After reading Jude, I moved on to Philemon.
14 OCT 08
One of the shortest books of the Bible, but a fairly well-known story:
Onesimus was a runaway slave who belonged to one of Paul's friends. He met or found Paul, who was in prison at the time. Paul led Onesimus to the Lord, then sent him back to his master. Paul's letter is a plea for Philemon to accept Onesimus back as a brother in the Lord, even as if he were Paul himself (v. 17), and not as a slave. Runaway slaves who were returned to their masters were often punished severely.
Paul as an apostle could have ordered Philemon to either grant Onesimus his freedom, give him as a gift to Paul (v.13), or to not punish him. But Paul knew that to do so would infringe on Philemon's free will given by God. If God would not override Philemon's free will, neither will Paul (v.14).
The key phrase in this book is in verse 9: "for love's sake." For love's sake, Paul appeals to his friend instead of using his authority to order him to do the right thing. Paul also knew of Philemon's love for the saints (v. 5), and he was sure that would not only do what he asked, but more than that!
15 OCT 08
An interesting thread in this book is the obligations that people have towards each other.
First, Paul reminds or informs Philemon that he (Paul) is in prison for his faith, and is a prisoner of Christ (v. 9). By stating this, I'm sure he reminded Philemon of his own obligation to Christ.
Paul also indicates that he could have kept Onesimus with him, but he felt an obligation to respect Philemon's choice (v.14).
Paul also recognizes that Onesimus has an obligation to Philemon, but offers to cover any loss that Philemon might have incurred by Onesimus' actions. He also reminds Philemon of the spiritual debt that he owes Paul (vs. 18 - 19).
The key lesson from this thread is: Which obligation is the most important? The obligation to love.
23 OCT 08
Most people might not know it, but Paul makes a pun in verses 10 and 11. In verse 10, he first mentions Onesimus, whose name means "useful." This was a common name for males born into slavery.
The pun comes in verse 11. Paul says that Onesimus, "Useful," was not useful when he ran away, but now he is Onesimus again because Paul led him to the Lord, and is sending him back to Philemon.
All too often, American Christians miss the humor in the Bible due to our not being acquainted with the languages and culture of the times and places of when and where it was written, and also due to the influence of religion that sees laughter as unholy or sinful.
24 OCT 08
To tie together previous entries, what we see in this letter is a balance between love, free will, and obligation.
God will never override man's free will, and neither must His servants. Despite having the authority to order Philemon to release Onesimus, Paul appeals to his friend on the basis of love.
People do have the ability to obligate themselves. Because Philemon was a believer, he chose to submit to the authorities in the Church.
What if Philemon had not been a believer? Once Paul found out his new convert was a runaway slave, he would have sent Onesimus back with a different message. Paul's letter then would have presented the Good News first, and might have appealed to Philemon to release Onesimus, or at least not punish him severely, on the basis of general morality.
Paul made his appeal because of the love of God he experienced. He appealed to the love of God that Philemon experienced as the reason for him to release Onesimus.
The obligations of love are stronger than the obligations of the law.
26 OCT 08
The depth of Paul's appeal to Philemon is seen in verses 7 and 20. In verse 7, Paul notes that Philemon, acting in love, refreshed the hearts of the saints. In verse 20, Paul asks Philemon to refresh his heart. In other words, show me the same love you show to other Christians in your area.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Meditations on Jude - Part 2
Continuing the observations/lessons from Jude:
01 OCT 08
The phrase in verse 12, "clouds without water" requires closer examination. As a student of weather, I know that clouds are water.
A "cloud without water" could mean several things.
First, it could be a cloud that has dissipated through evaporation. This then could point us towards the parable of the sower where some seed was eaten by birds, and some failed to take root due to shallow soil. A person who is a "cloud without water" then is someone in whom the Word is unfulfilled, either because the enemy has stolen it, or the person has no depth that allows the Word to take root.
Second, the phrase "cloud without water" might also refer to a cloud that does not produce rain or other life-giving precipitation. In that case, a "cloud without water" is an unfruitful person. Jesus said that false prophets would be known by their fruits - their results. A false prophet produces fake results. In other words, these clouds without water are phony and fake.
Also, this phrase might refer to clouds that are not in the sky, but clouds of dust. A cloud of dust is dry and windy. So, this phrase might be referring to something like a dust devil: a lot of activity and excitement, but no life-producing results. If the dust devil is big enough, it will even produce damage.
