But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
I have known this list for a long time. It's time to dig a little deeper into the meaning and application.
Firstly, there is another list immediately preceding this:
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)
The acts of the flesh is in contrast to the fruit of the Spirit. The interesting thing about this "negative" list is that it pretty much describes our culture! And if it implies that anyone who commits any of these sins will not inherit the kingdom of God, then none of us will make it! Let me try to understand this in the context of the the book of Galatians. The Galatians, who became Christian converts when the apostle Paul first visited them, were at risk of forgetting the real meaning of salvation. Instead of believing by faith what Christ has done for them on the cross, they were to entrust themselves once again to the work of the flesh (i.e. by strictly following the requirements of the Mosaic law):
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Galatians 3:1-6)
So what Paul was saying was that if we think that we can rely on the "acts of the flesh" to keep the law in order to earn our salvation, we will discover that we will in fact wind up following what our flesh are naturally inclined to do which is the opposite of what God intends for us. We will end up "living like this" and therefore not "inheriting the kingdom of God".
On the contrary, if we simply receive our salvation by faith (as Abraham did), God, by his Spirit, will begin to work in us to produce the Fruit (note singular) which only God can do. There will be increasing evidence of these characteristics of a Christian life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. "Against such things there is no law" - in other word, what the Mosaic law wanted to produce this in us but had failed.
It is good to routinely check our own life. Do I see evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in my life? If I do - praise God! There is nothing to be proud of other than that God is mighty to save. He has done great things! If I don't see evidence of the "good" list and find evidence of the "bad" list, return to Jesus, ask him to forgive which he is delighted to do, and trust his promise: "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)
Friday 27 September 2013
Friday 20 September 2013
A thorn in the flesh
Today I came to a familiar passage in scripture where Paul was "boasting" about his weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on him:
I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:5-10)
What was Paul's "thorn in his flesh" (verse 7)? GotQuestions.org as usual is my favourite reference site to look for some answers:
"Paul speaks of a “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians 12:7. He calls it “a messenger of Satan” that had a purpose of “torment.” Many explanations have been put forward, but whether Paul is referring to a physical, spiritual, or emotional affliction—or something else entirely—has never been answered with satisfaction. Since he was not talking of a literal thorn, he must have been speaking metaphorically. Some of the more popular theories of the thorn’s interpretation include temptation, a chronic eye problem, malaria, migraines, epilepsy, and a speech disability. Some even say that the thorn refers to a person, such as Alexander the coppersmith, who did Paul “a great deal of harm” (2 Timothy 4:14). No one can say for sure what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was, but it was a source of real pain in the apostle’s life."
Here are some possible purposes for the "thorn":
(1) To keep him from being conceited (verse 8)
The context to this passage is that since chapter 10, Paul had been depending his ministry to the church in Corinth. Apparently some members of that congregation thought that he was "unimpressive" and a poor speaker (2 Corinthians 10:10). Moreover, the church might have put up with some eloquent preachers (whom he called "super-apostles"), who were preaching a different Jesus and promoted a different Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 11:4-5). To depend his ministry among these believers, Paul felt the need to "boast" about himself:
- his authority was directly from the Lord Himself (2 Corinthians 10:8)
- his work and the resulting faith shown among the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 10:14-16)
- his not being a financial burden to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 11:9)
- his identity as a Jew, a descendant of Abraham, and yet persecuted by both Jews and gentiles (2 Corinthians 11: 22-29)
- and finally, things that showed his weakness (2 Corinthians 11:30)
So even though Paul had many reasons to be proud of himself, the "thorn" was given to keep him humble.
