or tears or suffering or death (21:3-4).

While John in Revelation does not write about the new heaven and earth in geophysical terms, he does indirectly suggest in Revelation 22:1-5, with reference to the tree of life, that it will be like the original earth in its pristine form, that is, like the Garden of Eden. It will be Eden restored.24 Hints of such a renewal of the earth so as to be again like Eden are given in Isaiah, though Eden by name is not mentioned. Because of the righteous action of the Branch of Jesse natural life of the earth will be again like that of Eden (11:1-9), and when speaking of the new heaven and earth, the prophet again speaks of natural and animal life being like that which was true of Eden (65:17-25).

But in particular it is Paul who addresses what the new heaven and earth may be like in natural, physical terms. In Romans 8 he describes how all creation () apart from the human race is eagerly awaiting the revelation of God's people at the End (v. 19).25 Because of man's sin, all creation was put under the judgment of God (cf. Gen. 3:17-18) and has ever since been subject to decay, atrophy, destruction, and death. But God subjected His creation to such frustration, futility (), because of man's sin, on the basis of hope (v. 20). For creation itself will be set free from this slavery of decay and ruin into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (v. 21). Meanwhile, all creation groans and suffers as it awaits its final liberation at the End when God's saints receive the redemption of their bodies, that is, the resurrection (vv. 21-22). In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul, by way of analogy, makes a comparison between the Christians' resurrected bodies and "the subhuman bodies of earthly animate life and the heavenly inanimate bodies" (vv. 39-41).26 "With poetic boldness and with a penetrating prophetic insight Paul sees the whole splendid theatre of the universe together with all subhuman life within it as eagerly awaiting the time when the sons of God will be made manifest in their true glory.27 As God's saints in Christ, at and through the resurrection, will be restored to their original created perfection, so also will the entirety of God's created cosmos be restored from its ashes to its pristine created condition. For this reason Peter declares how we Christians look forward to when God will destroy the present heaven and earth and then according to His promise bring about a new heaven and earth (2 Pet. 3:11-13; cf. Is. 65:17; 66:22).28

Whatever physical form the new heaven and earth will have, whether exactly like the original creation as related in Genesis, or one that will be similar, it will be a real earthly home for God's people to live in forever with Him in righteousness and perfection.29 It will be the Garden of Eden all over again in which God's saints in Christ will live forever in the third mode of eternal life. The same eternal life that Adam and Eve would have lived if they had not sinned and lost that gift of life with God. This eternal life with God has now been restored in Christ, by faith now, in heaven before God's heavenly throne at death, and at the resurrection and forever in the new heaven and earth.

Conclusion

The end result of the incarnation "suggests that, as a result of Christ's redemptive activity and his own bodily resurrection, those in Christ in the resurrection will be restored to God's original design for humanity's bodily state, and so also will the present earth be restored to its original, divinely intended state as a home for God's resurrected people.30 If the Biblical doctrine of the incarnation is taken seriously, that is, that God's eternal Son became a real human being so as to restore human earthly life to its original human bodily estate, then we must also believe that the earthly home of real bodily human beings will be restored to its original pristine condition. For God's saints in the third mode of eternal life will live forever in that perfect state that Adam and Eve would have lived if they had not fallen into sin. And thus will be completed what God set out to do through and because of the incarnation of His Son.

Philippians

Philippi is 10 miles inland from the harbor city of Neapolis. You can see from the map above the region where Paul was planting churches. It was one of the principle cities of Macedonia and was historically famous in the annals of both Greece and Rome. It was founded by and named after Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. In Roman history, Philippi was best known for the battle that took place there in 42 B.C. between the Second Triumvirate (Octavius, Antonius, and Lepidus) and the republicans of Rome under Brutus and Cassius, which resulted in the defeat and death of the latter. After the victory, Octavius made Philippi a colony (cf. Acts 16:12). After the battle of Actium in 31 B.C., Augustus transported a large number of Roman veterans to the colony and granted it the status of jus Italicum, which placed it on a par with the Roman colonies of Italy. Consequently, Philippi considered itself as being an entirely Roman city. Its citizens were Roman citizens who enjoyed all the rights and privileges of such: exemption from scourging, from arrest except in extreme cases, and the right to appeal to the emperor. That was the situation Paul had to address as he brought the Gospel as a missionary.

From our point of interest, Philippi is the first place in Europe where the gospel was preached. The story of the founding of the church at Philippi is told by Luke in Acts 16:11-40. Apparently, the Jewish population of Philippi was so small that they did not even have a synagogue in which to worship, only a “place where prayer was customarily made” by the riverside. The first convert, Lydia, as exhibited by her conduct in offering her house and hospitality to Paul and his entourage, was a generous and kind woman, and her actions set the tone of generosity for this church.

In Philippians 4:15,16, this church sent gifts to Paul who was then in Thessalonica. And, of course, this present epistle returns thanks for a gift sent by the hand of Epaphroditus while Paul was in Rome during his first imprisonment. This church, along with the other churches of Macedonia, had made a name for themselves when it came to liberality (II Corinthians 8:1-5). What a joyful occasion their concern for Paul must have been to him. Consequently, it should not surprise us to hear him refer to them as “my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown” (Philippians 4:1).

Even though things began and continued well at Philippi, soon after the conversion of Lydia and her household, persecution lifted up its ugly head. Perhaps to demonstrate that the Lord's work is advanced by difficulties and discouragements, rather than by ease and prosperity, Paul and Silas are brought into conflict with heathen superstition in one of its worst forms, and with the rough violence of colonial authorities. In expelling a demon from a slave girl, who had been a source of much gain for her masters, Paul incurs the wrath of these men, who then falsely accuse Paul and Silas of teaching “customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe” (Acts 16:21). This appeal to political prejudice resulted in the imprisonment and beating of Paul and Silas, who were subsequently released from prison by an earthquake. As a result of all this, more people are converted to Christ, including the Philippian jailor.

When Paul left Philippi in the year 52, Timothy and Luke remained behind to build up the new church. Timothy soon followed Paul, and when he was sent back to Macedonia from Athens, he probably again visited Philippi. Luke, it would seem, continued to work in Philippi. His first “we” section (Acts 16:11-40) ends with Paul's departure from Philippi and the second does not begin until Paul again returns to the city (Acts 20:5,6). This occurred in 58, when Paul and the servants of the churches took the great collection to Jerusalem (Acts 20:4). Paul had actually been in Philippi the previous summer when on his way from Ephesus to Corinth he spent some time in Macedonia (II Corinthians 2:13). Therefore, Paul was in Philippi on three different occasions. His second visit was probably his longest. It seems very likely that his second letter to the Corinthians, which was written while he was in Macedonia, was written in Philippi.

The letter was clearly written from Rome by Paul while he was in “chains” in the Praetorium. He sends greetings from “Caesar's household” (4:22), indicates that he expects something to happen very soon concerning his appeal (1:20-26), and expresses confident hope that he will visit the Philippians again (1:26; 2:24). This all points to Paul's first imprisonment in Rome, which we know lasted for “two whole years” (Acts 28:30). In must have been written during the end of these two years, which would make the date somewhere around A.D. 63. Considerable preaching had already been done in Rome since Paul's arrival (1:12-18). Furthermore, his case is on verge of a final decision (1:12,13,23-26). This could not have been the case during his early months in the city.

In addition, considerable time was needed for the events to transpire that lie between Paul's arrival at Rome and the writing of this letter. (1) News of Paul's arrival had to travel to Philippi; (2) Epaphroditus had to come from Philippi; (3) the news of his illness while at Rome had to get back to Philippi; and (4) the news of the Philippians' concern for Epaphroditus had to get back to Rome. Many scholars believe that Philippians is the last of the so-called four “Prison Epistles.”

2 Corinthians

Paul's second letter to the Church at Corinth is much like the first - he wants to church to act like Christians....don't take advantage of the grace of God....forgiveness is not a license to sin. Check out these key verses as you read.

