Of all of the New Testament Epistles, 2 Peter’s authorship is one of the most disputed. Its style differs so much from 1 Peter that it seems highly unlikely that the same person could have written both. Peter is one of the people who are thought to have written it though (Keener 723). The author claims to have been a witness to the Transfiguration in 2 Peter 3: 15-16 (Senior 2189). Donald Senior this on the authorship of 2 Peter, the “probable use of the Letter of Jude as a source are all arguments against Peter’s having been the actual author and the probability that, as with 1 Peter, this is a pseudonymous work that cites the authority of the apostle but was written by a later generation in his name” (2189). Senior also says this about 2 Peter, “The formal style and stiff polemical tone of this brief book help to rank it among the least read of the biblical canon. Yet it grapples with profound and enduring theological issues such as God’s providence and the destiny of the world” (2189). On the genre, 2 Peter is an epistle meant to have a large audience and has elements of a “testamentary” (Keener 724).
“His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, though the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3
I was frustrated the other day as I flipped through the channels at the dorm. The Trinity Broadcasting Network was playing Joel Osteen. How can a Christian channel play Finger of God Film one night, a life of Jesus film the next, and Joel Osteen the next? HOW? Finger of God Film is all about God. The Jesus films out there show us the Gospel (JESUS), and Joel Osteen does none of that.
I do not hate Joel Osteen. I just do not listen to Joel Osteen anymore. I do not think that the Gospel is about what I deserve.
Look at 2 Peter 1:3. It says, “His divine power...” who is He? God is. God. Not anybody else. “has given us...” we had nothing without God. Therefore, God is higher than we are. Yet God still has given. “everything we need” not everything we want...not a promotion that we feel that we deserve, not that luxury car. Now wait, God did provide riches for us to spend on stuff like that, but that is not our purpose. No, our purpose is far greater than sitting in a mansion getting fat off our junk food and then going to the doctor...now which car should I take? Our purpose is greater. Anyway, “everything needed for life and godliness” what does stocking up our houses full of junk have to do with godliness? What does anything that makes the flesh happy have to do with godliness? “through the knowledge of him who called us” again, it is about God. Not me, not you, not anybody but GOD. Through the knowledge of God....everything. Through the knowledge of God...we have everything that we need. “by his own glory and goodness.” Again...God. God. And, more God. Did you see humans able to do anything apart from God in that verse anywhere? That is how 2 Peter opens (after the opening greeting). Ta-da, it s about God, people.
This even is hard for me to grasp at times. God does not need any of my help. God does not need your help. God does not need anything that any of us could do.
WORKS CITED
Keener, Craig S. “2 Peter,” Pages 723-733 in The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
Senior, Donald. “The Second Letter of Peter.” Pages 2189-2190 in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible with the Apocrypha. Edited by Walter J. Harrelson et al. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
1 Peter Blog 2
“But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting of the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” 1 Peter 3:14-18
The most important being in the world is God. When Jesus came to earth, he suffered yet had done nothing wrong. He told His disciples that those who followed Him should expect the same things that He experienced.
Jesus was questioned numerous times by the religious leaders and also other people. He gave an answer every time and therefore the Bible can ask us to be able to do the same thing.
Jesus also suffered for doing nothing wrong. Therefore the Bible can also tell us that we should be willing to suffer for doing what is right.
However these can be hard because, I don't know about you, but I have trouble looking past time. Here we are on this earth and we are living our lives and those lives are bound with in time. Even though death is not the end, it feels like it. There I go again with feelings...this is another reason we can't depend on our feelings. The time that we are on this earth is nothing compared to what is after time.
So we need to live with no reason to be condemned. We need to follow the example that Jesus set in both word and works. We need to remember, first of all, that Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth to save us. We should not be afraid of those who can harm us because they can do nothing with our soul.
The most important being in the world is God. When Jesus came to earth, he suffered yet had done nothing wrong. He told His disciples that those who followed Him should expect the same things that He experienced.
