Cap'n Salty's Long Voyage

Sermon “Let the Children Come to Me“ Luke 18:15-17

2012-02-12T17:15:00.000-05:00

Sermon “Let the Children Come to Me“ Luke 18:15-17 audio link http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23575548/120212Luke18.mp3

Lord, grant that we may be eager to hear your word and to believe you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Today we are having a celebration of life. Often a life Sunday is scheduled to coincide with the 1973 Supreme Court decision which effectively allowed for legal abortion. This year we ended up missing that date and having this date instead. Yet there's a sense, and it's an important sense, in which it is always life Sunday for the Christian.

If we are able, let us rise for the reading of another passage of the Gospel, this found in Luke's Gospel, the 18th chapter, beginning at verse 15.

15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise be to You, oh Christ.
Please be seated.

This passage, familiar as part of the reading this week in our Bible reading challenge, and probably familiar to everyone who has ever been in a Sunday school class for more than a year, says more than we often realize it does. I'd like to point out three of the many lessons we can learn as we look to these verses today. First, Jesus invites little children to himself. Second, the kingdom of God is just the right place for children. Finally, we come to our Lord as children.

Jesus invites little children to himself. The word Luke uses for “little children” is the Greek word which would indicate either an unborn baby or a newly born baby. It is probably used better for someone who is still in the womb than it is for someone who has been born, and will stop being used within about a year after birth. It's the term for a very small child. These are people whom Jesus loves. They are people who are created in the image of God. They are entirely people. And Jesus invites them to himself. He invites them to hear of his saving love. He invites them to receive his blessing. He considers them important. In the words of Lutheran theologian and popular author Theodore Geisel, “A person's a person, no matter how small.”

Yet our culture at large has rejected that idea, and has been rejecting this value of human life now for more than forty years. We've seen it in the movement to kill living human beings who have not yet been born. We have seen it in many other developed countries, and in attitudes increasingly common in this country aimed at older people. We like to use the politically friendly terms such as “euthanasia” and “assisted suicide” while people who are elderly, infirm, or deemed unproductive by our society are put to death or encouraged to put themselves to death. At the beginning and end of life we look less and less at human life as a blessing from God and more and more as something to be endured, at least for a while, in hopes that someone useful and productive can emerge.

What happens when we reject the idea that human life is a gift from God? You may have noticed that we broke with some tradition and have changed the paraments to red. I thought about changing them to white, since we often think of the beauty and purity of those created in God's image. But we use red as the color for martyrdom, for those who have died. Since 1973 in this country alone we have had approximately 54 million “safe, legal” abortions. But those abortions are not safe, not safe at all. Not only does one of every two humans involved in an act of abortion die, we also see increased rates of depression, anxiety, drug addiction, and suicide among women who have had abortions. It's not safe at all. And more importantly, it deprives human children from any opportunity to come to Jesus for forgiveness of the sin in which they were conceived. It separates those children eternally from the loving and forgiving work of Christ on the cross. If all have sinned, that includes all those people we haven't met yet. That includes my granddaughter, whose picture is on my office door, whom we hope to meet sometime in June. She needs the forgiveness of Jesus who died for her as well.

People involved in this culture of death have told me, and they may have told you as well, “If you don't like abortion, don't have one.” But the Bible tells us to care for those who cannot help themselves. We are to protect the helpless. We are not just anti abortion, but we are pro life. So our desire is to defend life.

That desire to defend life, though, becomes more complicated when we start looking at medical research. There's a wide-ranging debate in this country right now about stem cell research, a promising field of research which has been finding cures for previously incurable illnesses. What does not show up so clearly in our news media is that the stem cell research industry is separated into two branches. One branch, which refers to adult stem cells, finds ways of taking cells from an ill patient, for instance, blood cells, which that patient can make more of. They have found out how to persuade the cells to adapt themselves into other, healthy bodily tissues which can be used to treat or even replace unhealthy tissues. This branch of research has worked remarkably well and has saved many many lives.

The other branch of stem cell research doesn't like to tell us how they go about their research. It's called embryonic stem cell research. They take fertilized eggs, possibly “left-overs” from other medical treatments, and clone the embryos, the humans at the very earliest stage of their lives. These cloned embryos are used for research to see if they can generate bodily tissues which can be implanted into sick people and overcome their illnesses, much like the adult stem cell tissues do. There are a couple of drawbacks, though. The first is not so important to me, but it might be to others. No cure for any known disease has ever been found through this method. It has had a zero percent success rate so far, while adult stem cell research has had a fairly good success rate. Yet the low success rate doesn't bother me so much. Inventors are very often finding out that what they tried didn't work. Edison found hundreds of ways not to make a light bulb. It's all right to try and fail. But what is the cost in embryonic stem cell research? To do an experiment the researchers start a human life and then destroy it. Each time we experiment, somebody dies. Does it matter that this is somebody for whom there were no parents on the scene, who was never “intended” to be living in our world? “A person's a person no matter how small.” “Let the little children come to Me.”

The picture becomes even more muddled, though. Do you want to avoid supporting the abortion industry and embryonic stem cell research? Fine. But what do we do to encourage those people who are looking for cures for diseases? Groups which are dedicated to fighting diseases such as cancer often strongly support embryonic stem cell research, which always results in the death of human embryos. Recently, for instance, the Susan G. Komen for the cure foundation withdrew support for Planned Parenthood, apparently partly in response to pro-life groups which have pointed out a link between women receiving abortions and development of breast cancer, partly because they wished to avoid ties with organizations which were under criminal investigation or organizations which simply pass donations through to other cancer-diagnosis and treatment providers. The Komen foundation then reversed their decision when they were bombarded by criticism from government officials and liberal-leaning groups. This is a prominent group, doing a good deal for a cause that is important to millions of people. Yet we have to question what else they may be supporting. And we get to question all sorts of organizations. For instance, the American Cancer Society, sponsor of the Relay for Life, is supportive of embryonic stem cell research and also provides links to and support for abortion providers. Yet those abortion providers have virtually no involvement in cancer prevention. They are committed to ending human lives. We want to encourage researchers who are trying to find a cure for a deadly disease. But we don't want to be encouraging the killing of those little children. Jesus says they should be allowed to come to him. How do we do this? I wish I could answer it for you. Yet I can't and I realize it's time for me to step down off my soapbox without mentioning genocide or anything that would have me imprisoned if we were in a church in some countries.

Two more points, then, quickly, this time. What did I say at first? First, Jesus invites little children to himself. Second, the kingdom of God is just the right place for children. Finally, we come to our Lord as children.

So the kingdom of God is just the right place for children. As people who need to receive the blessing and forgiveness of Jesus, this is where our children need to be. One prominent Christian philosopher pointed out in my presence once that children are sinners like the rest of us. They are simply cute sinners. When we think about it, we all are condemned. Regardless of age, we have not loved God with all our hearts. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. And in some ways small children are worse about this than adults. They are less conscious of their neighbors and the needs those neighbors have. Yet where sin abounds, grace abounds more. God's merciful presence in Word and Sacrament is exactly what people of every age, including small children, need. We don't simply treat the family as a holding tank for children who will have to decide later whether they will believe on Christ or not. we treat the family as a place where the work of the ministry goes on, where the Word of God is read and treasured, where we pray for one another, and where we nurture one another in the love of Christ. That is why I am encouraged to see families with children coming to church. Parents and children alike need the grace of God. That is why I'm encouraged when young fathers and old fathers look to our Lord to teach them how to live as the heads of their families, leading them in all righteousness. That's why I'm encouraged when young mothers and old mothers look to the Lord to teach them how to live as godly women, nurturing their families, supporting their husbands in leadership. That's why I'm encouraged when children look to our Lord for grace to grow in him and to mature in the context of their families.

Did I leave someone out, though? I did, and that's someone we need to value. How about the person who has no family? How about the person who has been tossed aside, the one who is abandoned, the one who is weak and hurt? How about the unwed mother who has been abandoned by her boyfriend? How about the father who has his children but the children's mother is not around? How about the orphans and widows of this world? We may be anti-abortion, but how pro-life are we? Are we ready to receive some of these people, no, not some of them, all of these people, as those people whom the Lord would have come to him? Or do we treat them as outsiders and hope they go away soon? “Let the little children come to me.” Jesus also wants the not-so-little children to come to him.

That brings me to the last point. First, Jesus invites little children to himself. Second, the kingdom of God is just the right place for children. Finally, we come to our Lord as children.

How do we approach our God? Like children, we realize that we can't bring anything he needs. We can't do anything that will earn his favor. We can't bring our righteousness because we don't have any of that. All we bring is the fact that our Lord has called us to himself, that he has given himself for us and for our salvation. All we bring is the fact that we are weak and helpless and that he is strong, merciful, and calls us to himself. How did these babies come to Jesus? They were little bitty babies. They didn't walk, they didn't even crawl. They were brought to Jesus. And someone has brought each one of us to Jesus as well. The Holy Spirit has used others to bring us to Jesus.

When we look at our culture, the people all around us, the people who are not valued enough, the people who don't value other people enough, those people are really not that different from us. We all need to be brought to Jesus. We all need his care. We all need his forgiveness. The question is whether we who have been brought to Jesus are ready to receive his kingdom, and whether we who have received his kingdom are ready to be his instruments to bring others to him. Will we defend life? Will we protect and nurture those people, bringing them up in the nurture of the Gospel? Will we guard the elderly and people who seem otherwise not very useful from harm, knowing that they are dear to our Lord? Will we welcome our friends and neighbors, as well as our enemies and strangers, with open arms, to a life of repentance, faith, and the love of Christ?

Jesus calls us to himself as little children. He lays his hand of blessing on us. Let us receive all his blessing, in the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

Teacher-Student Conundrums

2012-02-11T16:56:00.000-05:00

I love being a teacher. I really do. I've done it for a living since 1995 and have found it a very fulfilling life. And before that time I really enjoyed being a student. Now as I am employed as a pastor and as a teacher and am spending time, money, and no small amount of effort trying to learn to be a student again, it's serving to open my eyes.

Case in point. If you've been following this blog you will have noticed that I'm posting summaries of chapters in books I read for seminary and for other purposes. One of my assignments for a seminary course is to write a critical review of one of those books that I've been summarizing. It seems like it should be a pretty easy task. But I'm now running into trouble with length requirements. After I pulled the material for Redating Matthew, Mark & Luke and dropped it into a word processing document with double-spacing I found I had thirty-odd pages of material. Some pages, of course, were odder than others. Now to reduce that to five pages of summary and five pages of commentary, consistent with what the professor has requested - that's more of a challenge to me than reading the book and writing the posts.

It's a good challenge, learning to present material in the way that the teacher requests it. Not that the teacher is necessarily requiring the best possible manner of presentation or that there are particular advantages of that over anything else you could do. It's just good to learn to comply with the requirements placed upon us. Who knows when we might need to do other tasks in accordance with the expectations others give us? It isn't that uncommon.

So as I take a couple of days off from writing chapter reviews, I'm busy learning to trim material, hopefully the best material to be trimmed, in order to present a nice concise package to a professor.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 6 Day 5 Luke 16-20

2012-02-10T06:00:00.005-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Luke 16-20. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

From chapter 16 through most of chapter 19, Luke simply turns up the heat on what we observed yesterday. Not only are we to trust in God to deliver his people, but we are to realize that we deserve nothing of the kind. All the situations in which God redeems his people in these parables are patently situations in which the people did nothing worthy of redemption. It is out of God's pure mercy and pleasure that he rescues us from sin.

Near the end of chapter 19 we have Jesus entering into Jerusalem. Though he shows himself to be the king and master of all, yet he is challenged and rejected by his opponents. What will happen to them? The parables he tells make it quite clear that in the last day God will condemn those who have rejected him. Yet in the mean time he is shown to be the Lord who weeps over the people who reject him. May we have grace to treat our enemies in the same way today, allowing God to be the final judge.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 6 Day 4 Luke 11-15

2012-02-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Luke 11-15. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

There is one message that arises again and again in Luke 11-15. As Jesus makes many parabolic statements and does many parabolic actions, see that they all point toward depending on him, trusting that our Lord and Savior cares for us and will rescue us no matter our situation. This is not a normal response for fallen humanity, as we would rather trust ourselves and our own abilities and plans. Yet wherever we look to the Lord in faith we see he is the one who delivers his people.

Here's a challenge. Take three passages from today's reading and try to read them through the lens I described above. See if that agrees with the way you have heard those passages taught before. See if it seems to fit with the rest of Scripture.

When Were the Gospels Written?

2012-02-09T05:55:00.005-05:00

"When Were the Gospels Written?" Wenham pp. 223-244

p. 223 "On the face of it the synoptic apocalypse makes a date before 70 probable for all three gospels - there is no suggestion of Jesus' momentous prophecy having been fulfilled." Wenham also cites 2 Corinthians 8:18 to identify a date for Luke's gospel. p. 223 "The 'brother whose fame in the gospel is throughout the churches; is evidently Luke, and his fame derives from his gospel-book. (This usage of εὐαγγέλιον was to be expected any time after Mark 1:1 had been written.) It makes 55 the latest possible date for Luke."

p. 223 "mark is to be dated c. 45, after Peter's first visit to Rome in 42-44."

p. 223 "Matthew is to be dated before the dispersal of the apostles in 42. Irenaeus is often misinterpreted in favour of a date after Paul had reached Rome.'

As regards the dating before or after 70, Wenham observes that there is a good deal of eschatological discussion in the synoptic gospels, pointing to a great destruction. But while this is predicted, there is a difference between predictions and statements of current situations. p. 224 "The eschatological discourse foretells the shocking disaster which forty years later was to engulf the Jewish people, yet not one of them tells us that Jesus' prophecy was fulfilled."

Finding an appropriate date for Acts, since we want to put Luke before it, is important in dating. Wenham observes that the final events of Acts require a date at least as late as 62. But with the positive attitude shown in Acts about the Roman government it is hard to feature a date after 70. Scholars tend to be moving toward earlier dates for Acts, pushing it as early as 62. p. 229 "The decisive reason for rejecting 62 for the dating of Acts has been the dating of Luke (and lying behind that the dating of Mark).

So when do we date Luke? It does not seem to be the case that Luke is the first part of an organic whole. But the books are clearly by the same author and seem to have been created in the sequence of Luke followed by Acts. p. 230 "An attractive way of dating Luke, if it must be dated no later than 62, is to place it during the time of Paul's imprisonment in Caesarea: 57-59. This is related in a we-passage which records the arrival of Paul and Luke in Jerusalem: 'When we had come to Jerusalem' (21:17), and their departure from Caesarea: 'we put to sea' (27:2). During this long stay in Palestine, Luke would have had ample opportunity for interviewing scores of witnesses and building up an accurate body of information to put in his gospel. It is perfectly possible that Luke did this, but there is evidence to suggest that we should look for an even earlier date."

The suggestion then of 2 Corinthians 8:18 is that Luke may well have been famous for having written a gospel account. The account could well have been written during the period of 49-57, when Luke does not appear to have been in the story of Acts. 2 Corinthians was written about 56, thus allowing a good period of time for Luke to have written a gospel account. p. 231 "There are noteworthy references in the great early fathers, Origen, Eusebius, Ephraem, Chrysostom, Jerome, identifying the brother 'whose praise in the gospel had spread through all the churches' with Luke." There is also some manuscript evidence that 2 Corinthians (p. 231) "was written from Philippi διά Titus and Luke. If in fact this reference is to Luke and the "gospel" is a reference to a written account, we have a date prior to 56 for the publication of the gospel.

The question remains whether or not it is appropriate to refer to "gospel" as "a written account of what Jesus did" at this time period. While the word simply means "good news" Mark 1;1 could certainly be taken to look like the title of a book, whether Mark intended it that way or not. So it is certainly possible that after the publication of Mark, subsequent authors who wrote an account of Jesus' life might be referred to as people who wrote a "gospel."

p. 237 "So then, this piece of external evidence, if we have assessed it correctly, would give us our first firm gospel date: the gospel of Luke was written before 56, the approximate date of 2 Corinthians." Wenham suggests that to become famous it would have taken at least a year's time, given the pace of travel within the Roman empire.

In chapters 6 and 7 Wenham concluded that Peter and Mark were probably in Rome from 42 to 44. As to the dating of Mark's gospel, (p. 238) "any date between 44 and the writing of Luke in the early 50s is...possible."

p. 239 "There is a suggestion [in Eusebius] that the writing of the gospel preceded the departure of Matthew from Palestine. As we have seen (pp. 160-62) there was a widespread belief that the apostles were dispersed from Jerusalem twelve years after the crucifixion." Wenham suggests, though, that Eusebius points toward an early date in the 30s or 40s for Matthew, but that Irenaeus considered the date to be in the 60s. He analyzes the data and observes that Eusebius actually seems to put Matthew in the year 41. This would be consistent with the idea of Matthew writing the gospel down before leaving Jerusalem about twelve years after the resurrection.

Wenham makes his conclusions on pp. 243-244, which I quote extensively.

"The argument of Redating Matthew, Mark and Luke, which has eight major stages, has been cumulative:
1.) Verbal synoptic likenesses and differences are best explained by independent use of the primitive form of oral instruction.
2.) Genre and order are best explained by a literary relationship.
3.) In particular, Luke knew Mark's gospel.
4.) Dates should be reckoned by working back from Acts, the natural date of which is 62.
5.) Luke's gospel was apparently well known in the mid-50s.
6.) According to tradition Mark's gospel gives Peter's teaching in Rome.
7.) Peter's first visit to Rome was probably 42-44 and Mark's gospel was probably written about 45.
8.) The universal tradition of the early church puts Matthew first, which means a date around 40."

Wenham states that his theory "confirms the general soundness of early tradition, showing the external evidence and the internal evidence to be in remarkably close agreement. It gives us two gospels containing the teaching of apostles and a third by one who had followed everything closely for a long time. These were written at dates when many were alive who could confirm or contradict what was written. This means that the Christian is fully justified in accepting anything that is written in these books until it is proved beyond reasonable doubt to be in error. It confirms the right of the Christian church to maintain its traditional stance with regard to the foundation documents of the faith without impairing its integrity - and for that we should be thankful indeed."

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 6 Day 3 Luke 6-10

2012-02-08T06:00:00.004-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Luke 6-10. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Luke 6 - Jesus shows himself to be the Lord of the Sabbath. The following sermon on the level place is very much akin to Matthew's Sermon on the Mount found in chapters 5-7 of that gospel.

Luke 7-8 Jesus shows himself to be the one who saves and heals the outcasts from society. He cares about those who are lowly in society. This is perplexing to most of us, as he is the one who is worthy of all acclaim but does not seek it.

Luke 9-10 Jesus continues healing and showing himself to be the mighty God. His disciples seem to start believing on him in more specific terms, even before the transfiguration. See how his mission is first to send out twelve, then seventy-two. The breadth of his sending of his messengers continues to widen.

Jesus-Tradition Oral and Written

2012-02-08T05:55:00.017-05:00

"Jesus-Tradition Oral and Written" Wenham pp. 217-222

In this penultimate chapter Wenham asks the very important question of why the gospels are not referred to throughout the New Testament if, in fact, they were written early. There are remarkably few specific citations of the gospels in the remainder of the New Testament and even in the immediate subapostolic period. p. 219 "The thinness of appeal to the Jesus-tradition is not confined to the literature written at a time when the existence of the gospels is debatable, but it continues into the period of the apostolic fathers."

Wenham summarizes the arguments of Thompson on pp. 219-220. "1.) Language which echose the gospels is commonest in paraenesis. But in paraenesis, where argument ceases and exhortation begins, Paul has no need to cite sources. 2.) The occasional nature of the epistles means that their purpose is not to present the ABCs of Christian tradition for neophytes, but to give particular answers to particular problems. 3.) Paul's own chief experience of Christ was on the Damascus road, and his supreme concern continues to be with Christ as he is, rather than as he was. 4.) The cross outshone all other examples of love and humility, and the resurrection outshone all other examples of power. The whole Jesus-tradition was necessary to make the gospel claim intelligible, but in paraenesis all was secondary to its great climax. 5.) Chrsitianity was builto n Judaism and this remained a source for much of what Paul taught. So it is that he had no occasion to tell his readers what Jesus habitually spoke in parables, that he healed the sick and ministered in Galilee, that he was baptised, tempted and transfigured."

We go on to see five more reasons which may have prevented the norm in the Church from being the written gospels in the early period. First, those who had heard messages from the apostles would be more likely to depend on what those apostles said rather than what they wrote. Second, while Jewish education emphasized memorization of scriptures, the Gentile converts had more of an oral culture so would have been more familiar with sayings than writings. Third, scrolls are difficult to manage and refer to. Until the common use of the codex it would be more natural to quote and paraphrase from well known events. Fourth, it was some time before churches developed a habit of reading specifically a gospel and an epistle. The epistles were read but the gospel was stated in the preaching. Finally, canonicity would have developed slowly out of apostolic authority. The apostlic teaching was seen as the authority, but the writing was not necessarily considered as the whole body of the apostolic doctrine.

p. 222 "These factors account for the paucity of references to the gospels as manuals of instruction and show that in practice reliance was placed for a long time on oral instruction rather than on written texts."

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 6 Day 2 Luke 1-5

2012-02-07T06:00:00.007-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Luke 1-5. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Luke 1-2 Notice that this carefully researched report Luke gives us is all about miraculous events - births of two children to mothers who could not have children but who conceived in response to an angelic message. The events surrounding both the birth of Jesus and of John the Baptizer are truly extraordinary. Yet when someone today talks about careful research, miraculous events don't tend to come up in the discussion. Maybe we can recapture the idea that simply because it is miraculous does not mean it is not true.

Luke 3 See how forcefully John calls people to believe Jesus. He is clear that Jesus is the one to watch, not John. The genealogy, as is proper for a gospel written to a possibly Gentile audience, traces Jesus as the son of God, not merely the son of Abraham. He is the one promised from the very start.

Luke 4-5 Jesus engages in ministry by healing, preaching, and calling disciples. Notice that, unlike most situations, Jesus selects his disciples. They do not select him. He is the one who will teach them what they need to know, who will show them what they need to see, and who will empower them for the work of the ministry.

How Were the Gospels Written?

2012-02-07T05:55:00.045-05:00

"How Were the Gospels Written?" Wenham, pp. 198-216

A question central to Wenham's book is the manner of the composition of the gospels. Recent scholarship has taken a view of literary dependence which assumes a different manner of composition than is typical among authors, that is, a lifting of words and phrases from other texts in order to create a new text. Wenham suggests that this is highly unlikely. p. 198 "It is unlikely that one evangelist worked directly on the scroll of another. Ancient historians relied on their memories and the briefest of notes."

As opposed to this literary dependence, Wenham suggests an extensive oral background. The Roman culture of the time, as well as the Jewish culture, emphasized learning oral traditions, speeches, sayings, and the like. While people did clearly take notes on what they heard, the educational process generally emphasized speaking and writing from spoken sources, not writing and copying written sources.

On pp. 201-202 Wenham suggests that Matthew's gospel was written first, taking from Matthew's recollection and notes that he may well have taken over the years. He may well have written a version in Aramaic or in Greek. This gospel would have likely been based on the instruction in the life and work of Jesus which was given to people who came to Jerusalem wishing to hear from the apostles about the Christ.

Wenham discusses the writing of Marks gospel on pp. 202-207. He is clear that there are more variables to be considered in Mark's gospel. It may well have been structured based on Matthew's gospel. Tradition says the content is dependent on Peter's teaching. It is quite possible that Peter would have used a copy of Matthew's gospel in his preaching and teaching, as a prompt or an organizational aid. This would explain some of the parallelisms between Matthew and Mark. Mark also, of course, may have been quite familiar with Matthew's gospel. Yet because of the amount of concentration and work required to make an actual copy of a scroll, particularly with the customs of the time (no writing desk, for example), it is unlikely that Mark would have copied passages from Matthew. Rather, Mark would have approached the work with an intention of providing another view of Jesus' life and work, informed by Matthew and by the preaching of Peter, but not strictly dependent on Matthew's writing for quotations.

We turn our attention to Luke's gospel from pages 208-213. According to Luke's prologue there were already written sources. Yet Luke seems to have other sources of information as well, sources he trusts a good deal. Luke presents himself as someone who is experienced in the gospel and in teaching, as well as someone who has done thorough research. The length of Luke's gospel suggests that he planned it to fit within one standard scroll. This can explain his selectivity in usage of material which appears in Matthew and Mark. Matthew already gave a comprehensive account, so would have been used here and there as needed. Mark, being much shorter, may have served Luke as an outline. Based on notes pulled from those sources and his own notes, Luke could have worked out his overall plan, then cut it in order to fit on a scroll. It would seem natural for him to keep the material which was not included in the existing gospels so as to present his on view of Jesus' life.

Wenham wraps up this chapter with some notes about the genealogies of Jesus. It may well be that the genealogy in Luke is that of Mary, while in Matthew we have the genealogy of Joseph. It may be that one of the genealogies is one of birth and the other is one indicating the legal inheritance of the royal power of David. Whatever the differences we seem to have two different traditions for the genealogy. There is no definitive explanation.

I guess I've got my priorities in an odd place . . .

2012-02-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

I guess I've got my priorities in an odd place. Yesterday, when an enormous number of Americans were engaging in one of the biggest holidays of the year, festivities surrounding the Super Bowl, I took the family out for pizza after church, a slightly belated birthday celebration for my now fifteen year old daughter. Our family along with my daughter's guest went home and played a rousing game of Settlers of Catan, then pretty much went our own ways to give all us introverts some time to recharge. Later on, a couple of episodes of Dr. Who, some homemade soup, and some finger foods. Way better, in my opinion, than watching a bunch of people chasing an oblong ball or even than watching the quirky ways people try to market their products on the most expensive television time of the year.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 6 Day 1 Exodus 37-40

2012-02-06T06:00:00.005-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Exodus 37-40. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

We read about the final construction of some of the furnishings of the tabernacle and of the tabernacle itself, as well as the priestly garments. While we could talk about all the symbolism in the various features of the furnishings and garments, and that could be fruitful, what strikes me is what happens afterward. Aaron and his sons are washed, dressed, and anointed. See that they don't prepare themselves, just as they did not choose themselves. How does our Lord prepare people for ministry? He is the one who chooses us, calls us, and provides people in our lives who train us and set us aside for God's service. There's some symbolism to the pastor being dressed in special liturgical garments, and having someone put the robe, stole, and other garments upon him. We don't always do this, but it would be full of symbolic meaning if we did. Enabling God's people to receive the grace of God through word and sacrament is not something we take upon ourselves. It is something placed upon us.

See God's response to the faithful work of the servants of Israel. He so fills the tabernacle with his glory that even Moses, who has approached him on the mountain, cannot enter the tabernacle. God's presence is with his people wherever they need to go.

Exodus is done. Next stop? Luke's Gospel!

Galatians

2012-02-06T05:55:00.033-05:00

"Galatians" Carson & Moo pp. 456-478

CONTENT
Carson and Moo observe that Paul's letter to the Galatians shows a great deal of urgency. When we confront people who are entrapped in sin and are harming themselves, it is a very important matter, in reality a matter of life and death.

p. 457 "Paul contrasts life in the Spirit with that in the flesh, which leads to instruction about right living. Paul takes up the pen himself to close with an impassioned reminder that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters - but God's new creation does."

AUTHOR
This letter has a very long history of being recognized as a work of the apostle Paul. Internal evidence and historical tradition are consistent.

DESTINATION
An address to "Galatia" is problematic. The region of Galatia is essentially divided into two portions. The northern portion, a mountainous and remote area, was settled by Gauls in the third century B.C. The southern portion, a coastal region, had a multi-ethnic community during the Roman period. We know that Paul had journeyed through the southern regions, stopping at multiple cities. However, his welcome in that area was not uniformly positive. Paul's letter to the Galatians seems to indicate a very positive experience with the people. However, Paul had been ill at the time when he apparently met the Galatians. This would tend to suggest that he would not have gone to the difficult and remote mountainous area. We are left uncertain about what portion of Galatia Paul is addressing.

DATE
pp. 461-462 "If one adopts the North Galatian theory, then because Paul could not have spent enough time ministering in the north to plant churches until about halfway through his recorded missionary service, the date of Galatians, which of course must have been written after the planting of the church, must be a little later - about the same time as Paul's letter to Rome. If the South Galatian theory is adopted, an early date is possible." Carson and Moo suggest a number of considerations which support an early date, including his lack of mention of the decree of the Jerusalem council in Acts 15, which addressed many of the issues Paul addresses in Galatians. Others suggest an affinity with the Corinthian letters and lean toward a later composition. pp. 464-465 "That the letter precedes the Jerusalem Council seems indicated by the fact that Paul makes no mention of its verdict. Even if he did not make it his main argument, it is hard to see why he should omit all mention of such a significant support to his argument against accepting the whole Jewish Torah."

OCCASION
p. 465 "From Acts 13-14 we learn that Paul and Barnabas evangelized the southern part of the province of Galatia by going first to the synagogues, where they preached to Jews and God-fearing Gentiles. but in each city Jews stirred up opposition, and the preachers turned to the Gentiles and made converts from among them."

p. 465 "But after Paul and Barnabas left the scene, apparently some Jewish Christians came into the area and taught that those who embrace the Christian salvation must submit to Jewish Law, the Torah."

p. 466 "In recent years some have argued that all or at least most of the laws that these interlopers were pressing on the Galatians were the legislative pieces that established "boundary markers" - the practices that differentiated Jews from other people . . . Certainly Paul is constantly at pains to unite Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. Nevertheless, this "new perspective" on Paul is too narrow."

Carson and Moo suggest a number of situations that apparently provoked the composition. There were apparently false teachers who had come from the Jewish Christian camp. They sometimes see libertinism, spurring people to indulge in sin. There were criticisms of Paul mentioned. And the gospel of grace was compromised by the teaching which had arisen in Galatia.

TEXT
There are a number of minor variants in the text of Galatians but nothing which causes difficulties. Among the variants are the name used for Peter and whether in chapter 1 verse 6 the words "of Christ" should come after the word "grace." These are not serious problems.

ADOPTION INTO THE CANON
Galatians was adopted very early and consistently as canonical. There are hints of it in late first century and early second century authors.

GALATIANS IN RECENT STUDY
There is an ongoing debate about the identity of the people Paul was opposing. There is also a great deal of study on the rhetorical features of Galatians. Rather a lot of the most recent discussion focuses on the work of E.P. Sanders who suggested that the Jews never thought they could be saved by keeping the law. His work surfaces as a presupposition of many in Pauline studies today.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF GALATIANS
This book sets out the truth of justification by faith in Christ and by no other means. This concept is of critical importance to all Christians. There is also a strong emphasis on Christian freedom. We are justified by grace through faith and we are set free to walk in the Spirit.

The Origins of Textual Criticism as a Scholarly Discipline

2012-02-05T05:55:00.037-05:00

The Origins of Textual Criticism as a Scholarly Discipline" Metzger & Ehrman pp. 197-204

Where did the whole idea of textual criticism come from? Is this practice of deciding what the original reading of a document might be a very recent practice? Does it apply only to biblical studies or is it carried on in other genres of literature as well?

