Raised Up (Ephesians 2:1-10)

Why do we treat a canvas that is painted differently than we treat a  blank canvas? It’s just pigments and resins and some kind of surface they will stick to. The cash value of the actual parts is not that much. And yet the cash value people pay for it is remarkable.  Why do we put our kids’ pictures or stories up on the refrigerator? Once again, the crayon on notebook paper is worth about a penny on the market, but we think of them as priceless.

Something added value. Something made these things more than just the sum of their parts. There was canvas or paper and something to make marks. Yet a painting can sell for millions of dollars, and we keep the letters and drawing for years.  

Something added value -  in this case, the personal touch of the someone who took ordinary things and created something of great value.

This is as old as Genesis 1. God takes dust and adds value. The material value of the human body: about $160 dollars for just raw materials. God makes common clay into imago dei representationally (we are icons of God), intrinsically (our representational status gives us inherent value and dignity), and functionally (we act on God’s behalf in the world).

In Ephesians 2, Paul goes beyond the fact of imago dei and shows what Christ does in us and for us. First, he explains what kind of material God has to work with. Brace yourselves: it’s even worse than you thought.

As for you, don’t you remember how you used to just exist? Corpses, dead in life, buried by transgressions, wandering the course of this perverse world. You were the offspring of the prince of the power of air—oh, how he owned you, just as he still controls those living in disobedience. I’m not talking about the outsiders alone; we were all guilty of falling headlong for the persuasive passions of this world.

We all have had our fill of indulging the flesh and mind, obeying impulses to follow perverse thoughts motivated by dark powers. As a result, our natural inclinations led us to be children of wrath, just like the rest of humankind. (Ephesians 2:1-3)

I don’t know about you, but that’s not how I like to think of myself. However, that’s the raw materials. That’s us before Christ. We’re not just plain canvas; we are stained and soiled canvas. We’re not just paper – we are torn and soggy. 

Paul doesn’t pull any punches. We were corpses, dead in life. We were the zombies in a much more serious sense of the word than most horror movies show. Those are just biological problems. Ours is deeply spiritual. 

I find it interesting how how an increasing number of modern stories use a thing like a zombie – the Walking Dead -  to make a point that we find in the Bible 2,000 years ago.  It’s as if no matter how far from Christ people wander, there is this lingering dread that we will somehow be dead even while we live, just wandering through a world that robs us of life and offers us nothing in return. 

A recent book series called The Zombie Bible takes incidents from the Bible or early church history and inserts zombies – which sounds silly, but the author (who takes the Bible very seriously) uses them to stand in for the deepest expression of being dead in our sin. 

This world was one of hunger, filled with those who would devour you—both among the dead and among the living.… Like a violent fever, the hunger eats away mind and spirit. In the end, everything that we truly are is gone. Only the hunger remains. Even other men and women are no longer anything but… meat for our desires and obsessions. Then we are lost— unless some other brings a Gift. We cannot recover ourselves alone.” – From What Our Eyes Have Witnessed

 If that’s what we are stuck with, that's lousy for us and everyone around us. But Paul says this is not our fate.

But God, with the unfathomable richness of His love and mercy focused on us, united us with the Anointed One and infused our lifeless souls with life—even though we were buried under mountains of sin—and saved us by His grace. He raised us up with Him and seated us in the heavenly realms with our beloved Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King. 

He did this for a reason: so that for all eternity we will stand as a living testimony to the incredible riches of His grace and kindness that He freely gives to us by uniting us with Jesus the Anointed. For it’s by God’s grace that you have been saved. You receive it through faith. It was not our plan or our effort. It is God’s gift, pure and simple.You didn’t earn it, not one of us did, so don’t go around bragging that you must have done something amazing. 

For we are the product of His hand, heaven’s poetry etched on lives, created in the Anointed, Jesus, to accomplish the good works God arranged long ago. (Ephesians 2:4-10)

Lots of worldviews offer a solution for the problem of walking in our own life of death and feeling like we are worth nothing. Another thoughtful zombie story called Warm Bodies offers a solution: 

“We will exhume ourselves. We will fight the curse and break it. We will cry and bleed and lust and love, and we will cure death. We will be the cure. Because we want it.”

The problem is, that never happens. It’s a humanist salvation story, but nothing in the history of the world suggests that solution will work.  Humanity’s never been the cure of the deepest, darkest aches in our souls. We’ve always been the problem. Even when we fix a particular issue, it’s only a matter of time before we ruin it again. 

• We said, “Hey, let’s get more energy by harnessing the power of the atom!” and then figured out how to use it to kill a lot of people.  

• We said, “Let’s cure disease with stem cells!” and eventually began to plunder the bodies of unborn babies for our benefit.

• We said, “Hey, wouldn’t we be healthier if we could learn about sex earlier and more explicitly? The problem with our culture is that we are prudish and repressed. ” And eventually we found ourselves in a culture where STD’s are epidemic, and  pornography and the hook up culture first desensitizes us then damages us.

• We say, “Let’s protect the freedom to speak!” and use it to slander and blaspheme and gossip and produce copious amounts of pornography.

• Remember John Winthorp who wanted build a “city on a hill” characterized by Christian love and generosity in the Massachusetts Bay Colony?[1] It lasted 17 years. “As the people increased,” he wrote, “so sin abounded.”

 Nothing in human history suggests we are able to save ourselves. [2] On the other hand, the Zombie Bible got the solution right (and it better, with ‘Bible’ in the title):

“What do we know to be true? Nothing is broken that cannot be remade. Nothing is ill that cannot be healed, nothing captive that cannot be freed. That is what [Jesus] taught us.” – from What Our Eyes Have Witnessed, The Zombie Bible series.

That’s actually the gospel. That’s part of the good news.  Tom Holland’s book Dominion traces the history of Christianity, and one of his points is that, even when Christianity got off the rails as a movement, it contained within itself – within the revelation of Scripture from God and the incarnational reality of Jesus – the seeds for its own revival. It’s the only thing in the world that does that.  

Paul says we can do nothing on our own – our default is to be one the spiritually Walking Dead – and we don’t raise ourselves up. Now, we are raised by Jesus and made fully alive.  Heaven’s poetry is etched on our lives by his saving hand; other translations say we are His handiwork. God plans for us to be the ones through whom His good work is seen, and by whom His good work is done in the world. 

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If Christ is “raising us up”, if God is restoring all these things in us and putting us on His mission, there are at least three important things that follow.

This should bring to us a staggering amount of humility. Paul says none of us can boast about how we contributed to the project of moving from spiritual death to life. “Don't’ go around bragging as if you did something amazing.” Any time we think, “I just wish people had the self-control and work ethic and mastery of emotions that I have crafted for myself,” we have missed the point. We should be thinking, “All that I am is a gift of grace. I will pray that God works in the life of others so they too can experience God’s grace.” 

Paul never says, “Look at me!” He always says, “Look at Christ in me.”  I would guess that’s because the minute he says, “Look at me!” someone else could say, “Do you mean all of you? Do you realize what you were doing 10 years ago? You killed people!”   

Why would I say, “Look at me”?  Just ask my wife if I have given a perfect picture of what it means to be a godly husband. Ask my boys if I have been a perfect father. Ask anyone in this church if I am a perfect pastor. Ask my friends if I have been a perfect friend. 