Jesus was questioned numerous times by the religious leaders and also other people. He gave an answer every time and therefore the Bible can ask us to be able to do the same thing.
Jesus also suffered for doing nothing wrong. Therefore the Bible can also tell us that we should be willing to suffer for doing what is right.
However these can be hard because, I don't know about you, but I have trouble looking past time. Here we are on this earth and we are living our lives and those lives are bound with in time. Even though death is not the end, it feels like it. There I go again with feelings...this is another reason we can't depend on our feelings. The time that we are on this earth is nothing compared to what is after time.
So we need to live with no reason to be condemned. We need to follow the example that Jesus set in both word and works. We need to remember, first of all, that Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth to save us. We should not be afraid of those who can harm us because they can do nothing with our soul.
1 Peter Blog 1
There is some debate on the authorship of 1 Peter, but many scholars say that the apostle Peter wrote it. In fact early Church tradition gives authorship to Peter by the 2nd century (Keener 705). Most scholars date it to “the last quarter of the 1st century” (Senior 2181). Craig S. Keener says that “First Peter implies an atmosphere of severe repression, but not the official court prosecution of Trajan’s time” (706) which helps to set the date that 1 Peter was written. According to Donald Senior, Rome is where the letter was written (Senior 2181) and it was written for the Christians in the northern part of Asia Minor and included both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. The genre is a general letter that encouraged Christians who were dealing with being outcasts because they were seen as atheists and cannibals, who were incestuous (Keener 707).
“In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him, and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1: 6-9
It is not anything that a human does that redeems them to God apart from accepting Christ. I really like the translation in The Message Bible which says,
I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don't see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward to: total salvation.
Our faith becomes God’s glory! Our faith is also what makes us seen as righteous before God. Yet, it is not the choosing of faith that saves us because that is still righteousness based on works, but rather it is us having faith that God “reckons to us as righteousness” just as He did with Abraham’s belief.
WORKS CITED
Keener, Craig S. “1 Peter,” Pages 705-722 in The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
Senior, Donald. “The First Letter of Peter.” Pages 2181-2182 in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible with the Apocrypha. Edited by Walter J. Harrelson et al. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003.
“In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him, and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1: 6-9
It is not anything that a human does that redeems them to God apart from accepting Christ. I really like the translation in The Message Bible which says,
I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don't see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward to: total salvation.
Our faith becomes God’s glory! Our faith is also what makes us seen as righteous before God. Yet, it is not the choosing of faith that saves us because that is still righteousness based on works, but rather it is us having faith that God “reckons to us as righteousness” just as He did with Abraham’s belief.
WORKS CITED
Keener, Craig S. “1 Peter,” Pages 705-722 in The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
Senior, Donald. “The First Letter of Peter.” Pages 2181-2182 in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible with the Apocrypha. Edited by Walter J. Harrelson et al. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003.
James Blog 2
“What is good my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, an done of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no woks, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless persons, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,’ and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.” James 2:14-26 (NRSV)
These verses and Hebrews 6:9-10 and Matthew 7:15-20 inspired the following lyrics:
Screen Door
It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Faith without works baby
It just ain't happenin'
One is your left hand, one is your right
It'll take two strong arms to hold on tight
Some folks cut off their nose just to spite their face
I think you need some works to show for your alleged faith
Well there's a difference you know
'tween having faith and playing make believe
One will make you grow the other one just make you sleep
Talk about it
But I really think you oughtta take a leap off of the ship
Before you claim to walk on water
Faith without works is like a song you can't sing
It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Faith comes from God and every word that He breathes
He lets you take it to your heart so you can give it hands and feet
It's gotta be active if it's gonna be alive
You gotta put it into practice
Otherwise....
