Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Thank You So Much
I would like to thank all those that have been responding to my last couple of blogs. I appreciate the emails and encouragement and thank you for taking the time to write me. I also appreciate the phone calls. Thank you!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
THE EXCELLENT WAY #5
THE MOUNT OF BEATITUDESMatthew 5
"Don't hit back at all." (The Message)
Thanks for bearing with me for so long as I have tried to get to the description of love as portrayed by Paul in I Cor. 13. I have been dwelling on the words Paul used. He is so specific in his definition and language and the words are so revealing of what love is, that those who are truly interested in knowing about the subject cannot miss the point of true Christian love. The way is clear. To doubt it is to doubt the Apostle and to doubt the meanings of specific words.
Many are not interested in "...the excellent way..." because the price is too much for them to pay. For some the Bible is nothing more than a textbook of proof texts. And if the pieces of the puzzle are not put together as they place them, then there is no chance for unity. The true nature of love as described by Paul will not allow that tact.
I Cor. 12 is a treatise on the unity of the body of Christ in activity and I Cor. 13 is the discussion of how the various parts of the body are to treat one another. And it gives the driving force of the unity of the Church. Christian love will dispel disunity and division. Men might have their individuality and not be perfect clones of one another and still practice unity. Men might be mentally and philosophically different and still be unified. And the key is given in I Cor. 13.
So how does Paul describe love? Not as an excellent way or somebody's idea of an excellent way but as "...the excellent way..."
In verse 4 of I Cor. 13 Paul begins his description and definition by writing "...love is patient..."(NIV) The KJV has it "...charity suffereth long..." And the Amplified has it "...love endures long and is patient..."
The Greek text uses the word "...makrothumeo..." when it says "...love suffers long..." Zodhiates defines the word as just that: "...to suffer long..." "...as opposed to hasty anger or punishment..." Barclay calls it "...the divine patience.." and that stands to reason because that is how God deals with us. Barclay says that the Greek mind would not accept this as a virtue at all. Sadly some today fall in step with the first century Greeks rather than falling in step with the first century Apostle Paul. The Church was instructed to be "...patient..."
Other forms of this word mean basically the same thing, long-suffering, patience and they refer to patience with people. Another word, hupomone, refers primarily to patience toward things and circumstances according to lexicons.
I Cor. 13 is not the only N.T. reference to patience toward people. "...be patient with everyone..."(I Thess. 5:14) "...be patient, bearing with one another in love..."(Eph. 4:2) "...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."(Col. 3:12)
Patience is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."(Gal. 5:22-24) And Paul's teaching here concurs with his teaching in I Cor. 13. Those who have the Spirit will practice unity. "...keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace..."(Eph. 4:2)
God is a patient God. No wonder. "...God is love..." John wrote: "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."(I Jn. 4:8) It does not surprise us at all then that when Paul describes love he says "...love is patient..." because God is patient. Paul wrote to the Romans: "...do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience..."(Ro. 2:4) Peter wrote: "...He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."(II Pet. 3:9) Why is He patient with us? He loves us! Why should we be patient with one another?
I have enjoyed for a number of years the study of synonyms and antonyms of N.T. words. That has proven to be beneficial to me and to an understanding of the meanings of Greek words.
Anoche is listed as a synonym of the derivatives of makrothumeo. It is defined as "tolerance" according to Zodhiates. It is also defined as "to bear with" and "forbearance." Anecho, another synonym, is found in Eph. 4:2 where Paul encourages "...to bear with one another in love." He told the Colossians "...bear with each other..."(Col. 3:13).
Another synonym is epieikeia. It is defined as "clemency" or "gentleness." Zodhiates gives the flavor of its meaning with these words: "Consideration springing from a recognition of the danger that ever lurks upon the assertion of legal rights lest they be pushed to immoral limits." And he further explains it as "The virtue that rectifies and redresses the severity of the sentence." Our vernacular might be "cut me some slack." If there is no tolerance, gentleness, easiness where is love?
We are told that all debts are not called in where patience and forbearance are. Exactness to my personal viewpoints might also have to be forfeited even though I might be right. People are more important than viewpoints. Could that be possible?
