Plymothian

Paul builds on the authority that he laid out in the first chapter of Galatians by pointing out that the leadership on the church in Jerusalem agreed that those who had not been circumcised need not be so. This was important because when Abraham was set apart by God the sign of that setting apart was circumcision.  No special rites were needed in order to follow Jesus. God made the passage easy and simple.  There was a call to put Jesus first and to follow him, accepting his death and accepting the gift of eternal life that comes through the resurrection.  The life that new converts lead is not marked by special rites of passage.

The apostles and Paul have preached the same gospel.  In today’s times we should do no different.  However, I am not so concerned about the nature of the gospel that we communicate, I am more concerned in today’s world that no gospel is communicated at all.

 Galataians 2:1-5

¹ Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. ² I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. ³ Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. ⁴ This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. ⁵ We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

Questions

1. Why did Paul go to Jerusalem?
2. What was Titus not compelled to do?
3. What were false believers spying on?
4. How are issues like homosexuality, the environment, and social justice sometimes guilty of clouding the gospel?
5. Describe the gospel in three sentences?

Paul doesn’t appeal to the authority of the apostles to verify his ministry.  He appeals to personal instruction directly from God.  It is only a supernatural work of God that could change him from a terrorizing hater of Christians into one of their strongest advocates. 

Many people do not notice that after Paul’s conversion, the verses below tell us that Paul was taught personally by Jesus in Arabia.  This was no weekend retreat with a phenomenal key speaker.  Paul spent three years away being instructed by Jesus.  This, then, means that he spent the same time with Jesus that the other apostles did.  The people who met Paul after his conversion heard of who he used to be and praised God for the change.

Today we still hear many conversion stories.  Mine is fairly unremarkable to hear.  I was 8 when I was converted and so my life of crime didn’t have time to develop.  We need to hear more unremarkable conversions to validate from the pulpit the less stunning changes that can occur in the pursuit of God.  What is stunning in these lives is often God’s faithfulness and persistence to keep us close to him over the years.  However, I agree with putting astounding stories of conversion into the media and into our pulpits when fruit show them to be genuine.  An example of this would be The Cross and the Switchblade which I read growing up.  What stories have you heard?

Galatians 1:11-24

¹¹ I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. ¹²I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

 ¹³ For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. ¹⁵ But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. ¹⁷I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.

 ¹⁸ Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas^[b] and stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.

 ²¹ Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. ²² I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. ²³ They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And they praised God because of me.

Questions

1. How did Paul receive the gospel?
2. How is Paul’s life an example of the gospel’s authenticity?
3. Why would Paul want to distance himself from the idea that other apostles handed the gospel to him?
4. How does your life show the power of God to change a life?
5. Why do many today lack the kind of life-transformation that Paul advocates?

Note:  I will be camping for the next couple of days and therefore will not post.

At the beginning of the book to the Galatians, Paul highlights a problem that the church in Galatia is having.  Someone has been leading them astray and adding to the gospel.  The effect of this is that a new gospel is being preached.  Any addition to the simple truth that Jesus saves by faith is enough to change the true gospel to falsehood.

There is no new-and improved gospel.  the means of communicating the message may be culturally changed.  The media used to communicate the gospel can be 21st Century.  the gospel itself is unchanging.

Glalatians 1:1-10

 ¹ Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— ² and all the brothers and sisters^[a]with me,

   To the churches in Galatia:

 ³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, ⁵to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 ⁶ I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— ⁷ which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! ⁹As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

 ¹⁰ Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Questions

1. How does Paul introduce himself?
2. What astonishes Paul?
3. Can the gospel be added to?  How?
4. How have churches that you know lost their way?
5. In what ways do people add to the gospel?

• To whom was the book written?

The book was eitherwritten to those in the north or the south of the region of Galatia.

• Where is Galatia?

Galatia is in modern Turkey at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea.

• When was Galatians written?Galatians was written between 51 and 57 A.D.

• Who wrote it?

The vast majority of scholars say Paul wrote the book of Galatians.

• Why was it written?

 A group of Jewish Christians were traveling around Galatia telling people that faith in Jesus Christ was not enough.  Believers also had to follow a series of laws from the Old Testament.  The most important one in their minds was circumcision.

• How are people today facing the same challenges as the Galatians?