Maybe this verse refers to all three. The unfruitful soil of the parable of the sower has a thin layer of loose, dusty soil on top of layer of hard crusty dirt. Wind blowing over this soil will create a dust devil that produces nothing more than a commotion, and if it does produce anything, it produces damage.
02 OCT 08
Outline
1 - 2 Greeting
3 - 4 Exhortation to contend for original message of faith because of infiltration of those who corrupt the grace of God into licentiousness.
5 - 7 Punishment upon the unbelieving, rebellous, and immoral.
8 - 13 Description of the infiltrators.
14 - 15 More judgment.
16 - 19 More description of the infiltrators.
20 - 23 Exhortation to edification of faith, preservation of love, wait for eternal life, and to walk in mercy.
24 - 25 Closing benediction.
02 OCT 08
Verses 8 - 13 and 16 - 19 describe the infiltrators. Here is a quick listing of their characteristics. Some items need an in-depth examination later.
v. 4: Pervert grace into licentiousness.
v. 8: By dreaming they defile the flesh, reject authority, and revile God's messengers.
v. 9: Act out of order, beyond their authority and place.
v. 10: Do not understand what they revile.
Destroyed by animal instinct.
v. 11: Gone the way of Cain.
For financial gain, followed the error of Balaam.
Rebelled and perished like Korah.
v. 12: Hidden stains or reefs in communion and fellowship.
Feast without fear of punishment.
Care only for themselves.
Clouds without water.
Easily influenced by winds of doctrine.
Not fruitful in harvest time.
Shallow or uprooted: Twice dead.
v. 13: Displaying shame.
Aimless.
Facing dark future.
v. 15: Ungodly in deed and attitude.
Speak harshly against Christ.
v. 16: Grumblers.
Lustful.
Speak arrogantly.
Flatterers.
Manipulative, seeking advantage.
v. 18: Mockers.
Followers of ungodly lust.
v. 19: Divisive.
Worldly-minded.
Empty, instead of filled with the Holy Spirit.
03 OCT 08
I have noticed a symmetry to Jude's letter. He begins with and exhortation to contend for the faith, and ends with an exhortation to to build ourselves up on our faith by praying in the Spirit. Doing the latter enables us to do the former.
06 OCT 08
Verse 11 mentions the way of Cain, the error of Balaam, and the rebellion of Korah. In short, this is what they are:
The way of Cain is to let sin master you, instead of you mastering it.
The error of Balaam is to think you can get by with something when God is not in it.
The rebellion of Korah is rejection of those who Gad has established in authority.
01 OCT 08
The phrase in verse 12, "clouds without water" requires closer examination. As a student of weather, I know that clouds are water.
A "cloud without water" could mean several things.
First, it could be a cloud that has dissipated through evaporation. This then could point us towards the parable of the sower where some seed was eaten by birds, and some failed to take root due to shallow soil. A person who is a "cloud without water" then is someone in whom the Word is unfulfilled, either because the enemy has stolen it, or the person has no depth that allows the Word to take root.
Second, the phrase "cloud without water" might also refer to a cloud that does not produce rain or other life-giving precipitation. In that case, a "cloud without water" is an unfruitful person. Jesus said that false prophets would be known by their fruits - their results. A false prophet produces fake results. In other words, these clouds without water are phony and fake.
Also, this phrase might refer to clouds that are not in the sky, but clouds of dust. A cloud of dust is dry and windy. So, this phrase might be referring to something like a dust devil: a lot of activity and excitement, but no life-producing results. If the dust devil is big enough, it will even produce damage.
Maybe this verse refers to all three. The unfruitful soil of the parable of the sower has a thin layer of loose, dusty soil on top of layer of hard crusty dirt. Wind blowing over this soil will create a dust devil that produces nothing more than a commotion, and if it does produce anything, it produces damage.
02 OCT 08
Outline
1 - 2 Greeting
3 - 4 Exhortation to contend for original message of faith because of infiltration of those who corrupt the grace of God into licentiousness.
5 - 7 Punishment upon the unbelieving, rebellous, and immoral.
8 - 13 Description of the infiltrators.
14 - 15 More judgment.
16 - 19 More description of the infiltrators.
20 - 23 Exhortation to edification of faith, preservation of love, wait for eternal life, and to walk in mercy.
24 - 25 Closing benediction.
02 OCT 08
Verses 8 - 13 and 16 - 19 describe the infiltrators. Here is a quick listing of their characteristics. Some items need an in-depth examination later.
v. 4: Pervert grace into licentiousness.
v. 8: By dreaming they defile the flesh, reject authority, and revile God's messengers.
v. 9: Act out of order, beyond their authority and place.
v. 10: Do not understand what they revile.
