Grace and peace to you all,
Today we wrap up the Chapter Memory Study in the book of 1 Peter. The over all theme of Hope in Suffering held true, as did the acronym HOPES for the outline. I reminded myself that I need to go back and just read through 1 Peter now that I have studied it. I have recognized certain themes and points of emphasis that would be interesting to view in light of the whole work.
The memory passage for 1 Peter 5 is;
1 Peter 5:2a, 5-10 (ESV)
2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you,
5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
As always, I made a priority decision in this passage. In order for the whole passage to fit in my brain this week, I needed to trim a bit. I shortened verse 2 (while maintaining the main theme) in order to include 6 verses from 5-10, which I felt deserved attention.
The outline theme (the 'S' in hopeS) is Shepherd, Submit, and Stand firm humbly. This chapter is short, but has three main ideas. The over all theme is humility toward each other and God; an this is played out in the role of a shepherd, the sheep, and the servants of God.
Beginning in verse 1, Peter has some specific exhortations for shepherds. He reminds the elders that he is a fellow elder and shepherd who has seen the sufferings of the chief Shepherd and will be reunited with Him when His glory is revealed. The charge to us now; shepherd God's flock. How? Not grudgingly, greedily, or harshly, but willingly, eagerly, and by setting a good example. And never forget that Christ is the Chief Shepherd who has an unfading crown of glory for us in heaven.
Now, to those who are younger Peter reminds them to be subject to the elders. But everyone is to 'clothe themselves' with humility toward one another; remembering that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Prov 3:34, James 4:6).
Verse 6 begins the second sub-section; submit. Everyone, elders and the flock, are to submit,or humble themselves, to God. The words of Micah 6:8 ring through; 'do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God'. But we can't separate verse 5 from verse 6. I do not think it is possible to walk proudly with each other and then walk humbly with God. Our heart posture will most certainly carry over into all our relationships. The reverse is also likely; we can not truly walk humbly with God without that effecting our relationships with others. Humility, in both cases, is a posture of the heart that we must achieve and maintain. We can leave the exalting to God. He knows the correct time, the proper manner, and the appropriate degree to which we should ultimately be exalted. If we try to exalt ourselves, it would be the wrong time, the wrong manner, and most likely to the wrong degree.
But take heart; God is not arbitrary in His dealings. He invites us to cast all of our anxieties on Him because He cares for us. Unlike humbling one's self before a dictatorial tyrant, our submission and servant hood is to a loving, caring God who truly knows what's best for us and will work in us to that end.
Verses 8-10 wrap up the main outline with some encouragement to stand firm. First, a warning; be sober-minded and watchful because your enemy is crouched for attack. The devil is likened to a lion 'seeking someone to devour'. We are to resist him by standing firm in our faith. This assault on God's kingdom is not isolated, but world-wide. But after all of the suffering, our gracious God will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish us based on His calling of us to glory through Christ. And don't forget; He rules.
Peter acknowledges the one taking dictation (Silvanus) and reaffirms (possibly now in his own hand-writing) that his messages is true. He then sends greetings from 'she who is in Babylon' (a possible reference to the church of Rome) and Mark before signing off with a blessing of peace.
How does this affect my worship?
I owe my Shepherd everything. He sought me when I was lost, He cares for me when I'm sick, He leads me to the place I can receive nourishment, He provides for my growth and maturity, and He protects me in times of danger. I often call out to Jesus, as Shepherd, for all of these things, but I do not often thank Jesus for being my Shepherd. When I meet Him in heaven, my Chief Shepherd, I will most certainly fall to my face and thank Him. I can begin now.
How does this affect my discipleship?
I am in an interesting position of being a pastor (and 'elder') but being relatively young. I have certain shepherding responsibilities, but also certain people I must submit to. But humility works both ways. I must lead humbly and follow humbly. I must always clothe myself and walk in humility. Even, especially when, I am discipling someone young or new in the faith. An example of humility from the beginning is a strong foundation of any discipleship relationship.