•Verses 2:14-6:13 and 7:2-4 are "part of a letter that Paul wrote to defend himself and his authority against opponents who came to Corinth bearing letters of recommendation from Christian communities in which they had previously worked and who rapidly assumed positions of authority in the Corinthian community."

•Verses 10:1-13:14 contain the sorrowful letter. After his first unsuccessful attempt to assert his authority with the Corinthian community failed, Paul visited the church and was humiliated in public (2:5, 7:12). After this incident, from Ephesus Paul wrote against the "superlative apostles" who appealed to visions and miracle-working as proof of their authority. Paul himself "appeals to the original effectiveness of the gospel he preached in Corinth so as not to be a burden on his converts, and to his own Jewish heritage and his sufferings as a servant of Christ" in order to win back authority in Corinth.

•Verses 1:1-2:13 and 7:5-16 are a "letter of reconciliation." After the success achieved through his painful letter, Paul "wrote a letter rejoicing in the resumption of good relations between him and the Corinthian Christian community."

•Verse 8:1-24 are "part of a letter of recommendation for Titus as organizer of the collection of saints in Jerusalem." Paul always tries to identify new church leaders - we would do well to recruit future pastors, teachers, etc. as well.

•Verses 9:1-15 are "part of a letter concerning the collection for the saints."

1 Corinthians

The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians is the seventh book of the New Testament. The book, originally written in Greek, was a letter from Paul of Tarsus and Sosthenes to the Christians of Corinth, Greece.

This epistle contains some of the best-known phrases in the New Testament:

- "all things to all men" (9:22)
- "without love, I am nothing" (13:2)
- "through a glass, darkly" (13:12)
- "when I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child" (13:11).

There is scholarly consensus that Paul is the actual author. The letter is quoted or mentioned by the earliest of sources, and is included in every ancient canon, including that of Marcion. The epistle was written from Ephesus (16:8), a city on the west coast of today's Turkey, about 180 miles by sea from Corinth. According to Acts of the Apostles, Paul founded the church in Corinth (Acts 18:1-17), then spent approximately three years in Ephesus (Acts 19:8, 19:10, 20:31). The letter was written during this time in Ephesus, which is usually dated as being in the range of 53 to 57 AD.

Outline

1.Salutation (1:1-3)
- Paul addresses the issue regarding challenges to his apostleship and defends the issue by claiming that it was given to him through a revelation from Christ. The salutation (the first section of the letter) reinforces the legitimacy of Paul's apostolic claim.

2.Thanksgiving (1:4-9)
- The thanksgiving part of the letter is typical of Hellenistic letter writing. In a thanksgiving recitation the writer thanks God for health, a safe journey, deliverance from danger, or good fortune.
- In this letter, the thanksgiving introduces charismata and gnosis, topics to which Paul will return and that he will discuss at greater length later in the letter.

3.Division in Corinth (1:10–4:21)
- Facts of division
- Causes of division
- Cure for division

4.Immorality in Corinth (5:1–6:20)
- Discipline an Immoral Brother
- Resolving personal disputes
- Sexual purity

5.Difficulties in Corinth (7:1–14:40)
- Marriage
- Christian liberty
- Worship

6.Doctrine of Resurrection (15:1-58)

7.Closing (16:1-24)
- Paul’s closing remarks in his letters usually contain his intentions and efforts to improve the community. He would first conclude with his paraenesis and wish them peace by including a prayer request, greet them with his name and his friends with a holy kiss, and offer final grace and benediction:

“ Now concerning the contribution for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia… Let all your things be done with charity. Greet one another with a holy kiss… I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen." (1 Cor. 16:1-24).

Hebrews

Although Hebrews is included in the Pauline corpus and was part of that corpus in its earliest attested form, its authorship is perhaps the most debated since the book is anonymous and because of stylistic differences with Paul's writings. Some patristic authors defended the traditional Pauline attribution with theories of scribal assistants such as Clement of Rome or Luke. Numerous alternative candidates for authorship have been proposed. The most prominent have been Barnabas, to whom Tertullian assigned the work; Apollos, defended by Luther and many moderns; Priscilla, suggested by von Harnack; Epaphras; and Silas. Arguments for none are decisive, and Origen's judgment that "God only knows" who composed the work is sound.

This is what we do know. The writer is a Hellenistic Jewish Christian, and his arguments presuppose that he is writing to others who think as he does, i.e., to a Hellenistic Jewish Christian community. Since Clement of Rome knows and quotes the text within what could only have been a few years of its writing, that community may well have been in Rome. This view is supported by the greetings from 'those who have come from Italy' in Heb 13:24.

The primary purpose of the Letter to the Hebrews is to exhort Christians to persevere in the face of persecution. The central thought of the entire Epistle is the doctrine of the Person of Christ and his role as mediator between God and humanity.

The epistle opens with an exaltation of Jesus as "the radiance of God's glory, the express image of his being, and upholding all things by his powerful word."[1:3] The epistle presents Jesus with the titles "pioneer" or "forerunner," "Son" and "Son of God," "priest" and "high priest." It has been described as an "intricate" New Testament book. The epistle casts Jesus as both exalted Son and high priest, a unique dual Christology.

One of the favorite sections of Hebrews is chapter 11. This chapter in a way sums up the theme of the book. The Hebrew people of the Old Testament had faith that something better was coming, and now that faith has been fulfilled in the Messiah Jesus. Jesus is the answer that all Hebrews have hoped for in their lives of faith.

Titus

Titus is one of the three epistles known collectively as the pastoral letters (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus) - which is to say they are Paul's letters to church leaders. The Apostle Titus was born into idolatry on Crete, though he was of Greek origin. Having believed in Christ through the Apostle Paul, he became Paul's disciple and follower and labored with him greatly in the preaching of the Gospel. He was one of the Seventy Apostles (read in Acts if curious).

The importance of the role and qualifications of leaders (pastors, bishops, elders) should not be understated. Paul realized that if Satan were to defame a leader, he could destroy the whole church.

One of the secular peculiarities of the Epistle to Titus is the inclusion of text which has become known as the Epimenides paradox. According to the World English Bible translation, Titus 1:12-13 reads (in part) "One of them, a prophet of their own, said, 'Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons.' This testimony is true." The statement by a member of a group that all members are liars is now a famous logic problem. He leaves the character judgment of the people on Crete up to their own prophet.

1 Timothy, 2 Timothy

I love First and Second Timothy. Paul has a warmth that is encouraging while at the same time the strength to still exhort his young protege. Imagine being willing to sacrifice all for the gospel! Imagine being his protege and how challenging that must be for you! These two epistles include:

A powerful doxology ("Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible ...")

Assurance of God's saving love ("who wants all men to be saved...")
Christ as the one Mediator

Guidelines for selecting church leaders

Strong exhortations to flee ungodliness for righteousness, faith, love, and peace

A declaration of faith in God's keeping power

A call to endure hardship

A warning to handle God's word as careful workmen

Advice in gently instructing opponents

A revelation of all Scripture as "God-breathed"

But my mind keeps returning to Paul's last words:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness ...." (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

Acts

Background
The word "Acts" denoted a recognized genre in the ancient world, "characterizing books that described great deeds of people or of cities." There are several such books in the New Testament apocrypha (outside our Biblical canon), including the Acts of Thomas, the Acts of Andrew, and the Acts of John.

Modern scholars assign a wide range of genres to the Acts of the Apostles, including biography, novel and history. Most, however, interpret the genre as epic stories of early Christian miracles and conversions. Others have also suggested that the book of Acts may have been written as a legal document written in defense of Paul of Tarsus, for his trial in front of the Emperor in Rome, an event mentioned in the Book of Acts itself. Obviously the epic stories are testimonies to us today - we read how God continued to work great things through the ministry of the apostles even after Jesus ascended into heaven.

Acts 1-8
The book opens with Jesus' ascension into heaven - thus leaving the disciples with the question: "now what?" The "now what" of course begins with the gift of the Holy Spirit in Ch.2. Without the Holy Spirit the early church is left without vision, future, and power. Peter also challenges the others to replace Judas (who abandoned his responsibility as disciple by taking his own life.

