We live in a postmodern society. ‘Spirituality’ is still present, but it’s changed. People crave the solace it offers, but are unwilling to make any sacrifices for it. The church has lost its crown, and all its past hurt and sins mean many people refuse to return to it. People aren’t necessarily atheistic or agnostic - they’re apathetic. Religion isn’t for them. Most of my non-believer friends are extremely respectful of my faith. They’ll ask me questions about church, and sometimes about what I believe. But there’s always a line between what’s mine and theirs. My faith is good for me but they want no part in it.
You hear a lot of talk about the decline of Christianity in the West. More and more, Christians are finding themselves on the sidelines instead of being the cultural norm.
Faith in Ireland
For Protestants in Ireland, this is not a new phenomenon. For the past hundred years, Protestant faith has been considerably in the minority, and evangelical/non-denominational churches even more so. (For Catholics, this is a new phenomenon, and you can generally observe a clear difference across generations regarding their faith.) It's a little difficult to quantify, as everyone uses different labels, but the latest census (2016) sets out the following as percentages of the total Irish population:
By comparison, 78.3% of the total population identifies as Roman Catholic, although general experience would tell you that this does not equate to practising belief. The number of people identifying as having no religion increased seven fold between 1991-2016.
Discouragement
It is easy to become discouraged by low numbers, dwindling church attendance and shifting societal values. I think of Elijah, in 1 Kings 19, when he despairs to God, feeling like he is all alone. My study Bible has a fairly harsh note on this, pointing out that Elijah has seemingly forgotten what miraculous works of God he has already witnessed.
But it can so often feel this way, and Elijah’s not the only one to have felt alone in his faith.
In 1 Timothy, Paul writes to Timothy and tells him to remain in Ephesus. The rest of the letter leaves us under no illusion that Ephesus is an easy place to be a Christian, let alone trying to plant a church.
It’s not sinful to feel discouraged. We lament the lack of Christians in our society. We pray for fruitful evangelism in a barren field.
I can't help but wonder if something good might come from this. It's no longer easy or normal to be a Christian, and that turns the pressure up for Christians to own their faith. It's becoming much harder to coast your faith. After all, it's now easier not to be a Christian, so why would you pretend? There's of course exception and nuance to this, but I think it's worth acknowledging that we are in a unique time where personal conviction and ownership of faith has become extremely important.
Josiah’s revival in 2 Kings
This is nothing new to God. Perhaps one of the best-known stories of revival in the Bible is that of King Josiah (2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-35). Josiah became king of Judah (the southern kingdom) when he was only eight years old. His father, Amon, ‘did what was evil in the sight of the Lord,’ worshipped idols, and ‘did not walk in the way of the Lord.’ His servants killed him, and his subjects made Josiah king instead (2 Kings 21:19-26). By this time, the northern kingdom of Israel had been conquered by the Assyrians, and several prophets had revealed that Judah was facing a similar future.
Josiah put his faith in God at sixteen, and at twenty he started a policy of reform to tear down the symbols of idol worship in the country.
He commissioned Hilkiah (the high priest) and Shaphan (the secretary), to repair the temple. In these works, they uncovered a copy of the Book of the Law (from Moses). When they read it to Josiah, he tore his clothes because he realised how far his people had strayed from God’s will. He instructed Hilkiah and Shaphan to “inquire of the Lord for [him], and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found,” (2 Kings 22:13). They went to Huldah, a prophetess, who told them of the coming judgement for Judah, and that the Lord would spare Josiah from experiencing it. Instead of despairing, Josiah was spurred to action. He personally read the Book of the Law to all the people of Jerusalem, made a covenant to God to walk in His way and keep His commandments, and led the people to do the same. He reinstituted the Passover, tore down the high places and idol worship poles and totems, put away mediums and necromancers and household gods, and generally reformed the country in their worship. In fact, the extent of Josiah’s reforms shows us the extent and deep-rootedness of idolatry in Judah at the time.
I find this story (or at least this part of it) very encouraging. The people of Judah had clearly forgotten God. They didn’t even know where the book of the Law was! I don’t think it’s a stretch to find parallels in today’s society. Many people today don’t actually know what the Bible says. Instead they base their understanding of it on how it is presented by peers or in the media. And while the Bible is incredibly accessible today, its authority has been lost. Many regard it as an outdated rule manual which doesn’t really apply to people living in the twenty-first century.
The church’s responsibility
In his book Live No Lies, John Mark Comer describes how the church should strive to be a creative minority, which lives in a way different to normal society, but which influences it for good. We are to be holy, set apart for God and living in a way which is pleasing to Him. But we are not to bubble away from the world. We should still be a part of the community we've been placed in, forging friendships with those around us and showing God's love and Good News to all.
How great is our God!
God can do all things. It's not foolish to pray for revival. Cynicism is unbiblical and does not help to further God's kingdom. We serve an all-powerful God! The future is not set according to our predictions! It is not foolish to pray for revival.
I mentioned earlier the minority status of Protestants in Ireland. There's a very exciting phenomenon happening with Christians moving to Ireland from different countries. Ireland was not a major country to emigrate to prior to the 1990's. My family came here in 2001, and we were the only non-Irish pupils in our (admittedly small) school for a long time. But emigration rates have soared since then, and many churches are being filled with Christians from all around the world. I find this so exciting: God is working! Yes, the culture is shifting but look what He's doing! He's bringing brothers and sisters from around the world and they become His witness in Ireland. The Evangelical proportion of the population has increased by over 10% between 1991-2016. Even when we despair, the Lord is at work.
You hear a lot of talk about the decline of Christianity in the West. More and more, Christians are finding themselves on the sidelines instead of being the cultural norm.
Faith in Ireland
For Protestants in Ireland, this is not a new phenomenon. For the past hundred years, Protestant faith has been considerably in the minority, and evangelical/non-denominational churches even more so. (For Catholics, this is a new phenomenon, and you can generally observe a clear difference across generations regarding their faith.) It's a little difficult to quantify, as everyone uses different labels, but the latest census (2016) sets out the following as percentages of the total Irish population:
- Church of Ireland (Anglican): 2.65%
- Christian: 0.79%
- Presbyterian: 0.51%
- Apostolic & Pentecostal: 0.28%
- Evangelical: 0.2%
- Methodists: 0.14%
- Protestant: 0.11%
- Lutherans: 0.11%
- Baptists: 0.08%
Discouragement
It is easy to become discouraged by low numbers, dwindling church attendance and shifting societal values. I think of Elijah, in 1 Kings 19, when he despairs to God, feeling like he is all alone. My study Bible has a fairly harsh note on this, pointing out that Elijah has seemingly forgotten what miraculous works of God he has already witnessed.
But it can so often feel this way, and Elijah’s not the only one to have felt alone in his faith.
In 1 Timothy, Paul writes to Timothy and tells him to remain in Ephesus. The rest of the letter leaves us under no illusion that Ephesus is an easy place to be a Christian, let alone trying to plant a church.
It’s not sinful to feel discouraged. We lament the lack of Christians in our society. We pray for fruitful evangelism in a barren field.
I can't help but wonder if something good might come from this. It's no longer easy or normal to be a Christian, and that turns the pressure up for Christians to own their faith. It's becoming much harder to coast your faith. After all, it's now easier not to be a Christian, so why would you pretend? There's of course exception and nuance to this, but I think it's worth acknowledging that we are in a unique time where personal conviction and ownership of faith has become extremely important.
Josiah’s revival in 2 Kings
This is nothing new to God. Perhaps one of the best-known stories of revival in the Bible is that of King Josiah (2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-35). Josiah became king of Judah (the southern kingdom) when he was only eight years old. His father, Amon, ‘did what was evil in the sight of the Lord,’ worshipped idols, and ‘did not walk in the way of the Lord.’ His servants killed him, and his subjects made Josiah king instead (2 Kings 21:19-26). By this time, the northern kingdom of Israel had been conquered by the Assyrians, and several prophets had revealed that Judah was facing a similar future.
Josiah put his faith in God at sixteen, and at twenty he started a policy of reform to tear down the symbols of idol worship in the country.
He commissioned Hilkiah (the high priest) and Shaphan (the secretary), to repair the temple. In these works, they uncovered a copy of the Book of the Law (from Moses). When they read it to Josiah, he tore his clothes because he realised how far his people had strayed from God’s will. He instructed Hilkiah and Shaphan to “inquire of the Lord for [him], and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found,” (2 Kings 22:13). They went to Huldah, a prophetess, who told them of the coming judgement for Judah, and that the Lord would spare Josiah from experiencing it. Instead of despairing, Josiah was spurred to action. He personally read the Book of the Law to all the people of Jerusalem, made a covenant to God to walk in His way and keep His commandments, and led the people to do the same. He reinstituted the Passover, tore down the high places and idol worship poles and totems, put away mediums and necromancers and household gods, and generally reformed the country in their worship. In fact, the extent of Josiah’s reforms shows us the extent and deep-rootedness of idolatry in Judah at the time.
I find this story (or at least this part of it) very encouraging. The people of Judah had clearly forgotten God. They didn’t even know where the book of the Law was! I don’t think it’s a stretch to find parallels in today’s society. Many people today don’t actually know what the Bible says. Instead they base their understanding of it on how it is presented by peers or in the media. And while the Bible is incredibly accessible today, its authority has been lost. Many regard it as an outdated rule manual which doesn’t really apply to people living in the twenty-first century.
The church’s responsibility
In his book Live No Lies, John Mark Comer describes how the church should strive to be a creative minority, which lives in a way different to normal society, but which influences it for good. We are to be holy, set apart for God and living in a way which is pleasing to Him. But we are not to bubble away from the world. We should still be a part of the community we've been placed in, forging friendships with those around us and showing God's love and Good News to all.
How great is our God!
God can do all things. It's not foolish to pray for revival. Cynicism is unbiblical and does not help to further God's kingdom. We serve an all-powerful God! The future is not set according to our predictions! It is not foolish to pray for revival.
I mentioned earlier the minority status of Protestants in Ireland. There's a very exciting phenomenon happening with Christians moving to Ireland from different countries. Ireland was not a major country to emigrate to prior to the 1990's. My family came here in 2001, and we were the only non-Irish pupils in our (admittedly small) school for a long time. But emigration rates have soared since then, and many churches are being filled with Christians from all around the world. I find this so exciting: God is working! Yes, the culture is shifting but look what He's doing! He's bringing brothers and sisters from around the world and they become His witness in Ireland. The Evangelical proportion of the population has increased by over 10% between 1991-2016. Even when we despair, the Lord is at work.