For every time I want to say, “I’m awesome!” someone around me is thinking, “Except when you’re not.”  What I have to say (if I look at myself honestly) is only this: “Please don’t look at me. Look at Christ in me. He is the only hope of glory in my life.” The fact that Christ steps in and raises us up should bring about an incredible amount of humility

This should change how we view our worth and dignity. If you are the product of God’s hand - if God is raising you up so you can bring good into the world in a way that will be empowered by Christ working in you - then you should never say, “I guess I deserve to be mistreated. I guess I deserve to be belittled. I don’t matter. My life is nothing. Everybody else is cool and doing great things and I’m just stuck with my personality or looks or circumstances.” If that’s the voice in your head, I promise you it’s not the voice of Christ. 

The voice of Christ says, “Just bring what you’ve got. It’s my job to take you are and craft you into something that will be for your good and my glory.” 

Now, God will ask us to “run the race” that He sets before us, and that might look sketchy at times, because now we are involved, and we bring sketchiness to the project.  In fact, it is often through the process of walking (and stumbling, falling, and getting back up) that Christ does this work in us.  But we “run the race” only because Christ has shown us the track, and strengthened our legs, and given us the right kind of shoes, and given us a prize on which to fix our eyes. 

So we are called to run the race, but the glory for the ground we cover belongs to Christ alone.

This should change how we treat others. This is why we should never treat others in a way that shames, belittles or mocks them. We don’t brag about our spiritual exploits to other people.  We don’t judge how far we think we are down the track vs. how far back we think they are.

We don’t take advantage of people, or purposefully hurt them with our words, our attitudes, or our hands.  Read Romans 14. Paul has a pretty blunt chapter on this. 

We are, after all, created for “good works” – that is,  we are to do good to others as representatives of Christ’s presence on the earth. Certainly that will include walking in the path of life that God has shown us, but it goes beyond just that. We look for opportunities to do good. We look for opportunities to affirm in those around us that they matter, and love them as Christ would love them.  

I loved watching the gymnastics community support Simone Biles this past week. They got it. They understood. While lots of people were complaining that she was weak or a ”national embarrassment” for withdrawing in the Olympics, the ones who know what she was going through (“the twisties”) cared for her rather than discarded her.[3]  

Isn’t this what life with God’s people is supposed to look like? When we lose our way in the middle of our spiritual routine, what are the rest of us on the team supposed to do? Show the empathy Jesus showed us[4]; surround them[5]; lift up those who have become disoriented and lost their way[6]; train together again under the only Coach who can teach us finish well. [7]

If heaven is writing poetry on the lives of my wife and children, who am I to step in and scrawl nonsense on the work of Christ? Whenever my words or my attitude send them a message that they are failures, or that they have to earn my love or pride, or that they are an annoyance, I deface the work of Christ. Every time I give my wife a look that tells her without words that she is “less than”, I step in and write shame and anger into the poetry of heaven. 

We need to model grace and speak words of life to our family and friends and church community. We need to honor and not shame, to speak truth but always with grace, to affirm gifts and talents, and to display the compelling nature of Christ through our words and actions. 

* * * * *

We often wonder if God has a plan for our lives. Yes. His plan is to raise us up as His children.His plan is that we become a testimony to the incredible riches of His grace as He makes us into something beautiful. 

#practicerighteousness

• Share with someone how God’s grace has “raised you up” when you were dead in your sins. 

• Read through this passage every day to remind yourself of the immense “added value” God has given to you through Jesus.

• Purposefully practice the three implications (practicing humility, remembering value and worth, and consciously treating others well). Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide your heart, mind, and strength.

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[1] https://www.americanyawp.com/reader/colliding-cultures/john-winthrop-dreams-of-a-city-on-a-hill-1630/

[2] G.K. Chesterton, a famous author, was once asked by a newspaper, “What’s wrong with the world today?” He famously responded, “I am.”  

[3] https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/28/us/simone-biles-olympics-gymnastics-physical-mental-health/index.html

[4] Hebrews 4:15

[5] Romans 12; 1 Peter 3:8

[6] 1 Thessalonians 5:11

[7] 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Matthew 5:19

Alexander, Demas, and Life In The Kingdom (2 Timothy 4:9-16)

Come to me, Timothy, as soon as you can. You see, Demas having loved this present age, has abandoned me, and headed off to Thessalonica. Crescens took off for Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke is the only one left. Bring Mark with you because he is useful in this work and will help look after me. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. On your way here, pick up the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas, and bring the scrolls—especially the parchments.

Keep your eye out for Alexander the coppersmith! He came against me with all sorts of evil—the Lord will render to him according to his works — so watch your back because he has gone overboard to oppose our message.

When it was time for my first defense, no one showed up to support me. Everyone abandoned me (may it not be held against them) except the Lord. He stood by me, strengthened me, and backed the truth I proclaimed with power so it may be heard by all the non-Jews. He rescued me, pried open the lion’s jaw , and snatched me from its teeth. And I know the Lord will continue to rescue me from every trip, trap, snare, and pitfall of evil and carry me safely to His heavenly kingdom. May He be glorified throughout eternity. Amen.

There are two people who get discussed a lot in this passage: Alexander and Demas.

Alexander. It is not clear if this reference is to an Alexander that is mentioned elsewhere. He might be mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20 and if so, he, along with Hymenaeus, had been 'handed over to Satan' which was a form of discipline that was basically being made to leave the church (the idea was that the church provided spiritual covering, so, being kicked out was ‘handing someone over to Satan with the hopes that the experience would bring them to repentance and restoration). Or…it may have been a Jewish leader involved in accusations against Paul in Ephesus in Acts 19:33. Or….it might have been another Alexander. Whoever he was, he was bad news.

Demas. Everyone agrees on this: He was at one point a co-worker who is mentioned with Luke and Mark (Colossians 4:14; Philemon 24) and who stayed with Paul when he was in prison earlier.

They also agree that Demas loved this present age. It was not unusual for Jewish people to contrast “the present age,” with “the age to come.” The present age was characterized by the suffering of God’s people (Galatians 1:4); the age to come would be wonderful rather than terrible. Everyone agrees on these two things. But how we contextualize Paul leads to some very different conclusions.

This disagreement is an ‘open hand’ issue. There is nothing that challenges the foundations of our faith lurking in the differences of opinion here. It’s a comment about a dude named Demas who Paul says abandoned him because he ‘loved this present world.’

I am going to give you the range of what people think, because whatever it means, there is something to learn about life together in the Kingdom from any of the conclusions we reach. Each time I thought, “Oh, I will go this direction with it,” I found something else that made wonder if maybe I shouldn’t go that direction with it…so I am going to go all directions with it.

1. In the most generous reading possible, Demas loved the people who suffered in this present age, and he did not want to stop his ministry. Adam Clarke, who is one of my go-to commentators has the most generous take I found.

Having preferred Judaism to Christianity; or having loved the Jews, and having sought their welfare in preference to that of the Gentiles. The הזה עולם words olam hazzeh… are generally to be understood as signifying, either the Jewish people, or the system of Judaism…This is a light in which the conduct of Demas may be viewed.

It could not have been the love of secular gain which had induced Demas to abandon St. Paul; he must have counted this cost before he became a Christian…It is not intimated that he had denied the faith, but simply that he had left the apostle and gone into Thessalonica; for which this reason is given, that he loved the present world.