It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Faith without works, baby, it just ain't happenin'
One is your right hand, one is your left
It's your light, your guide, your life and your breath
Faith without works is like a song you can't sing
It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Faith without works, like a song you can't sing
It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine
I was raised on Rich Mullins music. For the longest time, I did not understand this song. Of course, part of it has to do with the fact that most three and four-year-olds do not learn song lyrics correctly. Only God remembers my original lyrics to this song, and I am sure that He laughs when He thinks of them. Anyway, that really has nothing to do with James.
Where is the balance between faith and works? Galatians states that it was faith that God reckoned as righteousness to Abraham. Here it is works. Of course I definitely understand how both are needed. Works cannot get you into heaven and faith does not make your righteous if you pass by things that need help. Rich Mullins states that “there's a difference you know/ 'tween having faith and playing make believe/ One will make you grow the other one just make you sleep/ Talk about it/ But I really think you oughtta take a leap off of the ship/ Before you claim to walk on water/ Faith without works is like a song you can't sing/ It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine.” So I suppose the question is Is my faith making me grow? Because if it isn’t then I do not have genuine faith. Have I taken that leap off of the ship?
WORKS CITED
Mullins, Rich. “Screen Door.” By Rich Mullins. Songs. BMG Songs, Inc. 1987. http://www.kidbrothers.net.
These verses and Hebrews 6:9-10 and Matthew 7:15-20 inspired the following lyrics:
Screen Door
It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Faith without works baby
It just ain't happenin'
One is your left hand, one is your right
It'll take two strong arms to hold on tight
Some folks cut off their nose just to spite their face
I think you need some works to show for your alleged faith
Well there's a difference you know
'tween having faith and playing make believe
One will make you grow the other one just make you sleep
Talk about it
But I really think you oughtta take a leap off of the ship
Before you claim to walk on water
Faith without works is like a song you can't sing
It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Faith comes from God and every word that He breathes
He lets you take it to your heart so you can give it hands and feet
It's gotta be active if it's gonna be alive
You gotta put it into practice
Otherwise....
It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Faith without works, baby, it just ain't happenin'
One is your right hand, one is your left
It's your light, your guide, your life and your breath
Faith without works is like a song you can't sing
It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Faith without works, like a song you can't sing
It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine
I was raised on Rich Mullins music. For the longest time, I did not understand this song. Of course, part of it has to do with the fact that most three and four-year-olds do not learn song lyrics correctly. Only God remembers my original lyrics to this song, and I am sure that He laughs when He thinks of them. Anyway, that really has nothing to do with James.
Where is the balance between faith and works? Galatians states that it was faith that God reckoned as righteousness to Abraham. Here it is works. Of course I definitely understand how both are needed. Works cannot get you into heaven and faith does not make your righteous if you pass by things that need help. Rich Mullins states that “there's a difference you know/ 'tween having faith and playing make believe/ One will make you grow the other one just make you sleep/ Talk about it/ But I really think you oughtta take a leap off of the ship/ Before you claim to walk on water/ Faith without works is like a song you can't sing/ It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine.” So I suppose the question is Is my faith making me grow? Because if it isn’t then I do not have genuine faith. Have I taken that leap off of the ship?
WORKS CITED
Mullins, Rich. “Screen Door.” By Rich Mullins. Songs. BMG Songs, Inc. 1987. http://www.kidbrothers.net.
James Blog 1
The Letter of James has two major candidates for authorship. The first is James, the son of Zebedee. According to Craig S. Keener, the more likely author was James, the brother of Jesus. The setting of the letter was probably before 66 AD and since James was killed around 62 AD, if he was the author, then it was written by 62 AD. The time frame between 62 AD and 66 AD “would allow for insufficient time for this letter to be a pseudepigraphic composition” (Keener 687). The Genre is an essay letter (Keener 687), adapting the diatribe (Perkins 2171) and is not addressed to a specific church. In the letter, James “attacks any form of partiality shown toward the rich. Arrogance and self-confidence can separate the rich from God and lead to callous injustice” (Perkins 2171). “Pride of the rich,” “persecution by the rich,” “pay withheld by the rich,” temptation to “retaliate with violent acts…or words” (Keener 689) are all reasons that the letter of James was written. The audience is predominately Jewish Christians, or even Jews in general, who had been “caught up in the sort of social tensions that eventually produced the war of AD 66-70” (Keener 689).
