Sword in the Fire

I love the Gospel of John.  If for no other reason, it is different.  Unlike the other three gospels, there is no birth story, no temptation, or no transfiguration.  In Orthodoxy, we read John in the lectionary during the Easter season.  The Gospel for Easter Sunday is John’s Prologue in Chapter 1.  This gives a clue as to why the Church thinks John was written.  The newly baptized experiencing their first Liturgy on Easter Sunday begin to read a new Gospel – the Gospel of John.  John himself proclaims his purpose for writing at the end of his book.  He wrote so that the reader would know that Jesus is the Son of God, and by trusting in Him, would have eternal life.  John is designed to bolster faith, perhaps in the face of heresy, for there were many false teachers who questioned the fullness of Jesus’ humanity and divinity.  Or perhaps, John is trying to protect us not from the heresy of the head, but of the heart. ...

In previous posts, I ran through the 4 basic ways that the people of God have interpreted the Bible over the centuries.  These 4 Senses of Scripture reveal a depth to the text, and ultimately reveal Christ.  Imagine you are reading the Bible, and a flash on insight floods your brain, verses and images converge into a coherent picture.  Quickly you write down your insights, planning to share with friends and church-mates, convinced you have stumbled upon something important that illuminates in ways no Christian has seen in the Church’s 2000 years.  This flash of light should be a warning sign, a neon sign on the streets of 1 st Century Jerusalem, screaming something is wrong.  Not only does the text provide context for understanding—the Church is context.  St. Vincent of Lerins (434) “Hold fast that faith which has been believed everywhere, always and by all. ” So how do we stay in context and follow St. Vincent’s maxim. Read t...

We recently started going through the book of Judges in our Sunday School class, and even though it traces event taken place long ago, the stories remain fresh. Here's a little intro, providing a short summary of the events: Sin, Slavery, Supplication, & Salvation, I shout!  An old-time preacher is channeling me with a 4 part alliterated list, yet this list summarizes the repeated cycle of this book.  The Bible reader got hints of this as Israel was in the wilderness, and glimpses in Joshua (remember the Achan story), but it is on full display in Judges, setting the stage as a microcosm of Israel’s history.   The Pharisee in us all snickers at Israel’s continual fall into sin and slavery, and their cry of supplication for salvation from God.  In our distance from the events at hand, arrogance bubbles up, giving thanks to God that we are more enlightened than these ancient dolts, but if we allow a moment of reflection our life is shot through with...

In Sunday School we have been studying the Old Testament for the last several months, and at times it can be daunting.   The stories aren't particularly difficult, but extracting meaning about God can feel like trying to squeeze water from a rock.  In a moment of honesty, a classmate asked the question we all think, but are afraid to ask in polite Christian company: "Why does the Bible have to be so hard?"   My immediate reaction is to fall back onto Mark Twain's maxim: "“It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.”  It's so much easier to fret over the identity of the third horn of the beast of the Apocalypse than work out "love your neighbor" in everyday life.   Yet there's still a lot of text, and laws, and sacrifices, and rituals, and stories, and images that become hard to ignore.  After encountering the God of the Bible, it is hard to walk away cont...

On a dusty, lonely stretch of road, a 1st Century Jew walks from Jerusalem to Jericho and it attacked by thieves.  They rob him of his possessions and leave him bloodied and half-conscious on the side of the road.   Fortunately for him, a priest and Levite travel the same road, but neither offer to help, but use their religion as a pretense for avoiding the man.   Then a Samaritan comes down the road.  For this man and most Jews, he would seem an unlikely ally.  Samaritan were half-Jews who had corrupted the faith of Abraham.  Their most famous celebrity were the Herods, whose record of benevolence was less than stellar.   Yet this unclean man stooped down with compassion, bandaged the wounds of the broken Jew, soothing him with oil and wine.  He placed the man on his own animal and carried him down the road to the inn.  He stayed the night watching and caring for the man till morning, then he left paying the bill but leaving a ...