Destroyed by animal instinct.
v. 11: Gone the way of Cain.
For financial gain, followed the error of Balaam.
Rebelled and perished like Korah.
v. 12: Hidden stains or reefs in communion and fellowship.
Feast without fear of punishment.
Care only for themselves.
Clouds without water.
Easily influenced by winds of doctrine.
Not fruitful in harvest time.
Shallow or uprooted: Twice dead.
v. 13: Displaying shame.
Aimless.
Facing dark future.
v. 15: Ungodly in deed and attitude.
Speak harshly against Christ.
v. 16: Grumblers.
Lustful.
Speak arrogantly.
Flatterers.
Manipulative, seeking advantage.
v. 18: Mockers.
Followers of ungodly lust.
v. 19: Divisive.
Worldly-minded.
Empty, instead of filled with the Holy Spirit.
03 OCT 08
I have noticed a symmetry to Jude's letter. He begins with and exhortation to contend for the faith, and ends with an exhortation to to build ourselves up on our faith by praying in the Spirit. Doing the latter enables us to do the former.
06 OCT 08
Verse 11 mentions the way of Cain, the error of Balaam, and the rebellion of Korah. In short, this is what they are:
The way of Cain is to let sin master you, instead of you mastering it.
The error of Balaam is to think you can get by with something when God is not in it.
The rebellion of Korah is rejection of those who Gad has established in authority.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Meditations on Jude - Part 1
The pastor of my church, Dave Roberson, teaches people to meditate on the Word by reading one book at a time, over and over, either out loud, or while praying in tongues. He recommends starting with one of the shorter books in the New Testament, such as 1 John.
I started with Jude. I also began writing down my observations and things I have learned. Here are some of the first entries:
22 SEP 08
At first, you might think that the theme of Jude's letter is to contrast ungodliness with godliness. But his primary message is the purity of the Church.
In verse 3, he says he was going to write concerning salvation, but he felt the need to encourage them to contend for the faith. You might think he's talking about evangelism, contending for the faith with non-believers. But in verse 4, he mentions the ungodly who have snuck into the Church, and they, by perverting the Good News into licentiousness, are subverting the Church (vs. 4, 12, 19). if such people had ever believed in the Good News, they no longer believed it, and by perverting it, they have denied Christ. These are the ones Jude tells us to contend with.
23 SEP 08
The reason for Jude's exhortation to contend for the faith is seen in vs. 5 - 6. He reminds the people of those who perished in the wilderness due to their unbelief despite seeing God deliver them from Egypt by the miracles He performed. Jude also points out that the angels are also subject to God's judgment.
Jude's message wasn't intended to terrorize the people, but to illustrate the seriousness of the faith.
25 SEP 08
Verse 8 points to an important influence on behavior. In speaking about the ungodly men who had crept into the Church to corrupt it, Jude says they defile the flesh, reject authority, and revile angelic majesties, and they do this by dreaming!
What is a dream? A dream is an image that at the time it is seen, it is not real.
A dream can become real, or it can remain just a dream. Dreams become real either through self-effort or answered prayer.
A dream can symbolize something inside you: some issue you are dealing with, or some desire you have.
Dreams, especially the ones Jude is talking about, are not necessarily the images you see when you sleep. These dreams are images that respent desires, goals, and purposes. They are images that people create as a guide for their behavior.
The good news about this is, even as evil men guide their behavior by their dreams, godly men can guide their behavior by their dreams.
For Christians, the fulfillment of a dream will involve both action and faith. The action is not self-effort based on the flesh or one's own capabities. The action begins with faith, and is done in faith.
27 SEP 08
We hear much about praying in the Holy Spirit and building ourselves up on our most holy faith. And we also hear about keeping ourselves in the love of God. (vs. 20 and 21)
What we might not see is that the two are connected. You pray in the Spirit (in tongues) to build yourself up on your faith, so that you can remain in God's love.
As we remain in God's love, we wait for the mercy of Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And as we wait for mercy in God's love, we show mercy to those in need - doubters and those headed for eternal fire (vs. 23 - 24) (v. 7)
I started with Jude. I also began writing down my observations and things I have learned. Here are some of the first entries:
22 SEP 08
At first, you might think that the theme of Jude's letter is to contrast ungodliness with godliness. But his primary message is the purity of the Church.
