The Bible in 1189 days

It is finished!

2008-02-18T10:22:00.003+13:00

Dear all who have read this over the years,

It is finished!

I started this blog in November 2004 and have been doing it until today, February 18th 2008. That's about 3.5 years. This blog never saw a large readership, however if you read my first introduction post on November 16, 2004 you'll find that that was never it's purpose.

Firstly, I want to thank all the people who have read along with me or have commented on my posts. In recognition of my appreciation, I am delighted to give you all a free car* each.

Please keep commenting on chapters as you read them, and I'll still reply. All chapters are complete and can be found using our little device on the top right on the page.

I'm happy that I managed to achieve a ridiculous plan I set out 1189 days ago. I've done it in a relatively consistent way, and generally kept to my timeframe. I have, at times, been up to a month and half behind, but I'll always managed to catch up, and I finished on the right day without breaking my rule of only doing a maximum of two chapters per day.

So what has happened in my life over the last 1189 years? Well, I have moved back to New Zealand, moved to Dunedin and had a whole new life down here. I've completed my first 24 papers at University without getting a degree. I've gone from being a newbie at Elim in Dunedin to being a lifegroup leader to being the Student Pastor. I've received a nephew and a niece to add to the one nephew I already had. I'm pretty sure I had both my brothers-in-law before I started this. No-one close to me has died. I've had one girlfriend and fallen in love at least once, yet am still desirably single. I've learnt Hebrew. I've been on a missions trip to Thailand. I've started crying occasionally again. I've kept and shared my faith.

To be honest, I'm happy this blog is over. It forced me to it in front of the computer every day, which meant I wasted time on the computer doing other stuff because I'm ill-disciplined. I'm happy to have achieved what I have, but I will actually have a significant chunk of time back each day, and I can actually go days without finding a computer because I don't have an excuse anymore. I'll be more diligent at work because I won't have an ulterior motive to do my blog!

The question now is, what will my daily countdown programme do once it reaches zero? Only time will tell.

On to the Apocrypha!

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Revelation 22

2008-02-18T10:21:00.000+13:00

World without an end

Summary:
Then I saw the river of life flowing from God's throne. The tree of life was on the banks bearing crops every month. The leaves heal the nations. We, God's servants, will see God's face. This is all true.

"I'm coming soon! Do what this book says!". I, John, saw all of this and was told to tell the world.

"I'm coming soon! I'm the beginning and the end! Wash yourself clean. This message is from me, Jesus."

"Come if you're thirsty" says the Church and the Spirit. Don't add to this book nor take away.

Amen.

Key verses:
2. the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
17. "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

My thoughts:
This is it! The end of the Bible. And it's all good. I love the first key verse. The nations are now healing. Human history, a history of suffering, is over. This is the way our world ends.

The curses and plagues associated with subtracting and adding to this book is clearly referring to Revelation and not to the whole Bible.

Revelation is written with a point, and the point is this: "Come". Come, whoever is thirsty and take from God's water. As I finish this blog I encourage you to come drink from God's water.

Revelation 21

2008-02-17T19:44:00.000+13:00

The new-maker

Summary:
Then there was a new heaven and earth replacing the old. There was a new Jerusalem, the bride. God now lived with people and makes everything sweet. It's all new! Life to the overcomers, and second death to the sinners.

Jerusalem was Jesus' bride. It was like a beautiful jewel. There was one gate for each tribe, and one foundation for each apostle. It was a cube of 2,200km with thick walls. It was made of very expensive jewels and gold. There is no temple nor sun nor moon, because God's presence was there and he's shiny enough himself! There is no night. Only those in the book cane enter. Nothing impure will be there.

Key verse:
5. He who was on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

My thoughts:
John/God paints a pretty sweet picture here. It is utter perfection in way unimaginable to us. God's presence would be undeniably present. I'd assume there'd be no tiredness, because there's no night and probably no sleep. It's all very cool.

Here it connected the second death with a lake of sulfur which connects it closer to the final destination of the unholy trinity, but it's certainly not conclusive.

The apostles are highly elated here with the tribes of Israel. It makes clear the priority of the initial apostles as having a special role over all those who would follow. They are eye-witnesses of Jesus. It also shows how the church is the new Israel, God's new people, his new Jerusalem. Very cool.

So Jerusalem is the bride, though often we think of the church as the bride, but I reckon there will be no distinction between the church and Jerusalem.

I love God's desire to make things new. He's the creator! Yay!

There is an implication here that there will be those living outside the holy city, but I think a too literal reading is unhelpful. This is a vision and needs to be interpreted thus. Notice that there is no night in the city, but presumably there is elsewhere. Clearly this isn't really speaking to reality as we see it.

The city is the size of a small moon.

Revelation 20

2008-02-16T19:43:00.000+13:00

Prast-millennialism

Summary:
Then an angel locked up Satan in the Abyss for a thousand years during which the martyrs came back to life and reigned with Jesus. This is the first of two resurrections.

After this, Satan will be released to bring an army against God, but God will whomp them sending Satan with the rest of his trinity to suffer eternal torment.

Then a massive throne came, causing all things to recede, and books of everyone's lives were there. All the dead came back and were judged. If they weren't on the list, then they were thrown into fire with death itself.

Key verse:
15. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

My thoughts:
Okay, so there is a passage here which quite clearly refers to a place of eternal torment, but it's also quite clear that that place is only for the unholy trinity. The general resurrected who are judged go to a separate place; the lake of fire. It is unclear whether that is eternal torment or simply second death.

Actually, it's entirely clear. It says "The lake of fire is the second death".

Anywho... somewhat disturbingly it says we are judged by what we had done, and not by our faith. It doesn't actually specify what constitutes getting your name in the book of life however, so it's theoretically possible that people are judged for their actions, but that that doesn't stop their names from being in the book of life. Hmmm...

So yea... has the millenium of Christ happened yet? Will it ever happen? Is it coming? People disagree on these points. I would contend that they are yet to happen, because they seem to occur after Armageddon and all the plagues and Jesus' return, and the don't seem to have happened yet. If they have happened, then it was pretty on the sly...

The two resurrections is an idea I hadn't really picked up yet.

Revelation 19

2008-02-15T14:51:00.000+13:00

Jesus riding on a white horse!

Summary:
Then a crowd praised God for condemning the prostitute. The elders worshipped, and there was a call for worship from the throne. The crowd praised God again, and sang that the Lamb's bride was ready. Those who get to go to the wedding will be stoked!

I worshipped the angel, but he didn't let me.

Then a powerful figure came on a white horse. We was dipped in blood and was at the front of heaven's army. He is the King of all Kings.

The angel called on the birds to dine on the bodies of the fallen sinners. The beast and his army fought against Jesus. The beast and the second prophet beast were captured and thrown into the lake of the fire, and the rest were just killed. The birds ate their flesh.

Key verse:
11. I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.

My thoughts:
So the beast beat the prostitute, and now heaven's wrapping up the job. In the midst of heaven's full army, there's no hint that they might lose. Yay Jesus! This is quite a cool image here!

So the second beast from before is the miraculous prophet in the unholy trinity. It's now deaded.

So here there are two fates for sinful things. Some are thrown alive into the lake, others are simply killed with the sword. Does this imply an annihilation for all but the worst? Or perhaps humans get annihilated but demons go to hell? Just believe whatever is most convenient. That's what everyone else does.

Revelation 18

2008-02-14T11:11:00.002+13:00

Ode to a city's doom

Summary:
Then someone sang of the fall of the woman 'Babylon', where so many had come to sin. Another voice called people to leave her and give her her due punishment. Though some of her fellow sinning kings mourned her, and merchants who could no longer trade all their things, including souls. The wealth has gone! The sailors will mourn at her sudden demise.

But you, God's saints, will rejoice. She was thrown down like a massive rock into water. Nothing will happen there again.

Key verse:
20. Rejoice over her, O heaven!
Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets!
God has judged her for the way she treated you.

My thoughts:
This is a big triumph over a city's doom. Some are happy about it, some aren't. Sounds reasonably realistic!

I don't know what sort of chronology this is supposed to happen in with regard to the beast's demise. It seems to be a different plot thread and much more relevant to John's present situation, especially if the city is Rome.

This reminds me more of Old Testament prophecy. Good times.

Hear that? That's the sound of being up-to-date! That's the first time since, like, last September. Might be the longest I've been behind for, but anyway, I am now up-to-date with a couple of days to spare! And I've kept to my rule of only doing 2 chapters per day maximum. Go Pete!

The 18th of Feb will be the last day. For ages I thought it was the 19th, and I think my counter thing on the right is one day off, or I somehow missed a chapter which would be more disturbing! Anyway... it gets confusing with inclusive and exclusive counting etc. Getting close!

Revelation 17

2008-02-13T11:10:00.000+13:00

1girl1cup

Summary:
Then an angel showed me the punishment of the prostitute. In the desert there was a women on the beast. The women, like the beast, wore royal purple, and she held a cup of filth. She is the great abomination and was drunk on Christians' blood.

The beast will come up from the Abyss to his destruction. He will amaze some because he died but came back. The beast's heads are seven hills and seven kings. The beast is an eighth king. The ten horns are ten kingdoms to come who will submit to the beast and fight Jesus, but Jesus will win.

The beast will ruin the prostitute, because the God has given the beast and his followers authority to do his will until his word is fulfilled.

Key verse:
17. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled.

My thoughts:
The woman is probably Rome because it is a great ruling city on seven hills who has killed many Christians. The fact that this has a relatively clear interpretation makes me feel more inadequate for not really being able to think what is meant on the previous call for wisdom, when John declares the beast's number.

The ten kingdoms could be barbarians who destroy Rome. I dunno. There probably a lot of specific mention here of present kings and rulers for John, as he seems to be speaking here to the present situation of Rome.

I dunno if this is the same beast of chapter 13. I think it's the same because it looks the same, and I think the description of it being in the past, and coming in the future is another description of his fatal wound.

Revelation 16

2008-02-12T10:09:00.000+13:00

It is done

Summary:
The first bowl gave people sores. The second turned the sea into blood. The third turned the rivers into blood, so that those with the beasts mark could drink the blood they shed. God is just. The fourth made the sun scorching. The fifth was poured on the beast's throne, and his world went dark, but people still didn't repent.

The sixth dried up the Euphrates for a battle. Frog-demons left the unholy trinity to go to the kings of the east to summon them for the final battle at Armageddon. Jesus comes like a thief.

Then the final bowl was poured. The very foundations of the earth shook. Cities were destroyed. Jerusalem split in three. The island and mountains were gone. It was done.

Key verse:
17. The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!"

My thoughts:
This is way the world ends. From here on in it's just tying up the loose ends, punishment and re-creation.

So obviously the concept of Armageddon is well cemented in the popular understanding of the end times, yet it is only a side note to this all. In case you weren't aware, Armageddon is a real identifiable place in Palestine.

God, in theory, could've made the world simply disappear with the click of his fingers, yet for some reason he chooses to go through this big nasty sequence. I guess it's to teach someone a lesson! I love the bitter justice of making those with the mark to drink the blood they spilt.

Revelation 15

2008-02-11T10:05:00.000+13:00

The end of wrath is nigh!

Summary:
There were seven angels to give the seven final plagues before God was done. There was a sea of fire, by which those who had remained faithful sang of the great things God had done.

The seven angels came out from the temple and were given a bowl of wrath each. Whilst the bowls were being poured, no-one could enter the temple due to God's glory.

Key verse:
4. For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.

My thoughts:
I love how in this verse it doesn't just say that God has been righteous, but also implies that God will be seen to be righteous. Sometimes we might feel like we're being told that God is righteous, but we're secretly not sure, but I think we can be confident that when all is said and done that it will be clear that God is good. We can't expect to completely understand it at all times.

I think it's important to notice that God's wrath is finite, but his love is infinite. There is a definite end to his judgement. It is an unfortunate but necessary aberration from what God wants to be doing.

Revelation 14

2008-02-10T11:51:00.000+13:00

The anti-beast

Summary:
And then the Lamb was on Zion with the 144,000 from before. They sang a new secret song with tremendous sound. The 144,000 were absolutely pure man-virgins.

Then an angel called on people to fear God. Another angel proclaimed Babylon's fall. A third angel made it clear that following the beast meant punishment. Those who die is Jesus are blessed.

Then a shiny son of man with a sickle came on a cloud to harvest the earth. Another angels will a sickle came, and was told to reap, and many people were squashed in a massive winepress.

Key verse:
1. Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.

My thoughts:
This is, of course, the declaration of victory for God and Heaven over the events of chapter 13.

I'm not convinced that the son of man of verse 14 is Jesus. He doesn't seem to do much, and as far as I can tell, the Lamb is still present.

The warning of the angels imply to me that it won't be too late for the followers of the beast.

Revelation 13

2008-02-09T11:50:00.000+13:00

666

Summary:
The dragon stood by the shore, and a beast came out of the water. It had seven heads, each with a name cursing God on it. He was freaky, and the dragon gave him his authority. One head looked as if it had been slain, but it had healed. The world followed the beast, worshipping him and therefore the dragon. The beast spoke against God, warred against his people, and ruled for 3.5 years. Anyone who isn't God's will worship him. Pay attention! We need to have endurance.

Then there was another beast, with the authority of the first, and pointed for people to worship the beast. This second beast could do miracles before people in plain sight. People trusted him, and he set up an idol for the first beast. The idol was given life, and people were killed if they didn't worship it. Everyone had to wear the mark of the beast, or else they couldn't buy or sell anything.

Think about this. The beast's number is a man's number. It's 666.

Key verse:
18. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.

My thoughts:
Yea, this is kinda weird, but that's kinda expected.

So here we have a kinda Satanic trinity of the dragon and two beasts. It's not too hard to derive some interpretations of this. The dragon is Satan, and the beasts appear to be two leaders who will ride up, but there's something about the horns representing kingdoms or nations or something. The horns might be leaders, so maybe the beast is an amalgamation of leaders. The beasts will woo the world, but openly oppose Jesus Christ.

There are actually quite a few specifics in this passage, but I have to admit that I would be suspicious of someone being the anti-christ if they are an amazingly popular leader who seems to have survived a fatal wound!

The scariest thing in my opinion is John's call for wisdom to figure out what this is about. It kinda goes against my statement that it's not really worth really trying to figure our Revelation in specifics. It also implies to me that Revelation is talking about John's present reality, or very near future, or else this specific message to the Asian churches is pointless.

Obviously 666 is a very well known Satanic number, and it comes from here, and pretty much here only.

Revelation 12

2008-02-08T14:44:00.000+13:00

Woman sees dragon, runs

Summary:
A big amazing pregnant woman was in labour, then a maddive 7-headed red dragon appeared who caused a third of all the stars to fall. The dragon waited to eat the child, who was to rule the world, but God kept the child safe and the woman hid. After battling with Michael and the angels, the dragon, or the devil, was cast down to earth.

