I'm having a discussion about drinking alcohol, and I make the point that if drinking in moderation was a sin, Jesus would not have turned water into wine. Paul would not have, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, told Timothy to take wine for his stomach. I was quickly informed that I should stop trying to find loopholes in the bible. In other words, quit justifying what you believe by taking the bible in context.
Ephesians
1:1 Simply put, "saints" are those who are faithful in Christ.
1:4 [paraphrase] God chose mankind , before creating us, to be innocent, which we were, until Adam and Eve disobeyed.
1:5 [paraphrase] Out of love, he planned for us to be adopted through Christ.
1:4-5 Verses 4 and 5, taken together, show the chronological plan of God, how he created us perfect, but we disobeyed. He then provided a second way throgh Christ. The use of the word blameless in verse4 is significant, for before manking gained knowledge of good and evil, we were not accountable, but blameless and innocent. Verse 13 would contradict 4 and 5 if it meant that we were handpicked, because that verse puts the burden on belief.
1:13, 14 At rebirth, the Holy Spirit becomes a seal upon our soul. As long as we do not quench or blaspheme the Spirit, He remains our guarantee of salvation. The Greek word used here is that which refers to a wax seal. It takes little imagination to invent a way to tear off a bit of wax. As such, this word can hardly mean that the Holy Spirit, our seal, protects against forfeiting one's salvation. Rather, a wax seal is an indicator that the package is unopened and uncompromised. A seal allows us to know that we're saved, but it certainly does not keep us that way.
2:3 The term "sinful nature" is also rendered simply as "our flesh" indicating that in some translations, the words sin and flesh/carnality are used interchangably, though this is somewhar inaccurate.
2:8 It is by grace that we are saved, but grace comes by faith, and as Galatians 3:2, 5, and 6 show, it is not a work as some theologies suggest.
3:3 Again, Paul speaks of a personal revelation.
3:7 The grace that Paul speaks of is the revelation he recieved.
Let's Ask My Friend, The Pope: Part II
Note: This is the second part of this essay. If you haven't read the first half, you should. It's HERE. For those of you that ignore my suggestion, please excuse the abrupt beginning. Here goes:
But what about the first century, when the bible was being written? What happened if the folks at Corinth didn't wuite get what Paul was saying about, for example, lawsuits among the brethren? The answer is simple: like the Catholics today, they simply asked the guy in charge. And the closer you are were to the author of a particular epistle, the better your chances as getting a definite answer. Conversely, your odds of misunderstanding increases with distance. Luke, to name one, probably had no misgivings about Paul's conversion story. Mark and Bartholomew could have setted any dispute by pulling Paul aside and double-checking themselves. Sometimes, as was the case with Peter, in Galatians, Paul didn't wait for someone to ask. He made a clarification when he saw one had become necessary (1).
Likewise, it seems unlikely that someone a thousand years after Christ and Paul could be the first person to understand one of their statements. Imagine a professor of Western Civilization publishing a book that attempted to "prove" something previously unknown about Abraham Lincoln. Pretend that this professor suggested that our sixteenth president was actually our twenty-fourth, or that he was gay, or female, or black. I hope it can be said of Americans that we are not so gullible. Hundreds of books have been written on Lincoln, many by people who knew the man. Lincoln himself put quite a lot into print. Portraits exist. Lincoln's clothing--men's clothing--is on display in at least one museum that I know of. All of these things testify to the fact that Abraham Lincoln was our sixteenth president, male, white, and straight. Someone, however, could manipulate this data with a quote from Lincoln's pen:
"If any personal description is thought desirable, it may be said that I am [of] dark complexion, with coarse black hair. (2)"
From this, they could argue that he was black, but despite what we read, we possess a couple hundred years of scholarship to correct our faulty assumptions.
And so, the proper interpretation of a scripture should be found close to the actual author of that scripture. Barring the existence of an extremely astute (or lucky) scholar, novel interpretations of scripture that contradict traditional interpretations are likely wrong, especially if they pop up without any pre-existing authority, or any authority at all, besides the interpreting author's say-so. As Solomon said, "There is nothing new under the sun."
All of this rests upon the rather reasonable assumption that when an author penned a letter, they themselves knew what they meant. This seems like common sense, even without scriptural support, but for skeptics and Bereans, Paul puts it plainly in I Corinthians 2:13 that his spoken word was given to him by the Holy Spirit, when he says the following:
"This is what we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit."
Also II Thessalonians 2:15 (italics mine):
"So then brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter."
