Introduction
The Feast of Epiphany is the culmination of Christmas. Epiphany celebrates what it means for God to be present, to reveal Himself, to be manifested to the world. Last week, we considered John’s exhortations to receive the love of God and to walk in that love. We continue a similar theme this morning, thinking about the Church as the Body of Christ, the continuing manifestation of God’s Incarnation in the world.
The Texts:
Eph. 4 and 1 Cor. 12-13 have a number of obvious similarities. Both are concerned about the body of Christ, the gifts of the Spirit, and the primacy of love. Beginning with 1 Cor. 12-13, we should notice that love is the way gifts get sorted out. Not everyone does the same thing (12:29-30), and people can try to do things that aren’t their gig (13:1). And the difference is love (13:2-3). And this love is the love of God filling up God’s people and overflowing to everyone around them. The name of this love is the Holy Spirit (12:6-13). Paul has the same love in mind in Eph. 4:1-2, but Christ manifests His gifts differently in everyone (4:7, 11). But this gift manifests itself in love (4:15-16). Finally, notice how the gifts cascade out in love from apostles to teachers (4:11) for the equipping of the saints for the building of the church (4:12). Pastors don’t build churches; saints build churches. Pastors and elders equip saints to do the work of ministry. To be a Christian is to join the work of ministry. And Paul says that this is necessary for the unity of the Church and the maturity of the Church (4:13-14). In order for the Church to grow up into unity and maturity, the saints must be equipped and the saints must do the ministry. This is why ministry is one of the ways we fight sin and squabbles (Eph. 4:25-32).
Type rest of the post here
Jesus, Gifts, Interests, and Needs
How do you know what you’re supposed to be doing? Should you keep doing what you’re doing now? Should you go back to school? Should you sell the house and move across the country? Across the world? Should you have more kids? Should you give thanks for the ones you have and then look for ways to serve other families? Should you spend more time with your own family? Should you spend more time with your neighbors? Should you invest more energy in your hobbies? Work longer hours to have more to give to missions? And we could extend these questions generally to our congregation: What should Trinity be growing up into? Should we spend more energy and resources on ministry to the poor? Should we spend more energy and resources on missions? Should we spend more energy and resources on Christian education? The Biblical principle is not to worry about these questions but rather to “Seek first the Kingdom…” (Mt. 6:33) and “Delight yourself in the Lord…” (Ps. 37:4). Therefore, we begin with Jesus and His Kingdom and then we prayerfully consider and seek counsel regarding our gifts and interests and the needs around us. The love of God and neighbor orients and directs our gifts.
For the Ministry, For the Kingdom
Regardless, we are a congregation overwhelmed by the love of the Triune God in Christ, and we are therefore committed to returning this love to our King and overflowing to the Palouse. And since the love of Christ is no small thing, we need to be thinking big and long term about how we want to see the love of Jesus transform this community. This means we want to come here and offer all that we are to the Lord (that’s what the offertory means), and then be commissioned to use our gifts for Jesus.
Monday, January 10, 2011
First Sunday of Epiphany: 1 Cor. 12:27-13:3, Eph. 4:1-16
Thursday, December 09, 2010
The Sacramental Efficacy of Oral Sex
When it comes to dating/courting relationships, men and women ought to be high church sacramentalists. By this I mean, they must not believe the lie of the "mere memorialists" who claim that the meaning of the sacrament is only supplied by those who faithfully "remember" the death and resurrection of Christ for their sins. On this view, if a little kid thinks its only a snack in the middle of church, for them, it is only a snack in the middle of church. The efficacy of the sacrament is wholly dependent upon the active, conscious application of the sacrament by the person eating the bread and drinking the wine. And it's pretty much the same with the water of baptism. On this view, you need to clench your fists, hold your breath, and close your eyes tight and *really* believe while you get dunked in the tub or else you just got all wet in front of a bunch of people in church.
But our culture has imbibed this understanding of sacraments and applied it dutifully to all gestures and rituals. The world has taken notes from our play book and has faithfully applied our unbelief to symbols and sacraments in every area of life. And this shows up particularly strong in the physical, sexual realm. Holding hands, kissing, embracing, oral sex, intercourse, and everything in between is gesture and ritual and symbol and sacrament in human relations. And what the world wants you to believe is that it only means what you want it to mean. It only means what you think it means. It can be for you whatever you want it to be. If it only means "having a good time" or "a little fling" or "a committed, non-marital relationship" then that's all well and good.
And because we have this subjective, mere memorialist position on sex, it doesn't matter if you're having sex with your wife, "a committed partner," or your neighbor's Dachshund. It means whatever you want it to mean. It means whatever seems right to you.
But this is nonsense because God made the world, and the world is infused with His glory, His meaning, and this means that everything has an objective, God ordained significance and power. In other words, all of life is sacramental in this broad sense, and this means that kissing and oral sex have meaning apart from what is going on in the participants' minds. Just as Baptism and the Lord's Supper have objective meaning and significance apart from what people may or may not be thinking while celebrating the sacraments. The same thing applies to the Word of God read and preached. God's Word is God's Word whether you are listening or not, whether you are paying attention or not.
And these sacraments are powerful means of grace, power lines of the Spirit that are meant to communicate life and health and strength and mercy when received in faith. But when they are trifled with, when they are belittled, ignored, or abused, they short circuit and explode (to extend the analogy), and for this reason many have ended up sick, maimed, and dead (1 Cor. 11:27-30).