People today hear many things that are added to the gospel asof equal importance.  Within Christian churches the form of worship, the clothes that a woman wears, or the sins a person is still dealing with can lead to a church condemning that person even if they have a genuine faith in Jesus Christ which is showing itself in a transformed life.  Outside the church, people in groups like the New Age, Mormons, or Jehovah’s Witnesses take faith in Jesus Christ and add to it and twist it.  In effect, they preach another gospel.

When looking over a new book it is good to get the book in context. This means that we look at when the book was written in relation to other books in the Bible.  The Word of God is progressive.  The people of God in the Bible go from monotheism to polytheism, to henotheism, and to a trinitarian monotheism.  From a position of community with the one true God, they come full circle back into that relationship.

Secondly, we need to know the social context, was the book written in exile?  Was the book written for Jewish believers or Gentiles?  What form of government was in place when the book was written?

Thirdly, before studying the book we need to know the presenting problems.  In other words we need to know in general why the book was written?  Were there arguments with local authorities?  Did believers disagree?  Had some kind of heresy broken out?  Were  people discouraged?

Finally, an outline is helpful so that we can see how passages that we know fit together with those that are less familiar.  Coupled with this is a knowledge of the genre of writing.  Is this book an epistle (letter), a historical outline, a series of wise sayings?

With these ideas in mind we should now turn to the book of Galatians.

1. To whom was the book written?
2. Where is Galatia?
3. When was Galatians written?
4. Who wrote it?
5. Why was it written?
6. How are people today facing the same challenges as the Galatians?

Use a Study Bible, a commentary, or the internet to find answers.

We are finishing our study in the psalms today.  I started the study to aid my development in worship and praise.  I think that I have achieved my goal.  there are a number of details that have really helped:

1. The psalmists are authentic with God.  They do not sugar-coat their feelings of abandonment, their desires for glory, their longing for vindication.  The images are strong and show desperation at times, coupled with real fears.  therefore my prayers and worship to God should be conducted from the heart.  I should express, confusion, disappointment and even anger with God.
2. Private prayers and poems became public property.  The confession of private struggles with God validated the common experience of struggling to maintain the faith.  I should not hide the authentic ups and downs of my walk with God from those who could grow through shared experience.
3. The psalmist always brings himself back to a position of faithful submission to God.  Despite their laments, cries of despair, victories over enemies, and moral failures, the psalmists always raise God up as worthy of praise and honour.  In spite of difficult circumstances the psalmists always trust in God.  I can do the same.
4. The psalmists used the artistry of poetry and song to affectively express their inner life.  The psalms are evidence of a life of worship and praise taht engaged multiple art forms.  We should not be afraid to employ poetry, drama, dance, and the fine arts to express our experiences of life with God.

Psam 72

Of Solomon.

 ¹ Endow the king with your justice, O God,
   the royal son with your righteousness.
² May he judge your people in righteousness,
   your afflicted ones with justice.

 ³ May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
   the hills the fruit of righteousness.
⁴ May he defend the afflicted among the people
   and save the children of the needy;
   may he crush the oppressor.
⁵ May he endure^[a] as long as the sun,
   as long as the moon, through all generations.
⁶ May he be like rain falling on a mown field,
   like showers watering the earth.
⁷ In his days may the righteous flourish
   and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

 ⁸ May he rule from sea to sea
   and from the River^[b] to the ends of the earth.
⁹ May the desert tribes bow before him
   and his enemies lick the dust.
¹⁰ May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
   bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba and Seba
   present him gifts.
¹¹ May all kings bow down to him
   and all nations serve him.

 ¹² For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
   the afflicted who have no one to help.
¹³ He will take pity on the weak and the needy
   and save the needy from death.
¹⁴ He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
   for precious is their blood in his sight.

 ¹⁵ Long may he live!
   May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him
   and bless him all day long.
¹⁶ May grain abound throughout the land;
   on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops flourish like Lebanon
   and thrive^[c] like the grass of the field.
¹⁷ May his name endure forever;
   may it continue as long as the sun.

   Then all nations will be blessed through him,^[d]
   and they will call him blessed.

 ¹⁸ Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
   who alone does marvelous deeds.
¹⁹ Praise be to his glorious name forever;
   may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
            Amen and Amen.

 ²⁰ This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

Questions

1. What would show you that we have reached a watershed in the psalms?
2. How is this psalm a ‘Royal Psalm’?
3. How does this psalm foreshadow the kingship of Christ/Messiah?
4. How have the psalms  changed your life?
5. How will you praise God and worship in the future?