The words that Paul spoke, his lessons and explanations, were of the same inspiration, or were at least as reliable, as the epistles he wrote, and the fact that he was inspired to include that little fact proves to us that he was aware of it.
All of this isn't to say that every belief in the first and second centuries was free from heresy. To cite just a few, Paul warned of false teachers in II Corinthians 11:13 and Galatians 2:4; Peter spoke of them in II Peter 2:12-22; and Jude echoes his warning in the fourth verse of his very brief epistle. A teaching's presence in the early centuries isn't a guarantee against error, but a complete absence of it is an indictment. Truth should have precedent. It should have a pedigree.
1. Galatians 2:11-13
2. Lincoln's second autobiography
Up next: Galatians 4-6
4:1 The Law served as Israel's guardian against their own selfish natures.
4:10 No need for special days. This is very similar to Paul's statement in Romans 14:5.
5:2 Not a condemnation of circumcision in and of itself, but a pronouncement against righteousness by works.
5:4 Both senses of "falling from grace" seem to apply here. One interpretation signifies transformation from faithfulness to apostasy. The second, and in this case, more likely (considering the context) implies a return to Law and therefore, a fall from or abandonment of grace.
5:10 This verse has interesting implications for men like (for example) Johann Tetzel, who lead the Catholic Church's sale of indulgences. Do they then become responsible for all the sins that they've "indulged" away?
5:13 Forgiveness is not a license to sin.
5:25-26 It is possible to fall out of step with the Holy Spirit and therefore become unable or unqualified to inherit the kingdom of Heaven. (v. 21)
6:7 Another verse listing the principle of sowing and reaping.
6:11 Paul obviously wrote the original copy of this epistle himself.
To continue with Ephesians 1-3, click HERE.
Before I begin my review of Galatians, I'd like to say that, in real-time, I'm reading Hebrews and the Epistle of Clement. I read a recent theory that Clement of Rome (as opposed to the Clement of Alexandria) could possibly be the author/editor of Hebrews. Paul seems an unlikely candidate because it lacks all the typical "Paulisms." The exact phrasology is different than any of Peter, Paul or John's works, but similar enough to be a paraphrase. It's all very interesting, now on with the review:
Galatians 1-3
1:6 makes reference to a different gospel. This echoes Paul's admonishment in II Corinthians 11:4.
1:11 states that Paul's gospel (his message, not some extrabiblical writing) is not man-made.
2:2 This seems to be a different revelation than the one Paul mentions in II Corinthians, because the II Cor vision occurs 11 years before the writing of that epistle and this one takes place 14 years after Paul's conversion.
2:11 Here Paul recounts Peter's failure to stick to pure teaching, instead revisiting old laws. Paul rebukes him for it.
2:16 The opposite of "justified by faith" is nothing other than justification by the Law.
2:18 seems to indicate that if you decide that the Law is necessary after all, then you become responsible for all your "transgressions" when you weren't keeping it.
2:21 Righteousness cannot be gained through the Law.
3: 2, 5, 6 Belief is what brings salvation, not Law. The juxtaposition of these two words shows that belief is not a "work."
3:12 The Law will be followed in Spirit, unintentionally, by those that believe, as a side-effect, not an intended action.
3:14 Abraham begats Jesus who, by our faith, adopts us into their lineage. Also, Christ is the "seed" of Abraham, not us; we are the branches of Christ. Descendance from Abraham has nothing to do with salvation.
3:28 In Christ there is niether Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, but one without physical distinction. Our distinctions, as Christians, are only spiritual. No physical characteristics should determine our spiritual function.
Finish Galatians HERE.
I begin again with II Corinthians 8. I noticed (surprise, surprise) that I had made no comments on chapters 8-11. I must have read through these chapters while very tired, The notes you are about to read are fresh, taken from no notebook.
II Corinthians 8:16 Titus moves from Macedonia to Corinth.
9:6-10 Verses that apply to sowing and reaping.
10:4-5 Paul speaks of the spiritual weapons of war, against not only spiritual powers (verse 4), but intellectual agruments (verse 5).
10:9-10 It seems that Paul was accused of talking big but acting small. Here, he argues against it, almost threatening.
11:3 It is possible to be led away by even good intentions.
11:3,4 "...receiving another spirit..." The Greek phrasology here is the same as when one recieves the Holy Spirit. The verse is addressed to Christians.
11:16 Satan comes as an angel of light.
12:2 It is likely that Paul himself is the one who had the vision. It is he that fears boastfulness, and is using a third-person perspective to stave off pride or, at least, the appearance of pride. Verse seven illustrates that the vision was his own.
