Life has been weird lately. We had some creepy guy knock on the door late at night and ask to leave his broken down truck in our yard. He acted like he'd be back that night to fix it, but it sat for 10 days. Last Saturday, he was out there when I got up, but left before too long. Then, we noticed the license plates were gone. So, I finally called the cops yesterday. The dispatcher treated me like I was some kind of idiot for not confronting the guy when he came back. But, a very nice officer came out and used the vin # to contact the dealership that had recently sold the car to the fella I met. They apparently gave the officer the number of the man, so a few hours later a couple showed up to claim the truck. Oddly enough, neither of them was the original man. But, I'm no detective, so I didn't ask any questions. Well, that couple left and the tow truck showed up a bit later and hauled the truck off. I thought, at that point, I was done with the drama. A few hours later, though, I get a knock on the door from a new creepy guy who demanded to know where the truck was. I told him the owner towed it. He said the guy waiting the in the car in my driveway was the owner (I think they were from the dealership which the officer had earlier described as "shady"). So, being the concerned citizen that I am, I told him he could take it up with the police, and quietly hoped he wouldn't be waiting under my porch in the morning to take me out. Well, it's after 10 Tuesday night, and so far no creepy men have knocked on our door, unless you count the guy from Broadway baptist who gave me a noticeably traditional flier for their Easter service (he was very nice actually).
Drama #2, though these are in no particular order. Last Saturday we passed out fliers for our Big Hunt which takes place this Saturday. So, today when the ladies checked the answering machine, there was a lovely message from a concerned Sister in Christ. She reemed us first for putting trash on her door, an act which is apparenlty a hienous crime. I'm guessing she gives the mailman a tongue lashing regularly. Then, of course, she informed us that it is immoral to have an Easter Egg hunt period, and even more immoral that a Christian illusionist is performing at our event. I was not aware, but apparently Easter is all about the death and resurrection of Jesus instead of bunnies and the dark arts. Strangely, miss morality police did not leave a call back number and, oddly, she called at a time that no one would ever be answering phones. I'm sure sure it's for the best because I'd hate to pull her to the dark side be informing her that the illusionist does illusions, not real magic, or that his sole purpose is to share the Gospel. And, she certainly wouldn't want to know that we are trying to be a blessing to our community WHILE building relationships and sharing the Gospel as opposed to simply beating people over the head with scripture or telling them they're going to Hell with no hope. Alright, I've used my sarcasm quota for this paragraph.
Drama #3: school
Some of you may know that I recenlty discovered that my "distance learning" program at New Orleans requires 4 classes that do not have an on-line, 1-week workshop/seminar, or hybrid (one class a month) format. One of those classes I can test out of, leaving me with one Ministry Practicum (2 hours), and two spiritual formation classes (1 hour each). As far as standard procedure goes, I must take these classes in a classroom in a regular semester format. And the closest place I can do that is Shreveport, LA, a mere 8 hours from Springfield. I goes without saying that this is impossible. Classes are on Monday mornings so I'd have to either leave Sunday afternoon or drive all night, and then I'd miss a whole day of work every week for two semesters. What is frustrating is that I really had to dig to figure this out. The whole time I've been reading how this program appeals to full-time ministers and people who can't go to school in the usual format. It's frustrating that I have options for the other 91 hours of my 95 hour degree, but these 4 hours are holding me back.
Anyway, when I was accepted I received a one page letter with the only instructions
they offered me. Basically, all I was told was that I have to attend an orientation on campus before I complete my first 15 hours of classes and that I need to contact my advisor before I register for classes. So, I contact him to ask what I can do about these spiritual formation classes which I'm supposed to take on a campus my first two semesters in school. That was last Tuesday. Then on Thursday, I sent the email again (I've had terrible communication with this Christian institution and been treated at least with extreme indifference by everyone I've contacted. I don't think I've received a response from anyone without emailing them several times over the course of a few weeks. So I'm already frustrated by that). Well, Monday I call and get his voicemail and leave a message to call me. He doesn't, so today I call and get a hold of him. Maybe I'm reading in to our conversation, but I think he was annoyed that I've been bugging him. He basically told me that I shouldn't be asking him questions because I should have learned what I needed in orientation (which I don't have to take yet). He also said he's been too busy to respond. I won't go in to the whole conversation, but suffice it to say we did not hit it off.