Now, if αγαπησας, having loved, can be applied to a desire to save the souls of the Jews, and that he went into Thessalonica, where they abounded, for this very purpose, then we shall find all three - Demas, Crescens, and Titus, one at Thessalonica, another at Galatia, and the third at Dalmatia, doing the work of evangelists, visiting the churches, and converting both Jews and Gentiles. This interpretation I leave to the charitable reader…”

So Adam Clarke admits it’s a charitable reading, but the Jewish rabbis actually practiced doing that when a situation was unclear, so it’s not without precedent. About 180 years before Paul wrote this, a rabbi had said, “Judge each person with the scales weighted in their favor.” From that developed a practice of rabbis meeting together to practice “judging favorably” by brainstorming ways it was easy to rush to a negative judgment and then practice thinking through positive assumptions (until truth was known).

Paul once wrote, “To live is Christ; to die is gain.” Paul seems ready for the “gain” of death at this point in his life, but in Clarke’s reading, Demas was not done ‘living for Christ’ even though he knew the age to come would be gain. So he leaves Paul so that he, too, does not die, and he can display his love to the people in this age by witnessing to the gospel.

2. A second, less generous reading – but I think probably more honest – is that Demas was just not ready to die. Even if his love for the present age could be seen as a passionate heart for spreading the gospel, that wasn’t the only motivation. Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible summarizes well:

“Having loved this present world” does not mean, necessarily, that… he loved the honors or wealth of this world; but it means that he desired to live. He was not willing to stay with Paul, and subject himself to the probabilities of martyrdom; and, in order to secure his life, he departed to a place of safety… That he desired to live longer; that he was unwilling to remain and risk the loss of life, is indeed clear. That Paul was pained by his departure, and that he felt lonely and sad, is quite apparent; but I see no evidence that Demas was influenced by what are commonly called worldly feelings, or that he was led to this course by the desire of wealth, or fame, or pleasure.

”The Pulpit Commentary adds:

“It would appear from this that Demas had not the faith or the courage to run the risk of sharing St. Paul's imminent martyrdom at Rome, but left him, while he was free to do so, under pretence of an urgent call to Thessaloniea; just as Mark left Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:13).”

3. Wuest’s Commentary offers a third reading that builds on this and is more pointed and harsh as it focuses on Paul’s sense of abandonment. There seems to be something personal here. Two others left (Paul didn’t ‘send’ them like he did Tychicus), but Demas is singled out. Even though a couple verses later Paul says everyone abandoned him (it’s the same word), something is going on with Demas. I get the impression that one hurt in ways the others did not.

“Demas had not only left Paul so far as fellowship was concerned, but he had left him in the lurch also, so far as the work of the gospel was concerned. He had been one of Paul’s dependable and trusted helpers. Paul said that he let him down. The Greek word … is made up of three words, “to leave” (leipo), “down” (kata), and “in” (en), that is, to forsake one who is in a set of circumstances that are against him. It was a cruel blow to Paul.”

Gill’s Exposition agrees with this view and adds a hopeful reading to how the story of Demas ends.

“It does not appear…that he entirely apostatized; he might forsake the apostle, and yet not forsake Christ and his interest, or make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience: his faith might be right, though low, and his love sincere, though not fervent; and through a fear of persecution, and loss of life, he might be tempted to leave the apostle, and withdraw from Rome, for his own safety; which though it was far from being commendable in him, yet may be accounted for in this state of frailty and imperfection, consistent with the grace of God. And it should seem that he afterwards was delivered from this temptation… if Demas is only a contraction of Demetrius, and he is the same who is so much commended many years after this (3 John 1:12 ).”

The final and must sobering reading is that Demas abandoned the faith.

"Not lack of courage, but a lust for materialism seemed to be his downfall.”

"The prospect of worldly advantage was the motive which determined Demas. No doubt the busy commercial center of Thessalonica offered many opportunities for success in business, and love of money may have been the besetting sin of this professing Christian."

"While we are ready to think as well of Demas as we possibly can, this falling in love with the world… is here evidently the opposite of loving the Lord's epiphany which is mentioned in verse 8. We are compelled to believe that Demas gave up the love of that coming epiphany for the love of this present world's course. This is what cut into Paul's heart most deeply."

Because of the possibilities in interpretation here (once again, open hand issues; don’t die on one of these interpretive hills), there is richness here that allows us to see the complexity of the human condition. I think we can all find ourselves in the possibilities with Paul and Demas and Alexander.

• Sometimes people attack our message and our faith, and it hurts (Alexander attacking Paul).

• Sometimes people follow God away from us, and it gets lonely (Crescens and Titus, who ‘left’ but did not ‘abandon’).

• Sometimes, the cost of discipleship seems too high, and we want to be faithful but at less cost (Demas, afraid to die).

• Sometimes God motivates different kingdom priorities in different people, and there is tension (Demas loving “this age” in a good way; all of Paul’s friends leaving to evangelize elsewhere).

• Sometimes it feels like people abandon us – which may or may not be the right term, but it feels that way. ( How Paul felt.)

• Sometimes, our circumstances threaten to overwhelm us. (Paul; Demas fearing death)

So what do we see from this passage and Scripture about how to respond to these situations?

Sometimes people attack our message and our faith, and it hurts. Vengeance is not ours to deal. Paul lets it go: “The Lord will reward him according to his works.” Villifying, name-calling, getting revenge – not of Christ.

Sometimes people follow God away from us, and it gets lonely. Make a distinction between abandonment and God expanding His Kingdom. We can’t stay in one place and go into all the world to make disciples. We can’t expand Eden into the world if we all stay in Garden. I grew up in a farming community that used this analogy: Christians are like manure. We make great fertilizer when we are spread out, but , wow, do we stink when we stay all piled together.

Sometimes, the cost of discipleship seems too high, and we want to be faithful but at less cost. Do what Jesus encouraged his disciples to do, which is count the cost.

“27 If you don’t carry your own cross as if to your own execution as you follow Me, you can’t be part of My movement. 28 Just imagine that you want to build a tower. Wouldn’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to be sure you have enough to finish what you start? 29 If you lay the foundation but then can’t afford to finish the tower, everyone will mock you: 30 “Look at that guy who started something that he couldn’t finish!”

31 Or imagine a king gearing up to go to war. Wouldn’t he begin by sitting down with his advisors to determine whether his 10,000 troops could defeat the opponent’s 20,000 troops? 32 If not, he’ll send a peace delegation quickly and negotiate a peace treaty. 33 In the same way, if you want to be My disciple, it will cost you everything. Don’t underestimate that cost!” (Luke 14:27-33 excerpted)

Count the cost now. What is on the altar? Everything. Know what you have signed up for.

Important note: Let’s not ‘overspiritualize’ this so we can merely do what we want. I’m not talking about justifying our desires by sacrificing others or avoiding our God-prioritized responsibilities. God will not call you to turn your back on His known Kingdom priorities for you. For example, if you come to me and say, “I need to abandon my spouse and kids because they just aren’t on board with where I am sure God is taking me,” then we are going to have a chat. Read 1Corinthians 7, especially v. 32-35. Once you get married, once you have kids, you have a primary mission and obligation and mission field as God intended. They are not obstacles to be hurdled, overlooked or dismissed. They are image bearers to be stewarded.

