• Pews. We’re going to be safe and careful, but let’s encourage EVERY member to come and every friend, family, schoolmates and coworkers to come, too.
•Heart. With a desire to learn and grow, to please God, to help this seminar to succeed, to strengthen the church, etc.
•Head. With a knowledge of God’s Word, especially the book of Mark. Fill it with an appreciation of God’s mission and will.
•Social Media Platforms. The more we mention this seminar, the more who will know about it and more opportunities for people to consider attending.
•Void. So many are unsettled, depressed, aimless, afraid, worried, and anxious. Only one solution exists. The solution is Jesus and Jesus will be proclaimed throughout our “Fill The Void” seminar this upcoming week.
We get started Sunday morning at 9:30 AM. Six sessions this week. Let’s fill each other with encouragement by supporting this seminar. See you there!
I occasionally hear the statement, “It sounded like something biblical.” It’s usually said after coming across archaic English, but that’s a topic for later. There are quite a few words even in modern translations that we don’t use outside of a worship setting.
This is partially because the bible wasn’t written in English. Attempting to convey meaning from dead languages to modern, evolving languages is a daunting task. Some translators choose to use obsolete or traditional words for various reasons. Most bible versions include a section in the preface that explains the translator’s reasoning.
We’re going to look at some of these words a little closer. Today’s word is “glory” (as used in the New Testament). We’re familiar with the word, but its meaning in some contexts in scripture is not what we’re used to. Glory (δόξα) can be understood in some of the following ways (BDAG used as a reference and this list is far from exhaustive):
Paul used it to describe variations in the brightness of stars (I Cor. 15.40ff).
It is used to describe otherworldly experiences or beings, especially if they are bright or very powerful (examples in Luke 2.9, John 2.11, Rev. 15.8, 21.23).
A faithful Christian’s experience in the next life is superior to how it is now. Our new bodies will be awesome (I Cor. 15.43, Phil. 3.21).
A faithful Christian will get recognition and celebration for making it (II Cor. 4.17, I Pet. 1.7).
Glory can mean a lot of things, and looking at context can be helpful in figuring out what that’s supposed to be. It’s easy to pass right by the word when we’re reading, but stopping to explore its meaning is extremely beneficial! For more information on “glory” in the New Testament check out BDAG, TDNT, or Google. Since the next several articles in this blog will be informal word studies, feel free to reach out with any requests!
The first of spring is always an exciting time for many. For those of us who aren’t fans of the cold, it is such a happy feeling to be able to spend your day outside without as much as a light jacket. While I try to keep our house clean through the winter, once spring arrives, I have this strong urge to start cleaning. And thanks to the excitement of a new (warmer) season, I have the energy and motivation to do just that. While cleaning the house, I also like to get rid of things we don’t need. Throughout the years, we collect all kinds of extra “stuff.” Some necessary and important for our day to day lives, but some not so much. These extra things may have seemed to be a necessity at the time but now they just take up space. Being married to…
While walking down a country gravel road, I often notice the shiny “rocks” glimmering in the sunlight. Upon closer inspection, the mineral can bear a striking resemblance to gold. As a child, I recall becoming excited by this discovery. Blessed with a mother fostering opportunities to learn, I had a chance to put my windfall to the test. She did a little reading herself from our World Book Encyclopedias before heading to the stove with my “gold.”
My mom placed the item under inspection over our gas stove’s flame with the shiny pebble gripped in a set of scissor tongs. As the flame lapped at the material, the smell of sulfur filled the air. The gold-looking material did not melt away but turned bright red; hence, it was pyrite. More specifically, it was iron pyrite. Fire is how you test to see if something is gold or “fool’s gold.”
How do we feel knowing that we, too, are periodically placed into the tongs above the fire? Of course, I mean this metaphorically. Times of testing come, nonetheless. Peter reminds us that these occasions allow us to prove our faith. We are like that gold tested by fire. Note that salvation only follows that testing (1 Peter 1.6-9). We must recall Jesus endured the same fiery trials, yet without sin (Hebrews 2.17-18; 4.14-16). He, of course, leaves us an example to follow (1 Peter 2.21).
