Tag: belief

Our Riches In Christ (Colossians 2:1-5)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. (New International Version)

When you already have everything you need, it’s useless – and can even be damaging – to indulge in listening to fine sounding arguments about how you are missing out, lacking something, and/or falling short in some way.

For the Christian, the truth is: You now possess God’s treasure chest of wisdom and knowledge in Christ Jesus. So, why would you ever let someone deceive you through slick persuasion about having something superior to what you already have?

“Heresy” is really nothing more than making a bold claim to an alternative theological understanding than what you presently adhere to.

In some cases, an existing belief system is inferior and bogus. So, it’s a good thing when someone turns from bad religion in order to embrace a religion which is life-giving, helpful, and good.

Yet, if we already have a belief which is robustly full of righteousness and justice, and is good for the common life of everyone in the community, then it is dangerous to consider replacing it, or letting it fall into disuse.

The Apostle Paul’s consistent and overarching theme throughout his letter to the Colossian Christians is that Jesus Christ is sufficient, he is enough – more than enough – for our life and salvation.

That means the task of the Christian is to hold on to and cultivate what already has been taught to them according to apostolic tradition (that is, the Scriptures).

Another way of putting the matter: Learn to appreciate and enjoy what you already have, because it really is worth exploring, living into, and celebrating.

So, let’s put away any notions that standing firm in the faith involves defending your own personal brand of the Christian life (which is usually done obnoxiously) or for others to adhere to every jot and tittle of your own dogmatic theology.

To remain steadfast in the faith means primarily to nurture your faith – to actively pursue the spiritual life and concern oneself with the development of the soul. It is, more specifically, to keep on struggling to live into the words and ways of Jesus Christ; and to keep on learning and applying the apostolic teaching which has been passed down to us.

This is not too much to ask. It is reasonable (and biblical) to expect professing believers in Christ to put solid energy into encouraging one another in love and unity by means of sound Christian theology and doctrine.

Genuine and lasting unity depends upon both truth and love. Christians need to be of one mind and one heart, embracing the same values.

My dear wife and I recently celebrated 39 years of marriage together. Someone asked me today how we’ve made it all these years. I said that the main reason is that, although we are extreme opposites in nearly every way, we have both shared the same basic core values throughout our marriage. And that has gotten us through a lot of things.

Love for one another in the church will be maintained when we understand there is nothing being held back from us by God. The mystery of Christ has been revealed. There are no secrets. Solid and lasting relationships are built upon the foundation of truth. Nothing is held back.

We might as well lay bare everything, because it’s eventually going to happen one way or another.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 4:13, NIV

If we begin to think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, then we start listening to other people – perhaps even inviting other lovers into our lives. But the truth is: If I have some delicious fresh fried catfish on my plate, why in the world would I ever settle for a measly can of tuna?

The unity of the Colossian Church was at stake for the Apostle Paul. Just because someone is skilled in the art of persuasion, and can speak a good line, doesn’t necessarily mean that those words are good, right, or just.

There’s nothing wrong with persuasion. In fact, Paul himself was highly skilled in rhetoric and persuasion. At issue is losing sight of the message and focusing solely on the means of communicating the message.

Oftentimes a false teacher who peddles a different message other than apostolic teaching, has a highly believable way about them – which is why folks can be deceived. When one is being charmed, then critical analysis is rarely on their mind.

We can also be self-deceived, deluding ourselves, and talking ourselves into going down a bad path. It is most necessary to evaluate things according to the content rather than the attractiveness of the packaging.

Gifts of speaking and persuasion are good, so long as they are used for good, and controlled by sound thinking and directed by compassionate hearts.

There is no compelling witness for Christ if the church is fragmented and divided. But if we are convinced that our spiritual riches are found in Jesus Christ, then we shall find ways to remain connected and caring.

Therefore, let’s live as if we really believe this.

I always pray to the great and glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that he will give you the Spirit, who will let you know truths about God and help you understand them, so that you will know him better.

I pray that God will open your minds to see his truth. Then you will know the hope that he has chosen us to have. You will know that the blessings God has promised his holy people are rich and glorious. And you will know that God’s power is very great for us who believe. Amen. (Ephesians 1:17-19, ERV)

It Is Not Yet My Time (John 7:1-9)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

Later Jesus was going about his business in Galilee. He didn’t want to travel in Judea because the Jews there were looking for a chance to kill him. It was near the time of Tabernacles, a feast observed annually by the Jews.

His brothers said, “Why don’t you leave here and go up to the Feast so your disciples can get a good look at the works you do? No one who intends to be publicly known does everything behind the scenes. If you’re serious about what you are doing, come out in the open and show the world.” His brothers were pushing him like this because they didn’t believe in him either.