Metzger and Ehrman point to the origins of textual criticism in the Classical period and more so in the Hellenistic period when ancient Greeks starting in the 5th century B.C. would analyze different manuscripts of Homer and try to sift out variant readings and portions which seemed not to be original to the thext.

p. 198 "It is less widely appreciated - indeed, the qustion has seldom been raised - how far the methods of textual criticism current at Alexandria were adopted by scholars in the Church and applied to the text of the New Testament." Metzger and Ehrman go on to summarize some of the early patristic efforts to confirm the earliest text of the New Testament.

p. 199 "It appears that a learned leather merchant named Theodotus, lately come from Byzantium to Rome, had been stung by certain criticisms that Galen, the famous Greek physician, had leveled against the philosophical naivete of many Christians. In an attempt to introduce improvements in the methodology of scriptural interpreation, Theodotus and his followers seem to have undertaken a critical recension of the biblical text." Eusebius quotes a segment from a pamphlet published against those people. p. 199 "According to this author, the Theodotians deserved to be condemned on three scores: (1) they were engrossed in the study of logic, mathematics, and empirical science . . . (2) rejecting allegorizing, they practiced strict grammatical exegesis; and (3) they applied textual criticism to the Septuagint and the Greek New Testament." We really know virtually nothing more about this early movement, except that the people involved in it (p. 199) "were excommunicated as heretics by the authoritarian bishop of Rome, Pope Victor 1 (served as pope c. A.D. 187-198)."

p. 200 "Origen of Alexandria and Caesarea began a text-critical study of the entire Old Testament in Hebrew and in several Greek transations. His resulting Hexapla, which must have required many years of the most painstaking labor, was a monumental tool that many patristic scholars consulted in the famed library of Pamphilus at Caesarea, until its destruction in the seventh century during the Islamic conquest of the Near East."

These efforts at textual criticism, and the comments of Metzger and Ehrman about the excommunication of the Theodotians, along with a realization that Origen was also later considered a heretic, do not tell us a great deal about either the theology of the patristic period or about the fruitfulness of the textual studies. There is no real reason to believe that people have been excommunicated based on a desire to study the Scripture more effectively. There is also no real reason to believe that their actual textual work was particularly ground-breaking. An interesting insight, brought out on pp. 200-201 is that Origen documented some variant readings but then endorsed the positive aspects of the various readings, emphasizing their spiritual usefulness and insight, rather than talking about which one was a more likely original reading or giving reasons to prefer one over another. This is akin to people who will evaluate modern translations or paraphrases of the Bible based on whether they like the expressiveness or theological slant of one or another, rather than based on which is a more fair and accurate representation of the Scripture which God has given to his people.

p. 201 "Judged according to modern standards, St. Jerome (c. 347-420) was a more sagacious textual critic than Origen, well aware of the varieties of error that arise in the transcription of manuscripts." Jerome talks about the various ways a scribe could make a copying error or could choose to correct what he considered a poor reading of a passage.

p. 202 "Although primarily a theologian, St. Augustine (354-430) showed on occasion a keen critical judgment in textual problems." He suggests considering majority readings, but also seems aware that there are some instances when a majority reading may exist because of many copies being made from a corrupted text. Therefore he also recommends the practice of looking to manuscripts held in places of great learning and research when there are passages which are in doubt.

p. 203 "During the Middle Ages, when knowledge of Greek was at a low ebb, text-critical efforts were now and then directed toward the purification of Jerome's Vulgate text." Medieval authors will sometimes make comments suggesting the Greek which would presumably lie behind Jerome's translation.

p. 203 "At the time of the Renaissance and with the spread of the knowledge of ancient Greek, scholars began to correct the Latin Vulgate by the original Greek." The work of Erasmus and Beza, as well as the editors of the Geneva Bible, shows not only interest in the Vulgate text but also in comparison of Greek manuscripts.

p. 204 "The first scholar to make any use of all three classes of evidence for the text of the New Testament - that is, Greek manuscripts, the early versions, and quotations from the fathers - was probably Francis Lucas of Bruges (grugensis) in his Notationes in sacra Biblia, quibus variantia . . . discutiuntur (Antwerp, 1580). Toward the close of the seventeenth century, the scientific foundations of New Testament criticism were laid in four monumental publications of richard Simon 91638-1712), a French Catholic scholar far ahead of his day in biblical research." Simon chose to view the Bible specifically as a piece of literature, applying the same interpretive methods to it as would be applied to other pieces of literature.

"Ancient Testimony to Luke's Gospel"

2012-02-04T05:55:00.007-05:00

"Ancient Testimony to Luke's Gospel" Wenham, pp. 183-197

p. 183 "Testimony is virtually universal that the author of the third gospel was Luke, the beloved physician and companion of Paul."

p. 183 "clement of Alexandria says that 'those gospels were first written which include the genealogies'. This would seem to mean that Luke (and Matthew) were written before Mark (and John). This is the strongest argument in the Griesbach case, for Clement is early (c. 150-215) and well informed."

Wenham sets out to answer who the author of Luke might be and where it comes in the sequence of the gospels.

p. 184 "The unanimous testimony of the early Christian writers attributes the gospel to Luke. This is found in irenaeus, the Muratorian fragment, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria and in those who came after, and is never disputed. They usually make clear that he was the companion of Paul."

The issue of the anonymity seems to clash with the early identification of the author, though. People have tried to identify Luke as the author based on the knowledge that there was a Luke with Paul sometimes, though he is not identified as Paul's chronicler anywhere. Some have attempted to identify Luke by the process of elimination. Streeter observes that the preface would not make sense to readers without knowledge of the author.

p. 185 "It is probable that Theophilus' own copy would have been tagged with the author's name. Private libraries were common among the rich, and before placing a book-roll in the library, it was customary to tag it. Unlike oriental practice, Greco-Roman libraries were indexed by the author's name. Thus the authorship of a catalogued book which had no author's name in the text would nonetheless be known beyond doubt to its readers, and this was presumably true of Luke."

Wenham discusses several other, but possibly less persuasive, theories which can point to Luke as the author. p. 186 "The three other traditions of Luke's identity to which we referred are of little value as historical evidence." He then goes on to discuss a tradition that Luke was one of the seventy and therefore would have had information about that mission and would have had access to Jesus and the apostles. There is another tradition, which is supported by the identity of Luke as one of the seventy, that he was the disciple on the Emmaus road who is not named. We also see some suggestions that Lucius of Cyrene, Paul's kinsman (Romans 16:21) was the Antiochan church leader. None of those traditions help us identify the author, but they do all point to someone who was present early in the Christian period. p. 187 "The earlier we envisage Luke participating in the Christian mission the stronger will be the case for taking his narrative as a sound historical source."

The question of the sequence of the gospels is open to debate as well. Some point out that Clement, quoted by Eusebius, may suggest that the gospels including genealogies were first. This would suggest that Matthew and Luke came before Mark and John. However, Origen knew the order to be Matthew, Mark, then Luke. p. 189 (quoting Origen) "...as having learnt by tradition concerning the four Gospels, which alone are unquestionable in the Church of God under heaven, that first was written that according to Matthew, who was once a tax-collector but afterwards an apostle of Jesus Christ, who published it for those who from Judaism came to believe, composed as it was in the Hebrew language. Secondly, that according to Mark, who wrote it in accordance with Peter's instructions, whom also Peter acknowledged as his son in the catholic epistle, speaking in these terms: 'She that is in Babylon, elect together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Mark my son.' And thirdly, that according to Luke, who wrote, for those who from the Gentiles [came to believe], the Gospel that was praised by Paul. After them all, that according to John. (HE 6.25.3-6)"

Wenham quotes Zahn on p. 190. "What Origen gives as a tradition, without any thought of a divergent view, is expressed also by Irenaeus and the author of the Muratorian fragment without the least indication of uncertaintiy. It continued to be the prevalent view of antiquity, and it was this more than anything else which brought it about, that the arrangement of the Gospels familiar to us displaced more and more the other arrangements..."

The difficulty is a parallel tradition involving Clement and Origen, two church fathers who were near each other in time (Clement was Origen's teacher). He traces Zahn's argument in some detail.

Augustine listed the gospels in order as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. However, Augustine tends to make some other statements which could suggest that Mark appears dependent on Matthew and Luke. Yet the statements of Augustine do not appear to be entirely clear. Augustine may suggest affinity without suggesting dependence.

Wenham concludes the chapter without necessarily resolving the difficulty. He has stated strengths and weaknesses of a variety of arguments. The chapter actually closes with questions about whether or not we are wise looking for literary relationships and particularly literary dependence. This is the big question of Wenham's book.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 5 Day 5 Exodus 32-36

2012-02-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Exodus 32-36. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Notice as we read today how there's a strong tension between the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man. The people flee from God's covenant. They are afraid to hear directly from God. And the Lord says that he cannot come among his people lest he should destroy them in their sin. In chapter 34, though God proclaims his character, that he is steadfast, loving, faithful. He does not abandon his people though they abandon him. God establishes his covenant with his people, promising to bring them into the land of promise. What do the people agree to? Only that they will strive to live a holy life so they do not depart from the blessing that God has given them. We then see the central features of the covenant life in the reception of the Sabbath, a day of rest, symbolic of resting from our sin and its consequences, then the construction of the tabernacle, a place where God is among his people, bringing them peace and rest.

"Mark's Gospel: Further Considerations"

2012-02-03T05:55:00.000-05:00

"Mark's Gospel: Further Considerations" Wenham pp. 173-182

This chapter discusses additional considerations about the dating of Mark's Gospel.

pp. 173-174 "Another possible source of information about the writing of Mark's gospel is the tradition of the Alexandrian church. We have seen that the dismissal of the age-long tradition of the Roman church by nineteenth-century scholars may have been ill judged. Perhaps the same applies to Alexandria."

Wenham goes on to cite early authorities who state that Mark went to Egypt, proclaiming the gospel which he had previously written.

p. 175 "Thus in the fourth century, not only does Alexandria claim Mark as its founder, but this claim is acknowledged in East and West, and it has remained the steadfast tradition of the Coptic church to the present day."

p. 175 "It is a case of putting Eusebius' encyclopedic knowledge of the Eastern church together with the solid tradition of the Copts against conclusions based on what Roberts calls the 'jejune and scrappy references' available to present-day scholars in our extant literary sources."

We then look at the ease of travel for both people and documents in imperial Rome, documenting that it was fairly easy for people to travel throughout the Mediterranean region.

Wenham discusses the fragment 7Q5, which may possibly be asserted to be a fragment of Mark 6:52 and following. pp. 178-179 "If 7Q5 is tentatively identified with Mark 6:52f, some of O'Callaghan's other identifications at once become plausible. 7Q4 fits 1 Timothy 3:16-4:3 (O'Callaghan thinks this certain) and 7Q8 fits James 1:23f. That epistles like 1 Timothy and James, commonly dated round about the end of the century, should have been in the possession of a Christian community in Palestine in 68 is a conclusion almost too shocking to be contemplated! But if the traditional dating of these New Testament documents is in general sounder than the modern dating (as the present book maintains), there is nothing impossible about it. We ought therefore, in spite of the fragmentary nature of the evidence, to keep the possibility in mind."

Finally, Wenham looks at some internal features of Mark, indicating that the vividness of details may indicate a very early authorship, not bearing the marks of a long tradition which could smooth out the physicality of the gospel.

Wenham's conclusion is that Mark's gospel was informed by Peter's preaching and that it was handed down to the church after Peter's death, probably having been written some time before that, possibly as early as the first half of the 40s.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 5 Day 4 Exodus 27-31

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Exodus 27-31. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Exodus 27 - God cares about the location where the people of Israel will receive their forgiveness. He is concerned about every detail.

Exodus 28 - See the symbolism in the many special garments which the priests wear. First we observe that these are garments which would not be worn when the priest was not engaged in his priestly duties. We also see that the garments are not owned by the priest, but that the garment and the ceremonial authority which goes with it would be imposed upon the priest. Garments worn for special purposes are very important in Scripture. How do the clothes a pastor wears when performing his pastoral office serve symbolically?

Exodus 29-30 - God cares for the way priests are ordained. Even though the children of Aaron are to be priests, they are still set aside in a special way. See that the sacrifices for sin are great and precious, greater than any person could afford, repeated again and again. Our sin brings condemnation. The price is greater than we can pay.

Exodus 31 - God appoints people with skill and ability to do his work. He then increases their skill. But notice he then immediately points out that there is a right pattern of work and rest. May the Lord bless us with increase in our ability to serve him as well as a right balance of work and rest.

"The Date of Peter's Going to Rome"

2012-02-02T05:55:00.038-05:00

"The Date of Peter's Going to Rome" Wenham, pp. 146-172

This chapter was of great interest to me. I had always wondered where the tradition came from that Peter was in Rome, as there seems to be no mention of it in the Scripture. Wenham lays the ideas out in very clear terms.

p. 146 "For many centuries the church of Rome held that Peter in fact arrived there after his escape from prison in 42 (when it is said that he 'went to another place', Acts 12:17) and that he was in some sense the overseer of that church for twenty-five years."

This idea, paired with Mark's being informed by Peter's preaching to write his gospel, gives us insight into the possible dating of the gospel. p. 147 "The substantial truth of the patristic tradition about Mark could be maintained without necessitating a date somewhere after the mid-60s, and a date as early as the mid-40s becomes possible."

So how are we going to argue for Peter's presence in Rome, when (largely Protestant) recent scholarship tends to deny it?

p. 149 "There was a large and world-famous church in Rome in 57 with which Paul had been in contact for some years. . . When Paul arrived in Italy in 60 he found brethren at the great port of Puteoli with whom he stayed for seven days." Judging from the many greetings to the churches (plural) in Rome found in Paul's epistle to the Romans, written from Corinth in 57, this was a well-established church. This can explain the fact that Priscilla and Aquila, whom Paul meets in Acts 18, coming from Italy. There had been an expulsion of Jews from Rome under Claudius, possibly because of dissension among Jews over the question of Christ. This occurred about the year 50.

p. 154 "According to a well-grounded tradition the foundation of the church in Rome was laid by Peter in the second year of Claudius." It is possible that Paul is hinting at this by his intention only to stop briefly in Rome to visit. p. 155 "It was his policy not to preach the gospel where Christ had already been named, lest he 'build on another man's foundation' (Rom. 1520-24). While the idea of the powerful church at Rome does not require a powerful founder, (p. 155) "it gains force if (as missionary experience in general confirms) the church of Rome did not arise merely through the chance movements of Christian converts, but was in large measure the result of one man's vision and work."

Early tradition, though there are some discrepancies, seems to point toward Peter serving as a leader of the church in Rome either from Claudius' second year to Nero's last year (42-67) or else from the ascension of the Lord to the year 55. Wenham discusses this on p. 157. He then cites Edmundson's analysis of Ignatius, Dionysius of Corinth, and Irenaeus. The conclusion that Irenaeus makes as quoted by Edmundson is cited on p. 159 of Wenham. "The Blessed Apostles, having founded and established the Church, entrusted the office of the episcopate to Linus. Paul speaks of this Linus in his epistles to Timothy, Anencletus succeeded him, and after Anencletus, in the third place from the Apostles, Clement received the episcopate." It seems no mistake, then, that early Roman tradition places the church in Rome on the foundation of Peter and Paul, not Paul or Peter individually.

p. 165 "This tradition fits without difficulty into the account of Peter in Acts. Direct evidence for Peter's movements after the death of Stephen is scanty: we find him at Samaria (Acts 8:14), and moving about among all the growing churches of Judea, Galilee and Samaria (9:31ff); we find him nitiating the first Gentile misson at Caesarea (10:1-11:18). During Agrippa's reign (41-44) he escaped from Jerusalem and fled Agrippa's territory (12:1-17). e was in Jerusalem again for the visit of Paul and Barnabas in 46 (Gal. 2:1-10) and for the Apostolic Council of 49 (Acts 15:1-21). He visited Antioch (Gal. 2:11) and had associations with the churches in Asia Minor (1 Pet. 1:1). In 54 Paul can speak of Peter 'leading around a wife', presumably moving from place to place in missionary work (1 Cor. 9:5). This shows that Peter was not a resident ἐπίσκοπος in Rome for twenty-five years. But before its appropriation by the developing Christian church ἐπίσκοπος was no a technical ecclesiastical term and it would have been a suitable description, for instance, of Paul as a non-residential overseer of the churches which he had founded."

So as we look at the evidence, the idea of Peter being mostly based in Rome from about 42 until his death in 67 makes a great deal of sense.

p. 171 "Rome's claim to Petrine foundation was unchallenged throughout the church."

pp. 171-172 "The argument is cumulative. Paul seems to have regarded this large and world-famous church as having a founder. An immensely strong tradition, accepted by the most learned men in the early church, says that its foundation was laid by Pter in the second year of the reign of Claudius. This is indirectly and independently confirmed by the traditions concerning the apostles' twelve-year stay in Jerusalem and concerning Peter's confrontation with Simon Magus in Rome. The movements of Peter and Mark as seen in the rest of the New Testament readily fit in. The tradition was unchallenged throughout the church."

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 5 Day 3 Exodus 22-26

2012-02-01T06:00:00.010-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Exodus 22-26. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Exodus 22-24 - See how God continues to give commands for a just and gentle society, certainly very gentle in terms of the neighboring societies. Yet in a just society there are penalties. Notice that the greatest penalties are related to denying others of life or engaging in activities that pervert the image of God as revealed to the people. The ultimate cause of shame is denial of God's gracious revelation of his own person. As God's people receive the covenant of the law and affirm that they will keep it, sacrifices are made, consecrating the decision. As God has bound himself to his word to be the God of Israel, the people are binding themselves with their promise to obey their Lord.

Exodus 25-26 God gives a design for the tabernacle to serve as the center of the life of worship for Israel. Notice the precious materials to be used, which the people are commanded to supply gladly. Reflect on the use of costly furnishings in places of worship. What messages may they give to people who come to participate in worship? What message can be given by use of cost-cutting measures?

"Paul: Apostle and Theologian"

2012-02-01T05:55:00.078-05:00

"Paul: Apostle and Theologian" Carson & Moo pp. 354-390

Paul himself is a significant figure in the New Testament. He therefore has his own chapter in Carson & Moo before they move on to discuss his books in order. As I usually do, I'll put section headers in the book in capitals then include my notes or quotations from the chapter in order.

PAUL'S BACKGROUND
"BORN IN TARSUS OF CILICIA" (ACTS 22:3)
Tarsus was a very important city, a place of learning and culture. As a Roman citizen from Tarsus Paul would be expected to be well educated. A significant note is that his name "Paulos" would have been his Roman cognomen. It is not, counter to much preaching that is popular today, a new name given to him by the Lord.
"BROUGHT UP IN THIS CITY" (ACTS 22:3)
It is unclear if Paul was raised in Jerusalem or if he moved to Jerusalem for the more advanced rabbinical education. Regardless we see that Paul had backgrounds in both the Hellenistic and Jewish worlds.
"THOROUGHLY TRAINED IN THE LAW OF OUR ANCESTORS . . . ZEALOUS FOR GOD" (ACTS 22:3)
Paul actually seems to have been more polarized in his Pharisaism than his teacher, Gamaliel, who was known as a moderate. Paul was very forceful in his zeal.
"AS I CAME NEAR DAMASCUS" (ACTS 22:6)
Paul received permission to arrest and bring Christians to trial. On his way to Damascus to do just this he had an encounter with Jesus, described in Acts 9, 22, and 26, as well as in Galatians 1. Paul's conversion and call were tied together as he saw that he was to defend the gospel in every way he could.

PAUL'S MISSIONARY CAREER AND ITS CHRONOLOGY
THE PROBLEM OF SOURCES
Paul's letters never give a comprehensive history. The data given by Luke in Acts likewise seems to be selective at points. We have to consider all the sources in order to try harmonizing them.
AN OUTLINE OF PAUL'S MISSIONARY CAREER
FROM PAUL'S CONVERSION TO THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY
Much of this chronology comes from Galatians 1:13-2:10. Paul visits Jerusalem three years after his conversion, then again "after fourteen years." The first visit seems clearly to be the one mentioned in Acts 9:26-30. The reference to "after fourteen years" seems to fit better with fourteen years after his conversion than fourteen years after the first visit. p. 362 "First, the prominence of Paul's conversion in Galatians 1 suggests that this event is the base for all his chronological notices in this context. Second, this sequence fits better with other chronological indications that we will note below. The visit may be "in the third year" and "in the fourteenth year" inclusively, counting partial years on both ends of the time period as well. p. 363 "the inclusive method seems to have been more typical in the ancient world, so we may prefer it in interpreting Galatians 1-2." What do we make of the three years in Arabia? p. 363 "Paul's later difficulties with the king of the Nabataeans, Aertas, suggests strongly that he was engaged in active ministry during this time (2 Cor. 11:32)."
FROM PAUL'S FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY TO HIS DEATH
p. 364 "Luke introduces the first missionary journey in Acts 13:1-3 with no indication about its relationship in time to the other events he has been narrating." p. 364 "This journey took Barnabas, Paul, and - for part of the way - John Mark to Barnabas's home, the island of Cyprus, and several cities in southern Galatia, namely, Pisidian antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (Acts 13:4-14:26). Estimates of the time necessary for this trip of about 1,400 miles vary from one year to five years. The best guess is about eighteen months, but we simply have no way of knowing for sure."
p. 365 "Paul's second missionary journey took him to southern Galatia, quickly through Asia Minor, and on to Macedonia - in particular, the cities of Philippi (see 1 Thess. 2:2), thessalonica (see 1 thess. 2:2; Phil. 4:15-16), and berea (Acts 17:10-15) - and then Achaia, including Athens (see 1 Thess. 3:1) and Corinth (see 2 Cor. 11:7-9)."
p. 365 Later, "he graveled 'from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia' (18:23; the reference is probably to the Phrygian part of Galatia) before arriving in Ephesus (19:1; see 1 Cor. 16:8). How long Paul spent here is not clear. In Acts 20:31, Paul tells the elders of the Ephesian church that he had spent 'three years' with them. But this could be a rounding off (counting inclusively) of the period of two years and three months specified in Acts 19:8, 10. Luke, however, may not intend these two verses to summarize the entire stay in ephesus. It is safest to conclude that Paul spent anywhere from two years and three months to three years in ephesus. From Ephesus Paul moved north into Macedonia, where he met Titus returning from Corinth (Acts 20:1; cf. 2 Cor. 2:12-13). Some scholars speculate that it may have been at this time that Paul ministered in Illyricum (modern Albania and yugoslavia; see Rom. 15:19), although neither Acts nor Paul's letters describe such a trip. Paul probably wintered in Corinth (his three-month stay in Greece [Acts 20:2-3; cf. 2 Cor. 9:4]), before retracing his steps to Caesarea and Jerusalem (20:3-21:16). This journey, of approximately 2,700 miles, must have taken at least three and a half years, and probably four or five."
The text of Acts ends with Paul under house arrest in Rome. p. 366 "Many think that Paul's life ended at this point, but two considerations point decisively to a longer interval before his death. First, apparently reliable early church accounts associate Paul's death with nero's persecution of Christians in A.D. 64-65. But it is unlikely that Paul's two-year stay in Rome brings us to this late a date. . . Second, the evidence of the Pastoral Epistles points to a period of further ministry in the eastern Mediterranean after the Roman imprisonment of Acts 28:30-31. . . Almost certainly, then, Paul was released from this first Roman imprisonment for a period of further ministry. Whether this ministry took Paul to Spain, as he had originally planned (see Rom. 15:24), is uncertain."
THE CHRONOLOGY OF PAUL'S MISSIONARY CAREER
The materials we have in the bible give us a fair relative chronology. When does this fit into the first century? The most important evidence we have is that Paul left Corinth shortly after an encounter with Gallio, a proconsul. p. 366 "Gallio was proconsul of Achaia from July of 51 to July of 52." This allows us to work backward and forward to place the second missionary journey beginning in 48. The apostolic council is probably earlier in 48. The visit to Jerusalem for famine relief probably then fits in 45 or 46. This dates Paul's conversion in the period of 32 to 35. Considering the probably date of the crucifixion as about 33, the conversion is probably closer to 35. We then can look toward the end of Paul's career and see the second missionary journey probably ending in 51, with the third beginning quickly afterward, probably spring of 52. This brings Paul back to Palestine sometime about 57, allowing him to be imprisoned in Caesarea for two years and arrive in Rome in the spring of 60. There are suggestions that Paul was released from prison briefly but then re-arrested in the Neronian persecution, then was executed about 64 or 65.

PAUL'S AUTHORITY AND THE SOURCES FOR HIS THOUGHT
PAUL'S AUTHORITY
Paul was clearly self-conscious of being an apostle, on par with all the other apostles. He does not specifically claim that his writings are inspired Scripture.
THE SOURCES OF PAUL'S TEACHING
REVELATION VERSUS TRADITION
Paul does claim that his teaching comes by the revelation of Jesus. However he also has elements which he claims as tradition, that which has been passed on from Jesus through other people.
EARLY CHRISTIAN TRADITION
There are some hints in Paul's letters that he uses early Christian tradition. For instance, there are passages of doxology which appear to be quotations from some unknown source and which tend to fall into rhythmic or poetic patterns which appear to be non-Pauline. These have been examined a great deal. Yet the examinations of them must be treated with caution. p. 372 "First, we must be careful not to overemphasize our ability to identify such passages. The line between quotation of a preexisting tradition and the use of traditional language in one's own composition is difficult, and often impossible, to draw. Second, we must be careful not to use inevitably speculative data about these traditions, such as the place of origin or theological tendency, to draw exegetical and theological conclusions. We simply do not know enough to justify such procedures."
THE EARTHLY JESUS
Of course, the person of Jesus himself was behind early Christian tradition. We do not know how much information Paul had about the specific details of Jesus' life, outside of what he may have gathered from interviews with the other apostles.
THE OLD TESTAMENT
Paul quotes extensively from the Old Testament. He also fills his writings with allusions to it. Paul seems to look consistently to the Old Testament through the filter of Jesus' fulfillment of God's promises.
THE GREEK WORLD
Paul, educated at least in part in Tarsus, would have been familiar with much of the Hellenistic world. It seems unlikely that he borrowed from a knowledge of Greek philosophy to build his theology, but he clearly knew how to use current cultural and rhetorical norms to clothe his teaching.
JUDAISM
There is a serious debate about how the world of Judaism at the time of Paul influenced him. We are advised to realize that there were many different flavors of Judaism at the time of Paul and that, while his thought world was strongly influenced by his Jewish upbringing, he governed those influences by rigorous dependence on the Christian teaching about Jesus.

PAUL AND JUDAISM
THE "NEW PERSPECTIVE"
The "new perspective" on Paul suggests that Paul was misunderstood by the Reformers. The theory first arises in a book by E.P. Sanders (1977), Paul and Palestinian Judaism. p. 376 "essentially, Sanders claims that the traditional view of first-century Judaism as a legalistic religion is wrong. After a study of Jewish sources likely to give us evidence about first-century Jewish beliefs, Sanders concludes that these sources almost unanimously portray a view of soteriology that he dubs 'covenantal nomism.' foundational to the Jewish view of salvation is the covenant that God entered into with the people Israel. God has chosen Israel, and Jews in Paul's day believed that that original gracious choice was the basis for their salvation. Viewed from this perspective, Jews did not have to do the law to be saved; they were already saved. They obeyed the law, rather, to maintain their covenantal status. As Sanders put it, Jews did not do the law to 'get in' (which would be legalism) but to 'stay in' ('nomism')." p. 377 James D.G. "Dunn was the first to use the language of 'new perspective' to describe the impact of Sanders' view of Judaism on Pauline studies, and the name has stuck as a way of describing the movement as a whole . . . Essentially, Dunn claims that what Paul opposes is the tendency of the Jews to confine salvation to their own nation. It is ethnic exclusivism, not personal legalism, that Paul finds wrong with Judaism." This is an interesting stream of scholarship. Yet it has some weaknesses. p. 378 "Several tendencies mark the 'new perspective on Paul.' First, Paul's theology is read against the background of the 'story' of salvation history. Richard Hays and N.T. Wright are two of the foremost advocates of this new way of reading Paul. The effect is to take many of the theological categories that have traditionally been interpreted in terms of individual experience and restrict them to the corporate experience of Israel and the people of God. Second, and partly as a result of the first overarching approach, the foundational Reformation contrast between 'faith' and 'works' as two opposed means of being saved is reduced or, in some more radical proposals, eliminated."

RESPONSE TO THE NEW PERSPECTIVE
p. 380 "As a comprehensive explanation of first-century Judaism, sanders' 'covenantal nomism' requires qualification. First, the claim that covenantal nomism was the only soteriological paradigm within first-century Judaism must be questioned.

p. 381 "Another reason for thinking that, alongside covenant nomism, there existed in first-century Judaism a strand of legalism is the evidence from an important set of primary documents about first-century Judaism: the New Testament."

p. 382 "our second general qualification of covenant nomism has to do with the first term in this description: the covenant. Sanders and those who have followed him base their interpretation of first-century Jewish soteriology on the assumption that God's covenant with Israel was the starting point for Jewish obedience to the law. This assumption runs into problems, however, when we begin to consider the many Jewish sectarian groups that flourished at this time."

p. 383 "Third, and perhaps most important, is the increasingly widespread recognition that, on any reading of the data, first-century Judaism was synergistic. Few scholars would deny that first-century Judaism believed that the grace of God was basic to salvation. But on Sanders' own showing, it also believed that, if one 'got in' by grace, on 'stayed in' by obedience."

In this summary of recent developments in Pauline studies, I think Carson and Moo have shown that the new perspective in Paul has some intriguing possibilities but falls short in its understanding of the nuances which are present behind the scenes in first century Judaism. Taking an entire religion and treating it as one snapshot will never catch the distinctives of different branches.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 5 Day 2 Exodus 17-21

2012-01-31T06:00:00.009-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Exodus 17-21. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Exodus 17 - God gives the people of Israel water to drink, not a small amount of water for that many people. He also gives the Israelites victory over the Amalekites. See how God uses physical means to accomplish his will. Sometimes the means which God uses don't seem to make sense to us. But they are his means nonetheless.

Exodus 18 - The pattern implemented by Moses at the suggestion of Jethro is one which we find to this day in Church, business, and politics. The leader has trained and respected assistants who are leaders in their own right. These people bear some of the burdens of leadership but always report to their leader. There is a place in the Church for training up elders from within the body, people who are biblically qualified for the tasks presented to elders in Scripture, who will engage in the work of the ministry as they are able.

Exodus 19-21 - See how God's presence is fearful? We do not dare approach the living God on our own terms. Yet he comes to us in ways that we can approach, through servants like Moses, who bring his words of mercy. The commandments - notice they are not numbered in the Bible - show God's desire for our good, but at the same time serve to condemn us, as we realize we cannot keep them before our Lord. He goes on in chapter 21 to give various social commands which show his desire that we show mercy and kindness to one another. There are many safeguards against being killed in a civil situation, representing a remarkable change from the customs recorded in other Ancient Near Eastern civilizations.

"Ancient Testimony to Mark's Gospel"

2012-01-31T05:55:00.025-05:00

"Ancient Testimony to Mark's Gospel" Wenham, pp. 136-145

p. 136 "Eusebius quote Papias, who in turn quotes John the Presbyter. . . who says that Mark became Peter's interpreter and wrote accurately all that he remembered of the things said or done by the Lord. . . Eusebius contrasts the orderly arrangement of Matthew with the less structured oral teaching of Peter."

p. 136 "Irenaeus tells how Mark the disciple of Peter handed on Peter's teaching after the latter's 'exodus' - probably his death. . . Clement of Alexandria says that Mark wrote at the request of leading Christians in Rome and that Peter later gave his approval. Origen says that Mark wrote on the instruction of Peter."

It seems there is a strong tradition that Mark's Gospel is heavily influenced, even dependent on the teaching and preaching of Peter. The book and traditions about the book show all the signs of coming from Rome.

Eusebius quotes from Papias. Though it is impossible to tell where Papias ends and Euesebius begins in the quote, (p. 137) "The main thrust of the whole statement appears to be a contrasting of the recollections of Mark derived from the preaching and teaching of Peter with the more orderly arrangement of the gospel of Matthew." The first sentence of the quotation of Papias makes four points.

p. 137 "1.) Mark became Peter's ἑρμηνεθτής." This is an interpreter, not necessarily a translator. Mark's role may well have been to expound on what Peter said, to explain it for others.

p. 138 "2.) He wrote 'accurately'."

p. 138 "3.) He wrote fully."

p. 138 "4.) He wrote 'not in order'." Mark has a greater emphasis on the Lord's activity than Matthew. He has a tendency to be less orderly in his chronology. This is a sign that Mark may well have pulled from Peter's preaching and teaching rather than from any sort of historical notes, as Matthew may have done.