Yes, we must endeavor to be gold refined by the fire. If we are lukewarm, like the Laodiceans, Jesus may well advise us to buy refined gold from Him as well (Revelation 3.17-19). The Laodiceans believed themselves prosperous but had pockets full of pyrite. Jesus told them He reproved and disciplined those He loves. So, it is not just the world holding us over the fire. Sometimes we need the Lord’s chastisement to bring about our repentance.
One day we will give an account of ourselves to God (Romans 14.12). That is the ultimate test. God will be able to tell if we are gold or pyrite quickly. Those who are refined gold enter into the place He has prepared for the righteous (John 14.1-3). For those found to be pyrite, it is an unquenchable fire (Mark 9.42-48). Whether or not there is also the smell of sulfur as tradition often associates with hell, we still note that Scripture describes it as a place of darkness and the gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13.41-43). It is not where we want to spend eternity. Now is our time to be refined by the fire. Let us strive to ensure that we are Au (gold) and not FeS2 (iron pyrite).
Kathy bought me an Ancestry DNA kit for Christmas. Last week, the results came back with my “ethnicity estimate” (if you care, it’s 41% Scotland, 35% England, 11% Ireland, 6% Wales, 3% Norway, 2% Germanic Europe, and 2% Sweden). It has been even more interesting to look through the records on the ancestry site, filling in blanks on my family tree (as well as that of Kathy’s family). It’s fun to trace back as many generations as the records will reveal, as well as finding out how certain ancestors died or what they did in their lives. My 8th-great-grandfather on my maternal grandfather’s side, Isaac Perkins, born in 1676, was a sea captain in Massachusetts. My 8th-great-grandfather on my paternal grandfather’s side, John McClain, immigrated from Scotland to Virginia in the late 1600s. Almost every day, I am still finding out new details about my family. But all of us have interesting twists and turns in our family tree.
Lineage, the family line or people, was important to the Jews. From the time Abraham is promised, “And you will be the father of a multitude of nations” (Gen. 17:4), the Jews felt it essential to trace back to Abraham’s descendants through his grandson, Jacob (Israel). Twelve sons and twelve tribes, these people looked back to find out who they belonged to. Ethnic Jews are proud of their heritage and do everything they can to trace back to their tribe. In a study of God’s eternal plan of salvation, Matthew and Luke provide us Jesus’ lineage. In it, we find some very interesting people–Tamar (Mat. 1:3), Ruth (Mat. 1:5), Bathsheba “who had been the wife of Uriah” (Mat. 1:6), and notorious Manasseh (Mat. 1:10; cf. 2 Chron. 33).
Your ethnic heritage may be extremely fascinating, and you may be connected to both famous and infamous folks. But, spiritually, you find yourself in a unique heritage if you are a part of the New Testament church. It is not necessary to trace back, uninterrupted, for 2,000 years of church history and have had your physical family a part of the family of God through all that time. If you hear the gospel, believe Jesus is God’s Son, repent of your sins, and are baptized for the remission of your sins, you are a part of “the household of God” (1 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 3:6; 1 Pet. 2:5; 4:17). The Father Himself adds you to His family (Acts 2:47). It matters whether or not you are part of that great heritage of faith revealed in the New Testament. What a heritage to bequeath to your children and grandchildren, too! Your obedience to the will of God can help them enjoy the benefits of this family line for eternity!
My 3rd Great-Grandfather, Steven Dudley Pollard.
His maternal Grandfather, my 5th-Great-Grandfather, Levi Walker.