“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” James 1:2-8
“Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy in to dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.” James 4:7-10.
The cool thing about joy is that nobody can take it away from you. Happiness is fleeting. One wrong word or gesture and—where did the happiness go? Situations come and go making one happy or sad or whatever emotion. Joy is not an emotion though. I like to think of joy as a pure knowledge of God being, no matter what is going on inwardly or outwardly.
Christians cannot be “baby Christians” forever. God has greater plans than simply saving a person. After salvation, the Christian is supposed to learn and grow in the faith. One way faith is tried and refined is through trials. And it is so true that when a person goes through trials their faith produces endurance.
When growing up at church, we sang a song that was based off of James 1:17 and it is one of my favorites to sing to God. I love to call God by different attributes and names of His. Here, God is called the Father of lights. Does not that name make you smile? It is beautiful! Anyway, from the Father of lights comes every good and perfect gift. Anything that you receive that is good is from God! How amazing a God we serve who would give so much to His Church!
In times when I cannot feel the way I want to, I love to remember that God is beyond emotion. It is interesting, but when God feels far away, odds are He is closer than ever. Why? Because God is not known to pack up and leave during the night in an evil act of abandonment. One of the last things that God wants is for us to rely on emotion. What would come of that? I think that there would be a lot of spoiled Christians thinking that God somehow owed it to them to keep them happy at all times. There would be a world of “baby Christians” and maturity would be a foreign term.
This semester I have gone through some refining. There were days that God felt close and days where I wondered where He had gone. Yet, calling on Him proved that He was there because He answered each prayer. I just pray that I can keep on trusting when again God does not feel close.
WORKS CITED
Keener, Craig S. “James,” Pages 686-704 in The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
Perkins, Pheme. “The Letter of James.” Pages 2171-2172 in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible with the Apocrypha. Edited by Walter J. Harrelson et al. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003.
“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” James 1:2-8
“Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy in to dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.” James 4:7-10.
The cool thing about joy is that nobody can take it away from you. Happiness is fleeting. One wrong word or gesture and—where did the happiness go? Situations come and go making one happy or sad or whatever emotion. Joy is not an emotion though. I like to think of joy as a pure knowledge of God being, no matter what is going on inwardly or outwardly.
Christians cannot be “baby Christians” forever. God has greater plans than simply saving a person. After salvation, the Christian is supposed to learn and grow in the faith. One way faith is tried and refined is through trials. And it is so true that when a person goes through trials their faith produces endurance.
When growing up at church, we sang a song that was based off of James 1:17 and it is one of my favorites to sing to God. I love to call God by different attributes and names of His. Here, God is called the Father of lights. Does not that name make you smile? It is beautiful! Anyway, from the Father of lights comes every good and perfect gift. Anything that you receive that is good is from God! How amazing a God we serve who would give so much to His Church!
In times when I cannot feel the way I want to, I love to remember that God is beyond emotion. It is interesting, but when God feels far away, odds are He is closer than ever. Why? Because God is not known to pack up and leave during the night in an evil act of abandonment. One of the last things that God wants is for us to rely on emotion. What would come of that? I think that there would be a lot of spoiled Christians thinking that God somehow owed it to them to keep them happy at all times. There would be a world of “baby Christians” and maturity would be a foreign term.
This semester I have gone through some refining. There were days that God felt close and days where I wondered where He had gone. Yet, calling on Him proved that He was there because He answered each prayer. I just pray that I can keep on trusting when again God does not feel close.
WORKS CITED
Keener, Craig S. “James,” Pages 686-704 in The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
Perkins, Pheme. “The Letter of James.” Pages 2171-2172 in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible with the Apocrypha. Edited by Walter J. Harrelson et al. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003.