Be happy and rejoice because the devil has been beaten by Jesus' blood. Now the kingdom of God can start.

The dragon chased the woman and threw rivers at her, but she got away. The devil went to chase other prey.

Key verse:
9. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

My thoughts:
So my first thought is that the woman is pretty much Mary and the child is then Jesus. But, even though Revelation isn't exactly chronological, it would be weird for Satan to be thrown from heaven after Jesus was born. There's also kinda the implication that Michael and the angels may not've won, which is a little dualistic.

It may be talking of some other random future event.

Here's a weird thought. Perhaps Jesus came into the world when he did because it was only at that point that Satan was defeated so that God could get his ultimate victory through Jesus. That's why he didn't do it early. That would kinda take power away from God though!

What's the implication of Satan being thrown to earth? How does that affect us?

Ah, Revelation is weird.

Revelation 11

2008-02-07T13:15:00.000+13:00

The two witnesses

Summary:
I was told to measure the temple and count the people in it, except for the part the Gentiles have taken over. They will trample the temple for 3.5 years.

Two witnesses will prophesy for 3.5 years, and they will destroy anyone who attacks them. They'll have super-powers like Elijah and Moses. Then the beast from the Abyss will kill them, and their bodies will lie in Jerusalem for 3.5 days. Everyone will be stoked because they were scary. After that, they'll be taken up to heaven in plain sight of others. And an earthquake will kill thousands.

The seventh trumpet blew.

The angels proclaimed Jesus' reign. The elders worshipped, thanking God for bringing his judgement. God's heavenly temple opened, revealing the Ark of the Covenant, and there was a pretty fireworks display.

Key verse:
15. The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign for ever and ever.

My thoughts:
As we will see, the seventh trumpet is less explicit than the previous ones, and it kinda just goes onto more big bizarre illustrations and images.

Anyway, so yea, the witnesses aren't explicitly connected to Moses and Elijah, but many have interpreted it thus given the description of the miracles they will be able to achieve.

So yea, the implication is that this is Jerusalem, but it's all secretive, probably because this was written at a time when all Jews were exiled from Jerusalem. However it is clear from the reference to the city being the place where the Lord was crucified.

This book, Revelation, is really very Jewish when you think about it, which implies to me a relatively early date. The Gentiles are almost spoke of in contempt.

Revelation 10

2008-02-06T17:09:00.000+13:00

Bitter words

Summary:
Then a massive awesome angel came and he had a little scroll. He spoke in thunder, but I wasn't allowed to write it down.

He announced that upon the seventh trumpet, God's mission would be complete.

I was told to eat the small scroll. As I was told, it tasted good, but made my stomach sour. I was told I had to prophesy

to the world.

Key verse:
9. So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your

stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."

My thoughts:
This is very like Old Testament prophets and their call. By eating the scroll, the Word is inside John to prophesy. On

first glance it appears that the Word sounds all nice and good but has some serious implications.

Again, this is all build up to the final woe of the final trumpet.

If this is all imagery language used by the author, and not a simple recording of a vision, then why are there words spoken

which are secret and aren't recorded? Any answers to this I can think of seem a bit contrived. I genuinely believe that

John had this vision and Revelation is simply him relating his vision.

Revelation 9

2008-02-05T17:08:00.000+13:00

From the Abyss

Summary:
The fifth trumpet allowed a star (angel) to open the Abyss. Smoke came up and darkened the world, and locusts ravaged all

those who didn't follow God for five months. They'll want to die. They were really freaky and the Destroyer, Apollyon, was

their king.

The sixth trumpet released four angels who would kill a third of the world. There was an army of 200 million. Smoke and

sulfur came from the mouths of the horse-riding angels which killed the people. The survivors still didn't repent of their

sins.

Key verse:
20. The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands

My thoughts:
So these are three frightening woes, and the text is really building them up as horrible. The author keeps stopping to

remind us that these are woes. There are great descriptions of how terrifying the beasts involved are. I wouldn't take the

pictures too literally, like some pictures on the internet, they more are just trying to communicate how terrifying these

things are.

So I don't think the angel of the Abyss, Apollyon, is Satan. The angel is simply part of God's death squad. This is all

God's will and plan, remember!

Some say that for the first time in history, and army of 200 million is feasible, especially when you consider China!

I love how the four angels from the Euphrates are released from their long-term captivity. I wonder if they're related to

the ones which guard Eden.

Revelation 8

2008-02-04T12:43:00.000+13:00

Wikipedia Wormwood

Summary:
Finally the seventh seal was opened and then it was absolutely silent for ages and seven angels were given a trumpet each. Another angel offered incense along with people's prayers, and then threw the incense holder, full of fire, onto the earth.

The first trumpet hailed hail and fire which burnt a third of the earth. The second threw a mountain into the sea, turning a third into blood. The third threw a star to earth, making a third of drinking water bitter. The fourth hit the sun and moon getting rid of a third of their light. Then an eagle cried out for the people on earth because it was only going to get worse.

Key verse:
1. When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

My thoughts:
The silence would probably be the most terrifying of all these things, methinks!

So the fallen mountain is called Wormwood (or bitterness). I just went to look up Wormwood in wikipedia and ended up reading about Sam Waterston and Stephen Colbert's speech to the president. Gotta love wikipedia! I went via Calvin and Hobbes somehow. Calvin's teacher is Miss Wormwood...

Anyway, so the mountain has become seen to be personified in some minor mythological sense. The apprentice demon in C. S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters is called Wormwood.

So yea... this is the destruction of the world.

I think that the chronology of the revelation is relatively easy to follow, but the chronology of the earthly events of the future it describes are vague and ambiguous, so I don't think it's worth truly trying to decide what it is. You just can't do it with any certainty!

Revelation 7

2008-02-03T12:42:00.000+13:00

Multitudes on multitudes

Summary:
Four angels were holding back the earth's wind, and before they were let loose to destroy, another angel sealed 12,000 from each tribe of Israel to be spared.

Then there were countless people in white robes who praised God and the lamb. I was told that they are those from the great tribulation who have been washed clean. They will never hunger or thirst, but will serve God forever and the lamb will provide for them.

Key verse:
9. there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.

My thoughts:
Some people believe that only a total of 144,000 will be saved, but it's clear from this that beyond those 144,000, there will be a multitude from all nations and tribes (cf. the 12 tribes of Israel) who are washed clean by the blood of the lamb. This multitude is countless, unlike the 144,000 which have clearly been counted.

Blood doesn't normally make you clean...

So my question here is, what is the great tribulation? Is it referring to some of the Roman persecutions, or is it talking about the destruction of the world which is seemingly imminent at the beginning of the chapter? Or is some coming suffering before that end? Who knows...

Revelation 6

2008-02-02T16:18:00.000+13:00

Baby seals

Summary:
The lamb opened the first of seven seals on the scroll, and there was a white horse who held a conquerer. The second seal revealed a red horse for war. The third was a black horse to destroy the economy. The fourth was a pale horse ridden by death and hades to kill a quarter of the earth.

The fifth produced the martyrs who were given white robes and told to wait just a little longer for justice. The sixth produced and earthquake and darkened the sun and the moon turn red. Everything was moved and removed. All the rulers ran and hid from God.

Key verse:
8. I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

My thoughts:
So the first four seals produce the four horsemen of the apocalypse, ending with death, who is here personified; a rare thing for biblical text.

So yea, we've had 6 seals of the 7 from tha scroll given to the lamb. Once the seventh gets opened in a couple of chapters we move onto the seven trumpets of the angels.

So what does this mean? Some would attribute these seals to events happening before the world is destroyed. I sorta believe that, but I think that the context and description of it is so vague that it's hard to say anything for certain. It's certainly quite frightening.

I think it's quite helpful whilst reading Revelation to keep a kinda chronology in your head of what's happening in the vision, and don't separate it too far from the vision John had. This needs to be interpreted as a vision.

So far John saw Jesus and heard 7 messages to 7 churches, and then saw the throne room, and the lamb came in to open the scroll, and we've seen in this chapter the results of opening the scroll.

Revelation 5

2008-02-01T16:15:00.000+13:00

The Lamb

Summary:
Then there was this scroll, and I cried because no-one could open it. But then an elder told me that the pride of Judah could.

Then there was a lamb, looking as if it had been slain.

It stood in the centre and had seven eyes and seven horns. He took the scroll and they all bowed and praised the lamb. Then there were millions of angels worshipping the lamb, and then everything in all creation that could praised the lamb and God.

Key verse:
6. Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne

My thoughts:
Ah, this is very cool. Jesus is the lamb who had been slain. He is on the throne with God, and is worthy of all praise. He is slain for us. He purchased people for God.

In this one picture of heaven, John sees all that is important in all of the Universe. By seeing it he understands the sacrifice the lamb made. He sees the praise God and the lamb deserve.

There are so many sweet Godsongs in this chapter. Good times.

Now we get to see what's going on in that scroll! w00t!

The lamb ain't so pretty when you think too hard about it.

Revelation 4

2008-01-31T11:55:00.000+13:00

Godsong

Summary:
Then I was led through a door into a big room, and this freaky guy was sitting in the centre on a throne. Kinda indescribable. There were 24 elders around him, and there was all this thunder and lightening. There were seven lamp, spirits, around the throne. There were four strange creatures around the throne. They were covered with eyes. They constantly praised God, and whenever they do so, the elders all praised too.

Key verse:
3. the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.

My thoughts:
I love these chapters which describe the throne room. For me, it truly gives us a picture of what worship really is. John is struggling for words to describe what he saw, particularly God on the throne. He's not really making sense. He's trying to describe the indescribable.

24 elders. One for each tribe and Apostle.

Notice how there are the seven spirits of God here, but it's quite clear that John is not refering to the Holy Spirit split, but rather to other things. We can see this because John constantly refers to the Holy Spirit when he says he was in the Spirit.

I love the songs of Revelation, the heaven songs. The songs of praise that the heavenly beings sing to God. In my head they are the purest most perfect songs to sing in our praise of God.

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.

You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.

Revelation 3

2008-01-30T11:05:00.000+13:00

Mmmm... Godvomit...

Summary:
Yo, Sardis, wake up! You might look alive, but you ain't. If you don't pull finger, then I'll come when you least expect it. Some of you have it sorted.
Philadelphia, you're weak but obedient. The door is open. Your enemies will submit to you, and I'll keep you from the coming struggles.
And finally, Laodicea. Be hot or cold! Just don't be lukewarm like you are. You claim wealth, but you're filthy and poor. I want you to repent and find me and become rich. I'm waiting for you to let me in.

Key verse:
20. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

My thoughts:
The message to the Laodiceans is quite well known for its rant about lukewarmness and for the key verse. The lukewarmness part is simply a reminder that following God is not a part of your life, it is all of you and needs to be that. There are a lot of lukewarm Christians, and we must call ourselves to be hot, and call others.

The key verse is just a cool expression of the response we need to make to Jesus. There are a few famous pictures of this, but they all have a very nice and normal looking Jesus. He should have fire-eyes, and glow like the sun with a double-edged sword out his mouth whlist holding seven stars. That would be more accurate in this passage.

Anywhom, notice that these messages aren't addressed to the churches, but to the angels of the churches, which presents the interesting idea that churches each have their own guardian angel. Quite a cool idea.

Could just be meaning human messengers though, eg. John.

I can't wait to get to the New Jerusalem and see how this all actually works!

Revelation 2

2008-01-29T16:06:00.000+13:00

Mmmm... sandwich...

Summary:
These are the words of the glorious Jesus I saw.
You've worked hard, Ephesus, and don't tolerate evil. But get back to your first love!
Smyrna, you're rich in your poverty and suffering! The persecution from the Jews will get worse.
Pergamum, you've kept your faith in tough surroundings. But repent from eating food sacrificed to idols and from sexual immorality.
Thyatira, you get better and better, but you've kept Jezebel around, and also need to repent of eating food sacrificed to idols and from sexual immorality. I will punish Jezebel, so you know I mean business. Don't leave what you already know!

Key verse:
7. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

My thoughts:
Jesus seems to be perfecting here the technique of the compliment sandwich. First, he says a nice thing, followed by something to improve on, and finishes with a promise to those who follow his words. There is a clear structure as follows:

Indication that the word is from the man described in chapter 1
Compliment
Things to improve on
Call to listen
Promise of something eternal

Jesus also seems concerned with specific heretics, the Nicolaitanes and one referred to as Jezebel. This continues to the other 3 churches addressed in the next chapter. You can read up on the Nicolaitanes. The common denominator of these heretics is they seem to be leading people to eat food sacrificed to idols (which Paul said was kinda okay...) and sexual immorality. Not much is known about them beyond Revelation.

Revelation 1

2008-01-28T15:22:00.000+13:00

Really shiny man

Summary:
Jesus showed me, John, what was happening soon so I could tell you, the seven churches in Asia. Praise God!

Jesus is coming through the sky, and everyone will see him. Even his enemies. "I'm the beginning and the end" says Jesus. I'm imprisoned in Patmos because of the Gospel. I was told by Jesus himself to write to you seven churches. He was in a long robe with a gold sasg. He was all white, but his eyes were fire, and from his mouth a really sharp sword. I fell to my knees so fast I thought I was dead, but he told me who he was and not to worry. He told me to write what I'd seen, including the seven stars in his hand which were angels to each of the seven lampstands around him which were you seven churches.

Key verse:
8. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

My thoughts:
So here we are, finally at Revelation. Only 22 chapters to go! I just worked out that I should catch up in time for 'the end' with about 1 day to spare or something. Maybe 3...

Anyway, I'm thinking that Revelation is going to be hard work! Long chapters, and lots of them, and generally difficult content!

So Revelation is apocalyptic literature, and generally either the Apocalypse of Peter of this Revelation of John made it into the early lists of Christian books, but the Johannine one obviously won out in the end. I just read about the Apocalypse of Peter and I'm quietly stoked that it isn't in our canon, as it seems a bit weird and extreme with very specific descriptions of hell; a specificity that the rest of the Bible seems to almost intentionally avoid.

The Apocalypse of Peter makes no uncertain claims about abortion, however! That is another matter which the canon doesn't appeal to specifically.

Anyway, so don't forget that Revelation is a letter, from John to some churches. The centre-point of this chapter is the image of Jesus that John sees. It's very powerful. I love the sword as Jesus' tongue. It's very consistent with Hebrews 4, describing God's Word as a double-edged sword.

So a lot of Revelation is very figurative. Keep that in mind.

Jude 1

2008-01-27T15:22:00.000+13:00

Slanderous beings

Summary:
Be careful. Some people have turned 'grace' into 'freedom to sin', and even deny Jesus. Remember that though God is Saviour, he is also destroyer. These people slander things beyond earth. Even archangel Michael didn't slander the devil! These people are useless. Enoch referred to their judgement.