May you walk humbly with God and others,
Ethan
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Thursday, November 08, 2007
1 Peter 4
Greetings once again,
We continue this week in 1 Peter 4 (I'm not feeling creative with the intro this week). The outline (HOPES) also continues with the 'E' of hopEs.
This weeks memory passage is:
1 Peter 4:1,2,7,12-13 (ESV)
1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.
7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
The outline theme is Emulate Christ's suffering and Endure Christ's sufferings. (that is, emulate the way Christ suffered, and endure the sufferings of Christ).
The first section (1-11) addresses Christ's suffering in the flesh and how we should approach that suffering in our lives. We are to 'arm ourselves' with the same thinking that Christ had. For if we suffer as He did, by denying the flesh and the world, we will be avoiding sin. This verse is not approval of asceticism (suffering in the flesh leads to sinless life) but an affirmation that following Christ in all His ways (according to all He commanded) and being crucified with Him (Gal 2:20) to the world (Gal 6:14) leads to a life of holiness and righteousness in the new self (Eph 4:24). It leads to a life no longer submitted to human passions, but to the will of God.
The behavior of the world (Gentiles; see text for list) will be judged by God according to His holiness and justice. We are clearly warned in His Word to avoid (crucify, deny) the behavior of the world and walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:16).
Verse 7 is an interesting commentary on prayer. Peter mentions that the end of all things is at hand (meaning the return of Christ) and that we should be self-controlled and sober-minded in our prayers. These two things relate to our disciplines and our thoughts. Prayer is closely related to the the state of our minds and the state of our discipline. Our physical and mental posture affects our prayers (not kneeling or prostrate, but the condition of our bodies and minds). Paul writes at the end of 1 Cor 9 that he trains and disciplines his body so that it does not disqualify his preaching. Here, Peter writes that an undisciplined mind and body affects our prayers.
The end of this section focuses on life in the body. We are to love each other, show hospitality, and use our gifts so that the body might be edified and God may be glorified.
The second main section, (12-19; Endure Christ's sufferings) deals more with trials, persecutions and sufferings associated with following Christ. First of all, we should expect something. Peter says we 'should not be surprised' when trials come, as if it were strange. Our response to persecution, or sharing Christ's suffering, should be to rejoice. We can rejoice now, in the midst of our trial, because we know we will rejoice when He returns and His glory is revealed. We can set our hope fully on that future grace (1:13) that we will experience when appear with Him in glory (Col 3:4) and His glory is revealed.
If we are insulted for the name of Christ, we should be comforted in that we have Holy Spirit inside us and that He 'rests upon us' in those times. Suffering for breaking the law of man is not the same as suffering because of the name of Christ; one will lead to punishment by men, the other gives glory to God. Judgment at the hands of human law may come, justly or not, and it will begin with those who belong to God (because we SHOULD be easy to spot). And if we, who have the Gospel and the hope of God, face judgment and scrutiny for living righteously, how much more will the worldly and unrighteous be judged?
But thank the Lord for giving us encouragement at the end:
1 Peter 4:19 (ESV)
Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
He is faithful and good; and we can trust Him through it all. amen.
How does this affect my worship?
Rejoicing is a common theme in worship. We rejoice in who God is and what He has done. We rejoice in His victory of sin. We rejoice when He 'comes through for us'. But in this chapter we are reminded to rejoice when we are associated with and receive persecution because of Christ. And the foundation for that joy is that we KNOW we will be able to rejoice in heaven with Him for eternity. We will see Him like He is (1 John 3:2) and His glory will be revealed. God asks us to endure now, because the end of the story will be worth it.
How does this affect my discipleship?
That pesky verse 7 makes me squirm. Not the 'end of all things is near' part, but the second part. 'Be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers'. I know that how I treat my wife can affect my prayers (3:7), but how I treat my body does too? My self-control (will, discipline) and sober-mindedness (thoughts) affect my prayers. Becoming a disciple, much more making disciples, has to include some aspect of discipline; thought and action, mind and body. Dallas Willard reminds me that the 'spiritual disciplines' are all things we do with our bodies; they can't be separated (The Great Omission, chapter 8). How do I do that? And how do I teach that?