Acts 1:20b-26 - "'May another take his place of leadership.'Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection." So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs." Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

Of course the humor begins with their method of choosing - praying and gambling (never thought those two words would be linked in the Bible). The theological significance really isn't in the method - it's in the requirements...this man needs to be a witness of Jesus' life. All of us who call Christ Lord and Savior are his followers, but to be one of the 12 apostles you need someone who saw Jesus' Baptism, saw his miracles, saw his crucifixion, and of course saw the resurrected Christ. Christianity is ultimately about the eyewitness accounts of what Jesus did for us! We too put our trust in the facts of Jesus' accomplishments. Today it seems like everyone has invented their own religious philosophy - Peter is testifying to the eyewitness accounts of what Jesus actually did. The facts are always more important than opinions.

Acts Ch.2 is no less hilarious. The Holy Spirit comes, the disciples are speaking in languages proclaiming the Gospel so that everyone can hear, and the only explanation some can give is that they must be really, really drunk! Wow, the presence of God can be really confusing for some. But it is certainly this event...the point where God lets the disciples know that through Him all things are possible. Check out some of the other events:

Acts 2:41 - 3,000 baptized in one day

Acts 3:1-10 - Crippled beggars are jumping and running and dancing around.

Acts 4:31 - Prayers so intense that the ground around them was shaken.

Acts 5 - The unfaithful drop dead in an instant (v.1-11) yet many others are healed of diseases and demons (v.12-16).

Acts 6-7 - The amazing fact that even when persecution came (the stoning of Stephen) God still found a way to grow, encourage, and strengthen his people.

Acts 8:26-40 - Stories of conversion (Baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch) that inspired the whole church.

Summary
In summation, the first 8 chapters of Acts are all about God building His Church - despite our weaknesses, our fears, and our failures - God will use us! What is possible in the church today? What do we think is impossible? With God all things are possible.

Acts 9-16
This section of Acts introduces to the ministry of Paul, beginning with his conversion in chapter 9. Acts 9:1 - "Meanwhile, Saul (Paul) was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples." Now that's some bad breath! Breathing murder - inhale, exhale. How amazing that God was able to use his Road to Damascus event to change everything. The murderer becomes the apostle. The enemy becomes the friend. The persecutor becomes the persecuted.

This section also introduces powerful themes - for example, is faith in Jesus Christ enough to save you? To say it another way - how Jewish do people need to become before they can become a Christian? Circumcision. Teaching the Law. Cultural taboos. These were all critical to the Gospel. Peter answers these claims pretty powerfully in Acts 10 with the family of Cornelius - faith in Christ alone is all you need to be saved. That doesn't mean that the church always agrees (Acts 11:1-17) but over time the Gospel always seems to prevail (Acts 11:18).

Another funny circumstance (if not gross) surrounds the events of Herod's death (Acts 12:19b-23). Conceited Herod thinks he's the king of the Jews, a god perhaps - that didn't last long.

Acts 17-28
The last amazing chapters of Acts have to be read to be understood. We follow Paul all the way to the foot of Caesar. Paul seems to find a way to preach the Gospel even while in prison - God seems to find a way to miraculously keep him alive and well. Although there is little written about some of Paul's dear friends and fellow missionaries (ex: Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos in Acts 18:18-28), you can't help but fall in love with them. It is faithful Christian people like them that kept the faith during the worst of times. They didn't hide when the going got tough...they preached it all the more!

One event that even amazed me as a kid - Paul's shipwreck (Acts 27:13-44). Our God even uses storms and shipwrecks to get you exactly where He needs you to be!

As you read the Book of Acts, know that our God is just as intentional and powerful today! Who knows what plans He might have for us at Hosanna!

The Gospel of Luke

We'll be reading through the Gospel of Luke for the next 3 weeks - starting with ch.1-8 this week.

The Gospel According to Luke is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension. The author is traditionally identified as Luke the Evangelist who also wrote the book of Acts.
Certain popular stories, such as the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan, are found only in this gospel. This gospel also has a special emphasis on prayer, the activity of the Holy Spirit, and joyfulness.

According to the preface the purpose of Luke is to write a historical account, while bringing out the theological significance of the history. The author portrays Christianity as divine, respectable, law-abiding, and international. Although Luke himself was not one of the 12 Disciples, he did travel with Paul during some missionary journeys, and most believe Luke's historical account was a compilation of many stories from many of the people who followed Jesus (interviewing the men and women that traveled with Jesus).

Like Mark (but unlike Matthew), the intended audience is Gentile, and it assures readers that Christianity is an international religion, not an exclusively Jewish sect. Luke portrays his subject in a positive light regarding Roman authorities. For example, the Jewish leaders seem to be at fault for Jesus' crucifixion rather than Pontius Pilate (who found no wrong in him).

The Gospel is addressed to the author's patron, Theophilus, which in Greek simply means "friend of God" and may not be a name but a generic term for a Christian. The Gospel is clearly directed at Christians, or at those who already knew about Early Christianity, rather than a general audience, since the ascription goes on to state that the Gospel was written "so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught".

This Gospel also raises up Jesus' love for the oppressed. Women, children, and outcasts (gentiles, people with illness, etc.) are shown special love and attention, and they are also commended for having great faith.

Gospel of Luke: What is the Significance?

The Gospel of Luke presents many important facts and significant lessons about Jesus Christ. First, the Gospel clearly establishes that Jesus Christ is the Messiah that was prophesized throughout the Old Testament. Second, it proves that Jesus is the Son of God as He claims. Third, it confirms that Jesus has complete authority over everything in the world, including overcoming evil (Lk 4:12, 35, 9:38, 11:14), controlling nature (Lk 8:22-25, 9:12-17, 5:4-11), overcoming death (Lk 8:41-42, 7:11-15), healing people (Lk 5:12-13, 7:1-10, 4:38-35, 5:18-25, 6:6-10, 18:35-43), the power to forgive sins (Lk 5:24, 7:48), the power to bless people (Lk 6:20-22), and the authority to give people eternal life in heaven (Lk 23:43).

Jesus displayed the miracle of overcoming death through His own resurrection after being crucified on a Roman cross. The Gospel of Luke provides a first hand account of the events of Christ's life from the Apostles and other witnesses. The Gospel has absolutely survived the historical, geographical and archaeological scrutiny of the last 2,000 years.

Of course, a summary of Luke's Gospel can only provide highlights to the actual text and cannot replace it. To everyone at Hosanna, you are encouraged to read the Gospel of Luke to learn more about Jesus Christ and the work that He can do in your life!

1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians

An Exegetical Look at 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Lutheran Christians value Scripture and therefore use it as a guide for daily life. But what happens when our translation reads too much interpretation into the original Biblical text? What happens when we choose the translation that meets our desired result? This emphasizes the need for careful and thoughtful attention to those features of any biblical text before using that text as the basis for doctrine or ethical positions, or in developing personal applications of a passage. One simple example of how faulty translation, combined with uncritical use of that translation within a certain cultural and historical context, can lead to serious misapplication of a passage of Scripture can be seen in 1 Thessalonians 5:22.

(transliteration of the Greek: apo pantos eidous ponèrou apechesthe)

In the NRSV, the verse is translated: "abstain from every form of evil." A literal translation of the Greek might be: "from every form of evil be abstaining."
However, in the KJV, the translation most widely used in the English-speaking world until the mid 20th-century, the verse is translated: "abstain from every appearance of evil."

The differences in translation center around the meaning of the Greek term eidos. This word only occurs five times in the Greek New Testament, although it is a frequent term in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint), occurring there 58 times. According to Bauer, Ardt, and Gingrich (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament), this term has two main meanings:

1) the external or outward appearance, form, figure, shape. It occurs with this meaning in Luke 3:22 ("in bodily form"), 9:29 ("the appearance of his face"), and John 5:37 ("you have never heard his voice or seen his form"). Similarly, it can also mean sight or seeing, as in 2 Corinthians 5:7 ("we walk by faith, not by sight").