I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:5-10)
What was Paul's "thorn in his flesh" (verse 7)? GotQuestions.org as usual is my favourite reference site to look for some answers:
"Paul speaks of a “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians 12:7. He calls it “a messenger of Satan” that had a purpose of “torment.” Many explanations have been put forward, but whether Paul is referring to a physical, spiritual, or emotional affliction—or something else entirely—has never been answered with satisfaction. Since he was not talking of a literal thorn, he must have been speaking metaphorically. Some of the more popular theories of the thorn’s interpretation include temptation, a chronic eye problem, malaria, migraines, epilepsy, and a speech disability. Some even say that the thorn refers to a person, such as Alexander the coppersmith, who did Paul “a great deal of harm” (2 Timothy 4:14). No one can say for sure what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was, but it was a source of real pain in the apostle’s life."
Here are some possible purposes for the "thorn":
(1) To keep him from being conceited (verse 8)
The context to this passage is that since chapter 10, Paul had been depending his ministry to the church in Corinth. Apparently some members of that congregation thought that he was "unimpressive" and a poor speaker (2 Corinthians 10:10). Moreover, the church might have put up with some eloquent preachers (whom he called "super-apostles"), who were preaching a different Jesus and promoted a different Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 11:4-5). To depend his ministry among these believers, Paul felt the need to "boast" about himself:
- his authority was directly from the Lord Himself (2 Corinthians 10:8)
- his work and the resulting faith shown among the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 10:14-16)
- his not being a financial burden to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 11:9)
- his identity as a Jew, a descendant of Abraham, and yet persecuted by both Jews and gentiles (2 Corinthians 11: 22-29)
- and finally, things that showed his weakness (2 Corinthians 11:30)
So even though Paul had many reasons to be proud of himself, the "thorn" was given to keep him humble.
Friday 13 September 2013
Spare the rod, spoil the child
It is unpopular these days to talk about using physical punishment (like spanking) on a child. There is a fine line between a well intended action and an abuse. The courts are typically on the side of a defenseless child. I remember spanking one of my children once. I still regret it to this day. I do have great children and that one incidence reflected on my inexperience as a parent, and the lack of self-control in managing my own anger and shame. Do I advocate it? Yes I still do, but under very well-controlled and loving manner in extremely difficult situation when all other non-physically painful means of discipline have failed.
This is a favorite verse for those who supports corporal punishment for the purpose of disciplining a child.
Prov 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates their children,
but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.
And there are other verses using words like discipline or correction, which don't necessarily imply inflicting bodily pain.
Prov 15:32
Those who disregard discipline despise themselves,
but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.
In reading through the Book of Proverbs yet again, have I gained newer insight into this subject? For this study I will focus on understanding the meaning of the "Rod".
The Hebrew word for "Rod" is "Shebet" (not to confuse it with Sherbet - a dessert!). According to this article "Dare to Discipline" the most likely definition of the word in this context is a staff (shepherding stick), sceptre (ruling stick), or punishment stick. If the word means “shepherding stick” then it would seem to indicate guiding and protecting. Contrary to the pro-spanking teaching, shepherds do not beat their sheep. Sheep need a lot of guidance and protection for which the shepherd’s rod serves them well. It makes a very nice picture of a parent gently guiding their children to greener pastures (see how comforting the Lord my Shepherd's rod can be in Psalms 23).
In this exhaustive look ("Suffer the Little Children") at all 36 places in the bible (in the King James Version translation) where the word "rod" is used, it seems fair to conclude (and I quote) that:
- There are no examples of children being beaten with a rod (unlike the fools in Pr 26:3!).
- We see in most other instances that the word "rod" is used to symbolize God's authority or the authority of a nation.
- If you read the "shebet" passages in Proverbs , you will see that you can usually substitute the word "authority" for "rod", which can be referring to God's authority or a nation's authority, or to a parent's authority over his children as in Proverbs 23:13-14:
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.
14 Punish them with the rod and save them from death.
Pr 23:13 presents a particular problem in that it suggests that punishing (presumably beating) a child with a rod would not cause death and yet in Exodus, we saw that a man could cause someone to die with a literal shebet. It is therefore reasonable to interpret the meaning of "rod" in a figurative sense of "authority". You cannot kill someone with your authority. You can be punishing them with your authority by using your authority to discipline (teach, disciple, educate, instruct) and guide them.
