Posts filed under 'General'
Why did Paul bother to write “God, our Father”? Isn’t the name “God” sufficient? more respectfully appropriate with much grandeur?
Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Colossians 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
How would the Lord’s prayer be diferent if worded like this….Our God, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name…
Any different with ” Our Father, who are in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name” ?
What emotions do you experience?
During courting, a couple may address each other’s parents as ” uncle” and “aunty” (Singaporean custom). Once married, the uncle and aunty are respectively addressed as your spouse would with terms of endearment like Pa and Ma, or father and mother.
What has changed? What are the implications?
It has to do with family. It has to do with being added ( Acts 2:47) to the family, blessed by the head, the “jia zhang” !
Ephesians 3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named
Family members all have the same name, related by blood or added by the head through adoption. Families have heritage or inheritance. Families have priviledges set aside by the head for the children. You can’t just join a family like a club. The family must add you in and accept you by some formal process of adoption. A formal process of declaration to the community that you are one of them.
In our society this “adoption” comes in various forms: 1) legitimate birth of a child conceived by parents legally or customarily married 2) adoption through a legal or socially accepted process of a community 3) a legal declaration through a will that the beneficiary has some rights accorded to him/her by the deceased.
Spiritually, many are called but not many are added according to our Father’s requirement. 1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Baptism is a requirement Jesus Himself commissioned to His disciples to teach and ” obey all things I have commanded you” .
In good conscience as you declare “to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God” (Ephesians 3:10) that you are now solely His and no more belong to the prince of this world.
It is significant why God must be declared and acknowledged as Father, AND constantly remind ourselves.
Not only does He adopt us as children, He provides, Jehovah Jireh Ge.22:14
He leads His children as Father’s do, Jehovah Nissi. Ex. 17:15
He provides comfort, He makes all things well. Jehovah Rapha Ex. 15:22-26
He makes us whole. Jehovah M’Kaddesh Lev.20:8
Muslims do not call God Father. They have lofty names for Allah, but not Abba. Their god is a distant god.
Our Father is not only near us, His spirit is in us. He is also called Emmanuel, God with us!
With many more ways He cares, why do we often live like orphans?
June 2nd, 2008
I often say my prayers
But do I ever pray?
And do the wishes of my heart
Go with the words I say?
I may as well kneel down
And worship gods of stone,
As offer to the living God
A prayer of words alone.
For words without the heart
The Lord will never hear,
Nor will He to those lips attend
Whose prayers are not sincere.
Anon
Do you pray because you have been assigned or delegated, “arrowed” ?
Do you pray because you are scheduled and expected to mouth certain ” spiritual words” publicly?
Do you pray because it is ” one of the acts of worship” ?
June 2nd, 2008
Lesson from Mother Goose.
THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children she didn’t know what to do.
She gave them some broth without any bread.
She whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.
a)Is this old lady shepherding a flock or managing an organization?
b)Is she more concerned with efficiency or the needs of each child?
c)Why do you think she didn’t know what to do?
d)How is she coping with maintaining order without compromising numbers?
e) Do you see an example of “one size fits all” approach?
f) If the shoe is a church of poor lost hungry children for God, what kind of leader does this old woman represent?
g) How does such a leader ” whipped them all soundly and send them to bed” in a church setting?
h) Is such a leader feeding the flock to grow spirirually healthy or just feeding a flavour of the real thing wihout much substance as in ” broth without bread” ? What kind of sermons do these people preach?
i) How does the size of a church change a family to an organization?In what way does an increasing congregational size a disadvantage?
Is the church to make disciples or increase headcount in membership?
Why do you think such a situation arises in modern churches especially?
June 2nd, 2008
Biblical words describing Christians are humbling. Makes you think twice whether you should call yourself leader and what behaviours should shine forth instead.
You will realize that not all words translated as ’servant’ or ‘minister’ have the same meaning.
1.Doulos - a bond servant, one who voluntarily or involuntarily bond himself up to the will of another
a. Paul
Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant (doulos) of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God…
b. Apostles
2 Corinthians 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants (doulos) for Jesus’ sake.
c. James
James 1:1 James, a servant (doulos) of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…….
d. Simon Peter
2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant (doulos) and an apostle of Jesus Christ…
e. Christians
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants(doulos) to obey, his servants(doulos) ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
We become his slaves out of our own free will.We choose to be subservient to Him.
2. Oiketes - house servant, menial servant or in South East Asia we may say “coolie” of a household.
My grandfather used to have a faithful coolie who came from China at a young age. With no family of his own he was just grateful simply because he had a roof over his head and food provided for his hard labour. He remained faithful even to my father after the death of my grandfather.