After hanging up, I received a very quick email where I was basically called ignorant because apparenlty I'm supposed to have every little rule and policy memorized already. I'd love to say that I told him what I was thinking, but this guy holds my future in his hands. So, I apologized profusely for being annoying (I'd like to say it was a love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you thing, but that wasn't entirely my goal), informed him that I'm actually well aware of the policies and am looking for loopholes, and that I'm willing to work my tail off to get this degree. But I also said I cannot justify quitting my job to attend school just because four credit hours are holding me back. So, he quickly responded with other people to contact which is at least a step in the right direction (that direction is "away"). I've contacted the person in charge of spiritual formation classes, so we'll see how many days, emails, and phone calls it takes to get a response from him.
Anyway, I'm really frustrated with NOBTS. I know I was spoiled with people who actually cared at SBU. I understand I probably won't have an advocate like I did in college. But I at least want to feel like the staff and professors aren't fighting against me or completely ignoring me. I honestly expect more out of a seminary, which is probably my first mistake. So, I guess you can be in prayer with me about that. If I didn't want it so bad, I'd probably let this discourage me to the point of giving up because if it's already this hard, it's only going to get worse. But, I'm going to work hard and stretch myself and make this happen even if it kills me.
So that's the life part of Bible and Life. I'm working on a new Revelation post which will be done soon.
-Matt
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Revelations from Revelation 7: chapter 1, verses 4-8
In previous verses, John has told us about the nature of his letter, the author(s), and audience. Scholars have identified vv. 4-8 as the "greeting," a distinctive feature of Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) letters. You may recognize the style from Paul's letters since he often stays true to epistolary form. Sadly, modern readers tend to skip over greetings to get to the supposed meat of the letter and miss these very important verses. Paul, for instance, often uses the greeting and thanksgiving to give a summary of the ideas he will cover in the letter. Here in The Revelation, the author gives us a massive spoonful of theology in these four short verses.
In v. 4, John further specifies his audience as the seven churches of Asia, presumably the same as those who will receive specific challenges, warnings, and commendations in chapters 2-3. Again, he does not greet those of us in 2010 America, because we aren't the supreme focus of his letter. Nevertheless, he offers a common Christian greeting of grace and peace, but expounds on those theologically rich blessings by attributing them to a timeless God. God was, and is, and is to come. You'll see this description often throughout The Revelation, but here I will at least note that the circumstance of John's recipients makes the author's theology come alive. Sure, it is encouraging in any situation to know that God is timeless, but it is a truth that allows a suffering Christian to hold on to his last thread of hope when God seems as if he has disappeared. When all seems lost, God is not dead and he has not abandoned his people. A God outside of time is present at all times.
For the sake of length, I will simply say that the seven Spirits likely refer to the Holy Spirit. Thus, one might note that John includes the three persons of the Trinity in his greeting. Recently, I've been studying early church history and am surprised at how long it took to grasp the concept of the Trinity. Remember that this confusing doctrine is never concisely explained in the Bible. I believe that the doctrine of the Trinity is certainly implicit. But based purely on scripture, I cannot be surprised that the early father's struggled to understand the Trinity. My point is that we read right past references to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit because it has been taught to us since childhood. But, for John's audience, his reference to each person of the trinity is revolutionary.
