Vive Le Renaissance, Man!

"Time is a tyrant, words our best and only weapons." - Lyndsay Faye | Here begins a new decade. As I enter my sixties, I use this space to assess life: how I have lived it so far, how I might finish my working life and move into retirement, and what I might share from the experiences I've had. The concept of the Renaissance Man has been an aspiration of mine, often without realizing it, hence the title. So much to experience, so much to think about, so much to enjoy and be grateful for!

Monday, October 30, 2017

The Vine and the Branches - John 15

John 15 contains a brilliant analogy for the relationship between God the Father, Jesus the Messiah, and the Church and its believers. The first 5 verses get us started and should be very familiar:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." ----- ESV

In most versions of the Bible, there is an unfortunate translation choice that confuses the analogy, and that is the use of "he takes away" in verse 2. An equally proper, and I think better, translation of that Greek word (airei) is "he lifts up". If we are going to apply Jesus' analogy to our lives, let's at least do it correctly, understanding fully the context. That same Greek word is used in Acts chapter 1 to describe Jesus' ascension into Heaven. When Jesus was lifted up into Heaven, we surely wouldn't refer to Jesus as being "cut off" or "taken away" with a connotation of judgement. Yet that is what conventional interpretations often do.

This article from a vineyard owner really says it well. The gardener "lifts up" any branches that trail along the ground, and ties them on to the support structure so that they grow upward. They are pruned as well, of course, but there's no pruning until they've been tied on and trained to go upward.

Also, the word for "prunes" in verse 2 is also the same Greek word (katharoi) as for "clean" in verse 3. Those two verses should be translated using the same word (and I think pruned is the better word for both verses).

Later, when the analogy shifts to cutting off branches that are no longer abiding in the vine, and bundling them up to be burned, it's a very appropriate translation. If a branch breaks off at the trunk, or at the cordon (arm), it loses its connection to the vine and becomes dead. Nothing for it at that point than to be burned up. But there's no cutting off and burning for a branch that is trailing along the ground. Instead, it gets the Vinedressers loving attention; he tends to it in such a way as to help it to grow properly, and produce good fruit.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Falling Upward

During this process of evaluating how to approach the next few years - retire, work part-time, work full-time (same industry or a new one) - I have found myself thinking about what's truly important to attend to in the remainder of my life here on this planet.

(Ha. That reminds me of listening to an old Larry Norman album I owned with the title: Only Visiting This Planet. True that, Larry.)

In a recent visit with my pastor in which we compared notes on self-examination, he recommended to me the book "Falling Upward" by Richard Rohr. In it, Rohr posits that there are two halves to life, the one in which we discover and form ourselves into a unique container called "who I am", and the one in which we make the best use of that container and contents to accomplish that which we were set on earth to do.

Seems to me that right now is an excellent time to think about that idea, settle on a definition of self and on a second-half-of-life mission, and then lay out a plan to execute that mission.

Okay then.

Let's begin.

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Refugees, their motives, and the Scripture

My wife and I just returned from a 3800 mile driving vacation which took us from Iowa to Branson to Hot Springs to Shreveport to Dallas (Fort Worth, actually) to Austin to Brownsville & South Padre Island to Kerrville in the Texas Hill Country to Abilene in West Texas to Wichita and back home.

While in Austin we stayed with our eldest kid in her new house, and were there over a Sunday, so went to her church as well. A guest pastor was preaching that day and the message was on the refugee and the Biblical case for compassion for, and acceptance of, them. Here are the particular Scripture passages invoked in that message:

The Refugee

Psalms 46:1 ESV
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
http://bible.com/59/psa.46.1.ESV

Psalms 59:16 ESV
But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.
http://bible.com/59/psa.59.16.ESV

Psalms 68:5-6 ESV
Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
http://bible.com/59/psa.68.5-6.ESV

Psalms 91:4 ESV
He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
http://bible.com/59/psa.91.4.ESV

Leviticus 19:33-34 ESV
"When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
http://bible.com/59/lev.19.33-34.ESV

Deuteronomy 10:17-19 ESV
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of Lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
http://bible.com/59/deu.10.17-19.ESV

Hebrews 13:1-3 ESV
Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
http://bible.com/59/heb.13.1-3.ESV

Galatians 5:14 ESV
For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
http://bible.com/59/gal.5.14.ESV

Acts 17:26-27 ESV
And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
http://bible.com/59/act.17.26-27.ESV

Now, a statement and a question. Every Scripture used to urge compassion and acceptance toward refugees has an underlying assumption - that the refugee's motives are benign. What if they are not?

The parallel is made in many passages to the Israelite nation being captives in Egypt (or in Babylon). Israel's motives were benign - they had no intent to undermine that government or to infiltrate the culture in order to do harm.

Because of this core assumption, the Scripture says nothing about how to treat an alien or stranger in your land whose intent is to cause harm. (i.e. sent by a hostile government or a terrorist or a criminal organization). The only example of an immigration policy decision in the Bible that is even close to such a situation is in Joshua chapter 9, and the result was not compassion and acceptance.