I don’t have a Bible verse for this, but I suspect that when I give an answer on the Day of Judgment, God’s first question to me will be, “Give an account for my daughter, your wife, whom I gave to you to steward.” Everything else will come after that. That’s just one example to make this point: if it is God who is calling you, you will be convicted to put yourself on the altar, not others. And you will, in some fashion, be called to do that every day. ”I die daily,” said Paul. Be ready. Count the cost.

Sometimes God motivates different kingdom priorities in different people, and there is tension. Paul says a couple guys left him, he sent one away - and it all at least felt like abandonment. That’s hard. Practical example: I wanted Sal and Heather to stay here but I’m not the Holy Spirit. I didn’t give them my gifts and passion and vision; God gave them His gifts for them to do His work. It would be foolish and selfish of me to demand that God work in them like I see fit.

People sitting next to you have some different Kingdom priorities than you do because God saw fit to bring diverse people together in a unified mission. The offensive lineman is not the kickoff return man. The hand is not the foot. It is not our job to conform everyone to our image; we are to be conformed to Christ’s image, and I suspect it is in mosaic of the church that we at least get a glimpse of how the diversity of Christ-followers helps us to better see a unified image of Christ. The resolution is to pray for the wisdom to appreciate the diverse complexity of the whole body, fitly joined together for God’s work and purpose.

Sometimes it feels like people abandon us – which may or may not be the right term, but it feels that way. Don’t hold it against them. Paul notes that the strength and nearness of God became abundantly clear to him at the time of his greatest sense of being alone. I’ve noted before that the closest I have ever felt to God was when I stood in the rain beside my father’s freshly filled in grave. I talked to someone this week who had a profound, break-through spiritual experience with God after the death of a spouse.

Watch for God’s strength to be highlighted in what feels like times of great weakness, loneliness or abandonment. Pray for your eyes to be opened to the ever-present reality of Immanuel, God With Us.

Sometimes, our circumstances threaten to overwhelm us. God will rescue us from every trip, trap, snare, and pitfall of evil and carry us safely to His heavenly kingdom. That didn’t mean Paul did not suffer and die. He did. Even as he wrote this, his life was wrapping up here in a hard way. No, I think he meant this:

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)

Let that hope fix our eyes and steady our hearts.

Jesus: Destroyer of Death; Guardian of the Day (2 Timothy 1:9-12)

 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 

9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed the idea of death as the end and has brought life and shone the light on immortality through the gospel. 

11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

I would like to offer a version of this portion of the letter with all the ‘extras’ filled in. The letter was written in a context that is 2,000 years old, with a different language and different culture and different kind of formative world. 

The Bible Project guys like to talk about the Bible being full of all kinds of “hyperlinks” that the original audience would have clicked on in their heads, but which we don’t, often because we don’t even know they exist. It’s hard to see everything that’s going on. As I was reading the commentaries this week with all that kind of information, I though it might be easier to just present this as a letter with all the hyperlinks filled in. 

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Timothy, the Holy Spirit gives gifts to the children of God. You, my son, have a supernatural gift – the gift of teaching.  This gift comes as an ember from the Holy Spirit; you must respond by making the right decisions and taking the right actions to fan it into flame.  You aren’t the only one working that gift – that Holy Spirit is the pneuma, the wind, fanning the ember from God’s side, bringing light and life just as it has done since the beginning of the world. Remember - God never commissions anyone to a task without imparting a special gift appropriate to it.[1]

“Fire may be quenched, not only by pouring water upon it, or heaping upon it earth and ashes, but by withholding fuel from it, or even by neglecting to stir it up. (‘Neglect of cultivating the Christian graces, or of prayer, of the Bible, of the sanctuary, of a careful watchfulness over the heart, will do it. Worldliness, vanity…ambition, pride… indulgence in [impure] thought will do it.’[2]) So the enlightening, quickening, renewing, purifying, and comforting operations of the Spirit may be quenched, not only by the commission of known and willful sin, and by immersing our minds too deeply in worldly business, and burdening them with worldly cares, but by omitting to use the private or public means of grace, the fuel provided to nourish this sacred fire, and by neglecting to stir up the gifts and graces which are in us.” [3]

The Spirit God gave us does not intend for us to be timid with the gift that is given. Timothy, my son, you are a teacher who isn’t teaching. You are ashamed to speak boldly about of the testimony of Jesus. When the Spirit of God blows over the embers of a teacher – which it is - and when a teacher fans that ember into flame – which you will -  timidity or shame in talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ is not the result. How do I know this? Because the Holy Spirit brings three very important things to enlarge the gifts of those speaking about Jesus. 

First, the Spirit gives us Resurrection power, the reality of placing our faith in Jesus, who has the power to conquer sin as proven by his ability to conquer death. What can separate us from the love of that kind of God? Nothing.[4] This is the rock that cannot be shaken,[5] the cornerstone, the firm foundation[6] on which our life finds stability and hope. In addition, we have the Holy Spirit, the promised Advocate or Helper who will be with us forever.[7]  You stand on Resurrection power and receive ongoing power to live the gospel and share the gospel in a way that connects with people. God himself is helping you live with gospel integrity and teach with boldness, because He gave you the gift to ‘fan into flame’ for this purpose. When God calls you, He equips you. When God places you in the world on His behalf, He fills you with the power to do what He has called you to do with your flaming ember in your sphere of influence.

Second, the Spirit fills you with agape love. A teacher who offers truth without love is just bringing noise.[8] Love without truth isn’t a great option either, of course. Teachers need both. But because of the nature of agape love and the Savior who embodied it, you know that agape love demands that you be “broken and spilled out” so the truth can be heard in love. You have the power to serve. You have the power to give yourself sacrificially for others. You have the power to bring humility, gentleness and kindness to beautify your life and your message.

Finally, the Spirit gives you a sound mind, the ability to exercise wisdom and self-discipline. You know how passionately I worked not to disqualify myself from the race of an apostle, the race God called me to and prepared me to run.[9] I am passionate about this for you too. This gift is what helps us do two things: live with gospel integrity, and fit our gift to the situation. Listen, your message has God-given power. You have God’s heart of love. And God will help you to wisely read a room or a situation or a person and speak truth appropriately – with boldness and love. 

So, don’t be timid in sharing the testimony about our Lord or of associating yourself with me. God has made you to teach the gospel; don’t deny him like Peter did. God has placed you in his family; don’t deny us. I know persecution will follow when you proclaim - with loving and prudent boldness - that salvation is found in Jesus. For that matter, you will get persecuted when people find out you are associated with me. But if that’s the cost of faithfulness, pay it. You will likely join with me in suffering for the gospel. You can do it by the power of God. 

He who saved us has also called us to this holy life, set apart for his purposes. This isn’t because of anything we have done;  it’s because of his own purpose and grace – a grace that was planned for us before God created the world, a grace that has now been revealed in bodily form through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus.

He has destroyed death, Timothy. He has made death of no effect, because by His resurrection he destroyed the idea that death is the end. Death is a gateway to the life to come. The resurrection of Jesus shone a spotlight on a reality that had been shadowed for too long: the fact that God offers His children an uncorrupted eternal life with joy unspeakable, and full of glory. 