There were Viking swords 800 years ahead of their time, made of crucible steel. These blades bear a Frankish name, “Ulfbehrt.” It is unknown if this was the sword maker’s name or used in connection with crosses by the Vikings to invoke magic or like a coveted logo, such as Gucci or Apple is today. So prized were these swords that someone went to the trouble of making counterfeits. The difference? Well, the steel quality, primarily, but also the brand. Genuine Ulfbehrt swords are marked as follows: “+Ulfbehr+t.” The fake version has this mark, instead: “+Ulfbehrt+.” Modern metallurgists are puzzled by the existence of these weapons. A medieval swordsmith should not have been able to make such swords before the Industrial Revolution.
To put that notion to the test, a blacksmith in Wisconsin set out to recreate the blade using medieval technology. It took a lot of work, but he replicated the Ulfbehrt sword. Even so, he wondered where the ancient swordsmith could get the steel he used to make these superior blades. The leading hypothesis was that the steel originated in the Middle East and traveled into Europe via the Volga trade route. Viking traders could trade Nordic goods for steel. Whatever the origin, Ulfbehrt swords remain a remarkable testimony of workmanship, whether medieval or modern.
I should not be surprised that people esteem our ancestors as inferior to modern man. The prevailing thought is that ancient peoples were comparatively ignorant. Plus, they lacked our “superior technology.” Hence, as an example of ludicrously held beliefs, some say the ancient Egyptians must have needed extraterrestrials to help build the pyramids. No, the truth is the Egyptians were intelligent and figured it out on their own. If you go back to our recorded beginning, you will note men working with brass and iron just a few generations after Adam and Eve (Genesis 4.22). Some religious people, still unable to accept our brilliant ancestors, likewise make excuses that other heavenly visitors, the fallen angels, gave man such technologies as metallurgy. So, rather than Tubal-Cain, the apocryphal book of Enoch says that Azazel taught men how to make swords.
Yet, God created a being intelligent enough that at a few minutes old, not only could he ascertain his situation, that he lacked a helpmeet suitable to him, but could also provide names to all the animals (Genesis 2.18-20). Let us not forget, as the adage states, “With age comes wisdom.” Our primordial ancestors lived hundreds of years. That is hundreds of years of trial and error teachable to subsequent generations. And given that these early men and women were close to being “very good,” the status assigned to the initial creation by God (Genesis 1.31), why wouldn’t their IQ be likewise? If anything, if entropy applies to intelligence, as some suggest, perhaps WE are the ones running out of it?
So, the next time you are watching a documentary in which someone expresses surprise at the skill or intelligence demonstrated by the ancients, remember Tubal-Cain. Long before what archaeologists dubbed the “iron age,” he worked with iron. Why? Because God created us with the requisite intelligence.
We tend to protect our valuable stuff. When my wife leaves her purse in the car, she locks the car. Most people keep their money in a bank. Those with influence or fame are often guarded closely while in public. If it has value or potential risk, it is locked up or otherwise guarded. We understand this concept.
The New Testament talks about guarded stuff quite a bit. What follows is an abridged list of ways τηρεω (tereo) is translated, in a very informal word study format. Specific definitions come from BDAG (a fantastic lexicon).
Prisoner/Person in Custody – It is used of Jesus (Matt. 27.36ff), Paul and Silas (Acts 16.23), Angels Who Sinned (II Peter 2.4), and Peter (Acts 12.5).
To Preserve or Hold Someone or Something – It is used of the “good wine that was kept until after the bad wine was consumed” (John 2). It is used to describe our inheritance, which is being held and is waiting for those who die in Christ (I Peter 2.4). It is used to describe the universe and the earth, which is being preserved because its destruction will be caused by God at the end of time (II Peter 3.7; Cf. Romans 8.22-24). For the Christian, this seems to resolve the climate change issue since God is keeping the earth intact until the last day.
To Not Give Up Something – Paul uses it urging Christians to persist in being united (Eph. 4.3). He also used it to tell Timothy that he had held onto his faith, even up to his imminent death (II Timothy 4.7). John uses it to describe our spiritual protection from being lost if we’re trying to live faithfully (I John 5.8).
