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January 29th, 2022

1/29/2022

This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, and the Epistle Reading will continue to move slowly through 1 Corinthians [12:31b-13:13]. And we have also been taking our time with the issue of how Christianity is being spoken against [see Acts 28:22] in the book of Acts.

At first, St. Paul made his defense of Christianity before the Jews in Jerusalem, and that did not go too well. Since they tried to kill him, he was taken to the governor in Caesarea, who, at that time, was Felix. In Caesarea and before Felix, the attorney for the Jews made his case against Paul, and Paul gave his defense. What followed immediately after that defense is given in this text (in a somewhat-literal translation):

And Felix postponed them, knowing more exactly the things concerning ‘The Way’, saying: ‘When Lysias the chiliarch comes down, I will determine the things concerning you.’ And he commanded the centurion to keep him and to have relief and to forbid no one of his own people to attend him. And after some days, Felix arriving, with Drusilla, his own wife, being a Jewess, he sent for Paul. And he heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus. And as he was dialoguing concerning righteousness, self-control, and the judgment of the coming, Felix, becoming afraid, answered, ‘I have the now; go, and taking time later, I will send for you.’ Also at the same time, he was hoping that money will be given him by Paul; wherefore also more frequently sending for him, he conversed with him [Acts 24:22-26].

What is interesting about this section of Acts? There seems to be a progression within the text. The attacks on Paul seem to abate, at least for the time being. And since Felix has some knowledge of ‘The Way’, things seem to be going in a good direction. It might be helpful to look at the order of the things discussed by Paul and Felix.

The first topic being mentioned is ‘the faith in Christ Jesus’. The word ‘faith’ in the Old Testament essentially is the word ‘Amen’; essentially it does not talk about itself, but it points to something else. So, it seems that Felix is getting the basics about Jesus, the Anointed or Christened One.

The next topic is righteousness. Instead of talking just about Jesus and what he did, there seems to be a move to talk about the ramifications of his coming. It is obvious that Jesus did not go around telling people that they were not righteous and he was. In the New Testament, the word is much more frequent in the section of the epistles. At that point, it was much easier to have a bigger perspective of Jesus’ coming. Some have called Jesus’ action on the cross ‘The Great Exchange’. He takes on our sin, and we receive his righteousness.

The next word is a very interesting one. It is translated as ‘self-control’. It comes from a word meaning ‘lordship’ or ‘power’. Here again, Jesus did not go around talking about his lordship and power. This word is not at all found in any of the four gospel accounts, and its presence in the entire New Testament is quite limited [see Grundmann, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Volume 2; Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA: Eerdmans Publishing, 1964; pages 339-342]. But people have been pursuing power almost from the very beginning, and it is often hard to restrain it. The temptation of Adam and Eve was to be like God, and that is a powerful position.

People with lots of power have a natural proclivity to act like God. If you would like to read the commentaries or simply the Study Bibles regarding Felix and his wife, you would see some people who do what they want to do. And within that fact, there might be some similarities to things that are happening in the twenty-first century.

The final topic is ‘the judgment of the coming’. Another possible translation is ‘the judgment about to come’. Either way, the idea of being judged by someone else tends to ‘wake up’ the person. There is the realization that we are definitely NOT in control of things. And it seems like Felix eventually realized this.

The way Felix handles St. Paul, waiting for some money from him, shows that, ultimately, there was not the utter hopelessness that many in the past have experienced. Whatever the situation, there is a word of God in response. Actually there are two words of God, his word of Law and his word of Gospel. And those words still hold true—until the coming judgment.

How is Christianity spoken against? By Felix going through the message of Law and Gospel, and having the fear predominate, those are important issues, and Christianity may sometimes be seen in a bad light. But that is not the end that God desires. When it comes down to it, it is important for the Gospel to predominate in the end—because, in The End, it will.

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January 22nd, 2022

1/22/2022

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This Sunday is the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, and the epistle readings continue in 1 Corinthians [12-31a], and we also continue to look at how Christianity was received in Rome, the center of the world at that time—a LOT more important than Corinth. The writing last week basically focused on the charges against St. Paul, one particularly unbiased perspective by the commander, and one particularly biased perspective by the attorney speaking on behalf of the Jewish leadership. (It should be noted that after the attorney’s accusation, the text says that the Jews were also claiming the things said by the attorney were true; see Acts 24:9).

What follows is the defense of St. Paul. It is a bit longer than the accusations, and it may be helpful to compare it with other translations that you might have handy, since what follows is a somewhat-literal translation:

Of many years you being a judge to this nation, understanding cheerfully the things concerning myself, I defend myself, you being able to know fully that there are to me not more than twelve days from which I went up, worshiping into Jerusalem.