2) form, kind. This is not the usual meaning of the term in most of the Septuagint. However, it does occur with this meaning in classical Greek, as well as in some of the apocryphal writings (for example, Sirach 23:16: "two kinds of individuals multiply sins, and a third incurs wrath . . ."). Bauer lists this meaning for 1 Thessalonians 5:22: "from every kind of evil."

It is easy to see why the KJV translators, and many of the older translations into Dutch, English, French and German, used a term equivalent to "appearance" to translate eidos since that was the most common meaning in most of the biblical texts. However, as anyone who works with languages knows, the most used meaning of any term in a language does not dictate that it must always mean that. In most languages, it is immediate context and particular usage that determines meaning, not frequency or even lexical definitions.

This verse occurs in the conclusion of Paul’s letter to the Church at Thessalonica. Paul has already concluded his teachings about the Second Coming that had concerned the church, and is now drawing the writing to a close with both final exhortations (5:12-22) and a concluding blessing (5:23-24) before the salutations (5:25-28).

The final exhortations connect "hold fast to that which is good" with the appeals "do not quench the Spirit" and "do not despise the words of prophets." Again, the emphasis falls on actions that are a response of Christian living in a context that presents opportunities both to "repay evil for evil" and to "do the good." It is here that the contrast to "hold fast to what is good" is expressed as "abstain from every [form] of evil." In the context of this passage, "evil" has not been presented as some abstraction that could be characterized as "the appearance of evil." Within the larger context of the letter, evil has been given very concrete expression, as the command "abstain from fornication" (4:3; porneias, porneias, illicit sexual activity).

The appeal to the Thessalonians is not to avoid or abstain from that which might appear to be evil, but to avoid those things that are clearly evil, such as illicit sexual activity or responding to evil actions with evil action in return. In every case, those things are contrasted with the proper Christian response, purity or "holiness" (4:7) and doing "that which is good." This suggests that the translation "abstain from every kind of evil" is far preferable to "abstain from every appearance of evil." Paul calls the Thessalonians to a holy lifestyle that would avoid things that were clearly evil, like illicit sexual activity or responding to people with a retaliatory "evil for evil." In contrast, he also calls them to love one another, to be patient with each others, and to do the things that are good as God’s will for them as his "set-apart" people.

None of this suggests the older translation, that Christians should "avoid the appearance of evil" as if we were building a fence around the New Testament commandments like the Jews did with the Talmud. That would result, as it did in some strands of Judaism, in multiplying rules and commandments to infinite numbers in order to define precisely what "appearance" might mean in any particular situation. That would be a solid basis for the worst aspects of legalism.

The older translation "appearance" in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 led to unfortunate applications in some modern contexts. For example, the American holiness movement of the nineteenth century was concerned about holiness in everyday living, which led to an emphasis on personal ethics. That was a perfectly acceptable consequence of "holiness of heart and life," which was the hallmark of the Wesleyan revivals and emphasis on practical living.

Yet, in some quarters it moved into excessive legalism. In some contexts, this verse was used as a standard by which to judge the actions of others, as well as to set personal ethics in terms of external appearance or personal opinion. The idea was that if something could in some way be associated with something else that was evil, then that thing or action itself was evil because it had the appearance of evil. It was evil by association!

In many cases there was total sincerity on the part of those who applied the test of the "the appearance of evil." There was genuine concern for living a holy life and for avoiding even the appearance of participating in something that was evil, or that could be seen by others as evil. But misunderstanding biblical guidelines can lead to very negative results. In all too many cases, this led to a judgmental spirit toward others. It also led to a sense of insecurity and fear on the part of Christians who were constantly worried about whether their actions could be perceived by others as "evil" or sinful. In this sense, "the appearance of evil" talks about evil that has not happened or is not really evil at all but only seems evil in someone’s eyes! It feeds suspicion. It feeds all the darkness inside us that loves to judge people. It accuses brothers and sisters in the Lord that have done nothing wrong but create an appearance of evil in someone else's eyes! It destroys fellowship and trust. It fosters gossip and talking behind someone's back. It serves to create discord in community and undermines the love that should mark Christians fellowship, the very things that Paul was trying to avoid in his exhortations in 1 Thessalonians!

Given the fact that Jesus Himself spent time with tax-collectors and prostitutes, He would not have passed the test of the appearance of evil! In fact, the self-righteous Pharisees of his day took him to task at this very point. They constantly accused him of "guilt by association," that he was sinning because the associated with sinners and did not take pains to avoid the appearance of impropriety by avoiding sinners and disreputable places and events. Yet Jesus certainly passed the test of avoiding "every kind of evil," at the same time that he met sinners in their own world in order to call them to transformation.

Conclusion - Scripture interprets Scripture! This is why the teaching of Law/Gospel is so important. The work of Christ becomes the central doctrine that all other doctrines are filtered through. Another point - differences in interpretation are precisely the reason we have Christian community...we can ask each other how we read a particular passage. As you read
1 & 2 Thessalonians, ask a brother or sister in Christ how they read it.

Colossians and Philemon

Philemon

This picture is a fragment from an early papyrus of the book of Philemon. Notice the beautiful characters - helps me feel the connection between our Bibles and those read by the apostles themselves.

Paul, who is apparently in prison (probably in either Rome or Ephesus), writes to a fellow Christian named Philemon. As a slave-owner he would have been wealthy by the standards of the early church and this explains why his house was large enough to accommodate church meetings (v. 2).

Paul writes on behalf of Onesimus, Philemon's slave. Beyond that, it is not self-evident as to what has transpired. Onesimus is described as having been "separated" from Philemon, once having been "useless" to him (a pun on Onesimus's name, which means "useful"), and having done him wrong.

The dominant scholarly consensus is that Onesimus is a runaway slave who became a Christian believer. Paul now sends him back to face his aggrieved master, and strives in his letter to effect reconciliation between these two Christians.

Here is where the Christian life must match with our belief. Will Philemon receive Onesimus as a brother or a slave? How will he treat him? Paul believes that faith makes a difference and that people can change. If Onesimus is willing to go back and meet his former slave master, then apparently he believes in forgiveness too. Wow, what a book! No chapters - a one-pager. You can probably read it in 2 minutes, but the impact is eternal.

Colossians

Colosse is in the region of the seven churches of Revelation Ch.1-3. Members of the congregation at Colosse had incorporated pagan elements into their practice, including worship of elemental spirits. The Epistle to the Colossians declares Christ's supremacy over the entire created universe and exhorts Christians to lead godly lives. The letter consists of two parts: first a doctrinal section, then a second regarding conduct. In both sections, false teachers who have been spreading error in the congregation are opposed.

In its doctrinal sections, Colossians explains that there can be no need to worship anyone or anything but Christ because Christ is supreme over all creation. All things were created through him and for him, and the universe is sustained by him. God had chosen for his complete being to dwell in Christ. The "cosmic powers" revered by the false teachers had been "discarded" and "led captive" at Christ's death. Christ is the master of all angelic forces and the head of the church. Christ is the only mediator between God and humanity, the unique agent of cosmic reconciliation.

The doctrinal part comprises the first two chapters. Its main theme is developed in chapter 2, with a warning against being drawn away from Him in whom dwelt all the fullness of the deity (2:9), and who was the head of all spiritual powers. Christ was the head of the body of which they were members; and if they were truly united to him, what more did they need?

Colossians praises the spiritual growth of the recipients because of their love for all the set-apart ones in Christ (1:4 & 8). It calls them to grow in wisdom and knowledge that their love might be principled love and not sentimentality (1:9-11). "Christ in you is your hope of glory!" (1:27)

Colossians is often categorized as one of the so-called "prison epistles" that include Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon. Colossians has some close parallels with the letter to Philemon—names of some of the same people (e.g., Timothy, Aristarchus, Archippus, Mark, Epaphras, Luke, Onesimus, and Demas) appear in both epistles.

Since Paul wrote these letters from prison, the theme of God’s faithfulness in the midst of trial and persecution occurs often.