If Pr 23:13 were referring to a literal beating, taken in context, it would have to be speaking about a grown child. The verses before and after are written by a father speaking to his grown or almost grown son. However, you still have the problem of the contradiction as far as whether or not a "shebet" can cause someone to die.
Take home points:
It is not easy to raise children. None of us went to school to learn to be a parent. I see a variety of style in my clinical practice of how parents treat their children. It is particularly delightful to see parents handling their ADHD kids with such grace. My children are grown up now. Praise God that I did not mess up too badly (I hope!). Over the years I have learned that there are so many loving ways to help children behave without resolving to spanking. Trust God for guidance knowing that God loves them way more than I ever can love them. One of the most sacrificial love that God has demonstrated to us is that He gives us the freedom to choose. It must be painful to God to see us even as grown ups to choose to mess up in so many ways. Yet He waits patiently, continuing to shower us with His love. I should do likewise.
Friday 6 September 2013
How do I praise God?
I have come to the end of the Book of Psalms. I am sad to leave it. Some people make it a discipline to read a Psalm every day. As I can barely keep up with my daily reading in order to read through the entire Bible in a year, I would likely have difficulties making another commitment.
The last chapter in the Book of Psalms is Psalm 150:
Praise the Lord.
1 Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
It is clear the emphasis of this chapter is about praising God. Verse one tells us where to praise him. Verse 2 says what we praise him for. Verse 3-5 gives the how - and musical instruments and dancing are certainly involved. Verse 6 tells us who should praise God - "Everything that has breath" - that means I am included! Obviously we all have different temperaments and our "method" to praise God may look a bit different. This book "Sacred Pathways" is a very nice resource to discover my own pathway to worship God and to learn to appreciate how others may praise God differently.
The word praise appeared in 363 verses in the bible, some of which it appears multiple times, e.g. it appears 3 times in Ps 148:1. More than half the appearances are found in the Book of Psalms. So praising God is clearly an important thing to do in my life.
This wikihow resource outlines 11 steps in a prayerful/meditative approach to praise God. Some of them are listed here with my own comments/favourite scripture verses added:
That's it. I shall try to practice this for the rest of my life!
The last chapter in the Book of Psalms is Psalm 150:
Praise the Lord.
1 Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
It is clear the emphasis of this chapter is about praising God. Verse one tells us where to praise him. Verse 2 says what we praise him for. Verse 3-5 gives the how - and musical instruments and dancing are certainly involved. Verse 6 tells us who should praise God - "Everything that has breath" - that means I am included! Obviously we all have different temperaments and our "method" to praise God may look a bit different. This book "Sacred Pathways" is a very nice resource to discover my own pathway to worship God and to learn to appreciate how others may praise God differently.
The word praise appeared in 363 verses in the bible, some of which it appears multiple times, e.g. it appears 3 times in Ps 148:1. More than half the appearances are found in the Book of Psalms. So praising God is clearly an important thing to do in my life.
This wikihow resource outlines 11 steps in a prayerful/meditative approach to praise God. Some of them are listed here with my own comments/favourite scripture verses added:
- Practice his presence and his working in my life - God is here with me; God has done great things in my life; he holds my life in his hand. (Deut 31:6, Ps 23, Ps 103:1-10, Ps 121, Is 41:10, Heb 13:5)
- Think of Jesus' life - recounts the stories of the gospels - his birth, miracles, sermon on the mount, his death on the cross, his resurrection, where he is now and that he is praying on my behalf etc.
- Start naming the attributes of God - He is El Shaddai (God Almighty), Jehovah jireh (God will provide), He is Elohim (God of gods); He is omnipresent (Ps 139:7-12).
- Thank him - say it out audibly! Every time you are aware of a thanksgiving item - say Praise God!
- Use his creation to help me praise him - it maybe the breeze that hits my face while cycling; the natural beauty of everything around me; don't forget the thunders and lightnings - he is talking to me!
- Do something for others as a praise to God - Jesus said: 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Mt 25:40)
That's it. I shall try to practice this for the rest of my life!
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