And neither in the temple they found me with anyone dialoguing or onset [riot] making of a crowd, neither in the synagogues nor throughout the city, nor are they able to prove to you the things of which they now accuse me.

But I confess this to you, that according to The Way which they say ‘a sect’, thus I worship the ancestral God, believing all the things having been written according to the Law and the things in the Prophets, having hope toward God, which also these themselves expect, to be a resurrection to be both of righteous and unrighteous.

In this also I train myself to have a blameless conscience to have toward God and men through all.

And, after many years, making alms to the nation, I arrived and offerings, in which they found me, having been purified in the temple, not with a crowd nor with a disturbance, but some Jews from Asia, whom it was necessary before you to be present and to accuse if anything they have against me.

Or let these themselves say which misdeeds they found, while standing before the Council, unless concerning this one voice which I have cried out among them while standing: Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged today before you [Acts 24:10b-21].

What is important here? When a person is making a defense, all of it is important. The speaker is a master at language, and it definitely shows.

What is interesting is that the resurrection is mentioned twice, once near the middle and once at the end. How much near the middle? The speech of St. Paul, at least in the Greek text used here, is one hundred and ninety-nine words—perhaps he had a two-hundred-word limit to his defense. :-) And the one hundred and first word is resurrection. Obviously the people hearing St. Paul on that day were not counting his words, but some of them were ‘counting’ his words as important. And repetition is very important when you want to get an important point across.

Bringing up the resurrection means that Someone else is in control of things, whether you want to obey that Deity or not. God could show us every day that he still has all the power in heaven and earth. But he decided to show that power in sending his Son to do something amazing for us.

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January 15th, 2022

1/15/2022

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This Sunday is the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, and we will start to look at the 1 Corinthians [12:1-11] in the Epistle texts. In this writing last week, we started to look at how Christianity was received in Rome, the center of the world at that time, and within that work we also looked at how it was a ‘necessity’ for St. Paul to visit Rome—not to be a tourist, but to witness, to testify, to be a martyr [that is literally what the Greek word is in Acts 23:11].

The journey to Rome will be a significant one for St. Paul. And since he was a Roman citizen, it does seem most appropriate for him to go. Within this writing, this trip to Rome will take a few weeks to cover. What does St. Paul say about the One who wanted him to go, and how do others respond to him (and to Him)?

After St. Paul’s arrest, there was an attempt to kill him by the Jews. The commander in charge of Paul took appropriate action to protect him, since Paul was a Roman citizen, and the commander wrote the following letter to Felix, the governor (and this is given in a somewhat-literal translation):

Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greeting.

This man, having been arrested by the Jews and about to be killed by them, I rescued, coming on [the scene] with the soldiers, having learned he is Roman. And being minded to know fully the cause on account of which they were accusing him, I brought [him] down into their council; whom I found, being accused about questions of their law, nothing worthy of death or of bonds, having a charge. And being revealed to me to be a plot against the man, at once I sent to you, commanding also the accusers to say to him before you [Acts 23:26-30].

In stark contrast to that, right before St. Paul gives his testimony to Felix, there are some accusations against Paul by an attorney named Tertullus. He was there with Ananias, the high priest of the Jews, and some elders (and this, again, is a somewhat-literal translation):

Much peace obtaining through you, and reforms coming to this nation through your forethought, both in everything and everywhere we welcome, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness. But in order that no more I hinder you, I beseech you to hear us briefly in your gentleness. For having found this man a plague and moving rebellion [literally ‘standing’, and implying ‘standing against authority’] to all the Jews throughout the inhabited earth and a ringleader of the Nazarenes’ heresy, who also attempted to profane the temple, whom we also laid hold of. From whom you yourself will be able, having examined concerning all these things, to know fully of the things we accuse him of [Acts 24:2b-8].

The style is somewhat complicated, and there are some differences among some manuscripts (you may find some footnotes in some translations). But the attack on St. Paul is very clear. And the news from the perspective of Tertullus seems rather bad. And did you notice how he tries to gain Felix’s favor, even before he mentions his name, by showering him with compliments?

There is a purpose to exaggeration. There is even a purpose in name-calling; we need to know what to call certain things. But if exaggeration is overused, it becomes useless. And it is no exaggeration to say that Jesus, that Nazarene (What good can come from there?), died for all sin.

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January 8th, 2022

1/8/2022

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This Sunday is the start of the Sundays after the Epiphany, and most of those Epistle readings will have a careful look at the latter chapters of 1 Corinthians. For the first Sunday of this season, the reading will be from Romans, and for the last Sunday, it will be from Hebrews.