12:7 Many have pondered Paul's thorn.
12:9 Paul quotes Christ, but from outside the Gospels.
12:12 Things that mark an apostle: Signs, wonders, and miracles.
13:14 Paul illustrates in a vague, uncemented way, his belief in the Trinity.
As a side note, my efforts here include a chart that I'm compiling, that shows which church fathers quote which verses and where. It should help in determining the original context for the verses. So far, I've included some of St. Athanasius' work, St. Augustine's City of God, all of St. Patrick's work, including a psuedo-Patrick from around 700.
Continue in GALATIANS.
As some of you may have noticed, I had no notes on I Corinthians 16. The chapter consisted of "How to take an offering" and a few updates and greetings. While I'm always on the lookout for places where Paul is sending someone somewhere (as I mentioned BEFORE), I didn't see anything of note, here.
This blog begins my study of II Corinthians.
II Corinthians 1:21-22 This verse is often quoted in support of Preservance of the Saints, but the problem with such an assertion is that the text does not qualify the Holy Spirit's presence as an inalterable state. The word "seal" as it is used in the Greek, indicates only a mark, not an impenetrable barrier. The presence of the Holy Spirit is our guarantee of what is to come but this verse does not comment on what would happen if one quenched or blasphemed the Holy Spirit.
2:15 Paul gives a dichotomy here: those being saved and those perishing. This indicates that both salvation and damnation are processes the reach completion only in death.
3:1-2 No diploma is necessary fir ministry.
3:6-7 Another reference to the Law bringing death. If not, the Paul is simply being dramatic.
4:13 Saving faith is belief in action.
5:5: As in 1:21-22, the Holy Spirit is our downpayment/deposit on Heaven. This time, Paul adds an admonishment not to grieve the Spirit, because He is our guarantee. Without Him, the "deal" is void.
5:10 Judgement will come to all for the things done on Earth. Here is where we are either accepted or denied.
5:14-15 Christ died for all.
6:2 This verse is a novelty in that it is one of the few verses in which salvation is not regarded as after death only. The exception is possibly due to either A. the fact that Paul is quoting Isaiah or B. Paul is stressing the immediate need for Christ and the danger or procrastination.
7:5 At this point, Titus is in Macedonia.
7:10 Speaking to Christians, Paul says, repentance leads to salvation. The construction of this verse inplies that, though Paul was writing to Christians, those Christians were still in need of repentance.
Click HERE to continue with II Corinthians 8.
Something that I've noticed is that Paul is continually shifting his people around. I never realized how many times he uses the phrase, "I am sending...to you." In II Timothy 4, we find Paul giving a list of people that have left: Demas, Crescens and Titus. I've always assumed that all three simply gave up, but I never noticed that only Demas was definitely a quitter. The other two may have been sent elsewhere. In Titus, we find that Titus has been made the elder of Crete, when previously, he was in Dalmatia, and Paul is requesting his presence in Nicopolis.
Tychicus and Onesimus are also frequent movers. I'm thinking about adding in an appendix of where the various followers went to.
You know, I think I'm going to rush through these next few chapters as quickly as possible. Relaying my thoughts, weeks after I wrote them down, isn't as stimulating (for me) as writing down what I read yesterday or today. Tonight, I'll type up a huge chunk of I Corinthians and maybe start a second blog where I'm at now.
I Corinthians
11:4-7 Paul isn't laying out strict rules on how to pray or prophesy. As I see it, he's talking about the ridiculousness of finding one's honor in the methods of how one prays.
12:8-11 List of spiritual gifts
14:1-18 Guidelines for the usage of tongues in church.
14:5 Prophecy is better than tongues.
14:14 This desription does not sound like the usage of a simple foreign language, but a spiritual state beyond our own.
14:20 This verse indicates that infants know no evil. While this isn't a doctrinal statement, it is a statement from an agreed viewpoint.
14:32 The spirit of a prophet is subject to the control of the prophet.
15:2 Christians can hold firmly to the gospel or believe in vain.
15:4-8 After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to:
No mention is made to his appearance to Mary Magdalene, nor do the Gospels record his appearance to James.
15:21 Death came by Adam (not by Adam and Eve, or Eve alone); Resurrection comes by Jesus.
15:42 A body is raised to Heaven and becomes imperishable. This is what is meant by eteral life.
15:45 Adam became a living being. Compare to Adam bringing death to the world. Death came with Adam's creation, not with his sin.