Recently my wife made a visit to the doctor for some tests. After the visit I was surprised to look down at the billing and see a big N/C written on the front. No Charge. What an example of anoche. It is possible that there are circumstances when all debts are not called in. Isn't that what God did? "God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in His blood. He did this to demonstrate His justice because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished."(NIV)(Ro. 3:25) Jesus paid it all. And by His grace (unmerited favor) He saved us. All debts were cancelled. We are forgiven through His blood. He continues to do that each day for His repentant children. Why don't we?
For sometime I have blogged on the subject of transparency. The theme of the blog has been the negative way we treat our penitent and repentant brothers and sisters who are transparent enough to confess their sins. Soon I hope to continue that blog for I literally have gone from alpha to omega in my pursuit of how we negatively treat one another and inspiration has given me a virtual cornucopia of words that illustrate our negative reactions.
It is almost as if we are keeping score on one another and we have a tally sheet of sins that we record each day on one another. And it is no wonder that the doorways of counselors are clogged with brothers and sisters. We have put some of them there. They are so guilt ridden and we have put barriers up between some of them and the Great Counselor who has the solution to their problems.
Recently I heard a preacher say that there are numbers of fallen pastors who are working in factories instead of preaching because God has taken away their anointing and their calling due to their falleness. I immediately thought of Paul, Peter, David and a number of others heroes of faith. At the same time I thought that to be working in a factory is not so bad. Paul was a tent maker.
We ought to be ashamed of ourselves because the Church does not have programs to recoup, reconcile, and regenerate the fallen. Elitism has no place in the Church of Christ. Where is the love of
Christ in all this.
The antonyms of patience are interesting and in closing I would like to mention a few. Aganaktesis is an antonym of these words we have been looking at that have to do with patience. It means to be "indignant." It has to do with wrath, anger and resentfulness. Orge is another antonym. According to Zodhiates it reflects "outbursts of vengeful mind." Paul encourages us "Love must be sincere..."(Rom. 12:9) And in the same paragraph he says "Do not take revenge, my friends..."(Rom. 12:19) And in Eph. 4:31 he says "Get rid....of wrath." In I Tim. 2:8 he wrote "I want all men everywhere to lift up holy hands without anger and disputing." Thumos has to do with impetuousness, fierceness and anger. Quite the opposite of patience. All of them, wouldn't you say. Thumos is a work of the flesh.
Many are not interested in "...the excellent way..." because the price is too much for them to pay. For some the Bible is nothing more than a textbook of proof texts. And if the pieces of the puzzle are not put together as they place them, then there is no chance for unity. The true nature of love as described by Paul will not allow that tact.
I Cor. 12 is a treatise on the unity of the body of Christ in activity and I Cor. 13 is the discussion of how the various parts of the body are to treat one another. And it gives the driving force of the unity of the Church. Christian love will dispel disunity and division. Men might have their individuality and not be perfect clones of one another and still practice unity. Men might be mentally and philosophically different and still be unified. And the key is given in I Cor. 13.
So how does Paul describe love? Not as an excellent way or somebody's idea of an excellent way but as "...the excellent way..."
In verse 4 of I Cor. 13 Paul begins his description and definition by writing "...love is patient..."(NIV) The KJV has it "...charity suffereth long..." And the Amplified has it "...love endures long and is patient..."
The Greek text uses the word "...makrothumeo..." when it says "...love suffers long..." Zodhiates defines the word as just that: "...to suffer long..." "...as opposed to hasty anger or punishment..." Barclay calls it "...the divine patience.." and that stands to reason because that is how God deals with us. Barclay says that the Greek mind would not accept this as a virtue at all. Sadly some today fall in step with the first century Greeks rather than falling in step with the first century Apostle Paul. The Church was instructed to be "...patient..."
Other forms of this word mean basically the same thing, long-suffering, patience and they refer to patience with people. Another word, hupomone, refers primarily to patience toward things and circumstances according to lexicons.
I Cor. 13 is not the only N.T. reference to patience toward people. "...be patient with everyone..."(I Thess. 5:14) "...be patient, bearing with one another in love..."(Eph. 4:2) "...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."(Col. 3:12)
Patience is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."(Gal. 5:22-24) And Paul's teaching here concurs with his teaching in I Cor. 13. Those who have the Spirit will practice unity. "...keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace..."(Eph. 4:2)
God is a patient God. No wonder. "...God is love..." John wrote: "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."(I Jn. 4:8) It does not surprise us at all then that when Paul describes love he says "...love is patient..." because God is patient. Paul wrote to the Romans: "...do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience..."(Ro. 2:4) Peter wrote: "...He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."(II Pet. 3:9) Why is He patient with us? He loves us! Why should we be patient with one another?