For the sake of brevity, we’ll stop there. How cool is that our eternal home is being held by God, or that our record is kept clean by Jesus if we’re trying to be faithful? The two most important assets a Christian has is their eternal home and spiritual state. The first can never be taken away, and the second can only be lost if we give it up willingly and intentionally. God is good.
By Kathy Pollard I wish I could title this post, “Getting Rid of Stress And Anxiety,” but I don’t think that’s very realistic. With the exception of perhaps childhood, each new phase in life presents its own unique set of challenges. Maybe you find yourself in one of the following situations: New marriage, new baby, […]
This Sunday, January 31, 2020, the Lehman Avenue church of Christ will debut a brand new TV Program called “Light Of The World.” Neal Pollard will be the speaker. Please subscribe to the YouTube channel for future videos and TV Programs as NBC makes them available to us. Also, please subscribe to The Lehman Avenue church of Christ YouTube Channel to help us promote all our local preaching and teaching in addition to the TV program.
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Every person struggles with bad habits. We all may not have the same bad habits, but the process of breaking them is the same across the board. A habit is an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary. The world labels actions such as nail biting, smoking, and excessive drinking as bad habits, but as Christians we understand that any continual action or thought that is sinful is a bad habit in need of breaking. So how do we break it?
Psychology Today wrote an article titled “How To Break Bad Habits.” While the information is helpful in telling us how to break habits such as nail biting and smoking, it fails to tell us how to break sinful habits. If sin has become an acquired behavior pattern that is almost involuntary, that is, if we find ourselves practicing the same sins continually, we are no longer walking in the light. A habitual sin problem is the definition of walking in darkness. It is at this point that we have lost our salvation, and the sinful habit needs to be broken.
Psychology Today’s article on breaking bad habits was missing one very important resource: God’s Word. Let’s follow the steps they mention, but incorporate scripture into them so that we can break our sinful bad habits.
Define the concrete behavior you want to change or develop. It’s good to say “I’m going to stop sinning,” but that’s too vague. In order to break a sinful habit we need to be specific. David wrote an entire psalm specifically asking God to forgive him of his sin with Bathsheba (Psalm 51). Peter told Simon the sorcerer to repent and pray to God concerning a specific wicked deed he had done (Acts 8). Be specific in identifying the sin, and in praying to God.
Once we have pinpointed the sin, identify the triggers. For example, if you struggle with pornography, identify the trigger. Things like being alone with your computer or phone. Identify and recognize the temptation when it comes. Joseph was faced with temptation in the form of Potiphar’s wife in Genesis 39.
Identifying the triggers is the first step, but we must also learn to deal with the triggers. This is where we must be proactive. If we wish to break a sinful habit, we must actively look for ways to avoid the temptation. Jospeh did so by running away and leaving his coat in Potiphar’s wife’s hands (Gen. 39).
Next we need to develop a substitute plan. As Psychology Today points out, breaking a habit isn’t about stopping but substituting. Once we have dealt with the trigger, we must substitute the sin with something else. In this case the best substitute for sin would be scripture or time spent in prayer. When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He refuted the Devil using scripture (Matt. 4). He substituted the sinful propositions with God’s word. The habits we are breaking should be substituted with something that will help us continue breaking our sinful habits. In this case, that would be God’s Word.
Next we must change the larger pattern. It’s no longer just about a singular sinful habit. It’s about focusing on our Christian walk as a whole, changing our daily routine so that it’s harder for sin to have a place in our everyday lives. If we are focused wholeheartedly on living for Christ, sin will no longer be relevant to our goal (Luke 9:23).
To help us in our goal we must also get supports. Find a brother or sister in Christ to talk to and pray with. When the temptations come we should use our Christian family resources. God designed the church as a place we can go to for help, encouragement, and support (1 Thes. 5:11)
In everything we must be persistent and patient. Realize that we aren’t prefect and as humans it will take some time to completely rid ourselves of a sinful habit. Don’t use a single “mess up” as an excuse to quit altogether, and don’t see it as an impossible task. Living a godly life takes persistence and patience (Col. 2:6).