What is known as ‘The First Sunday After the Epiphany’ is actually better known as ‘The Baptism of Our Lord’. This Sunday’s text is from Romans 6[:1-11], and within this ‘Sabbath Day’s Journey’ we will start to look at Rome—actually at some of its leaders—to see what those leaders had to say against Christianity. This is part of the big climax within the book of Acts, since it ends with the kingdom of God being proclaimed in an ‘unhindered’ way within the Roman empire [see Acts 28:31].

The focus of this writing for the next several weeks will essentially be ‘Christianity versus Rome’. And this perspective may be helpful for today’s popular perspective of Christianity, as Christians have to deal with both people and ideas that are considered by many to be very great.

It is a great underestimation to say that Rome was simply a great city. Last Sunday, with the text from Ephesians, we looked at the great city of Ephesus with its ‘Wonder of the World’, the Temple of Diana (Artemis). But to call Rome simply a ‘great’ city is almost an injustice. This massive city was by all accounts the center of the known world at that time.

Last time an overview of Ephesus was given from the Concordia Self-Study Bible. What follows is an overview of Rome from the same work:

Rome: In the Time of Paul

In terms of political importance, geographical position and sheer magnificence, the superlative city of the empire was Rome, the capital.

Located on a series of jutting foothills and low-lying eminences (the “seven hills”) east of a bend in the Tiber River some 18 miles from the Mediterranean, Rome was celebrated for its impressive public buildings, aqueducts, baths, theaters and thoroughfares, many of which led from distant provinces. The city of the first Christian century had spread far beyond its fourth-century B.C. “Servian” walls and lay unwalled, secure in its greatness.

The most prominent features were the Capitoline hill, with temples to Jupiter and Juno, and the nearby Palatine, adorned with imperial palaces, including Nero’s “Golden House.” Both hills overlooked the Roman Forum, the hub of the entire empire.

Alternatively described as the glorious crowning achievement of mankind and as the sewer of the universe where all the scum from every corner of the empire gathered, Rome had reasons for both civic pride in its architecture and shame for staggering urban social problems not unlike those of cities today.

The apostle Paul entered the city from the south on the Via Appia. He first lived under house arrest and then, after a period of freedom, as a condemned prisoner in the Mamertime dungeon near the Forum. Remarkably. Paul was able to proclaim the gospel among all classes of people, from the palace to the prison. According to tradition, he was executed at a spot on the Ostian Way outside Rome in A.D. 68 [St. Louis, Missouri, USA: Concordia Publishing House, 1986; page 1714].

There are two events, prior to St. Paul’s coming to Rome, that are worthy to point out. The first was shortly after Paul was in Ephesus. He was there for two years, and there is a brief summary statement of the Lord’s words spreading and increasing. But then the following statement is made [and what is given here and what follows is a somewhat-literal translation]:

And when these things were fulfilled, Paul purposed in the Spirit, passing through Macedonia and Achaia, to go into Jerusalem, saying ‘After I become there, it is necessary me, also Rome, to see [Acts 19:20-21].’

The second event is amazingly similar. After St. Paul is arrested in Jerusalem in Acts 21, he is allowed to speak in front of a Jewish crowd, but they refuse to listen to him, and they want him dead after he says that the Lord Jesus told him to go to the Gentiles. Then he is allowed to speak in front of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish leaders; but a great ‘standing’ [against authority; see Acts 23:7 & 10] happens, and the commander thinks that Paul might be torn apart by them, so he is protected by him, and Paul has the following happen to him:

And in the following night, coming to him, the Lord, said: ‘Be of good courage; for as you did solemnly witness the things concerning me into Jerusalem, so it is necessary, you, also, to witness into Rome [Acts 23:11].’

What makes these two events even more interesting is that Jesus, in the Gospel according to Luke, has two ‘necessary’ statements that deal with the purpose of Jesus on this earth. One is at the beginning of the work, when the writer records the words out of Jesus’ mouth. Here is Jesus’ response to Mary, his mother, when she states the great distress while searching for him for days:

Why that you were seeking me? Did you not know that in the things of my Father it is necessary for me to be [Luke 2:49]?

At the end of that gospel account, when Jesus is with two of his followers, and they are ‘on the way’, and they point out to Jesus how disappointed they were with what recently happened regarding Jesus’ death and resurrection. And then Jesus responds with the following words:

These things it is necessary, is it not, for the Christ to suffer and to enter into his glory? And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself [Luke 24:26-27].

There are some things that are necessary. We usually put those things on ourselves and not God. That is usually because we think of things in a negative way, in a ‘law’ way. And this is the typical perspective of Christianity, that it just is a bunch of laws for people to follow.

Sometimes we try to make things better, to make things more positive. But the only one who can truly do that is the Lord. It does not matter that St. Paul said that it was necessary for him to go to Rome before the Lord did. The Lord of heaven and earth was involved in the entire act of salvation from beginning to end. And he made an important stop along the way at the cross to make a payment for all sin.