Ephesians

Ephesians is the great Pauline letter about the church. It deals, however, not so much with a congregation in the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor as with the worldwide church, the head of which is Christ (Eph 4:15), the purpose of which is to be the instrument for making God's plan of salvation known throughout the universe (Eph 3:9-10).

Yet this ecclesiology is anchored in God's saving love, shown in Jesus Christ (Eph 2:4-10), and the whole of redemption is rooted in the plan and accomplishment of the triune God (Eph 1:3-14). The language is often that of doxology (Eph 1:3-14) and prayer (Eph 1:15-23; 3:14-19), indeed of liturgy and hymns (Eph 3:20-21; 5:14).

The majestic chapters of Ephesians emphasize the unity in the church of Christ that has come about for both Jews and Gentiles within God's household (Eph 2:11-22) and indeed the "seven unities" of church, Spirit, hope; one Lord, faith, and baptism; and the one God (Eph 4:4-6). Yet the concern is not with the church for its own sake but rather as the means for mission in the world (Eph 3:1-4:24). The gifts Christ gives its members are to lead to growth and renewal (Eph 4:7-24).

Read especially Ephesians 6:10-17.

How is your armor? Do you have a belt of truth or a breastplate of righteousness (need to protect that heart of yours in battle)? How fast are your feet (peace is what you need)? We need to remember that only faith can shield us and that the message of salvation and the Word of God are needed to win. Indeed, our spiritual walk is a battle. How is your armor? Are there areas that you need to protect yourself? Are there areas that you need to go on the offensive?

Paul draws us a picture of the Christian faith that we can see and evaluate. Take a look in the mirror and ask the Holy Spirit to help you continue to grow your armor.

Galatians

Law versus Gospel

This doctrine was essential both to Luther’s writings and to C.F.W. Walther – one of the founders of the LCMS in America. Apparently, it was a great concern to the apostle Paul as well. In the middle chapters (ch.2-4) Paul defends the free grace given in the Gospel of Jesus Christ against Judaizers (Jewish Christians that want all converts to adopt the full Jewish Law, lifestyle, and customs). Read Galatians 3:1-14 for Paul’s exegetical argument.

Paul also worries that the free grace and Christian freedom he preaches could lead to antinomianism. Nomos is the Greek word for Law, thus antinomianism means “anti Law”. These believers were teaching that since we are now free from the penalty of the Law, we should just do what we want. Not a good idea!!!

Galatians 6:1-10 is Paul’s attempt at the end of this epistle to let every Christian know that although we are free from the penalty of the Law, living according to the will of God is the only real life.

In the conclusion of the epistle (6:11), Paul writes, "You see how large a letter I have written with mine own hand." Was he writing in big letters so that emphasis would be added? Did he take the pen from his scribe to make the point even more boldly? Alternatively, some commentators have postulated that Paul's recurring illness was poor eyesight, which caused him to write in characteristically large letters.

The following are memory verses that all of us should be eager to know:

Galatians 1:11-12 - “I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.”

Galatians 3:26-28 – “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 5:1 – “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Mark 1-16

For the next 2 weeks we’ll be reading through the Gospel of Mark. 16 chapters that quickly run through the life of Jesus. I hope you’ll find this Gospel to be helpful in your daily walk with Christ.

The Gospel of Mark is an absolute treasure for the Church. Because Mark seems to be writing for a Hellenistic audience (Greek-speaking residents of the Roman Empire), the Gospel has a great evangelistic spirit. Gentile readers have the chance to be introduced to Jewish traditions, Aramaic words and phrases (which are explained in detail to novice readers), and Septuagint quotations of the Old Testament verses (Greek translation). While a Gospel written to a Jewish audience might be sensitive to Hebrew culture (ex: in Matthew, the phrase “Kingdom of Heaven” is used so that Jewish people won’t say the name “God”), Mark is free to use phrases like “Kingdom of the Most High God” (perhaps claiming that Jesus is higher and more powerful than any of the gods of Greek Mythology).

The narrative can be divided into three sections: the Galilean ministry, including the surrounding regions of Phoenicia, Decapolis, and Caesarea Philippi (1-9); the Journey to Jerusalem (10); and the Events in Jerusalem (11-16).

As you read through the Gospel, notice phrases like "and immediately" (which occurs nearly forty times in Mark, while in Luke, which is much longer, it is used only seven times, and in John only four times). Mark’s focus on immediate action is central to his depiction of Jesus. Gentiles would know that Jesus is active in his fight against evil and death. Also note that Mark doesn’t spend time at the beginning of the Gospel with the Christmas Story, but instead begins with Jesus’ Baptism and then immediate encounters with the devil and demons. This is an action Gospel! My conjecture is that Hebrew thinkers would be looking for Jesus to fulfill Old Testament prophesies while Gentile thinkers would simply want to know whether Jesus is powerful. If you are looking for a book of the Bible to share with a non-believer, this might be the one!

Romans 1-16

Well, the Pastor is a little behind...however, I can always turn to Martin Luther for help. Since it is Luther's commentary work on Romans which forced him to open his eyes to the Gospel (grace is a free gift through the work of Jesus Christ), I thought who better to give testimony to Romans than Luther himself! These excerpts come from Luther's introduction to his Romans commentary (my English translation is over 500 pages) and will cover our readings for the next 2 weeks as we read all 16 chapters. Enjoy!!! - Pastor Jim Mueller

Excerts from Romans Commentary by Dr. Martin Luther.

This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is purest Gospel. It is well worth a Christian's while not only to memorize it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily, as though it were the daily bread of the soul. It is impossible to read or to meditate on this letter too much or too well. The more one deals with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes. Therefore I want to carry out my service and, with this preface, provide an introduction to the letter, insofar as God gives me the ability, so that every one can gain the fullest possible understanding of it. Up to now it has been darkened by glosses [explanatory notes and comments which accompany a text] and by many a useless comment, but it is in itself a bright light, almost bright enough to illumine the entire Scripture.

To begin with, we have to become familiar with the vocabulary of the letter and know what St. Paul means by the words law, sin, grace, faith, justice, flesh, spirit, etc. Otherwise there is no use in reading it.

To fulfill the law means to do its work eagerly, lovingly and freely, without the constraint of the law; it means to live well and in a manner pleasing to God, as though there were no law or punishment. It is the Holy Spirit, however, who puts such eagerness of unconstained love into the heart, as Paul says in chapter 5. But the Spirit is given only in, with, and through faith in Jesus Christ, as Paul says in his introduction. So, too, faith comes only through the word of God, the Gospel, that preaches Christ: how he is both Son of God and man, how he died and rose for our sake. Paul says all this in chapters 3, 4 and 10.

That is why faith alone makes someone just and fulfills the law; faith it is that brings the Holy Spirit through the merits of Christ. The Spirit, in turn, renders the heart glad and free, as the law demands. Then good works proceed from faith itself. That is what Paul means in chapter 3 when, after he has thrown out the works of the law, he sounds as though the wants to abolish the law by faith. No, he says, we uphold the law through faith, i.e. we fulfill it through faith.

Faith is a living, unshakeable confidence in God's grace; it is so certain, that someone would die a thousand times for it. This kind of trust in and knowledge of God's grace makes a person joyful, confident, and happy with regard to God and all creatures. This is what the Holy Spirit does by faith.

We find in this letter, then, the richest possible teaching about what a Christian should know: the meaning of law, Gospel, sin, punishment, grace, faith, justice, Christ, God, good works, love, hope and the cross. We learn how we are to act toward everyone, toward the virtuous and sinful, toward the strong and the weak, friend and foe, and toward ourselves.

Paul bases everything firmly on Scripture and proves his points with examples from his own experience and from the Prophets, so that nothing more could be desired. Therefore it seems that St. Paul, in writing this letter, wanted to compose a summary of the whole of Christian and evangelical teaching which would also be an introduction to the whole Old Testament. Without doubt, whoever takes this letter to heart possesses the light and power of the Old Testament. Therefore each and every Christian should make this letter the habitual and constant object of his study. God grant us his grace to do so. Amen.