“Before the Gospel revelation from God, [we] had but a glimmering idea of the possibility of a future being of the soul, but not the faintest idea of the resurrection of the body.[10] If Christ were not "the life," the dead could never live; if He were not the resurrection, they could never rise; had He not the keys of hell and death,[11] we could never break through the bars of death or gates of hell.”[12] But now we have been shown what is to come. 

This idea of real, eternal life after death is going to be a hard notion for people to wrap their heads around.

Our Jewish ancestors had a pretty vague idea of life after death in Sheol, right?  They believed in an invisible realm of departed spirits with some kind of distinction between those in misery and those in some kind of joy, but they didn’t really understand what God was truly planning to offer in the world to come.

The Greeks in your church who have gotten saved think that only the gods and maybe some heroes like Hercules can obtain immortality, and half the Romans think they are going to be reincarnated.[13]

You know God has gifted and called me to the Gentiles, so I think there is a way to approach them that might help them understand. 

 They love Socrates, right? At his death, he said, "I hope to go hence to good men, but of that I am not very confident; nor doth it become any wise man to be positive that so it will be. I must now die, and you shall live; but which of us is in the better state, the living or the dead, only God knows." Only God knows. Hmmm. Cicero, when writing about all the different speculations about the afterlife, said, "Which of these opinions is true, some god must tell us.”[14]

And here is where God steps in! God does know, and God has told us. We know Jesus is God because He raised himself from the dead. He knows what happens after death, and he has told us. We will “taste death,”[15] but we know we will be “saved out of death.”[16] That’s why we say with confidence that death has lost its sting.[17] What hurt can it now do to the believer who dies, any more than a wasp, or hornet, or bee, that has lost its stinger? The thing that presented itself as the conqueror of all flesh is now clearly conquered; it claimed what it thought was a victory, but now, O death, where is your victory?[18]

This, Timothy - this revelation of God through Jesus’ loving life, sacrificial death and death-defeating resurrection and the reality of the Kingdom of God both now and in eternity - this is the gospel message to which I was appointed as a herald, an apostle and a teacher. In fact, it’s why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know the one in whom I have trusted. I am convinced that he is able to guard that which He has given to me and I have entrusted to him[19] – not only my soul, but the sacred trust of my commission to be a teacher of the message of the gospel.[20]

God enables us to be faithful to our calling, in spite of the sufferings which attend it, until the day when we are summoned before the throne of God to give a final account for our lives. This has cost me much in "suffering" and persecution, and it will for you too. But don’t be ashamed, Timothy. Don’t be timid. We know the One in whom he believed, and like me you have been persuaded that God is able to guard[21] our souls, our message and our ministry until the day of the Lord,[22] when our fervent but imperfect service will be reviewed, and the grace-saturated kindness of a perfect God will be revealed when we receive our eternal reward.[23]

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[1] Guthrie

[2] Barne’s Notes On The Bible

[3] Benson Commentary

[4] Romans 8

[5] Psalm 62

[6] Isaiah 28:16

[7] John 14:16

[8] 1 Corinthians 13

[9] 1 Corinthians 9:27

[10] Acts 17:18, 32

[11] Revelation 1:18

[12] Bishop Pearson, as quoted in  Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

[13] “Some in the Greco-Roman world believed in transmigration of souls or reincarnation after death since it was introduced to the Greeks by Pythagoras in the sixth century b.c. There is, for instance, a famous and vivid passage in Virgil’s Aeneid where Aeneas visits the underworld only to see the souls of the dead as they flit across the river to reinhabit bodies in the world above (Aeneid 6; late first century b.c.). In contrast, the Judeo-Christian worldview is expressed in Hebrews 9:27: “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”  - Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary of The New Testament

[14] Barne’s Notes

[15] John 8:52, Hebrews 2:9

[16] Hebrews 5:7

[17] Hebrews 2:14-15

[18] Paraphrase of Matthew Poole’s commentary

[19] “to keep that which I have committed unto him] R.V. places in the margin the alternative sense, according to its rule when the balance of authority is nearly even, ‘that which he hath committed unto me’; and gives the literal Greek ‘my deposit.’ The genitive of the personal pronoun rendered ‘my’ may be either subjective here or objective; hence the uncertainty, which the context does not clear up entirely.” Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

[20] “There is one deposit which, committed to us by God, we ought to keep, 2 Timothy 1:13; comp. ch. 2 Timothy 2:2, παράθου, commit: there is another which, committed to God by us, and mentioned in this verse, He keeps; and this is indeed our soul, 1 Peter 4:19; comp. Luke 23:46, that is, ourselves and our heavenly portion. Paul, with death immediately before him, had two deposits, one to be committed to the Lord, and another to Timothy.”  Bengel's Gnomen

“The παραθήκη or thing committed to him was the same as that which he had committed to Timothy that; he might teach others (1 Timothy 6:20). It was the form of sound words (2 Timothy 1:13); that which Timothy had heard from Paul (2 Timothy 2:2); that fair deposit (2 Timothy 1:14). It was the gospel to which Paul had been appointed (2 Timothy 1:11); which had been entrusted to him (1 Timothy 1:11; Titus 1:3; comp. 1 Corinthians 9:17; Galatians 2:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:4).“ Vincent's Word Studies

[21] “But what has Paul entrusted to God? The Greek speaks of ‘my deposit’. Some have seen it to relate to what God has entrusted to Paul, i.e. his commission or his doctrine, and this would be in agreement with the use of the same word in v 14. But the preceding passage would be better served by regarding Paul’s ‘deposit’ as something Paul is entrusting to God, i.e. himself and the success and continuation of his mission, everything in fact that is dear to him. The words for that day must refer to the day when Paul knows he must give account of his stewardship. He was living and working in the light of the final day of reckoning, but was sure that he could entrust the result to God. This was intended to bring real encouragement to Timothy.”  – New Bible Commentary

[22] Paraphrase from Expositor’s Bible Commentary

[23] Paraphrase from Believers Bible Commentary

Power, Love And A Sound Mind (2 Timothy 1:7-8)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Timothy, you are constantly in my prayers. Day and night I remember you before God and give thanks to Him whom I serve with a clean conscience, as did my ancestors. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.

 We talked last week about the first 6 verses. God had given to Timothy a charisma, a spiritual gift.[1] Paul tells him to fan it into flame, a metaphor drawn from the fanning of the embers of a fire.  I suspect that the Holy Spirit takes virtually everything about life and “give gifts” of extraordinary ability to make that part of life an outpost of the Kingdom of God. “Fan these embers into flame.” How do we do this?

·      Identify them (https://spiritualgiftstest.com/spiritual-gifts-test/#gf_7, which also has a personality test. Or https://gifts.churchgrowth.org/spiritual-gifts-survey/. Or 

https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/women-leadership-spiritual-gifts-growth-service. This isn’t everything on the above list , but it’s a start. 

·      Build them. Study, learn, observe in others.

·      Use them. Like, do stuff! Where do your desires, skills and opportunities intersect?

·      To the glory of God. How does this build the church or make God’s name great in the community?

\This brings us to verses 7-8.

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.

This seems like a kindly phrased rebuke, as if Timothy had been timid with the testimony of the Gospel when he should have been bold. This is the only time this form of the word is used in the New Testament, and Strong’s Concordance says it involves “reticence”, which is silence.Timothy was a teacher who wasn’t teaching; based on verse 8, that silence had to do with being ashamed to teach about of the testimony of Jesus and apparently his relationship to Paul. 