We knew these people would come. Keep to the straight path and take others with you.

Glory to God.

Key verse:
10. Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them.

My thoughts:
Jude is so similar to parts of 2 Peter that it is very clear that they are somehow dependant on one another. Many suspect that Jude, brother of James and therefore presumably Jesus, wrote his brief Epistle first, and then 2 Peter was based upon it.

Jude was actually considered canonical quite early comparatively considering it's esoteric content and dubious origin. It references non-canonical material directly as scripture, which is rare in Biblical texts, and probably helped it return to dispute in the 4th century.

A practical point to take from this is not to slander the devil. We shouldn't approach spiritual things with arrogance, because we are mere humans.

Otherwise the theme is one that has become quite common. Beware of heretics. Oh, and grace isn't an excuse for sin.

3 John 1

2008-01-26T15:18:00.000+13:00

Good Gaius!

Summary:
Yo Gaius. I hear your faith is strong, and I hope you're health too. You've been good to your visitors. Continue this. Don't be like Diotrephes who wants everything for himself. Do good. Anyway, I'll come see you in person.

Key verse:
11. Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

My thoughts:
So this is quite similar to 2 John in that it's a simple little letter to a specific person about some unhelpful people. Here the person is named. Not too much to say about this. It fits very simply into the theology and points of the Johannine letters.

I'd love to talk to people like Gaius in heaven. Just those side people of the Bible we know so little about. There are a few Biblical possibilities as to who it could be, but we really just don't know.

2 John 1

2008-01-25T15:02:00.000+13:00

So I'm guessing this love this is important

Summary:
Yo lady! Shot on getting some Christian kids. Just make sure you keep loving each other. Some people say Jesus wasn't a physical person, so be careful against those who try to go 'beyond' Jesus' teaching. Anyway, I'll come and talk more.

Key verse:
9. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God

My thoughts:
This is a quick letter which essentially makes the same point as the entire first letter. Love one another, and heretics are wrong so keep away from them.

We don't really know who the lady is, but this almost certainly has the same author as 1 John, who is referred to as the elder here, as in 3 John.

My point from this chapter is: don't be too tricky. Jesus gave clear teachings. If you think too hard and end up basically making beliefs which aren't grounded in Jesus, but just in complex thought then you're going down the wrong route!

1 John 5

2008-01-24T15:01:00.000+13:00

Water and blood

Summary:
So we're called to show our love by following God's commands, which aren't too hard because we're born of God. This is through Jesus, who was baptised and who also bled. In addition to this he's testified by the Spirit. But most of all we have God's testimony that Jesus gives eternal life. If you get the Son you get life, if not, you don't.

I say all of this so you believe and live. We know God will hear us when we pray, so pray when a friend commits a non-fatal sin. In God we are safe from the enemy, unlike the rest of the world.

Don't have anything to do with idols.

Key verse:
13. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

My thoughts:
I love how this letter ends. John just gives a final command to do with idols which is completely unrelated to anything else he's been saying. A weird ending whatever the case. Maybe there was more but I wouldn't think that there'd be much more because the key verse seems to imply that the letter was coming to an end.

Anyway, I've used a bit of creative license for my summary here, by pointing to the water as baptism and the blood as Jesus' crucifixion. It can also be understood as the water and blood that flowed out from Jesus on the cross. Whatever the case, the writer is trying to emphasise the real suffering of Jesus in the midst of people who are trying to make Jesus seem like a super-human who didn't suffer per se.

Finally, the key verse is such a good summary of what John is trying to do here. There is a similar refrain at the end of his gospel. He's a true evangelist.

1 John 4

2008-01-23T12:51:00.000+13:00

The source of love

Summary:
Don't believe everything you hear. If a spirit says that Jesus came in the real flesh is godly, otherwise don't listen to it. God in us trumps the world outside, so we win.

Love comes from God and flows through us. You cannot know God without love. He is love. He loved us first and makes his love complete in us, so we don't have to fear judgement. We know that God's in us and that he sent Jesus. We rely on his love. It gets rid of our fear.

You can't love God and hate others.

Key verse:
19. We love because he first loved us.

My thoughts:
This is just a fantastic chapter that I think you should just read lots. It makes the source of our love clear, something non-religious people cannot do. It shows us how we don't have to fear judgement because it's not based on our love, but God perfecting his love through us. That's pretty sweet. Once again, John is weeding out heretics who don't value love.

I could've had so many other key verses, but I think verse 19 most simply encapsulates the sentiment for me.

1 John 3

2008-01-22T22:29:00.000+13:00

Laying down your life

Summary:
Because of God's love, we are now his children, and will become so much more! This keeps us pure. Jesus broke sin, so don't keep doing it! Don't be confused into thinking that sin is now okay. We can tell those who are born of God because they love, and don't sin.

Love each other, but don't be surprised if he world hates you like Cain hated Abel. Jesus gave the best example of love by dying for us. We need to learn how to sacrifice. If we do what God says we'll get what we ask because God lives in us. We know this because of the Spirit.

Key verse:
16. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

My thoughts:
Love is pretty cool. Yea. John is trying to weed out fake or heretical Christians from among his people by showing those who keep sinning, presumably somewhat openly, as people who are without God.

The concept of laying down one's life just makes me think of Obama's inevitable assassination. Everyone he's compared to got assassinated.

Compare the last couple of verses with John chapter 14 or 15 or something. I can't be bothered finding exactly where, but you should be able to find it!

1 John 2

2008-01-21T12:25:00.000+13:00

Anti-christness

Summary:
I don't want you to sin, but if you do, Jesus will defend you. If you really know Jesus, you'll do what he said.

This isn't new. Oh wait, maybe it is. The light of truth is here, and if you hate others then you aren't in the light no matter what you say.

Children are forgiven, fathers know, youth overcome.

Don't love what happens here on earth. It's temporary. Some people apposed to Jesus have left us already, but that's to be expected. You, however, know the truth and have the Spirit, and don't lie by denying Jesus as the Messiah. You can't have the Father if you reject the Son.

You don't need to be taught, so don't listen to those fools. Keep going strong!

Key verse:
22. Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.

My thoughts:
I love 1 John. It appears that perhaps some people had taken John's Gospel a bit too far and made Jesus some sort of superhero and developed weird mythological theology around him. 1 John constantly hits back at heresy and points directly to the real earthly Jesus, his Messiahship, and right-living. As we will see, it staunchly defends the real suffering, the real death, and the real resurrection of Jesus.

So there's a weird little repetitive poem in the middle of this which kinda echoes what John is saying throughout the rest of this letter. John is constantly uses the phrase "I am writing to you because" and this poem reflects that. Beyond that I can't really see its specific purpose.

John's use of anti-christ here isn't specific, but generally just refers to those who are against Christ, which here might make the most sense referring to his current heretics because he's referring to those who deny Jesus as the Christ.

1 John 1

2008-01-20T12:22:00.000+13:00

Overcasm

Summary:
We proclaim what we've seen and touched and what was around at the beginning of time. He is life and brings eternal life, and we want you to join us.

God is light not darkness, and we must walk in light not darkness, then we can be purified and unified. Don't pretend you don't sin, but confess your sins.

Key verse:
9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

My thoughts:
Yea, so confess your sins and stuff...

So 1 John some strong linguistic connections with John's Gospel, and also some similar themes. In order to maintain their view that the New Testament was written millenia after Jesus was around, so that Jesus' message has, therefore, gone through a sinful process of biological evolution, so that they don't actually have to change their lives, the filthy secular liberocrats have created the idea that there was a Johannine community that is responsible for the similarities, and that these texts are certainly not written by a single person, and that person certainly wasn't the eye-witness Apostle John. Oh no, that would just be too convenient. It couldn't be that simple. And anyway, John's theology is far too complicated and far too developed, and we all know that the first Christians were far too stupid to think about such things very hard. I mean, the Johannine community uses analogies of light! For goodness sake, no single man could develop that given a mere 60 years to ponder it! Don't be ridiculous!

.
.
.

Well, that was fun.

2 Peter 3

2008-01-19T12:21:00.000+13:00

By soon, he meant, whenever

Summary:
This is my second letter to remind you. Remember that people will mock you, thinking that the end will not come. They have forgotten how powerful God is. Maybe we expected the end by now, but remember that God sees time differently, and he wants all people to be saved. The Day will come unexpectedly though.

So live a holy life! A new heaven and a new earth is coming! Be patient as Paul has said. Understand his words well, and don't distort them. Watch out!

Key verse:
9. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

My thoughts:
I have to admit that the excuses for the end not coming and the reference to Paul as scripture both support a late date for this letter, but they do not preclude an early date either. It would change our view of the church in the 60s somewhat, but I'm not so arrogant to think that humanity had that clear a grasp on what the 60s church was like anyway. We have opinions, but we mostly just don't know.

Anyway, we are here 2000 ish years later and the end has still not come, and 2 Peter provides us a scriptural basis on how Jesus' return has always been 'soon' but still hasn't happened yet. Basically it goes on the idea that God's timing works differently, and that it'll come when we least expect it. That's fair enough for me!

Paul's letters seem to be a growth-inducing agar plate for heresy in the early church. Paul spoke so much on so many new and controversial ideas, and was so determined in his views, that some had distorted his writings into very unChristian things, and Peter is warning against these. Admittedly these probably make the most sense in terms of someone like the second-century Marcion, but it is not impossible that some of Paul's letters had begun to be distributed and distort by the end of Peter's life. It isn't impossible that they had become so well read amongst the small amount of early Christians that it wasn't ridiculous to refer to the old testament as 'other Scriptures'. Early Judaism seemed, to me, to have quite a liberal approach to accepting writings as scripture of some sort. Anything would be considered scripture by some! Even Wikipedia!

As the freaky table in Nelson Cathedral says, be prepared...

2 Peter 2

2008-01-18T12:20:00.000+13:00

Gorillas with big hammers

Summary:
But there are heretics out there who deny even Jesus. They will be destroyed. We know from the Old Testament that God won't spare the sinners but will rescue the righteous. They curse heavenly things, which is pretty dumb. They are full of sin and self-pleasure. They need to be rebuked by an ass.

They promise freedom, yet are slaves. They would've been better off never coming to Jesus in the first place.

Key verse:
19. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.

My thoughts:
The word for 'hell' here is the Greek word Tartarus, which is a word I don't know much about. I'd used to Hades or Sheol, but Tartarus is a new one for me. The only thing I know about Tartarus is that it is the name of the chieftain Brute in Halo 2. So his name means hell. Interesting...

I would look up the word on the internet, but our internet is currently nerfed, so that ain't gunna happen. If someone wants to look this up and let me know what is means, then that'd be cool!

Anyway, Peter is clearly prophectically speaking of the modern American branch of the Anglican communion here.

Or maybe not.

Anyway, nothing here implies to me that this must be referring to events or groups beyond the the 60s! Slandering celestial beings is an interesting concept...

So anyway, our internet is back, so I looked up Tartarus, and it's quite interesting! Tartarus is more like our traditional view of hell than Hades or Sheol. Rather than being a place of the dead, it is truly a place of torment and punishment for sinners. It was said to be within Hades. Peter here seems to be referencing Enoch 20, however, which explicitly states that the angels who came and slept with people in Genesis 6 were sent to Tartarus. Some of Enoch was probably written after Peter's life or as his contemporary, but this chapter was written centuries ago, so could've well been part of accepted Jewish mythology that Peter was referring to in the 60s.

2 Peter 1

2008-01-17T12:00:00.000+13:00

Two Peter or not two Peter

Summary:
From Peter. God's given us everything we need. His promises make us godly. To be productive we need to add love and godly lifestyles to our faith. Make your calling a sure thing!

I know you know this, but I'll keep reminding you until I die. I didn't make this up! I heard God's voice speak to Jesus on that mountain during the transfiguration. Remember that prophecy and our scripture comes from God, not from people.

Key verse:
16. We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

My thoughts:
So yea. Most 'people' don't think that Peter actually wrote 2 Peter, and even as early as Origen there was doubt, and 2 Peter isn't even mentioned much before him (Origen was third century). Petrine authorship is almost universally rejected.

2 Peter is not a core book of the New Testament. It is one, unlike Paul's letters and the gospels, which was, in early times, sometimes found within lists of canonical books and sometimes not.

The main reasons why Petrine authorship is rejected is because, from memory, a) the greek is poor and completely different to 1 Peter, b) it speaks to second century issues, c) it is just so darn Christian! (eg. it talks of the authority of Paul's letters).

Meh, there's probably more. Anyway, I'm not going to try and say that it's clearly actually written by Peter, but I would say that the evidence I've seen or heard of doesn't seem to prove to me that Peter didn't write this. It certainly puts the letter into doubt, but I think people on liberal and conservative sides often want to pretend that things are concluded when they're clearly not.

Arguments for Petrine authorship is that he dictated 1 Peter to Silas, a scribe, so it was written better, and quite simply that the thoughts and ideas in 2 Peter which may seem 2nd century are in fact able to be placed within Peter's lifetime.

Anywho... Peter's assertions of the sheer reality of Jesus and his glory I think are absolutely fundamental to orthodoxy. Many have tried to expand Christianity beyond the historical and actual events, or derive it in some sort of overly spiritual or metaphorical sense, but this is completely against the first heart of the Church. Implications like this lead me to believe (amongst other things) that the Apostles weren't talking about some internal, mental, spiritual, or metaphorical thing when referring to Christ's resurrection. They were talking about a very real thing they had seen with their eyes and touched with their hands.

This passage also quotes the New Testament, which is pretty unique within the New Testament! This of course points a bit towards non-Petrine authorship, but if Peter did write this, then phwoar! Those gospels were well distributed and known early! True eye-witness stuff here, folks!

1 Peter 5

2008-01-16T19:39:00.000+13:00

Sheepy

Summary:
Older people, I ask you to look after your people. Not out of compulsion, but because you want to, and because Jesus will come to take over and give you your reward. Young people, do what they say! Be humble.

Resist Satan. He's trying to get you. Jesus will come and restore us all soon enough.

Mark says hi. I wrote this with Silas.

Key verse:
8. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

My thoughts:
Peter seems to use a lot of sheep and shepherd imagery, which is quite cool, because reading through the gospels, Jesus uses a lot of shepherd language when speaking to Peter. At the of John, Jesus calls on Peter to feed his sheep three times. Imagine being Peter. You were just another fisherman, and then this guy turns up and profoundly changes your life and speaks right into it. Peter is a man whose life was radically turned around by one man, and we can see the depth of that affect in his writings decades after he met the man.

So yea... be aware of the devil and resist him. Just don't be naive or ignorant.

From verse 13, and also from the early traditions of Papias, Mark the Evangelist was a companion of Peter who wrote his gospel from what Peter said.

Oh, and some people credit the fact that 1 Peter has much better Greek than 2 Peter to the fact that Silas helped Peter write this.