Old Age is to be hated, avoided,and never talked about.  That is the attitude that western society has promoted ascommercialism tries to push anti-aging cremes, youth-maintaining workouts, and psychological self-help pathways to eternal youth.  Of course, there are some benefits to being fit and healthy in mind, body and spirit.  However, there are some things, like wisdom, that can only come through age and experience. 

I have a friend Marcus who was ridiculed by a teen fan of the Twilight series when he wrote a poor review on his blog.  He was called out of touch, aging, and balding.  Apart from having a full head of hair, I think he was 28 at the time.    Youth can be so egocentric that they think no-one has been through struggles like themselves.  If you read this psalm carefully, you will see how the benefits of staying close to God as we age were the same in the psalmist’s day as now.

Psalm 71

¹ In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;
   let me never be put to shame.
² In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
   turn your ear to me and save me.
³ Be my rock of refuge,
   to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
   for you are my rock and my fortress.
⁴ Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
   from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.

 ⁵ For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD,
   my confidence since my youth.
⁶ From birth I have relied on you;
   you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
   I will ever praise you.
⁷ I have become a sign to many;
   you are my strong refuge.
⁸ My mouth is filled with your praise,
   declaring your splendor all day long.

 ⁹ Do not cast me away when I am old;
   do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
¹⁰ For my enemies speak against me;
   those who wait to kill me conspire together.
¹¹ They say, “God has forsaken him;
   pursue him and seize him,
   for no one will rescue him.”
¹² Do not be far from me, my God;
   come quickly, God, to help me.
¹³ May my accusers perish in shame;
   may those who want to harm me
   be covered with scorn and disgrace.

 ¹⁴ As for me, I will always have hope;
   I will praise you more and more.

 ¹⁵ My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds,
   of your saving acts all day long—
   though I know not how to relate them all.
¹⁶ I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD;
   I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
¹⁷ Since my youth, God, you have taught me,
   and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
¹⁸ Even when I am old and gray,
   do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
   your mighty acts to all who are to come.

 ¹⁹ Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,
   you who have done great things.
   Who is like you, God?
²⁰ Though you have made me see troubles,
   many and bitter,
   you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
   you will again bring me up.
²¹ You will increase my honor
   and comfort me once more.

 ²² I will praise you with the harp
   for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
   Holy One of Israel.
²³ My lips will shout for joy
   when I sing praise to you—
   I whom you have delivered.
²⁴ My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
   all day long,
for those who wanted to harm me
   have been put to shame and confusion.

Questions

1. When does the psalmist not want to be cast away?
2. When will the psalmist have hope?
3. What comes after bitter troubles?
4. How has this year changed you?
5. How is God making the aging process something positive for you?

There was once a plan hatched by Rabbit that Pooh and Piglit should join him in scaring Kanga and Roo from the forest.  Rabbit’s plan ran as follows:

PLAN TO CAPTURE BABY ROO
                1. General Remarks. Kanga runs faster than any  of  Us,
even Me.
        2.  More General Remarks. Kanga never takes her eye off
Baby Roo, except when he’s safely buttoned up in her pocket.
        3. Therefore. If we are to capture Baby  Roo,  we  must
get  a  Long  Start,  because Kanga runs faster than any of Us,
even Me. (See I.)
        4. A Thought. If Roo had jumped out of  Kanga’s  pocket
and  Piglet  had jumped in, Kanga wouldn’t know the difference,
because Piglet is a Very Small Animal.
        5. Like Roo.
        6. But Kanga would have to be  looking  the  other  way
first, so as not to see Piglet jumping in.
        7. See 2.
        8. Another Thought. But if Pooh was talking to her very
excitedly, she might look the other way for a moment.
        9. And then I could run away with Roo.
        10. Quickly.
        11.  And  Kanga  wouldn’t discover the difference until
Afterwards

        Well, Rabbit read this out proudly, and  for  a  little
while  after  he  had  read  it  nobody  said anything And then
Piglet, who had been opening and  shutting  his  mouth  without
making any noise, managed to say very huskily:

        “And — Afterwards?”

        “How do you mean?”

        “When Kanga does Discover the Difference?”

        “Then we all say ‘Aha!'”

You will see in Psalm 70 that the psalmist hopes that the plans of Piglet to say, “Aha!” will go astray.  Since God is on the side of the psalmist …

I hope you see the lighter side of this.