Finally, if we have done everything we can to rid ourselves of a sinful habit and we can’t seem to break it, get professional help. This may be in form of a Christian counselor, an elder, a preacher, or someone you look up to. Ask for help from those that are grounded and rooted in their faith. There’s no such thing as a professional Christian, but each one of us can think of people that have wisdom and knowledge far greater than our own. Seeking out help means swallowing our pride and admitting we can’t do it on our own (Matthew 8:5).
By Janelle Pollard Each new year brings with it excitement and hope. While 2020 was not without countless blessings, it will forever be remembered as a time when fear gripped the lives of millions. “What if I get COVID-19?,” “What if someone I love gets it?” These are just a couple of questions many of […]
How do we know if we’re effective Christians? We’ll look at II Peter 1.5ff for answers.
Faith is a starting point (5). Believing in God is critical, but far from adequate (James 2.19).
Add excellent character to faith (5). This word is αρετή, which describes someone with dedication to a flawless character, often in a civic setting. In this case, a character that reflects dedication to God.
With great character, add knowledge (5). This is more than an intellectual understanding of something, it is an application of what we know. Gaining knowledge is important, but living it out is what makes us effective.
With that knowledge we have to add self-control (6). This means restraining emotions, impulses, and desires.
Self-control should naturally lead to endurance (6). This is the ability hold up under difficulty. It naturally follows self-control, a quality that gets us outside of self. Once we adopt a selfless and restrained character, we can more easily deal with life’s difficulties.
With these qualities in place, we adopt godliness (6). It is interesting that godliness is this far down the list! Godliness comes after faith, excellent character, applied knowledge, self-control, and endurance.
Godliness should naturally lead to affection for our church family (7). We can’t claim to be godly and not have affection for our own eternal family!
With that affection must come a selfless kind of love (8). “If these qualities are yours and continue to grow, you will not be ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our lord Jesus Christ” (8).
Lately I’ve been shocked at the worldliness I’ve seen around me…oh wait, no I haven’t because it’s THE WORLD! The world is a place filled with corruption and pure evil. We shouldn’t be surprised when a godless world continues to live in darkness. But what has been a shock is the despair and hopelessness that has shown itself in the Church. We of all people should know better than to put our faith in man because eventually a nation that has left God will fail.
It’s sad to see the hopelessness that has crept into the Church, but it is easy to see why it has happened. We are surrounded by sin almost 24/7. At times, the news twists reality to pander to the majority or to push their own opinions. No one wants to read about unity, peace, and pleasant events. Some news outlets go out of their way to find drama and depressing stories. Social media isn’t exactly helping, either. It is filled with false hope, fighting, and fake connections. Rulers and those in power have lost the trust of many by showing their true colors. Once again we shouldn’t be shocked by the world’s selfishness and greed.
Everywhere we look, it seems as if there is nothing but hatred, lies, filth, and sin. That’s why it has never been more crucial for the Christian to stand up and proclaim the power of God. It is time to defend our beliefs. It is time to show our convictions. It is time for a wake up call. Now more than ever is the time to trust in the King of Kings. We have hope in knowing that Jesus is Lord of everything. He has overcome the world and now we must have the courage to proclaim Him to those in sin.
Christ is the Savior of the world, the ONLY Savior. He is the only hope for mankind. We know this is true, but sometimes we need a reminder.We need a reminder that Christ is bigger than the world around us and that we shouldn’t worry because God is in control. Sometimes we need to be reminded of Who Jesus is.
John 1:1-5 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
The next time you feel discouraged remember Who OUR Savior is. He is:
The Almighty God (Jn. 1:1)
The Creator of all things (3)
The Source of Life (4)
The Conquerer of Darkness (5)
It is time we start acting like we actually believe these facts. It is time to wake up and proclaim these truths with conviction to a lost and dying world.