1 Peter 4

2008-01-15T19:36:00.000+13:00

Suffering for the name

Summary:
Bodily suffering keeps you from sin. You've been a sinner for long another, but now you're different and the world hates you for it. But all will face judgement; the living and the dead. That's why it's okay that we preached to people who are now dead.

The end's coming. Love each other and use the gifts God gave you. Do everything as if you're God's representative.

You shouldn't be surprised that you have to suffer so much. Be happy that you're joining Jesus' suffering. You can bear him name suffering as a Christian. You have his Spirit. Just follow God, your creator.

Key verse:
8. love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

My thoughts:
This passage gives us a hint as to how quickly the name "Christian" became adopted by the Christians. It was firstly an external name of mild slander, but the Christians owned it. Here Peter says that we should be stoked to suffer as a Christian.

Gosh, how willing are we to do this? Christians these days crumble under even the slightest pressure in the Western world. We need to be willing and unsurprised to suffer for our faith, and our willingness to do so depends of our faith.

Of course, we don't seek suffering yadda yadda...

1 Peter 3

2008-01-14T14:59:00.000+13:00

Baptismilicious

Summary:
Women, do what your husbands say, and have inner beauty. Your unsaved husbands will see how you've changed and believe. And men, have the deepest respect for your wives.

Love each other and repay evil with good. You won't get punished for good, but if you do, know that God is God. Be ready to tell people about your faith, but do it in a way you won't regret.

Jesus was made alive by God's Spirit, which also made him preach to the prisoners of Noah's time. The rebirth in the flood is like your baptism. Baptism is a pledge which saves you through Jesus' sacrifice.

Key verse:
15. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

My thoughts:
This is a powerful and intelligent call to personal evangelism. Very cool.

The stuff about Jesus preaching to prisoners is one of the more esoteric parts of the New Testament. From memory it refers to scripture that is no longer in our Old Testament canon. It's hard to know what point Peter is making, but it seems to me to be a segue from Jesus being resurrected by the Spirit to the flood as a symbol for baptism.

Anyway, this is some cool teaching on what baptism is, for anyone who is confused. It is a pledge and an outward sign of our salvation through Jesus. Some people believe they are saved through baptism. That's just silly. Peter's statement here is cool because it makes the connection between baptism and salvation whilst making it clear that baptism isn't our saving work.

1 Peter 2

2008-01-13T21:12:00.000+13:00

Do what you're told

Summary:

Grow like babies! God's choosing you to be his people. From you he will build his house. You are his priests. You didn't used to be a people, but now you are. Live different because you're now different in this world.

Repect those who rule over you and submit to them. God put them there, and we want people to know we're good and not troublemakers. Slaves, do the same with your masters. If they beat you when you're innocent, then that shows your character. Putting up with punishment when you've been bad doesn't give you good points.

Remember how Jesus was innocent, yet he was beaten! He did that so we could be saved! You were lost sheep, but now you're with your Shepherd.

Key verse:

24. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

My thoughts:

Okay, so yes, I choose gospel-focussed for my key verses, but that's just because the gospel is the coolest thing ever. It really is. Sometimes I just get a glimpse of it and it's overwhelming. I shudder to think of how affected you would be if you realised the full extent of it even for a second.

Anyway, this whole submission to authority thing doesn't appeal to me straight away. Was Wilburforce wrong when he protested against the government supported slavery? Was Rosa Parks wrong when she refused to leave her seat for a white person in the bus?

What I take from this is that as Christians we don't want to be defined by rebellion, protest and revolution. We are to be good citizens of our state, not subversive ones. Some of my quite left-wing Christian friends wouldn't like this too much, but I think God's Word gives challenges to anyone who is right-wing or left-wing. There is something of God's plans which we don't like, no matter where we come from. That's because it's God's Word, not ours. Too often Christians (and others) don't really have faith in God per se, but just have views and opinions which God happens to fit into. The problem with this is that as soon as you find yourself disagreeing with God, God gets shafted.

Don't shape your faith, let faith shape you.

1 Peter 1

2008-01-12T18:53:00.000+13:00

Petrified by consistency

Summary:
To all of God's people in the world.

Praise God for giving us hope of eternal life and inheritance! We are protected until it is time.

Be happy! We're going through some hard times, but only for a while so that our faith is refined and genuine. You love what you haven't seen. Now that's faith. The prophets looked so hard for such a time as this, but we have reaped the benefits of their labour.

So be disciplined and holy. Be foreigners on earth. Your life wasn't bought with what the world values, but through Jesus' blood. Love one another because you're going to last forever.

Key verse:
23. you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

My thoughts:
I love reading Peter because we don't get to do it often! I love how after reading so much of Paul, who still seems to be a bit of a pseudo-Apostle to me, we find so much common ground with Peter, the one true Apostle. Well, maybe he's not the one true Apostle, but he's the best cos his name is Peter.

Anyway, here we have the unmistakable salvation from the sacrifice of Jesus, but also the Johannine idea of being born idea.

Perhaps there was some sort of consistent orthodoxy in the earliest church.

Don't you try to tell me that Peter didn't write 1 Peter. I'll hit you. With a stick. (Gotta love open-mindedness!)

James 5

2008-01-11T18:50:00.000+13:00

Sticking it to the man! Yeah!

Summary:
Don't be happy rich people, because it won't last. Everything you have is leaving you, and your oppression is a witness against you.

Have some patience. Jesus will come. In suffering, be patient.

Just say yes or no. Beyond that is just complications.

Pray in any bad situation. Prayer has power in the right hands. You will be healed and forgiven. Elijah controlled the weather through prayer.

Key verses:
4. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you.
16. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

My thoughts:
I love how something which is by definition non-existent is personified in verse 4. It's like hearing the words which people didn't say.

Or maybe that's just me and my voices.

The verse is also cool because it's sticking it to the man. Yeah!

Anywho... Also of significance is the whole big-ups given to prayer and its effectiveness here. So yea. Prayer is good. Do it.

James 4

2008-01-10T21:35:00.000+13:00

Planless

Summary:
You squabble because you don't get what you want. Your motives are wrong. Don't be like the rest of the world. They are opposed to God. So run from Satan and towards God. Be good and happy. Don't judge each other or say nasty things.

Don't make a big detail about your future plans. God might have something else in store!

Key verse:
14. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

My thoughts:
The more well-known verse in this chapter is about resisting the devil, but I chose not to put it here because it's so typical. I prefer verse 14, which doesn't make you feel good but is very real. Hold plans lightly, and know that God's plan is the one that happens! In this verse there is no expectations for us to be sure of what God's plan for our life is, yet we spend so much time trying to figure it out!

This is all the justification I need for making no plans and just doing whatever! w00t!

So it appears that motives are important when we pray for stuff. Despite Mr. Philippians telling us that motives don't matter! Okay, so maybe I'm stretching Philippians a bit. I'm sorry.

James 3

2008-01-09T21:31:00.000+13:00

Tonne-gui

Summary:
Teachers will be judged more strictly. Like a small rudder turns a massive ship, so does our tongue have a huge affect. What we say can destroy us. We have made spaceships, and have counted every gene in our body, but we still can't control our tongues. It praises God and curses others, which is pretty dumb. That's like hot and cold water coming out of the same tap. Dumb.

Some 'wisdom' is bitter and arrogant. That's not from God. God's wisdom is humble and loving.

Key verse:
5. the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

My thoughts:
Yea... so watch what you say, I guess. It's kinda funny that words aren't really physical things (or the physical existence of them is completely unrelated to what they mean), yet they determine the vast majority of what is important and relevant in our lives. Everything is authorised, permitted, given, taken, celebrated, glorified with words most of the time.

Anywho... it's a bad idea to think of yourself as smarter than others. Firstly, you're probably wrong, and secondly, it's just a dick thing to do.

James 2

2008-01-08T19:54:00.000+13:00

Dead faith

Summary:
Don't privileged the privileged. Remember that the richest people are actually the poorest. If you have favourites, then you aren't loving your neighbour and are a lawbreaker. Act like you're actually being judged by these laws!

Faith without action is useless. That doesn't feed the hungry. Even demons have faith that God exists. Abraham acted on his faith when he took his son up the mountain. Rahab did something by providing a room. They all did stuff.

Key verse:
17. faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

My thoughts:
So many evangelicals are living a dead faith. It is a legitimate criticism of the modern church that we don't do enough for our world. We need to turn this around. Faith without deeds is dead. Faith which is unaccompanied by deeds kinda shows that you didn't really have faith in the first place!

James 1

2008-01-07T19:47:00.000+13:00

Mmmm... sin babies...

Summary:
Hard times make you a better person. God will give you good things, as long as you have faith when you ask. Remember that things are upside down. The poor are more significant than the rich, and everyone should be happy where they are.

If you keep struggling to the end you get a prize. God doesn't tempt, because temptation grows into death, and God is life. Good things come from God, like his word which has made us the first to reap God's harvest.

You have two ears and one mouth to be used proportionally. Do what God's word says. It's pretty pointless reading it otherwise. If you can't control what you say and don't care for the oppressed, then your faith means nothing.

Key verse:
25. the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

My thoughts:
My first sermon was loosely based on this chapter, with my basic point being 'Just Do It', along the idea that it's more important that we do God's work than to have it all figured out.

I still agree with its sentiment.

Anywho... James is cool. I see it as the counterpoint to Paul. Luther hated James because he felt it detracted from the clarity of Paul's gospel of faith, but I think they exist in a tension and in this tension the reality of the gospel we are called to is better highlighted.

Anyway, some cool ideas about perseverance and sin babies here.

Hebrews 13

2008-01-06T19:08:00.000+13:00

But not two days ago.

Summary:
Be nice to strangers. They could be angels. Honour marriage and purity. Be content with what you have, God is always with you. Remember the good teaching you have received from God leaders. Remember food doesn't make you holy. Jesus was rejected from the city, so we'll go outside too, waiting for the future city.

Offering praise as your sacrifice. Be good to your leaders, and don't get them stressed. Pray for us!

Blessings.

Oh, Timothy's been released.

Bye

Key verse:
8. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

My thoughts:
This is quite a cool list of stuff to remember. It stretches from simple practical things, like being content with what you have, to quite esoteric things like the possibility of unknowingly hosting angels.

I don't really get the part about 'us going out of the camp/city'. Perhaps it is referring to the expulsion of all the Jews from Jerusalem, which would certainly rule out Pauline authorship. Perhaps it is a symbolic thing referring to some sort of pilgrimage. It's hard to know.

I'm very tired.

Hebrews 12

2008-01-05T19:01:00.000+13:00

My head hurts

Summary:
Everyone's watching us, so be good. Go for Jesus. Don't underestimate how much I am expecting you to avoid sin. Jesus had to go to death to avoid sin.

God is disciplining you because you are his children. If he didn't, then you wouldn't be his children. It hurts now, but it's got a purpose.

Be holy, or else people won't want to know Jesus. You haven't come to a scary judgemental place, but to a place to praise and to the righteous and to Jesus.

Don't ignore God. Remember he's going to shake everything up once more, and anything temporary (ie. this earth) will be gone forever. We will inherit the unshakeable heaven.

Key verses:
1-2. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

My thoughts:
Oh my goodness... this chapter is way too much for me at the moment. I had to read some of those sentences 7 or 8 times.

So yea... discipline is good. Be holy so other people are attracted to Jesus.

Anyway, this chapter makes a pretty cool promise of where we end up. In the unshakeable heaven.

It is implied here that God didn't create heaven. Which is curious... Heaven isn't included among 'created things'.

Hebrews 11

2008-01-04T14:41:00.000+13:00

Faith

Summary:
Faith is believing what isn't proven. We understand creation by this. By faith Noah built a boat when there was no rain. Abraham moved to a foreign land. These people didn't get their promises whilst they were alive! They weren't looking for a physical inheritance, but a spiritual one. They could only hope for this in faith.

Moses stood up to Pharaoh by faith. Jericho fell by faith. Many others lived by faith but still didn't get what they were promised until this generation in Jesus.

Key verse:
1. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

My thoughts:
Ah faith. Faith has so little respect in our society today. It is so against how our world thinks. If someone has faith/hope in something but doesn't get it before the day they die, then this world calls them a failure. God calls them a faithful servant.

The truth is that faith makes no sense without God. It simply doesn't. But with God it is what separates the boys from the men!

I could probably say more, but I'm at camp, and I'm tired.

Hebrews 10

2008-01-03T14:28:00.000+13:00

Resin

Summary:
The old law was just a shadow. It was a reminder of the reality, but it didn't actually save from sin. There's heaps of verses showing how the sacrifices are not the ultimate goal. Other priests go in and out day by day for sacrifices, but Jesus just did it once and now sits next to God.

So now we can go into the Most Holy Place. We have to live following Jesus now, and keep meeting together. To continue sinning rejects the only true sacrifice, with dire consequences.

Don't stop your confidence, and willingness to stand in persecution.

Key verse:
25. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another

My thoughts:
So this verse is pretty fun to use against my anti-church Christian mate. It's not really a strong argument, but it's fun to pull it out!

There is certainly an implication here, and somewhat uniquely in Hebrews, that if you carry of in sin/reject God after following him then there is no hope for you. I don't think this is so much a statement that any post-conversion sin will destroy you, rather just knowing that God isn't someone who you can constantly re-run away from!

Hebrews 9

2008-01-02T16:24:00.000+13:00

Forgiveness and blood

Summary:
The first covenant had a precise tabernacle, as we know. The high priests had to make massive sacrifices before entering God's most intimate presence, so that he wouldn't die. This was because the Holy Spirit hadn't shown the way yet. The sacrifices didn't work.

But Jesus entered that presence by his own blood. That blood truly cleanses. He is our ransom and gives us a new covenant. It's like a will. It means nothing until someone dies. Same with this covenant. Blood cleanses. Blood forgives.

Jesus went to a heavenly temple and made one sacrifice for all eternity. Just like we die and come back to be judged, Jesus has died and will come back to save his followers.

Key verse:
15. he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

My thoughts:
This chapter makes explicit the relationship between forgiveness and blood. You need the latter for the former. That seems to be a basic spiritual truth in Christianity.

Mr. Hebrews likes to emphasise the 'once-for-all' aspect of Jesus' sacrifice, which really elevates Jesus position from a great man and teacher to the Saviour of all.

Hebrews 8

2008-01-01T16:21:00.000+13:00

The tale of two tabernacles

Summary:
So we have this priest who makes offerings for us. He makes different offerings because he ministers in heaven's tabernacle. The earthly temple is just a shadow of the heavenly one. If it wasn't just a shadow, it wouldn't need replacing! But God promised a new covenant in Jeremiah. The new covenant implies an old useless one.

Key verse:
5. They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven.

My thoughts:
I know as you read through the specification of how Moses was to build the tabernacle in Exodus it can seems tedious, but in this chapter we see its purpose. It's because it must be an image of heaven, so it needs to be made to precise specifications. Understanding this detail is a deeply spiritual thing.