In verse 5, Jesus is described in 5 ways. First, he's the faithful witness, a term used in chapter three to describe a martyr who retained his faith in spite of persecution. Jesus is the supreme example to follow. Second, he's the firstborn of the dead, implying there will be a second and third and so on. If John's readers remain faithful witnesses and die for their faith, it will not be the end because there is a resurrected. Easter brings a hope that cannot be stolen or murdered. Third, Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth. His reign is sovereign, even when suffering persists. Just as God used Pharaoh and King Nebuchadnezzar to accomplish his will, so he can use the emporers because he is their king. Fourth, Jesus is one who loves us, so when his sovereignty allows his people to suffer his love for them is not diminished. And fifth, he is the savior who has freed his followers from their sins by his death. When life is looked at in perspective, salvation the only rescue that will ever be absolutely vital. Even when persecution brings death, victory has still been won for the believer by Jesus' death.
Verse 6 speaks of the Church's status as a kingdom. Christians did not have their own country, nations, or probably even neighborhoods at this time. They felt like foreigners or aliens in a strange land. Thus, it must have been comforting to know that they were a kingdom in themselves. And their role within this kingdom is that of a priest: to facilitate worship. I want to note here that practically every phrase is pregnant with references to Old Testament images. Other than Hebrews and possibly Matthew, The Revelation is one of the most Jewish books in the New Testament. So, when you have questions concerning John's language or subject matter, it probably seems odd because it's quite Jewish.
Verse 7 moves us from who Jesus is and what he has done, to future events. He will return some day. In my own life, I notice that I don't anticipate Jesus' return when life is going well. It's easy to secretly hope that Jesus waits until I have kids or until I'm done with school. But when my heart is heavy and life is oppressive, I find it easy to hope for a speedy return. In the words of Janis Joplin, "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose." It's the broken person who is blessed with a genuine anticipation for the Second Coming. On a side note, the images of clouds and wailing come from Daniel 7 and Zech. 12.
You might notice that v. 7 doesn't leave much room for two separate returns of Christ. Jesus is coming and "every eye will see him," which doesn't sound like the secret rapture of believers described in Left Behind. Premillennialists might say that he's referring to the Second Coming that will occur after a rapture and then 1,000 interim. If that's true, why wouldn't the author encourage these persecuted people with the promise that God will scoop them off the earth soon? Why encourage them with an event that won't take place until a millennium after they've already reached Heaven?
Anyway, v. 8 contains the words of God, that he is the "alpha and omega," which are of course the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. And again, he was and is and is to come. God's mini-autobiography in this verse remains an encouragement to me when I get discouraged about the events of my life or feel frustrated with my lack of control. I've been trying to look at the stars more because they remind me that God is Creator and that the One who sustains far away galaxies and created all that I know can surely take care of my relatively small situations.
My further point of application is this: theology is practical. I hate that modern Christians ONLY want to know how something applies "practically" to their lives in the sense that it suggests a specific action. Most people deal with discouragement by talking with someone, or journaling, or any number of action oriented ways. But we forget that theology is like the neosporin that must underlay the band-aids of physical actions. When the going gets tough, think about and remember that God is present, in control, the author of hope, a perfect example of endurance, and the defeater of life's biggest problems: sin, death, and Hell. Let that theology be the base of what you do, so when you talk to someone about your problems, talk about who God is. When you write about your hurts, write also about the nature of God. There is nothing more practical that that.
Sorry I'm becoming more sporadic with my posts. I've been brushing up on Greek and learning Hebrew in preparation for school. I love learning languages, but it is very time consuming. I'll try to be more consistent.
-Matt
In v. 4, John further specifies his audience as the seven churches of Asia, presumably the same as those who will receive specific challenges, warnings, and commendations in chapters 2-3. Again, he does not greet those of us in 2010 America, because we aren't the supreme focus of his letter. Nevertheless, he offers a common Christian greeting of grace and peace, but expounds on those theologically rich blessings by attributing them to a timeless God. God was, and is, and is to come. You'll see this description often throughout The Revelation, but here I will at least note that the circumstance of John's recipients makes the author's theology come alive. Sure, it is encouraging in any situation to know that God is timeless, but it is a truth that allows a suffering Christian to hold on to his last thread of hope when God seems as if he has disappeared. When all seems lost, God is not dead and he has not abandoned his people. A God outside of time is present at all times.