Tuesday’s Column: Dale Mail Dale Pollard The original Hebrew name literally mean, “In The Wilderness.” Later on, Greek translators referred to these inspired writings as “Numbers.” For the Israelite people, it was the historical records of how they were shaped and Divinely-groomed while making an unnecessarily long hike through desert lands (Not to be confused […]
The original Star Trek series’ penultimate episode (“All Our Yesterdays”) had a compelling plot about how the residents of a planet chose to save themselves from impending doom from when their star would go nova. There were disks within a library enabling travel through a machine to any point in the planet’s past. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, the show’s leading trio of protagonists, inadvertently got sent back into two different epochs of the planet’s history. Fortunately for the three, their bodies had not been “prepared” for living in the past. Thus, they could return. No sooner were they able to return to the library that the librarian, Atok, leaped into the machine just in time to be spared the planet’s destruction. Kirk signaled the ship to transport himself, the science officer, and the doctor to theEnterprise. In the remastered version, the star explodes, and you see the planet they had been on being dissolved as the ship moves away and the end credits begin to roll.
“All Our Yesterdays” is one of my favorite Star Trek episodes. It is a favorite since I wonder what it might be like to live within our planet’s past. If I could pick up with my life in the 1950s, would I do it? Before watching a program about the CIA’s overthrow of a legitimate Guatemalan government in the 1950s to help an American banana company, I might have said, “yes.” It turns out that my idealized slice of Americana had a moldy underside. I had seen other signs of this, of course. However, I still clung to the idea that the 1950s HAD to be better than today. The politicians of the 1950s were just as “swampy” as they are today, though. The only difference was how the press chose to cover them. And even if there were the “June and Ward Cleavers” of America, vis-à-vis Leave It to Beaver, there were likewise the Rosa Parkses having to sit at the back of the bus and drink from separate water fountains because of skin color. As Solomon reminds us, “That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1.9 NASB1995). That truth means that there truly was no ideal time for fallen humanity, despite our desire for there to be so.
Psychology suggests we indulge in nostalgia more often when we are depressed than happy. We use nostalgia like medicine to treat our sadness. However, like the “wrong” flu shot, e.g., Type A vaccine for a Type B outbreak, it may not rectify the problem but make it more bearable. Since nostalgia does not “solve” our problems, it is incredible that it becomes a panacea for some. Such cannot be said of the Apostle Paul, though. The Apostle Paul was not one to indulge nostalgia even when reflecting on his past (Philippians3.2-11). He considered his past achievements under Judaism as rubbish (8). Paul told us to strive to live in the future of a better tomorrow instead (Philippians 3.12-14). Paul said that his “today” belonged to the church’s work (Philippians 1.21-26). And Paul encouraged us to imitate him as he imitated Christ (1 Corinthians 11.1).
It may be that all our yesterdays may seem sweeter to us but may we ever “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3.14 NASB1995).
Did you know that there can be union without having unity? A union is an association or group formed by people with a common interest or purpose, while unity is the state of being united or joined together as a whole. There can be union without unity. For example, you can tie two cats together by their tails and throw them over a clothes line. By doing so you have created a union, but there won’t be unity between these two cats, only fighting and chaos.
The church formed by Christ is a union, but that doesn’t mean there will always be unity. God understood this when He created the church. He knew that we wouldn’t always get along, so He gave us His word to help us in this matter. Paul spends a few chapters in the book of Romans discussing Christians and their relationships. In 12:17-13:14 he writes about our relationship with the world. In Romans 14:1-16:27, his focus is on getting along with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Beginning in chapter 15, Paul spends a few verses talking about the responsibility of those who are strong in faith. Romand 15:1-3 says, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”
Paul commands the strong in faith to bear the weakness of those without strength (be patient), not be pleasers of self (Phil. 2:3-4), do that which is for the weaker ones’ good, and follow the example of Christ. Paul then spends a moment talking about the power and importance of the Old Testament in verse four.. It was written to teach us (there’s value in studying the O.T.), it was written to encourage us (by reading of faithful people, as in Heb. 11), and it also helps us achieve unity through its teachings. The rest of this chapter is focused on unity. We are given many commands on how to grow our relationship with each other.