In other words, God's guidelines for life, for sexual morality, for marital faithfulness are not just random rules. His guidelines are not arbitrary. The reason why God wants His people to guard their sexuality is because it is holy and potent. It is holy because God's people are holy and the Spirit dwells in them (1 Cor. 6:18-19). The marriage bed is honorable, and we are to honor it and protect it from being defiled because it has the power to give life or destroy it (Heb. 13:4).
Obviously, this is an argument against fooling around before marriage, but more importantly, the point is to explain why physical affection is so potent and powerful. People who swing through relationships, sleeping with multiple sex partners are going to have some major scarring. You can't go through life sucking on electrical outlets and expect to have a beautiful face. But even the more commonly accepted "Christian" practice of randomly and casually kissing various people in dating or courting relationships is asking for trouble, playing with fire. Why? Because gestures and rituals are sacramental; because kissing has a deep meaning of committed love. Now, of course kissing someone and then deciding they are not "the one" for you is way different than sleeping with them. I've touched live wires in my house on occasion, and that sharp vibration is a lot smaller than the electrical explosions that sometimes blow peoples' bodies apart. I'm not trying to equate kissing and sex. But kissing is sexual, and so is holding hands and embracing. And just to fend off the accusations, this isn't an argument against holding hands or kissing before marriage.
The point is that we should want our actions to match reality. We want our actions (and what they mean) to be consistent with what we mean. We want outlets that can handle the voltage. If she is a Christian sister who you might want to marry, there are signs and symbols for interest and care and low level affection. This might be brief hugs, sitting close to one another, perhaps holding hands. If you mean, I love you and I want you to be my wife, then there are physical signs and symbols for that reality. This might be kissing and embracing. And when you say "I do," and she is your wife, then there are signs and symbols for *that* reality. And in the context of Christian marriage, God expects His people to get naked and have a good time.
And I know couples who have courted for a few weeks and then got married, and I've known others that stretched it out over a year or two. But this requires some wisdom in pacing the momentum of the relationship. There's no biblically mandated time period for dating and marriage, but it is biblically mandated that we honor the marriage bed and that means honoring the highly charged sexuality of male/female relationships. If the marriage bed has an objective, sacramental meaning, then so do all the steps we take to get there. Foreplay is a liturgy that is going somewhere and it means that.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Anathema
In the Septuagint, "anathema/cursed" is used to describe those cities/people/objects which are wholly devoted to the Lord. And frequently, they are devoted to complete destruction (e.g. Num. 21:3, Dt. 7:26, 13:16, 20:17, Josh. 6:17-18, 7:1-13).
Paul uses this word when he says that he wishes he could be "cursed" from Christ for the sake of the Jews (Rom. 9:3) and then later with regard to those who do not love the Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 16:22, cf. 1 Cor. 12:3). The only other use of the word seems to be in Galatians 1 where Paul is describing those who preach another gospel (Gal. 1:8-9).
Monday, October 25, 2010
Exodus 12:15-28: Leaven & Sons
Introduction
Last week we suggested that Israel’s slavery in Egypt was more complex than we sometimes imagine. Recall how Joseph provided bread for Israel in Egypt and married an Egyptian priest’s daughter, it is not hard to imagine how Israel might have fallen into idolatry in Egypt (cf. Ez. 20).
Unleavened Bread
The Feast of Unleavened Bread began on the fourteenth day of the month on the evening the Passover lamb was killed (12:18, cf. 12:6, 8). Just as Passover signifies Israel’s birth, this is the beginning of a new creation week, and is kept from the “first day… until the seventh day” (12:15, cf. 12:2, Gen. 8:13). Leaven literally takes into itself many characteristics of its surroundings, and removing all leaven from the houses signifies the kind of repentance Yahweh is calling Israel to (12:15). This week begins and ends with a holy convocation/sabbath (12:16), and this feast is to be kept because Yahweh is bringing Israel out of Egypt (12:17). Specifically, Yahweh is bringing the “armies” of Israel out of Egypt (12:17, 41, 51), and this underlines the theme of “strength” – Israel is to find her strength in Yahweh. Those who eat leaven are to be “cut off” from Israel (12:15), whether they are native or strangers in the land (12:19). This probably points to future generations (cf. 12:17), but also suggests that some Egyptians may have participated with Israel in the original celebration (see 12:43ff). Being “cut off” is covenantal language from the “cutting” of covenants (Gen. 9:11, 21:27), and first occurs as a warning for those who are not circumcised (Gen. 15:18, 17:14). In Exodus, it was Moses’ son whose foreskin was “cut off” in circumcision (4:25, cf. 8:5). Given the Passover blood and the previous warnings in Genesis, it seems likely that removing the leaven of Egypt is a kind of corporate circumcision for Israel. This also underlines the virility of leaven, but Yahweh requires His people to trust Him.