17 March 2022
I have been listening to teaching from Mike Winger, N.T. Wright, Tim Mackie and Allen Parr on 1 Corinthians 14, specifically the part pertaining to women speaking in church. Some thoughts I've had:
I'm still trying to work out what I believe when it comes to complementarian/egalitarian positions. This is just an attempt at untangling my thoughts and figuring out what I do believe from this passage. There are Bible teachers I greatly admire and respect who take a strong stance on both sides of this debate. Here's to more learning!
- Not permanent. Previously in the chapter, Paul addresses people speaking in tongues and prophesying. To those speaking in tongues he tells them to keep silent if there is no interpreter. To those prophesying he tells them to stop if someone else gets up. The same word is used for both these instances and is used again when he tells women to remain silent (sigao). So he cannot be instructing a permanent silence.
- Not regarding preaching. I think the instruction in verse 35 (“if they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home”) makes it clear that this instruction does not concern preaching. I’m not saying it says that women should preach, just that I don’t think it prohibits it. The verse seems to be concerned with women asking questions, or inquiring about something (perhaps related to prophecy), and that is what they should refrain from doing. The NASB translates it to “if they want to learn anything,” which suggests that this is not in the context of teaching.
- Not regarding prophecy. The rest of the chapter makes no distinction between genders when prophesying. Furthermore, in chapter 11 verse 5, Paul speaks directly to women who are praying and prophesying. Add to that the witness of the many prophetesses in Scripture (e.g. Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, Anna), and it becomes clear that Paul is not saying women cannot speak to prophesy.
- Concerning order. Paul’s primary aim/overall big picture in this chapter, particularly of verses 26-40, is that there is order to the church gathering. He says in verse 33 that God is a God of peace, not disorder, and that this should be reflected in the gatherings of His people. He finishes the chapter by advocating for everyone to encourage prophecy and tongues, but noting that “everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” This is why I’m not convinced that the instruction to women to keep quiet pertains to authority to weigh the prophecy, as I’ve heard taught. This passage is not discussing church leadership or authority. That verse (v 29) says that “the others should weigh carefully what is said.” I don’t think there’s a clear continuation of the idea in the following verses to make the argument that this is what women are prohibited from doing.
- Situational. That they should ask their husbands seems to me an indication that this can’t be a universal order to all women. Many women do not have husbands, or do not have believing husbands who can answer these questions. Rather, it seems to suggest that this is a situational instruction. He addresses specific situations in the church in Corinth throughout the chapter; debates on the superiority of tongues and prophecy, how to approach the speaking of tongues without an interpreter, the control of those who prophecy over what they say. It is therefore not convenient or stretching to understand the instruction for women to remain quiet for a time as something that speaks to a specific situation. Many suggest that men and women sat separately in this culture, and that the questions or interruptions from wives to their husbands was disruptive to the service.
I'm still trying to work out what I believe when it comes to complementarian/egalitarian positions. This is just an attempt at untangling my thoughts and figuring out what I do believe from this passage. There are Bible teachers I greatly admire and respect who take a strong stance on both sides of this debate. Here's to more learning!
23 February 2022
Religion has a bad connotation for a lot of people. Many associate it with a long list of rules, often unexplained and seemingly meaningless. Deviation from these rules results in judgment, both divine and social. Questioning these rules brings forth a hoard of know-it-alls intent on putting you in your place.
The division caused by Christian churches, both within and without the church, today and throughout history, is a sad reality that results from the corruption that creeps in when God is not at its head.
You see, becoming a Christian is not about following a pedantic set of rules. It’s not about doing anything good. It’s not about proving your worth or being good enough. The message has been twisted by centuries-worth of manipulation and greed, but the call of Christianity today is the same as it was two thousand years ago; it is a call to come home.
This is laid out pertinently in the Bible: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
This is amazing news—life-changing, freedom-finding, soul-saving news. I don’t really know why it’s not proclaimed louder and clearer, but that’s not my purpose to uncover right now. The fact is that it’s true: We are saved by faith alone.
God doesn’t require that we first pass an entrance exam before He welcomes us home. In fact, Jesus tells us, in the parable of the Prodigal Son, that the Father, watching for His son, sees him while he is still a long way off and goes out to meet him (Luke 15:11-32).
He is watching for us, waiting with bated breath for each of His children to find their way home. He is not an impassive God who is unconcerned with His children’s wellbeing. He delights in welcoming us back.
He is not a laissez-faire force either. God is proactionary. He has given us ‘free will’ to choose Him over the world. He does not drag us home kicking and screaming. The choice is ours. But He is not inactive. We don’t always notice it at the time, but God is constantly at work. We don’t always understand it at the time, but He is working together all things for the good of those who trust in Him.
He meets us where we are at. Jesus caused uproar in His earthly ministry because He associated with ‘fallen people’ judged to be of such low morality that the religious leaders of the day would not associate with them. But Jesus did not require these companions to change before He would talk to them. He didn’t necessitate that they repent or ask forgiveness or even admit that they had sinned. He met them where they were at, and the Bible tells us amazing redemption stories of Zaccheus returning what he had stolen (and more), of an adulteress forgiven by the Son of God Himself, of Mary Magdalene, despised as a prostitute, becoming one of the key witnesses to the Messiah’s resurrection. These changes were a result of their encounter with God, not prerequisites to meeting Him.
God meets us where we are at. He does not require a completed checklist of tasks, or great and earthly-impressive gestures.
He just calls us home. He offers us forgiveness and grace. Jesus died for us on the cross and “It is finished” was His cry. It is finished, death is conquered, we are saved. All we need to do is respond.
You are His child, He holds you dear.
Listen and you too shall hear
His message to the human race:
“Come home, my child, come home to grace.”
Originally published on Thought Catalog at: https://thoughtcatalog.com/corine-hilda/2020/04/the-call-of-christianity-is-to-come-home/
05 February 2022
It’s sometimes easy to feel as though God is far away from us; as though He doesn’t hear us when we call. It’s easy to see the suffering around us and wonder where God is. Some days it seems like our prayers aren’t being heard.
I don’t think it’s necessarily a lack of faith that causes this. Of course, we often drift far away from God, particularly when we don’t make an active effort to invest in our relationship with Him. But sometimes we can find ourselves in circumstances where it just feels difficult. We feel stuck; we feel like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and hopelessness isn’t far away.
In times like that, Psalm 22 might be a comfort. The psalmist offers three pieces of practical advice to those of us who cry out the same words as he does in the first two verses:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.”
He is faithful to His promises. He does not change; He is the same God today, yesterday, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). And therefore we can draw encouragement from the fact that we serve the same God who rescued a shepherd boy facing down a giant with five pebbles, the same God who rained down bread in the desert and who blinded an entire army.
He has shown His power and love in the past, and He will do so again.
It is by God’s will that we were formed; it is His will that we are alive. He created each of us for a reason, and He has a purpose for our lives. Therefore, we can, each of us, approach Him in prayer and ask: “Be not far from me” (v 19).
I had a recent airport mishap trying to get a flight home due to the coronavirus, and the whole time my mind was repeating: “For God’s glory, for God’s glory, for God’s glory.”
And He did deliver a hundredfold, and I knew at the end as I had recognized at the start that this obstacle too was for His glory, a reminder for me, maybe, to remember what I had learned in my loneliness abroad before I returned to my comfortable home.
When obstacles and suffering occur over a longer time period, it can be difficult to trust that any good can come out at the end. But though we are weak, God is strong, and He says to us: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
So we can boast in our weaknesses because they serve to illuminate God’s strength. We find comfort in our troubles because we know that He holds us and will be faithful to the end.
James 1:2-3 tells us that sufferings and trials will result in the testing of our faith, and this, in turn, produces steadfastness. When we have gone through trials and seen over and over again that God is faithful and powerful and active and just, our faith is strengthened. And this steadfastness, this clinging to faith, will be an encouragement to those around us.
There is purpose in our sufferings. We are not alone. Even when you can’t see the sun on a cloudy day, it is still shining.
I don’t think it’s necessarily a lack of faith that causes this. Of course, we often drift far away from God, particularly when we don’t make an active effort to invest in our relationship with Him. But sometimes we can find ourselves in circumstances where it just feels difficult. We feel stuck; we feel like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and hopelessness isn’t far away.
In times like that, Psalm 22 might be a comfort. The psalmist offers three pieces of practical advice to those of us who cry out the same words as he does in the first two verses:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.”
1. Remember what God has already done.
Firstly, he urges us to remember what God has already done, as recorded in the Bible and throughout history (v 4-8).“In You our fathers trusted,” he tells the Lord in verse 4, “they trusted and you delivered them.”God has shown us that He cares for us, that He is all-powerful and all-knowing, that He hears His people when they cry out to Him. Start with Adam and trace through all the Bible characters who trusted in God, even in the bleakest of circumstances, and found salvation in Him.
He is faithful to His promises. He does not change; He is the same God today, yesterday, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). And therefore we can draw encouragement from the fact that we serve the same God who rescued a shepherd boy facing down a giant with five pebbles, the same God who rained down bread in the desert and who blinded an entire army.
He has shown His power and love in the past, and He will do so again.
2. Remember what God has done for you personally.
Next, the psalmist tells us to remember what God has already done for each of us in our own lives (v 9-21).
Verse 9 says: “Yet You are He who took me from the womb; You made me trust You at my mother’s breasts.”Since our births, God has been faithful to us in our own lives in a personal way that transcends blanket promises or an impersonal power.
It is by God’s will that we were formed; it is His will that we are alive. He created each of us for a reason, and He has a purpose for our lives. Therefore, we can, each of us, approach Him in prayer and ask: “Be not far from me” (v 19).
3. Remember that there is meaning in our suffering.
Finally, we are reminded that there is purpose in our sufferings, even if we cannot see it (v 22-31).“I will tell of Your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.” (v 22)Verse 24 promises us that God hears us when we cry out to Him, and the rest of the psalm reminds us that God is glorified in our tribulations. This legacy serves to encourage our fellow believers.
I had a recent airport mishap trying to get a flight home due to the coronavirus, and the whole time my mind was repeating: “For God’s glory, for God’s glory, for God’s glory.”
And He did deliver a hundredfold, and I knew at the end as I had recognized at the start that this obstacle too was for His glory, a reminder for me, maybe, to remember what I had learned in my loneliness abroad before I returned to my comfortable home.
When obstacles and suffering occur over a longer time period, it can be difficult to trust that any good can come out at the end. But though we are weak, God is strong, and He says to us: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
So we can boast in our weaknesses because they serve to illuminate God’s strength. We find comfort in our troubles because we know that He holds us and will be faithful to the end.
James 1:2-3 tells us that sufferings and trials will result in the testing of our faith, and this, in turn, produces steadfastness. When we have gone through trials and seen over and over again that God is faithful and powerful and active and just, our faith is strengthened. And this steadfastness, this clinging to faith, will be an encouragement to those around us.