Why should we follow these commands? It brings about unity in Christ. Have you ever driven a car that backfires? Or that isn’t firing on all cylinders? It is usually caused by an engine that is out of timing, faulty wiring, or fouled spark plugs. A church that isn’t unified in Christ, runs like a car that is mechanically unstable. Without unity and timing in the cylinders, you experience a lack of horse power and worsened gas mileage. It fails to function the way it was designed to run. The Lord’s body needs maintenance and work in order to function properly.
Our relationship with one another helps us to achieve this perfect unity and efficient operation. A great example of unity is a snowflake. While it is a rare sighting in Alabama, we know what they look like. Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together. The church is made up of fragile and imperfect people, but through unity we can accomplish so much more for Christ.
Today I walked in on someone purloining. I was scared and confused because honestly…I don’t even know what purloining is. Does this word confuse you? Well you’re in luck because you just clicked on an article dedicated to defining the word “purloin.” You may be thinking to yourself, “self, why would I read an article on the word purloin?” And to that I would say, “because there isn’t another article I’ve seen on this topic, and no one knows what it means.”
The Bible is our most valuable possession we have here on earth, so our goal should be to understand what it says. There have been times that I’ve read verses that have used some confusing words, and instead of trying to understand what it means, I just skipped over it and kept reading. But there are some valuable insights that we can gain from looking more in-depth at these words. Let’s define purloining as it is seen in scripture.
Titus 2:10 says, Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things” (KJV). Purloining here is the Greek word “nosphivo”which is only found 3 times in New Testament, and only translated as purloining in one verse. The Greek word is translated as, “to put aside for oneself, to keep back, to steal.” This word originally was used as a descriptor of what the Roman soldiers would do when they were looting. They would be tempted to hold back treasure for themselves as they plundered cities, rather than giving the full amount to the Roman Empire. They would steal and hold back, and that’s exactly how Paul uses this word in Titus 2:10.
Going back to this verse, how is this term used in context? Verse 10 is the launching point for the rest of Paul’s point in chapter one. When he says “purloining” he’s referring to bondservants and their attitude towards their master. Rather than pilfering and stealing, they should show faith in God to take care of them. In essence this verse is an appeal to live in accordance to the teachings of God in everything. Servants who were not Christians would steal and cheat from their masters any chance they could get. As Christians we are to have a faith in God to provide for us, not stealing and being dishonest.
In summary, if you were to use this in everyday conversation, you could say something like, “I have never purloined in my life, “Purloining is wrong” or, “I’m going to teach my kids to be honest and not run around purloining.” Or you could just say “steal” or “withhold” instead. Although a few translations chose to use an interesting word to convey this idea of stealing, the point is still very valid for us today. I challenge each one of us to have faith in God to provide, to trust that His commands are in our best interest, and to rely on God to take care of our needs rather than purloining. I also challenge each one of us to use this word as many times as possible in the upcoming new year.
We think of providence as wholly positive. Yet, there is a sense in which it may accomplish something we perceive as “negative” (or “dark”). Lexico provides this secondary definition for providence: “Timely preparation for future eventualities.” (“Providence”) We relish the thought of God preparing events to work things together for our advantage. We know God promises to do so for the church (Romans 8.28). But what must God do if He must punish or chastise us? Does that not also require preparations?
Habakkuk deals with the difficulty of the titular prophet accepting God’s prescribed punishment for Judah. Habakkuk could not understand God’s selection of a particular people to carry out His sentence. Yes, God was empowering Babylon to punish Judah for her sins. To empower Babylon, however, required God to remove Assyria from preeminence within Mesopotamia. God provided another prophet, Nahum, with a prophecy regarding the fall of Assyria’s capital, Nineveh (Nahum 3). Secular history offers the rest of the story.