I have enjoyed for a number of years the study of synonyms and antonyms of N.T. words. That has proven to be beneficial to me and to an understanding of the meanings of Greek words.
Anoche is listed as a synonym of the derivatives of makrothumeo. It is defined as "tolerance" according to Zodhiates. It is also defined as "to bear with" and "forbearance." Anecho, another synonym, is found in Eph. 4:2 where Paul encourages "...to bear with one another in love." He told the Colossians "...bear with each other..."(Col. 3:13).
Another synonym is epieikeia. It is defined as "clemency" or "gentleness." Zodhiates gives the flavor of its meaning with these words: "Consideration springing from a recognition of the danger that ever lurks upon the assertion of legal rights lest they be pushed to immoral limits." And he further explains it as "The virtue that rectifies and redresses the severity of the sentence." Our vernacular might be "cut me some slack." If there is no tolerance, gentleness, easiness where is love?
We are told that all debts are not called in where patience and forbearance are. Exactness to my personal viewpoints might also have to be forfeited even though I might be right. People are more important than viewpoints. Could that be possible?
Recently my wife made a visit to the doctor for some tests. After the visit I was surprised to look down at the billing and see a big N/C written on the front. No Charge. What an example of anoche. It is possible that there are circumstances when all debts are not called in. Isn't that what God did? "God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in His blood. He did this to demonstrate His justice because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished."(NIV)(Ro. 3:25) Jesus paid it all. And by His grace (unmerited favor) He saved us. All debts were cancelled. We are forgiven through His blood. He continues to do that each day for His repentant children. Why don't we?
For sometime I have blogged on the subject of transparency. The theme of the blog has been the negative way we treat our penitent and repentant brothers and sisters who are transparent enough to confess their sins. Soon I hope to continue that blog for I literally have gone from alpha to omega in my pursuit of how we negatively treat one another and inspiration has given me a virtual cornucopia of words that illustrate our negative reactions.
It is almost as if we are keeping score on one another and we have a tally sheet of sins that we record each day on one another. And it is no wonder that the doorways of counselors are clogged with brothers and sisters. We have put some of them there. They are so guilt ridden and we have put barriers up between some of them and the Great Counselor who has the solution to their problems.
Recently I heard a preacher say that there are numbers of fallen pastors who are working in factories instead of preaching because God has taken away their anointing and their calling due to their falleness. I immediately thought of Paul, Peter, David and a number of others heroes of faith. At the same time I thought that to be working in a factory is not so bad. Paul was a tent maker.
We ought to be ashamed of ourselves because the Church does not have programs to recoup, reconcile, and regenerate the fallen. Elitism has no place in the Church of Christ. Where is the love of
Christ in all this.
The antonyms of patience are interesting and in closing I would like to mention a few. Aganaktesis is an antonym of these words we have been looking at that have to do with patience. It means to be "indignant." It has to do with wrath, anger and resentfulness. Orge is another antonym. According to Zodhiates it reflects "outbursts of vengeful mind." Paul encourages us "Love must be sincere..."(Rom. 12:9) And in the same paragraph he says "Do not take revenge, my friends..."(Rom. 12:19) And in Eph. 4:31 he says "Get rid....of wrath." In I Tim. 2:8 he wrote "I want all men everywhere to lift up holy hands without anger and disputing." Thumos has to do with impetuousness, fierceness and anger. Quite the opposite of patience. All of them, wouldn't you say. Thumos is a work of the flesh.
(Gal. 5:20)
Isn't it interesting that we can choose by our own volition and will to express love through patience, longsuffering, tolerance and gentleness or we can by the same expression of will be indignant, fierce, full of wrath, hard, violent, and impetuously angry?
Paul has instructed us all that love is patience and this will bring unity. The others will only divide and separate.
Isn't it interesting that we can choose by our own volition and will to express love through patience, longsuffering, tolerance and gentleness or we can by the same expression of will be indignant, fierce, full of wrath, hard, violent, and impetuously angry?