Psalm 70
For the director of music. Of David. A petition.

 ¹ Hasten, O God, to save me;
   come quickly, LORD, to help me.

 ² May those who want to take my life
   be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
   be turned back in disgrace.
³ May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
   turn back because of their shame.
⁴ But may all who seek you
   rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
   “The LORD is great!”

 ⁵ But as for me, I am poor and needy;
   come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
   LORD, do not delay.

Questions

1. What do people want to do to the psalmist (again)?
2. What does the psalmist ask for?
3. How does the psalmist contrast his position with God’s?
4. Do you think anyone in your sphere has a crafty plan at work?  What is the nature of the plan?
5. Why do people hatch plans?  What does God think about that?

If you read Psalm 69 carefully you might be able to see Jesus.  Look at the vinegar that the writer is given to drink.  Look at how, “Zeal for your house consumes me”, is linked with Jesus’ actions in the temple.  Skeptics say gospel writers added these details to make their point – I prefer to believe that Jesus lived out the references and that the authors of the Bible wrote about the connections with awe. 

David is a type of the Messiah.  Like in England each king or queen was measured against the mythical King Arthur, so in Israel each king or queen was measured against David.  Yet David points forward to someone greater than he.  In psalms like Psalm 69 we see that a passionate servant of God is to suffer.  Is this a foreshadowing of Jesus?

Psalm 69

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.

 ¹ Save me, O God,
   for the waters have come up to my neck.
² I sink in the miry depths,
   where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
   the floods engulf me.
³ I am worn out calling for help;
   my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,
   looking for my God.
⁴ Those who hate me without reason
   outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
   those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
   what I did not steal.

 ⁵ You, God, know my folly;
   my guilt is not hidden from you.

 ⁶ Lord, the LORD Almighty,
   may those who hope in you
   not be disgraced because of me;
God of Israel,
   may those who seek you
   not be put to shame because of me.
⁷ For I endure scorn for your sake,
   and shame covers my face.
⁸ I am a foreigner to my own family,
   a stranger to my own mother’s children;
⁹ for zeal for your house consumes me,
   and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.
¹⁰ When I weep and fast,
   I must endure scorn;
¹¹ when I put on sackcloth,
   people make sport of me.
¹² Those who sit at the gate mock me,
   and I am the song of the drunkards.

 ¹³ But I pray to you, LORD,
   in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God,
   answer me with your sure salvation.
¹⁴ Rescue me from the mire,
   do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
   from the deep waters.
¹⁵ Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
   or the depths swallow me up
   or the pit close its mouth over me.

 ¹⁶ Answer me, LORD, out of the goodness of your love;
   in your great mercy turn to me.
¹⁷ Do not hide your face from your servant;
   answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
¹⁸ Come near and rescue me;
   deliver me because of my foes.

 ¹⁹ You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;
   all my enemies are before you.
²⁰ Scorn has broken my heart
   and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
   for comforters, but I found none.
²¹ They put gall in my food
   and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

 ²² May the table set before them become a snare;
   may it become retribution and^[b] a trap.
²³ May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
   and their backs be bent forever.
²⁴ Pour out your wrath on them;
   let your fierce anger overtake them.
²⁵ May their place be deserted;
   let there be no one to dwell in their tents.
²⁶ For they persecute those you wound
   and talk about the pain of those you hurt.
²⁷ Charge them with crime upon crime;
   do not let them share in your salvation.
²⁸ May they be blotted out of the book of life
   and not be listed with the righteous.

 ²⁹ But as for me, afflicted and in pain—
   may your salvation, God, protect me.

 ³⁰ I will praise God’s name in song
   and glorify him with thanksgiving.
³¹ This will please the LORD more than an ox,
   more than a bull with its horns and hooves.
³² The poor will see and be glad—
   you who seek God, may your hearts live!
³³ The LORD hears the needy
   and does not despise his captive people.

 ³⁴ Let heaven and earth praise him,
   the seas and all that move in them,
³⁵ for God will save Zion
   and rebuild the cities of Judah.
Then people will settle there and possess it;
 ³⁶ the children of his servants will inherit it,
   and those who love his name will dwell there.

Questions

1. How is water used again in this psalm?
2. How is the psalmist isolated?
3. How could the psalm be true of both David and Jesus?
4. When do you praise in song and thanksgiving?
5. Do we have to sing?