In verse 3, he says he was going to write concerning salvation, but he felt the need to encourage them to contend for the faith. You might think he's talking about evangelism, contending for the faith with non-believers. But in verse 4, he mentions the ungodly who have snuck into the Church, and they, by perverting the Good News into licentiousness, are subverting the Church (vs. 4, 12, 19). if such people had ever believed in the Good News, they no longer believed it, and by perverting it, they have denied Christ. These are the ones Jude tells us to contend with.
23 SEP 08
The reason for Jude's exhortation to contend for the faith is seen in vs. 5 - 6. He reminds the people of those who perished in the wilderness due to their unbelief despite seeing God deliver them from Egypt by the miracles He performed. Jude also points out that the angels are also subject to God's judgment.
Jude's message wasn't intended to terrorize the people, but to illustrate the seriousness of the faith.
25 SEP 08
Verse 8 points to an important influence on behavior. In speaking about the ungodly men who had crept into the Church to corrupt it, Jude says they defile the flesh, reject authority, and revile angelic majesties, and they do this by dreaming!
What is a dream? A dream is an image that at the time it is seen, it is not real.
A dream can become real, or it can remain just a dream. Dreams become real either through self-effort or answered prayer.
A dream can symbolize something inside you: some issue you are dealing with, or some desire you have.
Dreams, especially the ones Jude is talking about, are not necessarily the images you see when you sleep. These dreams are images that respent desires, goals, and purposes. They are images that people create as a guide for their behavior.
The good news about this is, even as evil men guide their behavior by their dreams, godly men can guide their behavior by their dreams.
For Christians, the fulfillment of a dream will involve both action and faith. The action is not self-effort based on the flesh or one's own capabities. The action begins with faith, and is done in faith.
27 SEP 08
We hear much about praying in the Holy Spirit and building ourselves up on our most holy faith. And we also hear about keeping ourselves in the love of God. (vs. 20 and 21)
What we might not see is that the two are connected. You pray in the Spirit (in tongues) to build yourself up on your faith, so that you can remain in God's love.
As we remain in God's love, we wait for the mercy of Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And as we wait for mercy in God's love, we show mercy to those in need - doubters and those headed for eternal fire (vs. 23 - 24) (v. 7)
Thursday, February 19, 2009
God's Prayer List
This list is something I first put together years ago when I noticed the Bible gives instruction to pray for certain things. This is the latest version.
GOD'S PRAYER LIST
A list of specifics the Bible says to pray for.
1. All men, especially those in authority.
1 Timothy 2:1 - 4
The role of government is to maintain peace in society so the Church is free to do God's work.
Specific requests to make for leaders:
1. Receptive to God's direction, from salvation to policy decisions.
2. Moral guidance and wisdom.
3. Practical knowledge and understanding to implement godly plans.
4. Courage to stand for righteousness.
5. Protection from harm.
2. Laborers for the harvest.
Matthew 9: 36 - 38, Luke 10:2, John 4:31 -38
The harvest is plentiful and ripe, for people are distressed, dispirited, and directionless. Laborers are few and are needed to complete the work of those who sow.
Specific requests are for the Lord to call, prepare, train, equip, and anoint the laborers.
3. Ministers.
Ephesians 6: 19 - 20, Colossians 4: 3 - 4, 2 Thessalonians 3:1
Pray for ministers to be given utterance (an opportunity to speak), and to speak boldly as they ought to speak, to make the Good News clear so the work will spread rapidly and be glorified.
4. Peace of Jerusalem.
Psalms 122: 6 - 9
We need to pray for the peace of both Jerusalems, earthly and heavenly. The Church is the heavenly Jerusalem (Galatians 4: 21 - 31, Hebrews 12: 18 - 24).
The peace we are to pray for is the peace that Jesus gives and is not as the world gives (John 14: 27); it is a characteristic of the Kingdom of God (Romans 14: 17) and is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22 -23); it surpasses all comprehension, is to guard our hearts and minds (Phillipians 4: 7), and was bought by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross (Colossians 1: 20).
5. One another, all saints.
James 5: 16, Ephesians 6: 18
Praying for others enables you to bve healed. We are to be alert to opportunities to pray for all saints, and to persevere in those prayers.
GOD'S PRAYER LIST
A list of specifics the Bible says to pray for.
1. All men, especially those in authority.
1 Timothy 2:1 - 4
The role of government is to maintain peace in society so the Church is free to do God's work.
Specific requests to make for leaders:
1. Receptive to God's direction, from salvation to policy decisions.
2. Moral guidance and wisdom.
3. Practical knowledge and understanding to implement godly plans.
4. Courage to stand for righteousness.
5. Protection from harm.
2. Laborers for the harvest.
Matthew 9: 36 - 38, Luke 10:2, John 4:31 -38
The harvest is plentiful and ripe, for people are distressed, dispirited, and directionless. Laborers are few and are needed to complete the work of those who sow.