Irenaeus discusses both Mark's gospel, identifying him as a disciple of Peter and as the person who has handed over apostolic teaching, probably shortly after the death of Peter. p. 139 "The passage contrasts the traditions of the heretics with the public declarations of the apostles, first preached, then committed to writing and now preserved in the church. Irenaeus does not say that after the death of Peter and Paul, Mark wrote his gospel, but that he has handed on the preaching of Peter to us in writing. Any suggestion of discontinuity between the time of preaching and the time of writing would weaken his argument, and no such notion should be read into it.

Some manuscripts of the New Testament have prologues to Mark known as the "anti-Marcionite" prologues. Mark's says, among other things, (p. 140) post excessionem ipsius Petri descripsit idem hoc in partibus Italiae evangelium . . . descripsit suggests what is absent from, or at best ambiguous in, Irenaeus - that Mark wrote down his gospel after Peter's death.

Clement of Alexandria also is quoted by Eusebius. p. 141 "Clement has inserted a tradition of the primitive elders . . . those present, who were many, exhorted Mark, as one who had followed him for a long time and remembered what had been spoken, to make a record of what was said; and that he did this, and distributed the Gospel among those that asked him. And that when the matter came to Peter's knowledge he neither strongly forbade it nor urged it forward."

Eusebius also quotes a passage from Origen, saying, (p. 142) "And second, that according to Mark, who did as Peter instructed him, whom also he acknowledged as a son in the catholic epistle."

p. 142 "All these testimonies point to a solid core of tradition, which makes Mark the author of the gospel, which makes him a fellow-worker with Peter, and which makes his book a faithful record of what that apostle taught in Rome. The tradition is not entirely clear as to whether he wrote before or after the apostle's death."

The next step to adequate dating of Mark's Gospel is, therefore, to identify when Peter was teaching in Rome and when Peter died.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 5 Day 1 Exodus 12-16

2012-01-30T06:00:00.013-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Exodus 12-16. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Exodus 12-13 - After 430 years in captivity in Egypt God delivers his people at the Passover. Look at Passover through the lens of communion, with Jesus the lamb of God slain to redeem his people from death. This time is a testimony to all generations, as we tell the story of our rede;mption to explain what we enact together in communion.

Exodus 14-15 - God delivers his people by having them pass safely through the Red Sea. Their pursuers are destroyed. The people stop and reflect on this event, singing the praises of God. This is another event that Christians can view as particularly significant, calling to mind the deliverance from the waters of death which we experience in baptism. As he did with Noah, God sets aside his chosen people by bringing them safely through a watery grave.

Exodus 16 - God gives his people manna, bread which they did not know before, to eat in the wilderness. Notice how each day he gives them what they need for that day. They cannot gather more and put it aside for later. Yet on the sixth day of the week God has them gather twice as much. That day and only that day it will keep until the next day. Our Lord gives us our daily bread. We gather according to his abundance, knowing that it all comes from him. While we can put aside some of what we earn for future times, we realize that our dependence is always on God, not on our own foresight.

"New Testament Letters"

2012-01-30T05:55:00.001-05:00

"New Testament Letters" Carson & Moo pp. 331-353

p. 331 "The letter was not a typical method of religious instruction among Jews." So why do we find that no fewer than twent-one of the New Testament books are letters? p. 331 "The answer is probably twofold. First, the early Chrsitian movement, with its fast growth and peripatetic missionaries, demanded a means of communication at a distance . . . A second reason the letter may have been chosen by the apostles is its sense of personal immediacy."

NEW TESTAMENT LETTERS AGAINST THEIR GRECO-ROMAN BACKGROUND
The typical letter in the Greco-Roman world included an address/greeting portion, a body, and a closing, often sending greetings to others. Most of the New Testmaent letters follow this patten, generally with a more elaborate greeting in the form of a blessing or a doxology at the beginning. p. 333 "Classifications of ancient letters have their beginning in Adolf Deissmann's famous distinction between "epistles" (carefully composed, public pieces of literature) and "letters" (unstudied, private communications). Deissmann put all the letters of Paul into the latter category, arguing that they bore the same signs of hasty composition and lack of literary pretensions as are found in the Greek papyri letters. Deissmann's distinction was an artificial one, and it is now generally agreed that one cannot erect such rigid distinctions between a private letter and a public one."

THE USE OF AMANUENSES
An amanuensis is a scribe who would take dictation. It seems that these scribes were frequently used in the New Testament. For instance, in Romans 16:22 Tertius identifies himself as the one who wrote the letter. Typically the person who dictated the letter would add a final greeting after reading over the letter and approving it (cf. 2 Thess. 3:17 and Gal. 6:11). We do not know how much leeway authors gave to their amanuenses. In some cases it may have been considerable, in others we may have almost the exact words dictated.

THE COLLECTION OF PAUL'S LETTERS
THEORIES OF A SUDDEN COLLECTION
Many scholars consder that Paul's letters were collected into a group after a period of neglect, possibly fifty years or more after composition.
THEORIES OF A GRADUAL GROWTH
Other scholars consider that Paul's letters circulated and gradually were accumulated by different churches, being identified as a complete collection during the first century.

PSEUDONYMITY AND PSEUDEPIGRAPHY
Pseudonymity is the practice of identifying oneself as a different author, purporting that one's own work is that of another. Pseudepigraphy is similar, but involves simply placing a false title or superscription on a work. The terms are today used almost synonymously. Pseudonymous or pseudepigraphical works should be distinguished from apocryphal works, which would be viewed as works that contain error which would prevent their admission into a canon.
EXTRABIBLICAL EVIDENCE
PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS
Pseudonymity is a widespread practice in antiquity. It is not always shunned and does not indicate a forgery. p. 338 "a literary forgery is a work written or modified with the intent to deceive. All literary forgeries are pseudepigraphical, but not all psuedepigrapha are literary forgeries: there is a substantial class of writings which, in the course of their transmission, became associated with some figure or other - judgments made with the best will in the world, however fallacious." Carson and Moo discuss multiple reasons why pseudepigraphers would ascribe their works to others.
JEWISH EXAMPLES
Jewish literature is full of examples of texts which would be ascribed to someone else. It was not an uncommon practice. However, it was very uncommon in the writing of letters. A false claim to having written a letter would be considered fairly easy to detect.
EXTRABIBLICAL CHRISTIAN EXAMPLES
There are a good number of pseudonymous Christian works starting about the middle of the 2nd century. This includes some letters, including a collection of alleged correspondence between Paul and Seneca.
THE STANCE OF THE CHURCH FATHERS
Early Christian leaders were adamant in their opposition to works which they could find were forged or otherwise not authentic. This characteristic caution and desire to be public and honest in assessment of teaching which would be accepted as authoritative led to a higher standard of evidence among Christians than in the society at large.
EVIDENCE INTERNAL TO NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENTS
p. 344 "Despite the consistent evidence from the early church outside the New Testament, many scholars assert, in the most confident terms, that writing letters in the name of another was common practice. Nowhere is evidence cited that any member of the New Testament church accepted the idea that a pious believer could write something in the name of an apostle and expect the writing to be welcomed."
SOME CONTEMPORARY THEORIES
p. 346 "Some are convinced that the New Testament contains many examples of literary forgeries and are unembarrassed by this conclusion."
p. 347 "On the other side are those who similarly point out how often deception plays a role in pseudepigraphy, but recall how the church universally rejected any hint of such deception."
p. 347 "In recent years several mediating positions have been advanced." These suggest that there may have been some instances of pseudonymity but that it was not widespread.

Sermon for 1/29/12 "Jesus Our Healer" Mark 3:1-6

2012-01-29T16:15:00.000-05:00

Sermon “Jesus Our Healer” Mark 3:1-6 Audio Link http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23575548/120129Mark3.mp3

Lord Jesus Christ, our Sabbath-Day's Rest, bring us your healing and grace, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We have already read today about God raising up another prophet like Moses. And we realize, if we think about it for about half a minute, that the prophet like Moses is Jesus, the one who sees God face to face, who brings God's word without any error, who serves as the true mediator between man and God.

We have also read about how our Lord has proclaimed all things clean, but that we bind ourselves in our consciences, not trusting the Lord. We can deceive ourselves into trusting in the purity of our own flesh, our own consecration to God, rather than trusting in the perfect work of Jesus, who became sin for us so that sin may be condemned and we would not have to bear it any more.

Yet during this time of Epiphany we want to see more. It's still the time of year for realization of our Lord's mercy. It's still the time to see that Jesus is working in his people, that he is accomplishing his purposes, and today, to see that Jesus is in fact the God who comes to heal us.

If you have been keeping up with our Bible reading challenge, you read Mark's Gospel this week and began to read the book of Exodus. In both places you saw our God delivering his people from the bondage of sin. And you saw that ultimately that deliverance from the bondage of sin happens through the work of Jesus who died for you, and it is realized in the context of the people of God assembled together, learning to walk in this forgiveness that Jesus has purchased. This is one of the reasons that we urge people to being faithful in attendance at church. It is in the context of Christ's assembled people, the visible church, that we realize Jesus' work for us. It is in the context of the church gathered together that we see how we are members of one another. And in our readings today we see that it is in the context of the people of God gathered together for worship that we receive the healing and grace that we need.

We already read one of the passages from Mark where Jesus heals a man in the synagogue on a Sabbath day. But I'd like to pull us to another of those passages for our sermon today. We see over and over again in the Scripture that Jesus is doing his healing work, again and again, as far as there is need for healing. He didn't stop with casting out a demon in the synagogue. He went on to heal someone of another ailment at another time. And he keeps coming to his people over and over again until he has healed them all.

Rise with me, if you can, as we read the Gospel from Mark, the third chapter (NIV).

1 Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

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Let us then observe three elements of this Gospel which our Lord has delivered to us. First, that we who are sick, disabled, in bondage are present in the assembly. Second, that as we are assembled together we are in the right place for our Lord to do good, to heal, to deliver. And finally, that our Lord is the one who delivers his people from bondage, no matter what.

The sick man is here in the synagogue. In the first Gospel reading we had today he was bound by a demon. In this second passage he is disabled. Do we realize that the Church is the place for people who are weak, who are broken, who are tormented? Or do we put on a facade of wellness? I wonder just how many of us came in today planning to lie to everyone else and say that we were doing well even though we aren't? Now I don't want to encourage everyone to come to the divine service so as to have a time to dump our frustrations on everyone else who is here. It isn't a good idea to come in and sing a litany of every possible complaint that we have. That isn't going to build anyone up. But are there some of us who are aching, who are tormented with our sin, who are fearful for our families' well-being, for our jobs, for our health, for our futures? Are there some of us who come in weak and sorrowful, heavily burdened, and tell everyone else that everything is wonderful? Should we not rather come into this place, ask someone to pray for us, even without telling many details, and commit ourselves to our Lord's care? It doesn't have to become a complaint session. In fact, it shouldn't become a complaint session. It becomes a prayer time instead.

Let me give you an example. I don't think it will betray any confidences. I had an encounter recently which draws a good picture of what we can all be doing. It happened to me because I was dressed in my pastor uniform. I walked into a nursing home to visit with someone. As is my custom, I greeted those people I saw in the hallways in a friendly manner and asked them how they were. One lady shook her head and said she was terrible. I asked her what was wrong. She said she was in a lot of pain with a back problem and was going for surgery shortly. I laid my hand on her shoulder and prayed that the Lord would bless her and protect her from pain and distress, that he would give her his joy and peace. Enough said. I haven't seen her since, nor do I remember her name, though I think I might remember her face next I see her.

Can we pray for one another in such a way? We don't need a complete history of the situations that are troubling. We don't need to try to give advice and counsel. We are gathered as God's people on Sunday so as to come before his throne and receive from him. Do we do it? Or do we put on a show of wellness and come and go without receiving the healing and grace that we need?

You might notice that on Sunday mornings people tend to come into the nave, the seating area of the church building, and that it is pretty quiet in here. We try to keep the conversations out in the narthex and in the fellowship hall. This is the place for worship and prayer. This is the place we have set aside to look to our Lord in hope, expecting his mercy. But I'd like to encourage you. If you are troubled, gather some others and pray for one another. Fill this room with your prayers, as our Lord fills it with his gracious presence.

We come in here as the sick and troubled. And we see, second, that it is the place to receive God's deliverance. Just as the man with the demon or the man with the shriveled hand came to hear from God's word, just as they received the blessing of Jesus who was there with them, we also gather in this place to hear the life-giving words of the Gospel. We gather together knowing that where we are together in Christ he is also here to bring reconciliation. We gather together knowing that Jesus has promised never to leave us or forsake us, to be with us always. We gather together to sit at the feet of Jesus, the one who teaches us, who encourages us, who exhorts us, who has the words of life for us, who gives himself for our sin, who himself bears all our iniquities, and by whose stripes we are healed. Is there any wonder that we have trouble in our society? We are a people who turn everywhere except our Lord's mercy and grace when we are troubled. Is there any wonder that we raise children who look for a fix for every difficulty in medical treatment when we decide that character issues are best treated with sedatives? Is it any wonder that we have a generation of young people who don't know how to interact with older or younger people when they are sent to age-segregated schools, when they are taken away from the realities of life in an intergenerational church body so they can experience teen togetherness, and who are taught that they are social misfits so should be separated from any sort of larger community? We take on our secular culture's model of how to raise good and compliant citizens and then we're surprised when our culture tries to rule us. And all along we have departed from the view that says God's assembled people can live and work together as the community of Christ's grace. We have departed from looking to the Church as that living entity where people are raised up as citizens for the Lord. We have departed from looking to our Lord as the one who is present to heal us. So we have to turn elsewhere. It won't work. It won't work. Jesus is the one who comes to give us forgiveness, life, and salvation. Let us look to him as the one who is present in the context of this body called the Church. This is exactly the right place.

Finally, we see that Jesus is the one who comes to give that forgiveness, life, and salvation. He is the one who has broken into the lives of those people assembled in the synagogue. He is the one who has broken into the life of the man with the demon, into the life of the man with the shriveled hand. Jesus is the one who has come to bring them healing. And he does it despite the people who are plotting to arrest him and kill him. He does it despite the people who deny that he is who he says he is. He does it despite the hardness of hearts in the people who do not wish the Sabbath to be a time for healing. Jesus is the one who loves us and gives himself for us. Jesus, in fact, is the one who literally loves us to death – his own death. He is the one who loves us and gives himself for us while we are yet sinners. He is the one who hates our sin so much that he will take it upon himself and die under its curse. He is the one who has come to fulfill all the law which became a curse to us since we could not keep it. He is the one who will not stop working his righteousness in us as long as we need it – forever.

What does this tell you about your Savior? Is he not the one we need? Is he not the one we come to in faith? Is he not the one all our friends, all our neighbors, even all our enemies need? And where are we going to receive from our Lord? We will receive from him in the context of the Church, Christ's people assembled, gathering together, as one body, a family, with one Lord, being converted by one faith, one baptism, looking to the one God and Father of us all. This is the message of the Gospel. This is the place to receive from the Gospel. Let us never forget the precious faith which our Lord has given us, as we gather together to receive from our Lord and Savior.

Let us pray. Our Lord, grant that we may see you as the one who is present, present to heal us, to cleanse us, to forgive us, to equip us with all the grace we need to be witnesses to your Gospel. As you show yourself to be the healing God in our midst, reach out through us to this community. Call many to yourself in faith, believing that you are the Lord who saves us, for you ever live to make intercession for us, one God, with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

"The Modern Critical Period: From Griesbach to the Present"

2012-01-29T05:55:00.042-05:00

"The Modern Critical Period: From Griesbach to the Present" Metzger & Ehrman pp. 165-194

I. THE BEGINNINGS OF SCIENTIFIC TEXTUAL CRITICISM OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
Johann Jakob Griesbach (1745-1812) p. 165 "further developed Bengel's and Semler's grouping of manuscripts in recensions. At first, he was inclined to divide the extant materials into five or six different groups; he afterward limited them to three: the Alexandrian, Western, and Byzantine recensions." Griesbach came up with 15 canons of textual criticism which served as specific guidelines for determining whether one reading of a passage should be preferred over another. Thse canons are very specific and detailed. Use of these canons tended to direct scholars toward readings of passages which were found in early texts, such as the Codex Vaticanus, which had not been published and studied at the time of Griesbach.

II. THE OVERTHROW OF THE TEXTUS RECEPTUS
p. 170 "The first recognized scholar to break totally with the Textus Receptus was the celebrated classical and Germanic philologist of Berlin Karl Lachmann (1793-1851), who published an edition of the Greek Testament that rests wholly upon the application of textual criticism in the evaluation of variant readings. Lachmann is famous for his editions of ancient classical authors, including Propertius, Catullus, Tibullus, Lucretius, as well as medieval epics and lyrics such as the Nibelungenlied. Walther von der Vogelweide, and Wolfram von Eschenbach. He demonstrated how, by comparison of manuscripts, it is possible to draw inferences as to their lost ancestors or archetypes, their condition, and their pagination. In his most famous work, that on Lucretius, he showed that the peculiarities of the three chief manuscripts all derive from a single archetype, containing 302 pages of 26 lines each, and thus he was able to make various transpositions in ther eceived text." Lachmann spent 5 years working with majuscule manuscripts and in 1831 published a list of passages in which he considered the Greek text current in the East by about A.D. 380 differed from the Textus Receptus.

p. 172 "The man to whom modern textual critics of the New Testament owe most is without doubt Lobegott Friedrich Constantin von Tischendorf (1815-74), who sought out and published more manuscripts and produced more critical editions of the Greek Bible than any other single scholar. Between 1841 and 1872 he prepared eight editions of the Greek Testament, some of which were reissued alone or with German or Latin versions, as well as 22 volumes of texts of biblical manuscripts. The totla number of his books and articles, most of them relating to biblical criticism, exceeds 150."

Tischendorf in 1869-72 released a two volume Greek New Testament which had an apparatus assembling all the variants readings which he and other scholars had found.

Various other scholars pursued collations of evidence with an eye to publication of an authoritative New Testamnet text. Among these two most influential were Westcott and Hort. p. 177 "Westcott and Hort distinguished four principal types of text: the Syrian, Western, Alexandrian, and Neutral."

p. 177 "The latest of these four forms of text is the Syrian, which is a mixed text resulting from a revision made by an editor or editors in the fourth century who wished to produce a smooth, easy, and complete text. This conflated text, the farthest removed from the originals, was taken to Constantinople, whence it was disseminated widely throughout the Byzantine Empire. . . The Textus Receptus is the latest form of the Syrian text."

p. 178 "The so-called western type is both ancient and widespread. It is preserved in certain bilingual majuscule manuscripts, notably Codex Bezae of the Gospels and Acts and Codex Claromontanus of the Epistles, the Old Latin version(s), and the Curetonian Syriac."

p. 179 "The Alexandrian text, according to Westcott and Hort, is preserved to a greater or lesser extent in Codex Ephraem, Codex Regius, Codex 33, and the Coptic versions (especially the Bohairic), as well as the quotations of the Alexandrian fathers Clement, Origen, Dionysius, Didymus, and Cyril." This text uses a "delicate philological tact" and attains a good degree of "polish" in its usage.

p. 179 "The Neutral text, as its question-begging name implies, is, in the opinion of Westcott and Hort, the most free from later corruption and mixture and the nearest to the text of the autographs. It is best represented by Codex Vaticanus and next by Codex Sinaiticus."

p. 180 "Scholars today generally agree that one of the chief contributions made by Westcott and Hort was their clear demonstration that the syrian (or Byzantine) text is later than the other types of text."

Westcott and Hort's work was not uniformly accepted. Metzger and Ehrman bring up the arguments of John W. Burgon (1813-88) who condemned this new edition of the Greek New Testament. p. 181 "As an ardent high churchman, he could not imagine that, if the words of Scripture had been dictated by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, God would not have providentlally prevented them from being seriously corrupted during the course of their transmission. Consequently, it was inconceivable to Burgon that the Textus Receptus, which had been used by the Church for centuries, could be in need of the drastic revision that Westcott and Hort had administered to it."

p. 183 "The overwhelming consensus of scholarly opinion recognzies that their [Westcott and Hort's] critical edition was truly epoch-making. They presented what was doubtless the oldest and purest text that could be attained on the basis of information available in their day.

Another approach to scholarship was taken by (p. 183) "Bernhard Weiss (1827-1918), professor of New Testament exegesis at Kiel and at Berlin, [who] edited the New Testament in Greek (3 vols., Lepzig, 1894-1900; 2nd small ed., 3 vols., 1902-5). Primarily an exegete, Weiss brought to his task an extensive and detailed knowledgeof the theological and literary problems of the text of the New Testament . . . Weiss discriminated among readings in accordance with what he deemed to be the most appropriate meaning in the context." Despite the different methodology, Weiss came up with nearly the same conclusions as did Westcott and Hort. p. 184 "The importance of Weiss's text is not only that it represents the mature opinion of a great exegetical scholar who had given years of detailed consideration to the meaning of the text but also that the results of his subjective methodology confirm the results of scholars who followed a different procedure, sometimes regarded as more objective because it started from teh grouping of the manuscripts themselves."

The chapter culminates in very recent history, discussing the development of the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament as well as the United Bible Society's edition. In their most recent editions both Nestle-Aland and UBS have the same text, though differences in their apparatus. The textual study clearly builds on the foundations discussed in this chapter.

"Ancient Testimony to Matthew's Gospel"

2012-01-28T13:11:00.000-05:00

"Ancient Testimony to Matthew's Gospel" Wenham, pp. 116-135

It is appropriate to consider ancient sources of information about pieces of ancient literature.

THE COMMON WITNESS TO AUTHORSHIP
p. 117 "The fathers regularly make the following points:
1.) Matthew the tax-collector, otherwise known as Levi, one of the twelve, was the author.
2.) His was the first gospel to be written.
3.) He wrote for Hebrews in the Hebrew language (and in the Hebrew script)."

Wehnam goes on to quote and summarize testimony of Papias, Irenaeus, Pantaenus, Origen, Eusebius, Epiphanius, and Cyril of Jerusalem. He observes that similar testimony continues through the early and later fathers.

THE TRADITION DISCOUNTED
p. 119 "To begin with, the references to Jewish Christian gospels in the fathers and in later writers form a notoriously complex study concerning which no consensus has yet emerged." Church fathers often did not refer to a book specifically by name. They also had a tendency to refer to one book by any of several names. Citations were often made from memory, as paraphrases, so it is sometimes difficult to find the kind of evidence which modern historians would like. pp. 120-121 "But, while it is possible to find arguments that whittle away the whole tradition, it needs to be remembered that these arguments only open up the possibility that all came from a single erroneous source, they constitute no proof." We cannot find an autograph manuscript of any New Testament text, nor could we definitively prove that a purported autograph from the middle of the first century was either truly original or falsified. We are left then with tradition. p. 121 "As far as we know, there was only one tradition known to scholars and historians of the early and medieval church which they considered worth recording, and we need not lightly assume that it all sprang from an erroneous statement of one denigrated Phrygian bishop which obliterated knowledge of the true facts."

THE TESTIMONY OF PAPIAS
Papias, who lived and worked near the end of the first century and beginning of the second century may well have written his observations about the origin of the Gospels very shortly after the apostolic period, possibly during the lifetime of John. Papias' information about the origin of Matthew's gospel purports to come from John the "presbyter" who may be identified with the apostle or may be identified with a follower of one or more of the apostles. He clearly identifies that Matthew wrote a gospel.

DISCOUNTING THE EVIDENCE OF PAPIAS
p. 125 "Four means have been used to discredit his testimony:
1.) insistence of Matthew's derivation from Mark;
2.) emphasis on the ambivalence of Eusebius;
3.) attempted explanations of how Papias got it wrong;
4.) attempted reinterpretations of Papias.

Matthew's Use of Mark
p. 125 "Modern critical opinion has for a long time been almost unanimous that Papias was wrong - certainly about the first gospel being originally in Hebrew and probably about Matthew being the author. This derives principally from the vast measure of assent given to the theory that our Greek Matthew was based on the Greek Mark. This makes it impossible to believe that Matthew is a translation from a Semitic original, and difficult to believe that it is the work of an eyewitness apostle."

The ambivalence of Eusebius
Eusebius was not enthusiastic of Papias, attributing to him millennarian attitudes and tending to erode impressions of Papias' intelligence. Eusebius takes this to an extreme as he attempts to show that Papias' identification of a separate apostle John and a presbyter John was in error. Yet Papias has said what he has said. p. 128 "Papias claimed (and why should we doubt him?) that he made it his practice to get his information from those who had got it direct from the apostles, a good deal of it before the last of those who had accompanied Jesus were dead, and some of it may well have come from the apostle John himself." p. 128 "There is no alternative tradition about the authorship of Matthew's gospel, as there is in the case of hebrews, nor was there doubt of its apostolic authorship, as htere was in the case, for instance, of 2 Peter."

Attempts to explain how Papias got his ideas wrong
Scholars in the past 150 years have emphasized that the composition of a gospel by one of the apostles seemingly of lesser importance is unlikely. They have also tried to tie Papias' statemtn of what Matthew wrote to something other than a gospel account, something more like a collection of the sayings of Jesus which may have been lost by now.

Attempst to reinterpret Papias' expression Ἑβραίδι διαλέκτῳ
Papias was a rhetorician. It is quite possible that he would have taken the term "in the Hebrew dialect" to mean "following a Hebraic style." Yet Eusebius may well have taken the term to mean "in the Hebrew language," i.e., "in Aramaic." This is a debate which is not easily resolved. There is evidence that Matthew is written in a rather sophisticated style, consistent with a text written in Greek, not translated from Hebrew. Yet there are Hebraic elements evident in the composition. The tax collector Levi would certainly have been someone of adequate education to make good notes and communicate effectively in Aramaic, Greek, and Latin. There is therefore no reason to reject any of the possible scenarios of composition.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TITLES
While there was only one written gospel there would be no reason to attach a name to it. As soon as there were two a name would become important. Books in antiquity were generally titled with the name of the author in genitive, for example, "of Plato" followed by a brief title, for example, "Physics." However, the gospels never circulated with titles of this sort. They appear to have assumed the word "gospel" then they were identified by a prepositional phrase, "according to Matthew." This may well have been a scribal practice, typical for putting a label on a scroll to identify the contents readily. The titles are uniform for as long as we have found titles. There is no evidence that any of the gospels ever circulated under any other name. This should bear some weight in a discussion of the origin of a text.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 4 Day 5 Exodus 5:22-11:10

2012-01-26T06:00:00.006-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Exodus 5:22-11:10. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

We often get caught up in the idea of the hardening of hearts. I observe that one of the places where we see hardened hearts in today's reading is in the people of Israel. They are not predisposed to believe Moses or to be delivered from their slavery. Even though they want to have a better life they don't seem ready to follow Moses as a deliverer or to strike out into the wilderness. So God works on the people of Egypt and the people of Israel to leave no option other than departure. By the signs he performs he finally leaves no question that he is the one calling his people to leave the land.

Notice all the hardening of hearts in Pharaoh. At first we have his heart being hardened. Then we see him hardening his heart. Finally we see God hardening his heart. What is the result of our hardness toward sin? Ultimately (Romans 1) God gives us over to our sinful attitudes. Our hearts are left to be the way the are by our fallen nature. This is a terrible judgment indeed. Yet even in this hardened condition, notice Pharaoh's confession of sin and apparent repentance. He repents, but he has no resolve left to live in the forgiveness which God grants him. He returns immediately to wallow in his unrepentance.

By the beginning of chapter 11 everyone in Egypt has had adequate warning that God, the living and true God, is operating and making demands upon their nation. Yet they refuse to listen as individuals also.

May the Lord have mercy upon us.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 4 Day 4 Exodus 1:1-5:21

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Exodus 1:1-5:21. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

We fast-forward through almost five hundred years' time in Exodus chapter 1. God's work in his people seems to take a long time. But during that time he has built the family of Jacob into a mighty nation.

See how the Lord prepares the path for Moses' life and work. He prepares us in ways we do not know for the tasks we are to do.

The calling of Moses at the burning bush is not a calling we should expect to have repeated in our lives. It is Moses' call. How do we perceive our Lord appointing us to our vocations? How is God's promise to Moses that he has heard the sufferings of his people and will deliver them an encouragement to us when we endure sufferings?

In Exodus 5 we see the Israelites forced to make bricks without the required supplies. How does our Lord build our character when we are faced with difficult circumstances?

"The Precritical Period: The Origin and Dominance of the Textus Receptus"

2012-01-25T05:55:00.035-05:00

"The Precritical Period: The Origin and Dominance of the Textus Receptus" Metzger & Ehrman, pp. 137-164

I. FROM XIMENES AND ERASMUS TO THE ELZEVIRS

Metzger & Ehrman start by discussing the early printing of the Bible. p. 137 "Quite appropriately, the first major product of Gutenberg's press was a magnificent edition of the Bible. The text was Jerome's Latin Vulgate, and the volume was published at Mayence (Mainz) between 1450 and 1456." The printing of Bibles continued to flourish, but Greek text was more difficult to print, without a New Testament until 1514. Printing was difficult due to the decisions of printers to create fonts reproducing the cursive manuscript styles of the day, which included a very wide variety of different connections between letters. This required a very large set of type. But that was not the only reason for a delay. p. 138 "The principal cause that retarded publication of the Greek text of the new Testament was doubtless the prestige of Jerome's Latin Vulgate.

pp. 138-139 "At length, however, in 1514, the first printed Greek New Testament came from the press, as part of a polyglot Bible. Planned in 1502 by the cardinal primate of Spain, Francisco Ximenes de Cisneros (1436-1517), this magnificent edition of the Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin texts was printed at the university town of Alcala (called 'Comlutum' in Latin). Known as the Complutensian Polyglot, the project was under the editorial care of several scholars, of whom Diego Lopez de Zuniga (Stunica) is perhaps the best known." It is unclear precisely what manuscript evidence was used for the Greek text.

p. 142 "Though the Complutensian text was the first Greek New Testament to be printed, the first Greek New Testament to be published (ii.e., put on the market) was the edition prepared by the famous Dutch scholar and humanist Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1469-1536)." Apparently Erasmus was under some time pressure to produce a Greek New Testament quickly. As a result, he gathered the manuscripts which he could as quickly as possible. p. 143 "Since Erasmus could not find a manuscript that contained the entire Greek Testament, he utilized several for various parts of the New Testament. For most of the text he relied on two rather inferior manuscripts from a monastic library at Basle, one of the Gospels and one of the Acts and Epistles, both dating from about the twelfth century." As an example of the scholarly care which haste can create, Metzger and Ehrman give the following account of the way Revelation moved to the printer. p. 145 "Unfortunately this manuscript lacked the final leaf, which contained the last six verses of the book. Instead of delaying the publication of his edition while trying to locate another copy of Revelation in Greek, Erasmus (perhaps at the urging of the printer) depended on the Latin Vulgate and translated the missing verses into Greek. As would be expected from such a procedure, here and there in Erasmus' self-made Greek text are readings that have never been found in any knwon Greek manuscript of these verses - but that are still perpetuated today in printings of the so-called Textus Receptus of the Greek New Testament." Erasmus' edition of the Greek New Testament did go through quite a few different editions and was improved over the years.

Erasmus was not alone, though. p. 150 "Stephanus' fourth edition (1551), which contains two Latin versions (the Vulgate and that of Erasmus) printed on either side of the Greek text, is noteworthy because in it for the first time the text was divided into numbered verses." p. 151 "Theodore de Beze (Beza, 1519-1605), the friend and successor of Calvin at Geneva and an eminent classical and biblical scholar, published no fewer than nine editions of the Greek Testament between 1565 and 1604, and a tenth edition appeared posthumously in 1611."