Paul has instructed us all that love is patience and this will bring unity. The others will only divide and separate.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Excellent Way #4("Ain't No Rock Gonna Take My Place"
The Son of God, who is love, approached the Mount of Olives, and as He approached, He instructed His disciples to get a colt for Him to ride. "When He came near to the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:" "Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory to the highest!" "Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, 'Teacher rebuke your disciples!'"(Lk. 19) Why would anyone make that statement? What was wrong with praising the God of love in a loud voice? Who would be so captious? What motivated them?
The typical Pharisees of Jesus day were the types of some present day antitypes. The loving Savior was soon to weep over being rejected by His own people. These Pharisees were more worried about their rules than they were about the salvation of the souls of men. And they truly have their antitypes today.
Jesus understands both the types and antitypes. He depicted the types in Matthew 23. They were the religious orthodox. In their eyes they were perfectly and precisely religious. Peloubet called them "the separated ones." He goes on to say "they bent their energies to a strict keeping of the law, using political means..." "Their excessive strictness led them to formulate more detailed rules..." "Pharisees...multiplied minute precepts and distinctions to such an extent that the whole life of the Israelite was hemmed in and burdened on every side by instructions so numerous and trifling that the law was almost if not wholly lost sight of." Is it a stretch to say their antitypes of today have done the same with grace and love? Peloubet makes a point well taken by this writer: "...they devoted their energies to making converts to their own narrow views, who with all the zeal of proselytes were more exclusive and more bitterly opposed to truth than they were themselves."
The Pharisee of Luke 18 typifies perfectly the religion of the Pharisee. He must have been one of their champions. He was a praying man. Scripture says though that he "...prayed about himself..." "God I thank you that I am not like all other men-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector." "I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of my income."(Lk. 18)
Why was he not justified in the eyes of Jesus if all that was correct about him? He violated the first and second commandments of Jesus and the premise of true love found in I Cor. 13. He exalted himself. He was a braggard. He kept records of other men's lives. And love does not do that.
Perhaps the reason these folks did not want Jesus praised outloud was because he had their number. They hated him so much that they ultimately were instrumental in His being crucified. They were right in the middle of giving orders "...that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest Him."(Jn. 11:57)
Yes, Jesus had the number of those types and He has the number of their antitypes today. Their religion is perfect because everybody else is wrong. They are the truly orthodox. They are the knowledgeable. They can quote Scripture with the best of Scripture quoters. But something is missing. What is it? "The Excellent Way." They cannot truly love as God wants them to love. Their spiritual port-folio is missing the qualification of that which will make one a true follower of God.
Every now and then among the Pharisees as in all perfectly imperfect self-righteous movements bright lights emerge and shine. Acts 5 tells us of Gamaliel, a man of fairness and good judgement in his dealings with his fellow men. Nicodemus of John 3 was also a Pharisee, but one who learned of the New Birth from the Master Teacher. And apparently responded to it. Joseph of Arimathaea "a good man."(Lk. 23:50) He was a secret disciple of Christ.(Jn. 19:38) He along with Nicodemus buried Jesus. Paul was a Pharisee.(Acts 23:6; Phil. 3:5) So not all men are held captive by the strangle hold of such antics as were put forth by the Pharisees. Love still lives in some men's lives. Paul, who was a Pharisee , was to give the solution and he called it "The Excellent Way."
It is possible then to fast, tithe, and keep all the rules yet be missing the key ingredient of Christianity...love...
Jesus had the Pharisees figured. And He told them so. Outwardly they looked good. But they were ugly on the inside.(Lk. 11:39) They were greedy.(Lk. 11:39) They were braggards.(Lk. 18) They were judgemental and self-protective of their flawed concept of what was right.(Mt.9:34) They teamed up on those they considered their antagonists.(Jn. 11:47) Their love was spent on money.(Lk. 16:14) They also loved popularity.(Lk. 11:43) They were hypocrites.(Mt. 23:13) They taught folks a religious philosophy that was not good for them.(Mt. 23:15) They were full of wickedness.(Mt. 23:28) They were violent and murderous.(Mt. 23:30-31) They had an unacceptable form of righteousness.(Mt. 5:20) They practiced a dishonest form of worship.(Mt. 15:8) Their seeming right influence was evil.(Mt. 16:5-6)
This was the stripe of people who met Jesus on the road to the Mount of Olives and told Him to quieten his disciples who were vocally and joyfully praising God loudly. Methinks me hears many of their counterparts saying the same things .