The doctor heard a knock on his door, but did not want to be bothered.  The last couple days had been particularly hard on him.  It was not work that was hard, it was life.  Tragedy had struck his community.  A man he knew and loved had been arrested on trumped up charges, and without any hesitation the government executed him.   Grudgingly he walked to his door where another friend stood with eyes that mirrored his own grief.  In a low voice, he told of the next town over, whose doctor had unexpectedly left on a journey, but was in need of temporary assistance.  At first, the doctor balked, but the friend pushed him with the argument that it might be good to get away for a while, and he would accompany him till he could set up shop.   The doctor agreed, packed a couple essentials and tools, and left.  Along the way, silence dominated the trip, but occasionally a mumble or grunt would break out to recount the events of the las...

In a previous post , I mentioned 4 senses of Scripture that Christians throughout the centuries have used to better understand the Bible and its impact of their relationship to God and neighbor.   Today, let's briefly cover the Literal sense of Scripture.  This is probably the best understood, and the approach most conservative Bible readers take when reading and interpreting the text.  On the face, it would seem the easiest to grasp, and it may be but that simple when put into practice.   To recap:  the literal sense is the plain sense or the meaning that the original audience would have derived from the text on it's surface.  The original audience may have seen implications and applications by what was written, but what is the apparent sense of the text.   As simple, as this may seem, it still may take more than one reading to find out what is going on in the text.  Here are tips that can help in understanding the literal sense of the pa...

Scripture is a critical element in the life of a Christian, but it does not take much effort to see the abuse and twisting that the Bible has endured at the hands of well meaning and not-so well meaning people over the centuries.   To protect against such error, the Bible should be read within the context of the Church.  This means many things but one aspect of context is a particular approach to reading Scripture.   This approach can be summarized as the Four Senses of Scripture.  From early times times, the faithful approached Scripture this way.  Faithful Jews prior to Christ used this method, and it became incorporated into the life of the Church from the beginning.   Later in history these 4 Senses were listed and categorized with helpful labels by St. John Cassian (360-435).  The labels stuck and have been used ever since.   What are they? Literal:   Another way of stating this is literary.  Obviously not ...

The Old Testament is designed to prepare us for Christ, and if nothing else, the messiness, the sin, and the squalor of the Old Testament should convince us of man's need for Christ. This preparation is not merely an intellectual readiness to accept the New Testament.  This would be difficult for us all because our minds are dense.  It is also not a one time preparation that dissipates in meaning once the New is embraced. It should grind away at our encrusted hearts.  We read with horror at the murders, the adulteries, the idolatry and sit in stunned silence.  If the silence is allowed to work, we can see beneath our veneer and find an inner alliance with those who walk the ancient pages. Despair may grip our heart so that we cry out to God for salvation.  Only then can the light of resurrection come.  This is the work of the Old Testament.  It is the cross of the New Testament's resurrection.

Acts 14 1. Again they start in the synagogue. This stop in Iconium is typical of many of their stops. They preach in the synagogue and many of the Gentiles there convert but enough Jews remain steadfast that they oppose Paul's presence. Eventually the opposition becomes great enough that they have to move on to other areas. Miracles did occur at the hands of Barnabas and Paul in order to confirm to the people their teaching. Eventually they leave Iconium and flee southwest to Lystra and Derbe. 8ff. In Lystra, Paul heals a lame man that had been lame from birth. As a result of the healing, the people proclaim Paul and Barnabas to be gods. Apparently, the people in Lystra had a legend that Zeus and Hermes had visited their land disguised as mortals, and no one gave them any hospitality except for one older couple. In their anger at the people, Zeus and Hermes wiped out the whole population, except for the old couple. No wonder the people of Lystra were so quick to honor Paul a...

Acts 13 This is a wonderful passage this gives us another glimpse into the life of the early church. The Antiochian church had gathered together for worship and Paul and Barnabas were sent on a missionary journey. Several men are mentioned in these first couple verses and are identified as prophets and teachers. 1. Simeon who was called Niger (possibly Simon the Cyrene who carried the cross of Christ). The term Niger means black and it may not have been a surname but a nickname describing him. Cyrene was a town in modern day Libya. The Holy Apostle Lucius of the Seventy became bishop in Syrian Laodicia (a former chief city in Phrygia). The Apostle Paul mentions him in the Epistle to the Romans (Rom. 16: 21), among the other Christians whom he greets. Manaen was courtier of King Herod Antipas as mentioned here and he died in Antioch. 2. “ministered” here is actually the Greek word leitourgia. Obviously where we get our word liturgy. As they served the liturgy the Holy Spirit sp...