II THE COLLECTION OF VARIANT READINGS
From the time of Stephanus' 1550 Greek New Testament to the 18th century collection and collation of variant readings became a popular pastime among New Testament scholars. Ranging from a simple notation and footnote of what variants existed to a very systematic apparatus suggesting the validity of different readings, different scholars gathered significant manuscript evidence, rather than simply accepting or rejecting readings without making explanation. p. 159 "In 1725, while teaching at the Lutheran preparatory school for ministerial candidates at Denkendorf, [Johann Albrecht] Bengel published an elaborate essay as a 'forerunner' to his projected edition of the New Testament. Here, he laid down sound critical principles. He recognized that the witnesses to the text must not be counted but weighed, that is, classified in 'companies, families, tribes, nations.' He was accordingly the first to distinguish two great groups, or 'nations,' of manuscripts: the Asiatic, which originated from Constantinople and its environs and included the manuscripts of more recent date, and the African, which he subdivided into two tribes, represented by Codex Alexandrinus and the Old Latin." This evaluation of variant readings and manuscript weight has continued to exercise influence in scholarship to the current time.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 4 Day 3 Mark 11-16

2012-01-24T06:00:00.010-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Mark chapters 11-16. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Mark 11 - Here we begin the Passion Week with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. See the popular support he has but also see that the opposition will start by the end of chapter 11. Consider how much of Mark's Gospel is spent on this period of time surrounding Jesus' death and resurrection.

Mark 12-13 - Jesus' work of teaching and healing in the temple could easily be seen as an affront to the Jewish leaders. He remains popular with many of the people he interacts with, but continues to push the leaders in a way they do not wish to go. Jesus also begins talking about the end times in terms which we find difficult to understand. He is clear that there is a time of persecution to come and that people should rejoice that they are under God's protection. Yet beyond that it is hard to make out many of the specifics of his message.

Mark 14-16 - In the plots to arrest Jesus we have to ask ourselves if we are those who would sit at the table with him and then deny him later. The fact is that we are very likely to be just that kind of people. Does this negate Jesus' mercy and grace? Not at all, for Jesus died for exactly that kind of sinners. Thanks be to God that the story is not over with Jesus hanging dead on a cross. He comes and delivers his commission to his disciples, restoring them and sending them to bring the Gospel to the whole world.

"Acts"

2012-01-24T05:55:00.045-05:00

"Acts" Carson & Moo pp. 285-330

Acts serves in a way as the second volume of the gospel according to Luke, but in a way as the historical document cataloging the progress of the gospel from its roots at the time of the resurrection of Jesus in Jerusalem to the middle of the first century, by which time it had spread to a significant portion of the Roman empire. Carson and Moo outline as follows beginning on p. 286.

p. 286 "Prologue: foundations for the church and its mission (1:1-2:41). Luke begins by rooting the church and its mission in Jesus' acts and words.

p. 286 "The church in Jerusalem (2:42-6:7). Luke begins this section with a summary of the characteristics of the early church in Jerusalem."

p. 287 "Wider horizons for the church: Stephen, Samaria, and Saul (6:8-9:31).

p. 287 "Peter and the first gentile convert (9:32-12:24).

p. 288 "Paul turns to the Gentiles (12:25-16:5). From Peter, luke turns now to Paul, who dominates the remainder of the book. Paul's significance for Luke lies in his being used by God to pioneer an extensive ministry to Gentiles, to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth, and to show that the gospel was no direct threat to the Roman government.

p. 288 "Further Penetration into the Gentile world 916:6-19:20). It seems a bit odd that we should divide Luke's story at this point. Yet by the care with which he shows how Paul was directed by God's Spirit step-by-step to take the gospel into Macedonia (16:6-10), Luke implies that we have reached a decisive stage."

p. 289 "On to Rome (19:21-28:31). Again we may feel that it is rather artificial to insert a major break in the midst of Paul's stay in ephesus. But Luke again suggests such a break with his first indication that Paul was determined to go to Rome (19:21-22).

AUTHOR
The Traditional Case - throughout history it has been broadly held that Luke was the author of both Luke and Acts. p. 291 "The tradition that Luke, a companion of Paul, was the author of the third gospel and of Acts is early and unchallenged: The Muratorian Canon (C. a.d. 180-200?), Irenaeus (Adv. Haer. 3.1; 3.14.1-4), the anti-Marcionite prologue (end of second century), Clement of Alexandria (Strom. 5.12), Tertullian (Adv. Marc. 4.2), and Eusebius (H.E. 3.4; 3.24.15).

The Case against the Tradition
Arguments from the external evidence don't seem to hold much weight. They are advanced but are not overly persuasive. Even the alleged differences in theological orientation between Paul as revealed in his letters and Paul as described in Acts are not differences which can't be harmonized.

Conclusion - Carson and Moo do not find a convincing reason not to conclude that Luke was the author of Acts.

DATE
Dates suggested range from about A.D. 62 to the second century. A second century date originated with the Tubingen school, dating it from the first outside reference to the book. This view has fallen out of favor and is no longer held by many scholars. More scholars suggest that Acts was written in the 80s. It is suggested that it should be dated quite a while after the gospel, which is typically dated no earlier than 70. The book tends to have a fairly optimistic view of Roman government, which would be less likely during a period of state persecution. A date before 70 can be supported by the abrupt ending which leaves Paul in the year 62 without resolving his imprisonment, despite the fact that Paul appears to have been released from prison for a period about 62 before being imprisoned and executed around 64 or 65. For this reason, Carson and Moo suggest a date in the early to mid 60s.

GENRE, ADDRESSEES, AND PURPOSE
Genre - Luke's writing fits generally into the realm of historiography, though it has a strong element of the gospel.

Addressees and Purpose - Acts is addressed to Theophilus, probably a patron of Luke. Finding how much broader the intended audience might have been depends on Luke's purpose, which is not clearly stated in the text. He may have written to seek conciliation between different factions of early Christianity. He may have been writing to provide examples of evangelistic and apologetic works. The work includes some strong theological elements which may suggest that Luke is intending to clarify orthodox doctrine. And the theme of edification of the Christian is pervasive, indicating that Luke may well have desired to strengthen Christian communities through a narrative of the early events of the Church.

SOURCES
We do not have much information about the sources Luke may have had. He is clear that much of his material comes from research, and that research may include written and oral sources. Some of the material comes from his own eyewitness account, apparently, as there are the "we" passages of the text.

TEXT
The text of Acts is intriguing as there are two distinct text traditions. One of the two, the Western tradition, is approximately ten percent longer than the text in the Codex Sinaiticus. It is unclear at many points which may have been closer to the original text.

ACTS IN RECENT STUDY
Carson and Moo survey recent research about Acts, much of which focuses on finding the purposes which Luke may have held in writing. A great deal of effort has also gone into identifying whether Luke's writing is as historically accurate as other ancient historians. Since the mid 1960s Luke as the theologian has emerged.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF ACTS
Acts has been shown again and again to be a reliable and definitive text to inform us about the events of the early Church. Where events mentioned by Luke are mentioned by other historians Luke appears to be sound and accurate. Our expectation would be that he is a credible witness to other events as well. p. 321 "Perhaps Luke's most important contribution is precisely this careful linking of the apostolic proclamation of the Word of God with the word that Jesus both taught and fulfilled. The "Word of God" thus binds together Luke's two volumes, as the salvation that the angel first announced on the night of Jesus' birth on a Judean hillside is brought finally to the capital of the Roman Empire. Luke focuses on six key theolgoical themes, identified by Carson and Moo on pp. 322 and following.
1) The Plan of God
2) The Presence of the Future
3) Salvation
4) The Word of God
5) The Holy Spirit
6) The People of God
All these themes are illustrative of the ongoing work of the Gospel in the people of the primitive Church.

This chapter points up that in a book like Acts there is more than meets the eye at first. We can look to the text on many different levels.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 4 Day 2 Mark 6-10

2012-01-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Mark chapters 6-10. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

In chapter 6 Mark seems to begin stressing Jesus' work with his disciples, teaching them and preparing them for the work which he will leave for them. See how the disciples are involved in healings, in feeding the multitude, and in arriving with Jesus in a new area where he will be flocked by followers. Jesus' work is increasingly opposed, as people either become wholehearted in support of him or in their efforts to hinder him.

Jesus does not always draw our families together. How can we pray for those we know whose families are broken due to refusal of some or all of the members to hear Jesus' words of grace and mercy?

Jesus begins to speak more plainly about his death and resurrection near the end of Mark chapter 8. Notice again how shocking so many of Jesus' words and deeds are. We should never become used to the idea that Jesus is true man and true God, nor that he is able to take our sin upon himself and die in our place, giving us his life.

"John"

2012-01-23T05:55:00.084-05:00

"John" Carson & Moo pp. 225-284

John's Gospel may be variously separated into parts, but generally consists of a prologue (1:1-18), main body (1:19-chapter 20), and an epilogue (chapter 21).

AUTHOR
p. 229 "As far as we can prove, the title "According to John" was attached to it as soon as the four canonical gospels began to circulate together as 'the fourfold gospel.'" The author is not mentioned in the gospel itself but the title may have been recognized from the start.

External Evidence
p. 229 "the first writer to quote unambiguously from the fourth gospel and to ascribe the work to John was Theophilus of Antioch (c. A.D. 181)." However we do find quotes from other authors including Tatian, Claudius Apollinaris, and Athenagoras who do not specify the author but consider it an authoritative text.

p. 230 Irenaeus wote, "'John the disciple of the Lord, who leaned back on his breast, published the gospel while he was resident at Ephesus in Asia; (Adv. Haer. 3.1.1). In other words, the name of the fourth evangelist is John and is to be identified with the beloved disciple of John 13:23."

Authorship has been questioned in recent time. p. 233 "The fact remains that, despite support for Johannine authoriship by a few front-rank scholars in this century and by many popular writers, a large majority of contemporary scholars reject this view. As we shall see, much of their argumentation turns on their reading of the internal evidence. Nevertheless, it requires their virtual dismissal of the external evidence. This is particularly regrettable. Most historians of antiquity, other than New Testament scholars, could not so easily set aside evidence as plentiful and as uniform."

Among the external evidence the testimony that causes most doubt is that of Papias, who, as reported by Eusebius, suggests that there were two individuals named John, one of whom was an apostle and the other of whom was an elder, and that the elder, not the apostle, was responsible for the gospel. Recent scholarship has pointed to four reasons an appeal to Papias in this might not be appropriate.

p. 233 "In the terms of Papias, 'the discourses of the elders' means the teaching of Andrew, Peter, and the other apostles." Thus John the elder might well be an apostle.

p. 234 "It is worth noting that "apostle" and "elder" come together with a common referent in 1 Peter 5:1. Indeed, the Greek syntax Papias employs favors the view that 'Aristion and John the elder' means something like "Aristion and the aforementioned elder John.' Not only here but in H.E. 3.39.14 it is John and not Aristion who is designated 'the elder.' In choosing to refer to the apostles as elders, Papias may well be echoing the language of 3 John (on the assumption that Papias thought that epistle was written by the apostle John)."

p. 234 "It appears that the distinction Papias is making in his two lists is not between apostles and elders of the next generation but between first-generation witnesses who have died (what they said) and first-generation witnesses who are still alive (what they say).

Finally, we consider that Euesebius may have had an agenda himself. In his dislike for the apocalyptic teaching of Revelation he may have been wishing to suggest that Papias identified a non-apostolic author for revelation and possibly other writings which seem to be by the same person.

Internal Evidence (for authorship)
p. 237 "The traditional reason seems most plausible: the beloved disciple is non oether than John, and he deliberately avoids using his personal name. This becomes more likely when we remember that the beloved disciple is constantly in the company of Peter, while the Synoptics and Acts not to mention Paul link Peter and John in friendship and shared experience."

Carson and Moo detail several of the objections posed to authorship by John the apostle, most convincingly the objection that John was uneducated and therefore would not be capable of executing a literary work like the gospel. They observe that if he lived to a great age, as tradition seems to indicate, he would have had adequate time to build his skills in any way which would be necessary.

Stylistic Unity and the Johanine "Community"
Some scholars have suggested extensive redaction and source-gathering work prior to the release of John's gospel. The community would have identified the narratives which would be drawn into the gospel and would have modeled the narrative appropriately. Yet there do not seem to be the signs of such work in the gospel itself. There are some specific idiomatic ways of phrasing different concepts, but this is not unheard of within the work of a skilled author.

PROVENANCE
Geographically, we see suggestions that the gospel came from Alexandria, Antioch, Palestine, or Ephesus. Ephesus is the one location which has ancient testimony supporting it.

Conceptual Provenance
John's Religious World
Consider the conceptual world of Philo, the hermetic writings, Gnosticism, and Mandaism, all of which used a good deal of symbolism and allegory. There are many different movements available which could have influenced the thought life of John. p. 256 "Moreover, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 and their subsequent publication have shown that the closest religious movement to the fourth gospel in terms of vocabulary at least, was an extremely conservative hermetic Jewish community. This is not to say that John springs from the Essenes, thought to be represented by the Dead Sea Scrolls, but tha the appeal to strongly Hellenistic sources is now much less convincing than it was six decades ago."

John's Relation to the Synoptics
John is quite different in some respects from the synoptic gospels. He has more of a focus on Jesus' ministry in the sough than in the north. In John Jesus is very specifically identified as God, while the comparison is a little more oblique in the synoptics. However we find that the content and ideas of the gospels all are remarkably in unity. p. 258 "More impressive yet are the many places where John and the Synoptics represent an interlocking tradition, that is, where they mutually reinforce or explain each other, without betraying overt literary dependence." It appears quite clear that the four evangelists are writing about the very same events, but that they write about them differently. p. 259 "Conversely, numerous features in John are explained by details reported only by the synoptists."

Considering the relationship of John to Mark's gospel, on p. 260 Carson and Moo point out, "Granted the close friendship that Peter and John enjoyed, would it be very likely that either of them would long remain ignorant of a publication for which the other was responsible? Considerations of date then become important. For instance, if Mark was written about A.D. 64, and John within a year or two of that date, then the likelihood of mutual independence is enhanced. But if Mark was written sometime between 50 and 64, and the fourth gospel not until about 80, it is very difficult to believe that John would not have read it. The idea of hermetically sealed communities is implausible in the Roman Empire anyway, where communications were as good as at any time in the history of the world until the nineteenth century."

Do we need to assume an inter-relationship among the different gospels? p. 261 "On its own, John's account makes good historical sense. . . it is John who most persistently catalogues how much the early disciples did not understand, how much they actively misunderstood."

DATE
People have suggested a wide variety of dates, from before 70 to the last quarter of the second century. It does make sense that based on chapter 21 we can assume that Peter's death in 64 or 65 was before the composition. There are people who suggest composition very late in the first century, suggestion various reasons why the historical events in Domitian's reign (81-96) would fit well. Tradition says that John lived a very long time. Yet this does not require that the composition bet at the end of his life. Carson and Moo suggest (p. 267) a date between 80 and 85, though they are quite tentative about the dating.

DESTINATION
There is no clear destination for this gospel.

PURPOSE
While many scholars have suggested many purposes for the gospel of John, the purpose seems to be stated in chapter 20, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah."

TEXT
The text of John, except in a few places, seems quite solid and well documented. The narrative of the woman caught in adultery does not seem to be original, at least not original in its location. Aside from that there are very few passages with significant disputes, none of which cause any overall theological difficulty.

ADOPTION INTO THE CANON
All four canonical gospels were accepted quite solidly by the end of the second century.

JOHN IN RECENT STUDY
John has been subject to many studies of different themes over the generations. In recent years scholars have sought to do literary, social-scientific, and postmodern philosophical studies on the text, or rather on the community which created the text.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF JOHN
John adds a great deal of depth to the picture of Jesus which we receive from the synoptists. The overall picture of Jesus as a fully-functioning person who lives in perfect obedience to the Father so as to die as a substitutionary atonement gives us a more three-dimensional picture of Jesus than we find elsewhere. John is also always concerned with eschatology as well as the work of the Holy Spirit in Christ's people.

Sermon for 1/22/12 "God's Promises, No Matter What" Genesis 50:15-21

2012-01-22T19:34:00.001-05:00

Sermon “God’s Promises, No Matter What” Genesis 50:15-21

The audio link is a little experimental, as I was working on deciding what to pick up for a couple of home-bound families in our congregation. There may be a drop-out of a few minutes at one point. Please forgive the experiment :). Audio is at http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23575548/120122Genesis50.mp3

Lord, confirm to your people your covenant love and promises, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

If you've been following our Bible Reading Challenge this past week you read over a good portion of Genesis, reaching the end just recently. Remember, five chapters a day, five days a week, and we'll have read through the Bible in about fifty weeks. In our readings this week we saw Joseph emerge as the main character. And there was a pattern in his life which I think we can see in our own lives as well. We know this will happen, after all, because Joseph was a sinful human just like we are. He was a recipient of God's blessing and he reacted much the same way we would. He took God's blessings and used them for his own advantage, at least a good part of the time.

Let's remember what happened to Joseph. It was revealed to him that he would find his family bowing down to him. He decided it would be a good idea to tell his family members about this revelation. The young brother who was already known to be a favorite of his father, who was never known for doing a good day's work, bragged to his brothers and showed himself to be exactly the kind of arrogant young man they would like to sell to slave traders.

When Joseph was humbled in that circumstance, he was again raised by God's mercy to a position of leadership, this time a higher position of leadership than he had before, in the household of Potiphar. Once again, his self-righteousness shows through even as he is being entrapped by Potiphar's wife. So Joseph is humbled again and sent to prison. In prison, by God's mercy, Joseph finds himself in a position of leadership and assures his fellow prisoners that his interpretation of their dreams will be accurate. He gives glory to God but also to himself and gets to wait longer for his release from prison. When he is sent for in prison because of Pharaoh's troubling dreams, he seems to have been humbled adequately, though he still can't resist suggesting that Pharaoh should elevate someone who is really smart, like himself, to the position of leadership in anticipation of a famine. During this period of Joseph's exaltation he is made a pagan priest, he marries two daughters of Pharaoh, and is glad that God has raised him up and blessed him to make him forget his life in his father's house. He glories in God at the same time that he says he is glad that he is not in the position he used to be in, as a member of the household of God's promise. Meanwhile, Joseph is Pharaoh's instrument to enslave all the people of Egypt and gain possession of all their lands.

When the famine became severe Joseph's brothers came to buy grain. They found themselves in the position of bowing down to Joseph, exactly what God had revealed to him that they would do. How did Joseph use this situation? He tormented his brothers with their past failings and sins. Yet at the same time he did serve as God's instrument to preserve their lives and deliver them into the land of Egypt where they could live and thrive.

At last, Joseph seems to have come to his senses. This arrogant young man has been both blessed by God time and again and has been humbled by God time and again. He has seen that God fulfills his promises and claims all the glory for himself, no matter what his servants try to do. Over and over again, Joseph has seen that the Lord who promises his favor on his chosen people will show his favor on those people. Our Lord is the God who blesses us. And no matter how much credit we try to claim for God's blessing, our claims are nothing. It is not by our own righteousness, not by our trying hard, not by our circumstances, not by our intelligence, not by any of our resources, but only by the power and grace of God that we are delivered from death and destruction. Joseph has seen this time and again.

How are we to react to this grace of God? We see those reactions in our lectionary readings for today as well. In Jonah, when confronted by the majesty of God the people repent and plead for God's forgiveness. In 1 Corinthians we turn our cares and concerns over to our Lord and trust that he can use our resources and our very lives for his purposes. In Mark we see that when the Lord calls his disciples they drop what they are doing to go and follow him. There's this dynamic that we can call “Repent, Believe, Follow.” God shows his grace to us and we realize our sin. We repent. He gives us the things of the faith, delivering them to us through Word and sacraments, passing them down from one generation to the next, and we trust that he is still the Lord of promise. We see that Jesus loved us and died for us, revealing his authority to take our sin and to put it to death, rising to newness of life. God calls us by revealing specifics of his work in our world, and we respond by entrusting our very lives to him, running our business as if it is his business, governing our families as his family, loving our wives as he loves his Church, trusting and obeying husbands as the Church trusts and obeys the Lord. This “repent, believe, follow” dynamic shows up over and over in Scripture. And it fits the life of Joseph as well.

We read in Genesis 50, beginning in verse 15 (NIV):

“15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.”

God has called Joseph to repentance. He has done it again and again. And finally, here in Genesis 50, that repentance seems to be genuine and lasting. Joseph is no longer trying to put himself on the throne. He is no longer exalting himself as an object of worship. He knows that it is God we worship, none other. May the Lord work this same kind of repentance in us, humbling us. I recall in one of the confessions of sin that is often used, though it isn't as common today as it used to be, we say, “I am heartily sorry” for sin. I ran into one person whose father, when he was about eight years old, told him that he needed to be reading the confession of sin out of the hymnal. Quoting it from memory wasn't doing well for him. The reason? The boy was being quite frank, saying what we all admit to. “I am hardly sorry” for sin. Isn't that the truth? Our Lord confronts us with sin and we're sorry. But really we are hardly sorry. We aren't sorry enough. And it will pass, all too soon. May the Lord show us the weight of our sin before him. May God the Father remind us that our sin is so crushing that when God the Son took it upon himself he was abandoned by God, forsaken, cast into torment. Our sin crushes us. Like Joseph we are imprisoned again and again, and all our efforts to rescue ourselves fall apart. We need a deliverer. May the Lord grant us repentance so we may be forgiven.

What did the Lord work in Joseph for belief? What will he do in us? As Joseph was driven from one place to another, again and again he saw that God was using him in the lives of people who surrounded him. God's gracious will was at work even in slavery, even in prison, even in his decades of separation from home and family. Did Joseph believe that God was accomplishing his good will? Do we believe that our Lord is accomplishing his good will in and through us, regardless of our circumstances? Do we see that whether we are in want or in plenty, whether we are in sickness or in health, whether we are in sad or happy circumstances, the risen Lord Jesus Christ is working out his will, and that his will is to bring his blessing and favor on our world? He who died for us has also risen from the dead and will bring us to rise in newness of life as well. Even in this difficult providence that the Lord brings about, bringing his chosen people into captivity in Egypt for five hundred years, yet the Lord is using the children of Abraham, the children of promise, to bless the whole world. We may not understand how this is happening. In fact, I'll just about guarantee that we won't understand it. Yet it is God's promise and our Lord always keeps his promise. Blessing he will bless us. He will never leave us or forsake us. He will be with us always, to the very end of the world. Our role is to believe that he is working out his good, not evil. That's just what Joseph confessed. That's just what we confess. Even when life looks difficult, we know that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has called us to faith and will carry us through the world we are in, using us as his instruments of grace.

So how did Josph follow the Lord? Most of the time he didn't seem to have much choice, did he? He was probably tied up, literally tied up, for many of his journeys early in his adulthood. And once he was in Pharaoh's household he had political ties which would have been nearly impossible to break. Maybe we feel like we are bound by circumstances. Maybe we think we aren't free to follow our Lord like he would like us to. But that isn't so. Where God has called us, he will always make a way for us to follow him. Has the Lord given you gifts? He will make ways for you to use those which he desires, in the way and at the time he has prepared. You know I don't like to stand up and give you a “thus says the Lord, this is how to follow God in obedience.” Where the Lord calls us we can follow him. Is the Lord calling you to be witnesses to him? This is always his call. Has he given you access to his written Word that you can read and study? Has he put you in the surroundings of a local church where you can gather on a weekly basis, and maybe even more frequently, to receive encouragement, exhortation, and training in righteouseness? Do you have a pastor who will read the Scripture and pray with you and take you around on visitation, doing studies, and preparing and working in worship services as you consider whether the Lord might wish you to serve in pastoral ministry or to train as a deaconess or as an elder or deacon in the local church? Has the Lord surrounded you with friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers whom he would desire to bless? Hs he provided you with finances that you can use to show mercy? Maybe he has even provided you with some vacation or personal time from your job that you can use to devote yourself to study, worship, or service. Maybe he has given you gifts to feed the hungry, to deliver goods and services to people who need them, to bring prosperity to an employer that can use that prosperity to keep many people employed and provide them with wages so they can live and serve the Lord. Our Lord has made many many ways that you and I can follow him in our vocations. May we see all these opportunities as opportunities to be our Lord's instruments of blessing to our world. As Joseph found he could take no credit for God's blessing, we also see that we receive no credit for God's blessing. Salvation is of the Lord, not of us. May we be God's instruments, giving glory, honor and praise to him.

Now may the Lord of all grace bless us by making us his instruments of grace in our world, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 4 Day 1 Mark 1-5

2012-01-22T05:55:00.000-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Mark chapter 1-5. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Mark's Gospel is action-packed. Look how Mark kicks the action off showing Jesus hard at work - in the very first chapter being the baptizer in the Holy Spirit, the one who is tempted in the wilderness, who comes to preach once John is put into prison, who calls disciples, who goes around healing . . . it makes our head swim as we think how busy Jesus is. A good devotional practice in a quick reading of a short account like Mark's is to write a list of all the many things Jesus is doing, as we realize the Gospel is all about Jesus and his works.

In chapters 4 and 5 Mark has Jesus speaking and performing parables. Yes, it seems that Jesus can not only speak in parables, but he can also do actions which have the significance of a parable. Consider how he casts demons out of a man. The demons leave the man and are still harmful, but Jesus has them bring harm to creatures which are considered unclean. The healed man, on the other hand, is clean and in his right mind. Look at some of the parables and see what Jesus' main point might be.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 3 Day 5 Genesis 44-50

2012-01-20T06:00:00.004-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Genesis chapters 44-50. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

At long last, Joseph is humbled and reveals himself to his brothers as the one who will watch over them and care for them. Does this mean his character changed entirely? Observe that he still proceeded to work as Pharaoh's instrument to enslave the nation. But then again, the people were left being able to work the land and pay a total tax rate of 20%, which is considerably lower than the taxes I pay as a self-employed citizen of the United States.

There's a big picture here. Joseph is used as God's instrument as well. For some reason, and we don't know the reason, God planned to keep his people in Egypt for some 500 years, in captivity, as they grew into a great nation which would inherit the land promised to Abraham. We never know how we will be acting as our Lord's instruments. We also can't predict reliably what he will do through us. All we can do is be faithful with the situation he has placed us in. May we grow in grace as we seek to do our Lord's will.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 3 Day 4 Genesis 39-43

2012-01-19T21:09:00.000-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Genesis chapters 39-43. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

A very long time ago - my - twenty-eight years ago, I spent a year at an undergraduate Bible college where I took an Old Testament course. When we were confronted with the narrative of Joseph the professor repeated again and again, "Cream always rises to the top." This view of Joseph influenced me fairly strongly. Yet when I have been reading the text of Genesis in recent years I have found that all the patriarchs are just like the rest of us. They are deeply flawed people. Joseph is no less flawed. He starts out as an arrogant young man, the kind of man his brothers would frankly like to sell to slave traders. When that happens, Joseph has several cycles of exaltation but he always rises to the occasion by showing a haughty spirit. See that happening in today's reading. There's a striking statement in Genesis 41:51. Joseph says that God has made him forget all his hardship and his father's house. He comes to that realization as he has become a priest to the Egyptian deities and has been instrumental in enslaving all of the people of Egypt to their government. Joseph then goes on to confront his brothers, dangling their hopes over his angry memories of the way they treated him in the past.

Cream may rise to the top. But it's the sinful nature that rises to the top in the children of Adam, even those who are being blessed by God.

When the Cap'n goes to sick bay . . .

2012-01-19T20:49:00.000-05:00

it all falls way behind. But he seems to be out of sick bay now, teaching classes all week with a voice and everything! Gradually catching up on pastoral visits and hopes to get beyond writing the post for the moment on the blog in the near future.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 3 Day 3 Genesis 34-38

2012-01-18T06:00:00.013-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Genesis chapters 34-38. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Genesis 34 - In the case of Jacob's Family versus Hamor's Family, notice that Jacob and his sons, though wronged, used deception in a matter of religious conscience in order to accomplish their goal. There is never a biblical sanction for saying one thing about a matter of faith, such as circumcision, then acting in opposition to that statement. Everyone is about as wrong as wrong can be.

Genesis 35 - God renews the covenant with Jacob, now called Israel. We still see that the covenants are established by God out of his own good pleasure, despite the sinful attitudes and behaviors of the recipients of the covenant. This mercy of God should bring comfort to us when we see our own failure.

Genesis 36 - When we see lengthy genealogies like this we probably do well to observe that many of the tribal peoples we will meet later spring from these foundations. Knowledge of who one's people might be is important in the Old Testament, particularly as God traces the lineage of the Messiah to come.

Genesis 37 - Sometimes we idealize Joseph. I observe that he seems to have a haughty attitude and to treat his brothers and even his parents as someone who is superior to them. Of course that doesn't excuse deciding to sell him . . .

Genesis 38 - Consider the importance of raising up offspring for your deceased relatives. This was a serious issue in terms of inheritance and providing for future generations of a family. The sin of Er is not mentioned. The sin of Onan is that he refuses to risk his inheritance for the benefit of his older brother's widow. Judah? Guilty of self-protection. We don't find out much about Shelah. Yet we continue to see that the people of God's promise have just as many flaws as we do ourselves.

Building a Synoptic Theory: (3) The Relation of Matthew to Mark

2012-01-18T05:55:00.016-05:00

"Building a Synoptic theory: (3) The Relation of {Matthew to Mark" Wenham, pp. 88-115.

p. 88 "Matthew's relation to Mark can be satisfactorily explained on the lines of patristic tradition."

Wenham suggests, on p. 89, "There are three main possibilities as to the relation of the first two gospels: 1.) They are independent; 2.) Matthew used Mark; 3.) Mark used Matthew." In modern scholarship we typically see a view that favors Mark being written first and Matthew depending upon Mark and one or more other sources. There are numerous objections to the primacy of Matthew, even though until fairly recently it was assumed that Matthew was composed first.

p. 91 "It is difficult to believe that Mark would have omitted so much important Matthean material had he known of its existence. . . If it is supposed that Mark was intended as a replacement of Matthew, it has great weight - we should indeed be much the poorer without the great discourses and all Matthew's unique contributions. But whoever suggested that this was the intention?"

p. 91 "Mark's wealth of detail is a prima facie indication of priority . . . Wealth of detail would make it an acceptable supplement, but in itself it has nothing to do with order of production."

p. 92 "Matthew's account of the death of the Baptist requires a knowledge of Mark's account." Yet this is not necessarily the case. "It is perfectly possible that Herod was torn between great annoyance that John had repeatedly denounced his sexual sin in public, and respect for one he knew to be a good man. There is no need for Matthew to have known Mark's gospel, it is sufficient that he should have known the fuller story."

p. 92 "Matthew 27:15-18 has destroyed the logic of Mark 15:6-10."

p. 93 "The claim is that Mark's 'comparatively clear' sequence 'seems' to have a logic which has been blurred by Matthew, whose account lacks 'clear logic'. This appears to be hypercriticism with no real basis. The point of the statement 'For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up' may not be immediately obvious - but this applies equally to both gospels. They are both making the point that Pilate knew Jesus to be innocent, and he hoped that the demand of the people would get him out of his predicament."

Judging from the evidence displayed, Wenham is unconvinced that Matthew or Mark was written in dependence on the other. He suggests that it is quite possible that Mark was written with a knowledge of, but not dependence upon, Matthew. He goes on to discuss several reasons this seems to be a valid hypothesis.

p. 94 Matthew looks original. "Whether he assembled recollections and testimonies of his own or whether his work was based on Mark and other sources, all must admit that it was a careful and brilliantly successful operation. It is difficult to see it as the result of making eight thousand alterations to someone else's work. But of course it is not impossible."

p. 95 Matthew looks early and Palestinian. "Matthew's account looks like a vivid record of a terrible clash between Jesus and the religious leaders, rather than a veiled polemic of church against synagogue."

p. 96 "Mark looks like Peter's version of the same Palestinian tradition composed for Jewish and Gentile readers outside Palestine."

p. 97 "It looks as though Mark is omitting Matthean material at certain points."

p. 101 "Matthean priority provides the better rationale for the differences in order between the two gospels."

p. 109 "Matthew looks as though it may have been originally in a Semitic language."

p. 115 "To sum up our investigation of the internal evidence of the symoptic problem thus far: There seems to be a good case for believing that Matthew, possibly in a Semitic language, was the first gospel; that Mark is substantially the teaching of Peter, who knew Matthew's gospel; and that Luke knew and used both matthew and Mark. However, Mark shows a large measure of independence of Matthew, and Luke shows a large measure of independence of both. These conclusions (which have already to some extent anticipated it) will be seen to fit the external evidence remarkably well."