15:50 Perishable does not inherit the imperishable.
15:56 The sting of death is sin. For Christians, death has no sting. It is only in a sinful setting (this world) that death is bad. The power that sin has comes from the Law a.k.a. knowledge.
Continue in II Corinthians HERE.
So I just finished a rather satirical blog on Global Warming, and now I'm here to relate some of what I've been finding in the scriptures lately. If you want to read my other piece, you can find it at http://blog.myspace.com/jeremiahmcnabb. If not, I won't hold it against you; feel free to hang around here.
I Corinthians
5:9 Here, Paul refers to a previous epistle to the Corinthians. It's too bad that it isn't extant.
6:9 This is a list of people who will not inherit the kingdom of Heaven. Paul then command Christians, then also unbelievers, to be washed, sanctified, and justified.
7:9 (What is it with the ninth verse of everything?) "Burn" with passion, as opposed to marrying. Paul makes it clear that sexual promiscuity is a slippery slope to Hell.
8:1,4: These two verses support the idea that condemnation is accountability-based.
8:9 Continues support for the premise of 8:1,4.
9:2 The word "seal" is used in an evidenciary manner. There's no implication that it's an unbreakable seal, only a marker of salvation.
9:27 "...disqualified for the prize" Note that Paul says "...so after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." He does not say "so that I myself will win first prize." Coming in second, third or last is different than being disqualified.
10:12 "Be careful that you don't fall."
10:23 This verse begins like 6:12. The first pertained to sexual immorality, the second (10:23), to food sacrificed to idols.
Continue with I Corinthians 11 by clicking HERE.
We're out of Romans and into I Corinthians (1-4). Let's begin, shall we?
1:8 If this verse were proof of Preserverance of the Saints, it would be important enough to warrant soem detail, and not left as a brief note couched in a statement of thanksgiving.
1:10 As in Romans 16:17 this verse speaks against division, a regular theme of Paul's.
1:18 "Being saved." This is not an event, but a process, at least. It could be construed as a destination.
1:24 This is a reference to "the called," both Jews and Gentiles, but it's obviously referring to Christians.
1:26 Not many of you were noble, most were weak, but were still called. God can use anyone.
2:11 Understanding of the deepest things comes from the Holy Spirit. This is Christianized Platonic philosophy, in a way.
3:10-15 "Fire will test." This particular verse is one that is used by Catholics to support the idea of Purgatory. Contextually, this is a verse referring to the immovable stature of the church.
4:6 This is a verse I want to look into more: "Do not go beyond what is written." I assume that this means that we should not make up our own rules in an attempt to become righteous, as the Pharisees did.
4:15 This is another reference to Paul's usage of the idea of spiritual heredity.
To continue in I Corinthians 5, click HERE.
With this blog, I finish Romans. I am progressing through my notes faster than I am reading through the bible, which means that, eventually, you'll be getting these thoughts in real-time. How exciting for you.
10: 9-10 Active belief is a requirement of salvation, but not a work ( Gal. 3:2,5,6)
10:10 Interesting how the bible uses the phrase "believe with your heart." Whenever we believe, whatever we believe, the work is done within our brain. There is no thought in our heart, only action. Belief, by the heart, is belief-in-action.
11:7-11 Here, Paul talks about those who have hardened their hearts as though it's an exceptional phenomena, and something that happens infrequently. It's not suggestive of the idea that everyone who rejects Christ was forced into that corner. Verse 11 expands to show that such forced stumbling or blindness was not necessarily a permanent condition.
11:14 Paul indicates that his efforts could bring about a decision in the hearts of his fellow Jews, indicating that man's actions (though not personal works) can have a direct effect on a person's eternal situation, leaving no room for a master list theology.
11:20-21 Paul speaks of branches that are grafted in, but can be broken off (because of unbelief). He personalizes the branches as "you." He consistently uses grafted branches as a metaphor for Gentile Christians, and natural branches as a metaphor for Jews.
11:26 This is another instance of God, in the Old Testament, referring to a race by the name of their common patriarch.
11:28 "Elect" are the Jews.
12:6-8 Raised as a Wesleyan, these were the "official" gifts listed by our denomination. The Spiritual Gifts listed in I Corinthians were not excluded, but were less focused upon in some congregations.
13:1-3 This verse gives one reason why, despite the common-sense answer of bad things happening to bad things is good , blowing up abortion clinics (for example) is wrong. Also under this catagory fall prohibitions (in America, at least) of underage drinking and smoking.