May the Lord fill you with the knowledge of His will,
Ethan
We continue this week in 1 Peter 4 (I'm not feeling creative with the intro this week). The outline (HOPES) also continues with the 'E' of hopEs.
This weeks memory passage is:
1 Peter 4:1,2,7,12-13 (ESV)
1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.
7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
The outline theme is Emulate Christ's suffering and Endure Christ's sufferings. (that is, emulate the way Christ suffered, and endure the sufferings of Christ).
The first section (1-11) addresses Christ's suffering in the flesh and how we should approach that suffering in our lives. We are to 'arm ourselves' with the same thinking that Christ had. For if we suffer as He did, by denying the flesh and the world, we will be avoiding sin. This verse is not approval of asceticism (suffering in the flesh leads to sinless life) but an affirmation that following Christ in all His ways (according to all He commanded) and being crucified with Him (Gal 2:20) to the world (Gal 6:14) leads to a life of holiness and righteousness in the new self (Eph 4:24). It leads to a life no longer submitted to human passions, but to the will of God.
The behavior of the world (Gentiles; see text for list) will be judged by God according to His holiness and justice. We are clearly warned in His Word to avoid (crucify, deny) the behavior of the world and walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:16).
Verse 7 is an interesting commentary on prayer. Peter mentions that the end of all things is at hand (meaning the return of Christ) and that we should be self-controlled and sober-minded in our prayers. These two things relate to our disciplines and our thoughts. Prayer is closely related to the the state of our minds and the state of our discipline. Our physical and mental posture affects our prayers (not kneeling or prostrate, but the condition of our bodies and minds). Paul writes at the end of 1 Cor 9 that he trains and disciplines his body so that it does not disqualify his preaching. Here, Peter writes that an undisciplined mind and body affects our prayers.
The end of this section focuses on life in the body. We are to love each other, show hospitality, and use our gifts so that the body might be edified and God may be glorified.
The second main section, (12-19; Endure Christ's sufferings) deals more with trials, persecutions and sufferings associated with following Christ. First of all, we should expect something. Peter says we 'should not be surprised' when trials come, as if it were strange. Our response to persecution, or sharing Christ's suffering, should be to rejoice. We can rejoice now, in the midst of our trial, because we know we will rejoice when He returns and His glory is revealed. We can set our hope fully on that future grace (1:13) that we will experience when appear with Him in glory (Col 3:4) and His glory is revealed.
If we are insulted for the name of Christ, we should be comforted in that we have Holy Spirit inside us and that He 'rests upon us' in those times. Suffering for breaking the law of man is not the same as suffering because of the name of Christ; one will lead to punishment by men, the other gives glory to God. Judgment at the hands of human law may come, justly or not, and it will begin with those who belong to God (because we SHOULD be easy to spot). And if we, who have the Gospel and the hope of God, face judgment and scrutiny for living righteously, how much more will the worldly and unrighteous be judged?
But thank the Lord for giving us encouragement at the end:
1 Peter 4:19 (ESV)
Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
He is faithful and good; and we can trust Him through it all. amen.
How does this affect my worship?
Rejoicing is a common theme in worship. We rejoice in who God is and what He has done. We rejoice in His victory of sin. We rejoice when He 'comes through for us'. But in this chapter we are reminded to rejoice when we are associated with and receive persecution because of Christ. And the foundation for that joy is that we KNOW we will be able to rejoice in heaven with Him for eternity. We will see Him like He is (1 John 3:2) and His glory will be revealed. God asks us to endure now, because the end of the story will be worth it.
How does this affect my discipleship?
That pesky verse 7 makes me squirm. Not the 'end of all things is near' part, but the second part. 'Be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers'. I know that how I treat my wife can affect my prayers (3:7), but how I treat my body does too? My self-control (will, discipline) and sober-mindedness (thoughts) affect my prayers. Becoming a disciple, much more making disciples, has to include some aspect of discipline; thought and action, mind and body. Dallas Willard reminds me that the 'spiritual disciplines' are all things we do with our bodies; they can't be separated (The Great Omission, chapter 8). How do I do that? And how do I teach that?