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 3 Day 2 Genesis 29-33

2012-01-17T06:00:00.003-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Genesis chapters 29-33. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Rather than break up by chapter, I read the whole passage and looked for the big point. See how Jacob begins as the deceiver who tries to take advantage of every situation he can. He seems selfish. Yet over the years, he finally starts to see that he doesn't win anything by himself. By the time he has departed from his twenty years' service to Laban, he is realizing that though he wants to take credit for his prosperity, the credit really belongs to God. When he is about to meet up with his brother again he has a stroke of realization. He has become a great prosperous man, a fact which weighs on him heavily. He could lose a great deal and begins to have concern about the well-being of his family and flocks. God rewards him by meeting with him, letting him struggle all night, and having Jacob realize that he is not the master of his own destiny. Thus empowered, Jacob is re-named Israel and carries on into his ancestral land where he will be much more the kind of man God appoints him to be.

Building a Synoptic Theory: (2) The Relation of Luke to Matthew

2012-01-17T05:55:00.040-05:00

"Building a Synoptic Theory: (2) The Relation of Luke to Matthew" Wenham, pp. 40-87

p. 40 "Luke may be presumed to keep to the sense of his other sources. The differences of sense between the Q-material of Matthew and of Luke make dependence on Q or large-scaled borrowing from Matthew improbable."

Wenham suggests that Luke shows in places that he does not borrow from Mark and change the overall meaning of what he borrows. This suggests that Luke would be similar in his work with other sources.

p. 41 "When comparing Luke with Mark we have seen how consistently he keeps to Mark's sense. Since his aim was to confirm Theophilus in the truth, it follows that he would only have used sources which eh believed to be trustworthy, and that he would have been as faithful to them as he was to Mark."

The problem which then arises is that scholars have suggested a hypothetical "Q" document which served as a source for the evangelists. If both Luke and Matthew borrowed heavily from this document but took its information quite differently from each other, one or both of them misrepresented it. Wenham is going to consider the claims that Luke borrowed from a "Q" but made significant innovations. He'll look at it first in the central section of Luke, then the Sermon on the Level Place, then the rest of Luke.

1. The Central Section (9:51-18:14)
p. 43 "If Q is regarded as a single Greek document roughly coterminous with the material not found in Mark which is common to Matthew and Luke, the Q theory is sufficiently precise for thorough investigation."

THE ARGUMENT FROM ORDER
p. 43 "Where several pericopes, which have no apparent logical or chronological succession, are found in the same order, a natural possible inference is a literary connection. Similarly, if a sequence of material is broken by an omission or by the intrusion of new matter and is then resumed again, a literary connection is a natural explanation."

Yet on p. 44 Wehnam points out passages where the order of events in Matthew and Luke are in a significantly different order. He discusses various views of how the order may have been derived, but observes that all fall short in that they require us to know what a source document may have contained and in what order. I observe that all the theories discussed seem to indicate that authors are slavishly trying to follow or purposely modify an existing pattern, either to protect their presuppositions or to alter an historical account.

THE ARGUMENT FROM WORDING
p. 51 "Redaction critics tend to see the redactionary process as something quite complex, so it may seem naive to try to assess the probability of a literary connection by simply laying parallel passages side by side and asking ourselves whether they look as though one is adapting the text of the other."

The arguments from wording in redaction criticism strike me as being weak. Because there is some similarity in wording, even a slight similarity, a redaction critic often suggests a literary relationship. This is not necessarily the case. In fact, people speaking about similar events tend to use similar language. Wenham introduces a section of comparison of different Greep passages in which he highlights similarities and differences.

p. 54 "In the case of Mark (as we have seen) Luke almost invariably keeps to his sense, but this (as we shall now show) is not so in the Q-material. Even in the ten fairly long passages (pp. 55-66 below) where there is general agreement in wording and sense the relation does not appear to be a literary one; in the nine examples (pp. 67-76) where the sense is markedly different a literary connection is improbable in the extreme."

p. 59 "If to some the wording seems to close for separate utterances retained in separate minds over several years, it needs to be remembered that in addition to a tendency towards divergence there could also have been a tendency towards assimilation when similar sayings were taught in the church."

Wenham is suggesting, then, that different authors may use different vocabulary and style to discuss the same matters, particularly if they are depending not on a source as a literary quote-book, but if they are depending rather on the events detailed in a source book. There is also a tendency to start using the same language to discuss matters when the matters are discussed within the context of an assembly such as a church body. One person uses a particularly apt manner of expression and others follow suit. This is not strictly a literary dependence.

p. 63 "The Beelzebul controversy (11:14-32) has perhaps the most plausible claim to a literary connection. It has nineteen verses which run parallel to the twenty-four verses of Matthew 12:22-45. Not only are several of the sayings of Jesus found in identical or nearly identical form, but there is a sustained similarity of order throughout much of the passage. In addition the setting, including the reactions of Jesus and of the crowds, is similar."

Wenham sums up his argument briefly on p. 66 "Looking at the Q-material studied thus far, it does not look as though the Luke who followed Mark so closely would have constructed passages out of Matthew in this way. Nor does it look as though the two evangelists followed a single common Q-source, since it would have entailed (particularly as we shall see, in the nine most divergent passages) one or other or both of them treating its different parts in too inconsistent a way."

He then goes on to bring out nine passages with sense differences between Luke and Matthew.

THE ORIGIN OF LUKE'S CENTRAL SECTION
pp. 76-77 "If the Q-material of the Central Section does not come from the one or more Qs or from Matthew, what is the alternative? The simplest answer is the most revolutionary. The answer could be that these Q-passages have no common literary, or even oral, origin, but derive from different sayings of Jesus."

The material can be explained easily with five arguments Wenham explains on pp. 77-79.
1. It fits the claims of the narrative.
2. It fits Luke's claims for his sources.
3. It would explain the extraordinary interest in the mission of the seventy.
4. It would explain the order of the material.
5. It would account for the verbal likenesses and unlikenesses.

Wenham goes on to discuss the Great Sermon, Luke 6:20-49, which has a strong parallel in the Sermon on the Mount. Though the parallels are strong, Wenham does not think there is a clear literary dependence, because there are significant differences which would seem very odd in a literary derivation.

He goes on to talk about the remainder of Luke's Gospel, addressing five Q-passages in the rest of the book. Because the passages do not seem to line up with their parallels very well, we are faced with problems from a standpoint of literary dependence. We would expect that two authors who are not trying to be misleading would report their sources in approximately the same manner. Yet Luke and Matthew seem to report this alleged source very differently from one another.

p. 83 "This brings us back to the question of method in redaction criticism. Thus far we have simply laid the Q-passages side by side and asked the question: Does the similarity necessitate a belief that there is a direct literary connection between them? And the answer (except in rare cases) seems plainly to be, No. But of course moern writers do not conceive the relationship in this simplistic fashion. We have quoted from Fitzmyer, who presents his theory of Luke's composition with elegant sophistication. We saw in his treatment of the Coming Crisis in Luke 12:49-59 on p. 69 a case in point. He found there in succession: L, L heavily modified, Q, redaction, Q, a passage where six words out of forty-seven agree with Matthew - partly Lukan composition, partly L, Lukan composition, Q. This is all right, if one is assured a) that the relationship is primarily literary, b) that Luke was in the habit of altering the substance of his sources, c) that Q actually existed, d) that L source(s) actually existed, e) that Luke (whether by inspiration or not) created a good deal of his material de novo. But all these propositions are debatable and they beg the very question that we are investigating."

With all this data, Wenham asks a probing question on p. it. "But might it not be that Luke has kept to the sense of Q and that Matthew has done nearly all the changing?" What are other options?

p. 86 "just as Luke would not have altered a Q of the Matthean type in the way supposed, neither would Matthew have done so to one of the Lukan type. That both Matthew and Luke would have made major changes sufficient to account for the divergences between the two known versions of the Q- material is of precisely equal improbability" - we simply don't have adequate data to assess the way hypothetical sources were used.

p. 87 "Finally, we must consider the possibility that Luke got his Q- material direct from Matthew."

p. 87 "The picture which is emerging would suggest that Luke had two documents which are known to us which he used quite differently but equally scrupulously. He took Mark as his guide to the basic framework of the gospel, following the order and main substance of Mark's pericopes in the first third and final third of his book, though seldom following his actual wording. Matthew he seems to have used in a minor way to provide some supplementary information in the early part of the book."

However we stack it, it seems to me that forming a theory of literary dependence is going to be very difficult and fraught with weaknesses. It does not seem a way that authors write, which to me throws up a very substantial difficulty.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 3 Day 1 Genesis 24-28

2012-01-16T09:33:00.000-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Genesis chapters 24-28. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Genesis 24:1-25:18 Abraham finds a wife for Isaac. See the divine intervention involved. Also see the fact that the marriage is built on commitment, not on knowing and loving the person previously.

Genesis 25:19-26:35 Isaac's children set up a future conflict as Easau, the older, sells his birthright to Jacob. The family spends time among the Philistines where Isaac presents Rebekah as his sister, not his wife, causing problems similar to those faced by Abram and Sarai in Egypt. We do tend to fall into the same conflicts as our ancestors, don't we?

Genesis 27-28 Jacob deceives his father into giving him the blessing which Isaac had intended for Esau. It looks like the blessing Isaac could give was a one-time blessing, something which God would grant but could not be changed. How do we view the blessings we give? Do we bless and then revoke that blessing? Or do we trust that the Lord's blessing will work through our words as we pray God's blessing on others? See in Genesis 28 that God's blessing comes upon Jacob not because of Jacob's faithfulness but because of God's faithfulness.

“The Death Which Brings Life” - Genesis 3

2012-01-16T08:36:00.000-05:00

Sermon “The Death Which Brings Life” - Genesis 3 audio link http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23575548/120116Genesis3.mp3

May the Word of the Lord dwell in us richly, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Here we are in the season of Epiphany, the second Sunday. It's still the season for the realization of the person and work of Jesus. We saw the baptism of the Lord last week, realizing that he was the one who would walk ahead of us wherever we go, even through the waters of death. And we keep recognizing Jesus' work this week in our readings.

In 1 Samuel we read about how God is the God who calls people. He comes to find us where we are, asleep, ignorant, maybe even hiding. He interrupts us with his call, with his purposes, with his intentional voice. And he can do so even in a dark world like the one in which Samuel lived. He still calls people to himself today, to life in repentance and faith. He still calls people to service, both in our many more routine seeming vocations and sometimes into more special vocations, such as pastors and teachers or other churchly workers. Our Lord is the one who can come and call his people, appointing them to the service that his kingdom needs. How do we like being on call, 24/7/365, for God's purposes? I'll guarantee you that there are some occasions when it isn't the most pleasing idea that comes to our minds.

In our reading from 1 Corinthians we see that our Lord has made us for obedience. He has made us members of Christ. He has separated us from evil in order to give us good works. He shows himself to be the Lord of our lives, of our bodies, the one who has purchased us and who can govern us for his own purposes. We are to live as holy people, only for him, not for ourselves. And we realize that it is through Jesus Christ's work on the cross that we have been purchased for this purpose. How do we like being enslaved? Even to good works? We know they are good and right, but deep down we confess there are things about our own self-centered sinful attitudes and behaviors that we like.

In our reading of the Gospel we see that Jesus is the Lord who walks with us, who knows our inmost thoughts, who knows where we came from and where we are going. Again, maybe this is a comfort to us but maybe not. I remember a time when I was young and full of vinegar. The world was level, and I could go to accomplish anything I wanted to. I had plans, and those plans were good plans. I was the king of my own destiny. Know what happened? Jesus came and walked me along a different path. He knows me. He knows what I can and can't do. And he's shown me quite a few things that I can't do. I don't think he's done with that job yet. But over and over again he shows me what he can do, and it's always better than the things I thought I could do but found I couldn't. Jesus knows what we need. He knows where we are going. He knows what he wants to do with us. And the longer we live, the more we find out, bit by bit, that his plan is good.

Yes, in today's readings, we have seen our Lord. We've seen him shine his light on us. He's exercised his authority and knowledge. He's shown us right and wrong. He's shown us his sinlessness and we have ended up confronted with our sin, our selfishness, our weakness, our lack of understanding, our inability. Are you comfortable with that? I mean, entirely comfortable with that? Do you really like it when our Lord points out your mortality, your corruption, your utter failure to live a perfectly holy life in his sight? I know I'm not. When God's light of perfection starts shining on me I start to feel like a cockroach. Ever see what they do when the lights turn on? They scatter. They run and hide. They see their weakness and they take off. And when God's perfect light shines on our lives we often do the same. We see our sin, our failure. And when we see that we want to hide. We want to blame someone else for our failings. We want to do whatever we can to escape. Do we know better? Of course we do. But we don't do better.

Enter Genesis chapter 3. In our Bible reading challenge, if you have kept up, this week you've wrapped up Matthew's Gospel and moved on to Genesis, about five chapters a day, five days a week. We're taking in the word of God. And I want you to know, week after week, that God's Word is unified. This is a time of realization. It's Epiphany. And what do the people realize in Genesis chapter 3? They realize sin. But God isn't satisfied stopping there. If it had been me, I know what I would have done. The man and woman are decreed to die in the day they eat of the tree. They eat of the tree. Game over. Sin realized, death realized, no fuss, no muss, too bad it was such a short run.

Aren't you thankful that I'm not God? He's very different than we are. What do the people do? Yes, they sin. Yes, they were tempted. But they sin. The woman eats, she gives to the man who was with her in the temptation and who did nothing about it. The man eats, they realize their guilt, they try to hide, they try to blame one another, they try to blame Satan, they try to blame God. And none of it works. Let's see how it plays out.

In their sin, who comes to find them? Do they go running to God asking for his forgiveness? No, not at all. They are busy hiding. But starting in Genesis 3:8 God comes to them. He calls out to the man, making the man answer, even though God knew where he was all along. Just like God calls Samuel, just like God calls Nathanael, just like God calls us, he calls out to Adam. He can't hide. God seeks him out. Do we feel like hiding in our sin? I have news for you. All those sins that you brought in with you today? I don't know what they are, at least not many of them. But our Lord knows what they are. And when you confessed sins in thought, word and deed, omission and commission? Our Lord knows exactly what they are, in every detail. You may not be comfortable with that. But do you know what? When our Lord called me to serve you as a pastor, he called me to come and forgive you in the stead and by the command of Jesus. He appointed his servants to pass out forgiveness. How much of that sin did I forgive? Some of it? The sin that I thought you repented of well enough? The sin that I thought you wouldn't do any more? No, not at all. Our Lord seeks us out. He uncovers our sin, and he forgives it all, not part, but every bit of our sin. God is the one who seeks us out. Why do we try to hide our sin from our Lord? Please, may the Lord grant that we will realize in this time of Epiphany that he already died for our sin. We don't need to hide it. We can repent freely, confess our sin, and receive his forgiveness, full and free. We serve the Lord who comes to seek and to save sinners. He is the one who seeks us out.

Now what is the fix for the sin? It isn't hiding, we established that. How about passing blame? After all, I might be able to get off if I'm not as bad a sinner as, for instance, maybe you! How many times have we heard children do this one? They aren't as sophisticated as adults. But they do the same thing. Back to Genesis chapter 3. If you're following along, start looking around verse 11, where I start paraphrasing. “Adam! You're naked? Well, the fact is, I knew that. I'm the one who made you that way. But who told you that?”

“Well, I don't like to say things about the gifts you give me. But, Lord, it's that woman what you give me. She done give me the fruit. Now I don't know why you'd want to give me someone like that, but it sure wasn't my fault.”

So now we see that the man has blamed the woman and he has blamed the God who gave him the woman. He has avoided the blame for himself. He does confess to eating the fruit. But it really wasn't his fault.

Do we do this? “Why did you hit your brother?” “He made me mad.” “Why did you abandon your husband for another man?” “He just wasn't the kind of husband the Lord should have given me.” “Why do you drink so much?” “They ruined my self-worth so now I have no choice but to get back at them.” We try to pass the blame around. But when our Lord looks at us, do we really have any excuses? No, hiding didn't work, passing blame didn't work.

It looks like we're down to death. Are we back to the way it would work if I were God? Sin, death, game over? Not precisely. Look what kind of death we see here in Genesis chapter 3. There's a promise of defeat to the serpent, the tempter. There are consequences for sin – cursing, pain, suffering, hard labor which isn't fruitful. No doubt there are consequences. The world has been suffering those consequences ever since. But then, in verse 21, what does God do? He brings death. And to whom does he bring death? God himself covers Adam and Eve with animal skins. And there's not one of us who knows how to get an animal to give up its skin without death. Our Lord has brought death into the world, himself, by his own hand, on his own terms, to cover up the sin and shame of our first parents. He who gave life to the people in the first place has taken another life on their behalf. He has given them life again at his own expense, through the sacrifice he makes.

In this time of realization, may we also realize that the God who knows us, who knows the very depth of our sin and shame, is the very same God who calls us to himself, who appoints us for good, not for evil, who walks along with us, guarding our paths, and who himself covers our sin and shame. May we realize that it is through Jesus' death that we have life. May we realize what it is to be clothed in Christ, the one who died for us. May we see that in his bloody sacrifice he has redeemed us from the curse of sin. And it is only through that death that we have life.

When the light of God shines on us through His word, as he convicts us of sin, as he shows us his righteousness, may we also see that he is the perfect sacrifice who has died in our place. He is the one who has the death that brings us life, just as he was in the garden when our first ancestors condemned themselves. Jesus' forgiving love is right here, right now, for you and for me, because he has given his life for ours. He is the one who will work in us and through us, nurturing us in his loving forgiveness.

Now may the grace of our Lord and savior be with you all, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 2 Day 5 Genesis 19-23

2012-01-13T06:00:00.002-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Genesis chapters 19-23. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Genesis 19 - As God had promised his angels would search for righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah. But they would not find even a minimal number to spare the cities. Out of mercy the Lord preserved Lot and his family, who continued in their faithlessness and brought forth the Moabites and Ammonites, enemies of the people of Israel.

Genesis 20-21 - In this family of promise, Abraham and Sarah have all sorts of sin and strife. Abraham misleads Abimelech about the identity of Sarah, leading Sarah to be taken into Abimelech's harem, only to be rescued by God. Isaac, the child of promise, is born and raised, resulting in Sarah's casting off of her maid Hagar and Ishmael, the child fathered by Abraham, who is later rescued by divine intervention. Who is the hero? Certainly not the family of promise, but only the God of promise.

Genesis 22 - Again the God of promise preserves his people, showing clearly to Abraham that though Abraham is incapable of bearing and maintaining the child of promise, God is perfectly capable of doing this. Consider how it is God the Father who is the father of the true child of Abraham, the child of promise, and that that very child of promise, Jesus Christ, is the lamb who is offered as a substitute for Isaac himself.

Genesis 23 - Consider how the rich man, Abraham, purchased the only piece of land he ever owned, a burial ground, late in life. What do we consider riches and security?

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 2 Day 4 Genesis 14-18

2012-01-12T06:00:00.015-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Genesis chapters 14-18. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Genesis 14 - Notice the actions of Abram and the actions of Melchizedek. See where else Melchizedek is mentioned in the Bible and in what context.

Genesis 15 - Observations about how God makes his covenant with Abram - one-sided, based on God's promise, not Abram's, God's presence passing through the torn animals signifies that God may be torn apart if he fails to keep his promise. Notice Abram was not allowed to bind himself the same way.

Genesis 16 - Human plans to bring about the child of promise ultimately fail and lead to strife. What does this say about our ability to accomplish the promises of God?

Genesis 17 - God's covenant of circumcision re-establishes his promises granted in chapter 15 but is a sign passed down from generation to generation to be received by faith. With the clothing customs of the Semitic people this is a barely visible covenant.

Genesis 18 - The promise of Isaac, the child of promise, brings laughter to Sarai. The name Isaac means "laughter." Even as God promises this child through whom his covenant will be lived out, he also speaks against the sin of man. Abram pleads with God to be merciful and God does state his mercy in elaborate terms. We will see in future chapters whether God's mercy will be exercised.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 2 Day 3 Genesis 9-13

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Genesis chapters 9-13. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Genesis 9-10 See how God establishes his covenant with Noah and his descendants. Consider how God is the one who initiates covenants and establishes them. The commands he gives are for the good of his people, so they will receive his blessing. He gives a sign of the covenant which is a reminder to God, not to man. It is God who binds himself to be the one who will bring blessing.

Genesis 11 God's displeasure shows when the people try to claim divine rights for themselves. Though we are created in the image of God show his image in this world we do not have divine power and authority. Yet as God's command is that people should multiply through the whole earth, the work of scattering the people at Babel continues the work of spreading them throughout the world to take dominion.

Genesis 12-13 Once again God establishes a covenant, this time with Abram, who promptly shows himself, though a partaker of God's covenant, to be a man with a sinful and selfish nature. Yet through this fallen vessel God promises to bless all nations.

When the Cap'n goes to sick bay . . .

2012-01-10T21:49:00.000-05:00

everything remains behind for a while. But the doctor said this hacking, barking cough doesn't seem contagious, that there is nothing much to be done for it, and that it should pass within a few weeks. Thankfully the energy levels are returning slowly but surely. I'll just content myself with the Bible reading challenge posts this week and hopefully get caught up on some reading and posting about that reading matter in the future.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 2 Day 2 Genesis 3-8

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Genesis chapters 3-8. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Genesis 3 - God protects the people he has created even though they wish to blame anybody but themselves for their disobedience which is bringing them death.

Genesis 4 - The offspring of Adam and Eve proves to be bent toward self-serving violence. Yet God's nature as the loving and forgiving one still shows forth. He puts his protection upon Cain, the one who deserves condemnation.

Genesis 5 - Notice that Seth the son of Adam dies only a few years before Noah is born. Also notice that Adam was in the image of God but the children of Adam were in the image of Adam, partakers of his sinful nature.

Genesis 6-8 God's judgment on the sin of the world is clear. Yet he remembers his promise that he will destroy sin through the offspring of the woman. By preserving Noah and his remnant family through the flood he preserves the line of the Messiah and foreshadow the washing of regeneration found in baptism as all humanity passes through the waters of death.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 2 Day 1 Matthew 26-28, Genesis 1-2

2012-01-09T16:35:00.001-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Matthew chapters 26-28 and Genesis 1-2. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Matthew 26:1-25 Even as people are plotting to kill Jesus he shows himself as the Lord who does not worry about his death. The sorrow belongs to the one who betrays him.

Matthew 26:26-29 See the covenant language in the institution of the Lord's Supper. Jesus gives himself as the one who is purchasing forgiveness in communion. He presents this as a supernatural meal.

Matthew 26:30-56 Jesus prays, is betrayed, and arrested. We continue to notice Jesus' perfect trust in the Father's providence.

Matthew 26:57-27:26 The arrest and trial of Jesus doesn't go as the people who arrested him expect. The whole situation is more charged with emotion than Herod or Pilate could imagine. We see how Jesus comes to bring division. How does the true Gospel divide our families, friends, and nation?

Matthew 27:27-66 Compare Psalm 22.

Matthew 28:1-20 Jesus in his resurrection appears to his disciples. The authorities try to cover up what happened. See Jesus' promise to be with his people always. See also the way they are to disciple all nations - the spread of the Gospel happens through the very simple means of baptizing and teaching.

Genesis 1:1-2:3 See the step-by-step order of creation. God first creates the heavens and the earth then he fills them. Even in perfection the creation has duties - multiply and fill the earth, and the people are to care for and exercise wise dominion. Think of ways we can care for and exercise dominion over our surroundings.

Genesis 2:4-25 Here we have an account of the creation more from the point of view of God's interactions with the people. See the roles that husband and wife are to have.

Sermon for 1/8/12 "Jesus Fulfills All Righteousness" Matthew 3

2012-01-09T14:34:00.000-05:00

Sermon “Jesus Fulfills All Righteousness” - Matthew 3 audio link http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23575548/120108Matthew3.mp3

Our Lord, open our eyes in this season of Epiphany to see the gift you have poured out on us through the waters of baptism, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Our sermon text for today comes from the third chapter of Matthew's Gospel. Since we have entered upon our reading challenge and in the past week some of us have read Matthew chapters 1-25, I thought it best to have a sermon from material we have read recently. Today is the feast of the baptism of Jesus, the first of the miraculous occasions we celebrate during the season of Epiphany, that time of year for realization of Jesus' person and presence.

I'll read from Matthew 3, that evangelist's account of the baptism of Jesus which we read about previously in Mark's Gospel. Hear the word of God with me.

(Matthew 3, NIV 1984)

1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”
4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Thanks be to God.

Jesus fulfills all righteousness. This is one of the focuses I expect you've seen as you've been reading through Matthew this week. Jesus does something and the evangelist says that he does it to fulfill a prophecy. Jesus is presented in the Scripture, and especially in Matthew's Gospel, as the fulfiller of all God's promises. He is the one who has come to keep our part of the covenants of God, as well as keeping God's part. Thus he is the one who can place his righteousness, his obedience, his mercy and his grace upon us. And here Jesus has John baptize him to fulfill all righteousness.

What could he mean by this? There are a few directions we need to look at Jesus' statement in order to unpack it adequately. First, we want to see how Jesus understands baptism. Second, we want to know who needs baptism, and finally we can see what Jesus was accomplishing in his own baptism.

First, how does Jesus understand baptism? Jesus in fact talks about baptism rather little. He gives baptism but he doesn't teach about it very much. It seems to be more something that Jesus does, or that his followers do, than something that Jesus teaches. Yet John talks about Jesus' baptism being a baptism of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul talks about baptism as a sign of death, even a very real passing through death. In fact, the apostles consistently talk about baptism as a washing of sin, that which regenerates people, that which gives them a clean conscience. In Matthew 28, which shows up in our next reading challenge day, we will see that Jesus commands his apostles to “disciple all nations by baptizing them...and teaching them...” (Matthew 28:19-20).

The Bible teaches that in baptism we are washed from sin. We are cleansed. How can water do this? Our catechism points out that water cannot do this but when joined with the promises of the Word of God it can accomplish God's will. This is why I always try to baptize after the sermon and the confession of the creed in a church service. The Word of God accomplishes everything. I don't accomplish it. All I do in baptism is read the Scripture, pray, and get someone wet. Actually, it's usually two or three people who get wet. But the Holy Spirit washes you from sin in baptism. That's why a baptismal date is something of importance to many people. That's why we give you a baptismal certificate. When I baptize someone I give the person a candle signifying Jesus, the light of the world. I also give a cross, if possible one that is good enough quality that it can be worn throughout life. If I have sealed you with Christ's death and resurrection in the waters of baptism I have placed Christ on you. You can bear the cross then, remembering that Jesus has imposed his forgiveness upon you.

Baptism is a bath of forgiveness. Who needs this forgiveness? We, along with the vast majority of Christianity throughout the ages, baptize people of any age. We confess that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, not one. We all need forgiveness. So we all need baptism. If that baptism is a gift of God, a washing from sin which comes from him, it is not our own work. My confirmands are working with Ephesians 3:8-9 this week, one of those verses I can't quite quote in any one translation because I've worked with it in so many different ones. But here we go – see if I'm on the right track. It is by grace you have been saved, through faith, that not of yourselves, this thing is a gift of God. It is not of our own works, so nobody can boast. I think I captured it. This baptism which saves us is given to us. It is not our work of confession. It is God's work of redemption. It's the work we all need, young people, old people, every kind of person needs the salvation of God, given to us, not earned by us. I haven't gone around checking our records that carefully yet. But if there is anyone here, adult or child, who has not been baptized, Jesus' grace and forgiveness is there in the water for you also. Let's get it done.

Baptism is a bath of forgiveness. All people need that forgiveness of Christ. But why is Jesus baptized? He doesn't need his forgiveness. He has no sin to wash away. He is not only a partaker of God's covenant promises, he is the one who established God's covenant promises. So why is Jesus baptized? How does it fulfill all righteousness?

Some people, including some of the early Church fathers whose work I value a great deal, have suggested that in the waters of baptism Jesus, who could have no sin washed away from him, received the corruption of sin himself, taking all our sins upon himself, purifying the waters of baptism. It makes a really good sermon, one which could probably turn into quite a series of tent-meetings. Do people do that around here? They do where I came from. But I'm a little dubious about the idea. If we say that Jesus took on our sins in his baptism that would suggest he is not the sinless lamb of God when he is living and dying on our behalf. That would be a big problem, because we need a sinless savior. So I think we want to put that idea aside. But it is out there.

Here's what seems more likely. Jesus in his baptism fulfilled all righteousness by walking down the very path that his followers will walk down. He is baptized into death and is raised from the watery grave. The Holy Spirit descends upon him. He then walks through life as we walk once we are people who have been cleansed from sin, except that he doesn't enter into sin. He fulfills all righteousness as he walks through our life toward our death. He is the one who has been through the water ahead of us. He is the one who has dealt with all the challenges of this life before we had the chance to do so. He is the one who feels our weakness and who walks with us, promising that in his resurrection he will never leave us or forsake us. And as I remind people on their deathbeds, they are not going anywhere without Jesus. He has been there as well, and has overcome the grave, just as each of us who dies in Christ will do. Jesus, in his baptism and in his baptismal life, death, and resurrection, fulfills all righteousness for us, going ahead of us, being our forerunner.

Do you wonder if Jesus has loved you enough to forgive you? He baptized you into his death and raised you into his life. Do you wonder if Jesus will be with you as you endure trials this week? He baptized you and placed his perfect life upon you. Do you wonder if you will survive the struggles of your job situation, your family, even your own sin which has torn your family apart? Jesus baptized you into his death, but he is no longer dead. You also can be dead to sin and alive to Christ, walking in the newness of life which he has granted. Let us pray.

Our Lord, may this day, the day we celebrate your baptism, be the day we see ourselves walking in the light of your resurrection. As you have died for us, may we also die to sin. As you live for us, may we live to you. Raise us to newness of eternal life, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

When the Cap'n goes to sick bay . . .

2012-01-09T14:17:00.002-05:00

posts and updates are delayed.

Epiphany and Little Sermons

2012-01-06T06:00:00.002-05:00

In the past several months I've tried to post brief prepared sermons for the important feast days whether we have had a church service or not. After a very busy Advent season and with a challenging line-up of seminary reading and the very real season of Lent with mid-week services coming up, during the time of Epiphany I'm going to content myself with Sunday sermons to post.

Today the season of Epiphany begins. This is the season when the Church recognizes Jesus' self-revelation, as well as the historic coming to knowledge of Christ exemplified by all generations. May this period, beginning today and lasting through Tuesday, February 21, be a time to see Jesus in Word and Sacraments, learning to cherish him more.

"Important Witnesses to the Text of the New Testament"

2012-01-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

"Important Witnesses to the Text of the New Testament" Metzger & Ehrman pp. 52-134.