There is purpose in our sufferings. We are not alone. Even when you can’t see the sun on a cloudy day, it is still shining.
(This article was originally published on Thought Catalog.)
17 January 2022
Ethical consumerism is a massive topic, and there’s a lot of nuance associated with it. Unfortunately it isn’t possible for each of us to live a perfectly ethical lifestyle. Between supply chains and raw materials and transport emissions, even an ‘ethically made’ t-shirt can be exploiting people or the planet. But if we care about something we should act on it, no matter how ‘small’ the step is, and I think the Bible gives us a mandate to try to be conscious consumers. Below are three Biblical considerations regarding ethical consumerism.
The Bible tells us to dress modestly. Modesty can have a bad connotation in some Christian circles but I think we need to move away from modesty referring to the length of our skirts or how tight our jeans are; modesty is about not advertising our wealth or status through our clothes. It’s about not measuring our importance by what we own. This is consumer culture and it is exactly what we’re warned against in the Bible!
James 2:1-13 talks about not showing partiality or favouritism to the rich over the poor. The first four verses tell us:
Someone who comes into church wearing a shabby coat should be welcomed just as warmly as someone who drives in in a Tesla wearing a suit from Gucci. There should be no difference in how we treat people from different economic backgrounds. Material wealth has absolutely no correlation to a person’s worth. I feel like we know this, because we know that every human is made in the image of God and has equal worth, but we so easily become awed by shiny, fancy things.
The Bible Project explains that the instruction to women in 1 Timothy 2: 8-10 - not quite the most controversial verse in that chapter, but getting close - comes from the sudden mixing of different socio-economic classes, where some of the wealthier women were treating the Christian gatherings as a fashion show. He discusses peace and praying for those in authority, and then tells them:
I don’t think it’s denying the difference in genders to acknowledge that Paul’s instructions can be applied to men also. In the previous verse he tells the men not to quarrel which is also relevant to women. We just need to look at the example of Solomon to know that men can also get caught up in their outward appearance. But gender wars aside, my point here is that Paul is giving a clear instruction for material modesty. Don’t flaunt your wealth; don’t be so consumed by what you own that you end up distracting yourself and others from God.
Jesus warns us against the danger of consumerism, and this culture of always wanting more, in Luke 12:15:
I often pigeonhole all Biblical wisdom to the designated Wisdom books of the Bible (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Job) but Jesus’ teachings are (of course) filled with wise statements which are more observation than command.
In Matthew 6:24 He says “You cannot serve God and money.” I don’t think it’s an instruction, but rather a statement of fact. It is impossible to serve both God and money.
Similarly here, your life does not consist in the abundance of your possessions. That is a fact, and therefore Jesus urges us to guard ourselves against covetousness. By pursuing modesty - which removes the power of possessions - we will steer clear of the dangers that lie brings.
(A side note: if you are interested in exploring further in the topic of modesty, I have really enjoyed and benefited from Sam Powell’s articles on the topic.)
2) Care for the poor and oppressed.
The Bible is filled with countless instructions to care for the poor. All throughout the Bible, from the Old Testament Law to the witness of the New Testament apostles, we are told to care for the needy.
Leviticus 19:9-10:
“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.”
Job 34:19:
“[God] shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?”
Proverbs 3:27:
“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.”
Matthew 5:42:
Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Acts 2: 44-45:
“All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.”
Consumer culture fuels the exploitation of vulnerable people. Fast fashion is probably the most infamous industry for this inequality. Wages are notoriously low, working conditions are often unsafe, many workers are not allowed to unionise, and 1 in 2 women workers in garment factories in SE Asia have experienced sexual harassment (Fashion Revolution White Paper, 2020).
Unfortunately unfair wages, working conditions and employee rights do not end there.
Minerals are vital for the development of society - anything that can’t be grown must be mined. Many of us might be familiar with the idea of blood diamonds or conflict diamonds, but minerals like cobalt and nickel, which are used in smartphones and for renewable energy technologies like solar panels and wind turbines, can also be associated with poor working conditions. The DR Congo is a major global producer of a lot of minerals, including cobalt. However, 20% of their cobalt exports come from artisanal and small-scale mining operations. For a lot of us, the label ‘artisanal’ has the connotation of being handcrafted in a remote studio somewhere romantic, but here it refers to small operations with very little regulation or oversight. Many of these operations have children working for them for very little pay with little to no PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) (Green Conflict Minerals, International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2018).
60% of the world’s cocoa beans are sourced from Ghana and the Ivory Coast. In those two countries there are 1.56 million children who are working under illegal conditions in the cocoa bean industry and at least 30,000 people who are victims of modern slavery, although that number is likely a lot higher. There are less children in all of Ireland (1.25 million) than there are working in the cocoa industry because their parents don’t earn enough income.
All humans are image bearers of God and have equal dignity and worth. It should grieve us to hear of the mistreatment and exploitation of our brothers and sisters.
John Stott in his book ‘Issues Facing Christians Today’ (which, incidentally, was written in the 1980’s but remains remarkably relevant forty years on) says that, as convenient as it can be to forget it, we are our brother’s keeper. He writes: “God has put us in the same human family and so made us related to and responsible for one another. The law and the prophets, Jesus and his apostles, all lay on us a particular duty to serve the poor and defend the powerless.”
3) Stewardship.
Right at the beginning of the Bible, the Lord gives humankind a mandate, unique among all creation, to rule as His representatives on Earth.
Genesis 1: 27-28:
The earth is ours to steward and subdue. Nature is a glorious, exciting expression of the Lord and we have a distinct calling to rule over it.
The Bible frequently uses nature to praise, describe and magnify the Lord. In Job 38-39, God responds to Job’s incorrect assumptions about his suffering.
Job 38: 4-5:
There are many things we don’t understand about how the world works - how much more so are there mysteries about its Creator which we cannot fathom?
I studied geology; our God created an intricate Earth. Generations of scientists have dedicated their lives to trying to understand how atoms, cells, ecosystems and tectonic plates work. He has created an incredible world and He is glorified by His creation.
For some reason, today care for the environment has become politicised. To make a sweeping statement: many Christians who are conservative in their faith are often also conservative in their politics. Many will therefore dismiss environmentalism out of hand, considering it the ‘Green Religion’ used by liberals to justify policies they don’t agree on.
But if we take our mandate seriously, if we strive to steward the Earth well, we will be concerned with its well-being.
I said at the start that I don’t think it’s possible to live a perfectly ethical life. I stand by that, but I do hope this has challenged your perspective of consumerism. People will throw around things like “it’s not possible to have ethical consumerism under capitalism” but I think that’s often just a get-out-of-jail-free card. If we care about something, we will act accordingly, regardless of how small the action might seem. There are contradictions to ethical consumerism but that’s not a reason to dismiss it.
When we follow Jesus we are consecrating our lives to God, and that includes what we do with our money. It’s not so simple as direct-debiting tithes to the church every month and then doing what we want with the rest. Those of us who are privileged to have money must also undertake the responsibility to use it well.
1) Modesty.
The Bible tells us to dress modestly. Modesty can have a bad connotation in some Christian circles but I think we need to move away from modesty referring to the length of our skirts or how tight our jeans are; modesty is about not advertising our wealth or status through our clothes. It’s about not measuring our importance by what we own. This is consumer culture and it is exactly what we’re warned against in the Bible!
James 2:1-13 talks about not showing partiality or favouritism to the rich over the poor. The first four verses tell us:
1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Someone who comes into church wearing a shabby coat should be welcomed just as warmly as someone who drives in in a Tesla wearing a suit from Gucci. There should be no difference in how we treat people from different economic backgrounds. Material wealth has absolutely no correlation to a person’s worth. I feel like we know this, because we know that every human is made in the image of God and has equal worth, but we so easily become awed by shiny, fancy things.
The Bible Project explains that the instruction to women in 1 Timothy 2: 8-10 - not quite the most controversial verse in that chapter, but getting close - comes from the sudden mixing of different socio-economic classes, where some of the wealthier women were treating the Christian gatherings as a fashion show. He discusses peace and praying for those in authority, and then tells them:
8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. 9 I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
I don’t think it’s denying the difference in genders to acknowledge that Paul’s instructions can be applied to men also. In the previous verse he tells the men not to quarrel which is also relevant to women. We just need to look at the example of Solomon to know that men can also get caught up in their outward appearance. But gender wars aside, my point here is that Paul is giving a clear instruction for material modesty. Don’t flaunt your wealth; don’t be so consumed by what you own that you end up distracting yourself and others from God.
Jesus warns us against the danger of consumerism, and this culture of always wanting more, in Luke 12:15:
“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
I often pigeonhole all Biblical wisdom to the designated Wisdom books of the Bible (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Job) but Jesus’ teachings are (of course) filled with wise statements which are more observation than command.
In Matthew 6:24 He says “You cannot serve God and money.” I don’t think it’s an instruction, but rather a statement of fact. It is impossible to serve both God and money.
Similarly here, your life does not consist in the abundance of your possessions. That is a fact, and therefore Jesus urges us to guard ourselves against covetousness. By pursuing modesty - which removes the power of possessions - we will steer clear of the dangers that lie brings.
(A side note: if you are interested in exploring further in the topic of modesty, I have really enjoyed and benefited from Sam Powell’s articles on the topic.)
2) Care for the poor and oppressed.
The Bible is filled with countless instructions to care for the poor. All throughout the Bible, from the Old Testament Law to the witness of the New Testament apostles, we are told to care for the needy.
Leviticus 19:9-10:
“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.”
Job 34:19:
“[God] shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?”
Proverbs 3:27:
“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.”
Matthew 5:42:
Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Acts 2: 44-45:
“All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.”
Consumer culture fuels the exploitation of vulnerable people. Fast fashion is probably the most infamous industry for this inequality. Wages are notoriously low, working conditions are often unsafe, many workers are not allowed to unionise, and 1 in 2 women workers in garment factories in SE Asia have experienced sexual harassment (Fashion Revolution White Paper, 2020).
Unfortunately unfair wages, working conditions and employee rights do not end there.
Minerals are vital for the development of society - anything that can’t be grown must be mined. Many of us might be familiar with the idea of blood diamonds or conflict diamonds, but minerals like cobalt and nickel, which are used in smartphones and for renewable energy technologies like solar panels and wind turbines, can also be associated with poor working conditions. The DR Congo is a major global producer of a lot of minerals, including cobalt. However, 20% of their cobalt exports come from artisanal and small-scale mining operations. For a lot of us, the label ‘artisanal’ has the connotation of being handcrafted in a remote studio somewhere romantic, but here it refers to small operations with very little regulation or oversight. Many of these operations have children working for them for very little pay with little to no PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) (Green Conflict Minerals, International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2018).