The fate of Assyria is the same of all earthly powers that have completed their usefulness–Judgment. After telling Habakkuk about allowing Babylon to rule the region, God said that Babylon would likewise be held guilty (Habakkuk 1.11). In other words, for as long as Babylon could exact the punishment God intended to bring upon Judah, they would remain. God determined that this punishment’s timeframe was seventy years, then God would punish the Babylonians for their atrocities (Jeremiah 25.11-12).
Do we presume that God is not still in the “king-making business?” Romans 13.1 teaches us that all earthly authority comes from God. So, God is the reason that 195 countries exist today. The problem is that you and I, with our finite minds and lifespans, cannot comprehend God’s eternal purpose for each country. Do nations not help to keep their neighbors in check? Sometimes that is the case. The twentieth century saw two global conflicts serving to restrain the avarice of a few aggressor-states.
There is no earthly Christian theocracy today, but God has His Kingdom, and it is not of this world (John 18.36). There is no political boundary capable of keeping God’s Kingdom in check, fulfilling prophecy (Daniel 2.44). That is the Kingdom we must put first (Matthew 6.33). Even so, the proverb remains that God exalts righteous nations (Proverbs 14.34). Hence, we desire moral governance even in the secular world.
Much was said by the Founding Fathers about the role of faith in creating the American republic. John Adams said that the Constitution was incapable of ruling any but a moral and religious people. Yet, among the same men preaching liberty in the eighteenth century, some held other men in slavery. Thomas Jefferson was not oblivious to the irony, though. He said that he knew God was just and that His justice could not sleep forever. In the 1860s, the United States engaged in a bloody civil war that claimed the lives of upwards of 700,000 men. And even if it still took the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s to finalize the work begun by men like Frederick Douglas, America finally made progress in living up to its foundational documents regarding equality for all men.
Yet, there are many other sins besides slavery, of which America remains guilty. America is an immoral nation, albeit a sinful nation peppered with righteous people. The requisite “ten” must still be present to prevent God’s Judgment (cf. Genesis 18.20-32). However, we must not forget about God’s “dark Providence.” He may well cultivate another nation, another “Babylon,” to punish countries like America for their collective sins. Though we can’t know about all the preparations God is making for “future eventualities,” we understand His justice may necessitate doing things we esteem negatively to chastise us.
We are foolish if we think that what happened to Assyria or Babylon cannot happen here. As with slavery, God’s justice regarding abortion on demand, mainstreaming perversion, philandering, and political grift will not remain asleep forever. However, rather than be fearful, we must live faithfully unto death (Revelation 2.10). God will be our Rock even if our world crumbles around us (Psalm 46).
Neal Pollard
Undoubtedly, one could find more contrasts than comparisons between Christ’s birth and death. Yet, a study of both reveals some interesting parallels. Both changed the world and have altered the impact of eternity. Consider the following:
1) At both, He was rejected of men (Luke 2:7; Mark 15:15).
2) At both, He was cast “outside” (Luke 2:7; Hebrews 13:12).
3) At both, Mary was there (Luke 2:7; John 19:26).
4) At both, myrrh was present for use upon Him (Matthew 2:11; John 19:39).
5) At both, there was darkness (Matthew 2:10,14; Matthew 27:45).
6) At both, His body was wrapped in clothing (Luke 2:7,12; Mark 15:46).
7) At both, a Herod becomes curiously involved (Matthew 2:7ff; Luke 23:7ff).
8) At both, there was worship-though the first was genuine and the second
mocking (Matthew 2:11 and Luke 2:13-14; Mark 15:19).
9) At both, wise men recognized His deity (Matthew…
Tyler King asked me to speak to the students and faculty at the Bear Valley Bible Institute during their chapel several days ago. It has been my privilege to do this many times through the years. I’m very grateful for the work this great school does and for my ongoing relationship with them.
The Preacher Pollard Blog 