Luke 16:13 No servant(oiketes) can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Romans 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant(oiketes)? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
If you are a menial worker for one master who provided for you, how can you serve a master from another house? All coolies are judged based on what the Master has instructed. Coolies listen to the call of the Master.
3. Misthios - hired servant, servant paid for their labour; wage earner.
This word is not used for believers. Used by the prodigal son in his reflection about himself compared to his father’s hired hands.
Luke 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants(misthios) of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Luke 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants(misthios).
The Prodigal son compares himself with outsiders who were paid for their labour. He did not compare himself with house servants who were part of the family structure. He considered himself as an outsider to the family. Even the outsiders got a better deal than him.
4. Pais - child, servant. This word is derived from beat. Was it because you could easily beat up a slave like a child with no rights?
This is an interesting choice of word.This word was used for Israel, Jesus and David .
Could it also be used in an affectionate way? In Hainanese a younger person addresses himself as “nong” when speaking to an elder. Nong in chinese character is nu meaning slave. Grandparents affectionately call their grandchildren as nong.
Luke 1:54 He hath holpen his servant(pais) Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
Matthew 12:18 Behold my servant(pais), whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
Acts 4:25 Who by the mouth of thy servant(pais) David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
5. Huperestes - under rower , officers, subordinates
It literally means under rower. I can imagine a ship with slaves rowing a ship. They have to row in unison with the beat of the drum, thus subordinate to those in charge. Maybe it is akin to the Hokkien word kah kiah or kah chiu i.e. “hands and legs”. Hands and legs are controlled by the Head. They are under the authority of someone higher, thus subordinate.
Matthew 5:25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer(huperetes), and thou be cast into prison.
Paul the huperetes of Jesus. He had to row to Jesus’ authority, not to his own beat.
Acts 26:16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister(huperetes)and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
1 Corinthians 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers(huperetes) of Christ, and stewards(oikonomos) of the mysteries of God.
Notice two separate words are used here: huperetes and oikonomos.
5. Leitourgos - a public servant , a functionary in a temple
This is derived from two words laos ( people) and ergon ( work) . He works to serves people. A chrisian is part of God’s civil service.
Romans 13:6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers (leitourgos), attending continually upon this very thing.
Romans 15:16 That I should be the minister(leitourgos), of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
Hebrews 1:7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers(leitourgos), a flame of fire.
Hebrews 8:2 A minister(leitourgos), of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
6. diakonos - an attendant, servant, one who runs errands, deacon, a person who waits upon or serve tables (diakoneo, diakonia)
This is the most well known word for the English speaking because we are more familiar with the word deacon.
1 Corinthians 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers (diakonos) by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
Romans 16:1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant (diakonos) of the church which is at Cenchrea:
Colossians 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister ( diakonos)
Colossians 4:7 All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister(diakonos) and fellowservant( sun- doulos) in the Lord:
Acts 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration (diakonia).
Acts 6:2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve(diakoneo) tables.
Acts 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry(diakonia) of the word.
We run errands or do chores for Him. We are His peons. In modern terms, when you diakonos you are doing operational or logstics work to achieve an objective. There is a difference between a responsibility, a role,a title and a full time paid job. Even Phoebe was a diakonos. Was this a responsibility? A role? A title? A full time paid job?
You will notice that the apostles used many words to describe themselves. These words are not titles or full time paid occupation.
We are ALL servants and bond slaves.
With regards to our own will we are doulos. We bond ourselves to Him willingly as His slaves. When we are added into his house we are his house slaves (oiketes) serving only one Master. Although slaves He treats us as His pais. We listen to His voice and act according to His will working together in unison as huperetes rowing to the beat of the shipmaster. We are busy in our Father’s business, serving the public as leitourgos; as diakonos running errands and logistics to do His will according to His beat. We are not hired hands (misthios); we respond to a calling not a job, not a career opportunity.
So tell me what do you mean when you call yourself a church leader?
Is there such a thing as a hyphenated Servant-Leader? One foot in the bible, one foot in the world?
“I’ve got a home in glory land that outshines the sun…”(3X)
Way beyond the blue.
Doulos, O, doulos , O do remember Me?…..(3X)
Way beyond the blue…..”
February 6th, 2008
Some folks think King James Version translation of the bible is closer to the original text. Even swear by it and insists every one has to use it. This may be so provided you understand old English, as old as Shakespeare and Queen Victoria.