Though many would disagree that Jeremish was referring to Jesus' covenant, it's still clear that Jeremiah was referring to a covenant which would supercede the Mosaic one, which is quite a bold idea for a Jew!

(A tabernacle is a temple)

Hebrews 7

2007-12-31T22:24:00.000+13:00

Melchizedek = Jesus. Ish.

Summary:
I mean, this Melchizedek was freaken Jesus practically! Even Abraham gave him a tenth even before Levi was born out of his line!

Why did Melchizedek exist if the Levite line held salvation? We have a new line, with new rules. It's in the order of Melchizedek. It's Jesus. God promised not to take his mind. And because Jesus lives forever, he can save forever. He's perfect. His one sacrifice lasts forever like continuing sacrifices cannot!

Key verse:
27. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.

My thoughts:
I always get a bit confused about the relationship between Mechizedek and Jesus, but what's clear here is that Jesus is a new type of priest with different rules and he brings salvation in a way no other can. It's powerful stuff, and it's cool in that it absolutely affirms the unique saving power of Jesus' sacrifice.

Hebrews 6

2007-12-30T22:09:00.000+13:00

Paying the price

Summary:
So let's move on from the basics of being saved, faith, baptism and praying for each other. If you've tasted heaven, you can't leave and then come back. There's no passouts. You might as well kill Jesus all over again!

I'm confident that God appreciates what you've been doing, but remember that a bad field gets burnt.

God's made a clear certain promise of our ability to go right into his holiest place and that Abraham would have countless descendants.

Key verse:
1. Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God

My thoughts:
Hmmm... the more mature teachings don't seem to be more complicated but seem to make demands of us. We are to be productive fields, and be clear about the ineffectiveness of the repentance of those who've left God. It's kinda scary! It's not like more complex theology, it's just more challenging!

I didn't really get the last bit about the promises... Twas a bit weird...

Hebrews 5

2007-12-29T13:28:00.000+13:00

Priscillicious

Summary:
High priests are made to represent, and that's what Jesus does. He is humble and understands other people's weaknesses. They are chosen by God, just as Jesus was, chosen to be in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus was always obedient, so he suffered and became our salvation for evermore.

It takes a while to learn all this. Like babies, you need milk and need time before you move onto solid food.

Key verse:
14. solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

My thoughts:
Melchizedek is a cool guy. It's interesting that Mr. Hebrews goes back to Melchizedek rather than to Aaron or Zadok or Joshua (the latter) or anyone else. I think that this isn't really an innovation as a lot of tradition and significance had built up around Melchizedek but it does align with the sense I get from the Pauline letters that he is appealing to truths from before Moses, back to Abraham.

If this is milk... then I wanna know what solid food is! 6-day creationism?

Anywho... for all my previous statements regarding Mr. Hebrews, I have discovered the wikiality* that some people consider the author of Hebrews to be Priscilla, which may be possible, but it appears that their main reason is because it is anonymous so those woman-hating fathers of our faith must've cut out the woman's name. That reason doesn't fly so well with me. But it could've been Priscilla.

*Wikiality is a registered trademark of Comedy Central and The Colbert Report.

Hebrews 4

2007-12-28T13:25:00.000+13:00

Absolutely uncertain

Summary:
We have not only the gospel, but now we have faith, and can't enter God's ultimate Sabbath. He said we'd never enter this rest, but here we are! That later day God was waiting for.

God's word cuts like a knife. You can't hide.

Remember we can associate with our high priest, because he also suffered like us.

Key verse:
12. For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

My thoughts:
This is just a cool key verse. The word of God is not simply the sum of it's ink and meaning.

But in the midst of this, we have a very interesting case of hermeneutics! Here is a quote from this chapter "in the passage above he says, 'They shall never enter my rest.' It still remains that some will enter that rest". I constantly find the Bible taking it's own absolutes as not quite absolutes. To me this indicates not that the Bible is just talking a bunch of crap but that many things which might appear as absolutes to our Western minds were not considered to be so at the time.

Hebrews 3

2007-12-27T18:02:00.000+13:00

Making change

Summary:
Moses was a good servant of God, but Jesus is God's Son. He beats him like rock beats scissors.

Don't harden your heart like in the desert! Don't sin, and encourage each other every day. Remember those who didn't enter the promised land because of their unbelief. Don't be like them!

Key verse:
13. encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

My thoughts:
Paul's letter are generally not apologetic or evangelistic. They are designed to encourage those already in faith. Mr. Hebrews, however, seems to be trying to woo a Jewish crowd into the cult of Jesus.

Saying that Jesus is better than Moses would've been pretty controversial. Coming to Jesus from Judaism is a big step of faith! Mr. Hebrews is appealing to the notion that those who are slow to accept change get left behind. Jesus is a big change, but if they don't believe then they are just like those in the desert who couldn't accept the switch from Egypt to Canaan. God had to wait for the next generation then.

Hebrews is, of course, full of Old Testament Scriptures. I generally don't really represent these in the summary, but rather just get their point across.

Hebrews 2

2007-12-26T18:01:00.000+13:00

Democratic truth

Summary:
If we ignore this salvation, we simply have no chance. It has been proven by signs and miracles. We don't see the full glory, but we do see Jesus. It makes sense that perfection came through such suffering, so that we can all be siblings.

He became like us to defeat Satan and death which torment us. By being like us he could be our priest; giving us atonement.

Key verse:
17. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

My thoughts:
I imagine that this passage would hold some authority in the future debates of the church regarding the humanity and divinity of Jesus. This passage certainly seems to emphasise his humanity. I think modern scholars would be more interested in arguing against Jesus' divinity, but there were plently of people around during these debates, especially in the gnostic corner, who would utterly play down Jesus' physical humanity.

But here Mr. Hebrews (I would say Mr/Ms, but in all likelihood it was Mr...) is making the clear statement that Jesus' real and actual humanity is an essential part of his saving work. He could only be our priest (the one who mediates for our sin) because he was one of us. Elsewise, he couldn't have bridged that gap! In reality, this is all based on some logic that doesn't need to exist inherently, that sin needs a mediator for forgiveness and the mediator needs to identify with both sides. But it does have a sort of truthiness* about it.

If it wasn't before, elsewise is now officially a word!

The line "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor" might disturb some of our non-JW readers, but I think if you recognise that the word 'made' doesn't necessarily mean created, but could mean something more like 'became', making this simply aligned with kenotic theology. Because the Bible, of course, was written as is in English.

*'Truthiness' is a registered trademark of Comedy Central and The Colbert Report.

Hebrews 1

2007-12-25T22:49:00.000+13:00

Jesus is better than anything you've ever known!

Summary:
At the end of time God chose his only Son over prophets to show himself. He is the perfect image of God, and came to bring salvation and has now gone to be top ranking in heaven.

God calls him Son, like he has called no other. There's heaps of our Jewish scripture which shows that God's Son is above and unlike the angels and other heavenly things.

Key verse:
3. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

My thoughts:
Okay, so first things first. Hebrews is written for Jews, and uses Hebrew scripture to back up massive claims about Jesus. The book is anonymous, but centuries after the book became popular amongst Christians it began to be known as Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews, an idea which has never had any actual basis. It is anonymous and there are no early traditions assigning it to another with any sort of confidence. It shares no real qualities of a Pauline letter.

Some say it was written by Apollos. Some say it is a transcript of a sermon from Apollos or Peter. Who knows!

Anyway, the point of this chapter is clear enough. Judaism has massive respects for prophets and angels, and the author is trying his hardest to make the case that a human, Jesus, is in fact better and more important than anything except God himself. It's a bold call, but it's one that can't be compromised.

Philemon 1

2007-12-24T17:31:00.000+13:00

Puntastrophe

Summary:
Hi Philemon. I hear of your good faith, and I want you to share it more! I'm writing to lovingly ask that you accept your slave Onesimus back into your house. He has become my friend. I kinda wanted to keep him, but he's your slave, and also now your brother. I'll pay back anything wrong he has done.

Bye!

PS. I'm coming to visit soon. Be ready!

Key verse:
6. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.

My thoughts:
Against my will I have to give this chapter the title "Philemon 1" rather than just "Philemon". That's just so that computers don't get confused, as they are want to do.

So Paul has a bit of a puntasm with Onesimus's name. His name means useful, and Paul refers to him as useful. How witty.

So the story here appears to be that Philemon had Onesimus as a slave, who ran away, got picked up by Paul and helped Paul a lot. Somewhere along the line Onesimus became a Christian, though this might've been before he ran away. Paul wants to keep him, but he can't because that's Philemon's decision.

The key verse is a nice wee call to evangelism. These calls are clear and consistent, but are a little infrequent, so it's good to see them every now and then to remind oneself that sharing our faith truly is Biblical.

I've just developed an interest in the reoccurring character of Demas. Here he is a friend, but in 2 Timothy he has turned away from Paul. He's an early Christian who seems to have renounced this faith. Someone recently wrote a fictional account of his life, which would be a fun thing to do! I think I'd enjoy writing the stories of the New Testaments bystanders.

Anywho, that seems to presume that Philemon was written before 2 Timothy. The placing of Philemon where it is in the canon is an interesting choice. It's kinda, but not quite one of the Pastoral Epistles. The only reason I can think of as to why it is here is because it was written to a person rather than to a church. It's kinda the token miscellaneous letter of Paul.

Anywho, this ends the writings of Paul in the New Testament, unless by some perverse logic you say that Hebrews was written by Paul. Now we have Peter, James, and John to look forward to! Though the James is a different James than is usually referred to in that way. Oh, and we also have cameos from Anon and Jude.

Titus 3

2007-12-23T17:30:00.000+13:00

3rd strike, and you're out

Summary:
Tell people not to rebel against authority, and just generally be good in people's eyes. We used to be lost like the world, but now we've been set free by God's mercy through Jesus. Don't get caught up in squabbles and Jewish arguments. Give people two warnings, then leave them.

Ciao.

Key verse:
10. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.

My thoughts:
So here we come back into the whole excommunication thing. The possibilities of what the Bible could mean if you truly take it literally are hilarious. For example here, the passage gives no indication that if they stop and repent after a warning that you should commune with them again. It says that if they're being divisive then warn them twice then ditch them, regardless of whether they repent.

But I don't think that's what Paul is meaning here though. The whole excommunication thing does make me a bit uncomfortable, but I guess here it's not just someone who you disagree with or who is sinning. It's someone who is actively causing splits and issues in the church community. Sometimes these types of people do exist, and I think that in reality the best way to deal with some of them is to get rid of them. So I agree with the Bible. Big surprise.

My current theory is that all New Testament books start with either J, P, or T (representing the streams of the Torah). No exceptions. John, 1 John, Philemon, Philippians, Timothy, Thessalonians, Jude, Peter, James, Titus, Paul. No exceptions. Job, Psalms, The exodus, The genesis, The Isaiah. No exceptions.

Titus 2

2007-12-22T17:29:00.000+13:00

Kicking deaf kids when they ain't looking (they can't hear you coming...)

Summary:
Teach old men and women to be reverent and respectful. The older women should be able to teach the younger how to love. Teach young men to have some self-control, and to set and example. Teach slaves to avoid rebellion and to be trustworthy. All this is so that we are beyond repute and make Jesus attractive.

God's grace teaches us how to have self-control and how to say 'No'. We just wait for Jesus' return.

Key verse:
10. so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

My thoughts:
Some people would consider this 'making attractive' of Jesus as a form of deception. But unlike some other faiths ( Scientology ) which would actually allow or even encourage apparent compromise (or even lies) regarding their faith to make it more attractive, Christianity simply asks that we be absolutely reputable in our society.

Yea... that's right... I compared Christianity to Scientology to make it look good. Kinda like kicking a small disabled child to feel tough, but hey, that ain't below me.

Anywho... for me this sheds some extra light on the whole wife submission thing. Perhaps the Bible 'commands' it purely based on the expectations of society. Society considered it good for women to submit, and because I guess it wasn't a big enough deal, the church was told to do what was good in society's eyes on this point to be attractive to society. Imagine a man whose wife never does what he says, and he looks at somebody else's Christian wife who is submissive. Wouldn't you want to become a Christian? Of course, this is all only focussed on the man's opinion, which is probably it's flaw. Women might look at the Christian woman and see no personality and independence and the last thing they would want to do might be becoming a Christian.

Anyway, this chapter shows that doing things largely just for the opinion of society is not necessarily bad.

Titus 1

2007-12-21T16:58:00.000+13:00

Paul writes letter; makes racist claims

Summary:
I send you this letter representing the awesome God who gives the promised eternal life.

I left you in Crete to choose elders. Choose good blameless ones with just one wife and who have good doctrine. Some Cretans still want to deceive by telling people they have to be circumcised amongst other things. Like they say, you can't trust a Cretan! Those 'teachers' have nothing pure about them.

Key verse:
12. Even one of their own prophets has said, "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons."

My thoughts:
Paul has no sons because he never married (or at least I assume that there is a casual link there...). So, with no respect for cultural traditions or context, I am going to outrageously claim that Paul calls people like Titus and Timothy his sons due to some sort of displaced emotions due to the lack of real sons.

So this chapter is pretty similar info to what Paul told Timothy about leader in the church. Paul seems to be saying that Cretans are more likely to be deceptive than other peoples, and uses an old Cretan quote to justify his outrageous generalisation. I don't think that Paul is truely trying to make a statement about the qualities of Cretans, but rather is just reminding Titus to be on his guard against people teaching bad doctrine. Bad doctrine, people!

Ja, so outrageous is my word of the moment.

2 Timothy 4

2007-12-20T17:36:00.000+13:00

Keeping the faith

Summary:
Keep teaching and preaching. Soon people will just listen to what they want to hear. You need to keep going with the truth, because my time is up, and I'm about to receive my reward.

I have no friends except Luke. Many have left me or hurt me. Come quick with my things and with Mark. Don't blame peopel for leaving me. God has strengthened me. Bye.

Key verse:
7. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

My thoughts:
So this Luke is supposed to be the Luke who wrote the gospel as Paul's aide. I have a feeling that this Mark is perhaps the John Mark who was Peter's companion and is considered to have perhaps written the Gospel according to Mark. I find the key people of the early church who end up on the edges of scripture very interesting.

The key verse is cool. What an awesome thing to be able to say at the end of one's life. I made a commitment when I was 11 to follow Jesus for the rest of my life. Despite the fact that I really don't envision me leaving that promise, being able to look back and say that I have kept a promise I made 70 years ago will be quite an achievement given all the temptations and doubts this world throws at you.

2 Timothy 3

2007-12-19T17:24:00.000+13:00

Bloody liberals...

Summary:
It'll be bad towards the end. People will be arrogant, self-loving, and hedonistic. They act holy, but have no interest in God's power. They'll pick on the weak and guilt-ridden and deceive them to their view. They won't get far though.