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January 02nd, 2022

1/2/2022

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This Sunday is the Second Sunday after Christmas, and we will continue to look at the epistle texts. This week the text is from Ephesians [1:3-14]. And we will look at how Christianity was ‘spoken against’ [see Acts 28:22] in the city of Ephesus. St. Paul was at Ephesus for at least two years (according to Acts 19:10), and some interesting events at that city are recorded in the nineteenth chapter of Acts. It may be helpful to read that chapter in whatever translation you wish.

Ephesus is a well-known city, but it is usually remembered because of its connection to Ephesians. It may be helpful to know some of the other reasons it was so well known. The Concordia Self-Study Bible has a detailed description of this city near the start of its overview of Ephesians:

Ephesus: In the Time of Paul

The province of Asia with its many splendid cities was one of the jewels on the belt of Roman lands encircling the Mediterranean.

Located on the most direct sea and land route to the eastern provinces of the empire, Ephesus was an emporium that had few equals anywhere in the world. Certainly no city in Asia was more famous or more populous. It ranked with Rome, Corinth, Antioch and Alexandria among the foremost urban centers of the empire.

Situated on an inland harbor (now silted up), the city was connected by a narrow channel via the Cayster River with the Aegean Sea some three miles away. Ephesus boasted impressive civic monuments, including, most prominently, the temple of Artemis (Diana), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Coins of the city proudly displayed the slogan Neokoros, “temple-warden.”

Here in Ephesus Paul preached to large crowds of people. The silversmiths complained that he had influenced large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia (Acts 19:26). In one of the most dramatic events recorded in the New Testament, the apostle escaped a huge mob in the theater. This structure, located on the slope of Mt. Pion at the end of the Arcadian Way, could seat 25,000 people!

Other places doubtless familiar to the apostle were the Commercial Agora, the Magnesian Gate, the Town Hall or “Council House,” and the Street of the Curetes. The location of the lecture hall of Tyrannus, where Paul taught, is unknown [St. Louis, Missouri, USA: Concordia Publishing House, 1986; page 1801].

There is obviously a lot in the quotation above (as well as what is in the rest of Acts 19), but hopefully all of this is somewhat helpful. And having such a big riot in such a big city is significant. In the above quotation it is called ‘one of the most dramatic events recorded in the New Testament’. Perhaps it should be called ‘one of the most overlooked events recorded in the New Testament’.

What leads up to that event is also significant. It is recorded that Paul is speaking boldly in the synagogue, not on the open streets (Acts 19:8). And when some were ‘hardened’ and ‘disobeyed’, ‘speaking evil’ of ‘The Way’ before the multitude, he withdrew from them and separated the disciples, daily speaking in another place (19:9). Again, this is NOT out in the open. But he was there long enough so that ‘all the ones inhabiting Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord (19:10)’. At this point there are not a lot of specific things that are said against ‘The Way’. After the momentum builds for a while—after all, he was there for two years—the topic of Christianity being spoken against comes up when the big riot comes.

The city clerk says some helpful things in his talk to the riotous crowd. And after those things, he basically dismisses the group. Most significantly, he says about St. Paul and the others that these men are NOT ‘temple robbers’ or ‘blasphemers of our goddess’ (Acts 19:37; it could also be noted here that, in some manuscripts, the text says ‘your goddess’ instead of ‘our’.)

Another thing to note which could be considered quite interesting is that, when the city clerk begins to speak, the text does not use the past tense to say what he said, but it used the present tense to say what he IS SAYING. This is called the historic(al) present and it used in several parts of the New Testament—and even in several parts of the Greek translation of the Old Testament.

Usually the translations do not point out when this happens (the New American Standard translation does, and it has an * at Acts 19:35). But it may be helpful to note when this happens elsewhere. According to the New American Standard translation, the last time this happened was when an angel was speaking to Peter (Acts 12:8), and the next time this happens, St. Paul is about to be in front of a mob of people in Jerusalem (Acts 21:37).

The historic(al) present deals with something regarding the LORD’s authority that is always true. This ‘city clerk’ described in Acts 19 (which, in a more religious context, could be translated as ‘scribe’), when he is in front of the assembly (which, in a more religious context, could be translated as ‘church’), may be a type of transition point from the Lord having something significant to say within his Church to saying something within his earthly kingdom—which, because of his creation, is a huge kingdom. And, at the end of the book of Acts, this special message of the kingdom of God is ‘unhindered’ (Acts 28:31).

God’s kingdom may not seem too big today, but on the Last Day, it will certainly be obvious how big God’s kingdom really is and where God still has power. At this point in time, however, the Maker of heaven and earth has chosen to be known for his love that has been shown through his Son. Could anyone imagine a God that chooses to be known for his love and not his power?

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January 29th, 2022

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