Obedience & Children
Moses calls for the elders of Israel and gives them the instructions for Passover (12:21, cf. 4:29), and as before, the result is that the people bow their heads and worship (12:27, cf. 4:31). Here the instructions are slightly elaborated: they are to “touch” the blood to the lintel and doorposts of their houses with a bunch of hyssop (12:22). The word here is used in conjunction with several of the proto-Exodus accounts in Genesis: Yahweh “touches” Pharaoh with plagues for the sake of Sarai (Gen. 12:17, cf. Gen. 20:6, Gen. 26:11). It is only used twice previously in Exodus where it occurs in the proleptic Passover in 4:25 and then as a foretelling of this final plague (11:1). This indicates that Israel is in this sense coming under this final plague, but rather than being “touched” by the plague, their houses are “touched” with the Passover blood. Note also that everyone must stay inside the house during the night of the plague (12:22). Here, Moses also explains how this feast will be a memorial throughout the generations of Israel (12:24-27). It is their life-saving “service/labor” to Yahweh as opposed to the “service/labor” for Pharaoh intended to take life. God assumes that their children will ask them about what they are doing (12:26). The parents are instructed to rehearse the story of the original Passover and Exodus, how God struck Egypt and “delivered” the houses of Israel (12:27). The same word for delivered is used to describe how Israel “spoiled/plundered” Egypt (cf. 12:36). Yahweh is the warrior who has fought and conquered Egypt, and He is taking Israel as His plunder. Therefore Israel must look to Him for their strength.
Conclusions & Applications
First, notice the presence of children once again: Pharaoh was trying to kill the children of Israel (Ex. 1), it is the children of Israel who must go to the feast (10:9, 24), Yahweh has done all these wonders so that they may be declared to the children (10:1-2), and now Yahweh gives instructions for passing this story on to their children (12:26-27). Given this narrative, the Exodus should be seen as Yahweh fighting for the children. Salvation is for kids. And we have here a command to tell this story (all the great stories) to our children. But this focus on children is also a statement about the Kingdom of God, and the strength of our God. God ordains strength in the mouths of little ones. As Israel eats a meal with their children and tells the story of God’s deliverance, they are His armies.
Second, this story is true in history, and it is to be personally owned throughout history. This memorial action/story is to be kept throughout the generations (12:14), and the story is that Yahweh struck the Egyptians and delivered our households (12:27). Our new Passover is the Lord’s Supper in which we proclaim the forgiveness of sins in the blood of Christ, the final Passover Lamb. But if the Exodus and subsequent Israelite history teaches us anything it’s that leaving Egypt doesn’t guarantee leaving Egypt. Egypt is in our hearts, in our actions, in our words, and still needs to be purged out (1 Cor. 5:7-8).
Monday, October 04, 2010
The Church of Moscow, Idaho
In our sermon text this morning, God continues to draw a line between His people and the Egyptians. Between the people of Yahweh and the people of Pharaoh there is a huge difference when the plagues come in all their fury. In the early New Testament Church we know that many congregations met in homes throughout any given city. So on any given Sunday morning there might be many congregations gathering for worship much like we find in our own day in city like Moscow or Pullman. What’s interesting however is that the New Testament often refers to all of these congregations as making up the one church in that particular city. If you had asked a man from Jerusalem which church he went to, he would say, “the church of Jerusalem.” And if you asked where he went on Sunday morning he might tell you whose house he went to. This means that when God looks at the church, he looks at us on a number of different levels. He sees the church catholic around the world, but he also sees us in specific geographical regions. In the opening chapters of Revelation, the Lord addresses letters to seven churches, churches in seven different cities. He rebukes them for unbelief, encourages them in faithfulness, and confronts them where they have been unfaithful. The state of the church in Corinth was the state of all the assemblies and congregations in the city of Corinth. The Lord did not see fit to specify which particular house church was involved in which sin. He spoke to the entire city as the church of that city. This means that we need to learn to see ourselves in the very same way. There are Christians meeting in congregations all over this city. And the Lord considers us all to be part of the same church. We are only one gathering of the church of Moscow. Whether our church government acknowledges it or not, we are covenantally united to our brothers and sisters in the Baptist congregations, the Lutheran congregations, and the Roman Catholic congregations, and all the others. We are covenantally united because we are all in covenant with the Lord Jesus. And if we are united to Him, then we are one in Him. This does not mean that there are not important differences between denominations, anymore than there may have been different levels of faithfulness in the tribes of Israel huddled in Goshen or the house churches in Corinth. But in the big picture, the difference was between Egypt and Israel, between Christ and the world, between life and death. Therefore put away all pride; do not say you are of Paul or Apollos or Wilson or Leithart. You are of Christ, and in Him is all the fullness of our salvation.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Sharing Blood in the Body
“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.” (1 Cor. 10:16-17)
“And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” (1 Cor. 12:26)
In this latter verse, Paul is primarily exhorting the Corinthians to act like they really are members of the same body. He has previously told them not to say they don’t need one another. The eye needs the foot, and the hand needs the eye. But if we really are members of one body and Christ’s blood runs through all of us, then whether we want to or not, it is simply a fact that we do effect one another. We may not feel that we are that closely related to one another, but Paul says that as we gather at this meal week by week, we are communing together in the body and blood of Christ. Just as nutrients flow through the blood throughout the body, so toxins and viruses can travel through the blood and infect the body. This means that suffering for one another may not only be something we consciously choose to do; rather, it may also be the result of being bound together as one body here at this table. In other words, a particular hardship or difficulty in your life may be in part suffering for and with someone else in the body. Of course this also implies a warning about unconfessed sin. It is not possible to isolate a cancer or a virus in one part of the body. When you partake of this bread and cup, you are sharing your life with your neighbors. Sometimes people object to the idea of a common loaf or a common cup in communion because of all the germs that might be shared and spread. But Paul teaches here that there is an even more significant sharing going on. We are being knit together, grafted together into one body, and this means that we share blood. This means that we suffer with and for one another whether or not we realize it, and as members of the body are honored, God bestows great joy whether or not we realize the connection. But this might be terrifying. The thought that I might be infected by your sin or suffering, or that my pain and suffering might be passed on to you is scary. But this really shouldn’t be scary or terrifying because this is the blood of Christ, the blood of cleansing. But this is the blood of the new covenant for the remission of sins. This is the blood of Jesus. This means that we are united, bound together by the Spirit, and we do share in one another’s suffering. But as we partake in faith, as we look to Jesus for our full forgiveness, we can confidently pass the bread and the wine to one another, trusting the goodness of God and the wisdom of the Spirit and the healing power of the blood of Jesus to knit us together in perfect holiness and love, granting us grace to be grace for and to one another, until we come to the Perfect Man, until this world is full of that grace. So come with thankful hearts.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Baptized into Moses, Baptized into Christ
In 1 Cor. 10:2, Paul says that all of Israel was baptized “into Moses.” Paul explains that it was “in the cloud and in the sea.” At least one way of understanding this is that Israel followed in the steps of Moses. Moses passed through the water and reeds of the Nile and was delivered from his enemies as Israel was later delivered from her enemies through the waters of the Sea of Reeds. Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness and Yahweh spoke to him at Mt. Sinai as Israel would later do. In other words, if Israel had looked closely in faith, they would have seen how Moses’ early life was all a down payment and a preview of what God planned to do for them. Moses went through an Exodus before God brought Israel through theirs.