One has only to look at Europe to find instances of immigrants intending to cause harm. It seems to me that we need an immigration process which is like the Ellis Island approach we used to have: no one is admitted unless then can demonstrate that they have 1) a month's wages on them, 2) a relative already in the USA to vouch for them, and 3) a job offer. Those requirements alone, plus a 30 day quarantine period to give time for background checks, would eliminate most of the risk that anyone with malicious intent would make it into the US.

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Spiritual Gifts - A Harmonization of the "Gift Lists"

Some time back, I was listening to a sermon by our Pastor, when as often happens a thought struck me, and I had to explore it. So I sent myself a note on email, and it sat there in my inbox for months, waiting for a time when I could do the research. Now, being unemployed, I finally have the time. :)

The idea was this: there are several passages in the New Testament that list what are known as "spiritual gifts", the definition of which is abilities (often supernaturally endowed) that are given to Christians at or after their conversion, for the purpose of edifying and building up the local church. Since English translations of the Greek New Testament writing often are contextual, there may appear to be more of these "gifts" noted in English translations of the Bible than the original languages allow for.

The solution for that would be to go to the Greek language versions directly and note the words used there to create a harmonization, and then convert the surviving terms back to English. Seminary training certainly helps with such an endeavor, and online tools make it easier than it was a couple of decades ago.

So, here's what I found by trying to harmonize the following passages:

Romans 12:6-8
I Corinthians 12:8-10
I Corinthians 12:28-30
I Corinthians 13:1-3,8
I Corinthians 14:6,26
Ephesians 4:11-12
I Peter 4:11
I Corinthians 7:7-8
Exodus 35:30-35
I Chronicles 25:1-8

You might wonder how I can examine Greek words in the last two passages, but there are online tools for that, too. :)

The complete table is below, but here are some insights.

1) Prophecy in the Old and New Testaments are from the same Spirit, and are the same gift; just the context differs. In the Old, prophecy was mostly speaking God's truth to power. In the New, it is speaking God's truth to the church about a specific issue or need.
2) The gift of evangelism is better thought of as a Gospel Preacher - not one who expounds the Scripture, but one who simply brings the Good News, with power. Televangelists get a bad rap, but Saint Paul was one - just without the technology of TV.
3) The modern-day position of Pastor is really unnatural. We think of it as combination of Preacher/Teacher/Counselor, but the word used for pastoral gifts is the Greek word for Shepherd - one who cares for the flock. It is not the same gift as Teacher, nor is it the same as Evangelist (preacher). Yet in our modern pastoral ministry, we expect the Pastor to do all three. There are separate gifts of Teaching, Shepherding, and Evangelistic Preaching. As Saint Paul says clearly: none have all the gifts, but we expect pastors to have at least 3 specific ones.
4) The idea of spiritual giftedness in music and the arts has been hotly debated, but it's clear to me that there is an Old Testament precedent for it, confirmed by similar use of the Greek New Testament words for both Wisdom and Prophecy in the context of arts, crafts, and music.
5) There is a gift of singleness, but not of celibacy per se. The text in question says nothing about sexual activity or the lack thereof (it's implied, not stated), but rather of being partnered with someone in a committed relationship (which would necessarily draw them away from complete devotion to Christ.
6) Hospitality appears not to be a spiritual gift, but rather a command, along the same lines as "live a quiet and godly life" or "give no one reason to accuse you". All believers are commanded to be hospitable to other believers, especially those traveling through.

Greek Word

Strongs #

Romans 12:6–8

Prophecy

prophēteian

4394

Serving

diakonian

121248

Teaching

Exhortation

Giving

Leadership

Mercy

1 Corinthians 12:8-10

Word of wisdom

Word of knowledge

Faith

Healing

Miracles

Prophecy

Distinguishing between spirits

Tongues

Interpretation of tongues

hermēneia

22058

Note, a connotation of . translating, not of . determining the meaning

1 Corinthians 12:28-30

Apostle

apostolous

652

Note, an emphasis on

Prophet

prophētas

4396

an emissary, a delegate,

Teacher

didaskalous

1320

one who is commissioned . to go (i.e. a Missionary)

Miracles

Kinds of healings

Helps

Administration

Tongues

Interpretation of tongues

diermēneuousin

1329

Note, an emphasis of 2058, . fully/accurately translating

1 Corinthians 13:1-3,8

Tongues

Prophecy

Seeing

1492

Note, metaphysical seeing . (as in a Seer); used in . context of understanding . Mysteries (mystēria . http://biblehub.com/ . greek/muste_ria_3466.htm

Strong's 3466 . http://biblehub.com/ . greek/3466.htm)

Knowledge

Faith

Feed the Hungry

Martyrdom

Note, context of "to be . burned" is to hand over the . body (paradō to sōma, . Strong's 3860 and 4983) for . torture, but literal meaning . of 2744 is to be lifted up, as . in Christians on the crosses . set on fire in Nero's day.

1 Corinthians 14:6,26

Tongues

Revelation

Knowledge

Prophecy