So Paul reminds him that when the Spirit of God blows over the embers of a teacher, and when a teacher fans that ember into flame, timidity or shame in talking about Jesus or his relationship with a persecuted Paul  is not result. Why? Because the Holy Spirit brings three very important things to those speaking about Jesus. 

Power. The commentaries are in almost unanimous agreement that this is two things, First, the Resurrection power on which we stand, the reality of placing our faith in Jesus, who has the power to conquer sin as proven by his ability to conquer death. What can separate us from the love of that kind of God? Nothing. (Romans 8) This is the rock that cannot be shaken (Psalm 62), the cornerstone, the firm foundation (Isaiah 28:16) on which our life finds stability and hope.

Second, we see the presence of God descended on Jesus with the imagery of a dove (Luke 3:22; 4:14) and on believers at Pentecost with the imagery of fire (Acts 2:1-13) as the presence of the promised Advocate or Helper who will be with us forever (John 14:16) became clear. 

What happened? Well, in that case, we see 15 people groups confounded that Galileans were speaking in a language they could understand. They said, “What does this mean?” And Peter stood up immediately and preached the gospel. 

God’s people stand on Resurrection power and receive ongoing power to live the gospel and share the gospel in a way that connects with people.

For Timothy, this meant living with gospel integrity and teaching with boldness, because that was his gift ‘fanned into flame’ for this purpose. For you, this means…. Well, that’s something you get to wrestle with. God has given you an ember to fan into flame; God empowers you to that which he has called you. 

When God calls you, He equips you. When God places you in the world on His behalf, He fills you with the power to do what He has called you to do with your flaming ember in your sphere of influence.

I know this involves living with gospel integrity – that’s universal – but for you, this means you will _________ without being timid in using it in a way that as doors open and opportunities arise, it becomes a vehicle for the testimony of Jesus. 

Love.  Love is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23), without which all we do is as annoying and obnoxious as walking around banging a cymbal (I Corinthians 13). This word for love is, of course, “agape” – the plural, by the way, is “love feast” (remember Jude?) It’s not just a mindset; it’s an action.  

As we walk into the doors that open and the opportunities that arise, we need love. Why? Because truth without love is just noise (see 1 Corinthians 13). Love without truth isn’t a great option either. We need both. Love and truth. And because of the nature of agape love and the Savior who embodied it, we know that this kind of love demands that we be “broken and spilled out” so the truth can be heard. 

 Timothy had the power to teach, but a teacher without love? Think back to your school days. Whether or not you believed a teacher cared about you made a HUGE difference between how impactful that teacher was in your life. They could be the most skilled teacher in the building, but if they were cold or uncaring, you couldn’t wait to get out of their class, and it probably tainted your view of the subject matter being taught. But that teacher that stayed after class, and talked with you about your life, and attended your games…

Our gifts need love.  

A sound mind.  Translations have quite a bit of variety here. A better word is “self-discipline” or “self-control”, another fruit of the Spirit. This is essential first of all so that we do not disqualify ourselves from the race God has called and prepared us to run (1 Corinthians 9:27). It’s what helps us live with gospel integrity. If you are a human being, you know that our own acts of self-discipline have a sketchy history. The promise is that the power of the Holy Spirit lies behind a supernatural strength we would never have on our own to stand firm in the faith.

However, there is more to it. According to Ellicott’s Commentary, 

“sound mind” is “properly, safe-minded, issuing in prudent ("sensible") behavior that "fits" a situation, i.e. aptly acting out God's will by doing what He calls sound reasoning (used only in 2 Tim 1:7).”

 I wonder if Timothy’s timidity had something to do with believing his approach or method wasn’t working.  Paul is building him up: “Listen, your message has power. You have God’s heart of love. And you aren’t stupid. You know to wisely read a room or a situation and speak appropriately.”

I wonder – my speculation – if Paul is reminding him that God will help Timothy with Timothy’s gifts “fit” a situation prudently.  Timothy doesn’t have to witness like anybody else. They do their thing; Timothy does his thing. He doesn’t have to use the same approach or words or system every time. There is no template. The Holy Spirit is creative – like, see Genesis. 

I grew up with a lot of pressure to share the gospel ‘this way’ like ‘that person.’ (“You don’t have the 4 Spiritual Laws memorized? You don’t have that color coded wrist band? You don’t want to knock on doors? Do you even care about the lost???”) I also grew up with the idea – I don’t know if it was taught, but it was absorbed – that there were just some jobs, some talents, some gifts, some personalities – that God likes and uses more than others. If I REALLY wanted to make a difference in the Kingdom, I need to do that other thing in that other way – which usually boiled down to “be like that person over there.”

But I’m not going to stand before God and explain why I didn’t share the gospel like Billy Graham - or you. I have been given an ember that is not like yours. That is the one The Holy Spirit invites me to fan into flame.[2] You have been given an ember that is not like mine. The Holy Spirit invites you to fan it into flame. 

So I don’t need to be just like you. And…. I should not demand you be just like me. What I should do is help you fan your gift into flame. I don’t feel called to do what Sal and Heather do, but I want to fan that into flame in them. They don’t feel called to do what I do, but they have fanned that into flame in me. 

When God gives us the ember of a gift, He wants us to use it in the service of taking the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.

He gives us power –Not coercive or destructive power, but power that stabilizes and energizes us as we live and spread the Gospel. 

God gives us love. The Gospel lived and spoken from a heart of love is golden.

God gives us a sound mind- prudent sensibility so that our behavior and words fit a situation. Don’t panic. Just be present. You are filled with Resurrection power, and the love of God overflows from you. Live and speak the Gospel on that foundation and with that heart. 

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[1] ‘God never commissions anyone to a task without imparting a special gift appropriate to it’ (Guthrie).

[2] “The Holy Spirit works, in those to whom it is given, power, or strength, to fight the fight of God;  power, not only patiently to endure, but also to strike good blows for Christ—the power, for instance, of steadfastness in resisting temptation, the strong will which guides other weaker ones along the narrow way “of love.” It works, too, in those to whom God gives the blessed gift, that strange, sweet love for others which leads to noble deeds of self-surrender—that love which never shrinks from a sacrifice which may benefit the friend or even the neighbor. And lastly, the Spirit works in us “self-control” - that power which, in the man or woman living in and mixing with the world, and exposed to its varied temptations and pleasures, is able to regulate and to keep in a wise subjection, passions, desires, impulses.”[2]

Hidden Reefs and Love Feasts (Jude 1:12-13; 1 Corinthians 11)

These are hidden reefs in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

You live in first century Rome. If you are rich, you know how to feast.[1]

“Popular but costly fare included pheasant, thrush (or other songbirds), raw oysters, lobster, shellfish, venison, wild boar, and peacock…elaborate recipes were invented…with expensive ingredients and elaborate, even dramatic, presentation. For example, in [a fictional story] from 54–68 A.D., one man serves his guests… pig stuffed with sausages, a hare decorated with wings to resemble Pegasus, and various foods arranged in the shape of the twelve signs of the zodiac.”[2]

Tableware was made of “silver, gold, bronze, or semi-precious stones (such as rock crystal, agate, and onyx).”[3] The best cups were engraved with images of Dionysis, god of revelry. One article calls these feasts “A Calculated Display Of Debauchery And Power.”[4] This was a time to wallow in your wealth. This was primarily reserved for men, though really important women could join. If you were poor, this was a world to which you did not have access. It was for the elite. 