And this is why Paul can say that Israel was baptized into Moses. To be baptized is to be joined to a head, to be married to a leader. Israel followed Moses, the savior Yahweh raised up for her, and we are called to do the same. Our baptism is into King Jesus. His baptism was a literal death, and therefore we have been baptized into his death (Rom. 6:3-4). We have been called to follow him to the Promised Land. Throughout Scripture God points his people to what he has already done in history. This is how we know that God will deliver us now and in the future. God has been faithful in Jesus, our great Moses, and therefore he will be faithful to all who are in Him.
Now this meal is another memorial of the death of Christ. We partake of that death and resurrection, that Great Exodus in faith believing that our lives, our stories, are in the process of being turned into the story of Christ. Just as Israel’s story came to resemble the story of Moses, their spiritual head, so too we believe that as we trust and obey, our lives and stories are being conformed to the image of Christ. So come, eat, drink, and rejoice in the Exodus of Jesus.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Sixth Sunday in Easter: The Unity of the Spirit
Introduction
Unity is a challenging thing, and it is challenging because it always implies difference. Similarity is familiar and seems safe, but difference is unfamiliar and can seem threatening. The wisdom of this world prefers parties, clubs, and highly defined uniformity. But the wisdom of God is the foolishness of men. The wisdom of God builds the new temple of God in the power of the Spirit.
The text: 1 Cor. 3:1-23: “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ…”
Carnal and Spiritual
Paul laments that the Corinthians are not yet ready for “solid food” because they are still babes in Christ (3:1-2). Paul wishes he could speak to them as “spiritual people” – as people who have begun to search the deep things of God through the Holy Spirit (2:10-16). The milk of the gospel is unity in Christ, but they are still full of envy, strife, and divisions (3:3). They are still acting like “mere men.” This carnal wisdom is specifically evidenced in their denominational rivalry (3:4). Paul says that he and Apollos played roles in the gospel coming to Corinth, but he emphasizes that it was what the “Lord gave” (3:5), “God gave the increase” (3:6), and “God who gives the increase” (3:7). This doesn’t mean that the labors and gifts of people are irrelevant (3:8), but he insists that ministers are “fellow workers” of God in His field, in His building (3:9).
Wise Master Builder
Paul says that he was given grace to be a wise “master builder” (3:10). This is the Greek root for the English word “architect” and the same word used in the Septuagint to describe the work of Bezalel and Aholiab (Ex. 31:4, 35:32, 35:35, 37:21). Paul implies that he is like Bezalel and Apollos is like Aholiab. They have both been given the same Spirit to build the temple of God. But as Bezalel and Aholiab witnessed after the completion of the tabernacle, God’s Spirit comes to dwell in His house (Ex. 40:34-38). But Paul knows that this doesn’t mean that everything every pastor or teacher does or says will prove to be valuable (3:10-12). Each one’s work will be tested with fire (3:13-14). The reason some people’s work will be destroyed while they themselves are saved “through fire” is because the Spirit of God is the fire of God (3:16, cf. Acts 2). The Spirit tests, the Spirit destroys, the Spirit holds the temple together, whose temple you are (3:17).
No Boast in Men
This is why Paul insists that it is silly to think we’ve figured out how this whole thing works (3:18). The church is built and held together by the wisdom of God not the wisdom of men (3:19-20). God’s people do not hold the Spirit; the Spirit holds God’s people (3:21). This is why we have nothing of ourselves and absolutely everything in Christ (3:21). In the Spirit, we are called to know Christ, to search the deep things of God, to be taught by the Spirit (2:10-16) until we are absolutely certain that mere men are powerless, but the power of God holds us and all things together (3:22-23).
Applications & Conclusions
Unity requires difference. But there is significant difference between difference and deviance. After confessing that this is all the power of God and the working of the Spirit, Paul will charge up the hill and begin attacking the sins in the church of Corinth (ch. 5-11). Tumors must be removed from the body of Christ. But after condemning those sins, Paul anticipates a reaction to the deviance which is an overcorrection toward uniformity which is not at all the style of the Spirit (ch. 12-15).