1 Peter, 2 Peter

About the Author

Most conservative scholarship has attributed the Petrine epistles to the apostle Peter's authorship (although perhaps with the assistance of a scribe like Mark - the same assumption is made by many of the Gospel of Mark). Peter was originally called Simon (which means "hearing"), a very common Jewish name in the New Testament, and he was the son of Jona (Matt. 16:17). His younger brother Andrew first brought him to Jesus (John 1:40-42). His native town was Bethsaida, on the western coast of the Sea of Galilee, to which also Philip belonged. Here he was brought up by the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and was trained to the occupation of a fisher. His father had probably died while he was still young, and it appears that he and his brother may have been brought up under the care of Zebedee and his wife Salome (Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40; 16:1). Imagine the possibility that 4 of the 12 disciples, Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John, were all brought up together at some point in their lives. Since this is a blog, I will simply only bring up this possibility as curious conjecture.

Culturally, Peter certainly reflected his background - we like to say in Kerrville that "he was a country boy". When Peter appeared before the Sanhedrin, he looked like an "unlearned man" (Acts 4:13). Simon was a Galilean, and he was that out and out......The Galileans had a marked character of their own. They had a reputation for an independence and energy which often ran out into turbulence. They were at the same time of a franker and more transparent disposition than their brethren in the south. In all these respects, in bluntness, impetuosity, headiness, and simplicity, Simon was a genuine Galilean.

They spoke a peculiar dialect. They had a difficulty with the guttural sounds and some others, and their pronunciation was reckoned harsh in Judea. The Galilean accent stuck to Simon all through his career. It betrayed him as a follower of Christ when he stood within the judgment-hall (Mark 14:70). It betrayed his own nationality and that of those conjoined with him on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:7)." It would seem that Simon was married before he became an apostle. His wife's mother is referred to (Matt. 8:14; Mark 1:30; Luke 4:38). He was in all probability accompanied by his wife on his missionary journeys (1 Cor. 9:5; comp. 1 Pet. 5:13).

The name Jesus gave to Simon ("Cephas" in Aramaic, "Petros" in Greek) means "rock". Although the Gospels each tell of Peter as a bumbling fisherman with his foot in his mouth, after the ascension of Jesus, in the book of Acts, Peter finally begins to resemble the name Jesus gave him and takes on a serious role as a leader in the church. His two epistles include:

1 Peter

This epistle is addressed to "the strangers scattered abroad", i.e., to the Jews of the Dispersion (the Diaspora). Its object is to confirm its readers in the doctrines they had been already taught. Peter has been called "the apostle of hope," because this epistle abounds with words of comfort and encouragement fitted to sustain a "lively hope."

It contains about 35references to the Old Testament. It was written from Babylon, on the Euphrates, which was at this time one of the chief seats of Jewish learning, and a fitting center for labor among the Jews. It has been noticed that in the beginning of his epistle Peter names the provinces of Asia Minor in the order in which they would naturally occur to one writing from Babylon. He counsels:

(1) to steadfastness and perseverance under persecution (1-2: 10)
(2) to the practical duties of a holy life (2:11-3:13)
(3) he adduces the example of Christ and other motives to patience and holiness (3:14-4:19)
(4) concludes with counsels to pastors and people (ch. 5).

2 Peter

The question of the authenticity of this epistle has been much discussed, but the weight of evidence confirms Peter's authorship. It appears to have been written shortly before the apostle's death (1:14). This epistle contains 11 references to the Old Testament. It also contains (3:15-16) a remarkable reference to Paul's epistles. Some think this reference is to 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-5:11.

Peter in apocryphal writings

On a side note, in archaeology a parchment fragment, called the "Gospel of Peter," was discovered in a Christian tomb at Akhmim in Upper Egypt. Origen (died A.D. 254), Eusebius (died 340), and Jerome (died 420) refer to such a work, and hence it has been concluded that it was probably written about the middle of the second century. It professes to give a history of our Lord's resurrection and ascension. While differing in not a few particulars from the canonical Gospels, the writer shows plainly that he was acquinted both with the synoptics and with the Gospel of John. Though apocryphal, it is of considerable value as showing that the main facts of the history of our Lord were then widely known.

1 John, 2 John, 3 John

All three of these books were written about A.D. 85, or late 80’s and early 90’s. These letters were probably written after the Gospel of John and before the persecution under Domitian in A.D. 95. John probably wrote from Ephesus because there is a strong tradition that John spent his old age in Ephesus. He had been exiled not far away on the island of Patmos (Rev. 1:9).

The first epistle opens by summarizing the Fourth Gospel (I John 1:1; cf. John 21:31). The stated purpose of the First Epistle is found in 5:13, and carries the reader one step beyond the Gospel. "The Gospel was written to arouse faith; the First Epistle was written to establish certainty," observes Merrill Tenney.

1 John

The lack of personal references in this letter indicates that it was written in sermonic style to Christians all over Asia Minor. It was probably a circular letter, much like Ephesians. The purpose of this letter was to tell believers how they might know they have eternal life. This epistle deals with the same heresy that Paul confronted in his Epistle to the Colossians: Gnosticism. The readers were preoccupied with a secret "knowledge" which is evident by how many times John uses the word "know" in this letter. He writes to strengthen their faith and fellowship and warn them about the false teachers with their "secret" knowledge.

KEY WORDS: know, believe, life, light, love, and fellowship. Study the opposites in this letter (cf. "light" and "darkness," "life" and "death," "truth" and "lying," etc.). These same themes are developed in the Gospel of John.

2 John
The second epistle is a personal letter from the Apostle to the "elect lady." Much discussion has been around who this "lady" is. John sends this postcard to the "elect lady" to correct a situation that had developed from the normal practice of showing hospitality to itinerant teachers and preachers. It was common practice for people to open their homes to those in the ministry. Jesus was a frequent guest in the home of Mary and Martha in Bethany. Some Christians were inadvertently providing this type of support to the false teachers. Loving believers (II Jn. 5-6) must not be construed as the encouragement of false doctrine. The key theme that John is devloping is Practice the truth and have nothing to do with false teachers.

3 John
The letter is addressed to Gaius which is a very common Greek name. He is described as a "dear friend" who was loved by the aged apostle (vv. 1, 2, 5, 11). Perhaps Gaius had been a dear loyal friend of John’s for a long time. This Christian friend had contributed to the missionaries who had desired to visit his church. One Diotrephes, the self-assertive church boss had an anti-missionary spirit, and influenced the church not to receive missionaries. Diotrephes had succeeded in having Gaius excommunicated from the membership. John condemns Diotrephes and commends Gaius for his faithfulness. Demetrius may have been a traveling teacher and probably delivered the letter to Gaius. There are words of praise to Gaius for his hospitality for missionaries, and condemnation for Diotrephes. The key theme of the book is a healthy believer will follow the truth, help others, and do good.

My personal Biblical mission statement comes from 1 John 3:18 - What would happen if we stopped talking the talk, and starting walking the walk? - Pastor Jim Mueller

James, Jude

James

This particular section of commentary is easy to write - our mission group studied James and 1 John chapter by chapter. Of course it also means that as I write I have visions of Mt. McKinley dancing in my head.

We know the writer of James to be the half-brother of Jesus (different from James the brother of John - one of the Zebedee boys). James was martyred c. A.D. 62. There are 4 men in the N.T. named James (the editor of this post is named after them) so sometimes they get confused as we study Scriptural history. We do know that James was likely the oldest of Jesus' siblings since he heads the list (Matthew 13:55) and that at first he misunderstood and had doubts about Jesus' ministry (John 7:2-5). Later he became quite prominent in the Church:
1. He saw the resurrected Christ (1 Cor. 15:7)
2. Pillar of Church (Galatians 2:9, Galatians 1:19, Acts 21:18)
3. When Peter was rescued from prison, he wanted James to know (Acts 12:17)
4. He was a leader in council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:13)
5. Jude identified himself as a brother of James (Jude 1:1)

The book is distinctively Jewish in nature and it reflects a simple church order. Here are some thoughts I gathered as I studied this book daily with my mission group.