60% of the world’s cocoa beans are sourced from Ghana and the Ivory Coast. In those two countries there are 1.56 million children who are working under illegal conditions in the cocoa bean industry and at least 30,000 people who are victims of modern slavery, although that number is likely a lot higher. There are less children in all of Ireland (1.25 million) than there are working in the cocoa industry because their parents don’t earn enough income.
All humans are image bearers of God and have equal dignity and worth. It should grieve us to hear of the mistreatment and exploitation of our brothers and sisters.
John Stott in his book ‘Issues Facing Christians Today’ (which, incidentally, was written in the 1980’s but remains remarkably relevant forty years on) says that, as convenient as it can be to forget it, we are our brother’s keeper. He writes: “God has put us in the same human family and so made us related to and responsible for one another. The law and the prophets, Jesus and his apostles, all lay on us a particular duty to serve the poor and defend the powerless.”
3) Stewardship.
Right at the beginning of the Bible, the Lord gives humankind a mandate, unique among all creation, to rule as His representatives on Earth.
Genesis 1: 27-28:
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
The earth is ours to steward and subdue. Nature is a glorious, exciting expression of the Lord and we have a distinct calling to rule over it.
The Bible frequently uses nature to praise, describe and magnify the Lord. In Job 38-39, God responds to Job’s incorrect assumptions about his suffering.
Job 38: 4-5:
“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?
There are many things we don’t understand about how the world works - how much more so are there mysteries about its Creator which we cannot fathom?
I studied geology; our God created an intricate Earth. Generations of scientists have dedicated their lives to trying to understand how atoms, cells, ecosystems and tectonic plates work. He has created an incredible world and He is glorified by His creation.
For some reason, today care for the environment has become politicised. To make a sweeping statement: many Christians who are conservative in their faith are often also conservative in their politics. Many will therefore dismiss environmentalism out of hand, considering it the ‘Green Religion’ used by liberals to justify policies they don’t agree on.
But if we take our mandate seriously, if we strive to steward the Earth well, we will be concerned with its well-being.
~~~~~
I said at the start that I don’t think it’s possible to live a perfectly ethical life. I stand by that, but I do hope this has challenged your perspective of consumerism. People will throw around things like “it’s not possible to have ethical consumerism under capitalism” but I think that’s often just a get-out-of-jail-free card. If we care about something, we will act accordingly, regardless of how small the action might seem. There are contradictions to ethical consumerism but that’s not a reason to dismiss it.
When we follow Jesus we are consecrating our lives to God, and that includes what we do with our money. It’s not so simple as direct-debiting tithes to the church every month and then doing what we want with the rest. Those of us who are privileged to have money must also undertake the responsibility to use it well.
10 January 2022
In a society which places a lot of value on the individual, Christians are faced with big questions about our self-worth.
The song ‘My Worth Is Not In What I Own’ by Keith and Kristyn Getty explains this tension well: “Two wonders here that I confess; my worth and my unworthiness.”
I have recently found myself wrestling with these parallel truths; how can we be both worthy and unworthy? What exactly did Jesus accomplish for us on the cross? What are the spiritual consequences of living in a world enslaved to sin?
I know that I need Jesus but the Bible also assures us that we each have infinite, intrinsic worth because we are image-bearers of God.
Recently on social media, there has been pushback to the idea that we are ‘enough’ simply as we are. Some Christians are concerned that such messages disregard the earth-shattering sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross.
The issue is that such teaching can quickly become self-idolising. It minimises sin, and so also Jesus. It perpetuates the idea that we can sin as much as we like because God will forgive us every time. It reduces the message of the Bible to something that is palatable and acceptable to all people.
But the Gospel will offend us. The Gospel shows us our sin, which is often much worse than we care to admit. The Gospel tells us that because this great sin, Jesus - God Incarnate - humbled Himself to come to Earth to die for the sins of the world. We see God’s love more clearly when we acknowledge our sinful state.
I don’t know if you hold to a Calvinist or an Arminian view of salvation - to be honest I don’t know which I hold to - but both agree (to an extent) on the doctrine of total depravity. This asserts that, as a result of the Fall, humans are by nature bent towards sin and selfish desires. Our whole lives long we wrestle with sin because we are by nature hostile to God and His holiness (Romans 8:7).
In this way, we are ‘not enough.’ In this way, we are depraved. Jesus died for us because it was the only way for us to be made right with God. We cannot earn our salvation by our own merit. We do nothing to earn our salvation. We are not ‘worthy’ of it because of anything we have done. We are not enough - we are completely dependent on Jesus and His sacrifice. Without Jesus, we would still be separated from God.
All that being said, we need to be careful of the pendulum swing. The Christian way is rarely at the extremes and we should not live reactionary lives. Our aim is to live like Jesus; contemplative in what we say and do. Just because there’s an issue at one end of the spectrum does not mean we should disengage and huddle at the other side.
It should be simple. We’re loved by God but we’re not able to buy our own salvation. We need Jesus to be made right with God. Why the confusion of our worth? I’m not convinced this attack on the language of ‘being enough’ is warranted. I understand the concerns but there’s nuance to this and I think we should respect that. We don't need to diminish the message of God's loving care in order to uphold the truth of our need for Jesus.
So how to tread the tightrope? I think it is important to bear the following in mind:
Finally, self-care is not a sin. It is good for us to look after our bodies and our minds.
We don’t need candles or diffusers to accomplish this. These can be great tools of course, if they work for you, but I think it’s important to decouple the idea of self-care needing to look like an aesthetic TikTok video with tinkly music in the background.
It is good to remember God’s promises and affirmations and to seek solace in who He says we are. We are His infinitely loved children and it is good for us to celebrate this truth and remind one another of it.
There are a lot of ways in which this world can knock us down, and it is important that we are reminded of our worth in Jesus.
Some verses to consider when wrestling with our worth:
I have recently found myself wrestling with these parallel truths; how can we be both worthy and unworthy? What exactly did Jesus accomplish for us on the cross? What are the spiritual consequences of living in a world enslaved to sin?
I know that I need Jesus but the Bible also assures us that we each have infinite, intrinsic worth because we are image-bearers of God.
Recently on social media, there has been pushback to the idea that we are ‘enough’ simply as we are. Some Christians are concerned that such messages disregard the earth-shattering sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross.
The issue is that such teaching can quickly become self-idolising. It minimises sin, and so also Jesus. It perpetuates the idea that we can sin as much as we like because God will forgive us every time. It reduces the message of the Bible to something that is palatable and acceptable to all people.
But the Gospel will offend us. The Gospel shows us our sin, which is often much worse than we care to admit. The Gospel tells us that because this great sin, Jesus - God Incarnate - humbled Himself to come to Earth to die for the sins of the world. We see God’s love more clearly when we acknowledge our sinful state.
I don’t know if you hold to a Calvinist or an Arminian view of salvation - to be honest I don’t know which I hold to - but both agree (to an extent) on the doctrine of total depravity. This asserts that, as a result of the Fall, humans are by nature bent towards sin and selfish desires. Our whole lives long we wrestle with sin because we are by nature hostile to God and His holiness (Romans 8:7).
In this way, we are ‘not enough.’ In this way, we are depraved. Jesus died for us because it was the only way for us to be made right with God. We cannot earn our salvation by our own merit. We do nothing to earn our salvation. We are not ‘worthy’ of it because of anything we have done. We are not enough - we are completely dependent on Jesus and His sacrifice. Without Jesus, we would still be separated from God.
All that being said, we need to be careful of the pendulum swing. The Christian way is rarely at the extremes and we should not live reactionary lives. Our aim is to live like Jesus; contemplative in what we say and do. Just because there’s an issue at one end of the spectrum does not mean we should disengage and huddle at the other side.
It should be simple. We’re loved by God but we’re not able to buy our own salvation. We need Jesus to be made right with God. Why the confusion of our worth? I’m not convinced this attack on the language of ‘being enough’ is warranted. I understand the concerns but there’s nuance to this and I think we should respect that. We don't need to diminish the message of God's loving care in order to uphold the truth of our need for Jesus.
So how to tread the tightrope? I think it is important to bear the following in mind:
1. Beware of idolatry.
When I was learning the Ten Commandments in Sunday School, I always thought I was sorted for the second commandment. I had never bowed to any statues or worshipped golden calves. Now I realise this is maybe the command I struggle with the most.
Anything can be an idol. Yoga or coffee or marriage or nationalism or theology - all of these can replace God’s place in our lives and become an idol.
In considering the balance of worth and unworthiness, I think we need to be careful of the idol of self. The self-love movement is necessary in many ways but it can feed us the notion that we should worship ourselves.
In considering the balance of worth and unworthiness, I think we need to be careful of the idol of self. The self-love movement is necessary in many ways but it can feed us the notion that we should worship ourselves.
2. Recognise that there are different stages on the spiritual journey.
Different resources will be useful to us at different stages in our faith journey. If someone is learning to swim, they don’t start in the deep end. We can be so judgy about what is fluffy or shallow or not theological enough. Some of the most pivotal books in my faith journey are not ones I would necessarily read again, but they were important stepping stones along my path. As Spurgeon said, the Gospel is revealed to us in degrees. We are all still learning.
The message that we are beloved by God, and worthy in His eyes, is no less Biblical than the truth of our desperate need for Jesus Christ. Understanding the balance between the two will come. There’s a lot of nuance in this conversation, but surely telling young people that they are enough is a much-needed message in this age of constant comparison. Some people desperately need to be reminded that they are worthy of love and enough as they are. This is a true and Biblically-founded message. We can affirm this without straying to self-worship. We don’t need to live at one of two extremes.
3. We should honour our bodies and our minds.
Finally, self-care is not a sin. It is good for us to look after our bodies and our minds.
We don’t need candles or diffusers to accomplish this. These can be great tools of course, if they work for you, but I think it’s important to decouple the idea of self-care needing to look like an aesthetic TikTok video with tinkly music in the background.
It is good to remember God’s promises and affirmations and to seek solace in who He says we are. We are His infinitely loved children and it is good for us to celebrate this truth and remind one another of it.
There are a lot of ways in which this world can knock us down, and it is important that we are reminded of our worth in Jesus.
Some verses to consider when wrestling with our worth:
- “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27, ESV.)
- “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17, ESV.)
- “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6-7, ESV.)
- “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20, ESV.)
- “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12, ESV.)
- “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2: 8-10, ESV.)
14 September 2021
I finished reading Paul's letter to Titus over the weekend and had some thoughts 😊. The book of Titus is a letter written by Paul to (surprise) Titus, a fellow missionary partner. Paul had left Titus in Crete, to bring order to the newly established churches on the island.