The Spirit holds the Church together. This is why Paul jumps up and down on the power of God and the Spirit of God (1:17-18, 24-25, 2:4-5). The kingdom of God is not in word but in power (4:20). This means that we should have moments when we feel the impossibility of the church. People who should not ordinarily get along are getting along. And if we don’t have those feelings, we should wonder if the Spirit is with us. But when the wheels leave the ground, and we know we can’t fly, then we know that it is the Spirit who holds us.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Sacrificial Catechism: Yahweh's Unpresentable Parts
Mary Douglas suggests that the bodies of sacrificial animals correspond symbolically to the tabernacle topography and layout. On her reading, the entrails and genitals correspond to the Most Holy Place, the middle section of the animal with the fat and kidneys comes next corresponding to the sanctuary, followed by the head and meat sections for food which correspond to the outer court.
One obvious question that rises from this reading, which Douglas recognizes, is whether this is not too vulgar. Specifically: why align entrails and genitals with the Most Holy Place, the place of highest esteem and honor?
Douglas has several answers of her own to this question, but off the cuff, one possible parallel to this reading would be found in 1 Corinthians 12.
Could Paul have been working with something like this in mind when he wrote: "And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty..." (1 Cor. 12:23) Maybe so.
First, on the surface, the parallel works as "unpresentable parts" and members of "less honor" seem very likely to be a polite way of referring to the genitalia of the body. And upon these, Paul insists we bestow "greater honor" and "modesty." Both of which also seem to correspond well to the Most Holy Place where the greatest honor is bestowed, and certainly it is covered by the veil/curtain with great modesty and no one ordinarily goes behind the curtain, behind the veil except for once a year on the day of Atonement.
On this reading, Paul is working with the tabernacle structure in the back of his mind. And there are a couple of clues in 1 Corinthians that confirm this suggestion.
First, early in 1 Corinthians, Paul identifies himself as a "wise master builder" (1 Cor. 3:10). The word "master builder" is the same word used in the Septuagint to describe the work of Bezalel and Aholiab in constructing the tabernacle (Ex. 31:4, 35:32, 35). Paul insinuates that he is Bezalel and Apollos is like Aholiab (cf. 1 Cor. 3:5-6). Paul goes on in 1 Cor. 3 to describe the building project.
Secondly, Paul identifies the Corinthians as in a parallel historical position to the Israelites in the wilderness in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. The organization of right worship in the building of the tabernacle was the central building project of Moses and the Israelites during the wilderness sojourn. Paul says that the Corinthians are in a similar place in the story.
Finally, a cursory reading of the rest of the epistle reveals a number of other quotations or allusions to the same themes that make Paul's instructions about worship and the church beginning in 1 Cor. 11 fairly natural. Paul is self-consciously overseeing the construction of a new tabernacle in the wilderness. The Most Holy Place in the Church seems to be those members who are weak, poor, and otherwise unpresentable. Perhaps James has something similar in mind when he exhorts the Church to pure and undefiled religion: visiting orphans and widows (Js. 1:27). Likewise, his condemnation of the Church's preference for the rich (Js. 2:1-6). Our priestly ministry to the "least of these" is our ministry of bestowing "greater honor" and "greater modesty."
Could it be that this is "pure and undefiled religion" because it is our "day of atonement?" If the body is the temple/tabernacle and the body without the spirit is dead (Js. 2:26), then the "works" James has in view would specifically be that ministry to the poor, the weak, and the unpresentable.
Monday, March 01, 2010
Covered by the Blood or Guilty of the Blood
“Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you… For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread…” (1 Cor. 11:2, 23)
Here, Paul praises the Corinthians and reminds them of the traditions that he has delivered to them, and these traditions are those which the Lord Jesus began, the central one being the Lord’s Supper. The word for tradition literally means something like ‘hand down’ or ‘deliver.’ A tradition is that which is handed down from Father to Son, from generation to generation. A tradition is kept when it is delivered successfully to the next generation. In the case of the Lord’s Supper, Paul has delivered not only a way of celebrating a meal, but he has previously explained that this cup which we bless is the communion in the blood of Jesus and this bread which we break is the communion in the body of Christ. Jesus Himself had said that unless we eat of His flesh and drink of His blood we will not have life within us. When Paul handed down this meal, when he delivered this tradition to the Church in Corinth, he was delivering Jesus to the Corinthians. And this is why Paul is so concerned for their abuse of the table. Fighting and getting drunk at the Lord’s Supper was not just impolite or rude, it would make someone guilty of the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:27). What’s striking is that the same root word for ‘tradition’ and ‘deliver’ is also used to describe the betrayal of Jesus. When Jesus was betrayed, He was handed over, delivered over to the Roman authorities. Later, Pilate delivered Jesus to be crucified. It’s likely that Paul has this parallel in mind when he warns the Corinthians about being guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. As we celebrate this memorial, this Eucharist, we are communing in and with Jesus, but we are also the communicators of Jesus. As we speak to one another, we say, “the body of the Lord/the blood of Christ,” and we are either handing over and delivering Christ in faith and love or we are handing Jesus over in unbelief and envy. We are either covered by the blood of Jesus or we are guilty of the blood of Jesus. We are either delivering that which we have been given in Christ, or we are handing Christ over in betrayal. But this is the blood that was shed for the remission of sins. This blood was shed even for those who are guilty of it. When Peter preached his Pentecost sermon, he addressed some of the Jews who had a hand in the actual crucifixion of Jesus. And Peter assured them that they too would find in Christ, a Savior who would wash away their sins. This is what we have been given, this is what has been handed down, the tradition of the apostles, even Jesus and forgiveness in Him. And now we come to share this Jesus, this forgiveness and peace with one another.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
The God Who Breaks Through
In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul says that the children and spouse of a believing man or woman are sanctified, "holy" because of the faith of the one. I think frequently we over-spiritualize this, or understood rightly, we under-spiritualize this. We think "spiritual" means immaterial, invisible, and only just barely felt in the recesses of the warm tinglies in my belly. Spiritual happens when my eyes are closed.