Metzger and Ehrman observe that witnesses to the New Testament text can be divided into Greek manuscripts, ancient translations, and quotations in early Church literature. They introduce us to many of the important manuscripts which are available.
I. GREEK MANUSCRIPTS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
1. Important Greek Papyri of the New Testament - descriptions of a number of the numbered papyri
2. Important Greek Majuscule Manuscripts of the New Testament - descriptions of the most important
3. Important Greek Minuscule Manuscripts of the New Testament - especially important as they can often be sorted into text families
4. Other Noteworthy Manuscripts - a smattering of interesting manuscripts
II. Ancient versions of the New Testament
p. 94 "The earliest versions of the New Testament were prepared by missionaries, to assist in the propagation of the Christian faith among peoples whose native tongue was Syriac, Latin, or Coptic."
p. 95 "There are certain limitations in the use of versions for the textual criticism of the New Testament. Not only were some of the translations perpared by persons who had an imperfect command of Greek, but certain features of Greek syntax and vocabulary cannot be conveyed in a translation."
We observe that a "version" is a translation, though standards of translation in antiquity did not preclude additional commentary or even preparing materials which were not in the original. I am not sure what, if any, influence this pattern might have had on New Testament documents. These versions are interesting especially as we note the wide spread of the Gospel at a very early time into a variety of different language groups. Metzger and Ehrman describe each briefly.
1. The Syriac Versions
a. The Old Syriac Version
b. The Peshitta Version
c. The Philoxenian and/or Harclean Version(s)
d. The Palestinian Syriac Version
2. The Latin Versions
a. The Old Latin Version(s)
African
European
b. The Latin Vulgate
3. The Coptic Versions
4. The Gothic Version
I found this interesting on p. 115 "Shortly after the middle of the fourth century, Ulfilas, often called the "apostle to the Goths," translated the Bible from Greek into Gothic. For this purpose, he created the Gothic alphabet and reduced the spoken language to written form. The Gothic version is the earliest known literary monument in a Germanic dialect." It strikes me that this could have something to do with the number of Greek-based words which exist in German, as well as some of the similarities in the inflexion of German nouns to Greek nouns.
5. The Armenian Version
6. The Georgian Version
7. The Ethiopic Version
8. The Old Slavonic Version
9. Other Ancient Versions
a. The Arabic Versions
b. The Old Nubian Version
c. The Sogdian Version
d. The Anglo-Saxon Versions
III PATRISTIC QUOTATIONS FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT
Observe that we could reconstruct almost all of the New Testament based on early Christian quotations of Scripture. Yet the patristic authors tend to present some difficulties as it is uncertain how often they were consulting a text to make direct quotes and how often they were making paraphrases. We also have some uncertainty as to whether subsequent scribes may have "updated" the biblical quotations by use of a more modern version of the text.

All in all, a very interesting, though long chapter. Knowing of the text and its brief summaries of the characteristics of some of the most important manuscripts could prove useful at some point. The illustrations, pictures of ancient manuscript pages, are very intriguing.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 1 Day 5 Matthew 21-25

2012-01-05T06:00:00.093-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Matthew chapters 21-25. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Matthew 21:1-22 Jesus comes into Jerusalem as a king, but not a conquering king. Consider how he is received and what his desires seem to be.

Matthew 21:23-22:33 Jesus, confronted by detractors, again begins to speak and act in parables. Pick a few of the parables and consider what Jesus' main thrust is with each one you pick. How are they received rightly by faith? How are they received by the people to whom Jesus is speaking?

Matthew 22:34-23:39 Jesus continues to push his detractors and their view of what God's priorities are. See Jesus' priority for his people very plainly revealed in 23:37-39.

Matthew 24:1-25:46 Consider the signs of the end of the world as well as what Jesus has revealed as his goals. How do these chapters bring comfort or discomfort?

"The Synoptic Gospels"

2012-01-05T06:00:00.079-05:00

"The Synoptic Gospels" Carson & Moo pp. 77-133

The synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, were first called "synoptic" by J.J. Griesbach, near the close of the 18th century. They are called synoptic meaning "same view" because they are very similar to one another in their structure and tone. In this chapter of Carson and Moo they "address significant issues that embrace all three accounts. Specifically, we examine three questions: How did the Synoptic Gospels come into being? How should we understand the gospels as works of literature? And what do the gospels tell us about Jesus?" (p. 78)

THE EVOLUTION OF THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS
The Stage of Oral Traditions: Form Criticism
Form criticism "concentrates on the earliest stage in the process by which the gospels came into being: the oral stage" (p. 79). This form of criticism arose in the early part of the 20th century. Carson and moo list six assumptions held in common by form critics (pp. 81-82).

1. "The stories and sayings of Jesus circulated in small independent units."
2. "The transmission of the gospel material can be compared to the transmission of other folk and religious traditions.'
3. "The stories and sayings of Jesus took on certain standard forms that are for the most part still readily visible in the gospels."
4. "The form of a specific story or saying makes it possible to determine its Sitz im Leben or function in the life of the early church."
5. "As it passed down the sayings and stories of Jesus, the early Christian community not only put the material into certain forms, but it also modified it under the impetus of its own needs and situations."
6. "Classic form critics have typically used various criteria to enable them to determine the age and historical trustworthiness of particular pericopes."

I wrote in the margin of p. 82, "There's a bias here which says authentic statements of Scripture diverge from early practice, thus saying that early practice is uniformly suspect." Carson and Moo had talked about the way that form critics would identify alleged modifications of the content of historical statements. They tend to assume that the early church would have changed their tradition to fit their practices rather than allowing the tradition to shape practices.

Form criticism is not entirely a bad idea. It is valuable to investigate the way that information passed from hand to hand and from mouth to ear. In a culture such as we find in Palestine in the 1st century there is a good deal of both literacy and oral tradition. The process of condensing several years of Jesus' life and ministry into a brief document such as a gospel account may have been quite complex. Yet radical form criticism seems to undermine what is known about transmission of information. It also considers that the church is by necessity going to invent materials to prove its point of view rather than taking existing materials and allowing them to influence it.

The Stage of Written Sources: Source Criticism (the Synoptic Problem)
Introduction
Source criticism seeks to understand what, if any, written sources the evangelists might have used. It deals with literary transmission, not oral transmission. The source critics will observe similar statements in the various gospels and attempt to explain why the narrative would be so similar.

The Main Solutions
1. Common dependence on one original gospel
2. Common dependence on oral sources
3. Common dependence on gradually developing written fragments
4. Interdependence - this is the direction which most scholars today find themselves going.

Theories of Interdependence
1. The Augustinian Proposal - Matthew was first, Mark borrowed from Matthew, Luke borrowed from both Matthew and Mark.
2. The "Two-Gospel" Hypothesis - Matthew was first, Luke was second, Mark borrowed from Matthew and Luke.
3. The "Two-Source" Hypothesis - Mark and a lost document commonly referred to as "Q" were borrowed from by both Matthew and Luke.

Markan Priority
Carson and Moo suggest strongly that Mark was the first gospel and that the two-source hypothesis is the most reasonable solution to the problem.

Proto-Gospel Theories - some scholars suggest that there were lost preliminary drafts of gospels which were sources for material which others have assigned to "Q."

Conclusion p. 103 "The process through which the gospels came into being was a complex one, so complex that no source-critical hypothesis, however detailed, can hope to provide a complete explanation of the situation. Granted that at least one of the evangelists was an eyewitness, that various oral and written traditions uncrecoverable to us were undoubtedly circulating, and that the evangelists may even have talked together about their work, the "scissors-and-paste" assumptions of some source critics are quite unfounded."

The Stage of Final Composition: Redaction Criticism
Redaction is a fancy word for editing. p. 104 "Redaction criticism seeks to describe the theological purposes of the evangelists by analyzing the way they use their sources." This involves making a distinction between tradition and editorial work, finding evidence of editorial work through comparison to other narratives, finding patterns in editorial move throughout a gospel, thus noting theological emphases, and identifying a setting which would have motivated the writing of a gospel account.

Origins
Redaction criticism developed in the 1950s, with Gunther Bornkamm, Hans Conzelmann, and Willi Marxsen laying out methdology for redaction criticism. This methodology is used by most contemporary scholars.

Evaluation
Redaction criticism has several weaknesses. It requires us to be able to identify what an author has altered. It tends to overlook an interest on the part of the author in historical accuracy. It tends to overlook the great commonalities of the various evangelists while seeking out their distinctives. It tends to undermine the historical trustworthiness of the gospel material. Yet it is important to an interpreter to focus on the reason why the evangelists said what they said. It points out to us that there are several different gospels but that they all have one message, Christ the Lord.

THE GOSPELS AS WORKS OF LITERATURE
The Genre of the Gospels - basically biographical in nature but with an emphasis on the divine nature and work of Jesus.

Literary Criticism
Description p. 115 "We are using "Literary Criticism" as a catchall designation for contemporary approaches to the gospels that focus on careful study of the way the gospels function as pieces of literature." This represents an emphasis on the text as we find it. Literary criticism would entail the methods we use to read and understand the Scripture.

Evaluation
Some literary critics seem to react against history itself, considering that the author is not concerned with historical accuracy. In recent years some of the critics tend to suggest that there is no definitive meaning of a text.

JESUS AND THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS
The Question of the "Historical" Jesus
The idea of "the historical Jesus" has been used since the eighteenth century to identify that which is merely human and therefore believable without assent of a supernatural influence.

The Possibility of a Historical Outline
It is important to identify the historicity of the events in the gospels. The synoptics are generally thought to follow a chronological pattern, though some of the events are not clearly defined. In the chronology we find the birth of Jesus can best be identified as happening somewhere in the years 6-4 B.C. His ministry seems to begin when he is about thirty years old, as is stated in Luke 3:23, sometime in the period of 25/26 to 28/29 A.D. The dates of Tiberius Caesar are difficult to pin down but do not contradict the gospel account. The synoptic gospels seem to require at least a year's worth of ministry. John's gospel mentions Passover three times, including the one at which the crucifixion occurred. Therefore it looks like John requires at least two and possible three years, which is not overturned in any way by the synoptic gospels. Jesus' death, according to the calculations of the time of Passover and the fact that it doesn't always happen on a Friday, could have happened in 30, 31, or 33. None of these dates are out of line with Luke's observation of Jesus' age or with any of the possible birth years.

"Luke"

2012-01-04T06:00:00.050-05:00

"Luke" Carson & Moo pp. 198-224

CONTENTS
p. 198 "Luke's gospel is the longest book in the New Testament. Like Matthew, Luke follows the basic outline of Jesus' ministry established by Mark."
1. The Prologue (1:1-4)
2. The Births of John the Baptist and Jesus (1:5-2:52)
3. Preparation for the Ministry (3:1-4:13)
4. The Ministry of Jesus in Galilee (4:14-9:50)
5. Jesus' Journey to Jerusalem (9:51-19:44)
6. Jesus in Jerusalem (19:45-21:38)
7. Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection (22:1-24:53)

LUKE-ACTS
Luke and Acts are recognizably written by the same individual, addressed to the same individual, and related to one another. however we do need to realize that the books seem to fit into different genres, with Luke following the pattern found in the other gospels and Acts following a pattern of a historical text.

AUTHOR
Internal evidence points to an author who is not an eyewitness of Jesus' ministry (1:1-4) but who is familiar with many events. The "we" passages in Acts identify the author as someone who is frequently a companion of Paul. The statements of chapter 1 indicating an author who performed research prepares us to expect someone who would have drawn information from a variety of sources, including from those he accompanied. Early church authors identify Luke as the author, also claiming that the author was a physician. There are indications, particularly in Colossians 4:10-14, that Luke was a Gentile.

PROVENANCE
The location of the writing is unclear. Antioch, Achaia, and Rome have all been suggested. All are speculations.

DATE
Carson and Moo give a good deal of evidence that tends to point again and again to a date around 62 for the final work of Acts. Acts presupposes that the gospel has been written, but does not suggest that it has been in existence for long. Carson and Moo also list numerous suggestions for later dates, after 70, but none of those suggestions are conclusive.

ADDRESSEE(S)
The gospel is written to one "Theophilus" which means "lover of God." This could be anybody, including a noble person (see the "most excellent") using a real or assumed name, or could be an example of a person to whom Luke purports to write. The content of the gospel seems to indicate it is written with a recent convert in mind.

PURPOSE
Luke states his own purpose of writing in the prologue, to assure the reader of the certainty of what he has been taught. p. 212 "By the time Luke wrote his gospel, the early church had separated from Judaism and was, indeed, experiencing hostility from many Jews. at the same time, the new and tiny Christian movement was competing with a welter of religious and philosophical alternatives in the Greco-Roman world."

COMPOSITION
If we assume that Luke drew heavily on other written sources, it would seem that he takes about 55 percent of Mark's material (p. 212). Some suggest that Luke has borrowed a great deal, about 20 percent of the non-Markan material, from Matthew. This does leave a significant portion of the gospel without parallel. p. 213 "most scholars are persuaded that Luke and Matthew have independently used a lost source, called "Q." we think this hypothesis is likely, though the exact nature of Q must be left open." Yet we observe that Luke says he gathered information from a variety of sources. It must be allowed that some sources were written and that some were oral, gathered in the time he spent accompanying Paul and possibly other apostles.

TEXT
The text of Luke and Acts is difficult as there is a significant difference between Western and Eastern text traditions. Carson and Moo lay out a fairly detailed argument on p. 215. They tend to think that the Western text passages which are found in addition to the Eastern text are less likely to be original, while the passages which exist in the Western text but are omitted in the Eastern text are fairly likely to be original.

ADOPTION INTO THE CANON
Luke was clearly accepted as canonical by the mid-second century. There is some evidence that it was cited earlier, even in the first century. It has been universally accepted as authoritative for as long as canonicity has been articulated.

LUKE'S GOSPEL IN RECENT STUDY
In recent years text critics have suggested a variety of sources for Luke's information. They have also tended to suggest that Luke was interested in explaining eschatology to dispel the idea that Jesus' return would have been expected more or less immediately after his ascension. Narrative critics have focused on Luke-Acts as a two volume whole. pp. 218-219 "Luke is not creating a work of literature from whole cloth as a novelist might go about his or her work. He is narrating events that transpired in a particular time and place; and these "historical constraints" must be recognized."

THE CONTRIBUTION OF LUKE
Carson and Moo identify four major themes in Luke which can inform all our understanding of Scripture. First, Luke is interested in God's overall plan. Second, Luke has a focus on salvation. Third, the Gentiles are the special recipients of salvation. Finally, Jesus is the one who shows care for outcasts of all sorts.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 1 Day 4 Matthew 16-20

2012-01-04T06:00:00.013-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Matthew chapters 16-20. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Matthew 16 - Jesus responds with rather oblique statements about his work. Notice he always does this when speaking to people who approach him with questions which are not genuine questions of belief. When Jesus questions Peter, Peter confesses that Jesus is the Son of God. Yet Peter then turns around and attempts to hinder Jesus in his plan of dying for the sin of the world. This idea of Jesus losing his life so we can gain ours and our then following him to lose our life in him as well is very foreign to us.

Matthew 17 - Jesus shows himself not only as the one who is transfigured but the one who transfigures other people. In the narrative about the temple tax Jesus observes that he is not subject to the tax because he is above it, but that he provides for the payment of obligations through his own supernatural means.

Matthew 18-20 Look at these chapters together as a striking example of Jesus' desire that people should be brought to him in repentance and faith, receiving his healing and restoration. We can all stand to look frequently at where we fit into the various situations presented in these chapters. May the Lord bring us each to daily repentance and trust.

"Mark"

2012-01-03T06:00:00.095-05:00

"Mark" Carson & Moo, pp. 169-197

CONTENTS
Carson and Moo identify seven basic sections in Mark's Gospel, identified by six transitional paragraphs.
1. Preliminaries to the ministry (1:1-13)
2. First part of the Galilean ministry (1:16-3:6)
3. Second part of the Galilean ministry (3:13-5:43)
4. The concluding phase of the Galilean ministry (6:7-8:26)
5. The way of glory and suffering (8:27-10:52)
6. Final ministry in Jerusalem (11:1-13:37)
7. The passion and empty-tomb narratives (15:1-16:8)

AUTHOR
As with the other gospels Mark does not identify the author by name. The title appears by about A.D. 125. Papias, quoted in Eusebius (translated by Kirsopp Lake in Ecclesiastical History vol. 1, 3.39.15 LCL Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1926) says, "And the presbyter used to say this, 'Mark became Peter's interpreter and wrote accurately all that he remembered, not indeed, in order, of the things said or done by the Lord. For he had not heard the Lord, nor had he followed him, but later on, as I said, followed Peter, who used to give teaching as necessity demanded but not making, as it were, an arrangement of the Lord's oracles, so that Mark did nothing wrong in writing down single points as he remembered them. For to one thing he gave attention, to leave out nothing of what he had heard and to make no false statements in them."

Papias is likely referring to the presbyter John, probably the apostle. If Papias is right, then, Mark as the evangelist is recognized by first generation Christians. The ascription of Mark as the author goes against early church tendencies to "associate apostles with the writing of the New Testament books" (p. 174). Though we can't identify Mark as the author through hard and fast positive evidence, "nothing in the second gospel stands in the way of accepting the earliest tradition that identifies John Mark as its author" (p. 175).

PROVENANCE
There is some evidence that Mark may have written in Rome. It is suggested by several authors in the early church. There are a number of Latinisms in the Gospel. Peter and Mark are identified as being in Rome in the early sixties. Nothing exists to point to any place other than Rome with the exception of Chrysostom, writing about 400, suggesting that Mark may have been in Egypt.

DATE

A Date in the 40s
This early date is suggested by the possibility that Mark's reference in 13:14 to the "abomination that causes desolation" is to an image of Caligula set up in Jerusalem in A.D. 40. But to harmonize this with a Roman provenance requires Peter and Mark to be in Rome earlier than the other documents would suggest.

A Date in the 50s
It is possible that Peter was in Rome as early as the mid 50s. This suggestion of an early date for Mark's Gospel is consistent with the idea that Luke referred to Mark in his preparation of his gospel and that Luke and Acts are dated as early as A.D. 62, consistent with Paul's status in prison at the end of Acts.

A Date in the 60s
Many scholars date Mark in the 60s due to traditions that he wrote after Peter's death and due to Mark's emphasis on persecutions which were very common in Rome around A.D. 65.

A Date in the 70s
The suggestion for a date as late as the 70s is based on the idea that Mark 13 represents the sack of Jerusalem by the Romans. However, the narrative in chapter 13 is not a specific description which would only fit that attack. If Jesus is able to predict events in the future there is no reason to date the composition after 70.

AUDIENCE AND PURPOSE

Audience
Mark seems aimed at a primarily Gentile Christian audience. There are many Latinisms and the translation of Aramaic expressions suggests that Mark is informing people who are not from the Jewish culture. His style is typical of that which could be used in public oration, suggesting an audience of listeners, not readers.

Purpose
Defining the purpose of a gospel is very difficult, as Mark and the other evangelists tend not to tell their purpose. In recent years, Carson and Moo show that critics have focused on four representative areas - eschatology, Christology, apologetics, and politics. None of the arguments is conclusive or all-encompassing.

SOURCES
p. 187 "We must admit that we have no certain knowledge of the written sources, if any, that mark used in putting his gospel together. His material may have come to him in small pieces of tradition, as the classic form critics thought, in both small pieces of tradition and longer oral summaries, or in a combination of these along with some written sources. In any case, if, as we have argued, the traditions about the Petrine origin of Mark are correct, then Peter himself is the immediate source of much of Mark's material."

TEXT
The two biggest textual difficulties in Mark's gospel are the words "Son of God" in 1.1 and the various endings in chapter 16. 1:1 is not a serious difficulty, as even if Mark didn't identify Jesus as the Son of God in chapter 1 verse 1 he does present him that way throughout the rest of the text. The long ending to Mark, including verses 9-20 exists in the bulk of manuscripts and can be found as early as the first half of the second century. Yet the style seems to be different from that of the rest of the gospel. There are alternative endings. None of the possible endings flow naturally from chapter 16 verse 8. Carson and Moo suggest that Mark intended to end the gospel at verse 8 but the additional endings were created at a later date, probably not by Mark. Others have suggested that the long ending was composed earlier than the rest of the gospel, some have suggested it was composed later, either by Mark or by someone else.

MARK IN RECENT STUDY
Mark was largely ignored with commentators throughout history focusing on Matthew instead. In the twentieth century the form critics viewed Mark primarily as a source document for other gospels. In the second half of the twentieth century people gained more interest in Mark in terms of his theology, purposes, and the community for which he was writing. It is only recently that commentators have been looking at Mark as a gospel in his own right.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF MARK
p. 192 "Mark is the creator of the gospel in its literary form - an interweaving of biographical and kerygmatic themes that perfectly conveys the sense of meaning of that unique figure in human history, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God."

"Building a Synoptic Theory: (1) The Relation of Luke to Mark"

2012-01-03T06:00:00.044-05:00

"Building a Synoptic Theory: (1) The Relation of Luke to Mark" Wenham, pp. 11-39

In this chapter Wenham builds three steps toward his theory. First, he attempts to show that Luke was familiar with Mark's gospel. Second, he observes (p. 11) that "fifty-two pericopes of Luke and Mark have a common origin...fourteen others cover the same ground, but show no signs of common origin." Finally, he observes (p. 11) that "Luke keeps to the sense of mark in the truly parallel passages."

The foundation of some of the text-critical work has been identifying words or series of words which appear in multiple different gospels. Wenham includes charts which demonstrate that there are similarities of numerous words in numerous passages between Mark and Luke. He seems more interested in the fact that Luke follows Mark in a substantial number of pericopes, keeping them in the same order. The use of particular phrases and clauses is not actually very widespread.

p. 19 "If we think of Luke as working directly on the scroll of Mark, we find that he often omits from, adds to or gives a more polished version of Mark's story, but he almost always does so without changing the basic meaning. This is particularly true with regard to the words of Jesus." It seems that where there are passages with identical or nearly identical wording, they tend to be quotations of Jesus. This is consistent with a strong oral tradition of the sayings of Jesus.

p. 20 "It cannot be too strongly stated that one evangelist's knowledge of the work of another does not necessarily mean that his work is a modification of the other." This strikes me as an instance of Wenham being quite fair with the evangelists. Just as a modern author can be familiar with another author and be informed by that other author's writing does not mean that we are simply re-writing what the other author said.

Wenham spends pp. 21-39 giving texts of common passages along with highlights of similarities and commentary on the similarity and differences he finds. A warning - this portion of the book is largely quotations in Greek which are not translated. If you read Greek it's quite clear. If not, prepare for a mystery.

My observation of the texts Wenham quotes is that they seem related in their vocabulary and usage in only a casual way. Because they are statements of the same events they tend to use similar vocabulary. Verb tenses, cases of significant nouns, etc., all point to a natural phenomenon which we observe when speaking of the same events. This observation of mine is consistent with what Wenham seems to be affirming, that the authors acted rather independently of one another but were quite aware of a standard collection of events about which they would write.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 1 Day 3 Matthew 11-15

2012-01-03T06:00:00.018-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Matthew chapters 11-15. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Matthew 11 - Jesus gives comfort and assurance of his identity to the messengers of John the Baptizer as well as to those who believe in him. At the same time he announces condemnation to those who do not repent and trust in him.

Matthew 12:1-21 - Jesus shows himself to be the Lord who can use the Sabbath for the good of mankind, including providing food and healing. He shows himself to be the gentle healer foretold in Isaiah.

Matthew 12:22-50 - Jesus continues to show his authority by casting out a demon. He is accused of having Satanic influence, but denies it, observing that Satan does not cast out Satan. When asked for a sign of his divine nature he refuses, pointing out that the proper response to him is to trust him and receive what he is doing by faith.

Matthew 13 - Jesus tells a number of parables, some of which he explains. When reading parables, always look for the element which stretches your imagination. For instance, look at the effectiveness of the Word of God in the parable of the sower. Pick a parable or two and consider how Jesus is illustrating his nature and kingdom to those who believe on him. See how those who do not believe on him find his parables senseless.

Matthew 14-15 - Look at Jesus' reputation. He is a matter of discussion to Herod and his court, to the Pharisees and scribes, and to people in general. He engages in parabolic actions - the active equivalent of parables which would be spoken. Notice how he himself provides bread of life for many people. Notice how he passes through the water without harm, bringing life and hope to his disciples who are stranded in the water. See how he consistently calls people to faith in God demonstrated by their actions rather than putting actions first and leaving the possibility of their signifying faith open.

"The Intractable Problem"

2012-01-02T13:06:00.000-05:00

"The Intractable Problem" Wenham pp. 1-10

The intractable problem Wenham identifies in chapter 1 is that Matthew, Mark and Luke are similar in many instances but have a significant degree of difference. Scholars have looked at the possibility that Matthew and Luke used Mark and some unknown source (Q) but their confidence in this view is waning.

p. 1 "For nearly a hundred years the search has been for literary solutions. Before that, belief in a common form of basic oral instruction was popular, Westcott being its most notable expositor. His views were eclipsed by the Oxford School: Sanday, Hawkins and Streeter. It is, however, perfectly possible for oral tradition to be accurately transmitted..."

Despite the idea of independence, it is clear that the Gospels are not completely independent. There seems to be an overall order of events, even of very specific details. The Gospels do not seem to exist in a vacuum. However they do not follow a pattern slavishly.

In the past century most scholars have held to a two-document hypothesis, with Mark and the hypothetical "Q" document informing Matthew and Luke. But this view has been dissatisfactory. The methodological problems involved in reconstructing a hypothetical source document and deciding the level of dependence shown in a derivative work are manifold. "Much of the argumentation is worth very little, because so many of the arguments are reversible: they can be argued either way with approximately equal cogency. This makes it essential to look for those arguments which have real weight. Another methodological snare is the temptation to fit the facts to a procrustean bed through looking for the wrong sort of solution" (p. 3).

But Wenham observes that the Gospels do exist and that they are related in some manner. A sufficient explanation of the relationship should be able to take care of all the data points observed. He goes on to observe (p. 3) "It will be noticed that the research of the last hundred years has been dominated by a belief in direct literary connections, yet a century ago the then reigning view (at least in the English-speaking world) relied on common oral tradition to explain the likenesses between the gospels." Specifically, Westcott observed that there was likely an oral tradition which would have maintained an order of events and a good deal of detail of those events, the apostolic tradition, which the evangelists would have drawn on to lay out their literary accounts. Because they were familiar with the same body of teaching and because of the orality of the culture at large they would naturally have used similar phrasing in many instances. Yet their individual literary styles would come through.

p. 4 "That the relationship is primarily literary rather than oral has been the assumption underlying most of the work of the present centry. This is strikingly illustrated by Farmer in The Synoptic Problem, where Westcott is dismissed in a footnote."

pp. 4-5 "The great question is: Have we been justified in placing so much emphasis on documentary relationships? Lying behind this is the even more basic question. Can one distinguish documentary dependence from indebtedness to a common oral tradition?"

p. 5 "as soon as there is identity of expression for more than about a dozen words in succession, one leaps to the conclusion that the connection must be literary. But this is not a safe conclusion...(examples of common statements)...Much more would Greek-speaking Christians in the first century have memorised many of the sayings of Jesus in whatever form they were commonly taught."

Wenham is, therefore, suggesting that the literary philosophy which counts words in common is founded on an illusory premise, that the only reason particular words or combinations of words would be used is that they were found in a source document. He refers to recent scholars who have suggested complete independence of some of the gospel accounts. In a summary of works by J.M. Rist, B. Reicke, and J.W. Scott Wenham points out that there are flaws in a theory of complete independence. After all, there are striking similarities in some of the subject matter of the gospels.

p. 7 "[This] means in Matthew 14-28 and Mark 65:14-16:8 seventy items all in order (except for a minor difference in the way the cleansing of the temple and the cursing of the fig-tree are related), and this in spite of various omissions or additions by one or the other evangelist [exists]. Unless there is strong evidence to the contrary, it seems more likely that one evangelist followed the other or that both followed a common written source, than that a standard order for reciting the oral tradition had been memorised, but not consistently adhered to."

Scott's suggestion is that Luke's reference to sources in the prologue of his gospel is a reference only to oral sources, never to written sources. However Wenham observes that "Luke's words are in fact compatible with his knowing only oral traditions, or knowing Mark and Q, or knowing Matthew and Mark" (p. 8).

In conclusion, Wenham considers that the intricate structure of the Gospels is not likely to exist outside of some written source which could inform authors. There is evidence that information traveled quite quickly and broadly, suggesting that the evangelists would be familiar with other Christian writings. Yet there are distinct orders of events known but not consistently adhered to, allowing for a large measure of independence among the evangelists.

"Introduction: A Radical Thesis"

2012-01-02T12:21:00.000-05:00

"Introduction: A Radical Thesis" Wenham, xxi-xxiv

I picked this book up for a course project report in a seminary class. Wenham seems to be approaching the idea of New Testament criticism from a point of view similar to that which I was trained in as a philologist. He looks at the Gospels as pieces of literature which were influenced and informed by the time and setting of their authors, including by other pieces of literature known to the authors. Here are a few quotes that I think summarize the introduction well.

xxi "Each evangelist writes in the way he habitually teaches, literary dependence being minimal in so far as his choice of words is concerned."

xxii "The book is in fact an investigation of the whole synoptic problem, considering both internal and external evidence, believing that there is an overall consistency between them. Dating plays a significant part in the web of evidence."

xxiii "A new approach to the synoptic problem is attempted which denies literary dependence as the primary explanation of the likenesses of the gospels and which also questions complete literary independence."

xxiii "As this book is an argument in favour of the high value of Christian tradition with regard to three major books of the New Testament, I am naturally predisposed towards the traditional authorship of its other books. They have all had able defenders and I shall provisionally assume that their conclusions are satisfactory and then try to see how the case looks when this assumption is made."

Wenham Reference

2012-01-02T12:14:00.000-05:00

Wenham, John. Redating Matthew, Mark, & Luke: A Fresh Assault on the Synoptic Problem. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1992.

"The Making of Ancient Books"

2012-01-02T11:56:00.000-05:00

"The Making of Ancient Books" Metzger & Ehrman, pp. 3-51

I. The Materials of Ancient Books

1. Papyrus
There are period descriptions of manufacture of writing material among other products made from the papyrus plant. Sheets tended to be made approximately 15x9 inches, with one side having horizontal fibers and the other vertical fibers.

2. Parchment
Parchment is a finished leather. The term is derived from the alleged place of origin, Pergamum, though doubtless people in other places wrote on leather as well. An advantage of parchment is that it lends itself well to writing on both sides, though one side is more shiny than the other. It is a very durable writing material.

3. Ink Making
Inks in antiquity were frequently made from carbon, such as charcoal, water, and some gum arabic to thicken the ink. Carbon inks don't adhere to parchment very well, so as parchment became more common, oak gall and iron gall ink were developed. In deluxe editions of manuscripts some parts would involve purple, gold, silver, or red ink. The red was most common for indicating new headings. The term "rubric" is derived from the Latin word for the red ink used.

II. The Forms of Ancient Books
The Greco-Roman world tended to use rolls of writing materials. These were fairly cumbersome and finding references within a roll was difficult. In the early Christian period the codex became a favored format. The codex is analogous to today's books, with a number of leaves bound together along one edge.

III. Ancient Scribes and Their Handiwork
Styles of writing can be divided in many ways. A "book-hand" tends to be conservative and regular. "Cursive" (running) scripts are written rapidly and often include contractions and abbreviations. Most literary works are written in book-hand. The types of writing can also be divided into "majuscule" and "minuscule" hands. The majuscule uses capital-type letters, all approximately the same height. In minuscule writing the letters have differing heights and some letters will trail below the rest of the writing. When copying books commercially very frequently a group of scribes would be gathered in a scriptorium where a leader would read the text slowly as the scribes wrote. The work would typically be checked over by someone a bit later. Scribes would typically sit on the floor with their writing materials balanced on a knee. The Metzger and Ehrman book has a number of very clear illustrations of ancient manuscripts, including statements of the original size of the image.

IV. "Helps for Readers" in New Testament Manuscripts

1. Chapter divisions (κεφάλαια)
Different Greek and Latin manuscripts would have different marginal methods of indicating chapter divisions. Note that the chapter divisions were not standardized, but that retention of chapter divisions can help us trace a manuscript's history of copying.