A brief summary:
The Cretan churches are in desperate need of sound leadership to combat the false teaching many are receiving. These false teachers claim to be Christians, but their actions belie them. They do not act out their faith, and their teachings are leading many astray.
Paul offers a description of what Christian living should look like - when actions do confirm words. He describes how this applies to older men and women, to younger men and women, and to slaves/bondservants. His primary concern seems to be that the Christian lifestyle provides a compelling witness to non-believers, urging us: "show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works" so that nothing evil can be said about Christians (2:7).
Paul then provides a general overview of what Gospel living should look like, reminding us that we were all lost sinners who have been rescued by God's grace, not because of anything that we have done for Him but because of His love for us. Therefore we should show "perfect courtesy toward all people" (3:2). The church should not be characterised by hatred (even to those we disagree with) but by love. Again, Paul's concern for the church's witness is clear.
Some thoughts on this book:
- I’ve heard quite a lot about the ‘Titus 2’ woman (especially from social media accounts) so I was surprised at how little time is actually spent addressing her specifically. I think we can get sucked into these constructs of role models (like the Proverbs 31 woman) but it’s important to realise that the entire Bible, not just these idealised passages, is our instruction for living. I’m not trying to diminish these descriptions - we should strive to be like the women described in Titus 2 - but it’s not our only guidance. There’s a danger of referring so much to these passages that it can seem as though these are the only select passages written for women in the Bible. That’s not true; the Bible is given to all people, all genders, all nations.
- Our faith should change how we live. It is a massive challenge to us that our actions should be proving our faith. We are not saved by works - Paul makes it clear that we are saved only by God's mercy to us (3:5) - but having been saved we should devote ourselves to good works (3:8). Many have been hurt by professing Christians, and have turned away from the church because they believe all Christians are hypocrites. But Paul urges us not to be like the false teachers who "profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works" (1:16).
- Clearly the local church plays an important role in witnessing to the surrounding community. The way we live should "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour" (2:10); it should provide proof of the Gospel. We are redeemed from lawlessness by Christ's sacrifice and we are to be "zealous for good works" (2:14). In this transformed way of living, we can prove the Gospel to non-believers.
He urges us not to be distracted by "foolish controversies" (3:9) but encourages the church to strive for unity, and to avoid those who pursue division.
- The church was well-known during the Bubonic Plague for serving the sick and dying. I remember at the start of this pandemic hearing many exhortations to show the same kind of compassion to those suffering now. There have been amazing stories of kindness and goodness which have come out of this pandemic, but there has also been a lot of division created, particularly regarding the intersection between restrictions and personal rights.
Christians have - whether fairly or unfairly - become associated with a group of people who resist restrictions at every turn. Why are we so obsessed with our rights? Christians are, of all people, to be those who make sacrifices for the sake of others.
We should be transformed by our faith, doing good to all, being characterised by love and acting in a way which represents the Gospel.
19 May 2021
1 Timothy is the first of the ‘Pastoral Epistles’ written by Paul to his protegé Timothy in Ephesus. Paul sets out his purpose in writing this letter in 1 Timothy 3:14-15: “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”
The first chapter of this letter addresses the issue of false teachers and reminds Timothy of the amazing salvation we have from sin in Jesus Christ.
The following points strike me from this letter:
In verse 3, Paul urges Timothy to “remain in Ephesus.” Clearly there are many issues in this church, and Timothy surely felt overwhelmed at times, particularly without his mentor Paul there to help and guide him.
But the fact that Paul encouraged Timothy to remain in Ephesus, despite its sinful environment, rather than going somewhere more receptive to the Gospel, is encouragement to those of us living in places where there is opposition to the Gospel. It is good for God’s people to be in the world, witnessing like lights in the darkness.
It can be enormously discouraging at times to see the lack of fellow believers and to have many friends who are hostile to God, but it is often God’s will for us to remain in these ‘Ephesuses’ and continue to witness and live as an ambassador for Christ.
(This is to say nothing of our brothers and sisters facing true persecution for their faith, and they remain in our thoughts and prayers always.)
2) Oppose false doctrine.
The reason Paul urges Timothy to remain in Ephesus is so that he can “charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” (v4).
‘Stewardship’ can also mean ‘orderly plan’ so in this verse it can refer to: a) God’s orderly plan for salvation or b) Human responsibility to partner with God in this orderly plan for salvation. Either way, the point is that God has set out our salvation for us in Jesus Christ and the church should respond by proclaiming this Good News, not anything else.
We should always oppose false doctrine. The church is meant to proclaim the truth (and there can only be one truth) and any additions or perversions of this should be cut off immediately. The “myths and endless genealogies” might indicate an early form of Gnosticism (which was a second-century movement suggesting that salvation was ‘accessed’ through ‘secrete knowledge’).
As Calvin points out: “Paul will not acknowledge the Church except where God’s truth is exalted and plain.”
I think this speaks to many churches today, but I especially think of the Prosperity Gospel; this is clearly a perversion of the truth.
We preach Christ crucified. We preach the Good News. We proclaim God’s truth. We should not add to this, we should not twist it for our gain.
“Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” (D.T. Niles).
In verse 5: “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
Our goal is love; we should be motivated by love, not pride or greed or legalism or any other selfish desire.
A pure heart manifests itself by showing love to others (not just professing faith which doesn’t impact our lives). We can have a good conscience because we know that in Christ Jesus we are free from the crushing guilt of sin. We show that our faith is sincere by depending on God and not ourselves. These things lead us to love.
Paul points out the danger of swerving from these things: wandering to vain discussion (idle talk), wanting to be teachers of the law which they do not understand (pride can be very dangerous), making confident assertions which can lead others astray.
These warnings are unfortunately very relatable. I am so often motivated by pride instead of love. Even in church my pride can guide my actions. I think of Jesus: “seek first the kingdom of God.”
In days of social media accounts ‘for the Lord’, and young celebrity preachers, and debates on women in leadership, pride is an easy and lethal trap to fall into. But we should be guided by love. Leave everything else aside. Jesus, all for Jesus. I write and I speak and I tell others about Jesus because I love Jesus. And when I find myself slipping, I come back to Him, kneeling by the cross, confessing my sin again.
4) There is no sin too great to separate us from Jesus.
Paul ends this chapter with an incredible encouragement: salvation is for all. There is no sin too great to separate us from Jesus.
He points to himself, calling himself ‘the foremost sinner.’ But “the grace of our Lord overflowed for [him] with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (v14).
Paul asserts that through his own testimony, God is able to show his exceeding mercy. Paul was a persecutor of the church; he was as hostile to God and His people as he could be. And yet God saved him. His mercy covers our sins. We are never ‘too far gone’ for forgiveness.
Furthermore, his former sins were not held against him. He became one of the greatest missionaries to ever live. As Spurgeon explains: “After Paul was saved, he became a foremost sinat. The Lord did not allot him a second-class place in the church…the Lord did not say ‘I save you, but I shall always remember your wickedness to your disadvantage.’ Brother, there is no reason why, if you have gone very far in sin, you should not go equally far in usefulness.”
God has an amazing pattern of repurposing broken sin for His glory. Paul’s testimony reminds us that we are never too far from Jesus.
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
The first chapter of this letter addresses the issue of false teachers and reminds Timothy of the amazing salvation we have from sin in Jesus Christ.
The following points strike me from this letter:
1) Remain in Ephesus.
In verse 3, Paul urges Timothy to “remain in Ephesus.” Clearly there are many issues in this church, and Timothy surely felt overwhelmed at times, particularly without his mentor Paul there to help and guide him.
But the fact that Paul encouraged Timothy to remain in Ephesus, despite its sinful environment, rather than going somewhere more receptive to the Gospel, is encouragement to those of us living in places where there is opposition to the Gospel. It is good for God’s people to be in the world, witnessing like lights in the darkness.
It can be enormously discouraging at times to see the lack of fellow believers and to have many friends who are hostile to God, but it is often God’s will for us to remain in these ‘Ephesuses’ and continue to witness and live as an ambassador for Christ.
(This is to say nothing of our brothers and sisters facing true persecution for their faith, and they remain in our thoughts and prayers always.)
2) Oppose false doctrine.
The reason Paul urges Timothy to remain in Ephesus is so that he can “charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” (v4).
‘Stewardship’ can also mean ‘orderly plan’ so in this verse it can refer to: a) God’s orderly plan for salvation or b) Human responsibility to partner with God in this orderly plan for salvation. Either way, the point is that God has set out our salvation for us in Jesus Christ and the church should respond by proclaiming this Good News, not anything else.
We should always oppose false doctrine. The church is meant to proclaim the truth (and there can only be one truth) and any additions or perversions of this should be cut off immediately. The “myths and endless genealogies” might indicate an early form of Gnosticism (which was a second-century movement suggesting that salvation was ‘accessed’ through ‘secrete knowledge’).
As Calvin points out: “Paul will not acknowledge the Church except where God’s truth is exalted and plain.”
I think this speaks to many churches today, but I especially think of the Prosperity Gospel; this is clearly a perversion of the truth.
We preach Christ crucified. We preach the Good News. We proclaim God’s truth. We should not add to this, we should not twist it for our gain.
“Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” (D.T. Niles).
3) Remain motivated by love.
In verse 5: “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
Our goal is love; we should be motivated by love, not pride or greed or legalism or any other selfish desire.
A pure heart manifests itself by showing love to others (not just professing faith which doesn’t impact our lives). We can have a good conscience because we know that in Christ Jesus we are free from the crushing guilt of sin. We show that our faith is sincere by depending on God and not ourselves. These things lead us to love.
Paul points out the danger of swerving from these things: wandering to vain discussion (idle talk), wanting to be teachers of the law which they do not understand (pride can be very dangerous), making confident assertions which can lead others astray.
These warnings are unfortunately very relatable. I am so often motivated by pride instead of love. Even in church my pride can guide my actions. I think of Jesus: “seek first the kingdom of God.”
In days of social media accounts ‘for the Lord’, and young celebrity preachers, and debates on women in leadership, pride is an easy and lethal trap to fall into. But we should be guided by love. Leave everything else aside. Jesus, all for Jesus. I write and I speak and I tell others about Jesus because I love Jesus. And when I find myself slipping, I come back to Him, kneeling by the cross, confessing my sin again.
4) There is no sin too great to separate us from Jesus.
Paul ends this chapter with an incredible encouragement: salvation is for all. There is no sin too great to separate us from Jesus.
He points to himself, calling himself ‘the foremost sinner.’ But “the grace of our Lord overflowed for [him] with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (v14).
Paul asserts that through his own testimony, God is able to show his exceeding mercy. Paul was a persecutor of the church; he was as hostile to God and His people as he could be. And yet God saved him. His mercy covers our sins. We are never ‘too far gone’ for forgiveness.