And so we mystify Paul's words, we think some kind of covenantal voodoo is going on, magic vibes flowing through the house like some kind of karma.
But what if holiness is more like living well before God? If sin thrashes the lives of those it enslaves, and it does, then righteousness restores, justice sets free.
Anyone who's done much counseling or evangelism or missions work knows that those individuals, saved out of families and cultures where the sin and darkness is deep, frequently have significant sanctification battles to fight. And in one sense this is true of everyone of us. We're all sons and daughters of Adam.
But on the other hand, it is simply not true that we all start from the same point. Dead in sin, yes, but history really is the story of God's knowledge and mercy flooding the earth. This means that sinners come to life in different places at different times where the flood of God's grace is deeper or shallower depending on many details.
Coming back to life in a puddle of grace is still coming back to life. It's still true; it's still miraculous and the final resurrection is coming. But that puddle may be surrounded with mental illness, poverty, abuse, ignorance, physical handicaps, and any number of other effects of the Fall. And conversion doesn't magically make them all go away. Families and cultures in darkness do not have the blessings of faith surrounding them like families and cultures that have more generally embraced the Light. Coming back to life on Lake Erie is better than coming back to life in a puddle.
Many middle class Americans may have rejected the faith, but it's more than likely that they rejected the faith. It was the faith of their parents or their grandparents most likely. They are "holy" because they are still tasting the benefits, the blessings of the faith of their parents or grandparents. And of course at the end of history, these blessings will all testify against them for their rebellion against the God who gave them. These blessings will end up being millstones around the necks of thousands who spit in the face of God's mercy. But those whom God is pleased to save will repent and wake up to find a number of tools and benefits already all around them, an inheritance from faithful forebears. As God works in their lives, in some ways, sanctification will come more naturally given the blessings of faith from previous generations.
We must not reduce holiness to material circumstances, but we must not reduce holiness to ethereal circumstances either. The good news of Jesus is for people who need good news, for people enslaved, for people with broken hearts, for people buried beneath their sorrow's load. And that load comes in the form of children out of wedlock, emotional disorders, imprisonment, castigation, and all manner of broken relationships. Of course, of course, of course, the central enslavement, the fundamental emotional disorder, the most important broken relationship is the great chasm between an individual and God. Of course. And apart from the grace of God there, the rest will just be like dressing up a corpse. But if God is planning to resurrect the graveyard of humanity, it is not faith to sit around just whistling and waiting. This is about as helpful as Christopher Robin walking around with an umbrella saying rather loudly, 'tut-tut, it looks like rain.'
I do insist that we start with the message of Jesus. I do insist that we preach Jesus Christ crucified to the dry bones of humanity. Always lead with the gospel proclaimed, but the fabulous, mind-blowing point is that this will work. The declaration that Jesus is King will miraculously work! And you will find teeming hordes of recently resurrected corpses wandering around in your sanctuary. And they will smell and look like recently resurrected corpses. And some of them will be fakes. But some of them will come back to life in a part of the graveyard where the Spirit has already been at work, sanctifying a family and a culture. Those individuals still have the battle of sanctification ahead of them, but they do so with a number of blessings already piled up around them. Others will come back to life as the first fruits of a family, the first fruits of a culture. This is why the Church as the community of Jesus gathered around the Word and Sacraments is so central. This body of Christ is to be the family and culture, especially for those who wake up in a part of the graveyard where most of the tombs are still sealed. Those people need grace not only in the form of Lord's Day worship, the sacraments, Bible studies, Psalm Sings, and prayer, they also need grace in the form of childcare assistance, job training, help learning to read, maybe housing, clothing, and health care assistance as well as legal advice and bail money. Because practically speaking, all of these and many others are barriers to individuals growing in grace, they are just as much part of the spiritual battle as overcoming selfishness and bitterness and hate.
The fact that most people reading this are sitting at a computer in a warm, comfortable office or home, or glancing at their iPhone or Blackberry is part of the blessing of God to us. The fact that we have free time to even think about this is the blessing of God; you're also probably well clothed and not terribly concerned about where your next meal will come from. I think that's at least part of what Paul means when he says that believing individuals share holiness with their family members. Throughout the Bible, holiness means access to God, holiness breaks through the barriers, and while God always breaks through wherever He pleases, these material circumstances do matter and are part of the blessings and curses that follow generations.