2. Titles of Chapters (τίτλοι)
In some manuscripts chapters would have titles inserted. Often a list of the chapter titles would be used as a summary outline or even a table of contents.

3. Eusebian Canons
Eusebius of Caesarea collated the Gospels and assigned passages numbers. He then prepared tables indicating passages which were parallel in all four Gospels, in three of the four Gospels, and in two Gospels, providing for all the possible combinations.

4. Hypotheses, Bioi, Euthalian Apparatus
The hypothesis is an introduction to a book, similar to the brief book summary found often on the back of a modern-day paperback. A bios is a summary of important information about the life of the author of a text. Euthalius is the name given to the author of a synopsis of the life, writings and chronology of an author of multiple work, as well as an appendix of quotations and other useful information.

5. Superscriptions and Subscriptions
Headings of books, such as the titles, and subscriptions at the end of a book indicating the close of the book as well as sometimes the authorship and identification of the place of composition, place of copying, and the identity of the amanuensis are sometimes included.

6. Punctuation
Early manuscripts have very little punctuation. By the sixth or seventh century punctuation became more common.

7. Glosses, Scholia, Commentaries, Catenae, Onomastica
Gloss - brief definition of difficult word or phrase
Scholia - teacher's interpretive remark
Commentary - scholia applied to an entire work
Catena - collection of comments from older writers
Onomastica - "meaning and etymology of proper names" (p. 43)

8. Artistic Adornment
Especially in Byzantine manuscripts pictures of scenes, events, Christ, and his apostles will be included. Interestingly enough, on p. 44, Metzger and Ehrman observe that since artists did not have any information about what the apostles looked like, "all the early Christian portraits of the Evangelists go back to two main sets of four portraits each: one set was of the four philosophers Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, and Epicurus and the other set was of the four playwrights Euripides, Sophocles, Aristophanes, and Menander."

9. Cola and Commata
The terms "colon" and "comma" are Greek terms for a clause and a phrase, respectively. It was not uncommon from the time of Demosthenes and Cicero to transcribe orations in these brief sensible portions. Many bilingual manuscripts appearing in Greek and Latin divide the text into cola and commata. By the way, if any of my Latin or Greek students read this, this practice is PRECISELY what I try to get you to do in your reading and recitation. If it worked for understanding the great orators of the past it might just work for you too :).

10. Neumes
Neumes are a style of musical notation by which a lector or cantor would know the traditional manner in which a text was sung. The observation of these marks in manuscripts is a striking reminder to me that historically literature is chanted or sung, not merely read in a monotone fashion.

11. Lectionary Equipment
This is one of the abiding interests I have. How have Christians chosen what to read in their assemblies? Many manuscripts are lectionaries, a selection of lessons from Scripture. Manuscripts of lectionaries were prepared to present the passages in the order in which they would be used in worship. There's a footnote on p. 47 referring to three sources. I'd love to have more references to historic development of lectionaries.

V. Statistics of Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament
Metzger and Ehrman go over some of the basic statistics of how many manuscripts or partial manuscripts of the New Testament writings exist from antiquity. In comparison with other well-attested works from the ancient world, the New Testament is incredibly well-attested. There is a wealth of manuscript evidence and that evidence is strikingly consistent in its readings of the text.

Metzger & Ehrman Reference

2012-01-02T11:05:00.000-05:00

Metzger, Bruce M. & Bart D. Ehrman. The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration, 4th edition. Oxford University Press, 2005.

"Matthew"

2012-01-02T11:02:00.001-05:00

"Matthew" Carson & Moo pp. 134-168

CONTENTS
The discussion of the outline of a book of the Bible has always seemed curious to me. Carson & Moo are no exception in this chapter. They review various means of outlining the book, seeing that some authors have identified geographic frameworks, some have looked at christological development, and some have looked at a series of multiple discourses. It strikes me that we do best to observe important features of a text but not worry too much about what framework the author had in mind if it is not patently obvious.

AUTHOR
Authorship of books of the Bible is a difficult issue. After all, many of the texts in Scripture have no internal ascription. Scholars of a more liberal bent will frequently suggest that false claims to authorship were rampant in antiquity so where we have a claim to authorship in the Bible we should assume it is false. It does appear that the Gospels had the names of the evangelists attached to them prior to A.D. 140 and that the identification of authors may well have been present from very early on. After all, we don't seem to have any question about which Gospel is attributed to which author, as might have happened if there were a lengthy period of doubt. There are suggestions that Matthew may have originally been written in Hebrew or Aramaic. However, this claim may have been misplaced, as it may also be a claim made about another writing from the apostolic age. The place of authorship is not known. It would seem from the text that it was written in a place where there was both a significant Jewish cultural foundation and a substantial number of Gentiles who would not be completely familiar with Jewish customs.

DATE
Many scholars consider that Matthew was influenced by Mark, dating Matthew at A.D. 80 or later. Yet a number of scholars are now dating all the synoptics prior to 70 and suggesting that Mark may not have had primacy. The early church fathers viewed Matthew as the first of the evangelists to write.

DESTINATION
We should hesitate to assume that the gospels were written to incite conversion to Christ. They seem aimed at those who believe on Jesus and need ongoing encouragement in their faith. Matthew seems to be aimed at a predominantly Jewish audience. Yet he explains many of the Jewish customs, which may indicate that he intended the gospel to be useful to Gentiles as well.

PURPOSE
Matthew does not state why he wrote the Gospel. There are many different themes in the text. So it's difficult to say what his purpose was. We do see among the primary themes a description of events in the life of Jesus, as well as a good deal of Old Testament justification for the actions of Jesus. Jesus is clearly presented as the Messiah promised by God, the one who is rejected by Jewish leaders, and the one who is bringing in his eschatalogical kingdom, reigning over and protecting all who trust him.

TEXT
The text of Matthew is well attested. There are places where attempts to harmonize Matthew with other Gospels will be frustrating. Yet the text itself is stable and understandable.

ADOPTION INTO THE CANON
Matthew was universally accepted in antiquity except by Marcion, who rejected all things which seemed Jewish. The book's canonical status has never been seriously questioned.

MATTHEW IN RECENT STUDIES
Matthew's Gospel tended to be ingnored by English-language scholars until the latter part of the 20th Century. In recent years there have been more major commentaries. Text-critical studies have been fairly common until recently, as scholars wish to see how the text may have been pasted together from various other sources. But in recent years more commentators have been looking at the text as a cohesive whole.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF MATTHEW
Matthew contributes to the canon especially in his preservation of "large blocks of Jesus' teaching" (p. 163), by giving us the story of the incarnation from Joseph's point of view, by emphasizing Jesus' life and work as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, by viewing Jesus as the one who fulfills the law of God, by looking forward to the relationship between Israel and the Church, and by emphasizing roles of Jesus such as "Christ, the Son of David, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Servant of the Lord" (p. 164) etc.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 1 Day 2 Matthew 5-10

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Matthew chapters 5-10. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Matthew 5:1-12 Notice the change from the third person "blessed are the XXXXX" to the second person "blessed are you."

Matthew 5:13-16 Consider the properties of salt and light. What might Jesus be suggesting our lives show as natural characteristics?

Matthew 5:17-20 See how Jesus is setting himself up as the one who fulfills God's Law. Yet he presses his hearers to be as perfect as he is.

Matthew 5:21-6:4 Some people say this is a reiteration of the Ten Commandments. Is it? What could Jesus' purpose be in discussing these particular issues as he does?

Matthew 6:5-15 In some traditions the Lord's Prayer is prayed quite regularly because it is the way Jesus taught his disciples to pray. In other traditions, the introduction which says not to pile up meaningless words in prayer is cited and the Lord's Prayer is used as the framework of a good way to pray but it is not prayed in the words Jesus gave. Which point of view would you defend? How and why?

Matthew 6:16-34 Jesus reminds us again and again that our lives are a matter of trust in him, not in ourselves.

Matthew 7:1-29 Jesus talks about judging but even as he tells us not to judge he shows us how to judge rightly. What does he mean by judging? Who is the ultimate and righteous judge?

Matthew 8:1-17 Jesus shows his mercy and power and praises those who trust that he is able to help them. He shows himself as the one who is a healer in accord with the prophecy.

Matthew 8:18-34 Jesus shows himself to be the one who moves his followers from a point of unbelief to belief, from one type of life to another.

Matthew 9:1-38 Jesus shows himself to be the one who changes lives in ways that no normal teacher can change them. He exercises power over even life and death.

Matthew 10:1-42 Jesus selects twelve disciples and empowers them, sending them to work healing and peace where they go. His disciples are his beloved people upon whom he will put his protective hand despite the hardships they will face.

"Thinking about the Study of the New Testament"

2012-01-01T18:17:00.001-05:00

"Thinking about the Study of the New Testament" Carson & Moo pp. 23-76

This chapter sets out to introduce the idea of New Testament studies, giving some of the main themes addressed historically.

PASSING ON THE TEXT
Carson & Moo point out the difficulty of creating copies of written works in antiquity. I did write in the margin of the book my recollection that in the 1st century BC authors complained about the quality of cheap editions on the market, indicating that books were not always terribly expensive or carefully made. The outcome of New Testament manuscript copies tends to show that the Scripture was treated very carefully.

We see a move in the first several centuries of transmission to scrolls giving way to codices, uncial writing giving way to quicker and smaller cursive scripts, and the Scripture being presented in a multitude of different language versions.

The text also discusses writing materials including papyrus, parchment, and vellum.

The New Testament is the book with the most whole or fragmentary witnesses of all ancient literature. Very early in the history of mass printing the Greek New Testament was released in multiple different editions. From pp. 27-28 "The Elzevir brotehrs' second edition, dated 1633, boasts (in what would today be called an advertising blurb) that the reader now has 'the text which is now received by all, in which we give nothing changed or corrupted;: the words we have italicized reflect the Latin textus receptus, referring to a commonly received text, and thus a standard text. This is the 'received text' which, more or less, stands behind all English translations of the Bible until 1881. This textual tradition is grounded in what was at the time a mere handful of mostly late miniscule manuscripts."

Textual criticism tended to arise by the end of the 17th century as scholars collated different manuscripts, noting the textual descent of each manuscript thread and providing substantial footnotes which could be used to track variant readings. Bengel, working around 1734, emphasized the question of "which reading is most likely to have generated all the others" and formulated the rule "the more difficult reading is to be preferred over the easier" (p. 29).

LONGSTANDING INTERPRETIVE TRADITIONS
Liberal and conservative scholars alike tend to discount some periods of scholarship from the past, with the conservatives tending to discount theological reflection prior to the Reformation and the conservatives considering the period before the Enlightenment as a time of superstition. Yet a review of the work of the early Church does not bear this out. The early Christians were very aware of what was being accepted as canonical Scripture and why. This was a matter of intelligent debate and scholarship in its own time and should be considered with respect. Carson and Moo address some of the work in antiquity as well as current trends which those ancient authors addressed.

THE RISE OF BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
The term "biblical theology" is easily redefined in different contexts. On p. 47 Carson and Moo observe that the term was first apparently used in a book in 1607 by W. J. Christmann. By 1675 P.J. Spener and later Pietists used the term to distinguish their own theology from theologia scholastica, the Lutheran orthodox theology of their time. By 1787, Johann P. Gabler redefined biblical theology as an inductive study of the biblical text as opposed to a study of systematic or dogmatic theology. The term "biblical theology" continues to be reshaped depending on its context.

HISTORICAL CRITICISM, LITERARY TOOLS, AND THE IMPACT OF POSTMODERNISM
Historical Criticism
This discipline seeks to locate the time and setting of composition of New Testament documents. It tends to look at the Scriptures as documents which arise from collation of different source documents, though this is not necessary to the discipline. In responsible historical criticism the scholar attempts to uncover the historical setting which gave rise to the statements as they were made.
Literary Criticism
Many literary critics tend to look at figures of speech and other literary features of the New Tstament documents in a microcosm. However, the critics who have emphasized the minutiae of the text tend to be discredited as readers realize that no piece of literature is composed by lifting individual words, phrases, or clauses from other sources and pasting them together to make a finished product. Some literary critics work with the genres of the writing both in the larger books and in the smaller elements, for instance, doing studies of the use of metaphor and simile in the New Testament and other texts from that period.
The New Literary Criticism and the Turn to Postmodern Readings
Postmodernists are not my friends. That's not actually entirely true. But postmodern philosophy is one which I consider every bit as dangerous as modernist philosophy. When carried to extremes it is hostile to the idea of definitive truth. I think that is a serious problem. However in recent decades an increasing number of scholars have pursued skeptical views of texts and the idea that they have intrinsic meaning. While some of the emphases of postmodernists have been valuable correctives against modernist philosophy, it is unhealthy to carry either philosophy to its ultimate logical conclusions.
Social-Scientific Approaches
An increasing number of scholars are using a social-science approach in which they look at the historical context of the New Testament and analyze the kind of interactions individuals may have brought to the composition. They focus on the roles different characters would have in their society and family and why those roles would be important to our understanding the text.
Language and Linguistic Approaches
Many scholars, as we might expect, study the New Testament from a linguistic point of view, seeking out word usage, grammatical constructions, and lexical studies. While these grids rarely lead us to a full-bodied theological understanding of a text, they are very important as a starting point in our understanding of the Scripture.

Carson & Moo Reference

2012-01-01T17:40:00.000-05:00

Carson, D.A., and Douglas Moo An Introduction to the New Testament - Second Edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005.

Bible Reading Challenge - Week 1 Day 1 Matthew 1-4

2012-01-01T17:13:00.000-05:00

Our reading challenge for the day is Matthew chapters 1-4. I'll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?

Matthew 1:1-17 lays out the lineage of Jesus, the child of Abraham, the child of David, the one through whom Abraham is a blessing to the whole world.

Matthew 1:18-2:23 shows that Jesus' birth was surrounded by supernatural events which served to demonstrate that he was the Messiah, which protected him from harm, and which fulfilled numerous prophecies.

Matthew 3:1-17 rejoins Jesus as a young adult, being baptized by John. See how baptism is described and the prophecy John gives about the baptism which is received from Jesus.

Matthew 4:1-11 shows Jesus as the one who resists all the sorts of temptations Satan throws at us.

Matthew 4:12-25 shows Jesus as the one who proclaims the kingdom of God. He calls disciples to himself and circulates the region preaching and healing. This shows Jesus' priorities.

Sermon for 1/1/12 "Jesus, the Final Redeemer" - Luke 2

2012-01-01T16:56:00.002-05:00

SERMON “Jesus, the Final Redeemer” - Luke 2

Lord, grant that we may see you today, the one named Jesus, the Savior of the world. Amen.

Today is one of the high holy days of the Christian calendar. There's a kind of liturgical version of the “scissors, paper, rock” game that the calendar plays. January 1 is the day of the circumcision and naming of the Lord. In most years that falls on a day other than Sunday so this Sunday is generally simply considered the first Sunday after Christmas day. But this day has traditionally been considered an important enough day on the calendar that when it comes on a Sunday it takes precedence. So rather than having readings that are particularly related to Christmas, this year we have the readings which specifically describe the circumcision and naming of Jesus, this eighth day after his birth.

There are three very special elements of the circumcision of our Lord which I want to bring to your attention today. As we saw in Luke's gospel, Jesus, the perfect sacrificial lamb of God came into the temple along with his parents, who brought him and a very humble offering. On the occasion of this offering for sin, Jesus' blood is shed, the perfect offering for sin. And we find that two people, Simeon and Anna, people who have been waiting for their redemption, recognize that Jesus is the Messiah. We look at those ideas in turn.

First, Jesus, the perfect, priceless sacrificial lamb of God came into the temple with his parents and a very humble offering. Under the Old Testament sacrificial system, on the eighth day a male child would be presented before God. His parents would bring an offering of an animal. Because our Lord recognizes that different people would have different levels of wealth and different levels of ability, the offerings ranged all the way from a perfect bull – very expensive – to a pair of turtledoves – affordable to anybody who could find a handful of grain to attract them. Jesus is not born to a wealthy family. The parents given to him by the Father will raise him in humble circumstances. Jesus as he lives in Joseph's family understands hardship, hard work, possibly even hunger. Yet he shows himself to be the perfect sacrificial lamb. Jesus, the perfect offering for your sin and for mine, comes into the temple that day. His parents bring the offering they can bring. They act in faithful obedience to God's command. Yet it is the presence of Jesus which makes the offering effective. All the sacrifices, all the offerings which we could ever make, all of them add up to nothing without God's command and blessing. The Law indeed came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. In him is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. When Jesus comes into that temple he makes the humble offerings perfect. When Jesus comes to his people in Word and Sacrament he fills our worship. He comes to dwell with us. He shows us, no, he doesn't merely show us, he is present for us as the fulfillment of all sacrifices.

Not only is Jesus present in the temple when he is carried in his mother's arms, but he has promised that he will continue to be with us. We, along with the historic Church, confess the true bodily presence of our Lord and Savior in communion. He has not ceased to be with his people in any way. He is absolutely present, seeking those who will worship him in Spirit and in truth. This is why receiving communion is such a wonderful celebration. We who are sinful have come into the presence of Jesus, the perfect lamb of God. We who are sinful receive him. He is as present here as you or I can be present. That's why our communion service is surrounded with expressions of awe and wonder. That's why we treat the consecrated elements in a special way. That's why we look forward with the apostle Paul and the Corinthians to having a participation in the body and blood of our Lord. Jesus is the perfect lamb of God who is present for us, the people in the most humble of circumstances.

Jesus, the perfect lamb of God is present, even in the humble circumstances of his parents. And Jesus' blood is shed in circumcision. We understand that in circumcision there is a shedding of blood, a rolling away of our fleshly nature in the hidden places of our lives. And many many people find that baptism in the New Testament is the parallel to circumcision in the Old Testament. This is Jesus' entrance into the covenant people. But you know as well as I do that Jesus did not need to become a partaker of the covenant promises of the people of Israel. Recall that in the Bible people never ever initiate a covenant with God. It's always the opposite direction. God approaches his people, chooses them, and initiates a covenant. He promises to be with his people, to guide them, to protect them, to multiply them, to govern them. The response of the people of God is just that – a response. We respond to our Lord in faith, making the offerings which are symbolic of the way God has given himself to us. We respond in faith, trusting in his promises, believing that he will do what he has said he would do. We respond in faith, confessing that we are unable to keep the promises of God, but that he has kept all of his promises. This is the way God's covenants work. And Jesus, God the Son, is no stranger to his promises. He is no stranger to the grace of God. Jesus no more needs to enter into the covenant of circumcision or baptism than a man with no legs needs a pair of shoes. Why then does Jesus have his blood shed in circumcision? He doesn't need it. But we do. Where there is no shedding of blood there is no remission of sin, we read in Hebrews. Our Lord has shed his blood on our behalf, even as an eight day old baby, precisely because he is coming as the savior of the world. His blood is shed when he is named Jesus, the name which means he will save his people from their sins. Remember the church sign? Jesus is for sinners only. And by his blood he has provided salvation, through his grace and mercy, according to his covenant promises. Jesus' blood is shed for you and for me.

The perfect lamb of God is present, his blood is shed, and he is recognized as the Messiah, the anointed one of God. This recognition of the Messiah is probably the most important feature of the reading from Luke. A man, we don't know how old, but someone anticipating his death, and an elderly woman both recognize Jesus to be the Messiah. They recognize that he is the savior. They realize that they can go in peace, they can die safely, knowing that they have received their Savior. Do you recognize the words of Simeon from somewhere in the liturgy? They show up in three places. One of them you will sing today, after communion. When we receive Jesus' body and blood given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins we are prepared to die. Our eyes have seen his salvation and we are ready. The second place? This is typically sung or confessed at the end of the service called “Compline” - a worship service traditionally found at the very end of the day. We confess that as we have seen Jesus we are ready to go to sleep, and that our very death in Christ is no more than a period of rest from which our Lord will awaken us. The third place? I'll probably only do this one with you once, because it is in the prayers typically associated with your deathbed. Again, we see that Jesus, in his completed work, has prepared us to sleep in death.

We can look ahead in our calendar of worship and see how Simeon's confession prepares us. This Thursday the season of Epiphany begins. Epiphany is the time of the revealing of our Lord. We usually associate it with the coming of the Magi, but we see throughout the season of Epiphany, lasting through February 21 this year, the many ways that our Lord has revealed himself to us. It is a time for us to look at our Lord and realize just how much of a savior he is. And our eyes have seen the Lord so we are ready to depart in peace.

I'd like to take just a moment to advertise an emphasis for this year. Here at Faith Lutheran Church, let's make this year the year of the Bible. Let's make it the year when we seek to take in the written Word of God, which will be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Let's make this the year when we confirm good habits of reading the Scripture, seeking to see Jesus everywhere, because our Lord says all Scripture points to him. I've prepared a reading schedule that will be printed in your bulletins and will also be posted on my blog, for those of you who like computers. If we read just a few chapters of the Bible almost every day we'll find that we have the entire Bible read by this time next year. We'll read about Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect lamb of God who has come on our behalf. We will look to him realizing his presence and how important that is. And we will see that he has come with salvation, the savior of the nations, our hope, our redeemer, the one who is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us. May the Lord grant us eyes to see him as he has revealed himself in Word and Sacraments.

Now may the grace of Lord be with you, in the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon for 12/31/11 "Who's on Duty?"

2011-12-31T22:00:00.000-05:00

Sermon “Who's on Duty?"

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

I remember many years ago, early in my Christian walk, the people in the church tradition I was following would typically have what they called a “watch night” service. They would gather for hymn singing and prayer until midnight on December 31, welcoming the new year in and praying that God would pour out his blessing on them and their community.

I suppose we are doing something like that this evening. We've gathered in fellowship and celebration, rejoicing in our friendships and the blessings of God throughout the past year. People have been playing games and eating and drinking. They've also been talking and laughing. There have been some very good times in the past year, times when we've seen our Lord and Master working in ourselves, in our families, in our church and community. There have also been some difficult times. There are people who are missing this evening but might have been here in prior years. There are people who have developed serious health problems in recent times. There are people whose families have been under stress, sometimes very serious stress.

Maybe you are one of those people who can start to worry about what's happening in your life. Maybe you are one of the people who can lose a night's sleep because you keep wondering how you might have dealt with your family, your co-workers, your employer better. Maybe you wonder if you are going to have a job next week. Maybe you spend time wondering how you alienated someone else in your family. There are plenty of situations that we can tie ourselves into knots over. Many of them are serious, though some are trivial.

I don't want to spend much time in this sermon though. I'd rather we spent more meaningful time in prayer. But I want to point out that in all of our Scriptures for this evening God is presented as the one who is on guard duty. He is the one who constructs the wall of protection for his people, keeping the enemies out. He is the one who equips us with all we need to stand guard in his house, while he prepares to come home unexpectedly and throw a party for his guards. He is the one who is able to watch over his people and keep them safe from every danger.

What can separate us from the love of God? None of the dangers lurking around us. Yet there is a dread danger that we need to be aware of. In our unwillingness to trust in the Lord, our dependence on our own power and plans, our exaltation of our own will above God's will, that is what condemns us. If we trust in ourselves, eventually God allows us to trust in ourselves, though we will come to ruin. If we trust in God, he will bless us and keep us in his protection, not our own protection.

Who is on duty? The Lord, God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit – he is on guard duty. And he is able to keep his people in perfect peace and safety. If we were to trust in ourselves we would surely be doomed. But as we look to our Lord and Savior we find we are kept in perfect blessing.

Now may the Lord of all peace grant us his peace, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Retooling for 2012

2011-12-31T17:31:00.000-05:00

We'll be doing a little retooling for 2012. You can expect a little interruption at first. Don't worry, the Marmoset is not sinking (we hope). Here's what's in store for this upcoming year.

First off, after following the lectionary through the Church year for several years and having come to love that framework for my life and teaching, I'm seeing a need within my local congregation. We have people who, though they have been walking as Christians for many years, have not read through the Scripture. This is not the best way to be nourished in Christ. So at Faith Lutheran Church we are celebrating 2012 as the Year of the Bible. We will be encouraging people in reading through the entire Bible during the year. This project will involve reading about five chapters a day on five days a week. I hope my readers will join us in the challenge.

Instead of a daily lectionary post, then, I'll plan on posting the day's reading and a few (hopefully) thought provoking questions or observations.

My preaching will be a little different as well. Though our congregational readings will continue to follow the three-year lectionary, I will pick a passage from our reading challenge for the week which is also related to the theme of the time of the church year, at least as much as possible.

It's shaping up to be a very busy time in life during the upcoming five months. In addition to wrapping up my last full-time year at The Potter's School and my first nearly full-time year in pastoral ministry, I have two seminary classes to complete. I have to question whether I can read as quickly and as well as I will be required to. But it's all part of seeing how God's providence will work in me despite challenges. Though I am not prepared for the challenge I know my Savior is.

While giving updates, by the way, I should observe that during the month of December we hit a new record for page views in a month. It's less than 700, which may make people roll their eyes thinking nobody ever comes to this blog. But I appreciate each person who spends a moment looking at what I'm laying out on the blog. I pray that somehow I can be an encouragement to you, even though I probably have no idea who you are. May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Psalm 111:1-6, 10, Isaiah 60:1-22, Luke 1:39-56 - Lectionary for 12/31/11

2011-12-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today's readings are Psalm 111:1-6, 10, Isaiah 60:1-22, and Luke 1:39-56.

God's works are great indeed! This is the message that we receive as we read over the Psalm and Old Testament passages for today. It is very easy to focus on what God has given us as his blessings yet overlook the very God who gives the blessings. Yet we are called again and again to look at creation as a reflection of some of the glory of God, who is much greater than all he has made.

Where do we find this blessing in our reading from the Gospel? We find that God the Son, Jesus, even when unborn, is able to bring realization of his presence to his cousin, John, who is also unborn. See how Elizabeth greets Mary as the mother of her Lord. We see that God has blessed Mary by making her the one who would bear Jesus, the true Son of God, the one who will save his people from their sins. This is another example of God himself being present in creation, a creation that he is much greater than, yet blessing his creation with his presence and his care.

Do we trust that our Lord will bless us with his presence and his care? He has done so in the past calendar year and we can have confidence that he will do so again in the year to come. Thanks be to God for his care for our world.

Psalm 89:1-4, 14-18, Isaiah 58:1-59:3, 14-21, Luke 1:26-38 - Lectionary for 12/30/11

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today's readings are Psalm 89:1-4, 14-18, Isaiah 58:1-59:3, 14-21, and Luke 1:26-38.

We often talk about what it takes to be fully dedicated to God. We talk about all the giving we could do, all the ways we can grow in grace, all the ways we could bring the knowledge of the Gospel to our world. Yet when we look at ourselves honestly we are ambivalent. We have our moments of dedication and seeming wholehearted commitment. Then there's the rest of the time.

What is God's answer to our ambivalence? We are to look to the Lord in hope and trust. We are to delight in what he has given us. We are to care more about showing his love and care to our neighbor than about showing it to ourselves. Then we are doing the work the Lord has placed before us. Then we see that we are blessed by God.

May the Lord show his favor upon us by using us to bring his blessing to our communities.

Psalm 78:1-7, Isaiah 55:1-13, Luke 1:1-25 - Lectionary for 12/29/11 - Commemoration of David, King of Israel

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the commemoration of David, King of Israel.

Today's readings are Psalm 78:1-7, Isaiah 55:1-13, and Luke 1:1-25.

We read today of God calling all nations to himself, by his Word, that they may receive forgiveness, salvation, and the joy of the Lord. This salvation comes through the person of Jesus, born for us. He has come into the world through miraculous means. He has pointed all people to himself, and he calls them to himself, the living Word of God.

Do we look for our Savior in the Scripture? Do we look for him as we receive him present in and through his promises in the enacted Scripture in baptism and communion? This is the mighty Lord of all heaven and earth. Jesus is the savior who has been promised. Let us seek him, delighting in his ways and his thoughts, trusting that his Word will accomplish his purposes.

Psalm 9:11-14, Isaiah 52:13-54:10, Matthew 2:13-23 - Lectionary for 12/28/11 - Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs

2011-12-28T06:00:00.001-05:00

Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs.

Today's readings are Psalm 9:11-14, Isaiah 52:13-54:10, and Matthew 2:13-23.

This is the day when the Church has traditionally celebrated the deaths of innocents - both those who bore sin but were killed in their early youth and the one who bore the sins of the world on our behalf. In this day and age much is made of the abortion debate. And it is a serious debate. There are serious personal, social, and economic issues involved in life issues.

We see in our readings for today that Jesus, the "servant" of Isaiah 52-54, is the one who has borne the sins of the world. He has carried our sorrows. He suffered for us, without complaining, making an effectual offering for sin and guilt. What is the result of that offering? We see that God's covenant of peace will not be removed. His righteous wrath for sin has been satisfied, and it has been satisfied in the person of God the Son.

Does this really mean that God the Father cares for our safety more than he cares for the safety of God the Son? Certainly it means that God the Son loves our safety more than his own safety. And since the Lord is one God, yes, it means that God loves us more than he loves himself. He desires that we should be freed from his anger more than he loves himself. He wishes to love and forgive us because that is his nature. He himself is our redeemer.

What does that mean for those children, probably twenty or so, who were killed in the region around Bethlehem at the time when Joseph was fleeing with Mary and Jesus? It means that our Lord died for those children as well. As they died when Jesus himself was the target of Herod's goon squad, we trust that our Lord had made known the love of God to them as well. What does this mean for those who killed the children, or for those who have killed their own or other people's children today? With abortion being rampant around the world, we have to ask the question about the consequences. This is a major problem with very severe consequences. In Russia more than 50% of conceptions end in abortion now. In this country it is less common, but it has accounted for more loss of life in the past forty years than we saw among all participants in World War 2. Over 90% of babies with Down's Syndrome are aborted. And we see abortion facilities predominating in lower-income, majority African-American neighborhoods. That segment of the population loses ground in a terrible way, with 13% of American women being in those minority categories but accounting for nearly 36% of abortions.

We realize that God has given life as a gift. We confess it. We try to defend it. What will we say about people who are fighting against life? What will we say to those who have stamped out lives of others, even lives of their children? By the time they come to us they are often burdened, heavily burdened, with guilt. What will we say to these people? Just as Jesus died for the people who killed the children as he was fleeing to Egypt, he died for us and for our sin. We do not need to bear that sin and shame, because it has already been carried to death in the person and work of Jesus Christ, dying for us.

As he was put to death for us, may he also put to death our guilt and shame, leading us in repentance to trust in his perfect love for us, moving us beyond the hurtful things we have done into a life which protects life from beginning to end.

Sermon for 12/27/11 "How Big?"

2011-12-27T17:00:00.000-05:00

Sermon “How Big?”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Did you ever wonder just how big Christ's work on the cross was? Did you ever stop to contemplate how great his mercy and grace are? What about how far his atonement for sin will reach? The Scripture boldly proclaims Jesus as the savior of the world. He is the one who gave himself to redeem the world from sin and shame. And when he redeems us to himself, he does it all the way. There is no going back. There is nothing that Jesus has left undone. There is no doubt that Jesus himself has accomplished all we need to live in him.

Today, the feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, we have readings from Revelation, from 1 John, and from John's Gospel. They all testify not to John, but to Jesus. How great is the Lord? John apparently had a long time to think about this, as the resurrection was probably sometime around the year 30 and John didn't die until some seventy years later. During that time he had time to learn that Jesus had borne all his sins, every last one of them, including those he committed purposely, including those he had already repented of again and again, including those he boldy condemned in his preaching and teaching. Jesus' death is sufficient to cleanse us from all sin. It's that big. John also knew that Jesus' mercy and grace was infecting all the world. He came to give us life, abundant life. And that life was as abundant for the man in his nineties as it was for the man in his thirties or for the child. He knew that God's grace was ready for everyone, and that as they received the grace of the Lord they would make his joy full as well.