Hebrews Blog 2
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 NRSV
“It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 The Message
I seem to go through random times of doubting. I think every Christian also goes through the same thing. This past week has been one of those randomly-finding-thoughts-of-doubt weeks. While the seem random, they are placed right before worship at chapel or during a Bible class. They are not strong doubts. Actually, most of them have started off with the words “What if...” you know. “What if there is nothing after this life?” “What if people have twisted God into what we believe today as a loving God?” There have even been some like “What if I am unable to keep believing?”
The Tuesday after Thanksgiving I sat in chapel and was really happy just to be there. As the music started up and the people were shifted into a time of musical worship to God I got those random doubts. I closed my eyes and sang along with the songs. I had learned not to allow thoughts to take over what is supposed to be a time about God. But then the speaker got up and began to talk. Overall, the talk was frustrating because he too was kind of doubting. And by the end of his talk there was nothing positive coming out of his mouth. He ended the talk in a very negative way. And, bam, chapel was over. I sat there and shook my head. No matter what we are feeling, God is still in control, couldn't the guy have said that? God is still on His throne! God is still sovereign! God is still alive and moving! Faith is not about how I feel or how you feel.
Last December I sat in the Pray Room at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City allowing myself to ask the Lord of All questions that sounded “stupid.” They were not stupid, but I felt stupid having to ask them. One of the questions was, “God, what is faith?” I was reading a book by Bill Johnson called When Heaven Invades Earth and as I read Bill gave this verse:
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 NRSV.
At that I closed the book and switched to my Bible to read on in Hebrews. I found the whole chapter rich in the answer to the question I had asked.
I wish that I could say that I remembered Hebrews 11 after chapel, but I did not. I went to lunch and found out that my semester had just gotten more stressful. Then I took some time alone with God. I was not reminded of Hebrews 11 as I struggled with doubt because I struggled more with stress and instead God reminded me of Philippians 4:6 and 4:13.
However, the fact that I sought out God was very positive. My point of this blog is that faith is not a feeling anymore than love is simply a feeling. You just have to have faith through random doubt because even small thoughts of doubt can turn into perseverance...but that is for my next blog or two.
“It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 The Message
I seem to go through random times of doubting. I think every Christian also goes through the same thing. This past week has been one of those randomly-finding-thoughts-of-doubt weeks. While the seem random, they are placed right before worship at chapel or during a Bible class. They are not strong doubts. Actually, most of them have started off with the words “What if...” you know. “What if there is nothing after this life?” “What if people have twisted God into what we believe today as a loving God?” There have even been some like “What if I am unable to keep believing?”
The Tuesday after Thanksgiving I sat in chapel and was really happy just to be there. As the music started up and the people were shifted into a time of musical worship to God I got those random doubts. I closed my eyes and sang along with the songs. I had learned not to allow thoughts to take over what is supposed to be a time about God. But then the speaker got up and began to talk. Overall, the talk was frustrating because he too was kind of doubting. And by the end of his talk there was nothing positive coming out of his mouth. He ended the talk in a very negative way. And, bam, chapel was over. I sat there and shook my head. No matter what we are feeling, God is still in control, couldn't the guy have said that? God is still on His throne! God is still sovereign! God is still alive and moving! Faith is not about how I feel or how you feel.
Last December I sat in the Pray Room at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City allowing myself to ask the Lord of All questions that sounded “stupid.” They were not stupid, but I felt stupid having to ask them. One of the questions was, “God, what is faith?” I was reading a book by Bill Johnson called When Heaven Invades Earth and as I read Bill gave this verse:
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 NRSV.
At that I closed the book and switched to my Bible to read on in Hebrews. I found the whole chapter rich in the answer to the question I had asked.