“Outside the patrician mansions and saffron-flavored swimming pools, the plebeians lived in overcrowded tenements and ate frugally. Food inequality was as endemic to ancient Rome as it is to our world today, with hunger and hedonism coexisting through the empire… With a population of one million people, the city was hard to feed… We know of 19 food riots in ancient Rome, and there were surely other ones that haven't left a documentary record. During one such riot in the Forum in A.D. 51, caused by a prolonged drought, the Emperor Claudius had to flee for his life.[5]

 The poor appear to have eaten largely a grain or cereal diet, with millet showing up a lot (the rich called this ‘animal food’).[6] 

“The ancient Roman playwright Plautus (c. 254 – 184 B.C.E.) noted a common lament in the ancient world when he wrote that “wretched is the man who has to look for his food himself and has a hard time finding it, but more wretched is one who has a hard time looking for it and does not find anything. And most wretched is that one who does not have anything to eat when he wishes to.’””[7]

 Slaves fared worst of all. They…

“were fed by their masters and sometimes with little more consideration than that afforded to livestock. Some ruthlessly efficient masters even admonished owners to cut food rations for sick slaves and provided instructions on how to feed them according to the amount of work they were expected to do depending on the season, similar to draft animals.”[8]

Enter the church and the subversive presence of the gospel not just in individual lives but in structures and norms. The early church – which was full of slaves, widows and orphans -  began to have their own feasts. They called them “love feasts,” and in Greek, that “love” is a form of the word agape (agapai).

“[it] probably denotes a communal celebration in the church… [it is] the observance of the Lord's Supper (which elsewhere Paul can describe with terms like "coming together to eat,"  1 Cor 11:17-22 ), or… a fellowship meal that may have preceded or followed observance of the Lord's Supper.”[9]

It seems that, perhaps on a weekly basis or even more frequently, the church gathered together to take communion and share a meal, a feast. The wealthy in the church would throw the feast, and everyone, even the poorest of the poor, would get to celebrate. The idea was that the more affluent members of the church would share their abundance of food with the less fortunate. Women, children, and slaves joined in. Entire families feasted together. This was not a “calculated display of debauchery and power,” but of love, service and honor. They didn’t just gather in a common place; they have a common experience. Think of how the church was described in Acts 2:44-46:

“And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.”

It’s a great vision for community – “common unity” in Christ, and this sharing of good through both communion and meals or feasts was intended to be a really practical expression of it. We can see that the church had been learning this idea of community throughout the New Testament: In the passages teaching that all women should be veiled and no man should cover their head, it’s a leveling of the playing field by addressing cultural symbols that divided and judged people. This was going to have to be addressed in meals too. 

“Roman communal feasting not only united and classified participants by social rank, it also offered “dramatic confirmation of what we now recognize as a key element for interpreting any eating event—namely, that once we establish the time, place, and participants of any meal, nearly everything else about social relationships in a given society can be brought into sharper focus. Such is the power of food.”[10]

A Roman satirists named Marshall described the hierarchy of food/social status this way: 

“You take oysters fattened in the Lucrine lake; I cut my mouth sucking a mussel from its shell; you get mushrooms, I get swing fungi; you take a turbot (a flatfish delicacy), but I a brill. A golden turtledove with fattened rump fills you up; a magpie dead in its cage is set before me.”[11]

This should never happen in a church love feast. The feast in the church was intended to be a practical demonstration of unity, celebration, and common care that crossed all boundaries. This was meant to be a life-giving “agape”feast both socially and nutritionally, not an unhealthy or sinful indulgence of the appetites of the flesh in which the rich flaunted their luxury and the poor were reminded of theirs.

“In Corinth the agape seems to have been slightly modified by two Grecian customs. One of these customs was the…symposium; a banquet [much like] our modern picnic…the most generous way was for those best able to bring the most liberal amount, and then spread the whole on a common table... The second custom was the Grecian sacrificial feasts, in which an ample supply was furnishe and so moderately eaten that a rich remainder was left for the poor. While Paul remained at Corinth the best qualities of both these pagan customs were exhibited in the love-feasts of the Christians, with some Christian improvements.”[12]

When Paul left Corinth, it seems to have fallen apart. The rich indulged with gluttony and even drunkenness while the poor ate what the poor always ate. This has implications for physical health on both sides for sure, as well as emotional, relation and spiritual health. Paul calls out the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 11. 

Context first. In Chapter 9, Paul goes off about how he limits his freedoms and exercises self-discipline:

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible... I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.  I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings…I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

In Chapter 10 he talks about unity, and surrendering rights to what is beneficial and constructive for the glory of God: 

our ancestors…were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea… ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink…drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them (Christ)….Is not the cup… and the bread… participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf… 

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others… So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

In Chapter 12, spiritual gifts must be surrendered and self-disciplined for the beneficial construction of the body, the church:

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.13 For we were all baptized by[ one Spirit so as to form one body… and we were all given the one Spirit to drink…. those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor…. God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,  so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Chapter 13, is the Love Chapter, and chapter 14 is all about not just doing things in spiritual practices to edify yourself, but to edify others. 

So, Chapter 11 falls right in the middle of this pattern. Also, remember the food riot that was so bad Claudius had to flee the city? This was written about that same time. 

In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.  

 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter! 

(A meal – the Lord’s supper - meant to unite was highlighting things that divided them: in this case, wealth and food)

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 

(The Lord’s supper is about sacrifice and love.) 

So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner[13] (I think in this context[14] it means without a heart to sacrificially share and show love[15]) will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord (basically, making a mockery of Christ’s legacy). Everyone ought to examine themselves (their motivation; their hearts; their resources[16]) before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ (without noticing the needs in the community of the church - they celebrate Christ’s body without seeing Christ’s ‘body’[17]) eat and drink judgment on themselves.[18] That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.[19] 

A lot of ink has been spilled trying to figure out what verse 18 means. If  I may offer an ‘at minimum’ reading: “People are sick and dying in your church because you aren’t honoring the sacrificial nature of Christ’s sacrifice, and you have refused to sacrifice yourself for the benefit and construction of the body of Christ.”[20]

 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world. So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together.  (1 Corinthians 11:17-33)

* * * * *

Let’s back up and get the big picture.  

Even good things can become bad if our use or exercise of them shows we don’t ‘discern the body of Christ’ by seeing the people around us and stewarding what God has given us in a way that builds up the ‘body of Christ’ that is assembled in ‘common union.’ 

False teachers are not only wolves, they are lone wolves (even if they run in packs). Their followers are loners as well, seeing themselves as islands, responsible to no one but themselves. It’s as if freedom in Christ was freedom from any obligation outside themselves, when actually Christ frees us to see our obligations in light of the Kingdom and joyfully fulfill them for our good and God’s glory. 

So I’ve been thinking a lot about this for myself. How does ‘discerning the body of Christ’ shape how I view life together in the church?  