Specific requests are for the Lord to call, prepare, train, equip, and anoint the laborers.
3. Ministers.
Ephesians 6: 19 - 20, Colossians 4: 3 - 4, 2 Thessalonians 3:1
Pray for ministers to be given utterance (an opportunity to speak), and to speak boldly as they ought to speak, to make the Good News clear so the work will spread rapidly and be glorified.
4. Peace of Jerusalem.
Psalms 122: 6 - 9
We need to pray for the peace of both Jerusalems, earthly and heavenly. The Church is the heavenly Jerusalem (Galatians 4: 21 - 31, Hebrews 12: 18 - 24).
The peace we are to pray for is the peace that Jesus gives and is not as the world gives (John 14: 27); it is a characteristic of the Kingdom of God (Romans 14: 17) and is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22 -23); it surpasses all comprehension, is to guard our hearts and minds (Phillipians 4: 7), and was bought by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross (Colossians 1: 20).
5. One another, all saints.
James 5: 16, Ephesians 6: 18
Praying for others enables you to bve healed. We are to be alert to opportunities to pray for all saints, and to persevere in those prayers.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Fasting Study
Fasting is not a popular subject among Christians. But fasting is a regular practice by many other religions, and even some Christian groups fast during certain times in the year.
I have long recognized my need to fast for both the spiritual and the physical benefits. Before fasting on a regular and extensive basis, I wanted to know all the that the Bible had to say about it, plus to gain the wisdom from those more experienced at fasting. So, I started a Fasting Study, based on all the passages about or pertaining to fasting that I could find. I added comments, summarized the comments, and added links to teaching series on fasting. In this form, I have made the study into a document that others can use as a starter or seed for their own study. Anyone may have a copy.
I discussed this in more depth on IktusNETwork at http://www.iktusnetwork.com/forum/topics/2072894:Topic:5814. If you want a copy just send an email to the address listed there.
I have long recognized my need to fast for both the spiritual and the physical benefits. Before fasting on a regular and extensive basis, I wanted to know all the that the Bible had to say about it, plus to gain the wisdom from those more experienced at fasting. So, I started a Fasting Study, based on all the passages about or pertaining to fasting that I could find. I added comments, summarized the comments, and added links to teaching series on fasting. In this form, I have made the study into a document that others can use as a starter or seed for their own study. Anyone may have a copy.
I discussed this in more depth on IktusNETwork at http://www.iktusnetwork.com/forum/topics/2072894:Topic:5814. If you want a copy just send an email to the address listed there.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Christmas Thoughts
Rather than write something new about Christmas, I decided to just insert into one post the 2 comments I have already made on the Random Contact blog.
Enjoy!
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
Christmas is coming!
What is Christmas about anyway?
It's not about presents, Santa Claus, reindeer, decorated evergreen trees, wreaths, candles, carols, candy canes, angels, camels, shepards, Magi, snow, snowmen, parties, pies, turkey, dressing, cookies, fudge or any of the trappings of the season. It's about family. More specfically, it's about God's family.
The Father wanted a bigger family, so He sent His Son to die for our sins, rise from the dead, and provide a way for us to join God's family.
I know the objections that some have to celebrating Christmas. They don't matter to me.
One objection is that we don't see Christians celebrating Christ's birth in the Bible. Well, we don't see Sunday School or many of the everyday practices of the church in there either.
Some then would get "spiritual" and point out that Jesus said He only did what He saw His Father do, and we should follow His exapmle. In that case, we then have a good reason to celbrate His birth. Read the accounts in Matthew and Luke and you'll see the Father celebrating! He had angels singing and invited people from all social classes, from shepards to royal advisers. He even set a beacon in the sky to invite the Magi.
Then some point out that from the Bible and historical/cultural/geographic background information about that time and place, Chirst could not have been born on December 25th. They say the clues point to the Jewish feast of Succoth, which occurs in September and includes the more well-known celebrations of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. In that case, He was probably conceived in late December, and we can celebrate His conception.
This indeed is something to celebrate. The Incarnation (God became flesh) sets the birth of Christ apart from the birth of every other person. As C. S. Lewis pointed out, the Incarnation is the grandest miracle associated with Christ, for this one miracle made all of His other miracles possible. That indeed is something to celebrate!