For the sake of length, I will simply say that the seven Spirits likely refer to the Holy Spirit. Thus, one might note that John includes the three persons of the Trinity in his greeting. Recently, I've been studying early church history and am surprised at how long it took to grasp the concept of the Trinity. Remember that this confusing doctrine is never concisely explained in the Bible. I believe that the doctrine of the Trinity is certainly implicit. But based purely on scripture, I cannot be surprised that the early father's struggled to understand the Trinity. My point is that we read right past references to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit because it has been taught to us since childhood. But, for John's audience, his reference to each person of the trinity is revolutionary.
In verse 5, Jesus is described in 5 ways. First, he's the faithful witness, a term used in chapter three to describe a martyr who retained his faith in spite of persecution. Jesus is the supreme example to follow. Second, he's the firstborn of the dead, implying there will be a second and third and so on. If John's readers remain faithful witnesses and die for their faith, it will not be the end because there is a resurrected. Easter brings a hope that cannot be stolen or murdered. Third, Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth. His reign is sovereign, even when suffering persists. Just as God used Pharaoh and King Nebuchadnezzar to accomplish his will, so he can use the emporers because he is their king. Fourth, Jesus is one who loves us, so when his sovereignty allows his people to suffer his love for them is not diminished. And fifth, he is the savior who has freed his followers from their sins by his death. When life is looked at in perspective, salvation the only rescue that will ever be absolutely vital. Even when persecution brings death, victory has still been won for the believer by Jesus' death.
Verse 6 speaks of the Church's status as a kingdom. Christians did not have their own country, nations, or probably even neighborhoods at this time. They felt like foreigners or aliens in a strange land. Thus, it must have been comforting to know that they were a kingdom in themselves. And their role within this kingdom is that of a priest: to facilitate worship. I want to note here that practically every phrase is pregnant with references to Old Testament images. Other than Hebrews and possibly Matthew, The Revelation is one of the most Jewish books in the New Testament. So, when you have questions concerning John's language or subject matter, it probably seems odd because it's quite Jewish.
Verse 7 moves us from who Jesus is and what he has done, to future events. He will return some day. In my own life, I notice that I don't anticipate Jesus' return when life is going well. It's easy to secretly hope that Jesus waits until I have kids or until I'm done with school. But when my heart is heavy and life is oppressive, I find it easy to hope for a speedy return. In the words of Janis Joplin, "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose." It's the broken person who is blessed with a genuine anticipation for the Second Coming. On a side note, the images of clouds and wailing come from Daniel 7 and Zech. 12.
You might notice that v. 7 doesn't leave much room for two separate returns of Christ. Jesus is coming and "every eye will see him," which doesn't sound like the secret rapture of believers described in Left Behind. Premillennialists might say that he's referring to the Second Coming that will occur after a rapture and then 1,000 interim. If that's true, why wouldn't the author encourage these persecuted people with the promise that God will scoop them off the earth soon? Why encourage them with an event that won't take place until a millennium after they've already reached Heaven?
Anyway, v. 8 contains the words of God, that he is the "alpha and omega," which are of course the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. And again, he was and is and is to come. God's mini-autobiography in this verse remains an encouragement to me when I get discouraged about the events of my life or feel frustrated with my lack of control. I've been trying to look at the stars more because they remind me that God is Creator and that the One who sustains far away galaxies and created all that I know can surely take care of my relatively small situations.
My further point of application is this: theology is practical. I hate that modern Christians ONLY want to know how something applies "practically" to their lives in the sense that it suggests a specific action. Most people deal with discouragement by talking with someone, or journaling, or any number of action oriented ways. But we forget that theology is like the neosporin that must underlay the band-aids of physical actions. When the going gets tough, think about and remember that God is present, in control, the author of hope, a perfect example of endurance, and the defeater of life's biggest problems: sin, death, and Hell. Let that theology be the base of what you do, so when you talk to someone about your problems, talk about who God is. When you write about your hurts, write also about the nature of God. There is nothing more practical that that.