• An obvious example is money. And as I’ve been saying, I just love how I have seen so many generous hearts revealed in this congregation in the past few months. That’s “love feast” territory. Sheila and I have been talking more than ever about what it means for us to be more generous in times of concern rather than less generous, because we have this default tendency to want to circle the wagons or claim exclusive ownership of what actually belongs to God. It turns out God has given us family resources to bring to the common table at the family feast. 

• My time. When I have the luxury of lots of time, am I praying about how to “feast with others” in the midst of my plenty? This isn’t to suggest I shouldn’t carve out time for me and God for my health on multiple levels so that I can serve Him well, but am I praying for wisdom about how to share from my abundance with the body of Christ?

•  My talents, gift or skills. If I am good at something, do I only use that to profit myself (which is a necessary things for stewarding a household), or am I also using it for others as I am able? How do those around my benefit from the talents, gifts and skills I bring to the feast? You might think, “All I can do is this.” Unless it’s a sin that you are offering, there are no dishonorable parts. Bring it.

• My words, face to face or in a virtual world. While I am sharing a “love feast”, am I filling the space with truth and grace? Is my verbal fountain yielding fresh and bitter water, or am I drawing from the well that never runs dry? Am I filling the air with gossip, fear and bitterness, or with truth, hope, peace? 

Like Scott pointed out last week, the New Testament writers constantly warn about the creeping danger within the church. The wolves aren’t gate crashers; they have been invited to the feast, and now the church is in danger.
I don’t want to be that person. I want to discern myself and the body of Christ. I want the truth and love of Christ in me to be working in me and embodied through me as I pull up my chair. Because that’s the obvious opposite effect of what Jude and Paul are warning about. In NOT discerning the body of Christ is so bad, just think how good it is when we DO discern the body of Christ? If one path leads to sickness and death, the other path must lead to health and life, right?

Once again, within the warning is the hope. Envision church community characterized by genuine love feasts in the fullest sense of the word: constantly ‘discerning the body of Christ’ by seeing the people around us and stewarding what God has given us in a way that builds up the ‘body of Christ’ that is assembled in ‘common union.’

It’s a glimpse of heaven, an expression of Christ, a vision of Kingdom that points toward the goodness and glory of the God into whose likeness we are constantly being made. 

QUESTIONS

1.    What do you bring to the “love feast”?

2.    How have you experienced the “love feast” gone right or wrong in your church history? What was the result?

3.    How can others in the group pray for you in this area?

 ______________________________________________________________________________

[1] https://eyesofrome.com/blog/eyes-on-storytelling/feasting-roman-style

[2] https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/banq/hd_banq.htm

[3] https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/banq/hd_banq.htm

[4] https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/05/20/712772285/the-lavish-roman-banquet-a-calculated-display-of-debauchery-and-power

[5] https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/05/20/712772285/the-lavish-roman-banquet-a-calculated-display-of-debauchery-and-power

[6] https://www.livescience.com/27569-ancient-romans-ate-millet.html

[7] https://zapruderworld.org/volume-5/food-provisioning-and-social-control-in-ancient-rome/

[8] https://zapruderworld.org/volume-5/food-provisioning-and-social-control-in-ancient-rome/

[9] https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/love-feast.html

[10] https://zapruderworld.org/volume-5/food-provisioning-and-social-control-in-ancient-rome/

[11] https://zapruderworld.org/volume-5/food-provisioning-and-social-control-in-ancient-rome/

[12] https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/whe/1-corinthians-11.html

 [13] “At all events, the unworthiness lies in a lack of living active faith in the atonement which has been achieved by the death of Christ; and this is the source of the various moral disqualifications by which the celebration of the Supper may be dishonored (Meyer Ed. 3). Among these we may mention a selfish, unloving conduct as one of the chief—such conduct as the rich at Corinth manifested towards the poor, and which exhibited a striking contrast with the love of Christ shown in the sacrifice of Himself for all, and set forth in the Holy Supper wherein the benefits of it are extended to every one.” – Lange’s Commentary

[14] “To eat or drink unworthily is in general to come to the Lord's table in a careless, irreverent spirit, without the intention or desire to commemorate the death of Christ as the sacrifice for our sins, and without the purpose of complying with the engagements which we thereby assume. The way in which the Corinthians ate unworthily was, that they treated the Lord's table as though it were their own; making no distinction between the Lord's supper and an ordinary meal; coming together to satisfy their hunger, and not to feed on the body and blood of Christ; and refusing to commune with their poorer brethren. This, though one, is not the only way in which men may eat and drink unworthily. All that is necessary to observe is, that the warning is directly against the careless and profane, and not against the timid and the doubting.” – Hodge’s Commentary

[15] “The context implies this refers to the disrupted unity of the church caused by the factious groups' arrogance and pride, but some have understood this to refer to the mandate for a proper spiritual attitude when observing the Lord's Supper (cf. Heb. 10:29).” – Bob Utely

[16] “In one sense all Christians are unworthy because they all have and continue to sin. In this context it refers specifically to the disunity and factious spirits of some in the church at Corinth (cf. II Cor. 13:5).” – Bob Utely

[17] "His body" seems not to refer to (1) the physical body of Jesus nor (2) the participants, but to the Church as a group (cf. 10:17; 12:12-13,27). Disunity is the problem. A spirit of superiority or class distinctions destroys the fellowship.” – Bob Utely

[18] “Paul is asserting in plain language that believers who violate the unity of the church may suffer temporal physical consequences, even death (cf. 3:17). This is directly connected to a lack of respect for the body of Christ, the church, the people of God (cf. Acts 5; I  Cor. 5:5; I Tim. 1:20).” – Bob Utely

[19] 'For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he discern not the body. For this reason many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep.'

For all who come eating and drinking of the Lord's Supper, who do not discern in it His body, and His dying for them, and through it His uniting of them all in His body as one, drink judgment on themselves. Indeed that is why there is sickness among them, and quite a few have died ('sleep' is the Christian synonym for death). This would suggest something unusual which had happened, above the norm, which Paul saw as the chastening of God, for it was not seemingly a judgment that affected their eternal future. It had openly happened, and all were aware of it. It was not theoretical. And it was to be seen as a chastening of the whole church.

“'If he discern not the body.' In chapter 10 stress was laid on the fact that the bread was the representation of the body, and that that included both the body of the Lord Jesus and the body composed of His people as united with Himself. The bread represented His physical body, but it also represented His people made one with Him. Both have to be discerned as one for they are inseparable (Ephesians 2:15-16). Thus as we come to the Lord's Supper we must discern the Lord's body, that is, we must recognise that it proclaims His death for us and that we come as participators in His death and resurrection, and we must equally discern that we are all therefore one body in Christ sharing with Him in His death and resurrection.” – Peter Pett’s Commentary On The Bible

[20] “That there were disorders of the most reprehensible kind among these people at this sacred supper, the preceding verses sufficiently point out; and after such excesses, many might be weak and sickly among them, and many might sleep, i.e. die; for continual experience shows us that many fall victims to their own intemperance. How ever, acting as they did in this solemn and awful sacrament, they might have "provoked God to plague them with divers diseases and sundry kinds of death." (Adam Clarke)

“The “sleepers” had died in the Lord, or this term would not have been used of them; it does not appear that this visitation had singled out the profaners of the sacrament; the community is suffering, for widely-spread offence.”  (Expositors New Testament)