Now, some will ask if we need to, or if it's right to use some of the trappings of Christmas because of their pagan origins. Well, let's look at something Chirst's earthly ancestor, David, did centuries earlier. Look at the heading of Psalm 8, often regarded as one of David's most beautiful psalms and as a prophetic description of Chirst. You will see a note there in the heading. It's not part of the psalm itself, but it is part of the orginal text. Many psalms have such notes, and they serve either as a despcritpion of the psalm or instructions to the choirmaster in the Temple.
This heading note mentions the Gittith. A Gittith was a musical instrument of the Philistines, the enemies of Israel. David stayed with them for a time when he was hiding from Saul,and he must have heard their music and liked it. He must have acquired a few Gittiths for the Temple music, and wrote some songs to be played on them. So, David the Lord's anointed, a man after God's own heart, appropiated a pagan instrument and pagan music for worship in God's own house, to be used before the Ark of the Covenant where God's Holy Presence would dwell. And we worry about using a few evergreens and such for celebrating the Incarnation.
Of course some will grouse about the commercialism. I don't have any problem with merchants getting commercial with Christmas, because that's just part of our capitalist system. I'd be more surprised if mercahnts didn't get commercial this time of year. What disturbs me more is if Christians don't take advantage of the season to spread the Good News of Jesus.
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Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Christmas Is Coming - Again!
Well, Christmas is coming again. I do have one crochet to get off my chest. Why do Christian radio stations play "Christmas" songs that don't mention the birth of Jesus? Aren't Christian radio stations supposed to glorify Him? Some Christmas songs don't even mention Christmas! "Winter Wonderland" and "Jingle Bells" are more about winter than anything. They fit in the middle of January as much as they do in December. Have these people thought about this?
I guess these stations are just going along with what's popular. And that brings me to the next topic I want to talk about: Why is Christmas so popular in America? Is it just due to commercialism?
Many of the colonists that came to America were Calvinists. They wanted to get away from the practices of the Catholic Church that they saw as corrupt and pagan-influenced, and so they did not celebrate Christmas. At the end of the American Revolution, most of the people that did celebrate Christmas were Catholic or Episcopalian. The Catholics included many in Maryland and the Hessian mercenaries that had fought for the British. The Episcopalians were dominant in Virginia and the Carolinas. Somehow, the observance of Christmas spread and became acceptable to groups that once ignored it or outright shunned the practice. How did this happen?
I attribute the change to 2 factors: immigration and literature. Music, movies, radio and television continued and amplified the influence of literature.
During the 1800's as the country expanded West, aided by the increasing speed of transportation brought by the development of railroads, and the by the increased speed of communications brought by the telegraph, the promise of new lands and new opportunties spurred an increase in immigration. Many of these immigrants were Catholics, coming from Catholic lands such as Ireland, Poland, and Italy. This increased the number of people observing Christmas.
The contribution of literature to the popularity of Christmas comes from two sources.
First is the poem, Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore in 1822. You could probably recite most of it from memory from having heard it so much. This one piece of literature has defined so much of the imagery associated with Christmas. Of course, the sentiment and whimsey make it irresistable! For this reason it has become a tradition no only in many families, but in other places as well. One of the local TV stations every Christmas Eve has their staff, both on- and off-camera personnel, read the poem, one line per staffer in a video presentation.
Charles Dickens was known for the other great piece of traditional Christmas literature, A Christmas Carol (1843). He wrote other works on Christmas, and his novel A Tales of Two Cities (1859), has an important scene take place at a Christmas Eve service. The popularity of these works just added to the popularity of Christmas. Because Dickens was a lifelong Anglican, his works helped make Christmas acceptable to Protestants.
Of course, the popularity of a practice doesn't necessarily justify it. In the case of Christmas, I believe that what you celebrate has more to do with it than anything. Are you celebrating a day, or an event? The Bible doesn't tell us to celebrate Christ's birth, but it doesn't forbid it either. If you're not celebrating His birth, what are you celebrating? Aren't you glad Jesus was born?
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Merry CHRISTmas, everyone!
Enjoy!
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
Christmas is coming!
What is Christmas about anyway?
It's not about presents, Santa Claus, reindeer, decorated evergreen trees, wreaths, candles, carols, candy canes, angels, camels, shepards, Magi, snow, snowmen, parties, pies, turkey, dressing, cookies, fudge or any of the trappings of the season. It's about family. More specfically, it's about God's family.
The Father wanted a bigger family, so He sent His Son to die for our sins, rise from the dead, and provide a way for us to join God's family.
I know the objections that some have to celebrating Christmas. They don't matter to me.