I wish that I could say that I remembered Hebrews 11 after chapel, but I did not. I went to lunch and found out that my semester had just gotten more stressful. Then I took some time alone with God. I was not reminded of Hebrews 11 as I struggled with doubt because I struggled more with stress and instead God reminded me of Philippians 4:6 and 4:13.
However, the fact that I sought out God was very positive. My point of this blog is that faith is not a feeling anymore than love is simply a feeling. You just have to have faith through random doubt because even small thoughts of doubt can turn into perseverance...but that is for my next blog or two.
Hebrews Blog 1
In the Second Century AD, the authorship of Hebrews was attributed to Paul, however, both Craig S. Keener and Donald A. Hagner agree that Hebrews was not written by him. Hagner gives no other options for authorship besides saying that the author could have been in the Pauline circle (Hagner 2151), while Keener says that there are similarities between Luke-Acts, but says that the style is not completely Lukan. Keener does say that the top candidate for authorship is Silas and that the date of the text is around AD 64. Silas was a Jewish Roman citizen and likely a scribe who would have had the education to write a work such as Hebrews (Keener 648). Hebrews is probably a sermon letter-essay. The audience of the letter-essay is “predominately Jewish and are under pressure to give up their Christian distinctives (Keener 648). If Hebrews was not written in 64 AD then it was probably written closer to 68 AD because Paul is not mentioned. However, Hanger says that Hebrews was probably written around 65 AD and not after the Temple's destruction in 70 AD because there is no comment on the destruction. Another issue on dating the text is whether or not Nero had begun his persecution of the Church. Specifically, Hagner says, “If Nero's persecution had not yet taken place, then a likely date for Hebrews is c. 65 CE” (2152).
“About this we have much to say that is hard to explain, since you have become dull in understanding. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food; for everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.” ~ Hebrews 5:11-14
Ouch. Let's face it, that was meant to convict the Christians who read it. Really, it should convict Christians today. No, not every Christian, but many of them. I would even go as far as to say “most of them” because every Christian has more to learn and has in some way failed to do their part at various times, and instead have a acted as if they were new in the faith.
Or maybe there are Christians who are only followers one day a week. Monday through Saturday they live for themselves without a second thought to God at all. I know that I do not think of God as much as I want to. Yeah, I have things that I do daily that remind me of why I am alive. Yeah, I go to a Christian school and some classes pray before they begin. I have been a Christian for years now. Yet sometimes I wonder how many of us have been Christians for years now and nothing more. I mean we have the title...but we should by now know enough to be involved in intelligent conversation teaching and learning at the same time instead of just 'learning.'
WORKS CITED
Hagner, Donald A. “The Letter to the Hebrews.” Pages 2151-2153 in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible with the Apocrypha. Edited by Walter J. Harrelson et al. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003.
Keener, Craig S. “Hebrews,” Pages 647-685 in The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
“About this we have much to say that is hard to explain, since you have become dull in understanding. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food; for everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.” ~ Hebrews 5:11-14
Ouch. Let's face it, that was meant to convict the Christians who read it. Really, it should convict Christians today. No, not every Christian, but many of them. I would even go as far as to say “most of them” because every Christian has more to learn and has in some way failed to do their part at various times, and instead have a acted as if they were new in the faith.
Or maybe there are Christians who are only followers one day a week. Monday through Saturday they live for themselves without a second thought to God at all. I know that I do not think of God as much as I want to. Yeah, I have things that I do daily that remind me of why I am alive. Yeah, I go to a Christian school and some classes pray before they begin. I have been a Christian for years now. Yet sometimes I wonder how many of us have been Christians for years now and nothing more. I mean we have the title...but we should by now know enough to be involved in intelligent conversation teaching and learning at the same time instead of just 'learning.'
WORKS CITED
Hagner, Donald A. “The Letter to the Hebrews.” Pages 2151-2153 in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible with the Apocrypha. Edited by Walter J. Harrelson et al. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003.
Keener, Craig S. “Hebrews,” Pages 647-685 in The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
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