Interesting what Jesus said to them. "I tell you..." "...if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."(Lk. 19:40)
Recently, I heard a preacher say, "Ain't no rock gonna take my place."
So we praise Him because He loved us so...and nobody will stop us.
The typical Pharisees of Jesus day were the types of some present day antitypes. The loving Savior was soon to weep over being rejected by His own people. These Pharisees were more worried about their rules than they were about the salvation of the souls of men. And they truly have their antitypes today.
Jesus understands both the types and antitypes. He depicted the types in Matthew 23. They were the religious orthodox. In their eyes they were perfectly and precisely religious. Peloubet called them "the separated ones." He goes on to say "they bent their energies to a strict keeping of the law, using political means..." "Their excessive strictness led them to formulate more detailed rules..." "Pharisees...multiplied minute precepts and distinctions to such an extent that the whole life of the Israelite was hemmed in and burdened on every side by instructions so numerous and trifling that the law was almost if not wholly lost sight of." Is it a stretch to say their antitypes of today have done the same with grace and love? Peloubet makes a point well taken by this writer: "...they devoted their energies to making converts to their own narrow views, who with all the zeal of proselytes were more exclusive and more bitterly opposed to truth than they were themselves."
The Pharisee of Luke 18 typifies perfectly the religion of the Pharisee. He must have been one of their champions. He was a praying man. Scripture says though that he "...prayed about himself..." "God I thank you that I am not like all other men-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector." "I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of my income."(Lk. 18)
Why was he not justified in the eyes of Jesus if all that was correct about him? He violated the first and second commandments of Jesus and the premise of true love found in I Cor. 13. He exalted himself. He was a braggard. He kept records of other men's lives. And love does not do that.
Perhaps the reason these folks did not want Jesus praised outloud was because he had their number. They hated him so much that they ultimately were instrumental in His being crucified. They were right in the middle of giving orders "...that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest Him."(Jn. 11:57)
Yes, Jesus had the number of those types and He has the number of their antitypes today. Their religion is perfect because everybody else is wrong. They are the truly orthodox. They are the knowledgeable. They can quote Scripture with the best of Scripture quoters. But something is missing. What is it? "The Excellent Way." They cannot truly love as God wants them to love. Their spiritual port-folio is missing the qualification of that which will make one a true follower of God.
Every now and then among the Pharisees as in all perfectly imperfect self-righteous movements bright lights emerge and shine. Acts 5 tells us of Gamaliel, a man of fairness and good judgement in his dealings with his fellow men. Nicodemus of John 3 was also a Pharisee, but one who learned of the New Birth from the Master Teacher. And apparently responded to it. Joseph of Arimathaea "a good man."(Lk. 23:50) He was a secret disciple of Christ.(Jn. 19:38) He along with Nicodemus buried Jesus. Paul was a Pharisee.(Acts 23:6; Phil. 3:5) So not all men are held captive by the strangle hold of such antics as were put forth by the Pharisees. Love still lives in some men's lives. Paul, who was a Pharisee , was to give the solution and he called it "The Excellent Way."
It is possible then to fast, tithe, and keep all the rules yet be missing the key ingredient of Christianity...love...
Jesus had the Pharisees figured. And He told them so. Outwardly they looked good. But they were ugly on the inside.(Lk. 11:39) They were greedy.(Lk. 11:39) They were braggards.(Lk. 18) They were judgemental and self-protective of their flawed concept of what was right.(Mt.9:34) They teamed up on those they considered their antagonists.(Jn. 11:47) Their love was spent on money.(Lk. 16:14) They also loved popularity.(Lk. 11:43) They were hypocrites.(Mt. 23:13) They taught folks a religious philosophy that was not good for them.(Mt. 23:15) They were full of wickedness.(Mt. 23:28) They were violent and murderous.(Mt. 23:30-31) They had an unacceptable form of righteousness.(Mt. 5:20) They practiced a dishonest form of worship.(Mt. 15:8) Their seeming right influence was evil.(Mt. 16:5-6)
This was the stripe of people who met Jesus on the road to the Mount of Olives and told Him to quieten his disciples who were vocally and joyfully praising God loudly. Methinks me hears many of their counterparts saying the same things .
Interesting what Jesus said to them. "I tell you..." "...if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."(Lk. 19:40)
Recently, I heard a preacher say, "Ain't no rock gonna take my place."
So we praise Him because He loved us so...and nobody will stop us.
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