One objection is that we don't see Christians celebrating Christ's birth in the Bible. Well, we don't see Sunday School or many of the everyday practices of the church in there either.
Some then would get "spiritual" and point out that Jesus said He only did what He saw His Father do, and we should follow His exapmle. In that case, we then have a good reason to celbrate His birth. Read the accounts in Matthew and Luke and you'll see the Father celebrating! He had angels singing and invited people from all social classes, from shepards to royal advisers. He even set a beacon in the sky to invite the Magi.
Then some point out that from the Bible and historical/cultural/geographic background information about that time and place, Chirst could not have been born on December 25th. They say the clues point to the Jewish feast of Succoth, which occurs in September and includes the more well-known celebrations of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. In that case, He was probably conceived in late December, and we can celebrate His conception.
This indeed is something to celebrate. The Incarnation (God became flesh) sets the birth of Christ apart from the birth of every other person. As C. S. Lewis pointed out, the Incarnation is the grandest miracle associated with Christ, for this one miracle made all of His other miracles possible. That indeed is something to celebrate!
Now, some will ask if we need to, or if it's right to use some of the trappings of Christmas because of their pagan origins. Well, let's look at something Chirst's earthly ancestor, David, did centuries earlier. Look at the heading of Psalm 8, often regarded as one of David's most beautiful psalms and as a prophetic description of Chirst. You will see a note there in the heading. It's not part of the psalm itself, but it is part of the orginal text. Many psalms have such notes, and they serve either as a despcritpion of the psalm or instructions to the choirmaster in the Temple.
This heading note mentions the Gittith. A Gittith was a musical instrument of the Philistines, the enemies of Israel. David stayed with them for a time when he was hiding from Saul,and he must have heard their music and liked it. He must have acquired a few Gittiths for the Temple music, and wrote some songs to be played on them. So, David the Lord's anointed, a man after God's own heart, appropiated a pagan instrument and pagan music for worship in God's own house, to be used before the Ark of the Covenant where God's Holy Presence would dwell. And we worry about using a few evergreens and such for celebrating the Incarnation.
Of course some will grouse about the commercialism. I don't have any problem with merchants getting commercial with Christmas, because that's just part of our capitalist system. I'd be more surprised if mercahnts didn't get commercial this time of year. What disturbs me more is if Christians don't take advantage of the season to spread the Good News of Jesus.
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Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Christmas Is Coming - Again!
Well, Christmas is coming again. I do have one crochet to get off my chest. Why do Christian radio stations play "Christmas" songs that don't mention the birth of Jesus? Aren't Christian radio stations supposed to glorify Him? Some Christmas songs don't even mention Christmas! "Winter Wonderland" and "Jingle Bells" are more about winter than anything. They fit in the middle of January as much as they do in December. Have these people thought about this?
I guess these stations are just going along with what's popular. And that brings me to the next topic I want to talk about: Why is Christmas so popular in America? Is it just due to commercialism?
Many of the colonists that came to America were Calvinists. They wanted to get away from the practices of the Catholic Church that they saw as corrupt and pagan-influenced, and so they did not celebrate Christmas. At the end of the American Revolution, most of the people that did celebrate Christmas were Catholic or Episcopalian. The Catholics included many in Maryland and the Hessian mercenaries that had fought for the British. The Episcopalians were dominant in Virginia and the Carolinas. Somehow, the observance of Christmas spread and became acceptable to groups that once ignored it or outright shunned the practice. How did this happen?
I attribute the change to 2 factors: immigration and literature. Music, movies, radio and television continued and amplified the influence of literature.
During the 1800's as the country expanded West, aided by the increasing speed of transportation brought by the development of railroads, and the by the increased speed of communications brought by the telegraph, the promise of new lands and new opportunties spurred an increase in immigration. Many of these immigrants were Catholics, coming from Catholic lands such as Ireland, Poland, and Italy. This increased the number of people observing Christmas.
The contribution of literature to the popularity of Christmas comes from two sources.
First is the poem, Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore in 1822. You could probably recite most of it from memory from having heard it so much. This one piece of literature has defined so much of the imagery associated with Christmas. Of course, the sentiment and whimsey make it irresistable! For this reason it has become a tradition no only in many families, but in other places as well. One of the local TV stations every Christmas Eve has their staff, both on- and off-camera personnel, read the poem, one line per staffer in a video presentation.
Charles Dickens was known for the other great piece of traditional Christmas literature, A Christmas Carol (1843). He wrote other works on Christmas, and his novel A Tales of Two Cities (1859), has an important scene take place at a Christmas Eve service. The popularity of these works just added to the popularity of Christmas. Because Dickens was a lifelong Anglican, his works helped make Christmas acceptable to Protestants.