Acts 12 - Return to Jerusalem 1. Herod in this verse is Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great. He ruled in Palestine from 41-44. The Herods were half-Jews who ruled the Jews in Palestine on behalf of the Roman empire. Because of their divided loyalties they often performed acts to prove their patriotism the Jewish people. The actions of Agrippa persecuting the Christians is possibly one such act. 2. James, the brother of John was the first of the apostles to be martyred. And because it brought him favor with the Jews, he then arrest Peter. 3ff. This is during the Feast of Unleavened Bread which is Passover. This was an important time for both Jews and Christians. The Christians would have been celebrating the anniversary of the Resurrection. The church prayed for him during his captivity, and in spite of the guards n angel rescued him from prison. 12. From this verse many have supposed that this was the house where the upper room was. ..Mary was the mother of Jo...

Acts 11 - The Infant Gentile Church 1-18: Peter recaps the Gentile conversion and demonstrates that it was the fulfillment of the vision he had of the unclean animals. 19-24: The Church at Antioch is established and Jerusalem sends Barnabas to teach them. Barnabas goes to Tarsus and seeks out Paul and brings him to Antioch where they teach together. And it is here that "the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." Being Orthodox Christians under the Antiochian jurisdiction we are very familiar with this line of Scripture. It is a point of boasting and is included in our "tag-line" on the Antiochian website . Chrysostom comments on the scattering of the Church due to persecution: When Stephen was slain, when Paul was twice imperiled, when the apostles were scourged…then the nations received (the word), then Samaritans…Therefore, they went about discoursing also with Gentiles. ‘But some them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, after they came to Ant...

Acts 10 - The Gentile Pentecost This important chapter continues to follow the flow of Acts from Judea, Samaria, to the uttermost parts of the earth. Or one could say the Gospel goes to the Jew, the half-Jew, and then the Gentile. We find ourselves at the house of Cornelius, a Roman officer, who was also one who feared God. He was one of the "God-Fearers" or Gentile Jewish Catechumens. He participated in the liturgical life of the Jews but had not become one himself. He was obviously devout and brought power to his prayer via almsgiving. Both prayer and almsgiving and held in esteem as Christian ascetical practices. See the following two quotes: St. Maximos the Confessor (First Century on Love no. 79) Almsgiving heals the soul's incensive power; fasting withers sensual desire; prayer purifies the intellect and prepares it for contemplation of created beings. For the Lord has given us commandments which correspond to the powers of the soul. Chrysostom ...

Acts 9 Conversion of Paul Chapter 9 picks up where chapter 7 leaves off (or at least 8:1). Saul (the future Paul) continues his persecution campaign against the followers of Jesus. 1. "Breathing threats" actually is breathing in rather than breathing out. This suggests that threatening and murder had come to be the very breath that Saul breathed. Paul requests letters from the high priest to have permission to enter the synagogues of Damascus to hunt down the followers of the Way. This is an description of the early Christians. They had not yet been called Christians. The term the "Way" illustrates that this is not an ideological movement or some new school of interpretation. Christianity is primarily the Way. The Way that Jesus blazed ahead which culminated in the cross. It is the Way of the Cross. As he journeyed toward Damascus, he was overcome with a light that caused him to fall to the ground. He then heard the voice of Jesus speaking. 5. Jesus t...