Furthermore, his former sins were not held against him. He became one of the greatest missionaries to ever live. As Spurgeon explains: “After Paul was saved, he became a foremost sinat. The Lord did not allot him a second-class place in the church…the Lord did not say ‘I save you, but I shall always remember your wickedness to your disadvantage.’ Brother, there is no reason why, if you have gone very far in sin, you should not go equally far in usefulness.”
God has an amazing pattern of repurposing broken sin for His glory. Paul’s testimony reminds us that we are never too far from Jesus.
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
24 April 2021
Published by Zondervan in 2014 (2nd edition), ‘Hearing Her Voice’ by John Dickson is a short book that focuses very specifically on the command from Paul in 1 Timothy 2:12: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.” Not exactly the kind of message that will go down well in 2021. But Dickson encourages us not to dismiss it (which is what most other soft complementarian or egalitarian arguments I’ve heard tend to do) but to engage with it.
It often feels difficult to find objective information on the subject of women preaching in the church. It seems as though most writers have already made up their mind before they begin writing, and just add in select Bible verses to prove the point they’ve already decided they want to prove. I am trying very hard to be open-minded. Obviously, I want to be able to say that I believe women can speak in churches. But if that is not what God reveals to me, I want to be able to accept that without bitterness.
I think in all things it is important to ask myself: ‘Am I being driven by obedience to my Father?’ I find this so difficult because I love to be right and I also love to prove other people wrong. Neither of these should be my motives for investigating women speaking in churches.
John Dickson’s ‘Hearing Her Voice’ is, in my opinion, a brilliant example of objectivity. He admits that he has changed his opinion on this topic and I think this makes him more sensitive to the variety of counter-arguments he needs to think through in order to prove his point.
In a follow-up document, Dickson summarises his position as this: “Women may give at least some sermons in church because the activity Paul forbids to women in 1 Tim 2:12, called “teaching”, is a special, authoritative form of speaking that cannot be equated with all sermons.”
This is the key of Dickson’s argument: that ‘teaching’ in the New Testament context refers to the preservation and laying down of the apostolic traditions. Because the early church didn’t yet have a New Testament, they relied on oral tradition (inherited from Judaism) to pass on the teachings of Jesus concerning the new covenant age that He had ushered in. Dickson argues that this is the teaching which Paul prohibits women to engage in.
There are two (probably very minor but nonetheless satisfying) things that make a lot of sense to me in light of Dickson’s argument:
Dickson does not ignore 1 Timothy 2:12, nor does he dismiss it as a cultural instruction no longer relevant to us today. I admire how firmly grounded he remains in Scripture throughout this book.
I will admit, his argument did come across as a bit repetitive about halfway through the book, but I think this is because he is eager to clarify his points and avoid misunderstanding.
History and the wide variety of opinions on this subject show us that this is not a straightforward topic, and there are plenty of nuances associated. Therefore, Dickson continually repeats and clarifies his points, balancing possible counter-arguments and returning over and over to his key argument: that teaching refers to the preservation and laying down of the apostolic traditions as received from Jesus and His apostles.
I think he has made a strong case for the use of teaching to refer to the passing down of apostolic tradition. He himself admits, however, that though the different types of speaking (exhortation, prophecy, teaching, evangelism) are distinct enough for Paul to refer to them as “different gifts” (Romans 12:4-8), there is undeniable overlap.
At the end of his book, Dickson envisions four responses. I think I am inclined to agree with his own perspective, which is the third envisioned response: that teaching, though it does not refer to most modern-day sermons, does still exist today. I think that the complementarian nature of male and female is upheld throughout the Bible, and this is important to maintain at church services. How this plays out is clearly subject to much debate.
Dickson doesn’t really explain what teaching today will look like. To be fair, he does admit himself that this might frustrate readers but argues that this is an open discussion.
I think in all things it is important to ask myself: ‘Am I being driven by obedience to my Father?’ I find this so difficult because I love to be right and I also love to prove other people wrong. Neither of these should be my motives for investigating women speaking in churches.
John Dickson’s ‘Hearing Her Voice’ is, in my opinion, a brilliant example of objectivity. He admits that he has changed his opinion on this topic and I think this makes him more sensitive to the variety of counter-arguments he needs to think through in order to prove his point.
In a follow-up document, Dickson summarises his position as this: “Women may give at least some sermons in church because the activity Paul forbids to women in 1 Tim 2:12, called “teaching”, is a special, authoritative form of speaking that cannot be equated with all sermons.”
This is the key of Dickson’s argument: that ‘teaching’ in the New Testament context refers to the preservation and laying down of the apostolic traditions. Because the early church didn’t yet have a New Testament, they relied on oral tradition (inherited from Judaism) to pass on the teachings of Jesus concerning the new covenant age that He had ushered in. Dickson argues that this is the teaching which Paul prohibits women to engage in.
There are two (probably very minor but nonetheless satisfying) things that make a lot of sense to me in light of Dickson’s argument:
- We weigh modern sermons now; we do not accept them as absolute truth. All ‘teaching’ today is judged against Scripture. There exists, therefore, a parallel between modern sermons and Paul’s instruction regarding prophecy in the church (1 Corinthians 14:29).
- Women are clearly seen and encouraged to participate in church services in other parts of Paul’s letters and the rest of the Bible. There are numerous women listed in the New Testament who served the church, who prophecised, who held churches in their homes. Clearly, the early church did not exclude women from most aspects of church life and leadership.
I will admit, his argument did come across as a bit repetitive about halfway through the book, but I think this is because he is eager to clarify his points and avoid misunderstanding.
History and the wide variety of opinions on this subject show us that this is not a straightforward topic, and there are plenty of nuances associated. Therefore, Dickson continually repeats and clarifies his points, balancing possible counter-arguments and returning over and over to his key argument: that teaching refers to the preservation and laying down of the apostolic traditions as received from Jesus and His apostles.
I think he has made a strong case for the use of teaching to refer to the passing down of apostolic tradition. He himself admits, however, that though the different types of speaking (exhortation, prophecy, teaching, evangelism) are distinct enough for Paul to refer to them as “different gifts” (Romans 12:4-8), there is undeniable overlap.
At the end of his book, Dickson envisions four responses. I think I am inclined to agree with his own perspective, which is the third envisioned response: that teaching, though it does not refer to most modern-day sermons, does still exist today. I think that the complementarian nature of male and female is upheld throughout the Bible, and this is important to maintain at church services. How this plays out is clearly subject to much debate.
Dickson doesn’t really explain what teaching today will look like. To be fair, he does admit himself that this might frustrate readers but argues that this is an open discussion.
I do think there’s more scope here to investigate exactly how headship in the church would interact with this perception of 1 Timothy 2:12, and what teaching today would look like, but I don’t think this was what ‘Hearing Her Voice’ set out to do. Dickson has presented his argument and, as with most good arguments, the door is now opened to further discussion.
Nevertheless, I did find some helpful reviews on Goodreads which gave some ideas of the application for modern-day teaching: setting out the church beliefs for church plants or position papers, deciding/confirming church positions on issues being challenged today by society like sexuality or hell, laying down afresh (possibly in sermon) the doctrines that we believe. I think of the Council at Jerusalem in Acts 15.
A whole book was published to respond to this ‘Hearing Her Voice’ (which is kind of impressive, if a little terrifying). The book, ‘Women, Sermons and the Bible,’ is a collection of essays from different scholars critiquing Dickson’s position. The description reads: “The book [Hearing Her Voice] excited considerable discussion because of the original and challenging way in which it made its case—particularly in its argument that the prohibitions of 1 Timothy 2:11-12 no longer apply to the modern day sermon.”
I’ve not read ‘Women, Sermons and the Bible,’ but, personally, this seems to be misunderstanding Dickson’s argument. I think he goes to great lengths to emphasise that he is not arguing “that the prohibitions of 1 Timothy 2:11-12 no longer apply to the modern-day sermon.” Instead, he argues that the prohibitions of 1 Timothy 2:11-12 never applied to the modern-day sermon (and its ancient equivalent; words of exhortation or perhaps also prophecy).
My pastor has recommended Claire Smith’s ‘God’s Good Design’ to me, which I will read next. From the endnotes and some Googling, it is clear that Smith does not agree with Dickson in his interpretation of this subject (she was actually one of the contributors to ‘Women, Sermons and the Bible’). I look forward to investigating her arguments.
For now, however, I have greatly enjoyed ‘Hearing Her Voice’ by John Dickson, and I believe he puts forward a compelling, well-balanced argument for women to preach.
Nevertheless, I did find some helpful reviews on Goodreads which gave some ideas of the application for modern-day teaching: setting out the church beliefs for church plants or position papers, deciding/confirming church positions on issues being challenged today by society like sexuality or hell, laying down afresh (possibly in sermon) the doctrines that we believe. I think of the Council at Jerusalem in Acts 15.
A whole book was published to respond to this ‘Hearing Her Voice’ (which is kind of impressive, if a little terrifying). The book, ‘Women, Sermons and the Bible,’ is a collection of essays from different scholars critiquing Dickson’s position. The description reads: “The book [Hearing Her Voice] excited considerable discussion because of the original and challenging way in which it made its case—particularly in its argument that the prohibitions of 1 Timothy 2:11-12 no longer apply to the modern day sermon.”
I’ve not read ‘Women, Sermons and the Bible,’ but, personally, this seems to be misunderstanding Dickson’s argument. I think he goes to great lengths to emphasise that he is not arguing “that the prohibitions of 1 Timothy 2:11-12 no longer apply to the modern-day sermon.” Instead, he argues that the prohibitions of 1 Timothy 2:11-12 never applied to the modern-day sermon (and its ancient equivalent; words of exhortation or perhaps also prophecy).
My pastor has recommended Claire Smith’s ‘God’s Good Design’ to me, which I will read next. From the endnotes and some Googling, it is clear that Smith does not agree with Dickson in his interpretation of this subject (she was actually one of the contributors to ‘Women, Sermons and the Bible’). I look forward to investigating her arguments.
For now, however, I have greatly enjoyed ‘Hearing Her Voice’ by John Dickson, and I believe he puts forward a compelling, well-balanced argument for women to preach.
19 April 2021
Recently, there’s been quite a lot of pushback to the ‘fluffy’ teaching many Christian women are receiving. Christian women are just as thirsty for Scripture-grounded teaching and theological training as men. We are not satisfied with essential oils and pretty colouring pages. Picture-perfect Bible journalling might make for some nice Instagram pics but they don’t mean anything if they’re not drawing us closer to God.
I think this is a function of the overall effort to modernise churches over the past few decades, as churches have tried to ‘keep up with the times’ and be more inviting; fancy welcome packs and high-quality coffee after the service and graphic design to rival a major marketing company.