Of course, the popularity of a practice doesn't necessarily justify it. In the case of Christmas, I believe that what you celebrate has more to do with it than anything. Are you celebrating a day, or an event? The Bible doesn't tell us to celebrate Christ's birth, but it doesn't forbid it either. If you're not celebrating His birth, what are you celebrating? Aren't you glad Jesus was born?
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Merry CHRISTmas, everyone!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Bible Translations
I use the New American Standard. I know that makes me an oddball amongst most Christians. Many still use the King James Version, and I still have quite a number of copies of that on hand. Most of the people that use a modern English translation use the New International Version.
The KJV was the best translation of its time, but was mostly the latest in a series of updates to William Tyndale's translation. Since then, not only has the English language changed, but manuscripts in the original languages that are older than those available to the KJV translators have been found. Plus many more manuscripts have been found, giving the translators more texts for comparison to consolidate into a standard text to translate from. This contributes to the literal accuracy of the NASB. As a matter of fact the biggest criticism of the NASB is that it was too literal and not easy to read. Because of that, the Lockman Foundation, the translators of the NASB issued an update in 1995 to make it more readable without compromising its accuracy.
And speaking of accuracy, the KJV translators got it wrong a couple of times. For example, in Romans 4: 19, the King James says, "And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead," while the New American Standard says,"Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old..." I used boldface to highlight the contrast between the translations. I won't expound on this passage here, because I want to show that the KJV committee introduced a word or thought that is not in the original.
Now about changes in the English language: At times I hear preachers read or quote a passage from the King James, and then they have to stop and explain in modern terms what the Elizabethan words meant. If they used the NASB, they wouldn't have to do that. Why waste preaching time to give an update? Besides that, the preacher wouldn't know the update was necessary unless he studied it out, maybe by consulting the NASB. Why waste study time?
On a related note, preachers all the time use words or terms from the KJV without explaining what they mean. One passage in the KJV says the Holy Spirit distributes the gifts "severally" as He wills. What does "severally" mean? I could explain it, but I want you to look it up for yourself. Do you some good to do a little digging. Proverbs 25: 2 says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter."
Why don't I use the NIV? Well, it's a thought-by-thought translation, and it loses some of the accuracy.
Don't take this as a criticism of preachers that use the KJV. I do wish they used the NASB, but I recognize that some of them have a closer relationship to God than I have, and it is not my place to get them to change the translation they use. If they ask why I use the NASB, I will explain and let them decide for themselves if they wish to stay with the translation they are using.
The KJV was the best translation of its time, but was mostly the latest in a series of updates to William Tyndale's translation. Since then, not only has the English language changed, but manuscripts in the original languages that are older than those available to the KJV translators have been found. Plus many more manuscripts have been found, giving the translators more texts for comparison to consolidate into a standard text to translate from. This contributes to the literal accuracy of the NASB. As a matter of fact the biggest criticism of the NASB is that it was too literal and not easy to read. Because of that, the Lockman Foundation, the translators of the NASB issued an update in 1995 to make it more readable without compromising its accuracy.
And speaking of accuracy, the KJV translators got it wrong a couple of times. For example, in Romans 4: 19, the King James says, "And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead," while the New American Standard says,"Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old..." I used boldface to highlight the contrast between the translations. I won't expound on this passage here, because I want to show that the KJV committee introduced a word or thought that is not in the original.
Now about changes in the English language: At times I hear preachers read or quote a passage from the King James, and then they have to stop and explain in modern terms what the Elizabethan words meant. If they used the NASB, they wouldn't have to do that. Why waste preaching time to give an update? Besides that, the preacher wouldn't know the update was necessary unless he studied it out, maybe by consulting the NASB. Why waste study time?
On a related note, preachers all the time use words or terms from the KJV without explaining what they mean. One passage in the KJV says the Holy Spirit distributes the gifts "severally" as He wills. What does "severally" mean? I could explain it, but I want you to look it up for yourself. Do you some good to do a little digging. Proverbs 25: 2 says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter."
Why don't I use the NIV? Well, it's a thought-by-thought translation, and it loses some of the accuracy.
Don't take this as a criticism of preachers that use the KJV. I do wish they used the NASB, but I recognize that some of them have a closer relationship to God than I have, and it is not my place to get them to change the translation they use. If they ask why I use the NASB, I will explain and let them decide for themselves if they wish to stay with the translation they are using.
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