How big is our Lord? He is great enough to watch over us for as long as we are here. He is great enough then to watch over us in eternity. He is great enough that he can take our sin and shame upon himself and still remain the Lord who is victorious over that sin and shame. And he is full of abundant grace.

So now may the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Psalm 72:1, 4, 10-15, 18-19, Isaiah 51:17-52:12, Matthew 2:1-12 - Lectionary for 12/27/11 - Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist.

Today's readings are Psalm 72:1, 4, 10-15, 18-19, Isaiah 51:17-52:12, and Matthew 2:1-12.

How often do we think of drunkenness and of God at the same time? It's probably pretty rare. Yet in our reading from Isaiah today we see that people who are under God's conviction are drinking from the wine bowl of God's wrath. They have come face to face with themselves like a drunk man who feels sorry for himself. What does God do? He takes away that bowl. He removes the sorrow and mourning from us as we are repentant, and he gives that sorrow and mourning to those who have oppressed us. Even in their evil, they are God's servants to bring us and others to repentance. Their turn will come.

How do we then treat those who oppress us? We should treat them with dignity and respect, knowing that God will work to judge them as well. How has God judged sin in these last days? We read all about that in Matthew 2, where we see that the Christ is born in humble surroundings but is the king that all the heavens have proclaimed. May the Lord show his mercy and grace on us, making us to look to him rightly.

Sermon for 12/26/11 "Mourning for Jerusalem"

2011-12-26T17:00:00.000-05:00

Sermon “Mourning for Jerusalem”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We gather today to remember our brother, Stephen, the one whose name means “crown” and who was a crown of glory for our Lord and Savior. Stephen, a person very much like you and me, followed Jesus and proclaimed that Jesus was the lord of all. He proclaimed salvation only through faith on Jesus' finished work on the cross. What did Stephen get for it? He is remembered today as the first martyr of the Christian period. He is the first person we have recorded who lost his life for his testimony of Christ.

I hesitate to say this in a day when we try to make Christianity attractive to people, but it needs to be said. Things have not gotten a whole lot better for those who believe on Christ. To this day we see persecutions directed against Christians. In fact, in many places of the world, this is a very dangerous generation to live for Jesus. I wonder how many of us realize the picture of this situation which is found in international politics in the founding of the newest country on the planet, South Sudan. The southern Sudanese people are predominantly Christian. Those in the north are predominantly Islamic. And the northerners, in the part of the country which had the political capitol, tend to be of the militant type of Islam which strives to impose religious rule over everybody. The people in the southern part of the country were given two options. They could covert or they would be plundered and killed. It was a dangerous situation. This dangerous situation was made more complicated by the frequent efforts of the southern Sudanese to evangelize in the northern part of the country. The Gospel of Christ, the proclamation of Jesus' perfect life, death, and resurrection on our behalf, the message of salvation by grace through faith, this was such a powerful motivator that the Sudanese Christians were effectively giving their lives to follow Jesus.

In the past year there was another move, but it's one which you probably never read about in the newspaper or heard about on the television or radio news. The people of southern Sudan formed their own government and seceded from the rest of the country. This move was not without cost, both in finances, political capital, and lives of combatants in disputed territories. Yet we now have a republic of southern Sudan, which attempts to be a safe haven for Christians. They are still persecuted. They are still under attack from their neighbor to the north, as well as neighbors around them. Yet they are still standing.

That's a story of a victory. There are also stories of defeats. The last hundred years have been the most dangerous in history for Christians. Our world rejects Jesus' work on its behalf. Our cultures want to make their own truth instead of trusting that Jesus is the way, the life, and the truth. Our society has pushed Jesus away, though he has longed to shelter us and care for us. Yet where people refuse to trust in themselves, where people refuse to push Jesus away, we see that we can stand, like Stephen stood, firmly holding the Gospel, God's good news that he has dealt with sin and that we can enter eternity with no fear. In this country, at least for now, we are able to take that stand in safety. There may come a time when it is more dangerous. Yet, as with Stephen, we also are perfectly safe from all harm in the hands of our Savior. We can stand with him, proclaiming Jesus as the savior, knowing that even if people should choose to take our lives we will still live on in the blessed protection and salvation of Christ's perfect death on our behalf.

May the Lord bless us to hear him, to trust him, to let him shelter us according to his desire. Amen.

Psalm 34:4-10, 19, Isaiah 49:22-26; 50:4-51:8, 12-16, Matthew 1:18-25 - Lectionary for 12/26/11

2011-12-26T06:00:00.001-05:00

Today is the Feast of St. Stephen, Martyr.

Today's readings are Psalm 34:4-10, 19, Isaiah 49:22-26; 50:4-51:8, 12-16, and Matthew 1:18-25.

In our readings today I especially want to point out Isaiah 50:5-7. This Messianic prophecy points right past the incarnation to the day of the crucifixion. At the very same time that we are celebrating the birth of Christ on this second day of Christmas, we also celebrate Jesus' first martyr, Stephen, who gave his life for Jesus after the resurrection. Today in our Gospel reading we see Jesus called Immanuel, God with us. We see that this baby to be born is coming to save his people from sins. And we know that he has done this for all peoples (Isaiah 51:4-5).

God's work to redeem the world to himself in the person and work of God the Son, Jesus, is not limited to a little celebration about a sweet baby in a manger and a big celebration about a lot of presents we can give each other. This is the time to look to Christ the King, the one who has come to turn this sinful world upside down. Let us look to him in faith and love.

Sermon for 12/25/11 "God's Word Made Flesh"

2011-12-25T13:00:00.003-05:00

“God's Word Made Flesh”

May the Word of God dwell in us richly. Amen.

God's Word dwelling in us. How many of us want to be people of the Word? I hope we all do. Look around you now. Can you find a copy of God's Word? I'm sure we can. Some of us bring our own Bibles, some of us want to use the one in the pew. And we confess that the Scripture is truly the word of God. But do we find God's Word somewhere else? We sure do, at least we will, here today, in a few minutes, we will be gathering around the Lord's table, a time to receive what we might call God's “incarnate word” - the word of God made flesh.

We read it in the beginning of John's Gospel. God's Word was with him in the beginning, creating all things. This “word” we read about is not like the words you write on a grocery list or a thank-you note. It's got a stronger meaning than that. The Greek λόγος is a word which may refer to a word on a piece of paper, but often refers to a reasoned account, a lasting command, or a ruling principle. Think of the “Word” as God's account of his essential nature and you're close to what John is saying.

While we could get all excited about describing God's essential nature by talking about Jesus' knowledge, holiness, love, forgiveness, immortality, etc., I think I'd rather point us a different direction today. After all, it is Christmas. We are thinking about gifts, food, drink, and family today. So I'd just like to point out those few elements of Jesus, the living word of God.

What is the greatest gift we can ever receive? It isn't a football. It isn't even new socks. It is forgiveness of sins, life and salvation – the gifts brought to us by Jesus, God's word, living among us. These are the gifts he gives to all who believe him. Where there is forgiveness there is also life and salvation. And the forgiveness of God is something we could never deserve. It is truly a precious gift.

We think about Jesus also in terms of food and drink. In John chapter six we see that Jesus presents his body as true heavenly food. He presents his blood as true heavenly drink. As we eat of his body and drink of his blood in communion we receive forgiveness and nourishment to eternal life – that is as often (not as rarely) as we receive communion. Jesus has given himself as a gift, as food and drink, and finally as a family.

To all who received him he gave power to become sons of God. What is this adoption? Jesus himself, the eternal Son of God, has given us his position as the son. He has called us his sons, for we are partakers of his body and blood, partakers of his very nature. Jesus is our brother, not because we chose him, but because he chose us.

Jesus, God's Word made flesh, has come – he dwelt with us, and we saw his glory. We see it still in Word and in Sacraments. We looked for a copy of the Word of God earlier. But in the later part of today's divine service we receive the true and living Word of God – not a copy, but the very real presence of Jesus Christ in body and blood. May the Lord be glorified among us now and always. Thanks be to God for his precious presence among us, for giving us to receive him in truth. Amen.

Psalm 96:1-5, 11-13, Isaiah 49:1-18, Matthew 1:1-17 - Christmas Day

2011-12-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

Today is Christmas Day

Today's readings are Psalm 96:1-5, 11-13, Isaiah 49:1-18, and Matthew 1:1-17.

This is the day that Christians around the world proclaim Christ's birth. We welcome our newborn king, lord of all. In our readings on this day we see all creation singing the praises of God. We see that God has delivered Israel from bondage through the child, the servant of Israel, born to bring Jacob back to the God who is his refuge. We see that the Lord has comforted his people and will never forget them. And we see in our reading from Matthew that Jesus is born of the lineage of Abraham, the one born to be a blessing to all nations, redeeming them from the curse.

Thanks be to God the Son, the deliverer of all who trust in him! He who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but humbled himself has come to take on our sin and shame, giving us his divine nature.

Sermon for 12/24/11 "Immanuel, God's Wonder"

2011-12-24T17:00:00.001-05:00

SERMON “Immanuel, God’s Wonder”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Well, we're here again. We have gathered in church this Christmas eve, once again. Just like last year, just like every year, we've gathered. We sang some hymns, probably some we've sung on a lot of Christmas eves. There's the candle thing. Many people are wearing red and green. And there are a few people who are wearing a tie just like every Christmas eve. Dare I even say we have a few people here we only see at this time of year? I can't say for certain but no doubt there are a lot of people in this world, if not in this room, who are in church this day of the year and only this day of the year, just like always.

Same hymns, same decorations, same people, same clothes – it seems pretty commonplace, doesn't it? Yet there are some elements here, amid all the blinding sameness, which we cannot dare to see as commonplace. There are three essential elements we need to look at without fail. And they are right here in our Gospel reading.

First, people need to be saved from sins. Do we know how radical that statement is in our feel-good, bootstrap world? Let me repeat it so you can soak it up for a moment. People need to be saved from sin. Now before we all nod our heads and agree that all those other people, the bad ones, need to be saved, let's consider the reality of sin. Sin is any accidental or deliberate falling short of God's perfection. In Adam we have all sinned. And we go ahead and play the part of sinners quite well each and every day. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death. And God has seen fit to love us while we were yet sinners. We can't save ourselves. Dead people don't raise themselves. People, that is, we, need to be saved from sins. We are corrupt in the sight of God. There's no reforming ouselves, no being good enough. We are the sinners who need to be saved.

Note to myself – put up a church sign that says “for sinners only.”

People need to be saved from sins. Now, next, the message you expected. Jesus is born this day. Does this seem like a commonplace event? Let's run over the details. His birthplace and lineage were mentioned by the prophet hundreds of years before. He is born of a virgin – no father but the proclamation of God in her ear. He is born of a woman who is under sin like the rest of us, but he inherits no sin. Jesus is, in fact, the only perfectly righteous person ever to live. He's fully human yet shows that he is also fully divine. Jesus is the perfect man. His birth is heralded by angels. He has stars that call people from a far country to come and worship.

Jesus is no ordinary baby. He is no ordinary person. He does not simply live a good life. He is God in the flesh. He is God with us. Nothing commonplace about it.

People need to be saved from sin. Jesus, God in the flesh, is born this day. What is our third point?

This is one of the most misundrstood aspects of Christmas. Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, come to save us from sin. This is, after all, what we need. Remember the sign, “for sinners only”? We don't need Jesus as an example of God's love. We don't need Jesus as a person who shows us how to be faithful. We don't need a Jesus who showed us the way to heaven. His showing us things doesn't mean we can do them. We're dead in sin, remember? We don't need another example. If Jesus just came to be an example we may as well hang it up and go home. We dead people don't need examples. We need a savior. We need someone to bring us to life from the dead. We need someone to kill our sin. We need someone to put his perfect righteousness upon us.

This is exactly what God the Son is. He is the one who saves us. He cleanses us. He forgives us. He renews us. And by faith in his name we who were dead in trespasses and sin have passed from death to life. We have been changed by him. We are no longer dead, but by faith in Jesus' work for us we become light and life in Jesus.

Jesus has come to save us from our sins. That's what we need, that's what he did.

Now may Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us, grant us his mercy and redemption, creating faith in our hearts that we may receive the light of the Gospel, Christ crucified for sinners, and that we may walk in that light, bearing the righteous, redeeming love of Jesus with us, wherever we go. This I pray in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Psalm 98:1-6, 9, Isaiah 44:21-45:13, 20-25, Revelation 12:1-17 - Lectionary for 12/24/11 - Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today is Christmas Eve.

Today's readings are Psalm 98:1-6, 9, Isaiah 44:21-45:13, 20-25, and Revelation 12:1-17.

Our readings today are about deliverance. God is delivering his people from their bondage. He is pouring out his righteousness and his mercy. In Revelation he protects the male child who is under the attack of the serpent. We see in this conflict that it is God and God alone who has worked salvation. He is the one who has revealed himself. He alone makes and keeps his covenants with his chosen people. He is the only true judge.

In the judgment of God it is necessary that there be distinctions between good and evil. That which is blessed of God is blessed and remains. That which is not blessed of God is not blessed. It is going to be destroyed. What is the distinction between that which God favors and does not favor? At first glance it looks like it is the choice of God. That is clearly what brings God's favor. But what brings his displeasure? We see in Isaiah 45:22 that those who do not turn to God in order to depend on his mercy find themselves as the people in darkness, the people who are not his people.

As our Lord has called all people together in Christ Jesus, the Savior of the world, may we turn to him and be saved. He is God, there is no other.

Psalm 39:4-8, Isaiah 43:25-44:20, Revelation 11:1-19 - Lectionary for 12/23/11

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today's readings are Psalm 39:4-8, Isaiah 43:25-44:20, and Revelation 11:1-19.We like to say that we have a pluralistic society, that there are many acceptable constructs. This is fine in some areas. You like one thing, I like another. We are free to have different clothes, different forms of housing, different occupations, different attitudes toward many of the things of life. But the Scripture is clear that there are some areas where pluralism doesn't work. We can look to the true God or to other gods. We can look to eternal relevance or to something that we have created. We can look to the creator or to the creation. There are not more than two possibilities and one of those two is absurd. We cannot look to creation as if it is the creator. If we do so we are surely doomed.May the Lord have mercy on us, for we look to ourselves and our own abilities time and again. May our God shine his light on our foolishness and bring us to repentance, that we may receive his forgiveness, not looking to our own means of grace, but only to his.

Psalm 115:1-8, 11, Isaiah 43:1-24, Revelation 9:13-10:11 - Lectionary for 12/22/11

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today's readings are Psalm 115:1-8, 11, Isaiah 43:1-24, and Revelation 9:13-10:11.In our passage from Isaiah we read that God has chosen his people and will not forsake them. Yet look at the response of God's chosen people. They have rejected God. They tire him with their disobedience. They do not obey the commands of God. They do not honor God. Their sins are a burden to God. They are wearisome. What is our desire? What should the desire of all Christians be? Surely not to burden God. Surely not to weary God with our disobedience. If we are called according to the grace of God, if we are partakers of God's promises, our response should be one of grateful obedience. We should turn from the sin he has taken upon himself. We should look to our Lord in hope.May the Lord grant that we respond like the Psalmist. Give glory to the name of the Lord, not to ourselves. May we look to the living God in trust, knowing that he is indeed our help and shield.

Sermon for 12/21/11 "Grace for Me Too"

2011-12-21T17:00:00.000-05:00

Sermon “Grace for Me Too”Lord, let us be faithful, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.Today, the last Wednesday in Advent, we also celebrate the feast of St. Thomas, the apostle. From the red paraments you know something about Thomas, that he died for his faith. Early Christian tradition says Thomas traveled to the East after Pentecost, finally reaching India. To this day there are Christians who call themselves “Christians of St. Thomas.” We hear that Thomas died for his faith at the point of a spear.What happened to this Thomas? What changed him from being the apostle who, though he had been with Jesus for so long, fled and was hesitant to believe the resurrection? I would venture to say that Thomas is a lot like we are. In ourselves, when we look to our own resources, we have no confidence that Jesus is raised from the dead for our justification. We may doubt his promises. We may doubt whether he is making effective intercession for us. We are very much like Thomas.Why would I say this? You may say that there must be something wrong with my faith in God. I’d say you are right, but that is beside the point. You may say there must be something wrong with my theology. I’d say you are right, but again that is beside the point. Maybe there’s something wrong with my head. No doubt about it, but that’s not what we are talking about right now. The reason I say this is that I hear it from people I visit. We pray a prayer of confession and prior to the absolution I ask them if they believe Jesus forgives their every sin. I can’t start to count the times people have said they hope so. We’re like Thomas. We hope Jesus is good enough. We hope Jesus forgave our sin enough. We hope Jesus’ resurrection is great enough, that his love is broad enough, and that he will remember to forget our sins. But somehow in the back of our minds we have this nagging sense that Jesus’ forgiveness depends on some righteousness we have. We think it depends on how complete our repentance is. We think it depends on our ability to stop all sin and live a perfect life of holiness, following Jesus our savior. We try to mediate salvation on our own behalf. We, like Thomas, decide that we are the judge, jury, and executioner for how real Jesus’ resurrection is, how complete his salvation is, how perfect and lasting his pomise is.I have news for you. It’s the same news I have for you day after day, week after week. And I’m not going to quit giving you that news as long as we find ourselves doubting as Thomas did. Jesus Christ has come with grace and mercy. He has lived a perfect life so that we could be forgiven for an imperfect life. He has died a perfect sinless death to be the lamb slain on our behalf. He has risen from the dead as the firstfruits of the resurrection of all the dead. And he has appeared, showing that his promise to be present for us in the power of the resurrection is absolutely trustworthy. Jesus himself has lived, died, and risen again for you and for me. There is no doubt about his work. There is no doubt about his being able to bear all our sin. There is no reason in the world to doubt whether he has accomplished salvation on our behalf. None at all.But what if we don’t trust? What if we are scared. What if we wonder if Jesus’ blood and righteousness are sufficient for us? I don’t think it should be a surprise that many of the people who find themselves doubting are those who are in physical and mental distress. They have come face to face with the reality that they are struggling with their age. They are looking death in the eyes. They have found that they are frail. They see their need for a savior and wonder sometimes if they were mistaken about Jesus. And that can be a picture of each one of us on any day of the week. We find ourselves secure in our faith and then something shakes it. We are confronted with a surprising reality. We don’t know what to expect next and it makes us uncomfortable. What then?I’ll simply ask if Jesus came just for the other disciples or if he also came for Thomas. In fact, Jesus had already appeared to the other disciples. He seems to have made a special trip for Thomas. Why would he do that? The only way I can explain it is that Jesus Christ, our Savior, is full of mercy and grace. He is full of mercy for the people to whom he was going to send Thomas. He is full of mercy for Thomas himself. He does not give up on those whom he has chosen. He will also come for us whom he has chosen. And he comes tonight in Word. He comes for us when we receive the Sacrament of the Altar. He comes to us also in confession and absolution as we confess our sins before him and receive the forgiveness that he has granted. Jesus is here for his people, for us who are like Thomas. We do not know his purpose in it. We only know that we are weak, weary, sinful, and faithless. And where we are presented to our Lord he gives us his grace, making us strong, lively, righteous, and faithful. There’s grace aplenty for you and for me.Our Lord and Savior, we thank you. Mercy and grace abound in you. Let us see again your wounds of love for us. Let us see you in your resurrection. Create in us a clean heart and restore us to walk in your paths, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Psalm 102:24-28, Isaiah 42:1-25, Revelation 9:1-12 - Lectionary for 12/21/11 - Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle

2011-12-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

Today is the Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle.Today's readings are Psalm 102:24-28, Isaiah 42:1-25, and Revelation 9:1-12.Our Psalm today observes that God's creation will perish but he will remain. Our world is wearing out. I've noticed this a lot in the past six months in the parish where I'm ministering now. Our congregation is rather elderly. Among those old people, and also among the young people, we find people who seem to be wearing out. We come face to face with our mortality. We know that we are temporary.Who lasts? it is God, the creator and sustainer of all, who lasts. He alone does not wear out. He alone does not pass away. What does this say for us? What is our hope? Our hope is that God by his grace has clothed all who believe with his immortality. This mortal being has put on immortality, and it is the immortality resident in God the Son. He has clothed us and will keep us to eternity. In Christ we no longer pass away. We may wear out in this earthly life. But Jesus Christ, the resurrection and the life, gives us true eternal life, life which will never wear out.

Psalm 119:25-32, Isaiah 40:18-41:10, Revelation 8:1-13 - Lectionary for 12/20/11 - Commemoration of Katharina von Bora Luther

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the commemoration of Katharina von Bora Luther.Today's readings are Psalm 119:25-32, Isaiah 40:18-41:10, and Revelation 8:1-13.In our times of turmoil we do not need to fear. Unlike the pagans, who make gods in their own images, we serve the one who has shown himself as the true and living God. He is not the work of our hands or of our imagination. The God of the Bible is the creator of all, not subject to any of our whims, but able to accomplish his purposes by his mighty hand.Again today we see that this characteristic of God is a comfort for those who trust him but a terror for those who do not. Do we realize that Jesus has given himself to reconcile people to God? Do we see that he took our disobedience and its penalty on himself, becoming sin for us and suffering on our behalf? May the Lord of all mercy and grace grant us to trust in him. The work is done. We no longer bear our sin and shame. Jesus has done it for us.

Psalm 103:11-18, Isaiah 40:1-17, Revelation 7:1-17 - Lectionary for 12/19/11 - Commemoration of Adam and Eve

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the commemoration of Adam and Eve.Today's readings are Psalm 103:11-18, Isaiah 40:1-17, and Revelation 7:1-17.For those who trust in God, his coming is not a terror, but a delight. In his wisdom our Lord has created and understands all things. So how complete is his knowledge of his people? The God who has exhaustive knowledge of us all is also perfectly prepared to care for us. Not only do we see ourselves protected from all harm, we are also to receive the blessing of God.In the last day, then, let us look to Jesus, the Lamb of God, who has cleansed us from all sin and shame, who leads us as a shepherd, who wipes away all our tears. Jesus is the one who knows and loves us. He is the one who will keep us in his perfect love and grace forever. Thanks be to God for his great mercy.

Psalm 119:81-88, Isaiah 34:1-2, 8-35:10, Revelation 6:1-17 - Lectionary for 12/18/11

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today's readings are Psalm 119:81-88, Isaiah 34:1-2,8-35:10, and Revelation 6:1-17.In Advent we are confronted with our need for Jesus to come as the Savior. We have a particularly clear example of that today as we see the inhabited world turned into a wasteland. This is a frightening thought. We like to think the world of natural beauty, peace, prosperity, and free-flowing milk and honey would be the signs of the Lord's coming. Yet we see the world under the curse of sin is coming apart at the seams. When our Lord comes, he comes to judge and condemn sin. This is no Sunday school picnic. It is judgment.What is an appropriate response? If we are in Christ we are new creations. We have no need to fear. As I have the opportunity to remind people on their deathbeds, those whom our Lord has called in Word and Sacrament are his own prize possession. Even if they die they are perfectly safe in the hands of their Savior. It is only a fearsome time for those who trust their own righteousness rather than God's righteousness, that of Jesus, given to all who believe.Come, Lord Jesus! Make us confident in you.

Psalm 40:1-5, 16-17, Isaiah 33:1-24, Revelation 5:1-14 - Lectionary for 12/17/11 - Commemoration of Daniel the Prophet and the Three Young Men

2011-12-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the commemoration of Daniel the Prophet and the Three Young Men.Today's readings are Psalm 40:1-5, 16-17, Isaiah 33:1-24, and Revelation 5:1-14.Who is worthy to stand before God? We see in our Psalm and in our reading from Isaiah the blessings on the one who is righteous, who walks in the ways of the Lord. And we can all aspire to having such a walk. We can all desire righteousness. However, in the final analysis, we all fall short. God requires nothing less than perfect obedience, all the time, in every way, in thought, word, and deed. What will we do? Who will be found who can proclaim God's grace? Who will be found to proclaim God's glory and mercy rightly? The righteous one, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, is the one who is worthy. He is the one who can stand before God in his own righteousness and approach the Lord, for he has walked in the ways of the Lord perfectly.All praise be to Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, who has "ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and {who has} made them a kingdom and priests to our God" (Rev. 5:9-10, ESV).

Psalm 149, Isaiah 32:1-20, Revelation 4:1-11 - Lectionary for 12/16/11

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today's readings are Psalm 149, Isaiah 32:1-20, and Revelation 4:1-11.As we approach the end of the Church year we are confronted with the unspeakable joy of the Lord's presence. Look especially at our Psalm for today. We see that the Lord is pleased with his people, recreating them as people who praise him. See our reading from Revelation, where God is surrounded by his people who now live to praise him.What do we say about our lives in this age? We are not filled with the praise of God. We are not filled with joy in God's presence. Yet we see that Jesus has come to redeem the world to himself. May he show himself as the one who has done exactly what he said he would. May our cry be that of the elders in Revelation 4:11 (ESV), "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."

Psalm 146:1-7, Isaiah 30:27-31:9, Revelation 3:1-22 - Lectionary for 12/15/11

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today's readings are Psalm 146:1-7, Isaiah 30:27-31:9, and Revelation 3:1-22.The dark days have come. We see the kingdoms of this world falling in destruction. We see people trying to hide from the presence of our God, that presence which is a consuming fire, destroying all that is faithless. In our reading from Revelation we are confronted with our own faithlessness. We are called quite forcefully to repent and overcome. Yet how will we do that? What can we do, we who are sinful, we who are weak and weary? We do not have the strength to overcome.Even as God confronts us with his Law, see how by his Gospel he tells us that he will come to us, he will sit down with us to dine, he will make us conquerors in his name, as he himself has conquered sin and death on our behalf. How do we overcome? We overcome through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is of the Lord, not of our own ability. Let us therefore look to Jesus, the coming king, who will make us to sit with him on his throne.

Sermon for 12/14/11 "Speak, O Lord"

2011-12-14T17:51:00.001-05:00

Sermon “Speak, O Lord”Speak to us, Lord, that we may hear your gracious words of Law, convicting us of our sin, and of Gospel, proclaiming your great promises, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.In our Gospel reading from Luke 1:26-38 we catch up with a young lady. She’s probably not very different from many of the young people we know. We don’t know much of her family. They are of the line of David, but don’t seem to be prominent. We can’t tell that she is wealthy or outstanding in any way, except that she believes in the Lord. She’s following her culture’s expectations for her – grow up, get married, and live a life that should show faithfulness before God. She’s engaged to a good guy, who is in business, not an outstanding high-power career, but just a normal guy. Nothing seems too spectacular here. Nothing, that is, until the Lord sends an angel to visit her.What news is there? The angelic messenger comes and says she is highly favored before God. This is shocking. This is troubling. What is God’s favor going to do? The message of God is unmistakable. There is a holy one to be born. And he’s going to be born of you. What does that mean? Mary doesn’t know. She can’t begin to imagine what God’s word will accomplish in her. She can’t imagine what this holy one to be born of her will do. Yet in verse 38 she replies, (ESV) “May it be to me as you have said.”We who are in Christ know the rest of the story. We know that the child to be born is named Jesus, for he will save the world from its sin. He is called Emmanuel, God with us. He lives a life of perfect righteous obedience before God. He dies a death on our behalf, atoning for the sin of the world. He rises victorious over death, rising to save the world and to kill death itself. He ascends to heaven where he is in unity once again with God the Father, always making intercession for our sins, placing his victory over death upon us who believe.Do we respond as Mary did? Though we can’t imagine the enormity of God’s salvation, do we turn to our Lord in faith, knowing that he will accomplish in us what he desires? This is exactly the response we give Sunday after Sunday. Yet what will we do when God begins to show himself as the holy one who is in our midst? What will it mean? How will it influence our individual lives, our local church, our community, and our world?Speak, O Lord! We wish to hear from you. And the Lord speaks to us in his words of Law, condemning our sin. His words hurt. He condemns us as those who have sinned against him. Our thoughts are evil, every day. Our words which could bring healing and life are used for destructive purposes. We do not speak his peace and comfort, but seek our own glory. We work against him, not for him. We who are redeemed by the Lord do not obey him but rather pursue our own self-interests. So we confess that we have sinned against God in thought, word and deed, in what we have done and in what we have left undone. We confess that we have not loved him with our whole heart. We see and confess that we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. God’s word of Law has condemned us. Yet we confess that the Law is good, for without God’s Law we do not know our need for a savior.But God is not done speaking to us when he has spoken his word of Law. He has yet to speak his word of Gospel, that which he has done on our behalf, that which he does to fulfill the Law for us. And in these last days he has spoken to us. There is a holy one, born of the virgin, born to carry our sorrows, born under the law, born to fulfill the law. He has come to fulfill all righteousness. And this Jesus has done. He is the Lord our righteousness. He is the one who speaks all the grace we need. And in his mercy he does not leave us to our own devices. He corrects us. He rebukes us. He trains us in righteousness so we may be prepared for every good work.What would our Lord use us for? As we see Jesus, born in us, drawing us to himself by the Holy Spirit, how is he using us in our families, in our local church , in our community, in the world? Can he use us to bring his peace to those we live with? Can he use us to show his grace in our workplace? Can he use us as leaders in our community, within the vocations he has given us? Can he speak through us, showing that he is the redeemer of the world, including being the redeemer of those people we don’t get along with? How would the Lord of all use all our lives, all our resources, all our hopes, all our dreams, even all our fears?We have only ten days of the Advent season remaining. May the Lord move us to repentance, to see that we are unworthy of standing before him, that he is the one enthroned on high, that we have need of a savior, as does our whole world. And may the Lord give us grace to see how we can be his instruments to reveal him to this world, a world of pain, a world of sorrow, a world of death and destruction. How would the Lord use us? I come before you today without answers. I don’t know how he would desire to work in us. I don’t know how he desires to change our world. But I know he is not finished here. He is not absent. He is not finished speaking to us. He is not finished bringing his grace and peace to our world. In these last days, as our Lord wills, he will use us, his Church, as his hand reaching out to our world. May we have his grace, grace to walk in his ways, grace to trust him, grace to say, as did Mary, “May it be to me as you have said,” grace to see the opportunities he has placed before us and to take them. Lord, let us walk in your paths. Give us your light, and shine your light through us. Transform us by your grace so that we may be used to show you, the Savior of the world, to our world, which needs a savior. This we pray in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Psalm 27:1, 4-5, 11-14, Isaiah 30:15-26, Revelation 2:1-29 - Lectionary for 12/14/11

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

God's word today is for those who suffer adversity. We see that hardship about us in all ways, small and large, from the defeats we suffer in business, games and personal relationships to the loss of possessions, property, our right minds, or our lives in this fallen world. No matter the adversity we face, whatever form suffering comes in, we can rest in the arms of Jesus our savior, knowing that he has borne our sorrows, that he is well acquainted with our grief, and that he has given himself for our sakes, to redeem us through all our suffering, bringing us safely to his perfect, everlasting kingdom. In this time of Advent we call upon our Lord to come. We know that Jesus is the redeemer promised by God. We know that from the foundation of the world Jesus is the lamb of God slain for us, appointed to make us holy, to bring us to God. May the Lord bless us as we look to his great promises and anticipate his coming.

Psalm 89:20-29, Isaiah 29:15-30:14, Revelation 1:1-20 - Lectionary for 12/13/11 - Commemoration of Lucia, Martyr

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the commemoration of Lucia, Martyr.Today's readings are Psalm 89:20-29, Isaiah 29:15-30:14, and Revelation 1:1-20.God promises to set his son, David, on a throne that lasts forever. Yet David the king himself does not last forever. We must look to another ruler, a son of David, a son of God, who rules forever and ever. This ruler we find in the person of Jesus, son of God and son of Man, descendant of David, conqueror of sin, death, and hell. He is the one who has died and now lives forever. He is the one at the right hand of the Father. He is the one who is seated on a throne which will not perish.In these last days of Advent, let us look eagerly to the coming of our Lord. May we truly desire his coming to bring deliverance from death. May your kingdom come, your will be done.