13:11 As in Matthew 10:22, salvation is a term that addresses our rescue from this sinful world and Hell, not our status as a born-again believer. Paul states, to believers, that salvation is coming.
14:2-8 Meat sacrificed to idols is a real-life illustration for us and a dire situation for first-century Christians. It tells us that we should not cause our brother to stumble over their weaknesses, even if their weakness is not our own conscience rejects. The implication, therefore, is that something may be a sin for one man, but not another, so long as the bible give no strict prohibition of it. The difference between one man and another, as applies here, lies within the mind.
14:17-18 Living rightly (righteously, peacefully, and joyfully) will give you the approval of man, and not necessarily martyrdom.
15:30-31 Paul understands the need for prayer from our fellow brethern.
16:1 Phoebe is a "servant" translated from the Greek word from which we get "deacon," yet she was a woman. The same qualifications (I Tim. 3:1-7) that apply to a deacon like Phoebe apply to a pastor or leader.
16:10 It is possible to know whether a person is actually saved or not, since Paul notes that this knowledge came because Apelles had been "tested and approved" and not something that the Lord told him.
16:13 Rufus is the son of Simeon, probably the same that carried the cross of Christ, and was, therefore, present at the crucifixion. His name means "red," unusual for a Jew.
To begin I Corinthians, click HERE.
Tonight, in an attempt to catch up to my current place in the Bible, I'm listing three more chapters from Romans (6-9). I hope you can gain something from them. Since my main point was to post this transcription of my notes, I won't say anymore. Here goes:
6:11-12 Being dead to sin is a command, not an automatic effect of being born-again.
7:10 Commandments which were meant to bring life, brough Paul death-by-resctriction, much like Adam.
8:1 No condemnation for those who are in Christ. The word "in" is indicative of a present condition, not a former one.
8:24 We hope for what we do not have, and for what is to come. We hope to be saved. The terms "salvation" and "saved" actually refer to our presence in Heaven, and is
different from being born-again, which is what we are here, on earth.
8:29 "Predestined," throughout the earliest years of Christianity, extending up until the 1600's, was never defined as being inalterable. It meant only that by being in Christ, our place was reserved in Heaven.
8:35 Nothing can separate us from Christ's love. In contradiction to those that believe in universal salvation, love is not equal to salvation.
9:10-12 culminate with Paul's quotation of Obediah 6, "Esau I hated."Throughout the Old Testament, various prophetic speakers used the terms Jacob and Esau to reference the kingdom/ethnic group that came from them.Obediah, specifically, is one of these. It had nothing to do with thebrother's themselves.
9:17 is referring to Pharaoh, is not considering the emperor's eternal destiny, but his lot in life. God raised him up, never spiritually, but in earthly matters. His destruction was an example of God's manipulation of governments, in order to bring about a specific future. Pharaoh, had he granted the Jews their freedom, could have watched them leave his gates and said to himself (and worse, to his kingdom) "Look at those Israelites. Their God didn't deliver them. If I weren't so merciful, they would still be our slaves." For this condition of his heart, God punished him by tying Pharaoh's irrespective attitude to his actions.
9:20 is an interesting passage in that it defies the axiom that no apocryphal books are quoted in the New Testament. This verse quotes directly from Wisdom 15:7 which, while sounding very much like Jeremiah 18:4, and maybe originating from it, has a different perspective. In context, the book is talking about those who, rather than make vessels, are creating idols. The following verse, 15:8, makes an additional comment that puts the blame for such a lewd creation on the maker of the idol. Unintentionally, the author has made a telling comment about the concept of election: if God has made a man evil, then God, the creator is to blame for it, not the creation.
9:19-21 end with another Old Testament quotation: Jeremiah 18:4. Prophetically, Jeremiah was expounding on God's plan to eventually include the Gentiles in his plan for reconciliation with God. Paul, a former Pharisee, would have known this and not taken the verse out of context.
9:30 and onward is Paul's anticipated answer to those who say that, because the Jews (as a whole) are not, in the end, the sole recipients of grace, then God's prophecies are void. Paul explains that the Jews who try to relate to God by the Law, rather than faith, are in unbelief and therefore, not righteous.
As a side note, I began reading Greathouse's book, From The Apostles to Wesley: Christian Perfection in Historical Perspective. Thus far, it's been extremely enlightening. Greathouse, former general superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene, breaks down the definitions into explanations everyone can understand. He proves the pedigree of the doctrine of sanctification, throughout church history.
To continue with Romans 10-16, click HERE.