Sorry I'm becoming more sporadic with my posts. I've been brushing up on Greek and learning Hebrew in preparation for school. I love learning languages, but it is very time consuming. I'll try to be more consistent.
-Matt
Monday, March 22, 2010
Willy's Birthday
Hey Everyone,
Willy's official birthday is tomorrow, March 23! Please call him and let him know you remembered.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Revelations from Revelation 6: chapter 1, verses 2-3
From verse one, we learned that there is a chain of revelation taking place: God to Jesus to John to the reader/hearer (I hesitate to simply consider John's audience as readers because only since the reformation and printing press has the Church been able to read the Bible more than hearing it]. John's role is that of a witness, not interpreter. The distinction between witness and interpreter is absolutely vital to the way John's words are interpreted. The author is describing a vision instead of interpreting the meaning of what he saw and heard. I might open up a newspaper and see an illustration of a donkey fighting an elephant. If I'm fulfilling the role of witness, I'd tell you that I saw a donkey and elephant fighting. On the other hand, acting as interpreter, I might tell you that Republicans and Democrats are at one anothers' throats again. Thus, John is the cartoonist who leaves interpretation up to his audience.
Verse three provides John's first of seven beatitudes, or blessings. Earlier I mentioned this briefly, but the number seven is a common literary device used to symbolize perfection and completeness. In The Revelation, there are seven beatitudes, churches, spirits, trumpets, thunders, signs, crowns, plagues, golden bowls, hills, kings, etc. The apocalyptic nature of this book forces us to be very careful with such figures that can be either literal or symbolic, or possibly fall somewhere on a spectrum between the two. I know few Christians who literally forgive others 70 X 7 times and then refuse to show grace on the 491st time. Likewise, I don't hesitate to roll my eyes when I hear a well-meaning but misinformed Christian say something to the effect of "God's Word says it, so I believe it," in the sense that the Bible is void of figurative language. The Bible is stuffed to the brim with poetry, prophecy, metaphor, parable, and even sarcasm. So, while I believe that God is able to speak through the Bible to people of all cognitive levels, it is also the richest and most brilliant literature in the world, inspired by the ultimate Force of creativity and genius, God.
With that in mind, the first blessing is to the ones who READ ALOUD and HEAR John's prophecy [again, indicative of the first century audience who would have had this letter read in church services]. But simply hearing is not enough because that act is inseparably linked to keeping or heeding the prophetic message. One would do well to note that the author, John, believes himself to be a prophet. In spite of modern connotations, a prophet is not simply someone who predicts the future . In fact, the simplest definition might be one who communicates on behalf of God. While this definition risks being too simplistic, the point to be made is that John is not seeking to document a strange dream, or share an interesting story with friends. He believes he is communicating the very word of God. And God's word must be heard and kept in order to be a blessing in one's life. Interestingly, I'm amazed that Christians often treat this powerful and emotional book as if it were no more than a time-line for the end of the world with no practicality for today. No matter how you interpret the millennium or the anti-christ, I would challenge you not to miss the messages of God's love and activity in the lives of his people and the call to persevere in spite of fiery suffering. The Revelation is not a time-line but a highly visual sermon with numerous points of application.
The reason to hear and keep this prophecy is that "the time is near." The word used here is kairos in Greek, which connotes a special, appointed time [as opposed to chronos, meaning a span of time]. The question is to what does the appointed time refer? It's as if the timer is counting down, but the reader is not sure what will happen when the clock strikes midnight. Does John refer to the end of the world being near in time? If so, he either has a very loose definition of "near," or was mistaken. On the other hand, it certainly wouldn't be inappropriate to say that any point in time is "near" to a timeless, infinite God. Another possibility is that the appointed time for God's intervention in the situations of the suffering is near. Persecuted and frightened Christians need only hold on to their faith for a short time before God intervenes. Those who see a number of The Revelation's events as fulfilled during the lifetime of John's original audience might simply see prophetic fulfillment as being near in chronological time. However one takes John's statement, one thing that remains clear is that God will act, and a call to endure and to maintain hope is surely implicit in light of such truth.