One last important point: our material, physical circumstances must not be our rock or our fortress. They do not define us. Some men trust in chariots and horses, but we rely on the Lord our God who is strong to save. God's Word defines us. Like Paul, we must be content in every circumstance, whether rich or poor, whether slave or free, whether healthy or diseased, whether raised in a loving, Christian family or raised in an abusive hellhole. God is in heaven and He does what He pleases, and He is good and wise. We can and must trust Him. But in so far as God has given us freedom from sin, freedom of speech, free time, hearts full of joy, and plenty to share, we want to mimic the God of freedom, the God who is our rock and fortress. As the body of Christ, we are the hands and feet and face of the God who breaks through.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Exodus Weather
In Psalm 77, Asaph sings about the Exodus, and describes how the clouds poured out rain and thundered while the people of Israel crossed over on dry ground (77:16-17).
This helps fill out how Paul can describe the Red Sea crossing as a baptism (1 Cor. 10). Otherwise, you have a dry baptism because most of the Exodus texts emphasize the "dry ground" that Israel crossed over on. Only the Egyptians got "dipped" in water. But Ps. 77 describes the event as a great storm. The ground was dry enough for crossing, but it was apparently also raining.
Which of course scores a few more points for "sprinkling" Presbyterians. All of Israel was baptized in the cloud and the sea. Men, women, and children were all sprinkled by the Spirit-cloud of God's presence.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Tongues, Prophecy, and Sola Scriptura
After a lengthy discussion on the gifts of the Spirit that have been poured out in the church, the chief of which is love, Paul addresses the issue of tongues in 1 Cor. 14. He says "How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. ... Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order." (I Cor. 14:26, 39-40)
Paul is addressing a number of issues together here, but I wonder if his instructions don't apply to some of our conversations regarding scripture, tradition, and authority. At first glance at least, it would seem that certain readings of Scripture and Tradition end up doing the very thing Paul forbids here. He certainly limits how "wide open" the open mic is at Corinth, and the preceding chapters give an order to church society which prioritizes the apostles, prophets, teachers, etc. (12:28) And Paul clearly states that not all are teachers, prophets, etc. That would seem to have a limiting effect on who would speak in the assembly as well. But Paul clearly does not say that psalms, teachings, revelations, and interpretations may only come from those special people. He insists that the Corinthians must exercise wisdom, showing honor to those over them, and use discretion and deference in the assembly.
My point is merely to insist again that the doctrine of Sola Scriptura is meant to be a doctrine that is open to the working of the Spirit in the entire body of Christ. Remember the whole discussion of spiritual gifts begins with the common Spirit that we all share, and the prohibition against saying we don't need some bodily appendage. Isolating authoritative church teaching to councils, bishops, popes, or (for us Presbyterian types) confessions, does the very thing that Paul says not to do: Do not forbid the speaking in tongues and do not discourage any from earnestly desiring to prophesy. As Paul makes clear, this does not mean that meaning and authority and order is all up for grabs, but it does mean that there ought to be a generous spirit of patience and humility bound into the body of Christ, for we have all been made to drink into one Spirit, and we were all baptized into one body.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Drinking the Spirit
Earlier we considered what St. Paul says about the Holy Spirit baptizing all believers into one body. In the same place, Paul says that we have all been made to drink into one Spirit as well. Given the fact that Paul has already mentioned baptism and in the previous chapter has had an extended discussion of the Lord’s Supper, particularly concerned with making sure that everyone is served and no one is overlooked, it seems fairly certain that when Paul says that we have been made to drink of the Holy Spirit, he means primarily this table. This is one of the primary ways in which God the Holy Spirit knits us together as one body. Doug Jones pointed out yesterday that the blood of Christ is not only atonement before God but that it is what joins the body of Christ together. The blood of Christ is what unites joints, muscles, organs, and limbs so that they work together. And that’s why Jesus says that this cup is the new covenant in his blood. That’s what covenants do; a covenant binds a man and a woman together, a covenant forms a family, a nation, a kingdom. We are the covenant in the blood of Jesus, and as we serve one another here, passing bread and wine to each other, we are the body of Christ. And the Spirit works to strengthen us individually, but perhaps even more miraculously, the Spirit works to bind us together. To make us a stronger body, to make the eyes more appreciative of the feet, and the hands more thankful for the mouth. This is the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit, who loves to knit us together taking different notes, different rhythms and makes it all harmonize, makes it all sing. So come, eat, drink, and rejoice in one another, you are the body of Christ and the Spirit is binding you together.
Sudden Urges to Love
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul says that it is the Holy Spirit who has baptized all sorts of people into one body. And he insists that a body must have different members, different parts. If it doesn’t have different parts it’s not a body. But the tragedy in many churches is that we tend to do the very thing that Paul says not to do. He says not all believers are eyes, not all believers are feet or arms, and he insists that that’s a good thing, otherwise where would the body be if we were just a collection of right thumbs? But we tend to get suspicious of other body parts, we get suspicious of differences, and all the thumbs tend to band together in one congregation and peer doubtfully over at the church across the street with all the elbows. But Paul says that the Holy Spirit knits the body of Christ together; it is the Holy Spirit that makes eyes, joints, ligaments, livers, and knee caps to come together and function in harmony as one body. In our own strength and if left to ourselves, people attract like people: it’s more comfortable to hang out with people who have similar backgrounds, have similar interests, and are pursuing similar goals. But Paul says that’s easy. Anyone can do that. But God is at work knitting together a body full of opposites, a body of slaves and slave masters, a body of Gentiles and Jews, a body of people that aren’t usually supposed to get along or associate, much less like one another. And that’s how you know the Spirit is at work; that’s how you know this isn’t just another social club. Anyone can get a bunch of similar people to like each other, but only the Holy Spirit can get opposites to attract; only the Holy Spirit can make a family out of enemies and teach them to love one another. And that’s why it’s no accident that Paul goes immediately from talking about how different we are to the fact that the greatest gift of the Spirit is love. That’s how you know the Holy Spirit is filling and empowering you because you find yourself having sudden urges to love people you previously would have avoided like the plague.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Second Sunday in Easter: 1 Cor. 15:20-28: How Our King Puts Enemies Beneath His Feet
Opening Prayer: Almighty and Gracious Lord, You raised your Son from the dead almost 2,000 years ago, and you have unalterably changed the course of history. We thank you that in Jesus you have begun to remake the world and that because Jesus is King he is overseeing this process according to your perfect counsel. We ask that you would bestow greater faith and fuller obedience upon us now. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen!
