Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Summary: Paul is working hard to help us understand our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Continue reading “Galatians 5:1b – Standing Firm”Galatians 1:2a – Correction
… and all the brothers and sisters with me,
Summary: Paul continues to add layers of authority to his message.
Continue reading “Galatians 1:2a – Correction”Ephesians 6:12b – Opposition
… but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world …
Summary: As we pick our way through the text of Paul’s letter, we discover treasures and insights. Today’s insight is confirmation that we are not alone in this world.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:12b – Opposition”Ephesians 6:9a – The Test of Authority
And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them,
Summary: Paul has been admonishing slaves to work, as if they were serving the Lord. Now, he turns his attention to those who have authority over others.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:9a – The Test of Authority”Ephesians 1:21a – Stepping Up
… far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked,
Summary: Paul’s reference to Jesus’ position of authority is a good place to stop and reflect on Jesus’ love and concern for his Creation.
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:21a – Stepping Up”2 Kings 9:32 – Confronted by Choice
“Who is on my side?”
Summary: Being in one kingdom or another is sometimes a matter of choice. Being forced to make that choice can be a terrifying thing.
Continue reading “2 Kings 9:32 – Confronted by Choice”Matthew 7: 28-29 — Jesus’ Authority
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Summary: As we prepare to study the Lord’s Prayer, it is helpful to conclude our mediation on who is teaching us this prayer with a look at Jesus’ authority to teach.
Continue reading “Matthew 7: 28-29 — Jesus’ Authority”1 Peter 2:13-14 — Human Authority
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
We have spent two days talking about the first seven words of verse 13. In “The Meaning of Submit” and “For His Sake” we looked at what it means to submit, or “put under,” and why this is important to Christians. Now we look at the rest of this verse and the next.
We live in a time where everything is seemingly being turned upside down. The year of this writing is 2020. If you are reading this at some future date, you will know how 2020 turned out. For the rest of us, reading this in the middle of this unusual year, we are still wondering what will happen.
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:13-14 — Human Authority”1 Peter 1:15-16 — Picking Nits
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
The word, “holy” suggests that something or someone is pure, sinless, upright, and set apart for God. God, Himself is the definition of holy. As I understand Peter he is saying that we who are called by God should be like God. Not in the things that are unique to God, his power, omniscience, and authority, etc., but in his character. God is humble and loving, patient, kind, and long-suffering. Those are the things we can emulate.
Discerning the difference between what is unique to God and what he can share with us is important. We need to understand that He is God and we are not. It is the lack of discernment in this area that led Lucifer to presume he could be like God. I think we are in danger of falling into the same trap when we presume upon God’s authority.
Continue reading “1 Peter 1:15-16 — Picking Nits”1 Peter 1:1 (b) — Ambassadors from God
…an apostle of Jesus Christ…
Language is essential to civilization. It is how we share ideas. Without language so many things we take for granted would disappear. For example, look at the concept of time. For time to have any value, all of us have to agree on what time it is. Imagine a world where nobody could agree on what time it is. We all set our watches and clocks to whatever time we felt was right. We could all agree to “meet at 6 PM” but no two people would show up at the same time.
By the same token, if we cannot agree on the meaning of words, then we are at a loss to communicate. If we have a different understanding of a word’s meanings, then we might assume we have communicated when, in fact, we have not. The more technical the topic, the more critical a correct understanding of words becomes. Engineers have extremely detailed understandings for specific words. Without them, we couldn’t build bridges or send rockets into space.
Continue reading “1 Peter 1:1 (b) — Ambassadors from God”