Acts 8 – The Gospel to the Half-Jews 1. In some Greek versions, this verse is included at the end of chapter 7. Due to the wave of persecutions that began after the martyrdom of Stephen, Christians began dispersing throughout the Mediterranean world . This scattering was important for Christianity because it forced Christianity to be spread beyond Jerusalem. This is often the pattern in Christianity. Tertullian said the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. 4ff. Remember in Chapter 1, Jesus tells the apostles that they will preach the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. This begins the expansion to Samaria (or the half-Jews). The progression of the Gospel was to the Jews, the half-Jews, and then the Gentiles. The expansion to Samaria was important for several reasons. Mostly for racial reasons, the first Christians were Jews, and many thought it would never move beyond the Jews, and this was a controversy the Church dealt with througho...

Acts 7 Stephen’s Sermon. This one sermon is one of the best summaries in Scripture of God’s plan for communion with mankind, and the role Israel played in God’s plan. In many ways St. Stephen sums up the whole of OT history in this one sermon. 3. Gen 12:1 7. Gen. 15:14 28. Exodus 2:14 30. St. Stephen is building up to his conclusion that these OT appearances where Jesus Christ. He was the Angel of the Lord. 32. Ex. 3:6, 15 33. Ex. 3:5 34. Ex. 3:7,8, 10 35. Again He is showing that it was Jesus Christ who gave the law to Moses. 37. Deut. 18:15; Peter had used that same passage in his Pentecost sermon. 40. Ex. 32:1, 23 42. Amos 5:21 - 25 43. Amos 5:26, 27 45. The Greek version of Joshua is Jesus. So the Hebrew leaders would have called Jesus by the name Joshua rather than using the Greek name Jesus. 49. Is. 66:1 50. Is. 66:2 53. Deut 33:2; Gal. 3:19, Heb 2:2 56. St. Gregory the Great Why does mark (16:19) testify that Christ is seated, and Stephen that he saw Him st...

Acts 6 1. Hellenists were Jewish Christians who spoke Greek. 5. Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, & Nicolas were chosen by the Apostles as the first deacons. Although the word deacon never appears in this passage, it seems apparent based on later descriptions of the diaconate. Also Church tradition looks to this as the origin of the office of deacon. Here are a summary of the lives of these men after they were chosen (taken from the OCA website). St. Philip : Commemorated on January 4. Holy Apostle Philip of the Seventy, one of the 7 Deacons is not to be confused with St Philip one of the Twelve Apostles (November 14). This Philip was born in Palestine, was married and had four daughters who had the gift of prophecy. After the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Twelve Apostles made Philip a deacon in the Church of Jerusalem. Along with the other six deacons, they appointed him to deal with the offerings of the faithful and attend to the concerns of the widowed...

Acts 5 -This is truly a frightening story. No doubt their sin was serious but are there reasons that this outcome was so tragic. I think there was certain level of purity that was present within the early Church that ws necessary to keep as a model for future generations. Also this possibly took place during a liturgical service. Early in the life of the Church, offerings were given prior to communion. This also reflects Jesus’ statement that we should reconcile with our brother before bringing our gift to the altar. This definitely explains the seriousness of the act. The offering was an act of worship that was part of the reception of the mysteries. The act of worship was corrupted and death resulted. 1-11: Chrysostom: “that having made the money sacred he afterwards secreted it.” -There is a similar story in the OT book of Joshua. Joshua 7. Israel had just defeated Jericho. Joshua 6:16ff. There next battle was a defeat at the hands of the small insignificant city of Ai. ...

Acts 4. This chapter continues with the results of the lame man’s healing and Peter’s subsequent sermon to the crowd. 1 & 2. Sadducees: the Sadducees along with the Pharisees were the two primary religious parties that made up the Jewish ruling assembly—the Sanhedrin. The Sadducees only accepted the Torah/Pentateuch authoritative Scripture. They also rejected the idea of resurrection, angels and an after-life. This caused conflict earlier during the ministry of Jesus, but now because Resurrection was a central factor in the Apostolic preaching, they were more disturbed. 4. By this point 5000 Christian men….another way of saying families. 5. Ananias & Caiaphas were the same priests that condemned Jesus. It is important to remember that this may have been within two to three months of the Crucifixion of Jesus. It would have been fresh on the minds of the Sanhedrin. 8-12. Peter is more direct about their role in the Crucifixion of Christ to the rulers of the people than h...