Ready or Not

Philemon 1:1 Παῦλος δέσμιος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφὸς Φιλήμονι τῷ ἀγαπητῷ καὶ συνεργῷ ἡμῶν
2 καὶ Ἀπφίᾳ τῇ ἀδελφῇ καὶ Ἀρχίππῳ τῷ συστρατιώτῃ ἡμῶν καὶ τῇ κατ᾽ οἶκόν σου ἐκκλησίᾳ,
(Phm 1:1-2 BGT)

Yup, that's Greek and the new semester has begun. Boy, I feel so rusty and so emotionally unprepared to be back at school. Part of my heart is still in Garrett County, MD. The transition from even a brief 2 weeks of full time ministry to full time classes again is difficult.

Now that I have been in Epistles class all morning and then our small group this afternoon, I feel like it will be ok. It was absolutely amazing how much theology is in the greeting of Philemon. We all seemed to enjoy the class and it was good to have our prof back from sabbatical. By the way, LTSGers, doesn't this picture of Paul look a little bit like Dr. Carlson?

It's been a good day and we had some social time together as well tonight. So...........WE'RE BAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!

Kix, Politics, & Approval

How many of us remember the Kix ad with the tagline, "Kid tested, mother approved?" I always felt good about getting Kix for my kids because it was basically healthy, low in sugar etc., not because of the cereal's motto, though I did as a mother approve.

We see political ads ad nauseum at this time of year and we hear plenty of "My name is [insert your favorite (or least favorite) candidate's name] and I approve of this message." One does get some sense of credibility in hearing that statement. At least the candidate knows what's being said of him/her.

One of this morning's lectionary readings was from 1 Thessalonians 2 where Paul is defending his ministry. As I was prayerfully reading this, what particularly struck me was these few words "approved by God." It is God's approval that Paul could look to in defense of his work, his concern: "pleas[ing] God who tests our hearts."

And me? I have a rather high need for approval of others. I may not show it outwardly, but it is there. When a couple of friends weren't comfortable doing a Leadership Trait Questionnaire for my Leadership: Creating Shared Vision class, all I could think of was how bad my traits must be that they would be uncomfortable completing it. Ray thought I was overreacting, which is probably true, but we all like praise.

How can we be effective leaders or pastors of God's people if we keep seeking the approval of others whether they be mothers, candidates or parishioners? I don't know about you, but I want to be God approved, with "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Mt 25:23) being all I need to hear. Lord in your mercy...hear our prayer.



Picture courtesy of Geocities.

Conversion, Call and Consequences

These are some observations regarding Paul's conversion in Acts.

Acts contains elements of conversion and call in each passage. Ananias doubted Paul’s status until God’s revelation (Acts 9:13). Paul only received the Holy Spirit when Ananias laid hands on him (Acts 9:17). Paul was baptized, demonstrating belonging to Christ (Acts 9:18). If strictly a calling, he would have previously been baptized.

Acts 22:16, “…be baptized and wash your sins away” indicates conversion, the significance of which Paul teaches in Romans 6:3, 4; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 4:4-6 and Colossians 2:12. Each passage implicates new life in Christ. Baptism’s presence signifies conversion.

Paul’s commissioning is also intrinsic to the pericopes. God tells Ananias of Paul’s work (Acts 9:15). Paul immediately started preaching in the synagogues (Acts 9:20). God sends Paul to the gentiles (Acts 22:21). God appoints Paul as a servant and witness (Acts 26:16). Could this indicate conversion (servant) and calling (witness)? Acts twenty-six places greater emphasis on Paul’s ministry.

“The Acts material is essential to understanding the events surrounding Paul’s conversion/call experience.[1]. After reading DPL, I not only see Paul’s conversion in Acts, but calling also. Later Christians may model Paul since conversion precedes proclamation. The unique feature is that field to which God calls. Unlike most, Paul’s preaching immediately followed conversion due to scripture knowledge. “The result of the conversion/call experience in which Paul came to know Christ is a complete transformation.”[2]

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[1] Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin and Daniel G. Reid, eds., Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993, 158.

[2] Ibid., 159.

The Bible. New International Version.

Apostle Paul, a Brief Introduction

Being “born in Tarsus, an important city of Cilicia,”[1]would insure that there was Greco-Roman influence in Paul’s life. He was born a Roman citizen, through his father, which:

Assured certain privileges, among them the right to appeal to the imperial court (Acts 25:11, 21; 25:32; 28:19). Paul’s use of Greek confirms his origin as a Hellenistic Jew of the Dispersion, at home in the urban culture of the Greco-Roman world. Paul’s loyalty to his ancestral faith remained a mark of pride.[2]

Paul took great pride in his Jewish heritage.

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless (Phil 3:4-6).

His family was evidently very pious since he was sent to Jerusalem as a youth to study under Gamaliel (see Acts 22:3). A Jewish education in the holy city of Jerusalem was highly valued.

According to N. T. Wright, the issues that concerned first century Jews were:

What it meant to be part of God’s people, to be loyal to Torah, to maintain Jewish identity in the face of the all-encroaching pagan world, and … to await the coming of God’s kingdom, of the ‘age to come’ promised by the prophets, of Israel’s redemption .[3]

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[1] Paul J. Achtemeier, ed., The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1985), 814.

[2] Ibid.

[3] N. T. Wright, Paul In Fresh Perspective (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005), 4.