James 1
v.2-4 - What an interesting perspective on suffering and temptation! Imagine going through something awful, and yet praying "God make good out of this junk, because I know you can and will". I'm not that guy. I'm not that positive. I want to be. Perseverance is a HUGE virtue. People that persevere never give up. As a pastor, dad, husband, and novice runner - this is huge!
v.13 - Just a nice theological reminder. God can do anything, but he is not to be blamed for everything. He created life - we created sin. He created beauty - sin created the ugliness (of all types) that we find in this world. It's easy to point to heaven and blame God for the trials we go through...but good Theology reminds us that God is in fact fighting all the results of sin. He created a world of harmony, love, and peace (trial, temptation, and suffering are needed in such a world), and thus He seeks to restore our world and us to that state (in Christ it has already started happening).
v.27 - What is true religion? What would happen if every church in the world started every worship service with the words of James 1:27?

James 2
v.2-4 - This is hard stuff! But James is right, and sometimes I'm ashamed to say that Jesus would be hard to welcome into our churches (dirty robe, sandals, no deodorant). Based on what I read in Scripture, Jesus is not likely to shower and dress up just to make people happy (Matthew 23:25-26).
v.14-19 - Belief vs. Faith. Demons believe in Jesus, but don't have faith in him. They know he exists, is the son of God, and has power - but they don't care. They still follow the devil as lord. Maybe in our evangelism we should focus a little less on proving Jesus as factual (eg. belief in)
and focus more on why we trust him (eg. faith that follows through the Holy Spirit).
v.26 - It's obvious that deedless faith is dead faith - let's not get overly theological about any of this. James is simply challenging us to live what we believe.

James 3
v.11-12 - It's hard being saint and sinner at the same time. Part of you wants to follow Christ with all your might. Part of you wants to return to lifeless, dark, and selfish living. The new Adam has come, but the old Adam remains until the second coming. It's hard knowing that you are becoming something new, because it's hard to say goodbye to the past you (friends, addictions, bad habits, etc.).
v. 17-18 - I challenged my mission group to pick out the virtue that they are strongest in, and the one that needs polishing. How would you answer?

James 4
v.1 - If only church meetings started with these words. Of course all of us are opinionated, but a church is a family. In a family you don't do what's best for dad or oldest daughter. You do what's best. We need to do the same in our church families. It's hard to pick music, sermon topics, and decor for 200 different people with different needs, backgrounds, and opinions. My hope is to not lead from a place of desire but a place of mission. Perhaps if we start with the mission of Jesus Christ in our minds - God will do the rest!

James 5
v.13-16 - This is the chapter we need to read in church more often. This is why we are church. This is why we need each other. Together we are stronger. Together we will see healing, praise, and strength. When you are alone, faith is hard. When you are together, we are able to help those who are hurting with those who are strong.
v.17-18 - "Elijah was like us" (1 Kings 17 & 18). Just a reminder that even great prophets were at one time just a simple person who said a prayer. Since God listens to our prayers, there is power in prayer. By focusing on Elijah's humanity, James is telling every single one of us that we too can pray for great things!

Jude
Although Jude was eager to write about salvation, he felt that must instead warn his recipients about immoral leaders and false teachers. He is primarily fighting anti-nomianism (the belief that grace makes law unnecessary - therefore do whatever you want). We are saved by grace alone, however that does not make rigtheous living unnecessary - it makes it even more possible and attractive. His doxology in v.24-25 puts everything into perspective - God gets all the glory, and we are to follow Him!

- Pastor Jim Mueller

Matthew 22-28

This week finishes our reading of Matthew's Gospel. You could argue that if you've read this much, then you've read enough - Jesus is the center of all our Christian Theology! This particular section represents 1/4 of Matthew's Gospel, yet primarily looks at only the last week of Jesus' life. Although the Gospel gives only little detail about Jesus' childhood, it obviously focuses great detail into Holy Week. I wanted to focus on something that almost no scholars can agree - putting a date to Jesus' life.

One of the facts considered by historians to be practically beyond dispute is that Jesus was executed on the orders of the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate. We know that Pilate held this position from 26–36 AD. Since the Gospels tell us in detail that Nisan 14 fell on that Friday, 27, 30, and 33 AD are the major options. John P. Meier's "A Marginal Jew" cites 7 April 30 AD, 3 April 33 AD, and 30 March 36 AD as astronomically possible Friday Nisan 14 dates during Pilate's tenure in office. This is where I would like to start. The 14th of Nisan also implies that Jesus died at the time when the sacrificial lambs died. In the Gospel of Luke, it is stated that Jesus was "about 30 years old" when he was baptised by John the Baptist (the word "about" in Greek can mean "close to", "around", or "at least". Although it is a vague expression, I believe culturally it is referring to the fact that Jesus was "at least" 30 years old thus signifying that he was the required age to start a rabbinic ministry as a Jewish man.

Another fact to be considered is Luke's statement that John the Baptist's ministry began in the fifteenth year of the reign of emperor Tiberius (Luke 3:1-2). Tiberius' reign began after Augustus' death on 19 August 14 AD, placing John's appearance in 29AD. Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John points to three separate Passovers during Jesus' ministry, which would favour 33 AD.

The use of astronomical evidence to estimate the year of the Crucifixion of Jesus has led to AD 33 by two different groups, and originally as AD 34 by Isaac Newton via the differences between the Biblical and Julian calendars and the crescent of the moon. John Pratt argued that Newton's reasoning was effectively sound, but included a minor error at the end. Pratt suggested the year 33 AD as the accurate answer. Using similar computations, in 1990 astronomer Bradley Schaefer arrived at the same date, Friday, April 3 33 AD. A third method, using a completely different astronomical approach based on a lunar Crucifixion darkness and eclipse model (consistent with Apostle Peter's reference to a "moon of blood" in Acts 2:20) arrives at the same date, namely Friday April 3, AD 33. I support this date in my own research.

Since Jesus' birth, escape to Egypt, and life in Egypt (before his eventual return to Nazareth) all happened before the death of King Herod the Great (died 4 BC), we know that his birth was likely 6 BC or before. Of course there is still much speculation and debate about each of these numbers - but one thing I know for sure, numbers in the Bible always matter. They are never there just by chance. Things happen for a reason in God's timing!

Another important point: Perhaps knowing when the crucifixion happened is not as important as knowing that it is still happening! Christ's forgiveness for mankind was won on one particular day on a cross, but its application to sinners happens every day. Of course the resurrection works in much the same way - new life was given to all Jesus' followers.

Final important point: I love researching the timing of Jesus' life because it places Jesus into history...where he belongs. Jesus lived, died and rose again. He is not an idea or a philosophy. He is the Real Son of God! His place in history matters - besides, look how much attention Matthew gives just to his last week on this earth.

- Pastor Jim Mueller

Matthew 15-21

Our chapters this week start with Pharisees coming from Jerusalem to confront Jesus on the Law of Moses (ch.15) and ends with Jesus entering Jerusalem in triumphant fashion to ultimately fulfill the Law of Moses (ch.21). Obviously a lot happens in between as well.

Ch.15 - This chapter is all about food. The Pharisees sound a lot like my grandmother. "Did you wash your hands? Did you just run the water or did you use soap? Did you sing Happy Birthday Song to make sure you sanitized enough?" Of course their reasoning is not so much about sanitation as about a ritual washing. Jesus changes the focus - do you care more about the outside or the inside (washing your hands vs. washing your heart). What do you think God focuses on? You then have Jesus' encounter with a Canaanite woman. She asks for crumbs from Israel's spiritual table (perhaps she knows her life does not make her worthy to even approach Jesus). Again, this discourse is not so much about physical food, but about spiritual food. Finally, the chapter ends with Jesus showing us the intimate connection between faith, food, and life - the feeding of the 4,000 (notice how the text counts the men but does not count the additional women and children). Perhaps we should call this the feeding of the 10,000!