But you, Tim, follow my example. You know my life and teaching. The truth is that if you follow God, you'll be persecuted, but the others will keep being deceived. Keep doing what you've been taught. Use the scripture which is all good.

Key verse:
16. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

My thoughts:
Today's key verse is widey loved by evangelicals like myself. The funny thing is, of course, that this verse is almost certainly referring to a bunch of non-canonical Jewish texts, and almost certainly does not refer to the New Testament of which the verse is a part. However, the concept of divine inspiration of scripture is there, and that's one concept us evangelicals love to affirm.

I have to say that there seem to be a lot of church people these days who fulfil verse 5 quite well. They have the form of godliness but deny its power. So many people happy to go through the motions, to do church, to do holiness but with no attempt or real desire to actually live in the power of God.

2 Timothy 2

2007-12-18T18:04:00.000+13:00

Heretical authorship

Summary:
Work hard on this. Endure the suffering. Live for the captain - Jesus - not for the people. Don't forget that it all comes down to Jesus, the risen one.

Suffering and perseverance will give us life in Jesus. Leave him, and he'll leave us, but he'll never be unfaithful.

Don't let people fight over definitions. Be a proven authority from God on these matters. False teachings, like that the mass resurrection has already happened, can spread like wildfire. Don't be a quarreler when discussing these things. Be humble and mature. Don't let immature passions get you.

Key verse:
13. if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

My thoughts:
I've always liked this little hymn from verse 11-13. It shows the grace and faithfulness of God whilst making it clear that God isn't a pushover! If you disown him, he will disown you.

This chapter gives a bit of an insight into some different heresies that were working there way into the church by the time of Paul's death. People were cruising around declaring that the resurrection had already happened, which it clearly hadn't. From reading the New Testament you definitely get the impression that the early church was fraught with the feeling that pretty much anyone could go pretty much anywhere and say anything and cause a fuss. Thank God the Church got institutionalised.

Popular scholarly opinion would tell you pretty clearly that 2 Timothy wasn't written by Paul, and it may not be. I feel that modern evangelicals make more of a deal of this than the early church. As early as Origen there was doubt over the Petrine authorship of 2 Peter, yet modern evangelicals would want to say that Peter wrote 2 Peter. Having said all that, I am skeptical about the scholastic certainty that appears to exist surrounding apostolic authorship of some of these letters. The majority of the arguments I see against apostolic authorship have a massive 'so what?' factor in them. They just don't seem to be in any way definitive points. The vocab seems to be different, which is unsurprising given that Paul is talking about different things at different stages of his life to a different audience. He's talking about issues which became prevalent in the second century, but I struggle to see how anyone makes any sort of argument that similar issues didn't exist in the first-century, when the only strong evidence for the first-century church is the New Testament. The authorship of these letters is a legitimate question, but for the vast majority of them in the New Testament, I am yet to see any evidence which has made me feel that apostolic authorship is a unlikely position to hold.

2 Timothy 1

2007-12-17T17:17:00.000+13:00

Case-based society

Summary:
You rock, Tim. I'm so thankful for you. You've got to turn the spark of a gift God gave you into a roaring fire. The Spirit God gave you is one of power.

Don't be scared to speak of Jesus or of me. By the power of God you will cope if you have to suffer like me. We are heralds of the grace of Jesus that has always been to destroy death. We suffer for this.

Keep doing what I told you. So many people have left me, but God bless those who haven't.

Key verse:
7. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

My thoughts:
I wonder on what basis was it chosen that this word 'spirit' be given a lower-case s. Of course it doesn't matter because we know that the original Greek this was written in didn't use case as a linguistic device at all, but the NIV translators chose to determine that this spirit is referring to Timothy's own personal spirit, rather than the gift of the Holy Spirit. At face value, I would assume that Paul is referring to the Spirit.

Fanning your gift into flame is an interesting concept. It brings up the idea that we can, in fact, increase our gifting by some sort of personal development programme. I feel that we don't really consider this or try to do this much as Christians.

1 Timothy 6

2007-12-16T18:20:00.000+13:00

The root

Summary:
Slaves should respect their masters whether they're brothers in faith or not. Some people aren't interesting in true teaching, but just in arguments and controversy. Or they love money, and see being godly as a route to money. We have to be godly but content with what we have. Wealth doesn't last. Love for money causes many people to sin and fall.

Choose a different path, Timothy. Keep your righteousness and godliness until Jesus comes back at that undetermined time. Fight the right fight. Teach the rich to be humble and submissive to God. Teach them to be rich in good deeds and generous. That stuff you can take with you.

Key verse:
7. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
10. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

My thoughts:
How many churches teach faith and 'godliness' almost as if it is a way to become rich? It's quite disturbing really.

I definitely agree that some people seem more interested in causing a fuss then actually discovering truth. You don't get angry at other people's opinions and arguments if what you really want at heart is truth.

Of course, rich people will want to point out that money isn't the root of all kinds of evil, but rather the love thereof is.

Don't, for the love of God, get sidetracked by money.

1 Timothy 5

2007-12-15T18:19:00.000+13:00

Fathers be good to your daughters; daughters will love like you do. Girls become lovers who turn into mothers, so mothers be good to your daughters too.

Summary:
Treat all people of all ages as family. Don't feel you need to support all widows. Only do it if they're old don't have a family to support them, and only if they're known for doing good things. Young widows can often become lazy gossips, and forget their dedication to Jesus, so I encourage them to remarry.

Families should look after their widows, and not just simply assume the church will do it.

Have respect for your leaders and teachers. Don't let a single complain cause a fuss. If people have serious accusations, then there should be lots of witnesses. Don't ordain or anoint people willy-nilly. Drink a bit of wine to settle your stomach. Realise that the sin of some is instantly obvious, but the sin of others takes a while to become clear.

Key verse:
1-2. Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

My thoughts:
So in early churches there was a list of widows that the church supported. Even after Constantine we have records of such lists maintained by churches. A lot of this chapter is clarifying that women don't make the list just because their husband died. They may not really need support.

Paul seems to be big on generalisations... He seems to imply here that all young women who are widows become gossips. I find it hard to see that Paul genuinely believed the apparent full absolute meaning of what he's saying here, which perhaps sheds some light on Paul's other absolute statements. It's clear that he's not meaning something absolute here because he contradicts it in verse 14. Verse 14 also seems to contradict the sense of verses 11-12, which imply that by marrying after widowhood, women are sinning. I think that the overall reality is that widows should be free to remarry, but it's wrong for them to expect to be put on a list of continued support if they're just going to go and get remarried.

In some ways I think the heart of this all is summed up in the key verses. We're all supposed to be a big happy family!

The idea that a widow must prove herself by being known for good deeds seems to go against the notion of grace. Is it wrong to give nappies to a modern solo mother? I wouldn't've thought so. Maybe this is another areas where there are different standards for believers and non-believers. The implication seems to be that this chapter is referring only to believers, and that the list contains only believers, which raises other questions!

I hope verse 23 makes it clear to people that abstaining from alcohol is not the Biblical norm and is only done by people who have gone under a special oath or who are in special circumstances.

It'd be fair to say that 1 Timothy isn't my favourite book in the New Testament. It's challenging. I want things to be easy.

1 Timothy 4

2007-12-14T17:44:00.000+13:00

But God made dope...

Summary:
We know that there will be false teachings towards the end. People have already started this. They've told people not to marry, or eat certain foods. God made both sex and food so enjoy them both with thanksgiving.

It's good to teach this to people because though training your body is good, training your spirit is better!

Read and teach the scripture. Don't let anyone dismiss you because you're young, but set an example for everyone else. Dedicate yourself to these things!

Key verse:
12. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

My thoughts:
I've always considered this one of the coolest verses in the Bible, but it seems to have less and less relevance the older you get! I guess I'm still pretty young, but I'm still one day older than yesterday!

I don't know how Catholics deal with these two chapters, because they make it pretty darn clear that church leaders should have one wife, and that it's wrong to tell people not to marry. I think singleness is an absolutely appropriate way to live for your whole life, but I think it's wrong to create expectations of celibacy for any role. I would even disagree with that aspect of monkhood. It just seems a no-brainer to me. The Roman Catholics simply aren't following the Bible, and there's no serious contender in the rest of the Bible to support their expectations.

1 Timothy 3

2007-12-13T17:12:00.000+13:00

Just one?!?

Summary:
Leaders in a church must have only one wife, be calm, sober, gentle, and not in love with money. He must manage his family well, have been a believer for some time and be respected in the wider secular community. Servants must be similar. Their wives must be respectable.

So now you know how to act if I can't make it. Don't forget the sheer awesome mystery of that fact that Jesus came in a body, was given authority by the Spirit, and is now preached all over the world and lives in heaven.

Key verse:
2-3. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

My thoughts:
I've always thought the Timothy books are good challenges for those who are secure in their faith and are willing to commit to real self-discipline in how they act out their faith. More than any other part of the New Testament, passages in Timothy can appear to be a long list of rules. These aren't for the increased understanding of salvation, but are for those for whom salvation is clearly understood, and are now trying to live the life worthy of the call and be examples and leaders to other Christians.

I don't know how the whole 'mystery' part fits with the topic, but it's cool none the less. So often we try to understand everything, but mystery is an important Bible word. We're not dealing with a functional religion, we're dealing with reality, and we can't expect to understand it all simply and clearly.

1 Timothy 2

2007-12-12T20:10:00.000+13:00

Good ol' fashioned Pauline woman bashing! Nothing quite like it to stir!

Summary:
Mostly we should pray for everyone, including anyone in authority. This pleases the God who wants us all to be saved, and pleases Jesus, our only stepping stone to God.

Women should dress modestly, and not cause a fuss when learning. She shouldn't have authority over a man. Man was made first. Woman was deceived first, though her painful childbearing makes up for that, aye fullas?

Key verses:
3-4. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

My thoughts:
The key verses were my favourite passage in the Bible for a bit because they unambiguously state that God wants everyone to be saved without exception. There aren't different classes of people in God's eye! He wants them all to be saved!

The last verse in this chapter has caused a bunch of fuss because it seems to imply that women's salvation coming through bearing children. This is obviously inconsistent with the rest of Paul's teaching, and I think the way I have put it above is an appropriate understanding of the text.

As for women being disallowed from having authority over men... um... I know plenty of young women who would swear by this, but then I know plenty would get all their hermeneutical machines running to show that Paul didn't really mean that. Because that's what hermeneutics is about...

I generally avoid the subject...

1 Timothy 1

2007-12-11T18:49:00.000+13:00

Worst of all

Summary:
Hi Tim. Stay in Ephesus and show them that myths about ancestors etc. have little place in the Gospel. People are building a lot of pride on them and on trying to teach the law. The law is for lawbreakers, not for us.

I thank Jesus for saving me when I was a blasphemers. Jesus came for sinners, including me who's probably the worst! God did that to show that anyone can be saved.

Keep the faith, according to the prophecies about you. Some, as you know have become our enemies.

Key verse:
15. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

My thoughts:
It seems to me there that had grown almost a level of competition regarding great 'biblical' stories or genealogies one could recite. This 'teaching' of scripture seemed to have become such a big deal that Paul had to step in to correct is, as is was being done in a very wrong way and a lot of pride seemed to be involved.

This key verse is just cool. As I've been talking to people with Eastern beliefs I've come to realise how much humility follower of Jesus must have when they come to God. In Eastern spirituality, at the true and pure heart of yourself you find God. In Jesus, when you look at the true and unchanged heart of yourself you find sin, and then you must go to God. It's quite a fundamental difference.

2 Thessalonians 3

2007-12-10T12:33:00.000+13:00

Idle freeloaders

Summary:

Pray that the gospel spreads. Know that God will look after you.

Don't hang out with lazy believers who don't follow the teachings. Remember the example we set. You don't work, then you don' eat! But don't consider them enemies though. They're still brothers.

Ciao

Key verse:

6. we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.

My thoughts:

Well, here's your Biblical mandate not to be a lazy freeloader!

It's cool that though you may dissociate with someone, they are still considered brothers being warned...

Why do people think that Paul didn't write this? I'm very sceptical about such claims. They just don't seem to have any definitive basis.

2 Thessalonians 2

2007-12-09T12:22:00.000+13:00

Eschatologically inclined

Summary:

Don't be tricked into thinking that the end has already been. It won't happen until the antichrist sets himself up as god and after he has been revealed. So don't stress.

The evil has started, but is being held back currently. The evil will come with fake miracles, but Jesus will defeat it. But many people will be destroyed.

But stand firm and be thankful, because God has chosen you to be spared and to know the truth through the gospel.

Key verse:

4. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

My thoughts:

Well, this is some fun eschatology. It got some generally well understood aspects of Christian eschatology here, in that there will be some sort of antichrist who will set himself up to be worshipped as God.

But the point's still the same. The end hasn't been. It's coming. Be ready, and live a good life. Beyond that, I'm not too sure what actions we should take! We dunno when it'll all happen!

2 Thessalonians 1

2007-12-08T12:39:00.000+13:00

Everlasting destruction

Summary:

You're getting better and better despite the persecution. Know that everyone will get their just desserts when Jesus comes. Some will be destroyed forever - separated from God - others will be glorified. So we always pray for you.

Key verse:

9. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power.

My thoughts:

The last few chapters may not have linked to the NIV, but TNIV (Today's NIV). I apologise for any heretical crap you may have been subject to. I have now rectified the problem.

So verse 9 refers to hell, but interestingly doesn't actually, despite how your conditioned mind might see it, refer to any sort of eternal punishment. It refers to eternal destruction. Something is destroyed and it never comes back. In my mind, the jury is still out with regard to the whole annihilationism argument.

It also refers to hell as simply separation from God, which I like the idea of as it doesn't have God specifically torturing people, but rather just letting them get whatever they work for. Ie. nothing. We get nothing when we get what we deserve.

1 Thessalonians 5

2007-12-07T12:25:00.000+13:00

Night-bound thieves

Summary:

We all know we don't have to worry about about when Jesus will come. We know he'll surprise us, so we just have to be awake. We have to live in the daytime, in the light, not doing the shameful things of night. Always be ready.

Help people where they are. Thank your helpers, warn the sinners, encourage the depressed. Don't repay wrongs with wrongs.

Always pray, be thankful, and rejoice. Test prophecies as good things. Be complete people.

Bye

Key verse:

2. you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

My thoughts:

So Paul suddenly throw all of his actual content into the last chapter...

So yea... I would agree with Paul that postulating about the time of Jesus return is foolish, but we just have to live ready. You can try to guess, but you'll be wrong, just like everyone else who've guessed.

This has the famous 'pray continually' verse. What does this mean? Does it mean we are consciously praying at every moment of the day? I hope not. If it is referring to a truly continual state of prayer, then it cannot be conscious, but rather, I dunno, as attitude.