Introduction: The Text and the Question
Paul says that the resurrection of Jesus is just the beginning (15:20). It is the firstfruits, the proof of what the harvest will be like. He explains that Christ is raised first as the firstfruits and afterwards everyone will be raised at his coming at the end (15:23-24). The end will be marked by Christ handing over the kingdom to God the Father (15:24). This will also mark the final end to all rule, authority, and power; which will be his to end because it has been put beneath his feet (15:25). The last enemy is death, and therefore all will be raised (cf. Rev. 20:12-15). Therefore, to the question, ‘What is Jesus doing now?’ we must answer unambiguously, Jesus is ruling the world and destroying all his enemies (15:25-26). But that leads to the next obvious question, ‘why is it taking so long?’
The Resurrection means Jesus is King
Because there are still problems and evil in the world, the constant temptation of Christians has been to downplay the reign of King Jesus. But Paul begins Romans declaring that Jesus is the seed of David that he was declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection of the dead (Rom. 1:3-4). The promise of the Davidic covenant was a son of David who would also be God’s Son who would be King forever (2 Sam. 7:12-14). This is what Peter declares to be true in his Pentecost sermon: Because Jesus is raised from the dead, he has been exalted to the right hand of God until his enemies are his footstool (Act 2:32-35). Later, Peter says that all authorities and powers have been made subject to him following his resurrection (1 Pet. 3:21-22). This also explains why the resurrection was so offensive and threatening to the authorities (e.g. Acts 4:1-2, 17:31-32). If Christ’s resurrection was just a weird phenomenon then there’s really no reason to get worried. But if the resurrection means that Jesus is King of the World, then every rule, authority, and power has cause to be threatened (cf. 1 Cor. 15:24).
The Wisdom of the Cross
And so we ask, ‘if Jesus is King of the world, why does my car still break down?’ What don’t my children obey? Why does my husband talk to me that way? Why is my boss such a jerk? Why is there cancer and AIDS? Why do children die of starvation? Why do tsunamis wipe out whole communities? Why do stupid people keep getting elected to office? Why have more Christians died for being Christians in the last hundred years than all other years combined? If Jesus is reigning until all of his enemies have become his footstool, why is it taking so long? And why is it so hard? Part of the answer is seen in the wisdom of the cross: God conquered death by taking death upon himself. God conquered sin by taking sin upon himself. Therefore it should come as no surprise that God calls upon us to participate in the conquest of his enemies, the conquest of suffering, sickness, and hardships by taking them upon ourselves. And in this, he is making us the people he wants us to be.
For Communion: Paul says that he considers all of his accomplishments rubbish that through faith he may know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings and death (Phil. 3:10). For Christians, hardships ought to draw us closer to Christ. And if closer, surely we are made more like Him.
For Character and Hope: Paul says that tribulations produce perseverance; perseverance character; and character hope (Rom. 5:3-4). James says something similar when he insists that the testing of our faith produces patience and perfection (Js. 1:2-4). Paul says that for this reason, we are called upon to glory in tribulations. If we are convinced that God is it at work, how can we not glory? How can we not rejoice (cf. Js. 1:2).
For Ministry: Paul says that we suffer some tribulations so that we will be able to comfort others who are in any trouble (2 Cor. 1:4). Whatever the burden is that causes us to despair even to the point of death, the point is that God would have us place our trust in Him who raises the dead (2 Cor. 1:8-10).
For Prayer: James says that if anyone is suffering, he should pray (Js. 5:13). Pain and hardship have a wonderful way of concentrating the mind. Hardships should make us know and feel our dependence upon God (e.g. Ps. 123:2).
For Thanksgiving: God gives tribulations and hardships to some so that when others bear their burdens with them, particularly in prayer, there may be even greater rejoicing in the deliverance that God grants (2 Cor. 1:11).
The resurrection is not merely ‘a good idea’. (e.g. the Gravity bumper sticker). The resurrection is not something that we hope will ‘catch on.’ The resurrection is not a fad. The resurrection is a fact, and therefore Jesus is King. This means that history is unfolding according to his perfect wisdom and counsel. This means that Jesus wants his people to grow up into a certain kind of holiness, a certain kind of faithfulness, a certain kind of joy. Jesus will reign until every enemy is beneath his feet; you have been called to become part of that story: therefore, rejoice.
In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen!
Closing Prayer: Gracious Father, we take this opportunity now to publicly rejoice in all of the trials you have given to us. We do this not in a glib or superficial manner, but with the simple faith of children. Very often we do not have the slightest idea of what you are doing in our lives, but we trust you. You have raised Jesus from the dead, and this means that he is most certainly King of the world. Therefore, we give you thanks for the countless ways you are conforming us to his image.
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