Emails to a Christian (3)

Hi Mark,

I’m happy to hear you’re going to church and enjoying it. It really does make a difference in our walk with Jesus to be walking it with others. We weren’t made to do this (mainly) alone, but with the Spirit of God primarily and then with fellow believers.

In your previous email you listed five or six questions about church. I’m only going to give answers to two of them. This isn’t because I don’t think the other questions are worth answering; it’s because I think it would be better for you to speak to your pastor and maybe others in your church about them. I’m happy to have the conversations and I hope they continue but, just so we’re both on the same page, you have a pastor and he’s not me.

Exegetical Meditations (31)

When working through lists of biblical “contradictions” it doesn’t take long before you run into the one with Judas and his death.

The indictment usually goes something like this. In Matthew’s gospel, he tells us that Judas hung himself. But, in Acts, Luke tells us that Judas fell headlong and his body burst open with his intestines spilling out. The “contradiction”—they tell us—is obvious. He can’t both die by hanging and falling headlong at the same time.

The ones leveling this accusation of a “contradiction” often lament that even two gospel writers couldn’t get their stories straight.

Exegetical Meditations (30)

We often hear that husbands ought to love their wives as Christ loved the church. But, that’s really only half the statement Paul made.

He begins that particular section of Ephesians 5 by telling his readers how Christ loved the church. Jesus gave himself up for her and, in so doing, made her holy by cleansing her with water through the word. He did this and then presented her to himself as a radiant church, free of stains, wrinkles, or any other blemish. Because of Christ’s work, she—the church—was and is now holy and blameless. That’s what Jesus did and Paul says that husbands ought to do the same thing.

Exegetical Meditations (29)

Why worry about tomorrow? It’s out of your control. In fact, it’s out of everyone’s control except God’s.

Nevertheless we worry about tomorrow because we think we have control. We raise our kids, go to work, invest our money, buy houses, start companies, retire, move, do all those things because we want to. And, as can happen with anything, after we’ve done anything long enough or watched other people do the same things, we start to think it’s in our hands—we’re the masters of it. The problem is, biblically speaking, we’re not.

No Patience for Blasphemy

I don’t remember much about the day, but I remember the car ride.

I’m not sure exactly how old I was. All I know is I was old enough to be in the front seat, but not yet old enough to leave the seatbelt at the standard height. I had to adjust it lower so it wouldn’t scratch my neck. I was riding with my mom and we were going somewhere. Where, I can’t recall. I do, however, remember the radio was on and the music was turned up. I liked most of the music my mom liked: rock and roll. Perhaps even some classic heavy metal—depending on the band and how “heavy” it was. I still like it. She does, too. And that made rocking out in the car easy, and a must. As my mom drove and the tunes played on, there came a song now infamous for the moment I haven’t forgotten.

Exegetical Meditations (28)

Have you ever gotten into conversation with someone over what it will be like when Jesus comes back?

The conversation can be wild. Fun, no doubt, but it can get wild, because of the massive amount of interpretation going on with just a few verses. The question, I think, we ought to be asking ourselves before, during, and after those conversations is something like, “How can I think and talk responsibly about something in the Bible when there’s so much disagreement?”

Exegetical Meditations (27)

In this world right now there is either death or life and peace. And there is no in-between.

What Paul wrote about our minds in Romans 8:6 is a plain reality. Our minds are going to be governed by something and Paul sees that something as either the flesh or the Spirit. He tells us that if our minds are governed by the flesh, death is the result—the fruit our lives will produce. Contrary to that, he tells us that if our minds are governed by the Spirit (of God)—the Holy Spirit—a fruit called “life and peace” will be brought forth. What governs our minds means everything for the lives we want to live.

Exegetical Meditations (26)

The devil was certain he had Jesus.

He had him “alone” in the wilderness and Jesus was hungry—very hungry. All the devil had to do was convince Jesus to trust him instead of God.

With the second of a series of three tests or temptations the devil asks Jesus to jump off the highest point of the temple because angels will catch him. He supports this by quoting Scripture. Specifically he quotes Psalm 91:11-12, which says, “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” The devil “knows” Scripture and he’s using it with the Word incarnate. It’s really an amazing scene within the story of Jesus’ life.

Exegetical Meditations (25)

Wouldn’t it have been amazing to have lived during the same time and in the same place as Jesus?

You could have walked around with him. You could have listened to him. You could have eaten with him. You could have seen his miracles. You could have benefited from his presence in a way that only a select generation ever could.

One of the questions that would remain, however, is: Would you have believed him?

Exegetical Meditations (24)

What Jude’s letter lacks in size it more than makes up for with love and urgency.

The way Jude wrote his letter makes it sound a little like one of those old-time gospel calls. As anachronistic as it is, it has hints of Jonathan Edwards and John Wesley.

Here’s the truth and warning.

Jude begins by stating up-front the reason for his writing. He was very eager to write about the common salvation he and his readers share; however, before he could write about that, something changed his mind. Whatever it was, it caused him to shift the focus of his letter from a hearty celebration of salvation to a hearty urgent call for them to contend for the faith.