Jesus came back at them, “Don’t pressure me. This isn’t my time. It’s your time—it’s always your time; you have nothing to lose. The world has nothing against you, but it’s up in arms against me. It’s against me because I expose the evil behind its pretensions. You go ahead, go up to the Feast. Don’t wait for me. I’m not ready. It’s not the right time for me.”

He said this and stayed on in Galilee. (The Message)

For some Jews in the ancient world, if the Messiah were to come, it would certainly happen in the most celebrated month of the Jewish year (Tishri, in the Fall season).

The New Year celebration happens on the first and second of the month; the Day of Atonement on the tenth day (Yom Kippur); and leads to the joyous celebration of the fifteenth to twenty-second days in the Festival of Tabernacles (Booths or Shelters, also known as “Sukkot”).

That is the time of year in which faithful followers of God leave their homes and live in temporary shelters. It serves as a powerful reminder of their deliverance and divine preservation in the wilderness. It’s a celebration of the harvest, a time to remember the Israelites’ journey through the Sinai desert and God’s protection throughout that time. 

This festival also symbolizes unity and inclusivity, and looks forward to the Messianic age when all nations will come to Jerusalem to worship God.

The Feast of Tabernacles, by Bible Art

So, it only made sense to the people who knew Jesus, that he would want to make a big splash during the month of Tishri – a time of high celebration where everyone is together, recalling God’s gracious actions.

Christ’s own family were insistent that he take advantage of the festival’s timing and clearly show himself to the world. But Jesus wasn’t having it. Why not?

Jesus responded that it is not yet his time. By that he meant it wasn’t the right festival season. The timing of Christ would be for Passover, not Tabernacles. His role was not as the Divine Warrior who would beat up the Romans and establish an earthly rule in the vein of King David.

Instead, Christ’s purpose was to take on the role of the Suffering Servant, the dying Messiah. A joyous public spectacle during Tabernacles to announce deliverance from Roman oppression was not the reason he came to this earth.

Jesus had no intention of being pressed into something that wasn’t his understanding of God’s will.

Indeed, Christ’s time of glorification would come. But at the time of Tabernacles, when the feelings of the people were drawn to Jesus, and expectations were high for divine deliverance from Gentile rule, a capitulation to the crowd would be akin to the devil’s temptation of throwing himself from the Temple, so that everyone could see the Jewish Superman in action.

Jesus is not that sort of Messiah. Ostentatious displays of power and authority were not his path for the people’s salvation. That is the way of the world, not heaven; it’s the concrete road of the proud, not the dirt path of the humble.

Evil needed to be dealt with, once and for all – and not only for the sake of the Jews, but for all creation. And it had to have to divine effectiveness, not a worldly solution.

It still remains yet to this very day, that those with unbelief demand a strong leader and a powerful sign of authority. They want a take-charge sort of person who looks good and has style.

Such worldly-minded persons insist that the strong leader get out there and have lots of exposure. Pay attention to the optics, and engender supreme confidence in others. Engage and change the situation with all of the proven tactics of the world’s power base.

Yet those who truly believe, discern that life does not consist of grand imperial displays of opulent strength and worldly control. Rather, the heavenly virtues of wisdom, patience, and a settled hope surround them. They pay no attention to bombastic pronouncements and empty promises.

The believer is able to see Jesus for who he truly is, and not for what they want him to be.

In other words, up is down, first is last, suffering before celebration. These are not the ways of the unbelieving world; they are the practices of the faithfully devoted ones.

Even though Christ’s brothers strongly urged him to openly show himself in an ancient version of mass marketing, Jesus patently forsook it. He was not seeking to enhance his own reputation, to get his brand recognition out there and impress the crowd.

Jesus Christ will only act as his heavenly Father commands and wills him to – even if his own family want him to do different.

And that is why the world “hates” Jesus. Because he will neither operate according to, nor submit to, its prevailing cultural, political, and familial standards. Pride mocks humility. Arrogance disdains the meek and gentle. Worldly strength wants nothing to do with any sort of perceived weakness.

Metamorphosis of Narcissus, by Salvador Dali, 1937

Yet, the world does not realize that ultimate power, control, and authority comes not through public shows of toughness, but by private practices which embrace spiritual disciplines and knowing oneself.

I myself have no stomach for the supposed follower of Christ who merely seeks to honor Jesus in order to make the Name of Jesus serve their own name’s purpose.

And I gag every time I observe the self-centered leader try and act as if they care for important things, when in reality their only concern is self. Their worldly actions and attitudes betray their true feelings and purpose.