I'd rather see this as more a statement to make sure that we are praying regularly and frequently. We never somehow manage to forget about prayer in our Christian lives. We never stop praying. We always pray. We pray continually.

Another clear mandate here to test prophecies, and also a statement of the tri-nature of our human existence; body, soul (mind), and spirit.

This chapter is very consistent with much of Jesus says. Makes the concept of Paul being ignorant of Jesus' life and teachings seem quite unlikely.

1 Thessalonians 4

2007-12-06T16:03:00.000+13:00

Don't cause a fuss!

Summary:

Live to please God. Control your lust and treat each other well. If you reject these practices, you reject God, and he can punish you.

You're doing well already, but love each other, work hard, and don't cause a fuss, so that non-believers respect you.

Those who have died will rise at the end of time and be glorified with us. So don't worry about them!

Key verse:

11. make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands

My thoughts:

This kinda implies that we should just sit down, shut up, and not cause a fuss. Which seems somewhat different to the life Jesus led. I think, rather, that it is referring to a certain sort of person; a nosey gossip who doesn't know how to work properly. I would suggest that Paul is warning us against such a lifestyle.

How does God punish us for our sins? Because this passage quite clearly says that God will punish you for your sin. Does this happen on this world or on the next? Thoughts?

1 Thessalonians 3

2007-12-05T17:15:00.000+13:00

An early date for John

Summary:
Eventually we sent Timothy to you, to make sure that you were doing okay in the midst of your all-too-predictable trials. He's come back with a good report too! He told of your love for us. It's all very encouraging, and we thank God always for it. Pray that God makes a way for us to come to you! May God strengthen you.

Key verse:
12. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

My thoughts:
Paul talks here about how as Christians we are destined for persecution. He is obviously referring to John's gospel where Jesus promises that his followers will be persecuted as he was. Therefore, John was written and was well-distributed before this letter was written. So probably about 45AD.

It's just logic. You wouldn't understand.

So far this is the letter with the least actual content of interest.

1 Thessalonians 2

2007-12-04T17:13:00.000+13:00

You're so good, you're almost Jewish.

Summary:
Though we faced strong opposition, coming to you was a success. We didn't come for bad reasons. We've been entrusted with God's gospel, so we don't need to use flattery or deception. We only want to please God. We weren't a burden to you. We shared our lives with you. We were blameless and helpful.

You accepted our words like the word of God. You're as onto it as the churches in Judaea. You have suffered persecution like them. The Jews have tried to stop them speaking to Gentiles. They have screwed up in a big way.

You're the apple of our eye, and we're gutted that Satan has stopped us from visiting you again.

Key verse:
13. when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

My thoughts:
Because the jist of our New Testament is Paul's letters, we really only get a picture of what the Gentile churches were like. Paul, by comparing the Thessalonian Church to the churches in Judaea implies that they are somehow different. It seems that they are much more onto it, which perhaps isn't that surprising. He presents the persecuated Judean as a goal to attain.

We must remember that when Paul's letters are pretty much all speaking to what he views as 'maturing' churches. They have not reached maturity.

Because Thessalonica is so fantastic, Paul hasn't actually said much new or interesting yet.

Note how Paul talked of the struggles and failures at Philippi, yet they became a significant church. God often works in the areas of most opposition. Around 1900 missionaries bemoaned the failures of missionary attempts in China and Korea, yet were excited by the promise in Japan. Now China and Korea have the most Christians in all Asia, and Japan has none! God's funny like that.

When I say 'missionaries' I mean, "I saw a quote from a missionary once".

Paul could probably be consider anti-semitic if he wasn't Jewish, and if people didn't realise the difference between disagreeing with a religion with cultural practices and racism.

1 Thessalonians 1

2007-12-03T17:53:00.000+13:00

Reputable

Summary:
Kia ora. We are alwasy reminded of how your faith makes you do what's right. You were filled with the Spirit when I came, and have become and example for your region. You have quite the reputation! You turn from your idols to the real God.

Key verse:
5. our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.

My thoughts:
In this passage, I like the concept of faith-produced work, showing the centrality and primacy of faith, but also the requirement for our lifestyles and actions to change. I also like the key verse, making it clear that power trumps so-called wisdom.

Fun thymes.

Colossians 4

2007-12-02T17:52:00.000+13:00

Hound them at every opportunity

Summary:
Be good to slaves if you want God to be good to you.

Prayer lots. Pray that we will have opportunities to share the gospel clearly. Make the most of your opportunities, and always have a graceful answer for people. Tychicus and Onesimus are coming to let you know how we are.

Everyone, including Mark and Luke says hi. Say hi to the Laodiceans and the other churches around for me. Ciao.

Key verse:
5-6. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

My thoughts:
Outsiders. What a word.

This is good confirmation that as Christians we should be strategic about evangelism. We should be sensible, and also deliberate and prepared. There is a mandate on us to utilised gospel-sharing opportunities. These are all things which I'm sometimes tempted to think of as Pentecostal hobby-horses, but they genuinely are part of how we should express our faith.

It's definitely possible that the Onesimus mentioned here is one and the same with the slave in Philemon. How exciting.

Does anyone know the relationship between the Colossians and the Laodiceans? Is there any chance that Paul's epistle to the Laodiceans is actually just this letter to the Colossians?

Colossians 3

2007-12-01T17:53:00.000+13:00

Children are evil

Summary:
Look at the world through heaven's eyes, not the world's. Your life only exists in Christ now, not in the world. Don't do sinful worldly things because the old self has gone, and the new self is here. In the new self there is no race or social standing. Jesus is all and in all.

Instead of sin, wear virtues of love, forgiveness, patience and kindness. May peace be the final decider. Let God's word live in you.

Wives should submit to husbands, and husbands love their wives. Children and slaves should obey their parents and masters. Parents should keep their kids happy. God has no favourism.

Key verse:
17. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

My thoughts:
Paul loves juxtaposing a big list of sins with a big list of virtues. He does it so many times. The point is simple: Be good. Do it.

The list stating how different people should relate to each other is a summary of what Paul had said in that previous passage we looked at. Wherever it was. The biggest difference I can see, is this passage mentions how parents should treat their children. Children's rights! Woo! The standard modern liberal society goes to war holding high! In the Bible! Would something think of the children?! Would someone please think of the children?!?!?

Whilst we're on children... Modern liberal society has this notion that children are all innocent. They're not. The vast majority of them are evil.

The key verse is cool. Everything in our life should be designed to glorify God. w00t.

Colossians 2

2007-11-30T17:45:00.000+13:00

Screw Christmas

Summary:
I try so hard so that you benefit from the gospel's fullness and don't get sucked away by cunning words. Don't base your life on tradition or on worldly rules but on Jesus. You're buried with him, and brought alive with him. He has circumcised your insides. He is the fullness of God. God saved you when you were still sinning, and got rid of written regulations. He made a public spectacle of it on the cross.

So don't let people stress you out about what you eat, and religious festivals and whatnot. Those things are just shadows of the reality that comes from Jesus. People who try to vex you about these things are disconnected from Jesus.

Human rules have echoes of wisdom and purpose, but ultimately they fall down compared to how the world looks through Jesus-coloured lenses.

Key verse:
8. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

My thoughts:
This again repeats the notion of full divineness being in Jesus. Super.

So often religion is simply a collective build-up of tradition that people feel part of because they were brought up in it. It's good and right to do because it's what has always been done.

Our faith in Jesus cannot be like that. We absolutely must take captive every thought, action, and belief and make it obedient to Christ, not to tradition. We should not defend parts of our faith which actually are just tradition. We should not pretend that Christianity as tradition is a valid expression of faith.

I believe that if we really stripped down our faith from what seems to be the Christian thing to do (built up from our knowledge of what Christianity has previously been), and made it simply what followed from Christ, then our faith would look vastly different.

Like Christmas, for example. Screw Christmas. Santa, if you move one letter is Satan and Grinch, if you move three letters then change two is Christ.

Anyway, I must get off to our staff Christmas party. Good times! Woo!

Colossians 1

2007-11-29T22:39:00.000+13:00

Seeing the invisible

Summary:
Yo Colossian brothers,

I've heard lotsa good things about your love and faith. You've taken hold of the gospel which is budding all over the world. So I always pray for you, so that you'll live a worthy life and always be strengthened, knowing that God qualified you to share in the great inheritance through his Son.

Oh Jesus... he's tops. He's the creator of all, and all creation is made for him. He is the beginning, and the first one resurrected, so that we'd know that he's #1. God was stoked to completely live in him and to save the world through him. You were once enemies of God because of your sin, but now you have no blemishes.

I'm all about building the church and bringing more before God without blemish.

Key verse:
15. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

My thoughts:
Jehovah's Witnesses go along their usual line with this, which basically is "Jesus is almost almost almost almost God, but not quite, so this language is appropriate even though he's not God". I reckon if it looks like a God, if it smells like a God, if it feels like God, then it's probably not a duck.

If we taken Jesus' divinity as a given, then this says something cool still. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. We cannot see God. He is invisible. But we can see Jesus. Jesus is his image. By looking at him we see God. He is God's personal and visible revelation.

He's also the agent of creation which is pretty choice.

I don't know much about colossians other than that it contains this passage in verses 15-20. I don't know it's point or background. Maybe I should go read my NIV study notes... I think I left them in Dunedin though. Meh, I'll just ask the internet. The internet knows all.

Philippians 4

2007-11-28T22:29:00.000+13:00

Thinking happy thoughts make you fly!

Summary:
Euodia and Syntyche - get on with each other! Everyone else help them and all my other workers. Always be happy in God. God is close, so don't get stressed, but just give everything to God and peace will follow. Think good throughts and do what I say.

Thanks for showing your concern for me. I mean, I'm fine. I've learnt to be fine no matter how hard it gets! But it's still appreciated. I love your generosity! You were the only church who gave me gifts from the beginning.

God Bless. Everyone says hi, including those working for the Emperor.

Key verses:
8. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
13. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

My thoughts:
Often verse 13 is used to say that we can do anything. We can freaken' fly if we want! We can create spaceships with the click of a finger. We can do EVERYTHING through him who gives me strength. BOO-YAH!

Of course, Paul here is actually referring to the that he can be content in the worst of situations. God helps him cope no matter how crap things turn. There's a bit of a different emphasis there...

I was listening to Richard Dawkins and Alister McGrath have a verbal battle royale the other night instead of sleeping, and they both agreed that you can tell when a society is getting evil when they start trying to, in big ways or small ways, police your thoughts. Thoughts should be ultimately free! So is Paul being a though police in verse 8? No, because there's a big difference between someone forcing you to think in a way, with some sort of deception or punishment if you fail, and encouraging each other to think in a way we think is good. It's up to them whether they take us up on it. If we take them up, it becomes our own choice, not their policing. Think happy thoughts. DO IT! DO IT NOW!!!!

Philippians 3

2007-11-27T18:25:00.000+13:00

God's swears

Summary:
Don't base anything on your body or background. Neither circumcision nor heritage nor education count. We live by the Spirit, not by our qualifications. All our qualifications are crap compared to knowing Jesus. My righteousness comes from faith. I want to share in who Jesus is so I can somehow sneak into his share of resurrection. Yus!

Don't think I've figured it all out! I haven't. I just push forward to win as hard as possible without looking back. Follow my example. Many are against us, focussed only on earth, but we come from heaven awaiting Jesus' return.

Key verse:
8. I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

My thoughts:
So the word for rubbish is probably better translated as crap. Or Scheisse. I get a sense that it is slightly less 'offensive' than the word shit, but it is still a somewhat crass word for poos. Good times.

Paul's making an important point that everything that we might think we could be proud about is actually pathetic and weakening compared to what Jesus gives us. It is loss to us, because it tempts us to depend on it, rather than on Jesus

Pushing forward is cool, but not looking back is cooler. Don't let your past define your future!

Philippians 2

2007-11-26T18:24:00.000+13:00

Kenotic theory

Summary:
If you're united with Jesus, then make sure you're united with each other too! Be humble like Christ. He had all the qualifications to claim divinity, but chose to humble himself instead. He became a slave and even died, and that's why God lifted him up, so that everyone will one day confess that he is Lord of all.

So be blameless in this generation, so you are like diamonds in the rough.

I'm sending Tim to you. He has a truly selfless heart for you. He's all quality. You're also getting Epaphroditus back, who you sent to help me. It's true he almost died, but he's okay now and is going back to you so you don't worry about him.

Key verses:
6. being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped
10-11. at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

My thoughts:
So verses 5-11 are very famous for their high Christology, because they claim that Jesus is God in his very nature. There is so much that could be said about Jesus from this small passage. View range from this passage being of little consequence, to it being the proof that Jesus represents the fullness of God. It also says a lot about God's humility, and his willingness to empty himself/lower himself for the sake of his people/future glorification. Kenosis or kenotic theology refers to this concept of self-emptying.

I like the idea of every knee bowing and tongue confessing that Jesus is Lord. It just reminds me that no matter how desperate and hopeless things seem, God wins in the end. Yay him.

In the midst of all this Christology, don't forget that Paul's point is for us to be humble and blameless despite our society.

Timothy is pretty much the first known second generation Christian. He was one of the first people to grow up in a Christian family. The Christians are breeding... multiplying...

Philippians 1

2007-11-25T12:45:00.000+13:00

The life and death of Paul

Summary:
I know God won't ditch you before his plan is finished. I pray simply that you love more, so you can know the right things to do.

The fact that I'm now imprisoned helps the Gospel. Everyone know why I'm here, and Christians are getting bolder. Some people are preaching to get me sympathy, others to get me trouble. Oh well, I'm just stoked that people are preaching about Christ.

The Spirit helps me. It doesn't matter whether I live or die. If I live, I live for Jesus, if I die, I will see him.

Live the way you should and be unified. This will be the sign that you are destined for salvation, not destruction.

Key verse:
21. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

My thoughts:
What a cool verse. We need to be so absolutely content with where God has put us that neither death nor life is of particular consequence. We're just doing God's plan. God wins in the end, and our lives and deaths are part of it!

I use verse 15 to show that though people should have good motivation, it's more important that they preach the Gospel then make sure they have made themselves somehow worthy to do it. I'll all for good motives, but too many people use inadequacy as an 'excuse' not to preach. No-one is adequate.

Verse 6 is also famous, but it's really just specific for the Philippi church, so I wouldn't instantly say that it's true for all Christians. I was thinking about this today. What about the seed that falls on the rocky ground? It sprouts but dies shortly after because there is no foundation. The plant is a growth of a person. Did God completely what he started there? Or was God faithful and working, but the person wasn't up to it? This could become a Augustinians/Pelagian issue.

Ephesians 6

2007-11-24T12:02:00.000+13:00

God's sweet armour

Summary:
Kids, do what your parents say. Slaves, serve your masters like you would God. Masters be good to your slaves.