May the Lord fill you with the knowledge of His will,
Ethan
Thursday, November 01, 2007
1 Peter 3
Hello again,
This week's study is in 1 Peter 3. So far I have been able to stick with the acronym 'HOPES' for this book. By the way, I took that from some ideas that a few commentators offered on the main overall theme for the book. If I find a better word (with 5 letters) for the acronym, we'll have some serious editing.
But, for now, chapter 3 builds on the 'P' of HOPES, and the outline theme is Pure Conduct and Prepared to Proclaim.
The memory passage (for now) is:
1 Peter 3:1,2,7,15-16 (ESV)
1 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives— 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct.
7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; 16 yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
Again, as always, I had trouble narrowing down the passage. There are always more verses to memorize that there is time in which to memorize. I'm trying to stick with the purpose of this study and keep the memory passages to those verses that most represent the ideas in the chapter.
The Pure Conduct Peter writes about is between husbands and wives. Wives are to subject themselves to their own husband even if he is not a Christ-follower. If he indeed isn't, the testimony with the most value is respectful pure conduct toward him. Wives aren't to focus on the external adornments but the condition of their heart. This passage is not a prohibition against jewelry and hair-braids, but a warning against making that the focus. Like the holy women of old, who serve as an example, maintain a godly wife-hood even with a non-believing husband.
Husbands are given a separate command; live with your wives in an understanding way and honor them as the weaker vessel. We are heirs with them in Christ, and if we do not love them as Christ loves the church, it has an effect on our prayers. Peter doesn't expound on what hindered prayers look like, but the principle is clear. If you are treating your wife the wrong way, you are directly affecting your relationship to God.
The second, and longer, section I have titled Prepared to Proclaim. It includes how to be prepared and what to proclaim. First we see a list of behavioral instructions; have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, tender heart, humble mind, don't repay evil with evil or reviling with reviling, bless others, keep your tongue from deceit, turn away from evil, do good, speak and pursue peace, be zealous for good, and have no fear if you are suffering for righteousness' sake. (8-13) Being prepared to make a defense (15) begins by living a godly and righteous life. Why else would anyone ask you for a reason for the hope you have? If your life does not reflect the hope you have, the question will not come. By following Christ and obeying all that He commanded we live out the hope He gives us. Our lives should be in constant readiness to proclaim the Gospel as a result of the hope of the Gospel being constantly displayed in our lives.
But when that opportunity comes (which it should if we are really living the life of Christ) we are to speak the truth in love, with gentleness and respect. The delivery, as well as the content, must be above reproach so that any slander or accusation will be put to shame (16). While there may be injustice and suffering, it is better to suffer for Christ than to suffer for sin. Christ's suffering is our example. He, the righteous one, suffered once that He might bring us to God.
Verses 19-21 have had many different interpretations. Without going in to great detail, this is the most accepted interpretation as well as I can understand it. Peter is talking about Christ, in the spirit, proclaiming God through Noah to the people who were destroyed in the flood. They were saved from the water (not by the water) as a symbol of the way we are saved from sin by Christ. Baptism is a symbol of this saving act, but not the saving act itself.
We have seen Christ's life (16), His death (18), His resurrection (21), and now His ascension (22). He is in heaven, at the right hand of God; and He is Lord.
How does this affect my worship?
I'm struck by how my treatment of my wife can affect my prayers. It does not expound on that in this passage, but it would naturally follow that my worship would be affected also. I don't think it is humanly possible to walk in righteousness and humility with God and walk in wickedness and pride with people. How I treat my wife affects my relationship with God, of which worship is a large component. How I treat other people affects my relationship with God. How I treat myself affects my relationship with God. I am not truly fulfilling the first great commandment if I ignore the second great commandment.
How does this affect my discipleship?