As a point of "application," I would encourage you to approach this book, as you hopefully do all scripture, with an attitude of readiness to live out what you read. If you are not prepared to think in the way you will be told to think and act in the ways you will be told to act, then reading The Revelation will be little more than an intellectual exercise. Scripture must always be approached with an anticipation of personal life change.
We will continue through chapter one in my next post. Enjoy!
-Matt
Verse three provides John's first of seven beatitudes, or blessings. Earlier I mentioned this briefly, but the number seven is a common literary device used to symbolize perfection and completeness. In The Revelation, there are seven beatitudes, churches, spirits, trumpets, thunders, signs, crowns, plagues, golden bowls, hills, kings, etc. The apocalyptic nature of this book forces us to be very careful with such figures that can be either literal or symbolic, or possibly fall somewhere on a spectrum between the two. I know few Christians who literally forgive others 70 X 7 times and then refuse to show grace on the 491st time. Likewise, I don't hesitate to roll my eyes when I hear a well-meaning but misinformed Christian say something to the effect of "God's Word says it, so I believe it," in the sense that the Bible is void of figurative language. The Bible is stuffed to the brim with poetry, prophecy, metaphor, parable, and even sarcasm. So, while I believe that God is able to speak through the Bible to people of all cognitive levels, it is also the richest and most brilliant literature in the world, inspired by the ultimate Force of creativity and genius, God.
With that in mind, the first blessing is to the ones who READ ALOUD and HEAR John's prophecy [again, indicative of the first century audience who would have had this letter read in church services]. But simply hearing is not enough because that act is inseparably linked to keeping or heeding the prophetic message. One would do well to note that the author, John, believes himself to be a prophet. In spite of modern connotations, a prophet is not simply someone who predicts the future . In fact, the simplest definition might be one who communicates on behalf of God. While this definition risks being too simplistic, the point to be made is that John is not seeking to document a strange dream, or share an interesting story with friends. He believes he is communicating the very word of God. And God's word must be heard and kept in order to be a blessing in one's life. Interestingly, I'm amazed that Christians often treat this powerful and emotional book as if it were no more than a time-line for the end of the world with no practicality for today. No matter how you interpret the millennium or the anti-christ, I would challenge you not to miss the messages of God's love and activity in the lives of his people and the call to persevere in spite of fiery suffering. The Revelation is not a time-line but a highly visual sermon with numerous points of application.
The reason to hear and keep this prophecy is that "the time is near." The word used here is kairos in Greek, which connotes a special, appointed time [as opposed to chronos, meaning a span of time]. The question is to what does the appointed time refer? It's as if the timer is counting down, but the reader is not sure what will happen when the clock strikes midnight. Does John refer to the end of the world being near in time? If so, he either has a very loose definition of "near," or was mistaken. On the other hand, it certainly wouldn't be inappropriate to say that any point in time is "near" to a timeless, infinite God. Another possibility is that the appointed time for God's intervention in the situations of the suffering is near. Persecuted and frightened Christians need only hold on to their faith for a short time before God intervenes. Those who see a number of The Revelation's events as fulfilled during the lifetime of John's original audience might simply see prophetic fulfillment as being near in chronological time. However one takes John's statement, one thing that remains clear is that God will act, and a call to endure and to maintain hope is surely implicit in light of such truth.
As a point of "application," I would encourage you to approach this book, as you hopefully do all scripture, with an attitude of readiness to live out what you read. If you are not prepared to think in the way you will be told to think and act in the ways you will be told to act, then reading The Revelation will be little more than an intellectual exercise. Scripture must always be approached with an anticipation of personal life change.
We will continue through chapter one in my next post. Enjoy!
-Matt
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