Stand strong and fight against the spiritual, not physical, enemies we have. Protect yourself with righteousness, readiness, truth, faith, salvation, and the Spirit.

Pray for me too.

Key verse:
12. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

My thoughts:
As Christians we need to be very clear that no human is our enemy, only the spiritual forces behind them. There is no justification for a Christian killing someone. The armour of God is a sweet thing to pray over yourself regularly.

Paul does not promote rebellion again slavemasters. Though I'm sure he's all for freedom of people, it's not a battle worth fighting for him. In fact, the right thing for someone in that situation to do is to serve those who are oppressing them. Maybe this sheds some light on the wife husband situation. Maybe it's not so much of support of a subservient position for woman, but more a statement that when Jesus is your supreme authority, you are a servant to all, even those who oppress you. I dunno.

Ephesians 5

2007-11-23T18:13:00.000+13:00

Jesus likes it when you post their deepest darkess secrets on the interwebs

Summary:
Try and be like God and Jesus. They smell good. Don't be dirty like the world. You've left the dark and entered the light. Live like light is what made you. Don't do dark things, but expose them, because they will be exposed in Jesus' light one day.

Make the most of your opportunities. Don't get drunk, but be filled with the Spirit.

Submit to each other. Wives to husband, just like the church does to Jesus. Husbands should love their wife like Jesus does his church. Make her so holy and treat her like your own body. Remember: the two become one. Jesus and the church are like husband and wife.

Key verse:
22. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

My thoughts:
Clearly the point of this whole passage... nay, chapter... nay, letter... nay, the whole Bible is that women should do everything that their husband asks and should do all work required to make the life of their husband better and easier.

It's just obvious.

Oh, but seriously folks, if you read this whole passage and recognise that submission may have a slightly different meaning in the Greek than what it means in your head (see the last verse), then you should have no problem with this. It is a solid Christian understanding of the relationship between a husband and a wife. Just realise that the relationship between Jesus and the church is the same. I've always known this, but have struggled to point to Bible passages in the past. And here it is!

I like the quote about Jesus shining on the risen sleeper. It's cool because it's an early (semi-) extra-Biblical Christian saying speaking of the Christ's role after the resurrection. It's also kinda creepy sounding. Someone should write a song with those words.

Admittedly, this could be just a general Messianic saying, not specifically related to Jesus of Nazareth.

So yea... exposing deeds... that sounds fun... Mum said the f-word once. That's my sin exposing for the day done!

Ephesians 4

2007-11-22T17:38:00.000+13:00

Unified new creations

Summary:
Life worthy of your calling. Be at peace with each other, humble and unified. There is one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, and one God. Jesus has given us different gifts as he wishes. Some are apostles, some are teachers and so on. Instead of being immature still, we will grow up as the body, with all our parts, into the head which is Jesus.

Don't be like the hedonist world, always wanting more. That's not how you found Jesus. You were taught to get rid of the old, and embrace the new. Don't lie, and don't let anger take hold. Don't be bitter or talk smut, but rather be forgiving and say only uplifting things.

Key verses:
4-6. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

My thoughts:
This is, at least partially, a bunch of my issue around getting baptised as an adult. My problem isn't with people who get baptised for the first time as an adult, but those who have been baptised/christened as children getting baptised as adults. There is one baptism, not two or three or four. One baptism. Though, of course, those (filshy) anabaptists would say that the first one wasn't a 'real' one. I think more divisions need to be made in the church due to this disagreement.

So there's some pretty sweet stuff on the different roles God might have for us here. Pretty famous passage for modern Christians. Paul's overall point here is that despite our different roles, we are all unified.

The concept of living as life worthy of the calling is a cool one, and I think it's the correct was to express why we should live a Godly life. We are saved by grace. We are called before we are worthy, but we then choose to live a like worthy of the calling after we have been called as a response to the awesome cool. It's good stuff... We need to be a new creation. We need to live like God's new creations. That affects so much of us. The anger part is a cool one. It isn't a sin in and of itself, and it's a stepping stone. Same with the talking smut. It can become so normal and so unshocking, but as Christians I do believe that we need to be clean and uplifting in our speech. Some Christians claim that they are just relating to non-believers when they talk dirt, but I think non-Christians are actually a bit disappointed in us when we do. They expect something different. This chapter contains some pretty cool advice.

In all of this is the assumption that those who weren't Gentiles aren't Gentile Christians, they aren't even Gentiles anymore! I want to go to Israel and tell them that I belong to the nation of Israel. See what they do.

Ephesians 3

2007-11-21T18:42:00.000+13:00

Paul's prayers

Summary:
I've already told you about how God revealed his mystery to me, how the Gentiles can share in Israel through Jesus. My mission to tell of this mystery was given to me by God. I certainly didn't meet any sort of standard to earn it. I'm here to make the mystery clear. My job is make the movers and shakers know God's revealed mystery. Don't worry about me and my imprisonment.

I pray and pray and pray that you'll know God's power, have Jesus in you, and know the full extent of his love. All glory to God!

Key verse:
17-18. I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ

My thoughts:
So now it becomes apparent that Paul is in some sort of hardship, most likely he is in prison. Yet this seems to be his most excited letter yet! Mind you there's quite a few to come, and from memory there is one that is probably written from his final, much harsher, imprisonment, and that one is pretty sobering. I should probably go find out what letter I'm referring to, but I'm too lazy.

Paul, it appears, is quite the intercessor. Prison is an opportunity for him to pray more.

Ephesians is cool.

Ephesians 2

2007-11-20T18:31:00.000+13:00

Pete is excited about apostolic authority

Summary:
We were dead in our sin, like everyone else. We've all been that. But then by grace God made us alive through Jesus. We have places in heaven, by grace alone, not by works. Gentiles used to have no hope, but now you've been brought close to God.

In his death Jesus turns us both - Jews and Palestinians - into one people. There are no more barriers. We are fellow citizens, built on the apostles and prophets, but most of all on Jesus. By him we are become the home of God's Spirit.

Key verses:
19-20. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

My thoughts:
My reference to Palestinians is, of course, obnoxious because they didn't exist at this time and certainly not in Ephesus. But yea... the point's the same. Peace between those who are divided.

Check this out! The Apostles are being put up there with the Prophets! By Prophets Paul is, of course, referring to the writings of the Old Testament Prophets. For the Apostles to be considered an equal foundation certainly implies that their writing are scripture along with the Prophets! This gets me excited because the New Testament doesn't really talk about itself much, and it's not directly doing so here, but it definitely helps form an argument!

Ephesians is quite an excited letter from Paul, from my first glance.

Ephesians 1

2007-11-19T19:25:00.000+13:00

Bodilicious

Summary:
Thank God because he chose us and blessed us. He gave us Jesus, through whom we're forgiven. He's revealed the world's mysteries to us, which put all things in heaven and earth under Jesus. We were chosen to praise him. When you came to Jesus you were given the Spirit as a promise of your inheritance.

This is why I am so thankful for you. I keep wanting you to have more and more wisdom and revelation. I want you to know the inheritance you have! You have the same power that raised Jesus from death to complete authority over all and over the church his body.

Key verse:
22-23. God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body

My thoughts:
This occurs to me as Paul's zealous rant of excitement about what God's done. He's excited, and he's in the zone, and he is writing from his heart. It's actually a pretty good explanation of what God has done for us, and elates Jesus, and of course God, very highly. It is both very basic and very powerful at the same time.

So we're Christ's body. That's pretty cool.

Galatians 6

2007-11-18T19:16:00.000+13:00

Mocking God

Summary:
Help the sinners amongst you, but be careful not to fall into their trap. Look after each other, but don't compare yourselves with one another. Be generous to those who teach you.

You get out what you put in. You can't take short cuts when God's involved. So invest in the Spirit.

Don't worry about appearance so you can boast. Boast about the crucifixion for you, not on the circumcision you may have. Be a new creation.

Ciao.

Key verses:
4. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else
7. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

My thoughts:
Verse 4 is pretty sweet. I think so many people would do so much better if they just lived by that principle! Don't compare yourself by others or by others standards. Test yourself based on yourself and God. So often we see people we consider to be super-Christians or super-people and we instantly attempt to determine our self-worth in comparison to them, but that is really really unhelpful and actually denies the unwarranted acceptance God has given us. Despite the acceptance, we are trying to prove ourself and it's wrong.

Verse 7 is a healthy reminder than in the midst of all the freedom and grace God gives, God's not there to be made as ass of or exploited. You can't just push yourself as close to the line of sin as possible and get upset when God doesn't catch you when you fall over the line. You reap what you sow.

Galatians 5

2007-11-17T18:04:00.000+13:00

God wants fruity followers

Summary:
We weren't set free for slavery. If you get circumcised now, then Jesus didn't die for you. You have to follow the whole law. If Jesus died for you then faith matters, not law. You were doing so well, who stopped you? I am offensive because I deny the old law, or else I wouldn't be persecuted. Those who ask for circumcision might as well chop it all off. But you're free. Use it to love one another, not to sin.

Live by the Spirit, not the law, and you won't do sinful things which exclude you from God's Kingdom. Instead in you love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control will be grown. Everyone appreciates those.

Key verse:
22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

My thoughts:
I'll just clarify that Paul's first point is not that circumcision excludes you from God's grace but that if you feel you need to follow the regulations of the law for salvation, then you are saved by God's grace. You have completely missed the point.

Anywho, the fruit of the Spirit are pretty famous. They're just cool things. So often we get so caught up in Church and religious fervour that we don't stop to check whether these attritubes, which are universal, are growing in us. Your fruit shows you for who you are. If you have none of these fruit, then I'm sorry, but you're not living by the Spirit. Christians often get a bad press for a whole bunch of things which are not these fruit. If we truly live by the Spirit, then we have these universal characteristics and the world will envy our character, not hate it.

On the other hand, people will always find reasons to hate us, no matter what we do wrong or right.

Galatians 4

2007-11-16T18:04:00.000+13:00

Child slavery

Summary:
Look, we've always been God's heirs, but when an heir is young, they might as well be a slave. They have no inheritance yet. Same with us, when we were young we were slaves under the law, but now is the time for us to become heirs. We call God Dad.

Now you know God! Why would you go back to slavery? You used to accept me with open arms. It's just confusing! They just want you to be passionate about them! Passion is fine provided that's it's appropriately directed. I just want to visit to figure you out.

Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. Ishmael was born of Hagar the slave, who is like the old way of earth. Isaac was born on Sarah, the wife, who is like the new way of heaven, born of the Spirit. Ishmael may persecute Isaac, but Ishmael has no inheritance. Don't go back to slavery.

Key verse:
7. So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

My thoughts:
This is one of the coolest ways I've seen to explain the relationship between the Old Testament and the New. God's people have always been sons, but when a son is young, he has no freedom. Now we have reached maturity we are given freedom. It's not inconsistency, it's development! Paul's point is consistent throughout Galatians. Don't feel you need to follow the law if you are a Christian.

Galatians 3

2007-11-15T18:03:00.000+13:00

Promises are stronger than law

Summary:
Don't be silly. You know full well that you received the Spirit by faith. Stop going back to trying human effort. Remember Abraham was saved by faith.

The law curses us because we can't do it all, so Jesus became a curse by hanging on a tree so that we might be free.

God's inheritance was given to Abraham's seed singular. It was given to Jesus. That was a promise, and the law that came hundreds of years later didn't break that promise. The law, by creating transgressions, allowed that promise to be fulfilled, but once it had done so, we didn't have to follow the law anymore.

You, then, are God's children and the seed of Abraham with Jesus. God doesn't discriminate on gender, colour, or social status.

Key verse:
28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

My thoughts:
It's a pretty sweet key verse. Societies like our love these parts of the Bible, and it is pretty cool. God doesn't discriminate against the things which you cannot change. It's verses like this which add weight to the view that the issues surrounding homosexuality cannot be grouped in the same basket as the issues surrounding women.

As for the rest of the passage, Paul is appealing to two things. He is appealing to the Galatian's personal experience of the Spirit. Often it's good to base faith on reality rather than what sounds good. Why should they change what was working?

Secondly he is doing his old trick of going to the Covenant that predates Moses, aligning it with Christianity, and thereby giving it more authority that Moses' Covenant.

Paul's view is this: The law is not made to make people righteous, because then it would be a massive failure and God doesn't fail. Dead comes from the law, but only so that life can come through Jesus.

Galatians 2

2007-11-14T17:56:00.000+13:00

Foolish Peter

Summary:
Ages later I talked to those considered leaders in Jerusalem, and they didn't want me to change anything in my message. They agreed that I had been sent to the Gentiles, and only asked that I remember the poor, which I do.

I confronted Peter, in fact, because he was eating with Gentiles until James turned up, and he started eating only with Jews. We're not saved by acts, and I questioned Peter on making Gentiles follow Jewish customs. Jesus makes us alive whilst we are dead. It's not so much that Jesus supports death, but that in order for one to be made alive, one must first be dead! I am dead so that I can live.

Key verse:
20. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

My thoughts:
Paul is seemingly dismissive of the Apostles. He just seems unfazed by it all. They are just the ones everyone considers the leaders. He is only telling of these encounters because the Galatians consider them leaders. Paul's message is from God and doesn't necessarily need the support of other leaders, but it does have that support and Paul shares this for the Galatians' benefit.

Paul shows this more by showing that he was teaching the Apostles, not the other way around.

Galatians 1

2007-11-13T12:29:00.000+13:00

Other Gospels

Summary
From Paul, sent from Jesus.

Don't take other gospels than what I've said! They're crap! Those people are evil. I'm not trying to please people. My Gospel has nothing to do with what people have told me, I got it straight from. I got to know the other Apostles later. They haven't sent me. God himself has.

Key verse:
8. even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!

My thoughts:
So Paul came to the Galatians saying that they didn't have to follow Jewish law, and that their salvation doesn't come from following such laws. Evidentally, however, others have come saying that they have to follow Jewish law. This is the other gospel Paul is referring to. Paul's point is simple. He hasn't made this up. No mere human has. His Gospel is from God, so don't disagree!

2 Corinthians 13

2007-11-12T12:03:00.000+13:00

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Summary:
Ok, this'll be my third visit, and I won't be going soft. Despite any doubts, Jesus does speak through me, and he isn't weak.

Test your faith. I think you'll find you pass. We love making ourselves weak to make you strong.

In the name of the whole Trinity, ciao.

Key verse:
14. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

My thoughts:
This is the closest thing you'll find to a clear mention of the Trinity in the Bible. It's not exactly the precise theology of the relationship between the three, but it does indicate a feel of significance of these three things which nothing else seems to have. It's very interesting.

I find the concept of testing your faith interesting. To me that would normally imply that Paul is trying to tell the Corinthians to pull finger, but he's actually very clear that this is to encourage the Corinthians more than anything else. Isn't that nice.

Okay, buh-bye childlike Corinthians! Hello, Judaising Galatians!