I have to model 'how it can be different'. Following Christ is different that following the world. Loving my wife the way He loves the church is different from the world. The way of the world leads to destruction, the way of Christ leads to eternal life. I must play out His way in my life so that anyone I dare disciple can see how 'it can be different'. Somehow I must live out 'follow me as I follow Him' (1 Cor 11:1)
Blessings,
Ethan
This week's study is in 1 Peter 3. So far I have been able to stick with the acronym 'HOPES' for this book. By the way, I took that from some ideas that a few commentators offered on the main overall theme for the book. If I find a better word (with 5 letters) for the acronym, we'll have some serious editing.
But, for now, chapter 3 builds on the 'P' of HOPES, and the outline theme is Pure Conduct and Prepared to Proclaim.
The memory passage (for now) is:
1 Peter 3:1,2,7,15-16 (ESV)
1 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives— 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct.
7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; 16 yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
Again, as always, I had trouble narrowing down the passage. There are always more verses to memorize that there is time in which to memorize. I'm trying to stick with the purpose of this study and keep the memory passages to those verses that most represent the ideas in the chapter.
The Pure Conduct Peter writes about is between husbands and wives. Wives are to subject themselves to their own husband even if he is not a Christ-follower. If he indeed isn't, the testimony with the most value is respectful pure conduct toward him. Wives aren't to focus on the external adornments but the condition of their heart. This passage is not a prohibition against jewelry and hair-braids, but a warning against making that the focus. Like the holy women of old, who serve as an example, maintain a godly wife-hood even with a non-believing husband.
Husbands are given a separate command; live with your wives in an understanding way and honor them as the weaker vessel. We are heirs with them in Christ, and if we do not love them as Christ loves the church, it has an effect on our prayers. Peter doesn't expound on what hindered prayers look like, but the principle is clear. If you are treating your wife the wrong way, you are directly affecting your relationship to God.
The second, and longer, section I have titled Prepared to Proclaim. It includes how to be prepared and what to proclaim. First we see a list of behavioral instructions; have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, tender heart, humble mind, don't repay evil with evil or reviling with reviling, bless others, keep your tongue from deceit, turn away from evil, do good, speak and pursue peace, be zealous for good, and have no fear if you are suffering for righteousness' sake. (8-13) Being prepared to make a defense (15) begins by living a godly and righteous life. Why else would anyone ask you for a reason for the hope you have? If your life does not reflect the hope you have, the question will not come. By following Christ and obeying all that He commanded we live out the hope He gives us. Our lives should be in constant readiness to proclaim the Gospel as a result of the hope of the Gospel being constantly displayed in our lives.
But when that opportunity comes (which it should if we are really living the life of Christ) we are to speak the truth in love, with gentleness and respect. The delivery, as well as the content, must be above reproach so that any slander or accusation will be put to shame (16). While there may be injustice and suffering, it is better to suffer for Christ than to suffer for sin. Christ's suffering is our example. He, the righteous one, suffered once that He might bring us to God.
Verses 19-21 have had many different interpretations. Without going in to great detail, this is the most accepted interpretation as well as I can understand it. Peter is talking about Christ, in the spirit, proclaiming God through Noah to the people who were destroyed in the flood. They were saved from the water (not by the water) as a symbol of the way we are saved from sin by Christ. Baptism is a symbol of this saving act, but not the saving act itself.
We have seen Christ's life (16), His death (18), His resurrection (21), and now His ascension (22). He is in heaven, at the right hand of God; and He is Lord.
How does this affect my worship?
I'm struck by how my treatment of my wife can affect my prayers. It does not expound on that in this passage, but it would naturally follow that my worship would be affected also. I don't think it is humanly possible to walk in righteousness and humility with God and walk in wickedness and pride with people. How I treat my wife affects my relationship with God, of which worship is a large component. How I treat other people affects my relationship with God. How I treat myself affects my relationship with God. I am not truly fulfilling the first great commandment if I ignore the second great commandment.
How does this affect my discipleship?
I have to model 'how it can be different'. Following Christ is different that following the world. Loving my wife the way He loves the church is different from the world. The way of the world leads to destruction, the way of Christ leads to eternal life. I must play out His way in my life so that anyone I dare disciple can see how 'it can be different'. Somehow I must live out 'follow me as I follow Him' (1 Cor 11:1)
Blessings,
Ethan
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