My concern is that it’s very easy to join in the pendulum swing. If we see that someone has identified an issue we agree is wrong, we tend to rush to their side in our mutual opposition. But the Christian way is rarely at the extremes. There is almost always a third option, a middle way.
Self-care is not sinful. Bible journalling can be a great tool for many to engage with the Word. Telling young girls that they are ‘enough’ is often a much-needed message in this age of constant comparison. Yes, of course, there are plenty of nuances associated with self-care but there’s nuance with most parts of this life. The Bible shows us how to live on a higher level but it doesn’t give us the specific actions for each scenario we’ll encounter. A lot is left unsaid, and these grey areas are freedom, not cause for division.
Sometimes it can feel like Christians (on both sides) are just picking at parts of the other side as opposed to examining themselves. It is no life to live reactionary. We need to be contemplative in how we live; approaching each topic with Jesus as our moral compass.
Furthermore, I don’t think the issue is experienced exclusively by women. It seems as though there is a larger problem with discipleship and training in many churches. Often, only a select few men are chosen for discipleship development from the church leaders. These are identified as possible future church leaders, and many others fall along the wayside. There seems to be a need for church-wide discipleship; not just investing in the select few who could become pastors or elders.
(The issue of women in church leadership positions is a different conversation and something I’m still trying to investigate. Either way, the point remains that true, decent discipleship is required for all believers. Filling up this void with superficial, self-focused teaching for women is just one function of the larger issue.)
What’s the purpose of the church? It’s meant to be a place where believers can come together and build up the body of Christ, both by investing in people who have already come to faith and by reaching non-believers.
At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus gives his disciples the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations,” (Matthew 28:19). Making disciples involves both the telling and the training.
One of the questions I’ve heard people say you should ask when you’re considering getting married is: “Are you more dynamic for the kingdom of God together than you are apart?” In the case of the church, the question becomes an instruction: the church exists so that believers can be more dynamic for God’s kingdom together than they are apart. Some ways that the church accomplishes this are:
- Encouragement
- Teaching
- Inviting/Hospitality
- Friendship/Family
- Social justice ventures
- Outreach/Engagement with the local community
We all are desperately in need of Jesus. Good theological education is vital in churches. We need to beware of inspirational quotes substituting our Bible reading. There are plenty of shallow, watered-down devotionals for women out there, and they often do more harm than good. Jesus should always be our focus, not ourselves.
So yes we need to call for clear Scripture teaching. We should keep Jesus as our focus and not be satisfied with pretty graphics or matching hoodies or any other ‘fluff.’ Moreover, we need to beware of the me-culture that is often propagated by this kind of teaching. But we don’t have to be throwing rocks at each other because of this. We can become just as prideful of our absence of smoke machines as we can become prideful of their abundance. The devil doesn’t care if you’re proud for ‘focusing on what really matters’ if your pride is driving others away in shame, and pulling your focus to yourself.
We do not need more division. We need more Jesus.
15 April 2021
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells two parables about our preparations for His return.
The first parable is about the ten maidens who wait for the bridegroom to come and the ensuing wedding celebrations. Five are prepared and bring extra oil for their lamps, but the other five are not ready for the bridegroom’s arrival, and by the time they arrive at the wedding - having taken a detour to the shops - they are too late and are denied entrance.
I have found it difficult to reconcile between this parable and the assurance that Jesus will hold us fast despite our weak and shaky faith. In Matthew 12:20, Matthew shows us how Jesus fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah, describing him: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory.”
So then, what is the purpose of this parable? Clearly, all ten maidens thought they would be attending the feast. Could this happen to me? Am I deluded for believing I will go to heaven? What if I’m denied entrance when I get there? How can I be sure that I am ready?
In Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus says to the church in Laodicea: “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” I used to understand this to mean that there is no middle ground in following Jesus - you’re either following Him wholeheartedly or not at all. To an extent, I suppose, this is true. I certainly believe that we aren’t static in our relationship with God (or anyone for that matter). If we don’t invest in a relationship we will drift further away. But we’re not drifting away from salvation.
There have been many times when I have not felt particularly close to God. But I don’t lose my salvation each time. Neither does each doubting episode somehow prove that I was ‘never really saved, to begin with.’
I think the Bible and church history and human experience all make it quite clear that our faith will have its ups and downs. We experience ‘conference highs’ and Doubting Castle. And most of all, Jesus our Saviour promises us that He will not snuff out a smouldering wick. So struggles of faith can’t mean that we’re ‘not really saved.’
This brings me back to the start: who were the five maidens who thought they would be at the feast but because of their unpreparedness, they were not allowed in? How can we be sure no to be like them?
In the second parable in Matthew 25, Jesus explains what it means to ‘be ready.’ He tells of a master who goes away and entrusts three servants with different amounts of money to steward in his absence. On his return, two have invested his money and present him with increased turnover. The third, however, hid the money away so that at his master’s return he presents him with exactly how much the master had originally given him. He did nothing to steward it.
There are a number of things to learn from that parable but in the context of the previous one, I think it’s important to note that God wants us to be working for His kingdom as we wait for His return. He has given us many resources (time, money, abilities, authority, homes) which we are called to steward for His glory. The maidens knew that the bridegroom was coming, even if they didn’t know exactly when. They knew that when he arrived they should be ready for him; they had time to prepare. There is plenty of kingdom work to be done while we wait for Jesus to come back.
In the same way, when He’s talking to the church in Laodicea, I don’t think Jesus is saying ‘I would rather you didn’t know me at all than half-heartedly trying to follow me.’ I think He’s saying ‘your faith isn’t changing your life; it’s ineffective; it does nothing!’ Apparently, there were two waterways in Laodicea - one with hot water, one with cold - and each had its unique uses (cold for drinking, hot for washing). But lukewarm water - a mixture of the two - was good for nothing. In the same way, the faith of the Laodicean church was not changing them, it wasn’t active. They were lazy, like the third servant, sitting on their faith but not doing anything with it.
Jesus tells them; “Be zealous and repent” (verse 19), telling them that though they think themselves self-sufficient and self-reliant, they are desperately in need of His saving grace.
I don’t know if the church in Laodicea were true believers (the instruction to ‘repent’ indicates they might not have been), but that’s not important (it is not my duty to judge someone else’s walk with the Lord). What is important is the warning they serve to us.
We are called to ‘be prepared,’ to invest in God’s kingdom here on earth, to let our faith transform us. With the Holy Spirit working in us, we can grow in our relationship with the Lord, becoming more and more like Jesus. On this earth, we won’t always get it right. But we have an interceding Messiah in Jesus Christ. Even though we will struggle in our faith, even though we will stumble and doubt and not have 100-streak days of Bible study, we are held by the Saviour of the world. ‘A bruised reed He will not break and a smouldering wick He will not snuff out.’
05 April 2021
Jesus’ teachings
The Sermon on the Mount makes this point very clearly. Murder and adultery are two of the ten commandments that most would regard as ‘easy’ to keep. But Jesus shows us the depth of our sins and tells us that if we have hatred towards one another, we are culpable of murder, and if we look lustfully at someone, we have committed adultery in our hearts. Though the physical consequences might be different, and though no one (except for God and ourselves) will know, the state of our hearts is clearly paramount.
Modesty issues are still a pretty big debate in many Christian circles today, but all the nuanced ‘this is acceptable, this is not acceptable’ seems meaningless when we see what Jesus says about lust. In Matthew 5: 27-28, Jesus says: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Clearly then, purity is also a matter of heart, not just actions. We should be encouraging everyone to pursue purity out of love for Jesus, both in how they dress and how they look at the opposite sex. Dressing modestly flows from this. Shame and judgment and clothing rules do not seem to align with this. The issue of modesty goes a lot deeper than a list of do’s and don’ts.
Jesus continues in verses 29-30: “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”
There is no acceptable excuse for sin; we should be prepared to make sacrifices in our lives in order to prevent sin. Sin is our enemy and we should do everything we can to live free from it.
Our motivation should always be to please God, not people. In Matthew 6, Jesus explores this regarding tithes, prayers and fasting.
These are acts of worship; they should not be done with the intention of impressing others. Our tithes should be secret, our prayers should be humble and our fasting should not be announced. Spurgeon put it well: “Keep the thing so secret that even you yourself are hardly aware that you are doing anything at all praiseworthy. Let God be present, and you will have enough of an audience.”
I struggle with praying in front of groups, especially if there are people present who I don’t know very well. There is always a temptation to pray in a way to impress them; to use big ‘Christian-y’ words, to sound passionate but not too emotional, to come across as effortlessly knowledgeable. When did all this become a part of prayer? Prayer is meant to be an outpouring to God; not a way to feel good about ourselves. Even in prayer - in conversation with our Lord - we can be motivated by the wrong thing.
Jesus’ actions
As always, Jesus’ teachings aren’t empty. He lives out what He calls us to do.
In Matthew 12:9-14, Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath. The Pharisees ask Him; “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath,” and He responds; “it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
Again, Jesus shows us that the motivation and heart behind the action is so much more important than the particulars of the actions themselves. Jesus had compassion for the man, but the Pharisees saw him as a test or bait to try to catch Jesus out.
How often do we deny help to those who need it because our hearts are in the wrong place? We don’t have time to help - valuing busyness and hurry over help - or we’re too concerned with what others will think or say if we approach someone society ignores.
It is always lawful to do good. I think that’s a good reminder to us to actively look out for how we can help others and give them some of our time and attention even though we’d prefer to keep walking by.
In his book ‘The Screwtape Letters,’ C.S. Lewis explores the idea of the difference between the type of person we pretend to be and the type of person we really are.
If I am patient with people at work and in the supermarket and in the queue for the bus, but I cannot demonstrate patience at home with those I love most, then I am not a patient person. I might be able to pretend to the outside world that I am patient, but clearly, the virtue is an act.
In a similar way, I think Jesus was calling out the Pharisees for believing themselves to be righteous because they prayed often and loudly, or because they gave extortionate tithes, but prayers and tithes and fasting can all be done for the wrong reasons. Just because they acted that way for the outside world did not mean it was true. If anything, their preoccupation with making others aware of their actions reveals the shallow-bottomed nature of their worship.
God’s love is enough - why do we add to it?
The way of Jesus is often about going further than required. Be more loving, more kind, more generous than you need to be. This kind of servant-heart is used to describe God’s ideal worshipper in Psalm 15.
Following Jesus is really not about following a list of rules. It’s a lifestyle. It’s not about giving exactly 10% of your earnings to charity; it’s about becoming a generous person who doesn’t treasure material things above God and His kingdom.