Ch.16 - I'm a beer brewer and therefore I know that yeast is a powerful little organism. It makes things alive and helps them become something new. A slurry plus yeast becomes beer. Grape juice plus yeast becomes wine. Dough plus yeast becomes fast-rising bread. Jesus here talks about the difference between the leaven of the Jewish elite and the leaven that comes from the Kingdom of Heaven. Either one can take over your spiritual life and transform it.

Option 1: The Sadducees were the ruling elite. They were the priestly class of Jewish leaders, and therefore ran the temple and the sacrificial system. They cared more about ceremony and rituals than other Jewish groups. They also tended to ignore parts of the Hebrew Bible and were known at that time to have loose theology. Their group tended to deny the existence of eternal life.

The Pharisees were a reaction to the priestly class. They started the synagogues because they believed the priests had ignored the Hebrew Bible and needed to return to strict, Biblical teaching. They tended to be very law-oriented.

Although the Sanhedrin was made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees, they rarely partner together - they don't see eye to eye. But here we see them partnering together to trap Jesus. This kind of yeast is subversive, damaging, and hateful.

Option 2: Jesus is providing an entirely different perspective on success and happiness. The new kingdom is breaking in - if you want to inhabit God's story, this is who you must follow. Christ is the foundation (see Peter's confession). Christ promises that nothing will overcome the church, not the powers of doubt, deception, or even death. This option requires God's grace and forgiveness - without them, this option is not possible.

Ch.17 - This chapter opens with the transfiguration. Focus on the words of v.5 - "This is my beloved Son. With Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him." This voice echoes the voice that spoke at Jesus' Baptism. It is also an echo of what God said though Moses during his final sermon on the mount. God promises that although Moses would not enter the promised land, He would send His people another Prophet. Moses' last wish was that the people would listen to this new prophet when He came.

The chapter finishes with questions on paying taxes (I'm sure a very relevant topic in America today). Watch Jesus' approach with Peter. He sends him to do his former worldly task (fishing) to pay his worldly duty (finds a 4-drachma coin to pay his taxes).

Ch.18 - The wisdom of our world would tell us that the shepherd should forget that one missing sheep and chalk it up to a loss because that one sheep would not be worth the time he'd spend chasing it down. The arithmetic of heaven's value works differently. In God's economy, each soul has its own value apart from the others.

Focus also on Jesus' response to forgiveness in v.22 - it mirrors the story of Lamech (Adam and Eve's great-great-great-great grandson) in Genesis. He tells his two wives that because he killed a young man that had wounded him, he would be avenged 77 times. In Jesus' Kingdom, through forgiveness we reverse and inverse Lamech's plan. As Christians, Jesus suggests that we should forgive others' transgressions (70x7) more readily than the world would avenge them (77).

Ch.19 - The Pharisees all but grinned to themselves - divorce - the one topic that puts every religious teacher in a tangle. Also, Moses himself seemed to contradict the true teaching on the sanctity of marriage. What do you believe Jesus is saying, and how does this impact the place of marriage in our society?

Ch.20 - The part of the Gospel that is so welcoming to outsiders is also the part that is so offensive to current believers - God gives us all grace. The parable that starts this chapter shows us the tension. God is free to lavish his grace on anyone he pleases. If you feel jealous that someone has a nicer husband or wife, or that your brother works no harder than you and earns substantially more, or because your classmate has the intelligence of a sponge - then God's generosity will indeed undo all you have come to know and expect. Grace is scandalous because it is not fair or deserved!

Ch.21 - Palm Sunday - what does this mean for you?

- Pastor Jim

Matthew 8-14

Matthew intentionally structured his Gospel around 5 sermons of Jesus. For any Jewish readers, this structure would resemble the Torah, the first 5 books of the Old Testament. According to Matthew, the 5 sermons of Jesus complete the picture of Jesus as Lawgiver/Teacher. They don't replace the Law of Moses or the Torah, but his words do refine and complement God's instruction to the people of the New Covenant. Here are the 5 sermons that form the structure of the Gospel:

1. Matthew 5-7 - Sermon on the Mount
2. Matthew 10 - Instructions for disciples on a mission
3. Matthew 13 - Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven
4. Matthew 18 - Authentic Discipleship
5. Matthew 24-25 - Sermon on the Last Days

When Jesus taught, people were amazed and crowds gathered. Other rabbis taught with borrowed authority, but Jesus continually told the crowds that his message was not borrowed, and that his authority came from within himself. He even had the audacity to claim that his authority matched that of Scripture. For Matthew, Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of David, the fulfillment of Scripture, the true Israel, the new Moses, and the new Lawgiver. But he's more than that - he is the one true God! Matthew paints this image of Jesus very beautifully in these chapters we read this week. Pay particular attention to his promise to bring about redemption and a new creation (mirroring Isaiah 40-66 in the Old Testament).

Read chapter 9 with particular care: what does Jesus do here? What does he have power over? What does this say about the struggles you have in your own life? If Jesus can conquer these struggles, what new creating can he do in your life? - Pastor Jim

Hosanna - New Testament in a Year

Hosanna - New Testament in a Year

Each week we will read the corresponding sections of the New Testament.

Week Starting Biblical Section
5.02.10 Matthew 1-7
5.09.10 Matthew 8-14
5.16.10 Matthew 15-21
5.23.10 Matthew 22-28
5.30.10 1 John, 2 John, 3 John

6.06.10 James, Jude
6.13.10 1 Peter, 2 Peter
6.20.10 Romans 1-8
6.27.10 Romans 9-16

7.04.10 Mark 1-8
7.11.10 Mark 9-16
7.18.10 Galatians
7.25.10 Ephesians

8.01.10 Colossians, Philemon
8.08.10 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians
8.15.10 Luke 1-8
8.22.10 Luke 8-16
8.29.10 Luke 17-24

9.05.10 Acts 1-7
9.12.10 Acts 8-14
9.19.10 Acts 15-21
9.26.10 Acts 22-28

10.03.10 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy
10.10.10 Titus, Hebrews 1-5
10.17.10 Hebrews 6-13
10.24.10 1 Corinthians 1-8
10.31.10 1 Corinthians 9-16

11.07.10 2 Corinthians 1-8
11.14.10 2 Corinthians 9-13, Philippians
11.21.10 Revelation 1-7
11.28.10 Revelation 8-15

12.05.10 Revelation 16-22
12.12.10 John 1-7
12.19.10 John 8-14
12.26.10 John 9-21

Matthew 1-7

This week we're opening up the Bible in a Year Blog. We're starting with Matthew 1-7 until we finally finish the New Testament in late December 2010. Then, on to the O.T.

It is fitting that the Gospel of Matthew is the first of the NT because it was the favorite (or most wide spread) Gospel of the early Christians. Since the first disciples were all Jewish, Matthew sought to prove that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. Matthew, more than any other Gospel writer, found Jesus' Messiahship in random and important places where Jewish people would know to look:

1. Genealogy - Greek converts might not care if a NT verse fulfills OT Scripture because they don't hold OT Scripture as authoritative. But to a Jewish listener, fulfillment of the OT Scriptures is a necessity for Jesus as Messiah.

2. Titles - King, Messiah, Savior, "God with us", etc. - all are significant in their Jewish context.

3. Numerology - Parallels between 12 Tribes and 12 Disciples, or 40 years wandering in desert and Jesus' 40 days of fasting before Temptation are all significant.

4. Fulfilled prophesies - As you begin to read this Gospel, look for the amazing number of OT Bible verses that are quoted and referenced in the middle or bottom of your reference Bible's pages.

You are welcome to read the chapters assigned this week on a daily basis (one chapter per day) or in one big chunk. You can even read ahead if you like. But be sure to focus in on the key themes in this week's readings - they cover over 30 years of Jesus' life very quickly.

Ch. 1-2 Genealogy & Christmas Birth Story
Ch. 3-4 Jesus' Baptism & Temptation
Ch. 5-7 The Sermon on the Mount

Pray that God would speak to you through your reading and feel free to comment here on your thoughts and questions. - Pastor Jim