“It is better to incur the world’s hatred, by testifying against its wickedness, than gain its good will by going down the stream with them.”

Matthew Henry

We live in a world of indecision; there is no real decisive action which champions the common good of all citizens. We stick our finger in the air to see which way the wind is blowing. Our insecurity as a people is profound and palpable.

We seem incapable of sound and just public decision-making, let alone making personal choices which foster and engender spiritual and emotional growth.

This world is in desperate need of good, right, and just people who will faithfully occupy places and positions of trust. For me, that means following the narrow way of Jesus, and not the broad highway of destruction paved by narcissistic leaders.

Do you and I have the courage to take a hard look at ourselves, our relationships, and most of all, Jesus? Will we seek discernment as to what is really the world, and what is truly the words and ways of Jesus? Can we gain a sense of divine timing?

Almighty and ever-living God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth: Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pentecost (John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
The Holy Spirit, by He Qi

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning…

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. 

“And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (New Revised Standard Version)

Pentecost, by John August Swanson (1938-2021)

This is the Christian Day of Pentecost. It is often referred to as the birthday of the Church. Pentecost marks the time when the Holy Spirit came upon the fledgling believers in power. 

Pentecost is significant for Christians because it marks the age of the Spirit, the era of new spiritual life and power. Ten days after recognizing Christ’s Ascension, and fifty days after Christ’s resurrection from death, the Christian Year observes the Day of Pentecost (which literally means “fifty” in Greek). 

An implication of Pentecost is that it brings both change and stability, of being uprooted as well as deeply grounded. To experience Pentecost, it is necessary to invite change and to allow ourselves to be changed.

To live a truly spiritual life, full of the Holy Spirit, means that things will never be the same again. With the Spirit, there is a new form of consciousness, an emerging awareness of both self and the world, and new interests and commitments which are followed.

Change involves unlearning old thinking and ways of doing things, becoming uprooted and planted in fresh spiritual soil. The spiritual person will discover new, necessary, and expansive ways of living the faith of Jesus Christ in today’s topsy-turvy world.

Today’s Gospel lesson has Jesus talking to his disciples for the last time before his crucifixion and resurrection. He communicated to them that he was going away, and they were sad and confused about it all. So, Jesus assured them that they would not be alone – his presence would be with them in the person of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus made it plain that the One who is coming, the Paraclete, is the One who comes alongside and offers to the disciples a ministry of advocating, testifying, speaking truth, glorifying, and proving the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.

The Spirit advocates for us and all creation. The Spirit hears our pain, moaning, and desperation, bringing it all to God in helpful language (Romans 8:26). The Spirit testifies about Jesus to us and about his ministry. The Spirit speaks truth to us whenever we go astray from the words and ways of Jesus; and so, will challenge us and provoke us to live into our majesty as people created in God’s image and redeemed by Christ’s death and resurrection.

If and when our Christian life and worship becomes a ho-hum hodge-podge of ritualistic or legalistic goo, where no spiritual growth or life transformation is happening – and worse, if it becomes characterized by injustice – then the Spirit will have something to say in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgment.

A lack of faith can take many forms. For many Christians, the separation between belief and practice is a form of apostasy. Signing off on a set of doctrinal beliefs means nothing unless it has feet and hands to it by going after those who are suffering, giving restitution for what we’ve taken, and putting the love of Christ where love is not found.

A confession of faith is hollow and useless without first having a confession of sin. Jesus did not say that people will know Christians by their doctrinal confessions and ancient creeds, but that others will know the Christian by the fruit of a life given to righteousness and justice. (Matthew 7:16)

The worldly ruler is the one who perpetuates systems of evil and oppression; and ignores poverty, hunger, and need. The ruler of this world is condemned by the Spirit because of meanness, brutality, violence, and abject greed and selfishness.

Anyone who turns the life-giving good world which God has made into a death-dealing world of ignorance, sloth, and power politics is under the judgment of the Spirit, on orders by Judge Jesus. Whenever the bent of the will is developed into only being concerned with personal happiness, while ignoring communal needs, the person is existing far from the teachings of Jesus to his disciples.

On this Day of Pentecost, and into this proper Pentecostal season, our call is to have a genuine spiritual life that allows the true self to make a difference in this old fallen world. The spiritual person seeks to tap into the Spirit and insist on caring for others without prejudice or favoritism; and will ground themselves in healthy spiritual dynamics of positive change and transformation as living sacrifices to God. (Romans 12:1-3)

With the reality of Pentecost, believers in Jesus, and the whole Church everywhere, has the full power of the Holy Spirit with them at all times. This means our ultimate trust is not in the power of authoritative positions, economic budgets, polished programs, personal ingenuity, or a consumer self-realization.