The chain is as strong as the weakest link. In this case the weak link is not the accuracy of the translation but the language ability of the modern day reader.
I grew up with King James Bible and American Standard Version which my prejudiced view thinks they have wonderful prose. If only every one uses it. Indeed my sister studied the KJV in the university as a literature text. But then…how many of us are English literature major?
A modern reader is bound to read with a modern slant raising befuddled questions even if the text is better translation of the original Greek and Hebrew.
Example:
1)What do you understand by the word ‘without’?
Hebrews 13:11-12 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned WITHOUT the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered WITHOUT the gate.
My reaction as a modern reader is to assume it means “don’t have”. E.g. I left home without my keys.
So it is odd that the sacrifice is burned not having the camp and Jesus suffered with no gate?? Why did he need a gate for? what gate? Strange, isn’t it?
To my surpise I later learned in old English it meant the opposite of ‘within’ so we have withOUT and withIN. Or in our modern world it means Outside!!
Thus the meaning of the verses above is that the sacrifice was done outside the camp and Jesus suffered outside the city gate of Jerusalem.
2) Another example is the word “wonderful”
Judges 13:18 And the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Wherefore askest thou after my name, seeing it is wonderful? ( ASV)
Psalms 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
What does wonderful mean to you? I thought it meant fantastic or marvellous.
In Judges 13:18 Manoah, childless father of yet to be born Samson asked the angel what his name was. The angel’s reply was Wonderful. My name is Fantastic! Marvellous! Sounds like one of the Fantastic Four Marvel heroes.
The Hebrew word comes from pela or pala which means difficult, full of wonder or impossible. The angel was informing Manoah that the God who could do the Impossible had responded to his prayers.
The Psalmist is saying certain knowledge is full of wonder, impossible for him to grasp. He is not going to take more than he can chew! He will be like a weaned child and be at peace and let God takes care.
Our God is Wonderful, He does the Impossible, too full of wonders thus wonder-full.
Comparing bible versions is a good way of study. The purpose is to look out for similarities and differences which will give you a dead give-away that something is amiss in whatever you have been taught.
Let’s look at the word STUDY. This is a favourite quote if you have been in the churches of Christ for a long time. Newer Christians who study the bible with NKJV or NIV may not have this problem.
2 Timothy 2:15 STUDY to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
As a modern reader, how do you understand the word ’study’?
Most would immediately think it is bible study. More study, more better, yes?
My reaction is, if this is so, does it mean those who are less studious or literate will be able “to shew themselves approved”? Are they to be ashamed? Is this verse limiting our understanding solely to book study and nothing else?
How does book study influence interpretation of other verses? e.g.Hebrews 5:12-13 For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe.
I was told once that eating meat here means study more “cheem” stuff in Greek and Hebrew. If so , what happen if you are not smart enough?
If you compare with New KJV, NIV even old English ASV and the Chinese bible you will find something unusual.
e.g. ASV 2 Timothy 2:15 Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth.
What is the difference between ’study’ and ‘diligence’? Do they mean the same?
Study in the modern day context is an activity associated with book study. Diligence refers to one’s attitude and effort. Is diligence limited to book study?
The Greek word in the text is spoudazo which means diligent, give your utmost, zealous. Study may be correct translation if you think like Shakespeare , as in “study that man who is a suspect” where study here means to be focused and put effort into examining the suspect. It certainly does not mean buying a book from MPH about the suspect or attend a class on that subject.
SPOUDAZO is used elsewhere as in:
Galatians 2:9-10 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was zealous/forward(spoudazo) to do.
Ephesians 4:3 Endeavouring(spoudazo) to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Hebrews 4:11 Let us labour(spoudazo) therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
If you read the Chinese bible, the word used is jie li which means give your utmost or put your utmost energy into……
Diligence will include many aspects and I do believe it includes bible study but not limited to it.
So for 2 Tim 2:15 if you are a workman and you are to be diligent so that your work is approved, what is the product that will be inspected for approval by God?
How is a novice carpenter’s competence assessed? By his workmanship as seen in the furniture he made. A Master carpenter will see whether the carpentry of the chair or cupboard or table was well done before he certifies his workman. So spiritually if you are being assessed as a workman of God in His spiritual work, what part of you will be examined? What is the product of God’s Spirit at work? Where do you apply “rightly dividing (orthotomeo) the word of God” in order that you are an approved workman?
Does the answer lie in these verses?
Orthotomeo means making a straight cut. The root word for tomeo is used in Heb.4:12 meaning “sharper”.
What is sharp and where does it cut?
2 Corinthians 3:2-3 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
January 7th, 2008
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