Maybe this is why the Pharisees had such a problem understanding Jesus’ teachings. They wanted a black and white list of do’s and don’ts so that they would be certain of their moral goodness. But Jesus calls us to follow Him; to walk in His way and imitate Him. Our purpose is to become more Christ-like, and that’s a full life transformation, not just a list of rules to tack onto our current way of life.
It always frustrated me as a teenager, when Christians refused to give specific examples to answer the question ‘what is modest?’ regarding modest clothing or ‘how far is too far?’ when it comes to physical boundaries in dating. They’d spend twenty minutes talking about purity but never give any helpful advice.
Frustrating as that was, their sentiment was right; I was asking the wrong questions. We can’t distill our faith to simple rules. Our faith transforms us; it infuses us and changes us from inside. Our actions are the fruit of that change; the outworking of our faith. So often we reverse the system (thinking works will lead to salvation), but we’re already saved when we trust in Jesus.
It seems strange that this is such a difficult lesson for us to learn. It’s pretty obvious that Jesus’ burden is truly lighter (Matthew 11: 28-30). It’s lighter than the burden of legalism and the burden of keeping up pretences; Jesus’ burden is a call to live simply and genuinely; being honest with ourselves and with others when we fall short, worshipping God because we love Him and not because of misdirected pride or seeking validation.
In Matthew 9: 11-13, the Pharisees are disdained that Jesus is keeping the company of ‘tax collectors and sinners’ and He instructs them: “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I cam not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Sacrifice refers to religious rituals and the purity laws that the Pharisees prided themselves in keeping. But Jesus (quoting from Hosea 6:6) points out that God values genuine participation from His people over ‘burnt offerings’ and ceremonies.
God’s love is enough - why do we add to it? Are we still trying to tell ourselves that we are good enough to reach God through our works? Are we still more concerned with the opinions of man?
Only those aware of their sins can enter the kingdom of God.
Religious hypocrisy is still alive and well today
Jesus’ greatest opposition did not come from atheists or humanists or scientists, or any of the other groups which we might think pose the greatest threat to Christianity today. The people who had the biggest problem with Jesus, and who ultimately orchestrated His death, were the religious leaders of His day. This shows the very real and great danger of false teaching and religious hypocrisy. Just because someone can quote Scripture does not mean they are a follower of Christ. Enforcing religious rules is not proof of salvation. Legalism is still a threat to the church today.
If the religious leaders of His day could call for the death of the Son of God, then it is perfectly possible for us to profess faith and yet be found wanting. We need to examine our hearts; are we motivated by love? Are we following the way of Jesus? Or are our actions the result of misconstrued identity, an attempt to fill in the void that only Jesus can fill? We can quote Bible verses and impressive-sounding theological books and still miss out on the Gospel.
You can know a lot about God without knowing God. At the same time, you can leave yourself stranded by only holding out for ‘big moment’ encounters with the Lord. Like most things, this seems to be a question of balance. Theology is important but it is the means to an end, not the end itself.
We can abuse the love of Jesus (“If Jesus really loves me, He’ll forgive me for doing this [sin I know I should not do]”) but then we’ve missed the point. But we can also go to the other extreme, and hold back from embracing His love, refusing to let it transform our lives.
Call to examine our hearts
So where does this leave us? Where do we go from here?
Hacks and rules for striking this balance in areas like tithes and public prayer might be useful for some, but for now let’s just sit in Jesus’ presence. This is a call to examine our hearts; what is He saying to us? What can I recognise as a source of pride in my own life? Where are my motivations not genuine?
I often find we leap from problem to solution without taking the time to identify how these issues manifest in our lives. Even if it is the same sin, it can crop up differently for each of us.
So right now praying in front of others is something I know I can be tempted to do for the wrong reasons. Part of that is because I am trying to find validation in a group of people I don’t yet know very well. Another part is a hypersensitivity to the differing roles of men and women in ministry at my church. A large part is pride.
Knowing this, I will try to make a conscious effort to pray to God, not for man. I will ask God for His help, for His Spirit to move in me so that my prayers and genuine and effective and encouraging, not because I made them so, but because His Spirit works in me.
Conclusion
People will judge you regardless, so be sure that your motivation is pure. It is better to be concerned with our own hearts than with what others say. Jesus and John the Baptist had very different lifestyles and they were both criticised for how they lived. They said John had a demon, because of his ascetic lifestyle, and they called Jesus ‘a drunkard and a glutton’ for feasting with ‘sinners.’ But both were dedicated to God’s will and lived to bring glory to Him. At the end of the day, our love for God should motivate everything we do.
In Matthew 12:9-14, Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath. The Pharisees ask Him; “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath,” and He responds; “it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
Again, Jesus shows us that the motivation and heart behind the action is so much more important than the particulars of the actions themselves. Jesus had compassion for the man, but the Pharisees saw him as a test or bait to try to catch Jesus out.
How often do we deny help to those who need it because our hearts are in the wrong place? We don’t have time to help - valuing busyness and hurry over help - or we’re too concerned with what others will think or say if we approach someone society ignores.
It is always lawful to do good. I think that’s a good reminder to us to actively look out for how we can help others and give them some of our time and attention even though we’d prefer to keep walking by.
In his book ‘The Screwtape Letters,’ C.S. Lewis explores the idea of the difference between the type of person we pretend to be and the type of person we really are.
If I am patient with people at work and in the supermarket and in the queue for the bus, but I cannot demonstrate patience at home with those I love most, then I am not a patient person. I might be able to pretend to the outside world that I am patient, but clearly, the virtue is an act.
In a similar way, I think Jesus was calling out the Pharisees for believing themselves to be righteous because they prayed often and loudly, or because they gave extortionate tithes, but prayers and tithes and fasting can all be done for the wrong reasons. Just because they acted that way for the outside world did not mean it was true. If anything, their preoccupation with making others aware of their actions reveals the shallow-bottomed nature of their worship.
God’s love is enough - why do we add to it?
The way of Jesus is often about going further than required. Be more loving, more kind, more generous than you need to be. This kind of servant-heart is used to describe God’s ideal worshipper in Psalm 15.
Following Jesus is really not about following a list of rules. It’s a lifestyle. It’s not about giving exactly 10% of your earnings to charity; it’s about becoming a generous person who doesn’t treasure material things above God and His kingdom.
Maybe this is why the Pharisees had such a problem understanding Jesus’ teachings. They wanted a black and white list of do’s and don’ts so that they would be certain of their moral goodness. But Jesus calls us to follow Him; to walk in His way and imitate Him. Our purpose is to become more Christ-like, and that’s a full life transformation, not just a list of rules to tack onto our current way of life.
It always frustrated me as a teenager, when Christians refused to give specific examples to answer the question ‘what is modest?’ regarding modest clothing or ‘how far is too far?’ when it comes to physical boundaries in dating. They’d spend twenty minutes talking about purity but never give any helpful advice.
Frustrating as that was, their sentiment was right; I was asking the wrong questions. We can’t distill our faith to simple rules. Our faith transforms us; it infuses us and changes us from inside. Our actions are the fruit of that change; the outworking of our faith. So often we reverse the system (thinking works will lead to salvation), but we’re already saved when we trust in Jesus.
It seems strange that this is such a difficult lesson for us to learn. It’s pretty obvious that Jesus’ burden is truly lighter (Matthew 11: 28-30). It’s lighter than the burden of legalism and the burden of keeping up pretences; Jesus’ burden is a call to live simply and genuinely; being honest with ourselves and with others when we fall short, worshipping God because we love Him and not because of misdirected pride or seeking validation.
In Matthew 9: 11-13, the Pharisees are disdained that Jesus is keeping the company of ‘tax collectors and sinners’ and He instructs them: “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I cam not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Sacrifice refers to religious rituals and the purity laws that the Pharisees prided themselves in keeping. But Jesus (quoting from Hosea 6:6) points out that God values genuine participation from His people over ‘burnt offerings’ and ceremonies.
God’s love is enough - why do we add to it? Are we still trying to tell ourselves that we are good enough to reach God through our works? Are we still more concerned with the opinions of man?
Only those aware of their sins can enter the kingdom of God.
Religious hypocrisy is still alive and well today
Jesus’ greatest opposition did not come from atheists or humanists or scientists, or any of the other groups which we might think pose the greatest threat to Christianity today. The people who had the biggest problem with Jesus, and who ultimately orchestrated His death, were the religious leaders of His day. This shows the very real and great danger of false teaching and religious hypocrisy. Just because someone can quote Scripture does not mean they are a follower of Christ. Enforcing religious rules is not proof of salvation. Legalism is still a threat to the church today.
If the religious leaders of His day could call for the death of the Son of God, then it is perfectly possible for us to profess faith and yet be found wanting. We need to examine our hearts; are we motivated by love? Are we following the way of Jesus? Or are our actions the result of misconstrued identity, an attempt to fill in the void that only Jesus can fill? We can quote Bible verses and impressive-sounding theological books and still miss out on the Gospel.
You can know a lot about God without knowing God. At the same time, you can leave yourself stranded by only holding out for ‘big moment’ encounters with the Lord. Like most things, this seems to be a question of balance. Theology is important but it is the means to an end, not the end itself.
We can abuse the love of Jesus (“If Jesus really loves me, He’ll forgive me for doing this [sin I know I should not do]”) but then we’ve missed the point. But we can also go to the other extreme, and hold back from embracing His love, refusing to let it transform our lives.
Call to examine our hearts
So where does this leave us? Where do we go from here?
Hacks and rules for striking this balance in areas like tithes and public prayer might be useful for some, but for now let’s just sit in Jesus’ presence. This is a call to examine our hearts; what is He saying to us? What can I recognise as a source of pride in my own life? Where are my motivations not genuine?
I often find we leap from problem to solution without taking the time to identify how these issues manifest in our lives. Even if it is the same sin, it can crop up differently for each of us.
So right now praying in front of others is something I know I can be tempted to do for the wrong reasons. Part of that is because I am trying to find validation in a group of people I don’t yet know very well. Another part is a hypersensitivity to the differing roles of men and women in ministry at my church. A large part is pride.
Knowing this, I will try to make a conscious effort to pray to God, not for man. I will ask God for His help, for His Spirit to move in me so that my prayers and genuine and effective and encouraging, not because I made them so, but because His Spirit works in me.
Conclusion
People will judge you regardless, so be sure that your motivation is pure. It is better to be concerned with our own hearts than with what others say. Jesus and John the Baptist had very different lifestyles and they were both criticised for how they lived. They said John had a demon, because of his ascetic lifestyle, and they called Jesus ‘a drunkard and a glutton’ for feasting with ‘sinners.’ But both were dedicated to God’s will and lived to bring glory to Him. At the end of the day, our love for God should motivate everything we do.
21 March 2021
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