Our trust is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth, in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, and in the strength of the Holy Spirit who is the continuing presence of Jesus. Such power is given for a purpose. So let us be responsible and conscientious in living the Christian life.

And may the blessing of the Spirit move you to know Jesus better, love the world more, and be the person you were created to be – to the glory of God. Amen.

To Believe, or Not (Mark 16:9-18)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
The risen Jesus appears to his disciples, by Unknown Italian artist, 1476

[Note: The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.]

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.

Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (New International Version)

The Great Commission, by He Qi

So, how do you view the Bible? Some view it as a direct communication from God to human authors, as if the Lord actually wrote it all, akin to how Moses received the Ten Commandments. Others see the Bible as a thoroughly human invention of literature about God. And then there are those who are somewhere in-between the two views.

Textual criticism is a branch of study that examines a literary work, and aims to establish the original text. This is important and needed, especially since we have all sorts of ancient pieces of literature. We rely upon learned scholars who are fluent in the original languages, and in the examination of texts, so that we can have reliable translations of those texts.

Therefore, textual criticism of the Bible means thinking critically about manuscripts and variations in the biblical texts found in those manuscripts, in order to identify the original reading of the Bible. Keep in mind that, prior to the invention of the printing press, copies of everything had to be hand written. Scribes were trained scholars who meticulously copied manuscripts; and human error was always a part of the process.

The New Testament was copied by thousands of people in thousands of places in dozens of languages. Though that reality can make textual criticism rather complicated, this diversity is also a blessing; it speaks to the high probability that we have a very close and reliable authentic original Bible – namely because so many people were involved in copying scriptural texts.

Today’s lectionary reading is an entire chunk at the end of Mark’s Gospel that is very difficult to ascertain whether it was original to his writing, or not. If you are of the ilk that the Bible is a God-authored book, you will likely want to resolve this tension. And if you’re not, you just might be rolling your eyes at this point, as if this is all silly stuff that doesn’t matter.

I’m suggesting it is neither as silly nor as serious as some want to make it. It just is. And sometimes we must accept what is, without always having to explain it in objective Enlightenment terms; or relegate it to the realm of the ethereal and mystical.

Instead, we can deal with the text we have in front of us without any wringing of the hands, or ignoring it altogether. And what we have, it seems to me, is this: a text of Scripture that is consistent with the rest of Mark’s Gospel in showing us the nature of both belief and unbelief.

An ancient papyrus fragment of Mark’s Gospel

To believe, or not to believe? That is the question.

Throughout the Gospel of Mark, we are confronted with the choice of believing or disbelieving the acts of Jesus in his earthly ministry. And that issue of faith comes to a head with Christ’s resurrection.

The women exhibited belief. They made the pilgrimage to Christ’s tomb and discovered it empty. It is upon the testimony of women – even though a woman’s testimony was not considered reliable in that day – that believers know Christ is risen from death.

The men, however, are nowhere to be found. One reason for unbelief by people who ought to know better is that they go looking for all the wrong sort of evidence. While on this earth, Jesus refused to be like any sort of worldly ruler; he sought to use his authority by being a servant; and he tapped into the power of humility and love.

If we go limiting our epistemology (the study of how we receive knowledge) then we will likely not discover the truth about much of anything. The male disciples refused to believe the testimony of the female Mary Magdalene. The risen Christ finally showed himself and rebuked the stubborn men.

To see Jesus will take something else, something more, than our standard use of three dimensions and five senses and critical thinking skills. As important and needed as they are, it isn’t enough to truly see the risen Lord. We need to bring in some other epistemic impulses: the conscience and the gut; the spirit and the heart; intuition and experience; and the testimony of witnesses whom we would rather dismiss, than listen to.

Jesus ascends to heaven, but not everyone sees it – for obvious reasons. There are some who may search for evidence their entire lives, never to find it, because they want confirmation by means of their own mentally contrived and culturally conditioned constructs.

The Gospel is neither ant-intellectual nor only understood by the scholarly and learned; the good news of Jesus Christ is both simple and complex, easy to understand and hard to comprehend, compelling and revolting. And there is one thing for sure: the person and work of Jesus will always challenge us, change us, and move us.

The story is still being written, not just with pens and keyboards, with textual criticism and documentary evidence, but with mercy and love upon the tablet of the heart.

Lord, I want to believe. Help me in my unbelief! May I see and hear the risen Savior, through the enablement of the Spirit. Amen.